Key Practices of Yoga and Anuttarayoga Tantra

The discussions of yoga tantra and anuttarayoga tantra are divided as before into four:

• How to become a proper vessel for meditating on the paths
• Having become a proper vessel, the way to keep pure the vows and close bonds of the practice
• Abiding within the close bonds of the practice, how to do the prior approximation retreat
• With our minds having become serviceable through the prior approximation retreat, how to accomplish the actual attainments.

The discussion of anuttarayoga tantra is divided into two: 

• The general presentation 
• The presentation of Kalachakra.

The third point of the outline on yoga tantra, concerning the approximating retreat practices, is divided into two:

• The yoga with signs 
• The yoga without signs. 

The yoga with signs is divided into two: 

• The rough practices aimed at the deity 
• The subtle practices aimed at the hand implement. 

There are three levels of the rough practice aimed at the deity. When we received the initiations for the disciple as part of the vase initiation, we tossed a flower into the mandala at the time of the name initiation and received the name of the deity that we have the affiliation with. We do the practices associated with that particular deity for these three levels.

The extensive level of practices for the approximating retreat is called the singular yoga practice of that particular deity that we have the affiliation with. It entails doing the practices of the three samadhis or absorbed concentrations in the sadhana – the first application, the supreme triumphant mandala and the supreme triumphant action. These are also known as great yogas of the completion of oneself. This is done in accord with the vajra master initiation that was also a part of the vase initiation.  

The middling level is just to do the supreme triumphant mandala practice within the sadhana of that deity. The brief way of doing the approximating retreat is to do the great yoga that involves reciting 100,000 of the mantras of each of the deities.

The first rough practice was aimed at the deity; the second subtle practice is aimed at the hand implement. This is imagining a very tiny vajra on the tip of our nose as the deity and to generate the vajra in the color of the deity that we had affiliation with.  With our focus on that, we do the various practices of the vajra emanating into two vajras, those into four and so on and then collecting back in stages into that vajra on our nose.

The yoga without signs entails focusing our minds on the lack of true existence of the front-generated and self-generating deity and the syllables of the mantra. When we have complete certainty about the voidnesses of all of them, then alternating the analytical and fixed types of meditation on this certainty. In this way, we develop a combined state of shamatha, a stilled and settled state of mind, and on top of that vipashyana, an exceptional perceptive state of mind. 

We develop the joined pair of those two on the path of application, the second of the five paths of the yoga tantra class. When we can achieve non-conceptual cognition of voidness, we go on to the practices in the previous two classes of tantra.

The fourth point of the outline concerning yoga tantra is how to accomplish the actual attainments. There are many different ways to achieve actual attainments. They can be achieved through mental constancy or concentration, through the recitation of mantras and through fire pujas.

We can achieve the attainment of a bodhisattva holder of knowledge mantra who has a body similar to that of a fully enlightened Buddha. These bodhisattvas are the ones from whom Buddhas are born, so this is a way of gaining the causes for becoming a Buddha. This is referring to those who take on the type of body similar to that of a Buddha.

There is also the actual attainment of the body of the mahamudra great seal of the body of the specific deity that we are trying to accomplish. These two types of bodies are the most excellent actual attainments first achieved by the disciples of yoga tantra. 

In charya yoga, the actual attainment of a knowledge holder is called the great actual attainment of the body. 

In the three lower classes of tantra, it says that before we can achieve the supreme actual attainments, we have to achieve the mundane actual attainments. The supreme actual attainments are dependent on the mundane actual attainments. Anuttarayoga tantra is not like that. The supreme attainments don’t rely on first achieving the mundane attainments; rather, by meditating on the generation and complete stages, we can achieve great supreme actual attainments like that.

In the perfection vehicle as stated in the Bodhicharyavatara, the practices such as contemplating impermanence and the first five perfections, all of these act as causes for gaining the perfection of discriminating awareness of voidness, and the practice of them over three zillion eons is to build up the positive force, the merit, to get rid of the obstacles for attaining omniscience. In anuttarayoga tantra it doesn’t take that long. We have taking desire as the path by practicing the joining of the two organs as a method for gaining the understanding of voidness that overcomes the obstacles preventing omniscience.

