Yoga of Hevajra

Practice of the Yuan Khans?

Zoltán Cser
PhD student at Mongolian Studies, Department of Mongol and Inner Asian Studies, ELTE University

Premise1
In the article of Shen Weirong we read2:
„It has been widely accepted that Tibetan tantric Buddhism was very popular at the court of the great
Mongol khans, yet little is known about the details of the Buddhist teaching that were taught and
practiced enthusiastically in and outside the Mongol court of the Yuan dynasty. Due to the prevailing
misconception that it was the tantric practice of Tibetan Buddhism, notoriously epitomized in the so-
called Secret Teaching of Supreme Bliss (秘 密大喜樂法 mimi daxile fa; esoteric samādhi of great joy),
that caused the rapid downfall of the great Mongol-Yuan dynasty.”
„Twenty years ago, I. Christopher Beckwith drew attention to an until then unnoticed Yuan-period
collection in Chinese on Tibetan tantric Buddhist teachings. This collection is called 大乘要道密集
Dacheng yaodao miji, or Secret Collection of Works on the Quintessential Path of the Mahāyāna. It
includes at least 28 texts devoted3 to 道果 daoguo, or lam ’bras (the path and fruit) teaching, which are
particularly favoured by the Sa skya pa sect, and to 大手印 da shouyin, or Mahāmudrā. According to
the publisher’s preface, this collection became a basic teachings text of the esoteric school in China, and
from the Yuan through the Ming and Manchu Qing dynasties down to the present day it has been revered
as a “sacred classic of the esoteric school.” This collection attributed to Phagpa lama (1235–1280).”

1
The transliterations are according to the international standards.
2
Shen Weirong: Tibetan Tantric Buddhism at the Court of the Great Mongol Khans, Sa skya pandita and ’Phags
pa’s Works in Chinese during the Yuan Period. (Quaestiones Mongolorum Disputatae No. 1) 2005, pp. 61-89.
3
Altogether 83 texts.
Let us see first of all the historical background, how the Khans were initiated into Hevajra tantra, one
of the highest teaching in Buddhism.
Historical background
In the Tibetan text, The Rosary of White Lotuses4 written in the 1880s we find the detailed history of
how Prince Godan (1248 in Lanzhou) and later Kubilai Khan (reign 1260–1294) was initiated into
Hevajra tantra (1253 in Kharkhorum).
“According the Rosary of White Lotuses, Köten, wishing to test Sakya Pandita’s powers, had one of
his resident magicians conjure up a image of a big city and then invited the Tibetan monk to step into it.
Nonplussed, Sakya Pandita recited a prayer and threw some flowers at the mirage, whereupon it
solidified into a real city. According to the Rosary, this “Phantom Town” became what is now the city
of Lanzhou.
Duly impressed, Köten entered into a Preceptor-Protector relationship with Sakya Pandita and sought
his counsel in matters both spiritual and temporal. The Tibetan guru’s standing was increased even more
when Köten fell ill due to a plague of “earth demons” and Sakya Pandita succeeded in curing him by a
technique known as the “Lion’s Roar.” Settling in at the new “Phantom Town” of Lanzhou, Sakya
Pandita proceed to give teachings on various sutras and tantras and eventually initiated Köten and
members of his court into the Hevajra Tantra, “opening anew for them the deepest path of Vajrayana.”
Assisting the Pandita in his teachings was a sizable contingent of Uighur Buddhist monks from what is
now Xinjiang province in the west of China.
Sakya Pandita (1182–1251) was never to return to Tibet. He died in Lanzhou in 1251. During his
cremation images of Hevajra and Mañjusri appeared on the crown of his skull and Heruka on his
forehead, as well as numerous other manifestations. Among his ashes were found numerous “relic pills,”
small hard pellets of uncertain composition which are often found in the remains of highly advanced
lamas (indeed, this phenomenon continues to occur to the present day).”
And also: “According to the Rosary of White Lotuses, Khubilai’s wife Zangmo stepped into the breach
and exclaimed that even gray-haired monks were no match for the young Phagspa. “Do not send him to
Tibet,” she “but enter into a Preceptor-Protector bond with him, learn from him, ask him questions about
the Dharma!” She pointed out that Sakya lamas were especially proficient in secret Tantra teachings and
perhaps to set an example asked that she and her circle of twenty-four female attendants be initiated into
the Hevajra Tantra. Phagspa complied, and to show her appreciation for the initiation Zangmo gave
Phagspa her ear-ring containing a huge pearl. Later Phagspa reportedly sold the pearl and used the funds
to put a gold roof on one of the temples at Sakya Monastery in Tibet.
Following his wife’s lead Khubilai then asked to be initiated into the Hevajra Tantra. Phagspa said this
was not possible because Khubilai was a king and a king would not be able to observe the vows
necessary to take the initiation. First, Phagspa explained, Khubilai would have to take a seat lower than
the presiding lama’s seat; second, he would have to recognize the Triple Jewel as his sole refuge; third,
he must follow whatever order his teacher gave him. Khubilai agreed all this was impossible for a king.
Again his wife stepped forward. The King holds supreme authority in China and Mongolia, she pointed
out, why not give Phagspa supreme authority in Tibet and affairs of the Dharma? Although it did not
fully address all the issues raised, Khubilai and Phagspa agreed to this conciliatory compromise, and a

