“Reading the true Dharma, generosity, explaining teachings, giving pith instructions, bestowing empowerment, performing mandala activities. These are the six types of Masters….There are several different types of gurus, not just the Gurus who give empowerments.”
“There’s another way of classifying gurus, which is very well known in Tibet. The classification of guru and root Guru. We have the general gurus and the root Guru, whom we see as more important, and significant than the general guru.”
“The specific characteristics are: “Well-versed in the ten suchnesses, skilled in the rites of drawing mandalas, able to explain the Mantras, sincere, completely pacified and tamed/restrained senses”….”The ten suchnesses are mandalas, samadhis, mudras, mantra, dance steps, seated postures, recitation, fire pujas, engaging and offering activities, and the dissolution phase.”
Introductory report
On Day Two of the Fifty Verses on the Guru online teachings by the 17th Karmapa continued with his teaching, using the Sanskrit commentary translated by Go Lotsawa Zhonu Pel, Jetsun Dragpa Gyeltsan, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and Je Tsongkhapa, to consider the second type of characteristics of a guru, the specific ones. There are different enumerations of the specific characteristics.
First, the 17th Karmapa explained the differing types of general gurus in secret mantra as not only being those who give empowerments. He then went on to explain one of the most well-known classifications of a guru, that of the root guru. I have created a Youtube video and transcript of that section of the teaching (original Tibetan with my translations into English) see here.
In summary, the Karmapa concluded that there are various ways and reasons in the Mahayana and Secret Mantra that a teacher can be called your root guru, such as pointing out the nature of mind, generating relative and ultimate bodhicitta, and generating the inseparability of bliss-emptiness. However, if they have not turned your mind in the slightest was towards renunciation of samsara, the urgency of practice, karma, cause and effect, and actually practising the Dharma, no matter how many teachings or empowerments you may have got from them, they could not be properly called a root guru.
The 17th Karmapa then went on to consider the difference between the common and specific characteristics, saying that:
“Common” here means the characteristics the Guru must have that are common to both the Sutra and the Tantras. Whereas “Specific” means those that are particular to the secret Mantra.”
The Karmapa then listed the remaining specific characteristics, as:
“Well-versed in the ten suchnesses, skilled in the rites of drawing mandalas, able to explain the Mantras, sincere, completely pacified and tamed/restrained senses.”
with an extended explanation on what are called the “ten suchnesses”, part of the specific characteristics connected to secret mantra. These are expertise in mandalas, samadhis, mudras, mantras, dance steps, seated postures, recitation, fire pujas, engaging and offering activities, and the dissolution phase. I did not catch all the names of the texts cited but the meaning is there nonetheless.
In conclusion, the 17th Karmapa stated that in this degenerate age it was difficult to find an excellent and qualified secret mantra guru with all the common and specific characteristics, but one should try to find someone who has most of the qualities and should not think they will never meet a guru with such qualities. The main thing as a student (and teacher) was to know what is authentic and excellent and what is not. He compared it to buying a precious jewel, if we do not know what to look for, we might buy anything that looks “sparkly” or that other people all think is authentic etc. However, if we know what to look for, we can quickly discard the fake from the real but if we do not have merit we may overlook a “hidden yogi” who has the qualities:
“There are many great gurus with all the characteristics but you when you see them, they are like hidden yogis. The characteristics are really hidden, so even if they have qualities they hide them. So we don’t see them as having those qualities, like they’ve intentionally hidden them. For that reason for one thing, you have to have a certain amount of merit to see whether a guru has the characteristics. Only a student who’s going to be receptive who is an appropriate vessel is able to follow the guru and one who is not receptive is not able to follow that Guru. So, for that reason, we should think that there are gurus who have all of these characteristics and that we can meet them and we should understand how important it is to follow the guru as taught in the Fifty Verses.”
As a personal observation, this reminded me of one of my favourite sayings “Not all that glitters is gold”. Basically, fame, money, popularity, good looks, clothes etc. can be glittery and attractive to immature and worldly minds, but if their inner qualities/essence is without any real substance, then that glossy sheen will very quickly fade away and all we are left with is a ‘cheap, ugly and tacky’ object that we do not even like to have or see anymore, while quickly looking for another expensive replacement. One cannot always judge a book by its cover, so make sure to read the content well too!
Some anonymous people sometimes send me messages online ridiculously questioning my own devotion to the 17th Karmapa, and wondering if I even have a root guru! Yet after listening to this teaching, I could not help but wonder about the worldly, meat-eating people who have been spending lots of time with 17th Karmapa, could they really say he is their root guru? Even more so, one 70 year old American celebrity Tibetan Buddhist male student, with a very famous guru, the 14th Dalai Lama, who recently married a woman over 30 years younger, old enough to be his daughter and had fathered more children in an overpopulated planet. Had the teachings and urgency of emerging from worldly ways and life entered his mind-stream? Seems not judging by his actions. Ha ha ha ha. Don’t mind me, just some discerning wisdom at play here!
