Which are offered for the benefit of all living beings.
The Branch of the Confession of Negativity
I acknowledge and remorsefully confess all my negative obscurations
And all my habitual tendencies of body, speech and mind,
Beginninglessly influenced by the three poisons
Which are the accumulating causes for [rebirth]
Among the lower states [of suffering] in cyclic existence.
The Branch of Sympathetic Rejoicing
I rejoice with great delight in the [buddha] fields of supreme bliss,
Where all phenomenal existence is [recognised as] the pervasion of reality’s expanse.
I rejoice in [all] compassionate acts, in their merits, and in their altruistic intention,
And in all [deeds that are] the source of merit and pristine cognition.
The Branch of Turning the Wheel of the [Sacred] Teachings
I exhort the teachers throughout the fields of the ten directions,
Who are as numerous as atoms,
To stir from their meditative commitments for the sake of all sentient beings,
And to turn the Wheel of the Sacred Teachings,
Thus [entirely] pervading the reaches of space.
The Branch of Requesting [the Buddhas] Not to Enter Nirvāṇa
I beseech you all, O teachers, infinite buddhas without exception,
To remain [present] and not to pass into nirvāṇa,
And to continue to enact deeds of extensive benefit for the sake of beings,
Until the world-systems of cyclic existence have been emptied!
The Branch of the Dedication [of Merit] to the Unsurpassed Greater Vehicle
[By the power of] whatever past, present and future virtues I accumulate,
May all sentient beings, throughout the furthest reaches of space,
Mature into worthy recipients of the unsurpassed Greater Vehicle,
And then swiftly attain the status of the infinite Peaceful and Wrathful Deities!
PURIFICATION
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ BODHICITTA MAHĀSUKHAJÑĀNA DHĀTU ĀḤ OṂ RULU RULU HŪṂ BHYOḤ HŪṂ 4
From the field of reality’s expanse, uncreated and pure,
Within a celestial palace, which is a seminal point [of light], pure, unceasing, and radiant,
Through the natural expressive power of one’s own mind, uncontrived and empty,
Intrinsic awareness, radiant and empty, arises in the form of Vajrasattva,
[Seated] upon a bejewelled throne adorned with lotus, sun and moon [cushions].
[Vajrasattva is] white, radiant, with one face, two arms, and a smiling countenance;
The right hand holds a vajra at the heart,
[Symbolising the union] of awareness and emptiness,
The left hand supports a bell [resting] on the hip,
[Symbolising the union] of appearances and emptiness;
And the head [is adorned with a garland of] perfect buddhas,
[Representing] the five enlightened families of Those Gone to Bliss.
Thus, [Vajrasattva] manifests in the form of the Buddha-body of Perfect Resource,
[Exquisitely] adorned with silks and jewels,
Seated in the posture of royal ease,
With the right leg extended, and the left drawn in.5
[Radiating] at the heart is the seed-syllable HŪṂ,
Surrounded by the Hundred-syllable Mantra:
OṂ VAJRASATTVA SAMAYAMANUPĀLAYA VAJRASATTVA TVENOPATIṢṬHA DṚḌHO ME BHAVA SUPOṢYO ME BHAVA SUTOṢYO ME BHAVA ANURAKTO ME BHAVA SARVASIDDHIṂ ME PRAYACCHA SARVAKARMASU CA ME CITTAṂ ŚREYAḤ KURU HŪṂ HAHAHAHA HO BHAGAVĀN SARVA TATHĀGATA VAJRA MĀ ME MUÑCA VAJRABHAVA MAHĀSAMAYASATTVA ĀḤ 6
Having performed the twofold act of benefiting [self and others] through the emanation and reabsorption [of light from these syllables], the obscurations of conceptual thought are purified. Do not be distracted! Recite this quintessential [mantra] of the hundred sacred enlightened families as much as possible, so that the two obscurations may be cleansed.
MAIN PRACTICE
Having thus purified the [two] obscurations, one should visualise the assembled Peaceful and Wrathful Deities of the hundred sacred enlightened families as a maṇḍala [of deities] within one’s body, and pray. It is in this context that the aspirational prayers of the intermediate states are recited. [The combined practice] is as follows:
Then, [maintaining the recognition of] oneself as Vajrasattva,
In the celestial palace of one’s own precious heart,
One clearly discerns a seminal point [formed of] the five lights,
Whose nature is the five pure essences [of the five elements],
[And from this], the thirty-six peaceful buddhas7 radiantly manifest,
Amidst a radiant and vibrant maṇḍala suffused by the five pristine cognitions,
Their bodies composed of five lights, the unimpeded [union of] emptiness and radiance,
[Seated] upon a tier of lotus, sun and moon [cushions],
Supported by lion, elephant, horse, peacock and cῑvaṃcῑvaka [thrones].
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
Within the expanse of a seminal point located at the centre of one’s heart,
The primordial lord, the unchanging buddha-body of light,
Samantabhadra, the Buddha-body of Reality, blue in colour,
And Samantabhadrῑ, the expanse of reality, white in colour,
Are indivisibly united, both in the posture of meditative equipoise,
Seated upon lotus, sun and moon cushions,
[Symbolising the union of] radiance and emptiness.