In the lower classes of tantra, we have neither of these two. It doesn’t have the perfection vehicle method spoken about, practicing over a long period of time to gain the understanding of voidness. It also doesn’t have the method of joining the two organs taking desire as a path and using that as a method for getting a quick understanding of voidness. It has neither of these two. It has the achievement of many common actual attainments and also getting the attainment of being directly taken care of by the Buddhas and the higher bodhisattvas. That’s really for inspiration, and this type of skillful means acts as a cause for being able to gain a strong realization of voidness. 

There is an objection to this; it is that a disciple of tantra has to practice the various types of far-reaching attitudes like generosity and so on for such a tremendous amount of time that it’s not reasonable to say that they have to do this practice. However, in general, generating bodhichitta and practicing the six perfections is common to both types of vehicles: the Mahayana and the Tantra vehicles. Nevertheless, it is stated that these are common things only in terms of the rough body of the person and not in terms of the inner technique and practice.

There’s another objection in the three lower practices that says it’s unreasonable to say that there is no special generation in the three lower tantras of the mind that understands voidness on the basis of taking desire as the path. In the three lower tantras of the three types of consciousness of looking, smiling, holding hands and then hugging the consort, this is used as a special consciousness for gaining the understanding of voidness. 

The assertion made with this objection isn’t true because this is only a special characteristic of anuttarayoga tantra that takes desire as a pathway and the generation of the special type of consciousness out of this desire to be used for the understanding of voidness. It’s found only in the anuttarayoga tantra and not in the three lower classes. The text has many fine points of debate, but these are too complicated to go into because it will just cause a lot of confusion.

A master from whom we would receive an anuttarayoga tantra should have completely the ten outer qualifications shared with tantric masters of the first three classes of tantra and the ten inner qualifications exclusive to anuttarayoga masters. 

For the outer qualifications, the spiritual master needs to be able to call forth the deep awareness beings and send them away. The master needs to be proficient in the three types of single-minded concentration: on the first application, the supreme victorious mandala and the supreme victorious actions. The master has to be schooled in all the hand gesture mudras and all the various actions for making offerings; and schooled in all the rituals and all that is involved with the stages with and without signs. The master needs to be skillful in all four types of actions – pacifying, increase, control and forceful – and everything involved in fire pujas. The master needs to be skilled in drawing mandalas and being able to draw all the various types of protection wheels. Skill is necessary as well in the ritual dances, which have all the various steps, and in the methods of sitting, which is the lotus position.

Additionally, the anuttarayoga master needs to be skillful in being able to confer the vase initiation and the secret initiation, then also to confer the deep awareness initiation and the word initiation as well as all the rituals involved with the torma cakes. The master also has to be skilled in all the various recitations: the vajra recitation, recitation of forming a close bond, necklace-like recitation, forceful recitation, globe-like recitation and mental repetition of just reading the visualized syllables of the mantras. These are the types of recitations.

Also, the master needs to be skillful in being able to separate enemies from their protectors; and be skillful in the other methods to be able to enhance the meditation of the practitioner by giving instructions in a reverse manner. For instance, the red and white bodhichitta are in one position and instructing them to have them the opposite position. This is a skillful method to startle disciples out of being stuck in making no progress and to gain realizations more quickly in their meditations, like when they are doing tummo inner heat practice. Also, skill is needed in doing the consecrations and the rituals to actualize the mandalas. 

To decide to have a master that is skilled in these ten external and internal qualities, and then to receive the initiations properly, is deciding to become a perfect vessel for this path.

The vase initiation, which is common to all four classes of tantra, may be received from a mandala either drawn on cloth or made of colored powders or from a body mandala. For special disciples, it can also be received from a mandala of absorbed concentration.