For short video clips of 17th Karmapa’s other recent teachings on:
The Meaning of Transmission (Lung) see: https://youtu.be/qpY-Ydbl4PU?feature=shared
On the meaning of Guru: https://youtu.be/9l7aRX99MCE?feature=shared
On the meaning of Kagyu (Oral Teachings of the Lineage): https://youtu.be/LveGJuueAc4?feature=shared
Music? For the precious “root guru” The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack, You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker, and For You by Tracy Chapman.
Dedicated to the root guru’s activities, long-life and happiness, to sentient beings and to the Vajrayana Dharma. Written and transcribed by Adele Tomlin, 17th March 2025.
Transcript Fifty Verses on the Guru (17th Karmapa Day 2)
“The characteristics of gurus. or teachers and spiritual friends are taught in all the scriptures from the Vinaya to the Hinayana to the secret mantra. They are not only in the secret Mantra. For example, in the Sravaka vehicle, of the Three Hundred Verses of the Vinaya (Skt: Triśatakārikāvyākhyāna) the characteristics of a guru Master are taught to be:
“Those who have discipline, who know the rituals. have compassion of the sick, have of pure motivation, and strive to benefit with dharma and material things and time are given the advice are known as gurus. So these are five characteristics of the Guru.”
In the Mahayana Vehicle it says in the Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras:
“Follow a friend who subdued, peaceful and pacified, who strives for higher qualities, and rich in scriptures, and who has realized suchness, is eloquent, has a loving character, who has fundamental awareness.”
So these are also the characteristics of a guru in the secret Mantra, which are scattered throughout the many individual Tantras that are gathered in essence here, in this Fifty Verses of the Guru. As it combines all of these it became greatly respected and of huge meaning in both in India and in Tibet.
In general, the secret mantra Tibetan word lama, is a translation of the Sanskrit Guru. So, in Tibetan one says Lama and in Sanskrit, one says Guru, which has several meanings. One of the meanings is that it’s heavy or weighty this is another thing that it means, So, Guru means someone who is heavy or weighty, someone who has weighty qualities. This is what we’re speaking about someone who is heavy with the load of qualities, who has the weight of all their qualities. That is what we mean when we say a guru/lama.
Six types of Guru , not just those who give empowerment
Now another important thing, we need to understand is that there are several types of Gurus taught in the secret mantra. For example, in the commentary on the Ramakrishna Tantra by Vishnapada (?) says:
“Reading the true Dharma, giving explaining teachings, pith instructions, bestowing empowerment, performing mandala activities. We assert there are six types of Masters.”
Just as there are six types of Masters so there is the Textual Explanation on Serving Guru , this is the Sanskrit commentary on the Fifty Verses. It not clear who the author of this commentary was. It seems to have been the kindness of some Indian pandita [Vanaratna?] that Go Lotsawa Zhonu Pel translated it. So the author of this commentary is not clear or certain, it may have been Master Vanaratna.
In any case, in this Sanskrit commentary actually, the word Master (Lopon) appears later in the text. The word Master appears in the Sanskrit but does not appear in the Tibetan translation. In any case, the Master because of engaging activities such as giving empowerments, who does the work of giving empowerments, they are called Masters. ?
In any case, the Sanskrit commentary on the Fifty verses is basically the same as that commentary. Many Tibetan Scholars also following this say that in terms of the gurus or Vajra Masters taught in the six secret Tantras there are six different types. What are these six different types of Masters? They are taught in the second Karma Trinleypa or ? Lotsawa, which describes them as follows.
First, reading the true Dharma means the person who teaches the precepts of secret Mantra. The second one is giving, which means that even before the empowerment is beginning, you have to use it to determine who your special deities are according to the Yoga Tantras. This is also the person who gives the transmission. The third is explaining the Tantras, which means someone teaching the chakras and so on. The fourth is teaching the pith instructions, which is basically guiding the student through the path of creation and completion, or basically giving the instructions. The fifth one is bestowing empowerment. So, the preliminary mandala for the practice of the secret Mantra receiving empowerment is the guru who bestows the empowerment. The sixth is the one who performs the activities of the Mandala. So the master who performs consecrations and fire pujas and so on. The master who performs these activities, who engages in and conducts these rituals is the master.
In any case, if we talking about the types of gurus, there are several different types, not just the Gurus who give the empowerments. Normally, we recognize the guru as the person from whom you receive the Empowerment but it’s not just that. Also, the individuals who give you the instructions on the secret Mantra, are also gurus of the secret Mantra. The people who also give you the Transmissions are also gurus, you have to consider them to be gurus. Also the individuals who teach you the tantras should also be considered gurus.
