Death, Sleep, and Orgasm:

Gateways to the Mind of Clear Light,

By Jeffrey Hopkins
Jornal of Chinese !hilosophy
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Copyright '(() .y Dialoge !.lishing Company


p.245
Background
Buddhism began gradually to be introduced to Tibet in the seventh century C. E.,
more than a thousand years after Shaayamuni Buddha!s passing a"ay #circa 4$%
B. C.&.'() The form Buddhism too in Tibet "as greatly in*uenced by the highly
developed systemi+ation of the religion that "as present in ,ndia through the
t"elfth century #and even later&. The geographic pro-imity and relatively
undeveloped culture of Tibet provided conditions for e-tensive transfer of scholastic
commentaries and systems of practice, "hich came to have great in*uence
throughout a vast region stretching from .almuc /ongolian areas in Europe "here
the 0olga 1iver empties into the Caspian Sea, 2uter and ,nner /ongolia, and the
Buriat 1epublic of Siberia as "ell as Bhutan, Siim, 3epal, and 4adah. The
sources for my discussion are dra"n primarily from t"o of the four ma5or orders of
Tibetan Buddhism6
7 the old order called 3ying8ma8ba,'2) "hich reached its full development in the
fourteenth century "ith the scholar8yogi 4ong8chen8rap85am'%)
7 a highly scholastic order called 9e8lu8ba,'4) founded by the fourteenth century
scholar8yogi :+ong8a8ba.'5)
4ong8chen8rap85am "as born in (%;$ :o8drong'<) in south central Tibet, received
ordination at Sam8yay'=) /onastery, and studied the doctrines of both the old and
ne" schools. > great scholar, he became abbot of Sam8yay /onastery early in his
life but retired from that position to live in the mountains. 1eceiving the full corpus
of the teachings of the 2ld Translation School of 3ying8ma, he "rote proli?cally, and
even "hen he "as e-iled for a decade to Bhutan for his closeness "ith the
opponents of the ruling po"er, he established and restored monasteries.'$)


p.24<
:+ong8a8ba "as born in (%5= in the northeastern province of Tibet called >m8
do,'@) no" included by the occupying Chinese Communists not in the Tibetan
>utonomous 1egion but in Ch!ing8hai Arovince. Be studied the ne" and old schools
e-tensively, and developed his o"n tradition called 9e8lu8ba. :+ong8a8ba and his
follo"ers established a system of education centered especially in large
universities, eventually in three areas of Tibet but primarily in Bla8sa, the capital,
"hich in some "ays "as for the Tibet cultural region "hat 1ome is for the Catholic
Church. Cor ?ve centuries, young men came from all over the Tibetan cultural
region to these large Tibetan universities to study #, say DmenD because "omen
"ere, for the most part, e-cluded from the scholastic culture&. Entil the Communist
taeovers, these students usually returned to their o"n countries after completing
their degrees.
/y presentation on the mind of clear light is largely from standard 3ying8ma8ba
and 9e8lu8ba perspectives on the t"o basic forms of "hat Tibetan tradition accepts
as Shaayamuni Buddha!s teaching88the Suutra 0ehicle and the Tantra 0ehicle, also
called the 0a5ra 0ehicle.'(;)

Clear Light
There is a famous Buddhist ma-im that the nature of the mind is clear light and
the de?lements are super?cial. ,n the later (@<;!s and early (@=;!s, one of my
Tibetan teachers used to repeat this dictum to me "henever he could ?nd a
chance. ,t conveys and inculcates a basic perspective of the culture. The locus
classicus of the ma-im is a famous statement by the seventh century ,ndian pandit
:harma rti in his Commentary on #:ignaaga!s& DCompilation 'of Teachings) on
0alid Cognition!. :harmaiirti says6'(()
The nature of the mind is clear light.
The de?lements are adventitious.
D:e?lementsD are aFictive attitudes such as lust, hatred, pride, enmity, 5ealousy,
la+iness, miserliness, and belligerenceG they are not in the nature of the mind but
are, so to spea, peripheral or on the surface. That de?lements are DadventitiousD
does not mean that they are DuncausedD. ,t means that they are not endemic to the
mindG counter8productive attitudes do not subsist in the "arp and "oof of


