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Shenpen Ösel

The Clear Light of the Buddha’s Teachings Which Benefits All Beings

Volume 5, Number 1 May 2001

The entire practice, starting from the very beginning of the generation of the
deity and culminating with the dissolution or withdrawal of the deity and
mandala into the clear light, corresponds to all the events of one life. The very
beginning of the generation corresponds to the entrance of the consciousness into
the womb, for example, in the case of a human life. As the practice goes on there are
specific elements that correspond to the birth, to all the experiences of this life, and
finally, in the case of the withdrawal phase, to death.

—From the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s
Commentary on Jamgön Kontrul’s text, Creation and
Completion: Essential Points of Tantric Meditation

Shenpen Ösel

The Clear Light of the Buddha’s Teachings Which Benefits All Beings

Volume 5 Number 1

Contents

This issue of Shenpen Ösel is devoted to a commentary on Jamgön Kontrul’s text, Creation and
Completion, given by the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche at Rigpe Dorje Center in
San Antonio, Texas, between October 31 and November 3, 1997. Copyright © 2001 Khenchen
Thrangu Rinpoche.

3 Introduction

4 Creation and Completion By Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

4 Essential Points for Approaching the Path of Tantric Meditation
13 Essential Points for Traversing the Path
23 Using the Generation Stage to Purify the Habit of Birth
34 The Eight Consciousnesses as the Deluded Aspect of Mind and as Buddha Nature Itself
46 How to Work With the Emergence of Confusion in Practice
52 Cultivating Lucidity: No Meditation and No Distraction

6 2 The Cultivation of Bodhicitta and Taking and Sending By Lama Tashi Namgyal

70 Summary of the Cultivation of Bodhicitta and Taking and Sending

Staff Editorial policy

Editor Shenpen Ösel is a tri-annual publication of Kagyu
Lama Tashi Namgyal Shenpen Ösel Chöling (KSOC), a center for the
study and practice of Tibetan vajrayana Buddhism
Copy editors, Transcribers, located in Seattle, Washington. The magazine
Recorders seeks to present the teachings of recognized and
Glen Avantaggio, Alan Castle, Anita Castle, fully qualified lamas and teachers, with an
Kenn DeSure, Marcia Glover, Denise Glover, emphasis on the Karma Kagyu and the Shangpa
Judy Knapp, Donald Lashley, Linda Lewis, Kagyu lineages. The contents are derived in large
Chris Payne, Rose Peeps, Mark Suver, part from transcripts of teachings hosted by our
Elisabeth Talsky, Mark Voss center. Shenpen Ösel is produced and mailed
exclusively through volunteer labor and does not
Database manager make a profit. (Your subscriptions and donations
Marcia Glover are greatly appreciated.) We publish with the
aspiration to present the clear light of the
Mailing coordinators Buddha’s teachings. May it bring benefit and may
Mark Suver, Daniel Talsky all be auspicious. May all beings be inspired and
assisted in uncovering their own true nature.
Mailing crew
Members of the Seattle sangha

Photo credits this issue: Ryszard K. Frackiewicz, pages 4,
13, 23, 34, 46, 52, back cover.

2 SHENPEN ÖSEL

Introduction

All spiritual paths leading to buddhahood include three essential
stages in meditation: the development of the ability of the mind
to abide calmly in a single frame of reference (shamatha); the
generation of limitless impartial affection, compassion, and bodhicitta
through the practice of taking and sending (tong len); and the develop-
ment of the recognition of and the ability to abide uninterruptedly in the
true nature of mind, the clear light nature of intrinsic awareness
(vipashyana, mahamudra, dzogchen). In the beginning these stages are
generally practiced one after the other. In the middle, they tend to be
practiced in a mixed way, sometimes emphasizing one, at other times
another. In the end, there is simply the recognition of the clear light
nature of intrinsic awareness, which, by its very nature, is free of all
faults and embodies all positive qualities.

In order to hasten the development of these stages, the various tradi-
tions of vajrayana Buddhism also emphasize the creation and completion
stages of the many various vehicles of tantra. This issue of Shenpen Ösel
features a commentary by the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu
Rinpoche on Jamgön Kongtrul’s text, Creation and Completion, Essential
Points of Tantric Meditation, given at the Rigpe Dorje Center in San
Antonio, Texas, in 1997. Rinpoche’s teaching was occasioned by Wisdom
Publication’s publication of Sarah Harding’s excellent translation of the
same text under the same title the year before, which is accompanied by
Harding’s excellent introduction and notes. Although Thrangu Rinpoche’s
commentary stands on its own, it will enhance the reader’s understand-
ing, especially the understanding of budding Tibetan scholars, to obtain
and read this root text, which is published in both Tibetan and English.

We would like to thank Thrangu Rinpoche and the Rigpe Dorje Foun-
dation for permission to reprint Rinpoche’s commentary here.

Also included in this issue is a teaching on the generation of affection,
compassion, and bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to attain enlight-
enment, which is based largely on a teaching by His Holiness Tenzin

Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama on The Three Principal Aspects of the

Path to Supreme Enlightenment by Je Tsong Khapa, given in Los Angeles

in 1984. —Lama Tashi Namgyal

SHENPEN ÖSEL 3

Creation and Completion At the Rigpe Dorje Center in San Antonio,
Texas, in 1997, the Very Venerable Khenchen
Essential Points Thrangu Rinpoche gave a commentary on
For Approaching the Path Jamgön Kongtrul’s text, Creation and
Completion, Essential Points of Tantric
Of Tantric Meditation Meditation. Rinpoche gave his commentary
in Tibetan; it was orally translated by
Lama Yeshe Gyamtso. The following is an
edited transcript.

The Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche I would like to begin by expressing my
delight in being able to present this
teaching and my appreciation for being
given the opportunity to do so. Having said
that, I would like to begin by chanting the
lineage supplication. This particular lin-
eage supplication is the one that is most
commonly used and may, in fact, be the
single piece of liturgy most commonly used
in Kagyu monastic foundations, retreat
centers, dharma centers, as well as for
individual practice. The reason why we
regard this particular supplication as so
important is that it was composed by
Pengar Jampel Zangpo, who was a great
master. It was composed by him after his
completion of eighteen years of solitary
retreat practice meditating on mahamudra
on an island in the middle of a lake known
as Sky Lake in northern Tibet. Because
this lineage supplication is held to contain
the essence of his realization gained
through those eighteen years of practice, it
is considered very great in blessing. There-
fore, we always recite it at the beginning of
practice and instruction sessions.

In addition, one of the significances of
doing so is that when you are practicing
the creation or generation stage and the
completion stage of the vajrayana, one of
the primary conditions for the effective-
ness of the practice is the presence of faith
and devotion within you. If you practice the
generation stage with faith and devotion,

4 SHENPEN ÖSEL

then your practice will be stable and vivid. If you or selfishness. In a sense this is not that big a

practice the completion stage with faith and deal, but at the same time these are impure

devotion, there will be a stable and authentic motivations, and it is necessary to let go of them

recognition of your mind’s nature. So in that and replace them with a pure motivation. A pure

spirit, please recite the lineage supplication motivation is the wish to study and practice in

with utmost faith and devotion. order to be able to benefit both yourself and

I am going to talk about the generation and others. Especially given that we are normally

completion stages according to the text, The mostly concerned with benefiting only ourselves,

Essence of Creation and Comple- it is important to emphasize the

tion, which was composed by It is important wish to benefit others. Normally,
Jamgön Kongtrul the Great. In even when we wish to benefit

particular, from among the two when dharma is others, we restrict that wish to a
topics of the creation or genera- taught to discuss few others such as our family and
tion stage and the completion friends and so on. The wish to

stage, we are concerned primarily not only the benefit a few others is not an
with the generation stage. Al- completion stage impure motivation; it is a pure
though in a sense our main prac- but also the motivation, but among pure
tice is the completion stage, the motivations it is a fairly limited

practice of the completion stage generation stage one. Here we are trying to de-
depends entirely upon the stabil- velop the motivation of practicing

ity and blessing of the generation and studying in order to benefit

stage, just as, for example, the practice of all beings who fill space, since all beings without

vipashyana depends upon the attainment of exception equally wish to be happy and wish to

stable shamatha. be free from suffering and yet lack the knowl-

This is a very appropriate topic to be study- edge necessary to enable them to achieve these

ing. It is very easy to talk about shamatha and goals. So if you have the motivation for both

vipashyana and very easy to listen to explana- study and practice in order to establish all

tions of mahamudra and other explanations that beings without exception in a state of happiness,

are entirely concerned only with the completion this motivation is not only pure but also vast in

stage. Although these things sound very good scope.

and are very easily explained in theory, it is not The first topic addressed in our text is where
important to choose the topic that is the easiest beginners need to start. This is explained
to listen to, but instead to choose the one that is

going to be of the most practical benefit, that is, quite fully in the text, and covers eight main

the one that will actually enable students to points: gaining certainty in the dharma; renun-

progress in their practice of meditation. There- ciation; understanding what dharma is–—view,

fore, it is appropriate to address subjects that meditation, conduct, and fruition; definition of

are more difficult to understand, because it is generation and completion; faith and devotion;

these, especially, that definitely need the most sacred outlook; the two truths; and understand-

complete explanation. The function of teaching, ing the qualities of the path.

of course, is to provide what students need for The first point is that in order to practice

their ultimate benefit. Therefore, when dharma dharma you need to have certainty about the

is taught, it is important to discuss not only the validity of dharma. The generation of that cer-

completion stage but also the generation stage. tainty has to be a three-step process, which is

When you examine your mind, the types of the cultivation of the wisdom or knowledge of

impure motivations for study and practice you hearing, the wisdom of thinking of what has been

might discover are competitiveness, arrogance, heard, and then finally the wisdom which comes

SHENPEN ÖSEL 5

from meditation. It is pointed out that those of reason is that the Buddha’s original statements

the highest faculties, which means extremely are extremely vast in extent and number. Also

rare and highly gifted individuals, do not neces- they are not necessarily organized for easy study

sarily need to go through the preliminary stages or reference. They are organized on the basis of

of hearing and thinking about the dharma. An the occasions on which these various statements

example of this type of person is King were made. In addition, because these state-

Indrabhuti of Uddiyana, who, upon receiving ments of the Buddha or teachings given by the

instruction from the Buddha, was liberated on Buddha were made on different occasions at the

the spot. Most of us, however, need first to hear request of and for the needs of specific different

instructions, then to think about them very individuals, they represent different styles of

carefully, and, only thereafter, to implement teaching. They are principally classed as belong-

them in meditation practice. ing to either the indicative meaning or the de-

Why do we have to begin by hearing the finitive meaning.* Simply by studying these

dharma? Because dharma practice is something original texts themselves, it is impossible for a

that is not primarily concerned with or limited beginner to determine what is an indicative

to the experiences of this life. Therefore, since it statement and what is a definitive statement. On

is sufficiently different from what the other hand, the function of the

we are used to, before we have It is really shastras or commentaries is to
heard it explained, we really have through the distinguish clearly between indica-
no idea what it is, let alone how tive and definitive statements of

to go about practicing it. We, commentaries the Buddha, to collect similar
therefore, require instruction. that we approach teachings or those that need to be
What do we take as the sources of used together in one place for easy

our instruction? What dharma do the Buddha’s reference, to explain the hidden
we try to hear? Generally speak- teachings meanings or subtleties of the
ing, there are two classes of Buddha’s teachings, and to summa-

scripture or texts used in themselves rize especially long treatments of
buddhadharma. One is what is topics that can be understood with

called “the dictates of the Buddha,” which means a briefer explanation. In short, it is really

the teachings that the Buddha gave when he through the commentaries that we approach the

taught in India. The other are called the “com- Buddha’s teachings themselves.

mentaries” or “shastras,” which are commentar- Although we study the commentaries, there

ies on these teachings composed by the great are within the general class of commentaries on

masters of India and other countries. The cus- the Buddha’s teachings two types of treatment or

tom in the vajrayana tradition is to emphasize two types of texts. Some commentaries are

the study of the commentaries rather than the elaborate explanations employing a great deal of

study of the Buddha’s original teachings. Casu- logical reasoning which are intended to be guides

ally considering this, you would think or expect for the acquisition of tremendous amounts of

that we would emphasize the Buddha’s teachings

themselves in our study, because, after all, is not *Editor’s note: Teachings that embody the definitive meaning
the Buddha the most important teacher in the are those that describe the ultimate and most profound
Buddhist tradition? Nevertheless, the tradition understanding of the Buddha, and that are not regarded as
is to emphasize the commentaries upon these conditional in any other way than to understand that the
teachings by other great masters. This has been ultimate truth can never be expressed in words. The indicative
objected to historically by some scholars who meaning, sometimes called the provisional meaning, includes
have said, “Why study the commentaries rather all those teachings which suit various individuals at their
than the Buddha’s original statements?” The various stages of mental development and which will lead
them by stages in the direction of understanding the ultimate
truth, but are not themselves the expression of this definitive
meaning.

6 SHENPEN ÖSEL

learning about the teachings. Some commentar- of practitioners. One kind of practitioner is

ies, on the other hand, do not have such elabo- called a “follower of faith,” which means some-

rate presentations of logical reasoning but are one who believes what they are told simply

fairly straightforward guides on how to practice because they have been told it. The other type of

the Buddha’s teachings. These tend to include practitioner is a “follower of dharma,” which is

references to the Buddha’s state- someone who does not take

ments and also contain a great anything, no matter who was

deal of reference to the actual Songs of supposed to have said it, on
practical experiences of those instruction and authority but tries to figure out
texts that give practical instruc- realization are why they said it, what it really
tions. It is principally these that means. Taking the second ap-

we emphasize in our study. easy to proach of looking for the real
Within the general class of understand and, meaning of a statement, you go
beyond the knowledge of hearing.
texts that give practical instruc-

tions, again there are two variet- therefore, very Whether you are studying the
ies. Some of these texts are elabo- easy to use to Buddha’s teachings or the com-
rate explanations of the methods mentaries upon them, texts of

of practice and some are very actually benefit instruction, or dohas [the songs
brief, very pithy statements of the and affect of realization], when you study
essence of practice. These latter them you are concerned with the

tend to be in the form of songs and your mind question, “What does this really

are referred to in Sanskrit as mean? What is this really trying

“doha.” These are the most impor- to say to me? Why did the person

tant types of texts to emphasize in your study, who wrote this or sang this, say this in this

because given how they are formed and ex- way?” Through that type of thinking or analysis,

pressed, they are easy to remember. Being easy you generate a much greater certainty or under-

to keep in mind, they are easy to make use of in standing than you would by simply taking the

actual practice. They combine the two virtues of statement at its face value. This greater cer-

profundity and brevity. Therefore, we study from tainty is called the “prajna or knowledge of

among the Indian dohas those of the Indian thinking.” If you meditate after having generated

mahasiddhas such as Tilopa and Naropa. From this knowledge of thinking, then your practice

the country of Tibet we study the songs of all the will go much better because you will actually

masters of the Kagyu lineage and especially know how to meditate. You will also understand

those of Jetsun Milarepa. These types of songs of why you are meditating, why it is beneficial and

instruction and realization are easy to under- why it will work, which will give you much more

stand and, therefore, very easy to use to actually confidence to go on with the practice. It is princi-

benefit and affect your mind. Whether you read pally for this reason that the practice of medita-

them or hear them, they are still used as the tion needs to be preceded by the practice of

most important base or principal base for study. hearing and thinking.

