Teaching Tantra

Student's Letter

Dear Rinpoche,
I have a few questions if that is OK. I have a little dilemma here at the Dharma center. They want me to teach the Tantra Module of the Discovering Buddhism (DB) program. I was not too keen because I barely see myself as a teacher, and certainly not one that should teach tantra. But it was announced anyway. First I thought I could get away with just mainly talking about the mind, but now they are asking for this, and from one side I feel obliged.

I know of course that the tantra module is part of the DB program but I do not feel comfortable talking to them about tantra for many reasons. I think most of them are relatively new students, even though they have done all the modules of the DB program. Here, they spend four evenings on each module.

I also think that many of them have not received a proper initiation yet. I looked in Lama Tsongkhapa's commentary on the tantric vows about breaking a vow by revealing secrets to those who are not a suitable vessel. It seems quite difficult to actually break this vow because quite a lot of conditions need to be there. Is that correct?

But even if it would be OK from the point of view of the vows, I feel it would be presumptuous of me to talk about tantra. I have checked in my mind and it just does not feel right. I even feel uncomfortable talking about selflessness of self to them because I feel it would make them afraid; at least of subtle selflessness.

But then, on the other side, maybe I am seeing it too narrowly and maybe there is some karma ripening to give them some inspiration to practice the Dharma by talking a little about tantra with them?

Do you have any advice? I would be very grateful.

Rinpoche's Response

Dear Kevin,
If it inspires the person to have more faith or practice Dharma, I think it is good to talk on the introduction to tantra. Of course, it depends on the subject. If you think or feel the person could lose his or her faith or that heresy might arise, then it is better not to talk about tantra. That is the reason we are asked to keep it secret. We need to protect the minds of sentient beings because there can be the danger of a negative mind arising. My own example is, with western people, the best way to introduce Buddhism is by having them analyze emptiness, but how subtly you explain this depends on how capable you think the people are.

Explaining emptiness is like science—it doesn’t require belief, so, in actuality, explaining this way first can give more faith. Talking to one individual can depend on karma, but if you are talking to a group you have to make some judgment overall of what is best, and this is sometimes not easy.

I am sure there is a lot of explanation in the introduction to tantra which you can read, and I think you can explain a little about the meaning of kaya—the four completely purified results. You can give the basic introduction of how tantra is the quick path to purification and accumulation of merit and not talk about the stages themselves. You can also explain in a general way the stages of purifying ordinary death, bardo and rebirth and how the actual purification comes with the completion stage.

The ultimate secret is Dharmakaya, the subtle unification, where subtle means not just unification of body and mind but the subtle way of actually explaining it.

With much love and prayers...