“At that time the Bhagavan spoke to the group of five monks: “when there’s proper consideration of the truth of suffering, of this Dharma never heard before, vision/sight arises awareness (jñāna:yeshe) arises, Wisdom (prajñā/sherab) arises, rigpa arises, and illumination (nang-wa) arises. When there is proper consideration of the noble truths of the origin the sensation of suffering, the path of the sensation of suffering, of this Dharma we never heard before, vision arises, awareness arises, wisdom arises, rigpa arises, and illumination arises.” –from The Brahma’s Net Sutra (Pāli canon)
“For this reason in early Buddhism, the Dharma that Buddha clearly realized is not connected to blind faith, or with no rational basis, or confused faith. As I mentioned before, it’s like illuminating a light, switching on a light in the darkness. it has a clear-luminous nature. It has the nature of clearly knowing, and being aware. That is the general explanation.”
“As it is said in the Sutras, these are all the pointless areas of knowledge or the “lower arts and mantras” and they are all prohibited. So what we can understand is that the word vidya/rigpa in the Sutras does not just mean only spells and mantras, but also can include medical treatment. For example, in the study of Medical Arts (Sowa Rigpa), in the Brahma’s Net Sutra, Buddha speaks about the prohibited ‘knowledge’ mantras and spells, but also prohibits the study and transmission of different areas of worldly knowledge and worldly predictions. –17th Karmapa (Day 4, 2024)
Introduction/Summary
In Day Four of the Summer 2024 teachings, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa really ‘turned on the juice’ of the secret mantra, so to speak! As a result, I felt inspired to provide a full transcript based on the original Tibetan and English translation (with minor edits for repetition), together with this summary.
Not only was it a precious instruction on the nature of mind, wisdom, awareness and full awakening, but the 17th Karmapa expertly crafted it into a teaching on how Secret Mantra teachings connect to those of Early Buddhism.
The 17th Karmapa discussed how blind faith does not lead to full awakening and that many people follow Buddhism and recite mantras with blind faith or out of superstition. Giving the example of laypeople who say they are Buddhists, but as soon as they encounter difficulties they engage in superstitious rituals and offerings. Or like monastics who use praise and flattery to get sponsors and gifts. However, the 17th Karmapa explained that although logic/reasoning/wisdom (detailed in early Buddhist texts) were very important, so was the ‘secret’ aspect of full awakening, the clear-luminous bliss realisation of a Buddha. This is something that cannot be attained by logic or wisdom alone, and is hidden/secret from ordinary beings.
I categorised the Day 4 teaching into these headings (for ease of reading):
- The connection between attaining full awakening in Early Buddhism and the secret mantra
- Like switching on a light (O-sel): the illumination of the ‘darkness’ of ignorance
- The universal truth and nature of reality is the same at all times, for all beings
- Enlightenment is not based on logic or reasoning alone and not on blind faith: Specific explanations on the connection between Early Buddhism and Secret Mantra
- Unsuitable praises of a Buddha: ten virtues, discipline and logical analysis
- Suitable praises of a Buddha: the vast qualities of realisation
- Beyond all reasoning, direct realisation and the clairvoyances
- The importance of Rigpa/Vidyā as knowledge for attaining awakening
- Rigpa (knowledge) mantras/arts: permitted and forbidden types
- The ‘lower/inferior arts/crafts’ mantras listed and prohibited by the Buddha in the Brahma’s Net Sutra
- The prohibitions on the same lower sciences/arts in the precepts of fully ordained nuns
- Summary of the main points of the Day 4 teaching on the ‘rigpa’ mantras/arts
In the second (and final) half of the Day 4 teachings, the 17th Karmapa gave an extensive and very interesting discussion of what are termed rigpa/vidya mantras. There are various meanings of the Tibetan word rigpa, but here it is not “awareness/or open presence” (as is explained by the Buddha etc.), but as “knowledge/crafts”. The Karmapa details specific ‘crafts/arts’ mantras (which were present in Indian non-Buddhist rituals too) that were forbidden by Buddha in Sutras from the Pāli canon, such as the Brahma’s Net Sutra. This lower/inferior (to-me in Tibetan) (or ‘debased’ as the English interpreter says) use of mantra to predict long-life, life-span, protection, and gain worldly things and powers, is often referred to in English as the ‘black arts/magic’.
The Karmapa cites a passage from the Sutra listing the types of prohibited lower/inferior crafts/mantras, including those connected to stupefying and confusing people. Many of which seem to be used by Tantric Buddhist practitioners today, seemingly unaware that Buddha/Early Buddhist texts actually prohibited them! One can read a list of prohibitions in the Sutra here and I was interested to learn that they include not only using mantras to attack and overwhelm people but many, such as engaging and ‘goading’ people in political and worldly discussions about world politics/misfortunes etc., or hoarding money, houses and wealth, are regularly engaged in by some well-known Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoches (I think you and they will know who they are!)
The teaching then concluded with a bullet point clear summary of the teachings on the ‘rigpa’ sciences/mantras and the clear continuity from Early Buddhism to Mahayana to Secret Mantra of the idea/concept of the ultimate wisdom-awareness/rigpa/yeshe of Buddhahood. In that respect, there was no difference between Early Buddhism, which according to the 17th Karmapa contains the ‘seeds’ of Secret Mantra and the other later vehicles in terms of what is ultimately present and realised on full awakening.
Music? Heart Sutra mantra in Sanskrit .
Written and compiled by Adele Tomlin, 3rd August 2024.
17th Karmapa, Origin of Secret Mantra teachings 2024 (Day Four)
Transcript with slides/photos
“The main topic of our Day 4 teaching today is going to be on the view of secret Mantra and Early Buddhism. Now the main topic of the Mar-Ngog summer teachings is the origin of the secret Mantra this is the topic that we’re working with. But if we’re talking about the origins of secret Mantra, during the time of early Buddhism there was no philosophy and practice of the secret Mantra Vajrayana as we have today. Yet, during the time of early Buddhism there were like the seeds of the Secret Mantra View and practice. There were mere seeds of the Vajrayana practice and so I thought we ought to discuss them a little bit.
The connection between attaining full awakening in Early Buddhism and the secret mantra, the illumination of ignorance
First of all, in terms of secret Mantra and direct realisation (ngon-par togpa) of Buddha. In general, the explanation is there are two ways of speaking about the relation between secret Mantra and direct realisation.
