Abridged Nine-Deity Kalachakra Sadhana
Preliminaries
Instantaneously I arise as a Kalachakra (Cycles of Time), with a blue-colored body, one face and two arms, holding vajra and bell, embracing Vishvamata (Mother of Diversity), and standing with my right leg outstretched.
Consecrating the Inner Offering
OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAH.
OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHAH, SARVA DHARMAH SVABHAVA SHUDDHO ‘HAM. Everything becomes devoid.
Within a state of voidness, from YAM, comes a disc of wind, black, with a shape like a bow, marked with victory banners. On top of it, from RAM, comes a disc of fire, red, triangular, marked with blazing flames. On top of that, from AH’s come a grate of three moist human heads,
on top of which, from OM, comes a skullcup, with a single fissure, white on the outside, red on the inside, in the middle of which, on a lotus, red with eight petals, from A I RI U LI and LII UU RII II AA, come the five nectars and the five types of flesh, marked with these letters once more.
The light-rays of the HUM at my heart rouse the wind to blow, the fire to blaze, the ingredients in the skullcup to melt and boil.
On the palms of my left, then my right, then both hands in common and then in their center, resting on a moon, then a sun, then a Rahu, then Kalagni, are an OM, then an AH, then a HUM, then a HO, from which light-rays emanate out.
From the hearts of every Vajra Body, then Vajra Speech, Vajra Mind and then Vajra Deep Awareness, they hook back in deep awareness nectars which, by merging into one with these nectars for bonding me closely, cleanse them of their stains, increase them to abundance, endowing them with a tantalizing flavor, make them blaze with radiance and then transform them into untainted deep awareness nectars.
Consecrating the Outer Offering
OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAH.
OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHAH, SARVA DHARMAH SVABHAVA SHUDDHO ‘HAM. Everything becomes devoid.
Within a state of voidness, from SPHAM’s, come bowls of precious crystal, broad and expansive, inside of which, from the melting of the initial syllable of their names, adorned with a nasal suffix-dot, come the items for offering and the divine offering maidens.
By self-nature, they are voidness and a great blissful awareness, in aspect, items for offering and divine offering maidens; their function, as objects enjoyed by the six sensors, is to enhance a special untainted blissful awareness.
OM ARGHAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM PADYAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM PROKSHANAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM ANCHAMANAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA GANDHAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA PUSHPAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA DHUPAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA DIPAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA AKSHATAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA NAIVIDYAM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA LASYEM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA HASYEM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA VADYEM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA NRITYEM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA GITYEM AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA KAMEM AH HUM SVAHA
=[Abbreviated Circle of Protection]]
OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAH
PRAJNOPAYA ATMAKA, KAYA VAK CHITTA JNANA ADHIPATE, MAMA KAYA VAK CHITTA JNANA VAJRAM VAJRA AMRITA SVABHAVAM KURU KURU, SKANDHA DHATU AYATANAM NIHSVABHAVAM SVAHA
At the crown of my head, a VAM transforms to become the disc of a vajra moon in its full sixteen parts. This purges my body three times from the crown of my head to the tip of my toes, like a snake’s shedding its skin, so that my body turns white like this disc of the moon.
OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHAH SARVA DHARMAH SVABHAVA SHUDDHO ‘HAM
At my forehead, on a white moon disc, from a white OM comes a white vajra with 17 spokes. At my throat, on a red sun disc, from a red AH comes a red vajra with 33 spokes.
At my heart, on a black Rahu disc, from a black HUM comes a black vajra with 9 spokes.
At my navel, on a yellow Kalagni disc, from a yellow HOH comes a yellow vajra with 65 spokes.
At the crown of my head, on a green space disc, from a green HAM comes a green vajra with 5 spokes.
At my pubic region, on a blue deep awareness disc, from a blue KSHAH comes a blue vajra with 33 spokes.
From these vajras, rays of light, blazing with vajras, emanate out in the ten directions. I come to have a vajra body, and the hordes of demonic forces and hindrances are decisively burnt off. OM AH HUM HRAH PHAT
Building Up a Network of Positive Potential
Instantaneously, I clearly appear as Kalachakra, a Vanquishing Master Surpassing All, with one face and two arms. In my heart, from a PAM comes a lotus, red with eight petals, on the seed-head of which, from AM comes a moon disc, on top of which, from HUM, comes a five-spoked vajra.
From it, light-rays emanate out and invite to the expanse of the space before me all Triumphant Ones, with their spiritual offspring, in the aspect of the mandala world of Kalachakra, the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All.
“O jewel-like guru, Holder of the Vajras, your kindness heralds in an instant a dawn of great bliss. I bow at your lotus-feet. I prostrate to you, Glorious Kalachakra. With a nature of voidness and compassion, you neither take birth in the three planes of existence, nor perish away. Your enlightening bodies, as ways of knowing and what are known, possess the same source.”
Offering goddesses emanated from my heart present you with offerings.
OM SARVA TATHA-GATA GANDHAM PUSHPAM, DHUPAM DIPAM, AKSHATAM NAIVIDYAM, LASYEM HASYEM, VADYEM NRITYEM, GITYEM KAMEM PUJAM KURU KURU SVAHA
I openly admit each and every negative act I have done, caused others to do, or in which I’ve rejoiced, out of attachment, anger or naivety, from beginningless time up until now.
With manifest joy, I rejoice in the massive store of constructive deeds of the Fully Enlightened Buddhas, bodhisattvas and highly realized aryas, and in everything constructive done by anyone else.