For the different types of tantras that have body mandalas for giving initiation, in Yamantaka, we don’t have initiation given from the body mandala; however, for the Gelugpa tradition of Heruka (Chakrasamvara), we have a body mandala and also the initiation from that body mandala. In Yamantaka, as said, we don’t have a body mandala; however, in Guhyasamaja, we have a body mandala, but we don’t have a conferring of initiation from that body mandala. 

In kriya tantra, we have just the vase and the crown initiations. In charya tantra, all five initiations of the five Buddha-families. In addition to those, in yoga tantra we have we the initiation of the vajra master. In anuttarayoga tantra, the vajra master initiation empowers the disciples to do the meditations on the generation stage. 

Anuttarayoga tantra has in addition to all these, the three higher initiations. First, we have the secret initiation or the initiation of the three secret substances. This is given from a mandala of relative bodhichitta. Also, there is the initiation of deep awareness with a partner, and this is given from a mandala of the womb. The fourth initiation, the word initiation, is given from the mandala of ultimate bodhichitta. 

The procedures of the initiations are something that would take a long time to delve into, and so we will leave it here.

The generation stage is divided into the rough and the subtle generation stages. The rough generation stage is attained when we are able to visualize the entire mandala, the environment, as well as the beings within the mandala, with perfect clarity, and we are able to sustain this perfectly through one-sixth of a 24-hour period, that’s four hours. Then, we have achieved proficiency in the rough generation stage.

When we are able to visualize the entire mandala, the environment and the beings with perfect clarity, such that we can distinguish between the white and black of the eyes, all inside a drop the size of a tiny mustard seed on the tip of our nose, and when we can do this for one-sixth of a day, or four hours, then we have gained proficiency in the subtle generation stage.

When we have reached this stage in the rough and subtle generation stage, then we need to go on to the complete stage. 

Definition of the Generation Stage

The generation stage is the stage where we haven’t got the ability, by the power of meditation, to get the energy-winds to enter, abide and dissolve in the central energy-channel, but it ripens into the ability to do that at the complete stage. It includes meditation in analogy with death, bardo and rebirth. That is the definition of the generation stage.

Stages of the Generation Stage

In addition, within the four-stage scheme of anuttarayoga tantra practice, the first three stages include stages within the generation stage. The four are the beginner stage, the stage with a slight falling of deep awareness, the stage with a little power over deep awareness and the stage with full power over deep awareness. These are, in general, the four stages of the practice.

The definition of a beginner is someone who has studied and received the initiation up until the stage where they can get the entire visualization of the mandala very clear. The one with a slight falling of deep awareness is someone who is able to visualize roughly the main deity and the entire mandala all at once but is not able to visualize all at once the tiny deities on the different sense organs. 

In other words, there is a difference between how these two levels of practitioners are able to do the sadhana practice. The first one, the beginner, when doing the sadhana, just gradually visualizes the mandala and the deities in stages and builds them up slowly. The practitioner who has a slight falling of deep awareness is able to simultaneously visualize all the deities at once and the mandala itself; however, they visualize, slowly in stages, the tiny deities on the various sense organs of their bodies.

As for the practitioner of the third type who has attained a little bit of power over deep awareness, it is someone who not only can visualize the external deities but also the tiny deities of the sense organs and body mandala. It is someone who is able to visualize all their clothing and things that they are holding and so on, all at once and instantaneously. At that point, they are ready to go on to the fourth stage, which is the pure full power over deep awareness. 

This third stage has one part on the generation stage and also one part on the complete stage. For someone who has reached this stage of one who has a little bit of power over deep awareness, it’s not necessary to do four or even two sessions a day. They just do one session, and they are able to maintain that all the time. It’s not necessary for them to generate the deity and mandala all over again for a second session. Those who have the full power over deep awareness are the ones with the higher realizations of the complete stage. This entire stage is on the complete stage.

