of Bliss, be a source of great happiness and immeasurable benefit to all human beings of this world.
May virtue and excellence increase.
Yongdzin Ling Rinpoche
Acknowledgements
In 1980, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche gave an extensive commentary to Vajrayana Mahamudra to the fortunate students of Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre in Ulverston, England. We pray that through studying these nectar-like instructions and attempting to put them into practice sincerely, we can in some small way begin to repay the immeasurable kindness of our most precious Spiritual Guide and Vajrayana Spiritual Guide.
Not satisfied merely with giving the teaching, out of his immeasurable kindness Geshe Kelsang then worked closely with his translator and a team of editors to prepare the transcript for publication under the title, Clear Light of Bliss. For this incomparable book, the like of which has never before been seen in this world, we offer heartfelt thanks to the author.
We also thank all the dedicated, senior Dharma students who assisted the author with the rendering of the English and who prepared the final manuscript for publication.
Roy Tyson,
Administrative Director,
Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre,
May 1992.
Preface
I have written this book primarily for the benefit of Western Dharma practitioners with the hope that indirectly it will prove beneficial for all living beings.
As for how it was composed, I have based it on the slight experience I have gained through the kindness of my holy Spiritual Guide from whom I received instructions on the generation stage and completion stage of Secret Mantra. In addition, I have drawn material from Je Tsongkhapa’s Lamp Thoroughly Illuminating the Five Stages, which contains the quintessence of Je Tsongkhapa’s Tantric teachings, and also from Je Tsongkhapa’s commentary to the Six Yogas of Naropa. I have also consulted the first Panchen Lama’s root text on the Mahamudra, The Main Path of the Conquerors, and his autocommentary, Lamp of Re-illumination, as well as the Mahamudra texts of Kachen Yeshe Gyaltsen and Keutsang, and many other authentic works on Secret Mantra. Because I have incorporated the teachings of such great Masters, there is some reason to hope that this present book will be of considerable benefit.
To attain pure realizations of Mahamudra, it is not sufficient merely to read these instructions. First we must train in the stages of the path common to both Sutra and Tantra by relying upon texts such as Joyful Path of Good Fortune, and practise the various preliminaries so as to remove obstacles and accumulate merit. When we have some experience of renunciation, bodhichitta, and wisdom realizing emptiness, we should receive a Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment from a qualified Vajrayana Spiritual Guide and then strive to keep our vows and commitments purely. We should then train in generation stage practices and, once we have some experience of these, we should request a qualified Vajra Spiritual Guide to give us instructions on Vajrayana Mahamudra. If we then put these instructions into practice with faith and wisdom, we will definitely attain the realization of the Union of Mahamudra.
The importance of engaging in these preparatory practices and of cultivating an impeccable motivation before attempting to practise Vajrayana Mahamudra has been stressed by the great Masters of all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. It is most important that we do not engage in these practices with an impure motivation, wishing for personal gain, a good reputation, or the like, because, as Conqueror Vajradhara warned in the Tantras, the consequences of such actions will only be suffering, such as illness, a short life, mental obscurations, and rebirth in the lower realms. Therefore, from the outset we should cultivate a pure motivation of bodhichitta and engage in the practices of Vajrayana Mahamudra with the intention to become a Buddha for the benefit of all living beings.
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso,
Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre,
1982.
Vajradhara
Introduction and Preliminaries
It is very pleasing to have this opportunity to explain the method for practising Vajrayana Mahamudra according to the Mahayana tradition. This explanation will be given under three main headings:
1 An introduction to the general paths
2 The source of the lineage from which these instructions are derived
3 The actual explanation of the instructions possessing this lineage
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL PATHS
In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life Shantideva says:
By depending upon this boat-like human form,
We can cross the great ocean of suffering.
Since such a vessel will be hard to find again,
This is no time to sleep, you fool!
Samsara is like a vast ocean, for just as an ocean gives rise to waves, so rebirth in samsara gives rise to suffering. At the moment we have a precious human body, which is the best vessel for crossing this perilous ocean of samsara. If we were to waste this precious life without taking full advantage of it, we would be extremely foolish. We would be like the adventurer who had to wait a long time to find a boat that would take him to a treasure island but who, having finally found one, fell asleep instead of taking immediate advantage of it. How foolish he felt when he awoke to discover that the long-awaited vessel had been washed away and that he was still without a means of travelling to the island! Similarly, at this time we have found a boat-like human body that can transport us to the island of full enlightenment, or Buddhahood. If, instead of taking advantage of this body, we were to waste it on the meaningless activities of this life, that would be most tragic. It will not be easy to find another opportunity like this in the future.
The highest of all possible human goals is the attainment of complete enlightenment, an ultimate state of peace in which all obstacles obscuring the mind have been removed and all good qualities such as wisdom, compassion, and skilful means have been fully developed. However, we cannot reach this ultimate goal merely by waiting for it; we need to use the appropriate methods to take us there.
What are the methods for attaining the peace of full enlightenment? They are the paths of Sutra and Secret Mantra; there is no third method. Of these two, the techniques revealed in Secret Mantra are superior to those revealed in the Sutras. Not only is Secret Mantra the supreme path to full enlightenment, it is also extremely rare. As Je Tsongkhapa said, the teachings of Secret Mantra are even rarer than the Buddhas because, although a thousand founding Buddhas will appear during this Fortunate Aeon, only the fourth (Buddha Shakyamuni), the eleventh, and the last will teach the paths of Secret Mantra.
At the moment, we have a great opportunity to practise these rare and beneficial teachings, so it is important that we develop a strong intention to practise them purely. If the Mahayana teachings were to vanish from this world, we would have no opportunity to become a Buddha. Therefore, while we still have access to these precious teachings, we should apply ourself to them assiduously and try to gain some experience of them.
The etymology of Secret Mantra is as follows. ‘Secret’ indicates that these methods should be practised discreetly. If we make a display
