cult of Vajra-kila, according to the "Northern Treasures" texts

deities guarding textual treasures

p.

deity

textual treasure

25

"pale blue snake with a yellow belly ... in a coil with its face to the southeast upon a square blue stone, the top of which was marked in nine sections with nine silver coloured nails so that it resembled the back of a tortoise."

5-fold "Northern Treasure"

112

"black iron scorpion with nine heads ... living in a cave"; "six-legged throne of jewels"

p. 113 Svayam-bhu-Sva-udaya Tantra = "mula-tantra of vajra-wrath"

pp. 25-26 compartments of the maroon leathern casket (box) of the Northern Treasure

p.

compartment

lining of compartment

text contained therein

25

central

silk

ati-yoga of Vajra-kila

26

front (eastern)

conch-shell

on similarity of mind to sky

 

southern

gold

4-fold practice of deity-invocation

 

western

copper

Lha-chen teachings

 

northern

iron

concerning ritual medicine & mDos ("thread-crosses")

p. 27, fn. 74 the 7 'hidden lands'

Khumbu

Helambu

Rons`ar

Lapc^i

Dolpo

Nubri

Sikkim

p. 45 the 7 parts of fortress, according to the 63rd sutra of the Sutra-nipata

part of fortress

simile

meaning

pillar

s`raddha

faith

moat

hri

shame

citadel

apatraptya

modesty

armory

s`ruta

erudition

troops

virya

valor

tyaga

renunciation

gatekeeper

smr.ti

mindfulness

s`ila

morality

ramparts

prajn~a

wisdom

p. 46 the 4 goddesses who guard the doors of the man.d.ala of Vis`va-d.aka, according to the Nis.panna-yogavali 77

her color

direction of door

apotheosis of __

white

east

talaka ("bolt / lock")

yellow

south

kun~cika ("keys")

red

west

kapat.a ("door-panel")

black

north

kan.d.apat.a ("dividing-curtain")

p. 91 nails, according to the appendix to the Drag sNags Zab-pa>i Lo rGyus

__ nail

length

deities of nails

chief

18"

Vajra-kila

great

12"

10 krodha kings & queens

struck

8"

21 sons

messenger

8"

360 messengers

protecting

6"

12 protectors

averting

4"

 

outer

3"

 
     

__ nails

are the __

 

speedily-moving

20 messengers

animal-headed assistants

struck

sons / weapons

 

4 at gates

4 activities

guardians of 4 gates

     

arrangement of nails

__ (# of) nails

 

circles

21

 

around the border

12

 

supreme man.d.ala

1,000

 

middling man.d.ala

100

 

lowest man.d.ala

5 or 11

 

p. 92, fn. 327 the 360 messengers (male & female) in 6 groups of 60 each, according to the Phur-pa Drag sNags Kyi >Phrin-las

substance

direction

Dun ("conch")

east

lCags ("iron")

south

Zans ("copper")

west

gYu ("turquoise")

north

gSer ("gold")

nadir

bSe ("rosewood")

zenith

pp. 100-101 distribution of the as.t.a-maha-sadhana by queen of d.akini-s

Tantra of

to __

Yama-antaka

Man~jus`ri-mitra

Haya-griva

Naga-arjuna-garbha

Cakra-samvara

Humkara

Amr.ta-guna

Vimala-mitra

Vajra-kila

Prabha-hasti

Matr.

Dhana-samskr.ta

Loka-stotra-puja

Rambu-guhya Deva-candra

Mantra-bhiru

S`anti-garbha

p. 151 deities who are summoned for the rite of empowerment, according to the Phur-pa Che mChog Gi dBan Chu 76-79

deity

from __

Vajra-pan.i

Alaka-vati

his consort, the d.akini +Karma-indran.i

spontaneously-arising great charnel-ground

Brahma

above Mt. Meru

Indra S`ata-kratu

palace Vi-jaya

naga-raja Taks.aka

Sindhu ocean

king Indra-bhuti

Mt. Malaya

S`akya-prabha

Zahor

Padma-sambhava

cave at Phar-pin

Vimala-mitra

river Ganga

S`ila-man~ju

hut in Man.d.ala forest

+Ye-s`es mTso--rgyal

lion's fortress of Bhutan

sNa-nam rDo-rje bDud->joms

red-rock treasury-cave in Ron

pp. 152-153 successive consecrations of a disciple, according to the Phur-pa Che mChog Gi dBan Chu 81-84

p.

