An Introduction to Buddhism

An Introduction to Buddhism

by Chogye Trichen Rinpoche

Barcelona May 18, 2000

I would like to speak a bit about the importance of cultivating positive 

emotions such as loving kindness and compassion, and how this will promote well 

being, not only in ourselves, but also in the greater world we all share.

[A Buddhist Aeon] In order to put the Buddhist tradition into context and 

understand how a fully enlightened one appears in this world, it is important to 

know about kalpas, the aeons or cycles of time. Within a given cycle of time, 

there is always the formation of a physical environment of the 'outer elements', 

and this environment will be inhabited by sentient beings such as ourselves. A 

kalpa time cycle is divided according to three phases: First, there is the 

process of coming into being or 'creation'; next, the time span during which the 

environment and beings abide; and finally, the phase of cessation, where that 

cosmos and the beings within it disappear. A kalpa or aeon in which a fully 

enlightened one appears is called an aeon of light, or 'fortunate' aeon. It is 

fortunate because a fully enlightened one appears in the world and bestows the 

light of spiritual intelligence upon the beings there. In contrast, there are 

the dark aeons, those cycles of creation in which no enlightened being will 

appear. It is also said that the dark aeons are more numerous than the aeons of 

light.

[A Fortunate Aeon] The particular cycle in which we now live is of a very 

special type, known as a 'fortunate' aeon. At the beginning of this fortunate 

aeon, there was a Chakravartin, a universal monarch of great power known as 

Tsibkyi Mugyu, or Arenemi. As ruler at an early stage in the formation of that 

aeon, King Arenemi enjoyed a reign of great prosperity, harmony, and well-being. 

This was true not only for the realm of the gods, but also for the human worlds. 

Although officially King Arenemi may not have had many queens, still it is said 

that as a great universal regent, he had thousands of queens. We are also told 

that these queens bore him more than one thousand princes. Due to his vast 

merit, merely by gesturing to one of these women and calling her his queen, she 

was able to bear him a son. King Arenemi gave rise to the wish that each of his 

sons could share among themselves the rulership of his kingdom.

In those times, there lived a Buddha, the historical Buddha of that era, just as 

the historical Buddha of our era is Shakyamuni. These are fully enlightened 

Buddhas who display the twelve great deeds of an enlightened one. The Buddha of 

that era was known as Mahavairochana. The king approached Buddha Mahavairochana, 

saying that he had fathered more than one thousand sons, and asking how he might 

bless each son to enjoy a worthy and meaningful reign as king. The king asked if 

he might offer the services of these princes to Buddha Mahavairochana, in order 

that his sons might bear even greater fruits of virtue. The Buddha accepted King 

Arenemi's request, taking the princes as his disciples. The king offered his 

sons to the Buddha with great aspirations, wondering in his heart when they 

would become equal to the Buddha himself. He asked Mahavairochana, 'When will 

they be like you?' The Buddha reassured the king that all of the princes, as his 

disciples, would one day certainly become fully enlightened ones. Over the 

progression of the cycles of time, it is said that an aeon of light is generally 

followed by a dark aeon. This particular aeon in which we dwell is known as a 

Bhadrakalpa, an 'extremely auspicious aeon'. At the beginning of the formation 

of this aeon, it is said that in the middle of the universal ocean there 

blossomed a one thousand petalled golden lotus flower. This wondrous lotus 

sprung up with such force that it reached to the heights of the realms of the 

gods or devas. The appearance of the golden lotus caused the gods to exclaim, 

"What a wonder it is to witness the blooming of the thousand petalled golden 

lotus! It is an auspicious omen, signifying the coming of one thousand Buddhas 

in this aeon." Thus the blossoming of the lotus foretold the birth of the 

thousand princes destined to Buddhahood.

[Previous Buddhas] Delighted by Mahavairochana's prediction, the king further 

wondered in what order his sons would become enlightened. He requested the 

Buddha to reveal this to him. Mahavairochana ordered that the name of each 

prince be written out, and the names were gathered in a cloth and placed in a 

vase. Then the Buddha drew names, one by one, unfolding the sequence in which 

each of the princes would reach Buddhahood. The first name selected, the one who 

would become the first Buddha of our fortunate aeon, was the one we know as 

Buddha Krakuchandra. The second name drawn was the one who became Buddha 

Kanakamuni, the second Buddha of our kalpa. The third name drawn was the prince 

who would be born as the Buddha Kashyapa, the third Buddha of our fortunate 

aeon. The fourth was the name of the individual who was to become the 

enlightened one of our present era, Buddha Shakyamuni. Hence Shakyamuni is known 

as the fourth great emancipator or liberating one. The fifth name drawn was of 

the one to appear as our next Buddha, Lord Maitreya. The sixth will come as 

Buddha Simhanada. In this way the names of each of the more than one thousand 

princes was drawn. It further prophesied by the Buddha that the prince whose 

name was drawn last, upon taking birth as the final Buddha of this fortunate 

aeon, was to be an extraordinary enlightened one. This Buddha would embody all 

the realization, qualities, and activities of all the previous Buddhas united 

within himself. Our present era is that of the fourth prince, known to us as 

Buddha Shakyamuni.

