A Complete and Detailed Exposition on the True Buddha Tantric Dharma

By Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Janny Chow

Completion Stage Practice  

       Next I shall discuss the Completion Stage Practice. What is the next Completion Stage Practice?  It is the highest level of practice for mature students who are in the equivalent of the doctoral program. In fact, Zen Buddhism is a Completion Stage practice.  Unlike ordinary people, a person with superior faculties and sharp wisdom is able to “cut through” right at the beginning of the Completion Stage practice.  For example, Bodhidharma, the first Zen patriarch, was able to “cut through.”  When Hui K’o, who later became the second Zen patriarch, paid Bodhidharma a visit, he was asked by Bodhidharma, “Why have you come here?” Hui K’o replied, “I would like to have my mind pacified.” Bodhidharma the said, “Fetch me your mind and I will pacify it for you.” Hui K’o asked Bodhidharma, “How do I find my mind? I can’t find my mind.” Bodhidharma the answered, “I have already pacified your mind for you.” This is a Zen koan. Hui K’o was an extremely sharp and clever person. As soon as he heard Bodhidharma’s reply that he had already pacified his mind for him, he was instantaneously enlightened. This realization is Great Perfection – Instantaneous Enlightenment.
       After hearing this koan, are you able to attain Enlightenment? If you can, you are a Buddha! As long as one hears this koan and is able to penetrate deeply into its meaning, one immediately understands the Buddhadharma.  Therefore, the crux of the matter is whether one is able to penetrate the koan and understand it.  The second Zen patriarch Hui K’o was able to attain Instantaneous Enlightenment as soon as he heard Boddhidharma telling him that his mind already had been pacified.
       There is this other koan.  Zen Master Te Shan wrote a book, Commentaries in the Diamond Sutra, which offered a very clear explanation on the Diamond Sutra. Master Te Shan felt that he had already understood the main idea of the Diamond Sutra.  Therefore, carrying the book, which was quite a thick one, in a package on the end of a pole, he went on the road to challenge those who were devious and heretical.  He arrived at a snack shop and met an old woman who was selling tien-hsin (dimsum or pastries). The old woman asked him, “Reverend, what is that on the end of the pole?”
       He replied, “That is the Diamond Sutra and its commentaries. I am someone who understands the meaning of the Diamond Sutra”. This old woman who decided to test him and said “Let me ask you a question. If you can answer it, you shall have the tien-hsin free of charge. If you can’t answer it, you will have to leave without tasting any of the tien shin”. Master Te Shan agreed to this.  The old woman the asked, “In the Diamond Sutra, it is said that the hsin (mind) of the past is unattainable, the hsin (mind) of the present is unattainable, the hsin (mind) of the future is unattainable. Please tell me what kind of tien-hsin you are going to order from me?” Right away, Master Te Shan was stumped and could not reply. As none of the three minds (hsin) was attainable, what kind of tien-hsin was he going to order from her? Unable to reply, he felt embarrassed.
       One must know that the Completion Stage practice s comprised of “sudden methods” that require one to instantaneously “cut through” delusions. The Generation Stage practice consists of “gradual methods” wherein one advances gradually through different levels until one is able to “cut through”.  The Completion Stage practice in Tantric Buddhism is in fact Zen! In this “formless Tantric practice,” one has to “instantaneously cut through” to attain Buddhahood and liberation.  Without this immediate “cutting through”, there is no liberation.  Bodhidharma told Hui K’o, “Fetch me your hsin (mind) and I will pacify it for you”. To which Hui K’o replied that he could not find his mind.  That is the right answer! There is fundamentally no separate existence of the mind. One has to instantaneously sever this delusion of the mind’s separate existence and enter directly into the true nature of the mind.  What is the mind anyway? It does not exist. When one is in the state of no-mind, one attains liberation. If one still has awareness of the mind, one cannot attain liberation. If Master Te Shan were to answer the old woman, his answer should be: “No-hsin!” If none of the three minds is attainable, what kind of mind can one have? The answer is “no-mind”. Now that all you have found out what the answer is, all of you have attained Buddhahood! (audience laughter).

