The Collected Works of Chogyam Trungpa: Volume One (68 page)

1. The correlation in this chart between the six poisons, the six types of gnosis, and the buddha families is quite unusual. However, there are a number of different systems that associate a particular buddha family with a particular obstacle or poison. The editor felt it was best not to change Chögyam Trungpa’s chart in this regard.—Ed.

2. In later years, Chögyam Trungpa generally translated virya as “exertion.”—Ed.

3. In later years, Chögyam Trungpa referred to samskaras as simply “formations,” since some aspects of samskara, such as time, are not strictly speaking mental formations.—Ed.

4. This is a translation of the Tibetan for
Amoghasiddhi
, which in Sanskrit means “he who accomplishes without fail.”—Ed.

5. The original version of this chart identified smriti as the paramita of mindfulness. We have changed it here to
dhyana
(meditation), the more commonly encountered term for this paramita.—Ed.

6. In the original chart, the hell worlds were called “niraya world.” We have changed the Pali word
niraya
to the Sanskrit
naraka
for consistency with the rest of the terminology in the table.—Ed.

*
The famous mantra of Avalokiteshvara, OM MANI PADME HUM, is popularly referred to as “the six-syllable mantra.” The version of this mantra described by Chögyam Trungpa in this article has an additional syllable hrih at the end of the mantra. He refers to it as the mantra of seven syllables. The Tibetan sources from which Trungpa Rinpoche took this teaching and the alternate version of the mantra are not known.—Ed.

Taking Refuge

O
N TAKING REFUGE
, the first rule, which is general to all schools of Buddhism, is to know how to respect the triple gem and how to develop a proper sense of reverence.

In Tibet, at the same time as first learning to take refuge in Buddha, dharma, and sangha, Buddhists are also taught the following rules; even the ordinary householders teach their children that these rules are to be respected and obeyed at all times.

The first three rules are prohibitions:

Having taken refuge in the Buddha, do not seek refuge in gods who still dwell in the samsaric plane as they themselves are not free from attachment and suffering.

Having taken refuge in the dharma, do no harm to any beings, nor speak against other religions because these too contain some ethical codes.

Having taken refuge in the sangha, do not consort with people of bad behavior or worldly habits.

The next three rules contain positive instruction:

Taking refuge in the Buddha includes paying respect to the buddharupa or to any other holy image, also to any part of it, broken or otherwise. It should be handled respectfully and with due reverence and never be trodden on (even accidentally) or thoughtlessly picked up (especially not by the head).

In the same way, taking refuge in the dharma includes reverential treatment and respect of books. These should never be used thoughtlessly or as props for other articles. This respect for the scriptures extends to those of other faiths and languages.

Taking refuge in the sangha includes respect to all Buddhist priests not only for themselves but for what they represent. Also respect for one’s teacher is considered very important.

Mahayana lays special emphasis on reverential behavior to the guru who is regarded as the representative of the Lord Buddha himself, and who gives personal guidance to his pupil.

This reverence and esteem for the guru goes even further, for in his buddha aspect he is accepted as the representative of the triple gem in its entirety. The
mind
of the guru is the mind of Buddha as he participates (1) in the realization of the buddha nature; (2) has perception of the buddha mind in the higher levels of meditation; (3) has experience of teaching and the distribution of knowledge combined with extreme compassion for his pupils’ human weaknesses and failings; and (4) has accumulated this spiritual power for the benefit of all mankind.

The guru’s
speech
is the dharma in that he has attained high levels in meditation and can convey this knowledge to his pupils, leading and guiding them to the truth. Spiritual power is also conveyed in his voice which has the capacity to dispel ignorance.

The guru’s
body
is representative of the sangha in that it is the physical vehicle of the teaching.

The mahayana expands the Buddhist teaching of the triple gem by affirming that the buddhas are all comprised under the three kayas: the nirmanakaya (“divine body of incarnation”), sambhogakaya (“divine body of perfect endowment”), and dharmakaya (“divine body of truth”). The dharma is comprised of the three yanas—hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana—while bhikshus and arhats; bodhisattvas and mahabodhisattvas; yogins and vidyadharas constitute the three corresponding forms of the sangha.

