The Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa
From "The Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa" by translated, edited and introduced by Glenn H. Mullin
Posted by: DailyOM
Homage to the lotus feet of the spiritual master, who is inseparable in nature from Buddha Vajradhara.
The instructions on the practice of the profound path renowned everywhere as the Six Yogas of Naropa are presented under two headings: (I) the special tantric preliminaries; and (II) on the basis of having completed the preliminaries, how to meditate on the actual tantric path.
THE SPECIALTANTRIC PRELIMINARIES
There are two special tantric preliminary practices to be completed before one can take up the meditations on the SixYogasof Naropa: the meditation and mantra recitation of Vajrasattva;and the meditation on guru yoga.
THE VAJRASATTVA MEDITATION AND MANTRA RECITATION
Begin by blending thoughts of refuge and the universalist bodhisattva attitude deeply into your mindstream. Then meditate as follows: Above your head visualize a white syllable PAM. It transforms into a white lotus with a white syllable AH resting upon it. This syllable transforms into a moon disk with a white syllable HUM resting above it. HUM transforms into a white, five-pronged vajra marked by a syllable HUM.
Lights go out from this, accomplish the two purposes, and then absorb into it again.
This transforms, and Vajrasattva instantly appears [upon the lotus and moon seats on your head]. His body is white in color,he holds a vajra in his right hand and a bell in his left, and is embracing the consort white VajraBhagavati. Sheholds a curved knife and a cup made of a human skull. They are adorned with the precious ornaments and have the marks and signs of perfection. Vajrasattva is seated with his legs crossed in the vajra posture.
Awhite syllableHUM stands upon a moon disk at his heart. From it lights emanate forth and summon the Wisdom Beings,who resemble him.
Make the five types of devotional offerings to them.Then:JAHHUM BAMHOH! They are summoned, and dissolve into, merge with, and become inseparably one with him.
Again lights emanate from the syllable HUM at Vajrasattva's heart, summoning the Initiation Deities.
Once again makes the devotional offerings to them and then recites: "0 Tathagatas, You Gone to Suchness, please bestow empowerment."
The Tathagatas agree to bestow empowerment. Their consorts hold up jewelled vases filled with wisdom empowerment nectars, and sing the auspicious verse,
Just as at the time of the Buddha's birth Celestial beings appeared and bathed him, So do we bathe you now With these mystical empowerment nectars. OMSARVA TATHAGATAABHISHEKATASAMAYA SHRIYAHUM.
Saying this, they pour forth empowering nectars from their vases, until the body of Vajrasattva and Consort are completely filled with the wisdom nectars. Buddha Akshobya manifests from the overflow as Vajrasattva's crown ornament.
One calls out, "0 Bhagavan Vajrasattva,please inspire me to purify all negative karmic seeds, spiritual obscurations, and degenerated precepts accumulated by myself and others."
Requested in this way, lights emanate forth from the syllableHUM at his heart. They touch all living beings and purify them of negative karmic instincts,obscurations,and transgressions ofspiritual precepts.
The lights then present devotional offerings to the buddhas and bodhisattvas ofthe ten directions.Theblessings ofbody,speech, mind, realization,and activitypower ofall enlightened beings transform into light and are drawn into the syllable HUM at Vajrasattva's heart. Vajrasattva becomes brilliantly radiant and empowered with every strength and perfection.
Surrounding the syllable HUM at Vajrasattva's heart are the syllables of the hundred-syllable mantra: OMVAJRAHERUKASAMAYA / MANUPALAYA / HERUKA TVENOPATISHTHA / DRIDHO MEBHAVA / SUTOSHYO MEBHAVA / SUPOSHYO MEBHAVA / ANURAKTO MEBHAVA / SARVA SIDDHI MEPRAYACHHA / SARVA KARMA SUCHAME / CHHITAM SHRI YAM / KURU HUM/ HA HA HA HA HOH BHAGAVAN / VAJRA HERUKA MAME MUCHA / HERUKA BHAVA / MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA AH HUM PHAT.
Lights emanate from these mantric syllables. They purify living beings of negative karmic instincts and spiritual obscurations, and make inconceivably vast offerings to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. The inspiring energies of the body, speech, and mind of the buddhas and bodhisattvas are drawn forth and are absorbed into the mantric syllables.
A stream of white nectar flows forth from the mantric seeds. It flows down inside the bodies of Vajrasattva and Consort, exiting them from the place of their sexual union. The nectars enter my body via the crown aperture, until my body is utterly filled. All negative karmic instincts and obscurations collected by means of activities of body, speech, and mind are expelled and leave via my bodily apertures and pores in the form of a thick black mist. I become purified of all negative karma and obscurations. The stream of wisdom nectar fills my body with a blazing white radiance, infusing me with every spiritual knowledge and excellence.
