Understanding Bodhicitta in Vajrayana Buddhism

Once you have generated Bodhicitta in the Vajrayana tradition and received initiation, you have entered the gate of Vajrayana Buddhism.

The Distinctive Nature of Vajrayana Bodhicitta

The difference between Vajrayana and Sutrayana bodhicitta lies in their paths to enlightenment. In Sutrayana, one cultivates bodhicitta with the aspiration to liberate all sentient beings by practicing the Sutrayana teachings, which culminates in Buddhahood after three countless eons. Vajrayana bodhicitta, on the other hand, is developed with the aim of liberating all beings through the practice of Vajrayana teachings, and aims to achieve Buddhahood in this very lifetime. If achieving Buddhahood in this life proves unattainable, the practitioner vows to attain it in the Bardo (intermediate state between death and rebirth). Failing that, they aspire to reach Buddhahood in their next life.

The Vajrayana tantras state that practitioners who maintain their pure Vajrayana vows will attain enlightenment within a maximum of seven lifetimes.

Entering the Vajrayana Path through Initiation

Receiving the first initiation on the foundation of Vajrayana bodhicitta marks the formal entry into Vajrayana practice. From this point onward, one becomes not just a Buddhist, but a practitioner of the path to liberation. Furthermore, they become a practitioner of the Mahayana path to liberation, and finally, a practitioner of the Vajrayana path.

Therefore, initiation is incredibly significant for anyone wishing to practice Vajrayana. Without initiation, one is not permitted to hear or practice the Vajrayana teachings. Initiation is the first step into Vajrayana. If you wish to engage in Vajrayana practice, you must first receive initiation.

Key Challenges with Initiation

Currently, there are two significant issues surrounding initiation. First, there is a lack of understanding of the necessary qualifications for both the giver and the receiver of initiation, as well as the proper preparation and conduct before and during the ceremony. If the person bestowing the initiation lacks the qualifications of a Vajra master, the initiation will be flawed or incomplete, and the recipient may not actually receive it. Even if the master has all the qualifications, if the recipient lacks the necessary readiness, they will not receive the initiation. Second, many do not know what to do after receiving initiation. Consequently, they break their Vajrayana vows soon after. The initiation process is also the ritual of taking Vajrayana vows. Once initiated, one must uphold the Vajrayana vows, however, many who have been initiated for years remain unaware of this requirement, and therefore unknowingly break their vows and are ignorant to the need for repentance. This leads to a host of problems. Such negligence is unacceptable as we meticulously consider the five lay precepts, while transgressing the Vajrayana vows is far more serious, and we should not treat it so lightly. Therefore, it is crucial to remember that, after receiving initiation, one must study the fourteen root Vajrayana vows, or the specific vows for that initiation, and maintain their purity.

Of course, it is not necessary to practice Vajrayana. If one chooses, for example, Pure Land or Chan Buddhism within the Chinese Buddhist traditions, initiation is not required, and there is no risk of breaking Vajrayana vows. However, if one intends to practice Vajrayana, understanding some basics about initiation is essential.

The Purpose and Meaning of Initiation

Activation of Buddha Nature

The Sanskrit term for initiation is “Abhisheka”, which has two meanings. The first is “to pour into.” Although, from an ultimate perspective, our Buddha nature doesn’t require external input because it is already inherently present, from a relative perspective, initiation transmits a power that activates our Tathagatagarbha (Buddha nature). The second meaning is “to destroy.” It implies cutting off, breaking down, and destroying our obstacles of greed, hatred, and ignorance.

Activating Buddha Nature

In Vajrayana teachings, the foundation of our being—the base, path, and result—exists within all sentient beings from the beginning. From a Vajrayana point of view, the very essence of the five poisons—greed, hatred, ignorance, pride, and jealousy—is the five wisdoms of the five Dhyani Buddhas. The five wisdoms and the five Dhyani Buddhas are essentially one and the same. The five wisdoms are the nature of the five Dhyani Buddhas. The five wisdoms are also called the five Dhyani Buddhas, and the five Dhyani Buddhas are the manifestation of the five wisdoms. In the realm of the Buddha, they are the five wisdoms; for bodhisattvas, their outer manifestation is the five Dhyani Buddhas.

The five Dhyani Buddhas, or the five wisdoms, are inherently present within our very nature. Before practicing Buddhism or receiving initiation, although our Buddha nature exists, it doesn’t have an active function for us. The purpose of initiation is to activate this Buddha nature, allowing it to function. Of course, from an ultimate standpoint, the Tathagatagarbha is unconditioned, and there is no activating or not activating it. However, from a relative perspective, the activation process does indeed exist.

