Toh 381Nền Tảng Của Tất Cả Các Mật Điển, Bộ Toàn Thư Chủ Tể Vĩ Đại "Xuất Sinh Từ Sampuṭa"

Summary

The tantra Emergence from Sampuṭa is an all-inclusive
compendium of Buddhist theory and practice as taught in the two higher divisions of the
Yoga class of tantras, the “higher” (uttara) and the “highest” (niruttara), or, following the popular Tibetan classification, the Father
and the Mother tantras. Dating probably to the end of the tenth century, the bulk of the
tantra consists of a variety of earlier material, stretching back in time and in the
doxographical hierarchy to the Guhyasamāja, a text
traditionally regarded as the first tantra in the Father group. Drawing from about sixteen
well-known and important works, including the most seminal of the Father and Mother
tantras, it serves as a digest of this entire group, treating virtually every aspect of
advanced tantric theory and practice. It has thus always occupied a prominent position
among canonical works of its class, remaining to this day a rich source of quotations for
Tibetan exegetes.

Acknowledgements

This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the
supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Wiesiek Mical prepared the Sanskrit edition,
translated the text into English, and wrote the introduction. James Gentry then compared
the translation against the Tibetan root text, the Sampuṭodbhava
Tantra commentaries found in the Tengyur, and Wiesiek’s Sanskrit edition, and
edited the translation. Dharmachakra is indebted to Dr. Péter Szántó for his help in
obtaining facsimiles of some manuscripts and other helpful materials.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Work on this translation was made possible by the generosity of a sponsor who
wishes to remain anonymous, and who adds the following dedication: May all the sufferings
and fears of mother sentient beings be pacified swiftly by the power of the truth of the
Triple Gem.

Introduction

The tantra Emergence from Sampuṭa is so rich and
varied in content, and its intertextuality so complex, that a truly comprehensive
description would be difficult in the space of a brief introduction. Instead, we will
here mainly focus on the specific issues that make this text stand out among other
tantras, the unique quandaries it presents, and some of the problems we encountered as
we prepared a Sanskrit edition and English translation of the complete text for the
first time. Some prior awareness of these problems could prove helpful to anyone
intending to read the translation presented here.

The Sampuṭodbhava Tantra (henceforth referred
to in short as the Sampuṭa), in the broadest system
by which all tantras are categorized into either “root” or “explanatory,” falls into
the latter category, despite the fact that it does not exactly “explain” the material
from the chronologically earlier root tantras. Rather, it provides a synopsis of that
material, quoting from the sources selectively, either verbatim or with modifications.
As a synopsis, however, it still fits into one of the sub-categories of “explanatory”
tantras. Treating not one, but a whole range of earlier works (which, incidentally,
are not all root or even explanatory tantras), it can be further categorized as a
“shared” or “common” explanatory tantra. The tantric writer Indrabhūti (although it is
not certain which of the several figures so named) described the Sampuṭa as “the elucidator of three million six hundred
thousand cycles of tantras.” He lists, however, only seventeen titles (Verrill 2012,
p. 184) as those “elucidated.” Some sixteen texts, for the most part matching
Indrabhūti’s list, have been identified by Péter-Dániel Szántó (2013). For the sake of
anyone wishing to study the intertextuality of the Sampuṭa, many of the corresponding passages have been noted in the text
of the accompanying Sanskrit edition, specifying the title of the source text, and the
page and verse numbers.

The Sampuṭa is a fascinating work, albeit
difficult and full of challenges. Many features of its intertextuality and
philological history would baffle a traditionalist, excite a scholar, or perplex
someone seeking to reconcile the traditionalist and philological approaches. Rather
than trying to confine the Sampuṭa within established
categories, one should perhaps allow the text itself to inform one’s understanding of
tantric scripture in general, and revealed scripture in particular. A brief look at
key attributes of the Sampuṭa’s origin and structural
composition may be helpful, as they tie in with the tantra’s title and the nature of
its content.

Although a revealed scripture, the Sampuṭa
does not fit the model of linear intertextuality particular to revealed literature,
where a text is usually claimed to be a recap of its own (“now lost”) longer
version—which, in turn, might have been only a summary of a still older and longer
version. Instead, the Sampuṭa is a digest of earlier
texts. The parts incorporated into the Sampuṭa, even
when modified, always tend to preserve the meter, language (whether classical
Sanskrit, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, BHS influenced, or Apabhraṃśa), and style of the
original sources, thus ruling out the possibility that it might have been the Sampuṭa that served as the single source for all these
individual works. Moreover, some of these sources, having authors’ names given in
colophons, are not revealed literature themselves. The Prajñopāyaviniścayasiddhi, for example, was composed by the celebrated
scholar Anaṅgavajra; the Vasantatilakā, by
Kṛṣṇācārya; and the Vajrāmṛtaṭīkā, according to its
colophon in the Tengyur, by Bhago. As Szántó (2013) shows, the parts based on the last
of these sources, the Vajrāmṛtaṭīkā, have been
adapted from being a commentary to being a dialogue between the Blessed One and his
interlocutor, specifically to fit the conventions of a revealed scripture, with the
Blessed One prompted to teach by his interlocutor. Apart from the Vajrāmṛtaṭīkā, a few of the Sampuṭa’s other sources might have originally been composed as
commentaries, and in places still preserve the typical commentarial style of what seem
to be lemmata followed by glosses. This incorporated material constitutes more than
half of the Sampuṭa’s content.

For the sake of many beings, having extracted

Practices and methods from [previous] extensive tantras,

The Lord of the World taught this manual. (1.2 a–c)

In this verse, the act of forming a scripture based on earlier sources is
attributed to the awakened activity of the Buddha’s sambhogakāya, presumably with the
human compiler being merely the medium of transmission.

In the case of the Sampuṭa, however, no such
act of divinely inspired compilation is mentioned. Instead, the tantra is introduced
as having been delivered by a sambhogakāya deity residing in the realm of
nonduality—more precisely, in the bhagas of the goddesses of the vajra
realm. The Sampuṭa starts with the usual words of an
anonymous narrator, “Thus did I hear at one time,” followed by the description of the
circumstances of this tantra’s original delivery. Such an opening, since it sets the
narrative frame by stating the occasion and the reason for the delivery of the
tantra—in this instance that it was requested by one of the assembled bodhisattvas for
the Blessed One to teach, is termed the nidāna (foundation).

In the specific case of the Sampuṭa, this
conventional nidāna has a deeper layer, referred to as the “secret” nidāna, whose
significance extends not just to the nature of the Sampuṭa’s contents, but also to its special position in relation to all
Father and Mother tantras. This more fundamental nidāna is explained in the text soon
after the “conventional” nidāna just mentioned. The secret nidāna seems to wave off
any possible contradictions between philological and historical facts on the one hand,
and its attribution as scriptural revelation on the other. Because of the special
significance of the secret nidāna in the context of this tantra, the technical terms
referring to it—sampuṭodbhava
(emergence from sampuṭa) or simply
sampuṭa—also function as the
tantra’s titles.

The conventional nidāna describes the circumstances particular to the Sampuṭa alone, namely the Blessed One’s entering a
particular samādhi and delivering the Sampuṭa
discourse in response to Vajragarbha’s request. The secret nidāna, however, is shared
by all the tantras in the same group as the Sampuṭa.
The Sampuṭa itself defines this class as “the Guhyasamāja, and so forth,” clearly referring to all
Father and Mother tantras, since the Guhyasamāja is
traditionally regarded as the original tantra in this combined group. And indeed, the
teachings on sampuṭa and “emergence from sampuṭa” are central to this group. Since the
statement of the secret nidāna follows in the Sampuṭa
shortly after the conventional nidāna, that statement seems to be an explanatory
gloss, as it were, for the conventional nidāna, implying that the two are one and the
same. The conventional nidāna, with its esoteric scenario of the Blessed One residing
in nonduality in a place of bliss, seems to be no more than a literary expression of
the secret nidāna, which is the real and only one.

This secret, shared “foundation of all the tantras” is defined in the Sampuṭa as being, alternatively, “sampuṭa whose nature
is gnosis and skillful means,” or the fact of these tantras’ “emergence from [such]
sampuṭa.” The Sampuṭa, since it shares the same
nidāna with most of its source texts, in a sense also subsumes all these texts under
its own conventional nidāna, thus dismissing the relative facts of their individual
philological histories.

What is sampuṭa then? This
important term, central to the Sampuṭa and other
tantras in its class, can be understood on different levels. The word itself denotes
any spherical hollow space, and especially the space enclosed between two bowls or
round vessels. The notion it thus evokes is the union of two elements, with a
protected or special space created by their union. This notion is perhaps the basis
for the esoteric interpretation of sampuṭa—a nondual, awakened state of mind produced
by sexual union. The Sampuṭa sums up this state in
this way (

et seq.):

When the vital powers of the coupling pair combine,

Their bodies, speech, and minds likewise coalesce. {10.4.10cd}

By this means they attain identity with the deity,

Thus becoming reflections of the Victorious One, devoid of all forms.
{10.4.11ab}

As the “coupling pair” conceive of themselves as deities, sampuṭa can be
regarded as a nondual, blissful awareness as expressed by the sexual union of Heruka
(whether Saṃvara or Hevajra) and his consort. All these esoteric
connotations, however, boil down to the union (sampuṭa) of emptiness (female) and
compassion (male), or gnosis and skillful means. The cultivation of this nondual state
(sampuṭa) is the central theme of the Father and Mother tantras, with the former
laying the theoretical foundation for the processes that occur in the body by
explaining the subtle body with its channels, winds, and drops, and the latter
shifting the emphasis to consort practice with its powerful dynamic.
Whatever the exact method, the result of this practice is the recognition of the
ever-present (but mostly unrecognized), blissful, nondual wakefulness, in which
emptiness and compassion are an indivisible unity.

Lastly, as the Sampuṭa tells us, sampuṭa—or
its realization—may be seen as the deity Vajrasattva. This realization is the aim of
the profound practices taught in this tantra, a teaching that has itself emerged from
sampuṭa. The “sampuṭa” nature of Vajrasattva has been poignantly expressed (without,
however, mentioning sampuṭa explicitly) in the opening verse of the first known tantra
of the Saṃvara cycle, the Sarvabuddhasamāyoga:

rahasye parame ramye sarvātmani sadā
sthitaḥ |

sarvabuddhamayaḥ sattvo vajrasattvaḥ
paraṃ sukham || SBS 1.1 ||

The gist of this famous verse, repeated in the subsequent (uttara) and analyzed in the explanatory
(vyākhyā) tantras of the Saṃvara
cycle, can be regarded as the cornerstone for the doctrine of supreme bliss, most
salient in this cycle and also in all the Mother tantras represented in the Sampuṭa. The above verse defines Vajrasattva, who
“comprises all buddhas” (sarvabuddhamayaḥ), as “supreme bliss” (paraṃ sukham). As such, he is “ever-present” (sadā sthitaḥ) as the “secret and supremely
blissful nature of all beings/things” (rahasye
parame ramye sarvātmani). The prevailing exegesis interprets “secret” as
referring to Vajrasattva/Saṃvara’s indivisibility from the ḍākinīs (because of which
he is called Ḍākinījālasaṃvara, “Saṃvara of the Host of Ḍākinīs”). The varied
interpretations, linguistic and otherwise, of Vajrasattva/Saṃvara’s connection with
the ḍākinīs are too many to present here. The ḍākinīs, however, are usually
interpreted as the movement of vital energies in the subtle channels, which brings us
to the secret and profound practices that also include sexual yoga.

Since the union called sampuṭa is imbued with every potentiality and is
infinitely creative, it is only natural that the teaching on sampuṭa must also include
that which arises from it, in other words, the “emergence from sampuṭa” (sampuṭodbhava), which is both the title
and also the central idea of the present tantra. But just as sampuṭa can be defined in more than one
way, so too can sampuṭodbhava. In the
most general sense, this “emergence” may comprise all animate and inanimate things.
Inversely, as these entities arise from sampuṭa, sampuṭa is their intrinsic
characteristic (lakṣaṇa). This
perspective naturally applies to all the Father and Mother tantras, themselves an
emergence from sampuṭa, an expression of sampuṭa, and a
teaching on sampuṭa. In a more specific sense, “emergence from sampuṭa”
could also be seen as the arising of the meditative absorption of sampuṭa, wherein its
two defining elements of emptiness and compassion arise as gnosis and skillful means
respectively.

Thus, the use of the word nidāna in the Sampuṭa, as in many of
its chapter colophons, involves a play on words. The phrase “emergence from sampuṭa,”
when taken as the title, denotes the tantra. When taken in its literal meaning, it is
the secret foundation of this and all other Father and Mother tantras. In calling
“emergence from sampuṭa” the “foundation of all the tantras” (sarvatantranidāna) of this class, the play on words
diverges further, for both “emergence from sampuṭa” (the phenomenon) and Emergence from Sampuṭa (the text) each constitute such a
foundation. The text, being a digest of the most important Father and Mother tantras,
establishes their theoretical foundation, presenting itself as a compendium of all the
most important tenets and practices. This foundation is itself rooted in sampuṭa, so
that at this point we have come full circle.

In the well-known classification (among several others) of tantras into the
fivefold hierarchy of Kriyā, Caryā, Yoga, Yogottara (Father), and Yoganiruttara
(Mother) tantras, the compilers of the Tibetan Kangyur placed the Sampuṭa in the Mother group, the most esoteric of the
five, because of the predominance of Mother tantra material it contains. Nevertheless,
it should be remembered that despite that categorization the Sampuṭa is primarily what it presents itself to be—that is, a digest not
just of the Mother tantras, but of “all the tantras starting from the Guhyasamāja” that comprise the combined Father and
Mother group termed “unexcelled tantras” (bla
med rgyud) by the Tibetan doxographers. Furthermore, the text also
includes some Yoga and even Kriyā material (in part 4 of chapter 3, and parts of
chapter 7, respectively). The inclusion of these additional elements, customary as it
is in Father or Mother tantras, does not prevent the Sampuṭa having the character of any “typical” Mother tantra despite being
a multi-source digest.

One serious challenge facing the translator of the Sampuṭa is which of the exegeses to follow when translating its cryptic
and often ambiguous passages. The Sanskrit often differs from the Tibetan translations
of the root text, with individual Tibetan versions in different Kangyurs also
disagreeing with one another. The three Indian commentaries can sometimes narrow down
the choice of options, but can often contribute to the confusion instead, since the
individual views of the commentators may diverge quite widely. Complicating matters
further, until the publication in China of Abhayākaragupta’s famous Āmnāyamañjarī commentary in 2015, which we were
unfortunately unable to consult for this translation, these three commentaries were
available only in Tibetan translation (see bibliography). A careful comparison of
Abhāyakagupta’s commentary in Sanskrit remains a desideratum.

A question even more fundamental is whether to follow, in the case of sections
and passages traceable to earlier tantras, the interpretations found in the
commentaries on those source texts, or those in the commentaries and literature that
focus on the Sampuṭa itself. To make matters more
complex still, the translator should ideally attempt to judge whether parallel
passages that do not correspond verbatim with the source texts have been altered
intentionally or through scribal error.

In the present translation, such interpretational choices have mostly been
made in favor of the interpretations specific to the Sampuṭa. Except for instances when the text of the Sampuṭa is obviously corrupt, there is no obvious reason
to repudiate textual modifications that appear to have been deliberately made for such
purposes as to re-contextualize the content and give the Sampuṭa its own textual integrity (even if that integrity is by no means
complete). There are good grounds for respecting intentional modifications of this
kind, even if the corresponding content in the source tantras was historically earlier
and could be regarded as “original.” Moreover, the teachings and methods presented in
the tantras generally tend to be fluid in character, with their main value for a
practitioner lying more in their efficacy than in their absolute fidelity to
historically earlier sources.

Accordingly, to reflect in the accompanying Sanskrit edition this
interpretational preference in favor of the Sampuṭa,
readings based on the source tantras have only rarely been quoted in the critical
apparatus, and adopted only exceptionally in the text. Instead, both the Sanskrit
edition and the English translation have been profoundly informed by the Sampuṭa commentaries and, of course, by the readings in
the Tibetan canonical translation, whose merits are summed up in the translation
colophon of the Degé version (

, F.158.b):

This king of tantras was translated by the paṇḍita Gayādhara and the
great personage Drokmi Śākya Yeshé. Based on this, the venerable omniscient Butön
(bu ston) subsequently
[re-]wrote it by filling in the gaps and expertly revising it in consultation with
Indian manuscripts of the basic text and commentaries.

Butön’s own Commentary on the Sampuṭa, Elucidation of the
True Meaning largely reflects the interpretation found in Śūravajra’s
Ratnamālā.

The accompanying

Sanskrit edition has been
prepared based on several Sanskrit manuscripts, two of which, from the Royal Asiatic
Society and the Wellcome Library, date to the eleventh century, and another one, from
the Asiatic Society of Bengal, probably to the early twelfth century (see Szántó
2013). For the first two chapters of the text, the edition of the Sanskrit text of the
Sampuṭa in Skorupski (1996 and 2001) was also
used.

As already indicated, the internal integrity of the Sampuṭa is far from airtight. Most of its discourse is presented in the
form of a dialogue, with the Blessed One answering questions posed by his
interlocutor, the bodhisattva Vajragarbha, as may be gleaned by looking at the
beginning, the end, and a few other places throughout the text. We can guess, by the
Sampuṭa’s character and content, that the Blessed
One (bhagavān) is a heruka, but we
may surely be excused if we treat the designation bhagavān as a variable, sometimes standing for Saṃvara,
sometimes for Hevajra or another heruka, depending on what source text corresponds to
the part of the Sampuṭa in question. In places where
the identity of the Blessed One cannot be clearly determined, we may presume him to be
Vajrasattva (more precisely, his wrathful heruka aspects). The interlocutor changes
too, on occasions even switching gender from male to female, much of the time
reflecting the situation in this or that source text. Whenever the interlocutor cannot
be ascertained, the presumed interlocutor would be Vajragarbha (who also happens to be
the Blessed One’s interlocutor in the Hevajra, one of
the main source texts).

Some lapses in the internal consistency of the Sampuṭa should perhaps be attributed to oversights by its human compilers
(although any such oversight has little bearing on the professed esoteric origin of
this tantra’s teachings), such as at least one reference in the text to things
“mentioned above”—mentioned, however, not in the Sampuṭa but in the source text. In the context of the Sampuṭa such references have become obsolete links.

Notwithstanding its inconsistencies and ambiguities, the Sampuṭa is a treasure trove of all the main teachings
and practices of the Father and Mother tantras, all brought together in a single
compendium—including some that so far have been known and studied mainly from Tibetan
sources, such as the transference of consciousness (Skt. utkrānti, Tib. ’pho
ba) at the time of death, and the teachings on death and rebirth in
general. It must be borne in mind, though, that the present translation and the
accompanying Sanskrit edition are far from definitive, for it would take years of
further research to establish the intended interpretations in the source texts and in
the Sampuṭa, and how exactly they relate to each
other. With the three Sampuṭa commentaries diverging
at virtually every step, one could produce not one, but at least three equally valid
translations. To reflect this state of affairs, many alternative interpretations have
been presented in notes, allowing readers to judge for themselves.

In the Mother tantra group, the main sources are: (5) the Hevajra (Toh 416); (6) the Catuṣpīṭha (Toh 428); (7) the Sarvabuddhasamāyoga (Toh 366); (8) the Herukābhidhāna (Toh 368, also called the Laghuśaṃvara) and (9) its commentary,
the Vasantatilakā by Kṛṣṇācārya (Toh 1449); (10) the
Vajraḍāka (Toh 399); (11) the Vajrāmṛta (Toh 435) and (12) its commentary,
the Vajrāmṛtaṭīkā (Toh 1650); (13) the Māyājāla (Toh 466); (14) the Prajñopāyaviniścayasiddhi (Toh 2218); and (15)
the Yoginīsañcāra (Toh 375).

Another text, extant in Chinese only, identified as a source of Sampuṭa chapter 3 part 4, is (16) the Pi mi siang king (Noguchi 1986b). This part of the
Sampuṭa is dedicated to Yogatantra material (or
perhaps Yogatantra “proper,” as, in Sanskrit sources, the groups corresponding to
Father and Mother tantras are commonly called the “higher” and “highest” divisions of
Yogatantra.

There is also a correspondence between parts of the Sampuṭa and the Sahajamaṇḍalatrayāloka
(Toh 1539) by Jñānaśrī (cf. Szántó 2013), but it is unlikely that the latter was a source for
the former, because of the relatively late date of Jñānaśrī.

Parts that cannot be traced to any obvious source might possibly be based on
some earlier texts now lost, making the Sampuṭa all
the more valuable.

Anyone wishing to use this translation of the Sampuṭa as a reference work should be aware that because, in the present
translation, we have favored the Sampuṭa’s textual
variants over those in the source texts, we have made hardly any attempt to
standardize the information typically shared by all the sources, such as the lists of
power places or places of pilgrimage, or the lists of secret language signs. For these
lists, the reader would be also advised to consult the relevant parts of the Hevajra and the Herukābhidhāna, where arguably one can find more “standard” versions.

