The three volumes of this
extraordinary work present a complete map of the Tibetan Buddhist path
from beginning to end, as taught by the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa
Rinpoche. It is based on the teachings presented at the annual
three-month meditation and study retreats known as the Vajradhatu
Seminaries, which he led every summer from 1973 to 1986. This remarkable
material—which has never before been published—presents Trungpa
Rinpoche's teaching on the hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana in a way
that joins the traditional concepts with contemplative understanding.
The first volume, The Path of Individual Liberation,
presents the teachings of the hinayana. The hinayana introduces core
Buddhist teachings on the nature of mind, the practice of meditation,
the reality of suffering, and the possibility of liberation. It examines
the nature of suffering, impermanence, and egolessness, with an
emphasis on personal development through meditative discipline and
study. The formal entry into the hinayana and the Buddhist path
altogether is the refuge vow, in which a student goes for refuge to the
Buddha, or the teacher; the dharma, or the teachings; and the sangha, or
the community. The hinayana path is based on training in mindfulness
and awareness, cultivating virtue, and cutting grasping. Topics covered
in detail in this volume include the four noble truths, karma, the four
foundations of mindfulness, meditation practice, the refuge vows, the
three jewels, the five skandhas, the five precepts, twofold egolessness,
and more.
The second volume, The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion,
presents the bodhisattva teachings of the mahayana. At this point,
having trained and seen the benefits of looking within, the student
begins to shift their focus outward to the broader world. Formal entry
into the mahayana occurs with taking the bodhisattva vow. Mahayana
practitioners dedicate themselves to the service of all sentient beings,
aspiring to save them from sorrow and confusion, and vowing to bring
them to perfect liberation. This stage of the path emphasizes the
cultivation of wisdom through the view and experience of emptiness, or shunyata,
in which all phenomena are seen to be unbounded, completely open,
ungraspable, and profound. From the ground of shunyata, compassionate
activity is said to arise naturally and spontaneously. In addition to
mindfulness and awareness, the mahayanist practices lojong, or “mind training,” based on the cultivation of the paramitas,
or “transcendent virtues”: generosity, discipline, patience, exertion,
meditation, and prajna, or “knowledge.” As a component of lojong, tonglen, or “sending and taking,” is practiced in order to increase maitri, or loving-kindness. Other topics covered in detail in this volume include bodhichitta, skillful means, Buddha nature and basic goodness, Madhyamaka, the ten bhumis, the three kayas, and more.
The third volume, The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness,
presents the vajrayana teachings of the tantric path. The vajrayana, or
“diamond vehicle,” also referred to as tantra, draws upon and extends
the teachings of the hinayana and mahayana. As with the hinayana and the
mahayana, the formal acceptance into the vajrayana is marked by a vow,
in this case the samaya vow. There is an emphasis at this stage
on the student-teacher relationship and on the quality of devotion.
Generally, students must complete preliminary practices, called ngöndro,
to prepare themselves for initiation into the vajrayana path before
going further. Having done so, they then receive the appropriate
empowerments to begin tantric practices. There are empowerment
ceremonies of many kinds, called abhishekas. The vajrayana includes both form practices, such as visualizations and sadhanas
(ritual liturgies), and formless practices based on allowing the mind
to rest naturally in its inherent clarity and emptiness. Although on the
surface, there is much greater complexity in tantric practices, the
principles of mindfulness and awareness and the cultivation of
compassion and skillful action continue to be of central importance.
The
tantric path requires complete engagement and fierce dedication. It is
said to be a more rapid path, but it is also more dangerous. There is a
quality of directness, abruptness, and wholeheartedness. Tantrikas,
or vajrayana practitioners, recognize that the most challenging aspects
of life, the energies and play of confused emotions and frightening
obstacles, can be worked with as gateways to freedom and realization.
Other topics covered in detail in this volume include the four reminders, the mandala principle, mahamudra, atiyoga, and more.