I recently heard Kyabje Sakya Gongma Trichen say, according to the Maha Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, that by perfecting one’s compassion for all sentient beings, wisdom and all the other qualities and characteristics of a fully enlightened Buddha will obtain. Another great Sakya teacher of this era, His Eminence Deshung Tulku, Kunga Tenpei Nyima, wrote in his manual on Foundation practices that:
“If during this [mandala] offering one gives without losing the one-pointed condition of clear perception of the object of meditation, there will not be the slightest difference or deviation from the true offering, and as a result of this the two accumulations will soon be fully accomplished. (This means that there is no difference between the physical offering of a world and the meditation of offering a created world, provided the full one-pointed perception and concentration of the meditation object is maintained.) For this reason it is very important to preserve an undistracted mind, for if the mind is disturbed one will not be able to succeed in fulfilling the two accumulations, but only in the placing of many grains upon the mandala-base.” (The Excellent Path of the Two Accumulations, by Deshung Rinpoche III, translated by Sonam Tenzin, pub. Sakya Tenpel Ling, Singapore, 1980)
The two accumulations mentioned above are of merit and wisdom. Also referred to as the ‘two heaps.’ It seems from the above statements that these two heaps of merit and wisdom—or the compassionate methods of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime through Vajrayana practice—could be a singular accomplishment depending on one’s mindfulness, especially while making mandala offerings.
Mindfulness of the masters engendered while offering representations of the most desirable things of this worldly existence, also facilitates insight into the true nature of all things. Out of right concentration during the Foundation practices—such as offering heaps of grains upon a mandala plate imaginatively transformed by the practitioner—comes a mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, and all arising phenomena. Through a penetrating tantric analysis, in a series of analogies and similes, the Guru conveys to the disciple the empty nature of self and other. Out of this pointing-out a corrected philosophic view and purified vision arises. The most extraordinary analysis of this emptiness of inherency and how one arrives at its particular truth comes from the Buddha’s sutric doctrine of Dependent Origination. This teaches phenomena arises both progressively and simultaneously and are dependent upon the necessary causes and conditions of all other karmically arisen phenomena. This seminal teaching is found pre-emanately in The Rice Seedling Sutra.
As a magnifying glass focuses sun rays to create fire, taught Sakya Pandita, so our faith and its realization in the Triple Gem is ignited by the Guru. Among the countless blessings the Guru bestows is the ability to perceive the purity of dependently arisen phenomena. If the disciple focuses single-pointedly upon the meditation ‘object’ of all arising phenomena as dharmata (pure phenomena), one can receive nirmin ‘gifts’ from the manifestation of the Buddha’s body. This is so by virtue of the Nirmanakaya, Buddha’s ‘body of magic transformation.’
The Nirmanakaya is part of the doctrine of trikāya and is the only body of the Buddha appearing in the world visible to ordinary humans. The Buddha’s Nirmanakaya manifests in many physical forms; including human, animal, divine, or as an inanimate object. The supreme purpose of the Nirmanakaya is to teach people the path of liberation. An ultimate resource, the Nirmanakaya is tapped principally through prayers and supplication. Even the way in which we mistakenly believe objects of perception as intrinsically real, can—through the transformative powers of Guru yoga—transfer objects of ordinary experience into the extraordinary.
This is available to Vajrayana practitioners by merging their minds with the Guru’s and requesting the wisdom of the emptiness of all outer and inner phenomena. Repeatedly practiced, it’s been known to flood the cranium with bright light or a thick white bodhicitta. More commonly arisen signs of emptiness are the dawning within our inner vision of colored lights (white, red, black, or a purple dot), a twilit sky, a sun or moon, bubbles, fireflies, dew drops, a flash of lightning, or others. This may come before, during, or after one has been initiated into the mantrayana methods. In the case of those with the sharpest faculties, and an auspicious ripened connection, the ground luminosity of mind and extraordinary perception may co-emerge upon hearing the secret mantra, or seeing the mandala, of the deity during a major Anuttara Yoga initiation.
This is also possible at the time of the Guru’s pointing out of ultimate reality during the fourth empowerment. Buddhahood is guaranteed in this, or up to eighteen lifetimes even to practitioners of the lowest ability, provided they diligently practice those methods outlined above, while also keeping the three sets of attendant vows.
