Visualization

Alexander Berzin
Visualization Means Working with the Imagination
The topic for this evening is visualization and its place in Tibetan Buddhist practice. One of the things that
characterize the Tibetan form of Buddhism is its extensive use of visualization, much more than in any other form
of Buddhism. Of course all these methods developed in India, but Buddhism there died out.
In order to understand the various levels and usages of visualization, first we need to throw the
word visualization out of the window. It is the wrong word because the wordvisualization implies something
visual. In other words, it implies working with visual images and it also implies working with our eyes. This is
incorrect. Instead, we are working with the imagination. When we work with the imagination were not only
working with imagined sights, but also with imagined sounds, smells, physical sensations, feelings emotional
feelings and so on. Obviously, we do that with our minds, not with our eyes. If we think of the Western
psychological division of the brain into a right side and a left side, Tibetan Buddhism develops both sides both
the intellectual, rational side and the side of creative imagination. Therefore, when we speak of visualization in
Buddhism, were not talking about some magical process. Were talking about something quite practical, in terms
of how to develop and use all our potentials, because we have potentials on both the right and left sides of the
brain. When we work with the imagination, were dealing with creativity, artistic aspects and so on.
We work with the imagination on many different levels. We can divide these into sutra methods
and tantra methods. Of these two, those of tantra are the most advanced.
Visualization Methods in Sutra
In sutra, we use our imaginations first of all to help us overcome negative aspects of ourselves, in other words,
disturbing emotions and attitudes. If we are very much under the control of obsessive desires, lets say desire for
young attractive looking people as sexual objects, we would then try to imagine what these persons will look like
when they are 80 years old. Remember, obsessive desire is based on exaggerating someones qualities, and so
when we have this sexual desire were imagining that this person is going to look young and beautiful forever,
which obviously is not true. Imagining what the persons going to look like when old and decrepit, fat, and so on
helps us to have a much more realistic attitude toward the person and to relate to him or her as a person rather
than as a young body. This is one usage of the imagination, and as you can see, its creative: its artistic and very
helpful.
Likewise, we can use our imaginations to help us to develop positive qualities, such as compassion. For instance,
we can imagine a sheep about to be slaughtered and imagine ourselves as that sheep about to be slaughtered, and
how we would desperately want to be free from that fate. Then we could imagine our mother, our father, our
friends, and so on as this sheep. This helps us to develop a strong wish that they be free of having to be killed as
well. And eventually we think about the sheep itself that is to be slaughtered. In this way, we open our hearts out
to developing more compassion for others and wishing they be free from suffering.
In the sutra path theres a tremendous variety of things that we imagine to help us overcome negative qualities,
develop good qualities, and become more realistic. Like, for example, imagining if we were to die right now,
would we really be emotionally prepared for that?
How to Visualize
Many people say, Well, I cant visualize. So how can I use these methods? Actually, if we take a moment to
investigate, we find that we all do have powers of imagination. For instance, try to remember what your mother or
your best friend, it doesnt matter who, looks like. Please do that for a moment. We all are capable of
remembering what our most closely loved ones look like. So, we are able to visualize.
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I remember once I was in India with a friend of mine who really had a problem with visualizing. We were on a
long bus ride together on a very hot day and she was suffering very much from heat and thirst. So I started to
torture her in a sense by saying, Wow, wouldnt it be great if we had some nice cold oranges. Can you imagine
how refreshing they would taste? And their smell? And all of a sudden she discovered that she was able to
visualize and imagine an orange very well. So, we all are capable; its just a matter of training.
Another use of imagination in sutra is imagining a Buddha in front of us as an object of focus to gain perfect
concentration. The sutra path is divided into the Hinayana and Mahayana, the modest vehicle of mind and the
vast vehicle of mind. In the Hinayana schools, the usual way to develop absorbed concentration is to focus on
the breath, which uses senseconsciousness. We focus on the physical sensation of the breath going in and out of
the nose. Mahayana, however, points out that we have to consider what are we using the concentration for. Were
using it to be able to focus on reality with concentration and to stay focused on feelings of love and compassion.
Therefore, what we want to be able to do is to concentrate with our mental consciousness, not with our sense
consciousness. And so, in Mahayana, the preferred way of developing concentration is on an imagined Buddha.
When we imagine a Buddha, we imagine a very small Buddha-figure in front of us at the level of our eyes, about
an arms length away, and we imagine this figure to be not solid, but made out of light, and alive. We imagine that
theres a little bit of corporeality some weight for that light this is just a little trick to help keeping that image
stable. If we think too much in terms of it being just light, the image tends to float around too easily. Whats
important in working with this type of visualization practice is that we dont focus with our eyes staring ahead as
if we were looking at the Buddha in front of us. Rather, we look down toward the floor and imagine something in
front of us at the level of our brow. Try that for a moment. Look down in front of you and hold your hand in front
at the level of your eyes. Now, while looking down at the floor, you can concentrate where your hand is and
imagine that your hand is there, even though you are not seeing it, cant you? So, it is possible. Thats what we do
when we visualize a figure in front of us.
But, were not just imagining an apple in front of us, were imagining a Buddha. This is very significant because
in Buddhism, as you know, we tend to do many things simultaneously. By focusing on a Buddha to gain
concentration, we also focus on the qualities of a Buddha. This helps us to keep our perfect concentration on those
qualities as well. Whats more, by focusing on a Buddha, our concentration can be accompanied with a very
strong taking of refuge. In other words, This is the safe direction I want to go in my life. We can accompany our
concentration with a bodhichitta aim as well, in other words, I want to become a Buddha like this figure Im
imagining in order to be able to benefit everyone. If we canaccomplish perfect concentration on the figure of a
Buddha, keeping in mind the qualities of a Buddha, and we want to go in the safe direction a Buddha indicates
and become a Buddha ourselves in order to help everybody if thats the package that were gaining
concentration on then that has much more far-reaching benefits that just concentrating on the sensation of the
breath going in and out of our nose. So, this is a vast method. Thats why we call it Mahayana: a vast vehicle of
training through vast techniques.
Visualization Methods in Tantra
Tantra is the main area in which we find the use of imagination, and so the rest of this talk is going to be about
tantra. I think that even if were not yet involved in tantric practice, or dont even have an intention to be involved
with tantric practice at this point in our Dharma training, it can be very helpful to have some idea of what goes on
in tantra practice. This will help us to dispel any misconceptions we might have about it, such as its all magic,
exotic sex, and that sort of stuff. Having a clearer idea of what it is helps us to decide on a more rational basis
whether or not we would really like to involve ourselves with this level of practice.
The use of imagination in tantra is a very sophisticated topic, so Id like to present it in a fairly sophisticated way.
Lets start on a general level. In tantra, we use our imaginations to imagine various Buddha-figures, yidam (yidam) in Tibetan. These Buddha-figures are sometimes referred to as deities, although the Tibetan term being
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translated here, lhag-pay lha (lhag-pai lha), actually means higher deities. They are higher in the sense that
they are not samsaric gods in a samsaric god-realm, but are beyond the uncontrollably recurring rebirth of limited
beings. So, theyre not creator gods and theyre not like ancient Greek gods or anything of the sort. Rather, all
these figures represent the full enlightenment of a Buddha and each of them also represents prominently a
particular aspect of Buddhahood, like Chenrezig or Avalokiteshvara embodying compassion and Manjushri
embodying discriminating awareness or wisdom.
When we work with these Buddha-figures, we either imagine them in front of us or on top of our heads or, more
frequently, we imagine ourselves in the form of one of them.
Clarity and Pride
When we imagine these figures, we need to work on two aspects simultaneously. These are usually translated as
clarity and pride. This is somewhat misleading. One of the biggest problems that we face as Westerners
dealing with Buddhism is that most of the translation terms are misleading.
First of all, clarity doesnt mean what we usually understand clarity to mean. The word translated as clarity here
doesnt mean in focus, but rather it means having or making something appear. This means that our minds
actually make an image appear. Thats one side of the story we have to work on, getting an image to appear. When
we work with these figures, what we try to do is to focus on what our minds make appear and, as our
concentration develops, then the focus, the details, will improve automatically. There is no need to strain to get all
the details and everything in focus. To start with, all we need is a rough image of something appearing, even if it
is just a ball of light.
The second aspect, pride, doesnt mean arrogance. Rather, it means feeling ourselves actually to be this
Buddha-figure or feeling that something is actually present, on our heads or in front of us, for instance. This is a
special usage of the word prideas found in the chapter on joyful perseverance in ShantidevasEngaging
in Bodhisattva Behavior. There, this Indian Buddhist master wrote:
I shall triumph over everything
And nothing shall triumph over me!
As a spiritual offspring of the Triumphant Lion,
I shall maintain this pride.
Wandering beings conquered by pride
Are disturbed: they have no pride;
For those having pride dont fall under the enemys power,
But instead, have power over the enemy, pride
But those who hold on to their pride in order to triumph
over the enemy, pride,
Are the holders of pride, the triumphant heroes.
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And those who kill off the enemy, pride,

even though its gargantuan,
Bestow then the fruit of triumph in full
on wandering beings, whatever they wish.
Thus, if were visualizing something in front of us, such as a Buddha, we not only have something appear, but we
really feel that this Buddha is actually there with all the qualities of an enlightened being.
These two aspects, as weve described them that something is appearing and feeling that its actually there are
common with sutra, as when we imagine a Buddha in front of us to gain concentration. But, as said earlier, the
major use of imagining these Buddha-figures in tantra is to imagine that we ourselves are these figures.
