Rinpoche says that he's very happy to be with you all again to continue our series of discussions of some of the Dharma's more salient points. He asks that as we undertake our sessions today and tomorrow of study, discussion and practice of the Buddhist teachings, that we attune ourselves to the task before us by putting aside all distractions, by calling to mind those teachings which make an occasion such as this meaningful. That is, through bringing to mind teachings on impermanence and the efficacy of the law of karma of cause and result we should be mindful that opportunities such as these for such as this for the together with like-minded students of the path to

[01:26]

meet with teachers to ask questions and to practice. These opportunities are truly rare when we reflect how so much of human existence is wasted in activities and pursuits that do not further our spiritual career and often distract from it. in keeping in mind the fact about the brevity of human existence, the certainty of death, the uncertainty of the time of death, and also the... responsibility we have for our own actions, wholesome and unwholesome. We should certainly clear our minds of all self-deception and apply ourselves diligently to these dharmic moments whenever they occur.

[02:30]

We are responsible for our own karma, good and bad. If we apply ourselves to dharmic work such as the study, reflection, meditation of the way to enlightenment for the benefit of beings. Certainly, we ourselves and all the world would be benefited. Therefore, it certainly behooves us to be mindful of our own role in these these sessions of study and practice. Also, Rinpoche would like to call, bring to our minds once again the mindfulness of the three kinds of excellence that should attend all of our dharmic efforts.

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we should approach the task, whatever it may be, whether study, reflection or meditation, with the right attitude, with the mind open, receptive, questioning and free from distractions. with a resolve to accomplish this effort out of love, compassion, and a resolve to help all living beings attain enlightenment. Then, as we engage in our efforts of study, discussion, reflection, meditation, we should try to approximate in our own practice, in our own efforts, we should try to approximate in our own efforts, the moment as it occurs on the level of ultimate reality, not on the level of conventional, that is to say, ordinary workaday conceptualizations about the present moment, but with the mind

[05:03]

free from attachment to the notion of self as the doer, free from the notion of object, the task that we are undertaking, whatever the Dharma work may be, and free from any attachment to the results, to the concept of merit and attainment. All of one should try to see these these three as being merely concepts of the human mind. So without clinging to any notions of doer, action and activity, one should approximate ultimate reality as we undertake our sessions of study today. And finally, remember always upon concluding your dharmic task to bring beings to mind once more.

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Remember all those beings who haven't the same opportunity for progress on the path that we ourselves have. And with the mind willing to share with them the benefits of the results, of your own good efforts, dedicate and turn over to their enlightenment also, whatever merit, whatever good that you feel that you may have accomplished. These three kinds of excellence should always attend your every effort. And if they are present, one can be assured of effective and speedy progress on the path. Further, as our topic of discussion in this weekend's seminar concerns the teachings of the tantric path of Buddhism, we have access also to tantric methods of attending.

[07:20]

dharmic teachings such as this, since it is a special principle of Mahayana Buddhism and of Vajrayana Buddhism in particular, that all things by their nature are pure, we should begin by purifying our own minds of all solid conceptualizations about ourselves, about the present moment and what we are undertaking. Instead of thinking of ourselves as ordinary human beings engaged in ordinary activities, Rinpoche asks that you think of your environment, of the whole of the world as being the already, the pure land of the Buddhas, which if we only knew it, it already is.

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Think of the teacher who is expounding these doctrines of the path to you as being none other than Shakyamuni Buddha himself. For if the Buddha himself were here teaching you, he would teach these very same doctrines and principles, precepts that lead to enlightenment. thinking of the teacher as being none other than the Buddha himself, radiant golden body, shining forth boundless rays of light, which are the essence of his transcendent wisdom, visualize that these lights as they touch your being, dispel their all delusions, ignorance, obstacles, and that spontaneously there arises in your mind the insight into these teachings of the path and their result and its result.