What Is to Be Abandoned

If we ask what the uncommon things to be abandoned by the generation stage are, they’re ordinary appearances and ordinary clinging to the ordinary appearances. The ordinary appearances that we give up are not the ordinary appearances to the sense consciousnesses. Rather, they’re the ordinary appearances to mental consciousness. When we see our body and the things around us, to our eye consciousness they appear in their ordinary forms. But when in the next moment our mind consciousness gives rise to an appearance of them, it needs to make an appearance of them in the forms of a deity and a mandala, not in their ordinary forms. It is the ordinary appearances to the mind consciousness of their ordinary forms that are to be abandoned.

As an opponent to this type of ordinary appearance, there is the clarity of everything arising to our mind consciousness in the form of a mandala and all the deities in it. The opponent to ordinary clinging is holding the pride of the deity on these appearances. We hold the pride of the deity on all the deities in the mandala, not just on the central figure – whether the mandala has many deities in it of the five Buddha families, like the mandala of 13-deity Yamantaka, or it has just the single-deity Yamantaka, where all the hand implements and deities under his feet represent the 49 deities of the more complex mandala.  

When we imagine that we are the deity and have the appearance of the deity, even though it’s still imagination, eventually the deity becomes clear. Having the clear appearance and the dignity of the deity, we maintain this in meditation. To get the clear appearance of all the details, it’s not necessary that we have achieved shamatha, but we should have some level of concentration. But to have a stable visualization with full concentration, it’s necessary to achieve a state of shamatha. If we haven’t achieved it, the appearance will flicker. We attain shamatha with the completion of the rough stage of the generation stage at the conclusion of the stage of the slight fall of deep awareness.

Visualization of the Tiny Drop

As for subtle generation stage practice of the visualization of the entire mandala with the deities inside a tiny drop at the upper end of the central channel at the tip of our nose, this is done on the third stage, a little power over deep awareness. However, we do have the visualization of a tiny drop at either the upper or lower tip of the central energy-channel at the first two stages. Visualizing one there is a method to be able to rid ourselves of flightiness of mind and mental dullness. Even though, by the power of this meditation, we are not able on the generation stage to get the energy-winds to enter, abide and dissolve in the central channel at one of these two ends, still we do get various great signs of the energy-winds being gathered there. 

In order to achieve proficiency on the complete stage, we have to work to gain proficiency through all these levels in the rough and subtle generation stages. After we have achieved these proficiencies, we have the power in mediation to get the energy-winds to enter, abide and dissolve in the central channel on the complete stage. 

The presentation of the complete stage in the Arya tradition of Guhyasamaja has six parts – isolated body, isolated speech, isolated mind, illusory body, clear light and unified pair.

There are many different ways of dividing and presenting the complete stage of practice, but we will just speak of one way, the Arya tradition of Nagarjuna and Aryadeva, which presents it in five stages in terms of the practice of Guhyasamaja.

Isolated Body

The first stage is called the isolated body, and it is for achieving the absorbed concentration of the vajra body. On the complete stage, it is necessary to get the energy-winds to be able to dissolve into the central energy-channel. Therefore, it’s necessary to penetrate and activate the central energy-channel, which entails loosening the knots made by the right and left side-channels wrapping around and constricting the central channel at the various chakras. The first place where we loosen these two is at the navel in Guhyasamaja. This is where we first get the energy-winds to enter into the central channel via the bottom ends of the two side-channels inserted into the central channel at the navel chakra.

The Energy-Winds Entering the Central Channel

There are various methods for being able to get the energy-winds to enter into the central channel at the navel, methods of tummo (lighting the inner fire) and also the various methods of the yogas of the energy-winds, mainly vajra-recitation. By means of these, we get various signs of the energy-winds entering into the channel, abiding or staying there and then dissolving there. There are signs for each of these. 

The sign of this entering of the energy-winds is if we place a small feather directly in front of the nose in between the two nostrils and it does not move from side to side. In other words, the strength of the in and out-breath in both nostrils is the same when the winds have entered into the central channel at the navel chakra.

