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I decided to offer some of my own understanding on the role of practice
within the realm of Vajrayana Buddhism.  This is in some ways inspired
by the recent discussions regarding effort and its part in 
spirituality.  I find the on-going discussions very interesting.  I do not
seek to explain other paths that I am not familiar with.  In fact, I do
not dare claim that what I understand (and is about to write)perfectly
mirrors the teachings of the masters of the Vajrayana tradition.  So, if
there is any spiritual friend in this s.r.e group who has a better grasp
of the Vajrayana tradition, please correct any mistakes that I might
make here.

According to the Nyingmapa (the followers of the "early schools" in
Tibet) masters, the Buddhist path can be divided into nine "vehicles."
These nine vehicles are the sravakayana (traditionally considered as
adherents of "Hinayana"), the pratyekayana ("solitary buddhas" - a
rather vague category even in early Buddhism), the bodhisattvayana
(adherents of the way that aspires for the enlightenment of all sentient
beings and not only themselves - generally considered the Mahayana),
carya tantra, kirya tantra, yoga tantra (three stages of tantra - might
have confused the order of the first two tantras!), mahayoga tantra
(sometimes known as "father-tantra" or "stage of generation"),
anuyogatantra (known as mother-tantra or "stage of perfection") and
atiyogatantra (or Dzog-chen).

Here, I will concern myself with the stages beginning with the tantras.
The three stages before the tantras are common to the Mahayana 
tradition but the tantras are the distinct stages pertaining to the 
Vajrayana.  In the lower tantras (i.e. carya, kriya and yoga) there is a 
very strong emphasis on ritual cleanliness, accuracy and other fine 
details in the practice.  This is especially true for the first stage.  
Here, a yogin utilizes rituals to effect a change in his own samsaric 
state.  The yogin meditates on emptiness and how from that emptiness 
arises the form of a deity and the deity is visualized in front or above 
the yogin showering blessings and powers on the yogin.  Through this, the
yogin strives to purify himself.  In the next stage, there is less 
emphasis on the ritual and more on the mental visualization and this 
becomes increasingly true as one goes up the stages of tantra.  This is a
very simplified explanation of the lower tantras.  But the point here is
that we see an movement from the external to the internal.

Now we look at the three higher tantras (mahayoga, anuyoga and 
atiyoga).  In Mahayogatantra, the yogin visualizes himself as the deity.  
While in the lower tantras one does not visualize oneself as the deity 
itself but rather one is receiving the purificative powers and blessings 
of the diety, in the Mahayogatantra one sees oneself as deity.  This is a
giant leap of view and faith.  In this stage, one must view all of one's
activities in the "purified" way.  For example, it even get to such
"mundane" subjects like going to the toilet.  A certain master once said
that even when we are in the toilet, we should visualize ourselves as
deity and as we empty our bowels we visualize how the impurities in our
bodies are discharged and they in turn becomes pure nectar which
benefits all suffering beings.  So, even the act of going to the toilet
in used as a practice of compassion.  The same for all activities.  This
is extremely difficult to do - maintaining the purity of view at all
times.  Practice in the Mahayogatantra is extremely vigorous.  Some people
go into years of retreat to practice this!

In the Anuyogatantra stage, after being able to clearly see ourselves
as deity at all times, we start working with the internal system itself
- i.e. the inner channels, winds and drops.  This is when a yogin locates
the exact points of the internal system in his body and works with them.
All stages of tantra needs the guidance a competent teacher - one who
has recieved the transmission of blessings and views of the lineage as
well as experienced in the practices.  The role of a teacher is even more
important here.  One's visualization at this point has to be so clear
that one can visualize all of the 72,000 channels and sub-channels in
the internal system and work with them.  The masters warn that it is
extremely dangerous even if some of the inner chakras are visualized
slightly away from the actual place.  Traditional practitioners spend
all their time for years in this kind of practice.

