Elements of Tantrik Practice

[Toh. = Ui; Suzuki; Kanakura; Tada : A Complete Catalogue of the Tibetan Buddhist Canons. Sendai (Honshu) : Tohoku University, 1934.]

_____________________________________________________

4. Visualization-Sequences

II.B.1.c.ii.ee.2’.a’.ii’.aa’ (p. 93) Caelestial Palace Residence – the 8 dur-khrod (‘charnel-grounds’) in the directions

ground & its direction [(cardinal directions as in p. 288, n. 4:39)]

p. 274, n. 3:116(8) alternative names (with assigned directions), according to Jalandhara, ff. 77a1-78b2; Rahulaguhya, ff. 102a2-b3

E. "Violently Hostile"

E. "Violently Hostile" (gTum drag)

S. "Wild Thicket"

N. "Wild Thicket" (Tshan tshin >khrigs pa)

W. Blazing Thunderbolt

W. "Blazing Fiercely" (>Bar ba >khrug pa)

N. "Place of Skeletons"

S. "Terrifying Skulls" (>Jigs byed thod pa can)

NE. "Terrifying Laughter"

SE. "Laughing Ha Ha" (Ha ha dgod pa)

SE. "Supreme Auspiciousness"

NE. "Exquisite Grove" (Phun tshogs nags tshal)

SW. "Fearsome Darkness"

SW. "Fearsome Darkness" (Mun pa mi zad pa)

NW. "Sounding Kili Kili"

NW. "Sounding Kili Kili" (Ki li ki li sgra sgrogs pa)

p. 289, n. 4:40 features of the charnel-grounds – according to Rahula-gupta = (p. 290) Rahula-guhya = (p. 422) Rahula-bhadra : Prakas`a nama S`ri-Hevajra-Sadhana (‘ "Luminous"-named Revered He-vajra’s Exercise’), Toh. 1238, vol. N~a, ff. 101a7-102b3

direction

east

south

west

north

tree (s`in)

s`iris.a (acacia)

mango

as`oka (jonesia)

as`vattha (Ficus religiosa)

__-faced yaks.a (gnod sbyin)

elephant

buffalo

crocodile

human

dig-pala (phyogs skyon)

Indra

Yama

Varun.a

Kubera

naga (klu)

yellow Vasuki

white Padma

red Karkatika

black Taks.aka

multicolored cloud (sprin)

‘Roaring’

‘Whirling’

‘Terrifying’

"Sounding Hur Hur"

mountain (ri)

4-colored Meru

white Malaya

white Kailas`a

green Mandarava

stupa (mchod rten)

white Vajra

black Vajra

white "Vajra of Passion"

white "Vajra Formation"

         

direction

northeast

southeast

southwest

northwest

tree

nyagrodha (banyan)

karan~jaka (Pongamia glabra)

lataparkati

arjuna (terminalia)

__-faced yaks.a

ox

goat

bear

deer

dig-pala

white Is`ana

red Agnideva

black Nairr.ti

azure Vayudeva

naga

yellow S`ankha-pala

azure Varun.a

white An-anta

multicolored Kulika

multicolored cloud

‘Fierce’

‘Thick’

‘Filling’

‘Raining’

mountain

black ‘Powerful’

yellow Gandha-madana

‘Gold’

blue S`ri-Parvata

stupa

white "Vajra mind"

red "Vajra Body"

white Pretious Vajra

green "Vajra of the Doctrine"

[in each case, the animal-faced yaks.a is the vahana (‘vehicle’) of the dig-pala (‘direction-guardian’).]

-------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Bases of Purification

II.B.1.c.ii.ff.1’ (pp. 108-109) Process of Death & Its Purification – signs of dying

p.

inability

simile for consciousness

stopped

108

"to move the body"

"smoky haze"

--

 

"the body’s fluids -- ... saliva, and so on – dry up"

"shimmering mirage"

33

 

"warmth withdraws from the extremities of the body"

"fireflies"

40

108-9

"exhalations become longer and one can no longer inhale"

"perfectly still flame"

7

II.B.1.c.ii.ff.1’ (p. 109) Process of Death & Its Purification – brilliances of death

light

"__ brilliance"

visionary simile

"light"

white

"moonlight in a cloudless sky"

"increase of light"

red

"sunlight in a cloudless sky"

"full culmination of light"

black

"perfectly clear sky" : "luminous clarity"