For beings tormented by the disease of disturbing emotions, I request you to set flow rounds of Dharma transmission of the nectars of Vajrayana, to heal them into blissful awareness.
I beseech you to rid yourself, please, of the wish to pass beyond sorrow, because of (others’ still bringing upon themselves) recurring samsaric sufferings from lack of realization, and to remain with us instead, for endless eons, in a manner that will bring them to make their bewilderment extinct and to purify themselves of whatever uncontrollably recurs.
From the Buddhas and masters from whom I've received the highest empowerments, the Dharma of inseparable method and wisdom they show, and both Sangha divisions abiding in it, I clearheadedly take safe direction.
To my sublime gurus and Buddhas, together with your spiritual offspring, I offer myself in every aspect and request you safeguard me as your attendant and servant, O hallowed objects for oblation.
May my constructive acts throughout the three times, never tainting them with my selfish aims’ stains, act as a cause for all limited beings of samsara’s three planes, without an exception, to attain Buddhahood.
From this moment on, till my purified state, I reaffirm my bodhichitta aim, heighten my pure resolve, and get rid of grasping for "me" and "myself, the possessor."
By this bountiful field for growing a network (of positive force) dissolving into me, I become uplifted and inspired.
Building Up a Network of Deep Awareness
If phenomena (are regarded as totally) non-(existent), (this is) not (correct) meditation. If meditation (is on phenomena as truly existent), (this is also) not (correct) meditation. (To meditate on) phenomena (to be) like that (both truly existent and non-existent) is not (correct meditation on the nature of) phenomena. (Correct) meditation (on voidness) is not to be aimed (at any of the four extremes).
If (voidness, which is) not (a truly existent) phenomenon (is regarded as truly existent, this is) not (correct) meditation. If meditation (is considered a truly existent cause for gaining a result, this is also) not (correct) meditation.
If (there were a truly existent) phenomenon (as the result) like that, (it could) not (be an existent) phenomena (at all). Meditation is not to be aimed (at the meditator, meditation, and what is meditated on as existing in any of the four extreme ways).
The water element in my body dampens the fire. Earth, parted from fire, dissolves into water. The water is dried up by wind. Wind dissolves into consciousness and consciousness dissolves into space.
Having totally stilled, like this, all mental fabrications, leaving out none, that make the environment and its inhabitants, built up from subtle particles, appear discordantly, I come to inseparable voidness as the object and deep awareness as its object-taker as the essential nature of the four gateways to liberation.
OM SHUNYATA JNANA VAJRA SVABHAVA ATMAKO ‘HAM
Supreme Triumphant Mandala
Generation
Within the origin of all phenomena, the endless sphere of space, from YAM comes a round cylinder of wind, black, (marked in the center) with the shape of a bow, 400,000 ancient miles in breadth and marked with victory banners.
On top of it, from RAM, comes a round cylinder of fire, red, with a triangle, 300,000 ancient miles in breadth and marked with the auspicious (swastika sign).
On top of it, from VAM, comes a round cylinder of water, white, with a circle, 200,000 ancient miles in breadth and marked with a lotus.
On top of it, from LAM, comes a round cylinder of earth, yellow, with a square, 100,000 ancient miles in breadth and marked with a vajra. Each of these four round cylinders has, arising from HUM’s, two crossed vajras, one on top and one on the bottom.
On top of all this, from MAM, comes a great Core Mountain Meru, with the self-nature of a vajra, at its bottom, 16,000 ancient miles in breadth and at its top 50,000 ancient miles.
In the center of (the top of) it, from KSHAM comes a variegated lotus, equal to half the breadth of the top of Mount Meru, with a seed-head a third of this (in breadth).
On top of it, from HAM comes a moon; from an aspirant suffix-colon a sun; and from a nasal suffix-dot, together with a nada sonorous squiggle, Rahu and Kalagni discs equal (in breadth) to the lotus seed-head.
All of these merge into one, from which comes the syllable HKSHMLVRYAM.
Once again, from these individual syllables, arise the complete space, wind, fire, water, earth and Mount Meru, together with the lotus, moon, sun, Rahu and Kalagni supports, on top of which from HUM comes a vajra tent.
Inside it, from OM, comes an immeasurably magnificent palace, square, with four portals, together with four archways in the nature of gold and sparkling with the light-rays of gems.
Its walls are three layers thick, from the outside, in order, black, red and white. On top of them is a molding of jewels, resting on which is a golden quadruple colonnade.
Over its outer face hang a filigree of loops and strands (of pearls).
Possessing all classic features such as eaves, beautified with hanging pendants, a parapet and so on, this immeasurably magnificent palace is, on top and bottom, black in the east, red in the south, white in the north, yellow in the west, and blue in the center.
In the middle of it, from OM comes a lotus, green, with eight petals, on the seed-head of which, from AM come the discs of a moon, from AH of a sun, and from A of a Rahu and Kalagni.
Above this central moon, sun, Rahu and Kalagni, comes a disc of a moon, marked with 32 vowels resting on this moon, in the nature of the 32 excellent signs – mirror-like deep awareness.
Beneath that comes a disc of a sun, marked with 80 consonants resting on this sun, in the nature of the 80 exemplary features – equalizing deep awareness.