There are three levels of activation:

The Highest Activation: This is when one attains Buddhahood the moment initiation is received, instantly completing everything, skipping the stages of the path. This is very rare. In the history of Vajrayana Buddhism, only one or two Indian masters achieved such instant enlightenment. Within Tibetan Buddhism, there have only been instances of immediate realization but not instant Buddhahood.
The Medium Activation: This is when one achieves realization during the initiation. In all Great Perfection (Dzogchen) initiation rituals, the view of Dzogchen is explained. If the language is not understood, or there is no translator, realization cannot occur. However, if there is a precise translation and a qualified Vajra master who embodies the qualities, and the recipient is ready, has strong faith in the Dharma, the Guru, and the Three Jewels, and has completed the preliminary practices thoroughly, then when the master uses a crystal to represent the nature of the mind, through the blessing of the master, the recipient may experience realization, particularly during the highest fourth initiation. There have also been cases of immediate realization within the Chinese Buddhist tradition, such as when the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, realized enlightenment upon hearing one line of the Diamond Sutra from the Fifth Patriarch. This realization, however, is only a preliminary one and not Buddhahood. It corresponds to the accumulation stage in either Sutrayana or Vajrayana. It is not even the path of seeing of the first Bodhisattva ground, let alone the eighth or tenth ground.
The Lowest Activation: This is when one neither attains Buddhahood nor has a realization. The recipient may not even be aware of any change. However, because of the master’s practice and the power of the initiation, along with the recipient’s visualization, the potential of the Tathagatagarbha is activated, bestowing the recipient with power that facilitates rapid realization.

Granting Authorization

If one practices Vajrayana without initiation, there will be no progress or accomplishment, but rather one is accumulating the fault of stealing the Dharma.

After receiving initiation, one is authorized to read the Vajrayana scriptures, practice Vajrayana methods, recite the mantras of the Yidams (personal meditational deities), and explain the Vajrayana tantras. However, initiations have different levels. With some initiations, you are only authorized to practice yourself, not to teach others. Other initiations, however, authorize you to both practice and teach.

Qualifications of the Initiating Master and Recipient

Qualifications of the Vajra Master

The person who bestows the initiation is known as a Vajra master. The criteria for a Vajra master are clearly outlined in the Buddhist scriptures, especially the Vajrayana texts. For example, you can refer to Longchenpa’s works such as Resting in the Nature of Mind and The Words of My Perfect Teacher. Vajrayana emphasizes that one must find a qualified master in order to receive initiation, or it will be meaningless.

In addition to the general qualities, there are also specific requirements for a Vajrayana master:

If the master has previously broken their Vajrayana vows, rendering their samaya (Vajrayana commitment) impure or nonexistent, they cannot give initiations.
Furthermore, the master must have a certain level of accomplishment in the stages of generation and completion. The requirement is not extremely high, such as that of a first or eighth-ground bodhisattva, but some level of meditative skill is necessary.
Before bestowing initiation, the master must undertake a strict retreat, practicing the deity of the initiation as their own Yidam. The duration of the practice varies, but the master must strictly follow the deity’s practice.
The master must be thoroughly familiar with the entire initiation ritual.

If one does not possess these qualities but still gives initiations, the recipient will not receive anything. A master must possess all four of these qualifications to give a valid initiation.

There are many self-proclaimed Rinpoches, Khenpos, accomplished masters, yogis, and dakinis. Without the wisdom to discern, it is easy to be misled. When Atiśa arrived in Tibet, it was a chaotic time following the suppression of Buddhism. (During this period, all Tibetan monks were forced to return to lay life, so there were virtually no monks. However, many lay practitioners of Vajrayana, using their unremarkable status, continued to preserve and pass down the Vajrayana lineages, practices, and tantras, except for the monk’s vows. Later, these teachings were made public and widely propagated. Without them, there would be no Tibetan Buddhism today). Along with Atiśa, many other self-proclaimed masters and all sorts of people came to Tibet. Because there was a lot of gold in Tibet at the time, some of them came for the gold. While being cheated out of money is not too serious, some of these people gave unorthodox teachings, which had a negative impact on many practitioners.

Atiśa, before passing away, advised his followers not to receive teachings from those Indian teachers who were seeking gold but to take the Buddhist scriptures as their teacher. Shakyamuni Buddha also taught his disciples, “take the precepts as your teacher.” Similarly, although not all those who call themselves Rinpoches or Khenpos are deceivers (and we shouldn’t have a biased view towards all monks or practitioners, as it would be a fault), when considering taking initiations from them, or receiving teachings, one must first observe their qualities.

