Aaa

Commentary by H. E. Zong Rinpoche

The practice of Guhyasamaja part of Guhyasamaja is such a vast and profound subject, so it cannot be dealt with in a very short period. If to go through the stage of generation and completion, usually it takes at least a month. Also, usually when a teaching is given then it must be based on certain commentaries, reliable commentary of the practice and so reading the words of the commentary and explaining the meaning of it altogether takes a very long

time. So Je Rinpoche today, instead of going through such commentaries about those two stages of practice, he will give the explanation of how to practice the sadhana, how to practice the meditation, the actual meditation sadhana, concerning Guhyasamaja. So actually the practice of sadhana is the very essence of what is called the stage of generation. After completing this explanation of the sadhana, then Je Rinpoche will explain a summary of the stage of completion.

So first we need to know that a person who is going to practice the stage of generation of the tantra, what sort of qualities should that person have. What sort of preparations that person must undergo, such as the place of the meditation, the actual practice of the meditation and the preparation of, the personal preparation from his own side. So what sort of person has the right or is fit to practice the stage of generation is, it must be someone who has

received the proper initiation. Without receiving the proper initiation, let alone to enter into the practice of tantra, even that person has no right whatsoever even to hear some words of the tantra. So to teach the tantra to the unrightful disciple or a person is a great downfall, to the teacher himself. So without receiving the proper initiation, then try to learn about the practice and also try to put into practice the meditations and so on is completely wrong and does not give any favorable result or fruit and it can have certain heavy consequences. So without initiation if someone teaches tantra, both the teacher and the student will fall into the great suffering of hell realm. So there are many quotations from various great masters and Guru

Vajradhara himself. For example -- but all those quotations will take time and will be difficult to translate. However, one line says "A person out of ignorance and great pride engaged into the practice of tantra takes the tantra, both the master and the disciple will certainly, without any doubt, will fall into the hell very speedily." So a proper practitioner must first receive the initiation, the necessary initiation, not only receiving the initiation, but observe the precepts, the pledges of the initiation. So if a person does not observe the samayas or the pledges of the tantra, although how hard he

works, strives in the practice of the meditation, one will never achieve the siddhi or the accomplishment. So it says in the tantra, "One who has not entered into the mandala and who has given up the samayas and who is ignorant about the actual, the ultimate meaning of the practice will never achieve any siddhi." So on the basis of receiving initiation and also in general a practitioner of tantra must be endowed with these natural qualities of intelligence, power of intelligence, and very strong or firm devotion and one who can keep the secrecy. Although somebody has great power of intelligence, somebody is

very intelligent, if the proper faith and devotion is lacking, then again one can, it is an obstacle to obtain the fruit, the result. Although someone does not have a very great intelligence, if somebody has a really deep faith and devotion, that person still has more chance to accomplish the goal. In general there are three divisions of the faith, three types of the faith; faith that is called the "clear faith", "desiring faith" and the faith of "confidence of belief". So out of those three, the kind of faith which is very important here, very necessary here is what is called the "clear faith".

So a practitioner of the tantra must be able to keep the secrecy of the tantra. So therefore, even if one practices a little bit immediately to make a big showoff of that, is completely contradictory to the practice of tantras. Therefore, except for a few very reliable other practitioners one should keep ones practice secret. Even one should not make it public that what sort of deities one has. When the great master translator who is Ralousawa was a great siddha of Tibet, when he went to Nepal to receive the lineage or the teachings of Yamantaka, at that time that guru, that Nepalese guru, was giving lots of

teachings to his disciples, teachings of various fields, various kinds, but he was never teaching any Yamantaka, any practice of Yamantaka, even not uttering the word, the name of Yamantaka. So the name of that master was Divancharochita or also sometimes is known an Lama Baro. So when the great translator went to him to receive the teachings, he was never uttering even the name of Yamantaka and when he was living with his Master then he saw the master was going every night somewhere. So he was curious about this and one night he decided to follow. The place of this great master can be visited in

Nepal. There is a cave then there is a long passage underground. Very few people go in there. Some people are successful to get to the end of the passage, by tying themselves with a rope and a string. Je Rinpoche has visited the place, but he didn't go right in the end because there are many, it is dark and many places where one can fall and there are certain dangers like that. So then when the translator followed the master and the master was going to a cave and then he was alone reciting the Yamantaka sadhana and mantras and practicing meditation. So he followed very quietly and sat somewhere in the coroner

listening, and listened to the lama. He thought that, he came back before the guru so he thought that he could break some secrecy and he thought that his guru wouldn't have known. But then of course, guru was clairvoyant and the next morning he scolded the translator, "Why were you behaving like a sneaking dog last night?" So then he had to admit it and he said "I was very eager to know what the secret practice of my guru is and with this hope to know a little bit of it, he followed". Then the lama asked him "What have you learned?" He of course couldn't give a complete report, but he has learned, has

heard only a few words of the tantra, so he said those few words, repeated those few words, then insist the guru to give him that particular teaching. He insisted and insisted for a very long time, very strongly until he has received the complete lineage of the transmission of this particular tantra - then he returned to Tibet and became a very great siddha and became the most outstanding siddha Tibet ever had. 2

If someone has very strong faith and devotion in the tantra, and even if one is unable to practice all the complex stage of generation, even with certain ore simple practice of the tantric meditation, one has still the possibility to obtain some accomplishments or some siddhis. If someone has a deep faith in

the guru and in the deity and in the practice itself, then even if he didn't have very great intelligence and wisdom, but gradually that person will be guided by the deity and gradually one will accomplish all the siddhis. So once there was an old mother in India who was very devoted but she was unable to practice all the complex practices of meditation, but she was very devoted and she had a great desire to recite some mantra of a deity. So she had been given this mantra of goddess Tundale so the recitation, the actual recitation of the mantra is something like OM CHURl CHURl CHURNDALI SWA HA, but she was

so ignorant that she didn't learn it correctly and she had been reciting always OM BULLY BULLY BULLY SWA HA. So she was spending her time reciting this wrong mantra and she had a son who was a novice somewhere in a monastery, then once there was a great famine in their country and the greatest starvation and so on, so the son was very worried about his mother and he went to see her. When the son saw his mother, his mother was not only living but she was looking very healthy, very radiant, looking much more powerful than she had ever been. So the son asked, "There is a starvation throughout the country and

I was worried that maybe you were already dead and you are still living and very healthy, so what have you been eating all this time?" And she has answered "I have been cooking the stones, eating these cooked stones and drinking the melted stone." And the son asked "what sort of magic have you learned to cook the stones and melt the stones". She said, "I have no other method than my mantra which is OM BULLY BULLY BULLY." Then the son said "This mantra is completely wrong, the proper mantra is OM CHURl CHURl CHURNDALI SWA HA and so on he taught her the right mantra. Then she started reciting the right mantra

and then with that she was doing her normal cooking with the stones and it didn't work, the stones were not melting, not cooking and when she used her own original mantra the wrong mantra, then it was again functioning. So because she had great faith and belief in what she had been practicing, so therefore, there are like that, there are in general there are many people who have gained certain powers by reciting certain mantras with great belief and faith in it.

So once there was in Tibet a person who was going, traveling from village to village and doing some prayers for the people, reciting sutras and so on. So that person thought that he should learn some mantra, some effective mantra, so that which he can blow at the people, some sick people, like that so that

he can show some powers of that kind. So he went to lama to receive such a mantra. This person's face was all full of smallpox marks, nose and everything. His nose was somewhat similar to the, there is a kind of mala which is called a bead which is called "rudraksha" which is something very rough with many sort of holes in it. It was something like that. So that lama taught him, out of sort of joking, that he should recite this prayer: the first line is "The mouth and the nose are like rudraksha, rudraksha is this bead". And he was very innocent, very innocent faithful person, so he really took it seriously, so

he started reciting "The mouth and nose is like rudraksha, the mouth and nose is like rudraksha", he was reciting a lot of them. So with that mantra he has attained certain powers, siddhis, what he was seeking and afterwards they went there were some sick people and somebody had some trouble on the skin, or anything like this, when this person recited this line, and blow on it, then it was effective, very effective. So when people are suffering from smallpox,

sometimes they get very serious, gets also into the throat or into the eyes and so when he was blowing, when blowing on the eyes and neck, on the eye, then it clears away the pox and then also when someone had inside trouble, then he blows on the water and when they drink that water and it clears away everything. So thus, he became very famous.

Once there was a Rinpoche who had been affected by smallpox and so had affected in his throat inside. So the attendants of the Rinpoche invited this person. So then he came and started reciting this crazy mantra and then that Rinpoche was laughing and laughing, he had to laugh and couldn't control his

laugh, he laughed so much, so strongly, too strongly that it completely cleared away this thing in his throat and without even blowing or anything, was fully recovered. So that story that Rinpoche just told was actually happened when Rinpoche was young and when he was studying at that time, was still living. Now there is another person who again, again there was a person who went to ask for some instructions, some mantras, to lama, but that lama was very busy in a really, in some very busy work, and so he was disturbed and said "Go away", and made a gesture like this to send him away, and said

"Marelisa". So that person thought, has taken Marelisa as the mantra that he has received and that as some kind of gesture, this sending away gesture he took as some special gesture, mudra. So he started practicing this gesture and mantra and went back to his own house and recited very many times. Then through this very intensive practice of Marelisa then he attained some powers. Later when some sick people come to him and he said Marelisa it works, it cures. So even someone who is not practicing some very advanced practice of tantra, even for some power in this lifetime, one who practices some kind of

mantras like that, if one does it with very strong faith and belief in it, they accomplish it, they accomplish that kind of power. So that is the reason why in the practice of tantra in general, the faith is very important. If there are both intelligence and the faith, both are combined and present, that is the best. If two are not possible then the faith is more important. So therefore when we practice the tantra then it is very indispensable to have a strong faith and constance in one's guru, the disciples and the guru and the deity and the actual method. In addition to that, if somebody has a great power of

intelligence then one has the possibility to learn and to practice all the vast and profound methods of the tantra. Even if such a wisdom or intelligence is lacking at the present, if one does it sincerely and seriously the practice what one can, then eventually then one will accomplish the result in this life and even continue to progress in the future. So therefore, these conditions must be present to receive a complete initiation and also to, in keeping all the precepts and samayas we have received during the initiation and then have the intelligence and faith. So even if one is incapable of practicing the

extensive practice of tantra, but if one for the sake of helping someone to rescue someone from suffering and so on, if someone recites or gives the mantra of a certain deity like Tara and then for such a practice of mantra, what is very indispensable, what is very necessary is to have a very firm refuge, refuge in the Triple Gem. That is very important foundation. If someone wants to go further and practice, engage in some more somewhat higher practice of the tantra, and like it pertained to the actual practice of retreat of the deity and so on, then an 3

indispensable basis we must have is generation of Bodhichitta. If one's practice is sustained by generation of Bodhichitta, then even if one hasn't the

power of samadhis and high samadhis and so on, then it would, this generation of the proper motivation would help one's practice to, channel ones practice in the right direction and to accomplish the result. Concerning the development of Bodhichitta, Je Rinpoche has also given the past few days some brief teaching on it and some of you already have some understanding of it. So therefore, to put that into practice, the generation of Bodhichitta is most essential practice now. If one can meditate on the development of Bodhichitta, that is like the, that is very most beneficial, most effective and

beneficial. It is like the life of the path of the Great Vehicle. If the actual Bodhichitta is developed in us, then even a very simple act of virtue will become a very effective cause for attaining enlightenment. So even if one, even if the actual Bodhichitta, the proper Bodhichitta has not developed in us but if one trains one's mind in that direction and develops the motivation in our mind of that kind, then since it is a motivation dedicated for the benefit of all sentient beings, then even if one makes a slight mistake in way of developing it, it still has a very great result. For example, if one sees

someone, somebody else suffering from certain problem like headache, very severe headache, and by seeing that other person in that suffering, that condition, if one generates a very sincere wish to free that person from that sickness, from that pain and sort of start to look for some medicine and so on, already that motivation, that sort of sincere wish and motivation, it has a very great value and very great merit. So even the wish to liberate or free just one sentient being from just one type of suffering like that, has such a great benefit and is a great accumulation of merit. Then there is no

question, there is needless to say how powerful and how meritorious it is to generate the wish to liberate all sentient beings, infinite sentient beings, without exception, to liberate from all sufferings and their cause and to establish them in happiness. So this is taught with this example of the sick person by the Bodhisattva Shantideva and Bodhisattva Shavitara.

So in order to receive the proper initiation of the tantra first one must have the development of the Bodhichitta. So therefore, a practitioner of the tantra should have these qualities, or these preparations, within oneself and then on the basis of these preparations then one should first practice the

stage of generation and then the completion. There was a view in the past which asserts that the stage of completion is necessary to attain full enlightenment and the stage of generation is for attaining common siddhis, ordinary siddhis.

So this is in a way true because without developing the stage of completion there is no way to attain enlightenment and through the practice of the stage of generation then one can obtain these common siddhis like the 8 ordinary siddhis. Then even before the stage of generation, before practice the actual stage of generation, already if someone has the right preparation then going through, completing the retreat of the deity and through the practice of meditation deity with the retreat, one will gain the right or the power to engage in various activities in relation with the deity. But actually without going through the stage of generation there is no way to attain enlightenment, just merely by stage of completion, and the stage of completion cannot really properly develop without the basis of the first stage. Although there were such views which said that the stage of generation is unimportant, it is not necessary, one can just concentration on the state of completion and attain enlightenment. But that view, such a view, was existing in Tibet in the past, but that was proved to be wrong and so the great masters have refuted this wrong view. So there are all the scripture sources agree on the point that for example to go upstairs one is fully dependent or relies on or dependent on climbing the steps, so one must walk over the stairs and then get on top. So

it is, there are many scripture sources, there are tantras taught by Buddha as well as other great commentaries of great siddhas and pundits like Nagarjuna and so on. So they all say that to attain the enlightenment then one has to go through these stages, the stage of generation and completion, like the steps of the ladder or stair. So Rinpoche thinks that is sufficient concerning, explanation concerning the preparation into the meditation and actual practice.

