Toh 467The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of all Tathāgatas

Summary

The Tantra of Black Yamāri features the three-faced,
six-armed black form of the tantric deity Yamāri, as well as the maṇḍalas of several
ancillary maṇḍala deities associated with him, all of which can be employed for a diverse
array pacifying, enriching, enthralling, and hostile rites. The tantra describes the
stages of initiation and practice for these deities and provides extensive details on the
preparation of their maṇḍalas, associated ritual implements, and specific magical diagrams
(yantra) that can be employed for
various ritual goals.

Acknowledgements

This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team.
Bruno Galasek-Hul produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Ryan Damron edited
the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text.

Introduction

The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of
all Tathāgatas
belongs to a corpus of related tantras that came to be known in
Tibet as the dmar nag ’jigs gsum—the
cycles of the Red (dmar) Yamāri, Black
(nag) Yamāri, and Vajrabhairava
(’jigs).” These three cycles featuring different aspects of the
tantric deity Yamāntaka enjoyed great popularity in Indian and Tibetan tantric Buddhist
circles. While Black Yamāri seems to have been favored in India, Vajrabhairava was
practiced more widely in Nepal and Tibet. The popularity of Vajrabhairava in contemporary Tibet
is reflected in the Geluk (dge lugs)
school, which counts him as one of the three main deities of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantra
class, together with Guhyasamāja and Cakrasaṃvara.

It has been noted elsewhere that the primary maṇḍala featured in The Tantra of Black Yamāri shows considerable similarities with
the maṇḍala of the Guhyasamāja Tantra
and the text itself demonstrates a number of parallels with the Guhyasamāja Tantra. Based on these correspondences, it is likely that The Tantra of Black Yamāri was in circulation in India by the
mid-ninth century ce. The root tantra forms the core of a
broad corpus of Indic commentaries, practice manuals, and ritual texts that are too
numerous to list here in full. There are four Indian commentaries on
The Tantra of Black Yamāri extant in Sanskrit and in
Tibetan translation. The Sahajālokapañjikā
composed by Śrīdhara, is available in Tibetan translation and in
fragmentary form in Sanskrit. Kumāracandra’s Ratnāvalīpañjikā
is available in Tibetan
translation and in multiple Sanskrit witnesses. The Ratnapradīpa
composed by Ratnākaraśānti, the Prekṣaṇapathapradīpa
composed by
Kṛṣṇapāda, the Ratnāvalī composed by Avadhūta
Kumāracandra, and the Kṛṣṇayamāritantrapañjikā
composed by Padmapāṇi
are all extant in Tibetan translation and preserved in the
Tengyur.

The translators’ colophon of The Tantra of Black
Yamāri reports that it was translated into Tibetan by the Indian master Atiśa
Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna (982–1054 ce) and the Tibetan translator
Tsültrim Gyalwa (tshul khrims rgyal ba,
1011–64 ce), who is also known as Nagtso Lotsāwa (nag ’tsho lo tsA ba). The translation was
subsequently revised twice, once by Darma Drak (dar ma grags) and then again by Ra Lotsāwa Dorjé Drakpa (rwa lo tsA ba rdo rje grags). That it was
revised twice by these two individuals is noteworthy insofar as the two are recorded as
having been rivals.

As indicated by the translators’ colophon, The Tantra of
Black Yamāri was translated during the later dissemination of the teachings in Tibet, which
began in the tenth century ce. The tantra is not included in
the catalogs of imperial-period translations, the Denkarma (ldan dkar ma or lhan kar
ma) and the Phangthangma (phang
’thang ma), both of which were compiled in the early ninth century. The Denkarma
lists only one Vajrabhairava-related text, the ’phags pa rdo
rje ’jigs byed kyi snying po (Āryavajrabhairavahṛdaya), a Dhāraṇī. The
Phangthangma records three titles which may be related to Black Yamāri. Taken together, the imperial catalogs
report the earliest witnesses for the existence of the cult of Yamāri in Tibet, but it
appears that The Tantra of Black Yamāri itself was not
known in Tibet at that time. However, without knowing the contents of the texts recorded
in the imperial catalogs, it is impossible to say how they may or may not be related to
The Tantra of Black Yamāri and other Yamāri texts that
reached Tibet in the tenth century and onwards.

Chapter Summary

Chapter 1 begins with the standard Buddhist introductory formula “Thus did I
hear at one time,” and sets the stage for the transmission of the tantra by telling us
that the Bhagavat, in this case Mañjuśrī, “was dwelling in the bhagas of all vajra women, who are the essence
of the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas…” Mañjuśrī’s main interlocutor in this
tantra is Vajrapāṇi, who initiates the transmission of the tantra by asking Mañjuśrī to
reveal the maṇḍala of Black Yamāri, the “enemy of the Lord of Death.” Mañjuśrī assents
by first entering different meditative absorptions, and then gradually revealing the
entire maṇḍala of Black Yamāri and teaching the seed syllables and mantras for the
individual maṇḍala deities.

Chapter 2 opens with verses of praise to the five main deities of the maṇḍala:
Mohavajra, Piśunavajra, Rāgavajra, Īrṣyavajra, and Yamāri himself as “lord of the
maṇḍala.” The rest of the chapter features instructions on how to arrange the primary
maṇḍala for this tantra.

Chapter 3 describes the summoning of the wisdom deities (jñānasattva; ye shes pa) and their merging with the five main male deities of
a maṇḍala that features Mohavajra at its center. Following this, the text associates the
maṇḍala deities with the primary ritual activities, and briefly describes the production
of collyrium siddhi, swift-feet, pill, and sword siddhis.

Chapter 4 describes the production of yantras and how to employ them in a
range of different ritual actions, including pacifying, enriching, enthralling,
summoning, paralyzing, and killing. This chapter on yantras is among the most extensive
treatment of yantras in the Buddhist tantras.

Chapter 5 continues from the previous chapter in presenting instructions on
the use of yantras in the performance of various rites, with a specific emphasis on the
yantras, mantras, and visualizations for the hostile rites of sowing discord, expelling,
and killing.

Chapter 6 is primarily concerned with the arrangement of the mantra syllables
within the cells of the yantra. This chapter is also noteworthy for briefly describing
the fourfold initiation of Black Yamāri, which consists of the crown initiation, sword
initiation, vajra and bell initiation, and a fourth which is called “eating the moon.”

The first part of chapter 7 offers instructions on how to perform the
extraction of different substances from the world by meditating on the four goddesses in
Yamāri’s maṇḍala, Carcikā, Sarasvatī, Vārāhī, and Gaurī. The chapter ends with a
sequence of verses associated with the four initiations listed in the previous chapter.

Chapter 8 begins with the preparatory rites for an initiation, including
expelling obstructive forces and establishing the protection circle, bringing the
disciple into the maṇḍala, making offerings and praises, and the mantras for
demonstrating emptiness. Following this, the chapter offers instruction on the fire
offering, and specifically the shape and dimensions of the fire pit used in different
rites.

Chapter 9 describes rites for the achievement of various worldly goals, such
as making rain, healing snake bites, and so forth.

Chapter 10 begins with a brief description of a ritual to locate, prepare, and
resuscitate a corpse as a vetāla, presumably to be used in rites that are not explicitly
mentioned. Following this, the chapter next details the creation of an effigy of Yamāri
using various meats and other ingredients for the purpose of attracting a woman. The
chapter then closes with a visualization of the different Yamāris and their respective
association with the afflictive emotions.

An eclectic chapter, chapter 11 initially continues from the preceding chapter
by describing how each of the five aspects or forms of Yamāri manifest for the purpose
of overcoming the corresponding afflictive emotions. It then proceeds to describe the
practice of a number of different forms of Yamāri, sometimes quite briefly. This
includes Vajra Yamāri, a hundred-armed form, a buffalo-faced form, Daṇḍa Yamāri, and a
ten-million-armed form. The chapter then concludes with a description of potent
ointments and beverages.

Chapter 12 begins with songs sung in Apabhraṃśa to Yamāri by the four ḍākinīs
Carcikā, Vārāhī, Sarasvātī, and Gaurī. A long passage on the characteristics of mantra
recitation follows this, which includes a discussion of how mantras should be recited,
what kinds of beads should be used for a recitation mālā, and the effect of different
numbers of recitations. The chapter concludes with brief instructions on bali offerings
and the appropriate gifts for one’s master.

Chapter 13 presents the practices and mantras for Vajraḍākinī, Vajrapātāla,
and Paramāśva, and describes the siddhis—remote, moving underground, and flight,
respectively—resulting from their successful cultivation.

Chapter 14 covers a range of topics associated with the maṇḍala used for the
initiation. This includes the properties of the cord used to demarcate the maṇḍala, the
dimensions of its various features, the colors of its cells, and the symbols that are to
be drawn within them. This is followed by a description of the design and measurements
of the ritual ladle and spoon used in the fire offering rite. After a statement about
the efficacy of the maṇḍala, the ”vajra entry,” and the request made by the disciples,
instructions are given on the creation of a physical representation of the deity. The
chapter then concludes with instructions on the practices of Ekajaṭā, Pukkasī, and
Mañjuvajra.

