The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness

by Chogyam Trungpa

  THE UNBROKEN VAJRAYANA LINEAGE

  The vajrayana tradition is very old. Some scholars or so-called Buddhologists claim that the vajrayana is not that old, that it was invented by later practitioners of Buddhism. Such scholars say that historically, when teachers could not present the true buddhadharma, or when the Buddhist teachings had become too flat, they invented vajrayana. But that is an erroneous statement. Other scholars say that vajrayana was presented to people who could not keep their monastic vows, but that is also an erroneous statement. Actually, the vajrayana is an unbroken lineage. It is a tradition that has been passed on from generation to generation, from the Buddha himself up to the present moment. It is an unbroken tradition, an unbroken lineage. And we will carry on this lineage and tradition for a long time.

  The Buddha taught the mahayana later in his life, and he taught the vajrayana teachings toward the end of his life. When he introduced the mahayana, it is said that he asked some of his hinayana disciples to leave, so he could gather the students who were more perceptive and would be more receptive to the mahayana. It is said that he did a similar thing in introducing vajrayana to his mahayana students.

  THE LEGEND OF THE FIRST VAJRAYANA TEACHINGS

  The Buddha connected with many of his vajrayana students when he was invited to teach by various Indian kings, including the first king of Shambhala, Dawa Sangpo, or Suchandra in Sanskrit.3 Each of these kings said to him, “I cannot give up my kingdom to become a monk and abandon my world. Are there any instructions you could give me so that I could maintain my kingdom and, at the same time, practice your teachings?”

  The Buddha said, “Very well.” He then asked his disciples to leave, and he began to teach vajrayana. It is said that King Dawa Sangpo received a vajrayana teaching and practice known as the Kalachakra Tantra from the Buddha,4 and similarly, that the Buddha taught the vajrayana to many other kings, and he did not ask any of them to give up their kingdoms. The Buddha was not purely trying to be diplomatic; he simply felt that such kings would benefit by the presentation of vajrayana. Because of that, the vajrayana began to flourish throughout the world.

  More specifically, according to what has been recorded in the history of vajrayana, the Buddha’s vajrayana teachings are said to be connected with the last one to three years of his life. At that time, the Buddha predicted that at the end of five hundred years, when his teachings would begin to wane in the world, the vajrayana would flourish.

  Although Lord Buddha taught the vajrayana to kings, who could not practice the way of monks, Lord Buddha himself renounced his own title as crown prince and became a superking, beyond the ordinary understanding of a chakravartin.5 In order to be the Buddha of this particular kalpa, or age, Gautama Buddha renounced the world of desire and entered into the dharma, which can be said to mean “freedom from desire.”

  THE INTRODUCTION OF VAJRAYANA INTO TIBET

  The original host of the Buddhist tradition in Tibet is said to have been King Songtsen Gampo (605–649 CE).6 Song means “just,” tsen means “powerful,” and gampo, as in the name “Gampopa,” means “profound”; so songtsen gampo means “just, powerful, profound.” Later, King Trisong Detsen (755–797 CE) also played a prominent role. He hosted a famous debate between the Indian teacher Kamalashila and the Chinese Ch’an master Hashang Mahayana that contrasted the gradual path of the Tibetan approach with the sudden zap approach of Ch’an.7

  Trisong Detsen also invited great Indian masters to teach in Tibet, such as Padmasambhava, the “Lotus Born,” and Shantarakshita, the Indian Buddhist monk and a great saint. At the request of Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita decided to take the very simple action of ordaining seven boys into Buddhist monasticism. So the Tibetan vajrayana teachings started with Indian help, from the ordaining of a few little Tibetan boys.8 At that point, the dawning of the vajrayana, like the sun rising in the East, actually transpired. So in this story we are mingling three cultures together: Chinese, Indian, and Tibetan. The primordial quality of that presentation of Buddhism in Tibet was extremely powerful. Tantra was able to be presented on the basis of Tibetan pride, Tibetan-ness, and the good people there.

