Mahayoga
Encyclopedia
Mahayoga is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras
according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma
school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Ray (2002: p. 124) associates the Mahayoga with removing the obscuration of the mula klesha of aggression (or anger). The relative aspect of the two truths is mentioned and an embedded quotation by Tulku Thondup:
As with the other yanas, Mahayoga represents both a scriptural division as well as a specific emphasis of both view (Tibetan: ta-ba) and practice (Tibetan: yod-pa). Mahayoga is held to emphasize the generation stage
(or "development stage") of Tantra, where the succeeding two yana, anuyoga
and atiyoga, emphasise the completion stage
and the synthesis or transcendence of the two, respectively.
Mahayoga scriptures are further divided into two sections: the Sadhana
section, consisting of practice texts for meditation on specific deities, and the Tantra section.
Ray (2002: p. 124) highlights the pre-eminent usage of visualization
amongst the techniques of tantric sadhana
and the teaching of the "eight cosmic commands":
' bum, the textual tradition of the Mahāyoga-yana, the THDL states:
The THDL states that "although the mTshams brag edition of The Collected Tantras does not rigorously organize its texts according to sub-categories, the Mahāyoga category can be further subdivided according to the following scheme":
The "Guhyagarbha Tantra
" (Wylie: rDo rje sems dpa' sgyu 'phrul drwa ba; gSang ba snying po) is the foremost of all of these and it abridges the content of the seventeen others as follows:
mahayoga tradition (and their corresponding sadhana
s) are said to have been received by Padmakara from the Eight Vidyadharas (Tib.
Rigdzin), or Eight Great Acharyas: Manjushrimitra, Nagarjuna
, Vajrahumkara, Vimalamitra
, Prabhahasti, Dhanasamskrita, Shintamgarbha and Guhyachandra.http://www.dharmafellowship.org/biographies/historicalsaints/lord-padmasambhava.htm#promulgating They were proficient in the practices of, respectively,
1) Yamantaka (Tib. Jampal Shinje, ’jam dpal sku) the wrathful Manjushri, the deity of body
2) Hayagriva
(Tib. Pema Sung, padma gsung) the wrathful Avalokiteshvara, the deity of speech
3) Vishuddha/Sri Samyak (Tib. Yangdak Thuk, Wylie: yang dag thugs) the wrathful Vajrapani
deity of mind
4) Vajramrita (Tib. Dudtsi Yonten, bdud rtsi yon tan) the wrathful Samantabhadra
, the deity of enlightened qualities
5) Vajrakilaya/Vajrakumara (Tib. Dorje Phurba
, phur ba ‘phrin las), the wrathful Nivaranavishkambin, the deity of action
6) Matarah (Tib. Mamo Botong, ma mo rbod gtong) the wrathful Akasagarbha
, the deity of calling and dispatching
7) Lokastotrapuja-natha (Tib. Jigten Chotod, ’jig rten mchod bstod) the wrathful Ksitigarbha, the deity of worldly offering and praise
8) Vajramantrabhiru (Tib. Mopa Dragnak, mod pa drag sngags) the wrathful Maitreya
, the deity of wrathful mantras
Inner Tantras
The Inner Tantras are the final three divisions in the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. They comprise the Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga...
according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Ray (2002: p. 124) associates the Mahayoga with removing the obscuration of the mula klesha of aggression (or anger). The relative aspect of the two truths is mentioned and an embedded quotation by Tulku Thondup:
Mahayoga-yana is associated with the masculine principle and is for those whose primary defilement is aggression. In Mahayoga, one visualizes oneself as the divinity with consort. "All manifestation, thoughts and appearances are considered to be the sacred aspects of the divinities within relative truth," in the words of Tulku Thondup. By visualizing all phenomena as the deities of the mandala of buddhahood, in the development stage, all appearances are purified.