[The Coming of the Buddha of this Age] Prior to Shakyamuni's descent into our 

world, he reigned in the realm of the gods known as Tushita. Whoever ruled in 

the Tushita heaven assumed the name of Svetakirti, and so this was Shakyamuni's 

name as he dwelt there. While reigning in the Tushita heaven, Svetakirti 

received many requests from gods as well as humans, beseeching him that he might 

appear in our world and manifest the twelve deeds of a supremely enlightened 

one. In response, he made five careful and specific observations regarding the 

circumstances of his future birth. These included the place in our world in 

which he would be born, at what time and date, as well as whose child he would 

be, and so forth. From these five careful observations, Svetakirti determined 

that he would appear in this world as a prince, the son of King Suddhodana and 

Queen Mayadevi in the kingdom of Kapilavastu. The remains of Kapilavastu are 

found in southern Nepal, not far from the border with India. 

[Lumbini Garden] Just to the east of Kapilavastu there was in those ancient 

times a small kingdom whose capital was known as Devadaha. The two kingdoms 

enjoyed prosperous matrimonial bonds, with frequent marriages occurring between 

them. In those days, the woman who was to be the grandmother of Shakyamuni 

Buddha, whose name was Lumbini, dwelt in Devadaha. While Lumbini, a queen, was 

dwelling in the capitol city of Devadaha, she used to visit a very beautiful 

garden nearby, which was owned by a wealthy family. As she went there 

frequently, she grew to wish that she be given the garden as her own. Her 

husband, the king, told her, "Although I may be the lord of this land, it would 

not be right for me to claim someone else's garden for you. Still, if you so 

wish, I shall build for you just such a garden." And so it was that the king 

built a most unique and splendid garden in the countryside between the two 

cities. He named the garden in honor of his queen, and that place is known to 

this day as Lumbini. Queen Lumbini became the mother of two beautiful 

princesses. As was the custom in those times, she consulted the astrologers and 

soothsayers, so that she might know what future best suited her daughters the 

princesses. The seers unanimously predicted that both girls had the great merit 

to marry either a powerful ruler, or to become the mother of a mighty being who 

would become a supreme enlightened one. In the light of these predictions, her 

husband Suprabuddha, the king of Devadaha, wished to form a bond of marriage 

with the king of Kapilavastu, a man of great fame and reputation. As it 

happened, the king of Kapilavastu harbored a similar wish. Thus Queen Lumbini of 

Devadaha's eldest daughter, Mayadevi, was chosen to marry Shuddodhana, the 

prince of Kapilavastu. The marriage between Mayadevi and Shuddhodana was a grand 

celebration. 

[Birth of Shakyamuni] In due course, the future Buddha Shakyamuni entered into 

this world. It is said that Queen Mayadevi conceived her son on the full moon 

night of the sixth lunar month in the earth sheep year. Then, in the fourth 

lunar month of the following year, the year of the iron monkey, on the seventh 

day of the month, she gave birth to a son. The normal period of growth in the 

womb is nine months, yet it is said that she carried her child for almost ten 

months. This is the account of the gestation and birth of the Buddha as it is 

given in the traditional histories. After Mayadevi found herself with child, she 

remained for the most part in confinement away from the social activities of the 

royal court. But, as the time to give birth grew near, she wished to withdraw to 

somewhere more peaceful. When asked what place she would find more pleasing, 

Mayadevi proposed a visit to her mother's garden park, Lumbini, to relax and 

take rest. As she strolled in the Lumbini grove, the time for Buddha's birth 

came suddenly upon her. Just as Queen Mayadevi reached out to grasp the branch 

of a plaksha tree, the Buddha miraculously issued forth from her. Causing 

Mayadevi neither pain nor injury, Buddha was born from under her right arm. The 

legends of Buddha's birth tell us that from the day he entered Mayadevi's womb, 

all the devas and gods from the golden celestial realms watched over and 

protected him. It is even said that Buddha emerged from the ribs of Mayadevi's 

right side in the form of shimmering, scintillating golden light. Thus his 

appearance in this world was not by means of an ordinary birth, but was 

accompanied by miraculous events. We are also told how, immediately upon 

emerging from Queen Mayadevi, the Buddha walked seven steps in each of the four 

directions. Taking those steps, Buddha uttered four profound statements. The 

translations of these four statement is wonderful in the Tibetan language, where 

they reflect a play on the words for east, south, west, and north. As the Buddha 

took his first steps, to the eastern direction, he said, 'From here I arrive to 

attain nirvana, enlightenment.' The word for east in Tibetan also means 'to 

arrive'. Stepping to the south, the Buddha said, 'I will be in harmony with 

worldly understanding.' As he moved to the west, the direction of the setting 

sun, he said, ' This is my final birth.' And, with seven steps to the north, 

Buddha said, 'I have purified all my deeds in samsara, worldly existence...' 

playing on the word for north which also means 'purify'. Naturally, a child born 

in the ordinary way would never be able to walk and speak with such eloquence 

and dignity. Yet at his birth the Buddha strode forth in each of the four 

directions, heralding the event of his birth to all the world as he fearlessly 

proclaimed, 'I am unexcelled by anyone ever to appear in this world.' The child 

was raised as prince Siddhartha, and all people held great hopes for him as the 

future leader of the Shakya clan.