We can understand what to hold the pride of the deity means by looking at the Tibetan word thats translated as
pride,ngagyel (nga-rgyal). This word is made up of two syllables, the first, nga, means me and the
second, gyel, means literally, to triumph. When we speak of pride as a disturbing emotion, what it really means
is considering ourselves as triumphant or better than others in other words, self-importance. In this context,
however, the term means triumphing over the self in other words, triumphing over the ordinary concept of
ourselves, in the sense of overcoming and ridding ourselves of this concept. This means to no longer feel that we
have all the limitations, the shortcomings of our ordinary self, like being confused, being unable to understand
things, and so on. Instead, we imagine that we actually have the qualities of this Buddha-figure that we are
Manjushri for instance: We have clarity of mind anddiscriminating awareness; we are able to understand
everything.
We can see from this example how misleading the word visualization is, because it would lead us to think that
the only thing involved is actually seeing the image. Because were training our imaginations, were not only
imagining this figure in the sense of it appearing, but were also imagining what it would be like actually to be
that figure with all its qualities. For example, feeling like Chenrezig, we feel that we have compassion and love.
So, the use of the imagination here is quite broad.
Of these two, imagining that something is actually appearing and imagining feeling that we have the qualities of
what appears, the feeling of having the qualities is the most important. We only need a vague image to help us
keep focus, but we put our energy into trying to feel like we have discriminating awareness, for example, and
clarity of mind, and then, as our concentration grows stronger, the details of the image will become clearer
automatically.
Training the Imagination for Visualization
In order to be able to visualize a Buddha-figure, of course we have to know what that figure looks like. But
visualization of ourselves in some special form is not as difficult as we might think. For example, try to feel your
head. First, lets start by imagining something on top of our heads. The way to do that is to put your hand on top
of your head. Can you feel your hand on top of your head? Now, take your hand away. Can you still feel the top of
your head? Thats how you imagine something on your head. Focus there. All you need is some feeling of
something being there. It doesnt have to be in focus in order to do themeditation. So its not really that difficult.
Now, to imagine ourselves as a figure, try to be aware of your head, and also your arms and legs, and your body.
Can you be aware of your whole body? Thats how you imagine that youre a Buddha-figure. Now we may not be
able to see our face, we may not be able to visualize it, but can you feel that you have eyes, nose and a mouth? So,
thats how you visualize it, how you imagine it.
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Even when these figures have many arms, thats not so difficult either. Lets try Chenrezig with four arms. Put
your hands in front of you. Do you have a feeling of that? Now put your hands out to the side. Now imagine this
being a double-exposure photo. Put your hands in you lap. Can you still feel those four arms? Its not that
difficult. This is how we work with our imagination with these figures.
Even when it gets more complicated, it really isnt terribly difficult. Lets imagine three faces. Put your hands on
the side of your face. Try to have a feeling first of the face on the front of your head. Now take your hands away.
Can you feel a face on both your cheeks as well?
Sometimes we imagine that were inside a mandala, which is being inside the palace in which one of these
Buddha-figures lives. Thats not too difficult either. The key to this is that were not working with our eyes. Now
were all sitting in this room, arent we? Can you have a feeling that there are four walls around us? Thats how
you visualize a mandala. You dont need to actually have a visual image of a wall behind you to have a feeling
that theres a wall behind. And can you be aware of the fact that theres a garden and a road outside? Thats how
you visualize things outside the mandala: its just a feeling of those things being there. So, this is the actual
process of training the imagination.
The Image Arises within Voidness
For all of this to be much more significant and meaningful, it is crucial to generate all these feelings, images and
so on within the context of our understanding of voidness.
Voidness doesnt mean nothingness, but rather voidness is a total absence. What are absent are impossible ways of
existing that our minds make up and project onto objects and events, as well as onto ourselves and others. The
Sanskrit and Tibetan terms for this total absence are usually translated as emptiness, but this is a bit misleading.
Emptiness implies something that is empty, like an empty bottle, whereas although there is something that
is devoid of impossible ways of existing, the term here connotes only the total absence of these impossible ways.
The Sanskrit term shunya and the Tibetan translation of it, tongpa (stong-pa), after all, are both also the words for
zero. This distinction between voidness and emptiness has an important ramification in terms of how we
meditate on this crucial Buddhist teaching.
Lets look at a simplified example of what voidness means. Suppose I have done something destructive and, filled
with guilt, I believe that Im a monster. Nobody, however, exists as a monster. Thats totally impossible; there are
no such things as actual monsters. When we focus on voidness, we focus merely on no such thing. What our
minds are projecting does not correspond to anything real; there is a total absence of an actual referent to our
projections.
It is important to dispel all the crazy fantasies we have about ourselves, such as that we are monsters. This is
especially so in tantra where we work with our self-image, which is what were dealing with when we imagine
ourselves as one of these Buddha-figures. We contemplate how our usual self-image is crazy, without any real
referent. We understand, Im not a monster, because there are no such things as monsters. And then we recite in
a tantric visualization practice (a sadhana), Within voidness, I arise as so-and-so.
Often this phrase we recite is translated as, Out of voidness, I arise as so-and-so, but the phrase doesnt mean
that we leave our understanding of voidness. Rather, it is within the sphere of all this craziness being gone,
coupled with the understanding that it never corresponded to anything real, that we then imagine ourselves as one
of these figures. This means that, within this state in which all impossible modes of existence are absent, I now
arise as what is possible in relation to my bodhichitta aim.
With bodhichitta based on love and compassion for all limited beings, we focus on our individual enlightenments
that have not yet happened, but which can happen on the basis of our Buddha-nature qualities. The Buddha-figure
that we visualize ourselves as represents that not-yet-happened enlightened state. In other words, our actually
being an enlightened being and having all the positive qualities of such a being is possible, not impossible. Why is
it possible? Because we all have Buddha-nature, which means we all have all the potentials and capacities to be
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like that. We then label me on the basis of those Buddha-nature factors on our mental continuums and on our
individual not-yet-happened enlightenments that can be inferred on the basis of those factors.
This is very important because, when dispelling all these fantasies about ourselves, we also dispel the disturbing
emotions that go along with that. When we think, Im a monster, we have a great deal of self-hatred and low
self-esteem. When werealize that we are not a monster there are no such things as monsters then disturbing
emotions like low self-esteem and self-hatred have no basis. So we dispel that. The same method works with other
disturbing emotions, such as when we think, Im Gods gift to the world; Im so wonderful. This is macho
arrogance. We have to dispel that as well. Then, within that absence, we arise as this Buddha-figure based on the
fact that we do indeed have the potentials to become it as part of our Buddha-nature.
This is not self-deception because we know were not there, were not yet a Buddha. But it is not distorted or
crazy either, because we have the potentials to achieve it. Of course, we could argue that we also have the
potentials to be reborn as a dog. But its not the same thing, since theres no benefit to be gained by imagining that
we are a dog. There is, however, great benefit to be gained by imagining that we have perfect compassion or
perfect wisdom. Imagining and practicing now as if we had perfect wisdom and so on helps us to develop these
qualities more quickly.
Obviously, it is absolutely essential not to deceive ourselves feeling that were there already; otherwise we never
make any progress. Just as when trying to gain concentration in sutra, we imagine a Buddha in front of us, here
we imagine all the qualities of a Buddha so that it helps us to keep them as our safe direction. Similarly with the
bodhichitta aim, the wish to achieve enlightenment to help all limited beings, imagining ourselves endowed with
these Buddha qualities makes that focus on our not-yet-happened Buddhahood even stronger. This is the direction
we want to go in and we want to achieve this goal in order to be best able to help everyone.
Pure and Impure Appearance-Making
In order to understand the much deeper significance of working with our imaginations, we need to understand
how our minds make things appear, because this is what were doing with our imaginations, were making things
appear. The way that our minds make things appear is by mixing two things, which are usually called pure
appearances and impure appearances. To really appreciate the significance of this we need to take the Tibetan
word thats translated as appearance, nangwa (snang-ba) both as a noun and as a verb, but more as a verb.
Although we can speak about pure and impure appearances, if we just leave it at that, it sounds as if they exist out
there by themselves. What were actually talking about is the minds making these things to appear. So we have
pure appearance-making and impure appearance-making.
Whether we want to or not, the impure appearances exist and although we may want to ignore them, or not
believe in them, theyre there. So we have to deal with them. What we want to do is to stop our minds from
making things appear in an impure way. We can do this because we can work with our minds. If this is the only
point that you remember of the following discussion, you will have learned something very, very important.
Appearance-making, thats what were talking about in Buddhism. This whole discussion of tantra and of
voidness is how to get our minds to stop making things appear in a crazy, impossible way in other words, to stop
projecting fantasies.
Pure and impure appearances have two meanings. We usually dont distinguish these very clearly, and therefore,
we get very confused. Lets deal with one meaning at a time. If we put it in simple language, one meaning is that
an impure appearance is an appearance of things as if existing in a solid manner in other words, a crazy
projection of something impossible. Pure appearance-making is making things appear nonsolidly, the way they
actually do exist. So, impure is making things appear in a way in which they dont exist, a non-existent crazy
way, and pure is making them appear in the way that they do exist.
We can understand this better with a superficial example: when we see somebody we dont like, our minds make
two aspects appear what the person looks like and how they exist. Lets leave aside, for a moment, the
appearance of what they look like. Concerning the appearance of how they exist, our minds mix two appearances.
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In addition to how they actually exist as just a human being, our minds also project onto that person that they exist
as a monster. What we see then, in terms of how they exist, is a mixture of these two modes of existence. But
what predominates is that they look to me like theyre a monster, a horrible person. Conversely, we see a beautiful
looking person and not only do our minds give rise to an appearance of how they actually exist, but they also
project onto them their existence being established as the most beautiful, sexy person Ive ever seen. Based on
that, we develop sexual desire. However, if we analyze, we realize that this is not how they actually exist. This is
because if they really existed that way, asinherently sexy from their own side, then everybody should see them as
sexy, including the baby and the dog. But, obviously, they dont see that person as sexy. So that is a projection
from our minds that is mixed with the actual appearance of how they exist. This is one level of how our minds
mix pure and impure appearances. The pure appearance is how they actually exist and the impure one is an
impossible way of existing.
