Commentary on the text “The Master’s Code”
Over time, we must attain mastery in spiritual practice. Without such mastery, it is impossible to attain enlightenment. Mastery in spiritual practice means accepting a new quality, or the status of a deity. By deity, we do not mean any specific deity worshipped in the traditions of bhakti, kriya, or charya tantra. Rather, by deity we mean a subtle state of clarity and energy brought to perfection, to pure vision. When we realize this state of deity, we develop certain qualities within ourselves. Without developing these qualities, it is impossible to realize the state of nonduality.
What does it mean to “attain mastery in spiritual practice”?
In Christianity, emphasis is placed on the sinfulness of the living being. In a relative sense, this can be accepted. In the sutra, too, emphasis is placed on the impurity of the body, of everything that manifests, from which one must detach oneself. However, through sinfulness and the separation of oneself from impurity, the yogin ultimately comes to supreme perfection and supreme purity. The teaching of our tradition places emphasis on purity and perfection from the very beginning.
Of course, we have impure, unconscious, animal, tamasic parts that can be called sinful. However, to tantra as such, and to anuttara tantra in particular, the view of sinfulness is alien; rather, there is a state of unconsciousness. If one fixates on the feeling of sinfulness, then in fact one falls into duality, and this is exactly how one will feel if one does not understand that purity and perfection must constantly be discovered behind what is sinful. And if such purity and perfection are not discovered, then fixation on sinfulness will bring nothing but a weakening of the spirit.
I read statistics about parishioners of a Protestant church: believers feared death the most, and sincere believers feared it more than weak believers, while weak believers feared it more than nonbelievers altogether. But why were they afraid? Because nonbelievers are in complete tamas, while believers know that there is hell, heaven, the Last Judgment, and that they will have to answer for everything. However, because the idea of sin was very strong, a fixation arose, as a result of which fear developed. And if there is fixation on fear, then where will one be reborn? Of course, in this case there can be no talk of the world of the gods.
In contrast to dualistic approaches, the yogin of anuttara tantra cultivates fearlessness, purity, and perfection within himself. Of course, this does not imply that we can treat the lower parts of our “I” with bravado or think: “I am fearless; for me there is neither sin nor anything else.” Rather, it presupposes sober work with the relative dimension, with greater emphasis on perfection and purity from the very beginning. The teaching says that we rightfully possess this primordial purity from the outset. This means that we recognize it from the very beginning, because if we do not begin to recognize it now, when we practice, then when else in the future will we begin to recognize it? After all, we are to become fully rooted in it. No number of lives will be enough for this if we do not begin to recognize it from the very beginning.
The state of a Master is the state in which such recognition and mastery have taken place. It is not necessarily the fully awakened state of a buddha or mahasiddha; nevertheless, it is a state very close to that.
“The Master’s Code.” The Path of Perfection. The Qualities of the Master.
The Master walks the Path of Perfection day and night without interruption.
A true Master long ago abandoned all the Games of this world: entertainment, wealth, power, rivalry with others, the search for fame. For him, only continuous movement toward perfection has meaning.
A true Master knows nothing of pettiness, pride, or self-love, for he feels himself to be part of an infinite mystery, equal with all beings.
A true Master will not make a single unnecessary movement, will not say a single unnecessary word, will not allow an oversight even in a trifle, for he knows that trifles do not exist, because he is a Master, the embodiment of perfection.
“Will not say anything unnecessary,” “will not do anything unnecessary” means that he will do nothing unconsciously. Our words and actions become unnecessary when they arise unconsciously, when energies, karmas, simply come out of us. “Unconsciously” means that they come out of the gross part of our “I”: from the conceptual mind (manas), from the astral body consisting of emotions, or from the physical body. When they come out of the very Source of awareness, of course, they are not unnecessary.
Perfection in Immersion in the One Source
“The Master’s perfection in immersion in the One Source and in the manifestation of its energies.”
Your perfection lies in understanding how to remain continuously immersed in the One Source and in continuously manifesting this state in everyday life. If you are not immersed in the Source, your mind tends to be colored by words: someone may say something to you, and your consciousness will change. You can be amused and delighted by being told something pleasant, or you can be frightened or plunged into melancholy. But try doing this to a Master. It is impossible: you cannot upset him with your words and actions, nor make him dejected, nor make him rejoice, because he abides in joy that is not conditioned by anything. This means an uninterrupted connection with the Source.
The Master knows that there is only one object of trust: the true Source. As for external forms and phenomena, he remains in a continuous state of play with them. He knows that this is how the various energies of his mind manifest, and he interacts with them. He sees both people and deities at the same time; he knows that if one interacts with them harmoniously, they will respond harmoniously, and if one manifests inharmonious relationships, these energies will respond in a similar way. Nevertheless, he always understands that they flow from this One Source.