Meditating in this way, recite the hundred-syllable mantra as many times as possible. Then recite:
I, confused by unknowing, have
Occasionally failed in keeping the precepts.
0 guru protector, inspire me.
Especially,0 Buddha Vajrasattva,
Whose nature is great compassion,
King of living beings, grant refuge.
Vajrasattva replies, "Child of good character, your negative karmic instincts, spiritual obscurations and failures in training are all now purified."
He then dissolves into me. Mybody, speech, and mind become inseparably one with the body, speech, and mind of Vajrasattva.
THE MEDITATION ON GURU YOGA
Meditate as follows:
In the space in front of you, on a jeweled throne supported by eight lions, is a seat made of a lotus with a sun disk. Upon this sits your guru in the form of Buddha Vajradhara. His body is blue in color, and he has one face and two arms. He holds a vajra in his right hand and a bell in his left, and embraces a consort who resembles him. His upper and lower robes are made of celestial silks, and he is adorned with the jewel ornaments. His legs are crossed in the vajra posture, and he is ablaze with lights of five colors.
A white syllable OM rests upon a moon disk at his crown chakra; a red syllable AH rests upon a lotus at his throat chakra; and a blue syllable HUM rests upon a sun disk at his heart chakra. All three syllables are ablaze with lights.
Lights emanate from the syllable HUM, summoning forth Buddha Vajradhara, the assembly of lineage gurus, and the host of mandala meditational deities. They all dissolve into the Buddha Vajradhara visualized in front.
Now make devotional offerings, and then offer the mandala symbolic of the universe:
OM VAJRABHUMIAH HUM! Here is the great powerful golden earth. OMVAJRAREKHEAH HUM! Here is the surrounding iron fence. Here is the great Mount Meru; to the east of it, the continent Lupakpo; to the south, Jambuling; to the west Balangcho;and to the north Draminyan. Here also are the sub-continents: Lu and Lupak; Ngayab and Ngayabzhan; Yodan and Lamchokdro; Draminyan and Draminyan Kyida.
Here are the precious elephant, the precious lord, the precious supreme horse, the precious queen, the precious warrior, the precious wheel, the precious jewel, and the precious treasure vase. And here are the sun and the moon.
In this way I create a symbolic universe with all auspicious things in it, visualizing it as being made of various precious gems. I send it forth, gems together with the mass of meritorious energy collected in the past, present, and future by myself and all other living beings through our actions of body, speech, and mind, and together with our pleasures of the three times, as an offering in the manner exemplifiedby the great bodhisattva Samantabhadra. All of this I envision within my mind and offer to my gurus, meditational deities, and the forces of spiritual refuge. Accept it out of your compassion, and bestow waves of inspiring power upon me.
In this way offer the mandala to the guru inseparable from Buddha Vajradhara. This should be done as outer, inner, and secret offerings. Here the flower petals, or whatever substances are used, represent the outer offering. The nectars with which these are anointed represent the inner offering.
Then recite the following verse and request:
Through the guru's kindness the state of great bliss In a single moment can be accomplished. 0 precious guru, who is like a wish-fulfilling jewel, I pay homage at your lotus feet.
"0 precious master, bestow blessings that I may be inspired to quickly generate within my mindstream the realizations of the ordinary and extraordinary paths. Bestow blessings that any negative conditions obstructing the fulfillment of my aspirations may be pacified, and that conducive conditions may prevail."
The guru smiles with delight. White lights emanate forth from the white syllable OM at his crown, and enter your body via your crown. They fill you with a white radiance, purify all negative karma collected by means of the body, bestow the vase empowerment, and plant seeds for the attainment of the vajra body.
Red lights then emanate forth from the red syllable AH at his throat and enter your body via your throat. They fill you with a red radiance, purify all negative karma collected by means of speech, bestow the secret empowerment, and plant seeds for the attainment of the vajra speech.
Blue lights emanate forth from the blue syllable HUM at his heart and enter your body via your heart. They fill you with a blue radiance, purify all negative karma collected by means of the mind, bestow the wisdom awareness empowerment, and plant seeds for the attainment of the vajra mind.
Finally multicolored lights then emanate from all parts of the guru's body and enter your body from all sides. These purify subtle negative karma collected by means of all three doors, bestow the fourth empowerment, and plant seeds for the attainment of the three inseparable vajras.