The other meaning is that impure appearance refers to the ordinary appearance of what we look like and a pure
appearance is our appearance as a Buddha-figure. The impure appearance that our minds give rise to may be
either accurate or distorted, depending, for instance, on whether or not we are wearing our glasses if, in fact, we
need glasses to see clearly. Here, we are not speaking about distorted impure appearances. But, when we speak of
accurate impure appearances and pure appearances regarding what we look like, these are like two different
quantum levels. For example, we have a visible gross body, thats one quantum level. But we also have an
invisible body composed of energy channels that in Chinese medicine are called meridians. This is another
quantum level of our bodies. We know that these energy channels exist because they function: you can stick
acupuncture needles in certain points of this subtle body and it affects even our gross body. A pure appearance in
the form of a Buddha-figure is just another quantum level regarding our bodies. So, the second meaning of pure
and impure appearances refers to these two levels of what we look like, the two quantum levels: the ordinary level
and the level of our appearance as a Buddha-figure.
If we factor together these two quantum levels of what we look like with the first meaning of pure and impure
appearances as regarding how we exist, then we can have a pure appearance of how both quantum levels actually
exist and an impure appearance of some impossible mode of existence that our minds project onto either one of
them. We can see how, without being clear about these distinctions, we could become confused about this issue of
pure and impure appearances.
It is important to realize that perceiving a mixture of impure and pure appearances of how things exist involves
both our eyes and our minds. Both visual and mental consciousnesses mix the appearance of a nonsolid identity
with the appearance of a solid identity. We can understand this through a very simple example. When we see
something, what are we actually seeing? Were seeing several things mixed together. The first thing were seeing
is innumerable dots of light from each of the cells in our retina and we perceive them appearing with a nonsolid
manner of existence. Mixed with that, our minds put these dots together and perceive as well the appearance of
not only a conventionalobject, but the appearance of a conventional object that truly exists as something solid.
Were not just talking about seeing somebody as a monster; were talking about how our ordinary sight works.
One of the important points that Tsongkhapa, the founder of theGelug tradition, made is that the object to be
refuted by voidness, the thing we have to work on, is how our minds operate every single instant of our lives. Its
not something that only happens when were insane; Tsongkhapa is not just talking about paranoia. Hes talking
about how our minds ordinarily work. Our minds put together all the dots and project onto them not just a
conventional figure, but a conventional figure that appears to exist solidly as this or that. All the senses work like
that. When there is the sound of a voice, all these little hair-like structures inside the ear vibrate and send electrical
pulses to the brain; the brain puts these together into words and then we understand them.
Now, the problem here is that we believe that things exist solidly, the way that the mind puts them together and
makes them appear. Lets take this point to the level of emotions. Going back to our example, there are all these
dots of light and we see the dots combined together into a conventional object, which we take to be a spider.
Thats accurate. But then we project onto the appearance of the conventionally existent spider an impossible
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manner of existence, as being solidly a spider. We scream, Ah! Theres a spider and project onto this accurate
appearance of what it is something impossible: Its a monster and its going to get me. All sorts of paranoia and
fear build on that.
The basis for this scenario is putting the dots together first into a spider and then projecting onto it a solid identity
of not only a spider, but also of a monster that is going to get me. In other words, were not denying the accurate
appearance of the dots on another level as being the appearance of a spider. But the spider is merely a limited
being that has a whole life of its own. Its out there on the wall trying to find food and then its going to go home
to feed its babies and so on. But we put the dots together and see them instead as being solidly a spider. We then
no longer view it as merely a limited being with an ordinary spider life of its own. Rather, once weve made it into
a solid monolith of a spider, then we hang onto that framework that its solidly and inherently existent as a
monster. Based on that come our paranoia and fear.
It is the same with the feelings that we have about ourselves. We mix a pure and impure feeling about how we
ourselves exist. The pure one is that were open to many possibilities; we have many facets of personality and
talent; and so on. On top of that basic general feeling of whats actually there, we mix the feeling of having a solid
monolithic identity: Im Gods gift to the world or Im a loser. Then we identify with that monolithic feeling
and we become completely neurotic. All our disturbing emotions follow from that.

Generating Ourselves as a Buddha-Figure

What we need to do first is to stop believing that we exist in the impossible ways that our minds project we exist.
For that, we need to focus on voidness, which means we need to focus on the fact that these fantasy projections of
ours dont correspond to anything real. It is very helpful to use a rude word that shocks us into seeing that this is
ridiculous, namely to think, This is bullshit! Im not like this. Nobody is like this. Its bullshit that Im Gods
gift to the world, and its also bullshit that I am this monolithic solid thing. What that leaves us with is the feeling
that the way we actually are is open to many different possibilities based on Buddha-nature, talents and so on.
Within that absence of all this bullshit, we then arise with an identity based on the openness of these Buddha
qualities. Thats how we arise in the form of a Buddha-figure. And we have the pride of the figure, in other words,
we try to feel that we are like this. Rather than feeling that we are this monolithic Gods gift to the world, we feel
that we are open to many possibilities, and with the development of these possibilities, we can become a Buddha.
So thats how we visualize ourselves as a deity, how we imagine that we are one of these Buddha-figures. Its a
very sophisticated process.
The Inseparability of Samsara and Nirvana
The Sakya tradition, one of the four traditions within Tibetan Buddhism, speaks about the inseparability of
samsara and nirvana. This is taken on several levels. On one level weve discussed this already, Im just putting
it into another framework is the inseparability of how our minds make things appear solidly and non-solidly.
Inseparable here means that theyre mixed together. If we look at anything, from one point of view we see that
theres a solid appearance-making of it; if we look from another point of view, theres a nonsolid appearancemaking of it. Even when were a Buddha, even though our minds will no longer make things appear to exist
solidly from their own sides, nevertheless a Buddha will see that for others it is the opposite. The minds of limited
beings make things appear as if their existence were established solidly from their own sides, and this makes
inseparable samsara and nirvana.
The other level of the inseparability of samsara and nirvana is the inseparability of our gross ordinary appearance
and our subtle appearance as a Buddha-figure. Within ourselves, we have two quantum levels. One is the gross
level of how we ordinarily appear; the other quantum level is the subtle appearance that we have in terms of these
Buddha-figures. So, out of the clear light mind, our energy appears in a gross and a subtle form. The gross is
impure; the subtle is pure. The gross is samsara; the subtle is nirvana, used in a special sense. Were not talking
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about the subtle body with the channels and so on that we find in other tantra systems, were talking about a pure
subtle body. Buddha has this also. Buddha appears as a Nirmanakaya, a Corpus of Emanations, in ordinary
looking forms, and as a Sambhogakaya, a Corpus of Full Use, in those incredible Buddha-figure forms that only
highly realized bodhisattvas can see. The Sakya tradition makes this point more clearly than the other traditions
do.
I think the easiest way to relate to this is considering two quantum levels within our bodies that are mixed. If we
look at the whole package of our bodies from one point of view, we see an ordinary person and if we look at it
from another point of view, we see a Buddha-figure. Thats one of the keys for understanding the tantra vision of
seeing ourselves as a Buddha-figure or seeing our spiritual mentor as a Buddha, and so forth. When we work in
tantra with visualization, with imagination, we are switching to a pure level from an impure level, not only in
terms of the appearance of nonsolidity; but we are also switching quantum levels to the plane of a Buddha-figure.
Our minds can make this mixture of the two quantum levels appear as having either solid or nonsolid existence.
The problem is, however, that our minds are automatically going to make this appearance that we have as a
Buddha-figure, based on Buddha-nature, appear as a solid identity. Then we might feel that we now have this
solid identity like, Yes! I have clarity of mind. Yes! I have wisdom. Im Manjushri. .It doesnt have to be as
emotional as that, it could be quite subtle, but still theres this feeling of solidity. When were doing this, we forget
about all the other aspects of ourselves, so we think that this is my monolithic solid identity. However, we know
that were not there yet.
Applying This in Ordinary Daily Lives
This is a marvelous method for gaining insight into how our minds normally work, because we can apply the
analogy of what were experiencing with this Buddha-figure to our ordinaryperception in life. This helps us not to
grasp at that solid feeling of our ordinary identities of Im a loser or whatever, because we know by analogy
that, although we might solidly feel like a loser, we dont actually exist like that, just as we know that although I
might solidly feel as though Im Manjushri and Im so wise, Im not really like that yet. Transferring this insight
to our ordinary experience helps us to understand voidness in our ordinary life, as well as to overcome our
disturbing emotions.
By projecting this imagination of a Buddha-figure and focusing totally on that and on the feeling of being that, we
temporarily stop projecting our ordinary appearance of a solid identity. This is not the same as stopping the
projection of our ordinary appearance when we go to sleep. Thats not so helpful; it doesnt do anything. Whats
significant here is that, not only do we stop projecting our ordinary solid appearance, but weve generated this
special appearance within the context of our understanding of voidness. This starts to build up a habit of
generating even our ordinary gross appearance within the context of the understanding of voidness, just as we
have done with this special appearance. Thus, we take a break from our habitual ordinary solid appearancemaking. Even though we might feel solidly like this Buddha-figure generated within the context of voidness, our
grasp on it is much weaker than usual because we remember weve generated it while understanding its voidness.
Thus, visualization in Buddhist tantra is not the same as the power of positive thinking or creative
visualization, with which we imagine the ideal golf shot before taking the shot. Those methods lack the
understanding of voidness, not to mention that they lack a bodhichitta aim.
Viewing Ourselves as a Buddha-Figure All Day Long
In tantra practice, we try to visualize ourselves as a Buddha-figure not only in meditation, but all day long.
Likewise, we visualize all others as Buddha-figures and our environment as amandala the palace and pure
surroundings of a Buddha-figure. Nevertheless, we need to walk around and function and do ordinary things in
life. The view of inseparable samsara and nirvana suggests a good way to understand how to do this.