In the center of the moon come a syllable HUM, like what is marked with a rabbit, as the consciousness of the one sustained on fragrance – individualizing deep awareness – and a black syllable HI as the life-sustaining energy-wind that is the mount of that consciousness and co-arising with it – accomplishing deep awareness.
The moon, the sun, the vowels and consonants, which are in the nature of white and red bodhichittas, merge into one with the syllables that are the consciousness and the energy-wind, and from this arises the syllable HAM, a great blissful awareness – sphere of reality deep awareness.
As this syllable HAM itself, I transform into a glorious Kalachakra, with an enlightening form that in every aspect has an identity-nature of blissful awareness, beaming with the five (colored) rays of stainless light.
My enlightening body is blue in color, and I have three necks, the central one black, the right one red and the left one white.
My main face is black, ferocious, with its fangs bared; my right face red and is full of desire;
my hind face is yellow and settled into absorbed concentration; and my left face is white, serenely stilled and totally at peace.
Each of my faces has three eyes and on the crowing bun of the locks of my hair are a crossed vajra and a crescent moon, while a (blue) Vajrasattva adorns my head.
I have a vajra (crown) gem, vajra earrings, a vajra necklace, vajra bracelets, a vajra belt with a filigree skirt, vajra anklets, a vajra draping scarf, a garland of vajras and a tiger-skin wrap-around loose from my hips.
I have six collarbones, the first pair of which, on the right and the left, are blue, the second red and the third white; twelve shoulders, the first two pairs of which, on the right and the left, are blue, the second two red and the third two white; and twenty-four arms, the first four pairs of which are blue, the second four red and the third four white.
The (backs of the) thumbs of each of my hands are yellow, the index-fingers white, middle-fingers red, the ring-fingers black and little-fingers green; while the (inside of the) initial garland of segments between the joints of my fingers is black, the second red and the third is white. These are beautified with rings and beaming with light.
Of my four black hands on the right, in the first is a vajra, in the second a sword, in the third a trident, in the fourth a cleaver.
Of my four red hands, in the first are a fire arrow, in the second a vajra elephant-hook, in the third a damaru hand-drum replete with its sound, and in the fourth a hammer.
Of my four white hands, in the first is a wheel, in the second a spear, in the third a staff, and in the fourth an axe.
Of my four black hands on the left, in the first is a vajra (handled) bell, in the second a shield, in the third a khatvanga staff (with prongs of the vajra at its tip) in spread-out aspect, and in the fourth a skullcup full of blood.
Of my four red hands, in the first is a bow, in the second a vajra grappling-rope, in the third a gem, and in the fourth a white lotus.
Of my four white hands, in the first is a conch, in the second a mirror, in the third a vajra iron chain, and in the fourth a four-faced head of Brahma. These are arrayed on the lotus of my hands.
Standing atop a moon, a sun, a Rahu and Kalagni, most playfully with my right leg outstretched, my right leg is red and has underneath it a red Kamadeva, God of Desire, with one face and four arms, holding in his hands five flower-arrows and a bow, a grappling-rope and an elephant-hook.
Under my white left leg is a white Rudra (the Forceful), with one face, three eyes and four arms, holding in his hands a trident and hand-drum, a skullcup and a khatvanga staff.
The goddess (wives) of this demonic Mara and forceful Rudra, namely (red) Rati and (white) Uma, hold on to the soles of my feet with their faces bowed down.
From PHREM, then a cleaver, there arises before me a Vishva-mata, embracing me, the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All.
Her enlightening body is yellow in color with four faces which, circling round from the front to her right, are yellow, white, blue and red, each with three eyes.
She has eight arms, in the right hands of which she holds a cleaver, an elephant-hook, a hand-drum replete with its sound, and a garland of counters. In her left ones, she holds a skullcup, a grappling-rope, a hundred-petaled white lotus, and a gem.
She has a (blue) Vajrasattva as her crown, is adorned with five kinds of ornamental seals and, in the stance of her left leg outstretched, stands absorbed in a balanced union with me the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All.
On the eight petals: in the east and (southeast) fire directions, from A and HA, then an incense bowl and a black yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant Black Lady, Krishna-dipta, and a Smokey Lady, Dhuma. Both are black with four faces – black, red, yellow and white – and have eight arms,
in the right hands of which (the former) is holding bowls of incense, then of sandlewood with saffron, next of camphor, then of musk, and in the left a bell, a lotus, the flower of a divine-realm tree, and an assorted flower garland. (The latter) is holding eight black yaktail whisks.
In the south and (southwest) truthless directions, from AH and HAH, then a butter-lamp and a red yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant Red Lady, Rakta-dipta, and a Mirage Lady, Marichi.
Both are red with four faces – red, yellow, white and blue – and have eight arms, in the right hands of which (the former) is holding a butter-lamp, long necklace, a crown, and a bracelet, and in the left a length of cloth, a belt with a filigree skirt, an earring, and an anklet.
(The latter) is holding eight red yaktail whisks.
In the north and (northeast) powerful directions, from AM and HAM, then a delicacy of the divine and a white yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant White Lady, Shveta-dipta, and a Sparks-in-the-Sky Lady, Pratipa.
Both are white with four faces – white, black, red and yellow – and have eight arms, in the right hands of which (the former) is holding bowls of milk, of water, of the supreme medicine, and of beer, and in the left, bowls of nectar, of an elixir with a taste that brings actualizations, of ambrosia fruit, and of a cooked delicacy. (The latter) is holding eight white yaktail whisks.
