“Pur-chok-pa writes, ‘And he met them like a mountain
that is undisturbed
by wind and thunder...
The lion’s roar of his wisdom burst
the bubble of pride
of the many jackals who came to challenge him.’
“Thus he ascended to the highest pinnacle of learning known to the Tibetan Buddhist world.“
--Glenn H. Mullin, Path of the Bodhisattva Warrior, The Life and Teachings of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama (Snow Lion Publications, 1988), p. 42 (describing the Great Thirteenth in Dharmic debate)
THE RITE OF MEDICINAL CONSECRATION:
--“O Vajraraja, bestow blessings and initiation Of the highest siddhis of body, speech and mind Upon this supreme, secret mandala. Manifest now from the sphere of Samantabhadra.”
*”Ah! In order to be of full benefit to all living beings, you should try to attain in this very lifetime the enlightenment state symbolized by glorious Hayagriva in all nine wrathful aspects. Thus one has the proper motivation in participating in this Most Secret tantric healing initiation and will accomplish the generation of the mystical substances of vast benefit to self and other...
*Guru Padma Sambhava, who was like a second Buddha, once wrote:
“The Buddhas, fully understanding
The different stages of the mind,
Taught the Secret Mantra Vehicle.
Of all the various doctrines,
This vehicle is supreme;
For it contains all the essential points
Of all levels of training,
And produces quick enlightenment..”
*Moreover, it is said that all accomplishments arise from absorbing the mystical substances. Even the immortal vajra body itself can be accomplished this way. When one’s own vision is thus pure, the entire universe becomes a divine mandala and everything in all three worlds arises as ambrosial nectar. “The Eight Volumes on Ambrosial Substances (bDud-rtsi-bam-brgyad)” states:
“Ultimately speaking, the three worlds
Are in nature constructed from the five nectars,
And all living beings by nature are perfect Buddhas.
The three times, three worlds,
And the body, speech and mind
Ultimately are only ambrosial nectars.
This truth is pronounced from the highest sphere.“
*Also, “The Tantra on Excellent Nectar
(bDud-rtsi-mchog-gi-rgyud)” states:
“Mainly there are five supreme nectars.
Eight root and a thousand branch ingredients
Are combined to make the ambrosial medicines
Which become samaya substances.
The syllables *ka, sa, ya and na*
Transform these into great medicines
And then by absorbing these substances
The common and supreme siddhis are achieved.”
*...My treatise here follows the structure of “An Essential Sun Benefiting Others by Bringing Joy to the Three Worlds (Kham-gsum-bde-byed-gzhan-phan-nyi-mai-snying-po)” a ritual manual composed by the illustrious yogi Lama Pad-ma Zhe-pai Dor-je, a holder of many secret traditions. In structuring his text, this excellent master extracted the essence of all the earlier scriptures, both great and small, that were related to medicinal consecretion, rearranging the materials for easy practice.
THE ACTUAL RITE:
*Hark!
I go for refuge to the Buddha, I go for refuge to the Dharma, I go for refuge to the Sangha...
However innumerable worthy beings are, I vow to save them; however immeasurable the Dharmas are, I vow to master them; however inexhaustible the defilements are, I vow to extinguish them; however incomparable Enlightenment is, I vow to attain...
Through self-generation and generation-in-front, construct the mandala palace; envision seven levels, each exponentially greater and more profoundly rich than the one before...
*In the sky before you visualize the kind Root Guru inseparable in nature from the meditational deity Powerful Lotus Lord Hayagriva. He is surrounded by great clouds of gurus of the seven lineages, the eight great classes of practicioners, the various mandala divinities, and also countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, dakas, dakinis, Dharma Protectors, guardians, and so forth...
With the tips of one’s hands lightly touching each other in front of one’s heart, generate at-one-ment awareness and request the initiations, beginning with “the time has come...”
After the request has been made in this way, the master takes the longevity arrow in his left (vajra) hand and makes the summoning gesture. As he does so, the music of cymbals, deep bellowing horns and bass drums sounds, invoking the lineage blessings. In brief the unfailing powers of the mystical substances, mantras, the laws of interdependent origination, and the strength of samadhi are applied in order to invoke the compassionate blessings of the divine beings in the visualized field of assembly.