p.24=
the mind.
4ust, hatred, and ignorance do not subsist in the very nature of the mind88the
nature of the mind is clear light. ConseHuently, lust, hatred, and ignorance can be
removed from the mind "ithout destroying the mind. The mind "ill be left, lie
space "hen clouds disappear, or lie a crystal "ashed of dirt, or lie "ater puri?ed
of pollution. :e?lements are suitable to be removed, ready to be eliminated.
These negative states are obstructive attitudes preventing liberation from the
painful round of repeated birth, aging, sicness, and death called cyclic e-istence.
The root problem is the ignorance that conceives phenomena to e-ist more
concretely than they actually do. ,gnorance here is both a lac of no"ledge of the
truth and an active superimposition of an over8concreti+ed status, an overly solid
sense of e-istence. This misconception leads to other unhealthy attitudes88pride,
enmity, belligerence, miserliness, la+iness, lust, hatred, and so forth. >ll of these
depend on ignorance. Iithout ignorance, they cannot e-ist.
These self8destructive attitudes are called aFictions'(2) because they distort the
mind. Consider the distortion of the face that anger brings. 4ust and hatred bring
trouble and are foundations of many other aFictive emotions, but ignorance is the
basic bondage, the root distortion. Crom it, and entirely dependent upon it, the
other distortions of the mental system arise, seeming to be in the fabric of the mind
but actually not. Seeming to be necessary but not. Seeming such that if they "ere
removed, the mind also "ould be removed, that the only "ay to get beyond them
"ould be to cease to live.
But this is held to be opposite to the fact, since the de?ning nature of mind is
that "hich luminous and cognitive.'(%) 3o matter ho" fouled the mind may be by
these aFictive attitudes, there is a core of luminosity, a basis of radiance, that
e-ists throughout it. The oil in a sesame seed is prevalent throughout the shell of
the seed88it is not that it is in one part and not in anotherG it is every"here
throughout the seed. Similarly, a luminous, cognitive nature e-ists throughout the
mind, no matter ho" dar, heavy, and dumb it might be at times. Thin of the sy
that is present throughout dar clouds and "ill re8appear "hen the clouds dissipate.
Cirst imagine the syG then ?ll it "ith cloudsG no" "hile the clouds are still there,
concentrate on the sy that is present throughout themG then let the clouds slo"ly
dissipate into that sy. Ihether the clouds are there or not, the sy is still there. ,n
the same "ay, thin of a crystal that is covered "ith


p.24$
caed8on mud and "ill re8appear "hen the mud is cleaned oJ. >gain, thin of "ater
that is "ithin pollution and "ill re8appear "hen the pollution is removed88for me this
is harder to imagine since the pollution seems to occupy completely the place
"here the "ater is, but if that "ere so, the pollution could not be removed. Esing
the e-perience gained "ith respect to sy and clouds, apply that felt understanding
to "ater and pollution. Then apply it to the mind and the disturbing factors of
aFictive emotions. ,n this "ay, the three metaphors are intended to provide an
introduction to the clear light nature of the mindG they are meant to be imagined, to
be re*ected on, to be ruminated, and to be felt in order to provide an avenue for
noticing and e-periencing that even in the midst of grossly aFictive states the
luminous basis of mind is still accessible.
>s the current :alai 4ama says6'(4)
3aturally pure from the start and endo"ed "ith a spontaneous nature, the mind8
va5ra is the basis of all the phenomena occurring in cyclic e-istence and nirvana.
Even "hile one is still a sentient being and despite the generation of a great many
good and bad conceptions such as manifest desire, hatred, and be"ilderment, the
mind8va5ra itself is free from the pollutions of these de?lements. Iater may be
e-tremely dirtyG yet its nature remains 5ust clear88its nature is not polluted by dirt.
Similarly, no matter "hat aFictive emotions are generated as the sport of this
mind8va5ra and no matter ho" po"erful they are, the basic mind itself, the basis of
the appearance of such arti?ce, remains unaJected by de?lement, beginninglessly
good, all8good. '(5)
The clear light nature of the mind is described in Tibetan commentaries on
certain Tantras as the fundamental, innate mind of clear light.'(<) #Tantras are te-ts
of the Buddha!s "ord that include practice of deity yoga, imagination of oneself in
compassionate and "ise ideal form.& The mind of clear light is fundamental in the
sense that its continuum e-ists forever88that is to say, "hile one is aFicted and
"hile unaFicted. ,t has no beginning and no end in time. The mind of clear light is
described as the Dall8goodD. ,t is also called the basis8of8all'(=) in that it is the basis
of all the phenomena both of cyclic e-istence and of nirvana. ,t may seem
surprising that a system emphasi+ing suJering as much as Buddhism does should
also have a doctrine of a basic goodness or fundamental purity of the mind, but
such a foundation is needed for the radical transformation of the


