The Guhyasamāja Tantra is one of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras of Vajrayana Buddhism. In the initial, generation-stage practice, one engages in a prescribed sequence of visualizations of oneself as an enlightened being in a purified environment in order to prepare one’s mind and body to engage in the second stage: the completion stage. The latter works directly with the subtle energies of one’s mind and body and transforms them into the enlightened mind and body of a buddha. In this book, Gyumé Khensur Lobsang Jampa, a former abbot of Gyumé Tantric College, provides complete instructions on how to practice the generation stage of Guhyasamāja, explaining the visualizations, offerings, and mantras involved, what they symbolize, and the purpose they serve. These instructions, which are usually imparted only orally from master to student after the student has been initiated into the Guhyasamāja mandala, are now being published in English for the first time and are supplemented by extracts from key written commentaries in the footnotes to support practitioners who have received the required transmissions from a holder of this lineage. The complete self-generation ritual is included in the second part of the book, with the Tibetan on facing pages, which can be used by those who read Tibetan and want to recite the ritual in Tibetan. (Source: Shambhala Publications)
- Abbreviationsxi
- Translator’s Prefacexv
- Translator’s Introductionxxix
- Oral Commentary on the Self-Generation Ritual
- 1. The Initial Practice3
- Preliminaries3
- Verses of Supplication3
- Generating Oneself into a Divine Form Instantaneously16
- Blessing the Vajra and the Bell24
- Blessing the Inner Offering40
- The Preliminary Torma Offering59
- Blessing the Self-Generation Offerings80
- The Mandala Offering87
- The Vajrasattva Meditation and Mantra Recitation94
- Worshipping the Merit Field122
- Meditating on the Protection Wheel162
- The Main Rite of Clear Realization195
- Taking Death as the Path to the Wisdom Body196
- Meditating on the Ground of Transcendent Awareness196
- Generating the Vajra Ground211
- Generating the Mandala Palace218
- Installing the Deities235
- The Activity of the Deities249
- Drawing the Deities into One's Body251
- Placing the Deities into the Mandala of Ultimate Reality257
- Taking the Intermediate State as the Path to the Enjoyment Body273
- Taking Rebirth as the Path to the Emanation Body284
- Generating the Emanation-Body Form of Vajradhara285
- Creating the Body Mandala294
- Creating the Body Mandala’s Residence295
- Creating the Body Mandala’s Deities304
- Blessing the Body, Speech, and Mind of Vajradhara's Emanation-Body Form319
- Generating the Three Tiered Beings337
- Affixing the Seal of the Lineage Lord341
- Preparing a Knowledge Consort345
- 2. The Foremost King of Mandalas363
- Generating the Mandala Palace and Its Divine Residents363
- Emitting the Mandala Deities377
- Emitting the Mandala Palace409
- 3. The Foremost King of Activities411
- Spiritual Practices Carried Out during Meditation Sessions411
- The Practice of the Subtle Drop411
- Mantra Recitation422
- Reappearance of the Deity Who Dissolved442
- Reciting Verses of Praise, Presenting Offerings, and Tasting Nectar448
- Reciting the Verses of Praise449
- Presenting the Outer Offerings452
- Tasting the Nectar of the Inner Offering457
- The Secret Offering and the Offering of Ultimate Reality466
- Dissolution468
- The Generation-Stage Portion of the Aspirational Prayer472
- Spiritual Practices Carried Out between Meditation Sessions500
- The Yoga of Ordinary Activities501
- Blessings One’s Residence502
- Blessing One’s Clothing503
- The Spiritual Practice That Relates to Bathing503
- The Spiritual Practices That Relate to Sleeping and Waking Up504
- The Meditative Absorption That Relates to Food507
- Reinvigorating the Body512
- The Methods of Achieving the Common Spiritual Attainments512
- The Self-Generation Ritual
The Initial Practice 517
Preliminaries 517
Verses of Supplication 517
Generating Oneself into a Divine Form Instantaneously 529
Blessing the Vajra and the Bell 529
Blessing the Inner Offering 531
The Preliminary Torma Offering 533
Blessing the Self-Generation Offerings 541
The Mandala Offering 543
The Vajrasattva Meditation and Mantra Recitation 545
Worshipping the Merit Field 549
Meditating on the Protection Wheel 557
The Main Rite of Clear Realization 571
Taking Death as the Path to the Wisdom Body 571
Meditating on the Ground of Transcendent Awareness 571
Generating the Vajra Ground 571
Generating the Mandala Palace 573
Installing the Deities 577
The Activity of the Deities 587
Drawing the Deities into One’s Body 587
Placing the Deities into the Mandala of Ultimate
Reality 589
Taking the Intermediate State as the Path to the
Enjoyment Body 589
Taking Rebirth as the Path to the Emanation Body 591
Creating the Body Mandala’s Residence 593
Creating the Body Mandala’s Deities 593
Blessing the Body, Speech, and Mind of Vajradhara’s
Emanation-Body Form 605
Generating the Three Tiered Beings 611
Affixing the Seal of the Lineage Lord 611
Preparing a Knowledge Consort 613
The Foremost King of Mandalas 617
Generating the Mandala Palace and Its Divine Residents 617
Emitting the Mandala Deities 631
Emitting the Mandala Palace 647
The Foremost King of Activities 647
Mantra Recitation 647
Reappearance of the Deity Who Dissolved 649
The Principal Deity Enters the State of Ultimate Reality 649
The Principal Deity Arises from the Clear-Light State 651
Reciting Verses of Praise, Presenting Offerings, and
Tasting Nectar 653
Reciting the Verses of Praise 653
Presenting the Outer Offerings 653
Tasting the Nectar of the Inner Offering 655
The Secret Offering and the Offering of Ultimate
Reality 661
Dissolution 661
The Concluding Torma Offerings 663
Blessing the Outer Offerings 663
Blessing the Tormas 665
Inviting the Recipients of the Torma Offerings 667
Presenting the Torma Offerings 673
The Aspirational Prayer 679
Verses of Auspiciousness 689
Bibliography 695
Index to Oral Commentary 711