[Marriage] When his time of maturity had come, two fair princesses were proposed 

who might serve as his future queens. They were called Yasodhara and Gopaka. 

Both princesses belonged to highly respected and wealthy families, and there 

were many princes in the surrounding kingdoms who eagerly sought their hands in 

marriage. And so a competition was arranged, and all their suitors had to 

display their skills and sportsmanship, in hopes of winning such widely coveted 

brides. Prince Siddhartha defeated every rival and had the honor of claiming 

both princesses as his Queens. In this way, Siddhartha prepared to succeed his 

father as ruler of the kingdom of the Shakyas. Having married, Siddhartha 

reigned as prince of the Shakya kingdom. One day, he went on his first excursion 

outside of the palace and into the city of Kapilavastu. On this journey, the 

prince witnessed four events which would change him forever. These events 

brought Siddhartha face to face for the first time with human suffering, from 

which he had so far been carefully shielded by his father the king. Having never 

in his life seen such conditions, Siddhartha immediately understood that all 

living beings are subject to these inevitable sufferings of illness, old age, 

and death. As the full force of this understanding struck his mind, Siddhartha 

wondered how any one could pretend that all was fine in the world and carry on 

as if such suffering did not exist! This experience quickly caused Prince 

Siddhartha to give rise to a powerful sense of renunciation, and it forced him 

to recognize the futile nature of this world. All the activities of this life 

were ultimately meaningless, since all who inhabit this world must one day 

experience the same pains and pass away, leaving the experiences of this world 

to fade away like a dream. Having come to this realization, Siddhartha resolved 

to leave the palace life and wander in search of the truth. He sought to extract 

from life its essential meaning. 

[Leaving the Palace] The young prince had a faithful attendant known as Chanda, 

and he had a most excellent horse known as Kanthaka. Siddhartha summoned his 

attendant and ordered him to prepare his mount. Bidding his wife and infant son 

farewell as they lay asleep, he stole from the palace in secrecy, under cover of 

night, lest his subjects learn of his departure. Prince Siddhartha ordered his 

attendant to grasp the tail of his horse Kanthaka, who then miraculously bound 

over the walls of the palace compound and into the city. It is said that the 

four great guardian deities of the directions offered their service to 

Siddhartha, each lifting one hoof of the horse and spiriting them off through 

the air, until at last they brought them to the place known as Vishuddha stupa, 

the 'stupa of great purity.' It was there that the prince formally abandoned the 

life of a householder and adopted the life of a total renunciate. Seizing a 

blade, he cut off the length of his hair, as a sign that he had parted from all 

attachment to this world. Siddhartha discarded his princely garb, his gown and 

ornaments. It is said that hosts of gods and devas magically appeared all about 

him, offering him the robes of a spiritual mendicant. Donning these garments 

bestowed upon him by the gods themselves, he declared, 'I have renounced worldly 

life in order to seek the path to enlightenment.'

[Early Asceticism] Now Siddhartha pondered carefully the nature of the path he 

sought. He understood that all the Buddhas of the past had reached enlightenment 

through ascetic practice. He knew with certainty that there was no way for him 

but to follow the same path. Siddhartha resolved to practice the ascetic way, 

making a solemn vow of fasting, and abstained from all food for six years. He 

further determined to remain motionless in meditation, and so it was that he sat 

continuously for six years without moving. This period of Siddhartha Gautama's 

life has come to be known as the six years of asceticism, of unbroken, solitary 

meditation practice. This is how penances led him to the threshold of 

enlightenment, on the banks of the river Niranjana. During these six years of 

fasting, Siddhartha also kept a vow of noble silence. He did not speak to 

anyone, but remained absorbed in the silence of meditation. Once, as he sat 

motionless and speechless, some local cowherds came upon him, and wondered if he 

were a human being or a statue. They went so far as to poke burning irons into 

his ears, but Siddhartha showed not the slightest reaction. In this way he 

demonstrated the greatest determination to succeed in his meditation and 

austerities.

[Enlightenment] Now Siddhartha Gautama's mother had passed away seven days after 

giving birth to him, and she was reborn in the land of the gods known as the 

'realm of the thirty-three.' As a deva of this realm, she possessed some limited 

clairvoyance, and was able to see that her son from her previous life, Gautama, 

was undergoing great hardships. As this goddess, the former Mayadevi, wept for 

Siddhartha, her tears fell miraculously from the celestial world, forming a 

small pool in front of the meditating Buddha. In response to this, the great 

meditator Gautama broke his silence, just one week before he was to attain 

enlightenment. He spoke out reassuringly to his mother, saying, 'Although I have 

gone through these ascetic practices of unimaginable difficulty, yet I still 

have not reached my goal. I have only one week before I will gain enlightenment. 