Now concerning the actual practice of meditation it is combined with the recitation of the sadhana. If one can combine the two, to practice the meditation in the mind and recite the words, that is very good. And if somebody really has a good capacity or a good power to meditate, all the stages of meditation very correctly and precisely in the mind, and for such person the recitation, verbal recitation of the sadhana is not absolutely necessary. So usually when we learn, when we get used to the verbal recitation, then it happens that it goes sort of automatically without thinking. So as one begins the prayer and then the mind wanders here and there and the recitation is already about half way finished. Also we can combine the recitation with other work like drawing something or sewing something or anything like that, and the recitation goes sort of unconsciously. So in the same way if one practices this meditation inwardly, training our mind to practice this meditation, stages of meditation, within the mind, at the beginning it is effortsome, but after a while one gets completely acquainted with it and then it will, one's mind will be able to go through these stages of meditation without much effort, sort of a natural process. So in the practice of the meditation there are two periods. There is the meditation period, the formal session of meditation period, and the post-meditation period, while we engage in other activities. So during the actual formal session of meditation, our mind is more in control. There are

less chances for certain negative thoughts or negative attitudes to arise in the mind because one is engaged in some formal work, so one's mind is more occupied with that. So when we stop the formal session and past the post-meditation period, at that time if we completely put aside one's practice or completely forget about it, then all the contradictory thoughts and actions would then arise during the post-meditation period and this way one will not be able to make any progress, any real progress, even if one practice in such a way his whole life. Because one will keep on spoiling all what one has made,

what one has developed during the formal session, at the time of the post-session period. One will be always destroying or spoiling during the post-meditation period with all the effort we have made in the meditation session. So this way then there is very little chance for progress. So like one

generates all the wholesome state of mind during the meditation session, also we should try to continue during the post-meditation period with this same attitude of the mind so that one will not do completely exactly the opposite or the contradictory things during the post-period. In this way if one

combines the two, even one's ordinary activities during the post-meditation period with the proper motivation, with the proper state of mind, then the life will be fruitful, meaningful. For example in the stage of generation of Bodhichitta, when one meditates, contemplates very deeply on the kindness of the sentient beings and the great difficulty of the sentient beings and all these 4

reasons until one feels a very strong concern about the sentient beings and about their welfare and generates a real great compassion to separate them from suffering and to generate the pure love to give then happiness. So this is all developed during the meditation, the actual meditation session. So at that

time one holds every sentient being equally very dear to one's heart. But then, when we break the meditation and go through the post- meditation period at that time we start doing all just the opposite, generating ill-will and very harmful thoughts toward sentient beings or harming them, physically harming them, killing, beating or scolding them and doing all the negative things toward sentient beings. Then it is completely contradictory to the kind of motivations and state of mind that we have generated with all our effort in the meditation period. So therefore, one destroys completely all, one has

destroyed everything what one had built up. So if one practices in such a way, then there is very little benefit of the dharma. So during the meditation we generate very sincere love and compassion toward sentient beings and we wish all the best for the sentient beings and at the post-period if we generate maybe negative, like jealousy towards the goodness and happiness and progress of other sentient beings like that, then those two stages of mind are completely opposite. So it is more beneficial to put into practice, to put properly into practice whatever one has learned even though it is very small

degree, very low level, to put it into practice rather than to learn so much and not put anything into practice. So if one really puts into practice the dharma what one learns then first it transforms our inner attitude, our mental attitude, it helps the mind to develop all the wholesome qualities and when this happens then automatically it will influence our activities, our actions, our behaviors, our outer behaviors and our outer actions and behaviors will be purified, so that more wholesome, will develop. Then one becomes a true practitioner of the dharma. So instead of just collecting a lot of dharma with

little benefit through one's mind, if one puts into practice seriously puts into practice what is beneficial, what is essential and beneficial to one's mind, that is more preferable. So if one wishes to become a real good and true practitioner of dharma one should keep, develop the Bodhichitta as the principal of the practice, as the most essential practice. Then practice love and compassion towards all sentient beings without discrimination, like discriminating that's my side and their side and so on, without discrimination of other sentient beings, because Bodhichitta is something concerned or

dedicated towards all sentient beings regardless of who they are and what they have been. It is an equal thought, so therefore to hold this very different and discriminative attitude toward sentient beings is wrong and also one should give up all these discriminating attitudes towards the teachings of the dharma, that is my teaching is, my dharma is better than his and so on like that, this kind of discriminating attitude toward the different teachings of the dharma is also very wrong for a practitioner of dharma to do. Also when one practices meditation in relation with the deity one should concentrate

one's practice on, meditation on one principal deity whoever it is, Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka or any deity which we have, that one has received the initiation of that deity. If one practices such a meditation then actually it includes all the deities. One should never think the deities are different beings different, unrelated to each other because all the manifestations of the Buddha, these deities are of one nature, they are one being. So that principal practice of meditation then one should try to make it really complete, learn about it, every aspect of it and make it really complete.

Now Rinpoche is going to give the explanation about the meditation of Guhyasamaja. This sadhana is rather complex, rather elaborated and with many forms, so although you are not going to take this as the principal practice of your meditation, but however if you learn this, if you learn this practice you can apply the same principles to other practices of meditation and so it is also very beneficial. So therefore now we should, Rinpoche is going to teach us how one should proceed in this practice of meditation, what one should do at the beginning before the meditation, and at the beginning of the meditation and in the actual practice of meditation and at the concluding stage.

So before the meditation there are certain objects that we must gather, we must have. We should have bell and vajra, then the inner offerings, a liquid bases, an inner offering. A yogi or a practitioner of the meditation should have these preparations first complete, that is bell and vajra, the inner offering, and also the vase and then the seat of the meditation and the meditation cell or cave or whatever. So those are certain outer preparations. In

other words they are objects of samaya, which we must gather first. So whether we have other objects or not one object which is quite indispensable is this inner offering, whether it is tea or water or whatever in a little container, a liquid that we must have. Then in the morning when we wake up then at the beginning of the practice one first should recite the mantras to bless the speech and also the multiplying mantras. So the first one to recite is the mantra of blessed speech and if one can't then anyway one can practice the multiplying mantra is very beneficial, very profitable. It is: OM SAMBA VESARAMAJARA HUM and everyone recites this seven times at the beginning, then it has the effect to multiply all the recitation of mantra that we are going to do on that very day. There is a second mantra also for the multiplying that is: SAMARA SAMARA VIMARAKARA MAHAJA HUM or one can recite MARA MARA VIMAKAMARAJA HUM, whatever way. So those are the two mantras for multiplying. So if one can recite 7 times each is beneficial for on the following day.

Then we should recite the mantra OM VITSA VIPARATARA HUM to the, and blow to our, to bless the mala, the rosary. With this blessing one recites the mantra on that rosary it has also power of multiplying the merit of the recitation. Then after that one should clean ones place. That is the procedure in the daily practice. If someone has an altar and statues and like this then one should if necessary, one should dust and clean the altar respectfully even sort of covering ones mouth and so on and clean them. After cleaning then one should look at the representations with respect, with very faithful mind, and look

at them as they are emanation, real manifestation of Buddha. This way one accumulates great merit. So even if the form of the Buddha is not properly made is not in a very good shape or should never abuse it, make fun of it, should not despise it, one should look at it with full respect as a real, as looking at a real Buddha and then join the palms and also bow down. This way one treats the holy figures and we accumulate great merit to get direct vision or contact with the Buddha in the future. After that set the offerings, the water offerings, the light or flower or whatever we have set them in proper way,

in proper way, in agreeable way. Also for the practice of Lam Rim these preparations are necessary. In the practice of Lam Rim they are what is called the six preparations. This prayer that we do before jorshe, that is one of those preparation, but before that the cleaning the room and setting alter and so on also must be practiced. Then after that if one has other things to do or other prayers or whatever one has to do, one can do them first. Then when one starts this particular practice of Guhyasamaja then one should be 5

seated comfortably on a seat, on a meditation seat. So if in front of you, if you have the inner offerings this liquid, then one should take one drop from that, on the tip of the finger one drop from that and put it on ones tongue. Put the finger, touch the liquid with the finger and recite OM AH HUM, then

take the drop and place it on the tongue. One should think that this drop of amrita which enters our body illuminates one’s body completely like sunshine and clears away all obstacles, physical or mental obstacles, all are completely cleared away. Then before the actual meditation it is very important to actually to generate the right motivation, the Bodhichitta motivation. Without the proper motivation, then there is very little progress again. So in order to generate the proper motivation one sits down and contemplates. First contemplate on the sufferings of the samsara, that one’s self is born in this cycle of the conditions of rebirth and existence, and have gone through in the past so many times in all the various sufferings and also one doesn't see the end of it. Then one should think that at this time through the grace of the Triple Gem one has attained a very precious, a very favorable human rebirth and have all the possibilities, the potentialities and all the possibilities to practice dharma. So therefore, while still we have it in our hand, this

opportunity in our hand, we will make a good use of this, a fruitful use of it, give meaning to it, a fruitful use of it, put it into the practice of dharma and will achieve, will attain the stage of full enlightenment, through this body will achieve the state of full enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. That is the kind of motivation that we must generate. So one can meditate on this in length whatever is required for one’s self and one can also meditate on it, with the reasons and examples and so on whatever comes to one’s own mind, according to one’s own need, practice the meditation and should, until he comes to the point of generation of Bodhichitta. So as a means to fulfill the aim or the goal of the Bodhichitta or the aspiration we are generating now for the benefit of sentient beings, then one should engage into this practice of Guhyasamaja or the sadhana of the samaja. This preparatory practice of the stage of meditation must be applied not only to the Guhyasamaja but all other practices, Yamantaka, whatever meditation one must begin with

this, there is no difference. Then one should make first the refuge to the Triple Gem and generation of the mind with the SANGA CHO DAG SO KE CHOG NAM LA with this short prayer or longer version, whatever one wishes, one should take the refuge. And if one is going to recite the guru prayer, prayer to the lineage of the guru of this practice, then we should visualize the assembly of gurus in front of us in a big line, in a very long line, starting with Guru Vajradhara on the top. There are 3 ways of visualizing these lineage gurus. All three are same in the benefit. One way is visualizing Guru Vajradhara in the center surrounded by a big assembly of the gurus. So we should visualize all the lineage gurus starting with Guru Vajradhara, then Vajrapani, then Indrabhuti, then Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti, etc. all the great Indian and Tibetan masters up to ones, up to the master from whom we have received this initiation of this tantra. When one - so we can visualize them all these gurus in human forms, although we haven't seen them, but imagine them with certain

forms or we can visualize all of them in the same form of Guhyasamaja, in the form of the deities, there is no difference. So if one visualizes them in human forms then one should visualize those gurus with, also example with certain presentation, one can use then with taking these examples we should visualize those gurus who are monks in their, they are clad in their robes in their ascetic forms in their robes and so on, and those which are siddhas, Indian siddhas in their own outfit, and those who are lay gurus they are in their own costumes. So one should see respective like that. But if any of those

gurus have certain physical shortcomings, certain defects like one is blind or has a goiter around the neck or any inauspicious or any sort of unbeautiful signs like that on their body, we should not visualize that. We should visualize all gurus very youthful, very energetic and youthful form and all very agreeable and beautiful form without any shortcomings. And those gurus although they are in their respective forms, a human form, but their body is not made of ordinary material substances, flesh, bones and so on, they do not consist of that kind of substance. Rather all endowing the wisdom body of the

Buddha of the nature of light. So like the reflection in the mirror. If we look into the mirror one sees a form exactly like ourselves. But still there is great difference. Our body is made of all the flesh, bones and all this kind of substances and the reflection hasn't any of these qualities. So whatever form we visualize the deity in front of us or ourselves as the deity, we should always see the body in that nature, endowing that nature of like the reflection in the mirror and all illusory light body instead of the physical gross body. Also we shouldn't see those deities or those gurus as something

like a statue, which is mindless, like a statue just standing there without any consciousness without any living qualities. We should see all of them living in a completely living form with consciousness, endowed with all the great qualities of the Buddha mind, the Great Compassion, the Great Love and the Great Wisdom, as paying full attention toward all sentient beings, looking to all sentient beings with a great compassion and great attention. In such a form, in such a position we should visualize our gurus. So then with this visualization in the mind we should recite the, all the prayers to the lineage gurus with their names at it is in the text. [...]

One should at that time, when one recites this prayer to the gurus, then we are actually, making a request and appealing to all of the gurus, one after another and also we should think that gurus also are responding to us with great compassion and with great delight in mind, delightfulness they are

responding to us. So when the prayer to all the gurus are complete, then we should visualize that all those gurus are all absorbed into ourselves. That is one style, one way. The second way is instead of visualizing great assembly of the gurus in front of you facing to you, we visualize all the gurus in a long, very long, very high line above us, one on top of the other, facing in the same direction like ourselves. Right on top is the Guru Vajradhara and then all the other lineage gurus and ones root guru is directly on one’s head. Then as one goes on praying, each of these gurus beginning from the top,

then that guru absorbs into the next one and the next one until only ones personal guru is left on our head. The third method is we visualize only form of guru in Vajradhara form either in front of us or on our head. And we should see that guru that one form of the guru as the embodiment of all the gurus, concentrating that singular form of the guru and seeing that guru is also the Vajradhara, Vajrapani, Indrabhuti, the Watangi, Nagarjuna, and all, all are the same person. So in this long sadhana the prayer to the lineage guru is very long, with all the names of the gurus, but there is also a shorter version

which is not available here, but Je Rinpoche has it at home in India. So at the end then that form of the guru absorbs into us. So one can practice either one of these three methods, and even if one doesn't practice this guru prayer, the actual meditation is not incomplete. So Je Rinpoche will stop here for this morning. If anybody has questions or if you have some questions of something unclear, you can ask now.

6

QUESTION: Are we empowered to repeat the mantras of all 32 deities?

Yes, yes. You have received the empowerment, the complete empowerment, the initiation of the GUHYASAMAJA, so therefore you are empowered to not only reciting those mantras of the 32 deities, but also to practice the complete sadhana and it is beneficial to practice the sadhana and also to make the retreat and to make fire puja or anything like that.

Q: re: tantra or commentary

A: Until one receives the empowerment then one cannot also receive the teachings about the tantras. But, having received the initiation, then since one is empowered to practice the actual meditation, then there is no, it is needless to say that you can read the tantras and the commentaries, whatever one has the right.

Q: re: cause initiation & Path

A: Empowerment is known as "cause empowerment" because it is the cause for the developments which follows. So therefore, the empowerment, we have received empowerment so we have received the cause empowerment. The "Path" is not the empowerment, it is the beginning, it is the initial stage of the Path, but the actual path is something which has to be developed in our mind through the practice of meditation of the stage of generation, etc.