II.B.1.c.ii.ff.3’ (p. 111) Process of Gestation & Its Purification – growth of embryo (according to 2nd chapter of the Samvara-udaya Tantra = Toh. 373, vol. Kha, f. 266a7-b1)

time : __ week

shape of embryo

its Bodish name

p. 297, n. 5:9 its Samskr.ta name

1st

oval

nur nur

kalala

2nd

bubble

mer mer

arbuda

3rd

oblong

tar tar

pes`in

4th

with membrane

gor gor

ghana

5th +

"fish-like form"

--

pras`akha

------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Father Tantra Systems [with details mostly from Taranatha’s Yama-ari, Red, Manual of Instructions on the Completion Phase]

II.B.2.c.i.bb.1’ (p. 149) Common Completion Phase – the 4 yoga-s (in ‘Red’ Yama-ari Tantra = Toh. 474)

__ yoga

its practice

its stages

"initial"

"shape"

"self-consecration" [man.d.ala "of thirteen deities" (p. 326, n. 7:59)]

"consecrating appearances" [universe as caelestial palace (loc. cit.)]

"consecrating the union"

"subsequent"

"mantra"

"main" : "wind" yoga ["winds exiting as light" (p. 326, n. 7:60)]

auxiliaries : "upward transference" of consciousness ["into space", at death (loc. cit.)]; and, transference to one’s master [into the deity Yama-ari "on top of a huge tree" (loc. cit.)]

"surpassing"

"consecration"

"one’s own body as method" ["inner fire’ (p. 327, n. 7:61)]

"another’s body as wisdom" ["yoga of the vital-essence sphere" (loc. cit.)]

"great"

"pristine-awareness"

praeliminary : "dissolution of the subtle ["arrayed vital essences" = "the subtle"; "winds of five-colored lights" = "the very subtle" (p. 327, n. 7:62)] and coarse constituents in the central channel"

"main" : illusory body & luminous clarity as a union ["red four-petalled lotus, with a moon at the center" (p. 328, n. 7:63)]

"supplementary" : 6 ways of averting obstacles

II.B.2.c.i.bb.2’ (p. 150) Special Completion Phase – the 3 "utterly unelaborate" practices (in ‘Red’ Yama-ari Tantra)

practice

its manifestation

praeliminary

guru yoga [guru as ‘Red’ Yama-ari upon throne (p. 329, n. 7:69)]

"main"

"ineffable pristine awareness" [oneself as Yama-ari, "an empty shell" (p. 330, n. 7:70)]

"concluding"

6 yoga-s :

1st "the blessing" ["a "tent" of light" (p. 330, n. 7:71)]

2nd "compassion yoga" = the unaequalled

3rd causal yoga" = "the root"

4th "wind yoga" = pran.a-yama [oneself as Yama-ari, "a rainbow body, hollow inside." (p. 331, n. 7:71)]

5th "substance yoga" = "the interconnectedness" ["medicines" (loc. cit.)]

6th Vajra-bhairava yoga ["sphere of rainbow light" (loc. cit.)]

II.B.2.c.i.cc (pp. 151-152) Completion Phase – the 4 yoga-s (in ‘Black’ Yama-ari Tantra = Toh. 467) [with details from Taranatha’s Yama-ari, Black, Manual of Instructions on the Completion Phase according to the Z^an Tradition]

yoga

pp. 332-334 branch

p. 151 "initial"

1st p. 332, n. 7:75

sor-sdud = prati-ahara

2nd " "

bsam-gtan = dhyana

3rd " "

srog-rtsol = pran.a-yama – dewdrop above jewel-syllable

4th " "

>dzin-pa = dharan.a

5th " "

rjes-dran = anu-smr.ti – 8-sided jewel emanating and withdrawing a multitude of insignia

6th p. 333, n. 7:75

tin-ne->dzin = sama-adhi – "sphere at the point of union is drawn up to the sphere at the heart, where it dissolves."

"subsequent"

p. 333, n. 7:77

1st light emanating from seed-syllable on sun-disk

2nd "light has reconverged"

3rd "four goddesses ... change into ... a red vital-essence sphere ... at the nose-tip ... of the consort"

"complete"

"deliberate behavior with an awareness female."