Through hearing the dharma, through either The next topic in our text is again, how to

literally hearing it or through studying it, you begin. It deals with the importance of renuncia-

come to an idea or an understanding of what it tion. There are really two things that you need

means on a very basic level. You come to think, at the very inception of your practice. One of

“Things are like this, this is how things are.” them is trust in the validity of the dharma. The

That is the first level of prajna or knowledge— other is renunciation, revulsion for samsara. In

the knowledge that comes from hearing. But you order to generate these, in order to generate

cannot stop there. In general there are two kinds true certainty about dharma and revulsion for

SHENPEN ÖSEL 7

samsara, it is necessary to begin by contemplat- fruition are all founded upon the mind.

ing “the four thoughts that turn the mind:” the A casual look at Buddhist teachings will give

difficulty of acquiring the freedom and resources you the idea that according to buddhadharma, a

of a precious human life, death and imperma- person consists of the three faculties of body,

nence, the results of actions, and the defects of speech, and mind. How do we think about these

samsara. The generation of this type of renuncia- three? The body is composed of physical sub-

tion and certainty in the dharma is what is stances such as flesh and blood. What we regard

called “your mind going to the as our body, from the top of the

dharma” and is the first step in head to the tip of the toes, seems

your practice. There are really very powerful. Speech, which is all
of our talk, seems much less
The next step is to come to an substantial. Speech consists of all
understanding of what dharma is, two things that

an understanding of the view, the you need at the of the positive things and all the
meditation, the conduct, and the negative things that we say. But
fruition, which are the topics that very inception of the root of all of the deeds of body

make up buddhadharma. The root your practice. and speech is our mind. If you are

of all of this is taming the mind. One of them is asked to say which of these three,
As we know, the Buddha’s 84,000 trust in the body, speech, or mind, is the main
teachings are concerned with the one, you might say the body be-

taming of the 84,000 types of validity of the cause the body seems the stron-
mental afflictions or kleshas dharma. The gest. The body seems the most
which afflict our minds, but the active or effective. Then you might

root of all of these teachings is other is say, well speech is number two
simply taming your mind. As was renunciation because speech after all can com-
said by the Buddha, “To com- municate. It is communication, but

pletely tame your mind is the it is not as strong or as stable as

Buddha’s teaching.” When we say “taming the the body. And mind is the weakest because mind

mind,” it means taming the kleshas, because does not achieve anything except that it thinks.

your mind is sometimes very rough, very wild, It does not really do anything. However, in fact,

full of kleshas, full of selfishness, afflicted by all mind is in charge of body and speech. Body and

kinds of coarse and negative thoughts and so on. speech do not do anything at all without mind

Whether we succeed in taming this mind of ours, telling them to do it. So mind is the root. It is,

taming the mind is the topic about which all therefore, said by the siddhas of our tradition

dharma is concerned. Everything depends upon that your body and speech are like servants who

your mind. Any qualities that you attain through perform the virtue and wrongdoing that the

the path, you attain through your mind. Any mind, which is like a boss, instigates. So of these

defects that you remove through the path are three, in fact, mind is most important. There-

removed from your mind. Therefore, what is fore, it is of the greatest importance that we

called “the recognition or realization of the take hold of our mind, that we fix our mind. All

view” is taming your mind. What is called “the of the Buddhist practices, including view, medi-

cultivation of meditative absorption” or “medita- tation, and conduct, are concerned with fixing or

tion” is taming your mind. You engage in the taming the mind.

conduct, certain modes of behavior of body and Taming the mind or fixing the mind means

speech, in order to tame your mind. The fruition, abandoning the kleshas, abandoning the mental

the result of all of this, is totally taming your afflictions. Everyone’s mind has two aspects.

mind. If you understand this, then you under- There is a pure aspect of your mind, and there is

stand that the view, meditation, conduct, and an impure aspect to your mind. The impure

8 SHENPEN ÖSEL

aspect to your mind is called klesha or mental your kleshas will weaken over time.

affliction. If you abandon mental afflictions, then Some people do not have any particularly

all of your actions of body and speech will auto- preponderant klesha and are not particularly

matically become dharmic or pure. As long as involved with anything overtly unvirtuous. They

you have not abandoned mental afflictions, then are more afflicted by the basic fundamental

no matter how good your actions of body and fixation on their own existence. Or, they might

speech may appear, you will still never be happy. be afflicted by doubt and hesitation. They may

Abandoning kleshas is the aim of dharma, but for always wonder whether “such and such is like

this to succeed, it is necessary that the remedy, this, or like that.” Or you might be afflicted by

the practice, actually meet or encounter the meaningless regret, constantly regretting things,

problem, the kleshas. In order for this to occur, constantly questioning your own actions. Or you

you need to take an honest look at your own might be mostly afflicted by a state of neutral

mind. You need to see which klesha is really your sleepiness, or simply by the presence of a great

biggest problem. For some people anger is the deal of thoughts that are not particularly kleshas

biggest problem, for others jealousy; for some or negative in themselves. If any of these is your

attachment, for others bewilderment; and for principal problem, then in the same way, you aim

some it is pride. It can be any one of the five your practice at that. You dedicate all of your

main kleshas, which are usually called the “five practice—whether it is the visualization of

poisons.” In fact, it is in order to tame these that deities, the recitation of mantras, the practice of

wisdom deities manifest as the buddhas of the meditation—to the eradication of that problem,

five families. In any case, you begin by looking at whatever it is. By directing your practice in that

your mind to determine which klesha is the kind of focused way, it will actually have an

strongest. When you discover what your biggest effect and you will weaken and eventually eradi-

problem is, you dedicate your cate these problems.

practice to the amelioration of The next topic addressed in
the text is a basic definition of
that. For example, if you are medi- When you

tating on the four reminders, such discover what the generation stage and comple-
as the difficulty of acquiring a your biggest tion stage, which is by extension,
precious human existence, you making a distinction between

think, “I am doing the mediation in problem is, you them. The term “generation” or
order to abandon such and such dedicate your “generation stage” refers to the
klesha.” Or if you are practicing generation of something, the

the uncommon preliminaries such practice to the creation or origination of some-
as the refuge and bodhicitta prac- amelioration thing. “Completion” refers in
tice, the Vajrasattva practice, general to carrying that which

mandala practice, or guru yoga of that has been generated to its comple-

practice, then you think, “I am tion, or to its perfection. In

doing this in order to tame this klesha which practice, generation or generation stage refers to

afflicts my mind.” This is especially effective in the visualizations of the deities, including the

the Vajrasattva practice. When you visualize the radiating out and gathering in of rays of light,

ambrosia coming from his heart, entering the top the visualization and recitation of mantras, and

of your head, and purifying you, you can think: so forth. Completion or the completion stage

“Especially such and such klesha (whichever one refers to the dissolution of such visualizations

it is) is being purified by this.” In that way, by into emptiness. However, in another sense the

specifically directing the intention of your prac- meaning of the term generation and generation

tice to your biggest problem, then dharma does stage is “something that is fabricated.” In gen-

become an effective remedy for your kleshas, and eration stage practice you are thinking that

SHENPEN ÖSEL 9

things are such and such, you think, “Things are “deva” or “devi,” we get the idea of some kind of

like this.” Completion stage, by contrast refers external protector or higher power, something

to something that is natural or unfabricated, that is superior to us, outside of us, that some-

because in completion stage, rather than think- how can lift us up out of where we are and bring

ing that things are like such and such, you dis- us to where we want to be. Therefore, what goes

cover them as they are. The statement that the along with our conventional idea of deity is the

generation stage is the cultivation of some kind assumption of our own inferiority to deities. In

of fabrication, as true as it is, is really only true comparison to the deity, we consider ourselves

of the beginning of generation stage practice. as some kind of inferior, benighted being that

Nevertheless, as fabricated as generation stage has to be held up by something outside of our-

may appear to be for a beginning practitioner, it selves. But the vajrayana notion of deity is not in

is still necessary. In practicing we are trying to any way like that, because the vajrayana way of

purify the traces of our previous wrongdoing, working with the iconography of deities is that

especially our obscurations, which consist of the the practitioner visualizes himself or herself as

cognitive obscurations and the the deity with which they are

afflictive obscurations. Because of working.

the presence of these What needs to This body that you now con-
obscurations, we experience the be done is to sider to be so impure and afflicted
world in an incorrect and deluded cast aside our is in its nature an extension of the
way, in that our experience of nature of your mind. Therefore, in

what we call samsara consists of involvement with practice you consider this appar-
deluded projections. What we are delusion and ently impure body to be the body
trying to do in our practice is to of your yidam, the deity upon

transcend these deluded projec- to actually whom you are meditating. Since
tions and experience the pure consciously buddha nature is the most funda-
reality or pure appearances mental essence or nature of your

which lie behind them. It is not attend to and mind and since your body is the
sufficient, in order to transcend cultivate projection of that mind, then your
these deluded projections to body is pure in nature. You ac-

simply tell yourself, “I know that attention to pure knowledge that in practice by
what I am experiencing is adul- appearance imagining it to be or visualizing it
terated by delusion,” and then to be pure, not only in nature, but

simply stay with these deluded in appearance. Through cultivat-

projections. As long as you continue to invest ing this method, then eventually the actual

energy in these deluded projections, they will appearance or experience of your body comes to

continue, even though you recognize them, at arise in purity. It is for this reason, in order to

least theoretically, to be invalid. What needs to work with the deluded projections in this way,

be done is to cast aside our involvement with that the generation stage is necessary.

delusion and to actually consciously attend to In order to practice the generation and

and cultivate attention to pure appearance. By completion stages, it is essential to have devo-

doing so you can gradually transcend and aban- tion, to have faith, and to have pure or sacred

don delusion and deluded projections. It is in outlook. Devotion consists of two things. One is

order to do this that we make use of iconogra- interest or enthusiasm and the other aspect is

phy, in other words, deities. respect. This means being interested in and

In the vajrayana the deity is something very being enthusiastic about the dharma, and having

different from what we normally mean by that the respect that comes from understanding its

term. Normally when we say “deity,” “lha,” or validity and its importance. Then by extension,

10 SHENPEN ÖSEL

it means having the same attitude towards your When we say devotion and faith are neces-

root guru and for the gurus of the lineage, being sary, we are not just saying it because it is a

interested in them, having enthusiasm for them, customary thing to say. The reason why devotion

and also having respect for them. is necessary is that fundamentally what we need

Another thing that is very important is the to do is to practice dharma, and if you have one

attitude of sacred outlook. Sacred outlook is one hundred percent confidence in dharma, then

of two contrasting ways we always have of seeing your practice will be one hundred percent. If you

the world. You can look at anything in a way that have less confidence, then your practice will be

sees what is good about it, that sees the purity of less intense. The less intense your practice, of

it, and you can look at anything in course the less complete the

a way that sees what is wrong result. Therefore, it is essential

with it, in a way that sees it as You are not to have confidence in, and, there-
impure. Any action can be con- practicing the fore, devotion for, dharma itself.
ducted with a basic attitude of For that to occur, there has to be

purity or an attitude of impurity. guru’s foibles. trust in the individuals who teach
For example, if you consider the You are you dharma. There has to be trust
simple act of generosity—giving practicing the in the guru. Because if you trust
something to someone—it could the guru, then you will trust the

be done mindlessly, simply to get guru’s teachings, dharma, and if you trust the
rid of something that you do not the dharma dharma, then you will practice.
need, or it could be given without
However, faith in one’s guru is

checking to see whether it actu- not supposed to be blind faith. It

ally is appropriate for that person. That attitude is not the attitude, “My guru is perfect,” even

is not a state of sacred outlook but a state of though your guru is not perfect. It is not pre-

carelessness, an impure outlook. Or you could tending that your guru’s defects are qualities. It

give consciously. You could have carefully evalu- is not rationalizing every foible of the guru into

ated the situation and determined that the thing being some kind of superhuman virtue, because

you are giving is actually what the person to after all most gurus are going to have defects.

whom you are giving needs. The same thing is You do not have to pretend that your guru’s

true of any action, or any other situation such as defects are qualities. That is not devotion. The

the practice of patience. You could be very pa- object of your devotion is not the foibles, quirks,

tient with a situation simply by thinking, “Well, or defects of your guru, but it is the dharma

this person who is abusing me is pathetic any- which your guru teaches you. As long as the

way, and there is not much I can do about it, so I dharma is authentic and pure, then that guru is

might as well be patient with it,” which is not a a fit object for your devotion. You are not practic-

situation of sacred outlook. Or you could have an ing the guru’s foibles. You are practicing the

attitude of courage, thinking, “Even if there guru’s teachings, the dharma. The result which

were some way I could get back at this person, I you will get, you will get from the dharma that

would never do it,” which is an attitude of purity. you practice. Therefore, your devotion is princi-

The point of sacred outlook is to emphasize good pally to the dharma, which is the teaching of the

qualities and not defects, and especially to be guru. You need to recognize the defects of your

free from the type of projection that causes you guru as defects. You do not need to pretend that

to see others’ qualities as defects. If you have they are anything other than that. But you also

this kind of sacred outlook, then devotion will need to recognize that the guru’s defects will not

arise through and from this. If you possess hurt you because it is not the guru’s defects that

devotion, then devotion itself will bring you to you are creating or cultivating. You are following

the results of practice. the teachings of the guru, and so “trust” means

SHENPEN ÖSEL 11

trust in the teachings, trust in the validity, the things one needs to know in the beginning in

purity and authenticity of the dharma that you order to approach this path. If you have any

receive from your guru. You do not need to questions, please, go ahead.

pretend that defects are qualities. You just need

to recognize the validity of the teachings them- Question: Regarding this last point, number

selves. So that is the importance of devotion and eight, to assess one’s own self in terms of one’s

sacred outlook. development, what if you think you have a high

The next thing the text ad- view but you are actually very

dresses is the two truths, the You will know stupid and just arrogant? How
relative truth and the absolute how to practice can you determine this?
truth. The basic understanding of

the two truths is that in their based upon Thrangu Rinpoche: It is pos-
nature all things are empty and an honest sible that you could deceive
like magical illusions. This should yourself in the way you describe,

not be misunderstood to mean assessment of but if you really look at your own
that, therefore, nothing has any your own situation, completely, then you
moral value, that nothing has any will be able to detect that self-

meaning. Within the context of spiritual state deception. This situation of
relative appearances themselves, considering yourself to possess

because of their consistencies qualities that you do not have,

within that context, they do have a moral value, from among the types of pride, is what is called

but ultimately their nature is emptiness. “full-blown pride.” Fully manifest, full-blown

Finally, the last of the eight topics which are pride. Full-blown pride is not that difficult to

presented in this text of the things a beginner detect. If you look to see if in your way of think-

needs to know in order to start the path is the ing and in your motivation this pride is present,

understanding of the gradual qualities of the then you can usually spot it very easily.

path itself and the fact that you will know how

to practice based upon an honest assessment of Question: What are some examples of

your own spiritual state. You might be a begin- beginner’s practices, middle practices, and

ner or you might be an advanced practitioner, advanced practices?

someone who has grasped the very exalted level

of view. If you look at yourself and you feel like a Thrangu Rinpoche: One begins with shamatha

beginner, then you are a beginner. If you look at practice and meditation on the four reminders

your mind and you discover that you have a very and the cultivation of the preliminary practices

high view, then you have to accept that you in order to accumulate merit. Then one under-

should do those practices which are appropriate takes the meditation of the generation and

for someone with a very high view. To force completion stages. Then finally one engages in

yourself to do the practices appropriate for a the conduct of a siddha in order to attain full

beginner would be inappropriate. awakening.

That completes the eight topics which are

12 SHENPEN ÖSEL

Creation and Completion

Essential Points for Traversing the Path

Continuing the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s commentary on
Creation and Completion.

Now, following the text, we are going to look at what is necessary when
you actually have entered into the path. First of all, all of the Buddha’s
teachings are included within two paths. They are the stable and
gradual path of the sutras and the quick and especially effective path of the
vajrayana, or the tantras. Both of these take as their root the taming of the
mind, which is to say the pacification of all of the agitation of thoughts and

SHENPEN ÖSEL 13

kleshas that afflict our minds. That being their attachment arises, it is based upon some igno-

aim, the paths of sutra and tantra are the same, rance, some fundamental mistake about the

but they differ in the methods by which this characteristics of the object of attachment. When

agitation is pacified. The methods of the pacifi- anger arises, it never arises alone, because anger

cation of thoughts and kleshas can by itself in the absence of igno-

be divided into the techniques of The methods of rance would be powerless. The
abandonment, transformation, the pacification same is true of pride and jealousy.
and taking onto the path. There is always some fundamen-

The sutras in general teach of thoughts and tal confusion that is the condition
the path of the renunciation or kleshas can be for the arising of that particular
abandonment of the kleshas, klesha.*

which is based on seeing the divided into the Unmixed ignorance is igno-
kleshas as a problem and, there- techniques of rance in itself, not knowing or not
fore, being motivated to let go of being aware of the nature of

them. Exactly how you let go of abandonment, things. That unknowing is the
the kleshas is taught in the transformation, most fundamental aspect of igno-
sutras. Now there are many and taking onto rance. The unknowing becomes a
kleshas, but principal among misconception or a mistaken

them, like the roots of all other the path understanding when on the basis
kleshas, are what are called the of unknowing we cultivate a

three poisons of attachment, mistaken view through incorrect

aversion, and bewilderment. If we use attach- reasoning or prajna. Therefore, while bewilder-

ment or desire as an example, in this path of ment in itself is not as vivid or as immediately

abandoning the kleshas you determine that you unpleasant as the other kleshas, it nevertheless

must abandon or relinquish attachments. The is the root of all kleshas and of all suffering. It is

way you actually go about doing so is by meditat- the root of all depression and all misery.

ing upon impermanence. Our attachments and The reason that bewilderment feeds, nour-

our craving come from a mistaken assumption ishes, and reinforces the kleshas in the way that

that the things to which we become attached will it does is that bewilderment is a situation of

be around for a long time and that they are *Editor’s note: For example, When “Mr. Right,” “Mr. Dream
stable in retaining lasting characteristics. In Boat,” “Mr. Knight in Shining Armor” is first standing in front
order to remove this attachment, you meditate of one, he is seen as solid or material in nature, singular, other
on the impermanence of things and come to than oneself, permanently the way he is (handsome, agreeable,
recognize that they are constantly changing and kind, exclusively devoted to oneself, intelligent, etc. etc.) and a
that they are ultimately destructible and imper- reliable source of pleasure and happiness. Later when he is
manent. As well, one also performs meditation seen as a canine Lothario and the bane of one’s existence, he is
on the unpleasant nature of all the things that thought to be solid or material in nature, singular, other than
one assumes are so pleasant. oneself, permanently the way he is (thoughtless, cruel, unfaith-
ful, uncaring, egocentric, stupid, and unreliable), and a source
The third root klesha is bewilderment, which of pain and unhappiness. At such a point, one usually con-
essentially refers to ignorance itself. Ignorance demns oneself for having been so stupid, while congratulating
occurs in two forms, “mixed ignorance” and oneself on having finally woken up and seen the light. But in
“unmixed ignorance.” Mixed ignorance is the both cases one’s mind is cloaked in ignorance. In both cases,
ignorance that always accompanies any klesha; regarding what you experience as being objectively existent
it is called mixed ignorance because it is the rather than as the mere radiance or light of the mind, as being
arising of ignorance mixed with the arising of of one singular nature with permanent characteristics rather
another klesha. No klesha can arise in the ab- than an impermanent and ever-changing kaleidoscope of mere
sence of ignorance; therefore, for example, when appearances dependently arising based on an ever-changing
variety of causes and conditions, and as being the source of
one’s happiness or sorrow in life as opposed to being a mere
reflection of the happiness and sorrow arising from causes in
one’s own mind, are all aspects of ignorance based on which the
kleshas of attachment and aversion arise.

