<p>No, the canon doesn't approve of that at all.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Then Ven. Ananda approached the nun and, on arrival, sat down on a prepared seat. As he was sitting there, he said to the nun: &quot;This body, sister, comes into being through food. <em>And yet it is by relying on food that food is to be abandoned.</em></p>
<p>&quot;This body comes into being through craving. And yet it is <em>by relying on</em> craving that craving is to be abandoned.</p>
<p>&quot;This body comes into being through conceit. And yet it is <em>by relying on</em> conceit that conceit is to be abandoned.</p>
<p>&quot;This body comes into being through sexual intercourse. <em>Sexual intercourse is to be abandoned.</em> With regard to sexual intercourse, the Buddha declares the cutting off of the bridge. -- <em>AN 4.159</em></p>
</blockquote>

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2014-10-25T16:40:59.353Z
2014-10-25T16:40:59.353Z
2020-06-17T09:56:10.877Z
Sadhana
<p>The Buddha <em>didn't</em> teach karmamudra. Read the Pali canon, in which the whole doctrine is laid out.</p>

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2015-07-26T12:42:40.693Z
2015-07-29T13:13:14.877Z
2015-07-29T13:13:14.877Z
Денис
<p>While Buddha did say "I have taught the Dhamma, Ananda, making no inner and outer", he was known to adapt his message to the audience. It is rather apparent from the suttas that Buddha did not teach lay people his more advanced doctrines e.g. Pratityasamutpada.</p>

<p>Similarly in Vajrayana, the elements of Dharma are introduced in a progression, not skipping to advanced teaching until student gets a firm grasp of the basics. Just as Buddha rightly considered Pratityasamutpada too advanced for untrained lay people, in Vajrayana advanced teaching such as Madhyamaka, Lower Tantra, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen is rightly considered too much for most beginners. In fact, advanced levels of Vajrayana (esp. Dzogchen) are often characterized as "self-secret" because they are simply incomprehensible to an unprepared student.</p>

<p>The way Vajrayana sees itself (if I can be as arrogant as to speak on its behalf) is as a natural elaboration of principles implicit in Buddha's teaching, similarly to how Theravada's Visuddhimagga introduces hundreds of concepts Buddha never spoke about in suttas. Think modern mathematics, which can be seen as development of principles laid down by Pythagoras, or modern western scientific method as an extension of Aristotle's work. The fact that Pythagoras did not teach calculus does not mean it's not real mathematics.</p>

<p>As I said in <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/5280/43">How do taboo acts work in tantra if people don't see the acts as taboo?</a>, Kamamudra is a very small part of Vajrayana and much of it is about solving emotional issues that are unique to the current society dominated by abstract concepts rather than by natural relationships as was back in Buddha's times.</p>

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2014-10-25T23:02:16.570Z
If "secret transmission" (i.e. unwritten tradition) is a claim, then the question in the OP might be, "Could Pythagoras have taught calculus?"
ChrisW
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2014-10-25T16:23:31.087Z
2014-10-25T16:28:47.060Z
2017-04-13T12:51:06.270Z
Andriy Volkov
<p>According to the early texts the Buddha didn't have any secret teachings. Somewhere in the Digha Nikaya (I think it's in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, but it's a very long Sutta and I can't quite locate it) the Buddha said: "I do not have the closed fist of the teacher who holds anything back" and in AN 1.283 the Buddha said: "Three things shine openly, not in secret. What three? The orb of the moon, the orb of the sun and the Dhamma and discipline taught by the Tathàgata"</p>

<p>One thing to note though is that the Tantras mostly don't claim to have been spoken by the historical Buddha Sidhartha Gautama, or Shakyamuni Buddha, but by Vajradhara, a different Buddha that is often understood to be Shakyamuni appearing in Tantric form. They say that Vajradhara appeared to the various Mahasiddhas in visions and revealed to them the various Tantras that became the basis of the tantric teachings.</p>

<p>Also, just to clarify for readers who may not be aware, Karmamudra is a high level tantric practice in which one engages in sexual intercourse with a special consort in order to destroy the knots around the Heart Chakra and thus allow the attainment of enlightenment. It is a very high level practice and isn't done lightly. Monks are not allowed to do it (at least in the Gelugpa school) because of their vows of celibacy. It's a very rare practice.</p>

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2021-06-16T07:20:52.850Z
but in Simsapa sutta Buddha says, 'there are many more things that I have found out, but not revealed to you. What I have revealed to you is only a little.'
user17389
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2014-10-23T13:01:50.713Z
Yes, DN 16 ` ‘But, Ananda, what does the order of monks expect of me? I have taught the Dhamma, Ananda, making no “inner” and ʺouter; the Tathagata has no “teacher’s fist” in respect of doctrines.` (Bodhi)
yuttadhammo
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2014-10-23T01:38:05.037Z
2014-10-23T01:43:28.813Z
2014-10-23T01:43:28.813Z
Bakmoon
<p>One of the characteristics of Vajrayana is its secret transmission (esoteric tranmission) of certain teachings. The other one is the controversial   karmamudra (sexual practice to reach spiritual attainment).</p>