From their bodies there then flows forth nectars and lights of five colors. Especially, from the body of Powerful Lotus Lord Hayagriva there emanates forth countless replicas of himself, both large and small. These drop like rain upon the world and its inhabitants. They also fall upon and melt into your body, speech and mind. The blessings of the body speech and mind of the Mandala Lord become of one taste with your own three doors. All negativities and obscurations caused by body, speech and mind, together with all weakened samaya, become cleansed and purified. The forces of your karma and awareness become cleansed and purified. The forces of your karma and awareness become blessed with the strength of longevity and wisdom. In brief, all things in the world, including the earth, the mandala substances, all living beings, etc., gain the powerful blessings of the Lotus Lord Hayagriva and shine with a special radiance...
“O supreme Aryas, grant me your attention.
The time has come to show your compassion.
The time has come to show your unique nature.
The time has come to use your powers.
The time has come to bestow siddhi.
The time has come to free [us from] enemies and hindrances.
The time has come to restore weakened samaya.
“Bhagawan, give of your great powers.
Bhagavan, bestow the great initiations.
O Bhagavan, please release your great blessings.
O Bhagawan, fulfill these requests,
And for all of us here
Ripen the fruit of our karma.
*Hrih! Vajra krodha Hayagriva hulu hulu hum phat. Kaya vakka chitta vajra jnana abeshaya ah ah...* [repeat until you hear the powerful sounds accompanying]
*As stated in “The Tantra of the Secret Cycle (gSang-ba ‘khor-rgyud):
“Each of the ones to be inititated should Touch his/her head to the mandala...” [or bow, palms to the shrine floor, touching one’s head to hands]
*One should then focus attention on the generated ambrosial medicine mandala and firm up one’s aspiration to receive the initiation...The blessings of body, speech and mind of the Tathagatas flow forth. Their nature is that of *vajras* but their form is that of brilliantly white, then red, then blue nectars. Each washes over one, absorbing from your crown to toes, and flushing back up the channels and bindus, purifying and cleansing one of all negativities and obscurations lodged in one’s body, speech and mind. Thus great purity flows forth from one’s crown chakra, back into the cosmos. The wisdom of the threefold *vajra* (body, speech and mind) is attained, and the supreme *siddhi* of *mahamudra* is achieved...
*Dharmadhatu, ultimately unborn and pure,
Free from concepts of pure and impure; and a form
That never fails to manifest in any of the three times
With a style blazing with the vibrance of all siddhis:
Whoever wants the initiation of this mandala,
Prepare to receive it now...
Like the sun rising from behind the clouds,
Ambrosia eliminates the spiritual darkness
Generated over an aeon of lifetimes.
By receiving this initiation of kingly nectars,
May the stages of a kingly *vidyadhara* be obtained.
*Om ah hum sarva panja amrita maha shri heruka padma nata khrid maha krodhi shvari stvam samaya abheshaya ah ah*
By the initiation of a Wisdom Krodharaja,
All siddhis of body speech and mind
Become of one nature with the stream
Of the body, speech and mind of the yogi/yogini.
[High singing of the dakinis]: *Kaya siddhi om!*
[mid-range of all]: *Vakka siddhi ah!*
[deep sounds of the dakas]: *Chitta siddha hum!*
*Lob-pon Rin-po-che [Guru Padma Sambhava] once said:
“Ambrosial medicines to be opffered to the Sugatas,
Nectars which delight the Gurus and meditational deities:
These are like the heart drops of the *dakinis*
When absorbed, the benefits are inconceivable...
“One gains the qualities of a Buddha’s five *kayas*
Externally, all diseases and physical obstacles are destroyed;
Internally, the psychic poisons of five delusions are purified,
And weaknesses in *smaya* are overcome;
And secretly one gains the self-born wisdom.
“Even a Shravaka Arhat or Pratekabuddha
Who tastes this ambrosial medicine
Is transported to the tenth Mahayana *bhumi*
And becomes a Bodhisattva Mahasattva.
“If one offers this medicine to the guru,
Great blessings are achieved.
If one offers it to the meditational deities,
Powerful *siddhis* are attained.
If one offers it to the Sugatas,
Their compassion is invoked.
And, if one offers it to the *dakas* and *dakinis*,
They will deliver a prophecy.
“Should a yogi or anyone at all even taste this medicine,
The negative influences and obscurations
Of physical illness and obstacles are purified.
The internal quality of the samadhis
Of generation and completion stage yogas
Becomes firm and clear.
Secretly, self-awareness becomes *dharmakaya*
And all shortcomings and excesses are made right.
“Mere contact with this medicine
Eliminates the dangers of premature death,
And even the strongest poison is counteracted.
By massaging this medicine into one’s psyche,
All sicknesses and obstacles are dispelled.