14 SHENPEN ÖSEL

fixation, whether it is fixation on the perceived visualizing yourself as the deity, the emotional

characteristics of objects as being pleasant or as state is no longer a klesha. It no longer has the

being unpleasant. When you perceive an object characteristics of a klesha because your attitude

upon which you fixate as being pleasant, you has been changed. The emotion itself is trans-

generate attachment. When you perceive an formed into something pure.

object that you fixate upon as being unpleasant, The third approach to the kleshas is the path

you generate aversion. When you experience of recognition, which means the recognition of

something that you fixate upon as the nature of whatever klesha

being extremely unpleasant, you Anger in its arises. In this approach, when a
generate suffering. In order to klesha arises in your mind, it is

abandon this fixation, one medi- nature is empty recognized to be merely a relative
tates upon interdependence. of any kind of and dependent thing. Of course,
Through the recognition that all we experience the arising of

things lack independent existence true existence. kleshas and all kinds of suffering,
and are but interdependent When you see sadness, misery, and depression,
arisings, one’s fixations on their but if you actually look at the

perceived characteristics dimin- this directly in nature of what is arising, you will
ish. Through the diminishment of experience, then see that what actually is occurring
that fixation, one’s ignorance is not what you normally consider

diminishes, and through that the in the midst of to be occurring. For example,

kleshas are pacified. That is the the emergence when I become angry, then I
path of abandonment of the or arising of generate a thought of anger that
kleshas. This type of meditation, has a particular object. I think,

which leads to the abandonment anger, it is “This person is my enemy,” and I
of the kleshas, is used whenever naturally pacified am aware of the thought of being
kleshas arise and whenever there angry. When I do not look directly

is a problem of mental misery or at the anger, the intensity of the

physical discomfort or pain. anger and its attendant suffering seem intoler-

The second approach, that of transformation, able. But while this thought of anger is arising

is characteristic of the path of secret mantra or and while it is present, if you look straight at it,

vajrayana. In this approach whenever a klesha look to see how it arises, where it comes from,

arises, or whenever difficulties, pain, or prob- where it is while it is present and exactly what it

lems arise, instead of attempting to abandon is in substance, you find that there is nothing

them you visualize yourself as a deity. The idea you can point to. There is nothing in your mind

here is that you stop conceiving of yourself as anywhere that you can point to and say, “This is

yourself, and instead think of yourself as the my anger.” Anger in its nature is empty of any

deity. In general it could be any deity, or it could kind of true existence. When you see this di-

be a particular deity that is connected to the rectly in experience, then in the midst of the

particular klesha or problem with which you are emergence or arising of the anger, it is naturally

dealing. For example, it could be one of the five pacified. This also works with any kind of suffer-

male buddhas of the buddha families: ing or with any of the other kleshas. It is simply

Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, the recognition that there is really nothing

Amitabha, or Amogasiddhi. Or, for example, in there. This is the path of the recognition of the

the case of dealing with desire, it could be a nature of kleshas.

deity shown in sexual union. If dealing with According to the teachings given by the

anger, it could be a deity shown in the wrathful Buddha in the sutras, the beginning of the path

form. In any case, by using the basic technique of of abandonment of the kleshas is a process called

SHENPEN ÖSEL 15

“distancing,” which means to distance yourself cially this klesha, be absent from their minds and

from the kleshas. Normally when all of the be added on to this klesha of mine. May whatever

various thoughts and kleshas that arise in our suffering all beings, especially practitioners of

minds arise, we generate a fur- dharma, have through the afflic-

ther fixation on them. We become Principally tion of this klesha be experienced
attached to them and we become only by me. May this klesha of

addicted to them. The first step important in our mine serve instead of all of their

in letting go of the kleshas is, practice is kleshas.” In that way the presence
therefore, letting go of the fixa- self-generation. of the klesha itself becomes an
tion upon them. The fixation upon occasion for the generation of an

them is based upon thinking of This involves especially good intention. Then,
them as something valuable and visualizing having generated that intention
identifying with them. The first with the attitude that you are

step is to recognize that kleshas yourself as the doing so in order to pacify or
are problems, that kleshas are deity as vividly as remove this particular klesha, you
useless and harmful. The recogni- then visualize yourself as a deity.

tion of this is not simply being possible Those two steps of accepting the
aware of this theoretically, but kleshas of others and visualizing

cultivating the habit of thinking yourself as a deity are the second

like this all the time. Thinking like this will not process, the process of transformation.

immediately eradicate the kleshas. You will not Next you practice the recognition of the

immediately be able to let go of them, but klesha’s nature. Continuing to visualize yourself

gradually by not identifying with them and not as whichever deity you have been, you then think

valuing them, you will become distant from that in the center of your body, at the level of

them in the sense that you will have less fixa- your heart, is your root guru, who is majestic and

tion on them when they arise, and this will beautiful in appearance. Visualizing the root guru

make them easy to abandon. there as vividly as possible, then you supplicate,

Having cultivated distancing, then you can asking that you be granted the blessing of the

actually go on to employ the various methods of nature of whatever klesha it is to arise as wis-

transcending the kleshas: abandonment, trans- dom, that you may actually see the nature of that

formation, and recognition. According to the klesha, which is wisdom. Then after supplicating

great teacher Gyalwang Yongdrupa, it is best to in that way, you look at the single nature of three

combine these three methods rather than se- aspects of the meditation: the deity which you

lecting one among the three as a method. For are visualizing as yourself, the guru visualized in

example, he taught that when a klesha arises, your heart, the klesha which has arisen and is

first recognize it as a problem, recognize it as the occasion for the meditation or practice.

something you do not wish to cultivate. Then Through looking at the single or unified nature of

generate the aspiration, “May I never again these three things, you come to recognize the

generate this klesha from this moment until my nature of the klesha, which causes it to be natu-

attainment of buddhahood.” As much as possible rally pacified. That is the third practice; the

generate this commitment. That is the first of approach or path of recognition. In that way the

the three methods, which is abandonment. text presents the combined instructions or prac-

Then you go on to employ transformation. tice of sutra and tantra.

Whatever the klesha may be, you transform it

into altruism by changing your attitude. You Next the text turns to the issues surrounding
think, “May all of the kleshas that are present vajrayana practice in particular. These are

in the minds of all sentient beings, and espe- the practice of the generation and completion

16 SHENPEN ÖSEL

stages in general and especially the practice of mind itself. Therefore, confusion can be gotten

the tradition of uncommon or special instruc- rid of, and the innate wisdom of your mind can

tions. The text first goes through the generation be revealed and expanded in your experience.

stage, then the completion stage, and then the The nature of your mind, what your mind really

tradition of uncommon instruction. is, even the nature of what appear as kleshas, is

Beginning with the generation stage, it is called “sugatagarbha” or “buddha nature,” the

important to remember that while we practice seed of all of the qualities of buddhas, the seed of

what is called self-generation (visualization of all wisdom. This is always present but is ob-

oneself as the deity) and front generation (visu- scured by the presence of the kleshas and other

alization of the deity in front of oneself), and so obscurations. The process of the path consists of

on, principally important in our practice is self- revealing just this. It does not need to be created

generation. This involves visualizing yourself as but to be revealed. Therefore, the basis or

the deity as vividly as possible, ground of purification is buddha

including the deity’s color, cos- When you begin nature, which is the innate pres-
tume, scepters, and so forth. The ence of the qualities and wisdoms

details of each specific deity the practice of of buddhas and, therefore, of
practice are explained in the the generation yidams. That which is to be puri-
liturgy and commentaries of that fied are the kleshas and the

particular practice, so in this text stage as an cognitive obscurations, which
no specific instruction is given. ordinary obscure this ground of purifica-
This text is concerned with the individual, the tion. These can be purified or
background and theory surround- removed because they are adven-

ing the practice of the generation approach to titious or secondary to the nature
stage in general; therefore, the practice is called of the mind itself.
generation stage is presented in
That which purifies these

four topics: the basis of purifica- ‘taking aspiration obscurations is the generation
tion; that which is to be purified; as the path,’ stage of the yidam. All of these
that which purifies it, the meth- confused projections which make

ods of the generation stage; the which means up samsara, including the kleshas,
result of this process of purifica- that rather than can be abandoned because they
tion. are secondary to the fundamental

In order to understand the acually seeing nature itself. But in order to

difference between the ground of things as pure, abandon them, there has to be a
purification and that which is to you are aspiring shift in your attitude towards
be purified or removed, you need them. As long as you invest energy

to understand that there are in a to see them in the impurity of the projections,
sense two aspects to your mind. as pure and as long as you view these
There is how your mind is, in its appearances and experiences as

nature, and how it appears or impure, then you maintain them.

manifests in your experience. From the point of If you change your attitude and view them as

view of the appearance of your mind, you could pure, actually meditate upon them as pure, then

say that your mind is full of kleshas, full of you are no longer maintaining them.

suffering, full of all kinds of confused or deluded When you begin the practice of the genera-

projections. But from the point of view of how tion stage as an ordinary individual, the ap-

your mind really is, there is nothing of all of this proach to practice is called “taking aspiration as

confusion that cannot be abandoned because all path,” which means that rather than actually

of this confusion is secondary to the nature of seeing things as pure, you are aspiring to see

SHENPEN ÖSEL 17

them as pure. Through this process of taking element consists simply of visualizing the deity

aspiration as path then eventually you generate as clearly as you can. How easy this is, is differ-

what is called the “clarity of appearance.” This ent for everyone. Some people, because of the

means the vivid direct experience of the purity constitution of their channels and so forth, find

of phenomena. When you do this, this will natu- it very easy to generate a very clear image.

rally purify the delusion. The technique consists Other people do not. In any case the technique is

essentially of visualizing yourself as the yidam the same. In a very relaxed way with a mind that

and visualizing the place in which you find is not particularly tense you visualize the form of

yourself as the mandala or abode of that yidam. the deity. In doing so it is natural to develop

When one begins this practice, the thought will hope that it will be intensely vivid. In fact, we

arise, “I am pretending to be other than what I would like the image of the deity to be as vivid

am.” You may even know—through your study of as what we see with our eyes. In practicing

dharma, your understanding of visualization you are not using the

buddha nature, and your confi- The practice of eye consciousness, you are using
dence in the theory of the prac- the generation the mental consciousness, and the
tice—that this is not really true, mental consciousness is concep-

that in fact, you are not pretend- stage consists of tual. Unlike the eye consciousness,
ing to be other than you really the cultivation of which experiences the individual
are. However, because we have a characteristics of forms, the men-

strong habit of conceiving of three elements. tal consciousness generates an
ourselves and everything around These are clarity, abstraction or a generalization;
us as impure, these thoughts may stability, and therefore, the visualization will
continue to arise. In order to tend to remain something vague

counteract that thought, there purity and general. However, if you
are specific techniques built into continue the practice with a re-

the practices that serve as rem- laxed mind, then gradually the

edies. For example, in order to counteract the image will increase in stability and in clarity or

thought, “Okay, I am visualizing myself as the vividness. To rest within this continued clear

deity, but I am not really the deity; the deity is visualization of the deity—the deity’s form, color,

really something or somewhere else,” you invite position, costume, ornaments, scepters, and so

this real deity into yourself.* As well, there are forth—is the practice of the first element of the

the techniques of repetition of mantra, the generation stage, the clarity of image or clear

radiation and gathering of light rays, and so on, visualization.

all of which are aspects of the generation stage. When you are cultivating clarity in the visu-

As you practice the generation stage, over time alization, sometimes you will find that the visu-

you approach the result or fruition, which is the alization is less clear, vivid, or stable than usual.

experience of the innate purity of both body and There are things you can do to correct this. For

mind. That is essentially an outline of the prac- example, one thing that is suggested in the text

tice of the generation stage. is to concentrate for awhile in your visualization

The practice of the generation stage consists on one specific detail, such as the vajra held in

of the cultivation of three elements. These are the hand, or a scepter of the deity, or a specific

clarity, stability, and purity. Clarity means the detail such as the jewel on top of the deity’s

clarity of the image, the visualized image, which topknot, and so on. Depending upon the nature

is the technique of the generation stage. This of what is preventing clear visualization, there

are some choices to make in what you direct

*Editor’s note: Here Rinpoche is referring to the invitation your attention to. In general, if you are afflicted
stage in generation practice. by agitation, and there are many thoughts run-

18 SHENPEN ÖSEL

ning through your mind which prevent you from elements of generation stage practice. If you

concentrating on the visualization, then it is have any questions, please ask them.

recommended that you direct your attention to

something towards the bottom of the visualiza- Question: I have been working through the

tion, such as the lotus seat on which the deity is meditations in the book Progressive Stages of

seated or standing. If on the other hand it is a Meditation on Emptiness, and in that process you

kind of torpor or depression which is preventing view emotional reactions as evidence of fixation

the emergence of clarity or vividness in the on self. Specifically, I am examining my grief

visualization, then it is generally recommended over the death of a loved one as an emotional

that you direct your attention to something reaction. One can view grief as something like

towards the top of the visualization, such as the physical pain in the form of suffering, or on the

top of the deity’s head, the jewel, or the topknot, other hand view it as a klesha such as anger

and so on. based on attachment, duality, and fixation on

The second element of generation stage self. In examining it, I’ve come to some level of

practice is purity, which refers to the recollec- understanding the nature of interdependence

tion of purity. This can be and often is explained and impermanence and how they are an antidote

as the enumeration in your mind of the symbolic to the attachment and duality that leads to grief.

significance of each aspect of the deity’s appear- But I just find some small level of understand-

ance—what each aspect of the ing. The pain and the suffering are

appearance represents. But it is very clearly still there. I am

pointed out in our text that if you The practice or wondering if this process is the
do this, it can become too concep- cultivation of same as that in which one exam-
tual and can actually disturb your stable pride ines something like anger. The
mind and harm the meditation. anger dissipates, it goes away. I

What is recommended as the consists of guess my question is, in the con-
implementation of the recollec- abandoning the text of something like extreme
tion of purity is to keep in mind grief, what does it mean to aban-

that this appearance of the deity sense of being don it? Does it mean that it goes
is vivid or clear appearance that different from or away or that it is still there as a
is without any existence, that it is matter of relative truth but under-

the unity of clarity and empti- other than the stood to be empty?
ness, like the appearance of a deity which you Thrangu Rinpoche: Grief is not
rainbow in its vividness and

insubstantiality. are meditating a klesha. It is not considered a
The third element in the on as yourself cause of suffering but rather as
suffering. One does not need to
practice of the generation stage is

stability, which means the stable abandon it in the way that one

pride of being the deity. This is the practice of abandons kleshas because they will cause future

identification with the deity, actually thinking, “I suffering. One abandons grief in the sense of

am this deity.” This is very important, as it is allowing it to be pacified, because maintaining it

this aspect of the generation stage that actually can cause suffering upon suffering. But whether

serves as a remedy for our ordinary fixation on a grief can be transcended depends upon the

self. The practice or cultivation of stable pride power of your mediation. When you look directly

consists of abandoning the sense of being differ- at the nature of your grief, it will probably not

ent from or other than the deity which you are disappear. However, through seeing its nature,

meditating on as yourself. while the grief will remain present, it will be

That was a presentation of the outline and less overwhelming. In a sense the heaviness of it