The general way that is described is that most contemporary academic researchers and scholars hold that early Buddhism is a Dharma that follows the nature of things, it follows logic (rigpa). They say it is this kind of a Dharma tradition. So many scholars hold in their research that there is really no particular relation between the Buddha’s awakening to complete Enlightenment and the Secret Mantra. The reason for this is that when the Teacher, Buddha achieved the state of Enlightenment and then turned the wheel of Dharma, at that time there was no discussion of secret mantra. So at that point, in this way there could not have been any particular relation between the Buddha attaining the state of Enlightenment and the Secret Mantra. So there are many scholars who say this.
The reason why some scholars hold these views, or why they take these positions is that fundamentally the Dharma that Buddha completely clearly realized, or the achievement of the Buddha is not through blind faith (mong-de). It is achieved through prajñā and was not related to blind faith or superstition.
The all-knowing wisdom in the Buddha’s mindstream is said to be like luminous-clarity (O-sel). Like clear light appearance, it is not total darkness. For this reason, the scholars explain that in early Buddhism the state of Buddhahood is something that comes through logic,it comes through prajñā/wisdom, it is not something that happened through superstition or blind faith. At that time, in India there were many superstitious religions but the Buddhist philosophy and view was not and followed logic. So, the result of Buddhahood is not a result that’s achieved through blind faith.
Like switching on a light that Illumination of the ‘darkness’ of ignorance that fills the entire world and phenomena based on wisdom and awareness
“In the four Agamas (transmissions) the state the Buddha manifested, or the manner in which the Buddha realized the nature of things, the explanation is described like this. The connected discourses where these words appear are here. This is something that I translated very quickly, whether it’s accurate or not I don’t know but this is the basic meaning I think:
“At that time the Bhagavan spoke to the group of five monks: “when there’s proper consideration of the truth of suffering, of this Dharma never heard before, vision/sight arises awareness (jñāna:yeshe) arises, Wisdom (prajñā/sherab) arises, rigpa arises, and illumination (nang-wa) arises. When there is proper consideration of the noble truths of the origin the sensation of suffering, the path of the sensation of suffering, of this Dharma we never heard before, vision arises, awareness arises, wisdom arises, rigpa arises, and illumination arises.”
So, what this is saying is that when the Buddha awoke to completely perfect Enlightenment, all phenomena all became the object that Buddha had clear realization that manifest in his mind, like there was light/illumination, there were no phenomena that he did not see or did not know. It’s like there was light and luminous illumination (O-sel).
It was like the entire world had the appearance of being illuminated and full of light. So it’s like sight arises, awareness/jñāna arises, wisdom/prajñ arises, rigpa arises and illumination arises, as it says. So there could not be any darkness of ignorance or unknowing at all. it was like everything was fully illuminated and the nature of everything and whoever is a Buddha can see the nature of everything exactly as it is. So one could see all phenomena directly in its perception. This is what this says. So for this reason, there are other quotes about this but I don’t need to recite them now. This is something that I translated but I’m not sure whether it’s accurate. So for the other ones I don’t need to read.
In any case what these Sutras teach is when the Buddha woke to Buddhahood = the way it appeared to him at that time, or the experience or understanding he had is given in many different explanations.
The universal truth and nature of reality is the same at all times and for all beings and realised in dependence on wisdom
“So when they explain the type of image, or the way he saw the realization, it is that the Dharma is something that must be realized by each individual. It is something that every individual needs to clearly realize for themselves and needs to know for themselves. What is the Dharma that is clearly realized? It is a Dharma that transcends time. 2,500 years ago all that the Buddha saw is the truth of nature of reality. So 2,500 years the nature of all reality is still exactly the same. It is not like over the course of 2,500 years the nature of reality, the way things are have changed. So, the nature that the Buddha saw 2,500 years ago and the nature of things that we have now did not change, itis not like they’re different. So, the nature of things at any time, no matter what the era is truth by Nature. it is like the nature of things and and so there’s no way that it can change.
Likewise, that time of truth is when the Buddha saw that the nature of things is exactly the same for all of people. Now we can’t see what the Buddha saw, but if at some point we would be able to see the nature seen by the Buddha exactly as he did, then what the Buddha saw and what we would see would be exactly the same.
So it’s a truth for all beings, it’s not like a truth only for the Buddha, or not only a truth for Noble beings. Likewise that truth of the nature of things is something that can be shown to everyone it’s not a question of whether all should be able to it’s only a question of whether people are able to realize it or not, or understand it or not. The nature of something can be realized by all sentient beings and it’s not that we need to keep secret or hide it from anyone, or to explain it from another perspective. When the Buddha saw the nature of all phenomena, the nature of the Dharma, that nature that he saw, the Dharma that he saw, has the nature of permeating the entire world. It is like all pervasive.
It is not just like a truth for the Buddha alone, it’s not that something that only the Buddha can see and no one else can. If we get to that level ourselves we can all see it too. So, for this reason it pervades the whole world, it’s a universal truth. The truth that is explained in the Sutra is to explained to be like this. It is a universal all-pervasive Truth. It is true in all worlds whether you’re noble individual, or an ordinary individual. The actual nature, whatever it is, stays exactly the same. It is not like it’s true for Buddhas and false when ordinary individuals see it. The truth has the nature of always remaining true. So there’s nothing to keep secret, or there is not something that needs to be distinguished for different individuals. It is not something that only appeared to the Buddha, that won’t appear to anyone else. Actually, it is not that all the Buddha only saw there’s nothing else. It is not like that, it is actually a universal truth.
Another way of looking at it, is that the Dharma is something we can realize, the nature of reality, of all phenomena is something that we can realize, It is something we can manifest. For this reason, the Dharma of early Buddhist tradition can be understood and known rationally, it teaches that it’s something that the Buddha realizes through jñāna/yeshe and prajñā/sherab. It is not something or a religion that was taught that must be realised on the basis of mere blind faith. The Buddha did not say that you can achieve full awakening through faith alone, you also need to use your intelligence, awareness (jñāna) and wisdom (prajñā). So when talking about the Dharma that Buddha realized and the Dharma he manifested it must be realized through prajñā/wisdom. So the clear and direct realization must come through knowing the nature of reality in dependence on prajñā.
So within the teachings and tenets of early Buddhism, such as about the four noble truths, the 12 interdependent links, the five aggregates and the four views of selflessness, and all these other foundational views, all these are about ways we need to seek out the nature through prajñā/sherab. When it is teaching about many philosophical presentations of Dharma, these are saying that in dependence on prajñā/wisdom, we need to examine nature of reality, and we need to come to know the nature of things on the basis of prajñā.
