Essence of Vajrayana. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

      Through sincerely relying upon the Three Jewels we can completely purify all our non-virtuous actions and accomplish the ultimate refuge of Buddhahood. Therefore, at this point we need to go for refuge by sincerely relying upon Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This is the meaning of the power of reliance.

      We first visualize the objects of refuge. Above our crown on a lotus and moon seat sits Vajrasattva, who is inseparable from Guru Heruka. He has a white-coloured body, one face and two hands, holds a vajra and bell, and embraces his consort. His body is the synthesis of all Sangha Jewels, his speech the synthesis of all Dharma Jewels, and his mind the synthesis of all Buddha Jewels. We firmly believe that the living Buddha Heruka is actually present above our crown in the form of Vajrasattva, and with strong faith in the Three Jewels we contemplate:

      Through relying upon Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, I will purify all my non-virtuous actions and accomplish the Buddha Jewel so that I can benefit all living beings without exception.

      We meditate on this intention for a short while.

      THE POWER OF THE OPPONENT FORCE

      Whereas the other three opponent powers are like limbs supporting a body, the power of the opponent force is like the body itself because it is the direct opponent to all the negative effects of our non-virtuous actions.

      To practise the power of the opponent force according to the sadhana, we visualize as follows. At the heart of Vajrasattva above our crown, in the centre of a moon seat, is a white letter HUM, which is the nature of the principal Deity Heruka. Standing in a circle counter-clockwise around the HUM is the white hundred-letter mantra, which is the nature of the one hundred Deities emanated by Heruka to pacify the non-virtues, downfalls and obstacles of practitioners. At our heart we visualize the potentials of all our negative actions in the form of a dark mass, and with a mind of strong regret we request Vajrasattva:

      O Guru Vajrasattva please listen to me.

      There is great danger that I may die before I purify my negativities.

      So with the water of your compassion

      Please purify all my non-virtues and downfalls.

      While concentrating on the meaning of this request, we recite the hundred-letter mantra of Heruka Vajrasattva as many times as possible. We think:

      As a result of making these requests, wisdom lights and nectars flow down from the HUM and mantra rosary at Vajrasattva’s heart. These enter my body through my crown, reach my heart, and completely destroy the mass of darkness, the potentials of all my negative karma, just as the light of the sun destroys the darkness of night.

      We repeat this recitation and visualization many times in each session.

      THE POWER OF PROMISE

      The definition of non-virtuous action is any action of body, speech or mind that is the main cause of suffering. Since we wish to avoid suffering, we must stop creating its causes. With this thought we first develop and maintain the intention to refrain from all non-virtuous actions of body, speech and mind, until eventually we are ready to make a promise to refrain from them completely.

      The power of promise depends upon the strength of our determination to refrain from negative actions. If our determination is strong and unchangeable, we are ready to make this promise, but if it is weak we cannot yet do so. Therefore we first practise the power of promise by developing the intention not to commit any more non-virtuous actions. We then need to train in this intention until it becomes stable, at which point we will have accomplished the actual power of promise.

      To generate the power of promise, we contemplate how every non-virtuous action gives rise to the four types of effect. In this way, we will develop deep regret for all the negative actions we have committed in the past, and a strong determination to refrain from committing them in the future will arise naturally. If with this virtuous determination we then refrain from engaging in non-virtuous actions, this is the practice of moral discipline, which directly protects us from future suffering. Without making and keeping a promise to refrain from further negative actions, it is impossible to purify completely the negative actions we have committed in the past.

      In summary, to purify our non-virtues we first develop strong regret for having created them by remembering that they are the main cause of all our present and future sufferings, problems and unfulfilled wishes. Then we think:

      Since only Buddha, Dharma and Sangha have the power to protect living beings from suffering and its causes, I must rely upon them from the depths of my heart and, through receiving their blessings, completely purify all my non-virtues.

      Having generated this motivation we practise the power of the opponent force, and at the end of each session we develop the strong determination, or at the very least the intention, to refrain from all non-virtuous actions of body, speech and mind in the future.

      Saraha

      The Yoga of the Guru

      Guru yoga is presented under two main headings:

      1 A general explanation

      2 The actual practice of Guru yoga

      A GENERAL EXPLANATION

      Guru yoga is a special way of relying upon our Spiritual Guide. ‘Guru’ refers to any Spiritual Guide who gives us unmistaken instructions on how to begin, progress on and complete the spiritual path, and who sets a good example for us to follow. Here the term ‘yoga’ reveals a special way of relying upon our Spiritual Guide that is a powerful method for accumulating merit and receiving the blessings of all the Buddhas.

      At the moment, because our mind is impure – obstructed by ignorance and negative karma – we cannot directly perceive pure beings such as Buddhas. We see only impure beings who, like ourself, experience problems such as sickness, ageing and death. However, by practising Guru yoga we can communicate with all the enlightened beings through our Spiritual Guide; through him or her they accept our offerings, respect and devotion, and grant us their powerful blessings, protection and care. In the Lamrim teachings it says:

      Whenever a disciple relies upon his Spiritual Guide,

      Without invitation all the enlightened beings

      Enter and abide within the Spiritual Guide’s body,

      Accepting offerings and bestowing blessings.

      Mahasiddha Ghantapa, for example, accomplished the state of the Union of Buddha Heruka by receiving the blessings of all the Buddhas through his Spiritual Guide, a woman who was an emanation of Vajrayogini. All the lineage Gurus of the instructions of Heruka body mandala, from Ghantapa up to Vajradhara Trijang Losang Yeshe Rinpoche, attained enlightenment by receiving the blessings of all the Buddhas through their Spiritual Guide.

      In these impure times it is only through receiving the blessings of the enlightened beings that we can maintain the mental peace that is the root of our daily happiness. For this reason alone, we can clearly see that the practice of relying upon the Spiritual Guide is supremely important.

      During the meditation session, Heruka body mandala practitioners visualize their root Guru in the aspect of Heruka and invite all the Buddhas in the aspect of Heruka to dissolve into his body. With the strong recognition that their Guru is the synthesis of all the Buddhas, they make prostrations, offerings and requests, and receive his or her blessings. They then integrate this special way of relying upon the Spiritual Guide into their daily life by remembering that he is a manifestation of Buddha Heruka and engaging in actions to delight him such as prostrations, offerings, requesting blessings, and, in particular, sincerely practising his teachings on Lamrim and Highest Yoga Tantra.

      For such practitioners, Guru yoga is the actual quick path to enlightenment because, whenever they engage in any actions to delight their Spiritual Guide, the merit they create is multiplied by the number of enlightened beings. Since there are infinite enlightened beings, the virtue of any action done to