Vajrayogini Vol 1 Initial Practices c5

Initial Practices
of Vajrayogini
Volume 1: An FPMT Manual for Initiates
FPMT Education Publications

© FPMT, Inc., 2005, 2010, 2012
All illustrations by Andy Weber © Andy Weber, 2005.
All illustrations by Robert Beer © Robert Beer, 2005.
All rights reserved.

Please do not copy or reproduce in any way, electronic or otherwise,
any material from this publication without permission
from the Education Services of FPMT, Inc.
FPMT Education Services

1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland OR 97214 USA
Tel: 1 (503) 808-1588
Fax: 1 (503) 808-1589
Email: education@fpmt.org
Website: www.fpmt.org
Cover design by Lynn Schwadchuck.

Contents
Acknowledgements 5
Dedication 9
Introduction 11
A Short Daily Practice of Venerable Vajrayogini 19
The Middle-Length Sadhana of Vajrayogini 29
The Nearing Path to Great Bliss: The Uncommon Means of Attainment
Venerable Vajrayogini Naro Khachö 65
Vajrayogini Tsog Offering 165
An Extremely Abbreviated Tsog Offering 188
Tea Offering to Vajrayogini 192
Vajrayogini Hand Offering Practice 197
The Messenger Invoking the Hundred Blessings of the Vajra:
How to Enter Into Vajrayogini Retreat 205
Two Retreat Commentaries by Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo 237
The Steps for a Fortunate One to Proceed to Naro Khachö 239
Song of the Spring Queen on the Experiences of the Path 263
How to Perform the Hand Gestures (Mudras) for Vajrayogini Practice 269
The Pledge Substances of Highest Yoga Tantra 283
Bibliography and Resources 285
Credits 289
Acknowledgments 5
Acknowledgements
FPMT Education Services is honored to bring you this first of a four-volume set of
practice manuals related to Venerable Vajrayogini. Given that in degenerate times
the practice of Vajrayogini increases in its power to bring about rapid results, it is
our hope that by providing this extensive collection of materials, that many people
will seriously engage in this practice and quickly generate the realizations of her holy
body, speech, and mind.
When we first envisioned the “Vajrayogini pack,” we had no idea it would be-
come such a vast and complex collection. As with so many Dharma endeavors, our
understanding of what was needed to enable practitioners to engage in this practice
with confidence and adequate instruction continually expanded over time such that
the complete “Vajrayogini pack” now includes: retreat instructions, three sadha-
nas of different lengths, pacifying burning offering puja, self-initiation texts, special
advice for engaging in the three-year great retreat of Vajrayogini, and a collection
of post-retreat practices. Before we knew it, what we initially envisioned as a neat
single-volume manual had expanded to four!
We have so many people to thank for the help offered to this project: from trans-
lation and editorial help to artwork and donations. Specifically, I would like to thank
so much the following people:
First and foremost to the incomparably kind Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT’s Spiritual
Director and guide. Without the constant inspiration, encouragement, instruction,
and clarification that comes to us from Rinpoche, it would be totally impossible to
offer any benefit at all to others, let alone be able to offer such a tantric practice
manual as this. May all the Dharma wishes of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and perfected
guides everywhere be immediately fulfilled.
To our translators: Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the short sadhana, tea offering, and re-
treat instructions and Geshe Thubten Sherab for checking the latter translation word
6 Initial Practices of Vajrayogini
for word against Pabongkha Rinpoche’s original text. To Fabrizio Pallotti and Geshe
Sherab for the translation of Pabongkha’s advice for how to conduct the practices
during the retreat as well as Fabrizio’s checking of numerous other details through-
out the manuals. To Losang Chomo who did the initial translation of the long sad-
hana and self-initiation text, and numerous bits and pieces needed along the way.
To Ven. George Churinoff for his thorough and precise checking and revising of the
translations of the long sadhana and self-initiation text (found in Vol. 3). Also, to the
scribes and translation assistants: Ven. Paula Chichester, Ven. Sarah Thresher, Ven.
Holly Ansett, and Elaine Jackson, who worked closely with the translators to make
sure their words were accurately recorded and for requesting clarification when
needed resulting in a more perfect rendering of the Tibetan texts into English.
To our artists: Many thanks to artist Andy Weber for his line drawings of the lineage
lamas and protectors; and to Ven. Ingrid Nordzin for the hand mudras as well as to
those who posed for these images. Special thanks also to Andy Weber for his en-
couragement to provide the lineage in its entirety, drawings that do not exist else-
where in an English publication of this practice. Thanks, too, to Robert Beer for his
outstanding line drawing of Vajrayogini, as well as the many supplementary draw-
ings appearing throughout the text.
To our donors for the financial help that allowed the artwork and initial versions of
this series to manifest: Ven. Tenzin Lhamo, Ven. Thubten Chodron, Rosa Shen, Franca
Mulligan, Rubi Lowy, Ven. Lhundup Jampa, and Elaine Jackson. And special thanks to
Ven. Paula Chichester for her fundraising assistance. Gratitude, also, to Andy Weber
for donating fifty Vajrayogini art prints as a promotion to launch the series in 2005.
To the helpers we couldn’t have done without, including: Geshe Jampa Gyatso and
Losang Chomo, who clarified difficult points of the sadhana; Ven. Sangye Khadro,
who so generously checks our work and sends her suggestions, corrections, and
advice; Ven. Paula Chichester, for her expertise in this practice and her consistent
and clarifying input of what to include and not include; Roy Li, who provided the cor-
rected and formatted Tibetan ACI text; Kendall Magnussen, for checking, recheck-
ing, and rechecking again the manuscript; and Rachel Ryer, who created and input
all of the phonetics according to the FPMT Education Services system. Our great and
heartfelt gratitude goes to Elaine Jackson for her help with the revised translation,
and most of all for her continual cheer, and encouragement throughout the project.
Acknowledgments 7
Profuse and extensive thanks go to our editor, Ven. Constance Miller without
whom these volumes would still be on the “to-do” list. While Ven. Connie is most
comfortable and most renowned for her work as an editor of Dharma works, she re-
sponded to my plea to tackle this project from start to finish: compiling and making
sense of our vast files on this practice and then creating the first three volumes of this
series. Ven. Connie served as chief editor of FPMT Education Services from 1996-2007
and aside from making possible this and many other practice manuals, Ven. Connie
was responsible for compiling the first edition of Essential Buddhist Prayers, an FPMT
Prayer Book. For Ven. Connie’s commitment, perseverance and dedication toward
getting FPMT Education publications started, I am deeply indebted.
For the 2010 edition of Initial Practices of Vajrayogini, I must thank profusely Val-
erie Thomas for her tireless work reformatting the text in our new publishing soft-
ware. Given the complexity of the layout, images, Tibetan text, chantable English, and
new graphics this was no easy feat; yet Valerie, as a dedicated practitioner wishing for
others to benefit from the practice, accepted the task. As well, my sincere thanks to
Sherry Tillery for applying her skilled editorial eye and to Elaine Jackson for providing
advice on incorporating the chantable English version. Lastly, to the action dakinis of
Kopan Monastery, Ven. Ani Fran and Ven. Tenzin Namdrol, who answered my urgent
pleas day after day prior to publication and provided every last clarification and miss-
ing bit of Tibetan phonetics.
As an inspiration to Vajrayogini practitioners everywhere, I would like to quote FPMT’s

founder and our revered spiritual friend, Lama Thubten Yeshe, who describes like no
other the sublime qualities of the Venerable Lady: “The female energy that lies within
all of us, a fully enlightened buddha, the essence of totality – beyond duality, beyond
ego, and fully controlled.” May we all attain this enlightened state quickly, most quickly,
for the benefit of all.
We pray that all of you who use these manuals will be greatly benefited and that
the supreme lady of Khachö will come most quickly to lead you to her pure land.
Merry Colony
Director, FPMT Education Services
Portland, Oregon
April 2010
Additional acknowledgements for the 2012 edition

Heartfelt gratitude to those who have made this latest version possible through con-
tinuous checking, making corrections, clarifications, and editing: Losang Chomo, Ven.
Sangye Khadro, Joona Repo, Merry Colony, Joerg Eberhardt, Ven. Steve Carlier, and
Carina Rumrill. Special thanks go to our editors, Sarah Shifferd and Kendall Magnus-
sen, who took responsibility for the detailed and challenging task of investigating
and incorporating all revisions and updating the layout for this current edition.
Tom Truty
FPMT Education Services Coordinator
Portland, Oregon
June 2012
Dedication
To the incomparably kind Lama Zopa Rinpoche,

without whom his disciples would be bereft
and without a guide, we dedicate
this volume of Vajrayogini practices.
This book should be read only by those who

have obtained the empowerment of
Venerable Vajrayogini.
[Words that appear in the translations in square brackets as well as the endnotes
to these practices have been added by the editors and translators for the
sake of clarification and do not appear in the original Tibetan texts.]
Introduction 11
Introduction
Welcome to Volume 1 of four volumes from FPMT Education Services for practitio-
ners of Vajrayogini, a highest yoga tantra deity. In order to read and utilize this book,
you must have already received the empowerment of Vajrayogini from a qualified
tantric master. As a prerequisite to receiving the empowerment of Vajrayogini, you
must have previously received a great highest yoga tantra empowerment into the
practice of Heruka Chakrasamvara, Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja, Hevajra, or Kalachakra.
If you have completed these prerequisites, then this book is for you.
Highest yoga tantra practice is not for beginners. One must first have a strong
basis in the general practices and meditations of the graduated path – the three
principal paths of the Lam-rim – as well as familiarity with the principles and basic
practices of tantra. Thus, the practices in this book are also not for beginners, and in
compiling this manual, we have assumed that, as the reader, you have a strong basis
in Buddhist understanding and practice and have received commentary on Vajra-
yogini practice from a qualified spiritual master.
Vajrayogini is the enlightened manifestation of the transformation of desire en-
ergy. In the words of Lama Thubten Yeshe, “[Vajrayogini] is the totally developed
female aspect energy, female buddha, and the totality quality that is… beyond dual-
ity, beyond the energy of ego. The purpose of this yoga method is to identify oneself
with that divine totality quality. Thus, this method strongly emphasizes wisdom, to
lead us on the quickest path to enlightenment.”
The practice of Vajrayogini is especially potent in the times of the five degenera-
tions, when negative energies and tendencies are on the rise and positive energies
are declining. Again, from Lama Thubten Yeshe: “This yoga method is so powerful.
In this twentieth century [Ed: And in the twenty-first century even more!] we have
super delusion, super sense concrete delusion, and especially super grasping at con-
crete sense pleasure. Thus, we are urgently, badly, in need of a wisdom method to
transform it… This yoga method is for the transformation of emotion. Vajrayogini
has a kind of super radiating red light body that has the quality of transforming all
suffocated emotion, all blocked energy, transforming it into the divine quality.”
This particular practice of Vajrayogini has come down to us in an unbroken
lineage from the direct experience of Naropa, a great pandit and mahasiddha of
eleventh-century India. There are many remarkable stories of Naropa’s profound
practice and the attainments he achieved during his lifetime. Please refer to the bib-
liography at the end of this book for helpful resources and references related to this
lineage, including a biography of Naropa.
Most of the practice sadhanas and explanatory texts found in this volume were
composed by the great Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo (1878–1941). A great prac-
titioner and lineage holder of the practices of Heruka and Vajrayogini, Pabongkha
Rinpoche lived and taught in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He is
said to have been the most influential Gelug lama of the twentieth century, and his
lam-rim teachings became the most definitive lam-rim text of our time, Liberation
in the Palm of Your Hand. He was the root guru of Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and Kyabje
Trijang Rinpoche, the tutors of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and he held
all the important lineages of sutra and tantra during his life. He passed those lineages
on to most of the important Gelug lamas of the next two generations. Thus, these
practices have come to us through extraordinarily powerful conduits – the originator,
Naropa; and the composer, Pabongkha Rinpoche.
About This Book

This manual is for practitioners who have received the empowerment of Vajrayogini
and teachings on the practice. At this point, a practitioner has a daily practice com-
mitment to fulfill (either a sadhana commitment or a mantra commitment) and, most
often, a retreat commitment to fulfill as well. We have compiled this manual with
the specific materials that will help a practitioner to fulfill these commitments up to
and through the retreat. [NOTE: Following the completion of the retreat, one must
also perform a pacifying burning offering (fire puja). The practice texts and instruc-
tions for doing the requisite burning offering are available in Volume 2 of this FPMT
Vajrayogini series, The Pacifying Burning Offering Ritual of Vajrayogini.]
In this book, one finds three separate Vajrayogini sadhanas: short, middle-
length, and long. All three of these sadhanas are suitable to use as daily practice
texts. The long sadhana, The Nearing Path to Great Bliss, was composed by Pabong-
kha Rinpoche to be suitable for a practitioner to fulfill the retreat commitment.
Introduction 13
During retreat, for the four sessions of practice each day, one can utilize the middle-
length sadhana as the basis for the second, third, and fourth sessions of the day. The
portions of the long sadhana that do not have to be practiced in every session other
than the first (according to Pabongkha Rinpoche) have been conveniently removed to
create the middle-length sadhana for ease of practice during retreat.
There are also two different tsog offering texts included herein. The first is the
complete tsog offering, which has been extracted and presented separately from the
retreat sadhana. We have presented it separately so that you can use this tsog offer-
ing at other times than in retreat, perhaps together with one of the shorter Vajrayogini
sadhanas. An abbreviated tsog offering text, composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, has
also been included. This can be used on occasions when you have very little time but
still wish to offer tsog. Twice-monthly tsog offerings (on the tenth and the twenty-
fifth of the Tibetan lunar month) are a commitment of Mother Tantra practices of
highest yoga tantra. One may utilize either of these tsog offering texts in conjunction
with any of the Vajrayogini sadhanas found here, with the practice of Lama Chöpa,
or with the Six Session Guru Yoga practice as a means of fulfilling one’s tsog commit-
ment. It is recommended to offer tsog every day during retreat. Practitioners may
also wish to do the abbreviated tsog as part of your daily practice.
Additional Vajrayogini practices that may be available here for the first time in
English have also been included in this collection. The tea offering and hand offer-
ing practices can be done at any time to invoke the blessings of accomplishment of
Vajrayogini, especially during retreat. The actual translations of these practice texts
are inclulded; however, you may require additional commentary from your spiritual
teacher in order to comprehend the more profound meanings of these practices and
how to do them.
Before starting retreat, it is important to study so that your time in retreat will
be as powerfully beneficial as possible. Study your notes of the commentary on the
practice that you have received. Having received one oral commentary, you are also
qualified to read the transcripts of commentaries given by other qualified masters.
Check the bibliography at the back of this book for resources of this kind.
Be sure to read The Steps for a Fortunate One to Proceed to Naro Khachö: How to
Engage in the Retreat of Vajrayogini (p. 237) as this will provide you with the lineage
heart instructions for how to make the most of your time when doing this particular
retreat. The specific oral instructions you receive directly from your guru regarding
this practice may occasionally differ from the instructions found in these written
texts. In such cases, your guru’s direct instructions should take precedence.
The Messenger Invoking the Hundred Blessings of the Vajra: How to Enter into
Vajrayogini Retreat (p. 205) is the preliminary practice text for entering retreat
wherein one blesses the place, the seat, establishes one’s boundaries, dispels inter-
ferences, and so forth. Use this text on the day you start retreat, before the actual
first session. Further explanation of these preparatory practices can be found in The
Steps for a Fortunate One.
Before retreat you will also wish to study the mudras, or hand gestures, that are
an integral part of the practice. Drawings of these mudras have been included here
to assist practitioners, however, it is best to be shown these hand mudras directly
by a qualified teacher or practitioner. If this proves to be difficult, FPMT Education
Services has made available for you a DVD of Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup
Rigsel of Kopan Monastery demonstrating the mudras of this practice so you can
learn them in that way. In any case, these carefully made drawings can be used as a
continuing reference. To help practitioners know when these mudras are to be done
during the practices, we have developed a system of small symbols for some of the
more frequently used mudras. A key to these small symbols can be found on page 18.
This system is not exhaustive, so one should pay special attention to details such as
these when receiving teachings on Vajrayogini practices.
Refer to the beginning of each practice text for specific information pertaining to
that practice, including altar set-up, and practice tips.
As you become qualified, you will most certainly want to complete your collec-
tion of practices related to Vajrayogini by obtaining the remaining three volumes of
this series. Volume 2, The Pacifying Burning Offering Ritual of Vajrayogini, contains
the fire puja instructions and practice text for completing your retreat, while Volume
3, The Intermediate Practices of Vajrayogini: An FPMT Manual for Completing the
Actions of the Deity, contains extensive and abbreviated self-initiation practices that
should be done only by those who have completed the retreat and sealed it with
the pacifying fire puja. Volume 4, The Secret Advanced Practices of Vajrayogini will
contain a collection of instructions and practices for those wishing to engage in the
great retreat – completing ten million mantras of the deity.
About Vajrayogini’s Seed Syllable

Throughout this series of Vajrayogini practice manuals, you will see that Vajrayogi-
ni’s seed syllable is written as VAM. You may find this confusing, as you may be
quite used to seeing her seed syllable written as BAM. We have made this editorial
Introduction 15
decision for the following reasons. I quote here from Ven. George Churinoff, whose
depth of scholarly knowledge has been a huge support to the creation of this series:
There are at least two (maybe more) sources of confusion about the two letters
B and V in Buddhist Sanskrit texts…The use of V was said to be different in south
India, perhaps near Bengal, where tantric Buddhist practice flourished. It may
have been due to different pronunciation or something else, but the mantras
sometimes use B for what is otherwise V in “classical” Sanskrit. Also, the Tibetan
alphabet was derived from sources in Kashmir, where at the time, Sanskrit V was
sometimes pronounced as B – whether because of a connection with tantric
sources or for some other reason…
His Holiness has said one needs the correct Sanskrit pronunciation for the
highest siddhis, and you may have noticed Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche pronouncing
mantras in a very distinctive Sanskrit fashion lately. It seems clear to me that the
intent of the Tibetan BAM is Sanskrit VAM (for vajra) just as TAM is for "Tara"...
You may recall we discussed EVAM (which symbolizes suchness and much else),
which can be divided into the syllables E and VAM, in which we see the seed syl-
lable VAM resting in the phenomena sources, arisen from E, representing, per-
haps on some level, the unification of the two truths.
We have concluded from this and other input that VAM is a more accurate ren-
dering of the Sanskrit of Vajrayogini’s seed syllable. We have used this rendering
throughout this and all the manuals of this Vajrayogini series. We hope that this will
only enhance your experience of Vajrayogini and her practice.
Revisions and Formatting for this 2012 Edition

This edition incorporates a number of miscellaneous corrections and revisions need-
ed to improve upon previous editions. The long sadhana and ritual for entering into
retreat were given special attention. In consultation with two different translators,
both of these practices (and thus the middle-length sadhana as well) have been
adjusted to more accurately represent the original texts composed by Pabongkha
Rinpoche as found in Pabongkha's Collected Works as well as in the Vajrayogini Col-
lected Activites. More discrepancies were discovered between the long sadhana as
found within the self-initiation text and the stand alone version. There were also
differences found between Tibetan versions of the same practice! Specific changes
have been end noted with explanation as much as possible so that practitioners can
better appreciate the revisions needed and have confidence in the accuracy of the
practices found herein.
English, Tibetan Phonetics, and English chantable options

Around 1998, FPMT’s Education Services staff took a poll of FPMT students from all
around the world concerning their preferences for the presentation of English and
Tibetan phonetics in practice texts. As a result of this poll, FPMT's first generation
of practice texts presented the English translation and the Tibetan phonetics on op-
posite pages facing each other with verses lined up across the pages.
At Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s request, for our most commonly used prayers and
practices, we have since adjusted our layout to alternating lines of English and Ti-
betan phonetics, so that when chanting tunes in Tibetan, one can easily refer to the
meaning of what is being chanted.
After much consideration, for longer meditation manuals such as this Initial Prac-
tices of Vajrayogini, we have maintained our original layout schematic as this seems
to be more user-friendly for personal practice. Consequently, for this practice text,
where there are relevant Tibetan phonetics, you will find them on the page opposite
the English. Also, for select prayers, you now have the option to chant them in Eng-
lish according to the Tibetan tunes. These English chantable verses were lovingly cre-
ated over a number of years by Ven. Paula Chichester with the assistance of Elaine
Jackson. Whenever an English chantable version of a tune is available, it will appear
as an italicized column adjacent to the Tibetan phonetics to which it corresponds.
Tunes for both the Tibetan and the English chants can be downloaded from the
FPMT Foundation Store: shop.fpmt.org.
We hope that you find this presentation helpful, and as always, we appreciate
any feedback you might have.
From all of us at FPMT Education Services who have worked (and continue to work)
on this Vajrayogini series, we wish you the most powerful and transformative of
experiences with your practice of Vajrayogini. May we all reach the state of Khachö
(Khechara) in this very lifetime!
Ven. Constance Miller

Sarah Shifferd
Kendall Magnussen
Editors
Sadhanas 17
The Sadhanas
Key to the various symbols indicating practice elements, mudras, etc.:
the lotus-turning mudra (see p. 274)
ring the bell
show the dorje at the heart level
play the damaru
the blazing mudra (see p. 271)
the prostration mudra
the embracing mudra (see p. 282)

Short Sadhana 19
A Short Daily Practice of

Venerable Vajrayogini
by Je Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo

translated by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
About this short daily practice of Vajrayogini:

As you peruse this manual, specifically the various length Vajrayogini sadhanas, you
will notice that in this translation of the short daily practice, terms may be translated
slightly differently than in the middle-length and long sadhanas. The middle-length
and long sadhanas were translated by the same individuals, whereas this short sad-
hana was translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In editing this volume, we decided to
preserve the unique translation of this short sadhana, despite the differences with
the translations of the other practices contained herein. We hope that this will not
create any confusion for you regarding the meanings of these different terms.
Practice suggestions:
One is not required to make altar offerings for the short sadhana practice. Still, you
may set up your altar for daily practice as usual (seven or eight bowls placed from
the merit field’s right to left) or in accordance with Mother Tantra (placing seven or
eight offering bowls from left to right according to the perspective of the merit field).
The offerings represent water for drinking, water for washing the feet, flowers, in-
cense, light, perfume, food, and music, respectively.
Set of offerings to the main deity according to Mother Tantra
The Short Daily Torma Offering (p. 27) can be performed daily if one wishes, or occa-
sionally as one has time. According to the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, “It is good
to follow the tradition when making tormas, or alternatively, one can use honey,
butter, and cakes. However, one should offer the best quality of offering, whatever
form one chooses.” The torma to Vajrayogini should contain both meat and alcohol.
Short Sadhana 21
A Short Daily Practice of

NAMO GURU VAJRAVARAHI
1. Yoga of sleeping.
2. Yoga of rising.
3. Yoga of tasting the nectar.
4. Yoga of Immeasurability
Generating Refuge and Bodhichitta
I and all migrating beings pervading the farthest reaches of infinite space, from this
moment until we attain the essence of full enlightenment, go for refuge to the magnif-
icent holy Gurus; we go for refuge to the fully accomplished Buddha foe-destroyers;
we go for refuge to the pure Dharma; we go for refuge to the exalted Sangha. (3–7x)
To the Gurus and the Sublime Precious Three, I prostrate and go for refuge. Please
bless my mind. I will attain the stage of fully accomplished buddhahood and will re-
lease all sentient beings from the ocean of samsaric suffering. For that purpose I am
practicing the graduated path of Vajrayogini. (3x)
5. Guru Yoga
In the space in front of me I visualize a jeweled throne supported by eight mighty
lions. On the throne is a variegated lotus and a moon disc. Seated on this is my root
Guru in the aspect of Hero (Vira) Vajradharma. His holy body is red, with one face
and two hands: With his right hand he plays a damaru producing the sound of bliss
and void, while his left hand at his heart holds a skullcup filled with nectar. A khat-
vanga rests in the bend of his left arm. He is seated in the vajra position and wears
six bone ornaments. His holy body is vibrant in the prime of youth.
Vira Vajradharma
[Receiving the Blessings of the Four Empowerments

Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche’s advice is that it is good to do this daily in order to renew
the blessing of the initiation.
O Guru, incorporating all objects of refuge, to you I make requests. Bestow on me

please waves of inspiring strength. Confer on me fully the four empowerments and
bestow on me please the enlightened state of the four buddha-bodies. (3x)
From an OM at the forehead of my Guru white nectar and rays of light are
ༀ emitted. They dissolve into my forehead, purifying the black karmic debts and
obstacles concerning my body and conferring the vase empowerment. The
blessings of the Guru’s body enter my body.
ཿ They
From an AH at the throat of my Guru red nectar and rays of light are emitted.
dissolve into my throat, purifying the black karmic debts and obstacles
concerning my speech and conferring the secret empowerment. The blessings
of the Guru’s speech enter my speech.
Short Sadhana 23
ཧཱུཾ
From a HUM at the heart of my Guru blue nectar and rays of light are emitted.
They dissolve into my heart, purifying the black karmic debts and obstacles
concerning my mind and conferring the wisdom empowerment of pristine
awareness. The blessings of the Guru’s mind enter my mind.
From the three syllables at my Guru’s three bodily places are emitted white, red, and
blue nectars and rays of light. They dissolve into my three bodily places, purify the
black karmic debts and obstacles concerning my body, speech, and mind, and con-
fer the fourth empowerment, the word empowerment. The blessings of the Guru’s
body, speech, and mind enter my body, speech, and mind.]
Precious Guru, essence of all buddhas of the past, present, and future, encompassing
all objects of refuge, to you I prostrate and go for refuge. Please bless my mind. (3x)
The Guru melts into light, enters the crown of my head, and is absorbed into me, and
at my heart transforms into the form of a red syllable VAM that is mixed inseparably
with my own mind.
6. Generation of Self as the Deity

Taking Death into the Path as Dharmakaya
This very syllable VAM becomes bigger and bigger until it becomes equal to the in-
finitude of space, whereby all the environment and the beings within become of the
nature of bliss and voidness. Once again gradually condensing from infinity down,
it becomes an extremely minute syllable VAM, which in stages dissolves up to the
nada. Then even the nada dissolves, becoming the non-objectifying dharmakaya of
inseparable bliss and voidness.
OM SHUNYATA JÑANA VAJRA SVABHAVA ATMAKO HAM
Taking Bardo into the Path as Sambhogakaya

From the state of voidness appears my own mind in the form of an upright
red syllable VAM standing in space.
Taking Birth into the Path as Nirmanakaya

The letters E E appear and transform into a chöjung (phenomena-source). A letter
A inside the chöjung becomes a moon mandala, with the red letters of the mantra
standing counter-clockwise around its edge.
OM OM OM SARVA BUDDHA DAKINIYE VAJRA VARNANIYE VAJRA
VAIROCHANIYE HUM HUM HUM PHAT PHAT PHAT SVAHA
As the syllable VAM, I descend and stand in the center of the moon. From the VAM
and mantra garland, infinite beams of light radiate and fill my entire body, purifying
all obscurations and negativities of body, speech, and mind. My body is transformed
into the nature of light, and I become the Venerable Vajrayogini, standing on a lotus
and sun disc. My right leg, outstretched, treads on the breasts of red Kalarati while
my left leg is bent and presses down on the forehead of black Bhairava.
My holy body is red, with a brilliance like the fire at the end of an eon. I have one
face, two arms, and three eyes looking up toward the land of dakinis. My right hand
holds a curved knife pointing downward while my left raises a skullcup filled with
blood from which I drink. On my left shoulder rests a khatvanga marked with a vajra
and adorned with a damaru, a bell, and a three-pointed banner. My long black hair,
each strand separate, falls to my waist. In the prime of my youth, my desirous breasts
full, I experience great bliss. Five human skulls crown my head, and a garland of fifty
skulls hangs from my neck. Naked, I am adorned with the five mudras and stand in
the center of a blazing fire of wisdom.
At my places, upon moon discs,
at the navel is red OM VAM

ༀ་བཾ་ Vajravarahi;
at the heart, blue HAM YOM
ཧཾ་ཡོཾ༌ Yamini;
at the throat, white HRIM MOM
ིཾ༌མོཾ༌ Mohini;
at the forehead, yellow HRIM HRIM
ིཾ་ིཾ་ Sanchalani;
at the crown, green HUM HUM
ཧཱུཾ་ཧཱུ་ཾ Santrasani;
at all the limbs, smoke-colored PHAT PHAT ཕཊ་ཕཊ་ the nature of Chandika.
Short Sadhana 25
7. Leading Sentient Beings to Enlightenment
From the mantra at my heart light radiates, passing through all my pores and reaching
all the sentient beings in the six realms of existence. These rays purify their obscura-
tions, negativities, and karmic tendencies and they are transformed into Vajrayogini.
8. Blessing by the Dakas and Dakinis
PHAIM!
ཕཻཾ
From the VAM at my heart, rays of light emanate and bring forth Vajrayogini from the
pure realm of Ögmin. She is surrounded by the heroes and yoginis of the ten direc-
tions and all transmigrating beings who have become yoginis. This entire assembly is
absorbed into me.
JAH HUM VAM HOH [For how to do the mudra, see p. 272.]
[Performing the lotus-turning mudra two times, first once to the left, then once to
the right, followed by the embracing mudra, recite:]
OM YOGA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA YOGA SHUDDHO HAM
9. Recitation of the Mantra

Inside the chöjung at my heart is a moon mandala, in the center
of which is the letter VAM encircled by the red mantra garland
turning in a counter-clockwise direction. From these, immea-
surable rays of red light emanate to purify the obscurations and
negativities of all sentient beings and to make offerings to the
buddhas. The powers and blessings of the buddhas return in
the form of rays of red light, which dissolve into the VAM and
the mantra garland, thus blessing my mind.
OM OM OM SARVA BUDDHA DAKINIYE
VAJRA VARNANIYE VAJRA VAIROCHANIYE
HUM HUM HUM PHAT PHAT PHAT SVAHA
10. Yoga of the Unimaginable

Light rays emanate from the syllable VAM and the mantra garland at my heart and
pervade the three realms. The formless realm melts into blue light and dissolves into
the upper part of my body. The form realm melts into red light and dissolves into the
middle part of my body. The desire realm melts into white light and dissolves into
the lower part of my body. Gradually, from top and bottom, I melt into the chöjung.
That dissolves into the moon mandala… then into the mantra garland… then into the
letter VAM… then into the head of the VAM… then into the crescent moon… into
the tigle… into the nada. That becomes smaller and smaller until it dissolves into
voidness.
11. The Yoga of Action

From the state of voidness I arise as Vajrayogini. At my places, upon moon discs,

ཧཱུཾ་ཧཱུཾ་ Santrasani;
OM SUMBHA NISUMBHA HUM HUM PHAT

OM GRIHNA GRIHNA HUM HUM PHAT
OM GRIHNAPAYA GRIHNAPAYA HUM HUM PHAT
OM ANAYA HO BHAGAVAN VAJRA HUM HUM PHAT (2x)
[In the first recitation, in a counterclockwise direction, snap the thumb and index
finger of the left hand in the four cardinal directions and at the zenith and nadir –
that is, once in front, once above, and once to the left, then once in back, once be-
low, and once to the right. During the second recitation, snap clockwise four times
in the intermediate directions.]
Short Sadhana 27
A Short Daily Torma Offering to Vajrayogini [optional]
From voidness arises a vast skullcup containing the five meats and five nectars.
These are transformed into an ocean of transcendental wisdom nectar.
OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH (3x) [For how to do the mudra, see p. 271]
PHAIM!
ཕཻཾ
From Ögmin, Vajrayogini is invited, surrounded by dakas, yoginis, Dharma protec-
tors, and worldly protectors.

VAIROCHANIYE HUM HUM HUM PHAT PHAT PHAT SVAHA (1x)
OM AKARO MUKHAM SARVA DHARMA NAM ADHYA NUTPANAM TVATA OM

AH HUM PHAT SVAHA (3x)
Offerings
OM VAJRAYOGINI SAPARIVARA ARGHAM / PADYAM / PUSHPE / DHUPE /
DIPE / GANDHE / NAIVIDYA / SHAPTA PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRAYOGINI SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM
Prostrations and Requests

I prostrate to you, Vajra Dakini, Queen of the dakinis. You have found the five wis-
doms and attained the three bodies, thus aiding beings. As Vajra Dakini, you have
cut the bonds of ordinary conception, yet you enter into the activities of the world.
O Venerable Vajrayogini, I request you to lead me and all sentient beings to the pure
land of dakinis. I request you, please, to bestow on us all mundane and extraordinary
powerful attainments without exception. (3x)
Dedications
Owing to these merits may I quickly achieve the Dakini’s powerful attainment and
lead all transmigrating beings, without exception, to this state.
At the time of death may the Protector and a multitude of dakinis carrying flowers,
umbrellas, and victory banners together with offerings of sweet sounds of cymbals
lead me to the land of dakinis.
Colophon:
Taking the teachings of Tsarchen Losel Gyatso as the basis, and supplementing it slightly with the
torma offering, the armor mantra, and so forth, one with the name of tulku [Pabongkha] compiled
this brief daily sadhana of Venerable Vajrayogini as a recitation text for himself. Published by Dvad-
bhrum Honorable Jetsünma Thubten Tsultrim Drolkar.
Translator’s Colophon:
This sadhana is a translation of the daily Vajrayogini practice composed by Pabongkha Dechen Ny-
ingpo and generally found in the Lamäi Näljor book published in Dharamsala. The translation from
the Tibetan has been made by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
The original transcription was made by members of Vajrayogini Institut in France. The section
in brackets (receiving the blessings of the four empowerments) was added in 1994 at Mahamudra
Centre on the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, together with some minor editing and the addition of
the headings. Edited and polished by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, January
2005.
Middle-Length Sadhana 29
The Middle-Length Sadhana of

For daily recitation or during retreat
Extracted from
The Nearing Path to Great Bliss:
The Uncommon Means of Attainment of
Venerable Vajrayogini Naro Khachö

About this middle-length sadhana:

This configuration of the Vajrayogini sadhana does not exist as a separate text.
Therefore, in accordance with the commentary instructions, this abbreviated form
of The Nearing Path to Great Bliss: The Uncommon Means of Attainment of Vener-
able Vajrayogini Naro Khachö has been extracted from the translation of the long
sadhana itself and presented here.
This middle-length practice can be used as a daily practice. Although making a
daily torma offering is in the strictest sense optional, offering the torma enables one
to fulfill the Mahayana practice of the four applications. If you wish to make a torma
offering, then you can use A Short Daily Torma Offering (p. 27) found in the Short
Daily Vajrayogini practice or the extensive torma offering found in the long sadhana
(p. 125). This middle-length sadhana has been specifically configured for use during
Vajrayogini retreat for the second and third sessions and the beginning of the fourth
session of the day. During retreat, you will use the extensive torma offering in the
long sadhana as part of your last session each day (p. 125).
For instructions regarding how to set up the altar with tormas and offerings suit-
able for this version of the sadhana, please see the instructions preceding the long
sadhana (p. 65).
Materials and implements:

If practicing this middle-length sadhana on its own, make two sets of offerings: one
for the front generation, which goes from right to left (left to right from the perspec-
tive of the deity) and is placed farthest from the practitioner, and one to the self-
generation, which goes from left to right and is placed closest to the practitioner
on the altar. If making the torma offerings as well, a third set of offerings, placed
between the above two sets and going from the practitioner’s right to left, will be
needed. These offerings are in accordance with Mother Tantra.
See the instructions preceding the long sadhana (p. 65) for further details about
the specific tormas to be offered.
Place the following materials and implements on your practice table: dorje,
bell, damaru, inner offering, and practice text. A key to the various symbols indicat-
ing instruments to be played or mudras to be done can be found on page 18.
The Middle-Length Sadhana of

Preparation
In an isolated location that is agreeable to the mind, assemble a painted image or
statue, pledge substances – damaru, bell, khatvanga, and so forth – as well as the
outer and inner offerings and tormas. Set up a comfortable seat facing the west-
ern direction or imagine it to be so. [A drawing of the pledge substances can be
found on p. 283.]
The stages of actual practice are just as it has been said by the foremost great
Sakya master, [Jetsün Dragpa Gyältsen]: “Sleeping, waking, tasting nectar, immea-
surables, guru, generating oneself as the deity, yoga of purifying migrating beings,
blessed by the heroes and heroines, the two – verbal recitation and mental recita-
tion – as one, yoga of inconceivability, and yoga of conduct. In this way, there are
eleven yogas.”
Yogas 1 – 3
To start, perform the first yoga of sleeping, the second yoga of waking, and the
third yoga of tasting nectar.
4. Yoga of Immeasurables
[NAMO GURU VAJRAVARAHI]1
Sit in the sevenfold posture and recite:
DÜN GYI NAM KHAR LA MA KHOR LO DOM PA YAB YUM LA TSA GYÜ KYI LA MA YI DAM
CHHOG SUM KA DÖ SUNG MÄI TSHOG KYI KOR NÄ ZHUG PAR GYUR
Taking Refuge
Imagine yourself and all sentient beings going for refuge:
DAG DANG DRO WA NAM KHÄI THA DANG NYAM PÄI SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ DÜ DI NÄ
ZUNG TE / JI SI JANG CHHUB NYING PO LA CHHI KYI BAR DU / PÄL DÄN LA MA DAM
PA NAM LA KYAB SU CHHI WO / DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ CHOM DÄN DÄ NAM LA KYAB SU
CHHI WO / DAM PÄI CHHÖ NAM LA KYAB SU CHHI WO / PHAG PÄI GEN DÜN NAM LA
KYAB SU CHHI WO (3–7x)
Generating Bodhichitta
DAG GI DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ KYI GO PHANG THOB PAR JÄ LA / SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ
KHOR WÄI DUG NGÄL GYI GYA TSHO LÄ DRÄL NÄ DZOG PÄI JANG CHHUB KYI DE WA
LA GÖ PAR JA / DEI CHHIR DU DOR JE NÄL JOR MÄI LAM GYI RIM PA NYAM SU LANG
WAR GYI WO (3x)
Then, folding your palms, recite:
L A MA DANG KÖN CHHOG RIN PO CHHE NAM PA SUM LA CHHAG TSHÄL SHING KYAB SU
CHHI WO / KHYE NAM KYI DAG GI GYÜ JIN GYI LAB TU SÖL
DÜN GYI KYAB YÜL NAM Ö ZER KAR MAR THING SUM GYI NAM PAR ZHU NÄ RANG LA
THIM PÄ KU SUNG THUG KYI JIN LAB THOB PAR GYUR
[With great respect I prostrate to the feet of the guru, inseparable from
Venerable Vajrayogini.]1
In the space before me are Guru Chakrasamvara father and mother, encircled
by the assemblies of root and lineage gurus, yidams, the Three Jewels, Dhar-
ma protectors, and guardians.
Taking Refuge
I and all migrating beings, equaling the limits of space, from now until reach-
ing the essence of enlightenment, go for refuge to the glorious holy Gurus; we
go for refuge to the complete Buddha-Bhagavans; we go for refuge to the holy
Dharma; and we go for refuge to the arya Sangha. (3–7x)
I will attain the state of complete buddhahood and then free all sentient
beings from the ocean of samsara’s suffering and place them in the bliss of
complete enlightenment. Therefore, I shall practice the stages of the path of
Vajrayogini. (3x)
To the Gurus and the Sublime Precious Three, I prostrate and go for refuge.
Please bless my mind.
The objects of refuge before me melt into the aspect of white, red, and dark
blue rays of light and dissolve into me, whereby I receive the blessings of the
exalted body, speech, and mind.
Then,
RANG NYI KÄ CHIG GI JE TSÜN DOR JE NÄL JOR MAR GYUR
Blessing the Inner Offering

Eliminate [interferers] to the inner offering:
OM KHANDAROHI HUM HUM PHAT
Purify [into emptiness] with:
OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM

[Tong pa nyi du gyur.]
TONG PÄI NGANG LÄ YAM LÄ LUNG /RAM LÄ ME / AH LÄ MI GÖI GYE BU SUM GYI
TENG DU AH LÄ THÖ PA YANG SHING GYA CHHE WÄI NANG DU / OM KHAM AM TRAM
HUM NAM LÄ DÜ TSI NGA / LAM MAM PAM TAM VAM NAM LÄ SHA NGA YI GE DE
DAGGI TSHÄN PA / LUNG YÖ ME BAR WÄ THÖ PÄI NANG GI DZÄ NAM ZHU BAR GYUR
DE DAG GI TENG DU HUM LÄ KYE PÄI KHATVANGA KAR PO GO THUR DU TÄ NÄ ZHU WA

THÖ PAR LHUNG NÄ DZÄ DE DAG NGÜL CHÜI DOG CHÄN DU GYUR
DEI TENG DU YANG SÄL GYI THRENG WA SUM TSEG SU NÄ PA OM AH HUM DU GYUR PÄI
Ö ZER GYI CHHOG CHÜI DE ZHIN SHEG PA DANG / PA WO DANG NÄL JOR MA THAM CHÄ
KYI THUG KA NÄ YE SHE KYI DÜ TSI KUG NÄ NÄN PÄ MANG POR BAR ZHING PEL BAR GYUR
Bless it by reciting:
OM AH HUM (3x)
Then,
Instantaneously, I become Venerable Vajrayogini.

Eliminate [interferers] to the inner offering:

[The inner offering is just empty.]
From the empty state, from YAM comes wind, from RAM, fire, from AHs, three
hearthstones of human heads, upon which from AH comes a wide and ex-
pansive skullcup. In it, from OM, KHAM, AM, TRAM, and HUM come the five
nectars and from LAM, MAM, PAM, TAM, and VAM come the five meats, all
marked by their syllables.
The wind blows, the fire blazes, and the substances in the skullcup melt. Above
them, from HUM comes a white upside-down khatvanga. It melts and falls into
the skullcup, whereby the substances become the color of mercury.
Above them, three garlands of vowels and consonants, stacked one above the
other, transform into OM AH HUM, whose light rays draw back the nectar of
exalted wisdom from the hearts of all the tathagatas, heroes, and yoginis of
the ten directions. When this is added, the contents multiply and increase
abundantly.
OM AH HUM (3x)
Blessing the Outer Offerings

Eliminate [interferers] with:

TONG PÄI NGANG LÄ KAM LÄ THÖ PÄI NÖ NAM KYI NANG DU HUM LÄ CHHÖ DZÄ NAM
RANG ZHIN TONG NYI / NAM PA CHHÄ DZÄ SO SÖI NAM PA CHÄN / JE LÄ WANG PO
DRUG GI CHÖ YÜL DU ZAG PA ME PÄI DE WA KHYÄ PAR CHÄN TER WAR GYUR
Bless the two waters, the objects of enjoyment and music with:
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
OM VAJRA PUSHPE AH HUM
OM VAJRA DHUPE AH HUM
OM VAJRA DIPE AH HUM
OM VAJRA GANDHE AH HUM
OM VAJRA NAIVIDYA AH HUM
OM VAJRA SHAPTA AH HUM


[The offerings are just empty.]
From the empty state, from KAMs come skullcups. Inside them, from HUMs
come the offering substances, by nature empty and in aspect the various of-
ferings, whose function is to bestow distinguished, uncontaminated bliss as
objects to be enjoyed by the six senses.
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
Actual Practice
Meditating on the Self-Generation
[When using this sadhana as a daily practice, you can do the meditation on
Vajrasattva (see p. 81) here.]
5. Yoga of the Guru

In the space before [me], established
from the reflective appearance of pure
clarity and nondual exalted wisdom, is
a square celestial mansion, complete
in all features with four doors, orna-
ments, and landings. In the center of
this is a jeweled throne supported by
eight great lions. On a cushion of a var-
iegated lotus, moon, and sun is actu-
ally [my] kind root Guru in the aspect
of Buddha Vajradharma. His exalted
body is red in color with one face and
two arms crossed at his heart, holding
vajra and bell. His hair is tied up in a top
knot. He sits with his legs crossed in the
vajra posture. He is sixteen years old,
in the prime of youth, and is adorned
with silken garments and all the bone
and jeweled ornaments. Buddha Vajradharma
Starting in front of him and encircling

counterclockwise are all the lineage
gurus, from Buddha Vajradhara to my root Guru. They are in the aspect of Hero
[Vira] Vajradharma. They have red-colored exalted bodies, one face, and two arms.
The right hand plays a damaru that resonates with the sound of bliss and empti-
ness while the left at the heart holds a skullcup filled with nectar. They each hold
a khatvanga at the bend of their left arm. In

the prime of youth, they sit with their legs
crossed in the vajra posture and are adorned
with the six bone ornaments.
The principal and his retinue each have an

OM at the forehead, an AH at the throat, and
a HUM at the heart. From the HUM at the
heart, light rays radiate and invite from their
natural abodes the gurus, yidams, assembly
of mandala deities, buddhas, bodhisattvas,
heroes, and dakinis, together with hosts of
Dharma protectors and guardians.
OM VAJRA SAMAJAH
JAH HUM VAM HOH
For how to do the mudra, see p. 272.]
Vira Vajradharma
Contemplate that:
Each transforms into a nature encompassing all objects of refuge.
Then, again:
Precious Guru, nature of all the buddhas of the three times, to you I make request:
please bless my continuum. (3x)2
Due to the request, the encircling lineage gurus dissolve into [my] root Guru at the
center.
[My] root Guru, out of affection for me, melts into red light, enters through my
crown, and merges indivisibly with my mind, which takes the aspect of a red syllable
VAM at my heart.
6. Yoga of Generating Oneself as the Deity

Carrying Death into the Path of the Truth Body (Dharmakaya)
This very syllable VAM expands and becomes equal to the extent of space, where-
by the entire environment and all its inhabitants become the nature of bliss and
emptiness.
Once again it gradually contracts back from the edges, becoming a minute syllable
VAM. From the bottom, it dissolves gradually up into the nada. The nada also be-
comes imperceivable and becomes the dharmakaya of indivisible bliss and emptiness.
Carrying the Intermediate State into the Path of the Enjoyment Body
(Sambhogakaya)
From the empty state in which all appearances have thus been condensed, the na-
ture of my mind abides in space in the aspect of an upright red syllable VAM, the
apprehended aspect of the exalted wisdom of nondual bliss and emptiness.
Carrying Birth into the Path of the Emanation Body (Nirmanakaya)

From the empty state, from E E come the red phenomena-sources (two intersecting
tetrahedrons) inside of which from A comes a white moon mandala with a red hue.
On top of it, arranged counterclockwise, is the mantra:

༅།། ཨོཾ་ཨོཾ་ཨོཾ་ས་བུ་ཌཱ་ཀི་ནཱི་ཡེ༌བб་ཝནཱི་ཡེ༌བб་བཻ་རོ་ཙ་ནཱི་ཡེ༌ཧཱུཾ་ཧཱུཾ་ཧཱུཾ་
ཕཌ་ཕཌ་ཕཌ་སྭཱཧཱ།།
As the syllable VAM in space, I see the moon, and propelled to take rebirth in its
center, I descend to the center of the moon. Light rays emanate from the moon
and syllable VAM as well as the mantra garland, creating all the environments and
beings of samsara and beyond into the nature of the Venerable Vajrayogini. These
gather back and dissolve into the syllable VAM together with the mantra garland.
From their transformation, the supporting and supported mandalas become com-
plete, all at once.
Furthermore, there is the vajra ground, fence, tent, and canopy, outside of which a
mass of five-colored fire swirls counterclockwise and blazes. Inside this is the circle of
the eight great charnel grounds, the “Ferocious One” and so forth. In their center are
the red phenomena-sources (two intersecting tetrahedrons) with the broad surfaces
facing upward and the fine tips planted downward. Except for the front and back, the
four corners are each marked with pink bliss swirls spinning counterclockwise.
Inside the phenomena-sources is an eight-petaled variegated lotus, in the center of

which, on top of a sun mandala, I arise in the bodily form of the Venerable Vajra-
yogini. My outstretched right leg treads on the breasts of red Kalaratri. My bent left
leg treads on black Bhairava’s head, which is bent backward.
face, two arms, and three eyes looking up toward the pure land of Khechara. My
right hand is extended and holds a curved knife marked with a vajra pointing down-
ward while my left raises a skullcup filled with blood from which I drink with my
upturned mouth. On my left shoulder rests a khatvanga marked with a vajra, from
which hangs a damaru, a bell, and a three-pointed banner. My black hair falls loosely
to my waist. In the prime of my youth, my desirous nipples full, I bear the counte-
nance that generates bliss. Five dried human skulls crown my head, and I have a
necklace of fifty skulls. Naked, I am adorned with the five mudras and stand in the
center of a blazing fire of exalted wisdom. [On my crown I am adorned with Heruka-
Vairochana and consort.]
7. Yoga of Purifying Migrating Beings

At my heart, inside the red phenomena-sources (two intersecting tetrahedrons) is a
moon disc. At its center is the syllable VAM, encircled by the mantra garland. Light
rays radiate from these and, leaving through my pores, strike all sentient beings of
the six classes, whereby their negativities, obscurations, and imprints are cleansed.
They all transform into the exalted body of Vajrayogini.
8. Yoga of Being Blessed by the Heroes and Heroines

This has three sections:
a. Body Mandala
At the center of the phenomena-sources and moon cushion at my heart is the syl-
lable VAM, which is in the nature of the four elements. It splits into the four letters
YA, RA, LA, VA, which are the seed [syllables] of the four elements. They abide as
the nature of the heart channel petals of the four directions – Kamini and so forth.
Starting from the left, these totally transform into Lama, Khandaroha, Rupini, and
Dakini. The crescent moon, drop, and nada of the center syllable VAM, the nature
of the most subtle spring-drop union, totally transform into Venerable Vajrayogini.
Outside these are the twenty-four seed syllables of the mantra, OM OM and so
forth, circling counterclockwise from the east. They are inseparable in nature from
the energy channels and constituent energy-drops, which are, in sequence:
• the channels – Abhedya and so forth – of the twenty-four places of the body –
the hairline, the crown, and so forth, and
• the twenty-four constituents – falling nails, teeth, and so forth.
These totally transform into:
• the eight heroines of the mind family – Prachanda, Chandakshi, Prabhavati, Ma-
hanasa, Viramati, Kharvari, Lankeshvari, and Drumacchaya;
• the eight heroines of the speech family – Airavati, Mahabhairava, Vayuvega,
Surabhakshi, Shyamadevi, Subhadra, Hayakarna, and Khaganana; and
• the eight heroines of the body family – Chakravega, Khandaroha, Saundini,

Chakravarmini, Suvira, Mahabala, Chakravartini, and Mahavirya.
These are actual yoginis who are nondual with the heroes of the twenty-four exter-
nal places such as Pulliramalaya and so forth.
The channels and constituents of the eight doors – the mouth and so forth; insepa-
rable in nature from the eight seed syllables – HUM HUM and so forth – totally
transform into Kakasya, Ulukasya, Shvanasya, Shukarasya, Yamadadhi, Yamaduti,
Yamadamshtrini, and Yamamathani.
All have the appearance of the body of the Venerable Lady complete with orna-
ments and implements.
This is the final instruction that is the uncommon profound essential of this system.
Apart from mere seeds [i.e., being very brief], previous literature is unclear on this
point. In dependence on the oral instructions of my Guru, I have stated it so that it
is most easy to understand. So, cherish this!
b. Causing the Exalted Wisdom Beings to Dissolve into Oneself as the Deity
and Mixing the Three Messengers
Performing the blazing mudra, recite:
PHAIM!
ཕཻཾ
From the syllable VAM at my heart, light rays radiate and, emerging from between
my eyebrows, go to the ten directions. They invite all the tathagatas, heroes, and
yoginis of the ten directions in the aspect of Vajrayogini.
(1) The exalted wisdom beings are summoned [JAH], (2) they enter [HUM], (3) they
are bound [VAM], and (4) they are delighted [HOH]. Performing the lotus-turning
mudra [two times, first to the left, then to the right,] followed by the embracing
mudra, recite:
Cultivate divine pride, thinking:
I am the nature of the yoga of complete purity of all phenomena.
c. Donning the Armor


Outer Offerings
Offering goddesses emanated from my heart perform the offerings.
Make the outer offerings saying:
OM ARGHAM PRATICCHA SVAHA

OM PADYAM PRATICCHA SVAHA
OM VAJRA PUSHPE AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA DHUPE AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA DIPE AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA GANDHE AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA NAIVIDYA AH HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA SHAPTA AH HUM SVAHA
OM AH VAJRA ADARSHE HUM

OM AH VAJRA VINI HUM
OM AH VAJRA GANDHE HUM
OM AH VAJRA RASE HUM
OM AH VAJRA SPARSHE HUM
OM AH VAJRA DHARME HUM
Inner Offering
Make the inner offering with:
OM OM OM SARVA BUDDHA DAKINIYE VAJRA VARNANIYE

VAJRA VAIROCHANIYE HUM HUM HUM PHAT PHAT PHAT
SVAHA OM AH HUM
Secret and Suchness Offering3

[For this offering, one can remain as Vajrayogini as indicated immediately below, or
do the optional transformation of the gender signs in the optional section below.]
Present the secret and suchness offering imagining:
I am Vajrayogini. My khatvanga becomes Chakrasamvara. We enter into absorption

thereby generating [the wisdom of] simultaneous bliss and emptiness.
[If not dong the optional section, go directly to Generating the Four Blisses on p. 46.]
Optional Section:
Alternatively, present the secret and suchness offering, having transferred your di-
vine pride from Vajrayogini to Heruka, and transformed the gender signs:
Visualizing myself as the yogini, I give up my breasts and they transform into a penis.
The two walls of the pure place inside my vagina transform into two bell-like tes-
ticles. My pistil transforms into the head of the penis. I assume the form of Heruka
of Great Joy with the secret consort, Vajrayogini, who by nature incorporates all the
dakinis.
[Generating the Four Blisses]

From a state of not observing [an in-
herent existence] of the father’s secret
place comes a white HUM, which turns
into a five-tipped white vajra. Then a
red VYA appears, which becomes a red
jewel marked at its tip by a yellow VYA.
From a state of not observing [an inher-
ent existence] of the mother’s secret
place comes an A, which turns into a
three-petaled red lotus.
A white DYA appears, which becomes

the white center representing white
bodhichitta and marked at its tip by a
yellow DYA. Heruka Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini
OM SHRI MAHA SUKHA VAJRI HE HE

RU RU KAM AH HUM HUM PHAT SVAHA
Due to the father and mother entering into absorption, the bodhichitta melts, and
when from the crown of my head it reaches my throat, I experience joy. When from
my throat it reaches my heart, supreme joy. When from my heart it reaches my na-
vel, distinguished joy. And when from my navel it reaches the tip of my jewel, the
exalted wisdom of simultaneous [bliss and emptiness] is generated, whereby I enter
equipoise on the samadhi of the inseparability of bliss and emptiness.
In this way, through bliss and emptiness being indivisibly conjoined, I delight in the
secret and suchness offerings, which is single-pointed equipoise on the meaning of
suchness, the emptiness of inherent existence of the three spheres of offering.
Once more, I transform in aspect into the Venerable Lady.

Praise [of Vajrayogini] in Eight Lines

Perform the offering of mantra and praise with the eight lines of the Mother: [These
verses are traditionally recited in Sanskrit, however, you can recite them with any of
the versions below. Punctuate each HUM HUM PHAT with the bell sharply 3 times.]
OM NAMO BHAGAVATI VAJRAVARAHI VAM HUM HUM PHAT

OM NAMA ARYA APARAJITE TRAILOKYA MATI VIDYESHVARI HUM HUM PHAT
OM NAMAH SARVA BUTHA BHAYA VAHE MAHA VAJRE HUM HUM PHAT
OM NAMO VAJRA SANI AJITE APARAJITE VASHAM KARI NETRA
HUM HUM PHAT
OM NAMO BHRAMANI SHOSHANI ROSHANI KRODHE KARALENI
HUM HUM PHAT
OM NAMO TRASANI MARANI PRABHEDANI PARAJAYE HUM HUM PHAT
OM NAMO VIJAYE JAMBHANI STAMBHANI MOHANI HUM HUM PHAT
OM NAMO VAJRAVARAHI MAHA YOGINI KAMESHVARI KHAGE
HUM HUM PHAT
OM I prostrate to the Bhagavati Vajravarahi HUM HUM PHAT

OM Superior lady, lord of knowledge ladies, invincible in the three realms
HUM HUM PHAT
OM Destroyer of all fears of evil spirits with your great vajra HUM HUM PHAT
OM Seat of the vajra, with invincible eyes that control HUM HUM PHAT
OM You dessicate Brahma with your form of wrathful tummo HUM HUM PHAT
OM You terrify and dessicate the demons and are thus victorious over other forces
HUM HUM PHAT
OM Complete victor over those who make us dull, stiff, and bewildered
HUM HUM PHAT
OM I bow to Vajravarahi, the great yogini, lady with power over desire
HUM HUM PHAT
OM CHOM DÄN DÄ MA DOR JE PHAG MO LA CHHAG TSHÄL HUM HUM PHAT

OM PHAG MA RIG MÄI WANG CHUG KHAM SUM GYI MI TUB HHUM HUM PHAT
OM JUNG PÖI JIG PA THAM CHÄ DOR JE CHHEN PÖ JOM HUM HUM PHAT
OM DOR JEI DÄN ZHUG ZHÄN GYI MI THUB WANG JE CHÄN HUM HUM PHAT
OM TUM MO THRO MÖI ZUG KYI TSHANG PA KEM PAR DZÄ HUM HUM PHAT
OM DÜ NAM TRAG CHING KEM PÄ ZHÄN GYI CHHOG LÄ GYÄL HUM HUM PHAT
OM MUG JE RENG JE MONG JE KÜN LÄ NAM PAR GYÄL HUM HUM PHAT
OM DOR JE PHAG MO JOR CHHEN DÖ WANG MA LA DÜ HUM HUM PHAT
9. Yoga of Verbal and Mental Recitation

This has two sections:
a. Verbal Recitation
Contemplate that:
At my heart, inside the red phenomena-sources (two intersecting tetrahedrons) is

a moon disc. At its center is the syllable VAM encircled by the red mantra garland
circling counterclockwise. Countless rays of red light radiate from these, cleansing
the negativities and obscurations of all sentient beings and making offerings to all
buddhas. All their blessings, abilities, and powers are invoked in the form of rays of
red light that dissolve into the syllable VAM and the mantra garland, whereby my
continuum is blessed.
At the minimum, recite the number of mantras for your daily commitment:

At this point, perform the mental recitation of the mantra. [During retreat, the
mental recitation of the mantra is generally only practiced during the last session
of the day. It is optional in all other sessions.]
b. Mental Recitation
With the physical essentials [the sevenfold posture], bring the phenomena-
sources, moon, and seed syllables from the heart to the secret place if you wish
to generate bliss, and to the navel if you wish to generate non-conceptuality; and
conjoin the winds. In the manner of mentally reading the mantra garland circling
counterclockwise, count it just three, five, or seven times.
Then, hold your breath, having focused your mind on the pink bliss swirls spinning
counterclockwise in the four corners of the phenomena-sources, excluding the
corners in front and back. In particular, focus on the nada of the syllable VAM at
the center that is about to burst into flames.
Then the white and red bliss swirls at [respectively] the upper and lower tips of
the central channel, each the size of a mere grain of barley, spin counterclock-
wise. At the heart, they merge and vanish into emptiness. Settle into equipoise
on bliss and emptiness.
10. Yoga of the Inconceivable

There are two types. The uncommon one is to be practiced as found in the teach-
ings. The common one is to be contemplated as follows:
Light rays radiate from the syllable VAM and mantra garland at my heart and per-
vade all three realms. The formless realm, in the aspect of blue light rays, dissolves
into the upper part of my body. The form realm, in the aspect of red light rays, dis-
solves into the middle part of my body. The desire realm, in the aspect of white light
rays, dissolves into the lower part of my body. I also dissolve into light progressively
from above and below and dissolve into the phenomena-sources. They dissolve into
the moon. That dissolves into the mantra garland. That dissolves into the syllable
VAM. That dissolves into the head of the syllable VAM. That dissolves into the cres-
cent moon. That dissolves into the drop. That dissolves into the nada. That, too, be-
comes smaller and smaller and dissolves into clear light emptiness.
[Alternatively,] at the time of meditating on the body mandala, you should recite
as follows:
I also dissolve into light progressively from above and below, and dissolve into the
phenomena-sources. They dissolve into the moon. That dissolves into the thirty-two
yoginis. They dissolve into the four yoginis. They dissolve into the principal lady of the
body mandala. The principal lady of the body mandala also dissolves into light pro-
gressively from above and below, and dissolves into the phenomena-sources. They
dissolve into the moon That dissolves into the mantra garland. That dissolves into the
syllable VAM. That dissolves into the head of the syllable VAM. That dissolves into
the crescent moon. That dissolves into the drop. That dissolves into the nada. That,
too, becomes smaller and smaller and dissolves into clear light emptiness.
11. Yoga of Conduct

Donning the Armor
From the empty state, I instantaneously become Venerable Vajrayogini.
At my places upon moon discs,

ཧཱུཾ་ཧཱུ་ཾ Santrasani;

[For the protection mantras above, in the first recitation, in a counterclockwise

direction, snap the thumb and index finger of the left hand in the four cardinal di-
rections and at the zenith and nadir – that is, once in front, once above, and once
to the left, then once in back, once below, and once to the right. During the second
recitation, snap clockwise four times in the intermediate directions.]
[The recitation of the following sets of praises and prayers, up to Purifying Mistakes
(p. 58), is optional. In retreat, if this is your last session of the day, go to p. 125.]
Praise to Vajrayogini
PÄL DÄN DOR JE KHA DRO MA Glorious Vajra Dakini,
KHA DRO MA YI KHOR LÖ GYUR Vajra Queen of dakinis
YE SHE NGA DÄN KU SUM NYE With five wisdoms, three bodies:
DRO WA KYOB LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO To you, Savior, I prostrate.
JI NYE DOR JE KHA DRO MA To the Vajrayoginis,

KÜN TU TOG PÄI CHHING CHÖ CHING Ladies of worldly action;
JIG TEN JA WAR RAB JUG MA Cut our bonds to conceptions:
DE NYE NAM LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO To dakinis, I prostrate.

[These verses are traditionally recited in Sanskrit (first version). You may, however,
prefer to recite these verses in English or Tibetan, as found on the following page.
To punctuate each HUM HUM PHAT, sound the bell sharply 3 times.]

HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
[For the protection mantras above, in the first recitation, in a counterclockwise

direction, snap the thumb and index finger of the left hand in the four cardinal di-
rections and at the zenith and nadir – that is, once in front, once above, and once
to the left, then once in back, once below, and once to the right. During the second
recitation, snap clockwise four times in the intermediate directions.]
[The recitation of the following sets of praises and prayers, up to Purifying Mistakes
(p. 59), is optional. In retreat, if this is your last session of the day, go to p. 125.]
Glorious Vajra Dakini,
Wheel-turning Queen of dakinis,
You possess the five wisdoms and have gained the three exalted bodies.
To the protector of migrating beings, I prostrate.
To as many Vajra Dakinis4 as there are,

Cutting the bonds of conceptualization and
Engaging in the stages of worldly activities,
I prostrate.

[These verses are traditionally recited in Sanskrit (first version). You may, however,
prefer to recite these verses in English or Tibetan, as found on the following page.
To punctuate each HUM HUM PHAT, sound the bell sharply 3 times.]

HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT

HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT

[In daily practice: If you wish to offer tsog, insert the tsog offering here followed
by the Prayer to Behold the Beautiful Face of Kechara and remaining prayers on
the following pages. The extensive tsog offering is on p. 165; the abbreviated tsog
offering can be found on p. 188.
If you wish to include a torma offering and tsog, do the extensive torma offering
in the long sadhana (p. 125) and tsog as indicated; or do the short torma offering
found on p. 27 followed by either the long (p. 165) or short (p. 188) tsog offering
practice. Then conclude your practice with the prayers on the following pages.]

HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT

[In daily practice: If you wish to offer tsog, insert the tsog offering here followed
by the Prayer to Behold the Beautiful Face of Kechara and remaining prayers on
the following pages. The extensive tsog offering is on p. 165; the abbreviated tsog
offering can be found on p. 189.
If you wish to include a torma offering and tsog, do the extensive torma offering
in the long sadhana (p. 125) and tsog as indicated; or do the short torma offering
found on p. 27 followed by either the long (p. 165) or short (p. 189) tsog offering
practice. Then conclude your practice with the prayers on the following pages.]
Prayer to Behold the Beautiful Face of Khechara

THA YÄ GYÄL WÄI DE TONG DÖ GAR NI As infinite buddhas’ bliss and void,
SI ZHII MIG THRÜL CHIR YANG CHHAR WA LÄ You appear in any form for us.
DENG DIR KHA CHÖ WANG MO YI ONG MA Remembering you from my heart, please
NYING NÄ DRÄN NO KHYÜ WÄI TSE GÄ KYONG Care for me with your playful embrace.
OG MIN ZHING NA LHÄN KYE GYÄL YUM MA In pure land, innate buddhas’ mother,
NYER ZHII YÜL NA ZHING KYE DA KI MA Dakinis of twenty-four places,
NOR DZIN KHYAB WÄI KAR MA MU DRA MA Action mudras pervading the earth.
NÄL JOR DAG GI KYAB CHHOG JE TSÜN MA Lady, you are my supreme refuge.
KHYÖ NI SEM NYI TONG PÄI RANG TSÄL TE You are the sport of the empty mind –
DOR JEI DRONG NA E YING VAM GYI NGÖ VAM, E’s sphere, in the Vajra City.
GYU MÄI LI NA JIG RUNG SIN MO DANG For us, you’re a fearsome cannibal
DZUM KAR YO WÄI LANG TSHO SAR PA TÖN And a vibrant, smiling young maiden.
DAG GI JI TAR TSÄL YANG PHAG MA KHYÖ No matter how much I looked for you,
DEN PAR DRUB PÄI NGE PA MA NYE NÄ I could not find your true existence.
TRÖ PÄ DUB BÄI SEM KYI ZHÖN NU DE Then the youth of my mind, exhausted,
JÖ DRÄL NAG KYI KHÄ BUR NGÄL SO TEN Found rest in forest hut, gone beyond.
E MA DA NI DA KI YING NÄ ZHENG E MA! Please arise from voidness sphere;

HE RU KA PÄL GYÜ KYI GYÄL PO LÄ Sustain me by truth of Heruka:
DOR JE TSÜN MÖI NYE WÄI NYING PO CHHOG “Attainments come by reciting the
L AG PÄ DRUB CHE SUNG PÄI DEN PÄ KYONG Supreme mantra of the Vajra Queen.”
O DI VI SHÄI WÄ THÄI NAG THRÖ DU In forest outside Odivisha,

DRUP PÄI WANG CHHUG DOR JE DRIL BU PA You cared for Vajra Ghantapada;
KHYÜ DANG TSUM BHÄI DE WÄ JE KYANG TE Your bliss took him to supreme
KHA JOR CHHOG GI RÖL ZHIN DAG KYANG embrace.
KYONG O please care for me in the same way.
GANGÄI LING NA JE TSÜN KU SA LI On island in Ganges, Kusali

NGÖN SUM NAM KHÄI YING SU THRI PA DANG Was led directly to sphere of space.

The pageant of bliss and emptiness of the infinite conquerors
Appearing in whatever illusions in [cyclic] existence and [solitary] peace,
Now here, from among these, the lovely powerful Lady of Khechara:
I remember you from my heart; care for me with your playful embrace.
Simultaneously born Mother of the conquerors in the land of Akanishta,

Field-born dakinis in the twenty-four places,
Action-mudras pervading the earth,
Venerable Lady, you are the supreme refuge of me, the yogi[ni].
Natural expression of the emptiness of mind itself,

In the vajra city, you are the sphere of E, the manifestation of VAM.
In the land of illusion, you show yourself as a terrifying cannibal,
And as a vibrant, smiling young maiden.
But no matter how I search for you, O Arya,

The youth of my mind, exhausted by elaborations,
Not having found certainty of your being truly existent,
Came to rest in the forest hut beyond expression.
How wondrous! Arise now from the sphere of the dakinis;

Look after me by the truth of what is said
In the glorious Heruka, king of tantras,
“Accomplishments come by reciting the supreme near-essence [mantra] of
the Vajra Queen.”
In the isolated forest of Odivisha,

The mighty siddha Vajra Ghantapada, nurtured with [your] embrace and kiss,
Enjoyed the supreme union.
Likewise look after me, too.
Just as you led Jetsün Kusali bodily

From an island in the Ganges to the sphere of space
PÄL DÄN NA RO TA PA JE ZUNG TAR Just as you cared for great Naropa,
DAG KYANG KHA CHÖ GA MÄI DRONG DU Please take me to the City of Joy!
THRI
TSA GYÜ LA MA CHHOG GI THUG JE DANG By force of the gurus’ compassion

GYÜ CHHEN SANG THÄI NYUR LAM ZAB KHYÄ And the quick path of secret tantra
DANG And by the pure wishes of myself,
NÄL JOR DAG GI LHAG SAM DAG PÄI THÜ May I soon behold your smiling face.
KHA CHÖ GA MÄI DZUM ZHÄL NYUR THONG
SHOG
Folding your palms, recite:
JE TSÜN DOR JE NÄL JOR MÄ / DAG DANG SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ DAG PA KHA CHÖ
DU THRI PAR DZÄ DU SÖL / JIG TEN DANG JIG TEN LÄ DÄ PÄI NGÖ DRUB MA LÜ PA TSÄL
DU SÖL
Purifying Mistakes
Recite the hundred-syllable mantra three times, and having said that, request for-
giveness and make up for additions and omissions:
OM VAJRA HERUKA SAMAYA MANUPALAYA / HERUKA TVENOPATISHTA /

DRIDHO ME BHAVA / SUTOSHYO ME BHAVA / SUPOSHYO ME BHAVA /
ANURAKTO ME BHAVA / SARVA SIDDHIM ME PRAYACCHA / SARVA KARMA
SUCHAME / CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA HO / BHAGAVAN
VAJRA HERUKA MAME MUNCHA / HERUKA BHAVA MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA
AH HUM PHAT [3x]5
Request forgiveness saying:
MA NYE YONG SU MA SHE DANG

GANG YANG NÜ PA MA CHHI PÄ
DIR NI JA WA GANG GYI PA
DE KÜN KHYE KYI ZÖ DZÄ RIG
And took care of the glorious Naropa,

Lead me too, to the city of the joyful lady of Khechara.
Through the force of the compassion of the supreme root and lineage gurus,
The especially profound quick path of the final secret great tantra,
And the pure exceptional attitude of myself, the yogi[ni],
May I swiftly behold the smiling face of the joyful lady of Khechara.
Venerable Vajrayogini, please lead me and all sentient beings to Khechara

pure land. Please bestow upon us the mundane and supramundane accom-
plishments without exception.
Purifying Mistakes

AH HUM PHAT [3x]5
Request forgiveness saying:
That which was not fully done and that which has degenerated,
Whatever was done with an obscured mind,
And caused to be done,
Protector, please forgive all of these.
[Dedications]
Perform prayers such as these:
GE WA DI YI NYUR DU DAG
KHA CHÖ MA NGÖ DRUB GYUR NÄ
DRO WA CHIG KYANG MA LU PA
DE YI SA LA GÖ PAR SHOG
CHI DZE GÖN DANG PA WO MA SOG KYI

ME TOG DUG DANG GYÄL DZÄN THOG NÄ SU
RÖL MI SIL NYÄN DRA NYÄN SOG CHÖ CHING
KHA LA CHÖ PÄI NÄ SU THRI PAR SHOG
LHA MO DZÄ MA DAM DZIG DZÄ MA DANG

DE JÖ SUNG YANG CHOG TU DZÄ MA TE
DEN PA DI DAG GI NI LHA MO NAM
DAG CHAG JE SU DZIN PÄI GYUR GYUR CHIG
GANG GI NAM TRÜL DRANG ME JE WA THRAG

TONG THRAG DÜN CHU TSA NYI TSHOG NAM KYI
DRUB PA PO YI BAR CHHÄ KÜN SEL ZHING
DÖ DÖN NGÖ DRUB TSÖL WÄI TRA SHI SHOG
Long Life Prayer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama

GANG RI RA WÄI KHOR WÄ ZHING KHAM DIR In the snowy mountain paradise,
PHÄN DANG DE WA MA LÜ JUNG WÄI NÄ You’re the source of good and
CHÄN RÄ ZIG WANG TÄN DZIN GYA TSHO YI happiness.
ZHAB PÄ SI THÄI BAR DU TÄN GYUR CHIG Pow’rful Tenzin Gyatso, Chenrezig,
Please remain until samsara ends.
According to the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, now recite the following prayers:
[Dedications]
Due to these merits

May I quickly achieve the powerful attainments
Of the Lady of Khechara
And place each and every sentient being in that state.
At the time of death,

May the Lord, heroes, heroines, and the others
Holding aloft flowers, parasols, and victory banners
[And] offering the sweet sounds of cymbals, lead me to the land of Khechara.
The goddesses are valid.

