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                                 3.4.Chapter 1  Introduction to Tibetan Secret Schools

One who violates the tantric samaya precepts can purify his sin with such a dharma:

 

For the yogi who wants to purify his sin of violating the samaya precepts, Practices of Bodhisattva Samata-bhadra reveals: ‘‘While violating the samaya precepts, one visualizes the moon of mind. The heart mantra becomes the assorted vajra and samadhi vajra masters. One contemplates all beings’ original purity, and in the assorted colors of lotus leaves, receives the empowerments following the sequence mentioned above.” The Sammi vajra master has explained this passage as follows: “One visualizes the earth wheel at his heart. There is an assorted color lotus on it. Above the middle of the moon wheel, the ‘hum’ seed-syllable becomes the karma pestle (the male sex organ). There is a ‘kan’ seed-syllable on the pestle. This seed-syllable transforms into a precious sword and then becomes Buddha Amoghasiddi. Wisdom and expediency are the bodies of those transformations. (The secret meanings of Mother tantra and Father tantra are the bodies.) Afterwards, one contemplates that the natures of all dharma are clean. The wisdom-being (female sky-walker) emits light from the seeds in her heart, asking all buddhas in the emptiness (universe) to emit light. Heaven fairies such as Buddha-eye appear and hold the precious vases filled with nectar to empower this practitioner. All motes and dusts become moistened.” Here this school distinguishes itself from others as follows: “Practice the heaven first, follow such things as the five kinds of nectar, and cure the sin of breaking the samaya precepts.” This school refutes other schools’ argument about ‘melting one’s body into Buddha Amoghasiddi’s samadhi form and receiving empowerments.’ In Treatise of Four Hundred and Fifty Verses, it states: “The way to recover from the sin of breaking the samaya precepts is to visualize the wonderful and non-empty vajra wheel, and to contemplate the karma vajra ‘kan’ seed-syllable in the heart. All those are for the self empowerment.” The treatise master Tranquility states, “When practicing to attain the non-emptiness, one should visualize a karma pestle in the deity’s heart and a ‘kan’ seed-syllable on the pestle. Then one can make the self empowerment.” It is the most important thing to practice either of the two methods, as that can eliminate the sin of disregarding or criticizing the masters. ^[21:540-541]

 

If one violates the samaya precepts (e.g., not believing or denouncing the tantric dharma; a female practitioner refusing a male practitioner’s request for the couple practice, or vice versa – all those violate the samaya precepts), one has to offer a beautiful consort (to offer a handsome and masculine male if the guru is a female) to please the guru, in order to eliminate one’s sin. So, Sakya school states:

 

After violating the samaya precept, one can make it up with the following actions. While there is a complete violation of all the samaya precepts, one can make up with the true essence of the vajra practice. As mentioned in the verse: “Use the five wonderful desires, etc., to please the guru.” The ‘wonderful desires’, including the inner and outer desires, here actually mean the methods set up expediently to make the guru truly happy. The ‘merits of five outer desires’ imply the offerings of materials and wealth. The ‘merits of five inner desires’ imply to offer well-decorated, shapely consorts to the guru. The actions here not only please the guru, but somehow make up for a violation of general samaya precepts. As for the downfalls of the root precepts, a purification empowerment has to be held to please the guru. ^[61:326-327]

 

Tsongkhapa also asserts the same ideas as mentioned above. Moreover, the fake ‘buddha’ in The Great Sun Sutra said:

 

Secret Master! The above Thus-come One’s seals are generated from the faith in and the understanding of Thus-come One. Those countless seals are the same as bodhisattvas’ markings. Also, Secret Master! You should know that even the body’s motions or postures are all secret seals. You should also know that various sayings by the motions of tongue are all mantras. So, Secret Master! Those bodhisattvas who practice in the mantra door, with their bodhi minds resolved, should stay in the Thus-come One’s ground and draw the altar. If not, they defame all buddhas and bodhisattvas, violate the samaya precepts, and are doomed to fall into the evil worlds. ^{[Volume 5]}

The passage above requires the tantric practitioner to assure: “All the body, speech and mind activities of both the master and the practitioner in the practice-altar pertain to the secret seals of mantra, being divine and beyond questioning. Otherwise, it violates the root precepts – a violation of the samaya precepts, and will cause him to fall down to the evil worlds with endless sufferings.” Those are the root precepts mentioned in The Great Sun Sutra of Tibetan Secret Schools.