Whichever form of Buddhism is followed, the observance of these rules is necessary for the development of a proper sense of reverence toward the triple gem. To disregard them can only result in harm to the individual, the building up of bad karma, and the deterioration and eventual loss of religious aptitude, while to follow them will result in greater perception and understanding.

Early Tibetan Buddhism

I
N THIS TALK ON
Tibetan Buddhism I want to give you a general outline of the teaching associated with the early history of Tibet.

Tibetan Buddhism has not been clearly presented outside Tibet, and there has been some misunderstanding, largely due to the complexity and richness of its outlook. Therefore, if we go through the historical developments we shall, I think, see the general pattern that the development of karma took in Tibet.

I am sure most of us know that nothing could be just by chance, just coincidence. There is always a meaning behind; whether it is a simple, mundane, small thing, such as happens in everyday life, or a general historical event in the world. The development of Buddhism in Tibet also took the pattern needed by each particular period in that country.

Most of you know that before Buddhism came to Tibet, the local religion was called Bön (or Pön), and this word
Bön
means “dharma.” That is, dharma in the sense of the law, teaching. Particularly this Bön is the law of the universe in the study of the planets, and the change of things. There are two types of Bön, the root and the result, or the fruition of Bön and the origin of Bön. The fruition of Bön is very similar, one might say, to Chinese Taoism and Japanese Shintoism, and there is a profound philosophy of Bön which at the moment we do not know anything about at all. It is simply lost, including its study of nature and its wonderful practice of meditation techniques. Gradually the essence was lost, and then the root Bön, or popular Bön, became associated with the worship of local gods, and also with sacrificial ceremonies, astronomy, astrology, and other subjects, so that it became very popular and remained in Tibet till the seventh century.

Then came one of the first kings of Tibet called Lha Tho-tho-ri. The story tells that there was a vessel discovered one day on the roof of the palace. He opened this vessel and discovered a sutra, and also a mani mantra
OM MANI PADME HUM
carved on black jade. Nobody knew where it came from, and no one could read it. Obviously this shows that there was a Buddhist influence already in Tibet, possibly from Nepal. From then on interest in the Buddhist teaching developed. It was not that any particular Indian teachers came to Tibet and converted people, but rather that Tibetans had a general interest and wanted to know something about Buddhism. This interest continued until King Songtsan Gampo, who was one of the kings regarded as an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara. He was one of the great early philosophers of Tibet as well as a wonderful king. During his reign Sambhota of Thön came from India bringing a sacred image of Buddha made of white sandalwood from Ceylon, and he gave this as a gift to the king who then took the five precepts from this bhikkhu. He became the first Buddhist king of Tibet, and particularly he was moved by the teachings of the Buddha associated with nonviolence and compassion, because at that particular stage the Tibetans were rather aggressive.

The tradition of religion was then associated with the offering of sacrificial ceremonies, animals being one of the main things sacrificed. Also several main traditional ceremonies were associated with war. There was the offering of dralas, which means the offering to the warlords, and the whole idea of religion was involved with war, fighting, and killing; so that Songtsan Gampo was very moved by the simplicity and compassionate attitude of Buddhism. Therefore he took Avalokiteshvara as his pattern of a bodhisattva, he introduced the repetition of the
OM MANI PADME HUM
mantra throughout all Tibet, and he wrote twelve volumes of books known as
The Message of Songtsan Gampo
, largely associated with teachings of compassion. It appeared that he was not particularly prepared to change the general tradition of the country, already developed as Bön, but he just, without interfering, introduced a further interest in people’s minds—just the repetition of the mani mantra. He also sent messengers who gave talks about Buddhism associated with compassion and nonviolence. Thus the seed of Buddhism developed in Tibet without forcing, without a conversion. In fact nobody bothered to translate all the scriptures nor attempted to establish any monasteries in Tibet until about seven generations later.