In the west and (northwest) wind directions, from A and HA, then a ceremonial conch and a yellow yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant Yellow Lady, Pita-dipta, and a Butter Lamp Lady, Khadyota. Both are yellow with four faces – yellow, white, blue and red – and have eight arms, in the right hands of which (the former) is holding a conch, a reed pipe, a gem, and a hand-drum, and in the left a lute, a drum, a reverberating gong, and a long brass horn. (The latter) is holding eight yellow yaktail whisks. All of them have three eyes on each face, are adorned with five kinds of ornamental seals, have as their crowns (blue) Vajrasattvas, and stand in the posture of both legs together.
Seeing with foresight that the vessel to whom is to be taught the Adibuddha is the perishable world of limited beings who can be tamed through their great desire, we, as father and mother, absorb ourselves in a balanced union. By the sounds of our consummate joy, the Triumphant Ones and their spiritual offspring are invited here before us. They enter into and infuse my body. They then are emanated back out from my body and settle, just as they were in me, inside the body of Vishvamata.
From her, as well, they are likewise emanated out and once again, in the aspect of the circle of those in my mandala, they enter me through the crown of my head. As my bodhichitta that has melted from the fires of my great desire, they cascade through the pathway of my vajra into the lotus of the mother as drops. From these, in sequential order, come the seed-syllables of the individual deities, their hand-insignia and then, transformed into their bodies, they are emanated from the mother’s lotus and settle on their individual seats.
From A and AA, then vajras, come an Akshobhya and a Vajradhatu Ishvari, both green with three faces – green, red and white – and six arms, holding in the right three hands a vajra, a cleaver and axe, and in the left three ones a vajra (handled) bell, a skullcup and the head of a Brahma. Embraced in turn by a (blue, six-armed) Prajna-paramita, and a (blue, six-armed) Vajrasattva, they are emanated forth. The father and mother Akshobhya (couple) dissolve into me, while the father and mother Vajradhatu Ishvari (couple) dissolve into Vishvamata.
Then once more a Vajrasattva, embraced by a Vajradhatu Ishvari is emanated forth and enters into me, while a Prajnaparamita, embraced by an Akshobhya, is emanated forth and enters to become inseparable from Vishvamata.
Conferring in This Mandala the Empowerment of Compassion to Limited Beings With myself clearly appearing as Kalachakra, Vanquishing Master Surpassing All, with an identity nature of the five types of deep awareness, now with light rays emanated from my heart, I hook back in all limited beings. When they enter inside my mandala (palace), we, as father and mother, absorb ourselves in a balanced union, (which draws) the father and mother Thusly Gone Buddhas (into my heart). With the bodhichitta into which they melt from the fires of our great desire, I confer empowerment on these limited beings. Transforming into the circle of those in my mandala world, assuming aspects having the 32 excellent signs, they depart to each of their own Buddha-fields.
Assuming Extremely Pure Self-Esteem OM SU-VISHUDDHA DHARMA-DHATU SVABHAVA ATMAKO ‘HAM Supreme Triumphant Actions Melting, Being Roused by Songs, and Arising At my forehead is an OM as Vajra Body, at my throat an AH as Vajra Speech, at my heart a HUM as Vajra Mind, and inside my avadhuti central channel, at both my crown protrusion and navel are HOH’s. By the light-rays of the deep awareness of my great desire that blaze from the fire of tummo of the syllable HOH at my navel, I, a Holder of the Vajras, a Vanquishing Master Surpassing All, simultaneously with my ladies of discriminating awareness who have been standing on the seed-head and petals of the lotus, melt into bodhichitta, like what possesses a rabbit, and now in the form of drops remain here in the nature of great blissful awareness.
Then four goddesses, in the nature of the four immeasurable feelings, rouse us with the tunes of melodious songs to do what is of meaningful benefit for those who wander:
“Please safeguard us and fulfill our wishes, we who are taking keen interest in desire, O Possessor of the Vajras, guru for humans and the gods.”
Fully awakened by the tune of these songs, I, a Vanquishing Master Surpassing All, a Holder of the Vajras, seeing everything from the three planes of compulsive existence to be like a visual apparition, arise from this melted moon-like drop as a syllable HUM, blue and beaming with rays of stainless light. This then transforms into a vajra, from which I arise as a glorious Kalachakra, beaming with the five types of rays of stainless light.
My enlightening body is blue in color, and I have three necks, the central one black, the right one red and the left one white. My main face is black, ferocious, with its fangs bared; my right face red and is full of desire; my hind face is yellow and settled into absorbed concentration; and my left face is white, serenely stilled and totally at peace. Each of my faces has three eyes and on the crowing bun of the locks of my hair are a crossed vajra and a crescent moon, while a (blue) Vajrasattva adorns my head. I have a vajra (crown) gem, vajra earrings, a vajra necklace, vajra bracelets, a vajra belt with a filigree skirt, vajra anklets, a vajra draping scarf, a garland of vajras and a tiger-skin wrap-around loose from my hips.
I have six collarbones, the first pair of which, on the right and the left, are blue, the second red and the third white; twelve shoulders, the first two pairs of which, on the right and the left, are blue, the second two red and the third two white; and twenty-four arms, the first four pairs of which are blue, the second four red and the third four white.
The (backs of the) thumbs of each of my hands are yellow, the index-fingers white, middle-fingers red, the ring-fingers black and little-fingers green; while the (inside of the) initial garland of segments between the joints of my fingers is black, the second red and the third is white. These are beautified with rings and beaming with light.