Chapter 15 teaches the maṇḍalas and practices of Kurukullā, Jāṅgulī, and
Vajrānaṅga. The latter is the Buddhist form of Kāmadeva, the god of love/desire.

Chapter 16 focuses on the maṇḍala of the great Heruka, a wrathful deity
associated with the charnel ground. Many of the primary deities in the Yoginī Tantras
are considered herukas.

Chapter 17 begins with the Apabhraṃśa songs of the four ḍākinīs, Cārcikā,
Vārāhī, Sarasvatī, and Gaurī. They encourage Yamāri to arise from the nascent state of
emptiness into his fully manifest form. This is followed by a succinct enumeration and
description of the four stages of practice in this tantra: yoga, anuyoga, atiyoga, and
mahāyoga. The chapter then lists the general samaya observed by the practitioner upon
their initiation, and concludes with a series of praises to the realization of the
ultimate state.

The short final chapter, chapter 18, relates the origin of The Tantra of Black Yamāri.

About this Translation

This English translation is based on the Tibetan text as preserved in the Degé
Kangyur, in close consultation with the Sanskrit edition of the Kṛṣṇayamāritantra published together with Kumāracandra’s Ratnāvalī commentary. In the
case of variant readings between the Sanskrit and Tibetan witnesses, the Tibetan reading
was followed unless the Sanskrit clarified or improved the Tibetan. All other
substantive variants have been noted. Our translation is also informed by the available
commentarial literature, and specifically the commentaries extant in Sanskrit:
Kumāracandra’s Ratnāvalīpañjikā and the fragments of
Śrīdhara’s Sahajālokapañjikā.

In addition to the Degé version of the Tibetan translation we also consulted
the versions preserved in the Stok Palace Kangyur, Phukdrak Kangyur, as well as the
apparatus from the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma)
of the Degé Kangyur. The version found in the Phukdrak Kangyur was especially
significant for preserving Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna’s and Tsültrim Gyalwa’s original
translation without the later revisions of Darma Drak and Ra Lotsāwa Dorjé Drak.
Substantive differences between these two versions have also been noted. In the case of
mantras, dhāraṇīs, and other passages rendered in transliterated Sanskrit in the Tibetan
text, we have generally followed the text reported in the Degé Kangyur while allowing
for minor revisions to clarify and improve the rendering, based on Sanskrit sources.
Substantive variants have been noted here as well.

The Translation

The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of all

Tathāgatas

Homage to Mañjuśrī-Yamāri!

Chapter 1: The Practice Sequence

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavat was dwelling in the bhagas of all
vajra women, who are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas. He was
there with Yamāri’s large assembly, which included Yamāri Mohavajra, Yamāri Piśunavajra,
Yamāri Rāgavajra, Yamāri Īrṣyāvajra, Yamāri Dveṣavajra, Mudgara Yamāri, Daṇḍa Yamāri,
Padma Yamāri, Khaḍga Yamāri, and, standing in the four intermediate directions,
Vajracarcikā, Vajravārāhī, Vajrasarasvatī, and Vajragaurī. Then, Vajrapāṇi supplicated
the Bhagavat,
the vajra-being, the lord of all tathāgatas, prompting the
Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, to emerge from the meditative absorption called
the vajra that conquers all māras, the state of his own vajra
body, speech, and mind.

“In order to pacify the māras

And eliminate all hatred,

One should visualize Yama’s Slayer

By uniting the vajra and the moon.

“For protection, one should visualize a vajra

Enveloped by five-colored rays of light

And likewise the outer boundary, the vajra ground,

The walls, and the canopy.”

The syllable kṣe expresses Moha,

The syllable ma
describes Piśuna,

The syllable me
becomes Rāga,

And the syllable da is Īrṣyā.

These are known as the five Yamāris.

“The syllable ya becomes
Mudgara,

From the syllable ca comes lord
Daṇḍa,

Padmapāṇi comes from the syllable ni,

And Khaḍgapāṇi comes from the syllable rā.

“The syllable ja
expresses Carcikā,

From sa comes Vārāhī,

Do is declared to be
Sarasvatī,

And ru recalls Gaurī.

“Ṇa, yo, ni,
ra, in the four corners

Are held to be four skulls.

A terrifying crossed vajra

Should be imagined in the middle of the sky-vajra.

“One should visualize Yamāri, black and blazing,

Standing in its center.

In the east is Mohavajra

And, likewise, Piśuna is in the south.

“Rāgavajra is in the west

And, likewise, Īrṣyā is in the north.

One should visualize Carcikā and the others

On the four prongs of the vajra in the corners.

“On the four prongs of the vajra in the doors

One should visualize Muḍgara and the rest.

In the four corners of the crossed vajra

Are four human heads.”

Then, the Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, entered the meditative
absorption called yamāri vajra and pronounced the mantra of the
family of great hatred:

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of the
great Mohavajra:

oṁ jinajīk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Piśunavajra:

oṁ ratnadhṛk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Rāgavajra:

oṁ ārolīk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Īrṣyāvajra:

oṁ prajñādhṝk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Mudgaravajra:

oṁ muḍgaradhṝk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of the
Daṇḍavajra:

oṁ daṇḍadhṝk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Padmavajra:

oṁ padmadhṝk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Khaḍgavajra:

oṁ khaḍgadhṝk |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Vajracarcikā:

oṁ moharati |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Vajravārāhī:

oṁ dveṣarati |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Vajrasarasvatī:

oṁ rāgarati |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of
Vajragaurī:

oṁ vajrarati |

The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra that
empowers body, speech, and mind:

oṁ sarvatathāgatakāyavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ |

oṁ sarvatathāgatavākvajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ |

oṁ sarvatathāgatacittavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ |

Then, the Bhagavat, the Lord of all Tathāgatas, described the body of great
wrath:

“An adept should visualize Yamāri

As wrathful, with three faces and six arms.

He is the color of a sapphire

And holds a vajra in his hand.

“Mohavajra should be visualized

As peaceful, with three faces and six arms.

He has a luminous, crystal-clear form,

And holds a wheel in his hand.

“Piśunavajra should be visualized

As enriching, with three faces and six arms.

He has a luster like that of gold

And holds a jewel in his hand.

“Rāgavajra should be visualized

As enthralling, with three faces and six arms.

He shines like a ruby

And holds a lotus in his hand.

“Īrṣyāvajra should be visualized

As universal, with three faces and six arms.

He has a luster like that of an emerald

And holds a sheathed sword in his hand.”

This was the first chapter, “The Practice Sequence,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.

Chapter 2: The Great Maṇḍala

Then, all the blessed tathāgatas praised the blessed great vajra being:

“Homage to you, vajra body.

You are the fearsome Yamāri,

The essence of Mohavajra,

The teacher with the nature of all buddhas.

“Homage to you, vajra jewel.

You are the fearsome Yamāri,

The essence of Piśunavajra,

Who is equal to the vajra mind.

“Homage to you, vajra speech.

You are the fearsome Yamāri,

The essence of Rāgavajra,

Who is equal to vajra speech.

“Homage to you, with sword in hand.

You are Yamāri who serves all functions,

The essence of Īrṣyāvajra,

Who is equal to vajra desire.

“Homage to you, lord of the maṇḍala.

You are the nature of all buddhas,

The confluence of all buddhas,

The most eminent of all buddhas.”

The Bhagavat then said, “Vajra eyes, vajra ears, vajra nose, vajra tongue,
vajra body, and vajra mind.” This is the rite for empowering the eyes and the other senses.

“Next, I will explain in detail

The fearsome maṇḍala of Yamāri,

Which appears just like Yamāri

And fulfills every purpose.

“The learned practitioner should tie

The maṇḍala of Yamāri’s host

With a new, tightly woven thread,

One that is well measured and elegant.

“All of its features are complete

And it eliminates all obstructive forces.

This maṇḍala, shaped as a circle,

Is used to pacify and so forth.

“In that maṇḍala one should draw

A karmavajra with five prongs on
each end.

A vajra engulfed in a blaze of vajras

Should be drawn in its center.

“One should draw a sword in the north

And in the east a wheel,

Engulfed in wheel-shaped light.

“One should draw a jewel in the south

That emits halos of light.

One should draw a lotus in the west

That shines with ruby-colored light.

“One should draw a wheel in the southeast

That is engulfed in five-colored light.

One should draw a vajra in the southwest,

A lotus flower in the northwest

Radiantly blossoming upon its stalk,

And a water lily in
the northeast

That radiates halos of light.

“There should be a hammer in the eastern gate

And, likewise, a cudgel in the southern gate,

A lotus is in the western gate,

And, in the north, a vajra-sword.

“Knowing the maṇḍala to be complete

One should make special offerings.

One should fearlessly worship

Using the five sense pleasures.”

This was the second chapter, “The Great Maṇḍala,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.

Chapter 3: Ritual Activities

Then, all the blessed tathāgatas made a request using this king of
praises:

“Protector, let the maṇḍala be drawn—

The fearsome maṇḍala of Yama’s Slayer.

It is the lord of all maṇḍalas

That eradicates all misdeeds.

