Thursday, June 20, 2013

Nyingma – The Nine Yanas 宁玛派 -圆满九次第 [6]






The Three Outer Tantras

1.  KRYATANTRA

View

All phenomena are without self-nature (chos thams chad ngobo nyid med
pa rtogs). 

It is free from the four limiting concepts of existence and 
non-existence, 
appearance and 
emptiness. 

Phenomena are viewed as the mandala of enlightened deities.

Meditation

You visualise yourself, the dam tshig sems dpa', usually in your ordinary form, as subject and the deity, the ye shes sems dpa', in front of oneself as if a king and to obtain blessings, siddhis, from
the wisdom deity (yidam).




Action

Cleanliness, concentration, fasting and mantra recitation. 
The path is to make offerings to the deity.


Fruit

The result is the attainment of the state of "vajra holder of the three families" (Rigs gsum rdo rje ‘dzin pa’i sa) 

These are Tathagata or body family (sKu de bzhin gshegs pa’i rigs), 
lotus or speech family (gSung pad ma’i rigs) 
and vajra of wisdom-mind family (Thugs rdo rje rigs). 


Other versions explain this as "realisation of the three Kayas
and five Wisdoms of perfect Buddhahood".



2.  UPATANTRA


Called Upatantra (spyod rgyud) ‘practice tantra’ and the Ubhayatantra
(gnyis ka’i rgyud), ‘dual tantra’, because it practices the view of
the next vehicle, Yogatantra, together with the action of the former.


The meditation is to visualise the wisdom deity in front of you "like a brother or a friend" and to receive blessings and siddhis from the wisdom deity. 


The fruit is attainment of the state of the vajra holder of the four families with the fourth family being the jewel family of qualities (yon tan rin chen rigs) otherwise expressed as realisation
of the Five Wisdoms of perfect Buddhahood. 


The Empowerment (abhisheka) is the empowerment of the Five Buddha Families.




3.  YOGATANTRA

Known as the tantra of union with the nature (rnal ’byor rgyud) because it emphasises inner practice more than outer conduct. 

The abhisheka adds to that of the Upatantra the blessing of the Vajra Master



View


All phenomena are free from all diffuse characteristics (Chos thams cad spros pa’i mtshan ma thams cad dang bral ba). 

This is the view of ‘luminosity inseperable from great emptiness (‘o’d gsal stong pa nyid du lta). 

That is absolute truth. 

Relative truth is transmitted through the realisation of Dharmata, that all phenomena are perceived as the sphere of the Vajradhatu mandala (kun rdzob cir snang thams cad chos nyid rtogs pa’i byin rlabs las rdo rje dbyings kyi dkyil ’khor) the mandala of adamantine space.


Meditation
In the visualisation phase (bsKyed rim)you are the dam tshig sems dpa' and the wisdom deity (yidam) remains before you, then when invited the yidam merges with you like water being poured into water. 

During objectless meditation, the completion phase (rDzogs rim) of absolute truth you merge your perception of phenomena with the absolute nature beyond characteristics and you remain in evenness. 

Phenomena are seen as the play of wisdom manifesting as deities.


Action

Principally this is to practice the view of meditation supported by keeping clean.

Fruit

Realisation of Vajra holder of the Four Families is attained in three lifetimes.


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