Purity of Intention in Deity Practice

A deity is a ‘power’ representing a quality that resembles our true nature. To theists, this would be God; to atheists this would be life itself; to Buddhists this would be past masters with qualities of protection and compassion.

We also have to accept that there are opposites, so there must be those whose deities are, unfortunately, demonic: it’s here that we have to bear in mind the purity of intention, as we can deceive ourselves and turn good into self harm. Again, unfortunately, if we are not instructed properly, we can get the wrong idea: I’ve seen sentimentality turning teachings into a religion – dogma without an understanding of compassion.

Sometimes we might feel, “Well, if all creations are a product of the mind, they are an obstacle to pure awareness….damn!” Not so! Creation can be an expression of love in whatever we do. That is unconditional love…no attachment. There is no holding on to feelings as there is the next situation or moment to deal with. We can even engage in sensual pleasures, but without attachment; there is enjoyment, but the addictive quality is not present, and therefore the pleasure is not controlling us.

We have to first understand the true nature of self and everything. This is not difficult: self and everything are void of any true, permanent existence. Recognising this fact liberates us from making everything a big deal! This has everything to do with intention.

When it comes to deity practice, intention is everything. In Buddhism, deity practice comes under the heading of Vajrayana or Tantra, where one needs to have completed the “Ngondro” (4 x 111,111 of Prostrations, Vajrasattva, Mandala and Guru Yoga) and received the appropriate empowerment.

Still, there are deity practices such as Chenrezi and Tara where the ngondro is not essential – anyone can do them with the correct intention, as they are mainly concerned with the generation of compassion.

I did have mixed feelings about deity practice, wondering “How does it work?” We could say, “It’s in the magic of the mantra”; just doing the prayer enhances our own compassion towards ourselves and others, even though we may do this mechanically…it makes us feel good and the prayer goes out to the universe like prayer flags in the wind.

This is ok, but we can understand at deeper level. Here I’m expressing a personal view of “how it works” for me. Getting instruction on deity practices isn’t easy, as Tibetans believe in magic and ghosts, and so the basic instructions suit them: as a modern westerner we may find this difficult, so we need a pragmatic approach with a touch of trust.

Having a 95% understanding of the Dharma through proof and inference, the extra 5% has to be trust, especially in relation to Guru Yoga, which is the mainstay of Tibetan traditions.

Getting to the point

Everything that is created is created in the mind – deities included. It all comes down to the intention of that creation. Is it for selfless or selfish reasons? We have to be aware of the difference as any practice may be turned from unconditional love to something demonic. It’s easily done – and we are easily turned.

When we do any deity practice, we open ourselves up. That opening up can have a ‘tinge’ to it – a touch of self interest, or indifference. When we do deity practice we take on the embodiment – the qualities – of that deity, and become a conduit for compassion without the tinge! It is all in the purity of intention.

Deity practice is not a sloppy business of fantasy. It’s a refining process. It is Calling The Enlightened From Afar to protect us, and for us to achieve their realisation. If the intention isn’t pure, we could be calling on something else, which will only enhance our “I” fixation.

Purity of intention is merely a pure heart.
A pure heart is merely resting in pure awareness.

We drop the intention
when effort becomes effortless.