Vajrayana

Vajrayana (Skt. vajrayāna; Tib. dorje tekpa; Wyl. rdo rje theg pa) or 'Vajra Vehicle'. The teaching, and practice, of the Vajrayana or ‘Secret Mantra Vehicle’ lies at the heart of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition of Tibet. Based on the motivation of bodhichitta—the wish to attain, for the sake of others, the state of complete enlightenment—the Vajrayana is a path centred on cultivating pure perception. It contains many powerful methods for accumulating merit and wisdom, in order to arrive swiftly at a direct realization of buddha nature and the nature of reality itself. Through the practices of visualization, mantra recitation and meditation, ordinary perception is transformed into a ‘sacred outlook,’ where everything is seen and experienced purely in its true nature.

It is important to remember that all these methods are merely skilful means, not the goal itself. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, “Buddhism is not about rituals, mantras, visualizations, or ceremonies. They may be part of it, but the fundamental point of Buddhism is to transform the mind.” He also explains that the word ‘mantra’ in Secret Mantrayana means ‘that which protects the mind.’ Here, mantra protects the mind against ordinary perception. This is also the real meaning of ‘vajra’ in the word ‘Vajrayana.’

The Vajrayana is not a separate vehicle from Mahayana, but actually belongs within Mahayana as a distinctive vehicle of skilful means.

Internal Links

• tantra
• Tantrayana
• Resultant vehicle

Further Reading

• A Guide to Vajrayana Practice for the Rigpa Sangha (Lodève: The Tertön Sogyal Trust, 2006), Section 1. 'Introduction'

Oral Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha

Edited Teachings of Sogyal Rinpoche

• Ngöndrolink December 2005, The Essence of the Vajrayana, Lerab Ling, 19 July 2005 (available in English, French and German, CDE 440)
• Ngöndrolink October 2004, The Attitude of Secret Mantrayana, Haileybury, 7 April 2004 (available in English, French and German, CDE 434)