Q: same question

A: So in the actual empowerment, besides the empowerment of the vase empowerment, these 4 empowerments, there is no still higher empowerments. But these empowerments the 4 for the vase empowerment and the secret empowerment, the wisdom empowerment and the word empowerment, these empowerments can be all given at once like we have received. Or, sometimes it is also given like just first give only vase empowerment and leave the rest and the person practices

the stage of generation with the vase initiation. When one accomplishes that stage, then one receives one more initiation secret initiation and one begins the stage of completion, up to the development of the illusory body. Then one receives the wisdom initiation and develops further the Clear Light. Then the last initiation and attains Yugananda, that is a successive way of giving empowerment. It can be given that way too. Or one can receive all of them at one

time in one session, which empowers us to engage in those practices of meditation, although we have not accomplished them but it sort of empowers us to engage in those practices. And besides those, there is no other higher initiations. So actually in the initiation and to the process of empowerment, especially in the Sakya tradition and in Gelugpa tradition, identical there is no difference. This lineage of the transmission of the empowerment of the

Guhyasamaja Tantra came through the Indian masters and then came through the great Sakya masters up to -- one lineage comes through the great Sakya master of Trungyapeper and he has transmitted it to Tsongkhapa. Then still there is a second line going through the same process up to Je Rendawa who is a great

Sakya master. He was a teacher of Tsongkhapa and he transmitted it to Tsongkhapa. So there are two lineages and both comes through the Sakya tradition. In the same way the Chakrasamvara also came through the lineage of Sakya gurus. The Yamantaka tradition, there are various lineages. There is a lineage which came through, a separate lineage, without going through the Sakya masters.

Q: The two main traditions Araya and Jnanapada were Guhyasamaja?

A: There are three altogether, Gelugpa. The first lineage which is Araya lineage which comes through great master Nagarjuna and five great masters and then transmitted through many Indian masters and by Mal Lotsawa is a great translator. He has transmitted it to the first great Sakya master Kunga Nyingpo.

So the first Sakya master who has found the Nywa tantra is Kunga Nyingpo. His father, Kunga Nyingpo's father is the great master Kunjuabo.

So up to Kunjuabo all these former masters, Sakya masters, they were practicing the old tantra. However, these practices became very public and the secrecy, very much secrecy of the practices was lost and by this their value was lost and the effectiveness of the practice was lost. Therefore, the told

his son Kunga Nyingpo now to begin to practice the new tantra since the old tantra has lost its power by publicizing too much of it. So then he began the new tantra. So the Sakya Kunga Nyingpo has to now receive the source of the new tantra. So he went to the great translator Mel and also Alutishtiva another master and both of them have been to India and both of them and both of them have had contact and received transmissions from Indian masters, maybe also

some from Naropa, but principally from the great Pamtingpa of Nepal. So Kunga Nyingpo which is known as the founder of the Sakya tradition and also his son Jetsun Panyalsin and Sonam Tsemo and they are lay masters, masters in the form of lay persons. The great pundit Kunga Gyaltsen was known as Sakya Pandita, who was a monk. So the Pandita, great Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen and Drogon Chogyal Pagpa of who became the great master of the Emperor of China, those two are

in monk form. So those five, that is Kunga Nyingpo and Jetsun Panyalsin, Sonam Tsemo and Kunga Gyaltsen, and after Drogon Chogyal Pagpa these five gurus are called the great five Sakyapas. And they are also 7

called The Three Whites and the Two Reds. The Two Reds means the two monks. They have been invited to China by the great Emperor Kublai Khan and so on an-d became very famous teachers.

Q: Before Rinpoche gave the visualization of the lineage gurus he said that up to that point everything was for any sadhana. I was wondering if this visualization of the lineage gurus was specific to the Guhyasamaja.

A: Except the gurus are different, the gurus in the lineage they are different. For example, the Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka they are different gurus. But the way of visualizing that into a big group or into a long line that you can apply it according to what suits your mind to other lineage gurus, also in

Yamantaka. You can visualize into a big group or into a very tall line of the guru all in the form of Yamantakas. So since all these 3 methods are equally valid and effective, so nowadays it is sort of a tradition that the lamas have a tendency to for Yamantaka apply this method of long gurus in a long line for Yamantaka and for Chakrasamvara's gathering, big gathering of gurus and for Guhyasamaja the single form of the guru. The reason for that is in the Guhyasamaja there are too many gurus, so it is too many to visualize so they all concentrate into one, put into one. In Yamantaka there are not too many gurus, so they are put one on top of the other. And for Chakrasamvara there are about 40 gurus. So they are arranged in a very nice assembly. First there are three gurus then there are six gurus then seven gurus, so it goes larger then again less and less, sort of a round shape created. So Je Rinpoche would

like to stop here for this morning, but if you have still questions you can ask afterwards and what he can answer he will do answer gladly and what he couldn't, he couldn't. He would never invent something or claim something which he doesn't know. When someone asks something which he doesn't know he will simply say, "I don't know that." One doesn't have to feel ashamed of not being able to answer something because it is very natural. Besides a fully enlightened Buddha, everyone makes mistakes, everyone has some shortages of their knowledge. So the questions at the end of the teaching, at the end of the session, however if we put too many questions that will take very much time, then he wouldn't also have very much time to eat quietly and it would take time from the teaching as well.

So in each of these sadhanas like Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, Chakrasamvara at the beginning there is a practice which is called the "Ngondro Torma", that means offering of torma. Ngondro torma literally means "preceding torma", torma which is offered at the beginning. So in Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka, it is the tormas are given, offered to the guardians, to the protectors, Chungyen torma for the guardians and in Chakrasamvara there is the same offering of torma to the Dakinis. So before one offers the torma, first one must bless and consecrate this torma and in order to do that one cannot bless or consecrate anything while we still have what is called impure view, such as impure view of the subject, of the individual one’s self and practitioner one’s self and

the object, the offerings whatsoever. Therefore, first one must transform one’s own view about one’s self. So we have this impure view means holding the ordinary appearance and the ordinary grasping. So that means apprehending the ordinary appearance, the phenomena as an ordinary thing, and as they appear

ordinary to us we also hold them as being ordinary, grasp them as being ordinary. So these two are the things which have to be purified. So sometimes this appearance holding ordinary appearance and grasping as applied to the actual grasping of the phenomena as truly existing or as inherently existing, the way the phenomena appears as inherently existing to our mind, and we grasp them as being inherently existing. That is also called ordinary -- that is another

meaning of the ordinary appearance and the grasping. So in order to purify the offerings and purify the ordinary view, the ordinary appearance of grasping of the offering, in order to purify that, first one must purify the ordinary view of one’s self. In the paramitayana there are two obstacles, two principal obstacles - namely the klisha avarana and the janana avarana. Klesha avarana means all the delusions, mental distortions or defilements such as ignorance,

hatred, etc. and the janana avarane or the obstacle of the omniscience, the obstacle of the knowledge is referred to the imprints, the very subtle imprints left by those delusions. In tantra and this klisha avarana and janana avarana is applied to the ordinary appearance and the grasping. Ordinary appearance is the first obstacle and the ordinary grasping is the second. In order to purify this ordinary appearance of grasping about one’s self one must generate

one’s self in the form of the deity. So there are ways of generating. The first is called the "Instant generation". So the first way is called "Instant generation" into a deity, and the second is called "the generation in three stages". So this means like as it is in the sadhanas that out of voidness then the letter HUM which transforms into a vajra and which transforms into a deity. So there 3 stages. First the syllable, then into a vajra, then into deity.

This kind of generation of the deity is called "generation in three stages". Here at the beginning of the sadhana at this moment, we generate in the form of the deity according to the first way, that means "instant generation" in the form of the deity. So here instantly, without a gradual process, instantly one generates in the form of a the Vajra hatred or the Akshobya or in Yamantaka instantly one becomes Yamantaka. So it is called in Tibetan keje tonke that

means "keje" means instant, in a moment, "tonke" means popping up like that, all of a sudden. So when we generate in the form of a deity, if we think this physical gross ordinary body itself becoming a deity it is not right. That is still because we have this ordinary appearance and grasping is mixed there, so it is not proper. So this body, this conditioned existence, samsara existence, caused by delusion and karma, that must be completely ceased. So it is

completely ceased first and becomes totally void, empty, and out of that emptiness then we take a completely new form. So to empty this physical existence that we have would not be like falling into extreme of nihilism. If we think that such a body never existed, if we hold the view that this kind such existence, such body has never existed, then we are falling into the extreme. So although this physical body caused by, conditioned by its particular

causes, the delusions and imprints and so on, now at this moment it becomes completely void, like perishing of the rainbow in the space. So if we have done the prayer to the guru before this, then at the end where the prayer ends with the line saying, "May I attain the state of Vajradhara" at this moment then all the gurus of the lineage, all absorb into ourself. So if we have visualized the guru in a great assembly, then there are two ways of absorbing. The first is all the lineage gurus they all absorb into the root guru and that absorbs into us. The second way is that all the root gurus they all absorb into the 8

Vajradhara, the principal figure of Vajradhara on top and that absorbing into us, so there are two ways. Now if we have visualized the gurus in a long line above our head, so according to that visualization there are two ways of absorbing. First is the gurus start to dissolve, absorb one into another successively beginning from the top from the Vajradhara and then up to the root guru and the root guru also absorbs into our body. The second way is when we finish all the prayers to the guru then the guru starts to absorb beginning from ones root guru upward, absorbs one into another until the highest guru

on the top and that also absorbs into the guru Aksobhya in its crown. Finally only that form of the guru remains. Then that guru also absorbs into our body, so there are two different ways. If one visualizes the guru in only one form then it is more simple. That more single form of the guru absorbs simply into us. So there are different ways, either one visualizes the process of absorption upward or downward it is same in the benefit and there are different

purposes though. Whatever way is more suitable for our mind, to visualize we can take that. Finally when the last guru absorbs into our body then this completely purifies all ones, all the obstacles and imprints. So since this way when the guru absorbs into us it completely purifies all our obstacles and the imprints, so this is all possible because they do not exist, the obstacles and so on, they do not exist inherently. So if the phenomena do exist

inherently with its own nature, then all the changes and all the laws of cause and effect as well as the movement and all the changes cannot be possible because everything exists inherently by themselves with no cause or circumstance, so no blessing can be received, no obstacles can be purified. But in reality, everything does not exist inherently. So therefore, all these kind of changes and activities are possible. So when the guru absorbs into us, all

the impurities and obstacles are completely cleared away and we become completely void, and at this moment we meditate for awhile in the shunyata in the voidness. So with some understanding of the shunyata then our the body dissolves into light and perishes completely into space. So this way the ordinary the appearance and the grasping become baseless and so they also disappear. At the same time our usual grasping for the true existence or inherent existence of ourself is also eliminated. So in that kind of emptiness, void state, we should keep our mind. So abiding in that state our mind completely absorbs into voidness, into shunyata, that is called the "taking Dharmakaya into the Path". So then by abiding in that state of emptiness for awhile then that mind which sees that shunyata, which is meditating on the shunyata on the voidness, itself then taking the form of blue light. So this becoming the blue light is called "the taking the Sambogakaya into the Path".

[...] ...the arms and all, complete form. So this is called "taking the Nirmanakaya into the Path". So then when as we start to read the text and instantly become the Vajra-hatred body of Guhyasamaja and all the following descriptions. At that time then we should think that we have become the deity with three

faces, dark in the center, white on the right and red on the left, with six arms. The right hands are holding vajra, wheel and lotus. So this wheel is with sort of a handle, wheel with eight spokes, and lotus flower in the third. In the left first holding a bell, then precious jewel and then sword. A precious jewel, the Wish Fulfilling Gem, and third one is holding the Wisdom Sword. So the first two hands are in the, embracing with the consort and under the arms

of the consort, so the bell and vajra and in cross gesture, and the wheel and the lotus are stretched out, and the jewel and the sword are stretched on the left side. The Guhyasamaja is embracing a consort who is also, has the same form, identical form, both in the same color, dark blue. Also with three faces; the center dark blue, the right white and the left red, with six arms. The right arms are holding the same implements the vajra, wheel and lotus, and the

left ones are holding the bell, jewel and sword. The first two arms of the consort which have the bell and vajra in them are embracing the neck of the deity, so her hands are crossed in back of the head of the deity. Both the deity and the consort are adorned with eight different types of ornaments made of precious jewels. So these eight jewels, the first is the crown, jewel crown, jewel earrings, precious earrings, and to tie the crown on the head there is a knot and on the two ears, just on the two ears there are two lotuses, blue lotuses. Then there is the precious necklace. Then there is a jeweled

garland which is longer than the necklace, so made of pearls, a garland which reaches a little below the breast. Then there is rochel, that is again another longer garland, made of precious jewels which reaches to abdomen, a little below the other one. Then there are the bracelets and the anklets. Then there are also the rings around the arm, armlets. So the bracelets, anklets, and armlets are included into one ornament. Then there is the precious belt, that very beautiful ornament made of precious jewels and so on to like a belt to hold the lower garment, to hold those ornaments which goes around the

waist. So there are eight ornaments, that is the crown, the earrings, the necklace, the somatol which is a garland, shorter garland, then a longer garland, then the bracelets and anklets and the belt. The garments, there are two, one to cover the upper part and the lower part. There is a long silken shawl on the upper part and something like a skirt a lower garment, for the lower part of the body. So this shawl is not very wide but is rather long. So as you see in the paintings then this shawl goes around the neck and comes down and over the arms and makes here a little, like a circle then it hangs down from the

two sides of the body. On the lower part of the body then there is a celestial garment, made of very fine silken multi-colored cloth, material which covers the lower body and it is tied around the waist with that precious belt. That is the meaning of the first part when we say "I instantly become the Vajrahatred with all these description of the body embracing with the Vajratouch, that is the name of the consort, and both are clad in the silken garment. That explains the whole visualization. So what is in the text, when we read that, what is not included in there? The lotus and the sun disk on which the deity is sitting - so actually we should visualize that we are sitting on a very radiant sun disk, reddish color. So there is the lotus seat and right in the center of the lotus there is a moon disk and - so there is the sun disk on top of it. So whatever, so all the Buddhas you see are either sitting on the sun or a moon on the lotus. We should always visualize, although in a statue they are shaped slightly in a different way, but in visualization we should visualize all these seats completely round, so when we sit in the middle there is some space left around us. About the position - the deity itself is