If were going about our daily lives while seeing ourselves only as a Buddha-figure and everything around us as a
mandala palace, were probably going to soon be hit by a car. What we need to do instead, while walking around
all day, is to see the two quantum levels of pure and impure appearance superimposed on each other. This is
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symbolized quite nicely in the Nyingma tradition manner of visualizing mandalas, for instance. In those
visualizations, we visualize the walls of the mandala as consisting of two levels of image superimposed on each
other. One level is as five thin walls pasted together, with each wall being a different color light. Another level is
as three thin walls pasted together, with each being made of skulls in different stages of decomposition. We
superimpose and visualize both levels simultaneously. This trains us to see other types of different levels
superimposed. This is not so difficult to do when we use our imaginations and doing so trains us to see both the
ordinary level and the Buddha-figure level of appearance superimposed in daily life. The Gelug tradition provides
a technical description of how its done.
Anuttarayoga tantra, the highest class of tantra, has two stages of practice. On the first stage, the generation stage,
we see ordinary appearances with our eye consciousness, but our mental consciousness superimposes on them the
image of Buddha-figures and mandalas. We conceive of these impure appearances as being pure. Then, on the
second stage, thecomplete stage, starting with its first step called body isolation, were able to actually work
with the energy-winds of the eye consciousness and generate them in the form of a Buddha-figure. In so doing,
the pure appearances of Buddha-figures and mandalas are no longer cognized through a conceptual process.
If we study the different Tibetan traditions we get different views that, when put together, make our understanding
as to how the process of visualizing ourselves as Buddha-figures actually works much more completely. Its like
the three blind men describing the elephant. One touches the legs, one touches the trunk, one touches the ears and,
when we put together all the information they derive, we get the picture of the elephant.
The Benefits of Superimposing Appearances
The benefit of seeing these two levels simultaneously all day long the superimposition of the ordinary
appearance and the appearance of a Buddha-figure is that it helps us to understand that we also mix together an
appearance of ordinary solid reality and nonsolid reality. In other words, it helps us to gain the insight that we do
not exist in the world simply in the way in which we ordinarily appear to exist. On another level, it helps us not to
identify solidly with our ordinary gross appearance, lets say of being old and fat and incompetent. Rather, it helps
us to feel that we also possess these various Buddha-qualities, but of course within the context of our
understanding of voidness. This, in turn, helps us to deal with our lives with a much more positive attitude,
without risking the danger of inflation of our egos.
Furthermore, by focusing on a Buddha-figure in meditation, lets say on ourselves as a Buddha-figure, its much
easier to develop perfect absorbed concentration than by focusing on our gross bodies. Thats another advantage.
The reason for this is that our gross bodies are constantly changing. Our body position is always altering slightly,
even while sitting in meditation. Also, one day were feeling good and the next day were feeling not-so-good,
and so on. There are various aches and pains, not to mention itches. Because of these constant changes, we dont
have a consistent stable object to focus on for gaining absorbed concentration. By contrast, if we focus on this
Buddha-figure that we imagine, that Buddha-figure doesnt change. We can always go back to the same
visualization. What were imagining always stays the same, so its much easier to develop stable concentration on
it.
Its also much easier to gain full concentration on the voidness of the imagined Buddha-figure than it is to achieve
total concentration on the voidness of our bodies. Voidness itself doesnt change; but here, if the basis for
voidness in other words, the thing that doesnt exist in impossible ways is something constantly changing like
our bodies, then the voidness of it gets somehow the word they use in Tibetan is infected by that instability.
By contrast, if the basis for voidness is something that doesnt change, then its much easier to keep stable focus
on its voidness. So, by focusing on the voidness of the Buddha-figure, its easier to understand voidness itself.
The Gelug Prasangika Interpretation
What are we doing when we identify ourselves with a Buddha-figure? We are labeling ourselves, calling ourselves
a Buddha-figure on the basis of our Buddha-natures. Yet we cant find that Buddha-nature and we cant find a
solid Buddha inside us. We understand, however, that this is a valid labeling of ourselves as a Buddha-figure.
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Were labeling ourselves as a Buddha-figure, the second quantum level, on the basis of our Buddha-natures. But
we cant find that Buddha-nature and we cant pinpoint this second quantum level of being the Buddha-figure,
and yet we understand that this is a valid labeling. We assume that quantum level as a Buddha-figure because we
have the Buddha-nature factors that will allow us to achieve that level. Thus, we exist as a Buddha-figure merely
in so far as we can be validly labeled as such. Theres nothing solid and findable inside us making us that.
So, what actually is this Buddha-figure that we are? If we cant actually find it, we cant actually see it, its merely
what the valid label, or our imagination of it, refers to. In this way its easier to understand that, in general, our
existence as this or that, as a mother, as a laborer, as whatever, is established by valid mental labeling alone and
not by the power of something solid and findable inside us. For example, suppose that we conventionally exist as
a mother. What establishes that we exist as a mother? We exist as a mother because we can be validly called a
mother based on the fact that we have children. Theres nothing inside us that we can point to that makes us
mother by its own power, independently of anything else.
This is very important to understand, because if we unconsciously imagine that theres something inside us
making us mother by its own power, then we have to be mother all the time to everybody. Then all the
neurotic syndromes come up because of identifying with being solidly mother. We only exist as mother in as
much as we can be called mother and such a label or name is valid because it is dependent on the fact that we
have children. This reasoning leads us then to be validly established as a friend on the basis of our friends, as a
business woman on the basis of our work, and so on. And so this allows us a tremendous amount of openness to
be of help to everybody. We call this type of existence dependent arising.
What Ive been describing is the Gelug interpretation of the Indian Madhyamaka Prasangika school of tenets.
There are four Indian Buddhist schools of philosophical thought. In addition, there are four Tibetan Buddhist
traditions, and each of them has a different way of understanding each of the four Indian schools. This gets rather
complicated. But the Gelug presentation of the Prasangika view is that the existence of all phenomena is
established merely by mental labeling. There is nothing findable on the side of any object that by its power, either
alone or in conjunction with mental labeling, establishes the existence of anything.
We can understand this much more easily by working with imagination of ourselves as a Buddha-figure, because
it is quite obvious that we cant find anything inside ourselves thats making or establishing us as a Buddhafigure, not even a findable Buddha-nature. We can establish that we exist as a Buddha-figure merely by the fact
that we can validly imagine ourselves that way and validly refer to ourselves in that way and validly feel that we
are like, on the basis of our Buddha-nature factors. Dependent merely on that fact this is what we mean by
dependent arising we can say that we do exist as a Buddha-figure, despite there being nothing inside us, solid
and findable, thats making us exist in that way.
There are deeper levels of understanding the importance of visualization and imagination, but this is deep enough
for us to gain an appreciation of how sophisticated the use of imagination is in Buddhism.
Summary
In summary, this has been our survey of the process of visualization, the use of imagination in Buddhism. As we
can see, it is a very worthwhile and sophisticated method of practice. At all levels of working with it, from the
simplest level of imagining how a young attractive person is going to look like at 80 years old, all the way up to
the most sophisticated level, visualization helps us to overcome our disturbing emotions and consequently our
problems and difficulties. It enables us to use our potentials more fully to be of best help to everyone. Although
using the imagination is by no means an easy method, it is a very effective one for attaining liberation and going
on to become a Buddha.
Questions
Question: Following your last reasoning, shall we conclude that Buddha-nature itself is also void?
Alex: Yes, everything is void of impossible modes of existence. Whatever actually exists, which means whatever
is validly knowable, theres nothing findable inside it that establishes its existence. Something findable inside an
11

object is an impossible way of establishing that that object exists, because there is no such thing as something
findable inside it. What voidness negates is the impossible way of existing, by which there is something inside,
solid and findable, that by its own power establishes its existence and gives it therefore a solid, permanent identity
that has not and can never be affected by anything. So, the only thing that we can say, if we have to say something
about what establishes that things exist is mental labeling alone.
This doesnt mean that mental labeling creates them, since we can mentally label someone a monster and that
doesnt make them a monster. What establishes the existence of something is that it is merely the referent
object of names and concepts, as validated by valid cognition of that referent object. This fact pertains to
everything, including Buddha-nature, enlightenment, Buddhas, and even voidness itself. Obviously, we need to
think deeply about this in order to understand and realize that it is true.
We tend to wonder, perhaps from our Western scientific point of view, What makes me, me? And we might say,
Well, its the genetic pattern of the chromosomes in my cells; its my unique genome. Thats something inside
me that makes me who I am. But Buddhism would say Hey! Look a little closer than that. These chromosomes
and genes are made up of molecules, and the molecules are made up of atoms, which are made up of subatomic
particles, which in turn are made up of fields of energy. Where is there anything findable? There is nothing solid,
findable inside us making us who we are. Theres nothing solid inside the chromosomes making them
chromosomes.
So, we exist as who we are because people can conceive of us and think of us and label us and call us by our
name and its a correct label. And thats all! Nothing else is needed to establish our existence. That is what is
meant by mental labeling only. Buddhism has a very complicated and full discussion on how do we know that a
label or a name is correct. But again, just because I call that cushion a dog doesnt make it a dog. But valid ways
of knowing is another huge topic in Buddhist studies and we cannot go into that tonight.
Question: We dont have any understanding of what a Buddha is; we can hardly imagine what can that mean or
what can that be. Whatever we think a Buddha is, is only a projection of our minds. So, if I can only project that,
then when I visualize a Buddha-figure, thats a mere projection. How can I know if this projection of a Buddhafigure is correct or incorrect? In other words, do I have to merely trust my Buddha-nature that because of my
Buddha-nature, the way I project the Buddha-figure in front of me is correct, or what?
Alex: I think that the Sakya approach of inseparable samsara and nirvana can help us with this question.
According to the Sakya system, not only are samsara and nirvana inseparable with samsara and nirvana being
understood to have many different levels of meaning but also the basis, path and result levels are inseparable.