The Energy-Winds Abiding in the Central Channel

The next subtle thing that happens is the energy-winds abide or stay in the central channel. The sign of that is that the air will no longer go through the nostrils. This can also happen while doing a meditation with subtle mental dullness; we can have the same thing of the breath ceasing. This is no great accomplishment to have the breath stopping. We also need the lower abdomen to not move at all. If the breath no longer going through the nostrils and ceasing with no movement of the abdomen at all, it is a sign of the winds abiding in the central channel.

The Dissolving of the Energy-Winds and the Eight Indicative Signs

The signs of the energy-winds dissolving in the central channel are the eight deep awarenesses, which are indicative signs. These are things that we have at the time of death, and we can also have here on the path.

First, the consciousness withdraws from being supported on the elements of the gross body, one by one. It is described as the elements progressively dissolving into each other. As the consciousness gets more and more subtle at each of the eight stages, the mind gives rise to a succession of eight appearances as signs. 

The sign of the earth dissolving into the water is everything becomes like an illusion or a mirage. When the consciousness dissolves from the water to the fire element, we have the appearance of smoke. Then, we have the fire dissolving into the wind element, and the appearance is like sparks in the air. When we have wind dissolving into consciousness, the sign is like a tiny flame at the bottom of a well. Then after that, we get a white appearance like the color of fresh snow in full moonlight. Next, we get the red appearance like that at sunset. After that, we get the black near attainment, a black appearance like a night sky in the first period when there is no sunlight, no moonlight and no light from the stars. It is just a very deep type of blue, like at false dawn, and that’s the clear light.

These are the eight indicative signs that we have with the dissolving of the winds. These eight signs of the winds entering, abiding and dissolving in the central channel at the navel chakra are first experienced at this stage of practice, the practice of the isolated body of the 100 Buddha-families, the five Buddha-families, the three Buddha-families and the one Buddha-family. 

Isolated Speech, Isolated Mind and Prototypal Clear Light Mind

The second stage includes isolated speech, isolated mind and the prototypal clear light mind. At the stage of isolate speech, we loosen the knots at the throat chakra with the practice of vajra recitation, which is sometimes described as vajra breathing. We join the breath with the sounds of OM AH HUM and again get the signs of the winds dissolving into that central channel at the throat chakra.

Next, at the isolated mind stage, we loosen the knots at the heart chakra. It’s extremely difficult to do this. The right and left energy-channels wind around the central channel six times at the heart with six knots there. These are extremely difficult to loosen, and we can only access the subtlest level of mind, the clear light mind inseparable from the subtlest energy-wind when we loosen these knots and dissolve all the winds there at the heart chakra. Therefore, it’s necessary to loosen these knots. To loosen these knots around the central channel at the heart and to get the energy-winds to abide and dissolve there involves many different types of recitations or breathing. We especially have to do the special vajra breathing and recitation, as we’ve done with isolated speech.

There are five major and five minor types of winds. We want them all to dissolve. The most difficult ones to dissolve are the all-pervading winds that go through all the pores of the body. To block and dissolve the all-pervading winds is extremely difficult; this is something that happens in full only at the time of death. However, to get it to happen in meditation, not at the time of death, is something very difficult to accomplish. We do that by making the energy-winds dissolve into the indestructible drop at the heart chakra. When we are able to do that, the clear light mind that we actualize is known as the second-stage prototypal clear light of the isolated mind. It is not yet the actual clear light mind.

Unpurified Illusory Body

When we arise from that state of prototypal clear light mind, we arise as an unpurified illusory body. The subtlest energy-wind supporting that prototypal clear light is its obtaining cause, and the approximate clear light is the simultaneously acting cause.

The illusory body achieved at this point is called the unpurified illusory body and is the third stage of the five-stage Guhyasamaja complete stage. What is not yet purified of are the emotional obscurations preventing liberation due to the disturbing emotions and attitudes. 