Having the extraordinary perception—one that sees arising phenomena as luminous ‘purities,’ empty of an inherent existence—is the proper state of mind in which to practice Vajrayana sadhanas and the post-meditation, conduct yogas. One can then more easily progress through Middle Way teachings, the central premises of which, briefly, are: 1) “The belief that the luminous mind, ‘the natural and true state of the mind’, which is pure (visuddhi) mind undefiled by afflictions, is inherently present in every sentient being, and is eternal and unchanging. It will shine forth when it is cleansed of the defilements, that is, when the nature of mind is recognized for what it is.” (en.m.wikipedia.org) 2) Everyone has the potential to awaken their inner buddha nature but it requires, hearing/study the Dharma, reflecting upon it, and then practice in meditation stages. 3) “The liberation of oneself is the liberation of all beings because there is no real self, according to the Mahayana's tradition. That's why the fundamental objective of Mahayana Buddhists is becoming a bodhisattva, an awakened being who delays entering nirvana to help others attain enlightenment.” (meridianuniversity.edu)
Vajrayana is nested within the Mahayana as a result of the Buddha’s historical turnings of the Dharma Wheel. The first turning of wheel is the four noble truths, the basis of the Shravaka or Hearer’s path. But the second and third turnings were on “the absence of characteristics and the on the making of perfect distinctions.” Further: “In the final series of teachings, all phenomena are perfectly divided into three categories: imputed, dependent and truly established. The truly established, which is the absolute truth, is taught by proving definitively that the unconditioned absolute space of all phenomena, our own naturally arising wisdom free from all conceptual elaboration, is the nature of the great Middle Way.” (See: Overview of the Three Turnings | Lotsawa House) Out of the sutric wisdom of these teachings came Madhyamika, Middle Way Philosophy, written, practiced, and realized by Mahasiddhas and pandit scholar-yogis of Nalanda. But out of a timeless spontaneous revelation to all knowledge holders (vidydharas) came the secret celestial arising of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of a mantrayana or tantrayana—later called Vajrayana. This ahistorical, mythic event came when Vajrapani and his retinue of five hundred vajra-shaking protectors (kurus) in the following mythic, soteriological (for Buddhists) victory over the presiding pantheon of Indic gods:
“A popular story tells how Vajrapāni kills Maheśvara a manifestation of Shiva depicted as an evil being.[28][8] The story occurs in several scriptures, most notably the Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṅgraha and the Vajrāpanyābhiṣeka Mahātantra.[29] The story begins with the transformation of the bodhisattva Samanthabadra into Vajrapāni by Vairocana, the cosmic Buddha, receiving a vajra and the name "Vajrāpani".[30] Vairocana then requests Vajrapāni to generate his adamantine family in order to establish a mandala. Vajrapāni refuses because Maheśvara "is deluding beings with his deceitful religious doctrines and engaging in all kinds of violent criminal conduct".[31] Maheśvara and his entourage are dragged to Mount Meru, and all but Maheśvara submit. Vajrapāni and Maheśvara engage in a magical combat, which is won by Vajrapāni. Maheśvara's retinue become part of Vairocana's mandala, except for Maheśvara, who is killed, and his life transferred to another realm where he becomes a Buddha named Bhasmeśvaranirghoṣa, the "Soundless Lord of Ashes".[32] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrapani
Containing many salvic elements, this revelatory vision is about the subjugation and purification of the Indic pantheon of gods out of which Vajrapani’s admantine family is born, and the mandala requested by Vairocana realized. Tantric Buddhist iconography, containers and contained, purified ‘supports,’ seats and celestial abodes of ‘supported’ deities—in three tiers of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and wrathful protectors—emerges from this mandala, a gift of the cosmic Buddha Vairocana.
The view of a purified realm arises during the practice of a Mahayana-Vajrayana deity yoga sadhana on the two processes of transformation—creation (kyerim) and perfection (dzogrim)—the successful realization of which is an enlightened perception of a new reality in which the container, and everything contained therein, are void of inherent existence. This ‘pure land’ free of all the world's ignorance, attachment, aggression, and hatred through diligent yogic practice eventually becomes one’s generated/rediscovered abode. The ‘new home,’ no less than an unspeakably resplendent celestial mansion, arising within the yogin’s imagination, is the result and blessings of the Guru, and a culmination of sutric teachings.
Welcome to the Sambhogakaya then, the second part of the Trikaya—the Buddha‘s creation of a celestial imagining, residing in Pure Lands, where teachers and the taught reside in ‘blissful, enjoyment bodies receiving bodhisattva doctrines intelligible only to vidydharas (knowledge holders) and those who are enlightened.’
These tantric teachings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the skillful means of transforming one’s previously afflicted vision into pure perception. The view and efficacy of the Mahasiddhas,’ and later Tibetan tantric lineage holders,’ pith teachings rest firmly on three sets of vows (dom sum): pratimoksha, bodhisattva, and Vajrayana. While the first two are exclusive to Mahayana, all three are the mainstays of resultant Vajrayana and are directly found or implied in the Vajrayanaist’s sadhana.
To further clarify (and answer the question in our title), it’s Lama Chödak Rinpoche who recently stated, during a revision session of Lam Dre 2024, “Vajrayana is resultant Mahayana.” Together, these two liberation vehicles of adamantine compassion deliver all limbed beings into the formless truth body—the final part of Buddha’s trikaya, the Dharmakaya, communicated through the deity Vajradhara. The compassionate bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara, the powerful Samanthabadra (the bodhisattva who became Vajrapani) and Vajradhara, within which the wise Manjushri and all others bodhisattvas, buddhas, and protectors are subsumed, comprise a fourth Kaya, the supremely nondual Svabhavakaya.
Through our faithful—clear and confident—devotion to the Guru, demonstrated by intense supplication and the repeated requesting of insight into the deep nature of mind and phenomena, one’s ordinary perception is transformed. Ordinary objects transcend themselves once seen in light of dependent origination, an insight one’s Guru, out of great kindness, duly imparts. Pity the unfortunate worldling, trapped on the Titanic of Samsara, who only sees a tip of the iceberg of all phenomenon. When at its base, primordial level, reality is an unspeakable nondual emptiness and bliss.
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The above is being published on the occasion of the anniversary of the Maha parinirvana of Choje Sakya Pandita, the fourth of the five great founders of the Sakya Order. ‘One of Tibet's greatest scholars and teachers, he was a prolific writer and translator, peerless in erudition and debating skills among all of the scholars of his time and since.’ It is also said he taught, without error, the entirety of Buddha’s Dharma. This is very humbling.
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