Natural purity of the sensory spectrum of phenomena,6
Stainless white, like crystal,
Mother of all buddhas of past, present and future,
Joyously embracing her consort, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Vairocana, [manifestation of] supreme buddha-body,
The natural purity of the aggregate of form,
Pure without renunciation of delusion,
Conch [white], holding a wheel and a bell,
[Seated] on an exalted throne supported by lions,
The [resplendent] pristine cognition of reality’s expanse.
I bow down to Vajrasattva, [manifestation of] supreme buddha-mind,
The natural purity of the aggregate of consciousness,
Pure without renunciation of aversion,
Azure [blue], holding a vajra and a bell,
[Seated] on an exalted throne supported by elephants,
The [resplendent] mirror-like pristine cognition.
I bow down to Ratnasambhava, [manifestation of supreme] buddha attributes,
The natural purity of the aggregate of feeling,
Pure without renunciation of pride,
Golden [yellow], holding a jewel and a bell,
[Seated] on an exalted throne supported by horses,
The [resplendent] pristine cognition of sameness.
I bow down to Amitābha, [manifestation of] supreme buddha-speech,
The natural purity of the aggregate of perceptions,
Pure without renunciation of attachment,
Copper [red], holding a lotus and a bell,
[Seated] on an exalted throne supported by peacocks,
The [resplendent] pristine cognition of discernment.
I bow down to Amoghasiddhi, [manifestation of supreme] buddha activities,
The natural purity of the aggregate of motivational tendencies,
Pure without renunciation of envy,
Turquoise [green], holding a crossed-vajra and a bell,
[Seated] on an exalted throne supported by cῑvaṃcῑvaka birds,
The [resplendent] pristine cognition of accomplishment.
I bow down to Dhātvῑśvarῑ, the supreme consort,
The mother of the Buddha Family, natural purity of space,
Moonlike [white], holding a wheel and a bell,
Joyously embracing her consort, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Buddhalocanā, the supreme consort,
The mother of the Vajra Family, natural purity of earth,
Beryl [blue], holding a vajra and a bell,
Joyously embracing her consort, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Māmakῑ, the supreme consort,
The mother of the Ratna Family, natural purity of water,
Minium [orange], holding a jewel and a bell,
Joyously embracing her consort, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Pāṇḍaravāsinῑ, the supreme consort,
The mother of the Padma Family, natural purity of fire,
Fire-crystal [red], holding a lotus and a bell,
Joyously embracing her consort, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Samayatārā, the supreme consort,
The mother of the Karma Family, natural purity of wind,
Sapphire [green], holding a crossed-vajra and a bell,
Joyously embracing her consort, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Kṣitigarbha, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of visual consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
Snow-mountain [white], holding a seedling and a bell.
I bow down to Maitreya, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of auditory consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
Cloud-white, holding a blossoming orange bush and a bell.
I bow down to Samantabhadra, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of olfactory consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
Amber [yellow], holding a grain-sheath and a bell.
I bow down to Akāśagarbha, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of gustatory consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
Burnished golden [yellow], holding a sword and a bell.
I bow down to Avalokiteśvara, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of tactile consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
Coral [red], holding a lotus and a bell.
I bow down to Mañjuśrῑkumārabhūta, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of mental consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
Minium [orange], holding a lily and a bell.
I bow down to Nivāraṇaviśkambhin, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of the ‘ground-of-all’ consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
[Green] as the night-flowering lotus, holding a book and a bell.
I bow down to Vajrapāṇi, male bodhisattva who acts for the benefit of beings,
The natural purity of ‘defiled’ consciousness, transcendent of renunciation,
Emerald [green], holding a vajra and a bell.
I bow down to white Lāsyā, [female bodhisattva] whose offerings [delight]
The eyes of [all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of visual phenomena, transcendent of renunciation,
Quartz [white], holding a mirror and a bell.
I bow down to white Puṣpā, [female bodhisattva] whose offerings delight
[The minds of all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of past conceptual thoughts, transcendent of renunciation,
Pearl [white], holding a white lotus and a bell.