Just as the Sampuṭa sees its own teachings as
the theoretical foundation of all Father and Mother tantras, its first chapter can be
understood as laying the foundation for this tantra itself. The chapter gives us a
foretaste of the Sampuṭa’s comprehensiveness, as it
alternates between the most esoteric and the most basic teachings of Buddhism. It
first introduces the notion of sampuṭa, and then proceeds to interpret everything as
the interaction between the female and male principles
entailed in this notion. In terms of practice and theory, this interaction also
applies to the human body, as borne out in this verse:

A wise person, however, reflecting on equality

In terms of the empty characteristic as previously taught,

Will plant the seed of the empty body

In the field of the physical body and the like. {

1.1.24}

Thus the involvement with the body mainly concerns the subtle channels and
energy centers, which are responsible for all our mental states—even supreme
awakening, when the energy is able to course freely in the central channel. Such
processes can be stimulated by, and occur simultaneously in, the female and male
bodies, through sexual yoga. In both Father and Mother tantras, the body is the means
to realize the deity.

After this esoteric introduction, the text reverts to the very foundational
tenets of Buddhism, down to the noble eightfold path, before returning again to the
profound teachings of the Mother tantras. Such interludes remind us, throughout the
tantra, that no matter how esoteric the teachings may be they remain, in essence, an
expression of the Buddhist principles on which they are
founded.

The first chapter also introduces the deity Vajrasattva, equating him with
Saṃvara. Vajrasattva as Saṃvara underlies the notion of sampuṭa (and vice versa), and,
as may be expected, the Saṃvara cycle of tantras (where the teaching on sampuṭa is
most prominent) is one of the best represented in the Sampuṭa’s composition.

It would be superfluous here to set out a full description of the Sampuṭa’s contents, for this would be tantamount to
summing up not only all the main teachings of the Father and Mother tantras, but also
the Buddhist teachings in general. For a linear description of this tantra’s structure
the reader would be advised to consult the introduction to Skorupski (1996).

This translation and edition are presented as a work in progress, in the
hope that they may stimulate further study and exploration of this important text.

The Translation

The Foundation of All Tantras, the Great Sovereign

Compendium

Emergence from Sampuṭa

Chapter 1

Part 1

Oṁ, homage to Vajraḍāka!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the bhagas of
vajra queens, which are the essence of the body,
speech, and mind of all tathāgatas. There, he noticed Vajragarbha in the midst of
eight hundred million lords of yogins, and smiled. As the Blessed One smiled,
Vajragarbha immediately rose from his seat, draped his robe over his shoulder, and
knelt on his right knee. With palms joined, he spoke to the Blessed One.
{1.1.1}

“I would like to hear, O master of gnosis, about the secret foundation
of all tantras, defined as their emergence from sampuṭa.” {1.1.2}

The Blessed One said:

“Ho Vajragarbha! Well done!

Well done, O great compassionate one! Well done!

Well done, O great bodhisattva!

Well done! Well done, O receptacle of qualities! {1.1.3}

“You are asking all about that

Which is secret in all the tantras.” {1.1.4}

Thereupon, these great bodhisattvas,

With Vajragarbha as their leader,

Asked questions according to their respective doubts

With eyes wide open in great exhilaration. {1.1.5}

Bowing repeatedly, they asked,

“What is meant by all the tantras?

What would be their foundation?

Why is this foundation described as secret? {1.1.6}

“What is the emergence from sampuṭa?

What would be its defining characteristic?” {1.1.7}

The Blessed One replied, “These tantras are all the tantras.
By the phrase all the tantras is meant the Guhyasamāja Tantra, and so forth. That which constitutes their
foundation has been established—this is what is meant. Because
this foundation is inaccessible to Viṣṇu, Śiva, Brahmā, hearers, and solitary
buddhas, it is secret. This secret foundation is
sampuṭa, whose nature is gnosis and skillful means. This (gnosis and
means) itself is the emergence, which is the meditative absorption of
sampuṭa—this is what is meant.
Emergence means ‘arising.’ Such defines the intrinsic nature of all
animate and inanimate things. Therefore it is
their defining characteristic. {1.1.8}

“Alternatively, by the word sampuṭa
—sampuṭa that is the foundation of
all the tantras—Vajrasattva is meant. By the word secret is meant the
secret character of encoding a mantra according to specified rules, of the
empowerment ritual of the maṇḍala deities, and so forth. {1.1.9}

“Hear this tantra, explained by me, which has the nature of insight and
means!

“First, one should meditate on emptiness

And remove the impurities of embodied beings

By considering their constituent element of form as empty.

One should apply the same concept to sound, {1.1.10}

“And construe the constituent of sound as empty.

One should apply the same concept to smell,

And regard the constituent of smell as empty.

One should apply the same [concept] to taste, {1.1.11}

“And construe the constituent of taste as empty.

One should apply the same concept to tactility,

And construe the constituent of tactility as empty.

One should apply the same concept to mental objects.” {1.1.12}

Vajragarbha said:

“Since the eye by its nature is empty,

How can consciousness arise in its midst?

Since the ear by its nature is empty,

How can consciousness arise in its midst? {1.1.13}

“Since the nose by its nature is empty,

How can consciousness arise in its midst?

Since the tongue by its nature is empty,

How can consciousness arise in its midst? {1.1.14}

“Since the body by its nature is empty,

How can consciousness arise in its midst?

Since the mind and its objects are by nature empty,

How can consciousness arise in their midst? {1.1.15}

“It follows that there is neither form nor its perceiver,

No sound and no one who hears,

No smell and also no one who smells,

No taste and also no one who tastes, {1.1.16}

“No tactile sensation and no one who feels it,

And no mind and no thoughts.” {1.1.17}

The Blessed One said:

“Understand that the truth, just like the path,

Is nondual—devoid of duality.

It cannot be reasoned out or apprehended,

And it is difficult to awaken to for intellectuals. {1.1.18}

“It is the secret of all buddhas,

Equivalent to empty space.

The hearers do not know it,

Since they are enveloped by the darkness of ignorance. {1.1.19}

“The knowledge that leads to the removal of habitual tendencies

Can be formed by solitary buddhas.

But even they, without exception, do not know

The secret that is accessible only to buddhas. {1.1.20}

“It is among embodied beings,

Whose minds are turned toward liberation

From the terror of the ocean of saṃsāra,

That the aim of liberation is taught. {1.1.21}

“One should identify the characteristics of the target,

Targeting the consciousness with the faculty of gnosis.

Through gnosis one should cognize that which needs to be known,

Investigating the possible destinies as knowables, {1.1.22}

“Because if one thus investigates the destiny,

One can choose its course according to one’s wish.

Before one became a practitioner, one had followed

The course of consecutive births thousands of times. {1.1.23}

“A wise person, however, reflecting on equality

In terms of the empty characteristic as previously taught,

Will plant the seed of the empty body

In the field of the physical body and the like. {1.1.24}

“Emerging from the sublime crown of the subtle energy channels,

It is said to be completely pure.

It is the luminous bodhicitta,

Which resembles a translucent crystal. {1.1.25}

“It is an entity comprising the five wisdoms,

The size of a mustard seed.

Inside it there is the deity

In both its manifest and unmanifest forms. {1.1.26}

“Half of it is the mother. It is
extremely subtle;

It has the form of a drop and consists of mind.

It always resides in the heart,

Has the luster of a star, and has a great brilliance. {1.1.27}

“It abides in the center of the navel,

And, if stretched out as a single thread,

It would reach, at the end of twelve units,

The soles of the feet, and, at the end of nine units, the head. {1.1.28}

“Its fifth part alone, in its full form,

Is like the king of nāgas.

When this part expands,

It emerges into the center of the vajra. {1.1.29}

“The seed that is inside the womb

Is the liquefied sphere of phenomena.

Its gradual movement

Is always toward the nine doors.

“The same goes for fire, which consists of Brahmā. {1.1.30}

“Two earth seed syllables

Should be applied to the eyes.

The blazing seed syllable is applied to the crown.

Seed syllables of wind, space, and so forth,

Are mentally applied to
the nose, ears, and so forth. {1.1.31}

“The seed syllable of ambrosia-water is applied to the tongue,

The supreme deity and lord of all sense faculties.

The seed syllable of delusion is applied to the neck.

Likewise, the seed syllable of the afflictions is applied to the two arms.
{1.1.32}

“The seed syllable of motility is applied to the area of the heart.

The ‘two beasts’ are at the two bases of the navel.

One who knows the ritual procedure should wear

These eight seed syllables on the eight bodily limbs. {1.1.33}

“That which pervades and that which is pervaded, the whole world,

With its inanimate and animate things,

And its gods and demigods, starting from Brahmā,

Becomes a receptacle for this bodhicitta. {1.1.34}

“It is said that the bhaga is the home

Where the lord dwells.

It will be the seat of action and inaction

For as long as one remains in the body. {1.1.35}

“Doing all kinds of things, one accumulates karma.

This can be of any kind, good or bad.

The method (yoga) is said to
be the actualization of the sameness of phenomena;

The application (yuñjāna) is
the meditation. {1.1.36}

“When the karmic aspect of the body is destroyed,

Such a body becomes the deity.

One’s own generative power, for its part, is derived from this body—

This deity body permeates everything inanimate and animate. {1.1.37}

“One should know the color of this body

To resemble, accordingly, the sky.

The hero, abiding in nirvāṇa,

Is free of stains and impurities. {1.1.38}

“One should worship one’s mother and sister—

So, too, one’s daughter or a female relative,

A brahmin or a kṣatriya woman,

Or one from the vaiśya or śūdra caste, {1.1.39}

“An artiste, a washerwoman, a musician,

Or an outcaste. These women should be worshiped

Through the ritual procedure of skillful means and insight

By one who is devoted to the truth. {1.1.40}

“She should be served with
diligence

In such a way that the secret is not disclosed.

Should it be done in the open, there could be

Problems with snakes, thieves, and others who roam the earth. {1.1.41}

“The female consorts (mudrā) are said to be of five types,

Classified according to the division of families.

A brahmin woman, being from the family of the twice born,

Is thought to belong to the tathāgata family. {1.1.42}

“A kṣatriya woman of royal blood,

Born into the clans of Peacock, Moon, and so forth,

Is said to be Amṛtavajrā. {1.1.43}

“A vaiśya woman or a cowherdess

Is thought to belong to the activity (karma) family.

A śūdra or a low caste woman

Is thought to belong to Vairocana. {1.1.44}

“An artiste belongs to the lotus family,

And a washerwoman to the activity family.

A singer belongs to the vajra family,

And a female outcaste to the jewel family. {1.1.45}

“Now that the five seals are ascertained,

The one family of all tathāgatas

Will be briefly explained. {1.1.46}

“A tathāgata, a thus-gone one, is a glorious being

Who has attained or arrived at ‘thatness.’

A tathāgata is thus defined

Based on his insight. {1.1.47}

“This one family is said to have five,

One hundred, or infinite divisions.

Further, the tathāgatas are grouped into three categories

According to the division of body, speech, and mind. {1.1.48}

“The families are the five elements

And they also have the nature of the five aggregates.

Thus they are families with successive generations who hold

A vajra scepter, a wheel, a jewel, a lotus, and a sword. {1.1.49}

“There is no meditator and nothing to meditate on;

There is no mantra and no deity.

One should establish these two—the mantra and the deity—

To be the very nature of freedom from mental elaborations. {1.1.50}

“Vairocana, Akṣobhya, and Amoghasiddhi,

Along with Ratnasambhava, Amitābha, and Vajrasattva,

And also Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva—all of them

Are said to be awakened to the same reality. {1.1.51}

“Brahmā is a buddha because of his emancipation;

Viṣṇu is so named after his entry;

Śiva is so called because of his constant
auspiciousness.

Each of them abides in his respective nature. {1.1.52}

“Reality is endowed with genuine bliss.

One is awakened through waking up to pleasure.

Because it originates in the body (deha),

It is called deity (devatā). {1.1.53}

“He who possesses grace (bhaga)

Is called Blessed One (bhagavān).

Six types of grace are described.

They are all qualities, starting with mastery. {1.1.54}

“Alternatively, Blessed One means

‘He who has destroyed the afflictions,’ and so forth.

Wisdom (prajñā) is called
mother

Because she gives birth to the people of the world. {1.1.55}

“Wisdom is also called sister

Because she betokens a dowry.

Wisdom is called washerwoman

Because she delights all beings.

Accordingly, she is called rajakī. {1.1.56}

“Wisdom is called daughter (duhitṛ)

Because she suckles (duhana)
the milk of qualities.

Wisdom is called artiste

On account of being moved by great compassion. {1.1.57}

“Since it is not possible to touch the deity-goddess (bhagavatī),

An untouchable female musician takes on the same name, bhagavatī.

Speaking is called mantra recitation

Because it involves uttering vowels and consonants. {1.1.58}

“A maṇḍala is a drawing made by the feet.

Because it thus involves grinding (malana), it is called maṇḍala.

The movement of hands is mudrā,

As is the snapping of fingers. {1.1.59}

“Since thought is what is be meditated upon,

The thinking process should be the object of meditation.

One should enjoy for oneself

Whatever bliss is obtained from the father. {1.1.60}

“Any bliss through which one might die

Is, in present circumstances, said to be meditation.” {1.1.61}

This concludes the first part of the first chapter, explaining the
title, the subject matter, the generation of bodhicitta, and so forth, as well as
the principle of meditation.

Part 2

“Now I will teach the thirty-seven auxiliary factors of awakening.

“The following are the four applications of mindfulness:

“From observing the body—dwelling upon the inner body, the outer body,
and both the inner and outer body simultaneously—one reaches an understanding and
becomes mindful of the world of beings who require guidance, dejected on account
of their ignorance. {1.2.1}

“From observing the sensations—dwelling upon the inner sensations, the
outer sensations, and both the inner and outer sensations simultaneously—one
reaches an understanding and becomes mindful of the world of beings who require
guidance, dejected on account of their ignorance. {1.2.2}

“From observing phenomena—dwelling upon inner phenomena, outer phenomena,
and both inner and outer phenomena simultaneously—one reaches an understanding and
becomes mindful of the world of beings who require guidance, dejected on account
of their ignorance. {1.2.3}

“From observing the mind—dwelling upon the inner mind, the outer mind,
and both the inner and outer minds simultaneously—one reaches an understanding and
becomes mindful of the world of beings who require guidance, dejected on account
of their ignorance. {1.2.4}

“These are the four applications of mindfulness. {1.2.5}

“Now, for the four right exertions, one forms a strong wish that evil and
unwholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen may not arise. One strives for this,
takes up discipline for its sake, reins in one’s thoughts, and makes a genuine
resolution toward this end. {1.2.6}

“One forms a strong wish for the removal of evil and unwholesome dharmas
that have already arisen. One strives for this, takes up discipline for its sake,
reins in one’s thoughts, and makes a genuine resolution toward this end.
{1.2.7}

“One forms a strong wish that wholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen
may arise. One strives for this, takes up discipline for its sake, reins in one’s
thoughts, and makes a genuine resolution toward this end. {1.2.8}

“In the same way, one forms a strong wish—one which increases by
cultivating it more and more—for the wholesome dharmas that have arisen to remain,
for complete fulfillment through the cultivation of immeasurable skillful means,
and for the complete fulfillment of that which has not yet been fulfilled. One
strives for this, takes up discipline for its sake, reins in one’s thoughts, and
makes a genuine resolution to this end. {1.2.9}

“These are the four right exertions. {1.2.10}

“Now, for the four bases of miraculous power, one cultivates the
miraculous power of the samādhi of aspiration accompanied by the formation of
relinquishment. This involves renunciation based on discrimination, the absence of
desire, and the cessation of afflictions, leading to refinement in which one
thinks, ‘May my aspiration not be too slack, may it not be too taut.’ {1.2.11}

“One cultivates the miraculous power of the samādhi of diligence
accompanied by the formation of relinquishment. This involves renunciation based
on discrimination, the absence of desire, and the cessation of afflictions,
leading to refinement in which one thinks, ‘May my diligence not be too slack, may
it not be too taut.’ {1.2.12}

“One cultivates the miraculous power of the samādhi of investigation
accompanied by the formation of relinquishment. This involves renunciation based
on discrimination, the absence of desire, and the cessation of afflictions,
leading to refinement in which one thinks, ‘May my investigation not be too slack,
may it not be too taut.’ {1.2.13}

“One cultivates the miraculous power of the samādhi of mental activity
accompanied by the formation of relinquishment. This involves renunciation based
on discrimination, the absence of desire, and the cessation of afflictions, leading to
refinement in which one thinks, ‘May my mental activity not be too slack, may it
not be too taut.’ {1.2.14}

“These are the four bases of miraculous power. {1.2.15}

“Now, for the five faculties, one places one’s faith in the worldly
correct view that is valid in the realm of desire. This means to develop conviction in the ripening of
one’s karma. With the thought, ‘Whatever acts I am going to commit, whether
wholesome or unwholesome, I acknowledge that they will bear results,’ one does not
commit unwholesome acts even at the risk of losing one’s life. This is called the
faculty of faith. {1.2.16}

“One acquires by means of the faculty of diligence whatever qualities one
places one’s faith in using the faculty of faith. This is called the faculty
of diligence. {1.2.17}

“With the faculty of mindfulness one is not in danger of destroying
whatever qualities were acquired by means of the faculty of diligence. This is
called the faculty of mindfulness. {1.2.18}

“One brings one-pointed focus with the faculty of samādhi to the
qualities that are safeguarded by the faculty of mindfulness. This is called the
faculty of samādhi. {1.2.19}

“One fully comprehends with the faculty of insight the qualities that one
contemplates one-pointedly with the faculty of samādhi. This is called the
faculty of insight. {1.2.20}

“These five faculties develop into five powers, namely, (1) the power of
faith, (2) the power of diligence, (3) the power of mindfulness, (4) the power of
samādhi, and (5) the power of insight. These are the five powers. {1.2.21}

“What in this list of thirty-seven factors are the seven aids to
awakening? They are (1) the mindfulness aid to awakening, (2) the
examination of phenomena aid to awakening, (3) the
diligence aid to awakening, (4) the contentment aid
to awakening, (5) the serenity aid to awakening, (6) the samādhi aid
to awakening, and (7) the equanimity aid to awakening. These involve
renunciation based on discrimination, the absence of desire, and cessation, and
lead to total refinement in which one becomes completely free of afflictions. One
should cultivate these seven aids to awakening, the examination of phenomena, and
so forth. {1.2.22}

“And what is the noble eightfold path? The correct view, which transcends
the mundane sphere, is not being motivated by the belief in a soul (ātman). It is being motivated instead
by the belief that there is no being (sattva), psyche (jīva), spirit (poṣa), person (puruṣa, pudgala),
human (manuja, mānava), agent (kāraka), or experiencer (vedaka); no annihilation or eternal
enduring; no existence or nonexistence; and no distinction between virtuous
and nonvirtuous, all the way up to no saṃsāra and no nirvāṇa.
This is called the correct view. {1.2.23}

“Thoughts (saṃkalpa)
through which arise the afflictions of desire, hatred, and delusion, are thoughts
that one should avoid. Thoughts through which arise an abundance of morality, meditative absorption,
insight, liberation, and vision into the wisdom of liberation, are thoughts that
one should have. These are called correct thoughts. {1.2.24}

“One should use speech that hurts neither oneself nor others, causes no
distress to oneself or others, and is not derisive of oneself or others. By
applying one’s attention to this one becomes endowed with this speech, through which one
enters the correct noble path. This is called correct speech.
{1.2.25}

“One should not commit acts that are negative, and whose results are
negative. One should perform acts that are positive, and whose results are
positive. One should not commit acts that are positive, but whose results are
negative. One may commit acts that are negative, but whose results are positive
and lead to reducing the negative. Relying on virtuous acts is the correct
activity. This is called correct activity. {1.2.26}

“Correct livelihood is when one’s livelihood is restrained,
like that of the noble ones, and strictly follows the tenets of virtue, when it
is free of hypocrisy, when it does not involve too much talking, when it is not
embellished by stories, when one’s conduct has moral integrity, when it does not
involve envy of the gains of others, when one is content with one’s blameless
gains, and when it is recommended by the noble ones. {1.2.27}

“One should avoid wrong effort, not recommended by the noble ones, that
relies on desire, hatred, ignorance, and other afflictions. Instead, one should
pursue the effort that brings one to the genuine truth of the noble ones’ path,
lays out the path leading to nirvāṇa, and delivers one to each successive stage.
This is called correct effort. {1.2.28}

“The mindfulness in which one’s repose is unshakable, one’s body is
straight and not crooked, one is able to see the shortcomings, and so forth, of
saṃsāra, and by which one is led to the path to nirvāṇa, is a non-forgetting that
connects one to the correct path of the noble ones. This is called correct
mindfulness. {1.2.29}

“A samādhi engaged in correctly is the meditative absorption by abiding
in which one abides in the right way for the sake of liberating all beings and
thus reaches nirvāṇa. This is called correct samādhi. {1.2.30}

“The bodhisattva levels of Joyful, and so forth,

Which are enumerated as such,

Are the bodhisattva abodes,

Whose natures are the sense faculties, and so forth; {1.2.31}

“The abodes of all buddhas,

Which are the particular aspects of the aggregates, and so forth;

And are the ultimate vehicles of awakening

For buddhas and bodhisattvas. {1.2.32}

“When the subtle energy channels in this body

Become filled with the thirty-two types of bodhicitta,

The awakening of the sense faculties,

Aggregates, and elements will happen instantly, {1.2.33}

“For awakening is based in one’s own body

And nowhere else.

Only those steeped in ignorance

Regard awakening to be somewhere other than the body. {1.2.34}

“In one’s own body dwells great wisdom,

Free of all mental constructs.

