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The Aura of Wisdom
- Book 154: The Aura of Wisdom
- Chapter 90:
The Great Perfection of Tantrayana
- Written by Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated and edited by True Buddha Foundation
- Translation Team (Cheng Yew Chung, Victor Hazen, Dance Smith)
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The Buddha said, `To cultivate by listening and contemplation, one develops discipline, meditative stability and wisdom. And in so doing, all that one cultivates and attains shall be in accordance with the truth of absolute emptiness and the wisdom of knowing cause and effect. A bodhisattva, following a good guide, shall always remember the right teachings that he has heard, and through his recollection of the teachings he learns to make observations. By his observations he contemplates according to the fundamental truth, and with this contemplation he is able to maintain pure discipline. By keeping his discipline, he practices the Ten Virtues. Through the cultivation of the Ten Virtues he practices the Three Pure Conducts. With the cultivation of these three conducts, he behaves responsibly, and with responsible behaviour, he develops expedient wisdom. With this expedient wisdom, he develops the Six Perfections. With the Six Perfections he shall arouse his bodhicitta. And acting in accordance with bodhicitta he shall develop the great compassion of a bodhisattva.
`As well, a good guide can propagate the path, transmit the teachings, resolve problems and kindle the spiritual lives of men. Thus he can be relied upon. He realizes the truth of impermanence, and thus is diligent in his cultivation. He keeps his discipline and therefore avoids creating transgressions. He acts according to the scriptural texts and avoids delusion. He erects the mandala shrine and recites mantra, through which he gains the enhancement of blessings and wisdom. He penetrates deeply into truth through a singular teaching, and therefore achieves one-pointedness. He dwells in profound states through meditation, and thus attains the purification of mind. He acts properly according to the Six Perfections and therefore gains the wisdom to serve others. His state of bodhicitta and great compassion are expressed spontaneously and as naturally as he wishes, and he can therefore repay the Fourfold Gratitude, attain the Great Perfection and Unexcelled Perfect Enlightenment.`
Padmasambhava, the second buddha of Uddiyana said, `All things of this world are but emptiness. And as humans born in this plane of existence, know that it is pure suffering. Impermanence arrives swiftly, and we must cultivate early. Only he who Honors the Guru, Treasures the Dharma and Practices Diligently shall attain enlightenment!`
Many disciples have asked me, `What is the empowerment of the Great Perfection?`
My reply was, `Where is your mind?`
My disciples were unable to understand my meaning. Therefore, I explained that all of the Buddhadharma is born of causal conditions, yet the self-nature is inherently empty. No one is there to act, and no one is there to receive. Once this is understood, the route to enlightening nirvana is within one`s reach.
`Being empty of self, empty of others, empty of Dharma, and empty of both self and Dharma.` This is the empowerment of the Great Perfection.
According to Tantric Buddhism, the first of the four levels of empowerment is the empowerment of the purification of the body, speech and mind. The second level of empowerment involves the winds, channels and drops. The third level of empowerment involves the Highest Yoga Tantra and the fourth level of empowerment is the Great Perfection.
This Great Perfection is without form and unrestricted. Therefore it is an empowerment which cannot be described.
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