  RESPECT FOR THE LINEAGE

  What we are discussing here is not anything of an extraordinary nature, but just a kind of twist that exists in realizing the phenomenal world in its own light and its own perspective. By entering the vajrayana, we are actually getting ourselves into the enlightened side of this particular world. We are hearing more about the truth of the teachings of Lord Buddha, who should be greatly admired and respected.

  The same respect is due the lineage holders; they worked so hard for us, to the extent of sacrificing their comfort and their lives. We should realize that it took them immense time, space, and dedication to present the vajrayana teachings. As a spokesperson for the lineage, I would like you to realize how much pain, problems, discomfort, and outright obstacles have been a part of presenting vajrayana in this world. I would like you to think of all those people and all that they have done for your benefit. Considering how few people work for a greater vision, it is a very moving feeling to realize how many have actually worked with genuine compassion.

  In his last words to me, my guru Jamgön Kongtrül of Shechen said, “I am getting old and I don’t think I can handle the political changes taking place in Tibet, so I leave it up to you people to handle these situations.” It was very sad that such a dignified person, such a great warrior, so powerful, energetic, and insightful, had come to that. It was heartbreaking, in a sense. One wonders what portion of his intention was directed toward filling me with sadness for the lack of a contemplative tradition in Buddhism, and what portion was because he wanted me to carry on as his heir, his offshoot. I think it was some of both. It was very sad and happy at the same time. I could weep, cry, or burst into tears, or I could dance and explore. And that seems to be the feeling of the vajrayana, actually: it is both of these at once.

  1. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche began his formal presentation of the vajrayana teachings at the first Vajradhatu Seminary, held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1973.

  2. Jamgön Kongtrül of Shechen (1901–1960) should not be confused with Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thaye, aka Jamgön Kongtrül the Great (1813–1899).

  3. The kingdom of Shambhala is a mythical kingdom said to be hidden in Asia, and considered to be an embodiment of human goodness and enlightenment. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche used the Sanskrit term Shambhala for a stream of his teachings and practices based on the discovery and proclamation of basic goodness and the creation of enlightened society.

  4. The Kalachakra Tantra, or “wheel of time” tantric practice, is especially associated with the Shambhala kingdom and with King Suchandra, or (Tib.) Dawa Sangpo.

  5. The term chakravartin (Skt.: “wheel-turning ruler”) refers to a world ruler.

  6. King Songtsen Gampo is credited with being the first ruler to bring Buddhism to Tibet. During his reign he built many temples and promoted translations of Buddhist literature into Tibetan.

  7. For Trungpa Rinpoche’s description of this debate, conducted in highly colorful and symbolic form, see appendix 1, “Kamalashila and the Great Debate.”

  8. The establishment of Tibet’s first monastery, Samye, is said to have taken place in circa 787 CE.

  1

  The Dawning of the Great Eastern Sun

  In talking about the Great Eastern kingdom, or vajrayana, we mean a human dawn: a dawn of humanity in which vajrayana can be presented, and in which vajrayana could happen in our existence. In the dawn of vajrayana, we are learning how to rise, rather than how to die. And at this point, the dawn of vajrayana has already happened.

  THE GREAT EAST AND THE SETTING SUN OF THE WEST

  My ancestors, persons of Tibetan blood, possessed the Oriental gut, which is the great sun of the East, or the Great East. If there were no such thing as the Great East, the vajrayana could not be presented. In the image of the Great East, if you do not have the East, you cannot have the
sun shining out of the East. In this case, the East is mahayana, and the sun shining out of the East is vajrayana. The vision is mahayana, and executing the vision is vajrayana—always. In fact, there is no vision in the vajrayana, because you do not need it. Vision is a futuristic experience, whereas execution is the present situation, so you only need execution. And if you do not execute properly, you cut your finger, which is bad vision.