Thanks to his connection with the Source, the Master always has tremendous energy; he is simply overflowing with it. Perhaps, because of external conditions, he cannot always manifest it adequately, but he is constantly filled with energy because he has no leaks. His thoughts, emotions, and the states of his energy body cannot allow leakage anywhere. Since he is very collected, his energy circulates continuously, his pranas always rotate and return to the central channel. Leaks occur when the mind is fixated on something. In that case, the transporting prana, through thoughts or emotions, carries prana out of the central channel toward the object of fixation. But if you are one with the Source, the pranas, responding, interact with the object and return again to the central channel.
A Sense of Boundless Greatness and Dignity
“A true Master always preserves a sense of boundless greatness and dignity, for Masters are gods among human beings.”
A sense of boundless greatness and dignity is, of course, not arrogance. Nor does it mean having pride or taking offense when that pride is wounded. Pride and resentment are connected with the ego, and we do not play the games of the ego. Rather, this refers to the sense of the true ego or divine pride. It is the deep awareness of presence that the yogin continuously discovers and recognizes within himself; it is that unshakable and indestructible state that allows him to feel himself to be the Absolute in any situation.
This does not mean any kind of outward pompousness. Outwardly, the yogin may manifest in any way he likes: he may be a jester, humble, or even present himself as a complete fool—all of this is external, and the external is only a certain social role, a social mask. Nevertheless, no matter how he manifests, inwardly the yogin continuously preserves that same boundless greatness. He never loses his connection with the Source, and the sense of greatness is given precisely by this state of abiding in unity with the Source. He is very simple and humble, because he knows he is boundless, and he does not need to prove it to anyone. He does not need to defend this greatness, for nothing can hinder him. Whatever happens outwardly, this greatness and boundlessness cannot, in principle, be humiliated in any way or prevented from manifesting.
An ordinary person lives differently. He defends his personality and fights for it. If his pride is hurt, he thinks it is the end. He may even put a bullet in his own forehead because of a false sense of self-worth. Why does this happen? Because he associates himself with the personality, with the “I.” When his identification is disrupted, his state is disrupted as well.
I heard a story about how in Japan two samurai, high-ranking dignitaries, while ascending to the emperor, forgot the rules of ceremony and etiquette and accidentally touched each other with their swords. This was regarded as disrespect. The one who did it, realizing that he had shown disrespect toward a superior lord, could not bear such disgrace and committed hara-kiri. Then the higher-ranking shogun, seeing that because of him a good samurai who was lower in status had committed hara-kiri, became embarrassed, felt disgraced, and also committed hara-kiri. This is an example of how a superficial sense of pride manifested.
A yogi is not conditioned by a sense of pride connected with something external. Rather, he experiences boundless greatness pertaining to the natural state. He knows that it is absolute, that he has nothing to defend, since nothing can harm it.
The Path of the Solitary Bird and Self-Sufficiency
“The Master knows that his path is the path of a solitary bird, and therefore he does not indulge hopes of recognition from companions. Even among those like him, he is always self-sufficient.
Being self-sufficient, nevertheless the Master feels immense love for others and joy when someone enters the path or succeeds on it.”
I hope you understand that self-sufficiency is not self-absorption. Self-absorption has nothing to do with self-sufficiency. On the contrary, self-sufficiency implies openness. However, such openness differs from worldly attachment. Probably everyone understands that monks do not walk around embracing one another, nevertheless they do not remain closed off, since self-absorption is not self-sufficiency at all, but the result of attachment to one’s ego.
In the absolute sense, there is no difference between us and others. We live without becoming attached to others and without being self-absorbed; we simply remain in an even, transparent state. We do not strive to orient ourselves toward others or depend on company or friends, knowing that all these things are unreliable. Nevertheless, we share samayas and help one another as much as possible, maintaining goodwill and the Four Immeasurables.
It is truly possible to manifest love and compassion toward others only when you have attained self-sufficiency. Then your love is limited by nothing, it is unselfish; you want nothing from it and demand nothing in return. In this case, love flows from the breadth of your Mind.
The Spirit of Totality and Freedom
“Who can understand the depth of the Master’s love? Only the Master.
A true Master is always a little insane for this world. His insanity is the very Spirit of totality of his life and method.
One who has not attained the Spirit of totality cannot be called a Master.
Only by becoming a Master is it possible to attain freedom. Freedom is the ultimate peak of the state of the Master. No one can attain freedom without passing through this stage.”
Liberation comes when your mastery reaches its ultimate peak. It is like a record. When the peak of your qualities reaches a certain point, a qualitative leap, a transmutation, occurs. Until your qualities have matured to this point, such a leap does not occur. No one can attain liberation without passing through the stage of such mastery. This means that a yogi constantly critically evaluates his qualities and tries to determine what he needs in order to develop this mastery, and what he needs to get rid of.