sitting in a vajra asana, vajra cross-legged position. The consort who is sitting on the lap of the deity facing to the deity, is sitting in the lotus position, lotus position here means the two knees are sort of raised under the arms of the deity and the feet are at the back. So the hair of the deity is tied here into a knot on the top. The hair of the consort, half is made into a knot on the top and half is falling on her back. So this explains, the complete form of the deity and the consort and their position and so on, and this must be carried also later into other parts of the meditation where one must visualize the same form. So our ordinary body has become completely empty, completely void, 9

and out of voidness instantly we take this new form. At this moment we should think, "I am the deity, I am in this form". So after this instant generation of the deity, now comes the consecration of the bell and vajra. When we start to read these lines and the prayer which says, "The vajra is the method and the bell is the wisdom, both are of the nature of the ultimate Bodhichitta". So at this moment we should think that this vajra is symbolizes the,

represents all the method aspect of the path starting from the guru devotion until the enlightenment. The bell symbolizes all the method aspect of the path, so that is the principal symbolism of the two, but since in tantra the method wisdom, the method the great bliss, wisdom of the great bliss, and the wisdom that is the voidness, realization of the voidness, these two states of the mind these two aspects of the mind, in tantra they are not two separate entities, but they are one entity of one nature. So therefore, each vajra also symbolizes the union of the two, bell also symbolizes union of the two. So

that's why it says both of them are of the nature of the ultimate Bodhichitta. The Ultimate Bodhichitta referring to the union of the bliss and void. Then with the following mantra, OM SAVA DATA GATA VITA SITA MITA SOTO, at that moment we should take the vajra in our right hand and hold it at the chest and at that time we should think this meaning of it in our mind. To translate this whole mantra will take too much time. And after that when we say OM VAJRA GHANDA HO, at that time then we should take the bell in our hand. Take it then touch the rim of the bell, touch on the left side of the abdomen here, we

should touch with the rim of the bell. So this is one style of doing it, one tradition of doing it, as it is practiced in the tantra college in our days. There is another style of doing it. Instead of taking at first the vajra and then bell after, when we begin, when we say "In vajra is the method and bell is the wisdom, etc." thus as soon as we begin the prayer we take simultaneously both bell and vajra in our hand, and then make the same gesture. So this is practiced now in the lower tantric colleges. VAJRA GHANDA HUM, Ghanda means in Sanskrit "bell". And with this gesture we say the following lines DORJE SEMPA SORBA NEMBA TOWE. That means "I will please the Vajrasattva and so on". So this has two meanings. One meaning is; we can take it as, through this kind of method.

I will please all the Buddhas, Vajrasattva, and so on, all the Buddhas. But another meaning is; DORJE SEMPA VAJRASATTYA means vajra mind, the one with the vajra mind, here referring to the sentient beings, so meaning I will please all the sentient beings, which means I will work for the benefit of all

sentient beings. It can be taken either way. Then when we say the following lines, HUM starting with the HUM so they are holding the vajra here, and we say HUM and then, [...] SEM GEM MOGU DORJE TANGA and that means that all the sentient beings to separate or to free to liberate the sentient beings from ignorance and JIMOGA DORJE SAWAGE means "one who holds very beautifully holds the vajra" that means holds the ultimate vajra of union of the method and wisdom, such a vajra, developing, "I will develop such a vajra in order to free all sentient beings from their ignorance" and that means "that is great work of dharma which leads the sentient beings to liberation or to the ultimate enlightenment". JIMOGA DORJE SUN that means 'so with a joyful state of mind hold this vajra". So that is the meaning of the line. So while reciting this then we hold the vajra. So after that we recite these syllables 3X HUM and 3X

HO, HUM HUM HUM HO HO HO. The reason there are three HUMs and three HOs are that our goal is to establish, to liberate the sentient beings from their suffering and establish them through the state of enlightenment. So there are the sentient beings are not all of one disposition, they are of many

different. There are three different types of sentient beings. So there are three types of sentient beings; beings with low intelligence, medium intelligence, and highest intelligence, so that is symbolized by the three HUMs and three HOs. So we should, at this moment we should make the decision, we should determine in our mind to liberate all those three types of sentient beings to the enlightenment. After this then we take the vajra from our chest

and hold it in front, like this, slightly on the right side, then we take the bell in its place, in the level of our chest, then we start ringing the bell while we recite this mantra OM DHAMARA SAMBARA...and so on. To be precise, it says that when we ring the bell we should ring in such a way that the clapper touches the four directions and semi-directions inside the bell. So that is the proper way to ring, but if we try it may just end up circling around. So

actually the proper bell, for a proper bell the clapper should have eight facets. So there are different, for the bell there are actually many different kinds like this one here has many wheels, many wheel symbols. That is called Vairocana bell designs then there are others which have all different decorations, designs with all the implements of the five Dhyana Buddhas, this is called General Bell. Then there are still many other types of bell like

that. So anyway Rinpoche says that there is no use to think too much about these details because we have to ring whatever the smiths make, make or it is up to them, whatever has a better sound we ring that. As Je Rinpoche said yesterday when we, each time when we ring the bell we should think of the shunyata, the voidness, the sound of the bell should remind us of the voidness, the true nature of everything. So the mantra which says OM VAJRA DHARMA RANITA so that means sound or to produce, vajra means vajra, dharma means teaching dharma, RANITA means to make sound. So make the sound of the Vajradharma OM VAJRA DHARMA RANITA. So PRARANITA means, Pra- means very or completely very and Ranita means make sound, make that very sound, that is to emphasize. SARVA BUDDHA KITRA PRASALENE that means SARVA BUDDHA means all the Buddhas, Kitra means all the Buddha fields or Buddha abode, Prasalene means move, so make such a loud

sound so that all the Buddha fields will completely shake. Then Prajnamita that means the perfection of the wisdom. NADA SO BAWA, Nada mean sound, SOBAWA means entity, SOBAWA means nature. So it means make the sounds of the Prajnaparamita, make the sound of the perfection of wisdom. And Vajrasattva that means calling the Vajrasattva. HUDAYA means essence or the heart, the essence. So that means make the sounds in order to move the heart, the essence of the

Vajrasattva. So here the Vajrasattva doesn't apply to the deity Vajrasattva, it is applied to -- so here the Vajrasattva applies to that state of mind, the union of the bliss and void, that is the Prajnaparamita, which we try to generate, we try to develop in us, and that is applied to that. So that means make the sound to exhort that or to exhort that. Vajrasattva means to exhort to urge to develop this union of bliss and void in us, in our mind. So with this

mantra then the consecration or blessing of the bell and vajra is completed. With understanding of these meanings, remember these meanings in our mind, if we use our bell and vajra, just ringing the bell and so on itself is very great way to accumulate merit. After the consecration of the bell and vajra now we move to the consecration of the inner offering, that liquid we have in front of us. So for the blessing of the inner offering or other offerings, like

torma offerings and so on, four parts. First is to clear away, then to purify, then to generate and to bless, so it is in four parts. So first when we are going to consecrate the inner offering then we recite the mantra OM AH BENITA DE HUM. So that OM AH BENITA DE HUM is the mantra of one of the guardians and with this mantra -- 10

afterwards then when we bless the other offerings then we take a drop from the inner offering and with that we bless the other ones. But since now the inner offering is not ready, itself is not consecrated so we don't take a drop. So instead we just recite the mantra of the guardian. So when we recite

this mantra of the guardian then we should send this guardian to clear away the interference. Now this, so here in Guhyasamaja so the guardian is BENINDATI, BENINDATI is one of the guardians. So this particular duty of this guardian is to clear away all interference of anything. So this is invoked. For example in Yamantaka it is OM SHETURTANA HUM a simple form of Yamantaka goes out and clears away the interference. For Chakrasamvara is KANDI HUI HUM HUM PA, so that wrathful dakini, a guardian dakini who is called KANDI HUI and that goes out and clears away the interference. For the general tantra there is OM VAJRA AMITA KUNDILINI. So AMITA KUNDILINI that is another Kroda another guardian. With that then the interferences are cleared away. So here in Guhyasamaja we use this guardian BENINDITI. So BENINDATI, BENIN means interfering forces, and DATI means one who destroys, destroyer of interfering forces.

So that is the name of that guardian. So that is the power of mantra we are using OM AH BENITA DE HUM, and at the same time we also must use the power of meditation so we should visualize from the HUM in our chest, now we are in the form of the Guhyasamaja, from the HUM in our chest these guardian form, the BENITADE, either in the countless form or in ten forms or just in one form, they go out towards the offering. So the BENINDATI this Mahakroda has the dark blue body and it has also three faces, the dark blue in the center, white on the right and left is red, six arms, the right hands the first hand is holding a cross vajra, the second a wheel, and the third he holds, what do you call these Indians are using to chop rice and so on - it is a kind of stick, narrow in the center, rice chopper, pestle -- the third holding a pestle. The first left hand is holding a lasso in the gesture of terrifying gesture. In the

second a bell, in the third an ax. This Mahakroda does not have the crown of the skulls it has the precious crown. All the ornaments are not made of bones but of precious golden and jewel ornaments. Its reddish hair is raising upward. Also the reddish eyebrows and mustache and beard are all raised upward. Endowed with the three completely open, three big red eyes, and mouth widely open with four fangs. All the ornaments are made of precious jewels. Instead of wearing silken garments to cover the lower part, he wears tiger skins. He is wearing as ornaments all the great nagas, so in the hair is tied with a blue naga, a blue snake. In the ears together with these precious jewels there is also a ring of the snake, red color snake. Also with the armlet he wears a snake with striped color. The anklet, the snake for anklet and the necklace are white, white color. For bracelet are two snakes for bracelets and they

are in yellow color. There is a green snake that goes all around the chest and making like a cross on the back. Then another naga is used as a belt around the waist and mostly known to have green color, but there are uncertainties about it, some are slightly whitish, so one can visualize it in green or in

whitish form. His two legs are stretched and standing and are not bended but stretched and all his limbs are all very thick, very strong and very thick and also with a very big belly. So sitting in the midst of fire, in reality these wrathful deities as we see in the tankha, although the artists paint the fire around the deity and the deity is in the center, but in reality the fires are coming from the force of the body coming out from everywhere, not only from the side but...

[...] ...toward our guardian is generated from our chest from the HUM and in order to clear away the interfering force. So there are various interfering forces when sometimes it happens that we prepared the offerings, we set the offerings and while before we actually dedicate it and offer it, certain interferences

already take place. For example, for water offering, there are various spirits different kinds of spirits come to it and attach to it and attract towards it, and these are interfering forces. Like this each of these different offering substances have their own attached interfering forces and when we send this one guardian or when it comes forth, then it chases away all the interfering forces altogether, like the hawk, the hawk chases a whole group of birds.

Or we create all ten such karodas and they chase the interfering forces into ten directions. Or we create countless forms of the Mahakroda and they chase all the existing interfering forces completely away, far away, that is no possibility ever to return, even ever to look at. At the end, all the guardians that we have created whatever their number may be must be taken back. That is something important each time, whatever we have created from our chest, send out, must be collected at the end. So that is called, this process is called the "clearing away the interference". That is part of the consecration. Now

for the purification of it, then we must purify the ordinary appearance and the grasping of this offering. So here we should recite the mantra OM SHUNYA YANA VAJRA SWABA HAWA ATMA KUWA HUM. OM SHUNYA, that means emptiness, the shunyata. YANA means wisdom. VAJRA is the vajra. SWABA HAWA means entity or the nature. ATMA KUWA HUM that means I am or I am the personification or I am the embodiment of that. So here those who can read Tibetan, there is a funny syllable in that mantra, something like a NUA in Tibetan, but it is not NUA, we shouldn't read it as a NUA but it is a Sanskrit sign. So here one should make the sound long, instead of saying ATMAKUWA HUM say on must ATMA KU HUM. Then here for purification while we recite this mantra then we should think that ordinary substance whatever it is, tea or water or something in the container, that whole object basis becomes completely void by meditating upon the void of inherent existence of this object. With this thought in the mind this become completely empty. So the substance with the container becomes completely void and disappears in the space. So this purifies the ordinary grasping and appearance. So when we meditate on the shunyata nature, then that

clears away the grasping for the true existence and when we make it completely empty, when we destroy each form, then the ordinary appearance or the grasping is disappeared. After the emptiness when then all the following, the amrita, the container, when this starts to form then we should go on to hold all these phenomena, all these objects as inseparable from the void nature, not again making something which is inherently existent, but all inseparable for the void nature. And in order to carry on this kind of view upon this object, then we have made this purification at the beginning. So for the actual,

that is the purification part. Then comes the generation part. For the generation there is the generation of the container and the content. So then now we start to build first the container out of the syllables OM YUM HUM YUM HUM YUM. We visualize a HUM and a YUM and HUM. So HUM then YUM and HUM. We can visualize them in Tibetan syllables or in Sanskrit script. And this YUM, the center of the YUM is a light blue color. Then this light blue YUM is transformed into a giant mandala of wind, air mandala. Not wind blowing hard like the ordinary wind, but it is of the nature of wind, nature of motion, but is not right now moving. So such a mandala in sort of a bow-shaped, that means like half of a circle. The color is greenish-blue. Then those 11

two HUMs still remaining change into two vajras and they are standing on the two ends of this half circle. On top of that now appears letter HUM RAM and HUM. This RAM then changes into a fire mandala, of red color and triangle shaped. It is of fire nature, sort of solid fire nature, like if a brick is just

like a red burned brick, like that in a triangle shape and with the point, two points are, one point is facing towards one’s self and the other to the other side. So the half of this circle is facing to you, so this cut side is facing to ourself and on top of that is fire mandala, this triangle is placed. So there is still some space remains on that wind-mandala, there is still a little bit of space left on the two sides and little bit also on the back. Now

again there remains two HUMs and these two HUMs change into vajras and they are placed on the two points, the two other points not the one which is to your side, but the other two points, at the back. On top of now this triangle fire mandala then appears the letter OM AH and HUM also in sort of a triangle position. So these OM AH HUM are changed into three human heads. One head on each point of the fire mandala, the three points, on top they are the human heads. They are all facing outward. Not dried or skeleton head, but a living head like from somebody just been cut, with eyes still very living and teeth are also very white. The hair in front reaches about half of the forehead, covers it. The hair on the back is a bit longer. Right in the center in the space in the center of these 3 heads appears the letter AH. So this white AH transforms into a very large skull cup, white externally and red inside. Right in the center of the skull cup is a red AH. This AH changes into a red lotus with eight petals. In the center there is again the letter AH, center of the lotus there is the letter AH. That is the generation of the container. Now this is like a cooking process. Now the container is ready. Then in the center

of the skull appears the letter HUM which changes into a human body or corpse. This human corpse is right in the center, so there are two ways of visualizing. One with it facing sort of looking towards you or its head sort of directed towards you in front, and sort of lying on the side. So it is lying on the right side. On top of the left shoulder is the letter HUM. So it is generated from the syllable HUM and it sealed with the syllable HUM. So the front part of the skull is facing to you. So the front part of the skull so now we are looking from the back, so the front part is always considered