"great"

p. 152 "all-encompassing conduct"

II.B.2.c.i.cc (p. 152) Completion Phase (in Maha-vajra-bhairava Tantra =

Toh. 468)

"gathering of nectar" and "nose-tip yoga" (according to S`anti-pada’s Vajra-bhairava Feast Offering Ritual = Toh. 1995)

"innate dimension of utterly unelaborate profundity"

"tiers of the three beings" ["the pledge-being, the contemplation-being, and the pristine-awareness being" (pp. 334-335, n. 7:85)]

"yoga of the buffalo face and of the erect penis"

the system of Rwa Lo-tsa-ba

"horn-tips method for holding the mind"

"esoteric instructions for wandering at night"

sKyo tradition [from Amogha-vajra the Younger (p. 335, n. 7:88)]

"inner fire involving four channel-wheels" (system of Z^an)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

10. Mother Tantra Systems – Catur-pit.ha, Maha-maya, Buddha-kapala, and Tara-yogini

pp. 379-382 & 385, nn. 10:7-9, 11, 13, 18 locations of subtle semblances (for Catur-pit.ha)

 

n.

location

semblance

379

10:7

"at the heart"

"bull’s hoof"

 

10:8

"below the navel"

coiled king of the naga-s as "coiled snake in seven rings"

380

 

"above the channel-wheel of the secret place"

"tetrahedron, ... inside of which is a red syllable"

   

at "the brahminical aperture"

"white syllable"

   

at "the level of the heart"

white stupa

   

at "the soles of the feet"

"syllables of wind and fire"

 

10:9

on "the left side of the heart"

red "flower of the plantain banana"

381

10:11

alongside the heart, in "the central channel, where the channel is knotted"

"bull’s hoof"

382

10:13

between navel & crown of head

"rope of light on which are mounted twenty-one lotuses"

385

10:18

"the knots of the central channel"

"bull’s hoof"

   

"path of the uvula"

"cow’s udder"

   

"channel in the middle of the heart."

"bunch of plantain bananas"

   

between heart & navel

vase of a stupa, containing vertical cords (channels)

II.B.2.c.ii.dd (pp. 180-181) Completion Phase – the 3 practices (in Catur-pit.ha ‘4 Seats’ Tantra = Toh. 428-430)

p.

practice

essential instruction

pp. 377-384 aspect

180

praeliminary

"closing off the nine gateways" [whence "the consciousness can exit at the time of death" (p. 377, n. 10:3)]

prognosis as per CC & EEC

exit through __

redincarnation as __

navel

desire-realm god

forehead

form-realm god

crown of head

formless-realm god

nostrils

yaks.a atop Meru

ears

magic-power god

eyen

royal human

mouth

preta

urethra

animal

anus

hell-denizen

thunderbolt recitation

p. 378, n. 10:3 "the two sealings of bliss and emptiness"

 

pervading

"the inconceivable"

p. 378, n. 10:4 "At one’s heart is a four-petalled lotus in the center of which is a blue sphere and on each of the ... four petals, a sphere, each of a different color."

"the action-seal"

loc. cit. "inner fire offering"

180-1

pervaded

p. 180 "root"

1st p. 379, n. 10:7 at heart 8-petaled waterlily, "red, closed; and inside that, ... a moon disk"

2nd p. 380, n. 10:8 "nectar flowing from the heart syllable spreads to all the cavities of the channels".

3rd p. 380, n. 10:9 at heart, in open red waterlily, "a small bird’s egg" : "at the sole of each foot, from the syllable ..., wind moves". {cf. Orphic "Wind-egg"}

4th p. 381, n. 10:10 at heart 8-petaled white waterlily : "On each of the four cardinal petals is a different syllable, and on each of the four intermediate petals, a column of syllables."

p. 180-1 "branch"

1st p. 381, n. 10:11 "bull’s hoof" : "base of the fire ... is blue; the middle part, red; the tip, white."

2nd p. 382, n. 10:12 "cow’s udder" : "tent that contains the five" bloodfilled-skullcup-holding d.akini-s

3rd p. 383, n. 10:13 "bunch of plantain bananas"

"upward transference of consciousness"

"entering the deceased" {this is Ajivika}

"knowing others’ thoughts"

"influencing others"

4th p. 384, n. 10:14 stupa-vase

"waking-state appearances" of one’s illusory-body

one’s illusory-body in dreams

one’s illusory-body in antarabhava

CC = Bhavabhadra’s Commentary on the Catur-pit.ha = Toh. 1607, vol. >a, f. 260b

EEC = Kalyanavarman’s Exposition of the Exalted Catur-pit.ha = Toh. 1608, vol. Ya, f. 60b1-61b3

II.B.2.c.ii.dd (pp. 181-182) the 4 chapters on the "seat of the secret" in the Catur-pit.ha Mula-Tantra [these are chapters 13-16 of this 16-chaptered tantra (p. 385, n. 10:19)]

p.

cap.

its contents

181

1st (?)

coiled king of the naga-s {male counterpart to Kun.d.alini} ["making the inner fire blaze at the navel (the "fire of Brahma")" (p. 385, n. 10:17)]

181-2

2nd

p. 181-2 [brtan z^in (p. 386, n. 10:20)]

p. 182 vital-essence at genitals, at mid-eyebrows, at heart

"closing of the gateways shared"

"cow’s-udder completion phase"

"bull’s-hoof" syllable-practices

ability "to know others’ minds"

"fire-offering rite of the ultimate reality."