For this reason in early Buddhism, the Dharma that the Buddha clearly realized is not connected to blind faith, or with no rational basis, or confused faith. It is as I mentioned just before, it’s like illuminating a light, switching on a light in the darkness. it is like this clear-luminous nature. It has the nature of clearly knowing, and clearly being aware. That is the general explanation.”
It is not based on logic, reasoning or prajñā alone: Specific explanations on the connection between Early Buddhism and Secret Mantra
However, if we look at the specific explanations, the general explanation is as I said, but if you actually look at the actual reality about the Buddha’s awakening or the bodhicitta of the Buddha’s clearly realised Dharma, it is not solely related to and based on logical reasoning and prajñā. Of course it did depend upon prajñā, and reasons and logic, but it’s not solely based upon that.
The example is emphasized in the Mahayana. This says that the Buddha’s Enlightenment or the clearly realised Dharma of the Buddha is beyond words. It is inconceivable. it is not something we can speak about, it’s not something that we can explain. So this is really emphasized in the Mahayana teachings. Similarly, this is also found in the scriptures of early Buddhism.
The reason why is as it is said in the Brahmajāla Sūtra/Brahma Net Sutra[1], As I said the other day, it is in the long discourses of the Pāli scriptures. As I said, there are the five Nikayas and among them there are the long discourses. The first of these is the Brahma’s Net Sutra and what it says in the Sutra:
“Monks, it is only to trifling, insignificant matters, to minor details of mere moral virtue, and of discipline that an ordinary being would refer when speaking in Praise of a Tagatha.”
The concise meaning of this is that when worldly people are praising the Buddha, and speaking in praise of the Buddha, they’re saying nice things about the Buddha, in brief this is basically praising or celebrating the Buddha. Such people would say “oh the Buddha really keeps very good discipline, and he practices the 10 virtues and so forth.” These are the things that they praise the Buddha for. However, for the Buddha to keep discipline and accomplish virtue is actually kind of trivial and insignificant, and really not so important. They are just basically the Buddhist daily activities, but they’re not the vast activities, or vast qualities of a Buddha, they are not the most significant of a Buddha at all.
Suitable Praises of a Buddha: the vast qualities of realisation
Then the Sutra continues:
“Monks, there other Dharmas, deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful and sublime. Beyond the sphere of reasoning, subtle, comprehensible only to the wise, which the Tathagata, having realized from himself with direct knowledge propounds to others. It is concerning these that those who rightly praise the Tatagata in accordance of reality would speak.”
So it continues. What this is actually saying is most ordinary, worldly people think: “oh in Buddhism, it is important we go for refuge, refuge is really important.” So if you want to praise the Buddha, then what are you going to praise? What they offer and praise is the Buddha really has excellent discipline the Buddha doesn’t lie, the Buddha does not kill. So they pray in this way they praise the Buddha for keeping the ten virtues and so forth. They say this is the Buddha, excellent, this is wonderful, the praise him for that.
Actually, when we think about it, for the Buddha these are actually really small qualities and small deeds, they are not his greatest deeds or activities. They are not the most significant and important qualities of his activities. In actuality, if you really wanted to praise the Buddha, if you wanted to offer really vast praise to the Buddha, you would praise the Dharma that the Buddha realized clearly or manifested. One would speak about the qualities of realization in the Buddha’s mind. These are what we would have to praise, we’d have to speak about the qualities of abandonment and realization. In particular, the extremely profound qualities of realization that are “deep, difficult to see and difficult to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the sphere of reasoning.”
Of course, when we say Scholars at that time, they were actually people who were really skilled in the meaning So “something that only the wise/scholars could realize” about what the Buddha realized what he was able to realize. So this is the amazing, completely perfect quality. So if we could praise this quality, then that would be a praise that really hits the mark. It is praising what is actually worthy of being praised. However, most ordinary individuals don’t know how to make such praises.
In any case, at that time in the Brahma Net Sutra, it says that the Dharma that Buddha directly realized, when speaking about the nature and the qualities of it, “is difficult to see, difficult to know, peaceful, subtle, and Beyond the sphere of reasoning”.
So, here when we say reasoning, in Sanskrit, the word is taka. Sometimes, we talk about the five groups of Taka (reasoning) in the tradition, we are talking about the five different schools of the Takas. So these are the same word of Taka in Sanskrit. Taka means someone who’s examining things logically and spending all their time considering things logically with reasoning. So this is the meaning of the word reasoning in “beyond all reasoning”. The actual original word in Tibetan (togai) is actually Taka in Sanskrit. In other words, only using logical analysis and reasoning.
So, to describe it in another way, the Buddha’s clear realization transcends the sphere of reasoning or the squeal of logicians. So it cannot be understood speaking about it and using logic, it’s not something you can understand by just speaking about it. That is why it is “difficult to know and difficult to see.”
Direct realisation and clairvoyances of profound and secret knowledge
Likewise, in this same passage it says:
“that the Buddha realized for himself with direct knowledge (rangi ngon-pa she).”
Here the word for direct realization is in Sanskrit Abhijñānāti. In Pāli, Janna in Sanskrit Jānā. In Sanskrit, it means clearly knowing, clearly realizing or manifestly knowing. So knowing something very clearly. In this passage, the Abhijñānāti means not only knowing but it also includes the meaning of clairvoyance. For example the clairvoyance of miracles, the divine eye, and so forth. The six clairvoyances that we teach about. So Abhijñānāti is the word for clairvoyance (ngon-she). It the same word in Sanskrit. Clairvoyance is when someone has realized themselves these clairvoyances, that have the property of being secret or profound. Secret means like hidden, it’s something that ordinary people are not able to know. It is like hidden or secret awareness/yeshe that has this property or characteristic. For this reason, it is beyond the sphere of reasoning. Or in other words, the Buddha’s awakening, or the Buddha’s clear realization can only be manifested through the profound or secret primordial-awareness (yeshe). So, the Dharma that Buddha realized is difficult for ordinary people to know, “difficult to see and beyond the sphere of reasoning.” Because ordinary people cannot realize that the realization of the Buddha has that hidden secret or very secret nature. That is why there are these different words. In actuality, it’s quite possible that they had realised, but with the Buddha’s awareness (yeshe) itself, the Buddha nature itself has the profound and secret qualities.