consecration

meaning / deity

entrustment

152

pan~ca-prajn~a

5 wisdoms

5-lobed crown

 

bija-mantra

seed-syllable

[ad libitum]

 

hasta-cihna

hand-symbols

vajra-ghan.t.a

 

[body of]

Maha-s`ri-heruka

jn~ana-sattva

 

[speech of]

Haya-griva

earrings

 

[body of]

the wrathful

chattra (umbrella)

 

[speech of]

the wrathful

mala (garland)

 

vajra-kavaca

thunderbolt-armor

body-hair

   

wealth & enjoyment

food & drink

152-3

[citta ("mental ability")]

Vajra-kumara

21 hr.daya-jn~ana-kila-s (heart-knowledge spikes)

153

jn~ana-vas`ita

knowledge-supremacy

 
 

ayus-vas`ita

lifespan-supremacy

 
 

upa-patti-vas`ita

pure-birth supremacy

 
 

adhi-mukti-vas`ita

joyful-aspiration supremacy

 
 

paris.kara-vas`ita

material-possessions supremacy

 
 

karman-vas`ita

deeds-supremacy

 
 

pra-n.idhana-vas`ita

prayer-supremacy

 
 

r.ddhi-vas`ita

miracle-power supremacy

 

p. 153, fn. 560 the 10 vas`ita-s are acquired by a bodhisattva in the 8th bhumi, according to the Das`a-bhumika Sutra 70:8-18

p. 165 'natural' foundation of the man.d.ala, according to Maha-uttara-kila text

substance

in direction __

swirling white semen

east

heap of flesh

south

foaming red blood

west

lake of urine

north

p. 165 written syllables arising from genitalia of yogin and of his consort, according to the rDo-rje Phur-pa Che mChog Gi >Phrin-las 527-528

from __

syllable

color of syllable

her vulva

AS

bright red

base of his penis

OM

bright white

midsection of penis

HUM

bright red

tip of his penis

PHAT.

bright blue

"His ardent desire for the bliss of her 'secret cavity' [vagina] is said to annihilate all worldly attachments." [is this a joke?!}

p. 165 the 4 wives of the snarling red-black Haya-griva, according to the rDo-rje Phur-pa Che mChog Gi >Phrin-las 528-530

direction

color

wife

wielding __

east

white

+rGyas->debs

iron hook

south

yellow

+Za-byed

noose

west

red

+rMons-byed

fetters

north

green

+Tshe->phel

bell

p. 172 groups of deities who are invited, according to Maha-uttara-kila text

from __

are invited __

man.d.ala of human flesh

32 wrathful d.akini-s

palace with walls built of skeletons

28 is`vari-s

charnel-ground of piled-up hearts

7 matr.-s & 4 svasr.-s

man.d.ala composed of bones

360 messengers

p. 183 the 3 faces of Vajra-yaks.a, triple-essence as trinity, according to the bKa> N~an lCags Kyi Ber-ka 102

the __ (color) face

on the __ (direction)

is the real __ (god)

who __

white

right

Yama-antaka

stirreth the brain-blood in the skulls of the 4 bSe-mo goddesses [to excite them]

red

left

Haya-griva

cutteth at the base of the tongues of the 4 S`van-mukha sistren [to facilitate their everting the tongues]

blue

central

A-mr.ta-kun.d.alin

confoundeth the heart-cakra of the black d.akini-s [to induce them to fall in love]

p. 182, fn. 652 the hearts of d.akini-s are attracted (fall in love) like iron to a magnet (the heart of the yogin), according to the bSe lCags Dun gSum sRog Gi Citta 126

p. 184 the 3 groups of protective goddesses, according to the bSe lCags Dun gSum sRog Gi Citta 128-129

their family

their status

their nature & time of activity

their abode in the body

their movement

Rosewood

transcend samsara

wild animals in the evening twilight

in 8-petalled waterlily on the tongue

going in & out upon a white wind

Iron

betwixt transcendent & mundane

raks.asi-s in the dead of night

in 8-sided sun in the heart

are attracted to black like bees to a flower

Conch

worldly

sucking blood as milk, at dawn

in 8-spoked wheel between the eyebrows (on urn.a)

characteristic of medicine

pp. 184-185 the 3 groups of 4 goddesses each, according to the bKa> >brGyad rNam Nes by Padma >Phrin-las

p. 184 the 4 'goddesses of the evening', in the Rosewood family

goddess

her color

her mount

wielded by her: &

kila of

S`van-mukha (bitch-mouth)