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Think also that all the sounds, all the words that he utters, are beyond their content a proclamation of the ultimate reality of all phenomena, that they are a proclamation of the emptiness and luminosity of things, of the true nature of all things. Think of yourself also not as an ordinary person, but as being none other than the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Manjushri himself, who tirelessly seeks to fulfill his vows by seeking out all the teachings, all the profound teachings of Dharma. And think also, bring to mind also, that the

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that all things, all phenomena arise and exist through a concatenation of causes and conditions, that in their own nature they are empty of any independent self-existent nature, that our being too, our own being also, is the same, Therefore, think of your own form as having as its nature, not solid flesh and blood, but as being a spiritual body, which has as its nature the non-duality of emptiness and emptiness and luminosity. Though apparent, though it exists, it has its nature emptiness.

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Though empty, it nonetheless exists. So in these ways also we will be able to purify our minds of all the tendency to think of ourselves, our surroundings and of our activities in ordinary mundane ways. and thereby free them, freeing our minds from these limiting conceptualizations of being able to be more receptive to these teachings on the level in which they're being imparted. We have as our topic for discussion this weekend a consideration of the Vajrayana path of Buddhism in terms of its ground, path and result.

[12:57]

That is to say, its foundation, its path of experience and the result, its resultant enlightenment. This topic is certainly profound. It is also a very vast teaching, consideration of Buddhism in terms of its ground, path and result. In the Theravadan system of Buddhism there are many volumes. of teachings such as the Abhidharmakosha, the Abhidharmasamuccaya, the Vinaya texts and so forth, all of which contain an exposition of the Theravadan path to enlightenment viewed in terms of ground path and result.

[14:15]

In Vajrayana Buddhism alone, there are hundreds of major works detailing the essential features of Tantric Buddhism in terms of ground, path and result. These works are found such as the the Hevajra Tantra, its commentaries, the Guru and Samputta, etc., where these concepts of ground path and results and the Vajrayana way are elaborated upon quite extensively. But because of the limits on our time and the vastness of the literature

[15:19]

and instructions on the Vajrayana path and keeping in mind that this very topic occupies the best of Tibetan meditation masters for many years and decades before they are able to absorb it and to become teachers of this system. then we must satisfy ourselves this weekend with a brief summary of this topic. We must concern ourselves with a mention of the essential features of Vajrayana Buddhism in terms of these three elements of the path, and understand that our discussion this weekend can only be the briefest kind of introduction to a very vast subject.

[16:37]

So to begin with this morning, our discussion of the ground or foundation of Vajrayana Buddhism stated most bluntly, when we speak of the foundation or the ground of Vajrayana Buddhism, we're talking about consciousness. And here we are not speaking of the various sense consciousnesses, but the storehouse consciousness or alaya-vijnana as it is known in Sanskrit. That is the sixth consciousness which is from a Buddhist point of view the ground or the substratum of both samsara and nirvana.

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If the nature of this alaya-vijnana or storehouse consciousness be correctly discerned, that perception is liberation, enlightenment. The failure to perceive its true nature is samsara or worldly existence. Alaya Vijnana, which underlies all our conscious, all our experience as individual beings, is simply the continuity or the mind stream of our individual consciousnesses. It is neither Moral or immoral, it is not good, bad, positive or negative.

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In itself it is simply the neutral fact of consciousness. It underlies and is the basis for the misapprehensions of our ego principle, our ego consciousness, which views, as we discussed last week, views things in terms of, views its experience in terms of subject and object of good and bad and so forth. This, but the true nature of mind, this true alaya-vijnana, is neutral. It is And it is this ground, this ground of neutral consciousness, which if recognized and directed toward enlightenment, results in our enlightenment as individual beings.

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Failure to apprehend this underlying level of consciousness and to work with it results in a continued delusions about one's own nature, about the nature of mind and the nature of one's experience. You understand? Dear Kunjiki, in Buddhism there are five quintessential factors of the path which must be present in order to reach one's spiritual goal of Buddhahood. The first factor, the first element is this very ground of consciousness, this alaya ujjana, or storehouse consciousness of which we just described.