So, when we are seeing someone as a Buddha, thebasis level of that is Buddha-nature, the potentials that will
allow that. The resultant level, the final level, is the actual state of Buddhahood that people can attain and which
now exists as a potential. The pathway for going from the basis to the result is our different levels of more and
more accurate conceptualizationand realization of that Buddhahood.
So, when we are viewing somebody as a Buddha, these three aspects are inseparably mixed together. Our pathway
conceptualization of what Buddhahood is like, which is on the basis of the foundation level the Buddha-nature
factors is just an approximation of the result, Buddhahood. Its only natural that the pathway level is an
approximation; it cant be anything else. Of course we need to validate our approximation according to the
various descriptions of a Buddha that we read. We dont want to have an approximation, lets say, that a Buddha is
omnipotent like the description of God Almighty in the Bible. That is not a quality of a Buddha. If our
conceptualization is based on the actual scriptural descriptions and so on, then we can validly work with it even
though it is an approximation.
Question: How can we work with these Buddha-figures when we have this very strong cultural barrier toward
them in their original iconography Tibetan, Indian or whatever. Because theyre so strange, so alien to us, to our
culture and way of seeing, I cant relate to them. So is it valid that, for example, when I try to develop
compassion, if instead of visualizing Chenrezig, I visualize a face that has been meaningful for me a face filled
with compassion or love or wisdom or whatever.
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Alex: Well, we have to be a little careful here. First of all, all these Buddha-figures were also alien to Tibetan
culture, yet the Tibetans were able to eventually, over time, feel comfortable with them. Being from a different
culture is not an inherent barrier. Second, these figures are not just to be taken at face value. They are used in a
very sophisticated method. All the arms, faces and so on represent many different levels of meanings and bear
profound symbolism. They stand, for example, for many different realizations that were trying to have in our
minds simultaneously. To try to have 24 insights simultaneously in our minds is very difficult if we do it
abstractly, not only conceptually but also nonconceptually. Were talking about love, patience, understanding and
so forth. But if we represent these 24 insights or qualities graphically with 24 arms, its much easier to imagine all
of these at the same time. Therefore, visualization of these multi-armed, multi-face figures is a device to help us
keep all the things they represent simultaneously in our minds.
So, we need to be very careful not to throw away one of the most important purposes of these figures, which is to
have all these arms and legs and faces. However when the iconography of these figures went from one country to
another from India not only to Tibet, but also to China and Japan the facial features, for example, changed
from Indian to Chinese features. Some of the clothing also changed. The most drastic change was that
Avalokiteshvara underwent a sex change and became female in China. He was male in India and Tibet. So, there
are certain things that on a superficial level can be adapted, but one has to be very careful. To make any cultural
adaptations, as my teachers have pointed out again and again, requires pretty much thorough knowledge of both
the original culture and the culture that youre going into, and, of course, full knowledge of Buddhism. This
requires a very broad understanding, not just deep but broad.
Question: I understand that there are two ways of dissolving a visualization, and I want to know if this is correct.
One of them is, for example, when we visualize Vajrasattva on top of our heads, at the end of our practice he
melts and dissolves into light and comes to our heart. Right? Thats one kind of dissolution. The other one is like
with the merit field, where one figure dissolves into another. Is that correct?
Alex: There are many different ways of dissolving a visualization. One is certainly that the visualization dissolves
into our heart. This has many purposes in terms of understanding how appearances come from the clear light mind
and so on. Sometimes visualizations, as you say, collapse into themselves and then either dissolve into voidness or
dissolve into us. Sometimes visualizations expand until they become the size of the universe and dissolve that
way. Sometimes visualizations go off to a Buddha-field. So there are many different ways and each of them has its
own specific purpose.
Dedication
Let us now dissolve our session then with a dedication another way to dissolve an appearance. We think that
whatever understanding, insight and positive force we might have gained tonight, may that grow more and more.
Particularly, what weve discussed tonight has not been easy; its very sophisticated. So we hope that our
understanding of it will grow deeper and deeper as we listen to the tapes or read the transcription and try to
understand more and more, if we are interested in doing so. May we be able to derive more and more benefit from
integrating these teachings into our practice and into our personalities, so that they can help us overcome
difficulties and realize more and more of our potentials to be of best help to everyone. And may we try to put all
the pieces of the Dharma puzzle together, so that we understand more and more and can derive more and more
benefit from the teachings and the practices.
Take for instance, the advise of looking at the spiritual teacher as a Buddha while the teacher is teaching which,
by the way, is a practice for only very advanced disciples, not for beginners. It is for practitioners who already
have put the safe direction of refuge into their lives and who have a bodhichitta aim of working to become a
Buddha in order to be able to benefit everyone. For that kind of practitioner, then, its very beneficial to see the
spiritual teacher as a Buddha while receiving teachings. But what does that mean?
We need to put the pieces of the Dharma puzzle together. That means switching quantum levels from the ordinary
level to the Buddha-nature, Buddha-figure level. Remember, inseparable samsara and nirvana. The teacher has
13

shortcomings, but also good qualities, inseparably. One is the gross level; one is the more subtle level. The subtle
level is the good qualities. Just as in meditation, we would only focus on the subtle level for various beneficial
reasons, likewise while receiving teachings we would also focus just on the more subtle level of the teacher in
terms of this more subtle quantum level of being a Buddha. That will allow us to focus on and appreciate the
teachers good qualities while receiving teachings, which will help us to have the most open and receptive mind to
try to understand what the teacher is saying. To focus on the gross problems of the teacher while listening to
teachings distracts us from what he or she is saying. Its not at all helpful at the time of listening to the teachings.
Nevertheless, regarding the teacher as a Buddha while listening to teachings, in other words focusing on this more
subtle quantum level, doesnt mean that we lose our ability to discriminate between the teacher saying something
correct or something incorrect. Thats there. Seeing a different quantum level does not preclude the functioning of
discriminating awareness. So, in this way we need to put together all the pieces of the Dharma puzzle in order to
really understand on a deeper level some of the most confusing teachings.
May our understanding and our process of putting the pieces together grow more and more, so that we can truly
be of best help to everyone.
What Is the Difference between Visualizing Ourselves as a Buddhist Deity and a Deluded Person Imagining
They are Mickey Mouse?
This evening we are going to speak about what is the difference, if any, between imagining or visualizing
ourselves as a Buddha-figure or imagining that we are Mickey Mouse. And although this might sound a bit funny;
nevertheless, often it happens when were involved with tantra practice that we reach a certain stage at which we
question what were doing. Because were working with all these visualizations and things, which seem so
fantastic, and after a while, if we dont have a good foundation, we might think this is crazy. Especially if we
happen to tell anybody else what were doing which of course were always told, Dont do that and we say,
Im imagining that Im the Red Fairy, and Im going to go to Fairyland and take everybody with me to
Fairyland. They would probably want to lock us up. So lets look at this topic of Buddha-figure or Mickey
Mouse in some depth.
Imagining Ourselves as a Buddha-Figure
One of the most characteristic features of tantra practice is so-called deity yoga, with which we imagine ourselves
to be a Buddha-figure. The term thats usually used here is translated by most people as visualize, but were not
dealing with just some visual picture of ourselves. The term is much better translated asimagine because we really
imagine that we really are this figure, and we imagine experiencing everything with all our senses, not just
something visual. What Im translating as Buddha-figure is the Tibetan word yidam, sometimes called a special
type of deity not your usual deity. And the Tibetan term yidamliterally means something a figure with which
to make a close bond for our minds. So we make a strong bonding with this Buddha-figure in order to actually
become this Buddha-figure or a Buddha in the form (with the physical shape of) this Buddha-figure.
The Four Purities
And not only do we imagine ourselves in this form thats only the first of whats known as the four purities. So
not only a pure body, a physical body, but that everything around us is a pure environment, and that means to
imagine that we are inside amandala. A mandala is a three-dimensional palace, and all around that palace is a pure
land in fact, the palace is in a pure land where everything is just perfect and conducive for spiritual practice.
And we have pure actions. So the way that we interact with others is without any confusion; its just totally to
help them with the most perfect excellent means. In addition, we also have a pure way of enjoying things. So,
rather than our ordinary up and down sometimes a little bit happy, but then it changes and were unhappy, and
so on we enjoy things with what is known as untainted blissful awareness. That means without any confusion
associated with it. So, with these four purities, we have a very vast imagination of what we are, where we are,
what were doing, and how we feel about whats going on how we experience it.
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A Buddha-Figure Form as a Precursor for the Form of a Buddha

And what were doing here is imagining these things which havenot yet happened in terms of our actual
experience of them, but which we will be able to experience on the basis of whats known as Buddhanature factors, which we all have. This weekend well speak in much more detail about them. So we are working
with what these various factors that are part of our mental continuumcan evolve to, what they can become. And all
these Buddha-figures that we are imagining now, which are representing the actual Buddha-figures that have not
yet happened but which we can experience or manifest in all of these things are within the realm of possibility
of what can actually exist, what can come to be. Buddhas can manifest in an infinite number and variety of forms
in order to help others. And a Buddha would only manifest in forms that are possible, that do exist. A Buddha
cant manifest in whats given as the classic example of what doesnt exist, which is the child of a barren woman
a woman who cant have children a natural child of such a woman.
So all of these figures with all these arms and faces and legs, and so on, these are actual figures that our energy
can be manifest in to benefit others as a skillful means. Its a skillful means to have all these faces and arms and
legs, because they all represent many different aspects of the spiritual path of what we need to
actually realize and attain. And imagining ourselves in these forms is a method for us to be able to more quickly
integrate all of these aspects simultaneously, which well need to be able to do if we want to become a Buddha.
The point is not to be able to just imagine six arms or twenty-four arms or whatever, and all the things that theyre
holding thats just a device to enable us to keep in mind (have mindfulness) of what they represent.
So these things do exist. They do exist, in terms of our mental continuum can generate these things the way that a
Buddha has exist here means that its possible and our energy can manifest in these forms. Thats something
which is possible, according to the model of what Buddha did, and is doing, and will continue to do, as a skillful
means for being able to help others.