　

1.6  The completion of the generation stage required for Couple-Practice Tantra

When learning the tantric basics, the practitioner has to start from the lower three tantras: Action Tantra, Performance Tantra and Yoga Tantra. The lower three tantras belong to the generation stage. Only by completing the lower three tantras, the practitioner can receive the secret and wisdom empowerments, and eventually practice Couple-Practice Tantra. Otherwise, he will violate the root precepts. Tsongkhapa said:

 

Those who enter the completion stage must have had a firm basis on the generation stage. As mentioned before, this requirement applies to all gurus. Original Tantra of a Collection of Esotericism, Chapter 12, tells us the following: “About serving the wisdom nectar, one should observe everything. That means from which one can practice all mantras of reality.” … The Collected Shastras of Practicing teaches us about the renunciation of the body. In addition, it tells us that the sequence should begin from the generation stage and extend to the dual operations (of emptiness and bliss through the couple practice); he should complete the former stage before learning the later one. Without the former stages like the renunciation of the body, the later achievements cannot be obtained, since the sequence is rightly so. [21: 546]

 

The practice of Action and Performance Tantras consists mainly of worshipping, offering, praying, mantra holding, repenting, praising, serving ‘all buddhas, bodhisattvas, dharma-protecting dragons and heavenly beings,’ setting up the altars (mandalas), etc. As for Yoga Tantra, the four most important practices are: Heaven-yoga, Emptiness-yoga, Wind-yoga, and Chant-yoga. After achieving Heaven-yoga, one can then proceed with learning Emptiness-yoga, Wind-yoga, etc. As stated in the following:

 

Regarding the attained heavenly body, although the attainable samadhis are boundless, only the great secret Vajra holder is the ultimate one. Likewise, the chanted mantras are boundless and the chanting benefits are limitless. However, there are discriminations between the ultimate mantras and the non-ultimate ones. Chanting the ultimate mantra is the vajra chant because the verbal root wind leads to liberation. It is the reason why only the vajra chant is recognized as the verbal vajra samadhi, the ultimate one among all chants. If a person practices, as stated in The Collected Shastras of Practicing, from the generation stage to the renunciation of the body (not attaching to the human body), and gains a (visualized) heavenly body, one is thus an ultimate chanter. Then, he can hold the ultimate chant with that body, and gain control over the word-uttering wind (chanting the seed-syllable with Vase-chi yoga). One can hold and guide realms at will with the power of wind (controlling the movement of seed-syllable and the pure part of semen in the energy-channel of one’s body via Vase-chi yoga). So if one combines with the exterior seal (body seal – the female consort for male practitioner or the male consort for female practitioner), starts a fierce fire (kundalini), and melts the bodhi mind, one can sustain at ease without decaying, eliminate 80 discriminations of self-nature, engender the wisdom of three types of emptiness, and attain the samadhi of mind vajra. Thereafter one can generate an illusory body. Due to the rise of the perfect wisdom of great emptiness, one can enter all emptiness of luminosity. By the power of the illusory body generated from the perfection of one’s wind mind, a practitioner can enter all emptiness, and then directly realize the body of dual operations. Subsequently, by studying the essence of dual operations, one advances to the Buddha ground with that homogeneous flow. … In summary, one who is going to study the essential teachings through this dharma should practice the first stage diligently and yield ‘the renunciation of the body.’ Then one should master the ‘life power and vajra chanting,’ and mainly practice the wind (Wind-yoga). [21: 552-553]

 

Therefore, if one wants to practice Couple-Practice Tantra to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, he has to practice the visualization of Heaven-yoga (to visualize a heavenly being’s vast body) first, then Wind-yoga (Vase-chi), vajra chanting, etc. Finally, he can start to practice Couple-Practice Tantra. Without completing the generation stage, a practitioner should not practice Couple-Practice Tantra. Otherwise, he violates the ‘root precepts.’ That is Tsongkhapa’s assertion.