According to the Vajrayana tradition, one should observe a potential teacher for twelve years before taking initiations. As we may not have that time, I suggest that one consider established, older, and respected masters, who have undergone many hardships, which have often led to them gaining incredible insights. This isn’t to say that there are no qualified young masters, but it is a safe approach when unable to assess a master’s qualities.

In this degenerate age, some individuals use Vajrayana as an excuse to eat meat, drink alcohol, deceive people, and destroy families. Such actions are a clear sign of this age of decline. These types of people are not only found in the Tibetan tradition, but also in the Chinese tradition. Every organization has its share of parasites and bad apples; we must be careful. Anyone who claims to have supernatural powers, or says that someone has a past-life connection with them, or that they are their consort and that practicing sexual yoga with them will lead to liberation, is certainly a fraud. We also need to differentiate between a person’s actions and the Dharma, or Path itself. If one is easily deceived, it is due to their own lack of discernment. The Vajrayana teachings strongly condemn such actions. According to Vajrayana texts, killing, stealing, engaging in sexual misconduct, and lying while claiming to practice Vajrayana is far more serious than ordinary violations of these precepts.

So, unless you have carefully assessed a potential teacher, avoid blindly receiving initiation, otherwise you may regret it for the rest of your life. The Vajrayana teachings are not a joke; one must consider it very carefully.

Qualifications of the Recipient

Renunciation: If the purpose of practicing Buddhism is solely for health, longevity, career advancement, or financial gain, then one cannot receive initiation. The Vajrayana vows are based on the bodhisattva and individual liberation (Pratimoksha) vows, which in turn are based on bodhicitta, and the renunciation of samsara. If any of these foundational elements is missing, it undermines the subsequent levels.
Bodhicitta: Vajrayana is, first and foremost, Mahayana Buddhism. Without bodhicitta, it is not Vajrayana, and it’s impossible to realize emptiness.
Unwavering Faith in Vajrayana: Even with renunciation and bodhicitta, without faith in Vajrayana, it is better to postpone initiation. This is a strict requirement. One should wait until genuine faith in Vajrayana arises, and then safely receive initiation.
Comprehension and Visualization: The recipient must understand the content of the initiation and be able to visualize the deity and the mandala during the ritual.
Commitment to Uphold Vajrayana Vows: The recipient must uphold the Vajrayana vows. The fourteen root Vajrayana vows are detailed in The Light of Wisdom and other books on the Vajrayana vows. Before taking initiation, one must study these vows and assess whether they can uphold them. If they cannot, it is best to forgo the initiation.

None of the fourteen root vows are impossible to keep. Even the vow regarding how we relate to our Vajra brothers and sisters (to avoid expressing severe anger towards them) can become a habit through training. If a conflict occurs between practitioners, immediately apologizing, making amends and repenting will purify the transgression. When the Buddha established the precepts, he always had the principle in mind that he would not establish any that would be impossible to keep. Generally, if someone has deep faith and longing for Vajrayana, then they should be able to keep the fourteen root vows quite purely.

Those who have the above five qualifications are a suitable vessel for Vajrayana, and can receive the Vajrayana vows and initiation.

The Categories of Initiation

Base, Path, and Result Initiations

The very first standard initiation one receives in their life is called the base initiation. After this first initiation, all subsequent initiations, regardless of whether they are given by the teacher or received through the practice of guru yoga, are considered path initiations. The final initiation, which is received when one is about to enter the eleventh ground at the end of the tenth ground, is called the result initiation. This initiation is also described in the Sutrayana texts.

Of these three initiations, the base initiation is the most important. A true and standard base initiation must be received from a qualified Vajra master. Path initiations can be received through one’s own practice, so having a master does not make a difference. The result initiation is not something we need to be concerned about.

The Four Levels of Initiation

In the Tangmi, Dongmi, and outer tantras, there is only the first-level initiation. However, Tibetan Vajrayana has four levels of initiation with varying degrees of depth, which is why it is called Inner Tantra.

The views, practices, and initiations of the outer tantras are between Sutrayana and Inner Tantra. The reason why higher-level initiations are absent in outer tantra is due to the immaturity of sentient beings. When the foundation of Sutrayana is solid, one can practice outer tantra and then Inner Tantra. If one practices the preliminary practices well, it will help mature one’s foundation and so one can skip outer tantra and go directly to inner tantra. The Vajrasattva, Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Vairocana initiations, which we often receive, generally belong to the outer tantra. The four-level initiations are those of Inner Tantra.