Now Buddha doesnt manifest (and therefore our energy wouldnt manifest) in something that is not possible to
happen. So its not possible for our mental continuum to give rise to apresently-happening Napoleon or Cleopatra
or Mickey Mouse. Napoleon and Cleopatra lived long ago. Theyre no longer happening presently-happening
Napoleon and Cleopatra doesnt exist therefore, we cannot manifest into a presently-happening Napoleon or
Cleopatra. Mickey Mouse never existed. Theres a cartoon a figure or drawing which represents Mickey
Mouse, but an actual Mickey Mouse never existed; therefore, we cannot manifest as an actual presentlyhappening Mickey Mouse. Although we could manifest into a not-yet-happening Avalokiteshvara with four arms
or a thousand arms.
Theres a difference here between manifesting in something which could happen and manifesting in something
which could never happen. Or even if were talking about a presently-happening Queen Elizabeth of England,
who does exist, our mental continuum cannot give rise to a presently-happening Queen Elizabeth of England, can
it? We dont have the factors we dont have the potentials to be able to do that. Or, if we get a little bit more
profound, our mental continuum cannot give rise to a truly existent me in the present form that I have either,
because that doesnt exist either, although there can be anappearance of it. But an actual truly existent me in this
form doesnt exist. It cant happen.
Do you see the difference? Theres an appearance in our imagination that represents something that can happen,
and an appearance in our imagination were generating of something that could never happen. Theres a big
difference. Although to explain it and describe it, we have to get a little bit technical, as I just did. Now lets go a
little bit more on a fundamental level, on a basis level, here, in terms of what is the background of visualizing
ourselves as a Buddha-figure, and compare that to the background of someone imagining that they are Mickey
Mouse or Napoleon or Cleopatra.
Refuge and Ethical Behavior
First of all, a Dharma tantric practitioner were talking about an authentic one, somebody who is doing it
properly is someone who, to use the terminology that I prefer, has a safe direction in life (thats usually called
15

refuge). So what does that mean? That means that they have a realistic view of the four noble truths: They
recognize what are true sufferings. They recognize the true causes of them. And they recognize that it is possible
to attain a true stopping of these causes and the sufferings they bring about so they never recur again. And they
recognize the true pathway minds often just called the true path, but its an understanding that will bring about
that truestopping and which will result from it.
So the deepest Dharma refuge or Dharma Jewel are these true stoppings and true pathways of mind the third and
fourth noble truths. And the Buddhas are those in whose mental continuum these true stoppings and true pathway
minds are present in full all of them are there. And the Arya Sangha is the community of those in whom these
true stoppings and true pathway minds exist in part some of them are there, but not the full extent of them.
So that means that a tantric practitioner, Buddhist tantric practitioner, has put a meaning a direction in their
life. They recognize the various problems that they have, what the causes are, and they are practicing a method
that will bring about the true stopping of these problems of the causes of the problems and therefore the
problems. And the tantric practitioner fully knows that there is a way out of suffering so, very secure in what
theyre doing and they also realize that theyre not alone, that there are others: Buddhas, Arya Sangha, people
who are also working in this, going in the same direction.
And the first thing that one needs to do in order to go in that safe direction is refrain from destructive behavior,
since destructive behavior brings about unhappiness and the so-called suffering of suffering. So tantric
practitioners practicing these visualizations and so on, within a framework of ethical behavior, seeing that the
causes for all the suffering and problems that he or she has are internal, basically internal in the sense of caused
by theunawareness, the confusion, disturbing emotions, karma, etc., on their own mental continuum. And thats
what you have to work to get over; and it is possible to get rid of them forever.
A disturbed person, on the other hand, usually looks for a scapegoat for his or her problems. They blame it all on
the parents, on society, etc. (usually connected with paranoia). And they dont recognize that what they do
will affect their future, what they will experience; namely, their behavior. And if they think that they are Mickey
Mouse or Napoleon or Cleopatra, it isnt with the intention to use this as a framework for ethical behavior and to
achieve liberation and enlightenment free from problems as a Mickey Mouse.
Renunciation
The next difference concerns whats known as renunciation. Renunciation is the determination to be free from
our problems and their causes, and entails being willing to give up the problems and causes of course. There are
two divisions of this determination to be free: Determined to be free of problems is this lifetime, so we turn away
from our compulsive involvement in things of this life. And determination to be free of all problems of all future
lives (so, to gain liberation), and you turn away, then, from compulsive involvement with all things of samsara.
Well, we might object and say, Isnt this escapism? Arent we escaping from reality by renouncing this life or
the conditions of life in general? But the answer to that is no. This is not escapism. With renunciation, we see
ordinary life for what it is. Its filled with frustration. Were born, we get sick, we grow old, we die; we dont get
what we want; we meet with things that we dont want to happen. Even when things are going well, we are never
satisfied; we always want more. Things are changing all the time; its completely unstable. With this renunciation,
we take all of these problems totally seriously, and we have this strong feeling of I just have had enough. I dont
want to continue accepting these, taking these. I will seek a solution. And because we have already, as our
foundation, this safe direction in life, we are confident that there is a solution to experiencing all these problems
there is a way out; it is possible to get rid of them. So we turn away from just being totally involved with samsaric
things of this life or future lives, and turn instead to this safe direction, working for these true stoppings, true
pathways of mind, liberation, enlightenment as aconstructive way to face and solve our problems.
Whereas a disturbed person imagining that theyre Mickey Mouse is just escaping from life. They are not facing
their problems, but are rather escaping into another reality that is totally unrelated with their lives. A tantric
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visualization is a method to deal with our ordinary life in a creative and constructive fashion, whereas a disturbed
person or a schizophrenic person doesnt deal with it at all.
Transforming Our Self-Image
Now to visualize ourselves as this Buddha-figure, the point is to overcome our ordinary appearance and our
grasping at ourselves to exist in an ordinary way. In another words, we have to give up our deluded self-image.
Deluded self-image means of who we are, what we are, and that we truly exist that way: that its truly established
that we exist in this impossible way. So we can have a self-image of being the eternal youth, always handsome,
beautiful, strong, sexy Gods gift to the world. Or we can have a negative one: were ugly, no good, unpopular,
Nobody loves me. Im not good enough all these sorts of negative self-images. And we feel this is the way
that we always are and will always be. And we act it out, we project it on ourselves, we project it to others, and
we try to make it secure because we feel insecure about it and threatened.
But we have to realize that this self-image is false. Its deluded. We have no such thing as a concrete, unchanging,
independent self-identity or image. So theres nothing that needs to be made secure; theres nothing that we have
to prove. Thats one of the most profound insights that we can have on our initial levels. Theres nothing to feel
insecure about. Ill repeat that: Theres nothing to feel insecure about. You dont have to prove that I am worthy of
your love or any of these sort of things; it will only bring about unhappiness and suffering. Its like trying to prove
that Im Mickey Mouse. Theres no way that I can prove that Im Mickey Mouse because there is no Mickey
Mouse. So how can I prove it? And why should I feel insecure about being Mickey Mouse when there is no
Mickey Mouse?
So, similarly, trying to prove or make secure me who is ugly and Nobody loves me. And Im fat. But I want to
be loved, so I have to prove that you should love me, prove that Im loveable. And everybody must love me.
Well, not everybody loved Buddha, so what do I expect for myself? Buddha had enemies. His cousin was always
jealous, trying to hurt Buddha. So why try to knock ourselves out to accomplish something thats impossible?
In any case, what we are doing is: Instead of this deluded type of self-image, we substitute. Instead of thinking of
ourselves in terms of a negative self-image, we use a pure self-image. But this isnt just the power of positive
thinking. Were using a positive self-image in terms of these Buddha-figures as a way to overcome our
grasping at our ordinary self-image. So we understand the reality of what were doing. And we understand that we
dont exist in this way yet we can, but not yet. So that means in order to practice tantra effectively, we have to
have some understanding of whats known as voidness. Many people translate that as emptiness. That means to
understand reality, the true way in which we and all things exist.
Voidness means an absence, an absence of a way of existing that is impossible; it doesnt exist at all. That means a
way of existing that is established on the side of the object; thats impossible. There is something inside me that
makes me a bad person, a no-good person or a wonderful person that establishes it truly, forever, independent
of anything I might experience or do. Thats impossible. And voidness means that although we might feel that this
is the way that we exist, it doesnt refer to anythingreal, like Mickey Mouse doesnt refer to anything real.
So we differentiate between whats known as the false me and the conventional me. Conventional me, I do
exist, but I dont exist in the manner of a false me. If we look for me, we try to find me, whether we are
analyzing on the deepest level or on a conventional level, you can never pinpoint and find theres me up my
nose, or somewhere in my mind, or something like that. You cant find me. Nevertheless, when were not
analyzing, then, Here I am. Im sitting here. Im talking to you. Its neither of the two extremes: Its not that
nobody is talking to you, or a solidly existing me sitting somewhere inside my head is talking to you.
So what would establish that theres me? Nothing findable inside my mind, inside my body. Is it in this cell?
That atom? Theres nothing findable. But we have the word me, we have the concept me, and it refers to
something, something that is functioning Im sitting, Im talking and thats the only thing that can establish the
conventional existence of me, that it is the referent object of a word or concept. In Buddhist jargon, that means
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that the me is established merely by mental labeling. But thats jargon; not so easy to understand just from the
words themselves.
Me, though, is labeled on a continuum conventional me a continuum of moment after moment of
experience that is connected by some sort of causal process. So we can label me on what were experiencing
right now. We can label me on what was experienced when I was a baby. We can label me on what if we
live long enough well experience in our old age. And of course Im changing all the time Im not the same as
I was when I was a baby but theres a continuum. And based on the various potentials that are built up on the
mental continuum, that will determine what I experience in the future. And if we look at the factors known as
Buddha-nature, then in the future its quite possible that I can experience I mean, it is possible, if all the causes
are there to experience being a Buddha. So with tantra were imagining that I am already a Buddha; so were
labeling me on something in our imagination that represents the not-yet-happening Buddha that I will become.