The commitments are valid.
The teachings expressed by that are also supremely valid.
Due to these truths, may they become causes for us to receive the protection
of the goddesses.
May there be the auspiciousness of

Your countless tens of millions of emanations, assemblies of
seventy-two thousand,
Dispelling all obstacles of practitioners
And bestowing the desired aims and siddhis.

In the land encircled by snow mountains,
You are the source of all happiness and good;
All-powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,
Prayer that Spontaneously Fulfills all Wishes

TONG NYI NYING JE ZUNG DU JUG PAI LAM
CHE CHER SÄL DZÄ GANG CHÄN TÄN DRÖI GÖN
CHAG NA PÄ MO TÄN DZIN GYA TSO LA
SOL WA DEB SO ZHE DÖN LHÜN DRUB SHOG
Prayer for Tibet

DOR NÄ GÖN PO CHÄN RE ZIG WANG GI
SE CHE GYÄL WÄI CHEN NGAR GANG CHEN SHING
YONG ZUNG GYA CHEN MON LAM GANG DZE PÄI
DRE ZANG DENG DIR NYUR DU CHAR BAR SOL
Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
CHAG NA PÄ MÖ JIN LAM DU TSI GYÜN
DAG SOG NYING GI ZUNG SU TAG MIN CHING
K A ZHIN DRUB PÄ CHHÖ PÄ RAB NYEN NÄ
KUN ZANG CHHÖ GYA TSHO THAR SÖN SHOG
Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche

THUB TSHÜL CHHANG ZHING JAM GÖN GYÄL Great Upholder of the moral way;
WÄI TÄN The bountiful bearer of all good;
DZIN KYONG PEL WÄ KÜN ZÖ DOG POR DZÄ Sustaining and spreading Buddha's
CHHOG SUM KUR WÄI LEG MÖN THU DRUB PA words,
DAG SOG DÜL JÄI GÖN DU ZHAB TÄN SHOG Expounding magnificent prayers:
Kyabje Zopa, the great Rinpoche;
Protecting disciples, please live long.

Savior of the Snow Land Teachings and transmigratory beings,
Who extensively clarifies the path that unifies emptiness and compassion,
To the Lotus in the Hand, Lord Tenzin Gyatso, I beseech—
May all your holy wishes be fulfilled!
Prayer for Tibet

In short, may the good fruit of any extensive prayer to
Fully protect the Land of Snows, made by the Powerful Protector Chenrezig
In the presence of the buddhas and their children,
Appear soon here and now.
May the nectar-stream of the blessings of the Lotus Holder
Always enter our hearts and nourish them with strength.
May we please you with offerings of dedicated practice,
And may we reach beyond the shores of perfect compassionate deeds.
Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche

You who uphold the Subduer’s moral way, who serve as the bountiful
bearer-of-all,
Sustaining, preserving, and spreading Manjunath’s victorious doctrine;
Who masterfully accomplish magnificent prayers honoring the Three Jewels:
Savior of myself and others, your disciples, please, please live long!
Notes:
1. This homage is found only in the concise sadhana of Vajrayogini. It is included here for auspi-
ciousness.
2. In earlier editions there was no instruction to recite this "3x" as the long sadhana was extracted
from the self-initiation text. However, upon further investigation the long sadhanas in both Pa-
bongkha Rinpoche's Collected Works and the Vajrayogini Collected Activities, co-authored with
other Gelug lamas, indicate to recite this request three times.
3. This section has been adjusted from previous editions upon receiving the following clarification
from Gelek Rinpoche: "The optional transformation into Heruka is based on male chauvinism
prevalent in old India, Tibet, and China. Men and women are equal in being able to experience
bliss, and women might even experience greater bliss than men! The visualization of the four joys
can be done while retaining oneself as Vajrayogini. The difference is, perhaps, that instead of the
white bodhicitta melting, it is red bodhicitta melting in the case of oneself bearing the aspect of
Vajrayogini." For further clarification, please check with your personal teacher.
4. After checking with the original translator, it appears the correct translation is not "Vajrayoginis"
as in previous editions, but "Vajra Dakinis" as in the first verse of praise.
5. While in the self-initiation text, one is instructed to recite the 100-syllable mantra "3x," in all edi-
tions of the long sadhana by Pabongkha Rinpoche, there is no such instruction. However, since it
is a common oral instruction in our lineage, we have included "3x" in brackets.
Colophon:
This middle-length sadhana of Vajrayogini is an abbreviation of The Nearing Path to Great Bliss: The
Uncommon Means of Attainment of Venerable Vajrayogini Naro Khachö by Pabongkha Rinpoche.
With a great deal of help and advice from many people, especially Ven. Paula Chichester and Elaine
Jackson, it was extracted and compiled by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Services, Septem-
ber 2004, from the translation of the longer text that is found in this volume on p. 65.
Long Sadhana 65
The Nearing Path to Great Bliss:

The Uncommon Means of Attainment of
Venerable Vajrayogini Naro Khachö
Long Practice Sadhana of Vajrayogini

Mahasiddha Naropa
Long Sadhana 67
Introduction
About this Sadhana

There are a number of interesting anomalies that may catch your attention when do-
ing this long sadhana.
First, in some instances of blessing the inner offering (and blessing the tormas as
one would the inner offering) you will notice that the blessing is done sometimes with
OM AH HUM and sometimes with OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH. The reason for this is
that when the visualization of the blessing is elaborately and extensively articulated,
then one blesses with OM AH HUM. When the visualization is implied and not articu-
lated explicitly, then one blesses with the more elaborate OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH,
which is an abbreviation of the longer visualization.
Second, you may notice some inconsistencies in the offerings. Sometimes one of-
fers light as DIPE, and sometimes as ALOKE. This uncommon long retreat sadhana has
been translated exactly according to the Tibetan text, inconsistencies and all. Thus, the
English translation mirrors exactly the Tibetan that appears in the source text.
Unlike in the Tibetan text, we have included the eight-line praise to Vajrayogini in
three languages: Tibetan, Sanskrit, and English. Traditionally, these verses are recited
in Sanskrit for the blessing; however, you can recite them in any language. In addition
to this, many Tibetan tunes have been rendered into chantable English by Ven. Paula
Chichester. When a chantable English version of a prayer is available, it has been placed
in a column of italics next to the relevant Tibetan phonetics. Tunes for these Tibetan
and English verses are at the FPMT Foundation Store for download: shop.fpmt.org.
For those who are familiar with the long Vajrayogini sadhana with self-initiation
text, you may notice that the Dedication Prayer to Actualize Vajrayogini’s Entire Path to
Enlightenment appearing here is shorter than in the self-initiation text. This is because
several dedication verses that appear in the self-initiation text are not included in the
long sadhana, as reflected in the Tibetan text from which this was translated. Endnote
references made throughout this practice can be found on page 162.
Altar set-up, Materials, and Implements

Set up your meditation seat facing your altar, which should be in the western direc-
tion from your seat. If this is not possible, then visualize yourself facing west. On
your practice table, just as for the middle-length sadhana, you should place your
pledge substances: dorje, bell, damaru, inner offering, and so on, together with your
practice text. If you do not have all the pledge implements, you can use the drawing
contained in this volume on page 283.
On the altar in front of you, set up a beautiful picture or statue of the deity.
Then, the altar for the long sadhana that follows should have three sets of offerings:
The first set, placed farthest away from the practitioner, is for the front generation
and should go from right to left (left to right from the perspective of the merit field);
the middle row of offerings is for the general protectors and also goes from right
to left; the row of offerings closest to the practitioner is for the self-generation and
goes from left to right. (All these offerings are arranged according to Mother Tantra.)
Also on the altar place three tormas: a central larger torma flanked by two small-
er tormas. These all generally appear in the same form (see the altar drawing on the
next page). The large central torma is for Vajrayogini; the smaller torma on the left
is for the Dharma protectors; and the smaller torma on the right is for the worldly
dakas and dakinis. These three tormas are offered at the end of the long sadhana in
the fourth session of every day. These three tormas remain on your altar for the du-
ration of your retreat. You can make these tormas according to the tradition, or else
you can offer cakes, cookies, honey and butter, fruit and nuts, together with meat
and alcohol. According to the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, although it is good to be
able to offer traditionally constructed tormas, you can offer other torma substances,
as long as they are of the best quality. During retreat it is a good idea to seal the tor-
mas in glass jars so that they cannot be eaten by small creatures. As you will need to
take the torma offering to the protectors outside once it has been offered at the end
of each day, you can place a small bowl with additional torma offering substances
(cookies, cake, etc. together with a small amount of meat and alcohol) on the altar
every morning. This can be taken out at the appropriate moment during the fourth
session.
If you want to make a separate set of offerings for the thanksgiving offerings at
the end of the sadhana, then you can add another set of water bowls going from right
to left (your perspective). If not, then at the appropriate time add a little water to the
set of offerings for the front generation (the set of offerings farthest from you).
Long Sadhana 69
How To Use this Long Sadhana in Retreat

For the first session of the day, start at the very beginning of the sadhana and pro-
ceed up to the torma offering starting on page 125 (which is only performed in the
last session of the day). Then dedicate the session. For the second and third ses-
sions, use the middle-length sadhana (p. 29). For the fourth session of the day, do
the middle-length sadhana up to the bottom of page 51. Then go to page 125 of this
long sadhana and perform the elaborate torma offering followed by the remainder
of the long sadhana, concluding with the Dedication Prayer to Actualize Vajrayogini’s
Entire Path to Enlightenment. It is highly recommended during retreat to offer tsog
daily. This is usually done in the last session of the day.
You can use the extensive tsog offering (p. 165) or the more abbreviated form
(p. 189). Further detailed instructions on how to organize the sessions during retreat
can be found in Pabongkha Rinpoche’s commentary, The Steps for a Fortunate One
to Proceed to Naro Khachö (p. 239).
NOTE: According to the oral tradition, if during retreat you are occasionally short
of time due to extenuating circumstances or an emergency, you can also use the
very short sadhana of Vajrayogini (p. 19), inserting the body mandala (p. 42/114) and
the related dissolution (p. 51/123) from the middle-length or long sadhanas, for the
second or third session of the day.
The Sadhana
NAMO GURU VAJRADHARMAYA
In the mandala of uncontaminated supreme bliss,

Heruka, who skillfully binds all emptinesses and elaborations,
Glorious Lord of heroes, father and mother,
You perpetually sport with delight in the indestructible drop.
With the illusory dance of the sphere of E, one taste with compassion,
The dance of the lovely Lady of Joy,
Lady skilled in means for guiding wretched migrating beings to the sphere
of great bliss,
Mother of the conquerors, Vajra Queen, look after me forever.
Illusionist of the many unfixed manifestations in the twenty-four places

For the sake of taking care of the fortunate ones,
Dakinis born from field, born from mantra, and simultaneously born,
With mercy take care of me and grant the desired accomplishments.
Inasmuch as times have become degenerate,

This supreme quick path is exceptionally profound and swift;
The heart essence of the dakinis, spring ocean of tantric meaning,
Fortunate ones, take up this immaculate treasure as your ornament.
This instruction has been revealed clearly in the Explanatory Root Tantra of the Glo-
rious Chakrasamvara. Naropa, the crown jewel of all the pandits and adepts in the
land of superiors [India], having beheld the face of the Venerable Lady directly, ob-
tained these instructions and explained them well. In the land of Tibet, it is one of
the Thirteen Golden Dharmas of the oral transmission lineage of the glorious Sakya
father and sons. It is also the uncommon hidden dharma concealed in the heart of
the great Tsongkhapa, King of Dharma of the three realms. Here, I set forth an easy
way of practice in accordance with the uncommon sadhana of Venerable Vajrayogini
renowned as Naro Khachö.
Long Sadhana 71
The yogi [yogini] should train his [her] continuum well through the common path, ob-
tain the four empowerments that definitely sow the seeds of the four pure, exalted
bodies in any of the legitimate mandalas of Mother Tantra, such as that of Heruka or
Hevajra, and strive to guard the pledges and vows like his [her] eyeballs. On top of
that, he [she] should obtain well the profound blessings of the sindura mandala that
definitely identify clearly the outer, inner, and secret vajra queens. Having obtained
orally the common as well as the uncommon instructions in accordance with the
unmistaken tradition of the explanation of the great secrets for disciples, there are
two stages of practice:
1. what is to be done in the actual sessions, and
2. what is to be done during the session break
The first has three parts:

A. Preparation
B. Actual practice
C. Conclusion
[Key to the various symbols indicating practice elements, mudras, etc.:
the lotus-turning mudra (see p. 274)
ring the bell
show the dorje at the heart level
play the damaru
the blazing mudra (see p. 271)
the prostration mudra
the embracing mudra (see p. 282)]

“Even though one has received the empowerment and blessing

[of Vajrayogini], if one has not received the profound instructions
on the two stages, one should not engage in the practice.”
– Je Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo

Long Sadhana 73
A. Preparation
In an isolated location that is agreeable to the mind, assemble a painted image or

statue, pledge substances – damaru, bell, khatvanga, and so forth – as well as the
outer and inner offerings and tormas. Set up a comfortable seat facing the west-
ern direction or imagine it to be so. [A drawing of the pledge substances can be
found on p. 283.]
The stages of actual practice are just as it has been said by the foremost great
Sakya master, [Jetsün Dragpa Gyältsen]: “Sleeping, waking, tasting nectar, immea-
surables, guru, generating oneself as the deity, yoga of purifying migrating beings,
blessed by the heroes and heroines, the two – verbal recitation and mental recita-
tion – as one, yoga of inconceivability, and yoga of conduct. In this way, there are
eleven yogas.”
Yogas 1, 2, and 3
To start, perform the first yoga of sleeping, the second yoga of waking, and the third
yoga of tasting nectar.
[The following praise from the introduction to the Chakrasamvara sadhana is sung
by the heart dakinis at the time of waking from the clear light in the morning. It can
be recited for auspiciousness at the beginning and end of each day.
OM The revealing of the pure words, OM Please come, great hero,

Self-arisal of production, disintegration, The teacher of pure words.
and so forth, Creation, destruction, self-arisen –
These alone are the understanding of The wisdom of emptiness and
emptiness.] 1 that alone.1
[NAMO GURU VAJRAVARAHI]2
DÜN GYI NAM KHAR LA MA KHOR LO DOM PA YAB YUM LA TSA GYÜ KYI LA MA YI DAM
CHHOG SUM KA DÖ SUNG MÄI TSHOG KYI KOR NÄ ZHUG PAR GYUR
Taking Refuge
DAG DANG DRO WA NAM KHÄI THA DANG NYAM PÄI SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ DÜ DI NÄ
ZUNG TE / JI SI JANG CHHUB NYING PO LA CHHI KYI BAR DU / PÄL DÄN LA MA DAM
PA NAM LA KYAB SU CHHI WO / DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ CHOM DÄN DÄ NAM LA KYAB SU
CHHI WO / DAM PÄI CHHÖ NAM LA KYAB SU CHHI WO / PHAG PÄI GEN DÜN NAM LA
KYAB SU CHHI WO (3–7x)
DAG GI DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ KYI GO PHANG THOB PAR JÄ LA / SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ
KHOR WÄI DUG NGÄL GYI GYA TSHO LÄ DRÄL NÄ DZOG PÄI JANG CHHUB KYI DE WA
LA GÖ PAR JA / DEI CHHIR DU DOR JE NÄL JOR MÄI LAM GYI RIM PA NYAM SU LANG
WAR GYI WO (3x)
L A MA DANG KÖN CHHOG RIN PO CHHE NAM PA SUM LA CHHAG TSHÄL SHING KYAB SU
CHHI WO / KHYE NAM KYI DAG GI GYÜ JIN GYI LAB TU SÖL
DÜN GYI KYAB YÜL NAM Ö ZER KAR MAR THING SUM GYI NAM PAR ZHU NÄ RANG LA
THIM PÄ KU SUNG THUG KYI JIN LAB THOB PAR GYUR
Long Sadhana 75
[With great respect I prostrate to the feet of the guru, inseparable from
Venerable Vajrayogini.]2
In the space before me are Guru Chakrasamvara father and mother, encircled
by the assemblies of root and lineage gurus, yidams, the Three Jewels, Dhar-
ma protectors, and guardians.
Taking Refuge
I and all migrating beings, equaling the limits of space, from now until reach-
ing the essence of enlightenment, go for refuge to the glorious holy Gurus; we
go for refuge to the complete Buddha-Bhagavans; we go for refuge to the holy
Dharma; and we go for refuge to the arya Sangha. (3–7x)
I will attain the state of complete buddhahood and then free all sentient
beings from the ocean of samsara’s suffering and place them in the bliss of
complete enlightenment. Therefore, I shall practice the stages of the path of
Vajrayogini. (3x)
To the Gurus and the Sublime Precious Three, I prostrate and go for refuge.
Please bless my mind.
The objects of refuge before me melt into the aspect of white, red, and dark
blue rays of light and dissolve into me, whereby I receive the blessings of the
exalted body, speech, and mind.
Then,
RANG NYI KÄ CHIG GI JE TSÜN DOR JE NÄL JOR MAR GYUR

Eliminate [interferers] to the inner offering with the four-faced mantra.3 Or, elimi-
nate them with:

DAGGI TSHÄN PA / LUNG YÖ ME BAR WÄ THÖ PÄI NANG GI DZÄ NAM ZHU BAR GYUR

OM AH HUM (3x)
Long Sadhana 77
Then,

Eliminate [interferers] to the inner offering with the four-faced mantra.3 Or, elimi-
nate them with:

nectars and from LAM, MAM, PAM, TAM, and VAM come the five meats, all
marked by their syllables.
The wind blows, the fire blazes, and the substances in the skullcup melt. Above
them, from HUM comes a white upside-down khatvanga. It melts and falls into
the skullcup, whereby the substances become the color of mercury.
abundantly.
OM AH HUM (3x)


TONG PÄI NGANG LÄ KAM LÄ THÖ PÄI NÖ NAM KYI NANG DU HUM LÄ CHHÖ DZÄ NAM
RANG ZHIN TONG NYI / NAM PA CHHÄ DZÄ SO SÖI NAM PA CHÄN / JE LÄ WANG PO
DRUG GI CHÖ YÜL DU ZAG PA ME PÄI DE WA KHYÄ PAR CHÄN TER WAR GYUR
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
Long Sadhana 79


From the empty state, from KAMs come skullcups. Inside them, from HUMs
come the offering substances, by nature empty and in aspect the various of-
ferings, whose function is to bestow distinguished, uncontaminated bliss as
objects to be enjoyed by the six senses.
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
Heruka Vajrasattva and consort

Long Sadhana 81
B. Actual Practice
Meditating on the Self-Generation

Vajrasattva Meditation and Recitation
On my crown, on a lotus and moon disc are Vajrasattva father and mother. They
have white colored bodies, one face and two arms. Holding vajra and bell and curved
knife and skullcup, they are embracing one another. [The father] is adorned with the
six mudras, [while the mother] is adorned with the five mudras. They sit [respective-
ly] in the vajra and lotus postures. Upon a moon at [their] heart is a HUM encircled
by the mantra garland, from which cascades a stream of white nectar, cleansing all
sickness, evil spirits, negativities, and obscurations.
Contemplating in this way, recite:

AH HUM PHAT (21x)
At the end, contemplate that:
Vajrasattva father and mother dissolve into me, whereby my three doors become
inseparable from the exalted body, speech, and mind of Vajrasattva.
5. Yoga of the Guru
Buddha Vajradharma
In the space before [me], established from the reflective appearance of pure clarity
and nondual exalted wisdom, is a square celestial mansion, complete in all features
with four doors, ornaments, and landings. In the center of this is a jeweled throne
supported by eight great lions. On a cushion of a variegated lotus, moon, and sun is
actually [my] kind root Guru in the aspect of Buddha Vajradharma. His exalted body
is red in color with one face and two arms crossed at his heart, holding vajra and
bell. His hair is tied up in a top knot. He sits with his legs crossed in the vajra posture.
He is sixteen years old, in the prime of youth, and is adorned with silken garments
and all the bone and jeweled ornaments.
Long Sadhana 83
Starting in front of him and encircling

counterclockwise are all the lineage gu-
rus, from Buddha Vajradhara to my root
Guru. They are in the aspect of Hero
[Vira] Vajradharma. They have red col-
ored exalted bodies, one face, and two
arms. The right hand plays a damaru
that resonates with the sound of bliss
and emptiness while the left at the heart
holds a skullcup filled with nectar. They
each hold a khatvanga at the bend of
their left arm. In the prime of youth,
they sit with their legs crossed in the
vajra posture and are adorned with the
six bone ornaments.
Hero Vajradharma
The principal and his retinue each have an OM at the forehead, an AH at

the throat, and a HUM at the heart. From the HUM at the heart, light rays
ༀ
radiate and invite from their natural abodes the gurus, yidams, assembly ཿ
of mandala deities, buddhas, bodhisattvas, heroes, and dakinis, together
ཧཱུྂ
with hosts of Dharma protectors and guardians.
OM VAJRA SAMAJAH
Contemplate that:
Each transforms into a nature encompassing all objects of refuge.