To you, the supreme ancestors of the buddhas of past, present and future,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge and pray:
As soon as we die and begin to transmigrate,8
At that very moment, when the pure inner radiance of reality dawns,
May we be welcomed by the father Samantabhadra before us,
May we be supported by the mother Samantabhadrῑ behind us;
And thus [encircled] may we be guided to the indivisible level of Samantabhadra.9
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
[In the channel centre of one’s heart] is Vairocana in blissful union with Dhātvῑśvarῑ,
White and radiant, holding a wheel and a bell,
Seated cross-legged, [symbolising the union of] radiance and emptiness,
[Amidst a mass of light, radiating the pristine cognition of reality’s expanse].
To you, the principal [deities] of the central Buddha Family,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge and pray:
As soon as we die and begin to transmigrate,
At that very moment, when the visions of the intermediate state of reality dawn,
And we roam [alone] in cyclic existence [driven] by deep-seated delusion,
May the Transcendent Lord Vairocana draw us forward,
Leading us on the path of radiant light,
Which is the pristine cognition of reality’s expanse.
May the supreme consort [Akāśa] Dhātvῑśvarῑ support us from behind,
And thus [encircled] may we be rescued
From the fearsome passageway of the intermediate state,
And be escorted to the level of an utterly perfected buddha.10
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
In the eastern channel branch of one’s heart,
Is Vajrasattva, in blissful [union] with Buddhalocanā,
Blue and radiant, holding a vajra and a bell,
Seated cross-legged, [symbolising the union of] radiance and emptiness,
Amidst a mass of light radiating the mirror-like pristine cognition.
To the right is white Kṣitigarbha, holding a seedling and a bell,
To the left is white Maitreya, holding a blossoming orange bush and a bell,
To the front is white Lāsyā, holding a mirror and a b
ell,
And to the rear is white Puṣpā, holding a flower and seated with one leg extended and the other drawn in.
To you, the sixfold principal and encircling [deities] of the Vajra Family,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge and pray:
As soon as we die and begin to transmigrate,
At that very moment, when the visions of the intermediate state of reality dawn,
And we roam [alone] in cyclic existence [driven] by deep-seated aversion,
May the Transcendent Lord Vajrasattva draw us forward,
Leading us on the path of radiant light,
Which is the mirror-like pristine cognition.
May the supreme consort Buddhalocanā support us from behind,
And thus [encircled] may we be rescued
From the fearsome passageway of the intermediate state,
And be escorted to the level of an utterly perfected buddha.
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
In the southern channel branch of one’s heart,
Is Ratnasambhava, in [blissful] union with Māmakῑ,
Yellow [and radiant], holding a jewel and a bell,
Seated cross-legged, [symbolising the union] of radiance and emptiness,
Amidst a mass of light, radiating the pristine cognition of sameness.
To the right is yellow Samantabhadra, holding a grain-sheath and a bell,
To the left is yellow Akāśagarbha, holding a sword and a bell,
To the front is yellow Mālyā, holding a garland and seated with one leg extended and the other drawn in,
And to the rear is yellow Dhūpā, holding incense and [also] seated with one leg extended and the other drawn in.
To you, the sixfold principal and encircling [deities] of the Ratna Family,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge, and pray:
As soon as we die and begin to transmigrate,
At that very moment, when the visions of the intermediate state of reality dawn,
And we roam [alone] in cyclic existence [driven] by deep-seated pride,
May the Transcendent Lord Ratnasambhava draw us forward,
Leading us on the path of radiant light,
Which is the pristine cognition of sameness.
May the supreme consort Māmakῑ support us from behind,
And thus [encircled] may we be rescued
From the fearsome passageway of the intermediate state,
And be escorted to the level of an utterly perfected buddha.
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
In the western channel branch of one’s heart,
Is Amitābha, in blissful union with Pāṇḍaravāsinῑ,
Red and radiant, holding a lotus and a bell,
Seated cross-legged, [symbolising the union of] radiance and emptiness,
Amidst a mass of light, radiating the pristine cognition of discernment.
To the right is red Avalokiteśvara, holding a lotus and a bell,
To the left is red Mañjuśrῑ, holding a sword and a bell,
To the front is red Gῑtā, holding a gong and seated with one leg extended and the other drawn in,
And to the rear is red Alokā, holding a butter lamp, and [also] seated with one leg extended and the other drawn in.
To you, the sixfold principal and encircling [deities] of the Padma Family,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge, and pray:
As soon as we die and begin to transmigrate,
At that very moment, when the visions of the intermediate state of reality dawn,
And we roam [alone] in cyclic existence [driven] by deep-seated attachment,
May the Lord Transcendent Lord Amitābha draw us forward,
Leading us on the path of radiant light,
Which is the pristine cognition of discernment.