SHENPEN ÖSEL 19

will be somewhat pacified, so that although you are indeed worse sounds that you could be
will still be grieving, your position with respect hearing. By thinking about worse sounds such as
to your grief will be different from that of an screaming and so on, you would then no longer
untrained person. Theoretically, when you see be fixating on the unpleasantness of the motor-
the nature of grief, it can be totally abandoned, cycles. Or, if you were tormented by being at-
but practically speaking this does not happen. tached to the pleasant sound of birds, then you
When we look at the nature of grief, because our could reflect upon the fact that there are far
minds are not habituated enough with seeing the more pleasant sounds you could be hearing, and
nature of whatever arises to abandon it, it will in that way let go of your fixation on hearing the
just be somewhat lessened in its heaviness, but birds.
the grief and the sadness will still be there.
Question: What is meant by the marks and
Question: With regard to abandoning the klesha signs of the body of reality?
of bewilderment, Rinpoche said that the remedy
is meditation on interdependence. I want to see Thrangu Rinpoche: First of all the
how that actually works. Say, for example, I dharmakaya is what is referred to here in the
perceive that I am fixated on the sound of the root text as the “body of reality.” It does not in
birds and the trees’ rustling as being pleasant. If itself possess any physical characteristics, but
there were twenty motorcycles running around I the quality of the dharmakaya manifests as the
would perceive that as unpleasant, and yet the rupakaya or form bodies, and they do possess
nature of the sound is just sound, movement and physical characteristics, which are normally
vibration. I understand that, but I still have the enumerated as thirty-two major and eighty
experience of one being pleasant and one being minor marks of physical perfection. The thirty-
unpleasant. How, practically speaking would one two major marks of physical perfection refer to
meditate on interdependence? the fact that the bodies of buddhas are always
beautiful, have certain very specific types of
Thrangu Rinpoche: The perception of things as features, and have certain extraordinary charac-
pleasant and unpleasant itself is not a problem. teristics, such as the fact that the clothing or
The problem only occurs for example, when in robes worn by a buddha will never actually touch
thinking of something as unpleasant, we develop their body but will always be four finger widths
aversion for it, which is the point at which we away from the body. The body of a buddha always
actively wish to get rid of it. Or, thinking of has an extensive halo, and so on. The eighty
something as pleasant, we develop attachment minor marks of physical perfection are less
for it, which means we actively wish to acquire it pronounced wonderful physical characteristics
or prolong it. It is those things that cause us that are similar to the thirty-two major ones.
suffering. Simply the perception of things as
pleasant and unpleasant is not a problem. The Question: I have a friend who gets very angry,
reason why meditation on interdependence is and to him his anger has value. If someone
beneficial in this instance is that interdepen- harms him, he feels he can win or he can get
dence is at the same time relativity. By recogniz- back at them. He seems to feel a kind of satisfac-
ing the relative nature of these perceived or tion in just being angry. I cannot debate him. It is
imputed characteristics, one becomes free from not enough to just say, “You’re going to cause
fixation upon them. For example, if you were to yourself more suffering.” He thinks he is out for
become actually tormented by the sound of revenge and really angry. How can I talk with
twenty motorcycles, thinking how awful and him?
disturbing that sound is, then you would in that
context reflect upon worse sounds. And there Thrangu Rinpoche: A distinction can be made

20 SHENPEN ÖSEL

between anger itself and holding a grudge. Question: Rinpoche I have a question about two

Holding a grudge comes about from anger having lines from the root text. The first line reads, “Do

been invested in and anger having been culti- not meditate on pride; cut through the root of

vated. If you continually invest in anger then ego clinging.” The second line, “When ego cling-

anger will develop into this tendency to hold ing is destroyed, wherever one’s mind focuses,

grudges, which is the next step or the next its essence arises vividly.” Could you comment

development of it. It basically consists of never on the phrase “wherever one’s mind focuses, its

letting go of anger. Whenever you get angry, it essence arises vividly.”

becomes somehow deeply entrenched, and you

hold on to it because you are so used to being Thrangu Rinpoche: It means that, when there

angry. The remedy for this is to cultivate the is the eradication of a fixation on a self, wher-

remedies for anger in general. That will prevent ever the mind is directed, that selflessness

this entrenchment of anger from occurring. which is the mind’s nature, that absence of a self,

One thing you can say to the person is that he arises vividly in your direct experience.

is better off being patient than seeking revenge,

because revenge becomes perpetual. If he suc- Question: In the root text in the section that

ceeds in getting back at someone who has hurt begins, “In some of the highest yoga tantras of

him, then chances are that his secret mantra,” can you discuss

way of getting back at that person Whenever you the emanation from the organs in
will probably not only be exacting union?

the debt but some interest as get angry, it Thrangu Rinpoche: This is in a
well. When that happens, the becomes section of the text which is going
person at whom he has gotten somehow deeply through the very technical details
back will feel victimized, because

what he did will seem to them to entrenched, and of different types of deity practice.
be more than what they deserve. you hold on to it Within those different types of
They then will have to get back at deity practice sometimes in order

him and they will also try to do because you are to purify the same things, there
more than what he did to them. so used to being can be more or less elaborate
He will in turn feel victimized procedures. Here the text is

and will have to get back at them. angry talking about a specific type of
generation stage, a gradual devel-
In that way vengeance becomes

perpetual. It is self-maintaining, opment of the visualization of the

simply because the act of vengeance itself usu- deity which occurs in some practices where the

ally involves doing more than what the other deity is actually generated twice. First, through

person did to you. This is an instance of the fact whatever gradual process, you generate yourself

that kleshas such as anger always include igno- as the deity. Then that deity dissolves and melts

rance. In this case, the ignorance is in part that, into a sphere of light, and then from that sphere

when you are seeking revenge, you do not stop to of light you re-emerge as the deity. When that is

think about the fact that the person on whom done, it is called the “causal vajra holder” and

you are exacting revenge will probably want to the “resultant vajra holder.” The deity here is

exact revenge upon you for exacting revenge referred to as the vajra holder. Part of the mean-

upon them. If this goes on long enough eventu- ing of that is that it corresponds to the mind of

ally both people will come to regret the whole luminosity or clear light that occurs at the death

thing, because they will have harmed each other of the previous life and the subsequent emer-

without either really ever being satisfied by gence from the bardo into the conception and

what they have done. birth in the next life. In a sadhana or practice in

SHENPEN ÖSEL 21

which the text says that “from the secret space . . visualization goes on from there. When he says,

. ” the deity who is generated in this dual way “through the drops, the appearances of white

has a retinue before the causal vajra holder. In and red are purified,” he is referring to the

that case there will be a father and mother in visualization of the sphere of light when the

union, and before they melt into causal vajra holder has dissolved

light, from the secret space of the before the resultant vajra holder
arises. What you are purifying
mother the other members of the The body that

mandala will have emerged and you have is a there is your attitude about the
taken their places in the palace. mixture of three white and red constituents, the
Then the father and mother sperm and the ovum, which are

causal vajra holder, the central things: the white the substantial or physical basis

figures, will melt into light and constituent, for the emergence of your own
then re-arise. The basic idea here which is the body.
is that you are purifying the way

you are conceived and come into sperm from the Question: Are the vital drops the
the world. At the end of the father; the red same thing as the white and red
previous life you are alone and appearances?

then you die. Before you are constituent, Thrangu Rinpoche: It is not so
reborn there are already the which is the much that the drops are the same.
parents and so on. The body that

you have is a mixture of three ovum from the It is that they correspond. The
things: the white constituent, mother; and the visualization of this white and red
which is the sperm from the wind element, sphere intermingled, which then
father; the red constituent, which becomes the resultant vajra

is the ovum from the mother; and which is the holder, is a way of representing
the wind element, which is the mount for your and, therefore, purifying your
mount for your consciousness as fixation on the white and red

it actually enters the womb and consciousness as drops which you received from
combines with those other two. your parents.
The function of all of these visu-
it actually enters

alizations is to correspond to and, the womb Question: So the vital drops are
the causal vajra holder?
therefore, purify fixation on the

mixing or combination of these

three elements. Thrangu Rinpoche: No, when the causal vajra

holder melts into light, he or they or she, de-

Question: What does it mean that “the vital pending upon what the deity is, become a sphere

drops purify the white and red appearances”? of mixed white and red light.

Thrangu Rinpoche: In this section he is giving Question: And those are the vital drops?
a list of different things, not all of which are
likely to be present in the same practice. For Thrangu Rinpoche: That is what is referred
example, when he says that “through the gradual to here as the “drop,” and it represents the
disappearance of the three syllables appearance, vital drops, but here the visualization is of a
increase, and attainment are purified,” he is sphere or drop. The word “tigle,” which the
talking about something that occurs in some translator here translated as “vital drop,” can
practices in which you visualize the three syl- also mean sphere.
lables and then they disappear and then the

22 SHENPEN ÖSEL

Creation and Completion

Using the Generation Stage
To Purify the Habit of Birth

Continuing the Very Venerable Khenchen so on. Those two types are fairly coarse in the
Thrangu Rinpoche’s commentary on Creation manner of birth. Then there is one that is a little
and Completion. more subtle, and although this form is often
presented as a separate type of birth, it can also
Because it seems that you are interested be understood as another aspect of either womb
in knowing about it, I am going to go or egg generation, which is birth from heat and
into more detail about the generation moisture.
stage, specifically from among the four topics of
the generation stage, the methods which purify These first three types of birth correspond to
and that which is three types of generation stage visualization that
purified by the gen-
eration stage. are principally de-
signed to purify the
Essentially the habit of these types of
structure and format birth. Womb birth is
of the generation purified by the style of
stage practice is generation called
connected with, or “five-fold manifest
corresponds to, the awakening,” egg birth
way we are born. The by that which is called
idea of being born is the “four vajras,” birth
the acquisition of a from heat and mois-
new body. New body ture by that which is
of course does not called the “three
mean your first body, procedures” or “three
just your latest body, rituals.”
your most recently
acquired body. There The fourth type of
are four different birth is that through
ways that sentient which beings appear
beings can be born. in certain realms with
The first is womb particularly subtle
birth, through which, bodies. It is an instan-
as in the case of taneous birth occur-
humans and other mammals, you are born from ring in the absence of
the womb of your mother. The second, which is womb, egg, or even
very similar, is egg birth, by which you are heat and moisture as conditions for birth. This
hatched from an egg that has issued forth from type of instantaneous birth is purified by what is
the womb, as is the case with birds, reptiles, and called “instantaneous generation,” which is also
known as “generation that is complete in an
instant of recollection.” In this case the medita-

SHENPEN ÖSEL 23

tion of the deity does not begin with the estab- consciousness into the womb, for example, in the

lishment of the mandala and the seat of the case of a human life. As the practice goes on

deity, and then the placement of the seed syl- there are specific elements that correspond to

lable on the seat, its transformation into a scep- the birth, to all the experiences of this life, and

ter, and then the scepter into the finally, in the case of the with-

deity, as is usual in other visual- The entire drawal phase, to death.
izations. In this case, in an in- practice, starting There are many variations in
stant of recollection you simply
the procedure, style, and content

visualize yourself as the deity from the very of these generation stage prac-

without the many preliminary beginning of the tices. For example, in Tibet there
steps. Although these four types generation of the were two periods of the introduc-
of visualization—five-fold mani- tion of Buddhism. The initial or

fest awakening, four vajras, three deity and earlier spread of the teachings in
procedures, and complete in an culminating with the eighth and ninth centuries led
instant of recollection—do corre- to what is called the old or

spond individually to the four the dissolution or Nyingma tradition. The subse-
types of birth, it is not the case quent renewal of the doctrine with
that practicing any one of these
withdrawal of the the introduction of new transla-

does not purify all four. It does. deity and tions from India in the eleventh
Even though there is a correspon- mandala into the century by various translators led
dence, any one of these is suffi- clear light, to what is called the new or Sarma
cient in order to purify the four tradition* The procedures and

types of birth. corresponds to style of the practices of the gen-
Once one has generated the all the events of eration stage in the Nyingma and
Sarma traditions vary somewhat,
deity’s form through one or an-

other of these four procedures, one life at least in appearance and in
then one visualizes that deity method, but there is no difference

with their particular posture, in their effectiveness in the actual

color, costume, ornamentation, scepters, the purification of the kleshas. If one had an illness

father, the mother, the retinue, the mandala in of the eyes, one might treat it with a surgical

which they abide, and so on. From that point procedure or one might treat it with a medicine

onwards the practices will vary quite a bit. consumed by mouth. In either case, one could

Depending upon what specific practice it is, remove whatever is obstructing or obscuring

there may be many other steps and stages along one’s vision. In the same way, although the actual

the way. In any case it will conclude with what is methods vary slightly, the focus of both the

called the “withdrawal procedure.” Withdrawal Sarma and the Nyingma generation stage prac-

refers to the dissolution or withdrawal of the tices is identical.

mandala into the clear light, or into emptiness. Next the text gives a description of how a

The entire practice can consist of a great deal of generation stage practice would work. The type

elaboration and many steps or can be very of generation stage practice that is used as an

simple and concise. In any case the entire prac- example is basically a Nyingma model, but it will

tice, starting from the very beginning of the give you an idea of how a generation stage proce-

generation of the deity and culminating with the dure works. The characteristic of a Nyingma

dissolution or withdrawal of the deity and approach to generation stage is the cultivation of

mandala into the clear light, corresponds to all *Editor’s note: The core practices of the Kagyu, Sakya, and
the events of one life. The very beginning of the Gelug were all introduced into Tibet during this later phase so
generation corresponds to the entrance of the are considered Sarma.

24 SHENPEN ÖSEL

what are called the “three samadhis” or “three which come from the parents and are the physi-

meditative absorptions.” These correspond to the cal or substantial basis for your physical body.

dharmakaya, the sambhogakaya, and the Then you visualize on top of this the seed-

nirmanakaya. The first samadhi, connected with syllable of the deity. This corresponds to and

the dharmakaya, is called the “samadhi of purifies the entrance of your consciousness

thatness or suchness.” It essentially consists of from the bardo into the womb at the time of

meditation on emptiness. With regard to what it conception. Then when you visualize that the

purifies, it corresponds to one’s death in the seed-syllable changes into the deity’s character-

preceding life up to the point at which the ap- istic scepter, which is marked at its center by

pearances of the preceding life have vanished and the seed-syllable, this corresponds to the period

there is an experience of nothing whatsoever, of gestation in the womb. When the scepter,

which is like emptiness. together with the seed-syllable, is transformed

Following this meditation on emptiness, into the complete body of the deity, this corre-

which is the samadhi of thatness and corresponds sponds to and purifies the moment of birth.

to the dharmakaya, is the meditation on the Having visualized yourself as the deity, you

compassion that has the characteristics of being imagine the three syllables OM, AH, HUNG in

like a magical illusion. This is called the the three places of the deity’s body. This purifies

“samadhi or meditative absorption which appears the habits from this life of body, speech, and

everywhere.” It corresponds to the mind. This procedure is essen-

sambhogakaya and it purifies the When the tially characteristic of the
subsequent experience of the scepter, together Nyingma school, beginning with
bardo, one’s experience after one’s the three samadhis and then

previous death and before one’s with the seed culminating in the gradual gen-
conception in this life. The func- syllable, is eration of the deity from syllable,
tion of this second samadhi, which scepter and the entire body.

corresponds to the sambhogakaya, transformed into In the tantras of the Sarma or
is to form a link between the the complete New Translation school, there is
dharmakaya and the coarse or full often the generation of the causal

manifestation of the nirmanakaya. body of the deity, vajra holder and resultant vajra
Therefore, it forms the basis or this corresponds holder, which is a different way
prelude to the generation of the to and purifies of generating the deity. In the
mandala. more elaborate practices of the

The third samadhi, which is the moment New Translation school, there
connected to the nirmanakaya, is of birth tend to be two generations of the
called the “samadhi of cause” and deity. First, there is the genera-

is the initial visualization of the tion through whatever gradual

seed syllable of the deity. This procedure by which the deity is

corresponds to the emergence of your conscious- generated. At that point the deity is called the

ness from the bardo and its actual entrance into causal vajra holder. This first form of the deity

the womb. Therefore, along with visualizing the is generated in order to purify the process of

seed-syllable, one visualizes the seat or pedestal death of one’s previous life. The causal vajra

of the deity, which will consist of either a lotus holder form of the deity which has been gener-

with sun and moon discs or a lotus with either ated will then melt into light, becoming a

just a moon or just a sun. Initially, one begins the sphere of light. From that sphere of light the

visualization by imagining this lotus, sun, and deity is generated a second time. This is called

moon pedestal; this corresponds to and purifies the resultant vajra holder. This corresponds to

the white and red elements, the sperm and ovum and purifies the arising of the mental body in

SHENPEN ÖSEL 25

the bardo or interval between lives as well as the as the deity. This is done in order to purify your

entrance of that consciousness, which has arisen family inheritance, everything that you in any

as a mental body, into the womb, the process of sense inherit from your parents. Following that

gestation, and birth. there will be homage to yourself as the deity,

In their details these practices can vary quite offerings, and praises. The function of these

a bit. For example, in some practices with causal stages of the practice is to purify all of your

and resultant vajra holders, at the interactions throughout this life

time of visualization of the causal The mantra with the various objects of experi-
ence, including your possessions
vajra holder the other deities of

the mandala will be emanated repetition purifies and so on. In short, every stage of
from the secret space of the the generation stage practice is
mother, the consort of the princi- all of your talk
designed to correspond to and

pal deity. Then the causal vajra and conversation purify something upon which we
holder, father and mother, will project impurity.
melt into light and become a throughout your Following that comes the

sphere of light. At that point, the life, especially repetition of the mantra. The

dakinis and other deities of the talk connected to mantra repetition purifies all of
retinue who have been emanated, your talk and conversation
will request the central deity, who
attachment, throughout your life, especially

is now in the form of a sphere of aversion, and talk connected to attachment,
light, to arise from emptiness for bewilderment aversion, and bewilderment.
the benefit of beings, in response Following that comes the with-

to which that sphere of light will drawal or dissolution of the visu-

turn into the resultant vajra alization into emptiness and

holder. Also, in some other practices, rather than finally the re-arising of yourself as the deity.

