About Tantra

Four Complete Purities of Tantra Practice

Je Tsongkhapa explained that an authentic Secret Mantra practice must possess four attributes, known as the `four complete purities’.

Je Tsongkhapa explained that an authentic Secret Mantra practice must possess four attributes, known as the `four complete purities’. These are: complete purity of place, complete purity of body, complete purity of enjoyments, and complete purity of deeds. The practice of these four complete purities was not revealed in the Sutra teachings, but is to be found only in Secret Mantra. Secret Mantra is distinguished from Sutra by the practice of bringing the future result into the present path. For example, even though we have not yet attained enlightenment, when we practise Secret Mantra we try to prevent ordinary appearances and ordinary conceptions of our environment and instead visualize our surroundings as the mandala of a Deity. In the same way, we prevent ordinary appearance of our body, our enjoyments, and our deeds, and, in their place, generate ourself as a Deity, visualize our enjoyments as those of a Buddha, and practise performing enlightened deeds. By doing such practices, we can attain the resultant state of Buddhahood very rapidly. These four practices are essential for both the generation stage and completion stage of Secret Mantra.

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Tantric Grounds and Paths

Tantric Grounds and Paths

In Tantric Grounds and Paths Geshe Kelsang Gyatso gives an explanation of the four classes of Tantra, with special emphasis on the Generation and Completion stages of Highest Yoga Tantra.

Drawing on his own experience and the teachings of Je tsongkhapa, Geshe Kelsang renders even the most profound, esoteric aspects of Tantra accessible to the modern reader

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All quotations from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's books copyright The New Kadampa Tradition - International Buddhist Union, all rights reserved worldwide. For more information on Geshe Kelsang's books visit Tharpa Publications.