INTERVIEW

Can you please tell me how you became interested in Vajrayana Buddhism?

John Russell: Hi John, Gladly!

I began my studies in comparative religions independently, at age 14. I grew up Christian in Long Beach CA & heard only negative comments from the pastor & other church goers about other religions, so I decided one day that instead of blindly accepting their views as my own, that I would go down to the library after school & read up on these other religions, to see what the fuss was all about. Little did I know that this would begin my many year quest as a spiritual seeker, as I was inspired to dabble in nearly every major religion, from Sufism, Daoism, Shaivism, Native American Spirituality, to Vajrayana Buddhism.

In my 20's I joined a group that studied "Gnosis" based on the teachings of a Colombian teacher by the name of Samael Aun Weor. What I came to realize & enjoy about Gnosis is how Samael Aun Weor synthesised the teachings of Vajrayana & Esoteric Christianity, & how we practiced & respected all of the major religions under one umbrella (if you will) of Gnosis. It was kind of a natural progression from what I was doing on my own since 14. :)

What really sparked my interest in Vajrayana Buddhism was a dream I had when I was 22; in the dream, I was a Buddhist monk lying on my death bed, I could see my teachers around me reciting instructions on how to remain conscious during the transition. The moment after I passed on, I found myself walking the streets of Nepal in my current body, & was stopped by a Vajrayana practitioner (of the Shingon Tradition of Japan), & he handed me a sacred text & said it was for me & that I needed to find it. The very next day (in the waking state) I called the said practitioner & told him that I like to recount the dream I had to him, he invited me over that eve & what happened during the visit was most astonishing to say the least!

I arrived at his house to be greeted by him fully robed in his official regalia, immediately, before I could mention any detail of the dream, he invited my into his shrine room, sat me down & told me to meditate as he performed his evening rites.

After 3hrs, & after the last bell was rung, he presented me with the exact text that he showed me in the dream, & this is before I had any chance to tell him anything about it!! I was shocked & amazed, & until this very day, I have not had any experience like this! As in the dream, the text was in a different language. He told me to come back in a week after he translated it to pick it up. It happened to be a very rare Sutra called the Prajnaparamita-Naya-Sutra, that I have yet to find any other copies or mentions of anywhere online, etc. It has remained on my altar ever since.

This experience is what most inspired my interest in Vajrayana Buddhism, & since then I've studied extensively, received empowerments, practices & find great affinity with the teachings all-in-all.

Do you mean this sutra or something else? www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=1747

John Russell: Wow! Yes, the description sounds like the exact Sutra I have! Amazing!! I've sought copies/references to this Sutra for years with to no avail... Emaho!! Thanks:)

How do you interpret this part here?

“The sutra teaches that the true nature of all desires, including sexual desires, is purity, and that this purity of all things and phenomena is realized through the wisdom, or prajna, that penetrates the truth”

John Russell: Wonderful question!

Yet even more wonderful is how the answer to such question is found in the verse.

First of all, it is important to realize that this particular sutra is a Vajrayana text, & therefore contains teachings that is suited unto those whom have had previous initiation & training in the practices, meditations, etc.

When the Tathagata states that the true nature of all things is pure, including sexual desire, we comprehend that such a statement is founded upon the Wisdom that Cognizes the Emptiness of all phenomenon & persons. 'Purity' in this context implies the lack of inherent existence, or independent reality.

The Buddhadharma teaches that all of phenomenon relies on interdependence, which means that nothing can exist in & of itself, from its own side without the support of another thing, so therefore its fundamental nature is 'purity'/'emptiness'. This is also true of the kleshas (afflictive desire/emotions), which are based in ignorance & delusion.

Due to the force of ignorance & delusion, desire stirs up the false notion of an "I", so on the level of Sutrayana instruction, Lord Buddha teaches that desire should be renounced, much like a poison that could cause harm.