The importance, role and meanings of the word ‘rigpa’
The way we know this is, we talk about the clear realization of the Buddha or we talk about the enlightenment of the Buddha which is clear realization. The word for the clear realisation in Tibetan is jangchub or ngon-pa-togpa . In Sanskrit, the word for direct realisation is sometimes vidyā (rigpa in Tibetan) in Pali, vijja. In Sanskrit, this word vidya is also used for the clear realization of a Buddha. How do we know this? As I cited in the quote, before awakening, “vision arises, awareness arises, prajñā arises, rigpa arises, and clear illumination arises.”
So it says: “rigpa arises” the word rigpa/vidya means awareness there. So in the Indian language, when you say vidya/rigpa it can also be understood to mean like knowledge or science. Sometimes it means an area of knowledge or a field of knowledge that we study. We can talk about the ten areas of knowledge or the five areas of knowledge.
Not only that, this word Vidya or awareness also means rigpa mantra, when we talk about secret mantras, rigpa mantras. Here the vidya means ripga mantras. For example, the word when it’s used in the Secret Mantra is often translated as knowledge/rigpa mantras in Tibetan. This is not only in the Secret Mantra it is within the Listener school, and the texts of the Theravada school, there are many passages where the word rigpa is used in the sense of mantras, or spells. I will explain more about that later.
So when we talk about the rigpa/yeshe, or the directly realised awareness (ngonpa togpai yeshe) the clear wisdom or clear knowing, one quality that it must have a really amazing nature, or a secret or hidden nature. Or it has secret or hidden meaning and it is clearly stated like that in many passages. It is not that ordinary people cannot realize it and so rigpa definitely must have such a secret meaning.
However, within the scriptures of early Buddhism, when we talk about the wisdom-awareness (yeshe) of clear realization, it’s actually very complicated. The reason why it’s so complicated is that there are actually kind of two different ways to look at it. In the early Buddhism from one perspective, vidya means something that’s logical and based on reasoning and is illuminated knowledge and the clear-luminosity of prajñā/sherab. From another perspective, it’s like a nature that is not hidden. It is something that we can know through logic and reasons. From another perspective it’s something that cannot be realized through realizing so on one hand you can it seems like something you can realize through logic and reasoning. I think that it is not something you can know entirely through reasoning and evidence. So it’s explained in these two ways.
For this reason, one cannot say that within the scriptures of Early Buddhism there is no room for secret awareness wisdom in direct realisation (ngonpa togpai yeshe), because both of these explanations happen and appear in the scriptures of early Buddhism. So on one hand, maybe we talk about the yeshe/awareness, or the awareness wisdom as something that can be achieved through rigpa, through reasons and logic. On the other hand, it is something that cannot be realized through logic and reasoning. So definitely within the teachings of Early Buddhism the notion of jñāna as vidya can also be imbued with a meaning of being secret or hidden. So one cannot say that vidya is solely related to logic and reasoning and so forth. That it is only speaking about something that you have to go through logic and reasoning. It is not like that. It is difficult for ordinary beings, it is hidden and secret for them, it is also explained with this meaning as well.
However, some people say that in the Brahma’s Net Sutra, it says that the Secret Mantra is based on blind faith. So at that time there was a lot of blind faith, there were many different rituals they did, and those are very widespread in India. Also irrational divinations in astrology and there are very strong prohibitions against that in the Brahma’s Net Sutra. For this reason, there’s no connection at all between a Buddha’s rigpa or yeshe wisdom or awareness and the secret Mantra. Because within the Brahma’s Net Sutra it clearly prohibits the practice of superstitious and blind faith mantras and definitions and so forth, are very clearly prohibited in the Sutra. So, there is something we need to consider. From one perspective there is what is taught in the Brahma’s Net Sutra. There is a clear rejection of superstitious mantras and irrational mantras in astrology. That is true. However, within the four agamas there is discussion of protection mantras, words and forth. So it’s important for us to understand this. Actually I will speak about this later, I won’t speak about them today.
In any case, during the Buddha’s lifetime among the public, many people of that time became Buddhist and went for refuge to the Buddha. They believed the Buddha and they studied Buddhism and practiced it. But most of these people were ignorant or deluded, and they didn’t have a lot of education. Of course at that time, there is no education that these days most countries have and give all people the opportunity to receive education they have schools for people to go to. However, at that time in India there was no widespread tradition of giving people the opportunity for education. There were only a few people in the higher castes who had the opportunity to get an education. The people in lower castes had no opportunity to get any education, or to learn how to read. So there are people who would had no education, no diligence, no prajñā. So for that reason there were probably not many people who had the opportunity to practice the Dharma that Buddha taught properly. So, within Buddhism at that time, there are many people who continue to follow the with blind faith. So even among Buddhists of that time just as there were people, some of whom had met the Buddha, who became Buddhist and followed his teachings but there would be more than a few who were superstitious. So for this reason some scholars say that within early Buddhism, that for those who practice Buddhism there must have been two different levels or paths. There’s one level for those who follow logic, the people who didn’t follow with blind faith, who really thought about the reasons and investigated the nature. So there’s one group of people who did that. There must have also been a set of people who primarily followed with blind faith. So these two different groups of disciples.
The Difficulties of Abandoning Wrong Livelihoods: for householders and for monastics
Similarly, it says this in the Great Exposition so what it says in the great exposition of the Vinaya school, is a famous text of the Savastavarda school. It is an Abidhamma text so what it says here is that when speaking about the eight branches of the Noble Path it teaches about right speech and right livelihood, but it also speaks about right action and right speech. So, actually the right livelihood would be included within right speech and right action as right action includes the action that we do. So the right livelihood should be included in that but it’s separate. So what is the reason why right livelihood is explained separately? One reason is that wrong livelihoods are very difficult to give up and eliminating them is very difficult. So for this reason right livelihood is explained separately as a separate category within the eight branches of the Noble Path.