Prostration
Joining the palms, pay homage reciting:
GANG GI DRIN GYI DE CHHEN NYI

K Ä CHIG GI NI THOB GYUR WA
L A MA RIN CHHEN TA BU YI
DOR JE CHÄN ZHAB PÄ LA DÜ
Contemplate that:
Outer Offerings

Inner Offering
Present the inner offering saying:
OM GURU VAJRADHARMA SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM

Long Sadhana 85
Prostration
Joining the palms, pay homage reciting:
I bow to the lotus feet of the Vajra-holder,

O Guru, whose exalted body is like a jewel,
Through whose kindness
The state of great bliss will be attained in an instant.
Contemplate that:
Outer Offerings

Inner Offering
Present the inner offering saying:
OM GURU VAJRADHARMA SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM

Secret Offering
Countless knowledge ladies such as Pädmachän are emanated from my heart and
transform into the exalted body of Vajrayogini. Due to Guru Father and Mother en-
tering into absorption, [they] are pervaded by uncontaminated bliss. Contemplate
that and present the secret offering saying:
YI ONG LANG TSHÖI PÄL DZIN DRUG CHU ZHII

DÖ PÄI GYU TSÄL LA KHÄ LÜ THRA MA
ZHING KYE NGAG KYE LHÄN KYE PHO NYÄI TSHOG
DZE DUG GYU MÄI CHHAG GYA NAM KYANG BÜL
Suchness Offering
Infusing the three spheres of the offerings with indivisible bliss and emptiness,
present the offering of thusness saying:
DRIB DRÄL LHÄN KYE DE WÄI YE SHE CHHE

CHHÖ KÜN RANG ZHIN TRÖ DANG DRÄL WÄI YING
YER ME LHÜN DRUB MA SAM JÖ LÄ DÄ
DÖN DAM JANG CHHUB SEM CHHOG KHYÖ LA BÜL
The Seven Pure Practices4

Perform the continual confession saying:
KÖN CHHOG SUM LA DAG KYAB CHHI

DIG PA THAM CHÄ SO SOR SHAG
DRO WÄI GE LA JE YI RANG
SANG GYÄ JANG CHHUB YI KYI ZUNG
SANG GYÄ CHHÖ DANG TSHOG CHHOG LA

JANG CHHUB BAR DU DAG KYAB CHHI
RANG ZHÄN DÖN NI RAB DRUB CHHIR
JANG CHHUB SEM NI KYE PAR GYI
JANG CHHUB CHHOG GI SEM NI KYE GYI NÄ
SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ DAG GI DRÖN DU NYER
Long Sadhana 87
Secret Offering
Countless knowledge ladies such as Pädmachän are emanated from my heart and
transform into the exalted body of Vajrayogini. Due to Guru Father and Mother en-
tering into absorption, [they] are pervaded by uncontaminated bliss. Contemplate
that and present the secret offering saying:
I offer illusion-like consorts of youthful splendor,

Slender and skilled in the sixty-four arts of love;
A host of beautiful messenger dakinis,
Field born, mantra born, and simultaneously born.
Suchness Offering
Infusing the three spheres of the offerings with indivisible bliss and emptiness,
present the offering of thusness saying:
Unobstructed great wisdom simultaneous with bliss,

The sphere of the actual unelaborated nature of all things,
Spontaneous and indivisible, beyond thought and expression:
Supreme ultimate bodhichitta, I offer to you.
The Seven Pure Practices4

Perform the continual confession saying:
I go for refuge to the Three Jewels.

I confess individually all negativities.
I rejoice in the virtue of migrating beings.
I hold with my mind a buddha’s enlightenment.
I go for refuge until my enlightenment

To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly.
In order to fully accomplish the purposes of myself and others,
I shall generate the mind of enlightenment.
Having generated the mind of supreme enlightenment,

I shall invite all sentient beings to be my guests.
JANG CHHUB CHÖ CHHOG YI ONG CHÄ PAR GYI

DRO LA PHÄN CHHIR SANG GYÄ DRUB PAR SHOG
Gathering the Collection of Kusali

RANG SEM KHA CHÖ WANG MO THEB My own mind, Dakini Land Lady,
SOR TSAM Thumb sized, leaves through the crown
CHI WO NÄ THÖN TSA WÄI LA MA DANG of my head,
ZHÄL JOR DZÄ CHING LAR YANG CHHIR Comes face to face with my root Lama.
THÖN TE I return and slice off my old skull,
RANG JUNG MI GÖI GYE PU SUM GYI TENG Place on hearth of three human heads
LÜ PO NYING PÄI THÖ PA KOG NÄ KÄL (self-arisen).
DE NANG LHAG MA SHA THRAG RÜ PA NAM I chop up all my flesh, blood, and bones,
TUB TE PUNG LA CHÄN CHHER ZIG PA YI Heap it in skull. By staring wide-eyed
JANG TOG BAR JÄ DÜ TSII GYA TSHOR GYUR Purify, transform, increase nectar.
Bless it with:
OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH (3x) [See p. 271 for how to do the mudra.]
Contemplate that:
From my heart emerge innumerable goddesses holding skullcups. With these skull-
cups, they scoop up the nectar and offer it to the guests who partake of it with their
vajra tongues by drawing the nectar through reeds of vajra light rays.
Offer to the root Guru seven times with:
KU ZHII DAG NYI TSA WÄI LA MA LA I offer nectar, may you be pleased,
DAM DZÄ DÜ TSI BÜL LO NYE GYUR CHIG Root Guru, essence of four bodies.
OM AH HUM (7x) [offer from the crown of the head]

Long Sadhana 89
I shall undertake the pleasing supreme conduct of enlightenment.

May I accomplish buddhahood in order to benefit migrating beings.
Gathering the Collection of Kusali

My mind, the powerful lady of Khechara,
The size of a mere thumb, emerges from my crown.
I come face to face with my root Guru and then return.
After I have split off the skull of my old body,
It rests upon a tripod of self-arisen human heads.
The remaining flesh, blood, and bones are chopped up and heaped inside.
Gazing nakedly with wide-open eyes,
I purify, transform, and increase it into an ocean of nectar.
Bless it with:
OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH (3x) [See p. 271 for how to do the mudra.]
Contemplate that:
From my heart emerge innumerable goddesses holding skullcups. With these skull-
cups, they scoop up the nectar and offer it to the guests who partake of it with their
vajra tongues by drawing the nectar through reeds of vajra light rays.
Offer to the root Guru seven times with:
To my root Guru, the nature of the four exalted bodies,

I offer nectar of pledge substance. May you be pleased.
OM AH HUM (7x) [offer from the crown of the head]
NGÖ DRUB JUNG NÄ GYÜ PÄI LA MA LA I offer nectar, may you be pleased,
DAM DZÄ DÜ TSI BÜL LO NYE GYUR CHIG Lineage gurus, source of attainment.
OM AH HUM [offer from the forehead]
L A MA YI DAM CHHOG SUM SUNG TSHOG LA I offer nectar, may you be pleased.
DAM DZÄ DÜ TSI BÜL LO NYE GYUR CHIG Gurus, yidams, Three Jewels, protectors.
OM AH HUM [offer from the heart]
NYUG MAR NÄ PÄI NÄ ZHI DRONG DAG LA I offer this pure nectar to you,
DAM DZÄ DÜ TSI BÜL LO TÖNG DROG DZÖ Local guardians, so please help me.
OM AH HUM [offer from the navel]
RIG DRUG BAR DÖI SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ LA I offer nectar, may you be freed,
DAM DZÄ DÜ TSI BÜL LO DRÖL GYUR CHIG All beings of six realms and bardo.
OM AH HUM [offer from knee level]
PHÜL WÄ DRÖN KÜN ZAG ME DE WÄ TSHIM The guests are satisfied with great bliss.
SEM CHÄN NAM KYANG DRIB DRÄL CHHÖ Freed sentient beings attain truth body.
KU THOB Three circles off’rings nature is bliss,
CHHÖ PÄI KHOR SUM MA SAM JÖ DÄ KYI Voidness beyond words, thoughts,
DE TONG NYI SU ME PÄI NGO WOR GYUR expression.
Long Sadhana 91
To the lineage gurus, the source of accomplishments,

OM AH HUM [offer from the forehead]
To the gurus, yidams, Three Supreme Jewels, and hosts of guardians,

OM AH HUM [offer from the heart]
To the indigenous residents and the territorial lords,

I offer nectar of pledge substance. May you assist me.
OM AH HUM [offer from the navel]
To all sentient beings – the six classes and the intermediate state beings –
I offer nectar of pledge substance. May you be freed.
OM AH HUM [offer from knee level]
Due to this offering, all the guests are satisfied with uncontaminated bliss.
The sentient beings, freed of obscuration, attain the truth body.
The three spheres of the offering become the entity of nondual bliss
and emptiness,
Beyond words, thoughts, and expression.
Offering the Mandala

[ZHING KAM BÜL WAR ZHU]... OM VAJRA BHUMI AH HUM WANG CHHEN SER GYI SA ZHI
OM VAJRA REKHE AH HUM CHHI CHAG RI KHOR YUG GI KOR WÄI Ü SU /RII GYÄL PO RI
RAB / SHAR LÜ PHAG PO / LHO DZAM BU LING/ NUB BA LANG CHÖ/ JANG DRA MI NYÄN
LÜ DANG LÜ PHAG / NGA YAB DANG NGA YAB ZHÄN / YO DÄN DANG LAM CHHOG
DRO / DRA MI NYÄN DANG DRA MI NYÄN GYI DA / RIN PO CHHEI RI WO / PAG SAM GYI
SHING / DÖ JÖI BA / MA MÖ PÄI LO TOG
KHOR LO RIN PO CHHE / NOR BU RIN PO CHHE / TSÜN MO RIN PO CHHE / LÖN PO RIN
PO CHHE / LANG PO RIN PO CHHE / TA CHHOG RIN PO CHHE / MAG PÖN RIN PO
CHHE / TER CHHEN PÖI BUM PA / GEG MA / THRENG WA MA / LU MA / GAR MA / ME
TOG MA / DUG PÖ MA / NANG SÄL MA / DRI CHHAB MA
NYI MA / DA WA / RIN PO CHHEI DUG / CHHOG LÄ NAM PAR GYÄL WÄI GYÄN TSHÄN /
Ü SU LHA DANG MI / PÄL JOR PHÜN SUM TSHOG PA MA TSHANG WA ME PA / TSANG
ZHING YI DU WONG WA DI DAG DRIN CHÄN TSA WA DANG GYÜ PAR / CHÄ PÄI PÄL DÄN
LA MA DAM PA NAM LA ÜL WAR GYI WO / THUG JE DRO WÄI DÖN DU ZHE SU SÖL ZHE
NÄ JIN GYI LAB TU SÖL
DE TONG LHÄN CHIG KYE PÄI YE SHE KYI Mount Meru, lands, precious things
ZUNG NAM PHUNG KHAM KYE CHHE LÄ and vase,
JUNG WÄI Sun and moon, formed by my skandhas,
RI LING RIN CHHEN TER BUM NYI DAR CHÄ Objects held by bliss and void wisdom
KYAB GÜN THUG JEI TER LA BÜL WAR GYI I offer to you, refuge savior.
Long Sadhana 93
Offering the Mandala

Let us offer a buddha-field... OM VAJRA BHUMI AH HUM. Here is the mighty
and powerful golden base. OM VAJRA REKHE AH HUM. The outer ring is en-
circled with the iron fence. In the center stands Meru, king of all mountains. In
the east is the continent Purva-Videha, in the south, Jambudvipa, in the west,
Aparagodaniya, in the north, Uttara-Kuru.
[Around the east], the subcontinents Deha and Videha. [Around the south], the
subcontinents Chamara and Apara-Chamara. [Around the west], the subcon-
tinents Shatha and Uttara-Mantrina [Around the north], the sub-continents
Kurava and Kaurava. [In the east], is the treasure mountain. [In the south], the
wish-granting tree. [In the west], the wish-granting cow. [In the north], the
unploughed harvest.
The precious wheel, the precious jewel, the precious queen, the precious
minister, the precious elephant, the precious and best of horses, the precious
general, the great treasure vase. The goddess of beauty, goddess of garlands,
goddess of song, goddess of dance, goddess of flowers, goddess of incense,
goddess of light, goddess of scent.
The sun and the moon. The umbrella of all that is precious.The banner of vic-
tory in all directions. In the center are all the possessions precious to gods and
humans. This magnificent collection, lacking in nothing, I offer to you, O glori-
ous and holy gurus. In your compassion, accept what I offer for the sake of all
migrating beings, and send forth to me waves of inspiring strength.
The mountains, continents, precious objects, treasure vase,

As well as the sun and the moon that have arisen from my aggregates,
constituents, and sources
As apprehended aspects of the exalted wisdom of simultaneous great bliss,
I offer to you, refuge-protector, treasure of compassion.
DAG GI CHHAG DANG MONG SUM KYE All objects of my mind’s three poisons,
WÄI YÜL Friends, foes, strangers, body, wealth,
DRA NYEN BAR SUM LÜ DANG LONG CHÖ pleasure,
CHÄ I offer without feeling a loss.
PHANG PA ME PAR BÜL GYI LEG ZHE NÄ Please grant strength that three poisons
DUG SUM RANG SAR DRÖL WAR JIN GYI LOB may cease.
IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATAYAMI

I offer this precious mandala to the Guru.
Request to the Lineage Lamas

GYÄL WA GYA TSÖI RIG DAG DOR JE CHHÖ Vajradharma, family holder;
GYÄL WÄI YUM CHHOG DOR JE NÄL JOR Vajrayogini, supreme mother;
MA Naropa, chief son of the victors:
GYÄL SÄ THU WO NA RO TA PÄI ZHAB Please bestow great bliss and
SÖL WA DEB SO LHÄN KYE YE SHE TSÖL void wisdom.
Vajradharma Vajrayogini
Long Sadhana 95
The objects that produce the three – my attachment, hatred, and obscuration –
My friends, enemies, and strangers, as well as my body and enjoyments,
I offer without any sense of loss.
Having accepted it well, please bless me to be freed from the three poisons
right where they exist.
IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATAYAMI

I offer this precious mandala to the Guru.
Request to the Lineage Lamas

To Vajradharma, lord of the family of the ocean of conquerors;
Vajrayogini, supreme consort of the conquerors;
Naropa, preeminent child of the conquerors,
I make request: Please bestow the simultaneously born exalted wisdom.
Naropa
SANG CHHEN LOB SHÄ DZIN PÄI PHAM Pamtingpas, holders of great secrets;
THING PA Sherab Tseg, treasure of all secrets;
SANG DZÖ KÜN GYI TER GYUR SHE RAB TSEG Mäl Lotsawa, secret mantra lord:
SANG NGAG GYA TSHÖI NGA DAG MÄL Please bestow great bliss and void
LÖI ZHAB wisdom
SÖL WA DEB SO LHÄN KYE YE SHE TSÖL
Pamtingpa the Elder Pamtingpa the Younger
DOR JE CHHANG WANG LA CHHEN SA Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, Vajradhara;

KYA PA Sönam Tsemo, supreme vajra child;
DOR JEI SÄ CHHOG JE TSÜN SÖ NAM TSE Dragpa Gyältsen, vajra holders’ crown:
DOR JE DZIN PÄI TSUG GYÄN DRAG PÄI Please bestow great bliss and void
ZHAB wisdom.
Sachen Kunga Nyingpo

Long Sadhana 97
To Pamtingpas, holders of the explanations of the great secrets for disciples;

Sherab Tseg, you are a treasure of all the secret treasuries;
Mäl Lotsawa, chief of the ocean of secret mantra,
Sherab Tseg Mäl Lotsawa
To great Sakya lama, mighty Vajradhara;

Venerable Sönam Tsemo, supreme vajra child;
Dragpa Gyältsen, crown ornament of vajra holders,
Sonam Tsemo Dragpa Gyältsen

SA KYA PÄN CHHEN GANG CHÄN KHÄ PÄI JE Sakya Pandita, master scholar;
SA SUM KYE GÜI TSUG GYÄN PHAG PÄI TSHÄN Chögyäl Phagpa, crown of all three
SA KYÄI TÄN DZIN ZHANG DÖN CHHÖ JEI realms;
ZHAB Shangtön Chöje, holder of Sakya:
SÖL WA DEB SO LHÄN KYE YE SHE TSÖL Please bestow great bliss and void
wisdom.
DRUB PÄI WANG CHHUG NA ZA DRAG Naza Dragpugpa, lord of adepts;

PHUG PA Sönam Gyältsen, master realized one;
DRUB CHHOG KHÄ PÄI DE PÖN CHHÖ KYI JE Yarlungpa, realized lineage chief:
DRUB RIG NYÄN GYÜ NGA DAG YAR Please bestow great bliss and void
LUNG PAR wisdom.
Sakya Pandita Chögyäl Phagpa Shangtön Chöje

Long Sadhana 99
To great Sakya Pandita, foremost scholar of the land of snows;

Chögyäl Phagpa, crown ornament of all beings of the three levels;
Shangtön Chöje, holder of the Sakya doctrine,
To Naza Dragpugpa, lord of adepts;

Sönam Gyältsen, supreme adept, helmsman of scholars;
Yarlungpa, chief of the oral lineage of adepts,
Naza Dragpugpa Sonam Gyältsen Yarlungpa

DAG ZHÄN DRO WÄI KYAB GÖN GYÄL WA Gyälwa Chog, protecting all beings;
CHHOG Jamyang Namkha Gyältsen, great being;
DAG NYI CHHEN PO JAM YANG NAM KHÄI Lodro Gyältsen, great lord of Dharma:
TSHÄN Please bestow great bliss and void
DAG CHHEN CHHÖ JE LO DRÖ GYÄL TSHÄN wisdom.
ZHAB
K A DRIN NYAM ME JE TSÜN DO RING PA Jetsün Doringpa, kindness unmatched;

K A ZHIN DRUB PÄI TÄN DZIN LO SÄL DANG Losel Gyatso, practiced gurus’ words;
K A GYÜ SANG CHHEN MA WA KHYEN TSEI Jamyang Khyentse, expounds great
ZHAB secrets:
wisdom.
Gyälwa Chog Jamyang Namkha Gyältsen Lodro Gyältsen

Long Sadhana 101
To Gyälwa Chog, refuge-protector of all migrating beings, myself and others;

Jamyang Namkha Gyältsen, great being;
Lodro Gyältsen, great being, lord of the Dharma,
To Jetsün Doringpa, unparalleled in kindness;

Master Losel Gyatso, who practiced as advised;
Jamyang Khyentse, propounder of the whispered lineage,
Jetsün Doringpa Master Losel Gyatso Jamyang Khyentse

RIG NGAG CHHANG WA LAB SUM GYÄL TSHÄN Labsum Gyältsen, mantra knowledge
DANG one;
RIG GYÄI KHYAB DAG WANG CHHUG RAB TÄN Wangchug Rabten, hundred family
PÄL lord
RIG KYI TSO WO JE TSÜN KA GYUR PA Jetsün Kagyur, family principal:
wisdom.
KYIL KHOR GYA TSHÖI KHYAB DAG ZHVA LU PA Shaluwa, mandala ocean lord;
KYIL KHOR KÜN GYI TSO WO KHYEN RAB JE Khenrabje, head of all mandalas;
KYIL KHOR KHOR LÖI DAG PO MOR CHHEN ZHAB Morchenpa, mandala circle lord:
wisdom.
Labsum Gyältsen Wangchug Rabten Jetsün Kagyur

Long Sadhana 103
To Labsum Gyältsen, holder of knowledge mantras;

Glorious Wangchug Rabten, pervasive lord of the hundred families;
Jetsün Kagyur, principal of the families,
To Shaluwa, pervasive lord of the ocean of mandalas;

Khenrabje, principal of all the mandalas;
Morchenpa, lord of the circle of mandalas,
Shaluwa Khenrabje Morchenpa

NYÄN GYÜ GYA TSHÖI DE PÖN NÄ SAR PA Näsarpa, the whispered-line helmsman;
NYÄN GYÜ NGA DAG LO SÄL PHÜN TSHOG Losel Phuntsog, lord of whispered line;
DANG Tenzin Trinley, whispered-line scholar:
NYÄN GYÜ PEL KHÄ TÄN DZIN THRIN LÄ ZHAB Please bestow great bliss and void
SÖL WA DEB SO LHÄN KYE YE SHE TSÖL wisdom.
GA DÄN TÄN DZIN KHYAB DAG KA GYUR PA Kagyurpa, lord of Ganden doctrine;
GA DÄN DAR GYÄ NYIG DÜ DRO WÄI NYEN Ganden Dhargye, friend of all beings;
GA DÄN LUG DZIN DHAR MA BHA DRÄI ZHAB Dharmabhadra, Ganden line holder:
wisdom.
Näsarpa Losel Phuntsog Tenzin Trinley

Long Sadhana 105
To Näsarpa, navigator of the ocean of the oral lineage;

Losel Phuntsog, chief of the oral lineage;
Tenzin Trinley, skilled in spreading the oral lineage,
To Kagyurpa, pervasive lord, holder of the Ganden tradition;

Ganden Dhargye, friend of migrating beings in the time of degenerations;
Dharmabhadra, holder of the Ganden tradition,
Kagyurpa Ganden Dhargye Dharmabhadra

DO GYÜ KÜN GYI LAM GYI NÄ DZOG PÄI Losang Chöpel, sutra-tantra lord,
DO GYÜ NGA DAG LO ZANG CHHÖ PHEL You completed main points of all paths;
DANG Jigme Wangpo, sutra-tantra sage:
DO GYÜ PEL KHÄ JIG ME WANG PÖI ZHAB Please bestow great bliss and void
NA RO KHA CHÖ MIN DRÖL LAM ZANG NÄ Dechen Nyingpo, blessed by Naropa,
NA RO PA ZHIN LEG PAR DOM PA LA Explains like Naropa perfectly
NA RÖ JIN LAB DE CHHEN NYING PO LA Essence of Naro dakini path:
wisdom.
Losang Chöpel Jigme Wangpo

Long Sadhana 107
To Losang Chöpel, chief of sutra and tantra,

Who completed the essentials of the paths of all of sutra and tantra;
Jigme Wangpo, skilled in spreading sutra and tantra,
To Dechen Nyingpo, blessed by Naropa

To instruct perfectly, just as Naropa did,
In the essentials of the excellent ripening and liberating paths of Naro Khachö,
Dechen Nyingpo
(Pabongkha Rinpoche)
DOR JEI GÖ PHANG DRÜB PÄI NYE LAM Losang Yeshe, the vajra holder
CHHOG Of treasure of Vajra Queen teachings,
DOR JE TSÜN MÖI MIN DRÖL DAM PÄI DZÖ Quick path to attain the vajra state:
DOR JE DZIN PA LO ZANG YE SHE LA Please bestow great bliss and void
[KÜN TOG TRI SHÖN U MAR TÜL WÄI YING [Glorious Kyabje Zong Rinpoche,
KÜN KYAB DE WÄI KOR LU YONG ZOG PA Winds dissolved into central channel,
KÜN ZANG LAM TÖN LOB SANG TSÖN Achieved consummate great bliss
DRÜ LA and void:
SÖL WA DEB SO LHÄN KYE YE SHE TSÖL] Please bestow great bliss and void
wisdom.
My kind root Lama Vajradhara,

Embodiment of all conquerors,
Granting blessings of all buddhas’
speech:
Please bestow great bliss and void
wisdom.]
Losang Tsöndru Losang Yeshe

(Zong Rinpoche) (Trijang Rinpoche)
Long Sadhana 109
To Losang Yeshe, vajra-holder,

Treasury of instructions on the ripening and liberating paths of the
Vajra Queen,
The supreme quick path for accomplishing the vajra state,
[To Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Losang Tsöndru –

Within the state of all winds of discursive thought conquered into the
central nadi,
You have achieved consummation of the bliss chakra –
To my root Guru (Vajradhara) [Insert the name of one’s own guru here.] –
Master in teaching on the certain path to enlightenment to all beings
as extensive as space out of your extreme loving compassion;
Your body incorporates all the infinite buddhas without exception –
I make request: Please bestow the simultaneously born exalted wisdom.]
Vajradhara
KYE RIM ZAB MO KHA CHÖ NÄL JOR DANG Bless me please through the force of
DZOG RIM Ü MÄI NÄL JOR GOM PÄI THÜ my practice
DE CHHEN LHÄN KYE YE SHE KYE WA DANG On Dakini yoga of kye rim
KHA CHÖ GÖ PHANG THOB AR JIM GYI LOB And shushuma yoga of dzog rim
Please grant spontan'ously born
great bliss.
Blessings of the Four Empowerments

Request three times saying:
KYAB NÄ KÜN DÜ LA MA LA I request you, dear Lama,

SÖL WA DEB SO JIN GYI LOB Essence of refuge jewels,
WANG ZHI DZOG PAR KUR WA DANG Please grant four empowerments.
KU ZHII GÖ PHANG TSÄL SÖL (3x) Bestow please, the four bodies. (3x)
[Continue with "Contemplate that:" on p. 111.]
ཨོཾ
ཿ
ཧཱུྂ
Long Sadhana 111
Please grant me blessings so that, through the force of meditating

On the profound Khechara yoga of the generation stage
And the central channel yoga of the completion stage,
I may generate the exalted wisdom of simultaneously born great bliss and
attain the state of Khechara.
Blessings of the Four Empowerments

Request three times saying:
To the Guru encompassing all objects of refuge,

I make requests. Please grant blessings.
Please confer the four empowerments completely and
Bestow the state of the four exalted bodies. (3x)
Contemplate that:
White light rays and nectars radiate from the OM at my Guru’s forehead and dis-
solve into my forehead. The negativities and obscurations of my body are purified; I
receive the vase empowerment. The blessings of my Guru’s exalted body enter my
body.
Red light rays and nectars radiate from the AH at my Guru’s throat and dissolve into
my throat. The negativities and obscurations of my speech are purified; I receive the
secret empowerment. The blessings of my Guru’s exalted speech enter my speech.
Blue light rays and nectars radiate from the HUM at my Guru’s heart and dissolve
into my heart. The negativities and obscurations of my mind are purified; I receive
the knowledge-wisdom empowerment. The blessings of my Guru’s exalted mind en-
ter my mind.
White, red, and dark blue light rays and nectars radiate from the syllables at my
Guru’s three places and dissolve into my three places. The negativities and obscura-
tions of my body, speech, and mind are purified; I receive the fourth empowerment,
[Turn to p. 112 to continue.]
the precious word empowerment. The blessings of my Guru’s exalted body, speech,
and mind enter my body, speech, and mind.
One should know the uncommon way of taking the four empowerments orally
[from the Guru].
Then, again:
Precious Guru, nature of all the buddhas of the three times, to you I make request:
please bless my continuum. (3x)5
Due to the request, the encircling lineage gurus dissolve into [my] root Guru at the
center.
[My] root Guru also, out of affection for me, melts into red light, enters through my
crown, and merges indivisibly with my mind, which takes the aspect of a red syllable
VAM at my heart.
6. Yoga of Generating Oneself as the Deity

Carrying Death into the Path of the Truth Body (Dharmakaya)
This very syllable VAM expands and becomes equal to the extent of space, whereby
the entire environment and all its inhabitants become the nature of bliss and emp-
tiness. Once again it gradually contracts back from the edges, becoming a minute
syllable VAM. From the bottom, it dissolves gradually up into the nada. The nada
also becomes imperceivable and becomes the dharmakaya of indivisible bliss and
emptiness.