We realize that we arent that deity or Buddha-figure now, but by practicing like this, that will act as a cause for
actually becoming a presently-happening Buddha in this form.
Now a crazy person doesnt have that at all. A deluded person doesnt have that at all. A deluded person really
thinks that they are Mickey Mouse, or that they are Napoleon or Cleopatra, or that they actually are Tara, or they
actually are Buddha or Jesus Christ, for that matter. We can be completely deluded, thinking that we are a
solidly existent Im really a deity now. Im really a Buddha now. Thats completely crazy. The more
ridiculous level, that I can walk through a wall and so you just smash into a wall. Obviously you cant walk
through a wall. So knowing the reality of whats going on is very, very crucial in tantra practice. Otherwise, we
are completely deluded and can become quite crazy.
So by changing from a negative self-image to a positive self-image, were doing this on the basis of understanding
the reality of self-images. And instead of a negative self-image of what I am or what my characteristics are for
instance that Im stupid, I can never understand anything, or I cant really relate to people we have a positive
one: I can understand. I have clarity of mind. I am filled with compassion. And were doing this as a method for
being able to help us to develop these qualities, knowing full well that were not there yet, and knowing full well
that we have to build up the causes for being able to really have these qualities in full. And thats what were
doing with this practice, is building up those causes.
A deluded person doesnt have any of that.
Cultivating the Dignity of Being a Buddha-Figure
Also, when we hold whats known as the dignity of the deity or the pride of the deity, were not talking about
pride or arrogance in a deluded sense. It just means to really feel that we are like this.
Question: We are feeling we are actually a Buddha, right?
Alex: Ill say this perhaps, hopefully, a little bit more clearly. We imagine that we are, lets say, Avalokiteshvara
(Chenrezig in Tibetan), and we feel, This is what I am. This is who I am, although we know were not there yet.
But, as a method, we are imagining that we are there already, and we have the pride of this the dignity of this. In
other words, we are labeling me on this, what were visualizing or were imagining. And were not just
imagining what we look like. We are imagining that we have all the qualities of Avalokiteshvara infinite
compassion for everybody equally.
This is a wonderful method because, by having the dignity of this I prefer to translate pride as dignity it
prevents me from acting like an idiot or acting in a cruel way. How could Chenrezig not want to help this person?
How could Chenrezig be too tired, too busy? I cant be bothered to help you. Right? If we have our ordinary
self-image or deluded self-image: Waah, I cant do anything. Im incapable, etc., so we dont even try. But no,
thats not what I am. Im Chenrezig. And even if I cant really help you, and I dont really know how to help you,
I would love to be able to help you. And I have compassion for you, wish for you to be free of your suffering and
the causes of it. So that dignity of being Chenrezig prevents me from being cold-hearted and closed. A very
wonderful method.
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A deluded person has none of that.

Our Appearance as a Buddha-Figure Is Like an Illusion
Also, in terms of our understanding of voidness: although things appear to be truly established to our ordinary
mind or, more precisely, to our unenlightened mind nevertheless, that appearance is just like an illusion. The
word like here is very important. It implies things dont really exist in the way that they appear, like an illusion
appears real but its not referring to anything real. So even this appearance of ourselves as a Buddha-figure, while
we are not enlightened yet, is like an illusion. We understand that. A disturbed person, a schizophrenic person,
actually believes the illusion; they dont recognize that things are like an illusion. So this is very different.
Also, its very important when we are imagining everything around us to be pure, everybody is a deity, a Buddhafigure, and this is a pure land, a mandala, and all of that at our level, to our eye consciousness, the ordinary
appearance appears; to ourmental consciousness, we understand it in terms of the appearance of a mandala, a pure
land, and so on. So, in a sense, we are experiencing two levels of appearance. Its not that we are so totally
dissociated from normal reality (what appears to be normal reality) around us that we cant function. Whereas a
disturbed person, a schizophrenic person, has no idea of that; they really think that things are like in their illusion.
Motivation
Another important difference here is the motivation. In tantra practice, our motivation is bodhichitta. We are
aiming for enlightenment, for our own future enlightenment which has not yet happened. And this Buddha-figure
that we are imagining ourselves to be represents that goal, that aim. And what we imagine that were doing is
helping everybody. So imagining ourselves as this deity, as this Buddha-figure, all the time or as often as we can
helps us to keep focused with bodhichitta on what were aiming for, which is enlightenment. The whole purpose
of visualizing ourselves like this is to be able to benefit others as much as possible its bodhichitta so that
helps us to overcome our self-preoccupation and our selfishness. Whereas a schizophrenic fantasy, on the
other [hand], is even more self-preoccupied, just caught in their own little world, and is not done at all in order to
attain enlightenment and help others.
Preliminary Practices
Another difference has to do with preliminaries. A tantric practitioner usually engages in preliminary practices to
purify themselves of obstacles and past karmic negative potentials, and so on, and to build up positive force which
will ensure success in the practice. And so theres a lot of purification practices done as preliminary: prostration,
Vajrasattva meditation (which again implies acknowledging our faults, our mistakes; making a strongresolution to
not repeat them, based on regret; doing some reaffirming of our direction in life; bodhichitta; and doing something
as an opponent), and building up a lot of positive force by mandala offering, getting inspiration from our spiritual
teacher with guru-yoga. So were very well prepared to do this visualization.
A schizophrenic person or disturbed person does no preparation for imagining themselves to be Mickey Mouse or
Napoleon.
Empowerment or Initiation
Next point. With deity yoga we do this on the basis of receiving an empowerment; its often called initiation.
This links us to a lineage of thousands of years of practice of other people who have done the same thing. It gives
us security and assurance that this is a time-tested method that has worked we arent just inventing it so we
dont feel crazy doing this. We have permission to do this. And the beginning of doing it becomes a special
spiritual event.
A schizophrenic person or a deluded person lacks this completely, so they feel all alone.
Relation with the Spiritual Teacher
The whole practice of deity yoga is done under the guidance and the supervision of a guru or a spiritual master, so
theres no uncertainty about it. Its like following a doctors prescription. And the teacher can answer all your
questions. And the teacher serves as a living example of what were aiming to become.
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And a crazy person, a schizophrenic person, even if they go to Disneyland and ask a worker there whos dressed
in a Mickey Mouse costume to give them permission to wear the Mickey Mouse costume themselves and be
Mickey Mouse Come on, thats crazy! Thats not the same. Because they dont realize that its just wearing a
costume of Mickey Mouse, do they? They think, Really this is Mickey Mouse: theyre in Disneyland. And now I
will be Mickey Mouse. I mean, this is completely crazy.
Vows and Commitments
Next. At the empowerment, we take various sets of vows concerning our ethical behavior especially bodhichitta
vows to help others and we take the commitment to do this visualization practice daily for the rest of our lives.
So its done with a process of discipline and strong commitment, taking the whole thing very seriously, and done
with strong conscious effort. Whereas a schizophrenic or deluded person is completely unconscious of what
theyre really doing.
Secrecy
A tantric practitioner keeps secrecy about their practice. Its a private affair, so they dont make a big deal about it
and advertise it to everybody. Whereas a schizophrenic often will boast, be arrogant about what theyre doing,
make a public display of their fantasy.
I remember there was one lady in India, Dharamsala, who was completely disturbed and she thought that she was
Tara and she took off all her clothes and was running around the streets screaming that shes Tara. This is not
what we do with proper tantra practice.

Summary
So this deity yoga, then, is done within a very large wide framework of:
Wanting to get out of our problems.
Putting a safe direction in our life as a way to get over these problems.
Following cause and effect in terms of how we approach getting rid of these problems and their causes.
We renounce our ordinary deluded self-image; we use a pure one to be able to help others and keep our
focus on enlightenment.
We understand that its not real, that its like an illusion; but its valid, since we can attain this in the
future.
We have authorization and empowerment to do it, based on having prepared for this with preliminary
practices.
We have guidance from a qualified spiritual master who is also doing this type of practice, who has
experience.
We are linked to a whole long lineage of people who have done this successfully and attained
enlightenment through it, so we have confidence in what were doing.
Were keeping the discipline of vowed commitments and various vows that we take in terms of our
ethical behavior.
And were keeping our practice private and being humble about it.
A schizophrenic or deluded person imagining that they are Mickey Mouse or Napoleon or Cleopatra lacks all of
that.
So that is the presentation, then, of what is the difference between imagining ourselves as a Buddha-figure within
the context of proper tantra practice and a schizophrenic or deluded or crazy person imagining that they are
Mickey Mouse.
So if it happens further down the line in our tantra practice that we start to question, What in the world am I
doing? This is crazy, we have to go through the whole checklist of What are the factors that I am missing or
have become weak in? and restrengthen them. So, for emphasis, let me go through the list again:
Safe and sound direction (refuge).
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Cause and effect.

Determination to be free from our suffering.
Were opening out our heart to everybody bodhichitta wanting to help everybody through these
methods.
Understanding of voidness, in terms of the reality of what Im doing.
Preliminaries as a basis: purification and building up positive force.
Empowerment: a link to a lineage.
Guidance of a qualified spiritual master.
Keeping my vows and discipline and commitments.
And keeping all of this private.
And working with this positive self-image as a means for attaining Buddhahood, with all these arms and
legs and so on representing various realizations on the path. And so that is the main thing that I need to
incorporate into my mental continuum what they represent. That is why these various bodies of these deities
are referred to as method. They are a method side, for not just attaining the body of a Buddha, but a method for
attaining all the various things that they represent the various arms and faces and so on.