Pervading all things,

It dwells in the body, but is not born of the body.” {1.2.35}

Vajragarbha asked, “What subtle energy channels are in the body?”
{1.2.36}

The Blessed One said, “There are one hundred and twenty of them,
corresponding to the divisions within the four cakras. The chief ones, those with
bodhicitta as their innate nature, are thirty-two in number. They are:

“Abhedyā, Sūkṣmarūpā,

Divyā, Vāmā, Vāmanī,

Kūrmajā, Bhāvakī, Sekā,

Doṣā, Viṣṭā, Mātarī, {1.2.37}

“Śarvarī, Śītadā, Uṣmā,

Lalanā, Rasanā, Avadhūtī,

Pravaṇā, Hṛṣṭā, Varṇā,

Surūpiṇī, Sāmānyā, Hetudāyikā, {1.2.38}

“Viyogā, Premaṇī, Siddhā,

Pāvakī, Sumanas,

Trivṛttā, Kāminī, Gehā,

Caṇḍikā, and Māradārikā.” {1.2.39}

Vajragarbha asked, “Of what kind are these channels, O Blessed One?”
{1.2.40}

The Blessed One replied, “They all are permutations of the threefold
existence, and are entirely devoid of apprehended object and apprehending
subject.” {1.2.41}

This concludes the second part of the first chapter, called
“Applying Bodhicitta,” which includes a full exposition on the five
faculties, the five powers, the seven aids to awakening, and
the noble eightfold path.

Part 3

Then all the tathāgatas, having paid reverence and prostrated to the
Blessed One, said, “Please teach us, O Blessed One, the secret, pithy wisdom that
has no equal.” {1.3.1}

The Blessed One, acknowledging the request made by all the tathāgatas,
entered the meditative absorption called “the vajra lamp of wisdom that is the
essence of all the tantras” and expounded this secret of all the tantras:
{1.3.2}

“Always abiding in the pleasure of the supreme secret,

Which is of the nature of everything,

He is the being who comprises all buddhas—

Vajrasattva, the ultimate bliss. {1.3.3}

“For this Blessed One is union—

Eternal, stable, and supreme.

He manifests as Manmatha,

Always invincible by nature. {1.3.4}

“Because of their performance of different actions

People want different ritual procedures.

It is in this sense that Buddha Vajradhara and others

Are said to discipline sentient beings. {1.3.5}

“He, Vajrasattva, is all things,

Animate and inanimate, starting with all the buddhas.

He is the deity Ḍākinījālasaṃvara

Who is in union with all the buddhas. {1.3.6}

“Because of his being in this magical union,

Everything is perfect in every way.

Because of being trained by buddhas, and so forth,

The ultimate aim of beings is accomplished. {1.3.7}

“All the powers of women are accomplished

By means of different transformations, according to their natures.

Even women of bad conduct attain fulfillment

With every possible gain, pleasure, and enjoyment. {1.3.8}

“This consort (mudrā) with various magical powers

Is called ḍākinī in the language of the barbarians.

The verbal root ḍai, which means ‘traveling in the sky,’

Should be understood here as the etymology of ḍākinī. {1.3.9}

“Traveling throughout the entirety of space is a magical feat—

The name ḍākinī indicates that she can accomplish this.

In every way, she is the universal consort (mudrā),

Joining in union with every Saṃvara. {1.3.10}

“Vajra and Vajradhara (Vajra Holder),

Lotus and Padmadhara (Lotus Holder),

Jewel and Maṇidhara (Jewel Holder)—

These are the Saṃvaras and their respective families.” {1.3.11}

Now the Blessed One entered the meditative absorption called “the
stainless seat of the overpowering ability of all the tathāgatas” and explained
bodhicitta. {1.3.12}

“It is neither empty nor not empty,

Nor can it be in the middle between these two.

Its application is the perfection of insight

And its means is compassion itself. {1.3.13}

“Consequently, the perfection of insight,

With the skillful means of sublime compassion, is clarified.

With respect to phenomena free of conceptuality,

There is no entity and nothing to cultivate. {1.3.14}

“Also, one should perform all mental activity

Inclined toward nonconceptuality.

One’s thoughts for the benefit of beings

Will then lead to nonconceptual processes. {1.3.15}

“Phenomena all have the nature of the tathāgatas—

There is neither a possessor of qualities, nor the condition of being a
quality.

This talk about phenomena is therefore

The same as the sound of an echo.” {1.3.16}

Then, because of the vast scope of qualities

Arising through the meditation of the Great Vehicle,

All the tathāgatas of the three times

Expressed their praise with this king of eulogies: {1.3.17}

“Homage to the king of yoga, the liberator of beings!

Homage to the meditator on oneness arising as the universal nature!

Homage to the destroyer of ignorance in the ocean of saṃsāra!

Homage to the revealer of the singular wisdom of all of reality!

I always offer my salutations.” {1.3.18}

The tathāgatas, paying reverence

And prostrating themselves again, said,

“Please give us, O Blessed One,

A single, condensed summary of all phenomena.” {1.3.19}

The Blessed One said:

“One should follow any path that involves sense faculties

According to one’s natural disposition.

Without applying a focus

One should always remain concentrated. {1.3.20}

“Because the identity of everyone abides

As the aggregate of consciousness,

Some ordinary people and fools

Cannot comprehend it. {1.3.21}

“Both mind and thoughts are, by nature, thinking;

The consciousness takes on the nature of its knowables.

It is the agency in the case of things to be done

And, as regards qualities, it constitutes their cultivation. {1.3.22}

“For just as there is a single ocean for many streams,

So too, with all the multiplicity of qualities,

There is only one liberation

—No multiplicity can be here observed. {1.3.23}

“How this instruction is to be internalized can only be learned from the
teacher’s mouth.” {1.3.24}

This concludes the third part of the first chapter—The Exposition
on Reality.

Part 4

“I will now teach

The conclusions common to all the tantras.

In all beings alike

There is a triangle of vast form, {1.4.1}

“Which is the foundation of them all,

Including Brahmā and the other gods and demigods.

It is Perfection of Insight,

In her form of conventional attributes. {1.4.2}

“It transcends sense objects;

It is found in every being’s heart.

Why would it need to be elaborated upon?

In short, it is awakening itself. {1.4.3}

“While the state of awakening is normally attained

After millions of uncountable eons,

You can attain it even in this birth

Through genuine bliss. {1.4.4}

“One will attain the state of Vajradhara,

The state of a universal emperor,

Or the eight great siddhis,

Or anything else desired by the mind. {1.4.5}

“Beings who are thoroughly bound

By the five major afflictions of

Ignorance, hatred,
desire, pride, and envy

Are hurting themselves with their own limbs. {1.4.6}

“Beings who are bound by these are born

As denizens of saṃsāra, circling through the six destinies.

Deluded by afflictions,

They commit many evil deeds. {1.4.7}

“Therefore, in order to destroy the afflictions,

A method has been devised by the ingenious Buddha,

Who saw that suffering was of no use

For those mired in the ocean of saṃsāra. {1.4.8}

“ ‘Once I am transformed by insight and means,

The afflictions will become causes for liberation.’

This is the result to be aimed for,

The stainless light throughout the three realms. {1.4.9}

“Things partake of the nature

Of whatever they are to be cleansed with.

Because the function of fire is to consume fuel,

It is to be enjoyed as the sublime dance of the Conqueror. {1.4.10}

“Just these—the aggregates, the sense-fields,

And the elements—are the pure target.

The skillful one will strike them,

Just as a capable marksman strikes his enemy. {1.4.11}

“One should strike ignorance with the pure aspect of ignorance,

And likewise hatred with the pure aspect of hatred.

One should strike desire with the pure aspect of desire,

And one’s powerful pride with the pure aspect of pride. {1.4.12}

“One should strike envy with the pure aspect of envy.

Lord Vajradhara, for his part, is free of all these afflictions.

Struck by the pure aspects of his nature,

The five afflictions are pacified. {1.4.13}

“These five afflictions are the five families,

The five wisdoms, and the five buddhas.

From them are born Vajragarbha,

The wrathful deities, the three realms, and beings. {1.4.14}

“This very division of inner constituents

Can be learned, very clearly, from the teacher’s mouth.

Those beings who are bereft of a teacher

Do not learn it, nor the mantra or the mudrā. {1.4.15}

“So, in this Jambūdvīpa—

This pure triangle dwelt in by the Buddha—

In its central area shaped like the Sanskrit letter e

There is the syllable vam,
and so we get evam. {1.4.16}

“In this delightful maṇḍala with its three corners

Emerges Vajrāralli.

This space is also called source of phenomena,

And the bhaga of all queens
. {1.4.17}

“The lotus at its center

Has eight petals and a pericarp.

There the vowels and consonants reside in combination,

Arranged into eight classes. {1.4.18}

“These vowels and consonants, in the form of mantra,

Carry out a multitude of ritual acts for embodied beings.

These fifty letters alone

Constitute the Vedic scriptures, {1.4.19}

“And also the mantras, the tantras,

And the śāstras in their outer aspect.

These letters are by nature of indestructible essence—

There is nothing whatsoever other than them. {1.4.20}

Are also fifty in number.

Evenly fashioned, they are located

Within the lotus inside Vajrāralli. {1.4.21}

“They are known to be on each petal

In the eight directions.

In the center between them, on the stamen,

Is the supreme deity. {1.4.22}

“The letter a, the greatest
letter, is surrounded

By the eight classes.

As the foremost among all letters,

It is the leader of the classes. {1.4.23}

“From this letter originate

All the mantras of embodied beings. {1.4.24}

“The magical powers of the sword, eye salve, foot ointment, magical pill,

Entry into subterranean realms, association with full-figured yakṣa women,

Ability to course throughout the three realms, and to act in accordance

With the properties of alchemical operations— {1.4.25}

“All those great magical powers, accompanied by genuine enjoyment

Of the five sense objects within one’s own abode,

Issue forth from within the eight classes of letters,

Specifically from the supreme sound, whose nature is the eight classes.
{1.4.26}

“Whatever utterance of persons’ words

Is picked up by the listener

Is all the nature of mantra,

For it originates only from mantra. {1.4.27}

“This is because it is said that sound is mantra

For all embodied beings.

It emerges as Dharmāralli,

From the great place of the universal knot. {1.4.28}

“There is no fixity whatsoever with mantras

Used for siddhis or magical powers.

The mantra that is by nature unproduced

Is the supreme lord of the sound classes. {1.4.29}

“I will further teach the characteristics

Of the emergence from sampuṭa.

The letter e, known to be
earth,

Is Locanā, the ‘seal of action’ (karmamudrā). {1.4.30}

“She is great compassion, omnifarious great means

Of unlimited scope.

She resides in the nirmāṇa
cakra at the navel,

Inside a multicolored lotus. {1.4.31}

“The syllable vam, known to
be water,

Is Māmakī, the ‘seal of phenomena’ (dharmamudrā).

Her nature is loving kindness and ardent good wishes.

She is the principal goddess of the vajra family. {1.4.32}

“She resides in the
dharma cakra

At the heart, in an eight-petaled lotus.

The syllable ma, said to be
fire,

Is Pāṇḍarā, the ‘great seal’ (mahāmudrā). {1.4.33}

“Endowed with power and sympathetic joy,

This goddess arises from the lotus family.

She resides in the sambhoga
cakra

At the throat, in a sixteen-petaled lotus. {1.4.34}

“The syllable yā, the nature
of wind,

Which thoroughly destroys all afflictions,

Is the chief goddess of the activity family,

The great ‘seal of the pledge’ (samayamudrā). {1.4.35}

“With her application of the wisdom of equanimity,

She is Tārā who ferries beings across the ocean of saṃsāra.

She resides in the mahāsukha
cakra,

In a thirty-two-petaled lotus. {1.4.36}

“The letter e is known to be
insight (prajñā)

And vaṃ is skillful means
(upāya).

This letter e is adorned
with the syllable vaṃ

And shines with a steady light. {1.4.37}

“Being arranged below and above,

They have the natures of insight and skillful means respectively.

The syllables e and vaṃ are always a pair,

And they are always pronounced as a pair. {1.4.38}

“Alternatively, with the adverbial particle evaṃ (thus) is expressed the totality of tantras, from their
beginning to their end. The statement mayā
śrutam (have I heard) is made because great passion continually
dwells in this tantra. The syllable śru indicates hearing, and the syllable ta, Lord Mahāsukha (Great Bliss).
In saying ‘only heard by me,’ the narrator means that it was heard with his ear
consciousness, but not directly realized. It has been, however, realized by the
Blessed One, so nothing is amiss.” {1.4.39}

The Blessed One continued, “There is no distinction between the recounter
of the teaching and the teacher. Or, rather, realization is only from the
perspective of the person to be guided, so that the teacher could himself be the
recounter: {1.4.40}

“ ‘I am the teacher and I am the teaching;

I am also the recipient, part of my assembly.’

How should this be understood? {1.4.41}

“Wherever Lord Mahāsukha dances, he is playing by means of language with
singular and multiple modes of expression. Whatever has been taught by the Blessed
One, O sons of noble family, that ‘I have heard at one time,’ that is to say, on a
particular occasion. This implies that I have realized it. This statement
indicates the attainment of the meditative absorption of complete confidence in
the inconceivable. {1.4.42}

“ ‘Occasion’ is called time,

And time is of three types—

Pleasurable time, painful time,

And inconceivable time. {1.4.43}

“The pleasurable time is when bodhicitta enters

The passage of the nose like a stream of milk;

The painful time is when it departs in the form of fire.

Between these two ‘times,’ only the latter one is known. {1.4.44}

“Should the former one be unaccompanied by the latter,

Time will become inconceivable—

There will be neither desire, nor the absence of it,

Nor anything in between that can be ascertained. {1.4.45}

“Here, desire has the characteristic of ability (āśakti);

The absence of desire is thought to be cessation.

Since the in between, devoid of both, is inconceivable,

None of the three will be ascertained. {1.4.46}

“Desire and its absence,

When combined, are stainless.

Likewise, from desire and desirelessness combined

Comes the moment of one equal taste. {1.4.47}

“All entities are of equal taste. Bhagavān (one possessing grace) and samaya (time) are said to be one and the same.

“According to the tradition,

This grace (bhaga) consists of
six aspects:

Complete power, form,
fame,

Splendor, wisdom, and effort.

“He who has these six is called bhagavān (Blessed One). {1.4.48}

“An alternative interpretation is that a bhagavān is one who has destroyed (bhagnavān) all qualities inconducive
to awakening. Another interpretation is that the
body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas are the essence, this essence is the
vajra, this vajra is the queen, and in the bhaga of
this vajra queen dwelled the Blessed One. By
addressing him he bhagavan (O
Blessed One), one implies that he dwelled in the bhaga.” {1.4.49}

The Blessed One continued, “This means that the minds of people requiring
guidance are captivated by various methods which, for every tathāgata, are of
equal taste. ‘I heard his teaching when the Blessed One was dwelling in the
source of phenomena, which has the nature of [the bhaga
of] vajra queens, who, in turn, are the essence of the body,
speech, and mind of all the tathāgatas.’ This is how it is: since afflictions are
destroyed by insight—afflictions which themselves are devoid of insight—the
insight is called bhaga. In this bhaga dwells
every tathāgata together with his queen. {1.4.50}

“It is indeed due to the supreme omniscient

Wisdom of all the buddhas

That in order to experience the bliss of a tathāgata

You should take a consort and pay homage to her.
{1.4.51}

“O sons of noble family! The letters of the phrase evaṃ mayā śrutam (thus have I heard)
are always formed (saṃsthita) at
the beginning of a Dharma teaching. These pure letters, which bring the
accomplishment of full awakening, and which are ineffable, O Vajrapāṇi,
have been spoken by me. By means of these letters, beings reach the other shore of
saṃsāra, so distant. Having repeatedly put this goal in front of yourself, you will, with your
mind set on it, attain the state of awakening or the state of Vajrasattva in this
birth. {1.4.52}

“Beings can attain this inconceivable state, which is not attained even
by the bliss-gone ones. Beings can
become buddhas when correctly instructed and when the goal is set. By mere self-indulgence they would fall into Avīci hell. They should therefore abandon
being afflicted by afflictive thoughts. Fine practitioners, who are beyond the
fear of saṃsāric existence, will meditate with a pristine mind. In this way,
through the application of skillful means and insight, they will attain the true
and pristine state, whose character is the nature of original awareness. Through
the transformative power of insight and skillful means, they will become equal to
space, illuminating the three realms. This goal is difficult to attain,
universally present, and free of causes and conditions. Acting in the world on
behalf of oneself and others like a wish-fulfilling gem is, of all siddhis, the
supreme one.” {1.4.53}

This concludes the sovereign first chapter of the glorious “Emergence from Sampuṭa,” so called to reflect the secret
foundation of all tantras.

Chapter 2

Part 1

“I will now explain,

For the benefit of practitioners,

By what method the disciple is initiated,

And also the general ritual procedure. {2.1.1}

“First, the officiating yogin, assuming the identity of the deity,

Should purify the ground,

Diligently making it into vajra by means of the syllable hūṁ.

He should next draw the maṇḍala. {2.1.2}

“In a garden, a secluded place,

The abode of a bodhisattva,

An empty enclosure, or a residence

He should delimit a splendid circle. {2.1.3}

“He should trace it with sublime powders.

Alternatively, he should do it with middling materials—

Powders of the five precious substances,

Rice flour, or something similar. {2.1.4}

“The maṇḍala should be three cubits

Plus three thumb-widths in diameter.

Into this maṇḍala should be brought four sublime consorts (vidyā),

Who originate from the five buddha families. {2.1.5}

“When, in his pursuit of the path of mantra,

An able disciple is initiated

In the presence of all the buddhas,

In a maṇḍala, which is the abode of the bliss-gone ones, {2.1.6}

“He should be able, in addition,

To behold the goddess of infinite world spheres

If this wise disciple has reached the state of self-consecration

And is anxious not to violate his samaya. {2.1.7}

“It has also been taught by the fully awakened ones

In the mantra vehicle that from the perspective of absolute truth

The samaya of Vajrasattva and other deities

Should not be taken lightly. {2.1.8}

“For that reason, a son of the victorious ones

Should, with every precaution and care,

Approach, according to protocol,

A vajra master, who is an ocean of qualities, about the initiation. {2.1.9}

“Optionally, he should choose, as available,

A mother, an older sister, a younger sister,

A daughter, or a niece

And do the right practice with her. {2.1.10}

“But if these consorts (vidyā) are not physically available,

He can then take other women,

Praised by the omniscient one,

And specified by the buddhas: {2.1.11}

“A brahmin’s daughter, a washerwoman, an outcast, a musician, a high
caste woman, a princess, a daughter of an artiste, or a craftswoman. She should
have the eyes of a doe, a slender waist, wide hips, and taut breasts. She should
have a fine bhaga, and be strict in her observance of samaya, clever, honest, and
conversant with mantra and tantra. These girls are said to be, in the whole
triple universe, invaluable to superior practitioners. With them, every
accomplishment will be attained, precisely according to the sequence of the
families. {2.1.12}

“Alternatively, he can also take

For a consort (mudrā) a sixteen-year-old girl,

As may be available, endowed with

The freshness of youth and beautiful eyes. {2.1.13}

“Having selected such a consort (vidyā), he should purify her

Through the procedure of going for refuge, and so forth,

And explain to her the secret reality

And all the stages of mantra and tantra. {2.1.14}

“Optionally, with sounds of passion and his tongue

In the nether region, he should place her on top.

Likewise, he should perform in succession

The full repertory of advanced positions. {2.1.15}

“The consort (vidyā), who is adorned with earrings,

Waist chain, pearl necklace, anklets,

Bracelets, and so forth, being thus purified,

Bestows the supreme accomplishment. {2.1.16}

“The partner of the consort (vidyā) and his companions,

In a place free from disturbances,

Should adorn themselves with garlands, sandalwood paste,

Clothes, and so forth, and announce themselves to the master.
{2.1.17}

“Using gifts of perfume, chaplets, and so forth,

Along with generous offerings of milk, and so forth,

The initiate should worship with devotion,

Eagerly offering to the master his consort (mudrā). {2.1.18}

“As a disciple, he should, with devotion,

Place his knee on the ground

And with palms joined beseech

The preceptor with the following praise: {2.1.19}

“ ‘Homage to you, O womb of emptiness,

Free of all mental constructs!

Homage and praise to you, body of wisdom

Whose mass is omniscient wisdom! {2.1.20}

“ ‘Homage to you, destroyer of ignorance in the world,

Instructor on the pure meaning of reality,

Diamond being born from

The absence of self in phenomena! {2.1.21}

“ ‘Homage to you, O lord bodhicitta,

From which always emerge

The fully awakened ones and bodhisattvas,

With their qualities of the six perfections! {2.1.22}

“ ‘Homage to you, hero of the world,

From whom originate the Three Jewels, the Great Vehicle,

All animate and inanimate things,

And this entire triple universe! {2.1.23}

“ ‘Homage to you, O venerable son of the Buddha,

Who manifests like a wish-fulfilling gem,

Carrying out the orders of the bliss-gone ones

To accomplish the wishes of the world. {2.1.24}

“ ‘O omniscient one, please grant me this favor:

Bestow upon me the vajra empowerment without delay

So that I can understand,

Through your power and merit, the highest truth. {2.1.25}

“ ‘Just as the secret of all the buddhas

Was shown to Vajradharmin

By the venerable Cittavajra,

In the same way, O lord, be kind to me! {2.1.26}

“ ‘Apart from your lotus feet,

There is no other path for me.

