In the vehicle of characteristics, at the time actions such as aggression are abandoned, by kindness alone without other kinds of skillful means, and with great agonies of asceticism, in establishing that one goal they are without many means.
Though they and mantra have the single goal of establishing the fruition, those of the bodhisattva vehicle are ignorant about profound means for doing so. Since this vehicle arises as a means for those whose sharpness of sense has been blunted, though this and that practices may be done, they are all practiced by dualistic abandoning and antidotes. Since the aspect to be abandoned is not brought to the path, half of what there is never becomes part of the path at all. Therefore, this is a narrow path and a lesser cause of enlightenment.
The tantras reject those methods. When such actions as aggression are produced, there are many means for dealing with them. Here too there may be kindness, or in the developing stage aggression may be seen as illusion-like, or in the completion stage as the wisdom of non-thought, or by working with that very aggression, it becomes the mirror-like wisdom, and so forth. Asceticism of body, speech, and mind plays a minor part. When the single goal is established, since this and that means beyond the scope of thought are possessed, it is established with certainty. Having been produced for those of sharpest powers, kriya, upa, yoga, and the great yoga of anuttara-tantra are taught. The Lamp of the Three Methods (tshul gsum kyi sgron ma) says:
Not unintelligent about the single goal,
Having many means and also not ascetic,
Having been produced for those of the sharpest powers,
Therefore the mantra vehicles are especially noble.