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This fact of consciousness, This essential consciousness of all beings is present in all beings. It is this very consciousness which beings and Buddhas have in common. The fact of this storehouse consciousness which is also known as innate Buddha nature. It is the link between enlightened and unenlightened beings. It is that which being the ground makes it possible, allows the potential, potentiality of all beings also to attain enlightenment. So the fact of this doorhouse consciousness, being innate in all beings, is the first factor and provides the ground for

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for the path to enlightenment. The second essential factor is the human body. This human body is not only rarely obtained by beings, but once obtained offers a a very extraordinary opportunity for escape, liberation from the realm of deluded birth and death. Therefore, it is rightly described as being more valuable, more precious than rebirth in the God realms, because this human body contains within it not only the innate Buddha nature, It's innate Buddha nature, but the various elements, the elements, channels, nerves and psychic centers which enable, which rightly used, enable one to progress on the path to enlightenment.

[24:08]

So the first factor we said was the ground, that is the Buddha nature. The second factor we said was the human body as the support or the instrument for our efforts to attain enlightenment. The third factor is that of, is one of conditions, foremost of which is the presence, the presence, the accessibility of a qualified teacher who has, who is able to teach from his own, his or her own experience are all that one needs to know of this system of practice in order to attain its result.

[25:24]

So a qualified teacher is the most essential factor that one needs in order to progress on the path. The path, the fourth factor is that of the path. The fourth feature is not, sorry, not the path, but the methodology, the method. And by method or methodology here, we mean a complete and effective system of study, reflection, meditation, which has as its goal enlightenment and with certainty enables one to reach that goal.

[26:35]

This path will be discussed in later sessions of our seminar. Finally, the final factor is the fact of the result. Result is the final factor. And by this we mean the eventual achievement of the result of Buddhahood, our perfect enlightenment for the sake of all living beings. Really speaking, speaking, Buddhism is a matter of perspective.

[27:39]

There is a certain worldview or an outlook which is essentially Buddhist regardless of the school of Buddhism to which one may belong. All Buddhists of all Buddhist schools have in common four basic views. These are that all, the view that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent by nature. Secondly, All conditioned phenomena are impermanent. All conditioned phenomena are suffering by nature or are involved in suffering.

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by their very nature. All phenomena are empty by their very nature of any inherent, that is, innate identity of their own. Nirvana or liberation is the true state of well-being, of happiness, of peace. So to repeat those, these are the four seals of a Buddhist's perspective. The view that all things, all conditioned phenomena are

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impermanent, suffering, empty by nature, and that nirvana alone is peace. Anyone who shares in these views is a Buddhist. Anyone who does not agree with these conclusions does not have a Buddhist perspective. Though the various Buddhist schools have many other similarities and dissimilarities, all are agreed on these four basic principles. Generally speaking, the various teachings of the Buddhist system, Buddhist religion maybe, ascribed to one of three major schools or movements within Buddhism.

[31:08]

These are the Theravadan approach to enlightenment, the Mahayanist approach to enlightenment and the Vajrayanist approach to enlightenment. The Mahayanist, the Vajrayanist school is an outgrowth, a development of the Mahayanist school. And Mahayanist, Mahayana Buddhism itself differs from Theravadan or Theravadan Buddhism in seven ways. Firstly, it differs in terms of its range of salvation or range of the objects of salvation.

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Theravada Buddhism, with its arhat ideal, emphasizes individual liberation, the attainment of release from birth and death by an individual for his or her own sake. Vajrayana Buddhism, with its concept of universal salvation, stresses instead that liberation should and must be obtained for the sake of all living beings rather than for the sake of oneself alone. And its system of training is geared to enable one to accomplish, to achieve that goal for the sake of others as well as for oneself.

[33:37]

So it differs firstly in the range of its object of salvation. So universal versus an individual salvation. Also it differs in the object of, well let me put it, it differs in its concept of the goal. Whereas the Arahant of the Theravadan tradition seeks liberation from the realm of birth and death and attains that goal of liberation. The Mahayanist is motivated to obtain Buddhahood, or perfect enlightenment, rather than Arhatship.

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And because of his or her concept of universal salvation, all the training, is consistent learning to develop the causes, to develop through practices the causes which result in the two bodies of Buddhahood. That is, for the sake of oneself one attains the Dharmakaya or the Buddha's body of reality, that is, the Buddha's formless, transcendent, omniscient mind. For the sake of others, in order to be able to function among beings, to communicate with beings, and to enable them also to attain enlightenment, one seeks and obtains the form body, or some rupakaya, of the Rupakaya aspect of Buddhahood.