Then I will repay your kindness, and will come to teach you in the near future.' 

In this way, his mother was the first person for whom Gautama broke his vow of 

silence, just prior to attaining enlightenment. Completing his six years of 

meditation, Siddhartha arose from that place, setting out on foot for what would 

come to be known as Bodhgaya, the diamond seat. Thus he came to arrive before 

the great Bodhi tree there. He knew that this was indeed the very place where 

all the past Buddhas, such as Krakuchandra, Kanakamuni, and Kasyapa, had 

attained enlightenment, on the very seat he himself now approached. In deepest 

reverence, Gautama bowed before the vajra seat and then took his place upon it, 

leaning his back against the Bodhi tree. Upon that very throne of enlightenment 

of the Buddhas of the past, Siddhartha repeated the greatest act of all of 

history, achieving complete enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya. 

Gautama had spent six years meditating on the banks of the Niranjana, and had 

come to the diamond seat of Bodhgaya to finish his meditation training. He 

entered again into seated meditation at dusk of the full moon night. Terrifying 

hosts of mara-devils and evil beings swarmed about him in a jealous frenzy. They 

threatened him with fearsome apparitions, brandishing terrible weapons and 

hurling them at him in rage and envy. These demons had great power and were able 

to destroy whatever they set themselves upon. Yet due to the invincible power of 

meditation, compassion, and loving kindness emanating from Siddhartha, they 

could not defeat him. Now only hours from gaining enlightenment, in a meditation 

of unassailable stability, he transformed all that was flung at him into 

celestial flowers. He suffered not the slightest harm. Thus conquering and 

subduing all the mara-devils during the period of dusk on that night, then 

continuing on through the middle watch of the night he remained in the deep 

samadhi of meditation. Finally, at the early dawn which followed that full moon 

night, he gained complete and perfect enlightenment, samyak sambuddha. Having 

attained enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama, now the Buddha, entered into the 

most sublime and indescribable state of bliss and emptiness which is the 

enlightened state. In this profound condition he gave rise to a great wish, 

thinking, 'How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings could share in this 

realization which is now my own.'

[Request to Teach] Buddha wished that it were possible to share his discovery 

with every being, yet he realized that sentient beings were far too deeply 

immersed in ignorance to join him there. And so he spoke to himself these famous 

words: "I have found a Dharma which is like nectar; it is noncomposite clear 

light, profound and peaceful, and beyond conceptual elaboration. Were I to 

explain it, others would not understand, and so I shall remain in the forest 

without speaking." Having said this to himself, he vowed to remain in silence 

for seven years. The Buddha dwelt in the state of contemplation, abstaining from 

any teaching role. Brahma, the great sovereign of the universe, and Indra, the 

lord of the gods and angels, knew that the great enlightened wisdom of a Buddha 

was now manifest in this world. Brahma appeared and offered to the Buddha a 

thousand-spoked golden wheel and Indra offered the most rare clockwise spiraling 

conch shell. These supremely auspicious tokens of veneration they offered to the 

Buddha, beseeching him to turn the wheel of Dharma for the benefit of all 

sentient beings. In response to this majestic supplication made by the lord of 

the universe, Brahma, and Indra, king of the gods, Buddha Shakyamuni consented 

to turn the wheel of the teachings. Over the course of the rest of his life, 

Buddha Shakyamuni set in motion what are known as the three great turnings of 

the wheel of Dharma, the wheel of the teachings. 

[Turning the Wheel of Dharma] The first turning of the wheel took place in the 

ancient Indian city of Varanasi. Buddha initiated the first turning with his 

central theme of the four noble truths. The collection of teachings of the first 

turning of the wheel of Dharma are known as the Theravada, or commonly held 

precepts. The Theravada teachings mainly focus on what are known as the four 

great seals of the Dharma. The four seals are:

All phenomena are impermanent

All phenomena are suffering

All phenomena are selfless

Nirvana alone is peace

The Buddha tells us that all compounded phenomena, everything that is composed 

of various elements and factors, is transient, impermanent; it does not last. 

Second, we are told that all phenomenal experience is of the nature of 

suffering. Third, the Buddha concludes that there is no self to be found in the 

phenomenal world. Fourth, the Buddha reveals that nirvana, liberation, is peace. 

These four teachings became the primary concerns of the first turning of the 

wheel of Dharma taught by Buddha Shakyamuni, set in motion in Varanasi.

[Second Turning] From the second turning of the wheel of Dharma came the 

teachings belonging to the Mahayana or great vehicle. This turning was initiated 

in the Indian city of Rajgir, at a place known as the vulture peak, a hill said 

to resemble a flock of vultures. There the Buddha taught the Prajnaparamita or 

Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. These sutras are of varying lengths, such as the 

one hundred thousand verse sutra, the twenty thousand verse sutra, the eight 

thousand verse sutra, and so on. All of these teachings reveal the truth of 

emptiness, that all phenomena, everything that appears to be, actually lacks any 

inherent, true existence.