As with the other yanas, Mahayoga represents both a scriptural division as well as a specific emphasis of both view (Tibetan: ta-ba) and practice (Tibetan: yod-pa). Mahayoga is held to emphasize the generation stage
Generation stage
In Tantric Buddhism, the generation stage is the first phase of meditative Buddhist sādhana associated with the 'Father Tantra' class of anuttara-yoga-tantras of the Sarmapa or associated with what is known as Mahayoga Tantras by the Nyingmapa...
(or "development stage") of Tantra, where the succeeding two yana, anuyoga
Anuyoga
Anuyoga is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism...
and atiyoga, emphasise the completion stage
Completion stage
The completion stage is one of the two stages of Anuttarayoga Tantra. Completion stage may also be translated as perfection stage or fulfillment mode...
and the synthesis or transcendence of the two, respectively.
Mahayoga scriptures are further divided into two sections: the Sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
section, consisting of practice texts for meditation on specific deities, and the Tantra section.
Ray (2002: p. 124) highlights the pre-eminent usage of visualization
Mental image
A mental image is an experience that, on most occasions, significantly resembles the experience of perceiving some object, event, or scene, but occurs when the relevant object, event, or scene is not actually present to the senses...
amongst the techniques of tantric sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
and the teaching of the "eight cosmic commands":
One particular keynote of mahayoga-yana has to do with the use of visualization. In the Vajrayana in general, one visualizes oneself as the buddha, thus giving external form to the enlightenment within. Like-wise, one visualizes the external world as pure and sacred, thus under-cutting the usual practice of taking things as impure and defiled. In mahayoga, one comes to the realization that actually all of our everyday experience is a visualization. Just as we can visualize ourselves as a buddha and the world as pure, so we can visualize ourselves as an existent ego and the world as defiled. Realizing that all of our images and conceptions of reality are in fact complex visualizations, we gain a unique entry into the underpinnings of the conventional world and gain a certain kind of unparalleled leverage over it. This is reflected in the mahayoga-yana teaching of the "eight cosmic commands," eight kinds of ways to intervene in the operation of the conventional world and alter its momentum for the benefit of others.
Mahayoga textual tradition
In introducing the mTshams brag Edition of the Collected Tantras of the Ancients rnying ma rgyud
The Mahāyoga section of the Collected Tantras of the Ancients is the largest of the three. It is divided into two major sections: the Tantra Series (rgyud sde) and the Practice Series (sgrub sde). One of the seminal Tantras of the Ancients found in this section is the Secret Essence Tantra or gsang ba'i snying po'i rgyud, which has spawned not only a plethora of Indo-Tibetan commentaries but also a heated debate in Tibet over its authenticity.
The THDL states that "although the mTshams brag edition of The Collected Tantras does not rigorously organize its texts according to sub-categories, the Mahāyoga category can be further subdivided according to the following scheme":
- Tantra Series (rgyud sde)
- The eightfold set of root Magical Emanation Tantras (Mayajala, rtsa bar gyur sgyu 'phrul sde brgyad)
- The eighteenfold set of explanatory tantras (bshad pa dang cha mthun gyi rgyud tantra sde bco brgyad) (see below)