[36:02]

It is this aspect of Buddhahood which enables an enlightened one to work among unenlightened beings, to appear among them, work for their salvation as well. So in this way, one's concept of the goal is radically different. Thirdly, the The two systems differ in the matter of knowledge or insight, the scope of insight. Arahat or the follower of the Theravadin system attains liberation through developing insight into the egolessness, into personal egolessness, through the realization that there is no

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object which corresponds to our deluded belief in an ego principle. So through the realization of a personal egolessness and through a partial realization of the of phenomenal egolessness, that is, that just as the person does not have any inherent nature whatsoever within, that too is the nature of all phenomena, animate and inanimate. The Arhat attains liberation through acquiring this partial realization of the principle of emptiness, that is, the lack of an inherent nature in all phenomena. That is the limits, however, of the Arhat's wisdom, and it is a limited one.

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The practitioner of the Mahayana's path, on the other hand, obtains a complete, final realization of the true nature of all things, This includes both a complete insight into personal and phenomenal egolessness, as well as the complete, perfect and unobstructed omniscience of Buddhahood, the Buddha's vision, the Buddha's non-dual unobstructed perception of the true nature of reality. That is, the Buddha perceives all things, however many they may be, exactly as they are in their true nature.

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This is the complete and perfect omniscience obtained as a result of one's efforts on the Mahāyāna's path. The Mahāyāna system differs from that of the Theravādin school in the amount of effort it requires, whereas the The Theravadin school, with its concept of individual salvation, is primarily concerned with obtaining release from the round of deluded birth and death as quickly as possible for the sake of oneself. doctrine of universal salvation, stressing the unselfish effort to free others from suffering as well as oneself, requires of its followers that great amounts of energy be expended over vast amounts of time for countless numbers of living beings

[41:10]

In effect, this means that one who follows the great way of Mahayana Buddhism must be willing to act for the liberation of other beings, so long as any being remains unenlightened, and also must be willing to train one's own mind in the six spiritual perfections, the six special qualities of the Bodhisattva, or the great being of the Mahayana's path, must train the mind in these six perfections over vast amounts of time. for the sake of other beings. These six, briefly put, are the training in the perfection of giving, the perfection of moral conduct, the perfection of patience,

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the perfection of diligence, the perfection of meditation, and finally the perfection of wisdom or insight. The Bodhisattva or the the Bodhisattva, a follower of the Great Way, must be willing to train in each of these spiritual perfections over vast amounts of time for the sake of each living being. When one's mind does not blanch at the thought of striving over eons of time for the salvation of beings, then one is a true follower of the Great Way.

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So, this is the fourth difference, the amount of energy or effort required by the Great Way. Fifthly, The Mahayana school differs in its methods of relating to other beings. Whereas in the Theravadan school, one's primary concern is obtaining release from birth and death, other beings may at times appear to be obstacles to one's goal or to one's practice of the path.

[44:50]

And one's relationship to other beings is not strictly regulated. The Mahayana's path, however, with its emphasis on compassion as the guiding principle in every spiritual activity, puts foremost this matter of relating to other beings. A Bodhisattva who is skilled in means, that is, skilled in accomplishing, is to be in harmony with the interest of beings. That is, all beings are acting out of self-interest. They really are interested in what promotes their well-being, their gain, their advantage and so forth.

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the skillful bodhisattva will relate to their interest and in every way promote their true gain, their true benefit. And thirdly, he will himself practice what he preaches. That he will teach by example and not merely by word. If he enjoins beings to follow the path to enlightenment, he will himself follow the path of practice to enlightenment. Finally, he will win things over by generosity, by giving. The Bodhisattva gives appropriately what all the beings are in need of.

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Gifts of material goods, gifts of love, of fearlessness, and finally, gifts of the Dharma. So, in this matter of means or methodology also, the great way differs from the Theravada system. Sixthly, the great way differs in its result, whereas the stage of liberation attained by an Arhat that is a successful aspirant of the Theravadin school, whereas the Arhat obtains a stage of release from birth and death.