The great vajra bearer then issued the rite with the taste of nectar from his
own body, speech, and mind:

oṁ āḥ hūṁ |

The vajra holders are pleased

By its contact with their vajra tongues.

It then enters all the buddhas

In their wisdom aspect, their intrinsic form.

“One should then summon them,

Draw them in, bind them and master them,

And then remain in meditative absorption

Using the four mantras of Muḍgara and the rest.

“After visualizing the vajra buffalo,

One should visualize the lord of the maṇḍala.

Mohavajra should be visualized standing

In the center of a moon disk.

“One should imagine the one named Piśuna

Standing in the middle of the seven-horsed one.

Rāgavajra should be visualized

Standing in the center of the sublime disk.

Karmavajrin should be visualized,

Standing in the center of the karma disk.

“Mohavajra is for pacifying.

Accordingly, Piśuna is for enriching,

Rāgavajra is for enthralling,

And Karmavajra is universal.

“Using the yoga of Karmavajra,

One should put human fat in a human skull,

Make a wick out of human hair,

And collect the soot while in a charnel ground.

“One should visualize Karmavajra

In the collyrium and likewise on the collyrium.

The collyrium siddhi will result

When combined with Karmavajra’s recitation.

“One produces the foot-salve

Using saffron and blood.

One produces the swift-feet siddhi

By applying the practice of Karmavajra.

“If one gathers the five nectars,

Combines them with the five meats,

And coats them with the three metals,

The siddhi is gained through the practice of Karmavajra.

“The magnetic iron sword siddhi,

Can be accomplished with the yoga of Karmavajra.

While applying the practice of Karmavajra,

One can accomplish Karmavajra’s sword.”

This was the third chapter, “Ritual Activities,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.

Chapter 4: The Rites for Killing and so forth using the Yantras,

Mantras, and Medicines Related to the Procedure for Vajra Killing

Then, all the blessed tathāgatas made a request to the blessed great vajra
bearer using this king of praises:

“How should beings proceed,

Through the different categories of ritual action?

Great Vajra, please explain!

May the oceans of qualities listen!”

Then, the vajra-bearing king

Who has accomplished all ritual actions,

And has himself remedied all faults,

Spoke the following words.

The blessed tathāgatas, through the power of their vajra minds, bowed to,
worshiped, made offerings to, and circled the Bhagavat three times. They bowed to him,
again and again, and listened to what the Bhagavat said.

The vajra-bearing king

Taught the yantra for enthralling.

“The supreme circles of Yamāri

Have not appeared, nor will they appear.

“In order to enthrall women,

And likewise for protection,

In the pacifying rite use bovine bezoar

To draw a double circle

On birch or bamboo bark.

“Append the target’s name with namaḥ.

And place it in two conjoined bowls

That are not black and lack a base.

The bowls should be filled with ghee and honey

And wrapped with a white thread.

“At the three junctures, facing east,

One should scatter white flowers,

And focus on being Yamāntaka

Appearing like a candrakānta.

One should visualize the target on a moon disk before oneself

And confer the initiation.

“Imagine a multitude of perfect buddhas

Washing the target with a moon-white vase

Filled with the five nectars,

While reciting this mantra:

oṁ namaḥ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ
devadattāya śāntiṃ kuru namaḥ svāhā |

This is the rite for pacification.

“One should write with red saffron

When pacifying a man or when enriching.

The double circle is drawn with Kashmiri saffron

With the target’s name appended to svāhā.

“It should be placed inside conjoined bowls

That have been filled with ghee and honey.

They should be wrapped with yellow thread

And strewn with yellow flowers at the three junctures.

“One should imagine themselves as Yama’s Slayer,

Yellow in color and facing north.

The target, standing on a dark-yellow moon disk,

Should be cleansed using a yellow vase.

“Once the target has been initiated,

One should recite the enriching mantra while radiating light:

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |
devadatta puṣṭiṃ kuru svāhā |

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ vauṣaṭ
devadattasya puṣṭiṃ kuru vauṣaṭ svāhā |

This is the enriching rite taught by the Bhagavat.

“On birch bark or a rag,

One should use lac fluid, red sandalwood,

Or blood from their own ring finger, as available,

To draw a double circle

With the syllable hoḥ
appended.

“The circle should be placed in
conjoined bowls,

That are not black and so forth,

And that are filled with ghee and honey,

Then wrapped with a red thread.

Facing west one should make

Offerings of red flowers.

“One should imagine themselves as Yama’s Slayer,

Red in color and blazing fiercely,

And that the target stands

On a red moon disk.

“One should visualize the target being drawn in

With hooks of red light rays

That emerge from one’s body,

And recite the mantra ten thousand times as they spread.

“Imagining that the target is distressed,

Their legs are crippled,

And they are naked with their hair loose,

Begin the recitation.

“If the target is not enthralled,

The practitioner should heat the
circle

Over a smokeless fire of acacia wood,

Omitting the ghee and the rest.”

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |
ho devadatta vaśaṃ kuru hoḥ |

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |
vauṣaṭ devadattasya vaśamānaya vauṣaṭ |

This is the enthralling rite taught by the Bhagavat.

“On cloth from a charnel ground

Or a rag smeared with menstrual blood,

One should draw a double circle

With a mixture of blood and lac.

“The target’s name should be framed

With the syllables jaḥ
and hrīḥ,

And the circle placed in conjoined skull cups

Made from the skulls of women.

This should be wrapped with red thread

And presented with offerings of red flowers.

“Imagining themselves as Yama’s Slayer,

Red like the setting sun,

One should imagine

Seizing the target with red iron hooks.

“After hooks strike their heart

And a noose binds their neck,

One should imagine they arrive,

Naked, hair loose,

Seated on a red lion,

Accompanied by circle of wind,

And are cleansed with the five substances.

“If the target does not arrive,

The vow-holder should recite the mantra

While heating the circle

In a fire of acacia wood.

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ | hrīḥ
amukam ākarṣaya hrīḥ |

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ jaḥ
devadatta ākarṣaya jaḥ |

This is the summoning rite taught by the Bhagavat.

“The adept should draw a double circle

On cloth from a charnel ground,

Using a decoction of turmeric,

And write the target’s name

Appended to the syllable laṁ.

“The adept should place it

Inside conjoined bowls,

Place this on top of a yellow bowl,

And draw lines on it.

“The adept, in a state of meditative focus,

Should draw seven or four lines.

Above that they should draw

The eight-peaked Mount Sumeru.

“The syllables hūṁ and vaṃ

Frame Mount Meru,

And, above that, Indra’s maṇḍala

Should be drawn with the syllable laṃ.

“It should be stamped with a crossed vajra

And wrapped with a yellow thread.

One should imagine themselves

As the yellow Yama’s Slayer.

“One should imagine the target to be yellow

And standing on Indra’s maṇḍala.

They are being crushed by Mount Sumeru

And crushed by Vajrapāṇi as well.

“One should imagine the target is crushed

By Mandara and the like,

And other various mountains

That are beneath Indra’s maṇḍala.

“While maintaining this visualization, recite the mantra:

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ laṁ
devadatta sthāne stambhaya kuru laṁ |

This is the paralyzing rite taught by the Bhagavat.

“One who wishes to paralyze speech

Should draw a similar double circle,

Add the target’s name,

And recite the pulsating mantra:

This paralyzing rite was taught by the Bhagavat.

“This must be performed exactly as taught

And with the utmost secrecy.

Using the practice of Black Yamāri

One will gain accomplishment in a single day.

“As before, the vow holder should draw

A double circle on a charnel ground rag.

Taking black mustard seeds, salt,

Poison, as well as neem,

“The three hot spices, white mustard oil,

Charcoal from a charnel ground,

Juice from datura leaves,

And likewise datura seeds, saline soil,

“Blood from the index finger,

And soot from a caṇḍāḷa’s pot,

And using a quill from a starved bird,

The vow holder should draw it on the fourteenth day,

At midday, with a wrathful mind,

In order to slay
evil beings.

“To the syllable hūṁ one should
append

The name of the person to be slain.

The yogin, facing south,

Should embody Yama’s Slayer.

“Of wrathful form and intensely fierce,

He is adorned with severed heads.

He stands on a buffalo, his tongue lolls,

He has a large belly, and is terrifying.

“He is frightening, his blazing
hair rises upward.

His beard and eyebrows are similarly yellow.

His first right hand holds a large vajra.

In his second is a sword,

And, in the third, a knife.

Now, to draw the left hands:

A wheel, a large lotus,

And a skull cup, are in his left hands.

“His main face is deep black,

His right like fine moonlight,

His left face is declared to be red,

And he is adorned with vajra ornaments.

“From his pores emanate

The fearsome one, lord of his own family.

He stands on a sun disk

With his left leg extended.

He haughtily bares his fangs

And resembles the apocalyptic fire.

“Embodying this oneself,

One should imagine the target placed in front.

By striking with a poisoned blade,

The target becomes filthy and diseased.

“They become naked, shake, grow depressed,

And speak pleading words.

Their body is covered with pus-filled sores—

The result of being sliced with a blade.

“After being tormented by frigid wind,

They find themselves in the midst of fire.

