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Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche on the practice of Vajra Kilaya Vajrakilaya, or kila, means something sharp, and something that pierces--a dagger, basically. A dagger that is so sharp it can pierce anything, while at the same time nothing can pierce it. That is the quality. This sharp and piercing energy is what is used to practice and out of the many infinite, endless Vajrayana methods this happens to be one of most important methods. Vajrakilaya is one of the most popular deities when it comes to destroying the obstacles. Guru Rinpoche achieved enlightenment through practicing Yangdag Heruka but he first practiced Vajrakilaya to clean, or to clear the obstacles, and then, through that, he practiced the rest and then achieved whatever he wanted to achieve. So, Vajrakilaya is known for clearing the obstacles. Vajrakilaya is also known as being the embodiment of all the Buddha's activities. At times, when we speak of Vajrakilaya, we speak of Vajrakilaya as if it is the wrathful form of Vajrasattva. There are many, many great masters both in India and Tibet, but especially in Tibet, who have practiced Vajrakilaya, especially in the Nyingma lineage, and among the Kagyu and also within the Sakyapas . [among the three traditions] the Sakyapa, Tsharpa and Ngorpa. The Sakyapa's main deity, besides Hevajra, is Vajrakumara or Vajrakilaya. To this day, one of His Holiness Sakya Trizin's main practices is Vajrakilaya. Vajrakilaya is not just a simple deity. There is a complete path from the ngondro to the developing meditation and completion meditation, everything. It has a complete path of its own. There are many treasure teachings based on Vajrakilaya. For instance, there are treasure teachings from Jigme Lingpa, Ratna Lingpa, and Nyang-rel Nyima Ozer. Not only are there treasure teachings, actually there is also the Indian [lineage], just as there is the Hevajra Tantra, there is [also] a Vajrakilaya Tantra. Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, almost all the great lamas, especially within the Kagyu and Nyingma tradition, have each their own Vajrakilaya sadhana practice. When we talk about Vajrakilaya, we talk about four kinds of dagger: substance dagger, compassion dagger, bodhicitta dagger, and wisdom dagger. Substance dagger, we actually make purba, which is the substance. We make it with a very special quality of wood or iron, and bless it with the proper Puja's, blessings, visualizations. We keep it, and use it mainly to pierce the outer obstacles. Compassion dagger is basically the practice of compassion, and the object the dagger has to stab, the object to stab is sentient beings. You have to put it onto sentient beings. And there is bodhicitta practice, the bodhicitta dagger, and that is another form mainly of practicing relative bodhicitta and ultimate bodhicitta together. We stab this dagger on methods. Wisdom and method, method is the object. That's the complicated one. And then lastly, the most important dagger is the dagger of wisdom. That dagger, the wisdom, is the whole Ati-yoga teaching, such as the Dzogchen teachings, and this wisdom is stabbed on ignorance. This is the fourth. During the Puja, we definitely try to include all of them, through visualizations, through mantras and through mudras. It is believed and this is not some ordinary human being's talk, Guru Rinpoche himself said, .wherever the Vajrakilaya Puja is done, even that site will become auspicious, free from all kinds of outer, inner, and especially inner and secret suffering. Those who are indirectly or directly connected to Vajrakilaya for certain, have a connection with Vajrakilaya, and gradually or immediately all obstacles will be dispelled and the ultimate result, which is the state of Vajrasattva can be obtained very soon. ________________ The great master Mipham Rinpoche [1846-1912] condenses the meaning of Vajrakilaya in the following words: Suchness
is the natural state of all phenomena [It is
called] Vajra as non-dual wisdom is indestructible, Through
the skillful oral advice of the guru's insructions Thus,
the wisdom confidence that destroys [the illusions of] samsara and
nirvana, Written by the one named Dhi on the twenty-third day in the second month of the Earth Monkey Year. |
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