having the causal and resultant vajra holder, the These correspond to your death at the end of

end of one’s previous life is purified by visualiz- this life and to your re-arising in a mental body

ing the gradual dissolution of the three syllables in the bardo or interval after death. In that way

OM, AH, HUNG, corresponding to the stages of the procedure of any one generation stage prac-

death called appearance, increase, and attain- tice contains a complete correspondence to all of

ment. So within the general category of the New the events of one life cycle, starting with the

Translation school generation stage practices, bardo and the entrance of the bardo conscious-

there are many variations. ness into the womb, going through your whole

Whether the practice is of the Nyingma style life, ending with your death, and again your

or of the Sarma style, once the deity has been entrance into the bardo.

generated completely, usually you will visualize Invariably such practices are preceded by

that from the heart of yourself as the deity rays going for refuge and generating bodhicitta and

of light shoot out and invite the wisdom beings followed by the dedication of merit and the

or the jnanasattvas, which are the actual deity. making of aspirations. These are essential for

You think that these are invited and dissolve the practice to be a mahayana practice. At the

into you, at which point you rest in the confi- very beginning, therefore, is the going for refuge

dence that the jnanasattvas have actually en- and the generation of bodhicitta as your inten-

tered into your being. This corresponds to and tion for the practice and the making of aspira-

purifies the learning process you go through tions for the benefit of beings, and at the end is

after birth. Following that, again usually you will your dedication of the merit to all beings. These

invite the five male and female buddhas and so are the principal practices of the mahayana and,

forth, who will bestow empowerment upon you therefore, are used to embrace the technique of

26 SHENPEN ÖSEL

the generation stage practice thereby making it thing that is a similitude of your own buddha

a proper mahayana practice. nature, something that has the same characteris-

In many generation stage practices there tics as your own buddha nature. The reason you

will be additional elements, such as the conse- do this is that by so doing you familiarize yourself

cration of the offerings and sometimes a feast with buddha nature and thereby allow buddha

offering. The purpose of the consecration of nature to reveal itself. It is not that through the

offerings and the making of feast offerings is to generation stage you are creating a result. You

gather the two accumulations, which are the are revealing the ground as a result. The result is

accumulation of merit and the accumulation of that through this process of familiarization,

wisdom. Although the text says taking the appearance of the

“to gather the two accumula- The result or ground as the path, you come to
tions,” principally these lead to fruition does not fully reveal that ground. When
the accumulation of merit. In the everything that obscures it has

general context of mahayana, come from been removed, then that ground
merit is accumulated by means of outside; it is fully revealed is itself the fruition
the first five paramitas: generos- or result. In other words, the

ity, morality, patience, diligence, revealed from result or fruition does not come
and meditation. In the specific within from outside; it is revealed from
context of vajrayana, the methods within.

by which merit is accumulated The generation stage is the

emphasize the practice of medita- practice of a yidam, and you do

tion, by means of which a small thing can be that specific yidam practice exactly as it is pre-

magnified or multiplied in its power so that one scribed in the liturgy for that practice. If the

accumulates vast amounts of merit without liturgy is elaborate and long and prescribes an

much difficulty. For example, in feast practice elaborate series of steps to the visualization, that

you use a very small offering as a basis for is what you visualize. If it is concise and pre-

meditation, and in samadhi you multiply it scribes that the deity is visualized complete in an

extensively. It, therefore, becomes a basis for an instant of recollection, then that is what you

accumulation of merit that is far, far greater visualize. In either case, in the principal or main

than the thing in itself. The idea here is that practice of a yidam, the main thing is to visualize

through perfecting or completing the accumula- yourself as that deity, as that yidam.

tion of merit, you come to accumulate the sec-

ond accumulation, that of wisdom. But in the We also do other practices where the empha-
direct effect, these feast offerings and offering sis is not on visualizing yourself as a deity

consecrations lead principally to the accumula- but on visualizing deities external to yourself. For

tion of merit. example, when we visualize the sources of refuge

The fourth topic about the generation stage in the refuge and prostration practice, we visual-

is the result of purification—the result of the ize them in front of ourselves. When we visualize

full removal of obscurations of the basis or Vajrasattva in the preliminary practice of

ground of purification. When that sugatagarbha Vajrasattva, we visualize Vajrasattva seated

or buddha nature, which is itself the ground of above our head. When we do the Chenrezig

purification, is fully revealed, when everything practice, we commence the practice with the

that obscures it is removed, that is the result. visualization of Chenrezig above our head. The

The view of the generation stage is that this reason why in these three types of practices the

buddha nature itself contains all of the qualities visualization is different from a conventional

of the deities. So when you visualize yourself as generation stage practice of self-visualization is

a deity, you are visualizing yourself as some- that these practices are designed for those who

SHENPEN ÖSEL 27

are beginning vajrayana practice. In the very your innate wisdom. In the Buddhist tradition

beginning you cannot simply start with revealing attainment is the revelation of that wisdom that

your own inner wisdom. You cannot begin with is innate. Therefore, in the Buddhist tradition

the discovery of wisdom within yourself, which we do not assert that attainment is actually

is the principal reason for self-visualization. given to you by the whim of any external being.

There is something that needs to be made On the other hand, there also exist traditions

clear about the nature of the deities in the that say that there is no help whatsoever from

vajrayana, because it seems in some contexts we outside, that the path consists entirely of one’s

almost externalize them as in the preliminary own internal work, and that any supplication of

practices. Primarily we view them any awakened being is meaning-

as something internal, something While it is true less. But this is not exactly the
that is within us. First of all, a Buddhist view either, because,

distinction needs to be made that no buddha while it is true that no buddha
between the use of a deity in a can hand you or can hand you or give you the
nontheistic tradition, such as result or fruition of this path,

Buddhism, and in a theistic tradi- give you the they can help. For example,
tion, such as Hinduism. In the result or fruition consider this life. Up to a certain
Hindu practices which work with point in your life you had no

the iconography of deities, the of this path, they knowledge of dharma whatsoever.
deities are considered to be exter- can help Then, through whatever series of
nal and essentially to have the circumstances, you approached a

role of being creators of the uni- guru and received instruction

verse. It is understood that these deities have from the guru, who became your root guru, and

the power to make you happy and to make you something changed, which is called the blessing

suffer. These deities if pleased have the power to of dharma. Before you did not know what

bring you to liberation, have the power to grant dharma was and then you did. Before you did

you all kinds of attainments, supreme and com- not know how to practice and then you did.

mon attainments. Therefore, the practice in such Many things changed as a result. Maybe you had

a tradition consists of praying to deities with the no confidence in dharma and then came to have

greatest faith and devotion, making offerings to confidence. You had no devotion and then you

them with the understanding that if they are came to have devotion. You came to have more

pleased they will grant you attainments, and compassion than you did before. Your meditation

that if they are not pleased and become angry improved and so on. Now none of these things

they can actually cast you into the lower realms. was precisely given to you by your root guru, but

The Buddhist view of deities is entirely nevertheless something happens in the context

different. First of all, it is held by the Buddhist of or because of your relationship with the root

tradition that your happiness and suffering come guru, and this is what we call the blessing of the

about because of your own previous actions, and guru. This is all easy to understand because it is

that no other being can actually cause you to concerned with your relationship or interaction

experience what you have not caused yourself with someone you have met, someone who is

karmically. What you experience comes about another human being. But you also supplicate

because of your own previous actions and be- gurus of the past, gurus you have not met, gurus

cause of your habits of perception. Ultimately who are not visible to you at the present. So

speaking, from a Buddhist point of view, no deity supplicating them, even though, like your root

can grant you siddhi or attainment. You receive guru, they also cannot hand you attainment or

attainment through your removal of the fruition, like your root guru, they can influ-

obscurations of mind which otherwise obscure ence you. They can help you.

28 SHENPEN ÖSEL

It is not particularly that by your supplicat- consists of visualizing yourself as the deity,

ing them, they are pleased and, therefore, decide because the most essential thing in our practice

to share their spiritual wealth with you. It is of the generation stage is to reveal and expand

rather that the devotion you generate in your our own innate wisdom. While that is the princi-

supplication of them causes this blessing simply pal practice, in the special circumstances of feast

to occur. Therefore, the guru can still grant practice, particularly of self-empowerment, in

blessing even when he or she is not physically which you give yourself the empowerment of

present in your perception. That is the first of that specific practice upon its completion, you

the three roots or three sources of vajrayana not only do the visualization of yourself as the

practice, the guru, which is the root of blessing. deity, but you also visualize the deity in front.

The second root is the yidam, the deity, which You do so because making offerings to the deity

is the root of attainment. Essentially, yidams are visualized in front of you, as it is in the context

the forms of the sambhogakaya that buddhas of feast practice, is a great way to accumulate

take in order to communicate merit. By receiving the blessing or

with and train beings. It is not the empowerment from the deity

case that literally speaking your The function of visualized in front of you, you will
yidam can give you or hand you dharmapalas is be especially confident that you
supreme attainment, but like actually received that blessing or

gurus, yidams can influence you. to help you free received that empowerment.
They grant you their blessing in yourself from So this is the generation stage,
the sense that through practicing
which is necessary and very

yidam meditation, a new clarity anything that helpful. If you have any questions
dawns in your meditative absorp- impedes your please go ahead.
tion, and you come to gradually practice and path
realize something or attain some- Question: How important is it to

thing. To be precise, we would say visualize the deity exactly as the

that in saying that yidams are the liturgy says? For example, if some

root of siddhi, we do not mean that they grant it, of the icons of the culture I was raised in come

but that they facilitate it. into the visualization, is that something that I

The third root is the dharmapalas or dharma should make sure to not let happen? Is doing so

protectors, who are the root of activity. Now the causing a problem?

function of dharmapalas is to help you free

yourself from anything that impedes your prac- Translator: Could you give a specific example of

tice and path. They help to encourage your what you mean?

exertion and to encourage your devotion. They

help you find ways to purify your obscurations Question: An example is Saint Francis of Assisi

and your wrongdoing. Dharmapalas are basically as a sort of compassion and so some of the ideas

buddhas who take this type of position or role of him as well as of Avalokiteshvara. If I slip into

for the aid of practitioners. So while it is not the a visualization of Saint Francis of Assisi am I

case that any external being can grant you su- taking away from the power of the visualization

preme siddhi, these three roots, the gurus, of Avalokiteshvara?

yidams, and dharmapalas, if you supplicate

them, can bestow blessing and can help remove Thrangu Rinpoche: It is okay from time to time

obstacles on your path. to remember Saint Francis of Assisi if it gives

For these reasons as you will discover when you more of an idea of compassion, but at the

you do the intensive practice of the generation same time, when you are doing a formal practice

stage in retreat, most generation stage practice of visualization, everything in the visualization

SHENPEN ÖSEL 29

is there for a reason. The details, and there are sperm and ovum have grown to form your whole

so many details in any of these practices, are body. The drops are not so much the original

there because by working with them exactly as sperm and ovum as they are the essence or

they are set out, they will en- kernel of them, or you could say

hance the stability of your mind. the kernel or essence of what has

In other words, the generation There are specific grown out of them. During your

stage will become a practice of deities connected life, according to tantric physiol-
shamatha and also of clarity, not ogy, the kernel of the white as-
only of the visualization but also
with the wisdom pect, which you received from

of the revelation of the mind’s which lies at the your father, is housed inside your
characteristic of clarity itself. root of each head, close to the top. The kernel
Ultimately there is more benefit or essence of the red aspect,

in working with the practice klesha. For which you received from your
exactly as it is set out. example, in the mother, is seated below your
navel, in the abdomen. In between
We find a reference to this

topic in the autobiography of text you will see these two is the basic prana that
Mipham Rinpoche from the nine- that it suggests, keeps you alive. These two actu-
teenth century. He says in his ally keep the prana from escaping.

autobiography that he had had if afflicted by When you die, this prana col-

some degree of recognition of the desire, you lapses in on itself into the heart.
mind’s nature, which is what is visualize youself While these two keep the prana
called the “clear appearance of from escaping, the prana itself

the completion stage,” since he as Amitabha keeps the one up and the other
was a small child. But he felt that down. When the prana withdraws

in order to stabilize this and to into the heart they then go in with

expand its clarity he would have to use the it. The white drop comes down from the head

methods of the generation stage. He felt that the and the red drop comes up from the abdomen

technique of the generation stage with all of its and they meet at the heart.

otherwise troublesome details was actually an

ideal method leading to the clarification of Question: So the prana is going between the

whatever recognition you might have of your two?

mind’s nature. In his autobiography Mipham

Rinpoche said that he was unable to generate Translator: That specific prana. It is called the

enough of a practice of generation stage to life wind.

achieve his wish. But he felt that the most im-

portant method in order to generate stable Question: My question goes back to something

completion stage realization was the intense you were saying earlier about using a particular

practice of the clear visualization of the genera- practice to combat desire. It was, I think, to use

tion stage. Chakrasamvara to combat desire. Are there

particular deities that one uses to combat, for

Question: When it is said that the white and red instance, pride or some of the other kleshas? Or

elements in the form of the vital drops in the is it the case that any one of them will overcome

head and the navel descend and ascend and all of the kleshas?

dissolve together when one dies, are these

something other than egg and sperm. Thrangu Rinpoche: Both are true. There are

specific deities connected with the wisdom

Thrangu Rinpoche: Actually, the original which lies at the root of each of the klesha. For

30 SHENPEN ÖSEL

example, in the text you will see that it suggests, Thrangu Rinpoche: Supplication produces

if afflicted by desire, you visualize yourself as blessing, and although the blessing is under-

Amitabha. By extension we would say, therefore, stood as something that is given to you, some-

if afflicted by bewilderment, Vairochana; by thing that somehow engulfs you from outside, in

anger, Aksobhya; by pride, Ratnasambhava; by fact blessing really is not given to you at all.

jealousy, Amogasiddhi. When it mentions When you supplicate, you generate faith and

Chakrasamvara, that is an example. It does not devotion. That faith and devotion cause the

mean that you specifically need to use the deity appearance of what we call blessing.

Chakrasamvara. Visualizing yourself as

Chakrasamvara with his consort will serve not Question: Rinpoche, in terms of generation

only as a remedy for the afflictions of desire but practice itself, it seems to be dealing with body,

for any other affliction as well. speech and mind. I am curious as to what part of

the generation stage practice

Question: I have a question about Some people actually purifies relationships
the relationship between the naturally find with our world and the inhabit-
different types of purifications ants in it, family and friends and

and the Chenrezig practice. Since themselves those around us?
the yidam is initially visualized
outside of yourself and only very utterly devoted to Thrangu Rinpoche: Because

late in the practice do you become the practice of your connection to others,

the deity, does that mean that all one deity. Then whether it is a positive or a nega-
the various purifications of womb it is perfectly tive one, is a part of your interac-
birth and prior bardos and prior tion with the world in general,

death occur at the time of the possible your interactions are all purified
visualization of the external under those by the homage, offering, and
Chenrezig? praise sections of the sadhana,

Thrangu Rinpoche: Basically, it circumstances to whatever it is.
is not very specific in that prac- pursue that one Question: Could one person

tice. Through the power of your practice until settle on one deity and try to do
faith directed to the Chenrezig through it this completely, or do you try to
visualized above you, at a certain you attain the practice with as many deities as
point in the practice you and all possible?

beings take the form Chenrezig. final result Thrangu Rinpoche: It does not
In that case the visualization of

yourself is in the form of the deity matter. It is a question of indi-

complete in an instant of recollection. So there is vidual taste and interest. Some people naturally

no specific correlation here with the point at find themselves utterly devoted to the practice

which the practice is purified, what event or of one deity. Then it is perfectly possible under

moment, and so on. But basically you could say those circumstances to pursue that one practice

that when you become the deity that is purifying until through it you attain the final result. Other

this birth. people find that they are naturally attracted to

combining the practices of different deities.