The wicked one, fearful of the host of buddhas,

Will be consumed by buffaloes,

Tigers, dogs, and crows.

“The target stands in Yama’s stomach,

Their body rife with thorns,

And their feet clasped in wooden stocks.

They are chopped into pieces,

Their skin is flayed,

They are smeared with salt and mustard,

And utter the syllable hūṁ

“Imagine them in one’s presence,

Their physical protections gone,

Stripped of their armor,

Their body completely vacant.

“Wrathful deities emanate from one’s own body

Similar in form to oneself as Yamāri.

They strike the target’s body

And suck their fat and marrow.

“One should imagine Yama in front of them,

Powerful, with a cudgel in hand.

The cruel one strikes them,

As vultures take to the sky

Carrying off their entrails and the like.

From below the ground,

Nāgas and asuras strike at them.

“Experiencing the target in this way,

One should, while steeped in compassion,

Lift them from their saṃsaric state,

And lead them to a buddhafield.”

Then, all the blessed tathāgatas uttered these words with a particular
intention in mind:

“How amazing indeed is this killing—

Killing that is not killing

Because it frees from evil.

The one who was killed was not truly killed.

“One who has committed a thousand evil deeds

Will not be born in the Avīci Hell or others.

How amazing is the greatness of the Buddha,

That being killed leads to awakening.

“The killing of the murderous being

Is done by cultivating great compassion.

How amazing is supreme compassion.

Success will not come through weak compassion.

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ | hūṁ
devadatta māraya hūṁ phaṭ | oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ | devadatta
māraya phaṭ |

This was the fourth chapter, “The Rites for Killing and so forth using Yantras, Mantras, Medicines, Related to the Procedure for Vajra Killing,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 5: The Procedure for Drawing Yantras

“Next, one should draw a double circle

And append the syllable phaṭ.

One should write the target’s name

And put it into conjoined skull cups.

“This should be wrapped with a blue thread

And buried in a charnel ground at midday.

“While focused on being Yamāri,

One should place the target before themselves.

There are two targets, weapons in hand,

Mounted on a horse and a buffalo.

“One should imagine that, on both sides,

Are emanated hordes of wrathful beings.

With a mind steeped in wrath,

One should recite the mantra while visualizing

The two, powerful and fierce, in protracted battle.

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ |
devadatta yajñādatte vidveṣāya hūṁ phaṭ |

This is the rite for sowing discord taught by the Bhagavat.

“Following the same rite as before,

One should draw a double circle,

Augment it with the syllables hūṁ
and phaṭ,

And put it inside conjoined skull cups.

“It should be wrapped with a black cord

And buried in an ancestor’s grove.

Maintaining the practice of Yamāri,

One should imagine the target before oneself.

“Visualize a black wind maṇḍala,

Born from yaṁ and shaped as a
bow,

With a blue camel on it.

On it is the evildoer, facing south,

Being beaten by a furious horde.

Even a buddha would find this hard to reverse.

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ
devadattam ucchāṭaya hūṁ phaṭ |

This is the expelling rite taught by the Bhagavat.

“The fierce yogin, facing south,

Should draw a double circle on charnel ground cloth

Using a decoction of goat blood, corpse ash,

Poison, salt, black mustard, and datura,

Following the ritual sequence.

“To kill, one should place the target on Yama’s body;

To sow dissent, on a horse and a buffalo;

To expel, standing on a camel;

To pacify, on a moon disk;

To enrich, on a yellow moon disk;

To enthrall, in a woman’s heart;

To summon, mounted on a
goat;

To paralyze, in a ring of mountains;

And to summon, on a śarabha
lion.

The other rites are defined in a similar manner.

“One should draw with bovine bezoar,

Lac, or Kashmiri saffron, as
specified,

On birch bark in order to enthrall.

If one’s mind is focused on virtue,

There is no doubt it will be successful.

“The circles should be placed in conjoined bowls.

After midday, one should write with a raven feather

On a cremation pyre or conjoined skull cups.

While focused on being Yamāri,

One should recite the mantra oṁ hrīḥ
ṣṭrīḥ…,

With the target of suppression facing south.

“For pacifying, the syllable ya at
the edge is effaced,

As well as both the ni
syllables.

Next, efface the syllable ya in
the center,

And the remaining syllables as desired.

“One should do ten thousand preparatory recitations,

Which results in successful ritual action.

This is to be done with vajra wisdom

While focused on being Yamāri.

“There will be continuous strife

In a house where this terrifying circle remains

After it has been drawn,

With all the syllables still written.”

This was the fifth chapter, “The Sequence for Drawing Yantras,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 6: Drawing the Circle

Then, the lord of all the blessed tathāgatas supplicated the Bhagavat, the
great vajra holder, using this king of praises:

“By applying the mudrā of anger,

Which delights the vajra holders,

And then sealing it with the vajra mudrā,

A vast array of siddhis are attained.”

The vajra holder, the king,

Then made this statement:

“Visualize Yama’s Slayer

On the heads of all the maṇḍala deities.

“Continually draw the maṇḍala.

Continually satisfy with fire offerings.

Continually uphold the samayas.

Continually maintain the vows.

“First is the crown initiation.

Second, the sword initiation should be given.

Third, the vajra and bell initiation.

The eating of the moon is fourth.

“These are the four great initiations,

Sprung from the Black One’s mouth.

Through the uniqueness of these four initiations,

The children of the jinas attain awakening.

“Next, I will explain the mantra,

The means for offering bali to all spirits.

By merely reciting the great mantra

All spirits will tremble.

oṁ indrāya hrīḥ | yamāya ṣṭrīḥ |
varuṇāya viḥ | kuberāya kṛ | īśvanāya taḥ | agnaye ā | nairṛtyāya na | vāyave na |
candrāya hūṁ | arkāya hūṁ | brahmaṇe phaṭ | vasudhārāyai phaṭ | vemacitriṇe svā |
sarvabhūtebhyo hā | ha ha hi hi hūṁ hūṁ pheṁ pheṁ svāhā |

“Once the triangular maṇḍala is made,

Using a mixture of urine, feces, and water,

The yogin should satisfy the deities,

And should call to mind the syllables hā
hā.

“The adept should draw

Three concentric circles,

With eight, twelve, and sixteen cells

And place the mantra syllables throughout.

“The vow-holder should place

The perfected syllables in the twelve cells

The vow-holder will be victorious in every way

Over the three worlds, the animate and inanimate.

ya ma rā jā sa do me ya ya me do ru
ṇa yo da ya | ya da yo ni ra ya kṣe ya ya kṣe ya ccha ni rā ma ya

“Ya is to be placed in the center,
kṣe to the east,

In the south, Mañjuvajra,

The syllable me is drawn in the
west,

And in the north, dantadhāvanam.

“The target’s name should be added

In the empty intermediate directions.

By framing it with two hūṁs,

All ritual actions will be successful.

“The syllables ya, ccha, ni, rā,
jā,

Sa, do, ru,
ṇa, yo, ni, ra, and the rest,

Should be drawn outside, from the left.

This will fulfill all aims.

“In the third ring, from the
east,

One should draw the syllables

Of the mantra beginning oṁ hrīḥ
ṣṭrīḥ

In every other cell.

“In each of the eight intermediate cells,

One should write, from the left

vidveṣaya, śāntiṃ kuru, or puṣṭiṃ kuru,

Depending on the specific rite.

“Oṁ is at the beginning and then
namaḥ after that,

And then, after that, vauṣaṭ.

Furnishing these seeds with hūṃ
and phaṭ

Effects the pacifying, enriching, and enthralling rites.

This was the sixth chapter, “Drawing the Circle,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.

Chapter 7: The Procedures for Extraction and So

Forth

“For the procedure to extract blood

The adept should meditate on Carcikā.

She has three faces, six arms, is emaciated,

Holds a wheel in her hand, and shines like the light of the moon.

“For the procedure to extract alcohol

The adept should meditate on Vārāhī.

She has three faces, six arms, the face of a sow,

Is dark blue, and holds a vajra in her hand.

“To increase knowledge

The vow-holder should meditate on Sarasvatī.

She has three faces, six arms, is red,

Peaceful, and holds a lotus in her hand.

“For the procedure to draw semen

The adept should meditate on Gaurī.

She has three faces, six arms, wields a sword,

And appears like an emerald.”

oṁ carcike siddhendranīlahāriṇi ratnatrayāpakāriṇo
rudiram ākarṣaya jaḥ |

“One should open their mouth

And then call this mantra to mind.

The great blood from the three worlds

Will be extracted, there is no doubt.”

oṁ vajraghoṇe sughoṇe vajramāmakī bhara bhara
sambhara sambhara traidhātukāryam ākarṣaya jaḥ |

“One should make a pot with a beautiful mouth

Using clay from a potter’s hand,

Place it on a base of thief’s hair,

And call the mantra to mind.

“The great quality of this mantra

Was demonstrated at Caityapattana.

One should exert effort with gentle persistence

And the alcohol extraction will be successful.”

