The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 4 (3 page)

Dawn of Tantra
reflects both Dr. Guenther’s scholarly approach and the more immediate, popular approach that was Trungpa Rinpoche’s hallmark. It would seem that each man came closer to the other in this situation: Dr. Guenther’s presentations are more accessible and personal; Chögyam Trungpa’s contributions are more scholastic. In addition to the talks from the weekend seminar,
Dawn of Tantra
includes a chapter titled “Visualization” that was based on a talk by Trungpa Rinpoche at the 1973 seminar that became part of
The Lion’s Roar
. The chapter “Empowerment and Initiation” was edited from a talk by Dr. Guenther in Boulder in 1973. There is a great deal of detailed material on the philosophy and practice of tantra in this little book. Its inclusion in
The Collected Works
as well as its recent reissue in Shambhala Dragon Editions make it available to a new generation of readers.

Volume Four closes with “Things Get Very Clear When You’re Cornered,” an interview with Chögyam Trungpa that appeared in
The Laughing Man
magazine in 1976. In addition to personal and penetrating comments by Trungpa Rinpoche on the significance of his accident in England in 1969, the interview focused on the challenge of bringing the vajrayana teachings to America. It’s a very candid exchange. Trungpa Rinpoche talks about creating a language “specifically to translate Buddhist ideas into English in a way that makes sense to people.” He also expresses his conviction that the vajrayana will take root and be fully transmitted in America. He ends the interview with this prediction: “Not only that. Eventually Americans can go back to Tibet and teach Buddhism in that country. . . . anything is possible!” On that cheerful note, we conclude Volume Four.

C
AROLYN
R
OSE
G
IMIAN

April 18, 2002

Trident Mountain House

Tatamagouche Mountain, Nova Scotia

1
.
Journey without Goal
, Introduction.

2
. Ibid.

3
. For more on the practice and the significance of ngöndro, see Trungpa Rinpoche’s interview in
The Torch of Certainty
, which is included in Volume Five of
The Collected Works
.

4
. E-mail communication from Larry Mermelstein to Carolyn Rose Gimian, May 2002.

J
OURNEY WITHOUT
G
OAL

The Tantric Wisdom of the Buddha

Acknowledgments

J
OURNEY WITHOUT
G
OAL
is based on a series of fifteen lectures presented by Vajracharya the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche at Naropa Institute during the summer of 1974. Under his guidance, Mrs. Judith Lief, then the editor-in-chief at Vajradhatu, began editing the lectures for publication in 1975. Working with the author and other members of the editorial department, she completed the major part of the manuscript before leaving to become the dean of Naropa Institute in 1980.

The preparation of the final draft of the manuscript has been a collaborative effort by members of the editorial department: Mrs. Sarah Levy, Mrs. Barbara Blouin, Mrs. Helen Berliner, and myself. We have tried to maintain Mrs. Lief’s approach to the material, which always respected the language of the original and showed an acute sensitivity to meaning and tone.

We are deeply indebted to the Vajracharya for the original presentation of this material and for allowing us the opportunity to deepen our own understanding through working with him on the manuscript.

We would like to thank the Nālandā Translation Committee for the translation from the Tibetan of the two poems that appear in the book. The first, “Intensifying Devotion in One’s Heart,” is by Jamgön Kongtrül the Great, whose contributions to the Practice Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism are discussed in chapter 10, “Abhisheka.” The second, “Lord Marpa’s Praise to the Gurus,” is by Marpa the Translator, the first Tibetan holder of the Kagyü lineage. It is taken from a larger work,
The Life of Marpa
. Particular thanks go to Miss Christine Keyser of the translation committee, who completed the initial draft of the translation of Jamgön Kongtrül’s poem; and to Mr. Larry Mermelstein, the executive director of the committee, for editorial contributions to the entire manuscript.

We would also like to express our thanks to the Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin and to Dr. Reginald Ray, Chairman of the Buddhist Studies Department at Naropa Institute, for their careful reading of the final typescript. As well, we would like to acknowledge the efforts of the many volunteers—typists, transcribers, and others—who worked on this book. Finally, we would like to thank the publisher, Mr. Samuel Bercholz, and the staff of Prajñā Press for their support of this book.

The reader may note that the language in this book is often poetic and evocative. These qualities have been treated as essential rather than incidental aspects of the original lectures, since they express most vividly the awake and brilliant experience of the vajra world.

The vajrayana wisdom that is presented here is powerful and authentic. We hope that this book will lead to a greater appreciation and understanding of tantric Buddhism, and we share in the author’s wish that this book may benefit sentient beings and bring them to the path of dharma.

C
AROLYN
R
OSE
G
IMIAN

Vajradhatu Editorial Department

Padma Tri-me, Jamgön Kongtrül of Sechen (1901?–1960). The root guru of Chögyam Trungpa and an incarnation of Lodrö Thaye, Jamgön Kongtrül I
.

Introduction

T
HE TEACHINGS OF
the Buddha are a treasury of wisdom that has been passed down from teacher to student for over twenty-five hundred years. Many styles of teaching have developed, but all of the schools of Buddhism present the means to realize the awakened state of mind, and all of them emulate the example of the Buddha, the Awakened One. This is a very important point to realize, particularly in the context of this book, which presents tantra, or the vajrayana teachings of Buddhism. Many people in America have heard about tantra as the “sudden path”—the quick way to enlightenment. Or they may have heard that tantra is a form of free expression or sexual liberation or some kind of full-blown emotionalism. But it is important to realize that tantra is not separate from the rest of the Buddhist path. Exotic ideas about tantra are not just misconceptions; they could be quite destructive. It is both dangerous and fruitless to attempt to practice tantra without first establishing a firm ground in the basic Buddhist teachings.