Question: Rinpoche, at what level does suppli- They might practice two or three or even more

cation work? When we talk about supplicating than that. There is nothing wrong with that

gurus, teachers of the lineage that have died, either. By combining the practice of these differ-

and dharmapalas, how is that working? ent deities, they will achieve the same result as

SHENPEN ÖSEL 31

the other person does with one. stration of their wisdom or manifestation in

external form of their wisdom, they are in a

Question: Could I ask a follow up question, position to actively assist us. So if you ask for

Rinpoche? It occurred to me in what you said their assistance, for their help in the removal of

about purifying relationships with others by impediments to your practice and in similar

paying homage and making offerings that that areas, then they can actually provide some help

has to do with sacred outlook, the way one looks or assistance. However, for this process to occur

at other beings. It is something I find personally there has to be some kind of a connection made

difficult to do when seeing the between you and the

suffering that we inflict upon each dharmapalas. Principally this

other sometimes in this life. It is Other people find connection is made by your in-

hard to maintain a sacred outlook that they are volvement with dharma itself.
towards others in that way. Is naturally Through practicing dharma you
there a key to that in some sense? become in some sense their re-

attracted to sponsibility and then they will be
responsive to your requests for
Thrangu Rinpoche: Sacred assistance.

outlook is something you cultivate combining the

in order to remove your own practices of Question: Are they what we call
confusion. It is not really a different devas?
method for helping others di-

rectly. In any case, whatever dieties. . . . They Thrangu Rinpoche: The terms
arises in your ordinary deluded will achieve the deva and devi are just the San-
perception is equally deluded same result as skrit for male deity and female
perception. Negative situations

are not more difficult to purify the other person deity, or god and goddess. They
than others are. Normally, what- does with one are used to refer to two types of
ever you experience is a deluded things. The one type of thing is a

projection, and has to be acknowl- being, a mundane being called a

edged as such and transcended or deva or devi. They can be gods of

transformed with the application of sacred the desire realm, gods of the form realm, or gods

outlook. This is no more or less true of any one of the formless realm. They are mundane,

type of deluded perception than any other. samsaric beings. The other type of being that is

referred to as “lha” or deva or devi or deity is

Question: I haven’t had much exposure to supermundane, beyond the world. These are

dharmapalas, and I would like to understand beings who have such wisdom and especially

more. You said that basically they help us with such stable bodhicitta—commitment to the

our activities and that is very intriguing, but it welfare of others and to the benefiting of the

wasn’t enough to really give me a clear sense. teachings—that they are entirely unlike a mun-

Could you say more or refer me to another text dane being. Dharmapalas can be thought of as

in which I could find out more about this? beings who are completely and utterly commit-

ted to the welfare of others and, therefore, are

Thrangu Rinpoche: Dharmapalas are what we very active in accomplishing their welfare.

would call great beings who sometimes manifest You could say that dharmapalas are included

as humans and sometimes, especially when we within the class of phenomena that we could call

refer to them as dharmapalas or dharma protec- devas or devis, just as some awakened people

tors, manifest as nonhuman. In their manifesta- are included within the class of what we could

tion as nonhuman, which is a kind of a demon- call humans. But not all humans are awakened

32 SHENPEN ÖSEL

and not all devas or devis are dharmapalas. what is considered to be the emergence of in-

There are all different sorts of people. Some sects from trees, in which an insect, before it is

people are wonderful, some people are horrific, an insect, starts out as part of a tree and actually

and there is everything in between. It is the becomes an insect. I am not sure what he is

same way with devas and devis. There are won- referring to. It is like a branch of the tree that

derful devas and devis, horrific devas and devis, breaks off, gets up, and walks away.

and everything in between. Dharmapalas are a

kind of wonderful deva or devi. Question: When the buddha is visualized and

reappears from the drop, is the

Question: I keep thinking There are all differ- buddha an adult or a child or an
about science and DNA and infant?
how we are working with and
ent sorts of people.

altering things, such as clon- Some people are Thrangu Rinpoche: In the
ing. In a clone, would the wonderful, some generation stage, even though it
clone be the same being since corresponds to the different

the clone has the same DNA? people are horrific, stages of life, you do not visualize
and there is every- the deity first as a little baby
Thrangu Rinpoche: In the thing in between. It deity and then as a child deity, an
case of cloning, the clone adolescent deity, and finally a

would be a different being. is the same way mature deity. You only take it so
The clone would not be the with devas and far. You do not take it that far.
same sentient being. You do You’re trying to purify all of those

not have to go as far as clon- devis appearances. In order to do that,
ing. It is really the same there has to be some degree of

process of what happens correspondence, but not to that

when someone is conceived as a human being. degree.

The substances come from their parents but the

child is a different being from the parents. In the Question: Now they are capable of fertilizing

same way, if you clone somebody, then the sub- eggs and keeping them in frozen state for a long

stance would come from one body but that does time. I was wondering what becomes of the

not mean that the person that develops as the mental consciousness in that state?

clone is the same person. It is a different person.

Thrangu Rinpoche: I do not know. You’d have

Translator: Rinpoche also gave the example of to ask the scientists who are doing that.

SHENPEN ÖSEL 33

Creation and Completion

The Eight Consciousnesses as Deluded Aspects
Of Mind and as Buddha Nature Itself

Continuing the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s commentary on
Creation and Completion.

Our most common practice is tranquillity meditation or shamatha. As is
well known, the need for shamatha practice is based on the fact that our
minds are normally quite agitated by thoughts. We practice shamatha in
order to generate a state of mental stability. While the technique of shamatha and
the technique of the generation stage are distinct—in that in the one your mind is
resting on something very simple and neutral as an object, and in the other your
mind is immersed in the elaborate visualization of the form of the deity—the
function of these two techniques is the same. In the practice of shamatha, you
cultivate a state of attention which transcends the two defects of excessive ten-
sion and excessive relaxation, and you do the same thing in the practice of the
generation stage. In the visualization of the form of the deity, or the visualization
of the syllables of the mantra, and so forth, you cultivate the same type of atten-
tion as is cultivated in shamatha practice. In the generation stage, if your mind is
too tight, too tense, then the natural clarity of the visualization will be dimin-
34 SHENPEN ÖSEL

ished; and if your mind is too relaxed, you will identical to the vipashyana that is taught in the

then become distracted from the visualization. sutrayana. “In some respect” means that the

So while the techniques are distinct, the function techniques can be quite different. The techniques

of shamatha and the function of the generation of the completion stage are not necessarily

stage are fundamentally the same. identical with the techniques of vipashyana, but

However, the generation stage does have a the function of the completion stage and the

characteristic or feature which is not overtly function of vipashyana are the same. Therefore,

present in shamatha practice. we can consider the completion

Through the practice of the gen- The relationship stage to be a variety of
eration stage, you not only gener- between the vipashyana or insight meditation.
ate the ability to rest the mind at In that context what we mean by

will, but, because of the technique generation and vipashyana and what we mean by
of the generation stage, you also completion the completion stage is medita-
bring out the mind’s innate clarity tion on the nature of one’s mind.

or capacity for lucidity. This is stages in the When we use this term to refer to
especially brought out in the vajrayana is very the completion stage we are
generation stage, not only by the talking about that style of medita-

technique or visualization itself, similar to the tion that is characteristic of the
which obviously uses and aug- relationship tradition of uncommon instruc-
ments the mind’s clarity, but also tion.

by the constant variation in the between To make this clear, there are

visualization. In generation-stage shamatha and two types of vipashyana practice.
practice you move from one thing vipashyana in the One takes inferential valid cogni-
to another. For example, at one tion as the path and the other

point you visualize the invitation sutrayana takes direct valid cognition as the
of the jnanasattvas, and at an- path. Generally speaking, charac-

other point you visualize the teristic of the sutras is the prac-

radiating out and gathering in of light rays, and tice of taking inferential valid cognition as one’s

so on. This change of focus or object in the visual- technique. This consists of thinking about empti-

ization actually produces new samadhis or new ness and using logical reasoning to determine

meditative absorptions at each step. These the emptiness of all things. Starting with the fact

enhance the development of mental clarity and that all relative truths are interdependent, one

the stability of samadhi in general. So the gen- reasons the validity of emptiness. In that type of

eration stage not only is a technique which can practice, emptiness is not an object of direct

generate a state of shamatha, but it also assists experience. One examines things, and gradually

in the development of mental clarity. For that through one’s examination one comes to a convic-

and other reasons it is absolutely necessary to tion that everything is empty. One then culti-

practice the generation stage. vates and stabilizes that conviction until gradu-

However, the generation stage is never ally—although after a very long time—it be-

practiced by itself or in isolation. It always has comes a clear and definite recognition of empti-

to be combined with and succeeded by the prac- ness. Sometimes this practice of taking inferen-

tice of the completion stage. The relationship tial valid cognition as the path is also called

between the generation and completion stages in “analytic meditation.” Analytic mediation is very

the vajrayana is very similar to the relationship stable and helpful and very good, but it is not

between shamatha and vipashyana in the very quick. It takes a very long time. Therefore,

sutrayana. In fact, we would have to say that the in vajrayana practice one does not do analytic

completion stage in vajrayana is in some respect meditation. One emphasizes the practice of

SHENPEN ÖSEL 35

direct valid cognition. In this context and up to this point, the text

If one takes direct valid cognition as the makes no distinction between what we could call

path, one does not emphasize thinking about the pure mind or the pure aspect of mind and the

nature of external things. From impure aspect of mind. It is

the point of view of vajrayana If you know the pointed out at this point that
meditation, it is okay if external there are some individuals who,

things are empty and it is okay if nature of your because of their great or intense

they are not. We do not particu- mind, this alone devotion, have a recognition or
larly worry about it because the will accomplish realization of the mind’s nature
source of all of our experience— that occurs spontaneously, that

all of our happiness and suffer- your aim and arises from within. Such a person,
ing—that which we use in prac- practice. As long once they have attained that
tice and that which experiences recognition, has no need to worry

all pleasant and unpleasant as you do not, about learning the difference
things, is our mind. Therefore, in
vajrayana practice we are con- between the pure aspect of mind
no other practice and the impure aspect of mind,

cerned principally with the mind and no other how they work, how they manifest,
itself. In fact, not only is it more knowledge will and so on. Since they have already
important to ascertain the nature be of any realized the point which under-
of the mind, but it is also easier, standing those things is supposed

because, while external things significant help to lead to, they have no need to go
are not that easy to realize as back and learn those things.

empty, the mind, just as it is, is an However, for most people it is

obvious embodiment or demonstration of difficult to generate a realization spontaneously

dharmata, an obvious embodiment of emptiness. through devotion alone. Most practitioners have

What this means is that, while you cannot in the the need to learn at least a little bit about how

beginning directly see the emptiness of external mind works. If you do not, then there is a danger

things, you can from the beginning directly see that your meditation will not be a recognition of

the emptiness of your own mind. When you take the nature of mind, but will consist simply of

the path of direct valid cognition as a practice, immersing yourself in some kind of blank neu-

the view, the emptiness of mind, is not deter- trality or mental abstraction. While that is not

mined through some kind of analysis or logical particularly harmful, it is also not particularly

reasoning but by looking directly at your own helpful and is somewhat of a shame, a waste of

mind. This is the characteristic approach of all time. Therefore, the text next explains a little

vajrayana meditation. Therefore, it is said that if bit about how mind works.

you know the nature of your mind, this alone

will accomplish your aim and practice. As long ashat we could call the impure or deluded
aspect of mind is referred to as “con-
Wyou do not, no other practice and no other
knowledge will be of any significant help. The sciousness.” Generally speaking, consciousness

many renowned traditions of this type of medita- is enumerated as being of eight classes or

tion, such as mahamudra, the great perfection, groups. Before going into the details of the

and the great middle way, and other terms consciousness, it is necessary to understand the

pertinent to these traditions, such as simplicity, basic view of cognition that is characteristic of

freedom from elaboration, and so on, all refer to buddhadharma. The term cognition in Sanskrit

the practice or cultivation of meditation on this is “jnana.” Jnana just means cognition, the capac-

nature. The meditation on the nature of mind is ity to cognize, an awareness. Literally speaking,

essential. in Tibetan one would translate “jnana” as

36 SHENPEN ÖSEL

“shepa,” or “knowing.” However it is interesting when you wish to make a distinction between

to observe that when the teachings were trans- the mind in its impure manifestations and the

lated into Tibetan, “jnana” was usually trans- nature of the mind, mind itself, then mind [im-

lated not as “shepa,” but as “yeshe.” “Ye” means pure] will be called “sem,” and the mind itself,

primordial. The prefix “ye” was added by the that mere cognition itself, will be called “sem

Tibetan translators to point out that cognition, nyi,” mind in itself.

that mere clarity, cognitive clarity itself, in and With regard to the eight consciousnesses, the

of itself, has been there from the very beginning. first five are called the “consciousnesses of the

Therefore they translated “cognition” as “pri- five gates.” The gates are the five senses. They

mordial cognition.” But the term “jnana” in itself are called gates because they seem to be the

does not have this word “primor- gates through which your mind

dial,” so it refers simply to cogni- encounters that which is outside

tion. All of these eight your body. So they are like gates
The term for “consciousness,” through which your mind can
types of project itself or expand itself
which is a specific type of cogni-

tion, is “vijnana.” It is the term for consciousness beyond the body. The first of the

“cognition,” “jnana,” with the are considered five gates is the eyes. The eyes
prefix “vi,” which means complete are the organic basis for the eye
or fully developed. This is a more
manifestations of consciousness. The eyes encoun-

specific term than cognition, and the mind’s ter as their object visible form,
although it may sound like a impurity color, and shape. When the eyes
positive thing to say “fully devel- encounter such an object, what is

oped cognition,” in this context it generated is called the “eye or

is actually somewhat pejorative, visual consciousness.” That is the

because it refers to cognition that has become first of the eight consciousnesses. The other four

developed in the sense of becoming coarsened. are similar to that. The second consciousness is

This type of cognition, full cognition, or con- connected with the ears. When the ears encoun-

sciousness is what is divided into eight groups or ter their object, which are sounds of all types,

eight classes. All of these eight classes, groups, what is generated is called the “ear conscious-

or types of consciousnesses are considered ness” or “auditory consciousness.” The third is

manifestations of the mind’s impurity. They are connected with the nose. When the nose encoun-

eight types of consciousnesses that arise when a ters its object, which are smells of all types,

mind does not recognize its own nature. The what is generated is called the “nose or olfactory

basic idea of the development of consciousness is consciousness.” The fourth is the tongue. When

that, when a mind does not recognize its own the tongue encounters its object, tastes of all

nature, its inherent lucidity, which is just a mere types, such as sweet and sour, bitter and so on,

cognition, it runs wild. And running wild, it what is generated is called the “tongue or taste

becomes coarse or develops into deluded cogni- consciousness.” The fifth one is the whole body

tion or consciousness, which is characteristic of as an organ of tactile sensation. When the whole

samsara. Nevertheless, in the midst of all of this body encounters its object, tactile sensation,

confusion, the nature of these consciousnesses, what is generated is called the “body or tactile

the nature of this deluded mind, is unchanged. consciousness.” These five consciousnesses

This unchanging nature of the mind is called operating through the five senses or five gates

“the pure all-basis,” as opposed to the “all-basis experience their objects directly. The eye con-

consciousness,” which is one of the eight sciousness actually sees shapes and colors, the

consciousnesses. That pure all-basis is mere ear consciousness actually detects or experi-

cognition, fundamental jnana itself. Therefore, ences sounds, the olfactory consciousness actu-

SHENPEN ÖSEL 37

ally smells, and so on. It is direct experience. The sixth consciousness on the other hand

Therefore, these consciousnesses are can and does think about things. The sixth

nonconceptual. These consciousnesses them- consciousness thinks of the past, both the dis-

selves do not generate any thought about the tant and recent past. It thinks about the present,

characteristics of what they experience. The five and it thinks about the future, both the proxi-

sense consciousnesses experience external mate and distant future. But while it is capable

objects directly and do so in a way that is of thinking, it is not capable of directly experi-

nonconceptual. “Nonconceptual” means that they encing things the way that the sense

do not have any thought about the characteris- consciousnesses do. The sixth consciousness

tics of what they experience. They do not con- does not directly experience things. It generates

ceptually recognize the things that they perceive a generality or abstraction on the basis of the

or experience. things that are experienced by the five sense

That which thinks about what is experienced consciousnesses. This means that when the five

by the five senses, that which conceptually sense consciousnesses experience something, it

recognizes them as such and such, becomes an object of thought for

that which conceives of them as The sixth the sixth consciousness, not in
good and bad, in short, that which consciousness the form of what is actually
thinks in any way whatsoever, is experienced but in the form of a

the sixth consciousness, the men- does not directly conceptual generality or gener-
tal consciousness. The mental experience alization or abstraction that is
consciousness does not work with created by the sixth conscious-

or appear on the basis of a specific things. It ness as a duplicate or replica of

sense organ like the other five. It generates a what was experienced by that
inhabits the body in a general way generality or particular sense consciousness.
and it is that which thinks. Its For example, when I look at the

function is thinking. It is normally abstraction glass that is on the table in front
enumerated as the sixth con- on the basis of of me, my eyes directly see that
sciousness when you go through glass, but my sixth consciousness,

them one by one. In general, you the things that my mental consciousness does
start with the eye consciousness, are experienced not directly see it. It generates a
you go through the five senses, generality or abstraction based

and the mental consciousness is by the five sense upon what my eyes have seen,
called the sixth. The fundamental consciousnesses that it recognizes, that it thinks
distinction between it and the about, thinks of as good or bad, or

others is that the five sense having such and such shape and

consciousnesses, since they engage only in the so on.