Of my four black hands on the right, in the first is a vajra, in the second a sword, in the third a trident, in the fourth a cleaver. Of my four red hands, in the first are a fire arrow, in the second a vajra elephant-hook, in the third a damaru hand-drum replete with its sound, and in the fourth a hammer. Of my four white hands, in the first is a wheel, in the second a spear, in the third a staff, and in the fourth an axe.
Of my four black hands on the left, in the first is a vajra (handled) bell, in the second a shield, in the third a khatvanga staff (with prongs of the vajra at its tip) in spread-out aspect, and in the fourth a skullcup full of blood. Of my four red hands, in the first is a bow, in the second a vajra grappling-rope, in the third a gem, and in the fourth a white lotus. Of my four white hands, in the first is a conch, in the second a mirror, in the third a vajra iron chain, and in the fourth a (four-faced) head of Brahma. These are arrayed on the lotus of my hands.
Standing atop a moon, a sun, a Rahu and Kalagni, most playfully with my right leg outstretched, my right leg is red and has underneath it a red Kamadeva, God of Desire, with one face and four arms, holding in his hands five flower-arrows and a bow, a grappling-rope and an elephant-hook. Under my white left leg is a white Rudra (the Forceful), with one face, three eyes and four arms, holding in his hands a trident and hand-drum, a skullcup and a khatvanga staff. The goddess (wives) of this demonic Mara and forceful Rudra, namely (red) Rati and (white) Uma, hold on to the soles of my feet with their faces bowed down.
From PHREM, then a cleaver, there arises before me a Vishva-mata, embracing me, the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All. Her enlightening body is yellow in color with four faces which, circling round from the front to her right, are yellow, white, blue and red, each with three eyes. She has eight arms, in the right hands of which she holds a cleaver, an elephant-hook, a hand-drum replete with its sound, and a garland of counters. In her left ones, she holds a skullcup, a grappling-rope, a hundred-petaled white lotus, and a gem. She has a (blue) Vajrasattva as her crown, is adorned with five kinds of ornamental seals and, in the stance of her left leg outstretched, stands absorbed in a balanced union with me the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All.
On the eight petals: in the east and (southeast) fire directions, from A and HA, then an incense bowl and a black yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant Black Lady, Krishna-dipta, and a Smokey Lady, Dhuma. Both are black with four faces – black, red, yellow and white – and have eight arms, in the right hands of which (the former) is holding bowls of incense, then of sandlewood with saffron, next of camphor, then of musk, and in the left a bell, a lotus, the flower of a divine-realm tree, and an assorted flower garland. (The latter) is holding eight black yaktail whisks.
In the south and (southwest) truthless directions, from AH and HAH, then a butter-lamp and a red yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant Red Lady, Rakta-dipta, and a Mirage Lady, Marichi. Both are red with four faces – red, yellow, white and blue – and have eight arms, in the right hands of which (the former) is holding a butter-lamp, long necklace, a crown, and a bracelet, and in the left a length of cloth, a belt with a filigree skirt, an earring, and an anklet. (The latter) is holding eight red yaktail whisks.
In the north and (northeast) powerful directions, from AM and HAM, then a delicacy of the divine and a white yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant White Lady, Shveta-dipta, and a Sparks-in-the-Sky Lady, Pratipa. Both are white with four faces – white, black, red and yellow – and have eight arms, in the right hands of which (the former) is holding bowls of milk, of water, of the supreme medicine, and of beer, and in the left, bowls of nectar, of an elixir with a taste that brings actualizations, of ambrosia fruit, and of a cooked delicacy. (The latter) is holding eight white yaktail whisks.
In the west and (northwest) wind directions, from A and HA, then a ceremonial conch and a yellow yaktail whisk, there arise a Radiant Yellow Lady, Pita-dipta, and a Butter Lamp Lady, Khadyota. Both are yellow with four faces – yellow, white, blue and red – and have eight arms, in the right hands of which (the former) is holding a conch, a reed pipe, a gem, and a hand-drum, and in the left a lute, a drum, a reverberating gong, and a long brass horn. (The latter) is holding eight yellow yaktail whisks. All of them have three eyes on each face, are adorned with five kinds of ornamental seals, have as their crowns (blue) Vajrasattvas, and stand in the posture of both legs together. Emanation of the Mandala from the Lotus We, as the father and mother principal couple, absorb ourselves in a balanced union. By the sounds of our consummate joy, the Triumphant Ones and their spiritual offspring – the father and mother Thusly Gone Buddhas and so forth emanated before – are invited here before us.
These figures, hovering in the space above me, now enter me through the crown of my head for the sake of becoming the mandala of (deities) to bond me closely. As bodhichitta melted from the fires of my great desire, they pass through inside my avadhuti central channel and cascade through the pathway of my vajra into the lotus of the mother as drops, each individual portion of which transforms into the seed syllable of each of these deities of (this mandala) having Akshobhya as the ruling figure (of its family). From these, come the hand-insignia of each of the deities, and, from these, each of these deities’ enlightening bodies. In sequential order, they are emanated forth from the mother’s lotus and settle on their individual seats.