[Third Turning] The third and final turning of the Wheel of Dharma focused on 

the subtle, definitive meaning of the Dharma. Though the Buddha expounded a 

myriad of teachings, he himself contemplated the effectiveness of each of these 

teachings. He pondered how people would interpret the teachings, and tailored 

his message to suit the minds of his listeners. In this way, there came to be 

what are known as the commonly understood teachings that follow the provisional 

meaning, and then also what are known as the teachings that reveal the 

definitive or ultimate meaning. In the third turning of the Dharma wheel, Buddha 

made the distinction between the ultimate meaning of the Dharma and the commonly 

held, interpretive meaning. These discourses were given in the ancient Indian 

town of Vaishali. Vaishali became famous in the sutras as the place where a 

monkey made offerings to the Buddha. The complete Dharma spoken by Lord Buddha 

is said to total eighty-four thousand teachings. These serve as direct remedies 

for the eighty-four thousand emotions or concepts with which sentient beings may 

be afflicted. Of these, Buddha taught that there are twenty-one thousand 

defilements all beings can experience which relate to greed, desire, and 

attachment. As an antidote for these obscurations, Buddha taught twenty-one 

thousand discourses on the Vinaya, the higher training of moral and ethical 

precepts for lay persons and ordained monks and nuns.

Buddha Shakyamuni further distinguished twenty-one thousand types of negativity 

associated with aversion, anger, and hatred. As a remedy for these afflicted 

states of mind, Buddha gave the twenty-one thousand teachings of the sutras. As 

the antidote for the defilements arising based on ignorance, Buddha taught the 

twenty-one thousand discourses on the Abhidharma. In addition, a further 

twenty-one thousand talks were given which discussed the defilements of 

attachment, aversion, and ignorance as they function in common with one another. 

In this way, Buddha gave direct remedies for all the eighty-four thousand 

defilements experienced by sentient beings. When considering the three turnings 

of the wheel of Dharma, one may wonder where and when the Buddhist Tantras were 

taught. The tantras are related to the third turning of the wheel of Dharma.

[Oddiyana & King Indrabhuti] During the course of Buddha's life and activity, 

many of his disciples had reached various levels of realization. It is even said 

that whenever Buddha moved from one place to another, these disciples would fly 

in the sky, spreading their golden dharma robes like wings. In this way they 

might move from eastern India to the western regions, from south to north. In 

the western region of India was a kingdom known as Oddiyana. In Buddha's time, 

the King of Oddiyana was Indrabhuti, who was the same age as Buddha, having been 

born in the same year. One day, as the king and his ministers were enjoying the 

palace gardens, a vast flock of monks flew by in the sky above them. Indrabhuti 

asked the wise elders among his ministers, 'Who are they, and how can it be that 

they fly through the sky like birds?' A senior minister replied, "Your majesty, 

we dwell in western India. I have heard that in eastern India there is the 

kingdom of the Shakyas, out of which arose the miraculous display of a prince 

known as Siddhartha. He is said to have renounced his kingdom and become an 

enlightened one. These must be some of his disciples in the skies above." 

Astonished, King Indrabhuti exclaimed, "This is remarkable. How can it be? If 

even the disciples demonstrate such miracles, what a wonder the master himself 

must be! Might someone go and invite him to come to us?" The elder minister 

answered the king, "Your majesty, there is no need to physically travel there. 

If those possessed of great faith and devotion make fervent, heartfelt prayers, 

the Buddha will know and hear their prayers through his omniscient wisdom. If 

you wish, pray thus, and invite Buddha to come here and teach you." Hearing 

this, King Indrabhuti composed a famous verse of supplication, acknowledging the 

Buddha as the leader and guide of all sentient beings, and asking to be included 

within the Buddha's protective wheel of refuge. At this very time, Buddha 

Shakyamuni was residing in Rajgirha. He summoned various disciples, such as the 

Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Vajrapani, as well as the realized Sravakas and 

Pratyekabuddhas, all of whom had the ability to fly with him. The Buddha told 

them that on a coming full moon day he would go to the western kingdom of 

Oddiyana at the invitation of King Indrabhuti. Those who were able to fly were 

invited to accompany him there. In this way the Buddha and his disciples came to 

arrive at the palace of Indrabhuti, King of Oddiyana. Buddha reached Oddiyana 

with these disciples and an assembly of the guardian kings of the four 

directions, as well as Brahma, Indra, and many of the gods, such as had never 

been seen before. King Indrabhuti could not believe his eyes when he saw that 

even the great lords of the celestial realms moved in the entourage of the 

Buddha. The Buddha addressed King Indrabhuti, "For what purpose have you invited 

me here?" Indrabhuti replied, "You are a prince of eastern India, and I am a 

prince of western India. We are even of the same age, and yet you are such a 

sublime one. Please teach me how to become like you. This is my only request." 