direct experience of their objects, can only Those six consciousnesses are relatively easy

experience the present. For example, the eye to detect or observe because they are vivid in

consciousness only sees what is there now. It their manifestation or function. The other two

does not see what was there in the past. It does consciousnesses are less easy to observe. For one

not see what will be there in the future. This is thing the six consciousnesses start and stop in

also true of the ear consciousness, and so on. The their operation. They are generated by certain

five sense consciousnesses are not capable of conditions and when those conditions are no

thinking about their objects. Not only can they longer present they temporarily stop function-

not think about the past or the future, they do ing. Therefore the six consciousnesses are called

not even conceptualize or think about the “inconstant” consciousnesses. They are not

present. constantly there. They are generated as they

38 SHENPEN ÖSEL

arise. The other two consciousnesses are called called the “immediate mind.” The immediate

“constant” consciousnesses. Not only are they mind is not a separate consciousness. It is the

constant, which means that they are always function of the impure mind that links the opera-

operating, but they are also much less observ- tions of one consciousness to another. It is that

able. impulse or force of habit that causes the six

The seventh consciousness is called the consciousnesses to arise from the ground of the

“afflicted consciousness.” This refers to the all basis and the afflicted consciousness. It is

subtle or most basic level of mental affliction or that which causes the mental consciousness to

klesha. This does not refer to arise on the basis of a sense per-

coarse kleshas. This refers to the ception, and so on. It is an identi-

root of kleshas. Specifically, the The seventh fiable function of the impure
afflicted consciousness is the consciousness is mind, but is not in itself a sepa-
most subtle level of fixation on a called the rate consciousness. Therefore,
self. Again this is not coarse there are only eight types of

fixation on a self. This is the ‘afflicted impure consciousness. It is not
subtle level of fixation on a self consciousness.’ considered to be a ninth.
that is unfluctuatingly present
In regard to the immediate

even when one is asleep. When This refers to the mind, many texts present it as
sometimes you have a sense of subtle or most that which is generated by the
self and you think “I,” that is not cessation of a previous instant of

an operation of the seventh con- basic level of consciousness and which links one
sciousness. That is the sixth mental affliction type of consciousness to another.
consciousness thinking. The In the particular presentation

seventh consciousness is present or klesha. . . . found in the Profound Inner

until you attain the levels of an This is the subtle Meaning by the Third Gyalwa
arya, or superior, such as the first level of fixation Karmapa, Ranjung Dorje, the
bodhisattva level and so on. immediate mind is presented as

Although it is not directly observ- on a self that is that which causes the lack of
able itself, it is the basis for all unfluctuatingly recognition of dharmata or lack of
coarse fixation on a self and, recognition of the nature of

therefore, for all coarse kleshas. present even things, in which case it would be
The eighth consciousness is when one is considered an aspect of the sev-
enth consciousness. The seventh
called the “alaya vijnana” or “all-

basis consciousness.” It is called asleep consciousness in that way of
the all-basis because it is the understanding has an inward-

basis or ground for the arising of directed aspect to it, which is the

all other types of consciousness. It is that funda- aspect of the seventh consciousness that causes

mental clarity of consciousness or cognitive the other consciousnesses to arise and function.

lucidity of consciousness which has been there That is the immediate mind.

from the beginning. Being the capacity for con- In certain sutras you will see the use of the

scious experience, it is the ground for the arising term “receptive consciousness.” Receptive con-

of eye consciousness, ear consciousness, etc. It is, sciousness refers to the capacity of the all-basis

like the seventh, constantly present, constantly consciousness to receive and store impressions.

operating, and it persists until the attainment of Therefore, it is synonymous with the all-basis

final awakening or buddhahood. consciousness. In short, all of the functions or

Along with the eight consciousnesses there is manifestations of the impure or deluded mind

something else that is often mentioned. This is are included in the eight consciousnesses.

SHENPEN ÖSEL 39

There are different ways that these eight the recognition of the nature of mind or the

consciousnesses can be explained. In this text nature of things. Therefore, the object of medita-

the style of explanation follows that of the Third tion in vipashyana is the nature of those

Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, especially consciousnesses.

that of his book, The Profound Inner Meaning, The eight consciousnesses are impure in how

which was written as an explanation of the they appear or manifest, since they manifest as

theoretical underpinning of the Six Dharmas of delusion based upon the mind’s projection of

Naropa and as clarification of certain points in objects. But in how they are, in their nature,

that, called “Distinguishing they are unchanging. The basic

Between Consciousness and In the case of nature of the mind, of which they
Wisdom.” are the permutations or manifes-

What is it that performs shamatha tations, is pure in and of itself.

meditation? Well, the first five practice, that Therefore, we find the often re-
sense consciousnesses are which meditates peated phrase, “the all-basis is
nonconceptual, so they neither virtuous or good in its nature.”

require nor are capable of medi- is the sixth This idea of the fundamental
tation. From among the two types consciousness. goodness of the all-basis refers not
of meditation in general, in the to the deluded all-basis conscious-

case of shamatha practice, that . . . In the case of ness but to the all-basis wisdom,
which mediates is the sixth which is the pure aspect of what in
consciousness. Shamatha practice vipashyana,
the context of delusion, is the all-

is concerned with the pacification however, basis consciousness. This pure
of thoughts and that which thinks meditation is aspect has never been lost in
is the sixth consciousness. The delusion, which simply means that

process of shamatha consists of a performed by the nature of the mind has been

mindful relaxation of the think- and involves the mistaken, but that that nature
ing process of the six conscious- sixth, seventh, itself has never been changed or
ness. In the case of vipashyana corrupted by the mistake. While

however, meditation is performed and eighth the manifestation of your mind as
by and involves the sixth, sev- consciousnesses a variety within cognitive clarity
enth, and eighth consciousnesses. seems to be deluded, if you look

From the point of view of for this delusion you will not find

meditation, one would have to say that although it anywhere. If you look for some

one can distinguish the sixth, seventh, and actual substantial presence of this deluded

eighth as distinct in their degrees of manifesta- clarity, there is nothing there. Yet you cannot say

tion or obvious cognitive clarity, from their own that your mind is a dead or static nothingness,

point of view they are internally basically the because there is the experience and presence of

same. The practice of vipashyana consists of cognitive clarity. This basic way the mind really

keeping or protecting the sixth, seventh and is—the fact that it is a cognitive lucidity that is

eighth consciousnesses from delusion and rather free of any kind of substantial existence—is

than running wild in delusion allowing them to what is called “buddha nature,” and that, of

rest in their natural or basic state. Through course, is pure. That is what we attempt to

doing this you come to experience or know the realize or fully experience through the practice

nature of all three, i.e., the mental conscious- of meditation.

ness, the afflicted consciousness, and the all- The eight consciousnesses are the deluded

basis consciousness. For that reason, in aspect of mind, yet their nature is buddha na-

vipashyana practice the most important thing is ture itself. This is the reason why in practice it

40 SHENPEN ÖSEL

is important not to follow confused or deluded into a snake by your delusion about it. It is

projections but to look at the nature of the mind unchanging. Whether or not you recognize it as a

instead. If you attend to the delusion of mind, rope, whether or not you mistake it to be a

then that delusion will be reinforced; but if you snake, that rope has always been a rope. It has

look at the nature of that delusion, the nature of never become and never will become a snake.

that deluded mind, then you see through it. By In this image, one would say that the rope

means of this, you gradually become free from was never a snake at all. In what this image

this delusion, leading both to extraordinary represents, then one would say that although we

attainment of samadhi and eventually to mistake mind to be the eight consciousnesses

buddhahood. In the case of either extraordinary and in that way generate the appearance or

samadhi or buddhahood, because of the recogni- experience of these eight consciousnesses and

tion of the mind’s nature, the their delusion, the mind has al-

thoughts and kleshas and so on Not experiencing ways been empty. Therefore, the
that arise have no effect; they do the mind as it is, nature of the mind, that emptiness,
not in any way obscure or pre- is what we call buddha nature.

vent the recognition of that we look out or Even though we do not experience
nature. away from it. that and instead experience the
mind as the eight consciousnesses,
This does not mean that the

lucidity that is manifested as Looking away in fact the mind has always been
delusion is going to cease, be- from mind, we that emptiness or buddha nature.
cause it is not the case that by Not experiencing the mind as it is,

seeing the emptiness of mind, generate we look out or away from it. Look-
the manifestation of mind disap- delusions ing away from mind, we generate
pears or stops. It has always delusion.

been empty; it is not by seeing it As for when this began, it is

that it becomes more empty. What is recognized beginningless. The delusion has always been

is that while mind is empty of any substantial there along with the fundamental nature of the

existence, it is a cognitive lucidity. While being mind. To use another image as an example: The

lucid, it is empty, and while being empty, it is mind in itself, the mind as not inherently de-

lucid. That is how it remains. luded cognition, is like a mirror. The nature of

You might ask, “Since the mind’s nature is that mirror is to reflect. It is not the nature of

always pure and since it does not change, why that mirror to be obscured. Nevertheless, this

then does the confusion of the eight mirror, from the very beginning has been cov-

consciousnesses arise in the first place?” The ered by some kind of rust or grime, which is

confusion or delusion of the mind is like mistak- there along with it even though it is not in itself

ing a mottled rope to be a snake. From the point the mirror’s fundamental nature or characteris-

of view of confusion, we would say that at the tic. The grime is like the all-basis consciousness.

moment at which you first mistake that rope to Because there is a little bit of tarnish, then over

be a snake, confusion starts, and at the moment time the tarnish increases or grows and that

at which you come to recognize that the mottled becomes the placement of further habits in the

rope is merely a mottled rope and not a snake, all-basis and the generation of the obscurations

you are liberated from confusion. From the point that are the mental afflictions, which is like the

of view of your delusion or your confusion, there afflictive obscurations developing out of the

is a period of delusion and there is the possibil- cognitive obscuration. Nevertheless, the nature,

ity of liberation. Nevertheless, as strongly as you not only of the ground itself but of the all-basis

might believe that that mottled rope is a snake, consciousness is always emptiness. What occurs

the mottled rope itself has never been turned in the absence of recognition, in the absence of

SHENPEN ÖSEL 41

awareness of the true nature of one’s mind, is ness of that object. According to how things

that the emptiness of mind, not being recognized really are, in fact what we perceive as external

as what it is, is mistaken to be a self. So the objects and what we perceive as the internal

emptiness aspect, or the empty essence of mind, faculties are really aspects of the

is the basis for designation of the imputed self. consciousnesses themselves. For example, when

But mind is not just empty. It is cognitive lucid- your eyes see form, then what we would nor-

ity that is empty. The cognitive lucidity, in its mally say is occurring is that there is an external

intensity, is mistaken to be an object, is mistaken object which your eyes are capable of encounter-

to be external to this imputed self. On the basis ing. Through the encounter between the eye and

of the two main characteristics of mind, empti- the object, there is generated a visual conscious-

ness and lucidity, there is the ness. From the point of view of the

designation of self and other, or way things are, what you perceive

subject and object. On the basis of as external form is the objective or
The way in which we generate the two main lucidity aspect of the visual con-
sciousness itself; i.e., the eye
the presence or assume the

existence of objects on the basis of characteristics of consciousness itself appears as
the lucidity of mind is like what mind, emptiness form. The emptiness aspect of the
happens to us when we go to eye consciousness is what you

sleep. When you go to sleep there and lucidity, experience as, or presume to be

is a state which in English I think there is the the subject experiencing that
is called “hypnogogic.” Before you designation of imputed object. The way a con-
start to dream, the images that sciousness actually manifests as

will eventually arise as dream self and other, its apparent object, is like, for
images are still thoughts. During or subject and example, when you dream of
the period when they are mountains and beings and react to

thoughts, they are simply things object them with fear and happiness and
that are arising in your mind. But joy and boredom and everything

as you become more and more else. In our normal daytime expe-

asleep, you mistake these thoughts that are rience these things do seem external to us. We

arising for actually occurring events. In other really think and really believe that this lucidity

words, the thoughts themselves become images aspect of the mind really is out there, really is

that are experienced as objects; this is how external form and so on. We really believe and

thoughts become dreams. This is very similar to really experience it in this way—that the empti-

the way in which, under the sway of ignorance, ness aspect of mind really is in here and really is

we mistake the lucidity or clarity of mind to be the experiencer, that which experiences the

an object external to ourselves. On the basis of object.

the presence of that dualism, that imputation of The interaction of all of this, the emergence

self and other, the six consciousnesses are of the six consciousnesses and, therefore, the

brought up or caused to become active through appearance of the subjects and objects in those

the function of the immediate mind. six consciousnesses, is all arranged or brought

When in that way the six consciousnesses about by the immediate mind. Nevertheless, the

arise, then there occurs the appearance of the experience of the five sense consciousnesses is

sense organs encountering their objects. As far direct and nonconceptual. As I explained earlier,

as the way things appear to function, there is it has no connection with past or future. On the

definitely the appearance in our experience of basis of the experience, some sensation is gener-

external objects which are encountered by the ated. The sensation causes the emergence of the

sense organs, producing consciousness or aware- sixth consciousness, which then generates

42 SHENPEN ÖSEL

conceptuality about the experience. The sensa- but the reason there appears to be a tree is that

tion is labeled as pleasant, unpleasant, good, we have a strong habit of the appearance of

bad, and so on, and then there is a recognition of trees. Therefore we experience the appearance

the characteristics of the object. That is how of trees. For example, in a dream there also

confusion happens. appears to be a tree. The tree in a dream might

be just as vivid as a tree we experience during a

Question: In the root text, it states that “the waking state, but we know that there is no tree

instantaneous mind moves the six consciousness in the dream. It is possible that the tree we

groups and causes the meeting of object and experience in the waking state might be a projec-

organ,” and then further down it talks about tion also, because we experience what it is our

mistaking the luminous aspect for form and the habit to experience.

empty aspect for the organ. What is the meaning

of organ? Question: Is it true that the person who knows

dream yoga can approach the real world in the

Thrangu Rinpoche: It means the sense organs same way as one would in a dream? For instance,

themselves. The projection of the existence of could one make the tree disappear?

sense organs is based upon the mistaken appre-

hension of the emptiness aspect of consciousness Thrangu Rinpoche: I have no experience of

as a subject and, therefore, as a sense organ. As this, but they say so. [laughter]

far as how things appear, we do

have sense organs. For example, Question: How is it that we all

the eye is said to be like a flax There appears to see the tree in the same place?
flower in the structure of the eye, be a tree, but the Thrangu Rinpoche: Common
the optic nerve, I think it is

called. Then the ears are like a reason there experience is the experience by
pattern in birch bark, and so on. appears to be a different individuals of a similar
There is an image for each one of thing which they can agree upon

the sense organs. This is how they tree is that we as a shared experience. It is like
appear. We have functioning have a strong having a vase in the middle of a
senses. So the organs in that case table surrounded by one hundred

are the organic basis for sense habit of the mirrors. Each of those mirrors is

perception. But as far as how appearance reflecting the same vase but the
things are, the development and of trees image contained in each mirror is
experience of sense organs, like particular or individual to that

the development and experience mirror. In the same way, even

of sense objects, is a projection though different people may see

based upon the mistaken apprehension of the the same thing, what I experience in my mind is

emptiness of consciousness as a self. particular to my mind, as it is my experience,

and what you experience in your mind is particu-

Question: I was wondering if you could go over lar to your mind, as it is your experience.

the point about mistaking luminosity for an

external object. That is thinking that phenomena Question: Rinpoche, what is the relationship of

are real? That is not denying, for example, that compassion to the eight consciousnesses? Can

there is a tree outside, if there is really a tree the function of immediate mind be used to liber-

outside? ate oneself?

Thrangu Rinpoche: There appears to be a tree, Thrangu Rinpoche: With regard to compassion,
SHENPEN ÖSEL 43

manifest compassion arises in the sixth con- by the sixth consciousness, which tends to appre-

sciousness. The habit of compassion resides in hend them only one at a time.

the eighth consciousness. In a sense, one could

say that even the seventh consciousness has Question: I have a question about the instanta-

some kind of compassion present within it. The neous mind or the immediate mind. Is its pres-

five sense consciousnesses are nonconceptual ence the cause for the experiences of the five

and have no connection to com- sense consciousnesses? Is the

passion particularly. With regard Accumulation of instantaneous mind always
to the role of the immediate mind wisdom is done present?
in the path, it cannot be used for

the accumulation of wisdom through the Thrangu Rinpoche: Yes, because
because the accumulation of meditative state, in the case of sensory experience,
wisdom is done through the what the immediate mind does is

meditative state, in which all of in which all of produce the experiences, bringing
the processes of delusion are, at the processes of them out of the all-basis like a
least temporarily, shut down, delusion are, at messenger and then also return-
revealing one’s innate wisdom. So ing the further habit produced by

the manner of the accumulation of least temporarily, that reoccurrence of experience
wisdom, the manner of liberation shut down, back into the all-basis. It is like
itself, is the antithesis of the when you go to the bank. The

linking process that is the imme- revealing one’s person who brings out or puts in
diate mind. innate wisdom your money for you is like the
immediate mind.
On the other hand, the other

aspect of the path, the accumula-

tion of merit, does make use of the immediate Question: Also, in the root text the statement,

mind. The immediate mind is used in the accu- “When the afflictive mind functions with the

mulation of positive karma, as in the accumula- instantaneous mind, directed inwards, it leaves

tion of merit, where one makes offerings to habitual patterns in the foundation,” seems to

buddhas and bodhisattvas, just as it is used in refute the earlier statement when it was said

the accumulation of negative karma. The reason that just the arising of anger does not create an

why the immediate mind has its place in the imprint.

merit aspect of the path but not in the wisdom

aspect is that the merit aspect is concerned with Thrangu Rinpoche: When you simply have a

the appearances of relative truth, not with the thought of a klesha, then it does not place a habit

realities of absolute truth. Since the immediate in the all-basis. The immediate mind does kind

mind is part of the workings of relative truth, it of grab it and stick it into the all-basis, but it is

can still be used in that context. not a karmic habit. There are several types of

habit. One type, karmic habit, is the imprint of

Question: Is it possible to have direct experi- an action; this will manifest as external experi-

ence through all five of the senses in the same ence. From among the various results of an

instant? action, this is a result of complete maturation.