So for that reason, we normally think the guru is about giving empowerments, right? We think if we receive an empowerment from a guru, then we think that we have to consider them as a guru. However, if there’s someone else who gives a transmission of the secret Mantra, or someone who gets an instruction of the secret Mantra do we think probably that’s really not someone who is a guru. doesn’t need to go in included the ranks of our gurus, but that’s not quite right. In any case, the guru who teaches you the Dharma connected with the secret Mantra, or introduces you to the practice of these dharmas should also be considered a guru of the secret Mantra.
Root guru classification and meaning
There’s another way of classifying gurus, which is very well known in Tibet. The classification of guru and root Guru. We have the general gurus and then we have the root Guru, who we see as more important, and even more significant than the general gurus. In this way, we distinguish between the guru and the root Guru. What do we mean by root Guru?
If you think about the most well-known explanation in the Kagyu tradition, as Go Lotsawa Zhonu Pel wrote in the Blue Annals:
“The glorious Dagpo Kagyu is not a lineage of words, but a lineage of the meaning.”
This means that it’s a lineage of the realization of stainless mahamudra. Because of this the Guru from whom you receive you pointing out instructions, and recognize the realization of mahamudra is the person who should be considered your root Guru, and whom you should identify as being the root lama. This is what Go Lotsawa Zhonu Pel says.
The 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje also has a way of describing it. So if you think about the most well-known Kagyu thing is the Guru, who introduces you, and from whom you are able to recognize the nature of Mahamudra is your root guru, or the crown jewel. And should be considered your most important Guru.
Mikyo Dorje also speaks about the topic of Root Guru in his 100 Short Instructions which is beneficial, as I think it’s a good explanation. So speaking about the meaning there, I will not read it word for word, but in terms of the meaning, when we talk about a root Guru, there really is a lot of significance.
So, there are two words in “Root Guru”, you have root and Guru. The first word is very important, which is tsawa/ root. For example, in terms of the Mahayana, how does one think about the root guru? The best is someone who can rouse in your mindstream, either or both of the two types of bodhicitta: the relative and ultimate bodhicitta. If they arouse one of these two in your mindstream, then in terms of the Mahayana, that Guru from whom you realize that can be recognised/identified as the root Guru.
In terms of the secret mantra, a root guru is the person from whom you are able to develop/generate the realization of the inseparability of bliss and emptiness in your mindstream. That person should be recognised/identified as the root Guru.
In brief, someone who fills you up with that quality in your being. For example, the one who helps you first recognize the nature of mind, when you have not seen it before. That person should be recognised as your root Guru. [Transcriber’s note: here the Karmapa uses secret speech/sound to convey the meaning of bliss-emptiness here, which is rather thrilling to hear. It reminded me of Je Taranatha’s Verse on the ultimate nature].
Also, the most significant point, in terms of the secret Mantra, is this view of the inseparable Bliss-emptiness. It is like the most important view of secret Mantra. So the person who produces and instils that in you, should be recognized as a root Guru.
So, such a kind root Guru who has those qualities, even if a thousand Buddhas came to you and said you shouldn’t feel faith for them, and try to prevent you from having faith and devotion, they wouldn’t be able to stop you having it. The devotion would be like irreversible, you have this real passionate fervour. This is the type of fervour/passion and kind of dedication you should have because of the incredible kindness of that Guru. So even if a thousand gurus come and say this Guru of yours is no good, they would not be able to prevent or block you. So, you should be able to have that realization.
So that sort of a guru, as I mentioned before, in terms of the Mahayana, is the person who is producing the realization of relative and ultimate bodhicitta in your being. In terms of the secret mantra, it is the person who is able to give rise to the realization of the view of the inseparability of bliss-emptiness.
At the very least, it is the person who helps you realize that the time of death is uncertain. That type of individual it would also be alright to consider them as the root guru. In brief, the person who teaches you the genuine Dharma, the actual Dharma and gives a real experience of that, if one labels them as root Guru, that is alright too.
In brief, in order to label someone your root guru, that Guru must be like the condition, and the presence of that Guru helps you realize that all ordinary things and activities of this life are like meaningless and pointless. You feel like you’re being completely deceived by them and you see that there’s no way not to work for the sake of next of your next lifetime. Even if you don’t wish to work for it, you see that there something that you have to do and that you have to gain that sort of power, that sort of capacity. That sort of person can also be considered your root guru in secret mantra. Even if you only receive a single word of Dharma from that person, if you think about that you can think that person because they produce that quality within you, from that point on you can consider them your root Guru.
Even if they haven’t taught you a single word of Dharma, , but merely seeing their face you even heard any Dharma but you just merely see them if you receive those blessings. If they have that influence on your business, they change your way of thinking that much, then you can consider them your root guru. Even if you haven’t heard a single word for them if you’re just merely seeing their face if they have that strong an influence you can consider them your root Guru.
