Read Online The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume Five by Chögyam Trungpa - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chögyam Trungpa
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and ignorance have never existed; it is total existence that never needs any reference point. The sambhogakaya is that which continually contains spontaneous energy, because it never depends on any cause-and-effect kind of energy. The nirmanakaya is self-existing fulfillment in relation to which no strategizing about how to function is necessary. Those are the psychological aspects of buddha nature that develop.
In looking at Padmasambhava’s life and his eight aspects, we will find those three principles. Seeing those psychological principles in action in Padmasambhava’s life can help us to not regard Padmasambhava purely as some mythical figure that no one has ever met. Those are principles that we can work on together, and each one of you can work on them in relation to yourself.
Student: Are the eight aspects of Padmasambhava like eight stages that we can work through in trying to make a breakthrough in our own psychological development?
Trungpa Rinpoche: Actually, the eight aspects are not really linear, successive levels of development. What we have is more a single situation with eight aspects—a central principle surrounded by eight types of manifestation. There are eight aspects of all kinds of situations.
Psychologically, we could make some kind of breakthrough by relating with that. You see, as it tells us in the scriptures, when Padmasambhava manifested as the eight aspects, he was already enlightened. The eight aspects were not his spiritual journey, but he was expressing himself, dancing with situations. He was already coming out with his crazywisdom expressions.
What I’m trying to say is, we could find all those eight aspects within ourselves, in one working situation. We could connect with them. We could break through with all eight simultaneously.
S: So it’s definitely not a linear progression like the ten bhumis.
TR: You see, here we are talking about the sudden path, the direct or sudden path of tantra. This is realization that does not depend on a progressive, external buildup or unmasking. It is realization eating out from the inside rather than unmasking taking place from the outside. Eating out from the inside is the tantric approach. In some sense, this supersedes the ten bhumis, or stages, of the bodhisattva path. We are discussing more the vajra-like samadhi of the Buddha and his way of relating with things, which of course is connected with buddha nature; we are approaching that here as a sudden, direct transmission, a direct way, without going through the paramitas or the bhumis. The approach here is to regard oneself as being a buddha already. Buddha is the path rather than the goal. We are working from the inside outward. The mask is falling off by itself.
Student: Was Padmasambhava already buddha when he was born?
Trungpa Rinpoche: He was more an awake person than a fully realized buddha. He was the dharmakaya principle trying to manifest itself on the sambhogakaya level and then beginning to relate to the world outside. Thus, he could be regarded as a person who was a potential buddha at birth and who then broke the barriers to the fulfillment of that potential ruthlessly and without fear. He attained instantaneous enlightenment on one spot, and it seems that we could do the same.
Student: Is this connected with the idea of our having to take a leap that you have spoken about so often?
Trungpa Rinpoche: This has more to do with the attitude of taking a leap than actually taking the leap. You are willing to leap, so then there is the situation of leaping. The important thing here is the basic spirit or outlook you have, rather than just the particular application of how you handle things. It is something much bigger than that.
Student: You’ve talked a lot about ruthlessness and fearlessness. What are you ruthless toward? Do you just ruthlessly assume a particular psychological attitude?
Trungpa Rinpoche: The whole point of ruthlessness is that when you are ruthless, no one
In looking at Padmasambhava’s life and his eight aspects, we will find those three principles. Seeing those psychological principles in action in Padmasambhava’s life can help us to not regard Padmasambhava purely as some mythical figure that no one has ever met. Those are principles that we can work on together, and each one of you can work on them in relation to yourself.
Student: Are the eight aspects of Padmasambhava like eight stages that we can work through in trying to make a breakthrough in our own psychological development?
Trungpa Rinpoche: Actually, the eight aspects are not really linear, successive levels of development. What we have is more a single situation with eight aspects—a central principle surrounded by eight types of manifestation. There are eight aspects of all kinds of situations.
Psychologically, we could make some kind of breakthrough by relating with that. You see, as it tells us in the scriptures, when Padmasambhava manifested as the eight aspects, he was already enlightened. The eight aspects were not his spiritual journey, but he was expressing himself, dancing with situations. He was already coming out with his crazywisdom expressions.
What I’m trying to say is, we could find all those eight aspects within ourselves, in one working situation. We could connect with them. We could break through with all eight simultaneously.
S: So it’s definitely not a linear progression like the ten bhumis.
TR: You see, here we are talking about the sudden path, the direct or sudden path of tantra. This is realization that does not depend on a progressive, external buildup or unmasking. It is realization eating out from the inside rather than unmasking taking place from the outside. Eating out from the inside is the tantric approach. In some sense, this supersedes the ten bhumis, or stages, of the bodhisattva path. We are discussing more the vajra-like samadhi of the Buddha and his way of relating with things, which of course is connected with buddha nature; we are approaching that here as a sudden, direct transmission, a direct way, without going through the paramitas or the bhumis. The approach here is to regard oneself as being a buddha already. Buddha is the path rather than the goal. We are working from the inside outward. The mask is falling off by itself.
Student: Was Padmasambhava already buddha when he was born?
Trungpa Rinpoche: He was more an awake person than a fully realized buddha. He was the dharmakaya principle trying to manifest itself on the sambhogakaya level and then beginning to relate to the world outside. Thus, he could be regarded as a person who was a potential buddha at birth and who then broke the barriers to the fulfillment of that potential ruthlessly and without fear. He attained instantaneous enlightenment on one spot, and it seems that we could do the same.
Student: Is this connected with the idea of our having to take a leap that you have spoken about so often?
Trungpa Rinpoche: This has more to do with the attitude of taking a leap than actually taking the leap. You are willing to leap, so then there is the situation of leaping. The important thing here is the basic spirit or outlook you have, rather than just the particular application of how you handle things. It is something much bigger than that.
Student: You’ve talked a lot about ruthlessness and fearlessness. What are you ruthless toward? Do you just ruthlessly assume a particular psychological attitude?
Trungpa Rinpoche: The whole point of ruthlessness is that when you are ruthless, no one
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