Klesha habit itself becomes kind of an obscura-

Thrangu Rinpoche: The five sense tion, but it does not manifest as karma.

consciousnesses, when they are functioning, are

all functioning simultaneously. What is not Question: Does that just make it easier for

functioning simultaneously is the apprehension anger to arise again?

of the experience of the sense consciousnesses

44 SHENPEN ÖSEL

Thrangu Rinpoche: When the thought of anger the eighth are those which move on into the

arises and is recognized, then the type of habit bardo?

that it places is very subtle and does not even

particularly promote further arising of thoughts Thrangu Rinpoche: No, all of them do. In the

of anger and certainly does not promote the bardo you have a mental body, and that mental

arising of spite, which normally, unrecognized, body has its own mental forms of the five sense

anger would produce. When the term “the consciousnesses and the sixth mental conscious-

thought is liberated” is used, it basically means ness as well. In the bardo you still sometimes see

that that particular thought is not leading to the things from your previous life, the places and

further thoughts, not that it does people and so on, all kinds of

not place any habit whatsoever. different stuff.

In the bardo you To be more precise, there are

Question: Going back to the have a mental several stages to the interval or
discussion about the tree. body, and that the bardo. First, what happens as
Rinpoche, if we leave aside lan- you die is that there is a dissolu-

guage and habit and look at things mental body has tion process where the appear-
without our known concepts or its own mental ances of this life dissolve and
our known way of looking at then temporarily cease. Really

things, just seeing it for what it is, forms of the there are two dissolutions: There
it does not have to be a tree. Is five sense is the physical dissolution, and
that what happens? Or are you there is a mental dissolution. At

saying that all things are imag- consciousnesses the end of these, at the end of the

ined? and the sixth coarse and subtle dissolutions,
Thrangu Rinpoche: There are mental immediately after death, there is
the appearance of dharmata, the

two ways to understand this. It consciousness direct experience of the nature of
depends on whether you are as well things. However, if the person has
emphasizing the way things are or not cultivated a recognition of

the way things appear. According dharmata in the preceding life,

to the way things appear, we then they will not recognize it.

would say that the imputation of the tree is a The mere appearance of it will not produce

projection of your mind and that the basis for the liberation. Nevertheless, in that phase of the

imputation is not your mind, it is out there. bardo at which the dissolution process is com-

According to how things appear that distinction plete and the appearance of the dharmata oc-

would be made. But viewing it from the point of curs, the six consciousnesses temporarily cease,

how things really are, we would say they are and only the seventh and the eighth are still

both your mind. functioning. However, after that when they re-

arise from that bardo of dharmata into a mental

Question: Of the eight different kinds of con- body, then all eight are back again.

sciousness, I am wondering if the seventh and

SHENPEN ÖSEL 45

Creation and Completion

How to Work With the Emergence
Of Confusion in Practice

Continuing the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s commentary on
Creation and Completion.

Next the text deals with how to work with the emergence of confu
sion in practice. Practitioners—people practicing shamatha,
vipashyana, the generation stage, and the completion stage—when
the immediate mind first arises from the all-basis consciousness, attempt to
rest in the practice, to rest in the samadhi that they have cultivated in
practice. If they do so, then the progressive development or emergence of

46 SHENPEN ÖSEL

confusion or delusion which begins with the alertness, although thoughts come into the mind,
arising of the immediate mind will not go any they go right back out of it. If you can practice in
further than the immediate mind’s arising itself. this way, then gradually experience and realiza-
Essentially what you attempt to do here is rest tion will occur. The text goes into some detail
in an awareness of buddha nature, which means about all of this but the essential point is what I
to rest in the recognition of the empty nature have explained.
and manifest lucidity of your mind. In the begin-
ning, this has to be done mostly as an aspiration. Next the text talks about how actually to
Then as one gains experience, what are called practice. First of all, the essence of the comple-
the “example wisdom” and the “actual wisdom” tion stage practice is to rest in that natural
will arise. The wisdom of example is not a full or lucidity or awareness which is the mind’s charac-
direct recognition of buddha nature; it is a teristic. If you rest in that without fabrication,
recognition of something that is similar to or is even though external appearances will still
like buddha nature. When you are resting in a appear to you, they will appear as appearances
basic recognition of the emptiness-lucidity of that are without any substantiality, as appear-
your mind, that is the example wisdom. Through ance that is empty. This is really the fundamen-
cultivating that, eventually you come to a deci- tal or essential practice of the completion stage
sive, direct insight into buddha nature; this is according to the vajrayana.
the actual wisdom. In any case, through resting
in the meditative state when the immediate Within vajrayana there are many levels.
mind arises from the all-basis consciousness, it is There are, broadly speaking, four classes or
possible for there to be some liberation from the levels of tantra in the Sarma tradition. Within
process of delusion, simply because it will not go the highest level there are three subdivisions,
on and will not degenerate into coarse or fully which are sometimes called the father tantra of
manifest delusion. method, the mother tantra of knowledge, and the
nondual tantra of the essential meaning. It says
For this to occur there has to be the mainte- in this text that from the father tantra on up-
nance of mindfulness and alertness. But at the wards and from the mahayoga on upwards—i.e.,
same time, thoughts are the natural display of including the three higher tantras among the six
the mind, so this does not mean that thoughts levels or divisions in the Nyingma tradition—
will cease, that thoughts of attachment, aversion there is a recognition characterizing the view of
and bewilderment will not continue to arise. those vehicles that everything that appears,
They will continue to arise, but if there is suffi- even samsaric appearances, is the natural dis-
cient mindfulness and alertness, then upon their play of the mind and, therefore, partakes of its
arising, their nature will be recognized, and so essential purity. It is fundamentally this view
they will not be a cause for the accumulation of that distinguishes what are called the higher
karma. The initial thought, being liberated tantras from the lower.*
through recognition, will not produce a second
thought and a third thought and so on. In other How do you actually meditate in this way? I
words, thoughts continue to arise as the display,
but they do not become the cause of the accumu- *Editor’s note: The lineages of the New Translation school
lation of further habits. The image given for this (Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug) enumerate four divisions of tantra
state of mind is that of a vase that has a hole in or four tantric yanas: kriya yoga tantra, upa yoga tantra, yoga
the bottom. Although you can still pour water tantra, and anutarayoga tantra, the latter of which in turn is
into the vase you will never be able to fill it. divided into father tantra, mother tantra, and nondual tantra.
Everything that is poured in just flows right The Old Translation school (the Nyingma) enumerates six
back out again. In the same way, when there is tantric yanas, which in turn are divided into three lower or
the maintenance of this kind of mindfulness and outer tantras—kriya, upa, and yoga tantras—and three higher
or inner tantras—maha yoga tantra, anu yoga tantra, and ati
yoga tantra. Here, though the practices and the styles of
practice are different, Rinpoche is indicating the equation of
father tantra with maha yoga, the mother tantra with anu
yoga, and the nondual tantra with ati yoga.

SHENPEN ÖSEL 47

have explained how the eight consciousnesses are not trying hard enough. The solution is to try

function. The arising of thoughts within the a little bit harder, to put more effort into it.* At

mind is continuous and inexhaustible because of other times you’ll find that it is fine throughout

this functioning. Thoughts of past, present, and the session. It is pretty even. In this case no

future continually arise in your mind like waves adjustments should be made. The key to being

on the surface of a body of water. While mind in able to do this properly is the application of

itself has no substance or substantiality whatso- mindfulness. Mindfulness is essentially the

ever, it manifests as inexhaustible faculty of mind which we all

appearances, especially as the The undercurrent possess that keeps us from forget-
inexhaustible appearance or is in fact a ting what we are doing. When you
emergence of thoughts. The prac- lack mindfulness, you become

tice consists simply of not follow- greater problem distracted and you forget the
object of meditation. When you
ing thoughts but of resting your apply mindfulness, this forgetful-

mind in whatever the technique is, for meditation

whether it is shamatha or than either ness does not occur. Mindfulness
vipashyana, the generation stage torpor or in general is simply the faculty of
visualization, or the completion memory, which is a normal men-

stage itself. As for how you rest excitement and tal arising. However, in this case
your mind, it needs to be in a way cannot be it is applied in a very specific and
that is appropriate to your specific allowed to just conscious way. By applying the
situation at that time, and this continue on faculty of memory as mindfulness,
concerns the issue of effort—how its own one’s meditation remains free
much effort, how much relaxation. from error or deviation. The
manner of application is to estab-
Sometimes you will find that

you have a problem with fatigue in lish a gentle watchful mindful-

meditation. Typically, if fatigue is a problem, you ness. A mindfulness that is gentle and watchful

will find that at the beginning of a meditation means an alert mindfulness that is just enough.

session the practice will go well and by the end In other words, there is just enough intentional

it will be difficult. That indicates that your mind effort of mindfulness so that you do not become

is too tight and you are becoming exhausted by distracted. If you are able to maintain that level

it. The solution in that case is to relax. At other of mindfulness, then over time experience will

times you will find that the meditation session occur.

will begin badly but will go well towards the However, a subtle problem can arise called

end. In that case it indicates lack of effort. You “the dregs of mind” or the “dregs of awareness.”

*Editor’s note: One’s meditation goes “badly” at first This is the presence of subtle thoughts running
because one’s mindfulness is lazy, so that rather than being through your mind even though your mind is
on the spot with whatever technique one is employing as the basically at rest and there are no fully conscious
immediate mind produces or is about to produce the ever- thoughts present. These subtle thoughts are also
changing display of confusion that arises in the mind, one called the “undercurrent,” because they are an
allows oneself to become distracted, to drift off and get lost in almost undetected current of thought that runs
thought. With slightly tighter mindfulness, one can “inter- barely conscious. The undercurrent is in fact a
cept” that tendency to distraction, thereby producing “good” greater problem for meditation than either
meditation evenly throughout the session. This is not to imply torpor or excitement and cannot be allowed to
that, if one’s mind at the beginning of the session is terribly just continue on its own. The solution to the
conflicted and turbulent and that by the end of the session the problem of the undercurrent is to tighten up
turbulence and conflict have subsided and/or their true nature your mind a little bit, to bring out or enhance the
has been seen, that this is erroneous meditation. It is merely lucidity of your mind, to strengthen or toughen
to suggest that with tighter mindfulness the turbulence and
conflict would subside or be seen through much earlier in the
meditation session, and in the best case, from the very onset
of the session.

48 SHENPEN ÖSEL

the edge of your awareness. are in company, when you are around others,

As important as being undistracted is, it is which is a time at which you would tend more to

very difficult to develop a state of meditation in become distracted, you should put more effort

which for long periods of time you are never into it and strengthen the lucidity and alertness

distracted. The reason why this is difficult is of your mindfulness. It is not really the case that

that we are untrained. We are unpracticed in mindfulness and alertness are actual things that

meditation. It is not particularly that we are are present within the mind; they are more

doing it wrong, it is that we need to practice a faculties or processes of mind. Nevertheless,

great deal in order to develop this level of free- although they are faculties or processes of the

dom from distraction. So if you mind, they do affect very much

find that you still become dis- Essentially the the state of the mind in medita-
tracted, do not be discouraged, tough edge or tion.
you need to continue.

Typically your practice of sharp edge of Question: Rinpoche, you men-
meditation begins with shamatha; awareness is the tioned tightening up our minds
this is true particularly in the and toughening the edge of our

Kagyu tradition of mahamudra. same thing as awareness. Could you please say
We find in all texts of mahamudra
instruction that one is to begin what is meant by more to us about how we can do
that?

with establishing a stability or effort in

tranquillity of mind as a basis for meditation Thrangu Rinpoche: Essentially
the emergence of the recognition the tough edge or sharp edge of

of the mind’s nature. However, in awareness is the same thing as

the uncommon tradition of the great perfec- what is meant by effort in meditation. Some-

tion—which means not all of the great perfection times when we meditate, we practice it and

but within it, the uncommon aspect or tradition experience it as conscious relaxation of the mind

of it—there is a slightly different approach, into the meditative state. At other times medita-

wherein, instead of taking mind as the path, one tion involves a conscious and hard-headed re-

takes awareness as the path. If one takes aware- fusal not to become distracted, as in the attitude,

ness as path, if at the beginning one succeeds in “I must not become distracted.” At different

correctly identifying or recognizing rigpa or times one should emphasize one or the other of

awareness, then it is not, strictly speaking, these. In the situation where one needs to em-

necessary to begin with the practice of phasize more effort, then one emphasizes a kind

shamatha, because the recognition itself has of a sharpness of one’s awareness, which is

already been gained. One can simply rest in that produced by this hard-headed intention, which is

and cultivate that. However, if there is no deci- the refusal to space out.

sive and correct recognition of awareness, there

is no way to go on with a path that takes aware- Question: Is there any reason why one gate

ness as a path. So, for most practitioners it is would provide the undercurrent, the dregs of

essential to begin with shamatha as is done in mind? My undercurrent is music. There is al-

the mahamudra tradition so that there is a basis ways music going on in my mind, and I do not

of tranquillity in the mind facilitating the emer- even know it. It is very strange to be meditating

gence of that recognition. for several minutes and then discover you are

The text advises at this point that when you listening to “ninety-nine bottles of beer on the

are alone, when you are practicing in solitude, wall.”

you should relax the mind and allow it to natu-

rally come to rest in its own nature. When you Thrangu Rinpoche: It is probably happening

SHENPEN ÖSEL 49

either because of a strong, deeply placed habit or In that way the karmic chain of thoughts is

because you like music a lot. The solution in broken. That thought does not accumulate

either case is to generate the strong resolution, karma because its nature is recognized. The

“I am meditating now, not listening to music. I phrase, “although it is impossible for thoughts of

refuse to listen to this.” In that way you resolve attachment and aversion not to arise,” refers to

to cut your attachment to it. If you actually do that time in one’s training, the point at which

not want it to be there, then you can stop it. one has some recognition of the mind’s nature

but has not yet reached the ultimate state of

Question: It goes on before I am aware of its liberation. When one reaches the ultimate state

going on. The only thing I have found is to main- of liberation, then the kleshas are exhausted and

tain a kind of steady sound in my head as I am will not arise at all. For a beginner—someone

meditating, to tie up that faculty so it does not who has some recognition of the mind’s nature

produce music. but is not yet fully liberated—

Thrangu Rinpoche: In that case You do not these thoughts will still arise, but
it is because you are very at- accumulate they need not be allowed to accu-
mulate karma.

tached to the experience of karma just Question: If the thought is an
sound. Your mind is habituated to through one angry thought, what happens?
producing a replica of sound so

that you can remember sound, so thought of anger.
that you can think about it. Thrangu Rinpoche: You do not
Therefore, it does it even when
You accumulate accumulate karma just through

you have not particularly told it karma when one thought of anger. You accumu-
to. anger ripens and late karma when anger ripens and
festers into spitefulness. For

Question: In the root text it says, festers into example, when you just see some-
“It is impossible for thoughts of spitefulness one that bothers you and you
attachment and aversion not to experience a thought of aversion,

arise. However, if you rely on if you do not carry it any further,

mindful awareness, discursive thoughts cannot you do not accumulate karma. You accumulate

accumulate karma.” Could you explain that? karma when that thought of aversion leads to

the actual thought, “Boy, I would really like to

Thrangu Rinpoche: The idea is that even as beat that person up. I would like to kill them. I

you maintain mindfulness and alertness, would like to abuse them. I would like to harm

thoughts of attachment, aversion, and bewilder- them in all kinds of ways.” Then you really

ment will still continue to arise because the accumulate karma! [laughter]

habits that produce their arising have not been

completely eradicated yet. Nevertheless, if you Question: The normal or the conventional

have some recognition of your mind’s nature, method of distinguishing sentient beings is by

then when any one of those thoughts arises, you their physical basis, the bodies of sentient be-

will experience the mind’s nature in that ings. If what we take as a physical object is

thought, because the mind’s nature is also the merely lucidity and emptiness, what is it that

nature of that thought. The thought is the dis- distinguishes different sentient beings?

play of that mind. Therefore, when you experi-

ence that, whatever the initial content of that Thrangu Rinpoche: What distinguishes sen-

thought may be, it is liberated. It will not pro- tient beings are their individual minds, which

duce a second thought that is connected with it. are not objects of your experience and, therefore,

50 SHENPEN ÖSEL