Creation Stage

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>From the Introduction to Jamgon Kongtrul's_Creation and Completion_

 

CREATlON STAGE

 

Visualization practice works with our relationship to the phenomenal world

of appearance and seeks to undermine its solidity and shift it into an

alternate, awakened perspective. The word often used for this process is

jong wa (sbyong ba), which has a wide range of meanings, including to

purify, purge, train, exercise, study, accustom, and cultivate. In this

translation, "purify" is used in the sense of a thorough work over and

radical shift. Four aspects of "purification" are mentioned as a framework

for understanding. The basis or ground of purification is buddha nature.

That which needs purifying or removing are the conceptual and emotional

obscurations to this nature, which are merely incidental and not intrinsic

to it. That which does the purifying is deity practice. The fruition of

purification is full recognition of the ground.

The discussion of the actual purification process can be very obscure,

and this text really only gives us some clues, as do most Tibetan lamas.

Apparently this is all that is really necessary for it to "work." Deity

practice takes place within the framework of a ritual, liturgical text

called a "means of accomplishment" (sgrub thabs, Skt. sadhana). There is a

great variety in the sequence of practices within these texts, depending on

which level of tantra and which tradition they belong to. Different

relationships with the deity are cultivated, such as that of lord, friend,

and sibling, and then total identification through visualization of oneself

as the deity. But there are many common aspects as well. The general idea

is that the process and sequence of visualizations correspond exactly to

certain experiences of our life cycle, and that through "re-envisioning"

them in this pure way the process is basically re-created or purified, and

can be recognized as the pure display of radiant mind.

Jamgon Kongtrul mentions four visualization sequences as corresponding

to the four possible kinds of birth: womb, egg, moisture-warmth, or

miraculous. The first sequence of five stages purifying womb-birth is given

as an example to convey this idea. Beginning with the three meditative

absorptions (ting nge 'dzin; samadhi), the first, Absorption of Suchness

(de bzhin nyid), corresponds to the experience of death in one's previous

life. This absorption is basically the meditation on emptiness, the pure

ground from which everything arises. Along with this, the All-Appearing or

AII-Illuminating Absorption (kun snang), corresponds to and purifies the

previous experience of the intermediate state between death and rebirth

(bar do). This is the meditation of the clarity or compassionate aspect,

the natural radiance of emptiness, the energy of the natural mind. Then the

Absorption of the Cause, or seed (rgyu), corresponds to the process of

conception in rebirth, the sperm and ovum coming together as the physical

basis of the future body. Here it is described as the visualization of the

sun and moon and lotus seat, the first appearance of form in the

visualization process. In its pure, enlightened aspect, it is the

inseparability of the previous two, emptiness and its radiance, compassion.

Then there is the visualization of the deity's seed syllable upon the seat,

corresponding to the consciousness of the individual entering the womb with

the combination of sperm and ovum. Just as all life begins with a seed or

quintessence of that form, deities also emanate from a quintessential

syllable or vibration. Then the visualization of the special implement or

inslgnla (phyag mtshan), such as a vajra or a sword, representing the

particular deity, corresponds to the fetal growth in the womb, when one's

distinctive characteristics begin to develop. Finally, the visualization of

the complete body of the deity corresponds to and purifies the actual birth

from the womb and a developed individual. These five stages also may be

correlated with the five wisdoms, the pure aspect of the five afflictive

emotions.

In the more complex deity practices, the process continues through many

stages, all the stages of our life. Finally there may be the full-blown

visualization of the entire mandala palace and surrounding environment,

including many other deities as retinue in the mandala. This mandala

corresponds to our complex life with all of its relationships to beings and

to the environment surrounding our notion of ourself in concentric circles

of importance all around. We have already created this mandala, but without

awareness. Recreating the process in visualization, we see how we did it in

the first place, and how, as the natural process of the creative energy of

mind, it is essentially pure already.

 

Three Aspects of Creation Stage

Traditionally there are three aspects, or techniques, to develop in

visualization practice: clarity, recollecting purity, and pride. Clarity of

form (rnam pa gsal ba) is the art of visualizing with steady, vivid

precision. The deity is held in the mind clearly, yet is always empty of

solid reality, like a vivid rainbow. This is not only a focus for achieving

one-pointed attention (tshe gcig) and stillness (szhi gnas, Skt. shamatha),

but also provides instant feed back on the state of one's mind. It is

immediately apparent that a relaxed mind is the necessary condition for

sustained visualization, as it is for any kind of exercise in memory.

Advice on how to cultivate this clarity is given in the text.

Recollecting the purity means knowing and remembering the symbolic

meaning of each of the aspects of the visualized deity. These meanings are

usually found in the course of the practice liturgy to refresh the memory

for practice. For instance, the deity's legs crossed in vajra posture

indicates abiding in the inseparability of cyclic existence and

transcendence; sitting on a lotus indicates utter purity of the form

manifesting for beings, like a lotus growing in a swamp but untouched by

its filth. None of these details are arbitrary, and as manifestations of

the Body of Reality (Dharmakaya) they are naturally meaningful and potent.

As such, one might wonder if they are equally effective whether or not they

are consciously remembered. It is interesting that in this text Jamgon

Kongtrul goes against mainstream teachings in suggesting that all this

recollecting might just interfere with the real meditation process,

particularly for the beginner. He suggests that rather than cluttering the

mind with these details, it is more important to simply recall that the

mind projecting the empty, radiant deity is fundamental emptiness radiating

its intrinsic qualities in the arising of hands, faces, and so on.

The third aspect to cultivate is called "pride of the deity" or

"divine pride" (Iha'i nga rgyal). Generally, this means maintaining the

deep sense of actually being the deity, pure and perfect in every way. It

is not the feeling of dressing up in a costume and mask, assuming another

weird form, or superimposing an alien personality on top of the old one. A

sense of confidence in being the actual deity counteracts one's sense of

ordinariness and frees one from all the limitations usually imposed by our

mundane sense of self. As the deity, boundless compassion and wisdom are

only natural, whereas normally we feel burdened by our own inadequacy in

such matters. Many teachings emphasize this as the main point of deity

practice. Even if the visualization itself is unclear, just this sense of

actually being the deity achieves the purpose of the practice. However,

pride of the deity is in no way to be confused with its opposite: ordinary,

ego-oriented pride. Apparently Jamgon Kongtrul felt that this was very

important: the two lines on the subject concern the benefit of meditating

without (ordinary) pride.

Kongtrul's discussion of creation stage practice ends with a

description of the signs of accomplishment, such as the deity arising

effortlessly at all times and even being visible to others. But even if

these experiences don't happen and the visualization remains obscured, that

obscuration itself is not different from the true spacious nature of mind

itself. It always comes back to that. So the real accomplishment of

creation stage is the natural state of completion stage.