Treckcho, Togal

          The answer of “no-mind” is very simple, but can one carry out this state of “no-mind” in practice? In the Completion Stage practices known as Tibetan terms as “Trekcho” and “Togal”, one is required to immediately and instantaneously “cut through” the veils of the ordinary mind, enter directly into the nature of mind and rest in the state of spontaneous, perfect accomplishment.  What is the state spontaneous, perfect accomplishment? It is the state wherein one in endowed with miraculous powers-the state of self-mastery and freedom. In the Completion Stage practices, there are just “cutting through” and “spontaneous, perfect accomplishment” (Trekcho and Togal) – the practices of Dzogchen (Great Perfection). A person with great wisdom, as soon as he or she hears of “cutting through” will immediately cut through all defilements which are associated with the ordinary mind and transmute from the level of ordinary beings to the level of sages. When one cuts through the ordinary mind and is released from its limitations and grasping, one is immediately transmuted into holy being. Sometimes, however, someone might appear to have achieved severance, but actually still be connected.
       A student came to tell me, “Grand Master, I have already cut through the ordinary mind.” I said, “Very Good!” I thought, she must be a person of supreme root quality. But she continued, “But my mother is still sick!” Has she really cut through the habitual tendencies of attachment and aversion? No! In another day she again came to see me, “Grand Master, I am able to cut through the delusion.” Very good. But she went on to say, “I was reprimanded by my boss yesterday, and I lost a night’s sleep over it.” To cut through delusion, directly and thoroughly, one must be completely naked. By being naked do I mean to strip away all one’s clothing and become totally nude? Do I mean strip dancing, or being what Americans call “topless” and the Japanese term “sidolibu”? (audience laughter) I am not asking you to go watch topless dancing or to show yourself off by streaking. I am asking you to rest in the nakedness of the innermost essence, where there is only luminosity and not a trace of defilement.  In that naked awareness, you are totally liberated from the delusion of thoughts and emotions.
       Therefore, in Vajrayana of Tantric Buddhism, the Dharmakaya Buddh (Dharma Body) is portrayed without a stitch of clothing: the Sambhogakaya Buddha (Bliss Body) os portrayed as half dressed, like the image of Buddha Shakyamuni with the right shoulder exposed; and the Nirmanakaya Buddha (Emanation Body) is portrayed as fully dressed, like the Grand Master, who is dressed from top to bottom. In winter, I even cover myself up in long underwear and socks. The complete lack of clothing of the Dharma Body symbolizes a total naked awareness, the total ablation of ordinary mind. When delusion is “cut through”, one will instantaneously realize the state of self-masteru wherein all potentials and power exist in spontaneous perfection. This is the Completion Stage practice for individuals of supreme wisdom and root quality who has reached a high level of development.
       The fact of matter is, one may start at the Generation Stage practice but, when one keeps on practicing and ultimately reaches stage of the Completion Stage, there will come one flashing moment when true “cutting through” and “spontaneous, perfect accomplishment” will occur.
       “Cutting through” and “spontaneous, perfect accomplishment” are the states realized in Great Perfection have transmitted by Padmasambhava. This was also what the great adept Marpa was learning from Naropa when he traveled to India to seek teachings on the Ganges Mahamudra. There is a mode of Mahamudra in Kagyu called Sutra Mahamudra which is still a Generation Stage practice. The Ganges Mahamudra (also known as Essence Mahamudra), the Great Perfection, and Zen are all instantaneous methods and Completion Stage practices. Do you all now understand the distinction between Generation and Completion Stage practices in the Buddhist Tantra? IO have also discussed the Four Preliminary Practices, Vajrasatva Practice, and Guru Yoga, so everyone should have a lucid understanding of the development of the stages in cultivation.
       When I finish with the teaching of the “external practices” I shall start on “the internal practices”, which consist of the training of chi, channels, and light drops, and how to attain “Buddhahood in the present life”. After that, I will teach the “esoteric practices” which are at the fourth level of empowerments: Mahamudra and Highest Tantra Yoga. This will lead to the “inner esoteric practices” wherein I will explain Great Perfection in deeper level.  In the future I will teach all these practices in Rainbow villa. But, in reality, as long as one practices the Personal Deity Yoga until yogic response is obtained, one will attain Buddhahood. In other words, as long as one perfects the external practices, one will attain Buddhahood. This “Buddhahood by guidance” is more subtle, but gives more assurances, than the recitation method of the Pure Land school.
       Tomorrow is the last day of teaching. Since some of you have thought that today is the last day and planned to leave later tonight or tomorrow morning, today I shall give those students the empowerment of Wealth Deities of the Five Directions and the Personal Deity Yoga.
       Tomorrow is a session for questions and answers. If you have any questions, you may ask them tomorrow. People who are staying behind for tomorrow’s session will receive the empowerments for the Wealth Deities of the Five Directions and the Personal Deity Yoga after the session. If you have requests for other empowerments, let me know, and I shall perform them for you tomorrow.
       Today is the fifth day of this teaching, and, over the past four days, I have covered the Prologue and the Main Body. Today I discuss the Epilogue. A complete tantra consists of Prologue, Main Body and Epilogue.

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