East. Then, going clockwise, then South, then West, then North. Now on the East inside the skull on the East side there is a corpse of an elephant, also lying on the right side, out of the letter DRUM. Out of letter DRUM an elephant lying on the right side, sealed with the same syllable. Then on the South there appears a letter AUM, red which changes into horse sealed with the same letter also lying in the same position. And at the West is the letter ZIM which changes into a cow sealed with the same letter. At the North the letter KUM changes into a dog also lying in the same position and with the same

syllable. So those are called the five meats, five fleshes. So these five corpses of different animals they are, five different beings they are in their own respective shape externally, but if one touches it's already chopped so that one can take a piece, or soft, not flesh and bones and all separate, but all mixed. Then again the letter HUM appears in the center and which changes into various liquid substances. So the first the letter HUM in the center changes into urine. So the urine is sort of fills the center part of this throne. Then at the East again the letter DRUM like the elephant before. The DRUM changes into a heap of excrement. So then on the South out of letter AUM, red AUM appears blood, a circle of blood there which is also sealed with the same letter. Then on the West out of letter ZIM appears a heap of white sperm which is also sealed with the same syllable. Now on the North out of the letter KUM appears what is called the great flesh. So this great flesh can be applied to three substances, the best is brain, then the medium is the marrow inside the spine, and third is ordinary marrow in like in the leg bone. So here we visualize the brain. So we visualize a rather large skull cup containing all

these things and there are ways of visualizing these different corpse. One can- different way of visualizing the position of those corpse and here we can visualize the human corpse, with the head sort of facing towards you, towards the front, lying on the right side. Then the elephant and the others they are, their heads are all directed inward so they are all lying on the right side, their heads are not facing outward but inward, inside. So this means the human head and the elephant head would sort of join, they meet. All the other animals also they are sort of turned inward. Those different other

substances, those liquids they are also gathered in their own places. But they are not mixed with each other, they are completely separate and distinct. So although these substances, these fleshes and liquids, they are in their appearance very ordinary appearance, urine, excrement and this and that. But in their nature they are not just ordinary, dirty substances, but they are all of the nature of the five Dhyana Buddhas and five wisdoms. So these different syllables that we have visualized, they are the syllables for the five Dhyana Buddhas. The HUM in the center is blue for Akshobya and the DRUM in the East

is white for Vairocana and the AUM on the South is yellow for Ratnasambava and ZIM on the West for Amitaba is red and the KUM on the North is green for Akshobya. All those, the liquids, they are all sealed with the letter OM. Now all the ingredients for this cooking is ready and now we should visualize above the skull in the space a very brilliant red sun disk. On top of that, above the red sun disk of the letter white HUM. That white HUM changes into a white vajra. This a white vajra and in the center of the vajra there is again a HUM which is also white. So with this visualization we have now completed

the generation part of the consecration, the ingredients and everything is now generated. Now from the HUM above there rays of light go down and touch the fire mandala and it activates the fire. The fire starts to burn very violently and then the ingredients in the skull cup start to boil. Then they boil for some time and by boiling all together then they get completely mixed and become change into a kind of a liquid like a soup, sort of like tea color and then the steam, the vapor coming up from the skull. So by this steam coming very strongly from this skull, then it causes the sun disk and the vajra fall into

the soup. By this it completely changes the appearance, the taste, the smell and everything of the substance and it becomes very agreeable, completely white radiant, white amrita, very beautiful to look at and also very delicious celestial nectar, very tasteful and also very cooling, not hot burning sensation, but it gives a very cooling blissful sensation. When the vajra falls into it, it turns around and completely melts into it and this transforms the whole appearance and everything of the substance and it becomes so, purifies all the faults of the substance such as the smell, the color and

everything and it becomes so pure and clear and pure like crystal. So what still remains is the lotus at the bottom of the skull, the lotus which has the letter AH, the red lotus with 8 petals, that also will not melt, start melting, and get mixed with the soup. By this integrating with the substance then start to produce rays of light which go out in all directions which fills the whole space. That changes the substance completely into actual nectar, actual amrita. Then from the letter OM emanates rays of light. These rays of light then bring back all the blessings and all the powers of the Buddhas from every

direction and they are all absorbed into the amrita. So when the sun disk and the vajra falls into it, it completely purifies all the faults of the substance, the smell, the color, the shape, everything are all completely purified. The lotus and the AH from the bottom melting with the substance is changed completely into nectar, that is changing, first is purifying then is changing. Then the letter OM sending out rays 12

of light in all directions and bringing back the power and the blessings of the Buddha absorbing into it and that makes it completely barrer that means it makes it increase. So that makes it everlasting and increased. That means how much we take out from it, it never will cease, it’s everlasting. Even hundreds or thousands or hundred thousands people take from this substance it will not cause the substance to decrease. Then we recite the three syllables

OM AH HUM seven times or one can recite three times also. That is the visualization for this consecration of the amrita. So if you do it as Rinpoche has now explained, then it is complete as it is in the text. But if one wishes to add some more visualization with this syllable OM AH HUM then we should visualize in our chest we are in the form of Guhyasamaja and in our chest we should visualize a large sun disk, on top of it all the sentient beings in the samsara of the six realms, they are all sitting there in a big gathering on top, one should think they are all there on top of the sun disk. When we say OM

AH HUM three times, at that time we should think that all impurities of these sentient beings, their obstacles, their impurities, everything, all the negative qualities of these sentient beings are in the form of like dirt of like dirty water or like dark rays of light, they all go into are absorbed into the amrita, go out and absorb into the skull. This is a very beneficial practice. So this is a practice very helpful for the benefit of the sentient beings to liberate the sentient beings. In addition to that if anyone wants to do more elaborate visualization, then we should think then rays of light going out

and bringing all the blessings of the Buddha and also all the good qualities of all the world and all the sentient beings, the power, the life and everything, and the happiness, all the powers they are all gathered, they are gathered, they are all attracted in and everything is absorbed into these substance. So actually there are more things to add, but Rinpoche is saying that that much is sufficient for the consecration of the inner offering. Now it is break time.

So if one, at these visualizations with sentient beings and purifying sentient beings, that is a very helpful practice, helpful practice for the benefit of all sentient beings and for one’s own purification. We can also visualize all the essence of all the elements, such as water, fire, wind and so on, as well

as essence of the great mountains, essence of the ocean, essence of the space, and all the essence of all these different elements. They are all gathered and absorbed into these substance, into the skull. And such amrita holding such power essence, we offer it to the deity or we take it ourself and it becomes a real elixir of longevity for life and becomes very powerful, very effective. Also visualizing all the auspicious and virtuous qualities and the merits of all sentient beings coming in the form of very auspicious symbols, auspicious signs, like victory banner, or in the lotus and various auspicious

symbols, they come in form of auspicious symbols and absorb into the skull. This helps us to increase merit. Also mixing in it all the blessing, the power of all the Buddhas collected from all directions and mixing it into it helps to purify all the obstacles and receive the blessing of the Buddha as well as to increase the power of merit or the power of wholesome actions. Such a consecration of such amrita is very useful, very beneficial because whenever we must bless something, bless the offering, bless the torma, bless any offering or also blessing one’s own food, or drink or anything for any kind of blessing we must use this one.

So concentrate the amrita in such a way and then Je Rinpoche explained at the beginning we take a drop from that amrita every morning before meditation and it's very helpful very beneficial. It helps to purify karma and obstacles and also to increase one’s life to increase the vitality even to increase ones energy so that even in old age one still has vitality and all the energies. Then increase merit and so on, so there is great benefit of it. So that is the

preparation and the consecration of the inner offering. Now we move to the blessing of the outer offerings. This is also in four parts, that is clearing away interference, purification and generation and blessing. Now we should clear away the interference first of all of the actually set offerings, material offerings, or if you don't then we must visualize it in our mind. However, we should first clear away the outer interference, clear away the interference of this external offerings. So again like before OM BENITA DEHUM PA we must recite that mantra of the guardian. Now at this time, since inner offering is already ready so we should take a drop with our ring finger of the left hand we take a drop and then we sprinkle. In some texts it says sprinkle with the recitation and with the ringing of the bells. So if someone had a bell then hold the bell in this hand and then while one sprinkles then the bell also

makes a little sound. At the same time we recite mantra. But that isn't absolutely necessary but if one doesn't have a bell one just uses ones finger and sprinkle, sort of making little gesture over these offerings, if we have some offerings and make little sign over this, and on that direction then sprinkle .. At that time again the Mahakroda goes out and chases away every interference which has followed the offerings. At the end the Mahakrodas have come back

to one’s heart. After that OM SOBAWA SHUDA SARWA DARMA SOBAWA SHUDA HUM with this mantra then these offerings, the external offerings, the water, flower, etc. they all again become completely void, by meditating on their shunyata nature. That is purification, which means the purification of ones grasping them as true existence or ordinary appearance. Then out of the voidness then this, once the great blissful state of mind absorbs into the shunyata,

meditating on the shunyata, itself taking forms of ten very large skulls, that is the preparation of the container. Then in these empty containers, these skulls appears then all the syllables, the initial syllables of the name of these various offerings. For example AM for argham and PAM for padyam, and PUM for pushpe and etc. each of these initial syllables of each offering appears into these skulls and they transform into various offerings , such as the two

waters, then the flower, incense, light, etc. The first water is argham, that is to be used also to drink, for drinking as well as to take bath. Then the water padyam, that is water for the feet, that is to clean the feet. Then there is water again, the third water that is anchymanam that is water to clean the mouth to wash the mouth. Then there is pratichyam. This is another kind of water, sprinkling water, perfumed water for refreshment, especially in the

hot season. Pushpe, that is a flower to be just in form of garlands or flower just to give in the hand or like that, various flowers, flower arrangements. And dhupe is incense of various fragrance of various substance to give a very pleasant smelling sensation. Then aloke is the light. That light is the lamp and also the light of the precious jewel and all this different kinds of light to clear away the darkness. Gandhe, that is scented water like a perfume to

put on one’s body, on the chest and so on to gives a very nice and pleasant fragrance which fills the whole environment. Naividye is-food, that is to eat, of the various different tastes. Then shabda that is the sound of music, played with various different musical instruments to give a pleasant sensation of hearing. So we visualize those offerings and not only just in a few limited number, but there are such offerings filling the whole space. So then the actual blessing is done with the recitation of the mantra OM 13

ARGHAM, OM PADYAM, OM PUSHPE, OM DHUPE, and so on. So we place the name of these offerings in between OM AH HUM. So this is the blessing or consecration of the outer offering and then after this follows the consecration of torma. That is exactly like the inner offering. Anyway Je Rinpoche will explain tomorrow how one offers, to whom one offers this torma. We will begin tomorrow again at the same time at 10:00.

The first multiplying mantra is OM SAMBARA SAMBARA VIMANA SARAFlAHAJAVA HUM. The second mantra is OM SAFlARA SAMARA VIMANA KARAMAHAJAVA HUM. Some people also recite the second one as OM MARA MARA VIMANA KARAMAHAJAVA HUM but the correct actually I think, the correct Sanskrit is SAMARA SAMTRA VIMANA

KARAMAHAJAVA HUM and now for those two must be recited seven times Rinpoche said, seven times before one begins ones meditation. Then that is for multiplying the number of the mantras and so on, and the power. Now for the blessing of the male: OM RUTZI RAMANA PARAVATA YA HUM. The mantra of the Mahakroda is: OM BIGNINDATI HUM, OM BIGNINDATI HUM, but actually how it is written is OM BIGNINTI GRITA HUM but in Tibetan we usually say BIGNINDATI HUM that is the mantra of the destroyer of interfering forces. All interference. The mantra of GUHYASAMAJA itself, the root mantra is OM VAJRA although mostly

Tibetans say OM VAJRA DIK HUM, but actual in written in the Sanskrit it is OM VAJRA DRIKHA HUM. OM VAJRA DRIKHA HUM, that is the actual Sanskrit. Most people, because it is written DRI with a "ritha" underneath so usually in Tibetan we read such letter DRI, so it became VAJRA DIK from VAJRA DRIK, VAJRA DRIKHA HUM. First we should generate the proper motivation of Bodhichitta to attain, for listening to this teaching. I should listen to this teaching to

fulfill the purpose of helping all sentient beings, to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. So those prayers of the guru lineage can be recited before the actual meditation or one can omit it which doesn't make the meditation incomplete. However to do a guru prayer before the meditation is beneficial. So if one wishes to make a short guru prayer before then one should, one can include the whole guru prayer in three verses. The

first verse is by Linso Lama Rinpoche and so on one verse. Then there is a second verse which is dedicated to the guru Vajradharmu Semju Pemba Lonjuso and so on. There are four lines which is dedicated to Vajradhara. Then to the rest of the gurus that we take a verse which is right at the end of the sadhana where we dedicate the merit or where we wish the auspicious, where we generate the auspicious wishing, which is right at the end. In the Treshe or

Treshepa, that is the end, generation of the auspicious wish. There is a verse dedicated to the guru and we take that and dedicate it to all the gurus and we take that and recite it at the beginning. So in four verses the guru prayer can be included, be shortened. After the guru prayer, the longer or the shorter version, then we should recite the two following verses which is at the beginning or the first verse is the confession for all the unwholesome

things one has done in the past and then the second part is our making requests to the gurus to give the blessing and to give the siddhi to us in order to accomplish the state of enlightenment through mastering or through accomplishing the true stage of generation and completion. Then one more verse which is OM DEULALAMAGUTANG which is a prayer that may I never be separated in all my lives from a perfect guide or perfect guru, and so on. After that follows then

instant generation of the deity and then the blessing of the bell and vajra and consecration of the inner offering and outer offering, which we have already completed yesterday. Now after the consecration of the outer offering, then we should consecrate the torma offering. So although the object is different, the inner offering is liquid, and the torma offering can be a torma, actually a torma made or bread or anything whatever the object is. The

object is different, the material object is different and the purpose is different, but the consecration process is exactly the same. We take exactly the same recitation and same visualization which we have done for the inner offering, the same thing we should apply to the torma consecration. So after having consecrated the torma into amrita, like in the inner offering, now we should invite the guests to which we must offer this torma. They are the guardians.