When we arrive at the Atiyoga or Dzog-chen, suddenly everything becomes
so direct and simple - at least at the surface level.  In Dzog-chen, it
is said that no practice at all is necessary.  Everything is perfect and
empty right from the very beginning - there are no defilements to
subtract and no virtues to add.  The verse that best expresses the View
of Dzog-chen is the Six Vajra Verses:

"Although apparent phenomena manifest as diversity
Yet this diversity is non-dual,
And all of the multiplicity of individual things that exist
None can be confined in a limited concept

Staying free from the trap of any attempt to say
"it's like this," or "like that,"
It becomes clear that alll manifested forms are aspects of the infinite 
formless,
And, indivisible from it, are self-perfected.

Seeing that everything is self-perfected from the very beginning,
The disease of striving for any achivement is surrendered
And just remaining in the natural state, as it is,
The presence of non-dual contemplation continuously spontaneously arises" 
 - translated by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche.

>From reading the Dzog-chen materials, they seem to say that all we have
to do is to be aware of the natural state.  There is no "practice" in 
Dzog-chen.  The Truth is pathless and cannot be approached.  There is 
nothing to practice for because there is no "goal" to gain since we are 
already self-perfected in the beginning.  It is the "effortless way."  
However, in the Dzog-chen tradition, the masters are very clear that
they are far from advocating a way of life with no "practice."  
According to "conservative" Dzog-chen masters, Dzog-chen should not even
be disclosed publicly.  It should be kept a secret from those who are not
ready for it.  Their reason is because they can see the dangers that can
arise from misunderstanding the Dzog-chen texts that teaches "no effort
and no practice."  Because of the directness and simplicity of the
Dzog-chen, it is easily misintrepreted.  In the worst cases, this
misunderstanding might even lead to actions that create bad karma.  The
whole teaching of law of karma might be negated wrongly by those who
misunderstand the Dzog-chen teaching.  Since everything is
"self-perfected" one can even kill others and still believe that that's
fine.  Or one might be heavily plagued by anger and greed but pretend as
if one is enlightened and further indulge in anger and greed.  Therefore,
in the past, the Dzog-Chen lineage is not easily accesible to everyone
- for fear of harming people who misunderstand it.  Dzog-chen was only
disclosed to those who have spent almost all their lives in the
difficult practices of other stages of tantras.  Even after Dzog-chen
has been disclosed to a yogin, they are given very precise and careful
instructions by their teachers how to truly practice the Dzog-chen path.
This stage of practice is the most simple and yet the most difficult
path of all.  This is because if one is not doing something right in the
other tantras, the mistake is more visible and clearer.  However, in
Dzog-chen, yogins cannot so easily recognize their mistakes or
misunderstandings.  Their mistakes are more subtle but at the same time
more dangerous too! Therefore, from the conventional point of view,
Dzog-chen is far from an easy way.

So, we can see that at least from Vajrayana's point of view, practice
and effort is necessary.  But attachment to them is unnecessary and in
fact must be transformed.  Negative energies within ourselves are not
destroyed out of anger or suppressed out of ignorance.  Rather, they are
to be transformed and liberated out of wisdom and compassion.  In some
ways, it is true to say that the Path and the Goal are non-dual.

This is a very brief attempt to try to explain some of the Vajrayana
teachings.  If I have wrongly presented anything, please correct me for
others' as well as my own benefit.  If anyone is interested in reading
more about this, pls e-mail me and I can refer you to better authorities
on the Vajrayana path.  E-mail me - I am open to comments and
corrections! Meanwhile, be well, be happy.
  
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|"NGA WANG GYU TRUL LHA RIG KHON GYI DUNG |
| DRO KUN GA DZED THEG CHEN DO NGAK LAM   |
| PHEN DE'I PAL TU BAR WEE TRIN-LAY CHEN  |
| SAM PHEL WANG GI GYAL PO SHAB TEN SOL"  |
|                                         | 
| Hun-yeow Lye                            |
| lyeh@alleg.edu                          |
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