  There is such a thing as the Great West as well, but that Great West has become the symbol of the setting sun, the destroying of light. Century after century, that great setting sun, as opposed to the great rising sun, has created conditions that block any possibilities of presenting enlightenment. The great setting sun of the West has provided us with beautiful, comfortable conditions for living our life, like central heating, air-conditioning, taxicabs, and numerous other conveniences. But that setting-sun approach has provided us purely with a comfortable way to die.

  In the West, there are old-age homes, funeral homes, all sorts of shots in your arm, dope to puff up, and LSD to take so that we can realize how to make the sun set, meaning the sun of human dignity, the sun of human power. All those things we have in the Great West—including warfare, economic development, philosophy, psychology, and economic plans as well—have been about learning how to die rather than learning how to rise. So unfortunately, I have to say that the possibility of vajrayana involves the idea of the Great East as distinguished from the wretched West. Hopefully, you will not take this as a personal insult, but the West, at this point, is equivalent to the setting sun. It is equivalent to anti-enlightenment, and it is very wretched. There is too much poverty mentality.

  The business and investment of people in the West is based more on pleasure, while people in the East base their activity more on responsibility, because of the very fact that they do not have that much pleasure. However, the idea of the Great East is not simply a question of Eastern people versus Western people. We are talking about mind, about conquering mind. It is a matter of where the mind rests, and whether you are interested in pleasure or responsibility.

  In talking about the Great Eastern kingdom, or vajrayana, we mean a human dawn: a dawn of humanity in which vajrayana can be presented, and in which vajrayana could happen in our existence. In the dawn of vajrayana, we are learning how to rise, rather than how to die. And at this point, the dawn of vajrayana has already happened. This was planned a long time ago in the East; it was provided by the Central Eastern kingdom of Shambhala and by the first Buddhist emperor, Ashoka Maharaja. Ashoka was one of the first rulers in human history to provide hospitals where the sick could be brought and treated, and who also provided animal hospitals. That is Great Eastern thinking. And the Great East is here.

  THREE QUALITIES OF THE GREAT EAST

  The Great East, or Tai Tung in Chinese, has three qualities: it is primordial, eternal, and self-existent.

  The Great Eastern Sun. A calligraphy by ChögyamTrungpa Rinpoche. The original calligraphy reads: Shar Chen Nyima, by Dorje Dradül (“Indestructible Warrior”).

  Primordial

  The first quality is the primordial quality, or döma in Tibetan. Dö means “original,” and ma can mean “mother”; so döma means the “original mother,” “original existence,” or “primordial.” It is general sanity. The present cannot be manipulated, and the past also cannot be manipulated, so you live longer because you are not hampered by manipulation.

  Eternal

  The second quality is takpa, which means “eternal.” Eternity can exist independent of manipulation.

  Self-Existent

  The third quality is lhündrup, which means “self-existence,” or “spontaneously present.” It could also be described as simplicity. Lhündrup means that in the vajrayana, the basic nature is continuous, and at the same time, self-existent.

  The vajrayana discipline can also be presented in terms of these three qualities. You could view the three characteristics as the transformation of the three marks of samsaric existence: suffering, change, and egolessness. Suffering is transformed into döma, primordial existence or bliss. Change becomes takpa, the continuous freshness of eternal existence. And egolessness becomes lhündrup, unborn self-existing being.

  THE DAWNING OF SANITY

  Although referred to as the Great East, these vajrayana principles are not particularly the possession of the Orientals, which would be absurd. They represent the intelligence and awareness of the rising sun of the Orient. You are giving up your connection to the West, which is the setting sun, and picking up on the possibility of Orientalness. That is Great East or rising sun. This dawning is also referred to as the dawn of Vajrasattva. It is as though light is coming from the East, and you have a glimpse of the possibility of awakening. So dawn means to awaken, and Vajrasattva, or “vajra being,” is what you are awakening to. In terms of Great East, Vajrasattva is tai, or “Great,” and awakening to it is tung, or “East.”