Through this medicine’s wondrous fragrance,
Harmful spirits and hindering jackals
are chased away...”
*Conclude with a bow of gratitutde and say, “O masters, I vow
to accomplish all that you have instructed me to do.”
COLOPHON:
“In the Earth Bird Year of the Fifteenth Sexantry, the Thirteenth White Lotus Holder was on his way back to Lhasa after having visited the Empress of China in Beijing...He happened to arrivce at Nak-chu while the monastery was engaged in the annual ambrosial medicinal rites. The presiding master was Drub-khang Tul-ku, whose mindstream had ripened by study and practice of the huindreds of sutras and tantras over many previous lifetimes. He and the other practicioners requested the Great Thirteenth to stay for some time and assist them with their meditations. His Holiness consented, and wrote the condensed Longevity Rite and Medicinal Consecration texts, supra...”
--adapted from Glenn H Mullin’s Path of the Bodhisattva Warrior, The Life and Teachings of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama(Snow Lion Publications, 1988), prefaced by the Ven. Takster Rinpoche, Prof. Thubten Jigme Norbu, pp. 342-354
from: “The Most Secret Cycle Of The Mystical Mandala of Hayagriva (in accordance with the sacredly revealed transmission from the Pure Visionary tradition--dag-snang-- by Gong-pa Zil-non Zhe-pa Tsal, the Fifth Dalai Lama)”:
THE LONGEVITY INITIATION:
Homage to the immortal guru Tso-kye Dor-je,
Embodiment of the three Buddha kayas,
He born magically from a lotus;
And homage to the nine Heruka deities
Of the most secret Hayagiva mandala.
With reverence I bow to them
And request their inspiring blessings.
*“The house that we are in is not to be regarded as an ordinary dwelling. Rather, envision this mandala house as a mystical tantric mansion standing in the legendary pure land of Nga-yab-ling. The initiation guru is sitting in the very center of this tantric mansion. Although in form he or she may be your personal guru, ultimately envision Guru Tso-kye Dor-je, the Lotus-Born Guru, spiritual representative of all the Buddhas of the past, present and future. Generate undivided conviction and make the following request”:
Kye!!! O guru, embodiment of the three kayas,
Grant us the holy initiation.
Grant us protection from the dangers
Of sudden, premature death.
*”Generate the firm determination to practice in accordance with the instructions of the Dharma Protectors and to uphold their sacred words, then say”:
Dharmakaya Amitabha, lord of life energies, Samboghayaka Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhissatva of Compassion, (right hand of mercy) And nirmanakaya Padma Sambhava, subduer of the miscreants, (left hand of wrath) I take refuge in these supreme beings,
In order to be of maximum benefit to the living beings
Whose number is as vast as the extent of space,
I will practice according to the ways
Established by these three sublime beings,
Embodiment of the three kayas.
I will free all living beings
From the dangers of premature death,
And will lead them to the stage
Of supreme, peerless enlightenment...
*”When you feel comfortable repeating these words a white lotus blossom will arise within you, from your secret place, in seed, spreading cool purity upwards and all around. Then invite the Dharma Protectors and those of Special Prayer to experience the same”:
Guru, meditational divinities, dakas and dakinis,
I summon you to come forth now
And sit before me on these thrones
Each of which is made from
A sun, moon and a lotus flower.
I bow to you with body, speech and mind,
make outer, inner and secret offerings,
confess every weakness, negativity and obscuration,
And rejoice in the practice of the Secret Mantra Vehicle.
Pray, turn the Dharma Wheel of the Secret Mantra Vehicle,
That so matures and frees the mind.
Do not pass away into parinirvana,
Bur remain for the benefit of living beings.
And all my merits of body, speech and mind
I myself will dediciate with purity
For the benefit of the world.
May insight into the pure vajra knowledge arise.
*”Now one must envison oneself as a mandala divinity, inseparably connected with the wondrous play of energy all around one, at all times”:
From the sphere of the dharmadhatu,
In the nature of great compassion,
My mind appears as the syllable *hrih*
This transforms into a pure realm
For both vessel and contents,
The legendary Sindhu Lake, at the center of which
Is a throne made from lotus, sun and moon.
There I sit as Guru Tso-kye Dor-je,
Having one face and two hands.
My appearance is that of a sixteen year old,
And my face is white tinged with red.
Above the top of my crown protusion
Is a tiny green horse’s head,
And above that, in nature Amitabha Buddha,
is a small ball of radiant light.
My right hand holds a vajra,
My left a longevity vase,
And I sit in sexual union with the consort
Chandali, who is white tinged with red.