Hearing the king's request, Buddha replied thus: "If you wish to attain the same 

state as I, then you must abandon all worldly attachments and all the pleasures 

of the senses. Without renouncing the qualities of sensual experience and 

practicing the ascetic way, without this kind of renunciation, it will not be 

possible to attain liberation." Now King Indrabhuti was an extremely astute and 

intelligent person. He knew that the profound depth of the Buddha's realization 

must include methods that would allow one to attain liberation without 

abandoning the qualities of the senses. The king responded, "Lord Buddha, I have 

been spoiled by living my whole life in such luxurious surroundings. At this 

stage of my life, how can I give up my queens and elegant lifestyle? Even if I 

must be born as a fox or a dog that feeds on excrement, I cannot abandon all 

attachment to sensory pleasures. Neither can I abandon the responsibilities of 

my kingdom. Please grant me a teaching that does not require me to do so." 

Hearing the king's genuine plea, Buddha replied that he did indeed possess such 

a teaching. The Buddha consented to impart the esoteric teachings of the 

Vajrayana, the diamond vehicle of Buddhist Tantra, in particular the teaching of 

the tantric Buddha in the form of Guhyasamaja.

In addition, Buddha offered the transmission of all the empowerments of the 

Anuttarayogatantra to King Indrabhuti, including those of all the major tantric 

emanations of the Buddha such as Kalachakra, Hevajra, and Chakrasamvara. As 

Buddha bestowed these transcendent initiation ceremonies, the king, being 

possessed of unusually sharp faculties, was actually able to spontaneously 

accomplish and attain each stage and level of realization transmitted by the 

Buddha during the course of the empowerments. At each successive stage of 

empowerment, Indrabhuti instantly gained the same realization that a successful 

practitioner of that stage would enjoy. At the moment of the supreme phase of 

initiation known as the fourth empowerment, King Indrabhuti entered the highest 

level of enlightenment, and was able to simultaneously demonstrate all the 

miraculous displays of a fully enlightened one. This story from the life of the 

Buddha clearly shows us that people of keen intelligence may practice the 

Vajrayana diamond way and accomplish its vast benefits. One may follow the 

example of disciples of the Buddha such as King Indrabhuti and enter the path 

through the tradition of major Vajrayana initiations which began in Oddiyana.

[Dhanyakataka] In another region of India not so far away was the southern 

kingdom of Dhanyakataka, the 'place of heaped rice.'  This is a place that 

attracted scholars, yogins, and mendicants from a great variety of spiritual 

traditions. It was a famous dwelling place for those who wished to spend most of 

their time in meditation and prayer. Dhanyakataka was known as 'heap of rice' in 

reference to the abundance of hermitages and meditation retreats which covered 

the mountainside. It was at the magnificent stupa of Dhanyakataka that Buddha 

Shakyamuni imparted the world-renowned tantra known as Kalachakra. This 

empowerment attracted the Kulika rulers of Shamballa, a kingdom near Uddiyana, 

to attend as its honored recipients. The kingdom of Shamballa is said to have 

unique inhabitants; although they are human beings, they are said to have been 

and to be more intelligent and with far more acute faculties. They are even said 

to have had wings! The king of Shamballa at that time, Suchandra, traveled to 

Dhanyakataka to receive the Kalachakra initiation from Buddha Shakyamuni.

[The Three Vehicles] One could give infinite details regarding all the boundless 

activities of the Buddha, but this will suffice for now. Here we merely wished 

to give a brief account of the turnings of the wheel of Dharma, to summarize the 

history of the Buddha's teaching career. The paths outlined by the Buddha in his 

teachings are grouped into three principal vehicles. The first is the vehicle of 

the Theravada or 'elders', which is mainly focused on the path of renunciation 

and follows the teaching of the four noble truths. 

[Mahayana: Loving Kindness] The quintessence of the second vehicle, the Mahayana 

or great vehicle taught by Buddha Shakyamuni, comes down to two central 

practices, the practice of loving-kindness and the practice of compassion. Let 

us try to understand together the meaning of these. As an example of 

loving-kindness, we can reflect on the kindness received from our own mother 

until a feeling of gratitude and appreciation naturally arises. We can reflect 

that from the day we were born into this world, we were utterly helpless, and 

could have easily been abandoned. Yet our own kind mother protected us from 

every danger, fed and clothed us, taught us what to do and what to avoid. She 

gave us everything we needed, sacrificing her own needs for ours. To help 

loving-kindness grow inside of us, we contemplate the kindness received from our 

own dear mother. With this in mind, we give rise to the genuine wish that she be 

happy, and further generate the wish that we ourselves be able to provide her 

with the causes of happiness. From this benevolent wish, we proceed to cultivate 

a very creative, positive energy of loving-kindness. In so doing, we both 

increase our affection for others and strengthen the wish to repay the kindness 

shown to us by our own mother, the wish to amplify her happiness. This is what 

is known as loving-kindness. Anyone can reflect on this example, and then begin 

to extend the feeling they generate through remembering their mother's kindness 

to include other living beings.