What is the reason why wrong livelihoods are so difficult to purify or abandon? This is described in the Great exposition. I was unable to make the slide for this one so will just describe the main point. It says that wrong livelihood is difficult to abandon and purify, the reason why is that in the world there are two dharmas are two things that are difficult to purify and difficult to give up, and so what are they? For householders, the wrong view is difficult to purify or difficult to abandon and for monastics, the wrong livelihood is difficult to purify and abandon. The reason for this is that there we speak about it’s difficult for householders to give up the wrong views and so it’s very difficult for householders to uh to give up wrong views and the reason for this if you live like a lay practitioner who has the five precepts, very wise one and who knows a fair amount about the Buddhist Dharma and who has properly taken the five precepts and who keeps them. Even for someone like that, if they have some difficult so one day, like they get sick, physical illness or there’s some difficulty in the household or their business doesn’t go well or if they have some other similar sort difficulty, they immediately run off to a worldly deity they go to uh God that some deity of a tree or Shrine or so forth, and they bring some milk and they immediately go and they make an offering to that. They recite some supplications and because their minds are uncomfortable they feel uncomfortable. Even if someone who practices the Dharma they should actually feel comfortable and should be able to think: “I’ve got no problem, I’ve gone to Refuge to the Buddha, I should be fine.” They should have some conviction but they don’t have that and a little bit of a difficulty comes up they s think I need to do something, and they immediately run off and bring their incense, flowers, and milk and so forth. In the Indian tradition they take incense and flowers and go to the shivalinga and pour the milk over the shivalinga and immediately do this and then they feel comfortable because they don’t believe in karma cause and effect. if you do believe in karma, cause and effect there’s no need to do that. But because they don’t believe deeply in karma, cause and effect, when they meet a difficulty then their true nature shines through. That is the biggest difficulty for laypeople.
Now with the monastics the way happens, if you have like a wise monastic who has the full ordination as a Gelong, who really keeps their discipline well. Even someone like that, at that time the livelihood for the fully ordained monks depended upon others so something you had to depend on others because you had to go and beg for your alms it wasn’t like we do where you immediately get food you want, we don’t need to go and beg and you just eat the monasteries food all day. In India it wasn’t like that. In any case every day you had to go out to beg for your food, and if you got it was best and if you didn’t get any you had nothing to do you, had to just be you know stay hungry. Then because your livelihood depended upon others, when you’d see a patron then you’d sort of like to even if you weren’t normally all that well you didn’t have a good posture. You’ sort of stand up and try to look good and speak nicely and be really nice to the patron it’ be very caring to them you’d take great interest them. Wishing in order to get food to get what you need for your livelihood you would put on very nice airs and graces. This is actually a wrong livelihood actually as it said that you cannot flatter or praise people for that.
So this means if a patron once gave you something and you need to say “oh please give me another one” but you aren’t able to ask that yourself. So in order to request that you say: “In the past you gave me this thing, it was a really helpful, it was really good, I used it a lot at that time, it was something that I really needed at the time.” So you speak like that and what you’re saying implicitly is “give me what you gave me before” is what you’re saying implicitly. That is why for a monastic, giving up wrong livelihood is really difficult. Giving up a wrong livelihood and practicing a right livelihood is very difficult because your livelihood depends on others. So it’s very it’s difficult to give up flattering and buttering up your patrons and for the monastics. For the householder it’s very difficult to give up the wrong view and to develop the correct worldly View and believe in karma cause and effect.
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Prohibited Rigpa/Knowledge mantras and the debased or animal arts/sciences
“I will now explain the term rigpa mantras. When we speak about rigpa (knowledge) mantras, first of all in the scriptures of early Buddhism we need to speak about the rigpa mantras that were prohibited in early Buddhism. Now in the Pāli five Nikāya are five sets of discourses among which are those called the long discourses. The first Sutra in the long discourses is the Sutra of Brahma’s Net and in this Sutra there are many prohibitions of rigpa/vidyā mantras, saying that one is not allowed to practice them. I will speak about this.
As I mentioned before, in the Sutra of Brahma’s Net, in Sanskrit the word is vidyā, and in Pāli, vijjā. which in Tibetan is translated as rigpa. So, if we talk about what is rigpa in ancient days, the way they understood vidya/rigpa is like miraculous mantras or spells. What is an amazing mantra? It is something that has a particular power and because of this they called it as the miraculous, or amazing mantras. There are many rituals using the pacifying, expanding, magnetizing and destroying mantras, which were present in India. So rigpa mantras refers to these amazing mantras.
At that time, the rigpa mantras, if we think about them, are actually similar to our present day science. The reason why they are similar to science is that is they have certain cause that produces a certain result, like in science today. For example, if I say it very simply in terms of the scientific way, It is like when one joins hydrogen and oxygen to get water. There are certain causes that produce certain results. As science tells us that if all the necessary causes and conditions are all present, they will definitely produce that result, we have great confidence in science. Similarly, at that time, rigpa mantras also seem to have this sort of power. If one accomplishes the rigpa mantra, then it produces some sort of power or capacity. In this way, it is similar to the sciences of today.
So, when the word vidyā/rigpa is used in the scriptures of early Buddhism it can be categorised into two types. The first is the rigpa/vidyā that the Buddha accepted, the awareness wisdom that Buddha would explain. There is also the rigpa that Buddha did not accept. So, in other words, there is the rigpa that Buddha accepted, and the rigpa that he did not accept.
For example, the rigpa that Buddha accepted was the one in Buddhist words he calls the ultimate awareness with the word yeshe. That sort of rigpa/vidya is something that the Buddha accepted. So, in Early Buddhism we say this is the type of rigpa that the Buddha accepted. What is the rigpa that Buddha did not accept, and he also prohibited? They are the different rigpa or knowledge mantras that appear in the Brahma’s Net Sutra. These are all included in the second type that Buddha prohibited.
In the Brahma’s Net Sutra, there are what are called the lower/inferior rigpa, which means the inferior knowledge, or lower, pointless arts and sciences (rigpa). Sometimes it’s translated as lower knowledge. and sometimes translated as animal sciences. So the lower/inferior rigpa, is also translated as the animal sicences and mantras in the Chinese scriptures. In any case, this Brahma’s Net Sutra and in the Sutra of the Results of the Spiritual way of the Path both include these prohibitions of lower rigpa arts and sciences.
For example, from Brahma’s Net Sutra it speaks about the lower knowledge/arts, such as that prophesying long-life, Prosperity, or the reverse, by examining the marks on a person’s limbs, hands or feet. Basically, like reading palms as people do, they look at your palms and examine what’s going to happen in your life. Also, by means of examining omens and signs which basically means in Chinese it is translated Mo-deb, suspicion-making predictions on the basis of thunderbolts and portents. Interpreting ominous dreams. Examining marks on the body, such as in the old times in when the Buddha was born and they there were people who came and looked at the marks of his body. As soon as he was born when they saw his body, they said in his future he will either become a universal Emperor or he’ll become a Buddha and they made the prediction. So like telling fortunes from the various marks or features on the body.