4
Chen po Hor gyi yul du dam pa'i chos ji ltar dar ba'i tshul gsal bar brjod pa padma dkar po'i phren ba - Rosary
of White Lotuses, Being the Clear Account of How the Precious Teaching (of Buddha) Appeared and Spread in
the Great Hor Country by Dam-chos rGya-mtsho Dharma-ta-la in 1880’s. Published: Rosary of white lotuses:
being the clear account of how the precious teaching of Buddha appeared and spread in the great Hor country
by Damchø Gyatsho Dharmatāla ; translated and annotated by Piotr Klafkowski ; supervised by Nyalo Trulku
Jampa Kelzang Rinpoche. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987 (Asiatische Forschungen)
Hevajra initiation was given to the Mongolian ruler and twenty-four of his associates. In return he gave
Phagspa an immense three-dimensional golden mandala encrusted with pearls “the size of sheep
droppings” and granted the Sakya sect, with Phagspa at its head, both political and religious control over
all of Tibet.”5
If we want to understand why the practice of Hevajra tantra was suitable to the two Khans (as we know
in Khubilai’s court there were many protagonists of different religions, even before Phagpa there was a
Chan abbot representing Buddhism) we should see first where we find Hevajra in the vast range of
Buddhist practices and then understand the specific characteristic factors of that particular tantra.
Place of Hevajra tantra in Buddhism
According to the Tibetan Buddhism, the whole teaching of the Buddha can be divided into two
categories: the Sutras and the Tantras. If we would like to summarize the difference between the two
large systems, we can say, that the sutras are planting or practicing the causes for attaining Buddhahood
(causal path) on the other hand, tantras are practicing the result, directly Buddhahood (resultant path).
As Choegyal Namkhai Norbu states commenting the Garland of Views attributed to Padmasambhava 6:
“The Causal Vehicle or Sutrayāna is so called because in it the nature of mind is like a 'seed' of
enlightenment requiring the completion of the accumulation of merit and wisdom in order to ripen. Here
the two truths, absolute and relative, are seen as two separate things, the former to be obtained and the
latter to be overcome. The Fruitional Vehicle or Vajrayāna is so called because the nature of mind is
deemed already endowed with all the qualities of the 'fruit' of enlightenment”.7
Hevajra belongs to the vehicle of the fruit. All the Buddhist paths including the Fruitional Vehicle can
be understood through the teaching of the Base, Path and Fruit8. The Base contains where we are and
what is our ultimate state, in sutra we can find it as the famous Two Truths9. The Two Truths defines
the Path (between the relative and absolute), that is in the sutra the Two Accumulations (merits and
wisdom) and through the path we can attain the Fruit, that is according to the sutra; the Two Kāyas. In
the tantras the Base is our real nature, the is called in the tantras the Vajra (indestructible state of mind),
the Path is the Two Stages (development and completion) through which we can transform our impure
vision into pure vision (mandala and deity), what is the goal, realizing the natural mandala.
Now if we would like to understand the levels of tantras than according to Nāgāarjuna, they can be
divided into four categories, starting from kriya tantra, charyā tantra, yogatantra and finally
anuttarayogatantras. The primary difference between the classes of tantras is based on the relationship
between the practitioner (in the practice it is called Samayasattva; the Pledge being) and the main Deity
(Jñānasattva, Wisdom being). For example in the Kriya tanras the practitioner is like a servant, the main
Deity that is visualized in front is like a lord. But in the anuttaratantras the Samayasattva is inseparable
from the Jñānasattva. Hevajra belongs to anuttaratantra class, so the highest level.
Within anuttaratantras we can find so called Father tantras, Mother tantras and Non-dual tantras. The
division is according to the focus of practice; whether it is the development stage, or accomplished stage