Sometimes, you may never have met that Guru, for example, if the guru lives a far away or the guru has passed away. Even in that case, if just merely hearing that guru produces that significant change in your mental mind stream, if someone is able to produce such a strong imprint in your being then you can also consider them your root Guru.
If they are not able to place a significant imprint in your mind-stream, even if they may have taught you tens of thousands of Dharma teachings, or you may have received hundreds of thousands of empowerments and instructions for them. No matter what they have done, and even if you think that this is a good Guru, they are a good lama they are definitely learned, venerable, good you think this. Yet, in terms of relying on that guru for generating revulsion of samsara, in the sense of urgency, or the recognition of karma cause and effect, there has not been even the slightest bit of a change in the direction of Dharma, then it’s difficult to say that that Guru is a root Guru. So I think that is a really important thing to understand here. Normally, when we talk about a root guru this is the main thing we need to understand.
Specific Characteristics of a Guru
Next, as I mentioned yesterday in the Sanskrit commentary on the Fifty Verses, the Textual Explanation of Serving the Guru, according to that the characteristics of Guru can be classified in two as the common and specific characteristics. However, as I said before, that Sanskrit commentary and from the commentary of Jetsun Dragpa Gyeltsen, their classification of the common and specific characteristics are the same, but they are subtly different in the ways they divide it specifically. For example, according to Jetsun Dragpa Gyeltsen, he says that the six qualities from stable and subdued through to being honest, these six characteristics are the common characteristics. Everything onwards after that of the remaining nine, are the specific characteristics.
At this point, one might wonder when we talk about the common and the specific what does that mean? “Common” here means the characteristics the Guru must have that are common to both the Sutra and the Tantras. Whereas “Specific” means those that are particular to the secret Mantra, the particular characteristics of a guru in the secret Mantra I believe. In any case, the other day we spoke about the common characteristics. Today, we have reached the passage speaking about specific characteristics.
Now, the text that teaches the specific characteristics is, as I said before, according to Jetsun Dragpa Gyaltsen and so forth. Then there are a couple of the characteristics that I taught the other day need to be included. First from stability and so forth up to being honest are the common ones, the following ones after that are the specific characteristics.
It says: “Well-versed in the ten suchnesses, skilled in the rites of drawing mandalas, able to explain the Mantras, sincere, completely pacified and tamed/restrained senses.”
Here, the spelling in the Tibetan is a little bit off it should be. There is also the word that says “completely pacified” but actually in many it says should be rab tu dangwa ?? so there are some possible differences there.
The Ten Suchnesses
Last year, when I was teaching I mentioned that there were two different Sanskrit manuscripts but neither of the two were complete. However, recently there was an old Sanskrit commentary discovered and that is a complete manuscript. So, here I’m showing the Sanskrit manuscript found in Tibetan by Lotsawa Rinche Zangpo, as well as the Chinese translation by ?? and English translation. So these are the words there, I don’t need to explain too much about that.
From the Textual Xxplanation on Serving the Guru it says the qualifications of Guru are being well-versed in the ten suchnesses. So these are the ten well-known ones, the generally accepted number. In any case, today I am speaking about the division between the common and specific characteristics, primarily according to how it’s taught in the Sanskrit commentary, the Textual Explanation on Serving the Guru.
The ten suchnesses are mandalas, samadhis, mudras, mantra, dance steps, seated postures, recitation, fire pujas, engaging and offering activities, and the dissolution phase. So these are the ten different types of suchnesses.
Now, generally, in the secret Mantra texts, there are several different enumerations of the ten suchnesses. There’s the external ten suchnesses, the secret ten suchnesses, the ten suchnesses of activity and so forth. There are five or six different enumerations of the ten suchnesses. If we wanted to go through all them, for one thing it would be extremely complicated, from another perspective there’s just not enough time.
Today, I will explain among all the ten suchnesses, the basic ones that are necessary for the upper and the lower tantras. According to the Ornament chapter the yoga Tantra of there’s one that’s taught there. There is another one, that is taught by the Vajragarbha Tantra. These talk about the secret and the external. If we talk about the ten external suchnesses that are taught, these are those taught in the Sanskrit commentary on the Textual Explanation on Serving the Guru. In the yoga, it talks about ten suchnesses that are necessary for the Vajrayana Master to have. So these are also matched to those taught in the Sanskrit commentary. The ones I will teach today are the external ten, taught in the Ornament chapter the Vajragarbha Tantra, or the ten suchnesses necessary for vajra master taught in the yoga tantra, Tattvasaṃgraha.
1) Suchness of Mandalas
The first of the ten suchnesses is mandalas. Mandala here I think, because the basis of the ritual or the empowerment it is important for the guru to be knowledgeable about the presentations of the Mandala. It says in the Textual Explanation of Serving the Guru there are three types of mandalas of body mandalas of speech, and mandalas of mind.