She holds a red longevity arrow, with white plumes,
and a nectar vase. Her arms are wrapped
around me. Both of us are draped in rainbow
silks, flower garlands; we are ornamented
with clacking rings of bone and sparkling jewels...
The three syllables--om, ah, hum--
stand at the male’s crown, throat and heart,
And a the heart of the woman
is a sun and moon disc
on which circle ‘Om, tare, tare tuttare svaha...’
Above the male’s crown is a moon disc,
on which sits the sambhaghakaya form of Avalokiteshvara.
At his heart, on a sun and moon disc,
is the nirmanakaya emanation Padma Sambhava, Guru Je Rinpoche.
Surrounding the male and female
Are countless dakas and dakinis...
*”Now I take the longevity arrow in my left hand and call forth the Blessings of Merit”:
“HUM! HRIH! Guru Tso-kye Dor-je,
He complete with the three Buddha kayas,
Please empower this secret mandala.
Cause these substances which produce longevity
To glow with a special power.
Bestow the powerful inititations
And release the exalted siddhis...
*Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal abeshaya ah ah...
*”Next, with both hands, I touch the head of a finely and nobly featured Statue of your Innate Perfection to your own head, and say”:
“HRIH! Guru Tso-kye Dor-je,
Embodiment of the three Budhakayas,
Bestow the powerful blessings
Of the physical marks and signs of perfection
Upon these trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power
Of the immortal vajra body.
*Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal renra bhum hum jaka ah ah...
*”Then, with my right hand, I touch the rosary, held in a sacred circle, to your throat, and say”:
“HRIH! Guru Tso-kye Dor-je,
Embodiment of the three Buddha kayas,
Bestow the powerful blessings of divine speech
Upon these trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power
Of pure, faultless speech.
*Om ah hum hrih vajra guruayur jnana siddhi phal hum vamkha abhishiccha ah...
*”With both hands, I hold an ornate mirror, inlaid with turquoise and pearl, symbol of the immaculate vajra mind, to your heart and say”:
“HRIH! Guru Tso-kye Dor-je,
Embodiment of the three Buddhakayas,
Bestow the powerful blessings
Of the mind of bliss and void united
Upon these trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power
Of an undistorted mind.
*Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal hum chitta abhishiccha hum...
*”Finally, with both hands held in offering, I touch the initiation vase to the fore- crown of your head”:
“OM! This vase is the tantric mansion.
From it flows forth ambrosial nectars
Of the deities of the three Buddha kayas,
Which wash away the stains of delusion
And of grasping at the appearance of duality
From within trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power
Of the immortal vajra wisdom.
*Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal hum kalasha abhishiccha
om ah hum hrih...
*”Thus the ambrosial nectars of immortality flow forth, filling one’s body from the crown to the soles of the feet, and back to the crown and overflowing outward, offering to the Dharma Protectors and to those of special prayer being made...
“HRIH! Now you have a special body
Ablaze with vajra wisdom
Emitting protective sparks of flame
as hot as the fires of the end of Time.
Thus you have gained protection
From the evil forces and hindrances
That lie in wait, as jackals, for the chance to harm...”
--From the “Sermons at the Great Prayer Festival,” (Mullin, supra):
*“We have taken birth again and again
From time without beginning,
But have not obtained liberation.
Thus indicated is that we have
never met with guru, or
having achieved an opportunity, did not
recognize one’s teacher.
or, worse yet, did not respond
with skill...
Thus one continues like a worm
through samsara.”
--advice from the Kadam master Ge-she-Zung-jug Rin-poche
*”Most people keep their faith in their mouth.
I, a yogi, keep mine in my heart.”
--as Jetsun Mi-la-re-pa once sang
*”Countless Buddhas have manifested
And worked to benefit living beings.
But because of my own shortcomings
I did not become an object of their healing powers.”
--as the illustrous master Shantideva once said
*”Those with no faith in the Dharma
Rarely generate the white forces of goodness.
They are like seeds scorched by fire
That cannot sprout and grow...”
--Chos-bcu-pai-mdo, commented upon by the Great Thirteenth as:
“The above quotation says, ‘As for those of no spiritual direction, they simply do as they fancy...Our lack of ability to cooperate with [the white forces of goodness] rendered them unable to cure us of the sickness of compulsive patterns...”
*”The path of the bar-do is long.
Take the Dharma as your provison...
With this advice I part from you...”
Thomas Francis Noonan, 9/26/97; 11:18 AM
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