From A and AA, then vajras, come an Akshobhya and a Vajradhatu Ishvari, both green with three faces – green, red and white – and six arms, holding in the right three hands a vajra, a cleaver and axe, and in the left three ones a vajra bell, a skullcup and the (four-faced) head of a Brahma. Embraced in turn by a (blue, six-armed) Prajna-paramita, and a (blue, six-armed) Vajrasattva, they are emanated forth. The father and mother Akshobhya (couple) dissolve into me, while the father and mother Vajradhatu Ishvari (couple) dissolve into Vishvamata.
Then once more a Vajrasattva, embraced by a Vajradhatu Ishvari is emanated forth and enters into me, while a Prajnaparamita, embraced by an Akshobhya, is emanated forth and enters to become inseparable from Vishvamata.
Joining the Beings for Deep Awareness From a HUM at my heart, then a vajra, arises a Vajravega, with a terrifying body of blue rays of light, standing on a chariot (drawn by) an eight-limbed (griffin). He emanates forth simultaneously with my exhaled breath and latches on with his elephant-hook to the navel of the principal figure of beings for deep awareness who are similar to the ones I have been meditating on. He binds his twenty-four hands with his serpentine grappling-rope and, intimidating him with his remaining weapons, draws him here to the space in front. Vajravega then dissolves into my heart.
GANDHAM PUSHPAM, DHUPAM DIPAM, AKSHATAM NAIVIDYAM, LASYAM HASYEM, VADYEM NRITYEM, GITYEM KAMEM PUJAM KURU KURU SVAHA.
VAJRA BHAIRAVA AKARSHAYA JAH. JAH HUM BAM HOH HI. The deep awareness ones become of equal taste with the ones for making a close bond. Receiving Empowerment and Seals Once more from the HUM at my heart light-rays invite here empowering deities.
GANDHAM PUSHPAM, DHUPAM DIPAM, AKSHATAM NAIVIDYAM, LASYEM HASYEM, VADYEM NRITYEM, GITYEM KAMEM PUJAM KURU KURU SVAHA.
“I request you to confer empowerment.” Requested like this, they confer empowerment with the seven empowerments, saying, “OM SARVA TATHA-GATA SAPTA ABHI-SHEKETA SAMAYA SHRIYE HUM.” As the main figure, I become sealed with an Akshobhya, the mother with a Vajrasattva, and so on, each with the ruling figure of his or her family in the aspect of a supreme Nirmanakaya. Consecrating Body, Speech, and Mind At our foreheads (father and mother), on top of a moon disc, from an OM, then a wheel, comes a white Vajra Body. At our throats, on top of a sun disc, from an AH, then a lotus, comes a red Vajra Speech. At our hearts, on top of a Rahu disc, from a HUM, then a vajra, comes a black Vajra Mind. They emanate out replicas of themselves and of their ladies of discriminating awareness, filling the sky.
At my lady of discriminating awareness’s navel is a HOH, at her pubic region a SVA and at the crown of her head a HA. From these syllables as well are emanated hosts of deities of the Three Vajras. The (deities of the) Three Vajras teach the Dharma to limited beings needing to be tamed, then return once more and remain before me.
“I request you confer the empowerment of the Holders of Vajra Body, Speech and Mind.” Requested like this, the goddesses of the Three Vajra Families, with vases of nectars, confer empowerment, saying, “OM A I RI U LI PANCHA DHATU VISHODHANI SVAHA.” Having given ablution, they enter and infuse the Three Vajra (couples) at our three places.
“O Possessor of the Glorious One, Holder of the Three Vajras, by our meditating on the three unshatterable Vajras, make us Holders of the Three Vajras and cause us, right now, to remain uplifted and inspired. O Buddhas abiding in the ten directions, by our meditating on the three unshatterable Vajras, make us Holders of the Three Vajras and cause us, right now, to remain uplifted and inspired.”
My own and my lady of discriminating awareness’s body, speech and mind become of equal taste with the Three Vajras. OM SARVA TATHAGATA KAYA VAK CHITTA SVABHAVA ATMAKO ‘HAM Being Mindful of the Purifications Through the purification of time with its sixteen “ruler of humanity” (chakras and channels) and its divisions of years, months and the rest, I become a glorious Holder of the Vajras,
(Through) the purification of (the cycles), with their being under the influence of individual solar days and the twelve “sun” (periods of each day), Vishvamata (the Mother of Diversity, arises) as a bodily aspect of enlightening mind, which isn’t anything (that rides on impure energy-winds).
Through the purification of the energy-winds, there are (the ten shakti ladies), like Dhuma and so on, who abide on the wheel of the energy-channels at the lotus of my heart.
Through (the purification of the four) disturbing emotions, there are Rudra, together with his wife, and the party of demonic Mara (and his wife) pressed under my feet, the Ruler of the All-Pervasive.
Through (the purification of the 24 material) classes of phenomena (asserted by Samkhya) there are my (24) weapons as the principal figure;
And through (the purification) of the (six) elemental sources that are under the influence of the (three) universal constituents of natural matter there are my (six) external ornamental seals.
Through (the purification of the obscurations of the four occasions) there are (my four) Vajras as the (four) internal ornamental seals (of elephant-skin cloak and so on) of (Vajravega) abiding perfectly on top of the moon at my heart as a Holder of the Vajras. Drop Yoga At the top of my own and my lady of discriminating awareness’s head comes an OM, at our throats an AH, at our hearts a HUM, at our navels a HOH, at our pubic regions a HAM and at the crown of our heads a HAH. At my own private place, within a non-objectifying state, from a HUM comes a vajra, blue with five spokes, the hole of which is stopped with a syllable PHAT.