Therefore, please have compassion, O lord,

You who have conquered the wanderings of saṃsāra!’ {2.1.27}

“Next, the venerable vajra master,

Full of kindness and altruism,

Should generate compassion for the disciple

And summon him into the maṇḍala of the assembly— {2.1.28}

“The maṇḍala overflowing with the five objects of desire,

Brightened with an outstretched canopy,

Composed of yoginīs and yogins,

Filled with the soft sounds of the bell, {2.1.29}

“Pleasant with flowers, incense, and unguents,

Delightful with garlands and the enjoyments of gods—

This maṇḍala of Vajrasattva and other deities,

Which is marvelous in the highest degree. {2.1.30}

“Having united with the consort (mudrā),

The master, supremely pleased,

Should place in a lotus dish

“Using raised yak-tail whisks and parasols,

And singing songs with auspicious verses,

The lord of the world (i.e., the master) should initiate

The disciple by having him join with the consort (mudrā). {2.1.32}

“Having bestowed the initiation, the true jewel,

The master, the supreme lord,

Should also bestow the samaya—

Exquisite, sublime, and pure in nature. {2.1.33}

“It consists of great blood (human blood) and camphor (semen),

Mixed with red sandalwood (human flesh),

And blended with vajra water (urine).

The fifth ingredient derives from the mind (citta, semen). {2.1.34}

“This samaya has been duly

Taught by all buddhas—

Please guard this auspicious samaya at all times.

Now listen about the vows. {2.1.35}

“You must not kill living beings.

You should not give up the jewel of women.

You should not abandon your master.

These vows must not be violated. {2.1.36}

“The wisdom consort (vidyā) that was described before —

Or, alternatively, his own yoginī,

Purified and fashioned into the wisdom consort (vidyā)—

Should be anointed with olibanum and camphor. {2.1.37}

“He should make love to her

Until she releases her sexual fluid.

Having covered the face of the female consort (mudrā)

And the face of the male consort, {2.1.38}

“The master should place the substance

Produced through love-making
into the disciple’s mouth.

At that point the experience of equal taste

Will be produced within his range of perception. {2.1.39}

“His self-awareness will become gnosis,

Devoid of discrimination between self and other.

Pure and empty like the sky,

It is the ultimate nature of existence and nonexistence. {2.1.40}

“It is a combination of insight and skillful means,

A mixture of passion and its absence—

This alone is the living breath of living beings;

This alone is the supreme syllable. {2.1.41}

“This breath pervades everything;

It alone possesses the gnosis of the buddhas.

It is said to be the glorious Heruka;

From it arise existence and nonexistence,

And every other entity. {2.1.42}

“The first joy is the hero, the male partner.

The supreme joy is the yoginī, the female partner.

The joy of sexual bliss is all things combined—

Its pleasure is the means leading to omniscience.
{2.1.43}

“The first of the four joys is merely called joy.

The supreme joy is counted as the second.

The third is called the joy of cessation,

And the fourth is known as the innate joy. {2.1.44}

“Accordingly, the initiation is also fourfold:

“The first is the vase initiation,

The second is the secret initiation,

The third is the gnosis initiation with the consort (prajñā),

And the fourth is the same again. {2.1.45}

“When the disciple is free of impurities

By means of the initiation of bodhicitta,

He should be given, before the supreme

City of the buddhas, the following command: {2.1.46}

“ ‘Until the final attainment of awakening,

In the circle of the compass all around,

May you turn the supreme wheel of Dharma

In every quarter up to the farthermost reaches. {2.1.47}

“ ‘Embodying the nature of insight and skillful means,

Like a wish-fulfilling gem high above,

Untiring and without attachment,

Please work for the benefit of beings without delay.’ {2.1.48}

“Having now obtained the initiation and the master’s order,

Fully content through having done what needed to be done,

He should speak the following sweet words,

Which bring joy to the world: {2.1.49}

“ ‘Now my birth has become fruitful,

And my life has borne fruit.

Now I have been born into the family of the Buddha—

Right now I am the Buddha’s son. {2.1.50}

“ ‘From the turmoil of being born in Avīci hell,

Where there is great terror for oceans of eons,

I have been saved, O lord, by you—

Saved from the quagmire of afflictions, so difficult to cross. {2.1.51}

“ ‘Because of your grace, I know myself

To be manifested in full, as it were.

Being freed from all habitual tendencies,

In the state of complete awakening I have no desires.’ {2.1.52}

“The disciple should fall with devotion at the master’s feet,

Joyful, with eyes wide open,

And whatever thing is most pleasing to the master,

He should offer it to him without expectations. {2.1.53}

“The master, for his part,

Should listen, full of compassion,

For the sake of removing the disciple’s grasping

And for the sake of his welfare. {2.1.54}

“The disciple should then bow to and worship the master,

Offering to him the master’s fee—

Hundreds of thousands of gold pieces,

Jewels of various kinds, {2.1.55}

“And hundreds of pairs of garments;

Elephants, horses, the kingdom itself,

Earrings, bracelets,

Supreme necklaces, and finger rings; {2.1.56}

“A golden thread of a brahmin,

And even his wife and daughter;

Male and female slaves, and his own sister—

Having prostrated oneself, he should offer all this. {2.1.57}

“Prostrating before the master, he should offer himself

And all that exists with the following words:

‘From now on I am your servant,

Presented to you by myself.’ {2.1.58}

“In this way, he should further say:

‘The desired place has been reached;

Now the kind favor of all the buddhas

Is with me. {2.1.59}

“ ‘As I have accomplished, through your power,

The unsurpassable awakening,

I set up, in this perfect awakening,

The seat (pada) worshipped by
all the exalted ones.

On this very seat, I will establish all beings

Dwelling throughout the threefold universe.’ {2.1.60}

“The initiation can only be given by a realized master (muni),

According to the procedure, after ascertaining the disciple’s dedication.

Such a master, dedicated to the vast and profound conduct,

Should give the precious initiation by speech alone. {2.1.61}

“He who has
obtained the initiation becomes the most excellent Vajradhara,

Possessed of the unparalleled state, difficult to gain.

Having truly attained the splendor of the sambhogakāya field,

He has been conferred the great bodhicitta initiation.
{2.1.62}

“Having obtained the master’s order, with an intellect that dons armor

For embarking upon conquest over the wicked foes throughout the three
worlds,

The practitioner of truth should apply himself stainlessly

In this vast attitude set on awakening.” {2.1.63}

Part 2

“Now I will explain the meditation

Done for the sake of developing insight and skillful means—

I will explain it in order to benefit practitioners,

Whose energy is devoted to serving the interests of others. {2.2.1}

“The yogins, having practiced this meditation,

Do not remain in saṃsāra—this frightening ocean, difficult to cross—

Nor do they remain in nirvāṇa,

Which would merely be for their own sake. {2.2.2}

“By this meditation, at its exalted culmination,

They will attain unsurpassable awakening—

The wondrous awakening of the buddhas,

Free from waning or waxing. {2.2.3}

“They should neither relinquish phenomena, such as the five aggregates,

Nor should they transgress against the three vehicles.

They should perceive them to be empty like the plantain tree,

Absolutely equal in the expanse of phenomena. {2.2.4}

“A yogin should neither contemplate that entities are empty,

Nor that they are not empty.

Nor should a yogin abandon the thought that they are empty,

Or that they are not empty. {2.2.5}

“When there is grasping at things as ‘empty’ or ‘not empty,’

There will arise a lot of conceptual thoughts,

But when there is complete renunciation, there is no conceptual thought.

Therefore, he should abandon this duality of ‘empty’ and ‘not empty.’
{2.2.6}

“When he gives up dualistic grasping,

He is liberated—free of reference point.

Since ‘I’ is also a concept,

It should also be abandoned. {2.2.7}

“Without fluctuations, without doubts,

Without yearnings, the impurities gone,

Free of thoughts of a beginning and an end,

The wise practitioner should engage in a sky-like meditation. {2.2.8}

“But a compassionate practitioner also

Should never turn his back on living beings.

‘Beings exist’ or ‘beings do not exist’—

He should not speculate in this way. {2.2.9}

“The state characterized by the absence of mental elaboration

Has been proclaimed to be insight.

Compassion is bringing about the welfare of all beings,

Like a wish-fulfilling gem. {2.2.10}

“On the meditational level without reference

There is great compassion without reference.

This great compassion is one with insight,

Just like space contained within space. {2.2.11}

“Where there is no meditator,

There also is no meditation,

And no object to meditate upon—

This is called meditation on reality. {2.2.12}

“So, too, there is no action here,

And also nothing to partake of.

Free from the agent and the experiencer,

Such is meditation on the ultimate truth. {2.2.13}

“Nor is there a practitioner of any kind here,

Nor anyone who offers praise.

There is, therefore, nothing whatsoever to abandon

And nothing whatsoever to adopt. {2.2.14}

“This state has the nature of a city of gandharvas.

Similar to a magical display or a mirage,

And the same as the city of Hariścandra,

It is perceived as if it were play in a dream. {2.2.15}

“It is seen and touched

As an illusion in every way.

It is impossible to find

Lasting existence for any living being. {2.2.16}

“In the inconceivable commingling of union,

Which is like the conjunction of a dream and subsequent awakening,

There is a meeting of two sex organs,

The same as in the case of a divinely youthful form. {2.2.17}

“When one has placed the liṅga inside the bhaga,

This is the meditation of recollecting the buddhas—

A certain amount of wisdom will arise,

Stainless in the beginning, middle, and end. {2.2.18}

“This wisdom is self-reflexive awareness (svasaṃvedya);

It is impossible to describe this otherwise.

While perceiving all manner of forms,

While listening to sounds, {2.2.19}

“While talking, laughing,

Or tasting different tastes,

And while performing all kinds of actions

With the mind not wandering elsewhere, {2.2.20}

“There always arises nondual union (yoga)

For yogins who know reality.

This is called nonduality—

This is the ultimate bodhicitta. {2.2.21}

“This is vajra and glorious Vajrasattva,

The one who is fully awakened, and also awakening itself.

This is also the perfection of wisdom,

Which comprises all the perfections. {2.2.22}

“This is said to be equanimity,

The foremost meditation of all buddhas.

From within this very state everything arises—

The world’s animate and inanimate objects, {2.2.23}

“Infinite bodhisattvas, fully awakened buddhas,

Hearers, and so forth.

The yogin, disconnected from both existence and nonexistence,

Should cultivate this state only. {2.2.24}

“If he meditates, free from existence and nonexistence,

He will swiftly become accomplished,

Feeling distaste for all his faults,

And turning his back upon the afflictions. {2.2.25}

“The endless qualities of the glorious bliss-gone ones

Will arise from his meditation. {2.2.26}

“The mind, which is overcome by the darkness of many concepts,

Mad as a storm and fickle as lightning,

Stained with the dirt of unrestrainable desire, and so forth—

This mind has been declared by the vajra holder (Vajradhara) to be saṃsāra. {2.2.27}

“But the mind, which is luminous and free from conceptuality,

Which has lost its layer of the dirt of desire, and so forth,

Which lacks both the perceived and the perceiver—

This mind has been declared by the best of beings to be supreme
nirvāṇa. {2.2.28}

“As a cause for the manifold heap of suffering,

There is nothing other than this mind.

And likewise, as a cause for the emergence of infinite happiness,

There is nothing other than this mind, O seekers of liberation! {2.2.29}

“Those who have resolved on the destruction of all suffering,

Who wish to obtain the genuine happiness of the fully awakened ones,

They should stabilize their minds and investigate with care,

Construing this mind to be devoid of independent existence. {2.2.30}

“For as long as the minds of beings who are subject to birth

Are hampered by the thick, dark veil of conceptual thinking,

Their suffering will be endless.

But as soon as their minds are free of this veil, {2.2.31}

“Their happiness will be immense and unequaled.

The noble ones should therefore exert themselves

For the sake of removing this veil—

They will then witness the great expansion of their happiness. {2.2.32}

“In this way, the practitioner of the true state (tattvayogin), resolved upon the
practice, authorized by his master, and abiding by his samaya, should practice
meditation. If he does, what would be the use of committing to practice hand
mudrās, mantras, making deity statues, or cultivating himself as deity, all of
which can only produce common siddhis? Intent on buddhahood, he should clearly set
up his goal and do the practice of the chosen deity. In this way, when the goal has
been reached, the threefold universe will become for him like the sky.
Consequently, the skilled practitioner, having renounced everything, applies
himself to the practice of meditation in the state he has attained, cultivating
day and night self-reflexive awareness (saṃvedana) exclusively. {2.2.33}

“On a mountaintop, in a Śiva temple, in a lotus garden, on the ocean’s
shore, in a royal park, in any secluded place, in his own home, in any place
pleasing to the mind that is praised by the omniscient ones—in locations like
these, in whatever place the adept of mantra may find himself—there he should
practice meditation with tenacity. Awakening can never be directly attained
without insight and skillful means. Therefore, if he abandons the wisdom consort
(prajñā), the sublime lady who grants complete awakening, siddhis that are endowed
with each of the seals (mudrā)
will not be bestowed. For that reason, he should apply the four seals that give rise
to wisdom. {2.2.34}

“Ignorance is the samayamudrā (seal of commitment). Hatred is always said to be the
mahāmudrā (great seal), and
envy the karmamudrā (seal of
action). Desire is, by its nature, the dharmamudrā (seal of phenomena). The practitioner should manifest
these different seals and sexually enjoy and serve his consort (prajñā), regarding them both (the seal and the
consort) to be deity by nature. {2.2.35}

“Being tranquil because of ignorance, wrathful because of anger, or
impassioned because of desire, he performs different actions to fulfill the aims
of these five emotions. With these five, he becomes a victorious
one.
{2.2.36}

“At dawn, at the close of the day, at midday, or at midnight he should
thoroughly do the practice with the consort (mudrā). Otherwise there will be no
accomplishment. When the practitioner stays among uncouth people, and is afraid
that the teachings might be disparaged, he should visualize the union with
consort in his own mind only, manifesting it in his imagination.
Otherwise, the practitioner should do this practice assiduously with a real
consort. If a wisdom consort (prajñā) cannot be acquired in the
flesh, he should
practice perpetually with those in ‘the horizontal profession.’ For if the practitioner does not physically
touch the best of lotuses every day, every month of the year, his samaya
becomes damaged. And when the samaya is damaged, he becomes negligent of his
practice. Having restored his samaya of a bodhisattva, he should vow not to let
this happen again thenceforth. Consequently, he should do the practice with the
consort (mudrā) in secret, using secret substances, mantra, and tantric
techniques, while keeping his samaya, following his prescribed conduct, and
abiding in reality (tattva).
Having attained awakening in this way, having inevitably reached the inconceivable
state by means of the correct practice of union, he should meditate
one-pointedly on the threefold universe as the inconceivable domain.” {2.2.37}

This concludes the second part of the second chapter, called
“Meditating on the Meaning of Insight and Skillful Means.”

Part 3

“Now I will teach

The miraculous manifestation of all maṇḍalas—

The maṇḍala of glorious Vajrasattva and other deities,

Which is complete and perfect in every way. {2.3.1}

“Within the pleasure of the supreme secret,

One should practice the nature of them all.

In a secluded place, a residence,

Or one’s own garden {2.3.2}

“One should perform each of the seals thoroughly,

And together with each of the Saṃvaras, in all their detail,

Complete all the other features necessary in a maṇḍala,

At one’s leisure. {2.3.3}

“The maṇḍala of all the tathāgatas

Is the gnosis of emptiness itself;

It accomplishes all the practices

Of wrathful and peaceful deities. {2.3.4}

“How shall I explain the inconceivable

Dance of the buddhas,

The meditation of deity practice,

The ritual procedure of mantra recitation, {2.3.5}

“Or the images painted or sculpted,

Or any images mentally created?

All this has been taught by me in the tantras

For the benefit and advantage of beings. {2.3.6}

“While the holder of the vajra of emptiness (Vajradhara) is only one,

The family of the tathāgatas is said to be fivefold.” {2.3.7}

Vajragarbha said:

“Please be so kind to explain,

O gentle lord of great bliss,

The nature of the letters and colors visualized in the development stage,

And the order and arrangement of the deities’ arms. {2.3.8}

“Please explain also the rules regarding the mantra recitation,

By means of which the practitioner will become accomplished.” {2.3.9}

The Blessed One said:

“Firstly, one should cultivate loving kindness;

Secondly, compassion;

Thirdly, sympathetic joy;

And lastly, equanimity. {2.3.10}

“Enumerating again, one should first awaken in emptiness;

Secondly, one should conceive the seed syllable;

Thirdly, one should generate the complete image of the deity;

And fourthly, one should do the placement of syllables. {2.3.11}

“One should visualize in front a sun disk transformed from the syllable ra,

And on it a double vajra scepter transformed from the syllable hūṁ.

One should visualize a surrounding wall and
a protective canopy

As made of such double scepters. {2.3.12}

“Then the wise practitioner should first visualize a corpse,

Which has the nature of the expanse of phenomena.

Then, standing on top of it,

He should conceive of himself as Heruka. {2.3.13}

“In his heart he should visualize the syllable ra,

And arising from it, a sun disk.

On that sun disk he should visualize the syllable hūṁ,

With the nature of wisdom and skillful means, {2.3.14}

“Black in color and very frightening.

The hūṁ then transforms into
a vajra scepter.

In the center of the scepter’s hub,

He should once again visualize the very quintessence of hūṁ. {2.3.15}

“He should visualize that this transforms

Into the lord whose nature is hatred—

The great hero of adamantine origin,

Whose color resembles that of a blue lotus. {2.3.16}

“Alternatively, he should visualize him,

With strong faith, as reddish-blue,

Picturing him, the venerable one, in the sky above

As being of adamantine origin and filled with great compassion. {2.3.17}

“He should worship him by means of visualizing

The eight goddesses of offerings, adorned with all kinds of jewelry:

Gaurī who is holding a moon disk,

Caurī holding a sun disk, {2.3.18}

“Vetalī with a water vessel in her hand,

Ghasmarī holding medicines,

Pukkasī with a vajra scepter in her hand,

Śavarī holding tasty foodstuffs, {2.3.19}

“Caṇḍālī sounding a ḍamaru,

And Ḍombī embracing him around the neck.

The lord should be worshiped by these goddesses

According to the elaborate ritual procedure for offering. {2.3.20}

“Then he should become the nature of all phenomena,

Which is free from any reference.

He should visualize the seed syllable between the moon and sun disks,

Which emerge from the vowels and the consonants respectively. {2.3.21}

“That cognition is precisely what is called the being

Whose nature is the supreme joy.

Forms of light identical to his own body emanate forth,

Flooding the expanse of the sky. {2.3.22}

“Once the practitioner has absorbed them, drawing them back into his heart,

He should become Heruka—one whose nature is hatred. {2.3.23}

“In the center of the expanse of the sky

He should visualize a sun disk.

Then from the syllable hūṁ
atop the sun disk he arises,

Reddish-blue in color, and adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.3.24}

“He has two arms, one face,

Three eyes, and yellow, upward-flowing hair.

With an angry gaze, and the body of a sixteen year old,

He stands astride Bhairava. {2.3.25}

“With a vajra khaṭvāṅga in his left arm,

A skull cup in his left hand,

And a black vajra scepter in his right hand,

Whose nature is to make the sound hūṁ, {2.3.26}

“The lord frolics in a charnel ground,

Surrounded by the eight goddesses.

The practitioner should visualize in this way

The lord who is the supreme ambrosia of all practices. {2.3.27}

“He alone is the blessed practice of the union—

The tathāgata Vajrasattva. {2.3.28}

“He should then assume the form of the angry Heruka

Adorned with four arms,

Meaning that he is the nature of the four joys

And is purified of the four Māras. {2.3.29}

“Standing in the previously described maṇḍala circle,

He has transformed from the seed syllable hūṁ.

In his left hand there is a skull cup

Filled with the blood of gods and demigods. {2.3.30}

“In his right hand he holds a flame-like vajra scepter,

Frightening even fear itself.

With his other two arms he is embracing the consort (prajñā),

Who, for her part, is embracing him. {2.3.31}

“He should visualize her form

As the Blessed Vajravārāhī. {2.3.32}

“First, he should meditate on emptiness.

Then, on the pericarp of a lotus

He should visualize a full moon disk,

And in the center of this moon disk, the syllable hūṁ. {2.3.33}

“He should visualize the form of the deity

With three faces and six arms.

The first face is black,

The right one is white and peaceful, {2.3.34}

“And the left one is red in color.

The lord has three eyes that are sublime in appearance.

He is replete with all the adornments,

And stands on a skull cup platform. {2.3.35}

“In his hands he is holding a skull cup

Filled with excrement, urine, semen, and blood;

A bow and arrow;

A vajra scepter; and a bell. {2.3.36}

“The first right hand has a blazing vajra scepter,

And the third, a trident.

The glorious one is embraced by his consort (prajñā)

And adorned by a knot of matted hair. {2.3.37}

“He should repeatedly radiate blazing light

With scintillating clouds composed of buddhas.

The practitioner should then visualize

Himself in the center of a bhaga. {2.3.38}

“Then he should visualize the consort (mudrā)

As united with the main deity.

On the lotus petals, he should draw the goddesses

Standing on skull cup platforms. {2.3.39}

“Their forms, of different colors, are pleasing to the mind

And they each have one face and four arms.

First, he should draw the beautiful consort (vidyā)

Who holds an arrow and bow, {2.3.40}

“A skull cup filled with semen,

And a goad.

Second, he should draw the goddess who has in her hands a spear,

A skull cup filled with blood, {2.3.41}

“A vajra scepter, and a noose.

He should draw her on the southern petal.

Third, on the northern petal, he should
draw

The goddess who has in her hands a sword, {2.3.42}

“A skull cup filled with water,

A vajra scepter, and a bell.

