Prejudice to appreciation

From the perspective of the visionary practices of Vajrayana we become able to transform every aspect of prejudice against otherness in terms of vibrant appreciation.

p398, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Self-secret buddhas

 

   Vajrayana begins with the premise that dualism is a state of prejudice against non-duality. On the basis of this prejudice against non-duality, infinite forms of prejudice will manifest in order to obfuscate non-duality.

Beings may exist in a state of dualistic distortion, but that which is distorted is a distorted version of non-duality. Because of this, it is possible to employ the energy of duality to transform “what seems to be” into “what actually is”.

Beings are self-secret buddhas and the powerful methodology of Vajrayana enables the realization of this through the empty form of the yidam. From the perspective of the visionary practices of Vajrayana, it is possible to transform every aspect of prejudice against otherness—of every possible description.

Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen in Global BuddhistDoor Magazine  posted on the  Drala Jong Facebook page 20th March 2020  

The principle and function of mantra practice

The principle of mantra practice is transformation.  Mantra is the form quality of emptiness, and the visualisation is the emptiness quality of form. Within Tantra the two are united as a means of transforming our dimension of being into that of the yidam.
Mantra functions through repetition in terms of overwhelming the conceptual sphere – we become entirely engrossed with the quality sphere of the yidam in terms of light and sound.
There is no room for ‘me’ there. I have to let go of the ‘me project’. As soon as I let go of the ‘me project’, the yidam irradiates my experience with referenceless enjoyment in which there are no compulsory projects.  One becomes the yidam and both sees and hears the world as the yidam.

Aro Encyclopaedia  Index: Dzogchen and Tantra: question and answer session.  Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen

An eager maniac

When we speak of employing desire, we’re speaking of the functioning of energy.  The intrinsic energy of desire is none other than the enlightened state.  This is what is meant by transformation or transmutation in Tantra.  To be a tantrika you have to be a good warrior; you have to be able to use whatever is at your disposal in terms of what you are – in terms of how you happen to be.
So if you’re an egomaniac, then you become an eager maniac.  You let your Lama make fun of your egomania; and you give up your investment, either in being embarrassed by it or in being defensive about it.
Your ego, or egomania, then becomes an aspect of your energy with which the Lama conjures.  There is nothing with which the Lama cannot conjure if the student is prepared to follow through – if the student is open to that process.

p125-126, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

  

Every aspect of human existence

 

The wonderful quality of Vajrayana is the way in which it approaches every aspect of human existence as being fundamentally workable.  Whatever the situation happens to be, it can be transformed through the practice of Vajrayana.  We do not have to be afraid of what is manifesting and neither do we have to confuse ourselves with the idea that Buddhism needs to be adapted for the West.  Ideas of this nature do not relate with Vajrayana and the methodology of transformation.  If one really understands Vajrayana – one understands that every culture is actually ideal for Vajrayana.

Aro Encyclopaedia Index:  Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike  Ngak'chang Rinpoche interview 1997