Long Sadhana 113
Carrying the Intermediate State into the Path of the Enjoyment Body
(Sambhogakaya)
From the empty state in which all appearances have thus been condensed, the nature
of my mind abides in space in the aspect of an upright red syllable VAM, the appre-
hended aspect of the exalted wisdom of nondual bliss and emptiness.
Carrying Birth into the Path of the Emanation Body (Nirmanakaya)

From the empty state, from E E come the red phenomena-sources6 (two intersecting
tetrahedrons) inside of which, from A comes a moon disc, white tinged with red. On
top of it, arranged counterclockwise, is the mantra:
As the syllable VAM in space, when I see the moon, propelled to take rebirth in its
center, I descend to the center of the moon. Light rays radiate from the moon and
syllable VAM as well as the mantra garland, creating all the environments and beings
of samsara and beyond into the nature of the Venerable Vajrayogini. These gather
back and dissolve into the syllable VAM together with the mantra garland. From their
transformation, the supporting and supported mandalas become complete, all at
once.
Furthermore, there is the vajra ground, fence, tent, and canopy, outside of which a
mass of five-colored fire swirls counterclockwise and blazes. Inside this is the circle of
the eight great charnel grounds, the “Ferocious One” and so forth. In their center are
the red phenomena-sources (two intersecting tetrahedrons) with the broad surfaces
facing upward and the fine tips planted downward. Except for the front and back, the
four corners are each marked with pink bliss swirls spinning counterclockwise.
Inside the phenomena-sources is an eight-petaled variegated lotus, in the center of

which, on top of a sun mandala, I arise in the bodily form of the Venerable Vajra-
yogini. My outstretched right leg treads on the breasts of red Kalaratri. My bent left
leg treads on black Bhairava’s head, which is bent backward.
face, two arms, and three eyes looking up toward the pure land of Khechara. My
right hand is extended and holds a curved knife marked with a vajra pointing down-
ward while my left raises a skullcup filled with blood7 from which I drink with my
upturned mouth. On my left shoulder rests a khatvanga marked with a vajra, from
which hangs a damaru, a bell, and a three-pointed banner. My black hair falls loosely
to my waist. In the prime of my youth, my desirous nipples full, I bear the counte-
nance that generates bliss. Five dried human skulls crown my head, and I have a
necklace of fifty skulls. Naked, I am adorned with the five mudras and stand in the
center of a blazing fire of exalted wisdom.
7. Yoga of Purifying Migrating Beings

At my heart, inside the red phenomena-sources (two intersecting tetrahedrons) is a
moon disc. At its center is the syllable VAM, encircled by the mantra garland. Light
rays radiate from these and, leaving through my pores, strike all sentient beings of
the six classes, whereby their negativities, obscurations, and imprints are cleansed.
They all transform into the exalted body of Vajrayogini.
8. Yoga of Being Blessed by the Heroes and Heroines

This has three sections:
a. Body Mandala
At the center of the phenomena-sources and moon cushion at my heart is the syl-
lable VAM, which is in the nature of the four elements. It splits into the four letters
YA, RA, LA, VA, which are the seed [syllables] of the four elements. They abide as
the nature of the heart channel petals of the four directions – Kamini and so forth.
Starting from the left, these totally transform into Lama, Khandaroha, Rupini, and
Long Sadhana 115
Dakini. The crescent moon, drop, and nada of the center syllable VAM, the nature
of the most subtle spring-drop union,8 totally transform into Venerable Vajrayogini.
Outside these are the twenty-four seed syllables of the mantra, OM OM [OM] and
so forth, circling counterclockwise from the east. They are inseparable in nature
from the energy channels and constituent energy-drops, which are, in sequence:
• the channels – Abhedya and so forth – of the twenty-four places of the body –
the hairline, the crown, and so forth, and
• the twenty-four constituents – falling nails, teeth, and so forth.
These totally transform into:
• the eight heroines of the mind family – Prachanda, Chandakshi, Prabhavati,
Mahanasa, Viramati, Kharvari, Lankeshvari, and Drumacchaya;
• the eight heroines of the speech family – Airavati, Mahabhairava, Vayuvega,
Surabhakshi, Shyamadevi, Subhadra, Hayakarna, and Khaganana; and
• the eight heroines of the body family – Chakravega, Khandaroha, Saundini,
Chakravarmini, Suvira, Mahabala, Chakravartini, and Mahavirya.
These are actual yoginis who are nondual with the heroes of the twenty-four exter-
nal places such as Pulliramalaya and so forth.
The channels and constituents of the eight doors–the mouth and so forth (insepa-
rable in nature from the eight seed syllables – HUM HUM [HUM] and so forth) total-
ly transform into Kakasya, Ulukasya, Shvanasya, Shukarasya, Yamadadhi, Yamaduti,
Yamadamshtrini, and Yamamathani.
All have the appearance of the body of the Venerable Lady complete with orna-
ments and implements.
This is the final instruction that is the uncommon profound essential of this system.
Apart from mere seeds [i.e., being very brief], previous literature is unclear on this
point. In dependence on the oral instructions of my guru, I have stated it so that it
is most easy to understand. So, cherish this!
b. Causing the Exalted Wisdom Beings to Dissolve into Oneself as the

Deity and Mixing the Three Messengers
Performing the blazing mudra, recite:
PHAIM!
ཕཻཾ
From the syllable VAM at my heart, light rays radiate and, emerging from between
my eyebrows, go to the ten directions. They invite all the tathagatas, heroes, and
yoginis of the ten directions in the aspect of Vajrayogini.
(1) The exalted wisdom beings are summoned [JAH], (2) they enter [HUM], (3) they
are bound [VAM], and (4) they are delighted [HOH]. Performing the lotus-turning
mudra [two times, first to the left, then to the right,] followed by the embracing
mudra, recite:
Cultivate divine pride, thinking:
I am the nature of the yoga of complete purity of all phenomena.
c. Donning the Armor


Long Sadhana 117

Conferring the Empowerment and Imprinting the Seal
PHAIM
ཕཻཾ
From the syllable VAM at my heart, light rays radiate and invite to the space in
front the empowering deities, the supporting and supported mandala of glorious
Chakrasamvara.
“All tathagatas, please confer the empowerment.”
Having thus been requested, the eight females of the doors and corners drive out
the interferers, the heroes express auspiciousness, the heroines sing vajra songs,
and the rupavajras and so forth make offerings. The principal [deity] decides that the
empowerment should be conferred. The four mothers, together with Varahi, hold-
ing aloft jeweled vases filled with the five nectars, confer the empowerment through
my crown, saying:
“Just as all the tathagatas granted ablution at the moment of [Buddha’s] birth, like-
wise, we now confer the ablution with this pure divine water.”
OM SARVA TATHAGATA ABHISHEKATA SAMAYA SHRIYE HUM
Due to the empowerment, my entire body is filled. All stains are purified. The excess
water remaining on the top of my head transforms and I am crowned by Heruka-
Vairochana and consort.

Outer Offerings
Make the outer offerings saying:


Inner Offering
Make the inner offering with:

VAIROCHANIYE HUM HUM HUM PHAT PHAT PHAT SVAHA OM AH HUM
Secret and Suchness Offering 10

[For this offering, one can remain as Vajrayogini as indicated immediately below, or
do the optional transformation of the gender signs in the optional section below.]
Present the secret and suchness offering imagining:
I am Vajrayogini. My khatvanga becomes Chakrasamvara. We enter into absorption

thereby generating [the wisdom of] simultaneous bliss and emptiness.
Long Sadhana 119
[If not doing the optional transformation, go to Generating the Four Blisses below.]
Optional Section
You may choose to present the secret and suchness offering after transforming your
divine pride from Vajrayogini to Heruka and transforming the gender signs:
Visualizing myself as the yogini, I give up my breasts and they transform into a penis.
The two walls of the pure place inside my vagina transform into two bell-like testicles.
My pistil transforms into the head of the penis. I assume the form of Heruka of Great
Joy with the secret consort, Vajrayogini, who by nature incorporates all the dakinis.
[Generating the Four Blisses]

From a state of not observing [an inherent existence] of the father’s secret place
comes a white HUM, which turns into a five-tipped white vajra. Then a red VYA ap-
pears, which becomes a red jewel marked at its tip by a yellow VYA. From a state of
not observing [an inherent existence] of the mother’s secret place comes an A, which
turns into a three-petaled red lotus. A white DYA appears, which becomes the white
center representing white bodhichitta and marked at its tip by a yellow DYA.
OM SHRI MAHA SUKHA VAJRI HE HE RU RU KAM AH HUM HUM PHAT SVAHA
Due to the father and mother entering into absorption, the bodhichitta melts, and
when from the crown of my head it reaches my throat, I experience joy. When from
my throat it reaches my heart, supreme joy. When from my heart it reaches my navel,
distinguished joy. And when from my navel it reaches the tip of my jewel, the exalted
wisdom of simultaneous [bliss and emptiness] is generated, whereby I enter equi-
poise on the samadhi of the inseparability of bliss and emptiness.
In this way, through bliss and emptiness being indivisibly conjoined, I delight in the
secret and suchness offerings, which is single-pointed equipoise on the meaning of
suchness, the emptiness of inherent existence of the three spheres of offering.
Once more, I transform in aspect into the Venerable Lady.


Perform the offering of mantra and praise with the eight lines of the Mother:
[These verses are traditionally recited in Sanskrit. You can, however, recite them in
whichever language you prefer (only one set). The Sanskrit version appears below,
followed by the Tibetan, literal English, and chantable English versions. To punctu-
ate each HUM HUM PHAT, sound the bell sharply 3 times.]

HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT

OM PHAG MA RIG MÄI WANG CHUG KHAM SUM GYI MI TUB HUM HUM PHAT

HUM HUM PHAT
OM You terrify and dessicate the demons and are thus victorious over other
forces HUM HUM PHAT
Long Sadhana 121
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
OM I bow to Bhagavati Vajravarahi HUM HUM PHAT

OM Arya Queen invincible in the three realms HUM HUM PHAT
OM Destroyer of all fears with your great vajra HUM HUM PHAT
OM Vajra seat, invincible eyes that control HUM HUM PHAT
OM You dry up Brahma with your wrathful tummo HUM HUM PHAT
OM You frighten demons and vanquish all forces HUM HUM PHAT
OM Victor over what makes us dull, stiff, confused HUM HUM PHAT
OM I bow to great Mother who conquers desire HUM HUM PHAT
9. Yoga of Verbal and Mental Recitation

This has two sections:
a. Verbal Recitation
Contemplate that:
At my heart, inside the red phenomena-sources (two intersecting tetrahedrons) is

a moon disc. At its center is the syllable VAM encircled by the red mantra garland
circling counterclockwise. Countless rays of red light radiate from these, cleansing
the negativities and obscurations of all sentient beings and making offerings to all
buddhas. All their blessings, abilities, and powers are invoked in the form of rays of
red light that dissolve into the syllable VAM and the mantra garland, whereby my
continuum is blessed.
At the minimum, recite the number of mantras for your daily commitment:

b. Mental Recitation
With the physical essentials [the sevenfold posture], bring the phenomena-
sources, moon, and seed syllables from the heart to the secret place if you wish
to generate bliss, and to the navel if you wish to generate non-conceptuality; and
conjoin the winds. In the manner of mentally reading the mantra garland circling
counterclockwise, count it just three, five, or seven times.
Then, hold your breath, having focused your mind on the pink bliss swirls spinning
counterclockwise in the four corners of the phenomena-sources, excluding the cor-
ners in front and back, and in particular, on the nada of the syllable VAM at the
center that is about to burst into flames.
Then the white and red bliss swirls at [respectively] the upper and lower tips of the
central channel, each the size of a mere grain of barley, spin counterclockwise. At
the heart, they merge and vanish into emptiness. Settle into equipoise on bliss and
emptiness.
Long Sadhana 123
10. Yoga of the Inconceivable

There are two types. The uncommon one is to be practiced as found in the teach-
ings. The common one is to be contemplated as follows:
Light rays radiate from the syllable VAM and mantra garland at my heart and per-
vade all three realms. The formless realm, in the aspect of blue light rays, dissolves
into the upper part of my body. The form realm, in the aspect of red light rays, dis-
solves into the middle part of my body. The desire realm, in the aspect of white light
rays, dissolves into the lower part of my body. I also dissolve into light progressively
from above and below and dissolve into the phenomena-sources.
They dissolve into the moon.

That dissolves into the mantra garland.
That dissolves into the syllable VAM .
That dissolves into the head of the syllable VAM .
That dissolves into the crescent moon.
That dissolves into the drop.
That dissolves into the nada.
That, too, becomes smaller and smaller and dissolves into clear light emptiness.
[Alternatively,] at the time of meditating on the body mandala, you should recite
as follows:
I also dissolve into light progressively from above and below, and dissolve into the
phenomena-sources.
They dissolve into the moon.
That dissolves into the thirty-two yoginis.
They dissolve into the four yoginis.
They dissolve into the principal lady of the body mandala.
The principal lady of the body mandala also dissolves into light progressively from
above and below, and dissolves into the phenomena-sources.
They dissolve into the moon
That dissolves into the mantra garland.
That dissolves into the syllable VAM.
That dissolves into the head of the syllable VAM.

That dissolves into the crescent moon.
That dissolves into the drop.
That dissolves into the nada.
That, too, becomes smaller and smaller and dissolves into clear light emptiness.
11. Yoga of Conduct

Donning the Armor
From the empty state, instantaneously I become Venerable Vajrayogini.

Protect with that which terrorizes, reciting:

[In the first recitation, in a counterclockwise direction, snap the thumb and index
finger of the left hand in the four cardinal directions and at the zenith and nadir –
that is, once in front, once above, and once to the left, then once in back, once be-
low, and once to the right. During the second recitation, snap clockwise four times
in the intermediate directions.]
Long Sadhana 125
C. Conclusion
The Stages of How to Perform the Conclusion

The yoga of maintaining the three [recognitions]: left conduct; outer offerings; of-
fering of the tenth [and twenty-fifth]. In addition the yogas of sleeping, rising, wash-
ing, eating and clothing, etc. are to be done as found in the teachings, and the yoga
of the tormas is: Arrange the offerings and tormas according to the ritual tradition.
[During retreat, perform the torma offering in the last session of every day. After
blessing the outer offerings (included below),] bless the torma as you would the in-
ner offering.
Eliminate with:
Purify with:

From the empty state, from KAMs come skullcups. Inside them, from HUMs come
the offering substances, by nature empty and in aspect the various offerings, whose
function is to bestow distinguished, uncontaminated bliss as objects to be enjoyed
by the six senses.
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
Blessing the Tormas

Eliminate interferers:
Purify with:

DAG GI TSHÄN PA / LUNG YÖ ME BAR WÄ THÖ PÄI NANG GI DZÄ NAM ZHU BAR GYUR

OM AH HUM (3x)
RANG
PHAIM
ཕཻཾ
GI TUG KYI VAM YIG LE ÖSER TRÖ PÄI / OGMIN NE JETSÜN DOR JE NÄLJORMA
LA LAMA YIDAM SANG GYE JANGSEM PAWO KANDRO CHHÖ DANG JIGTEN KYONG WÄI
TSOG KYI KORWA DÜN GYI NAMKAR CHEN DRANG
Long Sadhana 127
Blessing the Tormas

Eliminate interferers:
Purify with:

[The torma is just empty.]
From the empty state, from YAM comes wind, from RAM fire, from AHs three
nectars, and from LAM, MAM, PAM, TAM, and VAM come the five meats, all
marked by their syllables. The wind blows; the fire blazes; the substances in
the skullcup melt.
Above them, from HUM comes a white upside-down khatvanga. It melts and
falls into the skullcup, whereby the substances become the color of mercury.
abundantly.
OM AH HUM (3x)
PHAIM
ཕཻཾ
From the syllable VAM at my heart, light rays radiate and invite from Akan-
ishta to the space before me venerable Vajrayogini, encircled by the assem-
blies of gurus, yidams, buddhas, bodhisattvas, heroes, dakinis, and Dharma
and worldly protectors.
DRÖN NAM KYI JAG LA HUM LÄ KYE PÄI DOR JE TSE SUM PA NÄ DRU TSAM KHÖ PÄI Ö
ZER GYI BU GÜ TOR MÄI CHÜ DRANG TE SÖL WAR GYUR
Offer it:
OM VAJRA ARALI HOH / JAH HUM VAM HOH / VAJRA DAKINI SAMAYA
STVAM TRISHYA HOH (3x or 7x)
Offer to the worldly dakinis:
OM KHA KHA KHAHI KHAHI / SARVA YAKSHA RAKSHASA / BHUTA / PRETA /

PISHACHA / UNMATA / APASMARA / VAJRA DAKA DAKINYA DAYA IMAM
BALIMTA GRIHNATU / SAMAYA RAKSHANTU / MAMA SARVA SIDDHIM ME
PRAYACCHANTU / YATHEPAM / YATHESHTAM / BHUJATA / PIBHATHA /
JIGRATHA MATI KRAMATHA / MAMA SARVA KARTAYA / SAD SUKHAM
VISHUDDHAYA / SAHAYIKA BHAVANTU / HUM HUM PHAT PHAT SVAHA (2x)
Make outer offerings with:

ALOKE / GANDHE / NAIVIDYA / SHAPTA AH HUM
Present inner offering by attaching OM AH HUM to that phrase:
PÄL DÄN DOR JE KHA DRO MA Glorious Vajra Dakini,
KHA DRO MA YI KHOR LÖ GYUR Vajra Queen of dakinis
YE SHE NGA DÄN KU SUM NYE With five wisdoms, three bodies:
DRO WA KYOB LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO To you, Savior, I prostrate.
Long Sadhana 129
From a HUM on the tongue of each guest arises a three-spoked vajra, the
thickness of a mere grain of barley, with which each partakes of the torma by
drawing it through a reed of light.
Offer it:
OM VAJRA ARALI HOH / JAH HUM VAM HOH / VAJRA DAKINI SAMAYA
STVAM TRISHYA HOH (3x or 7x)
Offer to the worldly dakinis:

Make outer offerings with:

ALOKE / GANDHE / NAIVIDYA / SHAPTA AH HUM
Present inner offering by attaching OM AH HUM to that phrase:
Glorious Vajra Dakini,
Wheel-turning Queen of dakinis,
You possess the five wisdoms and have gained the three exalted bodies.
To the Protector of migrating beings, I prostrate.
JI NYE DOR JE KHA DRO MA To the Vajrayoginis,

KÜN TU TOG PÄI CHHING CHÖ CHING Ladies of worldly action;
JIG TEN JA WAR RAB JUG MA Cut our bonds to conceptions:
DE NYE NAM LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO To dakinis, I prostrate.

THA YÄ GYÄL WÄI DE TONG DÖ GAR NI As infinite buddhas’ bliss and void,
SI ZHII MIG THRÜL CHIR YANG CHHAR WA LÄ You appear in any form for us.
DENG DIR KHA CHÖ WANG MO YI ONG MA Remembering you from my heart, please
NYING NÄ DRÄN NO KHYÜ WÄI TSE GÄ KYONG Care for me with your playful embrace.
OG MIN ZHING NA LHÄN KYE GYÄL YUM MA In pure land, innate buddhas’ mother,
NYER ZHII YÜL NA ZHING KYE DA KI MA Dakinis of twenty-four places,
NOR DZIN KHYAB WÄI KAR MA MU DRA MA Action mudras pervading the earth.
NÄL JOR DAG GI KYAB CHHOG JE TSÜN MA Lady, you are my supreme refuge.
KHYÖ NI SEM NYI TONG PÄI RANG TSÄL TE You are the sport of the empty mind –
DOR JEI DRONG NA E YING VAM GYI NGÖ VAM, E’s sphere, in the Vajra City.
GYU MÄI LI NA JIG RUNG SIN MO DANG For us, you’re a fearsome cannibal
DZUM KAR YO WÄI LANG TSHO SAR PA TÖN And a vibrant, smiling young maiden.
DAG GI JI TAR TSÄL YANG PHAG MA KHYÖ No matter how much I looked for you,
DEN PAR DRUB PÄI NGE PA MA NYE NÄ I could not find your true existence.
TRÖ PÄ DUB BÄI SEM KYI ZHÖN NU DE Then the youth of my mind, exhausted,
JÖ DRÄL NAG KYI KHÄ BUR NGÄL SO TEN Found rest in forest hut, gone beyond.
E MA DA NI DA KI YING NÄ ZHENG E MA! Please arise from voidness sphere;

HE RU KA PÄL GYÜ KYI GYÄL PO LÄ Sustain me by truth of Heruka:
DOR JE TSÜN MÖI NYE WÄI NYING PO CHHOG “Attainments come by reciting the
L AG PÄ DRUB CHE SUNG PÄI DEN PÄ KYONG Supreme mantra of the Vajra Queen.”
O DI VI SHÄI WÄ THÄI NAG THRÖ DU In forest outside Odivisha,

DRUP PÄI WANG CHHUG DOR JE DRIL BU PA You cared for Vajra Ghantapada;
Long Sadhana 131
To as many Vajra Dakinis11 as there are,

Cutting the bonds of conceptualization and
Engaging in the stages of worldly activities,
I prostrate.