The protectors. There are 15 protectors and they are called directional protectors and they are exactly the same as those protectors which are in the Yamantaka and here in Guhyasamaja. So first of the 15 protectors is Indra. So there is one Indra which is the worldly god which rules the celestial heavens. But there is another level of Indra which has attained the aurea stage through receiving the teaching of dharma from the enlightened Buddha. Also

there is still a higher level of Indra which has actually attained full enlightenment. There is an Indra which is one of the interference which is called Deva Interference. The lord of this particular interfering is also called Indra. Like that there are like Indra in many many different levels, many different kinds. In the same way Brahma and other protectors and guardians are also in many different kinds, many different levels. Some are enlightened,

some are unenlightened, some are interfering forces and some are protecting gods and so on. The fully enlightened Indra is not here one of the guests we invite not. Of course the fully enlightened manifestation is as one with the Guhyasamaja, there is no difference. So that Indra will be visualized in one of those cemeteries which will be created afterwards in the mandala. That Indra which will come later is the enlightened form. Then there are 15 worldly protectors or guardians Indra and so on, which are helpful for the practitioner of dharma. Those are in one group and then there is another group of the 15 with the same names which are interfering forces which are causing interference to a practitioner of dharma So there are two sides, The guests, 15 guests

which we are inviting for this torma offering is -- the first group, the first 15 guardians, Indra and so on, who are worldly guardians but who are helpful to the practitioner of the dharma, who are protectors, to protector the practitioner, those are the guests in this invitation. Those 15 interfering forces will be later in the sadhana will be summoned by the power of the deity and will be conquered or defeated and then put into a cell, will be like imprisoned. That follows later on. So all the helpful, they are called the wholesome forces, worldly forces, that is around in the world, they are all included in these 15 guardians. Those all the interfering forces, all the interfering spirits, interfering gods whatever they are, those are all included

into this negative group. So we invite these guests and we make the offering of torma and request to them to protect us, to help us during ones practice of dharma. First these guests must be invited, must be summoned, invited to this feast. So that starts now. What Je Rinpoche has explained so far is just the general condition or the general situation of these guardians. Now begins the actual work, the actual work or invitation. Then so we should visualize with this gesture, we should visualize all the rays of light going out, red colored rays of light going out from the HUM in your chest, going to all directions and touching all the, reaching all the guardians in ten directions Then they are attracted, they are drawn back like a magnet picks up or draws back a

piece of metal. Like that they are summoned and they all remain around us. So we should remember that we are since the generation of the deity, we are in the form of Guhyasamaja, the complete form of 14

Guhyasamaja, three faces and six arms. So we should place them all around us in the four directions, or semi directions and up and down, they are placed all around us. In the East direction is the place for Indra and the Yama in the South. The back which is the West side is Flaruna that is the god water.

The North is the Yaksha that is the god of wealth. Southeast is Rackshas, that is a very wrathful spirit like cannibals. Southwest is Vyu that is the god of wind. Southeast there is Ageed the god of fire. Southwest is the Rackshas. Northwest is the wind-god. Northeast is the place for Ishvara. There are 10, no 8. And also there are some more additions. Also some more additions, on the right side in the East direction, on the right side of Indra there is Vishnu. Also in the East direction we should place the gods of the upper realm, the Brahma and moon-gods. So their proper place is in between the Ishvara which is the god of the Northeast and the Vishnu. So that is all on the right side of Indra. So in between the Ishvara and the Vishnu there are these three

upper gods. Next to the Yaksha which is on the North we should also place the Ghanasha. So in between Maruna the water god which is on the West and the Rackshas which is on the Southwest, in between the two we should place the lord of the Ashudas and the goddess of the Earth. So this completes the 15 guardians, so there are 2 gods in the East and they are called Eastern gods, that is Indra and Vishnu. In the South there is the god of death, Yama, and the West is Maruna water go, and in the North there is the Yaksha the wealth god as well as Ghanasha. Then on the Southeast there is the fire god, and on the Southwest there is the Rackshas, and Northwest is the wind god, and Northeast is Ishvara. So there are 10 gods, 4 gods in the 4 directions and 4 in the

semi directions so there are 10 gods. An additional god are the upper god, the Brahma and sun and moon gods they are placed in between the Vishnu and the god which is on the Northeast, Ishvara. So in between Rackshas which is on the Southwest and the water god which is on the West there are the lord of Ashudas and the goddess as well. So those three gods are called upper gods and the 2 goddess and the lord Ashuda are called the gods of lower realms. So that makes 15 guardians and to explain in detail about them, this will itself take a few days. So they have, these guardians are not called with their ordinary godly names but they are given the vajra names. The vajra names are given by Vajradhara. So the Indra is called the vajra of weapons. Yellow in

color his body, with thousand eyes on one body, riding on an elephant. This elephant is called Sessun and which is extraordinary, with extraordinary qualities, the mount of the god Indra. Then next is Vishnu, he is called Vishnu or sometimes called the secondary lord...

...riding on a Garuda, a big bird, with four arms. The first right hand is holding a wheel, a wheel of weapon and the second, kind of stuff to hit. The two left arms; the first is holding a conch shell and the second a precious jewel. So this is a great god which has been worshiped very much in certain Indian religions. Garuda is actually related to god himself, it is his uncle. So actually the god was meditating for a long time on his uncle, the Garuda, and after the Garuda appeared and asked what boon he can give. The Vishnu answered "I don't ask particularly for any boon, I just worship you out of respect and faith in you.

But the uncle, Garuda, insisted that "You must need some kind of boon, just ask I will give you." So then he said, "If you really promise me to give a

boon, since you have already promised me to give a boon, now I will ask for this boon" then he expressed his wish, "May you become my mount, since you have horns, you have great wings, and great force, and since I am a very busy god I must travel here and there all the time', so therefore he expressed the wish, he generated the wish to make his uncle his own mount. So thus he became the mount and now the reason why Indra has all these thousand eyes on his body, is even more embarrassing story. Once Indra was running running around and he reached a place of rishis, very powerful rishis, and he did some crazy things to irritate these rishis. This rishis are of great power and one of the rishis put a very bad spell on Indra so that his body, so that a thousand

female sex will appear on his body and this, so his body is covered with female sex, all covered completely on his body, so he became totally embarrassed. So then he asked for forgiveness and he really was in a very desperate situation, and he asked for forgiveness from the rishi and then the rishi changed and blessed them into a thousand eyes on his body. So the great god Vishnu is one of the great worldly gods which is refuge of many people, many people take refuge in it, those who follow this tradition. Sometimes this word Vishnu is sometimes misleading because one of the Asulas who is called, the great god of Asulas who is called Rahula, and Rahula which has certain influence in causing people to suffer epilepsy and this kind of thing. The spirit who is

called Rahula he is also called sometime the same name, but they are completely different. The one here is a deva, a deva which is an assistant lord of the devas, next to Indra. So those who are the Vishnavas, they are called, the ones who are highly devoted to the Vishnu and taking Vishnu as their ultimate god, takes also other great beings like Shakyamuni Buddha also one of his incarnations. They are assured the ten great daksharwataras _means ten great incarnations. There are many reasons to assure that Shakyamuni is one of these incarnations because some say there are certain wrong views prevailing among the Brahmans who are completely refuting, ignoring and refuting the law of cause and effect, etc, and in order to propagate, reestablish the law of cause and effect, then the god incarnated himself in the form of Shakyamuni. One of the most outstanding, the figure in the daksharwataras, ten incarnations of the Vishnu, is Krishna. He is a human being, he is the human being who was the incarnation or manifestation of the god Vishnu. So they assert that Krishna is equal to the actual real god himself. Krishna is very clever and sometimes very cunning person. He was one time he put a pan, a cooking pan over his belly and he covered himself, wrapped himself with a cloth and so on, appeared like a pregnant woman, then he went to test the clairvoyance of a great rishi. He went to a rishi and asked "What is in my abdomen". He is great tester, so he tests the rishi. So the rishi was a very powerful one with

clairvoyance and by this sort of insultation, test Krishna made, he was very irritated and he put a spell that you have got in your stomach a piece of iron about a length of one foot and this will fall down from belly and this will become a weapon which at the end will kill you. This spell, he put a spell on him. So the spells of the rishis are very powerful, some that a god has no strength to reverse it. So therefore, eventually then this piece of iron formed inside him and it fell out. So then he remembered the curse of the rishi which he had in the past and then thought now this iron can be dangerous to destroy himself. So he made someone else, somebody else to crush it, that piece of iron. That person was rubbing rubbing like this that piece of iron and he got a little tired of doing that for a long time and he just threw it into the water, into the river. That piece of iron went into a fish, it was swallowed by a fish. Then a fisherman fished that particular fish and when they opened its body then found a little piece of iron in there. He gave it to a blacksmith and he made it into a point on an arrow. So during all this time Krishna, the incarnation had 15

performed so many great deeds and miracles and did a lot of things in the meantime, and even he had a great number of consorts, 60 consorts and so on, and

so many pleasures he enjoyed and so many deeds had been performed. Also he had a great number of relatives, family members, and became very famous and became great conqueror. So then also great wars were taking place and also a great dispute and fighting with the Asulas were taking place and great wars were taking place in his life. Finally at the very end then all the relatives all are completely destroyed, little by little in all those different wars and fighting and so on. Then he got separated from his family members, from his wives, his consorts and then he was one time left alone in a valley, in a place. Then he still had a few guards or bodyguards around him and he sent them to get his consorts, his wives. When his wives were returning to him, again

a great battle took place and because some bandits or like that, some robbers, attacked them and a big fight occurred on the way. So they lost completely the fight and these bandits then killed all the wives of Krishna and also his bodyguards and all are destroyed in that battle. Then he got very sad and left alone so he went into the forest and sort of taking rest, leaning against a tree and his leg stretched. At that time then karmically it happened that that piece of iron which was put on an arrow, it went through and reached in the hand of a hunter. So that hunter was in that forest wandering around looking for an animal. So when the hunter saw the Krishna resting, lying there from a great distance, Krishna's legs are stretched and he was moving his

toes, big toes, was moving like this and the hunter saw it from a great distance, not seeing very clearly, thought these are two ears of a deer moving. So then he shot an arrow and it went straight because it was very well targeted, aimed, so it went straight in between the big toes and straight to his heart. And he was killed. That is the end, that is the end of the life. So these are Vedic stories concerning these gods and there are ten incarnations and each one has a very interesting life story, but there would be too many to explain. So the actual center of manifestation which is god Vishnu is one of the great gods next to Indra. Then the vishnavas assert all these theory of ten incarnations of all these great beings, including Shakamuni. So they take, they

really take the Krishna as one of the greatest Avatara, but if one reads the Vedic history, or the story of the life of these incarnations like Krishna then they are not really very highly inspiring. Actually, the Buddha Shakamuni is a fully enlightened being, so he is in fact transcended the level of the worldly gods. So now the Indra and the great god Vishru is complete, they are placed in Eastern direction.

On the Southeast we should place the god of fire, Agne, the god of fire. In general there are twelve fire gods. This form of fire god is in red color. So

with a mustache, a beard and mustache and eyebrows are all like flames, from all these flames coming. Riding on a boat. Red body, four arms. So this god of fire is, it belongs into the rays or the category of "rishi". So the two right arms, one is in the gesture of giving refuge, protection and the second hand is holding a rosary, counting beads. First left hand is holding, it is called a rivichilok, it is a kind of vase which Rishis carry filled with water everywhere, with a handle, is holding that particular vase. The second a staff. Piece of stick. Now on our right side which is the Southern direction, on the South direction we should place Yama the god of death. So his vajra name is Vajratyme, with black color or dark body and riding on a buffalo, water buffalo. The Kalirupa, the protector Kalirupa, is also riding on a buffalo. Kalirupa, the position is different. Kalirupa's right leg is bent and the left stretched. This yama is just opposite, standing on the buffalo. A very wrathful figure with all the hairs raised up in his face. The right hand is holding a staff, again a stick to hit and the left hand is in the terrifying gesture, in the summoning gesture. In the Southwest there is the Rudraksha. His vajra name is Vajrastick. He is riding on an animated human corpse completely in the naked form, in a dark color and is wearing bone ornaments, with long teeth coming out of the mouth. The right holding a sword, left holding a skull. Just straight at our back in the West direction we should visualize the water god

whose vajra name is Vajranaga. It is a peaceful form in white color. He has all the crown of the snake. There are seven snakes raising their head above him. Also holding snake in his two hands. So in other tantras of Yamantaka, this water god is riding on a sea monster, a sea animal, like crocodile, but here is not mentioned, so he is without a mount. Now between Rudraksha and the water god we should place those two additional, the lord of Asudas and the goddess of the earth. There are actually four gods of the Asudas, four lords of the Asudas, from out of them this is called Tangsunre, who has a wrathful, dark figure. He is just sitting in a chariot, holding a sword in the right hand. Next to him there is the goddess of the earth. Yellow, in yellow color,

sitting on a lotus flower, without any implement. She is holding in the right hand a lotus flower. Now on the North there is a Yakshas who is called the Vajrayakshas. The Yakshas, they usually have a very heavy body and look quite powerful, but fat. It is in yellow color. So usually some Yakshas are riding on a horse, but this time he is riding on a human being. So there is also a story why the Yakshas is riding on a human body. It is some story related, some Vedic story which is a great favorite of the poets. So he is holding in the right hand a mouse (?), and in the left a fruit, it is a celestial fruit. On his right side there is the garnisha which is called the Vajra longnose or longtrunk, so with an elephant body, white in color, an elephant head. So there

is again a story in relation with the elephant head on a human body. It was a child of Ishwara and then in connection with some battle story with the Asudas and so on, so then this god had to have this elephant head, but that is too long to explain. He is mounting on big mouse or rat. He has four arms. The right hands are holding a radish and a stick. The radish, the actual radish that we use in our cooking and the stick is to hit someone. The two left hands are holding a "ladu" it is a favorite dish of him (sweet stuff) and the second rosary. So ladu is also one of the favorite Indian sweet delicacy. It a yellow thing with yellow color and rounded into little balls. Indians eat a lot of them. So this ladu does not necessarily be in that form or in that

particular Indian stuff. A cookie is ladu, a cookie which is cooked in butter and with a sweet taste and that ladu is also a particular offering to one of the Mahakalas.