 

Consequently, Tsongkhapa said:

 

Prior to the stage of thoroughly manifesting the non-dual inherent-joy perfection, one should practice the empty drop of transformation, namely practicing the Wind-yoga vajra chanting. There are several divergences in the holy sect, asserting that the power of this practice can make all dharma seem like the fantasies. Before that stage, one (in case of a male) should practice the secret drop, which means lowering the empty drop (visualized bright-drop) at the heart down to the muni gem (the glans of penis) at the private place and holding it still (inducing the pleasure yet without leakage). In this drop, he should practice the subject depending and the object to be depended to perfect the altar. He holds his mind well in the empty drop at main deity’s heart, and practices various ways to recollect and release the drop (during the joyful contact of Couple-Practice Tantra, being able to recollect the released bright-drop – semen). … He practices the three drops – the indestructible drop of mind (visualized bright-drop), the secret drop in muni gem (in sexual climax, the semen about to ejaculate at the glans of penis is named as the secret drop), and the transforming drop on the upper tip of the nose. The sequence of practice follows the order of joy, superior joy and renouncing joy. Furthermore, after attaining the indestructible drop, the practitioner will have the inherent joy on practicing recollecting and releasing according to the destructible sequence (Tibetan Secret Schools generally regard that as the attainment of ultimate Buddhahood). In conclusion, based on the first two to practice Emptiness-drop yoga and the third to practice Wind-yoga, through the ability on wind and drop, the practitioner collects it back and forth, and raises the luminosity. Through frequent practice, he can attain the thorough manifestation of the non-dual pure wisdom body. Then, he can continue to practice for the fruition through those homogenous flows. [21: 556-557]

 

The homogenous flow here does not equal to the homogenous-flow fruition in the exoteric Buddhism; rather it is defined in the aspect of Tibetan Secret Schools, which is completely different from the teaching of the exoteric Buddhism.

 

The practice of the lower three tantras has to be completed within sixteen lives. Then one can start to practice Highest-yoga. Otherwise, one cannot practice Couple-Practice Tantra to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime; one then has to comprehend the theory of the vajra and the womb world:

 

One has to understand Yoga Tantra. The first two are the vajra and the womb world. One can achieve Buddhahood through these two yoga practices! ... The womb world equals to a woman’s lotus (female sex organ). And the vajra world equals to a man’s pestle (male sex organ). Within Highest-yoga, the yoga of vajra and womb means the joining of pestle and lotus, the very practice of Couple-Practice Tantra. The lotus and the pestle represent great compassion and great wisdom respectively. But the white bodhi (semen) emitting from the pestle also has great compassion and the red bodhi (female sexual fluids) emitting from the lotus also has great wisdom. The red and the white must mix together. Then there is the white in the red, and the red in the white. [32: 219-220]

 

There are three conditions required to practice the visualization of deity in the generation stage. One is buddha’s pride, another is apparentness and the other is firmness and long-lasting. …, then practicing the buddha-wind! If you see the progression of breath in your body, you will find the difference. The breath at first is all the outer breath, i.e., the air outside. After the practice of the life air, it becomes the inner breath. The buddha-wind is the secret breath. The secret breath comes from the buddha-wind. The secret breath is the breath of dhyana. … The secret breath is the one in central-channel, while the outer breath is simply inside nostrils and lungs. … The coming and going of buddha-wind are always through central-channel. That is the real buddha-wind. If one practices the buddha-wind without reaching the central-channel, it is not yet the buddha-wind! It is only a visualized central-channel. That is wrong. Only the actual clearance of the central-channel is the right one. There is indeed an appearance of the clearance of central-channel. It will make difference in the appearance when the central-channel is cleared. Seeing a clear sky without clouds is the true clearance of the central-channel. [32: 122-123]

After achieving bright-drop and buddha-wind (Vase- chi) to allow a person to raise and lower one’s bright-drop at will, one can then receive the secret empowerment and learn the dual operations of bliss and emptiness in Highest-yoga. Otherwise, one will violate the root precepts of Tibetan Secret Schools, and ‘deserve the sufferings in Hell.’ For the male without achieving bright-drop and buddha-wind to drive it up and down at will, he is unable to extract the pure or slushy part of his bright-drop from the female partner during Couple-Practice Tantra; then, it is only an excuse to have inappropriate sex with others. Therefore, he offends against the Tibetan precept.