182

3rd

"esoteric instructions on the egg-born"

"plantain-flower" syllable-practice

"upward transference" of consciousness

"entering the deceased"

"its branches"

 

4th

"bunch-of-plantain-bananas" syllable-practice

stupa-vase’s "branches of binding the winds"

stupa "esoteric instructions"

stupa-vase’s syllable-practice

II.B.2.c.ii.ee (pp. 183-185) Completion Phase – the 4 practices (in Maha-maya ‘Great Illusion’ Tantra = Toh. 425)

p. 183

pp. 387-391

essential instruction

yoga of __

practice

"lesser"

"shape"

pp. 387-8, n. 10:34

god Vajra-sattva & d.akini Jn~ana-is`vari

"profound"

"mantra, of channel-wheels"

1st p. 388, n. 10:35

1 ch.-wh. : god Vairocana – lower tips of 3 channels are inserted into tetrahedron at navel

2nd " " " "

2 ch.-wh.s : thin orange flame riseth from "A" at navel to inverted white "HAM" at crown of head

3rd " " " "

4 ch.-wh.s : from navel a very thin, sharp riseth & pierceth heart & throat, pressing to crown of head

"mantra, of vital essences"

1st p. 388-9, n. 10:36

(according to S`anti-pada’s "esoteric instruction of the upper beads") at heart, open waterlily with sphaere on each of its 4 petals; 3-looped "spider’s thread" whereon are threaded beads of alphabet-letters; in centre is moon with hole in it wherethrough tiny sphaere within it is visible

2nd p. 389, " "

at genitalia, tiny sphaere upon single anther within closed 8-petaled waterlily

3rd " " " "

sphaere rolleth and consumeth. becoming luminous and thereafter elongating

"mantra, of the subtle"

1st p. 389, n. 10:37

exhale "illnesses, suffering, aging, and death"; inhale "life span".

2nd " " " "

count breaths in sets of 10; from white moon-disk thread of light encircleth 7 times clockwise

3rd p. 390, " "

meeting of the upper & lower winds, vase-holding in "lion’s mode"

"ultimate"

"reality"

1st p. 390, n. 10:38

"common" : "using the natural state as the path"-- relax the mind into an "indescribable clarity"

2nd " " " "

"uncommon" : "using appearances as the path" – sealing the mind, "appearances thereby manifest as bliss"

"auxiliary"

"triad of illusions"

1st p. 390, n. 10:39

"waking-state appearances" : all appearances as man.d.ala of Maha-maya

2nd pp. 390-1, " "

1st

"grasping the dream-state"

2nd

"purifying the image of the dream"

3rd

"entering luminous clarity in the dream" [one, when "dreams vanish, enters luminous clarity." (p. 391)]

3rd p. 391, " "

1st

"grasping" : resolve to view all dream-appearances as of antarabhava

2nd

"purifying" : Heruka in union with Maha-maya

3rd

"integrating" : develop ability to "recognize the luminous clarity at death"

(p. 389, n. 10:36) the 3rd practice in mantra yoga of vital-essences (according to Kukkuri-pada’s middle-length sadhana for the Maha-maya Tantra)

site

color

element

shape

crown of head

green

wind

½-moon

heart

yellow

earth

square

navel

white

water

round

"secret place"

red

fire

triangular

above __

is __

the wind-man.d.ala

a sphaere

that

an upside-down HUM-syllable

"The movement of the wind ... causes the sphere

to roll down to the heart and consume the earth mandala.

Likewise, the sphere consumes the water mandala at the navel and

the fire mandala at the secret place. As this occurs,

the sphere becomes increasingly luminous."

"Then it rolls back to the crown of the head ... . ...

Following that, ... the sphere elongates (becoming like a thread of silk), its lower extremity extending to the lower tip of the central channel.

At the level of the navel, that thread-like sphere divides into two branches that reach the nostrils.