Gombokuru is one of four Mahakala's favorite, or one of the favorite offering is cookies. Now the Northeast there is Ishwara, white in color, riding on a bull, the hair is tied up into a big knot on his head and wearing a bone ornaments. The right hand is holding a trishula with the three points, trishula,

and the left holding a dhamaru. His vajra name is the Vajrawrath. So they have no particular, no different vajra names. So the Ishwara has several different names. For example, in Yamantaka they are called Wanden which means Indrandra or something like that. And also usually the Northeast direction is called the direction of Ishwara, generally. It is a general name for the Northeast, Wanden, that is always Northeast. The Rudrakshas vajra name is Vajrastick, more precisely how do you call that chopper? The rice chopper pestle, Vajrapestle. So then, the South then generally the Southeast is called 16

Melstum, that is the name for that direction, that means the "bondrial fire", it literally means, because that is the place, that is the direction where the fire god is in, so that direction is called with that name. On the Southwest that is the direction for the Rudrakshas and that place is called Denthel. Denthel literally means "truthless" or something. Because why it is called the "truthless", that direction is called "truthless" is because the Rudrakshas usually all what they can speak is lies. They only lie, they can never tell any truth. That is a characteristic of the Rudrakshas. The Northwest is called the boundary of the wind, wind boundary, air boundary, because that is the very direction where wind god resides. So actually we should know about this in

great detail but there is no explain to stick to these details, so now we should visualize all these gods around us surrounding us, not just one god alone standing there alone, but they are surrounded with big entourage of their own. So we should imagine that there is a big assembly around us for this feast of torma. So while we recite these lines which says "on the East the vajra weapon, white body, etc., all the gods", until it says "the goddess of earth holding a lotus". Until there we visualize all these gods around us as it is described in the text. So these guardians are not in enlightened form or not Bodhisattvas or something like that, these are the worldly, wholesome worldly guardians, protectors. They are all so called the wholesome deities,

wholesome guardians or protectors who appreciate the practice of dharma and somebody who helps, who is sincere and sympathetic to a practitioner of dharma. So all of them have, as Je Rinpoche explained before, they have very different bodies, different color heads and so on, which is the fruit of their own past karma. So we in order to make a tantric offering we cannot offer it to an ordinary object like that with such odd heads and so on. So we must first clarify it, purify this impure view, this impure appearance and change them completely into transcendental form. So their respective bodies are all changed into light, melt into light and by completely purifying their body they all reform into identical body of Guhyasamaja. So all of them become Guhyasamaja.

So when we offer the torma actually, the torma to them we shouldn't visualize that they are taking the torma in their mouth and chewing them and biting them and so on. Sometimes in some cases we...

[...] ...so we should visualize that the tongue then becomes Vajratongue, that means we visualize Vajra in their tongue, outwardly it is a tongue, the flexible

real tongue, but inwardly there is a vajra. So one can visualize a five pronged vajra, or three pronged vajra, or one pronged vajra. For example in Yamantaka sadhana then uses the vajra, because five pronged vajra would be rather sort of solid and roomy in the mouth, so visualize three prongs inside the tongue and now for this Guhyasamaja we visualize the vajra with the one prong inside the tongue. There is a hole into that central prong, that one prong, and outside is completely a normal tongue. So now before we offer the torma we should offer first some other offerings, the water offerings and so on, like OM PRATICA ARGUHUM etc. these water offerings. So this process, this order of offering is made according to the order of offering which was

practiced, which was used at the time of the Buddha, how somebody in India at that time makes the custom of making these offerings, this process of offering. So, and also how an offering is made to the great conquerors. So the first offering which is made is to give a bath, of water, a water offering; and after, a drink something to refresh, a drink of water or something, a drink; then again since the feet touches the ground and still pick up dust and so on, so then another water, a separate wash to the feet before one sits down. These are the process of offerings which are made that time. So it is also used in the sadhana. So after washing the feet then one sits down comfortably on the cushion, on the seat and then again water is offered to rinse the

mouth and also to drink, to open the appetite. Then "santo" that is sprinkle of scented water to refresh to keep cool in the hot seasons, so that is offered. Then flowers are offered, put around on the body or to throw on the body. And also very fragrant incense are burned, to produce a very good smell, aroma in the atmosphere. Then lamps are lit and also very brilliant, very radiant jewels, special jewels are placed at the corner of the mansions, which produces light and illuminates the whole atmosphere. Then perfume or scented water is put on the chest. That refreshes and also produces a very agreeable fragrance of the body. After than then food is brought to eat. So this food is not given in a very quiet and very lonesome quiet atmosphere, but with a

very joyful, very lively atmosphere by playing various melodious music at the same time. So that is how we imagine whenever we offer these offerings in any sadhanas we should apply the same principal. When we offer to the Buddhas or to the deities then we actually create a lot of offering gods and goddesses from one’s self, coming from ones chest and they then carrying all these various offering objects and making offerings to the Buddhas, filling the whole space. So in Guhyasamaja there is some instead of offering all these offerings one after another in the usual order, there is a little change. So after offering these first four waters, then torma is offered before other offerings. So the first offering is OM AH PRACTICA ARGHUM so at that time we

visualize, we make the gesture of arghum, so we are offering three different kinds of offering: Offering of the gesture, the mudra, the inner offering, visualizing in your mind the offering and then the actual offering whatever we have, material offering, what is the real offering. So simultaneously we are making different types of offering at once. Also when we recite the offering mantra, then that is a verbal offering. So verbal offering then mudra offering, the material offering and mental offering. So at the end of each offering then we should think that the object, the deity taking this offering, experience a very great bliss, a great happiness, a great bliss in their mind. That blissful state of the mind which we have produced, that is the actual

offering. Then in addition to that, if we applied the shunyata or the voidness understanding in this act of offering, that means they offer the object of offering, the offering itself, the act of offering, offerer and all these three rounds of offering, they are all void of inherent existence. The offerings are void of inherent existence, offerer, object, all are completely void of inherent existence. So with this state of mind, if we offer then that is the ultimate offering and also there comes the union of bliss and void. So each time when we make an offering, first we create the offering deities, the offering deities from us, and at the end of the act of that particular offering, those deities must be collected back. So that was the meaning of the

offering process. Now when we actually offer, then we begin it with this mantas. So first OM PRACTICA ARGHUM that is for water for the mouth, then water for the feet, padyam is for the feet Then OM ARYVARA SITA ANTEMANUM that is for rinsing the mouth. And with the OM ARYVARA DHARA then that is for rinsing that is the sprinkle of water. And after these four water offerings, then we should visualize that a tube of light emanates from this end of the vajra in the tongue of the deity, which completely takes in or sucks in the essence of this amrita which we have created, which we have arranged. So like one drinks coke or something from a straw, like that all the amrita is taken in and it gives a great joy and bliss to the object. So while we read the following lines, the 17

verses, then this offering is made and actually here one can make a very great, very broad, very vast infinite offering by visualizing, by thinking that when we make offering to these deities then actually at the same time offering is made to the infinite, the forms of the protectors and the forms of the deities which are in the infinite universe and so throughout the universe we manifest or as we send these offerings and making offering simultaneous to all

of them, so infinitely and so on they are very deep and very profound and vast meditation and visualization we can do, but that will be quite hard to immediately to think that way. Anyway, while we recite this following prayers then the actual process of offering is taking place. Also in this prayer there are all the vajra names of all these deities, Dorje Sempa, Dorje Duma, and vajra, weapon vajra, and so on, calling the names of these deities. Indra is called "vajra weapon" and Vishnu is called "vajra illusion", fire is called "vajra fire", Yama is called "vajra time", Rakshas is called "vajra pestle", the water god is "vajra naga", then the god wind which is in green body holding a flag and holding a fan and riding on a deer. And he is called "Dorje

Lung" "vajra wind". Vajra Terrifier is Vydawa or Vajra Terrifier that means Yukshas. Vajra with the Long Trunk, it is Incarnasha. Vajra Wrathful One or the Wrath that is Ishvara. Vajra Circle, that is the sun. Vajra Light, that is the moon. Vajra Non Speaking, that is vajra speechless, that is Brahma. Then Tangsari who has no particular vajra name that is lord of Ishuda. Then the goddess of earth. Those two do not have any particular secret names. So then it follows the line that says "To them I offer the flower, the incense, the light, the food, etc." So it says "Take these offerings and my torma and the belinta". Then it says "Please take them and enjoy them completely to full satisfaction. Then the request follows. The request is first the wealth, my

wealth, gold first is the possessions, various articles material articles, gold, then general wealth and also the crop and so on, free from disease, happiness. So all the interfering forces which interferes, which takes away these qualities such as ones wealth, possessions, ones health and happiness, all those who cause disturbances or interfere in this welfare, my welfare, and those who have great ill will or bad thoughts, very negative thoughts, hatred against me. So all such humans or non-humans, make them all dull or like sleep, like sleepy, sleep in their mind, & also make them stiff, that means like frozen, unable to move. Also tie them, that means they are completely tied so they have no strength to cause any harm, so destroy completely. So, in

short that means all the negative interfering forces of humans and non-humans every interfering forces are destroyed completely. So all the interference for the favorable circumstance for my practice of dharma is destroyed completely, clear them away completely, and give me all the necessary circumstances, all the goodness that I require for the accomplishment of my practice of dharma. Again, the wealth, the possession, the health, and life of vigor and energy, physical and mental energy gave all this and happiness, physical and mental happiness, free from all sufferings of disease, and great happiness, until reaching enlightenment help me so that I get endowed with these affections or these qualities. So guard me from all these interfering forces and give

me all these favorable circumstances for all the time; not only from time to time, but constantly. So this prayer begins with OM AH and ends with HUM SWAHA. So it is placed in between OM AH HUM. So thus the torma offering is made and after that once again we should offer OM ARADHARA ENSAMANUM that is the offering of the water to rinse the mouth. Then we offer argum again, that is water for the body, either to take a shower, to take a bath or a water to drink which is both argum. After that we offer dessert, so that is OM VAJRA TAMULA. So VAJRA TAMULA is vajra dessert. So with that we make another offering of torma at the end after we drink and everything, just to sweetening the mouth. So after that we offer the flower, the incense and light, the perfume and

once again some food and then music. So when we offer the music we can play the instruments like symbols and bells and so on and at the end of that, end of the music then DASHA DELORA PRATICIPA DESHA OM AH HUM with this then we make offering of the inner offering, inner offering that we have consecrated. From there we make the offering to the guardians. So DASHA DEKA LOKA PALA that is Sanskrit name, that means "the guardians of the ten directions". So DASHA means "ten", and DEKA means their "directions" LOKA is "world', and PALA means "holder or guardian", SAPARIWARA means "together with the entourage or assembly". So DASHA DEKA LOKA that means "to the worldly guardians of the ten directions, the guardians of the ten directions of the world" then I offer

whatever we offer. After the inner offering then we should recite one time the Vajrasattva Mantras, the 100 syllable Vajrasattva Mantra. So one can recite the Vajrasattva mantra first and then the verse of forgiveness, MANI OM VASHIDEZ the verse for forgiveness after that is according to the upper tantric college and to recite the verse first and the mantra after is according to the lower tantric college, there is no difference. While we recite this Vajrasattva mantra we should think that from the Ackshobya, the little Ackshobya which is in the crown of the Guhyasamaja, now who are these guardians, the Guhyasamaja. So from those Ackshobyas on their head rays of light and amrita flows into their body, and this completely clears away all the

dissatisfactions or any uncomfortable feelings that they may have, caused by our mistake or our improper relation or our certain disrespectful attitudes or mistakes that we have made towards them. All these kind of feelings are completely purified. So when we make offerings to these guardians, we don't offer it exactly in the same way out of great respect and same devotion as we offer it to the Enlightened Buddhas or the deities. So we offer it, the offering is made in such a way because one’s self is in the form of the lord Guhyasamaja. So when we call these, we are treating them like friends, like friends we make offerings or like paying to the employees. So sometimes we invite some friends like this for dinner like that and we offer the dinner and at the end

sometimes we may ask like a little forgiveness, "excuse me, the dinner wasn't really very good, and it is very simple" and something like this, making some excuse. It is necessary because if we have done some mistake in the food or maybe the food wasn't really good enough, that person although he doesn't speak, is still very polite, but he can leave with some uncomfortable feelings. So when they go out then they think, "They have invited me to this dinner, to this meal, but this food is horrible, is unclean, I had to eat it or put it back, and so on". So whether these guardians have such very obvious feelings or not, but we are anyway while we recite the mantra then we should think there is light coming from the Ackshobya clears away all the uncomfortable

feelings they may have due to our mistakes, our uncleanness of the offerings or our distraction while we are offering, or anything like that. At the end of the recitation we say OM AH VAJRA MU. That means "now leave". The MU, the syllable MU is in Sanskrit means "leave, depart". So we can think that then they leave from us with full satisfaction of our relation that we have established, that we can have full confidence in them that they will protect us. So in this way they leave to their own abodes. That is one way of visualization. So one can do gestures, it is not indispensable though, when we say OM AH VAJRA MU, then make a gesture of like this, so they depart, or one can just simply recite the mantra without mudra. Or another choice of visualization or

meditation is they don't depart completely to their own abode, disappear to their own abode. Rather they depart from your place, but we place them still around us in some distance that afterwards when we will create the mandala so they can still 18

be outside of the mandala. So in such a distance we can place them and they remain there with full attention towards us, with constant guarding or attention towards us. After this, now after completing this work with the guardians, now we should OM BENIDATI HUM with the mantra of the Mahacroda, then

we should consecrate, not the inner offering because they have already been consecrated, but the outer offerings, the flower and again the water. So there is a second offering which has not been offered yet, is not offered to the guardians but which we will offer in the actual meditation, it will be offered to us, to ourself later on. So those offerings must be consecrated in the same way like we have consecrated those offerings before, visualizing the many skull cups then with the syllables in there and then they are transforming into various objects. So after consecration, after preparation of these outer offerings, after having made them ready, then we should offer mandala offering, the long mandala offering VAJRA BHUMI...or a shorter mandala offering SA-

ZHI PO-KYI...the usual offering. We are offering this mandala offering to ones root guru. So we are making this offering in order to receive the permission, we are asking for the permission of the, the blessing and permission of the guru to practice, engage ourself in this practice of Guhyasamaja. Even if one is practicing something very great, something very advanced, something very great practice of dharma, one should always ask permission of the guru to do so. So like when so here one can insert the Vajrasattva meditation as it is usually done in the beginning of the sadhana. Visualizing Vajrasattva and then reciting the mantra and making a sort of thorough purification practice, but Rinpoche will not explain it at this time. So Je Rinpoche

said that it is good that a lot of Westerners nowadays practice preliminaries and they practice this recitation of the Vajrasattva mantra a few hundred thousand times, and sort of make a retreat, that is good. Je Rinpoche hopes that they do it with full understanding, with correct understanding of the practice. That is important. So here in the actual text this is sometimes, this Vajrasattva meditation is included here at this spot, but it is not necessary that one must do it there. One can do it like in the preliminaries, outside of this meditation or one can do it during the breaktime. Actually Vajrasattva meditation is a practice that is done at breaktime. So it is not indispensable, but here we must include one or the other. So Je Rinpoche says

now he has tried to explain as much as he can but still in receiving one teaching one time of this practice, not enough. One must, really to get acquainted, must receive several times teaching, then they become really complete. So it is very beneficial to receive teachings many times, as many times as possible, because at first time one will have some vague understanding, sort of general understanding of the practice if one listens with concentration. Then if we take one a second time and third, each time one learns something more and makes one's understanding more and more complete. So this way if one practices then the progress will come very speedily. You have asked if Vajrasattva is single form or with consort. Je Rinpoche says that if one is included in a practice like this, an annutara tantric practice, then it is with consort. Generally, one can practice it without a consort, single form as it is always in the kria tantra, like in the kria tantra. So the Vajrasattva is always in a very white body and consort, we visualize consort also in white body this all symbolizes the purification aspect. Also one can purify obstacles of the body, speech and mind and for practice like this Guhyasamaja and for Yamantaka' then one should concentrate principally on the obstacles of the body, physical obstacles...