　

1.7  The indirect and weird practices of Tibetan Secret Schools

The practices of Tibetan Secret Schools are extremely indirect, weird and time-consuming. Why indirect? The most important thing to really ‘become a buddha’ in the future is to realize one’s true mind – the eighth (Alaya) consciousness (i.e., the true-suchness mind in the future Buddha ground). Once realizing it, the practitioner then just follows the predetermined sequence to practice step by step until the Buddha ground. By contrast, the Tibetan tantric practitioners must first practice the heretical and mundane methods, like Heaven-yoga, energy-flow, bright-drop, etc., before they can practice the tantric dharma formally. Even when they finally start to practice the formal tantric dharma, what they practice is the lustful sexual activity, and has totally nothing to do with the Buddha dharma. Their practices are still in the scope of ordinary conscious mind (the sixth consciousness), by no means Buddhahood-way or Liberation-way of the orthodox Buddhism. In addition, the eighth consciousness they have validated is nothing but the bright-drop through visualization, rather than the really Alaya consciousness – Thus-come-store (Tathagatagarbha). Although the Alaya consciousness mentioned by the tantric gurus does not mean the bright-drop sometimes, it is still some variations of the conscious mind. Therefore, the tantric practices are indirect and far away from the way to Buddhahood.

 

Why weird? In Highest-yoga Tantra, the practice of Great-seal through the dual operations of luminosity and emptiness still pertains to the state of the perceptive mind, not related to the true-suchness or buddha-nature. But they advocate that is the true-suchness of the Buddha ground. In addition, they proclaim the Highest-yoga action seal with dual operations of bliss and emptiness is the best tantric practice which can make the practitioner attain Buddhahood in a lifetime. However, the union of bliss and emptiness that they realize is the mental awareness. Without realizing the Thus-come-store in the cause ground, how can they realize the true-suchness of the Buddha ground? Nevertheless, they assert the practice allows the practitioner to become a buddha in this lifetime. Therefore, the tantric practice is weird and far beyond common sense.

 

Another weird example is stated in the secret sutra: “To visualize a moon disc appearing in one’s mind means to recognize that moon disc as one’s true mind.” The Diamond Peak Sutra, Vol. 1 mentions as follows:

 

At that time, a bodhisattva speaks to All Thus-come One: “The World-honored One! The Thus-come One! After getting omniscience, I see that my mind is just like a moon disc.” All Thus-come One replies: “Virtuous man! The self-nature of mind is bright and pervasive. You can get it right after doing. It is just like dyeing a white dress and the color of the dress is changed immediately.” In order to flourish the wise mind of self-nature, All Thus-come One teaches the mantra ‘Om bodhicitta Manupalayami’ to make the practitioner bring forth his bodhi mind. Then, following All Thus-come One’s order, the bodhisattva has brought forth his bodhi mind. He says: “I see my heart is like the shape of a moon disc.” All Thus-come One replies: “You have already initiated Bodhisattva Samantabhadra’s mind, and the mind is so solid like a diamond. Stay well in the state of the initiated mind. And visualize your moon disc as the shape of a diamond. …” … Then, Bodhisattva Mahasattva from the Vajra-realm asks All Thus-come One: “The World-honored One! The Thus-come One! I see All Thus-come One as my body.” All Thus-come One replies again: “Therefore, Bodhisattva Mahasattva! All Sattva Vajras can attain all forms and can visualize their bodies as the buddha’s. By this achievement of self-nature, they can chant the mantra at will: Om yeta sarva tathagata hum.” Soon after, Bodhisattva Mahasattva from the Vajra-realm gets enlightened. After prostrating himself before All Thus-come One, the bodhisattva says: “I hope The World-honored One can empower me so that I can keep my realization of the bodhi mind solid.” As soon as he finishes his words, All Thus-come One enters Boddhisattva Mahasattva’s body. Then, The World-honored One of the Vajra-realm (the body transformed from Bodhisattva Mahasattva of the Vajra-realm) realizes the equality wisdom of All Thus-come One, enters the samaya of equality wisdom, and becomes a buddha.