In any case, at this point when it says about mandalas, we’re talking about being learned in the suchness of the mandala and then below it say skilled in the generating of the mandala. In the context of the 10 suchnesses of the Mandala means being leamed in the general presentation of the mandalas. Below, it says being learned in the rites of drawing mandalas, that should be understood as being skilled in the practice of drawing and the practices of drawing the mandalas in sand or on canvas.
2) Suchness of Samadhi
Now, the second of these is the suchness of Samadhi. According to the Sanskrit commentaries there are three types of Samadhi, because of the classification of the initial application, the Supreme king of Mandala, and the essence of the Supreme Kings of activity. These are the three types of samadhis. Now these three well-known samadhis that are talked about are a real summary of the main practice of many different Sadhanas.
For this reason, in the yoga maharajas, these three suchnesses are taught. These three samadhis are also taught in the Mahayoga Tantras, in which there are both father and mother tantras and these three Samadhis are also taught in them. When we talk about the application of samadhi, primarily the meditation for the benefit of oneself. The other two are primarily for the benefit of others it is said. This explanation is similar in the higher and the lower tantras, but there are slight differences when we talk about what they actually mean, the samadhis of initial application, of the Supreme King of Mandalas and the Supreme king of activities, these are explained differently with different concepts.
For example, in the Yoga Tantra, all the steps from explaining how to gather accumulations up to meditating on selflessness and the Awakening stages is the obvious start of the Yoga Tantras and this topic is called the samadhi of initial application.
When the deities of the Mandala are emanated from the heart of the principal Deity, this is called the samadhi of the Supreme King of the Mandala. Later, when the wisdom beings are dissolved into this, in the supreme seed, and perform activities, this is called the Supreme King of Activity. This is like the explanation in the Yoga Tantras.
In the Unexcelled Tantras, for example, we talk about Gyanapada’s tradition of the Guhyasamaja, emanating the Mandala that comes from the word, and then making the wisdom beings enter, the empowerment, offerings and praise, and the meditation on the subtle seed, these are all the Supreme King of Mandala Samadhi. Then the other activities are pacifying, and so on are the Supreme King of Activities. So there are many different classifications of these and different descriptions of them. In any case, in brief, the Vajra Master, in terms of the three samadhis, must know all the stages of generation of the deity. So it needs to be someone who knows how to do the stages of the deity yoga, the visualization of the deity.
3) Suchness of Mudras
The third of the ten suchnesses is the suchness of the mudras. In the “Textual Commentary on Serving The Guru” it speaks about two types of mudras: the mudras of hands and of the mudra of mental body it says.
In general, these mudras are taught in the Kriya tantras such as the Root Tantra of Manjushri. They are also taught in Chayra Tantras, such as the Tantra that Manifests Enlightenment of Vairocana. They are also taught in Yoga Tantras, such as Tattvasamgraha and Sarvavid. There are quite a few different hand mudras.
So, in general, we need to steal our body speech and mind and actions into the body speech and mind of the activity of the deity. it is mostly meditating on the mandala and so forth but it is not just that. We meditate on this internally, meditate on the vajra at the heart.
So there have to be external representations of the mudras. And the point of these is taught in the Supreme Glorious Tantra which says: “a body without a mind is just material, just matter.” It is inanimate, it is like a wall it is no different. A mind without a body is like space it cannot do anything, just like space cannot do anything. So only when the two, the body and mind are combined can one actually do activities and have the capacity to perform actions.
Likewise, mudra and visualizations in samadhi are very important, but when they come together, the external mudras of the hands and so forth are really important. When the two of internal and external mudras come together, they are able to produce a result and they are very necessary.
So in terms of the Lower Tantras, if one omits the mudras, then the ritual is incomplete. So if you don’t do the mudras then the ritual is not complete. But that is not only in the lower class of tantras but also in the unexcelled class of tantras they are very important. In any case, the guru has to be learned in all the different mudras.
4) Suchness of mantras
The fourth is the suchness of mantras. There are many different mantras there’s the root, essence the Guta Samadra? and so forth and this means that they need to know all of these different types of Mantras. It needs to be someone who knows all the different types of mantras, and knows the difference between all of these.
5) Suchness of dance steps
The fifth is the suchness of dance steps. Here according to the Textual Commentary on Serving the Guru there are different types of dance steps, such as the net of bees which is the name of a dance step. Some have have standing on your right leg, some stretching your left leg. There is a vajra step and there’s the turtle step, the ocean movement step and so forth. There are many different types of dance steps.
Now in the yoga Tantras there are the yoga dances. Also, in the Kalacakra Tantra and the Dakavarana Tantra and the Vajra Sang Tantra of Hevajra and the Vajra Mala Tantra of Guhyasamaja. and in other texts there are many different dance steps, and these are primarily during the ritual of taking the ground. So there are many different dance steps that are done. There are also offering dance steps, there are many different types of these steps.