So in practice like Chakrasamvara and Havajra, then they belong to the Mother tantra way, so the Vajrasattva though they are in the same form they have, in addition to the precious ornaments, they have also bone ornaments. Also in the purification, actual purification, one aims principally to the mental obstacles. Then, of course, together the physical and verbal ones too. That is very powerful, more powerful because all the obstacles or all the karmas we accumulate, everything is principally caused by mind. Mind influences the speech and the body, then all the troubles are created. Therefore if we concentrate on the mental obstacle then automatically the others will be controlled. So therefore, such a method is more powerful. Now we will make a break for this morning.

So we have made the torma offering and after that now we begin the actual part of the meditation. First of all we should understand that we the sentient beings take sentient beings cycle in the samsara through the process of birth, death and bardo intermediate. Through these forces then we go around and around in samsara. So actually, some explanation must be given about the birth, the death and the bardo. Je Rinpoche will give a summary of that at the beginning of each stage of meditation. So in order to take rebirth, generally, in order to take rebirth in a fortunate realm and to a fortunate situation,

then we need to accumulate the distinguished cause, the particular positive cause for such a rebirth. So in the practice in this stage of meditation, we similarly in this stage of meditation in the tantra, the first comes accumulation of merit. Like someone who takes, in order to take rebirth, a good rebirth, in this life that person must accumulate a good cause. That person being accumulating very much karma, positive karma, if someone is going to take rebirth into fortunate realm. Then at the end of this life, when the person reaches the very end of this life, then that particular cause to take, that particular karmic cause or seed which will give the fruit of human rebirth must become fully ripen at the end of this life. So when the right cause, karmic cause is fully ripened at the end of this life then by its force then one, when one separates from this existence and one goes to the intermediate stage or bardo body, corresponding to that future rebirth then finally obtains the real fruit, that is the human rebirth. So in a similar process in this meditation, in the Guhyasamaja meditation, like the future rebirth we will create the complete mandala of the deity a little bit later. So in order to actualize such a form of the deity, such a mandala, such a place, such a form, such a body, first one must accumulate the right cause for that, like the proper karmic cause is required to take a future or human rebirth. So we must prepare; first our, prepare the accumulation of a great merit, not just a

little merit but a very powerful force of merit to accomplish that stage or to accomplish that fruit. So therefore, a most effective and most powerful way to accomplish great merit with a little effort very fast, very speedily is the practice of guru devotion, guru yoga. It has been said in the dharma that practicing guru devotion or making offering to the guru excels even the merit of making offerings to the Buddhas of three times, for kalpas and kalpas. As it says in the guru puja that to worship or to make offering to one part of the body of the guru completely surpasses all the merit one can accumulate, the great accumulation of merit one can achieve through making offerings to all the Tatagathas. So therefore, in order to accumulate a very great force of

merit we should practice first the guru yoga by inviting Guru Guhyasamaja which is inseparable from the deity, guru and the deity in one nature. So Guhyasamaja we invite as a field of merit. So there are three ways of inviting this field of merit. Inviting guru 19

as one with the deity, in the form of the deity Guhyasamaja, or inviting the guru sitting on the head of a deity as the lord of the family, then all visualizing guru in the center of the Eastern side of the mandala on the throne. There are ways of visualizing, but here we should practice according to the first way, seeing the guru as a deity in one form, inviting in one form. So where it says in the sadhana that oneself in the form of Akshobya or in the

form of Guhyasamaja from the HUM in ones chest rays of light go out and then from the natural abode the guru deity in countless forms of the guru deity are invited. That is the part where one begins the practice of guru yoga. So actually when one invites the Buddha, Buddha doesn't need to come from anywhere, from a particular place or like this, Buddha's omniscient mind pervades every phenomena, one can invite Buddha from anywhere, but in order to suit our minds so first we send the rays of light going out and then that sort of bringing Buddha from outside, from outside then inviting, like one invites a guest and then bringing in front of you. That is best to suit our mind. So at this moment we are in the form of Akshobya Vajra Guhyasamaja with the three forms, six arms. So in our chest a lotus of various color, variegated color. On top of that lotus there is a sun disk. On top of the sun disk then one's own mind,

mind of the deity is in the form of blue letter or syllable HUM. From there then rays of hook shaped rays of light, red color emanate and go out in all directions and illuminates the whole space. So these rays of light, the red rays of light, then bring back from all ten directions, from everywhere from top from bottom from everywhere the complete mandala of the Guhyasamaja with complete container, the mandala and the contents of the mandala which are inseparable from ones guru, who are of the nature of the guru. So such complete mandalas in countless forms they are invited. So first they are in countless forms from everywhere, coming from everywhere like a rainfall. In front of you they all absorb one into another until they become just one complete mandala. So by visualizing this kind of absorption of many mandalas into one mandala, it helps our mind to be more convinced of this collectedness

of the field of good merit, so afterwards then one feels more comfortable to one’s mind that this one mandala and the deity in front of you is the collection of all the mandalas and it is the embodiment of every Buddhas. So that is just to suit our habitual mind, but in reality Buddha has no real any, there is no limit there is no boundary, there is no particular place. So if one has the faith and devotion, one can invite Buddha, one can invite the Buddha anywhere, on one’s head, in one’s hand, or above us, in front of us, where ever one imagines, there is Buddha. So thus we invite this one set of mandala and this remains right in front of us, slightly above and in front of us. So finally these rays of light that we have sent out they all are collected back into the HUM. After having invited the field of merit in front of us, then we should make the 7 limb offerings as it is in the practice of

Jor Chu or the Lam Rim puja, there are the 7 limb offerings. Ladu means 7 limb offering here in this practice it is not called 7 limb offering, it is called the 7 purities. So anyway the meaning is the same. The prostrations, the offering, and so on. First the prostration, then making offerings, and a very deep and sincere confession of all ones unwholesome actions, and a very sincere rejoicing towards all the good virtuous wholesome actions and wholesome qualities of all other beings, and making requests to the gurus and to all the manifestations of the Buddhas to turn the wheel of dharma to teach, in order to help the sentient beings, and to making requests to all the Buddhas to live without passing into Parinirvana. Then finally to dedicate the merit we have accumulated through those 6 limbs all dedicating them as a proper cause to attain full enlightenment state for the sake of all sentient beings. That is the 7th limb, the limb of the dedication. So those are the so called 7limbed pujas. So now in tantric practice such as this one, then our request for the turning of the wheel of dharma and request for the long life of the guru are unnecessary, because in the tantric meditation the guru that we are inviting, the Buddha that we are inviting in front of us is not the Nirmanakaya form but the Sambogakaya. In other meditations like Jor Chu, the Lam Rim puja, the field of merit that we invite, the Buddha, the central figure of Buddha which we invite, is in the Nirmanakaya form, the manifested form. So Sambogakaya form of the Buddha can never pass into Parinirvana. There is no passing into Parinirvana. So therefore this particular request for the long life is not necessary. Also there is no moment where the Sambogakaya Buddha, Sambogakaya form of Buddha do not teach. Therefore, asking for the teachings,

is not necessary. There are 5 limbs left. Now to fulfill the number we include in there, the taking refuge and generation of Bodhichitta. Even if someone practiced just one limb properly, say prostrations or offering or something like that, just one practice has already very great power of accumulation of merit. However, to attain the state of fully enlightenment, one needs to accumulate a real very vast and very great merit, just a little merit, incomplete accumulation of merit cannot give the result. Therefore, here we must practice all 7 limbs complete, all the complete practice. So then the rays of light which we have sent out are collected back into the HUM and then immediately we make offerings. We will make offerings. All the offerings of the water, the flower and so on plus the 5 sense objects. So one’s self in the form of Guhyasamaja from the HUM in your chest one sends out again a lot of offering

deities, offering goddesses. So a group of offering goddesses go out and offer first the argham, all holding argham, make offering to the assembly, to the field of merit, then they come back and then another group holding the water, second water, then flower and so on, each time send new groups of offerers.

So these offerings are combined with the offering mantra OM SARVARA TATAGATHA ARGHAM.PUNZA MUGA SAMUDRA PARANA SAMAYA SHRI HUM with this mantra. So OM, that is the beginning, that is the initial syllable of the mantas. So all those mantras which are in between OM and AH HUM are sacred mantras. So when we say OM then these offerers go out. Then they make the offerings and at the end of the mantra then the offering work is complete and then they come back.

Then again when we say OM such and such, then another group goes out. SARVA TATAGATHA, SARVA means all, TATAGATHA means the Fully Enlightened Ones, ARGHAM is the actual name of the offering, the water. That means I offer this water to all the Enlightened Ones or to all the Buddhas. Puja means offering. That is why we always say in the Indian way we always call puja, the prayers. So PUNZA MUGA SAMUDRA: MUGA means "cloud'~ and SAMAUDRA means "ocean". So that means "the clouds of the ocean or the ocean of clouds", that means that one offers this argham not just very limited but unlimited, very vast like ocean and the clouds. PARANA means "filling the space". SAMAYA SHRI HUM. SAMAYA means pledge or the pledge. SHRI means "glory" "glorious". Then it ends with the two syllables AH HUM. So with OM at the beginning and AH HUM at the end, so that makes this line of mantra a powerful mantra or sacred mantra. So that is

the meaning of the word. The most important thing is in your mind we are very sincerely we make this offering by creating infinite amount of this offering, filling the whole space, and then offering it to the field of the merit. At this time we are not offering the additional two waters, the rinse the mouth and the sprinkle. One 20

offers just argham padyum, then it goes to pushpe the flower and incense. So each time in visualization, except for the different object, the visualization is the same and we recite the mantra OM AH SARVA TATAGATHA, then PADYUM PUNZA MUGA SAMUDRA SAMAYA SHRI AH HUM and so on. The first water to take bath or

water to drink, then the water for the feet, then flower, then incense, then light, then perfume, then the food and music. So these are the eight offerings. So now Je Rinpoche is going to show us some mudras and in order to learn the mudras, first of all one must learn what is called the "Vajra palm gesture". So when we join the palms for respect like prostration, then we don't join them empty but put the thumb inside and then join like this. Then when you offer these, when you recite the mantra, first one makes the sound like this, snap fingers. Since this time we are offering to an external object outside, so when you snap all the fingers are facing outward like this. So sometimes when we are generated ourself as the deity and when we make the offering to ourself; in the self-generation when we make our offering to ourself then what we are doing is we are sending out these offering deities and

they bring all various objects and their offering back to us. For that then snapping is like this; one facing inward and one facing outwards, like this. Not like this, but like this. So when you snap your finger and when it makes the sound at the same time immediately, instantly then from the HUM, from the tip of the HUM then these group of offering goddesses spring forth. Then you should know if a fist this is called a krodafist, wrathful fist which we don't need now. So this is called a krodafist and to put the thumb inside and make a fist like this is called "vajrafist". If you put your thumbs like this on the side and make a fist, that is called "Tatagatha fist". So we don't need all these fists now, but maybe in some other case. With OM then the offering goddesses go out and make the gesture, snap the fingers like this. Then always the basic gesture is the "vajra fist", everything starts from the "vajra fist". So the vajra fist opens then makes this circle. One time this is called the turning of the lotus. So it is one time turning of the lotus or still adding a second time. When you open, when you make this lotus turning gesture and when you are opening this vajra fist the right hand opens starting from the little finger and the left from the index finger, so it opens like this. It opens like this and also when it closes then this closes first from the index finger and this closes from the little finger. Do this like two times. Two times the turning the lotus and then a third time instead of closing it then both are opened. When the mantra is short, then just one turning of the lotus is enough. So OM SAWA TATAGATHA and then argham. When the mantra is long, then two times this turning, altogether three times must be done. If the mantra is short then two times the lotus and then ritual offering of the

water. So that is symbolic of actually the dance of these offering goddesses. These offering goddesses are not offering just walking straight to the object or giving the food and whatever, but they are doing doing very gracefully and with sort of dancing, while dancing and singing as they make the offerings. So argham and after that if there is enough time, then at the end also must be done three times, then the closing. So that means when they come back they are not sort of running to you, but they come back while they are still dancing. At the end when we say SAMAYA SHRI HUM then again snapping. At that moment all the offering deities are dissolved into the HUM. So when the mantras are long, sometimes it happens that the mantras are very long, the names of the deities are long and so on, then make this two times the lotus and then argham, then also at the end two times, then return absorption. If the mantra is

short then just the one time making this offering and in one time they are gone in.