- Enlightened Body (sku)
- Enlightened Speech (gsung)
- Enlightened Mind (thugs)
- Enlightened Qualities (yon tan)
- Enlightened Activities (phrin las)
- Miscellaneous
- Practice Series of the Eight Proclamation Deities (sgrub sde bka
' brgyad)- The Practice Series (sgrub sde)
- Summary of the Highest Intention (bla ma dgongs pa
' dus pa) - Consortium of Sugatas (bde gshegs
' dus pa) - Miscellaneous
- Summary of the Highest Intention (bla ma dgongs pa
- The Eight Proclamation Deities (bka
' brgyad)- The Mañjushrī Cycle on Enlightened Form (
' jam dpal sku' i skor) - The Lotus Tantras on Enlightened Communication (pad ma gsung gi rgyud)
- The Real Tantras on Enlightened Mind (yang dag thugs kyi rgyud)
- The Nectar Tantras on Enlightened Qualities (bdud rtsi yon tan gyi rgyud)
- The Sacred Dagger Cycle on Enlightened Activities (phrin las phur pa
' i skor) - The Cycle on Invoking the Fierce Ma-mo Deities (ma mo rbod gtong skor)
- Offerings and Praises to Protect the Teachings (bstan srung mchod bstod)
- The Cycle on Fierce Mantras (drag sngags skor)
- Miscellaneous
- The Mañjushrī Cycle on Enlightened Form (
- Miscellaneous
- The Practice Series (sgrub sde)
- Miscellaneous
Eighteen great tantras of Mahayoga
The 'eighteen great tantras' (Wylie: bshad pa dang cha mthun gyi rgyud tantra sde bco brgyad) from the Tantra series described above are at the heart of the Mahayoga tradition. These are grouped into 'five root tantras' (Wylie: rtsa ba sku gsung thugs yon tan phrin las kyi rgyud chen po lnga), 'five practice tantras' (Wylie: sgrub pa lag len du bstan pa rol pa' rgyud chen po lnga), and 'five activity tantras' (Wylie: spyod pa'i yan lag tu 'gro ba'i rgyud chen po lnga), and the 'two supplementary tantras' (Wylie: ma tshang kha bskong ba'i rgyud chen po gnyis). Together they are known as the Māyājāla. They are as follows:The "Guhyagarbha Tantra
Guhyagarbha tantra
The Guhyagarbha Tantra is the main tantra of the Mahayoga class and the primary Tantric text studied in the Nyingma tradition as a key to understanding empowerment, samaya, mantras, mandalas and other Vajrayana topics....
" (Wylie: rDo rje sems dpa' sgyu 'phrul drwa ba; gSang ba snying po) is the foremost of all of these and it abridges the content of the seventeen others as follows:
Root tantras
- Equalizing Buddhahood (the tantra of the body) (Wylie: Sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor gyi rtsa ba mkha' 'gro ma bde mchog rtsa ba'i rgyud)
- The Secret Moon, (the tantra of speech) (Wylie: dPal Zla gsang thig le rtsa ba'i rgyud)
- The Assembly of Secrets (Guhyasamaja TantraGuhyasamāja tantraThe Guhyasamāja Tantra is one of the most important scriptures of esoteric Buddhism. In its fullest form, it consists of seventeen chapters, though a separate "explanatory tantra" known as the Later Tantra is sometimes considered to be its eighteenth chapter...
) (the tantra of mind) (Wylie: dPal gSang ba 'dus pa) - The Glorious Supreme Primal Tantra (the tantra of qualities) (Wylie: dPal mchog dang po)
- The Activity Garland Tantra (the tantra of activities) (Wylie: Kar ma ma le)
Practice tantras
- The HerukaHerukaHeruka is also a name for the Tantric deity Chakrasamvara, for which see.Heruka , is the name of a category of wrathful deities, enlightened beings in Vajrayana Buddhism that adopt a fierce countenance to benefit sentient beings. In China and Japan, it was named as Wisdom King. Herukas represent...
Practice Tantra (Wylie: He ru ka rol pa'i rgyud) - The HayagrivaHayagrivaHayagriva is a horse-headed deity that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism.-Hinduism:...
