Highest Yoga Tantra: An Introduction to the Esoteric Buddhism of Tibet

200 Pages·2005·4 MB·English

by  Daniel Cozort

Highest Yoga Tantra

Highest Yoga Tantra
An Introduction to
the Esoteric Buddhism of Tibet
by
Daniel Cozort
Snow Lion Publications
Ithaca, New York
Boulder, Colorado
Snow Lion Publications
P.O. Box 6483
Ithaca, NY 14851 USA
[phone]
www.snowlionpub.com
Copyright © 1986, 2005 Daniel Cozort
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any
means without prior written permission from the publisher.
Printed in USA on acid-free recycled paper.
ISBN 1-55939-235-5
The Library of Congress catalogued the previous edition of this book as
follows:
Cozort, Daniel D., 1953—
Highest yoga tantra.
Includes bibliographies and index.
1. Yoga (Tantric Buddhism) I. Title.
BQ8938.C69 294.3’925 86-3800
ISBN 0-937938-32-7
Contents
List of Charts 8
Technical Note 9
Acknowledgements 11
Preface 12
Part One Highest Yoga Tantra
in the Context of Great. Vehicle Buddhism 19
1 The Superiority of Secret Mantra 21
2 Paths Common to Sutra and Tantra 29
The Need for Renunciation 30
The Need for Compassion 30
The Need for Wisdom 31
3 Initiation 34
4 Pledges and Vows 37
Part Two The Stage of Generation
of Highest Yoga Tantra 39
1 Features of the Stage of Generation 41
Yogas 42
Winds 42
Channels 43
Dissolution of Winds 45
The Power of Meditation 46
Death, Intermediate State, and Rebirth 46
2 Divisions of the Stage of Generation 48
Coarse and Subtle Yogas 48
Three Meditative Stabilizations 51
Four Levels of Achievement 52
3 Calm Abiding and Special Insight 55
4 Divine Pride 57
5 Distinguishing Persons from Paths 59
Part Three The Stage of Completion
of Highest Yoga Tantra 63
The Six Levels of the Stage of Completion 65
1 Physical Isolation 68
Etymology of Physical Isolation 69
Divisions of Physical Isolation 7 0
Meditation on a Subtle Drop 71
Fierce Woman 71
The White and Red Drops 72
The Four Empties 73
TheFourJoys 76
Meditation on Emptiness with Bliss 78
Viewing Appearances As Bliss and Emptiness
Deities 80
Returning to Meditation on Emptiness 83
2 Verbal Isolation 84
Etymology of Verbal Isolation 84
Meditation on a Mantra Drop 86
Meditation on a I,ight Drop 87
Meditation o n a Substance Drop 88
3 Mental Isolation 89
Two Conditions for Attaining Mental Isolation
The Four Empties and the Four Joys 92
4 Impure Illusory Body 94
The Coarse, the Subtle, and the Very Subtle i
The Four Empties and the Illusory Body 99
Exemplification of the Illusory Body 100
5 Clear Light 106
Attaining Clear Light After Sutra Paths 107
Types of Clear Light 109
6 Learner’s Union 111
Bringing Death to the Path 113
Part Four A Comparison of the Kalachakra and
Guhyasamaja Stages of Completion 115
1 Systems of Highest Yoga Tantra 117
2 Channels, Winds, and Drops 119
3 Levels of the Kalachakra Stage of Completion 123
Individual Withdrawal 124
Concentration 126
Vitality-Stopping 126
Retention 126
Subsequent Mindfulness 126
Meditative Stabilization 127
3 Summary of Differences with Respect to Practice 129
4 The Five Paths and Ten Grounds 132
Glossary, Bibliography, Notes, and Index 135
English-Sanskrit-Tibetan Glossary 137
Bibliography 145
1 Selected Tantras 145
2 Sanskrit and Tibetan Texts Cited in This Book 145
3 OtherWorks 149
Notes 156
Index 185
Charts
1 Wisdom and Method 24
2 Bodies of a Buddha 25
3 Initiations 36
4 General System of Highest Yoga Tantra 61
5 Signs Accompanying Dissolutions 74
6 Deeds for Enhancement 92
7 The Coarse, the Subtle, and the Very Subtle 97
8 The Illusory Body and the Dream Body 105
9 Correlations to the Bodies of the Buddha 165
10 Meanings of Clear Light 110
11 Transformation of the OrdinaryS tate in the Path 114
12 Drops in the Kalachakra System 122
13 Yogas of Levels of Kalachakra 124
14 Achievement of a Buddha’s Body, Speech, and
Mind 128
The drawings on pages 40 and 116 are by Sidney Piburn.