Deity Yoga

Deity Yoga: Meditation in which the practitioner visualizes themselves as a deity or Yidam. The practitioner self identifies with the deity taking on its emotions and immersing themselves in the deity's environment (The Mandala is the Yidam's environment). This allows one to see themselves and their environment entirely as a projection of their own mind and to become familiar with their ability of projecting conceptual layers over all experience. This is completed while focusing on a mandala or by mentally creating a mandala.

Mandala/Yantra: Spiritual ritual symbol that represents the universe. Each mandala contains the essence of a Yidam or Tutelary Deity. Anyone can create their own personal mandala or mandalas. Meditating on a mandala allows for one to experience Deity Yoga and to become one with a Yidam or Tutelary Deity. The mandala is the mansion or home of the Yidam that inhabits it. Each are experiental nondual realities.

Yidam / Tutelary Deity: A spirit or deity who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. Essentially they are personal deities or familiar spirits.

Deity Yoga

Deity Yoga: Meditation in which the practitioner visualizes themselves as a deity or Yidam. The practitioner self identifies with the deity taking on its emotions and immersing themselves in the deity's environment (The Mandala is the Yidam's environment). This allows one to see themselves and their environment entirely as a projection of their own mind and to become familiar with their ability of projecting conceptual layers over all experience. This is completed while focusing on a mandala or by mentally creating a mandala.

Mandala/Yantra: Spiritual ritual symbol that represents the universe. Each mandala contains the essence of a Yidam or Tutelary Deity. Anyone can create their own personal mandala or mandalas. Meditating on a mandala allows for one to experience Deity Yoga and to become one with a Yidam or Tutelary Deity. The mandala is the mansion or home of the Yidam that inhabits it. Each are experiental nondual realities.

Yidam / Tutelary Deity: A spirit or deity who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. Essentially they are personal deities or familiar spirits.

Skills Needed for Deity Yoga Edit

Visualization: The ability to form mental imagery, imagination. This is used for visualization of the deity and its environment. Absorption: The ability to become immersed in one's mental imagery allowing for altered consciousness experiences. This is used for feeling the emotions of the Deity and truly self-identifying with and becoming the Yidam.

Meditation: The practice of focusing one's attention. This is used to focus on the mandala in order to help in the visualization process.

Access to Mandalas Edit

To complete Deity Yoga you must meditate on a mandala or mentally create your own. How to Make a Mandala: http://www.art-is-fun.com/how-to-draw-a-mandala.html Mandala Gallery: http://www.mandalaproject.org/Mandalas/index_new.html

Social Applications Edit

Mandalas can be shared with others allowing them to meditate on new mandalas and to become different Yidam and explore other maps of the universe. Collaboration with another person allows for the shared conception of a mandala and a Yidam.

Stories of Deity Yoga experiences can be shared with others and teach interesting wisdom and lessons.

Just as meditating on a mandala allows for one to share stories of their experiences, one could create their own mandala inspired by their own experiences or stories.

Basic Applications Edit

Gaining wisdom from experiences had as a Yidam.

The ability to travel the universe through the use of a mandala.

The ability to become a Yidam and gain their particular spiritual powers as you explore their mandala.

The ability to create maps of the universe (mandalas) with one's own mind.

The ability to temporarily augment one's ability to hold images in one's short term memory for long periods of time.

Taking on the role of a deity within their mandala, becoming its protector.

Creating Mandalas helps heal the human psyche as they help you focus inward.

Source

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