 

Such a claim regards a visualized moon disc as the true mind. If it were right, the true mind had form and appearance. That contradicts what Buddha Sakyamuni has taught. Since the tantric sutra claims it is from ‘Thus-come One,’ the Thus-come One in that tantric sutra is absolutely not the buddha of the true Buddhism. The real Buddha should not say that like an un-enlightened person. Furthermore, regarding the ‘visualization of a moon disc,’ the practitioner sees that All Thus-come One’s body is equivalent to his body; then, just by chanting a mantra, the bodhisattva of Vajra-realm ‘realizes Buddhahood and attains the wisdom of the Buddha ground.’ That is totally ridiculous! Not only The Diamond Peak Sutra states so, but The Great Sun Sutra expresses the same concept too. Both sutras mention that if the visualized deity’s appearance becomes the buddha’s appearance, the practitioner becomes a buddha right away. But in fact, this kind of achievement is totally ignorant of the eighth consciousness which the seventh-stay bodhisattva realizes. Their claim to attain Buddhahood does not make any sense at all. The teachings of Tibetan Secret Schools are by no means the dharma of the true Buddhism. Thus, the tantric practice of visualization is weird.

 

The tantric practice is very time-consuming. For example, the number of times needed for chanting mantra in the preliminary practice is usually over one hundred thousands or even one million. It takes a lot of time and efforts. Tsongkhapa said:

 

During the practice of the six deities to attain treasuries and essences, chant the heart mantra for one hundred million times, chant the heart mantra in mind for three hundred million times, etc. Dedicate one tenth of the merits to the Goma rituals. A treatise explains that is from the viewpoint of the perfect world. The treatise also mentions: “The statement about chanting for one or two hundred millions times is from the viewpoint of the perfect world. You should chant twice of that number.” This saying pertains to the practice of achievement (siddhi). [21: 171]

 

The tantric ceremonies are extremely complicated and take much time to learn and set up. Many mantras must be memorized and chanted and many kinds of visualization methods must be practiced for years. The Chi-practice takes much time. The offerings and ritual sites need time to set up too. In addition, the female consort or buddha-mother needed for Couple-Practice Tantra at the final stage is not easy to get. Some conditions are necessary for the female sexual partner except the practitioner himself having completed the preliminary stage.

 

In the third empowerment of Couple-Practice Tantra, a practitioner must offer the female consort who satisfies one’s male guru (or male consort for one’s female guru) so that one can get the permission and start to learn Couple-Practice Tantra. But in current age, to find a proper consort for one’s guru becomes very difficult because most people understand the sexual practice is not a true Buddha dharma. If using money to hire a prostitute as the consort, the guru will not be happy due to the risk of infecting sexual diseases like AIDS, etc. Thus it is not easy to practice the third empowerment in current environment. Therefore, current Tibetan gurus generally perform the secret or the fourth empowerment through the ceremony only, rather than the real sexual actions. Even the practitioner fulfills so many complicated methods and finally gets the achievement of Couple-Practice Tantra, it is only a heretical lustful sexual game, nothing to do with the Buddha dharma. Through those practices, the tantric practitioner spends a lot of time and money, but attains nothing on the way to Buddhahood.

 

Moreover, Tibetan Secret Schools mismatch their dependent states of heretical validation with the stages of attainment in the orthodox Buddhism. For example, The Lotus Born has the following teachings about the dual operations of bliss and emptiness in Highest-yoga:

 