Then the blessed Vajra Yama’s Slayer, the great samaya, entered the meditative
absorption called the vajra perfection of wisdom and spoke the
mantra of Sarasvatī:

oṁ picu picu prajñāvardhani jvala jvala
medhāvardhani dhiri dhiri buddhivardhani svāhā |

“Beginning on the first day

And every day until the full moon,

One should speak Sanskrit,

And continue, following the phases of the moon.

“With the regular completion of one hundred ślokas

One will succeed in becoming a lord of speech.

One will find success throughout the three worlds,

Entirely and in every way.”

Then, the blessed Vajra Yama’s Destroyer entered the meditative absorption
called the extraction of semen
and spoke Gaurī’s mantra for the extraction of semen:

oṁ ākarṣaṇi ākarṣaṇi gaurī hrīḥ duṣṭāya duṣṭāya
śukram ākarṣaya jaḥ jaḥ jaḥ hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ svāhā |

“From the mouth of the lotus and from the vajra,

Through the application of the bell, hook, and wind,

An abundance of semen is extracted

By employing mantra and meditation.

“These rites, eagerly employed

Over the course of seven nights

In a forest or isolated place,

Bring success, of this there is no doubt.”

Then the blessed great Vajra Yamāri entered the meditative absorption called
the vajra that terrifies death
and set forth the samaya of the supreme initiation from his
vajra body, speech, and mind.

“Dear child, take garlands

Of udumbara, mandāra, pārijāta,

And karṇīkāra flowers,

And be consecrated.

“Take the great sword of the triple world

That is venerated by all buddhas

And summons all spirits.

This sublime sword of activity

Is victorious over all māras.

“Take the perfected vajra and bell,

The nature of insight and method,

And accept the disciple.

“This most precious of drinks

Perfects the vajra body.

Dear child of omniscient wisdom,

Drink it so wisdom may arise.’

“It should then be poured into the disciple’s mouth,

In order to accomplish Yamāri.

The eminent vajra disciple

Should cultivate feeling of great joy.”

This was the seventh chapter, “The Procedures for Extraction and So Forth,”
from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 8: The Fire Offering Rite

Then, the vajra-bearing king

Employed the protection circle procedure

And spoke in order to expel

Vighnas, vināyakas, and wicked beings.

“I, the glorious sword bearer,

Employ the protection circle procedure

Using the naturally blazing sword.

I offer worship through the three knowledges.

“Devī, you serve as witness

To the mode of conduct

That protects all beings,

Especially to the bhūmis and perfections.

“I, the master, will draw

The maṇḍala of Yamāri.

“After covering the disciple’s face with cloth,

They should enter the door of the maṇḍala.

They should be asked, ‘Who are you?’

To which they reply, ‘I am a fortunate one.’

“The keen disciple who makes the request

Should be given access behind the curtain.

In order to receive initiation they should

Make this request devotedly three times:

“ ‘Just as the Buddha initiated the vajra-being

By means of the great Dharma,

I ask the protector to also initiate me,

And grant me a boon.’

“The disciple should offer song and music,

As well as respectfully anoint

With bathing water and unguents,

And sing praises at that time.”

Then, the vajra-bearing king spoke the mantra of emptiness:

oṁ śūnyatājñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ’ham |

oṁ pūjavajrasvabhāvātmako ’ham |

oṁ dharmadhātuvajrasvabhāvātmako ’ham |

“Next, I will explain the fire offering,

Based on its use in pacifying and other rites.

It is through fire offering that one gains the siddhi

That accomplishes all rites.

“Pacifying rites require a peaceful mind,

Enriching rites, an expansive mind,

Enthralling rites, a mind that has let go,

And this too for killing and expelling.

“For the pacifying, the fire pit is circular,

For enriching, like a water tank,

For enthralling, crescent-shaped,

And like the space element for killing.

“For pacifying, it should measure one cubit,

For enriching, two cubits,

As for enriching, so for enthralling,

And for killing, twenty finger-widths.

“For pacifying, half a cubit up,

For enriching, one cubit,

Ten finger-widths for killing,

And for enthralling, the same as summoning.

“Pacifying should be performed on the first day,

Enriching on the full moon,

The fourteenth day for hostile rites,

And enthralling rites on the eighth day.”

This was the eighth chapter, “The Fire Offering Rite,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 9: Fearsome Yamāri

“One should take soil from the ocean,

Make an image of a single nāga,

And recite the mantra that begins hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ.

Rain will fall at times of drought

By reciting the mantra ten thousand times,

“The vow-holder should mix cobra meat

With leaves of the neem tree,

Roll the mixture into a pill,

Throw it into the ocean,

And recite the mantra ten thousand times.

This is the supreme means for arresting waves.

“One should take one hundred datura seeds,

Mixed with beans and rice grains,

And perform a fire offering with 800,000 recitations.

One will then behold the deity.

“The vow-holder should draw an effigy

With charred stick from a cremation pyre

And smear it with datura fluid.

After reciting the mantra 10,000 times the target will develop leprosy.

“One should take white mustard seeds,

Recite the mantra 400,000 times,

And scatter them over a person collapsed from snake bite.

That person will recover—there is no doubt.

“One should take clay from a gulch

And recite the mantra 100,000 times.

Any headache will be cured

By smearing this on one’s head.

“When one incants their hand seven times

And uses it to rub their head,

There will be no head pain—

About this there is no doubt.

“One should make an effigy of Yamāri

From the flesh of a brahmin

And ash and soil from a charnel ground.

He should have two arms and one face,

Hold a large vajra in his right hand,

And a human head in his left.

He should be white and very frightening.

All wicked beings can be destroyed with this.

“The yogin should offer bali daily,

Using the five meats and the five nectars,

And the make the request,

‘Annihilate my enemies!’

“When this is said at night, before sleep,

The enemy will be dead at dawn.

Or they will suffer from urinary blockage

Or fall sick with another illness.

“One should take the enemy’s vairocanā

And fill a human bone with it.

Once full, and once the mantra is recited 100,000 times,

One will be like a preta moving through treetops.

One will attain every excellent siddhi

And achieve the various goals.

This was the ninth chapter, “Fearsome Yamāri,” from The
Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.

Chapter 10: Cultivating the Recollection for Mastering

Vetālas

“Next, I will perfectly explain

The sādhana of the great vetāla.

It effects every excellent siddhi

And leads to the achievement of the various goals.

“The vow-holder should find a corpse hanging from a tree—

A corpse that is clean, unspoiled, and without wounds.

They should take it down, wash it well,

And incant it with mantra where it lays.

“Amazing, the power of mantra

Whereby the insensate cries out!

The one who practices the yoga of Yamāri

Should be entirely without fear.

Whatever it is the yogin seeks

Will be bestowed in full.

“One should craft an effigy

Of Yamāri’s terrifying form,

From the flesh, of a
buffalo and crocodile,

As well as a tiger,

A bear, a monkey,

And specifically, a dog.

One should also use poison, black mustard seeds, salt,

The three hot spices, and the moringa tree.

“The yogi should make a request of this effigy

Using the mantra beginning hrīḥ
ṣṭrīḥ

And saying, ‘I seek so-and-so.’

Her father will then present her.

“If this does not come to pass,

If the yogin sees Yamāri strike her in a dream,

And carry her off to the south,

Her father will present her when the yogin wakes.

“The vow-holder should visualize Mudgara
Yamāri

As fearsome, with three faces and six arms.

He has the appearance of a sapphire

And has a hammer in his hand.

“Daṇḍa Yamāri has three faces and six arms,

And is red, wrathful, and terrifying.

Terrifying even to the terrifying.

The adept should place a cudgel in his hand.

“The adept should visualize the one called Padma Yamāri.

He has three faces, six arms, and is red in color;

He is extremely frightening, terrifying,

And holds a red lotus in his hand.

“One should visualize the one called Khaḍga Yamāri,

Who has three faces, six arms, and is green.

He accomplishes all activities

And holds a sword in his hand.

“With one’s liṅga in the bhaga,

One should visualize the lord of the maṇḍala.

The yogin who has brought anger to mind

Should cultivate the recollection of ignorance.

“After making ignorance the object of recollection,

One should cultivate the recollection of miserliness.

The one absorbed in recollecting miserliness

Should next cultivate the recollection of desire.

“The vow-holder immersed in recollecting desire

Should recollect the one called jealousy.

Clouds of deities from each of their families

Emanate from their pores.

“The four wrathful ones should be visualized

Standing in the center of sun disks.

The four goddesses should be visualized

Standing on moon disks.

Chapter 11: Revealing the Conduct

“Seeing that beings are overcome with hatred,

The Bhagavat, taking the form of Dveṣa Yamāri,

Brings Yama under control

And lays waste to all hatred.

“Seeing that beings are overcome with ignorance,

The Bhagavat, taking the form of Moha Yamāri,

Brings Yama under control

And lays waste to all ignorance.

“Seeing that beings are overcome with miserliness,

The Bhagavat, moved by compassion,

Takes the form of Piśuna Yamāri

And lays waste to all miserliness.

“Seeing that beings are overcome with desire,

The Bhagavat, moved by compassion,

Takes the form of Rāga Yamāri

And lays waste to all desire.

“Seeing that beings are overcome with jealousy,

The Bhagavat, moved by compassion,

Takes the form of Īrṣyā Yamāri

And lays waste to all jealousy.