Also they’re making predictions from marks on cloth knawed by mice. So the mice would chew through cloth and they looked at the patterns of those and make predictions from that. Offering fire offerings and fire sacrifices. Offerings of husks, rice powder, rice grains. These are different types of offerings, such as husks, rice. Then ghee and also oil offerings. Mouth Offerings, I’m not sure what that means. Offerings of blood sacrifices. Making predictions based on the fingertips. Determining the site for house or garden is basically sort of like entertainment. It is similar to our present day entertainment in Chinese making predictions for the officers of state. So these are making predictions that you need to make for politicians. The knowledge of charms to bury demons in a cemetery and so forth. These are the charms you need to deal with demons the knowledge of charms. Curing those ones possessed by ghost so this is when people are um possessed then by ghosts and so on. Then there is snake craft. The arts of poison, such as the poison of scorpions, these are probably poisonous aquatic scorpions. Rat crafts. Bird crafts; also the crafts of crows. There is also the ‘craft’ of telling the number of years the person has left to live, predicting the number of years someone has left to live. Then the craft of giving protection from arrows. So in the old days you they used arrows and spears and swords and so on. So if you’re struck by an arrow you need a spell/craft to prepare and recover from that. Then also craft to understand the language of animals. These are ways to examine that so forth these are the sorts of Vidya crafts mantras that were prohibited. So in the Brahma’s Net Sutra it lists many different types of debased ‘knowledge’ mantras. One can see there are mantras, sciences or areas of knowledge and these are all prohibited.
Basically, one can say the lower/inferior crafts, or the animal arts what this includes are palmistry, reading palms, examining dreams looking at the various different types of omens and auras. The second type is the fire offerings, of ghee, different types of fire offerings. Then also the sciences about homes or exams, various knowledge about snakes, boats, poison and so forth. Then also the protection related to war and battle to give protection during this, so these are also overcome. There also many others and I don’t need to recite them. For example, what it says about the knowledge of how to make weapons and possessions, also the examination and knowledge of men and women, the science of animals. There are many areas of knowledge and crafts about military activities. There is also the examination of when there will be eclipses, the Sun and the Moon, also examination of stars. Also the different types of activities or areas of knowledge about reconciling people. Also about astrology or politics, or the many areas of knowledge for ordinary life and even including medical treatments.
As it is said in the Sutra, these are all the pointless areas of knowledge or the “lower arts and mantras” and they are all prohibited. So what we can understand from this is that the word rigpa in the Sutras does not just mean only spells and mantras, but also can include medical treatment. For example, in the study of Medical Arts (Sowa Rigpa), Buddha talks about many of the worldly areas of knowledge that are also included here in this. In the Brahma’s Net Sutra, along with the prohibited ‘knowledge’ mantras and spells, it also prohibits many different areas of worldly knowledge and study and different types of worldly predictions. So, the one thing we need to understand when we talk about vidya or rigpa/knowledge here, it means lower/inferior sciences or the arts. For example, when the Mahayana spread and Buddhism developed, what it says in the Mahayana Sutras is that Bodhisattvas must study the five sciences/areas of knowledge and I often quote this. But the five Sciences are all prohibited in the Sutra of Brahma’s Net. So here vidya/rigpa means the lower Arts and Sciences.
The Vinaya Sutras and the Studies of the ‘Gang of Six’ monks: prohibitions on mantras that ‘confuse and incapacitate’ people or raise the dead
These ‘lower sciences/arts’ are not only prohibited in Sutra of Brahma’s Net but also in many different parts of the Vinaya. For example, in the Pāli Vinaya there are generally three different main parts, the first is the points of chapter this and the second is the aggregate so the contents, and the last is the appendix. The second part in terms of aggregates, the middle part, in Tibetan this includes what are called the Vastu the chapters on discipline or the finer points of discipline. This has 22 different sections in the Tibetan tradition, the chapters on discipline have seven different chapters so here there are 22 different sections. These are divided into two parts: the major and the minor. So this is the minor part, and is talking about the gang of six.
The gang of six means those among the fully ordained monks who created many issues and did not follow the precepts so these rules were made because of the all the various different things that the members of the gang of six did. Here at this point, when talking about whether one can study the inferior/lower sciences or not, all that arose because of the studies of the gang of six. They studied these lower fields of knowledge and because of that the Buddha told the monks, “you should not study these pointless sciences and if you do it will be an infraction.” That’s one thing that the Buddha said. Then the Gang of Six started to teach these animal sciences to others. So, the Victor then said that they may not teach these. This is in the minor section in the Pali Vinaya and is similar to the finer points of discipline in the Tibetan Canon.
For example, in the Tibetan tradition, we usually talk about the precepts spoken about in the four chapters on discipline of the finer points. These are primarily precepts about things we need to do, whereas the precepts in the Pratimoksha and so on, are the prohibitions are also an important point to understand, because it was taught that these are breaches of discipline.
In the five part Vinaya of the Mahīśāsaka school, the fully ordained monks would learn spells and mantras that would incapacitate, confuse and block others. There are spells that could do this. So the Buddha then prohibited them and said if they if studied and did this it would be a breach and fault and problem.
Also, in the five part Vinaya of the Mahīśāsaka school, it says some Buddhists were studying mantras to raise the dead after someone passed away. Buddha taught that they must not recite such mantras, and if they did, it would be an breach/downfall.”
No prohibitions in the precepts of fully ordained monks but mentioned in nuns’ precepts
So there are many other such instances where the Buddha said that it’s not okay for the Monks to study these types of knowledge or rigpa and many such passages teaching this. But among the 250 precepts of fully ordained monks there are none about learning these pointless types of knowledge or the animal arts. So within the 250 precepts for fully ordained monks there are no prohibitions against learning the lower/animal arts.
