Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s6.t4: rGyud
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s6.t4
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rGyud
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Rgyud is tantric theory of Tibetan Buddhism. As one of the important schools of Buddhism, it inherited its origin and development from Tang Tantrism, Eastern Tantrism and Tibetan Tantrism, and has been transmitted into different regions. In terms of three language families of Buddhism, Tantrism is widely transmitted in Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism ie Northern Mahayana Buddhism.
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**Concept of Tantrism:** There are many alternative names in Tibetan and Chinese language systems. For example, the names such as Tantra, Tantric vehicle, secret vehicle, esoteric incantation vehicle and Mantra vehicle etc and the famous scholar Xu Fandeng explained it specifically: “the school is characterised by chanting mantras ie the so-called ‘true words’.” Great attention is paid to Tantrism in Tibetan Buddhism, especially profound doctrines are endowed to it so it becomes the essence of Buddhism is honoured as diamond vehicle (Vajrayana) or resultant vehicle which secures it a supreme place.”
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Great monks of Tibetan Buddhism answered why Tantrism (gsang sngags) has so many alternative names or venerable titles. The Fourth Panchen Blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan (1567-1662). As a Tantric matters of the Gelug sect of the generation, he explained the word of Vajrayana (rdo rje thegs pa): there were profound reasons for Tantrism which is called as “Vajrayana”. Firstly, Mahayana doctrines are fully concluded in the six paramitas; secondly, the six paramitas are condensed in skills and intelligence and lastly, skills and intelligence combines into oneness ie Bodhicitta. However, Bodhicitta is the profound meditation of diamond being (Vajrasattva) ie diamond (Vajra), so Tantrism is called as diamond vehicle.
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Explanation on the concept of resultant vehicle (vbras buvi thegs pa) is more theoretical or logical. The eminent monk of the Kagyu sect Bu ston rin chen grub (1290～1364) once expounded that sde snod can be divided into Hinayana Tripitaka and Mahayana Tripitaka. Therefore, Mahayana Tripitaka also contains sutras and shastras of causal vehicle (Yogachara School) and resultant vehicle (Tantrism). That is to say, Exotoric Buddhism doctrines are classified into causal vehicle (rgyu yi thegs pa) is used as the theoretical basis of Tantric cultivation and only the entry into the practical stage of resultant vehicle is the highest dharma of “attaining enlightenment in this life”. The establishment of causal vehicle and resultant vehicle rationalises the Document on Mixuxue
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relations between exoteric Buddhism and esoteric Buddhism as well as constructs the cultivation system of Tibetan Buddhism. Enlightenment or attainment of Buddha fruits can be obtained after learning doctrines of causal vehicle (exoteric Buddhism) and then practicing cultivation of resultant vehicle (esoteric Buddhism).
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**New and Old Tantric Doctrines:** Old and new Tantric doctrines are inherited in Tibetan Buddhism. In the aspect of exoteric Buddhism, there is no difference between the new and the old as well as the saying between the new school and old school and it is divided according to conditions of propagation of Tantrism purely. As for the division between the new and old, there are many sayings and the most common saying is that tantras translated by Pandita smri ti before he came to Tibet are called as Tantras of the old school, and tantras translated after Rin chen bzang po are called as Tantras of the new school; tantric classics translated by Pandita smri ti before he arrived in Tibet (late 10th century CE) are subject to the old tantras and tantric classics translated since the great translator Rin chen bzang po (958~1055) are subject to the new tantras.
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In terms of sects, only Ningmapa sect inherited the old tantric traditions, and other schools belonged to the new tantric system. The Ningmapa sect promoted or practiced Tantric heritance, which originated from the old tantric traditions in the 8th century CE while the doctrines which were promoted and practiced by the schools such as the Gelug Sect, Kagyu Sect, Sagya Sect and Jonang Sect originated from the new tantric system in late 10th century CE.
