The New Guide to Dakini Land. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

him to discuss Dharma. Atisha realized that Rinchen Sangpo was a very erudite scholar and said to him, ‘You are such a wonderful Teacher that it seems unnecessary for me to stay in Tibet.’ Rinchen Sangpo then showed Atisha his four meditation cushions and four different Tantric mandalas. Atisha asked why he had four cushions and four mandalas, and Rinchen Sangpo replied that every day he practised in four sessions. The first session, on the first cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of an Action Tantra Deity; the second session, on the second cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of a Performance Tantra Deity; the third session, on the third cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of a Yoga Tantra Deity; and the last session, on the fourth cushion, was to accomplish the mandala of a Highest Yoga Tantra Deity. Atisha asked why he did not incorporate all these Deity practices into one sadhana, accomplishing the mandalas of all these Deities within the mandala of one Deity. When Rinchen Sangpo asked how he could do this, Atisha exclaimed, ‘Yes, I do need to stay in Tibet!’

      Atisha advised Rinchen Sangpo that when he was visualizing the mandala of his personal Deity he should invite all the other Deities together with their mandalas to dissolve into his personal Deity and mandala. By maintaining the recognition that his personal Deity was the synthesis of all the Deities of the four classes of Tantra he could complete the practices of all other Deities by completing the practice of his personal Deity. Atisha used to say, ‘Some of you Tibetans have tried to accomplish a hundred Deities but have failed to gain a single attainment, while some Indian Buddhists have gained the attainments of a hundred Deities by accomplishing the practice of just one.’

      Although we should concentrate on the practice of one particular Deity we should not neglect to practise others if we have a commitment to do so. For practitioners who are dedicated to the practice of Vajrayogini, who see it as their main practice, and who are striving to gain generation stage and completion stage realizations by depending upon this practice, there is a special method to keep their commitments to other Deities. This involves realizing that all Tantric Deities have the same nature, differing only in appearance. For example, suppose that such a practitioner, in addition to his or her daily Vajrayogini practice, has commitments to recite the long sadhanas of Heruka, Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja every day. If he recites the words of all these sadhanas every day he will have little opportunity to do any serious meditation. His Tantric practice will be largely verbal, and although he might place many virtuous imprints on his mindstream he will not attain genuine experience of meditation, and so the real purpose of Deity practice will be lost. For this reason, great Masters such as Atisha, Je Phabongkhapa and Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche advise serious Vajrayogini practitioners to integrate all their Tantric practices into the Vajrayogini sadhana by realizing that all Tantric Deities have the same nature, differing only in appearance.

      The essential meaning of the practices of all Highest Yoga Tantra Deities is the same – to transform ordinary death, intermediate state and rebirth into the three bodies of a Buddha. This transformation is accomplished first in the imagination using the meditations and visualizations of generation stage, and then in reality by controlling the subtle winds, drops and mind through completion stage meditation. All the methods necessary to do this are contained within the practice of Vajrayogini. With this understanding, committed Vajrayogini practitioners should apply themselves wholeheartedly to the generation and completion stages of Vajrayogini, knowing that by doing so they are fulfilling the real purpose of all their commitments to other Deities, even if they neglect to say the words of the sadhanas of other Deities.

      This advice should not be used as an excuse for laziness. Its purpose is to give dedicated practitioners more time to concentrate on their personal Deity practice and thereby gain the essential realizations of all Deity practices. For those who are not yet able to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the practice of a particular Tantric Deity it is better that they con­tinue to recite the words of all the sadhanas to which they have committed themselves.

      PRACTISING IN SECRET

      If we do not conceal our practice from others the blessings we have received during the empowerments will be dissipated. Talking openly about our meditation experiences is a fault. It may cause us to develop attachment to being respected and praised by others. Such attachment to reputation is a mara – a demonic interference that is a serious obstacle to pure Dharma practice and spiritual attainment. A good reputation may help us to obtain external wealth and possessions, but these things deplete our merit and are obstacles to gaining the internal wealth of pure Dharma realizations. The attainment of bodhichitta, the attainment of the six perfections, and the realizations of generation stage and completion stage are our real wealth; we should not waste our merit on external posses­sions. As Shantideva says in Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life:

      I, who seek liberation, have no need for wealth or a good reputation

      For they only keep me bound in samsara.

      It is helpful to recall these words frequently. We should remain indifferent to our reputation while acting in accordance with Dharma. The equilibrium of our mind should not be disturbed by praise or blame, gain or loss. If we are attached to these things we will constantly be distracted from our spiritual practice. We will waste energy trying to acquire possessions and a good reputation, and when we fail in these endeavours we will become overly disheartened. For these reasons it was the custom of the ancient Kadampa Teachers and of Je Tsongkhapa to praise others but to declare their own faults and limitations.

      Talking carelessly about our meditation experiences or practice attracts hindrances and obstacles, just as talking openly about our wealth attracts thieves. Although we should strive assiduously in our practice of Tantra we should not reveal our practice to others. There are only two exceptions to this rule: we should confide in our Gurus, and we can discuss aspects of our practice with friends engaged in similar practices provided that they have faith and keep their commitments purely.

      If we create these four special causes and fulfil all the conditions for successful practice that have been explained, we will definitely gain realizations quickly through practising the instructions of Vajrayogini.

      WHAT ARE OUTER AND INNER DAKINI LANDS?

      In general, ‘Dakini’ refers to a female Tantric Deity, and in this context is synonymous with Yogini and Heroine. Outer Dakini Land is beyond the world of ordinary experience. It is the Pure Land of Buddha Vajrayogini and Buddha Heruka, known as ‘Keajra Pure Land’. A Pure Land is a world that is free from true sufferings. Nowhere in samsara is without true sufferings, because the samsaric environment itself acts as a condition to experience suffering. Ordinary beings are born in samsara without choice and continually have to experience dissatisfaction and misery. However, if we purify our mind we purify our experience of the world and thereby attain a Pure Land free from all suffering.

      There are different Pure Lands associated with different Buddhas. Dakini Land is similar to the Pure Lands of Tushita and Sukhavati, except that Heruka and Vajrayogini’s Pure Land is the only one in which beings can receive teachings on Highest Yoga Tantra and put them into practice.

      When through Vajrayogini’s guidance those who are very old and infirm reach her Pure Land they will no longer experience the sufferings of old age and sickness. All signs of their old age will disappear and they will be transformed into sixteen-year-olds of great beauty and vitality, enjoying an endless lifespan. All the enjoyments they desire will appear spontaneously. They will never be reborn in samsara again, unless they choose to for compassionate reasons. Everyone who reaches this Pure Land will receive teachings on Highest Yoga Tantra directly from Heruka and Vajrayogini and thereby attain enlightenment quickly.

      Outer Dakini Land can also be explained in terms of an individual practitioner’s personal experience. From this point of view we attain outer Dakini Land by completing the practices of the generation stage of Vajrayogini. During our training in generation stage meditation we visualize our body as the pure body of Buddha Vajrayogini, our immediate surroundings as the mandala of Vajrayogini, and our world as Dakini Land. If we engage in generation stage practice continuously, the ordin­ary, impure appearances to our mind will gradually diminish and finally cease altogether. Once we have gained a firm realization of generation stage we will experience only pure appearances and our world will be transformed into Dakini Land. The great Teacher Tenpa Rabgye said that Dakini Land