p.24@
condition of suJering into a state of freedom.
>s the :alai 4ama says6'($)
Kust as the entity of even dirty "ater is not polluted by ?lth, so the nature of the
fundamental innate mind of clear light is not polluted by de?lements. Thus, the
mind of clear light of an impure sentient being is not polluted by aFictive emotionsG
it is the Buddha nature, "hich is the DsubstanceD that is transformed into a
Buddha!s Iisdom Truth Body. Bence, Buddhahood is not to be sought from the
outside. Since this is the case, as long as you do not understand that the
fundamental innate mind of clear light is your nature, you are a sentient being, and
"hen you have ?nal understanding that it is your nature, you are a Buddha.
>nd6
The fundamental innate mind of clear light abides in or pervades the heart of all
sentient beings. ,t also is the ?nal essence and creator of all environments and
beings, the basis of emanation of all of cyclic e-istence and nirvana. Cor, all
phenomena88environments and beings88are the sport or arti?ce of the fundamental
innate mind of clear light, called the basis8of8all....,t also is the Dprogenitor of all the
sentientD in that it is "hat produces all pure and impure sentience, the ?nal basis of
designation of all persons.
The Beva5ra Tantra says6
Sentient beings are 5ust Buddhas
But they are de?led by adventitious stains.
Ihen those are removed, they are Buddhas.
>nd6
Buddhas are not to be found else"here
,n any of the realms of the "orld.
Kust sentient beings are 5ust complete Buddhas.
Buddhas are not demonstrable else"here.
This is called Dcyclic e-istenceDG
This is 5ust nirvana.
:ue to obscuration, it has the form of cyclic e-istenceG
Iithout obscuration, cyclic e-istence is 5ust pure.


p.25;
The diJerence bet"een bondage and liberation depends upon "hether one no"s
one!s o"n nature or not.
The most detailed description of the levels of mind is said to be found in Bighest
Loga Tantras such as the 9uhyasama5a Tantra "hich divides consciousnesses into
the gross, the subtle, and the very subtle.'l@) The gross level of mind is
constituted by sensory consciousnesses6
7 the eye consciousness that apprehends colors and shapes
7 the ear consciousness that apprehends sounds
7 the nose consciousness that apprehends odors
7 the tongue consciousness that apprehends tastes
7 the body consciousness that apprehends tactile ob5ects.
,n Buddhist presentations, these ?ve are not 5ust sensations no"n by another,
separate consciousness, but are ?ve individual consciousnesses that have speci?c
spheres of activity88colors and shapes, sounds, odors, tastes, and tactile ob5ects.
These ?ve sense consciousnesses are the grossest level of mind.
/ore subtle than the sense consciousnesses but still "ithin the gross level of
mind is the conceptual, mental consciousness88the mind of thoughts and emotions.
,n the 9uhyasamaa5a system, these conceptions are detailed as of eighty types,
divided into three classes.
7 The ?rst group of thirty8three is composed of emotions, feelings, and drives that
have a strong movement of energy'2;) to their ob5ects. ,ncluded in this group are
fear, attachment, hunger, thirst, shame, compassion, acHuisitiveness, and 5ealousy.
7 The second group of forty conceptions have a medium movement of energy to
their ob5ectsG among them are 5oy, ama+ement, e-citement, desiring to embrace,
generosity, desiring to iss, desiring to suc, pride, enthusiasm, vehemence,
*irtation, "ishing to donate, heroism, deceit, tightness, viciousness, non8
gentleness, and crooedness.
7 The third group of seven conceptions involve a "ea movement of energy to
their ob5ects8forgetfulness, catatonia, depression, la+iness, doubt, error as in
apprehending "ater in a mirage, and eHual desire and hatred.
The three groups represent, on the ordinary level of consciousness, increasingly
less dualistic perception. Though the diJerence bet"een the ?rst t"o groups is hard
to determine, the third group of mental states obviously is strongly "ithdra"n.
Ihen these three groups of conceptual minds "eaen and