However, for the fully ordained nuns, it says if they study the lower/debased sciences/ knowledge, there are precepts that say it is not okay. There is an actual precept prohibiting this. We can know this because in the Pāli Vinaya there are the downfalls for the fully ordained nuns and one category of the precepts, so the 49th of the downfalls is related to these lower arts. What it says here is that the gang of six fully ordained nuns so in the Vinaya there’s a gang of six nuns. In the Tibetan translations the Vinaya text we talk about the monks gang of six but for the nuns, there’s no gang of six. There is a monk gang of six who behave badly and did all sorts of different things one a group of them or The Gang of six. In the Pāli Vinaya there is the gang of 12 fully ordained nuns who all behaved badly. So, we talk about the gang of 12 there’s no gang of six in the Tibetan tradition, but in the Pāli there is a gang of six for nuns as well. So the gang of six fully ordained nuns also studied the debased arts, or the animal arts, and because of this they were criticized by lay people. The Buddha learned of this and he said from now on you may not study these lower/inferior Arts. This is the 49th of the downfalls of the Pāli fully ordained nuns Vinaya. Likewise, the 50th downfall prohibits teaching the inferior sciences to others. So for that reason it’s actually prohibited and included as a precept.
Similarly, in the Vinayas translated into Chinese there are also similar passages for the fully ordained nuns. To give one example, in the Dharmaguptika four divisions of the Vinaya, which is again speaking about the gang of six nuns who studied various different areas of knowledge, primarily these knowledge mantras. When other nuns heard about this, there were quite a few who were content and had few desires, who admonished the gang of six nuns. They said “why do you need to study these rigpa mantras and inferior knowledge?” They criticized and reprimanded them and then the nuns reported them to the Buddha who then reprimanded the gang of six, saying that such behaviours are not in accordance with the spiritual way. That if the nuns study such worldly or pointless areas of knowledge, it is a downfall.
Also, in the Pratimokha of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, it says if study it from a layperson, or if they teach the lower sciences to a lay person then, it is a downfall.
Also, in the Bikshuni vows of the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya schools, it describes the prohibitions of various different types of rigpa mantras. Similarly in the Vinaya Mahasangika school it says that if they learn the rigpa mantras from another teacher it is a downfall. There’s also in the Bikshuni vows of the Mulasarvāstivāda schools in Tibetan. There are 180 downfalls for the fully ordained nuns. Of these 180, there are 72 that are common to the monks and the nuns, but there are some particular ones for the nuns. So there are 108 of these, and among these, the 34th I think, is if you learn a rigpa mantra from a householder it is a downfall. The story behind this is that of Sthulananda who was one of the badly behaved nuns. She went to study a magical spell from a lay person and then because of this the rule was made. The way it became a downfall is that if a fully ordained nun learns even a little bit of rigpa mantra from a lay person then it is a downfall. Even learning a short Mantra is prohibited.
Similarly within the Tibetan MulasarvāstivādaVinaya, the 35th of the particular downfalls for the nuns, is if you make a householder read and learn one from them it is a downfall. So this is Sthulananda, the same nun. When she was in the area of Shravasti there was a there was a householder man whom she made to read one to her. So “you memorize that” she said and then he recited it and she taught it to him two and three times. We talk about giving a Transmissions, you have to recite it over and over two or three times at least. until they remember it. That person said “O Noble One, I’ve memorized it completely I really memorized it purly so you don’t need to say it again you don’t need to worry about it.” he said. Then Sthulananda said to him “keep repeating it”, she made him recite it over and over again. At a certain point that person got angry and he said “I’ve already completely memorized it so why you’re still making me.” He got angry about it and said: “I don’t need this spell, I’m not going to study this, I’m stopping, that’s enough for me.” he said. Then he left. At that time there was a there was another nun, who was another nun as they were not allowed to go out alone, and so there was a fully ordained nun who was accompanying them at that time. So the nun said to Sthulananda: “Venerable One, why are you annoying everyone so much? Why are you doing that?” So then Sthulananda said: “It’s not a problem, it’s just words, its not important, there’s no problem.” So she just completely ignored it. So then the nun was completely surprised and said: ” no matter how badly that person speaks about you, then you never get angry but you don’t feel any affliction, it’s really amazing.” she praised Tulanda about this. When later the nuns asked the Bhagavan Buddha about it, he made the precept and said: “you’re not allowed to teach the rigpa mantras to others and you’re not allowed to make them recite them.
In any case, the main point as I said before, if you think about the way it’s described in the different scriptures and different schools in the early Buddhism there were the lower/inferior Arts. That are very clearly prohibited. So for this reason within early Buddhism you say rigpa, or in Sanskrit, Vidya is probably something used in a negative sense, as something to be prohibited. This is more frequently used in that context.”
The different and positive meaning and use of the word ‘rigpa’ as ‘awareness’
So, in general occasionally, Vidya is sometimes used as something that the Buddha accepted, but more frequently used in the sense of something to be prohibited. For example, the word for ignorance in early Buddhism is Avidya. So in that context, primordial awareness is Vidya, and ignorance is Avidya, or in Pāli, Avijja. So the awareness that is the opposite of ignorance is called Enlightenment.
Likewise in the Dharmaguptika Vinaya, the four part Vinaya there are also description as a ignorance ceasing and awareness arising, and these are like descriptions of what it’s like to achieve enlightenment, to achieve the state of a Buddha. So there are a few such passages but there are only a very few such instances. Mostly when describing the realization awakening of a Buddha the words that they use are Prajna/wisdom, or they talk about perfect Enlightenment Sambodhi, these sorts of words to illustrate, or to describe enlightenment. These words are used more frequently but that word Vidya is not used very frequently.
However, if we think about it from another perspective, the word for awareness in early Buddhism and so Vidya or Vijja, that I’ve mentioned earlier, is used only a few times so Prajna and Enlightenment Awakening used for and the word awareness is used less frequently numerically. However, within the words of early Buddhism the word the use of the word Vidya for enlightenment is very clear. How do we know that it’s used? I’ve given many examples and so to give another example, the Buddha has many different names. Tathagata, the completely perfect Buddha and so forth. So in the Chinese tradition we talk about the ten epithets. So, within the Tibetan Buddhism we don’t use that term so much the 10 names of the Buddha. In any case, among the 10 epithets for the Buddha, one of them is the “one with awareness and conduct”. Here, the word for awareness is vidya. Moreover, when we talk about the clairvoyance of a Buddha remembering his past lives, the Clairvoyance of the Divine, the Clairvoyance of knowing the extinction of defilements, these three Clairvoyance are called the three awarenesses. They’re called three awarenesses and in this context the word in the original language is again Vidya.
So, if we think about this point, the three awarenesses in clairvoyance, awareness and the word clairvoyance are basically synonymous. So, Vidya in the Dharmaguptika Vinaya, actually also does include some of the qualities or properties of awareness Mantra. I think it is reasonable to say this. So, later, during the time of the Mahayana, if a Sutra was said to have the nature of an awareness Mantra then at that point they use the word rigpa to mean awareness.”