To summarize it all up: This deity yoga is a method for attaining enlightenment. And we have to understand that it
is possible to attain enlightenment I am capable of it and although Im not there yet, Im imagining that I
am, as a method for being able to attain it more quickly, knowing full well the reality of what Im doing. This is
very important, all these points. Otherwise, instead of being a crazy person imagining that they are Mickey
Mouse, we are a crazy person imagining that we are Chenrezig or Tara. And rather than deity yoga being a path to
enlightenment, its a path to insanity. When it is stated in all the texts that tantra practice is dangerous, theres a
reason for that. The point is that it has to be practiced within the context of all these variables that weve been
discussing. Otherwise, you can really go astray. And for this, we need the guidance of the spiritual master to help
us to avoid going astray and stay on the correct path and inspire us.
Thank you.
Questions and Answers
So I suppose we have a little bit of time a few minutes? for some short questions. The problem is short
answers.
Question: You said something about a lady in Dharamsala, and she was imagining that she was Tara and she was
running around naked in the streets. How do we actually know that she wasnt Tara?
Alex: Shes asking about the lady who took off all her clothes and ran around the streets screaming that she was
Tara. How do we know that she wasnt actually Tara? One would know by her actions, by her behavior. If she
were Tara, she wouldnt take off all her clothes and run around the streets screaming that she was Tara. She would
actually be working to benefit others.
Question: Can we say that, on the ultimate level or deepest level, these Avalokiteshvara, Tara, and other deities
they exist? And, for instance, that Chenrezig is the manifestation of our compassion, our love, and Vajrasattva is
the manifestation of our purity, and wrathful deities are manifestations of our anger or other emotions? So they are
like beings or energies that actually exist on their own? Or are they more like creations of our mind, or images and
symbols?
Alex: Thats a very complex question. First of all, there can be actual beings according to tradition, Tara was an
actual being, Avalokiteshvara was an actual being with their own mental continuums. So there can be various
yidams (these Buddha-figures) that were actual living beings. A Buddha can of course manifest in all forms, so a
Buddha can also manifest in the form of another being a Tara or an Avalokiteshvara. So thats one type of deity.
There are other deities, who would not necessary have their own individual mental continuum, but a Buddha can
manifest in such a form. Like Kalachakra. Buddha taught it; he manifested in the form of Kalachakra. Ive never
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heard of any account of Kalachakra having actually been an individual sentient being. So thats from the side of a
Buddha.
Now when we speak from our side, as a practitioner: Inanuttarayoga tantra, the highest class of tantra, were
speaking about the subtlest level of mind and energy. And that subtlest energy can of course be shaped to appear
in any form, just as is the case of a Buddha. Because when a Buddha has all of these different forms is
manifesting in all these forms its also out of the Buddhas subtlest energy. But now, on our level of practice,
were not able to actually have our subtlest energy manifest in this form. And even on very, very advanced levels,
when you actually have an actual illusory body, its called, where you can manifest, you cant maintain that
manifestation in these forms all the time. But now when we visualize these forms, on our beginning levels, its a
representation of what we have not yet attained, what has not yet happened.
Now the interesting question is: Are these just imagination? What does it actually mean that they are just
imagination? If youre familiar with tantra practice: We have within a sadhana a sadhana is a method for
actualizing ourselves as a Buddha-figure, its our usual practice we imagine ourselves in what is called
the close-bonding figure (dam-tshig sems-pa) (thats sometimes translated as a commitment being), and a closebonding mandala around us, or a commitment-being mandala, and then we call forth what I call the deep
awareness being (ye-shes sems-pa), the deep awareness aspect (sometimes called thewisdom being), to merge
with it.
So I always thought, and I think many people think this way, that the so-called close-bonding form its called
close-bonding because this is what you make a close bond with in order to actually achieve or attain this form I
always thought that this was purely imaginary, and that the deep awareness ones were the real ones coming from
the Buddha-fields. But my teacher Serkong Rinpoche said that that was not correct. He said that at a certain stage
of practice
And I must confess I dont remember which stage it was, and he would really scold me for not remembering. He
told me this maybe thirty years ago and I dont remember. He was like that. I remember once I asked him I was
his translator and I asked him What does this word mean? And he scolded me, and he said, I explained to
you that word seven years ago. I remember. Why dont you?
Anyway, I think its on one of the stages of the second of the paths, the so-called path of application, applying
mind, or preparation path. And he said at that point, you can actually receive teachings from a painting, from a
statue, from these close-bonding beings, from the deep awareness beings. So its not just your imagination, in the
sense that it cant function as an actual Buddha. And also the other aspect: the close-bonding figure is the external
figure; the deep awareness one is the one inside, in the heart, and so on. So there are so many levels of this. So
eventually we can receive teachings from all of them.
So if you ask the question, Are they just purely imaginary? Are they real? What do you mean by real? this
become very complicated, doesnt it? Its like the statues and the thangkas; they have to have whats known as
a rabney (rab-gnas) in Tibetan, sometimes translated as consecration, in which the deep awareness aspect is
brought and merged with them. And so prostrating to them and making offerings to them is the same as
prostrating and making offerings to the actual Buddha. Shantideva said this in Bodhicharyavatara that you build
up as much positive force to a stupa of a Buddha as to the actual Buddha. Is this idol worship? Not really, not
really. One has to understand that one can receive teachings from anything from the wind and so on when you
are at a very advanced level. But very advanced, not our ordinary level.
So, from one point of view, these various deities are representing what has not yet happened but which can
happen. On another level, they are a different level at which our energy can vibrate, specifically our subtlest
energy. On another level, we are imagining it. But, on yet another level, at a certain stage, you can even receive
teachings from them, the same as you would from a Buddha. And some of them are based on an actual living
being with their own mental continuum, and some are not.
Question: So that means that it doesnt have a mind-stream?
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Alex: If a Buddha manifests as Kalachakra, it doesnt mean that Kalachakra had its own individual mental
continuum. If a Buddha manifests as Tara, that doesnt contradict the fact that Tara had her own mental
continuum. A Buddha can appear as a bridge, so why cant a Buddha appear as a Tara? That doesnt mean that the
Buddhas mental continuum becomes Taras mental continuum. Think about that.
So thats a good place to end for this evening, with everybody silenced by that question. So we think whatever
understanding, whatever positive force has come from this, may it go deeper and deeper and act as a cause for
reaching enlightenment for the benefit of all.
Question: Is it all right to visualize that we are in the form of a Buddha-figure thats more familiar to us, like Jesus
or Mary, rather than in the form of these traditional Indian Buddha-figures that are hard to relate to?
Alex: In general, this is not a good idea, because it is quite disrespectful to the other religions, like for instance,
here, Christianity. Even if we keep this private to ourselves and dont tell this to any Christians, it is still being
disrespectful to Christianity. Its almost as if we are converting Jesus and Mary into Buddhists. Now this
doesnt preclude having Jesus and Mary visualized in front of us and being inspired by their good qualities, and
even imagining waves of inspiration in the form of colored lights coming from them and inspiring us to develop
their qualities. But what would be inappropriate and disrespectful would be to visualize ourselves as Jesus or
Mary.
I mentioned in my lecture that there are certain types of Buddha-figures that Buddha manifested in which had
their own individual mental continuum (like Tara and Avalokiteshvara) and others that did not have their own
individual mental continuum (like Kalachakra). And, similarly, Mickey Mouse does not have his own individual
mental continuum. In fact he was not even a limited being, a regular being living being. And so the question is:
Couldnt Buddha manifest as Mickey Mouse? Whats the difference between Buddha manifesting as Kalachakra
and as Mickey Mouse, if both of them did not have their own individual mental continuums?
Well, this is also a rather complex question. Kalachakra was manifested by Buddha as a skillful method in order
to help others, to help them to attain enlightenment. And so all the various arms and faces, etc., represent the
various aspects of what were purifying, and the path that purifies them, etc., and the resultant level that is
attained.
Then another aspect is that at various times over history when various forms of these Buddha-figures have
become too popularized, and so, in a sense, have become a little bit stale that people practicing it has become a
little bit stale because its too popularized then a Buddha has manifested to various highly realized masters in
pure visions in different forms of the classic Buddhist deities or Buddha-figures.
So Mickey Mouse is a little bit difficult an example; lets use the example of Snow White. If somebody claimed
that they had a vision of Snow White with the seven dwarfs around her and now was teaching the Snow White
Tantra, people might think that thats really crazy.
Now the test, of course, of a valid teaching from a pure vision is that fully qualified yogis put it into practice, if in
fact the practice is based on the general Buddhist principles, and particularly inMahayana and the tantra
principles, and they achieve the stated results that one would attain from such a practice; in other words, they
attain enlightenment. So if we put these points together, about pure visions of new forms of the standard deities,
and then fitting into standard Buddhist practices, standard themes of Buddhism, and they produce their results,
and the fact that these various Buddha-figures have all these different aspects that represent different aspects of
the path (basis, path, and result), then
For example, Tara has manifested in at least twenty-one forms, the Twenty-One Taras, and there are other forms
of Tara as well as these twenty-one. Then it is possible that somebody could have a pure vision of Tara
manifesting in the form of Snow White in a mandala with the seven dwarfs around her. And the seven dwarfs
represent the seven jewels of the aryas, for example, the seven qualities of an arya mind. And the white color of
Snow White represents purification. So all of these things are within the realm of possibility of what would be
consistent with the Buddhist tradition, but its a bit far-fetched. And there would have to be a pretty good reason
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for there to be such a manifestation of Tara as Snow White. There would have to be a really good reason, a
necessity for that.
So these are my thoughts in terms of could Buddha manifest as Mickey Mouse, as Snow White, or whatever. And
it doesnt have the same disrespect as a Buddha manifesting as Jesus or Mary. But please bear in mind that Im
only answering in this way based on just analyzing with logic. Its not that Im recommending this, or predicting
this, or thinking that this would ever be beneficial to happen that Buddha would manifest a different form of
Tara in the aspect of Snow White. But, just for fun, we can analyze in this way.

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