p.25(
cease, subtler levels of mind manifest during uncontrolled processes as in fainting,
going to sleep, ending a dream, e-periencing orgasm, snee+ing, and dying.'2() ,n
these states, the currents of energy that drive the various levels of gross
consciousness "ithdra" and temporarily cease, resulting in a series of eight altered
levels of mind. Cirst there are four preliminary levels of the "ithdra"al of the
energies that drive usual consciousness and then four dramatic levels of deeper
mind.
( Cirst, one has a visual e-perience of seeing an appearance lie a mirage.
2 Then, as the "ithdra"al continues, one sees an appearance lie billo"ing
smoe or lie thin smoe spread throughout a room.
% Then one sees an appearance lie ?re*ies or lie spars "ithin smoe.
4 Then one sees an appearance lie a sputtering candle'22) "hen little "a- is left
"hich culminates in an appearance of a steady candle *ame.
The culmination of this series of four visions sets the stage for the "ithdra"al and
temporary cessation of all eighty conceptual. consciousnesses,'2%) "hereupon a
more dramatic phase of four profound states begins.
Subtle levels of mind that are at the core of all e-perience no" manifest.
5 The ?rst subtle level of consciousness to manifest is the mind of vivid "hite
appearance. >ll of the eighty conceptions have "ithdra"n and one!s consciousness
itself turns into an omnipresent, huge, vivid "hite vastness. ,t is described as lie a
clear sy ?lled "ith moonlight not the moon shining in empty space but space ?lled
"ith "hite light. >ll conceptuality has stopped, and nothing appears e-cept this
slightly dualistic vivid "hite appearance, "hich is one!s consciousness itself.
< Then, the energy that supports that level of consciousness retracts such that
the mind of vivid "hite appearance no longer can manifest, "hereupon a more
subtle mind emerges. 2ne!s o"n consciousness appears as an omnipresent, huge,
vivid red or orange vastness. ,t is called DincreaseD.'24) ,t is compared to a clear sy
?lled "ith sunlight, not the sun shining in the sy but space ?lled "ith red or orange
light. 2ne!s consciousness itself has turned into this even less dualistic vivid red or
orange appearanceG nothing else appears.
= Ihen this mind loses its support through further "ithdra"al of the energy that
is its foundation, a still more subtle mind of vivid blac


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appearance da"ns. 2ne!s o"n consciousness appears as an omnipresent, huge,
blac, thic darness. ,t is called D near8 attainmentD'25) because one is close to
manifesting the mind of clear light. The mind of blac vastness is compared to a
moonless, very dar sy 5ust after dus "hen no stars are seen. 2ne!s
consciousness itself has turned into this still less dualistic, vivid blac appearanceG
nothing else appears. :uring the ?rst part of this phase of utter blacness, one
remains conscious but then, in a second phase, one s"oons into unconsciousness in
even thicer darness.
$ Then, "hen the mind of blac appearance ceases, the extremely subtle level
of mind da"ns. The three DpollutantsD'2<)88that is to say, the "hite, redMorange,
and blac appearances88are entirely cleared a"ay, and the mind of clear light
manifests. Cree of the "hite, orange, and blac appearances, one!s o"n
consciousness is the clear light. Called the Dfundamental innate mind of clear lightD,
it is the most subtle, profound, and po"erful level of consciousness. ,t is compared
to the sy!s o"n natural cast "hich can be seen at da"n before sunrise at "hich
time the sy is devoid of moonlight, sunlight, or darness.
The fundamental innate mind of clear light is the basis of all minds and all
appearances. >bout this level of mind the :alai 4ama says6'2=)
,n the Bighest Loga Tantra system of the 3e" Translation Schools. The fundamental
mind "hich serves as the basis of all the phenomena of cyclic e-istence and
nirvana is posited as the ultimate truth or nature of phenomena #dharmataa, chos
nyid&G it is also sometimes called the Dclear lightD # aabhaasvaraa, !od gsal& and
uncompounded #asa!s.rta, !dus ma byas&. ,n 3ying8ma it is called the Dmind8va5raDG
this is not the mind that is contrasted "ith basic no"ledge in the division into
basic no"ledge #rig pa& and mind #sems& but the factor of mere luminosity and
no"ing, basic no"ledge itself. This is the ?nal root of all minds, forever
indestructible, immutable, and of unbreaable continuum lie a va5ra 'or diamond).
Kust as the 3e" Translation Schools posit a beginningless and endless fundamental
mind, so 3ying8ma posits a mind8va5ra "hich has no beginning or end and proceeds
"ithout interruption through the eJect stage of Buddhahood. ,t is considered
DpermanentD in the sense of abiding forever and thus is presented as a permanent
mind. ,t is permanent not in the sense of not disintegrating moment by moment but
in the sense that its continuum is not interrupted88this being analogous to the