These three stages of isolated body, speech and mind are all on the path of application, the second of the five paths. 

The attainment of a prototype clear light of isolated mind does not necessarily require relying on the practices with an actual partner. Tsongkhapa, at the time of his death, attained a prototype clear light of isolated mind with the clear light mind of death. If we experience like that at the time of death, there is no need to rely on an actual partner. 

If, like Tsongkhapa, instead of the clear light of death, we remain in the prototype clear light of isolated mind, with the subtlest wind that supports this mind, we have the obtaining cause for an unpurified illusory body. Then, instead of arising in the form of a samsaric bardo body, we arise from the prototype clear light in the form of an unpurified illusory body. If we attain an unpurfied illusory body, then it is pervasive that we attain enlightenment in that very lifetime. The reason for Tsongkhapa manifesting the attainment of enlightenment in the context of a substitute for bardo was to indicate the importance of keeping the vinaya vows. 

For the practice of the unpurified illusory body, it is necessary to receive the initiation of the secret substances. Such an initiation will allow us to do that.

Actual Clear Light

Once we have attained an unpurified illusory body, then by practicing the two types of dissolution – successive dissolution and all-together dissolution – we will attain actual clear light, the fourth of the five stages of the complete stage. With successive dissolution, we dissolve the elements one at a time; with all-at-once dissolution we dissolve all of them at once. Fourth-stage actual clear light mind is a clear light mind with non-conceptual cognition of voidness, and its attainment is an attainment of a path of seeing. For this practice, we need to have had a deep awareness initiation.

A fourth-stage actual clear light mind, however, is different from an uninterrupted pathway mind of seeing attained in kriya tantra practice. With kriya tantra, as on the sutra path, the non-conceptual cognition of voidness abandons just the doctrinally based emotional obscurations. Non-conceptual cognition of voidness with a fourth-stage actual clear light mind abandons the automatically arising emotional obscurations as well. 

Purified Illusory Body, a Unified Pair Needing Further Training 

When we arise from this actual clear light non-conceptual cognition of voidness, we arise in the form of a purified illusory body. This is the attainment of a unified pair needing further training and the fifth of the five-stage complete stage. The unified pair is not yet the unified pair of a purified illusory body and an actual clear light mind, a Deep Awareness Dharmakaya. The attainment of that unified pair is the attainment of enlightenment. Here, it is the unified pair of an illusory body with the abandonment of the emotional obscurations, which is one aspect of an Essential Nature Body, Svabhavakaya, and the attainment of liberation.  

Thus, there are two levels of unified pairs: a unified pair needing further training and a unified pair needing no further training.

To do the meditations and practices of this fifth-stage unified pair, it is necessary to receive the word initiation. Before that, to achieve the fourth-stage actual clear light, we need to have received the deep awareness initiation. Before that, to attain a third-stage unpurified illusory body, a second-stage prototype clear light, isolated mind and isolated speech and a first-stage isolated body, we need to have received an initiation with the secret substances, the secret initiation.

Before that, to gain proficiency in the gross and subtle generation stages, we need to have received a full vase initiation, including a vajra master initiation. Before we can receive any of these initiations, it is necessary to have built up the causes for success by developing a correct view of voidness and a dedicated heart of bodhichitta. Before we can develop bodhichitta, it is necessary to have developed great compassion, the wish for others to be free from problems and suffering in general and specifically all the various states and situations in samsara. To develop compassion for others’ suffering, we need to have developed renunciation – the determination to be free of the sufferings of samsara ourselves. 

To develop the renunciation of all the marvels of samsara as a whole, it’s necessary before to turn away from all the exceptional things of both future lifetime and this lifetime. To turn away from the exceptional things of this lifetime, it’s necessary to think about death, impermanence and obtaining better rebirths. As we progress through all three levels of motivation on the graded path to enlightenment, we need to have a complete confidence in the good qualities of our spiritual master and deep appreciation of his or her kindness and, on that basis, firm trust in our spiritual master.