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In terms of tracing back to historical sources of Tantrism for the new tantras and old tantras, there are many common views as well as subtle differences. Tantrism is propagated from the oneness of the three bodies of the Buddha. It is declared with the spiritual body to support the original meaning, instruct with the reward body to purify self-nature, and preach with the embodiment to embellish words and realise phenomena. There were three birthplaces for Tantras: the first was the place of the Buddha’s spiritual body. The founder, Samantabhadra Dharmakaya Buddha declared great perfection self-nature to retinues or disciples in Wisdom Ocean without time concepts and words. The second was the place of the Buddha’s reward body. The founder Sambhogakaya Mahavairochana presented superior doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism to five Buddhas, five consorts including Mother Voidness and Freedom, Bodhisattvas including Kshitigarbha and female Bodhisattvas including Grace and Charm as well as retinues or disciples in self-appearance altar filled with voidness with six syllables or indescribable words and it was in the age of self-appearance of intelligence. The third was the place of the Buddha’s embodiment. The founder Vajra Dhara, appeared an illusory intelligence body of Vajrasattva instructed inscrutable exoteric and esoteric doctrines to numerous retinues or disciples including obtainers of good karma, Bodhisattvas, achievers, intelligent cultivators of voidness, worldly gods, dragons, human beings, asuras and dri za in the Tushita heaven (one of the six heavens of desire), and it was in the age between infinite life and life of 100 years. The old school emphasised the place of the original founder Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence largely when narrating Tantric heritance and source of entire Buddhism. The unshakable holy place of Dharmakaya Buddha was highlighted by the fact that Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence declared great perfection to reduce the places of other Buddhas and the combination of the three bodies makes the reward Buddha and the embodiment Buddha are in the secondary or subordinate place.
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**Four Tantras and Six Tantras:** Tantric literature in sutras and shastras is called as Tantra (rgyud) while rgyud in Tibetan has the meaning of continuity or succession which conforms to the implication of the Chinese character of “续”. Its history can be traced back to the 8th century CE. The concept of *Tantra of Secret Mantra* (sngags kyi rgyud la) had appeared in *Vphang Thang Catalogue* (dkar chag vphang thang ma), the catalogue of Tripitaka compiled in the Tubo period. Moreover, the part of *Tantra of Secret Mantra* was listed in Denkar Catalogue (ldan dkar gyi dkar chag) in the same period, which was same as *Vphang Thang Catalogue* basically, and they can be proved mutually. However, the pre-propagation period of Tibetan Buddhism hadn’t established Tantric cultivation system such as Four Tantras or Six Tantras in a strict sense in the Tubo period.
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Bu ston rin chen grub recompiled the catalogue of Tibetan Tripitaka on the basis of Denkar Catalogue, Mchims phuvi dkar chag, Vphang Thang Catalogue and Snar thang gi bstan vgyur dkar chag and literature catalogue compiled by translators in the 14th century CE. The compilation deleted and added the previous catalogues of Tripitaka. Sutras and shastras of Tipitaka of Buddhism can be divided into two types mainly, exoteric Buddhism and esoteric Buddhism, literature is named after sutra (mdo) and Tantra, respectively, exoteric classics are called as sutras, and esoteric classics are called as shastras.
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Great monks of Tibetan Buddhism proposed the concept of Four Tantras (rgyud bzhi) in 10ᵗʰ century CE. On the premise of sutras and shastras defined strictly, Tantras were classified into Action Tantra, Performance Tantra, Yoga Tantra and Great Yoga Tantra, and the system of four tantras was established; hereafter, Great Yoga Tantra was classified into three Tantras, Upaya Tantra (also called Father Tantra), Intelligence Tantra (also called Mother Tantra) and Nondual Tantra, and the theory of Four Tantras or Six Tantras of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism was created.