p.25%
statement in /aitreya!s 2rnament for Clear 1eali+ation #abhisamayaala, aara,
mngon rtogs rgyan& that a Buddha!s e-alted activities are considered permanent in
that they are ine-haustible. ,t is also non8produced in the sense that it is not
adventitiously and ne"ly produced by causes and conditions 'since its continuum
has al"ays e-isted).
Because the more subtle levels of consciousness are considered to be more
po"erful and thus more eJective in reali+ing the truth, the systems of Bighest Loga
Tantra see to manifest the mind of clear light by "ay of various techniHues.
2ne of these techniHues is blissful orgasm because, according to the psychology
of Bighest Loga Tantra, orgasm involves the ceasing of the grosser levels of
consciousness and manifestation of the more subtle levels, as do going to sleep,
ending a dream, snee+ing, fainting, and dying. ,n intense orgasm, the mind
"ithdra"s from the diverse ob5ects of the other senses and is focused, eventually
e-clusively, on se-ual bliss. 2rdinary, distracted mind paying attention to a
multitude of ob5ects vanishes. The intention in using a blissful, orgasmic mind in the
spiritual path is to manifest the most subtle level of consciousness, the mind of
clear light, and use its greater po"er and hence eJectiveness to reali+e the true
nature of mind, stripped of its distractions and peripheral manifestations.
The pleasure of orgasm is so intense that the mind becomes totally fascinated
and entranced "ith pleasure such that both the usual conceptual mind and the
appearances that accompany it melt a"ay, leaving the innermost mind in its
pristine state. ,n orgasm, the phenomena of ordinary life that are so concrete and
solid that they seem to have their o"n independent e-istence melt into the
e-panse of the reality behind appearances.
Through consciously e-periencing this process, one can reali+e that ordinary
appearances and aFictive emotions are over8concreti+ed. ,n this "ay se- can
become a spiritual practice through "hich the e-aggerated status of aFictive
emotions is subsumed in the source state. 3evertheless, due to the fact that all of
the usual conceptual minds cease temporarily during intense se-, many e-perience
these states as a dimming of the mind into an emotional state that is "ithdra"n to
the point of uselessness. Some even manifest a dread of orgasm and, if they still
see se-uality, advocate se-ual pleasure devoid of orgasm. The state of orgasm is
vie"ed by such persons as hopelessly stupid, not only incapable to reali+ing the