He should draw the fourth goddess

On the western petal. {2.3.43}

“In her left hands she is holding

A khaṭvāṅga and a skull cup,

And in her right hands

A ‘flame thrower’ and a triple banner. {2.3.44}

“The fifth goddess has a staff in her
hand

And holds a skull cup with another.

She also holds a lotus and a ḍamaru.

He should draw her in the northeastern quarter. {2.3.45}

“In the northwestern corner he should draw

The sixth goddess with a lotus in her hand.

She also holds a skull cup filled with fat,

A mirror, and an axe. {2.3.46}

“The seventh goddess has a lance in her hand.

She also holds a conch shell, a discus weapon,

And a skull cup filled with blood.

He should draw her in the southwestern quarter.
{2.3.47}

“The eighth goddess he should draw

In the southeastern quarter.

She is holding in her hands

A pitcher, a vajra scepter, a bell, {2.3.48}

“And a skull cup filled with substances,

Covered with human skin.

He should draw these goddesses on the petals

And the lord Mahāsukha on the pericarp. {2.3.49}

“He should draw, in the secret maṇḍala,

Various musical instruments.

He should draw the gate keepers—

A goddess holding a goad, {2.3.50}

“And likewise, one with a vajra noose, a chain,

And a vajra bell.

He should visualize himself in the center of a vulva,

And later begin mantra recitation. {2.3.51}

“Hūṁ pertains to
Vajrasattva;

Oṁ is distinctiveness of
tone;

Aḥ, which is of the color
of pure crystal,

Is perfectly endowed with speech. {2.3.52}

“He should add the syllable hrīḥ

And also the word svāhā.

This mantra has been taught as the one to recite,

But, during meditation, it should consist of a single syllable. {2.3.53}

“The syllable hrīḥ of the
goddesses

Should then be placed on the petals.

It should be joined with the four seed syllables

That are the nature of the four types of offerings. {2.3.54}

“It should be joined with the first sound (oṁ), and so forth,

And placed on the female gatekeepers all around.

Then the practitioner should insert

His vajra into the bhaga. {2.3.55}

“He should, at that point, utter the syllable hūṁ,

And also the syllable hrīḥ.

He should orally ingest the semen,

Mixing it with the blood, when the woman is menstruating. {2.3.56}

“He should make offerings of flowers and fragrances

To himself and also to the bhaga.

At this point he should recite the mantra

If he wants to attain siddhi. {2.3.57}

“There is Vajraraudrī

And also Vajrabimbā.

Vajrarāgī is the third

And Vajrasaumyā the fourth. {2.3.58}

“The fifth is Vajrayakṣī

And the sixth Vajraḍākinī.

The seventh is Śabdavajrā

And Pṛthvīvajrā is the eighth.” {2.3.59}

Here concludes the third part of the second chapter.

Part 4

“Listen well, Vajragarbha, about the preparation

Of magical circles and their specifications, as required for

Pacifying, enriching, enthralling, and so forth,

And also protecting and assaulting. {2.4.1}

“The wise practitioner should have someone

Draw the outline of a wheel, with nine divisions and the rest,

And visualize the colors, and so forth,

As required for individual rituals involving the circle. {2.4.2}

“Oṁ tāre tuttāre ture
svāhā. {2.4.3}

“The seed syllables of this mantra are all-purpose—

The target’s name should be included in the middle,

Along with the phrase “please protect.” {2.4.4}

“He should fashion his form

From emptiness, by means of the wisdom of equality,

And position it within the protective circle,

The place of knowing everything as equal. {2.4.5}

“He should meditate that protection is provided

By wisdom beings, so that all dangers are kept at a distance.

Accepting the non-reality of sentient beings,

He should cultivate the state of deity yoga. {2.4.6}

“In the center of a moon disk

He should visualize a lotus throne

And imagine there his own body

As the goddess Tārā, who grants all siddhis. {2.4.7}

“He should visualize the following letters:

“On his head, oṁ tāre svāhā.

On the eyes, oṁ tuttāre svāhā.

On the nose, oṁ ture svāhā.

On the ears, oṁ tu svāhā.

On the tongue, oṁ re svāhā.

On the chest, oṁ tāriṇi svāhā. {2.4.8}

“He should always wear this sixfold protection

And visualize himself as noble Tārā,

With two arms, sitting in the sattvaparyaṅka posture,

And adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.9}

“Her right hand grants fearlessness to all;

Her left one holds a lotus.

Among all the deities, he should propitiate

The one who is roused by the following king of mantras: {2.4.10}

“Oṁ kurukulle hrīḥ
svāhā.

“This mantra accomplishes everything. {2.4.11}

“It protects from being bound by enemies and kings,

From poisons dreadful in their ways.

It arrests various fevers afflicting the body

And removes untimely death due to toxins and so forth. {2.4.12}

“Wherever there is fear,

He should employ this mantra.

A dull-witted person will become intelligent.

He should write it down and wear it for protection. {2.4.13}

“This sublime protection

Vanquishes every threat.

It protects everyone;

It is the unsurpassable essence of deity yoga. {2.4.14}

“He should visualize a sun disk

With blazing light rays,

And at its center the syllable hrīḥ,

Shining with red light. {2.4.15}

“Then, he should visualize himself

In Kurukullā’s form, with one face and four arms,

Holding in one pair of her hands an arrow and a bow,

And in the other pair, a lotus and a goad. {2.4.16}

“By merely meditating on this

One can enthrall the threefold universe—

Kings with one hundred thousand repetitions of the mantra;

Ordinary people with ten thousand; {2.4.17}

“Animals, yakṣas, and so forth with ten million repetitions;

Demigods with seven hundred thousand;

Gods with two hundred thousand;

And followers of Mantra with one hundred. {2.4.18}

“This yantra-wheel has eight
spokes,

Is white, and has a beautiful glow.

Visualizing it as having the nature of equality,

And being in essence the threefold universe, {2.4.19}

“He should form himself as previously explained

With the aforementioned characteristics,

And then visualize [Prajñāpāramitā’s] yantra-wheel

In the rituals for making wisdom blaze forth. {2.4.20}

“He should recite, Oṁ prajñe mahāprajñe hūṁ
svāhā. {2.4.21}

“He should visualize himself by means of merging with the essence

As Prajñāpāramitā, the very nature of wisdom made manifest,

Sitting in the center of a moon disk,

And blazing with a profusion of light. {2.4.22}

“She has two arms and sits in the sattvaparyaṅka posture.

Adorned with all kinds of jewelry,

Sublime with white radiance,

She should be construed as the very nature of wisdom. {2.4.23}

“When this mantra is recited

By those who are dull, or of inferior intellect,

Their wisdom will grow like the branch of a tree

Through their applying this method for increasing it. {2.4.24}

“In the center of a moon disk

He should place the seed syllable of Vairocana.

This syllable changes into the lord with one face and four arms,

Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls. {2.4.25}

“Of gentle disposition, he holds a wheel, a bell,

A human skull, and a noose.

He radiates bursts of light all around

And is surrounded by a halo of flames. {2.4.26}

“Following the same procedure,

He should visualize Ratnasambhava—

Radiant yellow,

Resembling molten gold, {2.4.27}

“Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls,

With one face and four arms,

Of heroic disposition, and holding a jewel, a goad,

A human skull, and a noose. {2.4.28}

“Following the same procedure, he should visualize

The vajra holder of the lotus family (Amitābha),

With one face and four arms,

Shining like ruby, {2.4.29}

“Holding a bow and arrow, of heroic disposition,

Sitting on a throne of human skulls.

Holding in his other pair of hands a lotus and a noose,

He is adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.30}

“Following the same procedure, he should visualize

Amoghasiddhi, a sword in his hand,

Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls,

With one face and four arms, {2.4.31}

“Holding a human skull and a vajra bell,

And brandishing a goad in one of his right hands.

He is the color of green beryl

And adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.32}

“In the middle of the expanse of the sky,

He should visualize a moon disk.

At its center, is the seed syllable bhrūṁ

Which changes into the form of Locanā. {2.4.33}

“Sitting on a throne of human skulls,

She is adorned with eight arms

And holds in her hands a wheel,

A bow and arrow, a vajra scepter, a bell, {2.4.34}

“A noose, a sword, and a human skull.

She has one face and three eyes,

And is fully adorned with all kinds of jewelry,

Necklaces, and anklets. {2.4.35}

“She is white and very beautiful,

And she is wearing a crown of human skulls.

Next he should visualize, in the middle

Of the expanse of the sky, a full moon disk. {2.4.36}

“At its center there is the syllable hūṁ,

Which changes into the form of Māmakī,

Radiant blue in color,

Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls. {2.4.37}

“She has three eyes, one face,

And is adorned with a garland of human skulls.

She holds a bow, an arrow,

A goad, a sword, {2.4.38}

“A noose, a scepter,

A bell, a human skull,

A wheel, a jewel, a lotus, and a khaṭvāṅga—

Twelve articles for her twelve hands. {2.4.39}

“Next he should draw a secret maṇḍala

Adorned with all embellishments.

In the center of the bhaga,

He should visualize a full moon disk. {2.4.40}

“There he should visualize the syllable hrīḥ,

And generate from it the goddess called Pāṇḍarā.

She is sitting on a throne of human skulls

And blazes forth bright red light. {2.4.41}

“Replete with all adornments,

She is adorned with eight hands,

In which she is holding a bow,

An arrow, a lotus, a sword, {2.4.42}

“A skull cup, a vajra scepter, a bell,

A noose, and a jewel.

She is adorned with all kinds of jewelry,

And makes a jingling sound with her necklaces and anklets. {2.4.43}

“If the practitioner visualizes her as such,

He will swiftly attain the state of awakening.

Next he should visualize, in the sky above,

The disk of a full moon. {2.4.44}

“At its center there is the syllable tāṁ,

Which changes into the form of Tārā,

Adorned with eight arms,

Sitting on a throne of human skulls. {2.4.45}

“Impassioned, she holds in her hands a sword,

A lotus, a goad,

A skull cup filled with blood,

A noose, a wheel, {2.4.46}

“A bow, and an arrow.

He should visualize her with one face,

Of green color, with three eyes,

And adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.47}

“If the practitioner meditates in this way,

He will become equal to Vajrasattva.” {2.4.48}

This concludes the sovereign second chapter of the glorious “Emergence from Sampuṭa,” so called to reflect the secret
foundation of all tantras.

Chapter 3

Part 1

“Listen about the practice, as it really is,

Of generating Nairātmyā and Heruka,

One through which all wicked

And violent beings will be tamed. {3.1.1}

“The transformations effected by the ḍāka and ḍākinīs—

All of them I will explain to you.

The vajra-holding Heruka, in his identity of Vajrasattva,

Will bring on the vajra-like state. {3.1.2}

“One should assume a wild form in a raging ring of flames;

It should be radiating all around.

One should next visualize a garland of seed syllables

In the center of a moon disk. {3.1.3}

“Then the vajra-holding Heruka, out of great passion,

Melts down along with his consort (vidyā).

Subsequently, the vidyās of the retinue exhort him,

By offering various songs, to rise again. {3.1.4}

“Pukkasī:

“ ‘Arise, O lord! You are the essence of compassion!

Please save me, Pukkasī.

Abandon your void nature!

Take me in union, O Great Bliss!’ {3.1.5}

“Śavarī:

“ ‘Without you I would die.

Arise, Hevajra!

Abandon the state of the empty nature!

Fulfill the desires of Śavarī!’ {3.1.6}

Caṇḍālī:

“ ‘Invite the world, O lord of pleasure!

Why do you remain in the void?

I, Caṇḍālī, beseech you.

Without you I have no direction.’ {3.1.7}

Ḍombī:

“ ‘Arise, O magician!

May I know your mind!

Since I, Ḍombī, am swooning,

Do not interrupt your compassion!’ {3.1.8}

“The great Heruka arises then, in a fluid form,

From the syllables aṁ and
hūṁ,

Spreading his feet on the ground

And threatening the gods and demigods. {3.1.9}

“From the syllables of the lord’s pleasure consort {dga’ ma}—

Hūṁ and aṁ
—in a frightful blaze of blue,

One should generate the goddesses of the retinue

“In this circle of mothers, the blissful abode,

One should visualize the lord as follows:

He has eight faces, four legs,

And is adorned with sixteen arms. {3.1.11}

“Standing astride the four Māras,

And frightening even fear itself,

He expresses the moods of sensuality, heroism,

Disgust, fury, mirth, terror, {3.1.12}

“Compassion, wonder, and peace—

The nine moods of dramaturgy.

Wearing a skull-garland necklace,

He stands on a sun disk and performs his wild tāṇḍava dance. {3.1.13}

“Black and frightening,

He has a double vajra scepter fastened to the crown of his head.

He emits the syllable hūṁ
from his mouth

And his body is smeared with ashes. {3.1.14}

“Joined with Nairātmyā,

He is engaged in pleasurable union.

Motionless, he is attaining bliss;

Motionless, he dwells in his own nature. {3.1.15}

“His main face is black and smiling.

His right one is the color of a jasmine blossom.

His left face is red and very frightening,

And his top face is terrifying with its bared fangs. {3.1.16}

“He has twenty-four eyes altogether,

And his remaining faces are the color of bees.

In his right hands he holds a vajra scepter, a sword,

An arrow, a wheel, {3.1.17}

“A goblet, a staff,

A trident, and
a goad.

In his left hands he has a bell and a lotus,

And brandishes a bow and a khaṭvāṅga. {3.1.18}

“He also holds a skull cup, a jewel,

And a noose, and displays a threatening gesture.

He is surrounded by clouds of buddhas,

Radiating different colored lights all around. {3.1.19}

“In this way, one should then follow the routine

Of visualizing Gaurī, and so forth.

“Gaurī is white in color and is engaged

In the act of drawing a bow and arrow.

Her other implements are a skull cup full of blood

And a knife with a vajra handle. {3.1.20}

“Caurī is red in color,

And is known to hold a wheel, a goad,

A skull cup, and a ḍamaru drum.

One should visualize her as divinely beautiful. {3.1.21}

“Pramohā is black in color.

She holds a skull cup, a goblet,

A plowshare for turning up the earth,

And in her right hand she brandishes a trident. {3.1.22}

“Vetalī is light yellow in color,

With wine and water in two of her hands,

And a sword and a skull cup in her other hands.

One should visualize her with an alluring form. {3.1.23}

“Pukkasī is yellow in color.

She holds a tendril of the wish-fulfilling tree,

A skull bowl filled with meat, and a jewel.

She displays a boon-granting mudrā. {3.1.24}

“Caṇḍālī is blue in color

And holds a wind-cloth.

In her other two hands she holds

A skull cup and a white lotus. {3.1.25}

“Ghasmarī is yellowish green in color.

She holds a vajra-fire pit and an axe in two of her hands,

Has a skull cup filled with fat in her other left hand,

And displays a gesture of granting fearlessness with her other right hand.
{3.1.26}

“Śavarī is white in color,

With a khaṭvāṅga, a skull cup,

A vajra scepter, and a noose.

One should visualize [these goddesses’] forms in all their diversity.
{3.1.27}

“They each have a creature: Gaurī, a rohita fish;

Caurī, a wild boar; Pramohā, a tortoise; Vetalī, a snake;

Pukkasī, a lion; Caṇḍālī, a tiger;

Ghasmarī, a jackal; and Śavarī, a bear. {3.1.28}

“They are in the eight skull cups, respectively,

Of Gaurī, and so forth, in the right order.

These goddesses are adorned with all kinds of jewelry

And express the moods of sensuality, and so forth. {3.1.29}

“There are also the following goddesses:

The horse-faced, the pig-faced, the dog-faced, and the lion-faced.

All have four arms and four faces,

And are adorned with serpent jewelry. {3.1.30}

“Also present are Vaṃśā, the flute goddess, Vīṇā, the lute goddess,

Mukundā, the kettle-drum goddess, and Murajā, the tambourine goddess.

They each have two arms, one face,

And are adorned with all types of jewelry. {3.1.31}

“The faces—main, right, left—of the horse-faced goddess

Are, respectively, black, white, and yellow, with the upper face being
green.

Those of the pig-faced goddess are—in the same order—

Yellow, black, and white, with the upper face being red. {3.1.32}

“The faces of the dog-faced goddess

Are red, black, and white, with the upper face being yellow.

Those of the lion-faced goddess

Are green, black, and white, with the upper face being the color of flames.
{3.1.33}

“Each of the goddesses has blazing, upward-flowing hair

And stands astride a corpse, her left leg extended and her right slightly
bent.

They all have three eyes and are to be visualized

With faces expressing the moods of anger, sensuality, and mirth.” {3.1.34}

This concludes the first part of the third chapter, on generating
Heruka.

Part 2

“Listen, Vajragarbha, O powerful king,

About the practice of Jñānaḍākinī,

Which is for those who abandon dualistic notions

And gain the wisdom of phenomena as nondual. {3.2.1}

“One should recite the following formula of purification

At the beginning of every practice three times:

“All phenomena are pure by nature;

I am pure by nature.

All phenomena have the pure nature of vajra;

I have the pure nature of vajra.

All phenomena have the pure nature of the union;

I have the pure nature of the union.
{3.2.2}

“Having thus recited, the practitioner

Should meditate on the same.

He should then commence the meditation proper

In a place pleasing to the mind. {3.2.3}

“He should spread out a canopy,

Hang fabrics of various colors from it,

And hoist up streamers and banners.

All around, throughout the ten directions, {3.2.4}

“He should strew various perfumes and flowers,

And then form a maṇḍala of scented powders.

There, through an instantaneous transformation,

He should visualize his own form as the deity. {3.2.5}

“Thus visualizing himself as Jñānaḍākinī,

The wise practitioner should first worship her with offerings.

He should accordingly generate,

According to proper procedure, an ocean of wisdom. {3.2.6}

“He should then visualize Mount Meru,

With the four directions surrounding its peak having four different colors.

Atop the peak is a golden palace,

Bright and colorful with the seven types of jewels. {3.2.7}

“Around it are garlands of wind chime bells,

Spread all around as desired.

He should also visualize a lion throne

In each of the five places. {3.2.8}

“Then, visualizing a sun disk

Adorned with a white parasol,

He should, with the exhalation of his breath,

Project Jñānaḍākinī into its center. {3.2.9}

“She has three faces and six arms,

And sits in the sattvaparyaṅka posture.

She is adorned with loose, disheveled hair

And the five buddhas atop her head. {3.2.10}

“Blue in color, and with a terrifying form,

She is bedecked with adornments made of snakes.

Expressing the moods of mirth, anger, and sensuality,

She has three eyes, and is divinely beautiful. {3.2.11}

“She is laughing loudly, baring her fangs,

And beautiful in her red apparel.

She holds up a khaṭvāṅga,

And in her second hand, an axe. {3.2.12}

“In her third hand she has a vajra scepter.

In her first left hand, she has a bell;

In her second left hand, an alms bowl;

And in her third, she holds a sword. {3.2.13}

“The wise practitioner should visualize her in the middle,

Radiating manifold rays of light.

To the east of Jñānaḍākinī, he should project,

With his outgoing breath, Vajraḍākinī. {3.2.14}

“She is white and exquisite,

Adorned with loose, disheveled hair,

Bedecked with adornments made of snakes,

And expressing the mood of sensuality. {3.2.15}

“She is bedecked with exquisite garments

And adorned with two arms.

He should visualize Vajraḍākinī

Carrying a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic alms bowl. {3.2.16}

“To the north of Jñānaḍākinī, projected with his outgoing breath,

He should visualize Ghoraḍākinī,

With two arms, sitting in the sattvaparyaṅka posture,

Resplendent with the color of molten gold. {3.2.17}

“She carries a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic alms bowl,

Is adorned with loose, disheveled hair,

And her limbs are adorned with ornaments made of snakes.

Her figure is bedecked with exquisite garments.

“Thus should he visualize

The goddess called Ghoraḍākinī. {3.2.18}

“To the west of Jñānaḍākinī

He should project Vetalī.

Again, she has two arms and sits in the sattvaparyaṅka
posture.

She is blue in color and exquisite. {3.2.19}

“She holds a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic bowl,

And is adorned with loose, disheveled hair.

Snakes form her body ornaments,

And exquisite clothes embellish her figure. {3.2.20}

“To the south of Jñānaḍākinī

He should project the red Caṇḍālī,

Who holds a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic bowl,

And is adorned with loose, disheveled hair. {3.2.21}

“She has two arms, one face,

And is adorned with different ornaments.

The practitioner should thus visualize this pentad of goddesses,

Himself endowed with perfect beauty and form. {3.2.22}

“In the northeast he should visualize

The goddess Siṃhinī with the face of a lion.

She is white and yellow, and stands with her right leg outstretched

And the left slightly bent, on a pedestal fashioned from the lord of nāgas.
{3.2.23}

“She holds a vajra goad and, in her other hand,
a noose in a threatening gesture.

She is nicely attired in exquisite garments.

He should visualize her body radiating

With a manifold blaze of light rays. {3.2.24}

“In the southeast there is the goddess called Vyāghrī

On a supreme throne made of seven types of jewels.

She has two arms, is blue and white in color,

And is beautifully attired and adorned with jewelry. {3.2.25}

“She holds a blazing vajra goad and a noose,

While forming a threatening gesture with her fingers.

He should visualize her body radiant

With a manifold blaze of light rays. {3.2.26}

“In the southwest there is the goddess Jambukī,

Laughing loudly and inspiring fear.

She is mounted on a buffalo.

Her body is red and black in color. {3.2.27}

“Her body is attired with exquisite garments

And she has two arms.