“Carcikā is said to be love,

Vārāhī is compassion,

Sarasvatī is joy,

While Gaurī embodies equanimity.

“The yogin, themselves perfected

As all those present in the maṇḍala,

Radiates from the seed syllable and their hearts;

Success ensues, there is no doubt.

“I will now explain

The supreme qualities of the conduct

That perfects body, speech, and mind

Through Yamāri’s terrifying form.

“In a vastly forested area,

One should call and mount a supreme buffalo,

Adorn themselves with snakes,

And take up an iron vajra.

“One should also turn their hair yellow,

Which should specifically flow upwards.

Skulls should ring their head

And their beard should be turned yellow.

“While brandishing the iron vajra,

One should recite the mantra beginning hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ

And roar a lion’s roar,

While applying the practice of Vajra Yamāri.

“Once a little power develops,

One should playfully enter a village.

One should dance and ecstatically sing

Songs using ṣāḍava and other
scales.

“Seeing a row of banners,

One should perfect the milk there.

By focusing one-pointedly on the milk,

One will attain mahāmudrā.

“By embracing any woman

Who has taken the form of Vārāhī,

The courageous one acts like a lion

And accomplishes all desired aims.

“Next, I will explain

The method for the Hundred-Armed One

And will describe the recitation

Of the great one-syllable mantra.

“One should visualize the Buffalo-Faced One

Manifesting from the syllable hrīḥ.

He stands on a vajra maṇḍala

And is mounted on a buffalo.

“The adept who practices

The mantra of the Buffalo-Faced One

Should imagine him holding various weapons—

Those that cut and those that pierce.

“Next, I will explain,

The practice of Daṇḍa Yamāri.

The syllable hrīḥ is his great
mantra

And he has a buffalo as his mount.

“He is arrayed with two-hundred-thousand arms

And his body, smeared with human ashes,

Is as high as Mount Sumeru

And reaches down to the golden ground.

“Next, I will explain

The method for the Ten-Million-Armed One.

He is the lord arisen from the syllable hūṁ

And vikṛtānana is his great mantra.

oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ
phaṭ ha hā hi hī hu hū he hai ho hau haṁ haḥ phaṭ svāhā |

“I will explain the samaya practice

That accomplishes all aims.

The food for those exhausted by the mantra

Is easy to obtain and beyond reproach.

“One should mix great flesh,

With horse and especially elephant,

As well as cow and dog,

Donkey, camel, jackal,

“And the indigo plant,

And then rub it on one’s body with great oil.

One can enthrall the world

Simply by rubbing it on one’s body.

“One should mix vairocana
and sinduvāra,

As well as bilva leaves,

A mixture of powdered brick,

And the juice of kanaka leaves.

“Simply by rubbing this on their limbs

One will enthrall the three worlds.

Poison, blisters, as well as leprosy

Are cured when one is smeared with it.

“One should drink the great urine

As well as vajra nectar.

This is the highest, best yoga,

As is drinking the self-arisen flower.

This was the eleventh chapter, “Revealing the Conduct,”
from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 12: All the Unique Ancillary Rites

Then, the blessed Mahāpuruṣasamaya, Vajrasattva in essence, entered the meditative
absorption of Carcikā’s form, then Vārāhī’s form, then Sarasvatī’s form, then Gaurī’s
form, and performed these songs of offering:

“Hey, Black Yamāri! Master!

You have the nature and form of a rākṣasa.

I am terrified when I look at you,

Please cast off this wrathful nature!

“The heavens, earth, and underworld

Quake from your dance.

Wrathful one, black as collyrium,

You dance to appease the vetālas.

“Of dark, complex, and dwarfish stature,

You emanate a variety of different forms.

Essence of great bliss, dance!

I, Vajrasarasvatī, supplicate you.

“With the hrīḥ
ṣṭrīḥ mantra and your dance,

You cut through the confusion of the three existences.

Your liberating dance of compassionate wrath

Fills the world with faith and wonder.

“Next, I will explain

The supreme characteristics of mantra recitation.

Those who apply this mantra recitation

Will attain vast siddhis.

“Neither too quickly nor too leisurely,

Neither too long nor too short,

For the master of Yama, the supreme person,

The recitation should be barely audible.

“The recitation mālā should be made

From buffalo or human bones,

Or those of an elephant, cow, horse,

Donkey, or camel.

“On the fourteenth day of the first month,

One should gather the five meats

Mixed with the five nectars.

Recitation then leads to the supreme siddhi.

“The yogi should visualize

Yamāri inside each bead.

Or, the adept can visualize them

As human heads covered in blood.

“When applying the practice of Vajra Yamāri,

Bhūtas will die after 10,000 recitations.

Ḍākinīs will die after one thousand,

As will the hosts of māras and pretas.

“After 100,000 recitations, the one immersed in yoga

Can perform any of the ritual activities.

After ten million repetitions, they will be granted siddhis,

To say nothing of fifty million.

“Every day, every month,

Or even every year,

The adept should make sixty-four bali offerings

At the sixty-four daṇḍas.

“Whenever one has a little something to eat,

When they have little something to drink,

Or when they enjoy a full meal,

The best part should be offered to Yamāri.

“Now, I will explain the gifts

That are to be offered to the master

In order to accomplish all activities

And to pacify oneself.

“The vow-holder should offer themselves,

As well as a horse, cow, or elephant,

Or gold, and beyond that,

Their own spouse and children,

Their mother, sisters, and nieces,

As well as their brothers.

“One should offer different articles of clothing,

A parasol and elegant tail whisk,

A home, a seat, and fragrances,

As well as songs and music,

A sword and jewelry.

This was the twelfth chapter, “All Unique Ancillary Rites,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 13: Identifying the Siddhis

“Now, the knife that severs

The evil deeds of beings,

However many there are,

Is the sword that cuts through anger.

“Next, I will explain

The practice of Vajraḍākinī,

In order to accomplish remote hearing.

“One should imagine a sublime sun disk

Located in the center of the sky.

A five-pronged vajra should be visualized there,

And a palace placed on top of that.

“One should visualize her

In a dark-blue, terrifying form.

She is six-armed and fearsome,

With a vajra in one hand and the others in the rest.

“In the east is Buddhaḍākinī,

Six-armed and resembling Mohavajra.

Terrifying with a wheel in hand,

She is visualized in the center of a yoga-maṇḍala.

“In the south is Ratnaḍākinī,

Six-armed and resembling Piśuna.

Blazing brightly with a jewel in hand,

She is visualized on the disk of the sun.

“In the west is Padmadākinī,

Six-armed and holding a lotus.

In the north is Karmaḍākinī,

On a bhaga maṇḍala holding a
sword.

“In the four corners, beginning in the west,

The vow-holder should visualize the goddesses,

Specifically Lāsyā and Mālyā,

As well as Nṛtyā and Geyā.

“They should then focus on the door guardians

By following the prescribed method:

Mudgara, Daṇḍa, Padma,

And the other one, Khaḍga.

oṁ vajraḍākinī | oṁ buddhaḍākinī | oṁ ratnaḍākinī |
oṁ padmaḍākinī | oṁ karmaḍākinī |

And for the corners: laṁ naṁ gaṁ maṁ |

oṁ mudgara jaḥ | oṁ daṇḍa hūṁ | oṁ padma vaṁ | oṁ
khadga hoḥ |

This is the practice of Vajraḍākinī taught by the blessed vajra bearer.

“To accomplish remote hearing

One should visualize Vajraḍākinī.

In that way the mantra siddhi is attained.

oṁ ākāśacara ḍākinīye hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |

“Next, I will explain

The practice of Vajrapātāla.

To attain the siddhi of moving underground

One should visualize Śumbhavajra.

“He has six arms, is blue and fearsome,

Holds a pestle aloft in his hand,

And is in the middle of the garbhamaṇḍala.

This is how he is to be arranged.

“Locanā should be placed in the east,

Māmakī in the south,

The goddess Pāṇdarā in the west,

And Tārā in the north.

“Puṣpā, Dhūpā, Gandhā, and Dīpā

Should be placed in the east and so forth.

Mudgara and the rest stand in the doors,

All wearing snakes as belts.

“One should visualize the maṇḍala in this way,

Following the prescribed method.

Those who train in Vajrapātāla

Will see a path in their dreams.

“Next, I will explain

The maṇḍala of the King of the Seven.

In order to attain the power of flight,

One should perfect Paramāśva.

“He has two arms, one face,

A dark-colored body, and is terrifying.

He stands on a sun disk

And is beautiful, with face of a horse.

His right hand holds bean pods in a fist,

And his left, a skull cup.

oṁ phuṁ phuṁ phuṁ hi hi hi |

“The adept should recite this mantra

For the renowned Paramāśva.

“In the east, visualize Vaḍavā,

In the south Turaṅgamā,

In the west Saptarājñī,

And in the northern space, Paramāśvā.

“One should visualize their faces and arms

To be like those of the central deity.

The request for them to arrive

Resounds everywhere through this mantra.

“In each of the corners one should place

Bamboo and reed flutes, a lute, drum, and tabor.