[Compassion] Similarly, compassion arises when, through appreciating the 

kindness and love shown by one's own mother, one feels indebted to her and finds 

it impossible to bear the thought of her suffering and undergoing hardships. We 

never want to see her experiencing any troubles or difficulties. If such 

situations befall her, one would make sincere efforts to rescue her from even 

the smallest infirmity, from even the most trifling circumstance that might 

cause her pain. We learn active compassion by empathizing with the sufferings of 

our own mother and by truly trying to reduce this as well as to eliminate 

whatever is causing her pain. Active compassion is the wish and intent to 

relieve others from misery and from whatever is causing them anguish. These two 

are the very core of the teachings of the Mahayana, the great vehicle, which is 

the Buddha's second turning of the wheel of the teachings. No matter what 

esoteric meditations of the Vajrayana one may engage in, we must base ourselves 

in the essence of Mahayana Buddhist teaching, the practice of loving-kindness 

and compassion. This will lead to a point where we are actually able to renounce 

our own self-interest in favor of cherishing the welfare of others. This is 

genuine altruism. Even if one is not quite ready or able to adopt such a noble 

attitude, we train ourselves step by step to really consider what will help 

others as much as we look out for our own welfare. You really can try to be an 

instrument of happiness for other living beings, even in the smallest ways. It 

is equally important that we never ignore or turn a blind eye to any causes that 

might bring suffering to others. As long as there is suffering, and it doesn't 

need to be yours, it still needs to be resolved or healed. One who has this 

attitude is able to develop an active or engaged compassion. If there is 

happiness in a family or between a couple, this happiness hinges for the most 

part on how loving, caring, and giving the family members and partners are 

toward one another. It does not depend on their accumulation of wealth and their 

material success. It is exactly the same as far as the well being of one's 

community, as far as the level of happiness in the greater world around us, is 

concerned. Whether or not a leader can set a good example that others can follow 

depends for the most part on how much they really care about others. It depends 

on how giving he or she is able to be when conducting their daily affairs. This 

type of leadership sets a noble standard that people will admire and will 

naturally wish to emulate. It cannot help but benefit us if we are able to live 

according to the teaching and practice of loving-kindness toward whomever we 

share our lives with. Whether we are at home or out in the world, if we show 

more love and empathy for others, we will find more happiness in our lives. If 

individuals are able to dedicate themselves to a life of loving-kindness and 

compassion, then such people will make a great contribution to the well-being of 

the world, as a whole, to the cause of peace and happiness.

What is called 'world peace' only depends on how the citizens of the world 

behave toward one another. Love and compassion lead to the happiness of the 

individual, and this will naturally bring about a peaceful world. Although in 

this particular lifetime each of us has received the kindness of our own mother, 

this does not mean that there is only one person to whom we should feel 

indebted. It has been said by the Buddha that there have been countless 

occasions on which we have been reborn. We ourselves have experienced births in 

all the six realms of existence, in every possible situation, in every possible 

circumstance. In each of these lives, we have had a kind mother, so in fact we 

are indebted to all of those mothers just as much as we are to the mother of our 

present life. Bearing this in mind at all times can lead us to genuine concern 

for other beings. Due to our involvement with the karma of this present life, we 

cannot recognize around us those who actually were our previous mothers. Even 

so, we still can choose to conduct ourselves so as to repay each of them for all 

the good they have shown us. This is the way to develop loving-kindness. There 

is great variety among the different religions in regard to how to approach the 

spiritual path, as well as concerning their doctrines and their assertions of 

what is true. But one thing that we can find in common is that all religions 

promote love and compassion and caring for one another. Without a doubt the 

spirit of Christianity is the same as that of Buddhism in promoting and 

upholding the value of love. The Christian teaching says that god is love, and, 

remembering this, one should show love toward others. This must be the most 

essential belief of Christians, and they try to practice it in their daily 

lives. It is no different with Buddhism. The Buddhist teachings guide us in how 

to treat one another. They teach us to understand and resolve for ourselves the 

moral and ethical choices we make, since only these choices will become the 

causes for whatever results we ourselves wish to achieve. This practice of 

mindful attentiveness to one's conduct emphasized in the Buddhist teachings 

encourages us to cultivate beneficial causes. These good causes arise from our 

intention to benefit others. Any deed that is performed with a good intention to 

benefit others will eventually bear fruits of happiness. This will come about 

due to what is known as the law of cause and effect, the law of karma. Whether 

one believes in God, or whether one believes in the law of cause and effect, 

both teach us to be good people. It is doing good which promotes the happiness 

of others. When we ourselves shun and avoid negative conduct, the suffering of 

others is also avoided. Both views accept the same fact, that we ought not to do 

things which create the causes of unhappiness, and that rather we should sow 

seeds of virtue that become causes for the happiness of others. All religions 

teach love between oneself and others, and that one ought to be a source of 

benefit to others rather than being a cause of pain for them.

[Kindness & Compassion] It is important to see that these teachings of 

loving-kindness and compassion are not some sort of formal doctrine that one has 

to profess loyalty to or belief in. They are concerned with the way we live. 