Likewise, in Tibet we have Cham lama dancing. There is one that can be called concluding of the guard and in cham different types of dance. It is generally said that those that are primarily done with movements in the hand are called Gar, and those that are primarily dance steps of the feet is the cham. So if you divide between the Gar and Cham in Tibetan then the Gar are mainly he dances with the hand movements, and Cham are primarily steps with the feet.
For example, when you thinking about Bhutanese dance, they do they do a lot with their hands like and also in Ladakh, I believe they do a lot of mudras with their hands. In Kham, of course, they move their hands but they have such long sleeves so one does not actually really see what their hands are doing because they’re wearing such long sleeves. So the steps of the feet are more important.
So Gar is mainly hand movements and Cham is mainly steps with the feet. This is what Masters of the past have traditionally said. In any case the Vajra Master must be very well learned in in both Gar and Cham in all the types of dance.
[For video about the Mahakala Cham dance when several monks from at least three different Kagyu monasteries performed an over 10 hour-long Cham ( ritual dance ) as part of the activities of the 34th Kagyu Monlam, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9nRnKlLyGs%5D.
6) Suchness of seated postures
Following this comes the sixth suchness, the seated postures. What this means is according to the Sanskrit commentary, it says the seated postures are summarized in four types: the Lotus posture, Vajra posture, Sattva posture and Wrathful posture. It gives four types of posture and so the posture is like the way that the deities are sitting.
So here it talks about four different postures in the Sanskrit commentary. There are other ones, such as the posture of the good, the squatting posture, the posture of disporting oneself and so forth. The vajra master needs to know all of these too. I thought first I might talk about the vajra posture and the lotus posture but I thought maybe doesn’t really benefit, so I don’t need to speak about the specific postures.
7) Suchness of recitations
The seventh is recitation , so here recitation means, according to the Sanskrit commentary, there are four types of recitation: wrathful recitation, vajra recitation, radiating recitation and cessation recitation. There are different ways to recite, different ways to count and recite the mantras and the mantras are associated with that.
There also the presentations used for the recitation, the visualization of the recitation and the mantra to be recited, and number of recitations. There is a lot that needs to be known. Ins any case the guru has to know all about the Mantra and everything that’s related to that so he has to have a very thorough knowledge of all of these.
8) Suchness of fire pujas
The eighth point is fire pujas, now what it says about fire pujas in the text says there are four types of fire pujas: peaceful,, enriching magnetizing, destroying fire pujas that we often do.
9) Suchness of engaging the activity of offering
The ninth is the suchness of engaging the activity of offering. The Sanskrit commentary says that engaging in offering activity, is engaging in outer, inner and secret offerings. So basically knowing how to make the outer, inner, and secret offerings.
When we talk about the outer, inner and secret offerings in the unexcelled tantras it talks about the outer offerings, such as the offerings of pleasure, such as form, sound, and so forth. The inner offerings are the offerings of five meats, five amritas. The secret offerings are the offerings of great Bliss. So the Master must know all the different visualizations and practices for making these different types of offerings.
When it says engaging the activity of this. There is a master named Prashantimitra ? who in a commentary on the Net of Illusion Tantra, says that engaging activity means like the protection field invitation and so forth. So that is a master Anandagarbha who explains the engaging in the peaceful and so forth activities. This is another explanation that is also given.
10) Suchness of the dissolution phase
The last of the ten suchnesses is the reabsorption or the dissolution. So the concluding part of the ritual when we are dissolving at the end. As it says in the Sanskrit commentary, when they request the Mandala to depart, and then we dissolve the samaya mandala.
In general in the Unexcelled Tantras, there are times when one does not ask the wisdom deities to depart there is a tradition of not doing this. In any case the visualizations when dissolving or reabsorbing the Mandala, the ways that you do this in terms of visualization doing through the self and the front Mandalas in terms of the rituals, the Gathering all of the sand of the Mandala and so forth. These are all the concluding aspects of the of the rituals of the sadhanas.
Je Tsongkhapa says that the vajra Master of the lower classes of Tantra must know the external substances well. While the vajra Master of the unexcelled Tantras must know the secret substances well. So there is the level for the vajrayana master of the lower classes of Tantra and there is also the level for the vajra Master of the unexcelled Tantras and these are slightly different they should be different right? So now I’ve completed the explanation of the 10 suchnesses.
Skilled in the rites of drawing mandalas
Next is the line that says “skilled in the rites of drawing mandalas” . According to the Textual Commentary on Serving the Guru what it says is raising the mandala, the purification of the ground taking the ground, stabbing the kamaya and the obstructors, binding the directions and corners and so forth.