dark-blue

9-headed she-wolf of iron

skull-topped staff

iron

Sri-sa

yellow

8-tongued yellow wild bitch

iron hook

gold

Sr.gala (jackal)

red

3-legged vixen

vajra

copper

Kukkura

green

long-haired turquoise bitch

child's-skin banner

turquoise

         

pp. 184-5 the 4 'midnight-goddeses' = the 4 Mahatma-devi-s = the 4 R.tu-rajn~i-s ("season-queens") = the S`ri-devi group, in the family of Iron

goddess

her color

her mount

carried by her

worn by her

Remati

dark-blue

3-legged mule

human-leg kila (or else mirror) & khat.vanga

cloak of human skin

Rema-ja

dark-yellow

doe

golden sickle & turquoise box

rainbow-cloak of peacock-feathers

Rema-ju

dark-red

dark-blue water-buffalo

iron hook & blood-filled skull-cup

belted cloak

Rema-ji

dark-green

camel

notched rod & thread-clew

water-pattern cloak of black silk

         

p. 185 the 4 'goddesses of the morning' = the 4 Bhumi-pati (Sa-bdag-ma) sistren = the bSe-mo goddesses, in the Conch family

goddess

her color

her mount

carried by her

worn by her

Ya-byin, daughter of the bdud

dark-blue

"horse of Mara" / turquoise dragon

iron hook & kila for striking

long-sleeved gown of blue silk

De-byin, d. of gza ("planets")

yellow

"horse of the planets" / makara

golden kila (or else lasso) & porcupine

gown of black silk

bSe-byin, d. of the btsan

dark-red

red horse / glog z^ags (lightning-noose)

iron hook & excellent kila

trailing robe of red silk

Phag-byin, d. of the klu

dark-green

blue-green horse / chu-rta (seahorse)

bell & turquoise kila

long gown of blue silk

{with 3-legged mule as mount, cf. [Zaratustrian] 3-legged ass in sea of Vouru-kas^a}

{with "golden sickle" cf. the Druidic}

{with "rainbow cloak of peacock feathers" cf. "rainbow in sight like unto an emerald" (Revelation of St. John) / "green rainbow" (Book of Chilam Balam)}

{with 4 horse-mounted goddesses cf. the 4 horse-mounted harbingers of the apocalypse (Revelation of St. John)}

p. 188 substances placed in 6 parts of 1/2-moon at imprisoned rag-doll (voodoo-doll), effigy for sorcery, according to the Nag-po Dug Gi >Khor-lo

part

substance

for __

1st

frankincense

separating good from evil

2nd

white mustard

absorption

3rd

green & red strings

deeds to be done

4th

potions

leading to madness

5th

weapons

the 3 nails that strike

6th

glorious bali

to be hurled

p. 208, fn. 743 the 4 offering goddesses, according to the Garland of Flames Tantra

direction

color

goddess

vase of __

east

white

Lasya

quartz

south

blue

Mala ("garland")

jewel

west

red

Giti ("song")

coral

north

green

Nr.tya ("dance")

beryl

p. 221 the 3 groups of 4 gods each, according to the bCom lDan >Das rDo-rje gZ^on-nu >Brin-po ... 679-680 (citing the authority of mNa>-ris Pan.-chen)

the 4 brethren purus.a-s (skyes-bu) in the Rosewood family, standing to the right of the 4 S`van-mukha sistren

direction

__-skyes-bu

his color

wielding kila of __

east

Raks.asa

white

conch-shell

south

[Kala-]Yama

black

iron

west

Ya-bdud

red

copper

north

Yaks.a

blue

turquoise

       

the 4 brethren in the family of Iron, standing to the right of the 4 Mahatma-devi-s

direction

mara

description

east

white

biting his own lower lip

south

blue

long-haired

west

black

wielding noose

north

green

wielding sword

     

the 4 brethren kinkara-s (gin) in the Conch family, standing to the right of the 4 Bhumi-pati (Sa-bdag-ma) sistren

direction

name

his color

he is kinkara of the __

east

Karma-raja

white

raks.asa-s

south

Yama-raja

blue

yama-s

west

Das`a-griva

red

mara-s

north

Yaks.a-griva

yellow

yaks.a-s

BUDDHICA BRITANNICA, series continua iv = Martin J. Boord: The Cult of the Deity Vajrakila. Institute of Buddhist Studies, Tring (UK), 1993.