With the recognition of our spiritual master as a Buddha, and on that basis, wholeheartedly entrusting ourselves to his or her guidance, we go through, in the proper order, all the proper procedures and trainings of how to attain a mind of someone on the initial, intermediate and advanced motivation, we will be able to attain all the realizations of the entire path of the tantra stages and enlightenment.

In this way, we will be able to achieve the state of a Buddha, especially the Form Bodies of a Buddha. We will be able to achieve the seven branches of a yidam, and so as a Sambhogakaya, we will appear as a Buddha-figure with consort, with a body that has just 53 of the 32 major and 80 minor signs of a Buddha outlined in sutra.

This is the general presentation of the path of the anuttarayoga tantra. If we have a general idea of how it goes, we will be able to understand the whole thing. Once we receive the initiation, the main thing is to keep the vows and close bonds, the 18 root tantric vows.

The first of the root downfalls and faults in our tantric vows is despising or belittling our vajra guru. Next is transgressing the Buddhas. That means not taking the words of the Buddha, the advice and the training seriously. The third is being angry with our vajra brothers and sisters. These are the people who have received initiation from our guru. To not get along or fight with such people is a downfall. The fourth is giving up loving any being. We shouldn’t give up on even one being. The fifth is if we give up bodhichitta, it is a downfall of the tantric vows. The sixth is belittling the position of the aryas or others. This refers, for example, to the Nyingma saying that the Gelugpa are no good, or vice versa. The seventh is telling the secrets of tantra to those who are unripe. The eighth is abusing or limiting our aggregates. The ninth is rejecting voidness; this is giving up and saying that it’s not important and to forget about it. The tenth is being friendly towards those who are malevolent. This refers to people who might want to harm our teachers. Next is not continuing to meditate on voidness all the time. This is referring to being able to attain the realization of voidness by meditating three times in the morning and three times a night. The twelfth one is causing those with faith in tantra to lose their faith. The thirteenth is not relying properly on the tantric substances that are used in pujas. The fourteenth is to belittle women. This is making women think that they are no good.

As is explained with the root bodhisattva vows, it is necessary to avoid the four binding factors. The first binding factor is wishing to repeat the wrong action. The next is to continue to repeat the wrong action. The third would be to be happy and pleased with what we did. The fourth would be not having any sense that we shouldn’t have done it and not doing anything or seeing anything wrong with what we did.

If we have only one or two or the three, then it’s a medium contamination. If we have both not seeing it as a mistake and repeating the mistake, but we don’t have the other ones, then we have a small contamination.  

In addition, we have the eight secondary downfalls. The first one in tantra, when we rely on a partner, is to rely on a partner who is not qualified. A qualified partner is one who has received initiation and who practices. The second is taking the nectar by power. This is not to have emission when we are transforming ourselves into the deities, transforming the organs with the seed syllables and keeping the mind mindful of voidness. The blocking of emission, visualizing the deity couple with the bodies and the organs transformed by the seed syllables and the mind staying mindful of voidness and using all this as method – this is part of a way to attain enlightenment.

The third is showing our vajra, bell, a picture of our deity, etc., to people who are not proper vessels. The fourth is arguing at puja assemblies. In other words, when we are at an offering ritual, a puja, we shouldn’t fight with people. The fifth is giving the wrong answers to those with belief in facts (those with faith). This means when somebody asks us a question, we give them the wrong answer. The sixth is staying seven days among the shravakas, listeners of the teachings. This is referring to affiliating with those who are seeking only their own liberation and would discourage us from our Mahayana tantra path. The seventh is holding the false pride of being a yogi. For instance, when we have done something like a seven-day retreat and afterward we think that we are an accomplished practitioner, but actually we haven’t gotten very far. 

The eighth faulty action is teaching the holy Dharma to those without faith. This is referring to those who have received the tantric initiation but have no faith in the teaching itself. Even if they have received the initiation, we shouldn’t give them teachings. In addition, if we haven’t done the retreat, we’re not allowed to take the self-initiation or even more close practices. We’re not allowed to do the fire puja if we haven’t done the retreat.  