Her implements are a noose held with a threatening gesture and a goad.

She is adorned with ornaments made of snakes. {3.2.28}

“In the northwest there is the goddess Ulūkā,

Yellow and red in color.

She sits on a snake throne

And snakes, too, should be visualized as her ornaments. {3.2.29}

“She has two arms and sits in the sattvaparyaṅka posture.

Her implements are a goad and a noose held with a threatening gesture.

One should visualize her body radiant

With a manifold blaze of light rays. {3.2.30}

“There are eight ḍākinīs in the center

And four on the outside.

Having visualized in this way the order of their distribution,

He should subsequently assign each one a place. {3.2.31}

“The royal goddess in the east, Ḍākinī,

Has two arms and is white in color.

She sits on a corpse

And is adorned with snakes as ornaments. {3.2.32}

“She is wild, with disheveled hair,

And her splendor is like that of a blazing fire.

Radiant, she raises her hands

To her mouth, laughing loudly. {3.2.33}

“In the north there is the royal goddess Dīpinī,

Wild, and yellow in color.

Frightening in form and baring her teeth,

She is attired in exquisite garments. {3.2.34}

“She sits on a corpse;

Her splendor is like that of a blazing fire.

Her two hands are folded together at her forehead,

Resembling the flame of a lamp. {3.2.35}

“In the west there is the goddess Cūṣiṇī,

Red in color and inspiring fear.

She sits on a corpse,

Attired in exquisite garments. {3.2.36}

“From her cupped hands she drinks blood,

Trickling in the form of a red thread.

Fierce and with the splendor of a blazing fire,

Cūṣiṇī is indeed a powerful deity. {3.2.37}

“In the south there is the goddess called Kambojī,

Shiny black in color.

She sits on a corpse,

Adorned with disheveled hair. {3.2.38}

“She looks resplendent in her red clothes

And is adorned with ornaments of snakes.

In her hands she holds a javelin and displays a threatening gesture.

She makes everyone’s mind free from delusion. {3.2.39}

“The all-knowing practitioner should always visualize

Each of them as wild and radiating like a blazing fire.

In front of these forms and images,

The pledge substances should be displayed accordingly.
{3.2.40}

“Taking the seventh syllable from the syllable of wind and the seventh from
fire,

He should impel the latter seventh with the seed syllable of Vajrī.

This should be crowned by the anunāsika and supported by the sound ū.

This combination is known as the torrent of ambrosia.” {3.2.41}

This concludes the second part of the third chapter.

Part 3

“Now I will teach the practice of Nairātmyā,

Briefly, as has been taught.

In the middle of space

One should visualize a sun disk, {3.3.1}

“Then the maṇḍala with its arrangement of elements

In the order of the appearance of the deities.

Before the maṇḍala comes earth and water,

And then fire, in their due order. {3.3.2}

“Then comes the great wind, and the symbols,

Which correspond to the order of the appearance of the deities.

The maṇḍala, which arises out of the dharmodaya,

Has two pure and perfect overlapping areas: {3.3.3}

“One is formed by the circle of lotus filaments,

And the other is the supreme three bodies of the vajra holder.

One should visualize a corpse there,

Which is the seat for each of the fifteen goddesses. {3.3.4}

“Above it there is a moon disk,

And above the moon disk is the seed syllable;

Resting upon that is a sun disk.

From the meeting of these two disks comes great bliss. {3.3.5}

“The moon is then transformed into the vowels

And the sun into the consonants.

The meeting of the sun and the moon

Is also known to be Gaurī and the other goddesses. {3.3.6}

“The moon represents mirror-like wisdom,

And the sun, the wisdom of equality.

The symbols of the chosen deity along with their seed syllables

Are said to be discriminating wisdom. {3.3.7}

“The unity of all of these is action-accomplishing wisdom,

Which corresponds to the purity of the deity’s full form.

The wise practitioner should cultivate these five aspects

According to the sequence just described. {3.3.8}

“The union of the vowels and consonants

Constitutes the seat of Vajrasattva.

Since the deity embryo arises from a letter,

“He should visualize the chief deity of the maṇḍala

As arising from the syllable, which is the reflection of its essence.

With their faces, attributes, and so forth, as before,

With the radiance of the moon-stone gem, {3.3.10}

“All the goddesses manifest in full

From the nature of skillful means and wisdom.

The vowels are wisdom and the consonants, means,

Reflecting the distinction between the moon and sun. {3.3.11}

“Since Gaurī and the others should appear one by one,

Following the division of the colors,

He should make every effort

To correctly execute the maṇḍala procedure. {3.3.12}

“The following five yoginīs are positioned

Within the inner enclosure;

The yoga adept should always conceive them to be,

In their natures, the five aggregates: {3.3.13}

“Vajrā is in the east; Gaurī is in the south;

Vāriyoginī is in the west;

Vajraḍākinī is in the north;

And the yoginī Nairātmyā is in the center. {3.3.14}

“Within the outer circle there are the following:

“Gaurī, Caurī, and Vetalī;

So too, Ghasmarī and Pukkasī.

Further, there are Śavarī and Caṇḍālī,

With Ḍombī completing the octet. {3.3.15}

“Down below and up above are known to be,

Respectively, Bhūcarī and Khecarī—

The first, moving, the other, stationary.

They have the nature of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa respectively. {3.3.16}

“All these goddesses can be described as follows:

“They are different colors, very wild,

And adorned with the five mudrās.

They have one face, four arms,

Three eyes, and are divinely beautiful. {3.3.17}

“They each wear a choker, earrings,

A wrist bracelet, and a waist chain.

They are adorned with the five buddhas,

Which constitute their five pure seals. {3.3.18}

“Each of them is said to look

Like the yoginī Nairātmyā,

Who, on her left side, holds a yogic alms bowl

And an upward-pointing khaṭvāṅga. {3.3.19}

“On her right side she holds a blue vajra scepter

And a flaying knife.

She stands on a corpse, ablaze with flames,

With red eyes and yellow, upward-flowing hair. {3.3.20}

“She is blue, brilliantly luminous,

And her hips are wrapped with a tiger skin.

She sits there in her divine beauty,

Glowing like the fire during the final destruction.
{3.3.21}

“To her right there is a yellow and blue goddess, Khecarī;

To her left there is a red and blue one, Bhūcarī.

They each have two arms, a single face,

And are adorned with all types of jewelry. {3.3.22}

“They all extend forward their left hands, which hold skull cups,

And hold in their right hands flaying knives.

They express the moods of mirth, anger, and sensuality,

Abiding in the nature of reverence for him. {3.3.23}

“The wise practitioner should visualize himself in the center

As the identity of the natures of the three tattvas,

Radiating all around light of different colors,

Composed of scintillating clouds of buddhas.” {3.3.24}

This concludes the third part of the third chapter.

Part 4

“Now I will teach

The supreme great maṇḍala,

Which has the form of the vajradhātu

And is known as the vajradhātu itself. {3.4.1}

“One should purify the maṇḍala site,

Making it into a place of the great seal.

The follower of Mantra should execute the following,

Watching over every detail: {3.4.2}

“The wise practitioner should delimit the maṇḍala,

To the best of his ability, using a thread

That is new, well woven,

Of the right length, and beautiful. {3.4.3}

“The maṇḍala should have four corners and four doors,

And be finely adorned with porticos.

It should be provided with four threads

And adorned with fine fabrics and flower garlands {3.4.4}

“On all its sides,

Which are provided with gate-turrets,

He should delimit the outer maṇḍala

With lines of jewel-studded vajra scepters. {3.4.5}

“He should then enter the inner court,

Which has the shape of a circle;

It is strewn with vajra threads

And adorned with eight pillars. {3.4.6}

“It is adorned with five circles

Situated atop the vajra pillars.

Then, in the center of the maṇḍala,

He should place an image of the Buddha. {3.4.7}

“Now I will explain to you the practice

Connected with the maṇḍala procedure just described.

“Starting precisely from there, the follower of Mantra should enter this
dwelling of the deity and visualize a moon disk transformed from the letter
a. Above the disk, he
should visualize a white, five-pointed vajra scepter, according to procedure.
Having then made offerings to all the tathāgatas, and so forth, he should
prostrate himself, and say the following: {3.4.8}

“ ‘May all buddhas and bodhisattvas please keep me in their heart! From
now until I sit on the throne of liberation, I, named such and such,

“ ‘Give rise to the altruistic aspiration set on awakening—

Supreme and unsurpassable—

Just as the buddhas of the three times

Made their firm resolve to attain perfect awakening. {3.4.9}

“ ‘I will firmly observe each of the three kinds of bodhisattva ethics:

The training in ethical discipline,

The gathering of wholesome qualities,

And the ethics of acting for the benefit of beings. {3.4.10}

“ ‘From now onward I will firmly uphold

The vow, born from the union
with the buddhas,

Of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha,

The three foremost and unsurpassable jewels. {3.4.11}

“ ‘Within the fold of the great vajra family,

I will firmly uphold the vajra, bell, and hand gestures

According to their true nature.

I will commit myself to the master. {3.4.12}

“ ‘Within the great jewel family, as is fitting,

I shall bounteously give the four kinds of gifts,

Performing this six times each day

As my delightful samaya. {3.4.13}

“ ‘Within the great pure lotus family,

Which emerges from great awakening,

I shall uphold the true Dharma—

The exoteric and esoteric dimensions pertaining to the three vehicles.
{3.4.14}

“ ‘Within the fold of the great activity family

I shall uphold, in every respect,

The all-encompassing vow

And perform the act of worship to the best of my ability. {3.4.15}

“ ‘Now that I have given rise to the altruistic aspiration set on
awakening—

Supreme and unsurpassable—

And taken all the vows

For fulfilling the needs of all beings, {3.4.16}

“ ‘I shall ferry across those that have not yet crossed,

I shall liberate those that have not been liberated,

And I shall give comfort to the desolate,

Establishing all beings in nirvāṇa.’ ” {3.4.17}

Then the lord entered the meditative absorption called “that which arises
from the pinnacle of all vajra holders” and gave this inspiring teaching:
{3.4.18}

“Now, staying in a place suitable for meditation, he should observe the
absence of intrinsic identity in all phenomena. Everything of an external and
internal nature is imputed by mind. There is nothing else that exists beyond mind.
Since all phenomena, being luminous, have never arisen in the first place, he
should mentally declare them to be unproduced. Then he should perceive his own mind,
which is luminous by nature, in the form of a moon disk, while reciting the
following mantra with enthusiasm:

“This mind is like the sky—

Stainless despite the presence of clouds.

It is free from all dejection,

Being utterly devoid of mental constructs. {3.4.20}

“First it is visualized as the moon,

Cleansed of all the dirt of afflictions.

Therein enter all the qualities of the awakened ones

In the form of the short letter a, and so forth: {3.4.21}

“a ā i ī u ū ṛ ṝ
ḷ ḹ e ai o au aṃ aḥ.” {3.4.22}

Vajragarbha then asked:

“What qualities, O Blessed One,

Make this moon disk unique?” {3.4.23}

The Blessed One said:

“It has three corners, is big in
size, and is

A receptacle for the qualities of all awakened ones.

“These qualities of the awakened ones enter into it in the form of the
letter a, and the rest.
Possessing the luster of a crystal or the moon, they come in atop the moon disk,
causing the mind, which is luminous by nature, to expand. The follower of Mantra should then generate the
altruistic aspiration for awakening with the following mantra:

“This bodhicitta arises from having performed this rite,

And it begets kindness toward all beings.

It is replete with wholesome qualities

And destroys all afflictions. {3.4.25}

“In the center of the moon disk

There is a second one—the moon of awakening. {3.4.26}

“Here, too, the qualities of the awakened ones enter like stars in the
form of the syllables ka, and
so forth, by means of the qualities being reflected in the syllables. These
syllables are:

“This maṇḍala procedure has not been taught in its entirety in other
tantras. Here, in addition, in order to stabilize the generation of the mind of
Samantabhadra, he
should visualize himself in the image of a radiant, white vajra scepter there in
the middle of the aforementioned moon disk, while reciting the following
mantra:

“This conduct of awakening is unsurpassable.

Its basis, it should be well understood,

Is pristine, stainless wisdom without karmic stains. {3.4.29}

“In the center of the moon disk

He should visualize a vajra scepter. {3.4.30}

“A follower of Mantra should visualize himself with a vajra body that extends
throughout the entire expanse of space. {3.4.31}

“Then, while practicing the radiation and absorption

Of tiny vajra scepters, he should recite the following mantra:

Oṁ, I am of the nature of vajra. {3.4.32}

“This vajra, which is the body of all the buddhas,

Has neither appearance nor abode.

It is unborn, unfabricated, pure,

And devoid of nonexistence, and so forth. {3.4.33}

“It is unbreakable, indivisible, and ungraspable;

It is the dharmakāya free of attributes;

It arises as the nature of vajra and is therefore

The unsurpassable vajra body.” {3.4.34}

Vajragarbha then asked, “How do I further meditate on this vajra, O
Blessed One?” {3.4.35}

The Blessed One said, “May all the tathāgatas listen! One should again
visualize Vajrasattva—the reflection of the buddhas endowed with the supreme of
all characteristics—while reciting the following mantra:

“The buddha body, its secret nature, and the conduct,

The range of experience, and the awakening to reality—

These are the five aspects of perfect awakening,

The pure nature of all the buddhas.” {3.4.37}

Then the great bodhisattvas, led by Vajragarbha, addressed the Blessed
One yet again:

“What, O Blessed One, are the secret vajra and lotus families?” {3.4.38}

The lord said:

“The vajra family abides in all tathāgatas;

The lotus family includes great goddess deities.

That is why the vajra scepter is positioned above the lotus flower—

From there issue forth all the tathāgatas. {3.4.39}

“In this manner, one should generate oneself as Vairocana, visualizing,
above and below, the syllables of the mantra. Following the usual procedure, one should then
emanate Mount Sumeru and a vast triangle, adorned with a maṇḍala of different
colored lights. One should visualize, arising there, a beautiful palace, and in
it, the syllable paṁ, which
transforms into a multicolored lotus with a sun disk atop it. This is adorned with
the syllables ya, ra, la, and va, in conjunction with the maṇḍalas of wind, fire, and so forth.
Then, above that, with the appropriate mantra, one should
visualize a temple palace surmounted with a vajra-jewel pinnacle, shining with
various jewels and gems, and adorned with colorful streamers and banners with tiny
bells attached to them, shaken by the wind. The palace is further adorned with
garlands, chaplets, multi-string chains of pearls, and moon crescents. It is
praised and glorified by all the tathāgatas inhabiting it. While visualizing this
one should recite the mantra hūṁ. {3.4.40}

“Having placed this mantra, hūṁ, on a moon disk in one’s heart, one should visualize that it
transforms into a five-pronged vajra scepter. One should repeatedly radiate from
it five-pronged vajra scepters, and absorb them all back as buddhas. Next, one
should visualize that the very same vajra scepter transforms into Vajrasattva,
radiant like the color of the moon, and endowed with the supreme of all
characteristics. {3.4.41}

“Sitting on a moon disk,

And adorned with all kinds of adornments,

The hero, handsome in his singular wisdom and joy,

Is holding a vajra scepter, a bell, {3.4.42}

“A sword, a goad,

A skull cup, and a noose.

The face on the right is black,

And the one on the left, red. {3.4.43}

“He has three faces and six arms

And is divinely beautiful, with three eyes on each of his faces.

One should visualize him in a maṇḍala of pleasure,

Nestled in the lotus of his consort (vidyā). {3.4.44}

“One should imagine that he is endowed with all the supreme

Characteristics consistent with his being the lord of the maṇḍala. {3.4.45}

“In the east there is Vairocana;

In the south, Ratnasambhava;

In the west, Amitābha;

And in the north, Amoghasiddhi. {3.4.46}

“In the northeast there is Locanā;

In the southeast, Māmakī;

In the southwest, Pāṇḍaravāsinī;

And in the northwest, Tārā. {3.4.47}

“In the outer circle,

“White Raudrī in the east,

Yellow Vajrabimbā in the south,

Red Rāgavajrā in the west,

And green Vajrasaumyā in the north. {3.4.48}

“In the northeast there is white and yellow Vajrayakṣī;

In the southeast, yellow and red Vajraḍākinī;

In the southwest, red and blue Śabdavajrā;

And in the northwest, green and white Pṛthivīvajrā. {3.4.49}

“In the outer circle,

“In the northeast, Vaṃśā;In the southeast, Vīṇā;

In the southwest, Mukundā;

And in the northwest, Murajā. {3.4.50}

“Vaṃśā and the other three have two arms and a single face. {3.4.51}

“On the outer rim there should be placed the yoginīs of the maṇḍala, each
holding her respective emblem—the flower, and so forth. They likewise have two
arms. {3.4.52}

“At the eastern gate one should draw the goddess Vajrāṃkuśī, the color of
dark sky, with her right and left faces black and white respectively. In her first
hand she holds a goad, in the second she brandishes a sword, and in the third she
holds a discus. Her left hands hold a noose, display a threatening gesture, and
hold a bell. These are the emblems in her six hands. {3.4.53}

“At the southern gate one should draw the white and yellow mother, Vajrapāśī, whose right and left faces are black and red
respectively. In her right hands she brandishes a noose, a vajra scepter, and a
sword. In her left hands she holds a discus and a bell, and holds a noose while
forming a threatening gesture. These are the emblems in her six hands.
{3.4.54}

“At the western gate one should draw Vajrasphoṭā, red in color and with great brilliance. Her right
and left faces are black and white respectively. In her six hands she is holding,
on the right, a fettering chain, a vajra scepter, and a sword, and on the left, a
discus, a bell, and a goad. These are the emblems in her six hands. {3.4.55}

“At the northern gate there is the terrifying Vajraghaṇṭā. She has three
faces: the middle one is green, the right one black, and the left one white. In
her six hands she holds a bell, a vajra scepter, a sword, a discus, a goad, and a
noose. {3.4.56}

“All should be visualized standing on a sun disk upon a multicolored
lotus, with their blazing hair flowing upward. {3.4.57}

“In the intermediate directions, starting from the southeast, there are
yoginīs who hold their respective emblems—the flower, and so forth. They are
typically known to possess two arms. {3.4.58}

“At the gates starting from the east, there are yoginīs holding a goad, a
noose, a fettering chain, and a bell. Thus the maṇḍala is provided with
gatekeepers. {3.4.59}

“The syllables jaḥ,
hūṁ, vaṁ, and hoḥ are taught to be their respective heart mantras;
there is no doubt about this. Through being arranged, fashioned, and so forth in
this manner, this is the outer maṇḍala of glorious Vajrasattva, replete with the
emblems and gestures. {3.4.60}

“Inside the outer maṇḍala, the same design as before, is another, half
its size—the maṇḍala of the wind element, in the shape of a half-moon disk,
adorned with eight pillars, and surrounded on the outside with a quadruple line.
{3.4.61}

“In all the locations assigned to the respective deities, one should
arrange Gaurī and the others, along with their thrones, as described. In the
center one should visualize the syllable hrīḥ; in the quarter toward the east, the syllable
hrīḥ; in the south, the syllable hiḥ; in the west, the syllable gīḥ; in the north, the
syllable jiḥ; in the southeast, the syllable taṁ; in the southwest, the syllable
jaṁ; in the northwest, the
syllable maṁ; and in the
northeast, one should place the syllable haṁ. {3.4.62}

“In the outer circle, in the southeast, one should place the syllable
oṁ; in the southwest, the
syllable aṁ; in the northwest, the syllable eṁ; and in the northeast, one should place
the syllable aiṁ. {3.4.63}

“Further outside one should visualize, surrounding the maṇḍala, the eight
charnel grounds. One should place there the eight great spirits, Indra, and the
others, who are very frightened. {3.4.65}

“In the east one should draw

A host of gods sitting upon a bodhi tree.

In the south one should draw

The powerful lord Yama atop a mango tree. {3.4.66}

“In the west one should place

The king of clouds on an aśoka tree.

Likewise, in the north one should situate

The army of yakṣas on a bodhi tree. {3.4.67}

“Similarly, in the southeast one should draw

A crowd of ṛṣis upon a pongamia tree.

In the southwest, on a jasmine shrub,

One should place rākṣasas and the like. {3.4.68}

“In the northwest one should draw

The lord of wind on a crepe jasmine bush.

In the northeast one should draw

A crowd of pretas on a banyan tree. {3.4.69}

“One should live covered in ashes

Along with Rudra, Indra, Upendra, Candra

Arka, and Yama, who were sealed

And confounded, and their treasures enjoyed. {3.4.70}

“Further, diligently practicing skillful means and wisdom,

One should carry, on one’s left side,

A khaṭvāṅga and a skull cup filled with blood,

While gently sounding a bell. {3.4.71}

“In one’s right hand one should carry

A blazing vajra scepter, which frightens even fear itself.

Having assumed the ardhaparyaṅka posture,

One should press down on one’s left thigh.
{3.4.72}

“Stepping over Brahmā, and so forth,

One should enjoy this act in a manly manner.

He will give … {3.4.73}

“If the practitioner meditates

Visualizing multicolored light all around

That takes the form of scintillating clouds of buddhas,

He will swiftly gain accomplishment.” {3.4.74}

This concludes the sovereign third chapter of the glorious “Emergence from Sampuṭa.”

Chapter 4

Part 1

[Vajragarbha said:]

“I would like to hear, O Blessed One,

About the characteristics of the external signs.