The pageant of bliss and emptiness of the infinite conquerors
Appearing in whatever illusions in [cyclic] existence and peace,
Now here, from among these, the lovely powerful Lady of Khechara:
I remember you from my heart; care for me with your playful embrace.
Simultaneously born Mother of the conquerors in the land of Akanishta,

Field-born dakinis in the twenty-four places,
Action-mudras pervading the earth,
Venerable Lady, you are the supreme refuge of me, the yogi[ni].
Natural expression of the emptiness of mind itself,

In the vajra city, you are the sphere of E, the manifestation of VAM.
In the land of illusion, you show yourself as a terrifying cannibal,
And as a vibrant, smiling young maiden.
But no matter how I search for you, O arya,

The youth of my mind, exhausted by elaborations,
Not having found certainty of your being truly existent,
Came to rest in the forest hut beyond expression.
How wondrous! Arise now from the sphere of the dakinis;

Look after me by the truth of what is said
In the glorious Heruka, king of tantras,
“Accomplishments come by reciting the supreme near-essence [mantra] of
the Vajra Queen.”
In the isolated forest of Odivisha,

The mighty siddha Vajra Ghantapada, nurtured with [your] embrace and kiss,
KHYÜ DANG TSUM BHÄI DE WÄ JE KYANG TE Your bliss took him to supreme
KHA JOR CHHOG GI RÖL ZHIN DAG KYANG embrace.
KYONG O please care for me in the same way.
GANGÄI LING NA JE TSÜN KU SA LI On island in Ganges, Kusali

NGÖN SUM NAM KHÄI YING SU THRI PA DANG Was led directly to sphere of space.
PÄL DÄN NA RO TA PA JE ZUNG TAR Just as you cared for great Naropa,
DAG KYANG KHA CHÖ GA MÄI DRONG DU Please take me to the City of Joy!
THRI
TSA GYÜ LA MA CHHOG GI THUG JE DANG By force of the gurus’ compassion

GYÜ CHHEN SANG THÄI NYUR LAM ZAB KHYÄ And the quick path of secret tantra
DANG And by the pure wishes of myself,
NÄL JOR DAG GI LHAG SAM DAG PÄI THÜ May I soon behold your smiling face.
KHA CHÖ GA MÄI DZUM ZHÄL NYUR THONG
SHOG
JE TSÜN DOR JE NÄL JOR MÄ / DAG DANG SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ DAG PA KHA CHÖ
DU THRI PAR DZÄ DU SÖL / JIG TEN DANG JIG TEN LÄ DÄ PÄI NGÖ DRUB MA LÜ PA TSÄL
DU SÖL
[NOTE: Some traditions insert the tsog offering ritual here. If you wish to do so, go
to p. 166. Other traditions offer tsog after the protector tormas below.]
Long Sadhana 133
Enjoyed the supreme union.

Likewise look after me, too.
Just as you led Jetsün Kusali bodily

From an island in the Ganges to the sphere of space
And took care of the glorious Naropa,
Lead me, too, to the city of the joyful lady of Khechara.
Through the force of the compassion of the supreme root and lineage gurus,
The especially profound quick path of the final secret great tantra,
And the pure exceptional attitude of myself, the yogi[ni],
May I swiftly behold the smiling face of the joyful lady of Khechara.
Venerable Vajrayogini, please take me and all sentient beings to Khechara

pure land. Please bestow upon us the mundane and supramundane accom-
plishments without exception.
[NOTE: Some traditions insert the tsog offering ritual here. If you wish to do so,
go to p. 167. Other traditions offer tsog after offering the protector tormas below.]
[Offering to the General Protectors]

[Bless with:]
OM AH HUM HA HOH HRIH (3x)
[Ring bell at last line of each verse:]
HUM OG MIN DE CHHEN DAG PÄI PHO HUM! From your palace in Akanishta
DRANG NÄ Manifest from Vairochana’s heart,
NAM NANG THUG LÄ TRÜL PÄI THU WO CHHE Vajrapañjara, great savior chief:
TÄN SUNG KÜN GYI TSO WO DOR JE GUR Please come here and enjoy this
PÄL DÄN GÖN PO DIR JÖN CHHÖ TOR ZHE torma!
YONG DÜI TSHÄL DANG SHIN JEI PHO From Samavaya and Yama’s palace
DRANG DANG And from Devikoti in our land,
DZAM LING DE WI KO TÄI NÄ CHHOG NÄ Bright Remati, chief of desire realm,
DÖ KHAM TSO MO NAM DRU RE MA TI Palden Lhamo, please enjoy torma!
PÄL DÄN LHA MO DIR JÖN CHHÖ TOR ZHE
Vajrapañjara
Long Sadhana 135
[Offering to the General Protectors]

[Bless with:]
[Ring bell at last line of each verse:]
HUM From the palace of pure great bliss in Akanishta,

Great preeminent one emanating from the mind of Vairochana,
Vajrapañjara,12 principal of all the guardians of the doctrine,
Glorious savior, please come here and partake of this torma offering.
From Samavaya Forest, Yama’s palace,

And Devikoti, the supreme abode in the Jambu Continent,
Revati, chief lady of the desire realm,
Pälden Lhamo, please come here and partake of this torma offering.
Pälden Lhamo
NANG SI BHA GA YING KYI KYIL KHOR NÄ From womb-sphere vision and
KHOR DÄ KÜN GYI DAG MO YING CHHUG YUM existence,
NGAG SUNG DRAG MO MA MO KHA DRÖI TSO Ekajati, chief of dakinis,
YUM CHHEN RÄL CHIG DIR JÖN CHHÖ TOR ZHE Fierce female protector of mantras,
Please come here and enjoy this
torma!
SIL WA TSHÄL DANG HA HA GÖ PA DANG From Shitavana, Attahasa,

SING GA LING DANG TI SEI GANG RI DANG And Sri Lanka, also Khau Fortress,
DAR LUNG NÄ DANG KHA ÜI DRAG DZONG NÄ And snow mountain Kailash, and
ZHING KYONG WANG MO DIR JÖN CHHÖ Darlung,
TOR ZHE Kshetrapala, please enjoy torma!
DUR THRÖ GYÄ DANG LHO CHHOG RI SÜL From great charnel grounds and
DANG south valley,
DOR JE DÄN DANG PÄL GYI SAM YÄ DANG From vajra seat, glorious Samye,
NA LA TSE DANG PÄL DÄN SA KYA NÄ From Nalatse, glorious Sakya,
L Ä GÖN PHO MO DIR JÖN CHHÖ TOR ZHE Karma Saviors, please enjoy torma!
JANG SHAR MA RU TSE YI DÜR THRÖ DANG From the charnel grounds of Marutse,
GYA GAR WANG SO MAR PÖI DRAG RI DANG The red tomb mountain in India,
Ekajati Kshetrapala
Long Sadhana 137
From the mandala of the bhaga [womb] sphere of appearance and existence,
Vajradhatu Ishvari, mistress of all samsara and nirvana,
Wrathful guardian of mantra, leader of female spirits and dakinis,
Great mother Ekajati,13 please come here and partake of this torma offering.
From Shitavana [Forest], Attahasa, island of Ceylon,

Kailash snow mountain, from the place of Darlung and
Khau Fortress, Lord Kshetrapala,14
Please come here and partake of this torma offering.
From the eight charnel grounds and the mountain valley in the south,
Vajra seat, glorious Samye, Nalatse, and glorious Sakya,
Male and female Karma saviors,15
Please come here and partake of this torma offering.
From the charnel ground of Marutse in the northeast,

The rocky mountain of the red tomb in India,
Mahabrother Pudra Mahasister Mahabrother Bhadra

DAR LUNG DRAG RAM LA SOG NÄ CHHOG Supreme places like Darlung, Drag-ram,
NÄ Yaksha Chamdräl, please enjoy torma!
NÖ JIN CHAM DRÄL DIR JÖN CHHÖ TOR ZHE
KHYÄ PAR O GYÄN KHA DRÖI YÜL DANG NI O Mother and Father Kinkara,
RANG ZHIN NÄ NÄ JIG TEN JIG TEN LÄ Circled by both kinds of dakinis,
DÄ PÄI KHA DRÖ YONG KOR DUR THRÖ KYI From Oddiyana, natur’l abodes,
DAG PO YAB YUM DIR JÖN CHHÖ TOR ZHE Please come here and enjoy this torma!
SÖL LO CHHÖ DO GYÄL WÄI TÄN SUNG

TSHOG I offer to Dharma protectors,
DRUB SO TEN NO LA MÄI KA SUNG CHHE Rely on Guru’s word protectors,
BÖ DO KÜL LO NÄL JOR DRA LHÄI TSHOG Cry to you, exhort yogis’ war gods,
RING PÄI TSHÜL GYI DIR JÖN CHHÖ TOR ZHE Come here quick and enjoy this torma!
Yaksha father Yaksha mother

Long Sadhana 139
Supreme places such as Darlung and Drag-ram,

Yaksha Chamdräl, please come here and partake of this torma offering.
Especially from Oddiyana, land of dakinis,

And the natural abodes,
Encircled by mundane and supramundane dakinis,
Lord of the Charnel Grounds, Father and Mother, please come here and
partake of this torma offering.
I request, I make offerings, assembly of guardians of the Conqueror’s doctrine,

I practice, I rely upon you, great guardians of the Guru’s words,
I cry out to you, I exhort you, assembly of yogis’ war gods,
Please come here swiftly and partake of this torma offering.
Lord of the Charnel Grounds, Kinkara couple

SHA THRAG MAR GYI GYÄN PÄI TOR MÄ CHHÖ

DZA GÄ MÄN PHÜ RAK TÄI TUNG WÄ CHHÖ
DA CHHEN KÄ LING RÖL MÖI DRA YI CHHÖ
DAR NAG PHÄN CHHEN TRIN TAR TIB PÄ CHHÖ
YI THROG CHÄN ZIG NAM KHA NYAM PÄ CHHÖ

RAB JI NYÄN PÄI YANG KYI NGA RÖ CHHÖ
CHHI NANG SANG WÄI DAM DZÄ GYA TSHÖ CHHÖ
DE TONG YER ME YE SHE RÖL PÄ CHHÖ
SANG GYÄ TÄN PA NYÄN PO KHYÖ KYI SUNG

KÖN CHHOG U PHANG NYÄN PO KHYÖ KYI TÖ
PÄL DÄN LA MÄI THRIN LÄ KHYÖ KYI PEL
NÄL JOR CHÖL PÄI DÖ DÖN KHYÖ KYI DRUB
Take the torma outside.

AH HUM PHAT [3x]17
MA NYE YONG SU MA SHE DANG

GANG YANG NÜ PA MA CHHI PÄ
DIR NI JA WA GANG GYI PA
DE KÜN KHYE KYI ZÖ DZÄ RIG18

Long Sadhana 141
I offer you a torma adorned with red flesh and blood;

I offer you drinks of alcohol, choice medicines, and blood;
I offer you the sound of music from great drums and thighbone trumpets;
I offer you great banners of black silk that billow like clouds.
I offer you breathtaking, magnificent, expansive gifts16 equaling space;

I offer you the roar of magnificent, pleasing chants;
I offer you oceans of outer, inner, and secret pledge substances;
I offer you the sport of the exalted wisdom of indivisible bliss and emptiness.
May you guard the sacred doctrine of the Buddha;

May you praise the sacred position of the Three Jewels;
May you propagate the exalted deeds of the glorious gurus;
And may you accomplish the desired aims entrusted to you by yogis.
Take the torma outside.

AH HUM PHAT [3x]17
That which was not fully done and that which has degenerated,
Whatever was done with an obscured mind,
And caused to be done,
Protector, please forgive all of these.18

GE WA DI YI NYUR DU DAG By merit of this virtue

KHA CHÖ MA NGÖ DRUB GYUR NÄ May I attain Khachö and
DRO WA CHIG KYANG MA LU PA Lead all beings, every one
DE YI SA LA GÖ PAR SHOG Into that Enlighted state.
CHI DZE GÖN DANG PA WO MA SOG KYI

ME TOG DUG DANG GYÄL DZÄN THOG NÄ SU
RÖL MI SIL NYÄN DRA NYÄN SOG CHÖ CHING
KHA LA CHÖ PÄI NÄ SU THRI PAR SHOG
LHA MO DZÄ MA DAM DZIG DZÄ MA DANG

DE JÖ SUNG YANG CHOG TU DZÄ MA TE
DEN PA DI DAG GI NI LHA MO NAM
DAG CHAG JE SU DZIN PÄI GYUR GYUR CHIG
Dedication Prayer to Actualize Vajrayogini’s Entire Path to

Enlightenment
With a single-pointed mind, make powerful prayers to the front generation:
DÄL JOR DRU CHHEN MI TAG DRÄN PA YI In ship of perfect human rebirth,
BA DÄN KAR PO KYÖ PA LÄ DRÄ KYI Flying white sails of impermanence,
L ANG DOR THÜN PÄI LUNG GI RAB KÜL NÄ Blown by wind of minding karmic
JIG RUNG KHOR WÄI TSHO LÄ DRÖL WAR deeds,
SHOG May I be freed from samsara’s sea.
LU ME KYAB NÄ TSUG GI NOR BUR TEN Devoting to pure refuge jewels,

MAR GYUR DRO WÄI DÖN CHHEN NYING LA Caring for great aim of all mothers,
ZHOG Cleansing myself with Vajrasattva,
DOR SEM DÜ TSI NYE PÄI DRI MA THRÜ May I be cared for by great gurus.
JE TSÜN LA MÄI THUG JE KYONG WAR SHOG
Long Sadhana 143
Due to these merits

May I quickly achieve the powerful attainments
Of the Lady of Khechara
And place each and every sentient being in that state.
At the time of death,

May the lord, heroes, heroines, and the others
Holding aloft flowers, parasols, and victory banners
[And] offering the sweet sounds of cymbals
Lead me to the land of Khechara.
The goddesses are valid.

The commitments are valid.
The teachings expressed by that are also supremely valid.
Due to these truths, may they become causes for us to receive the
protection of the goddesses.
Dedication Prayer to Actualize Vajrayogini’s Entire Path to

Enlightenment
With a single-pointed mind, make powerful prayers to the front generation:
[In] the great ship of leisure and endowments,

Propelled by the white sail of impermanence,
Spurred on by the favorable winds of adopting and discarding in accordance
with cause and effect,
May I be delivered from the fearsome ocean of cyclic existence.
Relying on the crown jewel, the infallible objects of refuge,

Keeping in my heart the great welfare of mother migrating beings,
Washing away the stains of misdeeds with the nectar of Vajrasattva,
May I be looked after by the compassion of the Venerable Guru.
YI ONG GYÄL YUM CHHI YI NÄL JOR MA Great Mother is outer yogini,
VAM YIG NANG GI DOR JE TSÜN MÖI CHHOG VAM is supreme inner Vajra Queen,
SEM NYI TONG SÄL SANG WÄI KHA CHÖ YUM Minds emptiness is Secret Mother,
RANG ZHÄL THONG WÄI TSE DAG RÖL WAR May I enjoy the bliss of these three.
SHOG
JANG ZHI CHHI WA BAR DO KYE WA SUM The best method to gain path and fruit
KU SUM LAM DU KHYER WÄI MÄ JUNG THAB Is to transform death, bardo, and birth
L AM DRÄ TOG PA KYE WÄI MIN JE CHHOG Into path of three buddha-bodies,
DAG LHAR KYE PÄI NÄL JOR THAR CHHIN May generation stage be complete.
SHOG
NÖ KYI JIG TEN E YIG ZHÄL ME KHANG The world is the mansion of E E,
CHÜ KYI SEM CHÄN VAM YIG NÄL JOR MA Beings are yoginis come from VAM;
ZUNG JUG DE WA CHHEN PÖI TING DZIN GYI Through samadhi on their bliss union,
CHIR NANG DAG PÄI NANG WAR CHHAR May appearances arise as pure.
WAR SHOG
DE TAR CHHOG DANG DA WÄI NÄL JOR GYI Through yogas of directions and moon,
NAM ZHIG DÜ NA DAG MA JI RÜI DOG May I be led to city of joy,
LI THRII TRA DRÖL MAR SER MIG YO MÄ By coral-colored lady of bliss,
NGÖN SUM RIG DZIN DRONG DU THRI PAR With vermillion hair and orange eyes.
SHOG
SIN DHUR LANG GA LI YI DONG BUR CHÄ Trained in corpse-place with langali
RO DÄN NÄ SU DRUB SHING YÜL KÜN TU stem,
NYÜL WÄ GANG GI DZÖ PUR KHYIL RI CHÄN And then wandering throughout the
PHÖ PÄI DZE MÄ KHA CHÖ THRI PAR SHOG land,
May lady to whom my bliss swirl goes
Lead me to the land of dakinis.
GÄL TE TSHE DIR DRÖL WAR MA GYUR KYANG If I’m not delivered in this life,
GOM DÄ SOG LA TSE CHIG BÄ PÄI THÜ By single-pointed effort’s practice,
Long Sadhana 145
The outer yogini – the lovely mother of the conquerors,

The inner supreme Vajra Queen – the syllable VAM,
The secret mother of Khechara – the emptiness and clarity of the mind itself,
May I enjoy the blissful delight of seeing their natural faces.
The marvelous method carrying the three bases to be purified –

Death, intermediate state, and rebirth – into the path of the three exalted
bodies,
The supreme ripening method that gives rise to the realizations of the path
and the result (lam-dre),
May I complete the yoga of generating myself as the deity.
The world of the environment – the celestial mansion of the syllable E –

And the sentient beings who are its inhabitants – the yoginis of the
syllable VAM,
With the meditative stabilization of the great bliss of unity,
May whatever appears arise as pure appearances.
In this manner, through the yogas [numbering] the directions and the moon,
Some day, may the coral-colored Lady of Joy
With loosened vermillion hair and orange shifting eyes
Take me directly to the city of knowledge-holders.
Having practiced in a corpse-laden place with sindura and langali stem

And having roamed about throughout the land,
May the beautiful lady to whose mid-brow the swirl pattern transfers
Lead me to Khechara.
If, however, I am not liberated in this life,

Through the force of having made single-pointed effort in meditation and
recitation, and so forth.
BAR DÖI NÄ SAM RING MIN KYE WA RU In bardo, or within a few lives.
KHA CHÖ GA MÄ JE SU DZIN PAR SHOG May the Lady of Khachö take me
NANG GI PHAG MÖ ZUNG DZIN THRI SHING When the inner Varahi destroys
CHOM The creeping vine of my preconceptions
CHHOG GI DHU DIR ZHUG PÄI GAR KHÄN MA Of apprehender/apprehended,
TSHANG PÄI GO NÄ DRIN LAM YING SU THÖN Dancing lady of my shushuma /
THRAG THUNG PA WOR KHYÜ CHING RÖL Leaves through Brahma's door to cloud's
WAR SHOG pathway /
May she embrace and sport with Hero.
MÄ JUNG SÄ JÄ GYÄL WÄI JIN LAP TANG Through yoga of single-pointedness

DEN DREL LU WA ME BÄI DEN BA DANG On seed of five winds at my navel,
DAG GI LHAG SAM DAG BÄI TU DOP GYI May my mindstream be full of great bliss
NAM DAG MÖN BÄI NÄ GÜN DRUP BAR From the drops pervading my channels.
SHOG
THA MÄL Ö KYI TUM MO DZE DÄN MÄ With her white, smiling, tickling play, the
DHU TIR DZUM KAR ZHÄ PÄI RÖL TSE KYI Fine lady of tummo fire clear light
HAM YIG ZHÖN NU YONG SU NYE JÄ NÄ Softens the HAM in my shushuma.
ZUNG JUG DE WA CHHEN PÖI SA THOB SHOG May I achieve the great bliss union.
TE WÄI TSA SUM Ü NÄ MAR NAG RAM When red-black RAM at navel’s center
TE OG LUNG GI BAR PÄI TSHANG WÄI ME Blazes by upper and lower winds,
TONG THRAG DÖN NYI NYIG MÄI KHAM It burns up the impure elements;
SEG TE My shushuma is filled with pure drops.
DANG MÄ DHU TI YONG SU GANG WAR SHOG
KHA DOG NGA DÄN MIN TSHAM THIG LE NI Five-colored brow drop goes to my crown
CHI WOR SÖN LÄ JUNG WÄI DA CHHÜI GYÜN And moon liquid stream that comes
SANG WÄI CHHU KYE ZEU DRÜI WAR DAG TU from it
YÄ BAB MÄ TÄN GA ZHI TSHIM PAR SHOG Falls to pistil at secret lotus.
May the up and down four joys fill me.
THIG LE DE LÄ THRÖ PÄI Ö NGÄI ZER Struck by rainbow light rays from that
PHOG PÄ RANG LÜ LA SOG TÄN YO KÜN drop
Long Sadhana 147
May I, in the intermediate state or in rebirths before too long,

Be cared for by the joyful Lady of Khechara.
When the inner Varahi has destroyed the creeping vines of the apprehended
[object] and the apprehender [subject]
And the dancing lady residing in my supreme central channel
Has emerged through the Brahma aperture into the sphere of the pathway
of clouds,
May she embrace and sport with Heruka, the drinker of blood.
Through the yoga of the coalescence of meditating single-pointedly on the

Tilaka drop of the five winds at the lotus of my navel,
May my continuum be satisfied with the supreme bliss
Of the scent-bearer entering the channels of my body-mind.
When the ordinary light tummo –

The playful smile and laugh of the beautiful maiden in the central channel –
Completely softens the youthful syllable HAM,
May I obtain the ground of great bliss union.
When the reddish-black RAM abiding in the center of the three channels
of the navel
Is set ablaze by the upper and lower winds,
And the Brahma fire burns up the seventy-two thousand impure substances,
May my central channel be filled with pure substances.
When the five-colored drop between my eyebrows has gone to my crown,

And the stream of moon liquid originating from it
Has reached the pistil of my secret lotus,
May I be satisfied by the four joys falling from above and supported from below.
Having been struck by rays of the five lights radiating from that drop,
All stable and moving phenomena – my body and so forth –
TANG SÄL JA TSHÖN PHUNG POR GYUR LÄ All living and non-living objects
LAR Are transformed into bright, clear
RANG NÄ DE TONG YING SU JUG PAR SHOG rainbows.
May I re-enter the bliss-void sphere.
KYE GAG NÄ SUM DRÄL WA DÖ MÄI SHI When the yogini of my own mind /
TONG SÄL JÖ DU ME PA NYUG MÄI NGANG The unity beyond intellect,
ZÜ JUG LO DÄ RANG SEM NÄL JOR MA The state of bliss-void beyond concepts,
RANG NGO SHE NÄ TAG TU KYONG WAR Free from all birth, death, and abiding,
SHOG Recognizes its own true nature /
May I always be nurtured by you.
TSA LUNG THIG LE E VAM YING SU THIM Channels, winds, drops dissolve in EVAM,
SEM NYI DE CHHEN CHHÖ KÜI PÄL THOB NÄ My mind attains truth body glory.
DRÄNG YÄ ZUG KÜI NAM RÖL PAG ME KYI May I care for all beings vast as space
NAM KHÄI THA LÄ DRO DI KYONG PAR With immeasurable form bodies.
SHOG
MÄ JUNG SÄ CHÄ GYÄL WÄI JIN LAB DANG Through buddhas’ and bodhisattvas’
TEN DREL LU WA ME PÄI DEN PA DANG grace
DAG GI LHAG SAM DAG PÄI THU TOB KYI And truth of dependent arising
NAM DAG MÖN PÄI NÄ DI DRUB PAR SHOG And force of my pure, selfless wishes,
May all my sincere prayers be fulfilled.
[If you have an image such as a painting or a statue, request the merit field to re-
main stable by reciting:]
[DIR NI ZUG DANG LHÄN CHIG TU

DRO WÄI DÖN DU ZHUG NÄ KYANG
NÄ ME TSHE DANG WANG CHUG DANG
CHHOG NAM LEG PAR TSÄL DU SÖL
OM SUPRA TISHTHA VAJRA YE SVAHA]19

Long Sadhana 149
Transform into a mass of transparent clear radiant rainbows;

May I again enter the natural state, the sphere of bliss and emptiness.
When the yogini of my mind, union beyond intellect,

The primordial state of inexpressible emptiness and clarity,
The nature that is from the beginning free of the three – production,
cessation, and abidance –
Comes to know itself, may I always be nurtured.
When the channels, winds, and drops have absorbed into the sphere of EVAM
And my mind itself has attained the glorious truth body of great bliss,
May I look after these migrating beings as extensive as space
With limitless sports of countless form bodies.
By the powerful force of the blessings of the conquerors and their

marvelous children,
The truth of infallible dependent arising,
And my pure exceptional intention,
May I accomplish these aims of my pure prayers.
[If you have an image such as a painting or a statue, request the merit field to re-
main stable by reciting:]
[Please remain here together with this image

For the welfare of migrating beings, and also
Please excellently bestow good health,
Long life, wealth, and all that is supreme.
OM SUPRA TISHTHA VAJRA YE SVAHA]19

If you do not have an image, then recite:
KHYE KYI SEM CHÄN DÖN KÜN DZÖ

JE SU THÜN PÄI NGÖ DRUB TSÖL
SANG GYÄ YÜL DU SHOG NÄ KYANG
L AR YANG JÖN PAR DZÄ DU SÖL
OM VAJRA MUH
TOR DRÖN YE SHE PA NAM RANG NYI LA THIM ZHING / JIG TEN PA NAM RANG NÄ SU
SHEG PAR GYUR20
[Continue with the verses of auspiciousness on the following page.]