Within the Vajrayana level of instruction, it is stated that Lord Buddha imparted esoteric instruction on how to transform desire through firstly comprehending the emptiness/pure nature of it- meaning that no "I" can be found, (much like in the 5 Aggregates), & secondly that desire itself is pure energy, like fire, & when one knows how to utilise this fire, one can be like a peacock who can eat poison without getting harmed, or like an alchemist, who knows how to render the poison as medicine.

This particular sutra not only states that the true nature of all things is pure, but further expounds upon that fact that sexual desire is Bodhisattva-Pada, along with all the rest of the kleshas, like anger & wrath, etc.

This teaching is very profound with meaning & could be mistaken & misused on many levels if placed in the unripened mind-stream of a novice.

When you speak about this inner fire and using it like an alchemist to transform this desire, are you speaking of practices like Tummo,Tsa lung ,Trul khor?

John Russell : Those particular practices are correlated, yet in order to utilize the inner fire as an alchemist for the transformation of desire, one needs to work with a karma-mudra, or wisdom-woman.

Do you mean like a Dakini  or this. " Karmamudra is the tantric method of sexual transmutation accomplished through the sexual union of man and woman while restraining desire and the orgasm. The restrained creative energy is transformed into bodhichitta: the energy of the awakening wisdom mind."

To my understanding, a karma-mudra is an actual physical consort, & a wisdom-woman could either be visualized or with a Dakini.

What about celibacy?

John Russell : Celibacy is path that can foster self-control toward the preparation of working with a Karma-mudra, yet it's through the wise use of the sexual energy that one can cultivate the state of Enlightenment in a single lifetime.

 

Esoteric Sexology elucidates the third fulfillment of human sexuality, which is the fulfillment of spiritual development through Transorgasmic Sex; the first two fulfillments being the reproduction of the species, & pleasure fulfillment.

What is ‘Trans-Orgasmic Sex’?

‘Trans-Orgasmic Sex’ is fairly a new term of an ancient practice that means to transform & transcend the orgasm. It describes a practice which employs sexual activity that transcends the typical goal oriented paradigm of having sex where the sole aim is to achieve the orgasm. 

In trans-orgasmic sex, the couple unite to enjoy the pleasures of sex (that may last for hours), while retiring from the act before the climax of orgasm, or the spasm of ejaculation. 

This type of practice is not new, & has been cultivated throughout the ages by the many esoteric traditions of the world, from the Tantric (both Hindu & Buddhist), Daoist, Gnostic, Alchemical, & Kabbalistic. 

We find this knowledge & practice recommended for many of its benefits employed in the holistic healing sciences of Yoga, Ayurveda, Tibetan & Chinese Medicine, & in the Martial Arts. 

It’s implications are in direct relation to the sciences of endocrinology, neurobiology, biochemistry, neurochemistry, & psychology.'

 

Ok, if one is practicing sexual union with a Dakini, or a wise women, and after attaining this insight, would one then become celibate and refrain from all sexual activity after the fact?

John Russell: Naturally, yes. After one crosses the river in a boat, the vessel is left at the shore. :)

What about someone like Drukpa Kunley? Was he an exception to this rule?

John Russell: Haha, the Divine Madman! Thing is, there isn't really a "rule" per se, & more than anything, this is what Drukpa Kunley exemplified for us.

There's a saying in Vajrayana that says: "Unto the pure, all things are pure." When one actualizes this as an authentic realization within ones consciousness, then there is nothing that one must reject or accept.

Whether one is under the spell of samsara, or liberated in nirvana, we see that both state are pure & empty of any "I" entirely. This is the beauty of the Mahamudra/Dzogchen realizations!

What about on teaching this. Do you know about the HH Dali Lamas “one taste test”?

John Russell: I haven't heard of HH one taste test? Is this in reference to the Dzogchen 'One Taste'?

Yes, sort of, please see here.

www.anandainfo.com/new_ethic.html

John Russell: Haha! Yes! That's a great test, & I'm certain most (if not all) 'western neo-tantrikas' would fail indeed... Haha!