p.254
truth but fundamentally opposed to the truth.
Bo"ever, this Buddhist system holds that conceptual over8concreti+ation of
ob5ects generates attachment to super?cial, unreal e-aggerations. This attachment,
in turn, fosters an inability to sustain the basic, blissful state that undermines
emotionally imbedded self8deceptions. The suggestion is that ordinary conscious
life is concerned "ith only the gross or super?cial, "ithout heed of more subtle
states that are the foundation of both consciousness and appearance. Ie no"
neither the origin of consciousness nor the basis into "hich it returns.
,t is said that ordinary beings are so identi?ed "ith super?cial states that the
transition to deeper states involves even fear of annihilation, "hen the deeper
states begin to manifest and the super?cial levels collapse, "e panic, fearing that
"e "ill be "iped out and, due to this fear, s"oon unconsciously. >s the late
eighteenth and early nineteenth century /ongolian scholar 3ga8"ang8ay8drup'2$)
says in his Aresentation of :eath, ,ntermediate State, and 1ebirth,'2@) at the time
of the clear light of death ordinary beings generate the fright that they "ill be
annihilated.'%;) Similarly, the emergence of the foundational state in orgasm is so
drastically diJerent from ordinary consciousness that it is usually e-perienced as a
dimming of the mind, as "ith going to sleep.
The fact that the mind of clear light88"hich is so a"esome "hen it ne"ly
manifests88is one!s o"n ?nal nature suggests that the otherness and fear
associated "ith its manifestation are not part of its nature but are due to the
shallo"ness of untrained beings. The strangeness of our o"n nature is a function of
misconception, speci?cally our mistaen sense that "hat are actually distortions of
mind subsist in the nature of mind. Ie identify "ith these distortions such that
"hen basic consciousness starts to manifest in orgasm, or in going to sleep, ending
a dream, fainting, or dying, "e are unable to remain "ith the e-perience. The more
"e identify "ith distorted attitudes, the greater the fear of the foundational state.
This Buddhist system asserts that in fully conscious orgasm the mind can
e-perience its o"n fundamental reality devoid of grosser attitudes, such that the
truth can be fully manifest. Enfamiliarity "ith our o"n innermost being causes its
implications to be missed in unconsciousness and causes many persons to separate
oJ such a deeply aJective state88creating a chasm bet"een emotions and
rationality. Bo"ever, this system holds that in fully pleasurable orgasm there need
not be a dro"ning in a dimming of insightG the


p.255
state can be a means of seeing "hat is the basis of phenomena88that into "hich all
appearances dissolve and thus the foundation of appearance, the basis behind
appearances. By utili+ing this subtle level of mind, the po"er of reali+ing the
super?ciality of aFictive emotions is enhanced such that it is more eJective in
overcoming "hat prevents liberation from the round of rebirth and all its suJering.
Ihen the sense of pleasure is po"erful, one!s consciousness is totally involved
"ith that pleasure and thus completely "ithdra"n and the subtler levels of
consciousness can manifest, at "hich point the nature of the mind can be
apprehended and held by someone "ho is accustomed to "atching the mind. Thus,
learning ho" to apprehend the clear light nature of grosser levels of mind is crucial,
such as by "atching that from "hich it arises, "here it abides, and that in "hich it
ceases. >lso, the tradition holds that only the most compassionate are capable of
using se-ual bliss in the spiritual pathG it clearly posits a connection bet"een the
capacity of compassion and the capacity to use se-ual bliss in the path. Thus, the
practice of universal compassion is essential to being able to manifest such a deep
state.
>lso, "ithout desire, the involvement in the bliss consciousness "ould be
minimal, and thus Bighest Loga Tantra maes use of the arts of love8maing to
enhance the process. This may seem to be contrary to the Buddhist aim to pass
beyond aFictive desire, from the process detailed above, but it can be seen that
desire is then being used to generate bliss, and a blissfully "ithdra"n
consciousness is being used to reali+e a status of phenomena, "hich undermines
aFictive emotions. Esing an ancient e-ample, the Cirst Aa8chen 4ama, 4o8sang8cho8
gyi8gyel8tsen,'%() compares the process to a "orm!s being born from moist "ood
and then eating the "ood. ,n this e-ample #formulated at a time "hen it "as
assumed that a "orm or bug "as generated only from "ood and heat&, the "ood is
aFictive desireG the "orm is the blissful consciousnessG and the consumption of the
"ood is the blissful consciousness! destruction of aFictive desire through reali+ing
emptiness. >s the Cirst Aan8chen 4ama, 4o8sang8cho8gyi8gyel8tsen,says6'%2)
> "ood8engendered insect is born from "ood but consumes it completely. ,n the
same "ay, a great bliss is generated in dependence on a causal motivation that is
the desire of ga+ing, smiling, holding hands or embracing, or union of the t"o
organs. The "isdom of undiJerentiable bliss and emptiness, "hich is this great bliss
generated undiJerentiably "ith a mind