[48:40]

That liberation, that state of of static, quiescent liberation is limited. The Arhat never obtains the unobstructed omniscience of a Buddha, nor the miraculous powers of a Buddha to bring other beings also to enlightenment. because of the Arhat's stress on obtaining liberation for the sake of self and his failure to develop those causes of omniscience and unobstructed power of the Buddha. He never obtains those abilities and

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transcendent knowledge. The bodhisattva or aspirant on the great way, on the other hand, does indeed obtain the result of perfect enlightenment or buddhahood, fully endowed with the two bodies of Buddhahood which we described earlier and the unobstructed transcendent omniscience of an enlightened one which we also just described. Finally, seventhly, the Mahayana differs in the in its scope of spiritual power.

[51:03]

Because the Arhat never trained himself in those compassionate undertakings on behalf of other beings, He does not, as a result, obtain the powers that are the result of all that training and effort, and therefore is limited in His ability to help other beings obtain liberation, even if He wished to do so. Because the bodhisattva takes the trouble to train himself in these six spiritual perfections for the sake of other beings, upon obtaining enlightenment, he or she obtains all the powers of a Buddha to work among unenlightened beings and to

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bring them also to Buddhahood. As a result of the Bodhisattva's vow and this training in the six paramitas, upon enlightenment, one is endowed with spontaneous, all-pervading, unobstructed power to bring all beings to enlightenment. These actions, these actions of a Buddha on behalf of beings are manifest spontaneously, without thought, on the part of the Buddha, that appear wherever there is, wherever beings are in need. And because of the Buddha's omniscience, perfection of freedom and enlightenment.

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His works are boundless, unobstructed, never interrupted and are unceasing. The essential features of the Mahayana system to which Vajrayana Buddhism belongs. When we return for afternoon session at two o'clock, at two o'clock, we will discuss the special features of the Vajrayanaist path and the and the main features of the path of Vajrayana Buddhism. All right? So please enjoy your lunches and we'll gather here at two o'clock to continue our discussion. Yes.

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And then we continue our discussion of the essential features of the Vajrayana path I'm offering a summary of Vajrayana Buddhism from the perspective of ground path and result. This morning we explained what all schools of Buddhism had in common and what was uncommon or special about the great way of Mahayana Buddhism. Now, Vajrayana Buddhism is a branch of Mahayana, of the Mahayana school. Vajrayana Buddhism and

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Mahayana Buddhism are one and the same. However, as a special branch of or a special movement within Mahayana Buddhism, there are certain characteristics, certain special or characteristics which are peculiar to Vajrayana Buddhism and not to Mahayana Mahayana Buddhism in general. Therefore we speak of exoteric Buddhism or Paramitayana Buddhism and esoteric or Vajrayana tantric Buddhism. Now these two branches of Mahayana Buddhism, the exoteric and the esoteric, have three things in common.

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Firstly, they have a common philosophical view or perspective. The view of the ultimate nature of all phenomena, that is their emptiness of any inherent identity of their own is common to both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism. Secondly, they have a common conception of the goal, the result, of the path. Both schools of Mahayana Buddhism, exoteric and esoteric, posit the possibility of obtaining perfect enlightenment or Buddhahood endowed with the form body and the body of

[58:01]

and the wisdom body that constitutes enlightenment. Thirdly, they agree on the causes, the causes that result in enlightenment, that is, both by undertaking the Bodhisattva's training in the six spiritual perfections, which we discussed this morning, and the various stages of meditation, that when these trainings in the six perfections are undertaken from pure compassion, and are guided by insight or wisdom that they will result in the attainment of perfect enlightenment or Buddhahood.

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So in these three areas of philosophical view, result, the nature of the result and the the causes of that result. Both schools are in total agreement. The Vajrayana or Exoteric Buddhism differs however from Exoteric Mahayana Buddhism in four regards. It differs from Mahayana exoteric Buddhism in four regards. Firstly, it is... I should have taken this.

[60:11]

It differs, esoteric Vajrayana Buddhism differs from Mahayana, esoteric Mahayana Buddhism in four ways. First of all, it is quicker. Secondly, it has a wider range of methods. It has more methods. Thirdly, it is Okay, it's easier. It's a more intelligent way of practice.