Please tell me, O great sage,

This secret of yogins and yoginīs.” {4.1.1}

The lord then entered the meditative absorption called “the power of
ḍākinīs’ conquest” and explained the pledge signs of ḍākinīs. {4.1.2}

“The vajra (male sexual organ) is in
Kollagiri

And the lotus (female sexual organ) is in Muṃmuni.

The rattle of the wood (hand-drum) is unbroken;

It sounds for compassion, not for quarrels. {4.1.3}

“Here we eat strength (meat)

And drink passion (wine) extravagantly.

Hey, the Kāliñjaras (worthy ones) may enter here;

The emissions (unworthy ones) are excluded. {4.1.4}

“We ingest the four ingredients (feces)—

Also musk (urine), olibanum (menstrual blood), and camphor (semen).

Here we eat jasmine wood (condiments) and rice products (human flesh)

To our satisfaction. {4.1.5}

“We do swinging (coming) and phlegm (going)

Without thinking in terms of ‘pure’ and ‘impure.’

Our bodies are naked (adorned with bone ornaments).

Here we enter the corpse (our refuge). {4.1.6}

“At the sandalwood (our meeting) we perform the olibanum (sex act);

Here small drums (the untouchables) are not shunned. {4.1.7}

“And also:

“Now I shall explain the outer
secret signs

In the prescribed order,

Through which a [vajra] brother or sister

Can be recognized without doubt. {4.1.10}

“The potaṅgī
gesture is answered with the same. Other code words and
signs used are gamu, lumba, ‘swallowing,’ ‘wooden vessel,’
‘heart,’ ‘Kuru woman,’ ‘earring,’ alikaraṇa, ‘boar,’ ‘hearing,’ ‘churning,’ ‘man,’ ‘palm of the
hand,’ ‘hell,’ ‘someone,’ kākhilā, ‘sighing,’ ‘enclosure,’ ‘cessation,’ ‘cruel one,’ ‘end,’
‘scorpion,’ ‘younger sister,’ mudaka, ‘the grasping one’ which means ‘mudrā,’ ‘touching the
teeth,’ ‘perfume seller,’ ‘arrival’ which means ‘from what place,’ ‘ray of light,’
‘hanging down,’ ‘teeth,’ ‘cessation,’ ‘report,’ ‘smoke,’ ‘fond of smoke,’
‘summit,’ ‘rivulets,’ ‘finger,’ ‘mouth,’ ‘stripe(?),’ ‘eating,’ ‘series,’
‘intention,’ ‘movement,’ ‘lord of animals,’ ‘circle,’ ‘the same,’ phālguṣa, ‘great syllable,’ chā, nā, go,
ma, bhā, hā, ‘makers of offerings(?),’ and ‘remaining.’ A
particular message is conveyed when one is touching one’s mouth or one’s teeth.
‘Bashful.’ A
particular message is conveyed when one is touching space, or touching one’s
thighs below. The signs and their responses are thus laid down.”
{4.1.11}

This concludes the first part of the fourth chapter on the secret
language of letters and speech.

Part 2

“Listen, O most compassionate Vajragarbha,

With undivided attention. {4.2.1}

“Dākinīs are known to be of seven types:

Rūpikā, Cumbikā, Lāmā,

Parāvṛttā, Samālikā,

Anivṛttikā, and Aihikī. {4.2.2}

“She who gazes with passion

And then frowns,

Whose beauty seduces at first

But later brings ruin,

Is known as Rūpikā, the beautiful;

She is served
in nonduality by the valiant. {4.2.3}

“She who kisses a child as soon as she sees it,

Regardless of whether the child is lovable or not,

Is known as Cumbikā, the kisser.

This ḍākinī is very congenial. {4.2.4}

“She who has an animal gaze and an angry expression,

Who threatens with her knitted eyebrows,

And frightens others with her heavy sighs,

Is to be known as Lāmā. {4.2.5}

“She who frightens away

All wild boars, jackals, cats, and horses

Is called Parāvṛttā, the one who repels. {4.2.6}

“She who is happy and laughs gregariously,

And who, once gone, never returns

Is known as Samālikā. {4.2.7}

“She by whose touch, when she is upset, one will die—

Whether it be by her hand, a clod of earth where she walked,

Her foot, the end of her garment, or a stick that she touched—

Is called Anivṛttikā. {4.2.8}

“She who laughs, talks, cries,

Or suddenly gets angry

Is known as Aihikā,

The ḍākinī, mother of yogins. {4.2.9}

“They each hold a skull cup, an axe, an elephant tusk, a banner made from
crocodile skin, a sword, a lance, and a conch, which are known to be their seven
respective implements. {4.2.10}

“The adept of yoga should always be able to recognize these signs
according to the procedure of sampuṭa.” {4.2.11}

This concludes the second part of the fourth chapter on the
characteristics and signs particular to demon ḍākinīs of charnel
grounds.

Part 3

“Now I will teach

The telltale signs of the lāmās.

If a woman has a pink complexion,

And eyes elongated like lotus leaves, {4.3.1}

“And if she always prefers white clothes,

Smells of fresh sandalwood,

Delights in the company of bliss-gone ones,

And responds to affectionate glances, {4.3.2}

“One should draw a lotus in one’s house and worship it,

For she belongs to the family of Padmanarteśvara.

If a woman has the sign of a trident between her eyebrows,

A dark blue face, a white body, {4.3.3}

“And the hue and scent of a blue lotus,

One should draw a vajra scepter in one’s house and always worship it,

For she arises from the family of the glorious Heruka

And is known as the ‘tranquil ḍākinī.’ {4.3.4}

“If a woman has red eyes, a pink complexion,

Red feet and hands,

And is always delighted

In the company of goats and chickens, {4.3.5}

“One should draw a vajra scepter in one’s house

And always worship it,

For there is no doubt that such ḍākinīs

Arise from the family of glorious Heruka. {4.3.6}

“If a circle is visible

On a woman’s forehead or hand;

If she has a yellow and dark blue complexion,

And always prefers yellow clothes; {4.3.7}

“And if she is possessed of great beauty and grace,

And her head smells of flowers,

One should, accordingly, draw a circle in one’s house,

For she belongs to the Tathāgata family. {4.3.8}

“If a woman is black and dark blue,

And has prominent, white fangs;

If she is beautiful and unremittingly cruel

And always wears her hair loose; {4.3.9}

“And if she enjoys bathing constantly

And always talks a lot,

One should draw a vajra scepter in one’s house,

For such a woman arises from the family of Vajravārāhī. {4.3.10}

“If a woman is white with a golden hue,

Has bright eyes, and is hairy;

If a vajra scepter is visible

On her forehead or hand; {4.3.11}

“And if she is of royal stature,

Proud, always speaks the truth,

And exudes the scent of jasmine,

One should draw a vajra scepter in one’s house

And worship it continually, {4.3.12}

“For she is the great queen of yogins, the exalted one,

Arisen from the family of Khaṇḍarohā.

Again, if a woman is fond of eating meat

And her eyes are the color of collyrium; {4.3.13}

“If she has the sign of a spear on her forehead

And takes pleasure in cruel acts;

If she continually frequents charnel grounds

And is neither frightened nor squeamish; {4.3.14}

“And if she has a convergence of wrinkles on her forehead,

One should draw a skull cup in one’s house

And always worship it,

For she arises from the family of Heruka. {4.3.15}

“If a woman has the complexion of a rain cloud

And uneven teeth,

And if she continually commits cruel acts

And the teeth in the left side of her mouth protrude, {4.3.16}

“One should draw an axe in one’s house

And always worship it,

For there is no doubt that she is a ḍākinī,

Arisen from the family of Vināyaka. {4.3.17}

“If a woman has curly hair

And a round face;

If she typically has facial hair,

Long eyebrows, and body hair; {4.3.18}

“If she dresses in white, and is pure and gentle;

And if she speaks the truth unwaveringly

And always delights in the true Dharma,

She should be known as Vīrabhāginī, sister of the valiant. {4.3.19}

“One should make the lotus gesture to her,

And again, the tortoise gesture.

One should honor the ritual pitcher

As this is the prescribed “gesture of response.” {4.3.20}

“On the tenth lunar day

One should draw a lotus in one’s house.

Again, if a woman has fleshy lips, and elongated eyes;

If her eyes are reddish-yellow; {4.3.21}

“If she is blessed with good fortune and wealth,

And has the complexion of a yellow jade orchid flower;

If her body is long, she has long hands,

And if she is fond of colorful clothes; {4.3.22}

“If there are three lines on her forehead

Or at the border of her hairline above it;

If she laughs and rejoices;

If she crosses one’s path, then stops; {4.3.23}

“And if she is typically fond of stories about

People killed in battles, then,

If one sees a wanton woman like this,

One should show her the spear gesture. {4.3.24}

“Drawing in one’s left foot,

One should perform a dance.

A gesture prescribed in response to this

Is turning one’s body to the left. {4.3.25}

“One should worship her on the fourteenth and the eighth lunar days,

Having drawn the shape of a spear in one’s house—

This is to reflect the fact that she belongs

To the lāmā goddesses of the family of Amitābha, the lord of the world. {4.3.26}

“If a woman has a pink complexion

And greenish-yellow eyes;

If her hair is curly

And she wears a hair band; {4.3.27}

“If a single long line

Is etched on her forehead,

Extending upward,

And she is fond of red clothes; {4.3.28}

“If she continually laughs, sings,

And suddenly gets angry;

And if she always delights in quarrels,

Showing exceptional fickle-mindedness, {4.3.29}

“When one sees a wanton woman like this,

One should make the lance gesture.

A second gesture, that of the bell,

Should then be made with care.
{4.3.30}

“Turning one’s body to the left

Is the prescribed response gesture.

Again, if a woman is short

And has thick shins, {4.3.31}

“And if she is typically fond of yellow clothes

And her clothes hang loosely around her neck—

When seeing a wanton woman such as this,

One should make the wheel gesture. {4.3.32}

“A second gesture, that of the conch,

Should then be given with care.

Turning one’s body to the left

Is the prescribed response gesture. {4.3.33}

“One should draw a vajra scepter in one’s house

On the fourteenth lunar day, right for her worship.

Again, if a woman is hairy all over

And has yellowish-black eyes; {4.3.34}

“If she grimaces frighteningly, baring her teeth;

If her face is thick, with a fleshy mouth,

Pouting lips, deeply set eyes,

And a crooked nose; {4.3.35}

“If she ever displays gandharva skills;

And if she is of the color of dark cloud and has a big belly—

When seeing a wanton woman like this,

One should make the snake gesture. {4.3.36}

“A second gesture, that of the lance,

Should be given with care.

As before, turning one’s body to the left

Is the prescribed response gesture. {4.3.37}

“One should draw teeth in one’s house

On the eleventh lunar day, right for her worship,

And honor them at all times.” {4.3.38}

This concludes the third part of the fourth chapter on sign
gestures.

Part 4

“Now I will teach more on

The signs of bodily gestures.

If a woman touches the topknot on her head,

One should show her one’s head. {4.4.1}

“If she points at her forehead,

One should show her one’s cheek.

If she shows her teeth,

One should show her one’s tongue. {4.4.2}

“If she touches her lips,

One should point at one’s chin.

If she touches her neck,

One should show her one’s abdomen. {4.4.3}

“If she points at her abdomen,

One should show her one’s navel.

If she shows her bristling bodily hair,

One should point at the ground. {4.4.4}

“If she shows her secret part,

One should show her one’s liṅga.

If she shows her knee,

One should point at one’s shin. {4.4.5}

“If she shows her hand,

One should show her one’s arm.

If she shows her foot,

One should show her the sole of one’s foot. {4.4.6}

“If she shows her finger,

One should show her a fingernail.

If she points at the ground,

One should point at the sky. {4.4.7}

“If she points at the sky,

One should point at the sun.

If she points at a river,

One should point toward the ocean. {4.4.8}

“If she shows one finger,

This means ‘you are welcome.’

If she shows two fingers,

This means ‘you are most welcome.’ {4.4.9}

“If she makes a gesture with her right eyebrow,

One should make the same with the left eyebrow—

These two gestures signify the two teachers.” {4.4.10}

This concludes the sovereign fourth chapter on the sign language of
vajraḍākinīs in the glorious “Emergence from
Sampuṭa,” so called to reflect the secret foundation of all
tantras.

Chapter 5

Part 1

“Now I will teach

About the gathering of all sublime people.

There, one should consume a dish of good food,

Served in a dish with two compartments. {5.1.1}

Vajragarbha asked, “Blessed One, what places are places of gatherings?”
{5.1.2}

The Blessed One said:

“There are pīṭhas and auxiliary pīṭhas,

And likewise, kṣetras and auxiliary kṣetras.

There are also chandohas and auxiliary chandohas,

Melāpakas and auxiliary melāpakas. {5.1.3}

“There are charnel grounds and auxiliary charnel grounds,

Pīlavas and auxiliary pīlavas.

These are the twelve types of meeting places.

The lord of the ten bhūmis has not specified

Any places other than these twelve.” {5.1.4}

Vajragarbha asked, “O Blessed One, which places are the pīthas, and so
forth? What are the twelve types of places? Please be so kind as to explain, you
who are born of greatness.” {5.1.5}

The Blessed One said:

“Jālandhara is said to be a pīṭha,

And so, too, is Oḍḍiyāna.

Pūrṇagiri is a pīṭha,

And so is Arbuda. {5.1.6}

“Godāvarī is said to be an auxiliary pīṭha,

And so, too, is Rāmeśvara.

Devīkoṭa has been proclaimed to be likewise,

And so, too, Mālava. {5.1.7}

“Kāmarūpa and, likewise, Oḍra

Have been proclaimed to be kṣetras.

Triśakuni is an auxiliary kṣetra,

And so is Kośala. {5.1.8}

“Kaliṅga is said to be a chandoha,

And so, too, is Lampāka.

Kāñcī has been declared to be an auxiliary chandoha,

And so, too, has Himālaya. {5.1.9}

“Pretādhivāsinī is a melāpaka,

And so is Gṛhadevatā.

Sauraṣṭra is an auxiliary melāpaka,

As is Suvarṇadvīpa. {5.1.10}

“Nagara is famed as a charnel ground;

So, too, is Sindhu.

Maru is said to be an auxiliary charnel ground,

And so is Kulatā. {5.1.11}

“Kāruṇya is said to be a pīlava,

And so is Karmārapāṭaka.

Harikela is a pīlava,

And so is the middle of the salt ocean, Lavaṇasāgara. {5.1.12}

“Vindhyā and Kaumārapaurikā

Are auxiliary pīlavas.

Adjacent to them are the charnel grounds

Pretasaṃghāta and Udadhitaṭa.

Udyāna and Vāpikātīra

Are said to be auxiliary charnel grounds. {5.1.13}

“Now I will explain the manner in which such places are inhabited.

“Viraja is inhabited by a goddess living in a mango tree,

Koṅkana is inhabited by one in a somavarṇikā tree,

Caritra, by one in a pongamia tree,

And Aṭṭahāsa, by one living in a kadamba tree. {5.1.14}

“Devīkoṭa is inhabited by a goddess living in a banyan tree,

Harikela, by one in a hari
tree,

Uḍḍiyāna, by one in an aśoka tree,

And Jālandhara, by one in a thorn apple tree. {5.1.15}

“A pīṭha is the bhūmi called Joyous,

And an auxiliary pīṭha, the bhūmi called Stainless.

A kṣetra should be known as the bhūmi Shining,

And an auxiliary kṣetra as Blazing Wisdom. {5.1.16}

“A chandoha should be known as the bhūmi Revealed,

And an auxiliary chandoha as Difficult to Conquer,

A melāpaka as the bhūmi Far Gone,

And an auxiliary melāpaka as Immovable. {5.1.17}

“A charnel ground is the bhūmi Excellent Intelligence,

And an auxiliary charnel ground, Cloud of Dharma.

The ‘barbarous’ language of the yoginī

Thus depicts the bhūmis of the ten perfections. {5.1.18}

“One should visualize, externally and internally,

All these different attributes as has been explained. {5.1.19}

“In addition, I will explain what days are suitable for a successful gathering
of yoginīs.

“The fourteenth and the eighth day

Of the moon’s waning fortnight are particularly recommended

For consuming someone killed by a banner or a weapon,

Or one who has been born seven times. {5.1.20}

“Generating compassion with ardor,

The wise practitioner should perform the act of killing.

Since those devoid of compassion will not succeed,

One should therefore train in compassion. {5.1.21}

“ ‘Just as I feel for myself, so too should I for sentient beings.

I am just as any other living being.’

Reflecting thus, and remaining in union with the deity,

One will swiftly attain success.” {5.1.22}

This concludes the first part of the fifth chapter on meeting
places.

Part 2

Vajragarbha said:

“I would like to hear, O lord of knowledge,

About the characteristic of the secret lotus.

What is its use in the stages of attaining ultimate awakening,

In which mind is mingled with gnosis?” {5.2.1}

The Blessed One said:

“In reliance upon the Catuṣpīṭha Tantra,

A vajra holder progressing toward perfect awakening

Should give rise to an attitude of equanimity,

Casting aside his desires, and so forth. {5.2.2}

“He should sit on a comfortable seat,

In a pleasant place,

With thoughts of compassion and benevolence

For all animate and inanimate things. {5.2.3}

“He should then visualize the central channel

From top to bottom: the ‘end of sound,’ the secret lotus,

And likewise, the different seats

With their parts and their different letters. {5.2.4}

“Vajra body, speech, and mind,

Made manifest from within the sphere of phenomena,

Are then brought together, and through the
‘embryo’ method

He becomes Vajrasattva. {5.2.5}

“In the highest state,

Where the elements of water and fire become one taste,

The natures of means and gnosis are joined in union

And the six sense faculties become reflections of the Buddha. {5.2.6}

“He becomes a teacher of authentic treatises,

And a follower of scripture who understands the truth.

He will truly reach the other shore—

The state of reality, the secret meaning. {5.2.7}

“Having cleansed the body of impurities through applying

The characteristics of reality, such as emptiness and the like,

To all the previous characteristics,

He will win the stages of perfect awakening.
{5.2.8}

“In the center of a moon disk

He should visualize the wisdom being,

White as a jasmine flower or the moon,

Emanating rays of moonlight. {5.2.9}

“The wisdom being has two arms

And sits on a lotus in sattvaparyaṅka posture.

He is adorned with all kinds of jewelry

And with the crown of the five buddhas. {5.2.10}

“His two hands, which he presses against his chest,

Display the gesture of the great seal.

He is possessed of great beauty and splendor.

Such is the meditation on the wisdom being. {5.2.11}

“He should visualize a plantain flower at his navel,

Endowed with all the aforementioned characteristics

And reaching up as far as his heart.

It opens there, revealing the original lotus flower. {5.2.12}

“The lotus has eight exquisite petals,

Filaments, and filament bulbs.

He should then place the syllables on the petals

[And visualize himself as Vajrasattva] sitting at the center of the maṇḍala.
{5.2.13}

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

White, divinely beautiful, and without any blemishes.

In the center of his body he should visualize [the syllable of]
consciousness,

Joining it with his own awareness. {5.2.14}

“On the eastern petal, the petal of Akṣobhya,

There is the syllable of Akṣobhya joined with loving kindness.

On the petal at the southern gate

There is the syllable of Ratnasambhava joined with compassion. {5.2.15}

“On the petal of the western gate,

He should place the syllable of Amitābha,

And at the location of the northern gate,

The syllable of the mind of mighty Amoghasiddhi. {5.2.16}

“He should thus arrange the four syllables—

Those that begin with a vowel and others,

Adding the sign of candrabindu
as required—

All adorned with white moonlight. {5.2.17}

“On the intermediate petals he should place

The previously mentioned four neuter syllables (ṛ, ṝ, ḷ, ḹ).

In the center of them

He should add the mind syllable (hūṁ).” {5.2.18}

Vajragarbha said:

“My curiosity has been aroused, so please tell me,

O Blessed One, how is it that despite

Everything being empty and without characteristic,

There is yoga, and so forth, involving syllables?” {5.2.19}

The Blessed One said:

“Hear the truth, Vajragarbha,

About the emptiness of objects and their properties —

It is like how a plantain tree, itself without essence,

Yields fruit that is the ambrosia of essences. {5.2.20}

“In the center there is cognition-gnosis,

Corresponding in nature to formless cognizance.

One cannot find there any characteristic,

For it is the stainless body of gnosis. {5.2.21}

“Free of being either entity or non-entity,

Syllabic forms emerge from where there are none.

At their core is an empty essence,

Whose reality the yogin must apprehend. {5.2.22}

“Once this property has been properly cognized

With a mind steeped in the gnosis of equality,

It will soon be seen that he is

On the path to perfect awakening. {5.2.23}

“This path relies on the guru’s instructions

As it involves the nature of gnosis-consciousness.

Its properties are indicated in treatises;

Its reality, however, is pointed out by the valiant instructor. {5.2.24}

“He should always visualize it

As engulfed in white light,

And imagine it with the other seed syllables of the [five] ambrosias,

In a stūpa with five layers. {5.2.25}

“The bodhicitta drop, sublime with the glow of white light,

Overflows with a stream of ambrosia.

At the heart, in the center of the lotus containing the syllables,

Is an orb the size of a thumb. {5.2.26}

“In its center there are syllables

Embodying all vowels and consonants,

Radiant white in color,

Emitting rays of moonlight. {5.2.27}

“At the openings in their center

There is a drop, consisting of what is known as consciousness,

As fine as one hundredth of a hair tip,

In the form of an infinitesimally small particle. {5.2.28}

“Since it is the nature of the consciousness

Of those who cognize objects and their properties,

Look into the state of abiding as the drop—

It is characterized by non-perception and non-thought.
{5.2.29}

“The consciousness-gnosis may be
grasped

By relying on the guru’s instructions

Regarding the descent of the drop

From the opening at the fontanel down to the heart. {5.2.30}

“The outsiders will not find the right path,

Which is difficult to find even with the aid of treatises.