Synchronized with the phases of the breath, ... from the navel a syllable rolls upward along the right branch and exits from the right nostril". {is a means whereby Daoist internal deities exit the body?}

{is this "thread of silk" spun by the Chinese silkworm-goddess who is wife of the flayed stallion-god?}

II.B.2.c.ii.ff (pp. 186-187) Completion Phase – the 2 practices (in Buddha-kapala Tantra = Toh. 424; with 3 commentaries : by Saraha = Toh. 1652, by Padma-vajra = Toh. 1653, and by Abhayakara-gupta = Toh. 1654)

p.

practice

branch

pp. 393-395 aspect

186

"with a focus"

"subtle"

1st p. 393, n. 55

"finest particle" out-breath

 

2nd " " " "

"filling up" in-breath

 

3rd " " " "

"stiffening" to "freeze" breath

 

4th pp. 393-4, n. 55

"vase-shaped holding" : gathering the light at navel

 

"vital-essence"

1st p. 394, n. 56

meeting place at crown of head

 

2nd " " " "

meeting-place at heart

 

3rd " " " "

meeting place at navel

 

"bliss and warmth"

1st p. 395, n. 57

"gathering the winds" : sitting on ground, hands on knees

 

2nd " " " "

"opening the entrance to the central channel" : kneeling, hands on thorax

 

3rd " " " "

"forceful" : squatting, each hand in opposite armpit

 

with woman

   
 

"without a focus"

"withdrawal"

p. 395, n. 58

"without any movement of thought"

 

"meditative absorption"

" " " "

"free from reaction to anything"

 

"winds"

 

["to stop the winds ... in the right channel and left channel and make them enter the central channel." (p. 186)]

187

"retention"

 

["dissolve into vital essences in the centers of the individual channel-wheels." (p. 187)]

 

"recollection"

p. 395, n. 59

sigil of empty form, as in the Kala-cakra

 

"contemplation"

   

(p. 394, n. 10:56) for the vital-essence branch-practice (of Buddha-kapala Tantra) : at 5 sites along channel in body, waterlily-blossoms, with each centre (corolla) of each blossom having a written syllable

site

name

# of petals

color of petals

pedestal of syllable

color of syllable

navel

emanation

64

blue

sun-disk

yellow

heart

phainomena

8

blue

moon-disk

black

throat

enjoyment

16

red

 

red

crown

great bliss

32

white

(inverted)

white

anus

(wind)

 

blue

½-moon

 

on that

(fire)

 

red

triangular

 

wind causeth fire to blaze, blue flame riseth "through the central channel to touch the syllable at the heart."

II.B.2.c.ii.gg (pp. 187-189) Completion Phase – the 4 yoga-s (in Tara-yogini Tantra = Toh. 448-449, vol. Ca)

pp. 187-8 yoga

pp. 397-402 aspect

p. 187 "creation"

1st p. 397, n. 64

at one’s heart, 4-armed white Tara, in her heart a moon-disk

2nd " ", n. 65

at one’s heart, Tara (as described)

3rd " ", n. 66

at right, sun in channel-wheel of phainomena; at left, moon at centre of heart; between sun & moon, 4-armed Tara

p. 188 "subsequent"

1st " ", n. 67

praeliminary : inside the nose, orange smoke with sparks

2nd p. 397-8, n. 67

main : "calm abiding"

3rd pp. 398-9, n. 67 – the 9 methods of enhancement practice

1st

unborn "A" at centre of heart

2nd

"HUM"

3rd

"PHAT."

4th

(pp. 398-9) of "space" [akas`a]

5th

(p. 399) "AS"

6th

"YAM" of wind

7th

"RAM" of fire

8th

"VAM" of water

9th

"LAM" of earth

"surpassing"

1st p. 400, n. 70 – the 5 main praeliminaries

1st

"filling with sound" (rasping inhalation) & "filling without sound"

2nd

expelling with sound (rasping exhalation) expelling without sound

3rd

downward-facing black snake entwined around the central channel

4th

"vase-shaped union"

5th

pressing down winds gathered at navel

2nd pp. 400-1, n. 70 – the 5 branch praeliminaries

1st

syllable moveth upward through body [-- cureth "heart wind" (p. 401)]

2nd

(pp. 400-1) syllable riseth through central channel [-- obviateth being "harmed by obstacle-creators" (p. 401)]

3rd

(p. 401) red warmth moveth upward – cureth "diseases of the windpipe"

4th

bow & arrow of "HUM" & "PHAT."

5th

manipulating the sphincter muscles – stabilizeth the downward-voiding wind

3rd pp. 401-2, n. 71 main

"64"

"the emissary" (p. 401) ["the female-emissary" [duti] = action-sigil [karman-mudra] (p. 188)]

"great"

1st p. 402, n. 72

"indestructible body" : at navel, "red line"

2nd " " " "

"indestructible speech" : at navel, waterlily resounding "like the buzzing of bees"

3rd " " " "

"indestructible mind" : at heart, a sphaere radiating light of 5 colors

___________________________________________________

THE TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE, Lib. 8, Pt. 3 = Elio Guarisco & Ingrid McLeod (transls.) : The Elements of Tantric Practice. Snow Lion Publ, Ithaca (NY), 2008.