If we are keeping the vows and close bonds as well, we will be able to achieve enlightenment within 16 lifetimes.

It’s very important to train in the common paths of the determination to be free from problems, the dedicated heart of bodhichitta and the view of voidness. On the basis of this, we receive the initiation. After the initiation, we keep all the close bonds and vows to the practice, and on that basis, practice the stage of generation stage and the complete stage in their proper order. On the basis of that, we can eventually reach the stage of a Buddha as a Vajradhara with the seven aspects of a unified pair.

For anybody wanting to achieve the enlightened state of a Buddha, there is no way of doing it without relying on tantra. Within tantra, it is only through anuttarayoga tantra, the highest class of tantra, that we can achieve the state of enlightenment. There is no way of achieving Buddhahood without anuttarayoga tantra. 

We shouldn’t think that we practice the perfection vehicle, and then after that, the next stage is to practice kriya tantra, and then after that charya tantra, and after that yoga tantra, and after that anuttarayoga tantra. The classes of tantra are not like the graded stages of lam-rim. We should understand the way of practicing tantra. Also, when we are practicing anuttarayoga tantra, it’s not saying that it is pervasive that before we can practice the complete stage, we have to practice the generation stage. If we are someone like Buddha Shakyamuni, we can practice the perfection vehicle all the way up to the tenth level bodhisattva mind, and then enter anuttarayoga practice on the fifth of the five stages, a unified pair of purified illusory body and a true stopping of the emotional obscurations preventing liberation. For someone like Buddha Shakyamuni, there is no need to do the generation and earlier stages of the complete practice before that. 

More generally, if we enter a university, for example, it is absolutely necessary to first have the earlier grades of primary and secondary schools. If we have done these in India, and then we come to Italy for higher education, it’s not necessary to go through a primary and secondary school education again. It’s the same thing: if we have gone through the sutra levels of bodhisattva practice, it’s not necessary to go through all the early stages of the tantra vehicle. We just enter at the first stage after attaining liberation, just like if we came to university here in Italy. We don’t have to do the earlier grades again.

Without that prior attainment, it’s necessary to go through the stages in the proper order, the generation stage and upwards to the complete stage. Receiving the initiations, keeping the vows and practicing on the basis of bodhichitta and the correct view of voidness, then by following the paths and procedures of the generation and complete stages, we can achieve enlightenment. This is the distinguishing feature of anuttarayoga tantra, the highest class of tantra. 

In general, it’s very difficult to achieve enlightenment. Within human beings, it’s very difficult to have someone who is interested in spiritual methods. It’s extremely difficult to even meet with these tantric teachings, which allow us to begin to attain the state of enlightenment in our lifetime. Those who have the potential to practice, even if we aren’t able to achieve enlightenment in our lifetimes, should practice as best as we can. If we do that, it would be a very good fortune. 

There must have been potential from past lifetimes to have met with the teachings in this lifetime. We should have deep pride and respect for the power of tantra, the power of the mantras, with this strong conviction and with a very warm, kind heart. Don’t think to practice for a couple of years, one, two or three years or eight or ten years and then chuck it all and throw it away. In terms of practice, it is for an entire lifetime.

Some people after three months of practice or seven days of practice have great realizations; these are people who have practiced for many lifetimes and have never given up but have continued not in past lifetimes but in this lifetime and are ready to achieve enlightenment very quickly.

The main thing is to practice the six-session yoga and do the mantras for the deities and to practice with a kind and warm heart, and you will be able to make progress. I have given this teaching on the main points of the stages and the paths. To give more detail would take a great deal of time. Yesterday, I said that I would finish tomorrow but I have finished today. The point of the followers of anuttarayoga tantra as well is to have a kind and warm heart and always think of helping others and never to harm others. With this and a sincere practice, we will be able to gain realizations.