The Buddhist path is traditionally divided into three major yanas or vehicles: the hinayana, the mahayana, and the vajrayana. Hinayana literally means the “small or lesser vehicle,” but it would be more accurate to call it the “narrow way.” The hinayana is small or narrow in the sense that the strict discipline of meditation narrows down, or tames, the speed and confusion of mind, allowing the mind to rest in its own place. The hinayana is also called the “immediate yana” because hinayana practice allows simple and direct experience of our own minds and of the world. We begin to realize that whatever we experience—whether good or bad, positive or negative—is workable, tamable.

As well as the discipline of meditation, the hinayana also stresses the importance of postmeditation discipline. Discipline in Sanskrit is
shila
, and in Tibetan it is
tsültrim (tshul khrims). Tsül
means “proper” or “appropriate”;
trim
means “regulation,” “law,” or “norm.” So tsültrim is practicing “proper conduct” or “proper discipline,” according to the example of the Buddha.

During his lifetime, the Buddha established disciplinary rules of conduct that are strictly applied in monastic life. These are called the
vinaya
in Sanskrit, or
dülwa
(
’dul ba
) in Tibetan. Both
vinaya
and
dülwa
literally mean “taming.” So in general, vinaya can be understood as any discipline that we practice in order to tame our being.

In the hinayana, the only way to conduct ourselves is according to the message of vinaya, the message of discipline. Through practicing the proper conduct of tsültrim, our body, speech, and mind are thoroughly tamed, and we are able to quell, or cool off, the heat of neurosis. Because of that, we are able to practice the greater hinayana discipline of not causing harm to ourselves and others. And finally, based on practicing such total discipline, we are able to achieve what is called “individual liberation” (Skt.
pratimoksha;
Tib.
so sor tharpa
.) Individual liberation is a tremendous accomplishment, which enables us to express our basic goodness as human beings.

The mahayana, or the “great vehicle,” is like a wide, open highway in contrast to the narrow path of hinayana discipline. The mahayana goes beyond the hinayana ideal of individual liberation alone. Its aim is the liberation of all sentient beings, which means that everyone, everything, is included in the vast vision of mahayana. All the chaos and confusion and suffering of ourselves and others is part of the path.

The primary discipline of the mahayana is helping others, putting others before ourselves. The training of the mahayana practitioner is to exchange himself for others. As a well-known mahayana slogan puts it: “Gain and victory to others; loss and defeat to oneself.” However, it should be clear that this attitude is not based on self-denial or martyrdom, but rather springs from the development of genuine warmth and compassion. Thus, the mahayana is expansive and embracing.

The third yana, the vajrayana, literally means the “diamond or indestructible vehicle.” The idea of indestructibility here is the discovery of indestructible wakefulness, the discovery of our own innate awakened state of mind, or vajra nature. Since this book deals with the vajrayana teachings, it seems unnecessary to explain too much about them here. However, it is extremely important to understand at the outset that the vajrayana is a continuation of the previous two yanas and that without proper training in the hinayana and mahayana disciplines, it is impossible to step onto the tantric path.

Tantra
literally means “continuity” or “thread.” Hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana are a continuous thread of sympathy and sanity, which is never broken. Vajrayana is further and greater expansion. It is the expression of greater sanity and greater sympathy, arising from the practice of hinayana and mahayana.

Throughout this book the reader will find numerous warnings about the dangers of vajrayana and the importance of beginning at the beginning—with the practice of meditation. When I presented this material at Naropa Institute in the summer of 1974, I felt that it was my duty to warn people about the dangers of vajrayana and also to proclaim the sacredness of these teachings—which go hand in hand.

The audience was a very interesting mixture. There were many people whom we might call “spiritual shoppers,” people sampling tantra as one more interesting spiritual “trip.” There were also a number of people who were quite innocent and open. They happened onto this class by various coincidences and had very little idea of what tantra, or spirituality at all, might be. As well, there were a number of committed students who had been practicing meditation for some time. It was quite a challenge to present tantra to such a mixed group. But for all of these people, it was necessary to stress again and again the importance of meditation as the foundation of all Buddhist practice and the danger of ignoring this prescription.

The entire Buddhist path is based on the discovery of egolessness and the maturing of insight or knowledge that comes from egolessness. In the hinayana, we discover the nonexistence of self through the practice of meditation. Assuming a dignified sitting posture, identifying with the breath, and simply noting thoughts and feelings—basic discursiveness—we begin to make friends with ourselves in a fundamental sense.

By applying mindfulness, or bare attention, to whatever arises during meditation, we begin to see that there is no permanence or solidity to our thought process, and at some point, we begin to realize that there is no permanence or solidity to us. In Sanskrit, the meditative practice of mindfulness is called
shamatha
and in Tibetan it is
shi-ne (zhi gnas). Shine
literally means the development of “peace.” The meaning of peace here is precisely this sense of taming the wildness of mind so that we are alert and able to experience ourselves directly. We are not talking about peace as some kind of trance state: shamatha is the first step in waking up.