p.25<
cogni+ing emptiness at the same time, consumes completely the aFictive
emotions88desire, ignorance, and so forth.
Through desirous activities such as ga+ing at a loved one, or smiling, holding hands,
embracing, or engaging in se-ual union, a pleasurable consciousness is producedG it
is used to reali+e the truth that aFictive emotions are peripheral and that the
nature of the mind is clear light, "hereby aFictive desire itself is undermined. The
pleasurable consciousness is generated simultaneously "ith a "isdom
consciousness, and thus the t"o are indivisibly fused.
The usage of desire in the spiritual path is e-plicitly for the sae of providing
opportunities for "isdom, for direct e-perience of the fact that aFictive emotions,
no matter ho" ingrained they may seem, do not subsist in the nature of the mind.
The diNculty of using an orgasmic consciousness to reali+e anything indicates that
it "ould tae a person of considerable spiritual development to be able to utili+e
such a subtle state in the path. ,ndeed, these levels usually are not even noticed,
never mind utili+ed, in common copulation, but they are not completely unnoticed88
there are reasons "hy most beings lie se- so much.
The aim of se-ual yoga is, therefore, not mere repetition of an attractive state
but revelation of the basic reality underlying appearances. 3evertheless, to
e-perience the union of bliss and emptiness, se-ual pleasure has to be developed
in fullness, and to do this it is necessary to implement techniHues for e-tending the
e-perience of pleasureG other"ise, a valuable opportunity is lost in the ephemerality
of orgasm. The t"entieth century Tibetan intellectual, 9edun Chopel,'%%) "ho
traveled to ,ndia and "rote his o"n Treatise on Aassion'%4) based mainly but not
e-clusively on the .aama Suutra, advocates the usage of se-ual pleasure to open
oneself to the profound, fundamental state at the core of all consciousness. >s he
says6
The small child of intelligence s"oons in the deep sphere of passion.
The busy mind falls into the hole of a "orm.
By dra"ing the imaginations of attachment do"n"ards
Beings should observe the suchness of pleasure.
Iishing to mi- in the ocean of the bliss of the peaceful e-panse
This "ave of magician!s illusions separated oJ
By perceiving the non8dual as dual, sub5ect and ob5ect,


p.25=
:oes one not feel the movement and igniting of the coalescedO
Ahenomena that are over8concreti+ed such that they seem to have their o"n
independent e-istence are burnt a"ay in the e-panse of the reality behind
appearances6
,f one really considers the fact that the one billion "orlds of this "orld system
>re suddenly s"allo"ed into a gigantic asteroid devoid of perception or feeling,
2ne understands that the realm of great bliss
,s that in "hich all appearances dissolve.
9edun Chopel also speas of deities that are present in the body during se-6
>t the time of pleasure the god and goddess giving rise to bliss actually d"ell in the
bodies of the male and the female. Therefore, it is said that "hat "ould be
obstacles to one!s life if done 'under usual circumstances) are conHuered, and
po"er, brilliance, and youth bla+e forth. The perception of ugliness and dirtiness is
stopped, and one is freed from conceptions of fear and shame. The deeds of body,
speech, and mind become pure, and it is said that one arrives in a place of e-treme
pleasure.
The Huestion is ho" to sustain se-ual pleasure so that its spiritual value is not lost
and the e-perience turns into an unconscious dimming of mind. Through techniHues
of strengthening and lengthening se-ual pleasure, both mind and body become
bathed in bliss, opening the possibility of reali+ing the nature of the fundamental
state.
The practice of se-ual yoga is, to my no"ledge, al"ays e-plained in terms of
heterose-ual se-, in "hich a consort of the opposite se-'%5) is used. The reason
given concerns the structure of channels or nerves in the respective se-ual organs,
and thus insertion refers not 5ust to insertion in the vagina but to contact "ith
special nerve centers in the vagina that are lacing in the anus. Thus, colorful
dra"ings of male and female deities in se-ual union decorate the "alls of temples88
not those of same8se- couples. Bo"ever, the type of se-ual yoga that 9edun
Chopel describes has its foundations in the doctrine8found in the 2ld Translation
School of 3ying8ma'%<)88that the blissful mind of clear light pervades all e-perience
and is accessible "ithin any state. This is the theoretical underpinning of his