[61:32]

Okay, now to turn to the first of these four. We said earlier that a bodhisattva who has undertaken to train his mind in the six spiritual perfections in order to attain enlightenment for the good of the world would have to be willing to exert himself for many aeons of time, at least three aeons. of time in order to perfect sometimes even one of these six virtues.

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It takes for a Bodhisattva to develop this saving insight of that state of reality which is away from all conceptualizations, free from all extremes. one must be prepared to practice meditation for at least an aeon before obtaining even the first stage of bodhisattvahood. Whereas, Vajrayana Buddhism, through its special techniques, enables the sincere Bodhisattva to reach the result of total enlightenment, of perfect Buddhahood, even within one human lifetime.

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There are many instances recorded in Buddhist history where the spiritually gifted, spiritually mature, were able to attain enlightenment even at the instant of receiving initiation. Even without having to exert themselves in practice for a single moment, they obtained Buddhahood just by receiving the transmission of the initiation. There are many stories. One of the most famous of which is that of the great king Indrabhuti, who, just as we said, attained enlightenment during the initiation ceremony. The great Indian sage Madhubha, the founder of Rinpoche's order of Buddhism,

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attained the first stage of bodhisattvahood during the initiation ceremony and on each of six successive days he attained another stage of bodhisattvahood and attained perfect enlightenment. in a matter of a few days just through these Vajrayana, through the affixed Vajrayana methods and his own spiritual aptitude. So, and there are other stories of other great masters of the, who meditated on the Hevajra Tantra, who attained such as Avadhutipa and and Gayadhara, who obtained almost instantaneously either the liberation of Buddhahood or very high stages of Bodhisattvahood just by resorting to these tantric methods.

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And there are countless other instances even in the present of the Buddhists obtaining very dramatically and rapidly these results for which all Buddhists are striving simply as a... all of these are testimony to the speediness of Vajrayana methods. Secondly, Vajrayana Buddhism is equipped with a wider and more effective range of methods to be used in the pursuit of one's goal. Even in the best of circumstances, we humans find it difficult to undertake and succeed in our spiritual aims.

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There are many natural limitations and obstacles to the pursuit of enlightenment, because the brevity of human life the prevalence here of distractions, old age, death, natural sufferings and obstacles to which we are subject. And there may be many other karmic and personal hindrances with which we have to cope in our pursuit of enlightenment, to give a few examples of the difference between these two schools. In exoteric Mahayana Buddhism, if one is faced with With impending death, which one fears to be an obstacle to one's spiritual career, one can only hope to circumvent it by saving the lives of other beings, like setting free animals destined for the slaughter.

[69:03]

praying for long life and so forth. One can only try to manipulate causes and effects by extending the life spans of other beings to a great extent. Then one can hope that as a result one's own life span will be increased. Also if one wants to increase one's store of merit, one feels the need to increase in merit, one can only again rely upon causality or cause and effect. If one does good, one reaps good and so forth. So one has to undertake an extensive program of making gifts to the needy by practicing the various virtues that can help one accumulate merit.

[70:16]

In Vajrayana Buddhism, however, there are many more and more effective methods of achieving. the requisites for success in one's spiritual undertaking. For example, if one is threatened by signs of death and anticipates that one's life is coming to a close, It is not difficult to extend one's lifespan by identifying with the principles of longevity which are embodied in the various tantric deities such as White Tara or the goddess Vijaya or the Buddha Amitayus.

[71:24]

And through meditating upon these principles embodied or personified by these deities, one can effectively extend one's own lifespan and remove obstacles to life and health. If one has... Exoteric Mahayana practice, one can only increase one's merit in relationship either to holy beings such as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas by praying to them, making offerings and so forth in the hopes of accumulating merit, or in relationship to ordinary beings, one's fellow beings, by performing kindly deeds and expecting in return that one would accumulate merit.