“Gokarṇa, Hastikarṇa, Sumukha, Durmukha,

Muśāla, Paraśu, Aṅkuśa, and Pāśa

Should be continuously visualized in the four doors,

Engaged in dance and other dramatic acts.

Green shoots should be visualized in their left hands

And, similarly, their emblems in their right.

The mantra of Paramāśva

Is the same as Vajrapātāla’s.

By cultivating the practice of Paramāśva

One becomes the space of the three worlds.

This was the thirteenth chapter, “Identifying the Siddhis,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 14: The Practice of Mañjuvajra

“This is the supreme rite for the measuring cord:

oṁ akāro mukhaṃ sarvadharmāṇām ādyanutpannatvāt oṁ
āḥ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā |

“One should visualize themselves as glorious Yamāntaka

And the disciple as Vairocana.

Then, while meditatively composed,

Set the supreme, preeminent wisdom cord.

“This is the supreme samaya of the great maṇḍala:
oṁ āḥ hūṁ |

“The adept should
prepare a cord

That is smeared with the five cow products

And is twice as long as the maṇḍala,

With the doors being a twentieth of that.

“This is the rite for the great vajra request:

“O great master, a buddha,

Lord of the Dharma assembly,

Grant me the true samaya!

Grant me the bodhicitta!

“This is the rite for the erecting the great site. Once the earth goddess has been
summoned, one should say:

‘Devi, you bear witness

To the unique conduct

Of all the buddhas, the protectors,

And to their perfections and levels.

“Supreme beings should know

The doors to be an eighth of the maṇḍala,

Excluding the great main hall,

Which is pleasing and lavishly decorated.

“The crests should be known to be like the doors,

As are the celestial moldings,

Which are affixed with vajra apsarases

Who are singing, playing instruments, and dancing.

“The altar is half the measure of the doors,

As are the cheek moldings and the sides.

It also has long and short pearl strands,

Moons, suns, flower garlands,

Cloth hangings, and ribbons.

“The colored ground is half of that

And the base line is outside the grounds.

“Now, the great essence:

“One’s own circle should be set

And one should embrace their mudrā.

The wisdom enters the samaya—

Thus should the maṇḍala be established.

“The east should be colored bright white,

The south, yellow,

The western portion, red,

The north green in color,

And the central space like the light of a sapphire.

“Then the implements should be placed

In accordance with the prescribed rite.

The implements are always sky-like

And are always drawn in this way.

In the center one should draw a vajra,

In the east, a wheel should be drawn,

And so forth for the other directions.

The implements should always resemble the main face.

Now, for the ladle:

“One should fashion a stick

That it is one cubit in length.

Its end should be rounded

And measure four finger-widths around.

The bottom should be two finger-widths deep

And fashioned with a spout half a finger-width wide.

“A spoon, shaped like a lotus petal,

With a bowl one thumb-width high

And one finger-width deep,

Is praised in this tantra.

“People who have not entered the maṇḍala,

Who have committed the five acts with immediate retribution,

Who have taken a life,

Who eat fish and other meats,

“Who indulge in wine,

Who uphold the ways of nihilists,

Who have not been initiated,

Who wander about begging,

“And who delight in country ways,

And yet devote themselves to Yamāri’s tantra,

Will doubtlessly become accomplished,

According to words of the Dark One.”

Once all the buddhas and the bodhisattvas, headed by Maitreya, heard this
vajra statement, they fell silent and remained seated.

This is the rite for vajra entry:

“The four circles should be formed

From the great seed syllables of the four elements.

By connecting them to the four places,

One can move through the sky.

“The wind maṇḍala is bow-shaped, pitch-black,

The form of fierce and fearsome wind.

The fire maṇḍala is triangular, blazes like fire,

And appears as red as the sun.

“The earth maṇḍala is a bright yellow square,

The imperishable base of the vajra ground.

It should be imagined as the very earth

Upon which stand Sumeru and its mountain range.

“The water maṇḍala is white, round, intensely cold,

And carries water like a bank of clouds.

It is like the ocean filled by a thousand streams

And cool like snow-covered mountains.

“One should visualize the vajra-holding disciple,

Using the method of these four places,

And with Amitābha in their mouth,

And then bring them quickly into the maṇḍala.

“This is the rite for the request:

“ ‘Vajradharma, Great Protector,

Amitābha, Great Bliss!

Please speak, you who have great desire for the Dharma.

I ask about virtue and nonvirtue.’

“Great disciples rise up

From just one cubit,

Up to one thousand cubits.

This is based on the rite of entering.

“Now I will explain

The features of the plaster image.

The vow holder should take wet clay

And perform the mantra recitation.

“Beans, milk, meat, and molasses,

Should be mixed with tamarind and the like,

With oil, neem leaves,

As well as nāḍīka seeds.

“One should first apply a white layer

And then decorate it with other colors.

Using chalk and red ocher

Results in a color similar to lac.

“Turmeric and indigo

Similarly yield dark green.

Blue mixed with indigo,

Or with eye black, yields black.

“Mixing pale yellow with realgar,

Or vermillion, yields red.

Add to that a drop of bilva,

But just a little, not too much.

“If one adds too much it turns black,

If too little, it becomes grey.

The image can be either wrathful or peaceful.

The characteristics of both will now be described.

“The peaceful is described as playful,

The wrathful as rotund and short.

Its nose should measure four finger-widths.

Its forehead, chin, jaws, throat, and neck,

Should also be four finger-widths.

The image should be twenty-four cubits and twenty finger-widths tall.

Its hands, feet and mouth are all the same size.

And its eyes are a single thumb width.

“Its ears are described as two finger-widths

And its two testicles each four.

Its lips together are two finger-widths

And its navel one finger-width.

“Its face is one of third its body

And has no neck.

Its crown of matted hair is the length of its face

And bears a crown that is six finger-widths.

“Now I will explain

The practice of Ekajaṭā.

One who seeks the siddhis of a yakṣiṇī

Should train in Ekajaṭā.

“One should visualize her in the maṇḍala’s center,

With one face and two arms,

Holding a knife and a skull cup,

Her body stout
and blue.

“Jambhalā should be imagined in the east

And Vasudhārā in the south.

Jalendrā is to be placed in the west

And Cibikuṇḍalī in the north.

“In the four corners, the southeast first,

One should visualize the four yakṣiṇīs—

Kuntalā, Dehinī, Gehā, and Vasundarī,

And arrange them according to the rite.

“One should then visualize the doors,

With Mudgara and the rest all around.

One should use the same colors

As in the previous maṇḍala.

“Seeing themselves as the maṇḍala deity, bearing emblems,

The adept should then recite her mantra:

oṁ ekajaṭi vasudhāriṇi svāhā |

“Next, I will explain

The practice of Pukkasī.

By merely visualizing her

One is able to harm the three worlds.

“One should imagine her

As yellow, with four faces and arms,

And riding on a donkey.

She should be visualized holding a bow,

Noose, hammer, and arrow.

“The mantra to recite is: oṁ pukkasī aṃ |

“Now I will explain

The maṇḍala of Mañjuvajra.

Once Mañjuvajra is accomplished,

Invisibility instantly ensues.

“He has three faces and six arms,

And is yellow, like the luster of gold.

One should train in this protector with a youthful form

In order to make oneself invisible.

“Sundarī should be placed in the east

And Keśinī in the south.

Vihvalā should be imagined in the west

And Upakeśinī in the north.

“A sword should be placed in their right hands

And a wheel and the rest in all the
others.

They all have three faces and six arms

And are adorned with various ornaments.

“Arising from the seed syllable maṁ,

They stand in the maṇḍala’s core,

All standing on moon disks

With their left legs extended.

“Mārīcī, Parṇaśabarī,

Vasudhārā, and Cundrikā

Are placed in the four corners, southeast first,

As a gathering of the essence.

“They are visualized holding aśoka leaves and branches,

As well as the stalks of clusters of grain.

Their bodies are yellow and green,

Yellow again, and white.

“They all have three faces and six arms,

And are known as the maṇḍala deities.

Mudga and the rest are visualized in the doors.

Thus will one become invisible.

This was the fourteenth chapter, “The Practice of Mañjuvajra,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 15: The Practice of Vajrānaṅga

“Next, I will explain

The practice of the noble Jāṅgulī.

One can walk on water

Merely by visualizing her.

“Born from the seed syllable phuḥ,

She is yellow, with three faces and six arms.

Mighty in form, she holds a snake in her hand

And rides a peacock as her mount.

“One should place Māyūrī in the east,

Bhṛkuṭī in the south,

Parṇaśabarī in the west,

And Vajraśṛṅkhalā in the north.

“They should be visualized with peacock feathers,

Water pitchers, sprigs, and vajra chains.

Their colors are yellow, red,

Green, and blue, respectively.

“The adept should visualize in this way

And then recite her mantra:

oṁ phuḥ jaḥ |

“Mudgara and the others are placed in the doors,

And Puṣpā and the others in the corners.

Through the yoga of Jāṅgulī,

One will always walk on water.

“Next, I will explain

The practice of Kurukullā.

Merely by visualizing her

One can summon a female nāga.