5
From Don Corner: Don Croner's World Wide Wanders Part 2, Mongolia, Tibetan Buddhism; Sakya
http://www.doncroner.com/2005/02/mongolia-tibetan-buddhism-sakya.html (22.03.2015.)
6
’jig ten las ’das pa’i lam la yang rnam pa gnyis te/ mtshan nyid kyi theg pa dang rdo rje’i theg pa’o/ (The path
that transcends world (sasara) is subdivided in two categories: the Philosophical Characteristics Vehicle and the
Vajra Vehicle). From Man ngag Ita ba'i phreng ba, by Padmasambhava (VIII c.) A: in SNGA 'GYUR BKA' MAT
SCHOS SDE, vol. 'a, published by Si khron bod kyi rig gnas zhib 'jug khang; B: in GDAMS NGAG MDZOD, vol. ka,
published at Paro in Bhutan 1979
7
Choegyal Namkhai Norbu: The Precious Vase (Santi maha sangha 'i rmang gzhi 'i khrid rin chen bum bzang
zhes bya ba) Shang Shung Edizioni, 58031 Arcidosso GR, Italy 1999, p. 31
8
Tib,: gzhi lam 'bras bu.
9
Skr: saṃvṛti-satya and paramārtha-satya.
or in Kalacakra tantra non-dual of the two stages. Hevajra belongs to the Mother tantras, it means that
the main focus is not on the visualization, on the outer mandala (development stage), but on the inner
bliss, inner heat or inner mandala (accomplished stage). This category contains vast range of elaborate
practices of physical yogas and sexual practices with the aim to develop heat and bliss.
Why anuttara tantras are „suitable” for an Emperor
If we understand the above mentioned characteristics of the actual tantra the reasons can be summarized
according to the following points:
- the path of result, the state of enlightenment – not to renounce like in the sutra system
- importance of Bodhicitta, to care all beings
- relation between the Deity and the practitioner
- the way of development stage (Supreme Royal mandala and Supreme Royal action)
- integrating daily activities into the practice
- developing Siddhis during completion stage
- example of the history of Guhyasamāja tantra
- the only problem: the initiation and the Samayas
The above points are clearly show why anuttara tantras can be practiced by an emperor. First of all the
sutra system is based on renunciation (monks and nuns), but in tantras all the activities of worldly life
could be part of the practice. Although the tantras are not belonging to sutra approach, but Bodhicitta,
the altruistic intention to save and protect all beings is integrated part of it, that is also very important
aspect for a ruler, taking care of all population, protecting the country and so on. In anuttaratantras the
Deity, here Hevajra and the practitioner (the emperor) are inseparable, so the practitioner is also the lord
of the mandala like a king. This clearly can be seen in the names of the two main development state
practices (Supreme Royal mandala and Supreme Royal action). During accomplished state there is
description of different superhuman capacities that can be accomplished through the yogas. In one of
the popular stories that explains the connection between the anuttaratantras and royalship we can find
that the Buddha was asked by the king Indrabodhi to give such a teaching and path that he can apply
without changing his position as a king. This time the Buddha gave the Guhyasamāja tantra and initiation
which is esteemed as the most ancient tantra of all anuttaratantras.
The only problematic thing is the hierarchical relationship between the Vajramaster who is conferring
the initiation and the receiver, the disciple, but as we know Phagpa lama and Kubilai could find solution.
Short description of the Hevajra path according to Sakya Lamdre tradition
Traditionally to impart the teaching of Hevajra connected to the Lamdre takes six weeks. Although
there were no strict time-frames, it is generally estimated that the average duration of Lamdre teachings
was about three years. The whole Lamdre teaching is divided into two sections — first the preliminary
(sutric) section and then the tantric section.
The preliminary section focuses on the so called “Three Visions”:

 impure vision: introduces the karmic vision or samsāra, the six realms or states of
suffering
 vision of experience: introduces the experiences of a practitioner (“one pointedness”
and “clear discrimination”)
 pure vision: introduces the experience of an accomplished being, a Buddha10
The tantric section called “Triple Tantra”, because is based on three tantric texts:
 root tantra: Hevajratantrarājanāma

10
Lama Choedak Yuthok: Lamdre Dawn of Enlightenment. Gorum Publications, Canberra 1997, p. 52
 two explanatory tantras: Ḍākinīvajrapañjaratantra, Saṃpuṭatantra11

Initiation, generation stage, completion stage

The path of tantra can be divided into three steps (initiation and the two stages):
- Initiation: in the Lamdre tradition the complete initiation takes six weeks and the aim is to
introduce to the student the Body, Speech, Mind and primordial Wisdom of the enlightened
state which is in the form of the Deity Hevajra.
- Generation stage: this state (outer mandala practice) is basically comprises visualization and
mantra recitation and daily activity yogas (such like yoga of eating, sleeping, waking and so
on), the aim is to attain one-pointedness through clarity.
- Completion stage: inner mandala practice (usually in retreat) which is basically generation of
inner heat (tib: gtum mo). The aim is to control the vital energies and integrating the generated
visualized mandala into the inner so called Vajrabody, which is energy system of the physical
body. Then the bliss is the state which is the starting point of the higher level of meditations like
Mahāmudrā. Through that on this level Buddhahood or enlightenment can be achieved.
In the system of anuttaratantras (sometimes even in the kriya tantras) there are always physical yoga
systems connected to the completion stage, these are exercises in sequenced order called in the Tibetan
texts as ‘phrul ‘khor or ‘thrul ‘khor12 or phrin las13,in some cases lus sbyong14 or rsta rlung15 or even
rnal sbyor16 which is actually the Tibetan translation of the word yoga17.

Texts about the Yoga of Hevajra

Among the many texts can be found about the physical yoga of Hevajra just the main examples:
- phrin las sum cu rtsa gnyis kyi 'khrul 'khor (Thirty-two activities of yantra) by Dragpa
Gyaltsen18
- lam 'bras kyi 'phrin las sum bcu so gnyis (Thirty-two activities of the Lamdre) by Phagmo
Drupa19
- rnal sbyor gyi phrin las sum cu rtsa gnyis (Thirty-two activities of Yoga) by Norchen
Kunga Sangpo in collecting the works of Dragpa Gyaltsen