At the private place of my lady of discriminating awareness, within a non-objectifying state, from an AH comes a lotus, red with eight petals, the hole of which is stopped with a PHAT.
HUM. With the self-esteem of myself as a Holder of the Vajras, the fire of tummo, like stainless lightning, at the syllable HOH at my navel, being roused by my downward-voiding wind, scorches, with light-rays blazing up through the path of my avadhuti central channel, the five mandala rounds of energy-wind that, in the nature of my five aggregate factors, fall in my left energy-channel, and the five mandala rounds of energy-wind that, in the nature of my five elemental sources, fall in my right energy-channel, immobilizing them so that the sensors of my eyes and so forth are no longer involved with their objects.
Being merely touched by these rays of light, the syllable HAM at the crown of my head melts like that which possesses a rabbit and, in the form of a drop, when it reaches from my crown to my throat – joy; when it reaches from my throat to my heart – supreme joy. When it reaches from my heart to my navel – distinguished joy; when it reaches from my navel to the tip of the gem of my vajra and is stopped by the syllable PHAT, I experience co-arising joy with its not being shifted outside. Subtle Yoga Then once more this very drop proceeds as it did when it came before. From my private place it proceeds to my navel in the manner of a result similar to its cause – joy. From my navel it proceeds to my heart in the manner of a result that has ripened – supreme joy. From my heart it proceeds to my throat in the manner of a man-made result – distinguished joy. From my throat it proceeds to my forehead in the manner of a result that’s a parting, so that I experience co-arising joy.
OM SARVA TATHA-GATA ANU-RAGANA VAJRA SVABHAVA ATMAKO ‘HAM. OM SARVA TATHA-GATA ADHI-PATI VAJRA-SATTVA HAM, DUR-DANTA DAMAKA HUM HUM PHAT SVAHA. Repetition of the Mantras At the hearts of all the deities, from their own seed-syllables encircled by their mantras to be repeated, are emanated out hosts of the mandala deities. They do what is of meaningful benefit for wandering beings and then again, simultaneously with the winds that enter inside me, gather back into the syllable at their hearts, thus enacting the enlightening deeds of emanating out and gathering back in. For Kalachakra OM AH HUM HO HKSHMLAVRYAM HUM PHAT [HKSHMLVRYAM is pronounced in Tibetan HANKYA MALA WARAYAM, repeat many times]
OM HRAM HRIM HRRIM HRUM HRLIM HRAH SVAHA OM SHRI KALA-CHAKRA HUM HUM PHAT For Vishvamata OM PHREM VISHVA-MATA HUM HUM PHAT For the Ten Shakti Ladies OM DANA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM SHILA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM KSHANTI PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM VIRYA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM DHYANA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM PRAJNA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM UPAYA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM PRANI-DHANA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM BALA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT OM JNANA PARAMITA HUM HUM PHAT For Purification of Mistakes in the Repetitions OM VAJRA SATTVA SAMAYAM ANU-PALAYA, VAJRA SATTVA-TVENO-PATISHTA, DIRDHO ME BHAVA, SUTOSHYO ME BHAVA, SUPOSHYO ME BHAVA, ANURAKTO ME BHAVA, SARVA SIDDHIM ME PRAYACCHA, SARVA KARMA SUCHA ME, CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM, HA HA HA HA HOH BHAGAVAN, SARVA TATHAGATA VAJRA, MA ME MUNCHA, VAJRA BHAVA, MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA, AH HUM PHAT. [1x] Concluding Procedures Outer Offerings OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA ARGHAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA PADYAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA PROKSHANAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA ANCHAMANAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA GANDHAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA DHUPAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA DIPAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA AKSHATAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA NAIVIDYAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA LASYAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA HASYAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA VADYAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA NRITYAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA GITAM PRATICCHA NAMAH OM SHRI KALACHAKRA SAPARI-VARA KAMAM PRATICCHA NAMAH Inner Offerings OM – to my glorious and hallowed root guru, inseparable from the Adibuddha, who is, in essential nature, the enlightening body, speech, mind and deep awareness of all the Thusly Gone Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times, who is the origin of the 84,000 aggregate batches of Dharma and overlord of the highly realized Arya Sangha – NAMAH OM – to the Adibuddha Kalachakra – NAMAH OM – to King Suchandra – NAMAH OM – to the religious kings and holders of the castes – NAMAH OM – to the hallowed lineage gurus of the empowerment, (root) tantras, explanatory tantras and verbal guidelines of the glorious Kalachakra – NAMAH OM – Ratna-trayaya – NAMAH OM – Shakya-muneya – NAMAH OM – Shri Kalachakraya – NAMAH OM – guru buddha bodhisattva-bhyo – NAMAH OM – to all oath-bound Dharma protectors and guardians – NAMAH OM – to all ruling deities of regions, local areas and villages – NAMAH OM – to all limited beings as well, transformed into deities – NAMAH Placing a Drop of Nectar to the Tip of One’s Tongue, Brow, and Crown of One’s Head By placing a drop at my own three places and tasting it, may all the deities in my body be content. Praise Homage to you, granter of the best (boon), the foremost vajra; homage to you, the endpoint of what’s perfectly so; homage to you, the womb of voidness; homage to you, the Buddhas’ purified state.
Homage to you, the Buddhas’ attachment; homage to you, the Buddha’s desire; homage to you, the Buddhas’ enjoyment; homage to you, the Buddhas’ play.