I bow down to yellow Mālyā, [female bodhisattva] whose gestures delight
[The minds of all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of indeterminate conceptual thoughts, transcendent of renunciation,
Saffron [yellow], holding a garland and a bell.
I bow down to yellow Dhūpā, [female bodhisattva] whose offerings [delight]
The noses of [all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of fragrance, transcendent of renunciation, Golden [yellow] in colour, holding sweet-smelling incense and a censer.
I bow down to red Gῑtā, [female bodhisattva] whose offerings [delight]
The ears of [all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of sound, transcendent of renunciation,
Marsh mallow [pink], and playing a lute.
I bow down to red Alokā, [female bodhisattva] whose offerings [delight]
The eyes of [all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of future conceptual thoughts, transcendent of renunciation,
Lotus [pink], and holding a glowing butter lamp.
I bow down to green Gandhā, [female bodhisattva] whose offerings [delight]
The bodies of [all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of present conceptual thoughts, transcendent of renunciation,
Poppy [green], holding a perfume-filled conch.
I bow down to green Nartῑ, [female bodhisattva] whose offerings [delight]
The tongues of [all] Those Gone to Bliss, past, present and future,
The natural purity of taste, transcendent of renunciation,
Marine [green], holding a [deliciously] nutritious food-offering.
I bow down to [Trailokya-]Vijaya, [male gatekeeper] whose wrathful presence
Guards against obstacles at the eastern gate,
The natural purity of eternalist views, transcendent of renunciation,
White, holding a cudgel and a b
ell.
I bow down to Yamāntaka, [male gatekeeper] whose wrathful presence
Guards against obstacles at the southern gate,
The natural purity of nihilistic views, transcendent of renunciation,
Yellow, holding a skull-club and a bell.
I bow down to Hayagrῑvarāja, [male gatekeeper] whose wrathful presence
Guards against obstacles at the western gate,
The natural purity of egotistical views, transcendent of renunciation,
Red, holding an iron chain and a bell.
I bow down to Amṛtakuṇḍalin, [male gatekeeper] whose wrathful presence
Guards against obstacles at the northern gate,
The natural purity of substantialist views,7 transcendent of renunciation,
Green, holding a crossed-vajra and a bell.
I bow down to Vajrāṅkuśā, [female gatekeeper] whose immeasurable compassion
Guides the six classes [of beings] away from [their mundane] realms,
White, holding an iron hook that attracts,
She embraces her wrathful consort in blissful union.
I bow down to Vajrapāśā, [female gatekeeper] whose immeasurable loving kindness
Acts [ceaselessly] on behalf of beings,
Yellow, holding a noose that lassoes,
She embraces her wrathful consort in blissful union.
I bow down to Vajrasphoṭā, [female gatekeeper] whose immeasurable sympathetic joy
Embraces [each and every] living being,
Red, holding an iron chain that binds,
She embraces her wrathful consort in blissful union.
I bow down to Vajraghaṇṭā, [female gatekeeper] whose immeasurable equanimity
Transcends discrimination between living beings,
Green, holding a bell that summons,
She embraces her wrathful consort in blissful union.
I bow down to Indraśakra, [sage] whose emanational buddha form
Acts [ceaselessly] on behalf of beings,
The natural purity of pride, and guide of the god realms,
White and holding a lute.
I bow down to Vemacitra, [sage] whose emanational buddha form
Acts [ceaselessly] on behalf of beings,
The natural purity of envy, and guide of the antigod realms,
Green, holding armour and a weapon.
I bow down to Sākyamuni, [sage] whose emanational buddha form
Acts [ceaselessly] on behalf of beings,
The natural purity of attachment, and guide of the human realms,
Yellow, holding a begging bowl and staff.
I bow down to Sthirasiṃha, [sage] whose emanational buddha form
Acts [ceaselessly] on behalf of beings,
The natural purity of delusion, and guide of the animal realms,
Blue, and holding a book.
I bow down to the transcendent Jvālamukha, [sage] whose emanational buddha form
Acts [ceaselessly] on behalf of beings,
The natural purity of miserliness, and guide of the anguished-spirit realms,
Red, and holding a bejewelled casket.