11
Panchen Ngawang Choedak: The Triple Tantra, translated and annotated by Lama Choedak Yuthok. Gorum
Publications, Canberra 1997, p. 54
12
Actually this is the Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit term “yantra”, sometimes translated as; “machine”,
“diagram”, “construction”.
13
Usually translated as “enlightened activity” or “Buddha’s actions (karma)”.
14
Usually translated as ”body exercises”.
15
Usually translated as „channels-winds (prānaas)” practices.
16
Rnal means “natural state”, ‘byor means “possessing”, so the translation of yoga in Tibetan: „possessing the
natural state”.
17
Meaning of „yoga” in the different Buddhists sources could be also an interesting research topic. Just briefly
to mention there is a Yoga sutta in the Pāli canon, where yoga means under control of the sense faculties, or
bounded by negative emotions. In Yogācāra yoga means basically meditation practices. Yogācārins are those
beings, who are focusing mainly on meditation. In the tantras and especially in the higher tantras yoga can mean
union, but in mahāmudrā (yoga: contemplation) and in the dzogchen teaching (yoga: possessing the natural
state) we can find also different meaning.
18
Grags pa rgyal mtshan (1147–1216) in the Sakya lamdre collection in the section of lam 'bras slob bshad (v. 1-
26) 10. text, pp. 303–307
19
phag-mo dru-pa (1110–1170) in the collected texts of Phagmo Drupa, pp. 647–653
Surprisingly there is a recently discovered bilingual, Tibetan - Chinese text from the collection of Qing
court that contains the same yogic exercises mentioned by the above texts, and this is one of the rare
manuscripts that were published in English with explanations and notes, with the title; Samadhi of
Completion20.

Samādhi of completion: Secret Tibetan yoga illuminations from the Qing court21
According to the illustrated text, the structure of the practice is the following:
- preliminary practices (11): 3 to expel the impure air (tib: rlung ro), 4 developing inner heat and
4 radiating lights from the different points of the body (Body-mandala practice)
- main practices (96): 32 yogic postures in normal order, 32 in reversed order, 32 in random order
At the end on the 108th image we can see Dragpa Gyaltsen and then there is 9 more images describing
the completion meditational practices of Chakrasamwara, Yāmāntaka, Guhyasamāja and Amitāyus
tantric cycles.
The whole practice is like a rosary beads practiced sequentially one movement after the other.
According to the Buddhist tantric system (anuttara tantras, such like Hevajra, Chakrasamwara,
Yāmāntaka, Guhyasamāja and so on) if someone, a practitioner was successful completing the above
yogic practices, generating inner heat, bliss, then it was possible for him to do consort practices to
enchant and integrate the bliss into meditation (but prior to these practices sexual yogas were not
allowed).

Example
From the original text (kyai rdo rje'i rnal 'byor las rtsa rlung; p. 4.):

kyai rdo rje’i rnal ‘byor las rtsa rlung

‘dzin pa’i mngon du rlung ro bud
pa’i tshul ni rnam snang gi chos
bdun la gnas de bya’o

20
In TBRC the original text is under the title: kyai rdo rje'i rnal 'byor las rtsa rlung
21
究竟定 — 清宫藏密瑜伽修行宝典 - jiu jing ding — qing gong zang mi yu jia xiu xing bao dian (Samādhi of
completion : Secret Tibetan yoga illuminations from the Qing court), Published by the forbidden city publishing
house, Beijing 2009
From the Hevajra Yoga, to establish the rtsa rlung (channels and winds (prāna)) expel the dead (impure)
wind (prana) in the “Seven point position of Vairocana”.

page 4. from the original text

Conclusion
In the Yuan period all the tantric practices were based on texts which were translated from Tibetan
and they belonged to the highest yogatantras, the anuttaratantra class.22
All the anuttaratantras have it’s particular physical yoga systems connected to the inner mandala
practices, these completion phase practices were kept in secret, due to the fact, that they were mostly
practiced in retreats (Kālacakra, Guhyasamāja, Six Dharma of Nāropa, Yoga of Niguma and so on).
If the Yuan elite were really practicing Hevajra, then they were doing physical yogas with different
breathing methods and the connected visualizations.
The Chinese terms in anuttaratantra texts are mostly referring to yogic techniques not orgies as Toh
Hoong Teik and also Shen Weirong states.23 According to them the term yanshe ’er or yanjie ’er means
not degenerate sexual practice, but rather it is a transliteration of the Sanskrit yantra or tib. ’phrul ’khor
– or physical yogic exercises.