So as Je Tsongkhapa also says, being skilled in drawing mandalas, means being skilled in drawing the diagrams and painting the colours. It means the practice and being well versed in the practice of drawing the mandalas. So before when talking about the suchness of the mandalas, we were talking about the presentation of the mandalas, knowing these. Here, we are talking about when you’re actually drawing the Mandala, it’s the actual practice of drawing the mandala.
So when you’re erecting the mandala then first of all you have to do the ritual of the ground. Just as examining the ground, taking the ground, purifying the ground, grasping the ground and blessing the protection field. Those five different parts of the ritual of the ground. Then, there is a preparation. So, the preparation is generally said to have four parts, there’s the preparation of the earth, the preparation of the deities, the preparation of the vases, and the preparation of the students. So the secret mantra vajra Master also needs to know these. The reason is because one of the main functions of the guru is to bestow empowerments.
Being able to Explain the Mantras
Next, is being able to explain the mantras. When talking about this, there are a different Mantra that that says that a mantra who skilled in teaching Mantra then we talk about the translation of it is able to explain the Mantra here primarily means the explaining the Mantra in accord to the highest, middling, and lowest faculties. The master here means someone who is able to give the mantras and so forth.
So in the Tibetan translation of the Fifty Verses it only says be able to explain the Mantra but in some commentaries on the Fifty Verses he mentions that there’s a translation by? t’s a different translation the Fifty Verses by, we have now, which was translated but there’s also one translated by CH but I don’t know if there’s if it’s extent these days no
I did put some effort to look into it but I haven’t find out. I don’t know if I’ll get a copy in the future In any case in the ? translation of the Fifty Verses it says: “a master skilled in teaching Mantra” and he said that this Mantra is just a little bit better. The reason is that is you need a master skilled in teaching the path of Mantra to others, This is the meaning that he gives. So, this is a bit better translation of this. It is said in the Sanskrit manuscripts, we these Fifty Verses, the word Acharya or Master does appear, but that’s not in the Tibetan translation because in our Tibetan translation it just says skilled in explaining the path of Mantra, it doesn’t include the word Master but if we look at the Sanskrit manuscripts, then this word Master does appear. In any case here you say talking about being skilled in mantras. Je Tsongkhapa explains it in his commentary in the Fifty Verses being able to explain the mantras with meaning of the conduct of explaining the Mantra in accordance with the faculties of the student, the highest, middling or lowest, when you know teaching the student you really need to know the level of the students you are teaching. If you’re teaching without knowing the students level, there are like the stories of M the mut and so forth.
Likewise, it says in 7th Karmapa’s text that you need to be skilled in explaining the path of mantra to the receptive and to know whether they are receptive and you need to be able to explain the six extremes for mandalas and so forth to students. You need to be able to know the receptive and the unreceptive and be skilled in explaining the path of the six extreme for modes and so forth.
Being Sincere
The next characteristic is being sincere. Some texts say completely pacified but in others it says sincere. So it can be either completely pacified or sincere. Some texts say completely some Danga but seems that the pacified is certain. The Sanskrit commentary says sincere, so better we talk about being sincere. According to the Commentary on Serving the Guru this being sincere is delighting from the heart with no stinginess. It is difficult to explain it when you look at the Sanskrit commentary. However, in many of the Tibetan commentaries the way such as in Tsongkhapa’s commentary sincere means that someone who is always delighted by the Mahayana. So that they have respectful sincere devotion and faith for the Mahayana in general. In particular, to the Vajrayana they have really sincere faith and devotion for the Mahayana and Vajjrayana. So the guru should have this sincere faith in the Mahayana, and stable faith in the Vajrayana and have this real sincere feeling towards them. The seventh Karmapa writes that sincerity means being dedicated to the stages of the vehicles of the vajrayana and so forth.
Je Tsongkhapa writes in his commentary that stable Faith and a single-minded dedication to the Mahayana in general and Vajrayana in particular. So this sincerity here means when we talk about sincere faith of conviction and longing Faith three different types. Here, I think you can understand this as being sincere Faith. Like in one of K’s talks when he speaks about sincere Faith he says sincere faith means when you see the face of a guru, or hear their words, or if you come into the presence of the great sacred object, then it’s like you got goosebumps and your eyes are filled with tears. This happens right just naturally in your mind, a sincere faith, and all of your afflictions are passed. Your mind becomes very clear and very sincere, there is a very clear appearance.
The virtues become really clear, right? That is what we should understand and what we mean by sincere faith. So when they speak about the Dharma of the secret Mantra, we should be excited about it, when we hear about just merely seeing the face of the secret mantra Guru you have a different kind of real special feeling that you get goosebumps, your eyes fill with tears if that happens that is I think what we call that is what we call sincere faith. Anyway, the vajra master should have this for the Mahayana in general, and in particular for the secret mantra.