  When we talk about the rising sun, we mean an eternally sane attitude, an experience in which the vajrayana is happening. The rising sun only comes from there being no setting sun. The setting sun is related with theism, and the rising sun with nontheism. The rising sun is saner because it is giving birth; the setting sun is dwelling on depression. An Occidental kingdom would not have the sun rising everywhere, whereas an Oriental kingdom would have sunshine throughout. Because the Oriental approach to reality is based on the nontheistic approach of shunyata, or emptiness, nobody has any basis at all. Everything is simple, so there is fullness all the time. That combination of simplicity and fullness is the ultimate culture: loneliness.1 It is where vajrayana comes in.

  BUDDHAHOOD

  Since the immense power and heroism of the Great East of the vajrayana is beginning to dawn on us, it is necessary to realize how that can be conducted and worked with properly. The possibility of doing so only comes from the realization of basic nontheistic Buddhism. At this point, a person’s realization of the truth of twofold egolessness, or the egolessness of self and the egolessness of phenomena, goes beyond that of the highest levels of the bodhisattva path. It goes beyond the experience of indestructible meditation, or vajrasamadhi. You begin to realize that so-called tathagatagarbha, or buddha nature, is futile. It is futile because your experience is no longer garbha, which means “essence” or “nature.” At this point, it is no longer just buddha nature that you have within you, but fully developed buddhahood, completely and utterly.

  So in the vajrayana, instead of regarding practices such as benevolence and so forth in the context of an embryonic state from which you could reawaken your buddha nature, you realize that your buddha nature is present already; it is fully awakened right now. Therefore, the mahayana is known as the yana of seed, and the vajrayana is known as the yana of fruition. The idea is that if you do not understand the mahayana, it will be very difficult for you to get into the vajrayana. If you do not realize the seed, you cannot have an understanding of the fruit.

  In the vajrayana, the ground is more emphasized, but in order to realize the ground, you have to go through the disciplines—and when the ground is realized, that is attainment. So the ground is the fruition. Understanding the ground as the fruition means that there is fruit already. The ground is already cleared, and there is an apple dropping on your head; it is already happening.

  A complete understanding of mahayana is not a complete understanding of vajrayana, but it gets us halfway through. Taking the bodhisattva vow is based on having immense devotion to the seed and the possibilities of the seed; it is the garbha principle. You are relating to the garbha, or essence, of everything. But the idea of tathagatagarbha is still very much a poverty approach. Shantideva, the eighth-century Indian Buddhist scholar, talks about how great it is that, although we may be wretched and terrible, we still have this little essence.2 But in the vajrayana, your poverty is your wealth, and neurosis is sanity. That is not quite so simple to deduce, but it is true.

  In the mahayana, you are lookin
g into yourself, looking for that essence or seed, but in the vajrayana you are looking out, because you already have the fruition. You are not trying to look for some essence; you are looking for the real thing. It is like thinking you already have a fully grown-up child in your womb. At this point, your birth has already taken place, and you are already fully grown, so why talk about yourself as a fetus? You are not a fetus; you are a real person.

  CREATING AN ENLIGHTENED SOCIETY

  We are trying to create a Buddhist world, an enlightened society, and one of the principal ways of doing that is for each one of us to become sane. In order to become sane, you have to become disciplined; and in order to become disciplined, you have to develop a sense of loyalty. In this case, loyalty is not at the boss-and-worker level, but it is an appreciation of what you are involved in. Loyalty applies to all the yanas: the hinayana, the mahayana, and needless to say, the vajrayana.

  There are two levels of loyalty: setting-sun loyalty and Great Eastern Sun loyalty. The setting-sun version of loyalty is based on fear. You are afraid that if you do not do your job, you might be fired and lose your sandwich and your roof. But you think that if you become a good, loyal person, then you will have more than a sandwich and a roof. You might have a palace and eat gourmet food, and you might be able to take some time off. You might be able to go to a beach and lie in the dirt. That is what we call a vacation, although you never know what the vacation is a vacation from, exactly. That’s it—full stop. There is nothing more than that. So setting-sun loyalty is a functional sort of loyalty. Obviously, you try to be happy, but that is just thrown in. And at some point, you are going to drop dead, and that’s it—poof!