“She is red, has four faces,

And is arrayed with eight arms.

She arises from the syllable hrīḥ

And is capable of summoning nāgas.

“Nāgas from the eight families, Ananta first,

Should be placed in her eight hands.

The vow holder should imagine her graceful body

To be beautifully adorned with snakes.

“The mantra is:

oṁ kurukulle hrīḥ phuḥ svāhā |

“Now I will relate the secret,

In brief, not extensively.

Merely knowing it enables one

To summon Apsarases.

“One should visualize Vajrānaṅga

With two arms and one face,

And an arrow and a bow in hand.

His mighty body is yellow in color.

“Rati should be visualized in the east,

Madanasundarī in the south,

Kāmadevī in the west,

And Madanotsukā in the north.

“All of these love goddesses

Should be imagined holding a bow and arrow

And visualized as yellow,

Red, green, and pink.

“Aniruddha and Uṣāpati

Are always placed in the corners.

Vasanta and Makaraketu

Are said to be in the doors.

“Yama’s slayer should be visualized

On the heads of all the deities

Kandarpa and Darpaka,

Smara, and Bāṇāyudha.

“Vajrānaṅga should be visualized

Standing inside a woman’s lotus.

Arisen from the syllable śīt

He emits light in all directions.

“One should imagine the desired woman

Trembling, beside herself with anxious desire,

She has fallen at one’s feet,

Wrapped in a red garment.

“This is the moment to recite the mantra,

Pronouncing the mantra-syllable śīt

Extending from the syllable oṁ,

With svāhā placed at the end.

“If one continuously meditates,

‘May the woman so-and-so be enthralled,’

The yogin will obtain her through desire,

Just as the Dark One declared.”

This was the fifteenth chapter, “The Practice of Vajrānaṅga,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 16: The Practice of Heruka

“Next, I will explain

The practice of the great Heruka,

Knowing which, the yogin

Will quickly be liberated from saṃsāra’s fetters.

“One should visualize him with two arms and one face,

Blue in color, and in the half-dancing posture.

He should be visualized with a vajra in one hand

And a skull cup in the other.

“He has three eyes, his hair flows upward,

And he is adorned with the five mudrās.

He has a khaṭvāṅga at his left side

And his feet are adorned with anklets.

“He has emerged from the syllable hūṁ

And should always be placed standing on a preta.

The five skulls on his head

Are related to the five buddhas.

One should visualize Akṣobhya on their crown—

This is how one visualizes the one called Heruka.

“In the east is Dharmacakrā,

In the south, Buddhabodhi,

In the west, Sarvakāmalatā,

And in the north, the one resembling Heruka.

“They are adorned with every ornament

And are arrayed in their respective colors.

They are alluring, stand on pretas,

And destroy all delusion.

“They are to be drawn in the midst of a Dharma wheel,

An aśvattha sprig, and a wish-fulfilling tree.

A vajra should be visualized

In the goddesses’ right hands.

They should be visualized on a circular disk,

With a human skull in their other hand.

“The enchanting Locanā, Māmakī, Tārā, and Pāṇḍarā

Are in the four corners, beginning in the southeast,

And Yamāntaka is in the outer circle.

One should visualize Prajñāntaka, Hayagrīva, Sarvakuṇḍali,

And the maṇḍala’s door guardians as well,

Imagining them following the proper rite.”

This was the sixteenth chapter, “The Practice of Heruka,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 17: Bodhicitta

“After visualizing the five aspects,

The adept should visualize an image of the Buddha.

After visualizing the image of the Buddha,

They should visualize the wheel bearer.

“The performance of the four songs

Initiates the emergence of the wheel bearer.

Cārcikā and the others offer songs

In the ṣāḍava and other scales.

“ ‘Rise, lord of compassionate wrath,

And remove the ignorance of the three worlds!’

“ ‘I beg you, Lord, do not linger but rise,

Be victorious over the māras!’

“ ‘World protector, how can you dwell in emptiness?

Arise, Lord, through the power of the world’s merit!’

“ ‘Why do you remain in emptiness?

The world moves toward the nature of awakening.’

“Bodhicitta should be reached,

Like the trajectory of a shooting star.

The vajra holder himself has melted,

Through a mind suffused with compassion.

“First one should cultivate yoga,

Second, anuyoga,

Third, atiyoga,

And fourth, mahāyoga.

“The completion of Vajrasattva

Is what is meant by yoga.

The melting of the deity’s body

Is known as anuyoga.

“The completion of the entire circle

Is called atiyoga.

“The empowerment of the divine eyes,

As well as body, speech, and mind,

Entry into the wisdom circle,

The tasting of the nectar,

And the extensive offerings and praises,

Are known as mahāyoga.

“The teacher should not be disparaged.

The sugatas commands should not be transgressed.

Likewise, one should not grow angry with their brethren

And should not reveal their faults.

“One should never abandon bodhicitta

Or dishonor their own or others’ Dharma.

One should never relinquish

Their love for other beings.

“One should not teach secrets

To those who are not yet ripened.

One should not revile their own aggregates

Nor disparage village ways.

“One should always avoid those enamored with wickedness

And not take the measure of meritorious acts.

One should not deceive beings who have faith

And should always honor their samaya.

“Deprecating women, the nature of wisdom,

Is considered an offence.

Yogins should never go out for alms,

Nor should they forsake their yoga.

“They should always and continuously recite mantra

And always honor their samayas.

If, in a moment of carelessness,

One damages the samaya with their teacher,

They should draw a maṇḍala

And confess their faults to the sugatas.

“The compassionate should, without rationalization,

Faithfully guard the samaya with their master.

They should continuously venerate their master

Through great effort in meditation, recitation, and the rest,

All with a mind that has relinquished its faults.

“The vow holder
should ripen the disciple

Who is steadfast, disciplined, singularly compassionate,

Who endures with faith and determination,

Who is devoted to their master,

And is faithfully devoted to Yamāri.”

Once all the blessed tathāgatas heard the words of the vajra bearer, the embodiment of supremely great
bliss, they fell silent. Then, they spoke this praise:

“Just as the great skull cup is the ultimate expression of the vow,

The yantras are the ultimate expression of Yamāri’s tantras.

The ultimate expression of the tantras is the assembly.

Nothing else has been or will be.

“How amazing, the Dharma of great peace!

How amazing, the wrathful terrifier!

How amazing, the supreme nirvāṇa!

How amazing, the pacifier of saṃsāra!

“How amazing! This is truly marvelous!

Faults become qualities.

There is no awakening, no realization,

No being and no becoming.

“There are no elements and no consciousness,

All is equal to the element of space.

Devoid of self, just like the sky,

This Dharma is great bliss.

“There is no earth, no water,

No fire, no wind, and no space.

Once generated and consecrated,

Through the method of the vajra-being,

All that exists is said to not exist

And no claim is made about the nonexistent.

“Through the connection between yoga and being a yogin,

There is neither cessation nor permanence.

There are no arms and no colors.

Beginning, middle, and end are abandoned,

And all existents disappear—

This is the quality of supreme joy.”

Then, the blessed great Carcikā and the others spoke this praise:

“Unrelated to both merit and evil,

Supreme joy is the stainless, pure protector.

It is the singular great treasure of thusness,

A protector as the universal compassionate mind.

“All phenomena have the nature of great bliss.

Supreme joy is its intrinsic nature.

It has no form, merit, or evil,

Nor does it undergo arising and ceasing.”

This was the seventeenth chapter, “Bodhicitta,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All
Tathāgatas.

Chapter 18

“Now I will relate the history of this tantra.

“When the Bhagavat was about to attain awakening, a great army of māras
approached, displaying fearsome terrors in order to interfere with the awakening of the
blessed Great Sage. At that time, the Bhagavat entered the meditative absorption called
victory over great māras and emanated the wrathful great Yamāri
from the vajras of his body, speech, and mind. Once emanated, the King of Sages gave
this command to Vajrapāṇi:

“At that time, I heard the words of the Bhagavat, instantly grasped and
understood the meaning, compiled it, and took it to heart.”

This was the eighteenth chapter of the Tantra of Black
Yamāri, which was extracted from the King of Tantras in seven hundred thousand
lines and revealed in the land of Oḍḍiyāna, and which produces all siddhis.

The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind
of all Tathāgatas, is complete.

Colophon

This was translated, edited, and finalized by the great Indian preceptor
Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna and the Tibetan translator, the monk Tsültrim Gyalwa.
Later, the translation was revised by the monk and translator Darma Drak, and then again
by the monk Dorjé Drak.

Notes

Abbreviations

Tib.
All Tibetan Sources

Skt.
1992 Sanskrit edition published by the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies.

C
Choné co ne

D
Degé sde dge bka’ ’gyur

F
Phukdrak phug brag

H
Lhasa lha sa / zhol

J
Lithang li thang

K
Kangxi kang shi

N
Narthang snar thang

S
Stok Palace stog pho ’brang

Y
Yongle g.yong lo

Bibliography

Root Text: Sanskrit

Root Text: Tibetan

Other Sources: Sanskrit

Other Sources: Tibetan

Other Sources

ancestor’s grove
pitṛvana