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advice to e-tend the intense state of se-ual bliss in order to e-plore the
fundamental state of bliss. ,t seems to me that this type of se-ual yoga can be done
"ith same8se- or other8se- partners and should be done "ith "hatever type is more
evocative of intense feeling on all levels.
The ultimate goal is not 5ust to e-perience this basal state into "hich phenomena
have dissolved but also to perceive all the various phenomena of the "orld "ithin
the mind of clear light, "ithout e-aggerating their status into being independent.
2ne is seeing to perceive interdependence "ithout an overlay of divisive
concreti+ation. The true nature of things does not negate phenomenaG it negates
only the e-aggerated status of inherent e-istence and hence is compatible "ith
love and compassion, "hich are enhanced through recogni+ing the connectedness
of persons and of other phenomena. Iithin such a perspective, truly eJective
altruism is possible since the faculty of 5udgment is not clouded by aFictive
emotions such as anger and belligerence. The ?nal state is not abstracted a"ay
from phenomena but is an appreciation of connectedness and embodiment. >ll
phenomena are seen as manifestations of the mind of clear light, still having
individuality but not e-aggerated into being autonomous. 0ie"ed in this
perspective, the mind of orgasm as e-perienced in se-ual yoga is a means of
lining to others, promoting intimacy and relationality, and is not an abstraction of
oneself a"ay from others into an auto8hypnotic "ithdra"al although it might seem
so at ?rst.
To summari+e6 The innermost level of consciousness is the fundamental innate
mind of clear light, "hich is identi?ed as the
eighth in a series of increasingly subtle e-periences that occur freHuently but
unconsciously in ordinary life. These deeper levels of mind manifest during the
process of dying, going to sleep, ending a dream, fainting, snee+ing, and orgasm in
for"ard order6
( mirage
2 smoe
% ?re*ies
4 *ame of a lamp
5 vivid "hite mind8sy
< vivid red or orange mind8sy
= vivid blac mind8sy
$ clear light.
These eight also manifest in reverse order "hen taing rebirth, "aing, starting to
dream, ending a fainting spell, ending a snee+e, and ending orgasm6


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( clear light
2 vivid blac mind8sy
% vivid red or orange mind8sy
4 vivid "hite mind8sy
5 *ame of a lamp
< ?re*ies
= smoe
$ mirage.
These states of increasing subtlety during death, orgasm, going to sleep, ending a
dream, and so forth and of increasing grossness during rebirth, post8orgasm,
a"aening, beginning a dream, and so forth indicate levels of mind on "hich every
conscious moment is built. Crom the perspective of this system of psychology, "e
spend our lives in the midst of thousands of small deaths and rebirths.
The aim of this type of practice is to reali+e the basic entity of the mind so that
the source of the aFictive emotions can be e-perienced. Concentration on the
luminous and cognitive nature of the mind gradually can cause the aFictive
emotions to return into their source state. >s the :alai 4ama says6'%=)
Ihat dra"s us into suJering88an untamed mind88is not e-ternal but "ithin our o"n
mental continuums. Cor it is through the appearance of aFictive emotions in our
minds that "e are dra"n into various faulty actions. Crom the naturally pure sphere
of the true nature of the mind these conceptions da"n, and through their force "e
engage in faulty actions leading to suJering. Ie need, "ith great a"areness and
care, to cause these conceptions to be e-tinguished bac into the sphere of the
nature of the mind lie clouds that gather in the sy and then dissolve bac into
sphere of the sy. Thereby the faulty actions that arise from them "ill also cease. >s
/i8la8re8ba #/i8la8ras8pa& says, D..."hether arising, arising "ithin space itself, or
dissolving, dissolving bac into space.D Ie need to no" the status of things "ell,
understanding "hat is erroneous and "hat is not and becoming able to dissolve
these conceptions bac into the sphere of reality.
The systems of religious education found in the Tibetan cultural region are aimed at
overcoming this fear of one!s o"n most basic nature, "hich has "ithin it a source of
sustenance beyond the dualism of sub5ect and ob5ect.