The great ‘rigpa’ mantra of the Heart Sutra and Prajñāpāramitā
“For example, in the Heart Sutra it reads the mantra of transcendent Prajñā/wisdom, the mantra of great awareness, the best mantra the mantra equal to the unequal, the mantra that pacifies all suffering, right? So here when this is the mantra of great awareness or you could also turn this as the great awareness mantra, here the mahavidya, that vidya is awareness itself. Not only is it awareness, that vidya and mantra are combined to become vidya mantras. or awareness mantras. Moreover the Prajñāpāramitā itself is also said to be a great awareness mantra. If someone recites it and memorizes it they said to be able to dispel all suffering. also in the 8,000 lines Sutra it’s not exactly this is a Chinese Sutra, it’s not exactly the same as the Prajñāpāramitā Sutra in 8,000 lines, but it’s basically the same. In the third chapter on stupas, and the fourth chapter on awareness mantras, it says that Prajñāpāramitā itself is a great awareness Mantra. This is said many times.
Not only that it says that memorizing even a single phrase or line from the Prajñāpāramitā Sutras has the benefit of preventing harm from poisonous snakes. it says that if you recite the Mantra it will prevent that poison, they will not bite you and run away. It also says that the four Great Kings will always protect you and it says it will also protect you if enter a battle, you will neither be killed or injured. So practicing the Prajñāpāramitā Sutras also has great benefits. Not only is the awareness mantra in there, but if you practice the mantras in the sutras themselves as an awareness Mantra, that also has the same benefits. Likewise, it also says in the ninth vesicle of the Prajñāpāramitā Sutra in 100,000 lines that transcended prajna is the great awareness Mantra, it is the unexcelled Mantra, and the Mantra equal to the unequalled. There’s also a great commentary on the 100,000 Lines Prajñāpāramitā Sutra said to be written by Nagarjuna. In Tibetan, in the fifth fascicule, it says of all awareness mantras, the Prajñā Mantra is the greatest. So, this is about the Mahayana.
Likewise, when the teachings of Secret Mantra spread, the presentations such as the of awareness that the vidya became extremely important. What we can understand from this is that the propertie,s or the nature of a mantra were also present from the very beginning, like the seeds of it. Or the critical points were probably present from the period of early Buddhism.”
Summary of 17th Karmapa’s teaching on ‘rigpa/knowledge’ mantras
1. In early Buddhism. the Buddha did prohibit using lower/inferior rigpa/knowledge/mantras. He accepted that there was rigpa (knowledge) but not using rigpa as a mantra or spell, using it as a inferior knowledge mantra. However, he also called the ultimate wisdom by the term ‘rigpa’/awareness that’s one point.
2.The second point is that the word rigpa/awareness has many different meanings, according to the Buddha’s words:
— In early Buddhism the Buddha did prohibit using knowledge or inferior arts mantras. Rigpa can mean the ultimate wisdom. So the word rigpa is described as wisdom.
–In general, rigpa can be like a field of knowledge or a science.
— In the Mahayana, the meaning of rigpa is expanded, so it also means the five sciences that a Bodhisattva must study. It speaks about the sutras that have mantric properties. We often hear about the Mantra of great awareness.
–In the Secret Mantra, rigpa is also spoken about as ‘awareness’ as wisdom, but also as it is related to the activities, such as ancient Sciences, related to medicine. So in the ancient days, the rigpa mantras in the fields of Science were knowledge. So the fields of medicines, substances and mantras are all science at that time. If you get sick you have to take medicine to get better and you believe it, and they considered doing mantras and taking medicine to be the same. They believed that using mantras helped. So in the old days, mantras were very similar to science and they believed in their power in the same way.
3. The Buddha’s own individual awareness that he manifested through his own prajñā. As Buddhism spread, the concept and understanding of rigpa actually broadened too, but it’s basic core meaning remains the Buddha’s own individual awareness what he manifested through his own prajñā/wisdom. The realization through an own individual’s experience this sort of awareness there’s no change in that. There is no difference in the Buddha’s own individual awareness. As Buddhism spread, the concept and understanding of rigpa actually broadened too, but it’s basic core meaning remains the Buddha’s own individual awareness what he manifested through his own prajñā/wisdom. The realization through an own individual’s experience this sort of awareness there’s no change in that. There is no difference in the Buddha’s own individual awareness.
4. In brief, there are presentations of ‘rigpa’ in the different Buddhist traditions, for example the Early Buddhist tradition, the Mahayana tradition, or the secret mantra tradition. It takes those different forms, yet they all primarily originate from the way the Buddha’s wisdom/awareness was presented. So they all arise from the way the Buddha described and presented awareness-wisdom. Fundamentally, what we can understand from this is that if we think about the development of the philosophy and practice of Buddhism, this shows us how much of a relationship there are between the developments in Buddhist philosophy and the development of the different Buddhist traditions.
Another thing it shows is that the Buddhist Dharma, when it flourished in many different cultures, for example when it was in India, it spread to China, and then it spread, developed and adapted to Tibetan culture. It also spread in different areas. So it shows the ability of Buddhism to adapt to different cultures and eras. In any case, it was always this kind of ‘living quality’ and its potential capacity that remained excellent. So, we can understand that it had that nature.
It also shows that there was no real change in the core philosophy of Buddhism. If you think about this word vidya/rigpa, fundamentally there’s awareness/rigpa or vidya, which means the wisdom of a Buddha, the individual awareness of a Buddha. This is the same in the Shravaka vehicle, in the Early Buddhist Schools, it is also understood this way. In the Mahayana it’s also understood in the same way, as it is in the Vajrayana. So there’s been no change in the fundamental presentation of Buddhism and it continues with the same meaning.”
Endnotes
[1] As a survivor of lama misconduct and abuse, and as a female schoalr writing about such matters, I have also been subjected to such ‘black magic’ attacks and am fully aware of how they are being used for inappropriate and unethical purposes, including sexual domination and intoxication with teachers I have no real faith or devotion for prior to such intoxication, see TANTRIC BUDDHISM, VOWS, SEX AND WOMEN – the importance of love, respect and consent and what happens when a woman speaks out about lama misconduct
[2] The sutra is traditionally regarded as having been recorded in Sanskrit and then translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva in 406. Several scholars assume that it was composed in East Asia by unknown authors in the mid-5th century, and is apocryphal.
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