Homage to you, the Buddhas’ smile; homage to you, the Buddhas’ (shining) laugh; homage to you, the Buddha’s speech; homage to you, the Buddha’s (state of) mind.
Homage to you, rising from non-true existence; homage to you, arising from the Buddhas; homage to you, rising from space; homage to you, arising from deep awareness.
Homage to you, illusion’s net; homage to you, the Buddhas’ dancer; homage to you, everything for everyone; homage to you, enlightening body of deep awareness.
[or]
I prostrate to you, O glorious Kalachakra. With a nature of voidness and compassion, you neither take birth in the three planes of existence, nor perish away. Your enlightening bodies, as ways of knowing and what are known, possess the same source.
I bow to you, Kalachakra. Having rid yourself of unions of vowels with consonants, and those with the syllables HUM and PHAT, you've an enlightening body born from what is unchanging.
Dissolution, Arising and Dedication At the crown of my head, to a five-spoked vajra, the principal father and mother and ladies of discriminating awareness pass. Instantaneously, I arise with one face and two arms.
By this positive forced may all limited beings turn to and attain an unchanging, supremely blissful awareness.
Just as those in the sage caste of rishis, including Surya, attained deep discriminating awareness from this, so may all beings throughout the three planes of existence likewise evolve through Kalachakra's kindness.
Just as the vajra of my enlightening mind shall remain in infinite lands to liberate all beings, so may these beings themselves, through the force of Kalachakra, do likewise and remain throughout the three realms.
May those persons who, through demonic friends, continually stray in the darkness of untruth and fall from the way, attain this spiritual path of the mind and, in not too long, arrive at the house of vajra-gems.
Through the lustrous positive force deriving from this, may I never transgress, throughout all my lives, the bounds prescribed by Vajradhara's authority. May I complete the stages of the twofold path.
In short, by however much I have built up a network of lustrous positive force by steps such as these, may I quickly be born in Shambhala, the storehouse of gems, and complete there the stages of the peerless path.
May I never be parted from perfect gurus in all my lives; may I joyfully experience the glories of Dharma; may I gain in full the qualities of the paths and stages, and thus attain quickly a Vajradhara state. Optional: Offering a Torma Ritual Cake to Dispel Unawareness [Done between the above praise and the dissolution] Consecration of the Ritual Cake OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAH.
OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHAH, SARVA DHARMAH SVABHAVA SHUDDHO ‘HAM. Everything becomes devoid.
Within a state of voidness, from YAM, comes disc of wind, black, with a shape like a bow, marked with victory banners. On top of it, from RAM, comes a disc of fire, red, triangular, marked with blazing flames. On top of that, from AH’s come a grate of three moist human heads, on top of which, from OM, comes a skullcup, with a single fissure, white on the outside, red on the inside, in the middle of which, on a lotus, red with eight petals, from A I RI U LI and LII UU RII II AA, come the five nectars and the five types of flesh, marked with these letters once more.
The light-rays of the HUM at my heart rouse the wind to blow, the fire to blaze, the ingredients in the skullcup to melt and boil.
On the palms of my left, then my right, then both hands in common and then in their center, resting on a moon, then a sun, then a Rahu, then Kalagni, are an OM, then an AH, then a HUM, then a HO, from which light-rays emanate out.
From the hearts of every Vajra Body, then Vajra Speech, Vajra Mind and then Vajra Deep Awareness, they hook back in deep awareness nectars which, by merging into one with these nectars for bonding me closely, cleanse them of their stains, increase them to abundance, endowing them with a tantalizing flavor, make them blaze with radiance and then transform them into untainted deep awareness nectars. Offering the Torma Ritual Cake The light-rays of the HUM at my heart invite from its natural abode the mandala of glorious Kalachakra, the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All, so that those within will draw this up through the tube of light of the single-spoked vajra of their tongues and partake of it.
OM AH HUM HOH – Glorious Kalachakra, together with your entourage, I present you with this torma cake, perfume, flowers, incense and lamps, none of which will ever run out. Come here quickly with your entourage and partake of this torma cake; consume it, imbibe it, JAH HUM BAM HOH, to your heart’s content. I request you, please, to bring about for all limited beings pacification, increase, safeguarding, protection, and concealment, HUM HUM PHAT; do exactly what Vajradhara has said – SVAHA. (3x)
Outer Offerings
GANDHAM PUSHPAM, DHUPAM DIPAM, AKSHATAM NAIVIDYEM, LASYEM HASYEM, VADYEM NRITYEM, GITYEM KAMEM PUJAM KURU KURU SVAHA.
Praise
I prostrate to you, O glorious Kalachakra. With a nature of voidness and compassion, you neither take birth in the three planes of existence, nor perish away. Your enlightening bodies, as ways of knowing and what are known, possess the same source.
I bow to you, Kalachakra. Having rid yourself of unions of vowels with consonants, and those with the syllables HUM and PHAT, you've an enlightening body born from what is unchanging.
Dissolution
The guests for the torma ritual cake, the supporting mandala and those supported within, dissolve into me.
(bCom-ldan-’das dpal dus-kyi ’khor-lo’i sgrub-thabs mdor-bsdus rin-chen gter-mdzod) by The Sixth Panchen Lama (Pan-chen dPal-ldan ye-shes). (Collected Works, vol. cha, no. 919, translated by Dr. Alexander Berzin, 1985, revised 2018