Bibliography
Primary resources

 Chen po Hor gyi yul du dam pa'i chos ji ltar dar ba'i tshul gsal bar brjod pa padma dkar po'i
phren ba - Rosary of White Lotuses, Being the Clear Account of How the Precious Teaching
(of Buddha) Appeared and Spread in the Great Hor Country by Dam-chos rGya-mtsho Dharma-
ta-la in 1880’s. Published: Rosary of white lotuses: being the clear account of how the precious
teaching of Buddha appeared and spread in the great Hor country by Damchø Gyatsho
Dharmatāla ; translated and annotated by Piotr Klafkowski ; supervised by Nyalo Trulku Jampa
Kelzang Rinpoche. Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 1987. (Asiatische Forschungen)

22
Many of these texts were translated from Tibetan even in the Tangut period in Xixia 西夏 empire – (1032 –
1227).
23
Toh Hoong Teik: Tibetan Buddhism in Ming China, PhD dissertation, Harvard University 2004, p. 147
 jiu jing ding — qing gong zang mi yu jia xiu xing bao dian 究竟定 — 清宫藏密瑜伽修行宝典
- (Samādhi of completion : Secret Tibetan yoga illuminations from the Qing court). Published
by the forbidden city publishing house, Beijing 2009

 lam 'bras kyi 'phrin las sum bcu so gnyis (Thirty-two activities of the Lamdre) by Phagmo Drupa
in the collected texts of Phagmo Drupa, pp. 647-653
 man ngag Ita ba'i phreng ba, by Padmasambhava (VIII c.) A: in SNGA 'GYUR BKA' MAT
SCHOS SDE, vol. 'a, published by Si khron bod kyi rig gnas zhib 'jug khang; B: in GDAMS
NGAG MDZOD, vol. ka, published at Paro in Bhutan 1979
 rnal sbyor gyi phrin las sum cu rtsa gnyis (Thirty-two activities of Yoga) by Norchen Kunga
Sangpo in collecting the works of Dragpa Gyaltsen in the Sakya lamdre collection in the section
of lam 'bras slob bshad (v. 1-26)

 phrin las sum cu rtsa gnyis kyi 'khrul 'khor (Thirty-two activities of yantra) by Dragpa Gyaltsen
in the Sakya lamdre collection in the section of lam 'bras slob bshad (v. 1-26) 10. text, pp. 303-
307.

English resources

 Choedak, Panchen Ngawang: The Triple Tantra, translated and annotated by Lama Choedak
Yuthok. Gorum Publications, Canberra, Australia 1997, p. 54

 Don Croner's World Wide Wanders Part 2, Mongolia, Tibetan Buddhism; Sakya
http://www.doncroner.com/2005/02/mongolia-tibetan-buddhism-sakya.html (22.03.2015.)

 Lama Choedak Yuthok: Lamdre Dawn of Enlightenment. Gorum Publications, Canberra,

Australia 1997, p. 52

 Namkhai Norbu, Choegyal: The Precious Vase (Santi maha sangha 'i rmang gzhi 'i khrid rin
chen bum bzang zhes bya ba). Shang Shung Edizioni, 58031 Arcidosso GR, Italy 1999, p. 31

 Shen Weirong: Tibetan Tantric Buddhism at the Court of the Great Mongol Khans, Sa skya
pandita and ’Phags pa’s Works in Chinese during the Yuan Period. QUAESTIONES
MONGOLORUM DISPUTATAE No.1 (Tokyo: Association for International Studies of
Mongolian Culture) 2005, pp. 61-89

 Toh Hoong Teik: Tibetan Buddhism in Ming China. PhD dissertation, Harvard University 2004,
p. 147

Illustrations
Hevajra and the five main tantra Deity Yidams from Ulaanbaatar (19th Century):
http://gepeskonyv.btk.elte.hu/adatok/Okor-kelet/Okori.es.keleti.muveszet/index.asp_id=595.html

Illustrations from Tibetan Buddhist Research Centre from the book of Channel Wind practice of
Hevajra Yoga (kyai rdo rje'i rnal 'byor las rtsa rlung):
http://www.tbrc.org/#library_work_ViewInWIndow-W1KG14474%7CI1KG14756%7C1%7C1%7C1%7C124