[72:47]

In Vajrayana Buddhism, however, one can, by identification with one's yidam or tutelary deity, That is the personification of ultimate reality that is already innate in one's own nature. That by acting, by performing all actions in identification with one's tubular deity, by acting not on the level of causality but on the level of the result, that is by identifying with one's buddha nature rather than with one's ego principle. One can accumulate vast stories of merit with every action that one performs. Everything is turned to purity, holiness and merit by this simple method of shifting the

[73:50]

the level of practice from the level of causality to the resultant level. Also, we said there are many obstacles to the spiritual life. If one seeks to overcome adversity, whether it be from external enemies or interruptions to one's practice, or internal psychic or psychological forces that seem to prevent one from progress on the path, one has access through tantric meditations to very effective methods of either dispelling obstacles outright or of making them a part of the path.

[74:55]

There are methods for turning obstacles themselves into helpers on the path. So in these and other ways, as Vajrayana Buddhism offers an array of very effective methods for accomplishing one's aims and helping one to accumulate all the requisites for success on the path. We already said that for the really intelligent it is possible to attain enlightenment effortlessly even during the initiation ceremony itself.

[76:04]

For those, even for beings who have very little spiritual aptitude at all, who are not so astute, it is possible through practice to attain enlightenment even in a single lifetime. The rule of thumb for Vajrayana practice is that the very intelligent will obtain enlightenment without any effort, immediately. Those who are of mediocre spiritual capacities will obtain enlightenment after practice. They will obtain enlightenment through practice in this very lifetime or during the post-death bardo state. And for the third kind of practitioner, those who are of inferior capacity, they will, even without practice, even without making any efforts, surely obtain enlightenment.

[77:36]

within 16 lifetimes if they only keep their Vajrayana vows. So the When this is considered in the context of what we said earlier about the bodhisattvas undertaking to practice strenuously over countless eons of time for the sake of each single being, the speediness, the effectiveness and the ease with which one may obtain the same results, through Vajrayana practice, or one can appreciate the value of teachings and practices such as these. All right, let's continue. Vajrayana Buddhism is a way of greater intelligence.

[79:04]

It is for people of superior intelligence. Whereas, exoteric Mahayanist doctrine and practices emphasize the preeminence of mind and the necessity of training the mind, of working with the mind, of purifying the mind and developing spiritual mental qualities. And is in effect a mentalist approach to to enlightenment. Vajrayana Buddhism is, the practices and doctrines of Vajrayana Buddhism are based on the perception that the body is a manifestation of mind and that it contains within it already all of the

[80:17]

elements of enlightenment. So, in Vajrayana Buddhism, the body is made foremost by incorporating the body or integrating the body into one's spiritual career. One obtains, as we have described, very speedy and effective results. In exoteric Mahayana Buddhism The body was seen at best as a servant of the mind, a servant of the will that Bodhisattvas resolved to serve beings and attain enlightenment for their sake.

[81:26]

Or it was seen as a vessel, a boat to ferry the consciousness across the ocean of existence to the other shore of enlightenment. Vajrayana Buddhism, the body is valued as having in its very nature Buddhahood already. That is, if one is astute and knows how to recognize within the body all of the its own Buddha nature, then it is not something to be carried like a burden or used as a servant. It has within it already the qualities of Buddhahood.

[82:30]

So, those who are very intelligent, who are wise, and understand this, understand the value of this human body, and instead of rejecting or misusing it, integrate the body within their spiritual path, make it a part of the spiritual path. We'll obtain, as we said, very wonderful results. They understand that mind, states of mind and mind itself can only function in the context of the elements and other components within the body.

[83:32]

That is to say that the relationship between mind and breath, mind and the operation of the psychic breath or prana within psychic airs, within the channels, with the psychic channels and nerve system within the body. The effect of prana upon the various chakras or psychic centers within the body. the presence within the body of the sexual energy that can be channeled towards the attainment of enlightenment.

[84:35]

are perceived by the wise as being a very immediate and as offering a very immediate and a much more effective way of seeking enlightenment for the benefit of others. It's just to dramatize the different approaches. you set your mind to developing a headache by repeating to yourself that you're going to experience pain in your head, that you're going to have a headache. If you repeat this long enough and think about it and apply your mind to working at the headache long enough, you will probably develop a headache after a matter of hours, days, or months, you will succeed in developing a headache.

[85:39]

But this, and this is like the exoteric approach to Itsuko. Vajrayana approach is like, is like picking up a rock and hitting yourself over the head so that you get the results, the same results, much more quickly.

[86:02]

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