Such treatises are easy to find,

But the practices described therein are difficult to discern. {5.2.31}

“He should eagerly follow the guru’s instructions,

Applying the methods used by yogins.

By following the path shown by the guru, a wise practitioner

Will be able to discern the practices described in treatises. {5.2.32}

“Fully collected, he should meditate merging with the essence,

Unwavering and untroubled.

Phenomena are preceded by the mind;

They are purified by mind and have the swiftness of thought. {5.2.33}

“It is through the mind, with its king-like grace,

That one speaks and acts.

Thus, with everything being the nature of mind,

The wise one knows that he is born from mind. {5.2.34}

“The yogin should recite the mantra as he likes,

Keeping his attention on his heart,

For it is not the principal natures (tattva) that

Constitute the cause, but the seed syllables. {5.2.35}

“Since the seed syllables comprise cause and effect,

The principal natures should not be viewed as such.

The five syllables to be visualized are

The fivefold experience of existence, of form, and so forth. {5.2.36}

“As he is carried around everywhere,

He should place these syllables in the central channel.

Thus the syllables of gnosis and cognition should be placed

At the roots of the three channels that always need to be blocked.
{5.2.37}

“When he longs for experiences of saṃsāra,

He should join these syllables, in mental recitation,

With the ‘sound’ (long ū)
and the ‘drop’ (anunāsika),

Without, however, saying them aloud. {5.2.38}

“He will definitively and perpetually

Come to abide, together with the buddhas,

In the state that is always subtle and stainless,

And where gnosis and cognition merge. {5.2.39}

“With its presence as gnosis, cognition may

Then be observed in its progression toward perfect awakening.

The first sign to be observed

For all practitioners is the form of a bright flame. {5.2.40}

“The second sign revealed

Is sparkling dust resembling fireflies—

It will be seen as circular shapes of white powder

Formed throughout the ten direction. {5.2.41}

“The third sign observed by practitioners

Is the disappearance of afflictions.

The fourth one to be revealed

Is the experience of the pleasures of gods from the desire realm. {5.2.42}

“The fifth sign mentally perceived

Is the experience of the delights of the form realm,

The sixth is the pleasures of the formless realm,

And the seventh is those experienced by the buddhas. {5.2.43}

“With the arrival of the eighth sign, practitioners

Can experience at will the fruition that is the goal of awakening. {5.2.44}

“Listen, O most compassionate Vajrasattva,

With undivided attention!

“Definitely all things are known

To possess purity as their essence.

Subsequent to this, the deities are explained,

One by one, according to their divisions.
{5.2.45}

“The aggregates, elements, and sense-fields

Of embodied beings are pure by nature.

Though veiled by ignorance and afflictions, they can be purified.

Being the nature of one’s own awakening, they are themselves pure,

Such that one is not liberated through some extrinsic purity. {5.2.46}

“With the purity of sense objects,

Self-reflexive awareness is the ultimate bliss.

Objects of form, and so forth,

And whatever else appears to practitioners, {5.2.47}

“Are all pure by nature,

For everything is comprised of wakefulness.” {5.2.48}

Vajragarbha asked, “O Blessed One, what are the things that are impure?”
{5.2.49}

The Blessed One said, “They are form, and so forth. Why are they impure?
Because they involve apprehended object and apprehending subject.”

Vajragarbha then asked, “Well, what then are apprehended object and
apprehending subject?” {5.2.50}

The Blessed One said,

“Form is apprehended by the eye;

Sound, by the ear;

Odors, by the nose;

And taste, by the tongue. {5.2.51}

“A physical object is felt by the body

And the mind apprehends happiness, and so forth.

These sense objects ought to be enjoyed

After purifying them by removing poison. {5.2.52}

“Form is Buddha Vairocana,

Sensation is Vajrasūrya,

Perception is Padmanarteśvara,

Predispositions are Vajrarāja, {5.2.53}

“Consciousness is Vajrasattva—

The inherent nature of everything is Heruka.

The eye is called Mohavajra;

The ear has the name Dveṣavajra. {5.2.54}

“Īrṣyāvajra is the nose,

Rāgavajra is the mouth,

Mātsaryavajra is touch,

And Heruka, the supreme lord, is all the sensory fields and elements.
{5.2.55}

“Pātanī is the element of earth;

The element of water is known as Māraṇī.

Ākarṣaṇī is the element of fire;

The element of wind is Narteśvarī. {5.2.56}

“The element of space is said to be

Padmajvālinī, because of her imperturbability.

In this way the bodies of embodied beings—

Their aggregates, and so forth—have the nature of deities. {5.2.57}

“Pleasure and pain, and acting on them,

Generate afflictive emotions, and the rest—

Following one’s lot resulting from this generation,

One will incur either cyclic existence or its cessation.” {5.2.58}

This concludes the second part of the fifth chapter on the purity
of the aggregates, and so forth.

Part 3

“Now, the right practice, which destroys

The enemy, conceptual thinking, will be explained;

Distilled from the totality of Buddha’s teachings,

This practice of reality is supreme. {5.3.1}

“For the sake of the Buddha’s sons,

Who are established in perfect awakening,

This practice, the ultimate Perfection of Wisdom,

Will be truthfully explained by Anaṅgavajra. {5.3.2}

“Like a boat safely sailing on,

She delivers all beings

From the terrifying ocean of births,

Rough with the waves of old age, and so forth. {5.3.3}

“She, the divine one, quickly brings accomplishment,

Being an essential
receptacle of all good qualities.

Manifested from the jewel of the mind,

She fulfills everyone’s desired aim. {5.3.4}

“Since without her, who is praised by Vajradhara

And constitutes the body of qualities of all the perfectly awakened ones,

Accomplishment is not possible, the wise ones who desire liberation

Should perform this unequaled practice. {5.3.5}

“The lotuses of her feet are worshiped by Viṣṇu, Indra,

Śiva Mahādeva, Kubera, Brahmā, and so forth.

By doing this practice that removes sin,

The tathāgatas swiftly attained the ultimate state. {5.3.6}

“This practice of the central channel has been
taught

By the glorious Vajrasattva for the benefit of the world. {5.3.7}

“Accordingly, the practitioner should cultivate

This sublime inconceivable state in great secrecy.

He should engage in this samaya practice

While free of all concepts. {5.3.8}

“In the initial stage, the practitioner should abide

With the natural outflow of the existing condition.

Then, should he tire from meditation,

He should take a break, adopting the playfulness of a child. {5.3.9}

“For the sake of different types of people who require guidance,

He should visualize himself in the gentle form of Mañjuśrī. {5.3.10}

“Everything known as accomplishment comes about through

Different practices accordingly taught; there is, however, an unexcelled
practice

That brings about the unparalleled accomplishment of Samantabhadra—

It is this practice that the Blessed Vajrasattva has taught. {5.3.11}

“Always paying homage to his protector,

The glorious vajra master,

He should rely on the secret practice,

Doing what needs to be done and maintaining a noble heart. {5.3.12}

“Then, following his inclinations

While turning away from all attachments,

He should comport himself while in touch with reality,

In every respect like a lion. {5.3.13}

“Through perfectly knowing things as they are,

And thus forming the intention to deliver the world,

He comes to embody full mastery of the correct view,

With a steadfast mind free of reference points. {5.3.14}

“All attributes such as the aggregates, elements,

And so forth are like a dream and an illusion.

Knowing the entire triple universe

To be, in short, like this, {5.3.15}

“He should associate with those

Who live free from all obscurations,

Casting far away

All the eight worldly concerns. {5.3.16}

“Always free of concepts,

He should gain certainty about the nondual state,

And apply the six perfections

In order to attain the accomplishment of an awakened one. {5.3.17}

“Although eminently engaged for the welfare
of beings,

He should not form concepts about them.

He should set his mind on awakening

And embark on the practice of conquering the directions. {5.3.18}

“Being the embodiment of wisdom and means conjoined,

And turning away from all attachments,

He will succeed even in this lifetime

If he exerts himself in the cultivation of true reality. {5.3.19}

“Free of all concepts and, in particular,

Of ideas about other beings,

He should enjoy anything at all, applying the understanding

That things are like an illusion, and so forth. {5.3.20}

“Having arisen from the undifferentiated sphere of phenomena,

No beings can become his adversaries.

He should enjoy things as he pleases

With a mindset free of hesitation. {5.3.21}

“All this is for the sake of enjoyment—

This entire triple universe,

Conjured up by Vajrasattva

For practitioners’ benefit. {5.3.22}

“If, by attaining infinite gnosis,

He does not need to worship the tathāgatas,

What need is there to mention initiations, and so forth,

For him constantly engaged in meditation? {5.3.23}

“The nature of all objects

Is the nature of awakened mind.

That alone is the Blessed One, the vajra holder.

Therefore, that alone is the identity of the deities. {5.3.24}

“Neither maṇḍalas nor fasts are to be performed,

Nor the formation of gestures or caityas.

Also other things

Taught by the glorious vajra lord

Out of his great dedication—

Of what use would they be to he who knows reality? {5.3.25}

“Just as one who seeks ambrosia

Should discard the buttermilk after taking the fresh butter,

So should he discard all thoughts

After obtaining the ambrosia of Dharma.
{5.3.26}

“When the wise practitioner is without concepts,

Has given up doubt, and is free of reference points,

Then, just as Vajra Mind
has said,

There is no doubt he will succeed. {5.3.27}

“Because of concepts, he will go to hell

And wander in the ocean of cyclic existence, with its six destinies.

But free from concepts, he will be liberated,

Reaching the state of stainless tranquility. {5.3.28}

“Therefore, in order to destroy the net of concepts

He should regularly practice the samaya observances,

Which were performed by the awakened one,

Abiding by them wherever he may be. {5.3.29}

“They should be performed by someone who knows mantra,

Without excessive attachment, but not eschewing anything.

They all without exception should be regarded

By applying the understanding of the non-arising of forms. {5.3.30}

“He should drink the blood of dogs, donkeys, camels, elephants, and so on,

And eat their meat regularly.

Human meat smeared with blood

Should be regarded as the best of all. {5.3.31}

“He should eat all kinds of poor meats,

And the excellent meats containing hundreds of thousands of living
creatures.

The practitioner should also eat terribly putrid feces

Swarming with hundreds of worms, {5.3.32}

“And keenly relish meat

Mixed with dog and human vomit,

Dowsed with vajra water, covered in flies,

And blended with feces. {5.3.33}

“He should drink vajra water. When meat cannot be found anywhere, in
order to partake of it he should imagine something else in the form of meat and
eat that. {5.3.34}

“Foodstuffs inedible to others are edible for the master of the true state. Places
improper to visit are fine for him to visit. Things improper to do are proper for
him. The follower of the mantra path must not think in terms of ‘fit to visit’ and
‘unfit to visit’; ‘edible’ and ‘inedible’; ‘desirable’ and ‘undesirable’; or
‘drinkable’ and ‘undrinkable.’ {5.3.35}

“He should be content in body, speech, and mind. In order to be free of
mental agitation, the practitioner should always drink wine. Like the victorious
ones, he should regard all things, whether repulsive or greatly enjoyable,
colorful or plain, delightful or depressing, as identical.
{5.3.36}

“He should not recite texts, assemble maṇḍalas, or gather flowers. He
should not recite mantras, nor should he pay homage to the deity, consecrated
things, and so forth. He should speak false words and approach the charming wives
of others. He should have no loving kindness for rogues, and should kill buddhas and other
living beings. {5.3.37}

“The wise practitioner, however, should always worship his teacher,
venerated by the victorious ones, who is the wisdom and the pledge being—the best
of all beings, and who is the samaya that bestows various accomplishments. Since
whatever merit is possessed by the fully awakened ones and the bodhisattvas
dwelling throughout the ten directions can be seen in the openings of the master’s
pores, the buddhas rejoice at seeing the bodhisattvas worship the master. {5.3.38}

“Since the buddhas with whom he has the bond of samaya will grant the
desired awakening, he should never criticize the teacher and never disrespect his
siblings on the vajra path. Accepting whatever is offered, he should not pay
homage to caityas. Regarding his blood brothers,
sons, and father, as well as the kingdom with its pleasures, treasuries, riches,
and granaries to all be like grass, he should gain dominion over the three
realms.” {5.3.39}

This concludes the third part of the fifth chapter describing the
post-initiatory observances.

Part 4

“Now I will teach about the signs indicating a full adoption of post-initiatory
practice. {5.4.1}

“By these signs the vajra practitioner

Can be recognized from afar without any doubt.

He should eat and drink whatever food is found,

Comprising the oblation to a ḍākinī, and so forth. {5.4.2}

“Wearing clothes and a kaupīna from a corpse,

And smeared with ashes from a cremated body,

He should wander around at night,

In secret, carrying a bowl made from a broken skull. {5.4.3}

“At a crossroads, on a mountain,

Under a lone tree, or in a charnel ground—

It is said that in these four places

The meditation of the follower of Mantra will be effective. {5.4.4}

“Alternatively, in a mātṛkās’ temple at night,

Or in an isolated place, or the wilderness,

When some heat has been generated,

He can do the following practice if he wishes to. {5.4.5}

“If he wants accomplishment for himself,

He should start behaving like a child again.

A practitioner of keen intellect should roam about

With the purpose of benefiting sentient beings. {5.4.6}

“With his mind free of attachment,

And always wearing colorful clothes,

The practitioner should imagine that from the pores of his skin

Radiate deities throughout the ten directions. {5.4.7}

“With himself transformed into Mañjuvajra,

He should visualize the circle of his retinue of deities.

The practitioner should do this in a pleasant lotus garden

At a confluence of rivers. {5.4.8}

“Should he stay there and meditate,

He will swiftly attain accomplishment.

Alternatively, he should sojourn in a cave

Or on a mountain peak, with a focused mind. {5.4.9}

“He should eat whatever he finds;

Whenever he eats, he should offer an oblation,

And he should bedeck himself with various fruits, garlands, and so forth,

And likewise with little bundles of flowers, and so forth. {5.4.10}

“He should dress in clothes from the skins of living creatures.

Aspiring for bliss, he is conferred bliss.

He should recite sometimes in Sanskrit

And, conversely, sometimes in Prakrit. {5.4.11}

“In the vein of a madman, he should eat whatever he finds, whether it is
regarded as fit for eating or not, roaming throughout other countries, renowned
mountain caves, groves, great ancient charnel grounds, and the shores of great
oceans. {5.4.12}

“Staying in such places, the wise practitioner should meditate

Completely free of all fear.

But once having done so, he should embark

On the conquest of the quarters. {5.4.13}

“Completely free of every obscuration,

He should fulfill the wishes

Of all the residents throughout the ten directions,

Who are veiled by the obscurations concomitant with birth. {5.4.14}

“When he has completely abandoned through meditation

All involvement with apprehended objects and apprehending subjects,

And all his meditation becomes like this,

He is called “the conqueror of the quarters.” {5.4.15}

“Having then attained some stability,

The practitioner of the real state is unassailable.

He can summon vidyā goddesses

And make the most beautiful one his lover. {5.4.16}

“It could be an apsaras, who is a charming gem

And attends to the gratification of vidyādharas,

Or it could be a celestial daughter, a yakṣiṇī,

A nāginī, or an asurī. {5.4.17}

“The practitioner should summon,

From among them, one vidyā, pleasing to his mind.

He should subdue her

By means of a goad and a noose, {5.4.18}

“Until this deity grants all objects that may be useful,

Without his having to beg for them.

Free from disease and old age, not swayed by opposites,

He will remain in the
three worlds free from sin. {5.4.19}

“Having offered his body as a gift,

The practitioner should then start his samaya practice.

Accordingly, the gift should not be given

Based on consideration of whether the recipient is worthy or not. {5.4.20}

“He should partake of solid and liquid food and drink

Just as they happen to come by.

He must not grasp in that regard,

Deliberating in terms of what is “desirable” and “undesirable.” {5.4.21}

“He should be free from training and initiations

And know that there is no need for him to feel ashamed of anything.

The practitioner should analyze such things with great compassion,

According to the empty nature of all things. {5.4.22}

“Having gone beyond oblatory rites and austerities,

He should likewise remain free from mantra recitation and meditation.

Freed from the rules of such conduct and firmly established

In deity yoga, he should do his observances accordingly. {5.4.23}

“Even if a demon as powerful as Indra

Should clearly appear before him,

He must not be afraid,

But wander about like a lion. {5.4.24}

“For the sake of benefiting all beings,

He should always drink compassion as his drink.

Delighting likewise in the drink of yoga,

The practitioner should not immerse himself in other drinks. {5.4.25}

“Now another samaya practice is described—

That of the glorious position of a crown prince,

Through which the final accomplishment is reached

For the sake of benefiting all beings. {5.4.26}

“The meditator should put on his ears

A set of fine earrings;

On his head, a crown;

On his wrists, a pair of bracelets; {5.4.27}

“On his hips, a waist chain;

On his ankles, a pair of anklets;

At the root of his upper arm, an arm bracelet;

And on his neck, a necklace of bone. {5.4.28}

“He should cover himself in a tiger skin

And eat the five ambrosias.

If he is a man, he should remain in the absorption

Of the Heruka yoga. {5.4.29}

“He should find a girl from the vajra family

With a beautiful face and elongated eyes,

Who has been consecrated by himself and is compassionately disposed.

Having obtained such a girl, he should learn the observance of
consort practice. {5.4.30}

“If a girl from the vajra family is not available,

He should go for one from the family of his chosen deity.

Alternatively, he should take a girl from another family,

Consecrated with the seed of awakening. {5.4.31}

“When a song is sung, it should be

A supreme song related to vajra.

When joy has arisen,

He should dance as a cause of liberation.

Accordingly, the practitioner should always

Do his dance with vajra steps. {5.4.32}

“Akṣobhya is recollected by the crown,

Amitābha by the earrings,

Ratnasambhava by the necklace,

And Vairocana by the wrist bracelets. {5.4.33}

“Amoghasiddhi resides in the waist chain,

And the consort (prajñā) takes on the form of the khaṭvāṅga.

The practitioner should always eat medicinal herbs

And drink water. {5.4.34}

“Old age and death will not take hold of him,

And he will always be protected.

He should fashion a tiara with the hair of a thief

And place there that which comes from hūṁ.
{5.4.35}

“He should wear five skulls representing the five buddhas

As part of his practice of deity yoga.

Making the skull pieces five finger-widths in length,

He should keep them fastened to the tiara. {5.4.36}

“A doubly-twined cord of hair

Represents wisdom and means.

The practitioner should wear, as part of his practice,

Charnel ground ashes and a sacred cord made of a corpse’s hair. {5.4.37}

“His recitation is the sound of his ḍamaru,

Which invites all sentient beings to be his guests.

This should be the nature of his recitation,

While he himself should become Vajrakapāla. {5.4.38}

“He should avoid greed, stupidity, fear, anger,

And the idea that shame is necessary.

Embodying the nature of Heruka,

The practitioner should mix with members of all the five castes. {5.4.39}

“He should recognize only one caste

As comprising the five castes,

For the distinction between many

And just one caste should not be made. {5.4.40}

“He should without doubt perform the practice

While depriving himself of sleep.” {5.4.41}

This concludes the chapter on the practice, the fifth in the
“Emergence from Sampuṭa.”

Chapter 6

Part 1

[The goddess said:]

“I would be interested to hear, my lord,

What are the stages of self-consecration?

What is the purpose of secrecy?” {6.1.1}

The Blessed One said:

“Listen, O most compassionate Vajrasattva,

With undivided attention!

I will now briefly explain the definitive meaning

Common to all tantras. {6.1.2}

“What is referred to with the letter e (the dharmodaya),

Is the place with imperceptible characteristics.

Going and coming with the elements,

Mind is always in motion.” {6.1.3}

[The goddess asked], “Why is the word elements being used?”
{6.1.4}

The lord replied, “Regarding the secret sixteen syllables, the following
has been said:

“The syllable ra is the
element of blood.

The ha is the two types of
wind.

The sye is said to be
phlegm,

And the pa, bile. {6.1.5}

“The following ra is for
chyle,

The me, for the two types of
fat.

The ra is said to be
fire,

And the mye, flesh.
{6.1.6}

“The sa is said to be
feces,

While the rvā is fatty
tissue.

The tma is said to be
skin,

And the ni, bone.
{6.1.7}

“The sa is said to be
urine,

And the dā is thought to be
lungs.

The sthi is said to be the
lotus,

Moist with wonderful fluid. {6.1.8}

“The ta represents
semen,

Which comes from bodhicitta.

This has been explained, goddess,

Based on the natures of the channels and sounds. {6.1.9}

“From the nature of bodhicitta

Comes the embodiment of semen.

The letter ra is said to be
body heat;

Bile is produced from blood. {6.1.10}

“Phlegm, which is held to be a singular property,

Produces sweat and tendons.

Wind is said to be their master;

As the syllable ha, it is
known to be omnipresent. {6.1.11}

“In the spaces between the bones

Are planted the five seeds.

On the palate is the ra

And everywhere the sublime four syllables.
{6.1.12}

“At the location of the first enclosure,

And adorned with the five syllables,

Is the letter ha conjoined
with the sixth vowel (ū),

Which is proclaimed to be the syllable of consciousness (hūṁ). {6.1.13}

“By means of the letter ha,

All buddhas everywhere assemble.

From this source, whose nature is sound,