About the matching of bliss with six paramitas, visualizing the deity as buddha-father or buddha-mother and offering the wealth or materials are almsgiving; protecting the bright-drop like your life (keeping the semen from ejaculating) is holding the pure precept; regarding all sufferings as enjoyment is patience; staying in the state of understanding the meaning is samadhi; being tireless and restless on bliss is diligence; understanding happiness and validating the union of bliss and emptiness are wisdom. About the matching with the four empowerments, visualizing the deity as buddha-father or buddha-mother is the vase empowerment; moving the bright-drop in the channel and raising the warm feeling are the secret empowerment; being able to take cleanness and identifying the rough or subtle perception are the third empowerment; and manifesting the great bliss and leaving the wisdom of mind are the fourth empowerment. About matching with the three precepts, the continuous contact of bliss is the precept of individual liberation; willing to benefit others (to co-practice for others) is bodhisattva’s precept; and the clarity of the visualized deity to create the wisdom of bliss and emptiness is the tantric precept. About matching with the four ways, after initiating the bodhi mind, the clarity of visualized deity to create the wisdom of great bliss is the perfect merit way; both buddha-parents’ stays to validate bliss and emptiness are seeing-the-way; being able to practice without any attachment is to practice the way; and the essence (bright body) of practice leaving the functions of mind is the way of nothing-more-to-learn (regarded by Tibetan Secret Schools as the ultimate Buddhahood). [34: 557]

In summary, Tibetan Secret Schools wrongly regard those attainments as getting enlightened, becoming the bodhisattva on or over the first-ground, or even becoming a buddha. Their practices are weird, far beyond common sense and absolutely not Buddha Sakyamuni’s real teachings. Unfortunately, they use those strange, indirect methods to debase the real practices of the orthodox Buddhism, and boast their methods are created later than the original one but even better. It is really ridiculous.

　

1.8  The Lustful Couple-Practice Tantra as the gist of Tibetan Secret Schools

The practice methods of Tibetan Secret Schools center on the view of attaining the carnal pleasure through Couple-Practice Tantra. Beginning with Acquaintance, Cause and Vase empowerments, followed by the Guru-yoga, bright-drop and Heaven-yoga visualizations as well as the Chi-practice, and eventually the ‘attainment of Buddhahood in this lifetime’ through Highest-yoga, all the activities of the practice methods are based on the evil view and have never been the true Buddha dharma. Starting from Chapter 2, we will give examples and then refute their fallacies. In fact, those wicked and wrong teachings as well as the practice methods are collected from the Tantrisim of Indian Brahmanism. This sequence is exaggerated as the best way to attain Buddhahood in one lifetime, which has never been taught by The World-honored One Sakyamuni. They fabricate it as the ‘best way to the fruition ground’ mentioned by Dharma-body (Dharmakaya) Buddha. Because it is not related to the absolute truth, what Tibetan Secret Schools have advocated does not really make any sense.

 

Actually, Buddha has refuted such an evil view in advance in The Surangama Sutra:

 

Ananda, why do I call mind-holding as a precept? If the sentient beings of the six rebirth-paths in each world clear their lustful minds, they will not fall into the cyclic rebirths. Practicing the samadhi is supposed to save them from the worldly affairs; but the practice will be in vain if the lust persists. Even being wise enough and attaining the samadhi, without eliminating the lust, they will fall into the devil path: becoming the demon kings at their best, male demons in the medium way, or female demons at the worst. These demon creatures also have their disciples, and each claims to have attained the unsurpassed achievement. After I pass away, there will be many such demons during the period of the degenerate dharma, flooding the world with lustful conducts while pretending to be the good and wise advisors. That will eventually make many sentient beings be trapped in the afflictions of desires and views, and lost their paths to the bodhi. Therefore, you should teach people to eliminate their lusts prior to practicing samadhi. That is the pure, clear and decisive preachment from Thus-come One, The World-honored One. ^{[Volume 6]}

The practice methods and knowledge of Tibetan Secret Schools have gone wrong since the very beginning. From taking the four refuges till practicing Highest-yoga, they always treat lustful Couple-Practice Tantra with copulation as the gist, and regard it as the right method. As for the final stage of practice, it still falls into the heretical state and the karma of severe deception. None of these activities is relevant to the Buddha dharma, so it is definitely not the true Buddhism. Thus, anyone who wants to learn and practice Liberation-way and Buddhahood-way must discern it with great caution. Otherwise, one may commit the serious crimes of breaking precepts and damaging Buddha’s teachings, leading to the endless and unbearable sufferings in the future measureless lives, which will be too late to repent then.