I bow down to Dharmarāja, [sage] whose emanational buddha form
Acts [ceaselessly] on behalf of beings,
The natural purity of aversion, and guide of the hell realms,
Black, and holding a warming flame and cooling water.
I bow down to Mahottara Heruka, who has three faces,
Dark brown, white and red; and six arms:
A vajra, khaṭvāṅga, and small drum in his right hands,
And a bell, blood-filled skull, and noose of entrails in his left.
I bow down to Buddha Heruka, who has three faces,
Dark brown, white and red; and six arms:
A wheel, axe, and sword in his right hands,
And a bell, ploughshare, and blood-filled skull in his left.
I bow down to Vajra Heruka, who has three faces,
Dark blue, white and red; and six arms:
A vajra, blood-filled skull, and axe in his right hands,
And a bell, blood-filled skull, and ploughshare in his left.
I bow down to Ratna Heruka, who has three faces,
Dark yellow, white and red; and six arms:
A jewel, khaṭvāṅga, and mace in his right hands,
And a bell, blood-filled skull, and trident in his left.
I bow down to Padma Heruka, who has three faces,
Dark red, white and blue; and six arms:
A lotus, khaṭvāṅga, and cudgel in his right hands,
And a bell, blood-filled skull, and small drum in his left.
I bow down to Karma Heruka, who has three faces,
Dark green, white and red; and six arms:
A sword, khaṭvāṅga, and cudgel in his right hands,
And a bell, blood-filled skull, and ploughshare in his left.
I bow down to Krodheśvarῑ, wrathful Queen of [Reality’s] Expanse,
Dark blue, holding a vajra,
Offering a blood-filled skull to her consort’s mouth,
She joyously embraces him, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Buddhakrodheśvarῑ, the Buddha Queen of [Reality’s] Expanse,
Red-brown, holding a wheel,
Offering a blood-filled skull to her consort’s mouth,
She joyously embraces him, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Vajrakrodheśvarῑ, Vajra Queen of [Reality’s] Expanse,
Pale blue, holding a vajra,
Offering a blood-filled skull to her consort’s mouth,
She joyously embraces him, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Ratnakrodheśvarῑ, Ratna Queen of [Reality’s] Expanse,
Pale yellow, holding a jewel,
Offering a blood-filled skull to her consort’s mouth,
She joyously embraces him, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Padmakrodheśvarῑ, Padma Queen of [Reality’s] Expanse,
Pale red, holding a lotus,
Offering a blood-filled skull to her consort’s mouth,
She joyously embraces him, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Karmakrodheśvarῑ, Karma Queen of [Reality’s] Expanse,
Pale green, holding a crossed-vajra,
Offering a blood-filled skull to her consort’s mouth,
She joyously embraces him, in supreme bliss.
I bow down to Gaurῑ of the eastern direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, white, and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
Brandishing a human corpse as a cudgel
To destroy the conceptual landscape of cyclic existence.
I bow down to Caurῑ of the southern direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, yellow, and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
Shooting an arrow from a bow
To bind indivisibly skilful means and discriminative awareness.
I bow down to Pramohā of the western direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, red, and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
Holding a crocodile victory-banner
To resist [the seductions of] cyclic existence.
I bow down to Vetālῑ of the northern direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, black,8 and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
Holding a vajra and a blood-filled skull
[To sustain recognition of] the unchanging reality.
I bow down to Pukkasῑ of the south-eastern direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, red-yellow, and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
[Clutching and] devouring entrails
To draw [sentient beings] free from the dissonan
t realms.
I bow down to Ghasmarῑ of the south-western direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, green-black, and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
Drinking blood from a skull
To consume [the turning circle of] cyclic existence.
I bow down to Caṇḍālῑ of the north-western direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, pale yellow, and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
Tearing apart the head and body of a bloated corpse
To sever erroneous thoughts [at their roots].
I bow down to Smaśānῑ of the north-eastern direction,
Acting on behalf of living beings as one of the Mātaraḥ,
Wrathful, blue-black, and aloof on her throne of human corpses,
Tearing apart [the head from] a human corpse
To sever the buttresses of cyclic existence.
I bow down to brown-black, lion-headed Siṃhamukhῑ,
The Tibetan Book of the Dead Page 13
