THE UNCOMMON INSTRUCTIONS
The realization of egolessness of self and phenomena is peace,
which means it is a state of happiness beyond suffering. But the
cultivation of this conventionally involves the development and
affirmation of a logical certainty that emptiness or selflessness is
the nature of things. It involves logically proving this. But this is
a conceptual certainty, not direct experience. However, if it is
cultivated, it will eventually lead to awakening, or Buddhahood.
But because one is attempting to strengthen a conceptual
certainty, and because it is somewhat indirect, it was taught by
the Buddha that the path of the sutras takes three periods of
innumerable eons during which one must ceaselessly gather the
accumulations in order to attain Buddhahood.
Now the accumulation of virtue was taught by the Buddha,
but elsewhere the Buddha taught that the Vajrayana path can
lead to that same Buddhahood in one lifetime. Well, one might
ask if the Vajrayana path can lead to Buddhahood in one
lifetime, what is all this about gathering the accumulations for
three periods of innumerable eons? And if we need to gather the
accumulations for three periods of innumerable eons, what is this
business in Vajrayana about attaining Buddhahood in one
lifetime in one body?
In fact both are true. The reason that the path of the sutras
takes so long is that there are no direct or practical instructions in
the sutras for cultivating the direct experience of emptiness,
whereas in the Vajrayana there are these uncommon instructions
for gaining direct experience.
For example, the biography of Milarepa tells of an occasion
in which his disciples came and said to him, “Judging by the way
you were extraordinarily diligent in the beginning of your
practice of Buddha-dharma, and by your attainment—your
miraculous abilities, your super-cognition, and so on—it seems
evident that you are the emanation of a buddha or bodhisattva.
Would you please tell us which buddha or bodhisattva you are?
Telling us this will increase our devotion.”
In response Milarepa answered, “Your thinking that I am the
emanation of a buddha or bodhisattva is an indication of your
great devotion for me. But it also indicates a fundamental
misunderstanding of the dharma, because I am not the emanation
of a Buddha or bodhisattva. I began this path as an ordinary
being, in fact, I was an evildoer. Yet by meeting an authentic
teacher, Marpa, and receiving authentic instructions, those of
Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa, I was able to attain
this result. The fact that I attained this is not due to my having
been special from the beginning. It is due only to the special
qualities of the dharma that I practiced. So your asking this
question indicates that you do not yet understand the power of
dharma, because the instructions of Vajrayana can bring the state
of Vajradhara in one lifetime and one body.”
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