Then there was a Tibetan king called Trisong Detsen, who spent the early part of his life in the usual Bön tradition of conducting the wars and looking after his subjects. He thought a great deal and, by reading the writings of King Songtsan Gampo, he discovered this wonderful teaching of nonviolence and compassion. He felt that this must continue so he decided to establish Buddhism in Tibet. At this particular stage the ministers in power were somehow not sympathetic to Buddhism, therefore he had to find some excuse. To find a way to get people to agree to do this was a very difficult and tricky point. So he called a council of ministers and said that each king had left certain monuments in the country and he also would like to do the same. He told them he thought of two choices; either he would build a bronze pipe for the Brahmaputra, which flows through Tibet, or else he would build a small temple in or near the capital of Tibet. Obviously the ministers agreed that it would be easier to build a small Buddhist temple rather than a very expensive bronze pipe. Of course they did not guess what this involved. The king immediately trained 108 young Tibetan boys as scholars and they were sent to India to study Sanskrit. He also invited one of the Indian pandits called Shantarakshita, who was therefore the first Indian pandit to visit Tibet. He arrived in Tibet but found a great deal of hostility, psychic and physical and against him and the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet. Therefore he advised the king to invite Guru Padmasambhava from Nepal in order to purify and clear the hostile forces.

The geographical shape of Tibet is supposed to be like a demon lying on the ground with the psychic center of Lhasa in the center of the heart and Samye, with its various monasteries, in the center of the forehead. Guru Padmasambhava visited all such centers in Tibet and meditated and also, no doubt, preached to local people until conditions were right both on the psychic level and in the feelings of the people.

Shantarakshita then ordained seven young Tibetans as samaneras. Later on, several hundred more Tibetans were ordained. The monastery of Samye was established which was modeled on Nalanda, one of the monastic universities of the mahayana school of Buddhism in India. Within Samye there is a section for translating, a section for study, a section for meditation, and a section for administration. This great Buddhist institution is based on the same principle as Mount Meru in the center with four islands in the four quarters and a volcanic ring round outside forming a great wall with 108 small chötens around it. Guru Padmasambhava and other great Indian teachers designed it in such a way that the three yanas could develop; with a first introduction of the hinayana, with the 108 young Tibetans ordained in the Sarvastivadin order; then mahayana tradition of bodhisattva ordinations; and then vajrayana, or the study of Buddhist yoga where monks practiced meditation in the Yarlung cave of Samye. This retreat center was built as a model so that future monasteries in the Samye area could be ordered in a similar fashion.

In this way Tibet really became a Buddhist center, a Buddhist country; but still the local Bön priests wanted to maintain power as local leaders. The Tibetan Buddhist teachers accepted this, and providing they remained nonviolent and did not interfere with the development of Buddhism they could remain in Tibet, but, even so, one or two incidents occurred. There is a story from a historical account,
Padma Kathang
, where one particular day the Indian teachers happened to see a great sacrificial ceremony and they smelt the burning of meat from a long distance. As they approached this ceremony they saw the whole scene and from then onward the teachers decided that this was almost directly against Buddhist principles; therefore if this was the Bön teaching, then Buddhism and the Bön tradition could not remain together in one country. Owing to this the king then ruled that nobody was allowed to kill animals, but they were allowed to make images of animals and burn them.

On the whole, because the idea of nonviolence became so popular in Tibet, the country automatically developed toward Buddhism with no particular conversion and no persecution of Bön.

Two generations later a king who was very strongly influenced by the Bön tradition destroyed most of the monasteries in Tibet, with their images and precious scriptures. Fortunately many monks were able to hide in remote areas during this period, so, immediately after the assassination of the king, Buddhism was able to resume its continuity. At this particular stage the state had not organized any formal administration of Buddhism but then various individual provinces sent people to India to study under great Indian teachers and bring back translations from India.