Proof and Evidence

“In meditation, thought within oneself, you will be revealed your true self.” This is one of the methods of Vajrayana performed to cultivate the mind. You are already familiar with this technique: when you have fantasies, or recall a memory, that is when you are using it…

Vajrayana began to arise as a new movement in Indian Buddhism in the fifth and sixth centuries and emerged in Tibet about the 7 th century C.E. Its prominent symbol is the 'vajra' translated as diamond or thunderbolt. With its emphasis on yogic practices and its reliance on tantric teachings, Vajryana offers a speedier route to enlightenment . Some of these practices were borrowed or developed from Hinduism, while others were innovations of Buddhist teachers. Vajrayana arose from a group of texts called Tantras that described meditation and ritual techniques for advanced Mahayana practitioners.

Tantric techniques can bring one to enlightenment much more quickly than the many lifetimes required for the bodhisattva path in Mahayana. Tantric texts are said to have been taught by the Buddha to a select group of disciples, though they did not appear publicly until the seventh century. Tantric texts are often very difficult to read without the guidance of an experienced tantric practitioner.

One defining feature of Vajrayana is esoteric practices. Esoteric teachings are often secret, in that a master should only teach them to a prepared disciple. Some esoteric practices do not require one to get rid of all one's desires and attachments beforehand, but actually use human emotion and energy in all its variety in order to go beyond attachments. They work in ways that seem magical or mysterious to outsiders and may create supernormal abilities in the practitioner. Some examples of these practices are: repetition of short potent phrases called mantras or dharanis; complex visualizations, such as sending colored light to multiple realms in the cosmos; and creation of and meditation on mandalas, sacred diagrams of deities or buddha lands. Vajrayana is also noted for focusing attention on many feminine buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities or wives of male deities.

All Buddhist practices lead to one goal: to rid oneself of their ego. But Vajrayana's method of manipulating the ego's extreme intelligence and creativity allows the ego to do the majority of the work to oust itself – Vajrayana does not crush the ego, but lovingly tries to attract a substitution.

In Buddhist practice all individuals need to understand: you are not what you imagine you are – you are not that name, identification, color, shape, and so on… all of that is an illusion.

Vajrayana's methods provide numerous ways of directing one's heart to open up with energy, compassion, and love, allowing you to more completely become infatuated with meritorious and beneficent deeds, inspiring you to search deeper into your origin and where you are presently. When confronted with mysteries and challenges before you, do not think Vajrayana will punish or reward you for your behavior, but continue to look searchingly inside.

In addition, Vajrayana practice instructs that notions of you being kind, sad, strong, and so on are in fact a very limited perspective - these wrong concepts of yourself are fundamentally not you. Your Buddha-nature, your dharmadhatu, has no limits; therefore treat the infinite nature of dharmadhatu as your self-image, and this will more accurately represent the genuine you.

Penetrating your self-image, Vajrayana's teachings gradually quilt an “infinite concept” of the self that will substitute your ego. This kind of practice cultivates the mind without destroying any part of it by intentionally creating new habits and methods to save people from habitual inflexibility. Regarding our Buddha-nature for example, mercy and other inexhaustible merits can eventually be increased in number and dimension.

Vajrayana also uses approaches that are more close to your natural disposition instead of your usual deceptive views and habits. Not only do Vajrayana methods focus upon yourself, but also the periphery environment in which you live, the confusion of life, and your perception of all phenomena.

Vajrayana study is made more expedient by its use of tantras. The tantric approach more closely resembles your dharmadhatu nature, pure and sacred in its view, and seeks to replace your negative impression and concept of the world.

Most importantly, Vajrayana not only focuses upon the characteristics of the heart, but also considers the question of the body. “Transforming the ordinary body into your present body,” this mentality takes as its foundation the theory that all existent outside, including both joyful and not joyful, beauty, ugliness and so on are all products of one's imagination. These concepts have created habits within us, when these habits become increasingly firm they become our present rough weight and materialist dependence, for example our so-called feelings (such as hot and cold) and images (such as beauty and ugliness, large and small, etc.) are the aggregates of our rough habits create by our so-called body, whereas our more subtle habits are created by our heart. Through the penetration of our heart by religious practice we can purify ourselves. According to the theory of emptiness, the body should be penetrable through practice to reach purity as well.

Many methods exist to attain the “view” by way of religious practice. Since these tools all come from the master's teachings it would not be appropriate to explain the methods in detail here. Generally speaking, the view seeks to transform your ordinary surroundings into a continuous religious practice. This technique not only allows you to cast off your mediocre view of yourself, but also provides methods that can repair certain aspects of your view, because you must pay attention to many details; at the same time, it also illuminates the areas that need attention. Usually we believe that we are stranded in the present bodily condition, this is a reason why we suffer hardships; yet this view helps us understand that all things are ephemeral. Because we do not really possess anything firmly.

Usually you may want to freely use the technique of “view”, transforming your view of your surroundings, large and small, and quantities. Sometimes you perceive a jar to be larger than a mountain, sometimes you perceive yourself to be smaller than a small grain of millet, sometimes your view can transform you into many different sizes. You may believe that within each pore holds an entire temple, although the temple is no smaller and your pore is no larger, that is why our experiences are very much dependent upon our perspective. This concept was demonstrated by Milarepa's ability to enter into a cow's horn, demonstrating that his size, inside and outside, which did not fetter his ability to sit inside of a cow's horn. This technique of perspective reveals the limitless possibilities that lie in one's psychology. This should help you in your practice.

If you would like to cultivate a complete perspective, sometimes it is extremely difficult. Similar to trying to burn a pile of shrubbery, you cannot run back and forth trying to grab a hold of new matches trying to light several pieces of leaves at a time and hope to achieve the entire goal; but, if you pile the fallen leaves under the tree, adding hay and small twigs to the pile, a fire will ignite much more easily. According to the same theory, to ignite a life is like burning a pile of brush, perspective also requires technique - do not focus only on the details, but focus more on special sections. The third eye for example, representing the lotus flower, has a function similar to an ignition; if you focus your attention upon these spots, once they catch fire, your view will extend to every place – thereby absorbing and assimilating multiple dimensions of meaning.

“Assimilation” concerning the arteries, circulation, breath, and clear teaching, in their function to life has intrinsic value. Generally, the body is considered as minor to the mind, the mind is considered much stronger and even the controlling power over the body, the body is in effect a slave to the heart. If it is decided to attempt to move the world, the attempt alone can satisfy the desire of the mind, but not the body. Usually the mind decides on the direction of where to walk, the body only follows, therefore the majority of Buddhist practice is put upon the mind, in particular Vajrayana teaches how the mind and the body can communicate and work together.

One method of practice involving the body is trying to penetration of this view. It seems a little artificial or false to want to make yourself into a very large blue Buddha with three faces six arms and six feet – thus representing the color, the shape, the number, the size and so on of the opposing ties. Speaking of the relative level of the arteries and circulation, we see for example that blood vessels are comparatively more noticeable than tinier arteries that are infinitesimal and difficult to see. This is just like the mind, generally it cannot see, however in particular situations, the mind is so powerful that it can see – just like an explosion of sentiments can express the mind. Similarly, when the configuration of a certain concept grows stronger it can be experienced, displaying its shape, color, size, and nature; On a finer level, the ordinary eye cannot see on its own, but because of its meticulously fine sensitivity in relationship to the mind that it can sense subtle objects. When the body becomes increasingly meticulous, the distinction between the body and mind decreases.