Tamed senses/faculties
The last one is tamed faculties. Here, the senses being tamed means, according to the Sanskrit commentary, they have gained Mastery over the senses, such as the eye and tamed them. What this means is that the eye does not fall under the control of desire. You see beautiful forms and things but the eye does not get like attracted by just only looking at all those beautiful forms. This happens right? And the ear does not fall under the control of aversion. When you hear something you hear different things right? You hear everything and there’s a danger when you hear something, it’s going to disturb your mind. So your mind does not fall under the control of aversion, your mind does not fall under the control of distraction. In any case, when we meditate on the creation phase of the secret mantra, we have the delusion vajra in the eye, the aversion Vajra in the ear and so forth. I think that this all teaching way to tame the senses right?
Je Tsongkhapa writes that their senses are tamed means they restrain the gates of the sense of full awareness and they’ve completely ceased the distractions toward improper objects. So, the main point of saying that the senses are tamed is that the guru of the secret Mantra, the vajra master must be able to take control of their body, speech, and mind. They need to be able to direct their body, speech, and mind. If they’re unable to control their senses, and are not able to direct their senses if is not okay. They need to have been able to gain control over and subdue them, to be able to catch them all with mindfulness awareness and carefulness.
Now, what it says in the ? Tantra it says:
“externally act like a Shravaka, internally enjoy the joined objects.”
What this means is that no matter how high the guru’s own experience and realization may be, no matter how great, it is important for them externally to be very peaceful and subdued with their body, speech and mind. I think this is what it means.
In brief, as I mentioned before we’ve spoken about the characteristics of a guru, that we need to take that type of the guru and what type of Guru we should follow.
These characteristics are something taught in the text and something we should like kind of hope to know. However, in actuality there is no one like this you think is it like that where is it in actuality there are actually there actually gurus who have all those qualifications that are taught those characteristics that are taught in the in the verses because sometimes like hope when you think it’d be really great if there were someone like that they go on like they’re going to take a list and if someone has this one if they have this one is like take all the good all the best things and you put them is it just something you write all the good things that they that they should have are there actually are there actually gurus who really have those characteristics.
Actually, if we look at these life stories of the Past Masters of the Sakya, Gelug and Nyingma schools we can see that most of the all the gurus definitely had all the characteristics that are taught in the Fifty Verses. These Great Master of the past, they followed spiritual friends of all the different schools they studied greatly, they meditated and practiced, taming their own being and they become great Scholars and siddhas, as all of them definitely became like not only that then there’s nothing in all of the areas of the Sutras of knowledge, the three pitakas the four classes of Tantra that they didn’t know. The way we can know this is because if we look at the writings of these great masters we can understand this from looking at their writings
So there masters of the four main lineages who had all these characteristics. It is not just wishful thinking and hoping that there would be great masters who have all these characteristics it’s not just like you know writing about Hope it’ be nice to have someone like that but it’s actually W it’s not just a d words but actually something that we can know through Experience think it’s like that in a good time you think in a good air in a good age it must have been like that there must have there must have been uh characters lot GS with allot of characteristics in good times. However, now we’re in this really bad time, of the five degenerations there are gurus who have all these characteristics even a time like this there are more than a few gurus who have these characteristics in this and this is a really great fortune that we have.
For example, in my own life and my own experiences, I’ve had the great Fortune to meet many gurus who have all these characteristics that are taught in the Fifty ྇ Verses. It is like going to buy jewels but mistaking the Jewel for a fake one. For example like you want to go buy a really important thing you’re not buy recogn first you have to know that it’s that really important that thing, otherwise sometimes you can get really fooled and make a mistake and because many people say that the in the fake things are the original it would be easy to get fooled like have this. You might think you are buying a really valuable jewel if you have no experience at all, then you may not recognize that Jewel for being the jewel that it is.
So there are many great masters with all the characteristics when you see them you can see that they are like hidden yogis. It is like they have these characteristics really hidden. Even if they have qualities they hide them. So when we see them, we don’t see them as having those qualities like they have intentionally hidden them all. So, for that reason for one thing, you have to have a certain amount of merit to see whether a guru has the characteristics. Only a student who’s going to be receptive who is an appropriate vessel is able to follow the guru. One who is not receptive is not able to follow that Guru. So, for that reason should think that there are gurus who have all of these characteristics and that we can meet them, and we should understand how important it is to follow the guru as taught in the Fifty Verses.
Bhūmisparśa
Listen to Her’ is the sacred land
The Bodhi-beauty, bhūta of Gaia
Hear Her Healing Heart song
Gautama Awakened to what He Heard
The becoming Song of the Bhagavan.
Hum Hum Hum…
She Disappears in a flash
Vajra MU-
Only to reappear.
Nothing is True
But all is permitted.
Laugh, cry, stomp your feet and die.
-Dra
Ah, what to do
But be true to you.
Grateful for all you do.