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The new school represented by Gelug sect divided Tantric classics into four types: Action Tantra, Performance Tantra, Yoga Tantra and Anuttarayoga Tantra. In Sngags rim chen mo, Tsong Kha Pa expounded cultivation ways, rites and methods, use of ritual implements, Satyadevata types, transmission and heritance of Tantric doctrines and codes of different schools. The later generations including monks in the Qing Dynasty observed the classification method of four Tantras of Tsong Kha Pa basically. Action Tantra and Performance Tantra mainly instruct external rites including Abhisheka, rules and ceremonies, heritance affairs and Four-member chants etc. Yoga Tantra explains four-classes of Siddhi cultivation methods including Buddha, Vajra, Ratna and Lotus; Anuttarayoga Tantra expounds attainment methods including four Abhisheka methods, various kinds of profound rules and rites, and gradual paths to cause of act and perfection. Gradual path to perfection is divided into Father Tantra, Mother Tantra and Nondual Tantra, in which Father Tantra includes Guhyasamaji and Great Authority, etc., Mother Tantra includes Supreme Happiness and Hevajra etc., and Nondual Tantra includes Kalachakra Vajra. Three Tantric Dharmas including Father Tantra (pha rgyud), Mother Tantra (ma rgyud) and Nondual Tantra (ngo bo gnyis med kyi rgyud) are formed in Anuttarayoga Tantra and are inherited.
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The Sagya sect divides Tantric cultivation methods into common Dharma and Distinctive Dharma. Common Dharma includes Vajra Mala, One Hundred Attainment Methods, Attainment Dharma Sea and One Hundred Dharmas of Natang etc and Abhisheka, enlightenment and cultivation can be opened externally and internally. Distinctive Dharma includes Action Tantra, Performance Tantra, Yoga Tantra and Anuttarayoga Tantra. Action Tantra has three common Abhishekas including Buddha, Lotus and Vajra, Ratna, and each part has Abhisheka, instruction and enlightenment of over 50 kinds of Dharmas including Buddhas, group leaders, consorts, Shikhin, Wrath Gods, Wrath Goddesses, envoys and Wealth God; Performance Tantra has instruction and enlightenment of “Five Manjusri Bodhisattvas” who are the leaders of Tathagata group; Yoga Tantra has instruction and enlightenment of multiple kinds of Dharmas including Purifying Twelve Altars with Evil Incarnations, Universal Brightness, Vajrapani Destroying the Lord of Death; Anuttarayoga Tantra including three types, including Father Tantra, Mother Tantra and Nondual Tantra. Father Tantra orients at Abhisheka and heritance of Guhyasamaji, Manjusri Vajra and Avalokitesvara etc.; Mother Tantra orients at Supreme Happiness, Vajravarahi, Five Deities of Kurukulle, Amitayus Buddha, Great Pity and Independent Existence, and Twenty One Taras, etc.; Nondual Tantra orients at perfect Abhisheka and heritance of body speech of Hevajra, Kalachakra Vajra, Fifteen Deities of Nairatmya, Panjaranatha Mahakala, Vajrapani Subduing Monsters, and White Intelligence Tara etc.
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As the representative of the old school, the Ningmapa Sect proposes different views from the new school and divides Tantric classics into six types (Tantras): Three External Tantras (Action Tantra, Performance Tantra and Yoga Tantra) and Three Internal Tantras (Maha Yoga, Anusara Yoga and Great Perfection Ati Yoga). Three External Tantras attach importance to external physical practice and Three Internal Tantras pay attention to cultivation of heart and air. Therefore, individual views and practice are form on Anuttarayoga Tantra, and the core of its doctrine promotes great perfection.
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From the perspective of gradual path to cultivation, great perfection is divided into preface and main body. The main body is divided into gradual paths to cause of act and perfection while gradual paths to perfection are divided into gradual paths to happy voidness, complete voidness and intelligence perfection; gradual paths to intelligence perfection is divided into Sems sde, Klong sde, Man ngag sde.
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*Vajrayana diagram painted in Drepung monastery*
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The realm of Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence can be obtained if the whole gradual cultivation process to construct great perfection is completed.
Linked texts (2)
- Guhyasamāja — Sanskrit
- Hevajra — Sanskrit