The Mysterious Vajra Dhara

Chapter 1  Lineage Of Wisdom Dakini

1.3. The Mysterious Vajra Dhara

If you are familiar with Tibetan Buddhism, you definitely know how important Vajra Dhara is. In Vajrayana, he is same as Shakyamuni Buddha. Vajra Dhara is the creator of the highest great dharma in many lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. It is often said that some dharma were obtained from Vajra Dhara. Thus Vajra Dhara has become an inevitable being in Vajrayana.

In the daily pray of Shangpa Kagyu, Vajra Dhara is the first guru, and the words of prayer are: ever present saintly Lord Dorje Chang. Vajra Dhara is also called Dorje Chang. It is said that Vajra Dhara was the form taken by Shakyamuni Buddha when he taught Vajrayana, however a more common saying is Shakyamuni Buddha is the Manifested-body Buddha and Vajra Dhara is the Reward-body Buddha.

Shangpa Kagyu’s account of Vajra Dhara is this: ever since Vajra Dhara cultivated Bodhi-chitta, he endured countless kalpa and accumulated numerous charitable and pious deeds before he finally attained enlightenment. Prior to Buddhahood, Vajra Dhara received empowerments from all Buddha in the Heaven of Ultimate Form. At that moment, his last fragment of delusion was dispelled and he achieved Dharma Body (Dharmakaya), Reward Body (Sambhogakaya) and Manifested Body (Nirmanakaya) in sequence.

The explanations on Dharma Body differ between the Greater Way (Mahayana) and Lesser Way (Hinayana). Hinayana sees Dharmakaya as the oral teachings of Buddha and the merits gained through discipline, concentration and wisdom. Mahayana sees Dharmakaya as the true nature of all dharma of the enlightened Buddha, it is also called among other names, ‘true likeness’ and ‘real phenomenon’. This Dharma Body is neither born nor destroyed, neither clean nor unclean, neither with nor without form. It is the embodiment of the equal nature of all dharma and the unity between the dharma nature of all the Buddha and every living being. Vajrayana identifies Mahāvairocana Buddha (called the Big Sun Buddha in Han areas) as the Dharma Body Buddha.

The Reward Body, Sambhogakaya, is also called the Enjoyment Body. It is the perfect form obtained at Buddha’s perfection of virtue and resides in the Heaven of Ultimate Form, preaching and revealing dharma to Bodhisattva in the tenth stage.

The Manifested Body, Nirmanakaya, is the bodily manifestation adopted for the salvation of living beings in the world. Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya reflect the three characteristics of Buddhahood.

According to Shangpa Kagyu, the first exceptional manifestation of Vajra Dhara was Shakyamuni Buddha in India. He progressed through conception, birth, renunciation of princedom, six years of arduous mediation, and finally attained Buddhahood. After over forty years of preaching, he entered nirvana. The second kind of manifestation is in the form of master craftsman, such as scientists and inventors, who work for the benefit of all living beings. The third kind of manifestation takes the form of medicinal herbs, roads, bridges, springs and food, things that of their own nature bring good to all life. The fourth kind of manifestation is in the infinite forms of the myriad living beings themselves.

The above statements, though not found in books that have already been published, are widespread within the Shangpa Kagyu lineage. As a disciple of Shangpa Kagyu, the author has had the good fortune to have reference to the related materials, however, even from a purely cultural perspective, readers can see the intrinsic spirit of religious benevolence contained in Shangpa Kagyu.

 It is said that Vajra Dhara achieved the “five special dharma”:1. Place determines the Ghanavyuha in the Heaven of Ultimate Form. Vajra Dhara resides constantly in the unimaginable Ghanavyuha realm in Heaven of Ultimate Form; 2. Body determines the perfect Reward Body (Sambhogakaya). Thus Vajra Dhara is called the Reward Body Buddha;       3. Family determines Saint Bodhisattva, and only saint big Bodhisattva has the opportunities to hear the dharma teaching from Vajra Dhara himself; 4.Language determines genuine Mahayana (the Greater Way) and not Hinayana (the Lesser Way); 5.Time determines the unemptiness of samsara. This is very similar to the promise of Bodhisattva Kitigarbha -“I will not attain Buddhahood as long as there is living being in hell”. As long as there is samsara, Vajra Dhara will forever watch over every living being.

 In the Ghanavyuha realm, Vajra Dhara mainly taught Vajrayana. As Tsongkapa said, Vajrayana is more difficult to meet than Buddha. By practising Vajrayana, one can rapidly attain Buddhahood and may even reach the status of Vajra Dhara in their current lifetime. Vajra Dhara preached six hundred thousand empowerments for secret mantras and Vajra bodies, of which the most exceptional dharma is the “Five Golden Dharma of Niguma” handed down in the Shangpa Kagyu lineage.

The “Five Golden Dharma of Niguma” refers to the integrated meditation practice of the Five Great Vajras. The Five Great Vajras are Guhyasamaja, Mahamaya, Hevajra, Chakrasambhava, and Yamantaka. There are lineages for the five great Vajras in other sects of Tibetan Buddhism, however most only practice them in isolation. Each Vajra has differing points of emphasis and each has their advantages. Shangpa Kagyu integrates the dharma of the five Vajras into one practice. Mr. Jianmin Chen praised: there is no higher dharma after learning the “Five Golden Dharma”. I will introduce the “Five Golden Dharma of Niguma” in detail further on.

Vajra Dhara is recognised as the first generation guru of Shangpa Kagyu. Students pray to guru everyday with the words “ever present saintly Lord Dorje Chang”.