What determines our happiness or lack of it is what we do with ourselves. We can 

conduct ourselves in a way that shows care and concern for whatever sufferings 

we see around us, however small or apparently insignificant. We see suffering in 

the lives of others, and we wish that they did not have to experience such 

discomfort and unhappiness. We wish that we ourselves might be instrumental in 

the relief of their suffering. We also wish that they will be happy, and that we 

ourselves can help them to be happy and add to their well-being. For example, in 

the lives of a couple, if each partner wishes the best for the other, and each 

wishes that the other not have to experience pain and misery, then there will be 

greater harmony between husband and wife, between partners. Likewise, if such a 

relationship exists for example between an employer and those who work for him 

or her, this promotes happiness in those situations where some are in a 

leadership role and others are following their directions. It is through each 

individual who assumes their share of this basic responsibility to other beings 

and conducts their relationships based on love and compassion, we are able to 

make our world a different place. People speak about world peace. Peace only 

comes about when people are extending love towards one another. These are 

essential points of the Mahayana Buddhist teaching.

[Vajrayana] Having understood what is the basis of the Mahayana or greater 

vehicle of Buddhism, one may now ask where the Vajrayana, the esoteric tantric 

vehicle, fits in to the Buddhist tradition. Vajrayana, the diamond vehicle, is a 

branch of the Mahayana tradition. If one has developed a good basis of 

loving-kindness and compassion, one may make use of methods which are the 

special skillful means of the Vajrayana. The benefit of these methods is that 

they provide a far more skillful and much swifter means of attaining 

enlightenment than can be gained by relying on the other vehicles on their own. 

It is said that even if one follows the perfection of wisdom or Prajnaparamita 

of the Mahayana, still it will require three incalculable aeons to attain 

enlightenment. On the other hand, resorting to the skillful methods of the 

Vajrayana diamond vehicle, it is taught that it is even possible to attain 

enlightenment in one lifetime. There have been a great number of practitioners 

of India and Tibet who through following Vajrayana Buddhism have indeed attained 

complete enlightenment in a single lifetime. It is for this purpose of greatly 

accelerating the path to enlightenment that the Vajrayana vehicle is available 

as a special means within the great Mahayana vehicle. If one has a heart that 

overflows with love and compassion as a stable foundation, then resorting to 

esoteric practices will guarantee rapid spiritual development. In this way, one 

may gain the capacity to benefit so many more sentient beings so much more 

quickly.

[Anuttarayoga Tantra] Within the esoteric vehicle of the Vajrayana, there are 

four general levels of tantras or scriptures. The highest, ultimate of these 

four is known as Anuttarayoga tantra or 'Highest Yoga' tantra. The Anuttarayoga 

tantras themselves are classed as Father tantras, Mother tantras, and Non-dual 

tantras. In the category of Non-dual tantras, there are only two scriptural 

traditions, that of Buddha Hevajra and that of Buddha Kalachakra. In order to 

understand a little bit about Buddhist tantra, let us consider for example the 

tradition of Kalachakra. The empowerment of the Kalachakra tantra has been 

widely given throughout the world in recent times.As a non-dual tantra, 

Kalachakra is the quintessence of all the Anuttara, or Highest Yoga tantras. 

Kalachakra itself is divided into four types of tantra, giving us an elaborate 

framework to understand the specifics of the tantra. First there is the outer 

Kalachakra. In large part, these sections are concerned with visualizing and 

meditating on the Buddha in the form of the meditational deity Kalachakra, and 

chanting his mantra.

[Kalachakra] Second comes the inner Kalachakra. Inner Kalachakra addresses 

itself to applying the profound internal meditations upon the subtle channels, 

vital winds, elements, and essential drops which make up the subtle or psychic 

body. The third section of Kalachakra, secret Kalachakra refers to meditating 

upon and within the ultimate meaning of the truth of emptiness. The fourth 

subject within Kalachakra is 'other' or 'alternative' Kalachakra, and relates to 

the study of and meditation on the outer cosmos of our realm of existence. 

Alternative Kalachakra teaches us how all the physical appearances of this world 

are the manifestation of our collective karma. In this way, it teaches us the 

causes that bring about this universe. Alternative Kalachakra describes the 

outer universe and how it directly corresponds with, and reflects, the inner 

propensities and karmic vision of all the beings within this universe. Thus the 

Kalachakra tantra contains the deepest meanings of four types of tantras all 

within one single tradition. Due to its profound meaning and the blessing it 

carries, it is very good if one can receive the Kalachakra initiation or at 

least the oral transmission of the mantra of Buddha Kalachakra. As an example of 

the power and benefits of mantras of the Highest Yoga Tantras of the Vajrayana, 

it is said that by merely hearing the sound of the Kalachakra mantra, with the 

proper attitude and faith, many difficulties and obstacles are removed for us. 

If you take the opportunity to recite the Kalachakra mantra during the course of 

your life, this will allay outer obstacles and create peace within you. Even 

reciting the mantra once definitely has the power to pacify one's afflictions 

and promote a general sense of happiness and well-being.

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