For example, if a person has an inflexible consciousness, then with such a consciousness he cannot become a master. If concentration is weak, it is also impossible to become a master. If the principle of fearless view is not understood, then mastery is also unattainable. If a person cannot overcome pride and self-love within himself, he will also not attain mastery. If someone is inattentive and repeatedly retypes a text, making elementary mistakes, then he will be able to become a master only when he gets rid of such inattentiveness. If a person is given one service, but he does not like it and longs for another service, then this means that he has failed to understand the viewpoint of training and practice, that he practices not in order to learn, but in order to enjoy. But a true yogi, for the sake of mastery, is ready to do anything and sacrifice anything. He does not give his ego a single chance to cling to anything, knowing that all this distances him from the desired level of mastery.
The Master’s Attentiveness and Subtlety
“A true Master is like a homeless wanderer; he goes only where the Path points.
A true Master will not leave even a trifle without attention; without calculations, he will calculate every detail. He will not allow a misstep even in the insignificant.
A true Master is always subtle and keenly feels all the grace, creativity, and beauty of the Path.
A true Master is flexible, like a vine branch, and sees the Path under any conditions. However, only he knows what price he had to pay to attain such vision.”
“He will not overlook even a trifle.” This does not mean that a yogin should concentrate on trifles. Rather, it means that he continuously possesses a clarity that arises from awareness, from uninterrupted attentiveness. Such clarity flows spontaneously; it responds to different situations and allows him always to interact with them harmoniously.
If we do not have such clarity, then, having done something that runs counter to the principles of the Vinaya, we remember it about two weeks later, when it is time to repent; that is, our clarity flares up, but over the course of two weeks it disappears. When we have clarity, however, it is not difficult to maintain the principles of the Vinaya in everyday life and act in accordance with them. Then, in the midst of any situation, we remember these principles and become attentive. We can pass by matajis in such a way as not to touch them with either hand or foot, and then there is no need to repent of it afterward. It is simple; one only needs to be attentive at that moment. But if our mind is wandering in the future, the pranas are seething in the lower chakras, and we are rushing along without looking where we are going and knocking others off their feet, then, of course, we will need to repent of it afterward.
The same can be said with regard to the principles of samaya. If we are attentive and know the fourteen root downfalls, we can easily self-liberate any wrong thoughts, impure states, and so on. We will simply remember the principle of the fourteen root downfalls of samaya and easily liberate them by manifesting attentiveness and awareness.
Subtlety, grace, and creativity arise from the principle of subtle energies. All these are factors of the deity (deva). Until your chakras have been purified and the pranas have karmically begun to transform into the pranas of wisdom, you cannot feel this. But as soon as your pranas are purified, you suddenly reveal such subtlety. This means that the inner deities have been activated.
The Balance of Creative Freedom and Self-Discipline
“A true Master is not burdened by power, possessions, housing, worries, bustle, or family. He lives for the Path, and for him only movement toward perfection matters.
An amateur is prone to extremes, but only a true Master knows how to maintain the subtle balance between creative freedom and self-discipline, manifested Play and humility.”
There are two extreme tendencies. The first extreme tendency is to constrict oneself through suppression, external self-discipline, denial, asceticism—for example, to torment oneself with fasts, endure pain in the lotus posture, wear chains, or mortify the flesh. One Christian wore chains until they drew blood on his body. He was asked, “What are you doing?” He replied, “I am tormenting the one who torments me (the body).” The second extreme tendency is complete freedom of creativity and self-expression of various energies. It is fraught with the loss of self-discipline and awareness, indulgence of the false “I,” self-gratification, and a tendency to take illusions for reality, to affirm and defend the illusions of one’s own “I,” which, of course, is in no way compatible with the path of liberation.
The state of a true practitioner consists in our distinguishing the relative “I” from the absolute “I”; we know what should be allowed to abide in freedom and what should be disciplined. When discipline and a free mind go hand in hand, they are in complete harmony. A true yogin always abides in the state of the golden mean, but an amateur often confuses them and cannot maintain the boundary between them, which is why various fluctuations arise in him.
For example, the freedom of creative self-expression manifests when a monk from the publishing group becomes fascinated with publishing. Then he thinks that he should abandon meditation in order to devote more time to his interest. And then the thought comes to him that he should go to Moscow in order to become more closely acquainted with publishing houses and perhaps even open his own publishing company. This is an example of creativity that leads to illusion.
Life as the Play of the Spirit
“For a true Master, his life is the Play of the Spirit itself; however, the Master knows that the stakes in this Play are life, death, and freedom.”
Therefore, inner creativity must always be disciplined by the monastic principles of the Vinaya; it always pertains to the subtle, not the external. The state of creativity is not an external state. Many think that it is something external, but nothing of the kind. It is a state of mind, a state of awareness. If you have it, then chopping wood, cooking rice, and feeding cows also become such creativity, because in the pure state of Mind it is impossible to do anything differently.
“Freedom and perfection are one and the same for the Master, since without perfection there is no freedom, and without freedom perfection is meaningless.”
When we become perfect both in energy and in awareness, liberation comes.