May the supreme consort Pāṇḍaravāsinῑ support us from behind,
And thus [encircled] may we be rescued
From the fearsome passageway of the intermediate state,
And be escorted to the level of an utterly perfected buddha.
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
In the northern channel branch of one’s heart,
Is Amoghasiddhi, in blissful union with Samayatārā,
Green and radiant, holding a crossed-vajra and a bell,
Seated cross-legged, [symbolising the union of] radiance and emptiness,
Amidst a mass of light, radiating the pristine cognition of accomplishment.
To the right is green Sarvanivāraṇaviśkambhin, holding a book and a bell,
To the left is green Vajrapāṇi, holding a vajra and a bell,
To the front is green Gandhā, holding a conch and seated with one leg extended and the other drawn in,
And to the rear is green Nartῑ, holding a food-offering, and [also] seated with one leg extended and the other drawn in.
To you, the sixfold principal and encircling [deities] of the Karma Family,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge, and pray:
As soon as we [die and] begin to transmigrate,
At that very moment, when the visions of the intermediate state of reality dawn,
And we roam [alone] in cyclic existence [driven] by deep-seated envy,
May the Transcendent Lord Amoghasiddhi draw us forward,
Leading us on the path of radiant light,
Which is the pristine cognition of accomplishment.
May the supreme consort Samayatārā support us from behind,
And thus [encircled] may we be rescued
From the fearsome passageway of the intermediate state,
And be escorted to the level of an utterly perfected buddha.
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
In the channel branch at the eastern gate of one’s heart,
Are white [Trailokya]vijaya and Aṅkuśā,
In [blissful] union, and dancing.
In the channel branch at the southern gate of one’s heart,
Are yellow Yamāntaka and Pāśā,
In [blissful] union, and dancing.
In the channel branch at the western gate of one’s heart,
Are red Hayagrῑva and Spoṭhā,
In [blissful] union, and dancing.
In the channel branch at the northern gate of one’s heart,
Are green Amṛtakuṇḍalin and Ghaṇṭā,
In [blissful] union, and dancing.
To you, the eight emanational gatekeepers, male and female,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge, and pray:
As soon as we die and begin to transmigrate,
At that very moment, when the visions of the intermediate state of reality dawn,
And we roam [alone] in cyclic existence [driven] by deep-seated habitual tendencies,
May the four Mahākrodha male gatekeepers draw us forward,
Leading us on the path of radiant light,
Which is the four pristine cognitions combined.11
May the supreme consorts, the four female gatekeepers, support us from behind,
And thus [encircled] may we be rescued
From the fearsome passageway of the intermediate state,
And be escorted to the level of an utterly perfected buddha.
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
Amidst an expanse of light in the channel branch of the energy centre of great bliss at one’s crown,
Within a radiant and vibrant maṇḍala, that is a lustrous white seminal point,
[Stands] Sakra, sage of the god realms, white in colour, and playing a lute.
May he obstruct pride, which is the entrance to rebirth in the god realms!
Amidst an expanse of light in one’s occipital channel, which resembles the horn of an ox,12
Within a radiant and vibrant maṇḍala, that is a lustrous green seminal point,
[Stands] Vemacitra, sage of the antigods, green in colour, bearing armour and a weapon,
May he obstruct envy, which is the entrance to rebirth
in the antigod realms!
Amidst an expanse of light in one’s ‘life-force’ channel, which resembles a crystal tube,13
Within a radiant and vibrant maṇḍala, that is a lustrous yellow seminal point,
[Stands] Sākyamuni, sage of human beings, yellow in colour, and carrying a mendicant’s staff.
May he obstruct attachment, which is the entrance to rebirth in the human realms!
Amidst an expanse of light in the energy centre of one’s navel,
Within a radiant and vibrant maṇḍala, that is a lustrous blue seminal point,
[Stands] Sthirasiṃha, sage of animals, blue in colour, and carrying a book.
May he obstruct delusion, which is the entrance to rebirth in the animal realms!
Amidst an expanse of light in the channel branch at one’s bliss-sustaining secret place,14
Within a radiant and vibrant maṇḍala, that is a lustrous red seminal point,
[Stands] Jvālamukha, sage of the anguished spirits, red in colour, carrying a [wish-granting] casket.
May he obstruct miserliness, which is the entrance to rebirth among the anguished-spirit realms!
Amidst an expanse of light in the energy centre at the soles of one’s feet,
Within a radiant and vibrant maṇḍala, that is a lustrous black seminal point,
[Stands] Yama Dharmarāja, sage of the hell beings, black in colour, and carrying a flame and water.
May he obstruct aversion, which is the entrance to rebirth among the hell realms!
To you, the six sages, the Buddha-bodies of Emanation,
Who act for the benefit of living beings,
I bow down, make offerings, take refuge, and pray:
As soon as we die and begin to transmigrate,
At that very moment, when the visions of the intermediate state of rebirth dawn,
And we roam [alone] in cyclic existence [driven] by deep-seated habitual tendencies,
The Tibetan Book of the Dead Page 10