The four levels of initiations are as follows:

The Vase Initiation: The first purpose of the vase initiation is to authorize the recipient to hear and practice the Vajrayana tantras and commentaries related to the generation stage. The second purpose is to transform the body into the body of a Buddha, and to transform the winds, channels, and drops of the subtle body. For those who have not yet realized enlightenment, the power of the initiation, as well as the practices of the generation stage, will mature their body and transform it into a Buddha’s body. The third purpose is to purify the negative karma that has been created through the body. The fourth purpose is to plant the seed of the Nirmanakaya (emanation body) of a Buddha, one of the four Kayas (Buddha bodies), and ripen the Nirmanakaya.

Of course, these notions of transformation, purification, and maturation are from a conventional point of view. Ultimately, there is nothing to transform, purify, or mature, but from a relative viewpoint, they are necessary.
The Secret Initiation: There is nothing inherently secret about this initiation; it’s simply the name.

The first purpose of the secret initiation is to authorize the recipient to hear and practice the Vajrayana tantras and commentaries related to the preliminary stage of the completion stage and the generation stage. The second purpose is, for those who have not yet realized enlightenment, to ripen their speech and transform it into the speech of a Buddha with the power of the initiation and the practices of the generation and completion stages. In addition, it purifies the obstructions of the winds within the subtle body (Vajrayana holds that the human body is composed of winds, channels, and drops. These elements are impure, but can be transformed into pure winds, channels, and drops through the practices of the generation and completion stages). The third purpose is to purify the negative karma that has been created through speech. The fourth purpose is to plant the seed of the Sambhogakaya (enjoyment body) of a Buddha, and ripen the Sambhogakaya.
The Wisdom Initiation: This is not to say that only this level of initiation contains wisdom; all previous levels contain the element of wisdom. However, this level contains ultimate wisdom, the wisdom of the Great Perfection.

The first purpose of the wisdom initiation is to authorize the recipient to hear and practice the Vajrayana tantras and commentaries related to the later stages of the completion stage. The completion stage has two levels: The initial completion stage can be practiced after receiving the second initiation, but advanced completion stage practices, such as the Kalachakra, require the third level initiation. The second purpose is to transform the mind into the wisdom of a Buddha through the power of initiation, the practice of generation and completion, as well as the mind, and the drops of the subtle body. For those who have not yet realized enlightenment, the power of initiation, along with the practices of the generation and completion stages, will ripen their consciousness and transform it into the wisdom of a Buddha. The third purpose is to purify the negative karma that has been created through the mind. The fourth purpose is to plant the seed of the Dharmakaya (truth body) of a Buddha, and to ripen the Dharmakaya.
The Fourth Initiation: This is the highest-level meaning initiation, also known as the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) initiation. The content of this initiation includes the final state of Great Perfection and all other aspects of Vajrayana.

The first purpose of the fourth initiation is to authorize the recipient to hear and practice the Vajrayana tantras and commentaries related to the lowest state of Dzogchen. For example, the Mahamaya tantra. However, it does not allow one to practice all Dzogchen teachings. To practice the Nyingma Dzogchen, you have to receive a separate Dzogchen initiation. The second purpose is to plant the seed for the realization of the Svabhavikakaya (essence body) of a Buddha. The Dharmakaya and Svabhavikakaya are two aspects of a Buddha’s uncommon qualities. The Dharmakaya is the luminous aspect, and the Svabhavikakaya is the emptiness aspect of the Tathagatagarbha. The third purpose is to purify the combined obstructions of the winds, channels, and drops, including subtle cognitive and emotional obscurations. The fourth purpose is to purify the negative karma created by the body, speech, and mind, stored in the alaya consciousness.

These four initiations have different purposes. In the past, Tibetan Vajrayana practitioners would carefully consider which level of initiation was appropriate before receiving it. If they felt they were only ready for a particular level, they would take that initiation and not be impatient to take higher initiations without the proper foundation. But now, since the Vajrayana teachings are widespread in Tibet, all four levels of initiation are often given together at the same time. The conditions required for the student to receive a particular initiation are not considered. This approach is questionable.

In addition to the four levels of initiations, there is the Vajra Master Initiation. After receiving the authority to give initiations, and if one has the ability, then one can receive this special initiation of a Vajra Master. Receiving this initiation authorizes one to bestow initiations and to explain the Vajrayana tantras. In the past, this initiation was not given to the public. Even if you have received the Vajra Master initiation, before you accept students, you must assess whether you have the ability to bestow initiations or explain the essential teachings. This is the most important consideration.