Supreme Practice Tantra (Wylie: rTa mchog rol pa'i rgyud) - The Compassion Tantra (Wylie: sNying rje rol pa'i rgyud)
- The Nectar Practice Tantra (Wylie: bDud rtsi rol pa'i rgyud)
- The Arising of the Twelve Kilayas Tantra (Wylie: Byit to ta ma rol pa'i rgyud; Phur pa bcu gnyis)
Activity Tantras
- The Mountain Pile (Wylie: Go 'phang dbang gis bgrod pa ri bo brtsegs pa'i rgyud)
- The Awesome Wisdom Lightning (Wylie: La spyod pas dor ba rngam pa glog gi 'khor lo'i rgyud)
- The Array of Samayas (Wylie: gZhi dam tshigs gis bzung ba bkod pa rgyal po'i rgyud)
- The One-Pointed Samadhi (Wylie: Nyams su ting 'dzin gyis blangs pa rtse gcig bsdus pa'i rgyud)
- The Rampant Elephant (Wylie: Phang lta bas bcad pa glang po rab 'bog gi rgyud)
Last Tantras that complete whatever is incomplete
- The Vairochana Net of Magical Display (Wylie: rNam par snang mdzad sgyu 'phrul drwa ba'i rgyud)
- The Noble, Skilful Lasso, the Concise Lotus Garland (Wylie: Thabs kyi zhags pa pad mo'i phreng ba'i rgyud)
Eight Herukas of the Nyingma Mahayoga
The eight Herukas (Wylie: sgrub pa bka’ brgyad) of the NyingmaNyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
mahayoga tradition (and their corresponding sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
s) are said to have been received by Padmakara from the Eight Vidyadharas (Tib.
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
Rigdzin), or Eight Great Acharyas: Manjushrimitra, Nagarjuna
Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna was an important Buddhist teacher and philosopher. Along with his disciple Āryadeva, he is credited with founding the Mādhyamaka school of Mahāyāna Buddhism...
, Vajrahumkara, Vimalamitra
Vimalamitra
Vimalamitra ), an 8th century Indian adept, is key to the history of Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen practice. He lived equally in China, Oddiyana and Tibet, but was known as the "Sage of Kashmir". According to tradition, he was born in Western India and travelled to China to become a disciple of Shri...
, Prabhahasti, Dhanasamskrita, Shintamgarbha and Guhyachandra.http://www.dharmafellowship.org/biographies/historicalsaints/lord-padmasambhava.htm#promulgating They were proficient in the practices of, respectively,
1) Yamantaka (Tib. Jampal Shinje, ’jam dpal sku) the wrathful Manjushri, the deity of body
2) Hayagriva
Hayagriva
Hayagriva is a horse-headed deity that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism.-Hinduism:...
(Tib. Pema Sung, padma gsung) the wrathful Avalokiteshvara, the deity of speech
3) Vishuddha/Sri Samyak (Tib. Yangdak Thuk, Wylie: yang dag thugs) the wrathful Vajrapani
Vajrapani
' is one of the earliest bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of the Buddha, and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapani was used extensively in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha...
deity of mind
4) Vajramrita (Tib. Dudtsi Yonten, bdud rtsi yon tan) the wrathful Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra , is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism associated with Buddhist practice and meditation. Together with Shakyamuni Buddha and fellow bodhisattva Manjusri he forms the Shakyamuni trinity in Buddhism...
, the deity of enlightened qualities
5) Vajrakilaya/Vajrakumara (Tib. Dorje Phurba
Phurba
The kīla is a three-sided peg, stake, knife, or nail like ritual implement traditionally associated with Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Bön, and Indian Vedic traditions. The kīla is associated with the meditational deity The kīla (Sanskrit Devanagari: कील; IAST: kīla; , pronunciation between pur-ba and...
, phur ba ‘phrin las), the wrathful Nivaranavishkambin, the deity of action
6) Matarah (Tib. Mamo Botong, ma mo rbod gtong) the wrathful Akasagarbha
Akasagarbha
Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva is one of the eight great bodhisattvas. His name can be translated as "boundless space treasury" or "void store" as his wisdom is said to be boundless as space itself...
, the deity of calling and dispatching
7) Lokastotrapuja-natha (Tib. Jigten Chotod, ’jig rten mchod bstod) the wrathful Ksitigarbha, the deity of worldly offering and praise
8) Vajramantrabhiru (Tib. Mopa Dragnak, mod pa drag sngags) the wrathful Maitreya
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
, the deity of wrathful mantras