<p>So the question is, according to the characteristics and teaching of Buddha in Pali Canon, could he have taught Vajrayana and karmamudra?</p>

<pali-canon><vajrayana>
According to Buddha's characteristics and teaching in Pali Canon, could he have taught Vajrayana (and Karmamudra)?
# According to Buddha's characteristics and teaching in Pali Canon, could he have taught Vajrayana (and Karmamudra)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-23)

One of the characteristics of Vajrayana is its secret transmission (esoteric tranmission) of certain teachings. The other one is the controversial karmamudra (sexual practice to reach spiritual attainment).

So the question is, according to the characteristics and teaching of Buddha in Pali Canon, could he have taught Vajrayana and karmamudra?

**Tags:** pali-canon, vajrayana


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-10-23. Score: 8

According to the early texts the Buddha didn't have any secret teachings. Somewhere in the Digha Nikaya (I think it's in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, but it's a very long Sutta and I can't quite locate it) the Buddha said: "I do not have the closed fist of the teacher who holds anything back" and in AN 1.283 the Buddha said: "Three things shine openly, not in secret. What three? The orb of the moon, the orb of the sun and the Dhamma and discipline taught by the Tathàgata"

One thing to note though is that the Tantras mostly don't claim to have been spoken by the historical Buddha Sidhartha Gautama, or Shakyamuni Buddha, but by Vajradhara, a different Buddha that is often understood to be Shakyamuni appearing in Tantric form. They say that Vajradhara appeared to the various Mahasiddhas in visions and revealed to them the various Tantras that became the basis of the tantric teachings.

Also, just to clarify for readers who may not be aware, Karmamudra is a high level tantric practice in which one engages in sexual intercourse with a special consort in order to destroy the knots around the Heart Chakra and thus allow the attainment of enlightenment. It is a very high level practice and isn't done lightly. Monks are not allowed to do it (at least in the Gelugpa school) because of their vows of celibacy. It's a very rare practice.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Yes, DN 16 ` ‘But, Ananda, what does the order of monks expect of me? I have taught the Dhamma, Ananda, making no “inner” and ʺouter; the Tathagata has no “teacher’s fist” in respect of doctrines.` (Bodhi)  
> **username_6**: but in Simsapa sutta Buddha says, 'there are many more things that I have found out, but not revealed to you. What I have revealed to you is only a little.'  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-10-25. Score: 2

No, the canon doesn't approve of that at all.

> Then Ven. Ananda approached the nun and, on arrival, sat down on a prepared seat. As he was sitting there, he said to the nun: "This body, sister, comes into being through food. *And yet it is by relying on food that food is to be abandoned.*
>
> "This body comes into being through craving. And yet it is *by relying on* craving that craving is to be abandoned.
>
> "This body comes into being through conceit. And yet it is *by relying on* conceit that conceit is to be abandoned.
>
> "This body comes into being through sexual intercourse. *Sexual intercourse is to be abandoned.* With regard to sexual intercourse, the Buddha declares the cutting off of the bridge. -- *AN 4.159*


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-07-26. Score: 1

The Buddha *didn't* teach karmamudra. Read the Pali canon, in which the whole doctrine is laid out.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2014-10-25. Score: 1

While Buddha did say "I have taught the Dhamma, Ananda, making no inner and outer", he was known to adapt his message to the audience. It is rather apparent from the suttas that Buddha did not teach lay people his more advanced doctrines e.g. Pratityasamutpada.

Similarly in Vajrayana, the elements of Dharma are introduced in a progression, not skipping to advanced teaching until student gets a firm grasp of the basics. Just as Buddha rightly considered Pratityasamutpada too advanced for untrained lay people, in Vajrayana advanced teaching such as Madhyamaka, Lower Tantra, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen is rightly considered too much for most beginners. In fact, advanced levels of Vajrayana (esp. Dzogchen) are often characterized as "self-secret" because they are simply incomprehensible to an unprepared student.

The way Vajrayana sees itself (if I can be as arrogant as to speak on its behalf) is as a natural elaboration of principles implicit in Buddha's teaching, similarly to how Theravada's Visuddhimagga introduces hundreds of concepts Buddha never spoke about in suttas. Think modern mathematics, which can be seen as development of principles laid down by Pythagoras, or modern western scientific method as an extension of Aristotle's work. The fact that Pythagoras did not teach calculus does not mean it's not real mathematics.

As I said in [How do taboo acts work in tantra if people don't see the acts as taboo?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/5280/43), Kamamudra is a very small part of Vajrayana and much of it is about solving emotional issues that are unique to the current society dominated by abstract concepts rather than by natural relationships as was back in Buddha's times.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: If "secret transmission" (i.e. unwritten tradition) is a claim, then the question in the OP might be, "Could Pythagoras have taught calculus?"  

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