Long Sadhana 151
If you do not have an image, then recite:
Please enact all the aims of sentient beings

And bestow concordant accomplishments;
Although you leave for the land of the buddhas now,
Please return in the future.
OM VAJRA MUH
Of the torma guests, the wisdom beings dissolve into me and the worldly be-
ings return to their own abodes.20
[Continue with the verses of auspiciousness on the following page.]

Auspicious Prayers
Perform this expression of auspiciousness composed by Jampa Chöleg:
[Ring bell rhythmically:]
PHÜN TSHOG GE LEG KÜN GYI PÄL MANG WA May all be auspicious to be blessed
DOR JE CHHANG WANG PÄN CHHEN NA RO By all great gurus like Naropa
SOG Who have attained Vajradharahood,
PÄL DÄN LA MA DAM PÄI TSHOG NAM KYI Kind lords of all virtue and goodness.
JIN LAB NYUR DU JIG PÄI TRA SHI SHOG
GYÄL WÄI YUM CHHOG SHE RAB PHA RÖL Great dharmakaya, be auspicious!
CHHIN Supreme consort of victor-buddhas,
RANG ZHIN Ö SÄL DÖ NÄ TRÖ DANG DRÄL Clear light free of all mind-projections,
TÄN YÖI NGÖ KÜN TRO DANG WA DÜ DZÄ MA Producing and ceasing of all things.
KHA CHÖ CHHÖ KYI KU YI TRA SHI SHOG
TSHÄN PEI PÄL WAR RAB DZE JI PÄI KU Sambhogakaya, be auspicious!

DRUG CHÜI YANG DÄN THEG CHHOG DROG Body gloried with all buddhas’ signs,
PÄI SUNG Speech proclaiming supreme vehicle,
YE SHE NGA DÄN DE SÄL MI TOG THUG Mind with five types of pristine wisdom.
LHÄN KYE LONG CHÖ DZOG KÜI TRA SHI SHOG
NA TSHOG ZHING DU NA TSHOG ZUG KU YI Nirmanakaya, be auspicious!

NA TSHOG THAB KYI NA TSHOG DÜL JÄI DÖN Form from fields, who with varied
NA TSHOG SAM PA JI ZHIN DRUB DZÄ MA bodies
ZHING KYI TRÜL PÄI KU YI TRA SHI SHOG In varied fields fill by varied means
Varied wishes of varied students.
PÄ MA RA GÄI DOG TSHUNG JE TSÜN MA Supreme Dakini, be auspicious!

DZUM THRÖI NYAM DÄN ZHÄL CHIG CHHAG Mantra born, color like red rubies,
NYI KYI
Long Sadhana 153
Auspicious Prayers
Perform this expression of auspiciousness composed by Jampa Chöleg:
[Ring bell rhythmically:]
May there be the auspiciousness of the quick entrance of the blessings

Of the assemblies of glorious holy gurus,
Who possess the glory of all perfect virtue and goodness
Such as the Lord Vajradhara, the great pandit Naropa.
May there be the auspiciousness of the dharmakaya of the Lady of Khechara,

The supreme mother of the conquerors, the wisdom gone beyond,
By nature clear light, free from elaboration since the beginning,
Lady who emanates and gathers back things animate and inanimate.
May there be the auspiciousness of the innate sambhogakaya:

Body of majestic beauty blazing with the glory of the major and minor marks,
beautiful and radiant;
Speech that proclaims the supreme vehicle and is endowed with the
sixty melodious qualities;
Mind with the five exalted wisdoms, blissful, clear, and nonconceptual.
May there be the auspiciousness of the nirmanakaya, born from field,

Accomplishing the welfare of the various ones to be subdued with
various means
With various form bodies in various fields
In accordance with the various wishes.
May there be the auspiciousness of the supreme mantra-born lady of Khechara,

The venerable lady with a ruby-like color,
DRI THÖ LEG DZIN ZHAB ZUNG WA KYANG One face, two hands with knife and
KUM TSHÜL skullcup,
NGAG KYE KHA CHÖ CHHOG GI TRA SHI And two legs standing outstretched
SHOG and bent.
GANG GI NAM TRÜL DRANG ME JE WA Countless dakinis, be auspicious!

THRAG Hosts of the seventy-two thousand
TONG THRAG DÜN CHU TSA NYI TSHOG NAM (dakinis)
KYI Eliminate all our obstructions
DRUB PA PO YI BAR CHHÄ KÜN SEL ZHING And bestow powerful attainments.
DÖ DÖN NGÖ DRUB TSÖL WÄI TRA SHI SHOG
[Dedications
GE WA DI YI NYUR DU DAG By merit of this virtue
KHA CHÖ MA NGÖ DRUB GYUR NÄ May I attain Khachö and
DRO WA CHIG KYANG MA LU PA Lead all beings, every one,
DE YI SA LA GÖ PAR SHOG Into that enlightened state.
JANG CHHUB SEM CHHOG RIN PO CHHE May supreme bodhichitta

MA KYE PA NAM KYE GYUR CHIG Not arisen, rise and grow,
KYE WA NYAM PA ME PA YANG And that which has arisen
GONG NÄ GONG DU PHEL WAR SHOG Not decline, but increase more.

GANG RI RA WÄI KHOR WÄ ZHING KHAM DIR In the snowy mountain paradise
PHÄN DANG DE WA MA LÜ JUNG WÄI NÄ You’re the source of good and happiness.
CHÄN RÄ ZIG WANG TÄN DZIN GYAT TSHO YI Pow’rful Tenzin Gyatso, Chenrezig,
ZHAB PÄ SI THÄI BAR DU TÄN GYUR CHIG Please remain until samsara ends.
Long Sadhana 155
One face with a smiling wrathful demeanor, two hands, excellently holding
curved knife and skullcup,
Two legs in extended and bent positions.
May there be the auspiciousness of

Your countless tens of millions of emanations, assemblies of seventy-two
thousand,
Dispelling all obstacles of practitioners
And bestowing the desired aims and siddhis.
[Dedications
Through the merits of these virtuous actions
May I quickly attain the accomplishment of Khechara
And lead all sentient beings, without exception,
Into that enlightened state.
May the supreme jewel bodhichitta

That has not arisen, arise and grow;
And may that which has arisen not diminish
But increase more and more.

In the land encircled by snow mountains
You are the source of all happiness and good.
All-powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,

TONG NYI NYING JE ZUNG DU JUG PAI LAM
CHE CHER SÄL DZÄ GANG CHÄN TÄN DRÖI GÖN
CHAG NA PÄ MO TÄN DZIN GYA TSO LA
SOL WA DEB SO ZHE DÖN LHÜN DRUB SHOG
Prayer for Tibet

DOR NÄ GÖN PO CHÄN RE ZIG WANG GI
SE CHE GYÄL WÄI CHEN NGAR GANG CHEN SHING
YONG ZUNG GYA CHEN MON LAM GANG DZE PÄI
DRE ZANG DENG DIR NYUR DU CHAR BAR SOL
CHAG NA PÄ MÖ JIN LAM DU TSI GYÜN
DAG SOG NYING GI ZUNG SU TAG MIN CHING
K A ZHIN DRUB PÄ CHHÖ PÄ RAB NYEN NÄ
KUN ZANG CHHÖ GYA TSHO THAR SÖN SHOG
A Short Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche

THUB TSHÜL CHHANG ZHING JAM GÖN GYÄL Great Upholder of the moral way;
WÄI TÄN The bountiful bearer of all good
DZIN KYONG PEL WÄ KÜN ZÖ DOG POR DZÄ Sustaining and spreading Buddha's
CHHOG SUM KUR WÄI LEG MÖN THU DRUB PA words,
DAG SOG DÜL JÄI GÖN DU ZHAB TÄN SHOG Expounding magnificent prayers
Kyabje Zopa, the great Rinpoche;
Protecting disciples, please live long.
The long version of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's long life prayer is on the following pages:
Long Sadhana 157

Savior of the Snow Land Teachings and transmigratory beings,
Who extensively clarifies the path that unifies emptiness and compassion,
To the Lotus in the Hand, Lord Tenzin Gyatso, I beseech—
May all your holy wishes be fulfilled!
Prayer for Tibet

In short, may the good fruit of any extensive prayer to
Fully protect the Land of Snows, made by the Powerful Protector Chenrezig
In the presence of the buddhas and their children,
Appear soon here and now.
May the nectar-stream of the blessings of the Lotus Holder
Always enter our hearts and nourish them with strength.
May we please you with offerings of dedicated practice,
And may we reach beyond the shores of perfect compassionate deeds.
A Short Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche

You who uphold the Subduer’s moral way, who serve as the bountiful
bearer-of-all,
Sustaining, preserving, and spreading Manjunath’s victorious doctrine;
Who masterfully accomplish magnificent prayers honoring the Three Jewels:
Savior of myself and others, your disciples, please, please live long!
The long version of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's long life prayer is on the following pages:
Bestowing Supreme Immortality: A Supplication for the Long Life of

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
OM SVASTI
TSHÄN GYI RIG NGAG SIL ZER THRA MÖ KYANG

THAR JE DUNG WA CHIL WÄI TSHE YI CHAR
BEB KHÄ DA DONG YO WÄI BI DZA YÄ
DENG DIR CHHI ME SOG GI CHHOG JIN DZÖ
TSHÄ THUB DRI DRÄL GYÄL TÄN NYING PÖI SOG

DZIN LA DA ME KÜN ZÖ GYÄN CHIG PU
ZHI YING THAR PA CHHOG GI SA KHÄN CHHE
TSHÄN DÄN JE TSÜN LA MAR SÖL WA DEB
KHYEN RAB DAG TSANG SER GYI Ö NÖN GYI

DEN NYI SHE JÄI ZUG NANG MA DRE PAR
SÄL JE THRA ZHIB RIG PÄI TER CHHEN PO
YONG DAG CHHÖ KYI NYI MAR ZHAB TÄN SHOG
CHHÖ DÜL DA WA DAG PÄI O TSHÖI LONG

TÄN KHÄ ZHI DÜL MU TIG GÖ PÄI DZUM
KÜN PHÄN DÖ JUNG MÄN GYI SANG TOR DU
GYE KHÄ TSÜN PÄI CHHOG TU ZHAB TÄN SHOG
LHAG SAM DRI DRÄL YI ONG GA BUR GYÜN

THEG CHHOG SEM KYI DA WAR YONG KHYIL WÄ
MI ZÄ PHÄN DEI CHHU TER CHHOG KYI THAR
TRO KHÄ MA WÄI DA WAR ZHAB TÄN SHOG
Long Sadhana 159
Bestowing Supreme Immortality: A Supplication for the Long Life of

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
OM SVASTI
Vijaya – all-conquering goddess, whose lunar-like face changes

with our changing fates,
The faintest cooling ray of whose mantra name allays the fiery pain
of our life’s final end;
Rainmaker adept who brings forth life’s rain; here, now, grant
your greatest of gifts:
Victorious goddess, grant life without end.
Hear our prayer, O Lama whom we revere; you who bear the name
Of he who peerlessly holds the living essence of the pure,
paradigmatic doctrine of the victors,
Of he, a lone adornment of the earth,
Of he, a guide to sublime liberation, the sphere of peace.
Precious treasure of precise and subtle reasoning,

Golden laser light of bright, unerring wisdom,
Clarifying without confusion the two truths amongst the multiplicity of things:
Lama, remain immutably amongst us – a radiant Dharma sun.
Skilled in sprinkling the waters of healing, fulfilling needs, benefiting all,

A laughing smile revealing pearls of skill, humility, and constancy,
A deep milky sea of the liquid moon of morality:
Lama, remain immutably amongst us – one supremely worthy of veneration.
The moon of your mahayana mind ringed ’round

By the fever cooling camphor of unsullied, unsurpassed resolve, brilliantly
swirls to the bounds of space,
Unbounded seas of the happiness of now and bliss of always:
Lama, remain immutably amongst us – a moon guiding our way.
CHÄ PA KAB SUM DÜ TSII LUNG GYA DREM

TSÖ PA MI ZÄ DOR JEI TSHÖN CHHA NO
TSOM PA DAB TONG PÄ MÄI TSHAR DUG NGOM
DA ME TÄN PÄI NYEN DU ZHAB TÄN SHOG
L A MA YI DAM TÄN SUNG GYA TSHO DANG

NANG TONG MI CHHE TEN JUNG ZAB MÖI THÜ
DAG CHAG MÖN PÄI RE DRÄ MA LÜ PA
DE LAG NYI DU LHÜN GYI DRUB GYUR CHIG]
Long Sadhana 161
Your teachings are vast spreading rivers of celestial nectars,

Your dialectics an invincible, cutting vajra weapon,
Your writings thousand-petalled lotuses unfolding their glory:
Lama, remain immutably amongst us – a guardian of highest knowledge.
By the might of seas of spiritual masters, deities, and doctrine protectors,

By the power of profound dependent arising and
The unvarying emptiness of all that appears,
May all the hopes of our prayers with effortless ease, be spontaneously
fulfilled.]
Notes:
1. This special verse from the Heruka body mandala practice can be recited as you imagine ema-
nating many heroes and heroines from your heart in the morning and dissolving them back into
yourself in the evening. Translation extracted from the Heruka Body Mandala Commentary
by Lati Rinpoche, translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa and transcribed by Gelongma Thubten
Chodron, p. 86.
2. This homage is found only in the concise sadhana of Vajrayogini. It is included here for auspi-
ciousness.
3. The mantra appears as part of the eleventh yoga on p. 124 (OM SUMBHA NISUMBHA...).
4. The Tibetan name for this prayer is rNam dag bdun, literally meaning “pure seven.” In this Ti-
betan text, it is being referred to as rGyun bshags, literally meaning “continual confession.”
5. In earlier editions there was no instruction to recite this request "3x." However, both Pabongkha
Rinpoche's Collected Works and the Vajrayogini Collected Activities include this instruction here.
6. Each tetrahedron is a phenomena source.
7. Text does not say intestines. Older translations incorrectly included this.
8. Tibetan: dbyid thig, refers to white and red bodhichitta.
9. The Tibetan text says kha, literally meaning “mouth.”
10. This section has been adjusted from previous editions upon receiving the following clarification
from Gelek Rinpoche: "The optional transformation into Heruka is based on male chauvinism
prevalent in old India, Tibet, and China. Men and women are equal in being able to experience
bliss, and women might even experience greater bliss than men! The visualization of the four
joys can be done while retaining oneself as Vajrayogini. The difference is, perhaps, that instead
of the white bodhicitta melting, it is red bodhicitta melting in the case of oneself bearing the
aspect of Vajrayogini." For further clarification, please check with your personal teacher.
11. After checking with the original translator, it appears the correct translation is not "Vajrayoginis"
as in previous editions, but "Vajra Dakinis" as in the first verse of praise.
12. In Tibetan, his name is Dorje Gur.
13. Tibetan: ral gcig
14. Tibetan: zhing skyong dbang bo
15. Tibetan: las mgon pho mo
16. Tibetan: sbyan gzigs, refers to offerings such as animals and weapons.
17. While in the self-initiation text, one is instructed to recite the 100-syllable mantra "3x," in all
the editions of the long sadhana by Pabongkha Rinpoche, there is no such instruction. However,
since it is a common oral instruction in our lineage, we have included "3x" in brackets.
18. OM VAJRA MUH comes after the verse requesting forgiveness in the long sadhana. However, in
the self-initiation text, Pabongkha Rinpoche advises to leave the merit field in front while recit-
ing the Dedication Prayer to Actualize Vajrayogini's Entire Path to Enlightenment for auspicious-
ness. We have arranged this practice in accordance with this instruction.
19. This verse and mantra are not in the long sadhana, but are commonly done at this place in the
practice and are in the self-inititation text.
20. The verse for the guests to depart is slightly different in the long sadhana compared to the self-
initiation text. Thus, the translation and phonetics have been adjusted. The English is based on
a translation of this phrase by David Gonsalez.
Long Sadhana 163
Colophon:
Thus, this Nearing Path to Great Bliss: the Uncommon Means of Attainment of the Venerable Vajra-
yogini Naro Khachö has been arranged solely as a daily yoga for yogis practicing this path and in a
sequence for convenient practice on the occasion of performing an approximation retreat and the
like. However, in contexts related to the accomplishing of the mandala and making offerings, you
should modify the way of practice by interweaving it with the mandala rite.
Translated by Losang Chomo with the invaluable help of Venerable Geshe Jampa Gyatso and oth-
ers in August 2002. Slightly revised in 2003. Additionally revised at Vajrapani Institute in 2003–4 by
Ven. George Churinoff, Ven. Paula Chichester, and Elaine Jackson. This project was completed by His
fortunate disciples at the request of the glorious guru, Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche. Polished and edited
by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, July 2004–March 2005. Additional changes
were made in 2010 by Elaine Jackson and Valerie Thomas to provide clarification.
For the 2012 edition, it came to the editor's attention that there were discrepancies between
the self-initiation text, from which the translation for the long sadhana was extracted, and the long
sadhanas in both Pabongkha Rinpoche's Collected Works and the Vajrayogini Collected Activities, a
collection of practices related to Vajrayogini by Pabongkha Rinpoche and other Gelug lamas. The
Tibetan rendering of the main mantra is in accordance with how it is written in the Vajrayogini Col-
lected Activities. This practice was clarified and adjusted accordingly by Kendall Magnussen in June
2012 with the assistance of Losang Chomo, Ven. Steve Carlier, Joona Repo, and Joerg Eberhardt.
About this tsog offering text:
So that one can utilize this tsog offering practice in conjunction with any length
Vajrayogini sadhana – short, middle length, or long – we have extracted this practice
from the long sadhana and presented it separately here for the convenience of the
practitioner.
If you wish to offer tsog when practicing the long sadhana, you will have already set up
the altar appropriately for the long sadhana practice. Then, place the bala and madana
substances (meat and alcohol, respectively) on the altar with the madana to the right
of the bala (from the perspective of you, the practitioner). Place as many offerings of
food, flowers, beverages, etc. as you can, plentiful, beautiful, and delicious, on the
altar as well. Whether or not the Guru is present, it is auspicious to make up a special
plate of offerings for the guru and then to offer it as if the guru is actually present.
During Vajrayogini retreat, it is recommended to offer tsog in the last session of each
day.
Tsog Offering 165
Vajrayogini Tsog Offering
Extracted from
The Nearing Path to Great Bliss

Then, having requested the desired aims, if one is interested in performing tsog,
arrange the tsog substances in front of the mandala as beautifully and lavishly as
possible, as well as the madana, bala, and so forth in skullcup vessels. If one were
to perform the hand offering, it should be done at this point. Then, if there are
many participants in the tsog offering, the action-vajras make three prostrations,
and then recite:
TSHOG KYI YO JÄ JIN LAB NANG BAR ZHU
The teacher sprinkles the inner offering with the tip of the vajra:
Contemplate:
TONG PA NYI DU GYUR

TONG PÄI NGANG LÄ AH LÄ THÖ PA YANG SHI GYA CHHE WÄI NANG DU SHA NGA DÜ
TSI NGA YE SHE NGA NAM ZHU WA LÄ JUNG WÄI YE SHE KYI DÜ TSII GYA TSHO CHHEN POR
GYUR
YE SHE KYI DÜ TSII GYA TSHO JÄ MI SHE PAR GYUR

Tsog Offering 167
Then, having requested the desired aims, if one is interested in performing tsog,
arrange the tsog substances in front of the mandala as beautifully and lavishly as
possible, as well as the madana, bala, and so forth in skullcup vessels. If one were
to perform the hand offering, it should be done at this point. Then, if there are
many participants in the tsog offering, the action-vajras make three prostrations,
and then recite:
Please bless the tsog substances.
The teacher sprinkles the inner offering with the tip of the vajra:
Contemplate:
The tsog is just empty. From the empty state, from AH comes a wide and expan-
sive skullcup. Inside, the five meats, five nectars, and five exalted wisdoms melt
and become a great ocean of nectar of exalted wisdom.
By reciting that many times, it becomes an ocean of nectar of exalted wisdom.

Since this is most important, one’s observation should not be distracted.
Once again, sprinkle the liquid or alcohol of the inner offering on all the tsog
substances.
Then, the action-vajra makes three prostrations and recites:
L A MA DANG KÖN CHHOG GI DUNG DU MÄN PHÜ BÜL WAR ZHU
The acharya and disciples recite:
MÄN PÄI YÜL LÄ RAB DÄ SHING Transcending worldly objects,

GYÄL WA KÜN GYI DAM TSHIG CHHOG Supreme pledge of all buddhas,
NGÖ DRUB KÜN GYI ZHIR GYUR PA The base of all attainments.
DÜ TSI CHHOG GI CHHÖ PAR GYI I offer supreme nectar.
DRIB PÄI DRI MA KÜN SÄL NÄ Purified of obstacles

TOG PA KÜN LÄ NAM DRÖL WA And free of all conceptions,
L A NA ME PÄI JANG CHHUB SEM May you be pleased by great bliss –
DE WA CHHEN PÖ NYE GYUR CHIG Ultimate bodhichitta.
Again, the action-vajra makes prostrations and then recites:
L A MA DANG KÖN CHHOG GI DUNG DU TSHOG PHÜ BÜL WAR ZHU
The teacher and disciples recite:

Tsog Offering 169
Since this is most important, one’s observation should not be distracted.
Once again, sprinkle the liquid or alcohol of the inner offering on all the tsog
substances.
Then, the action-vajra makes three prostrations and recites:
We offer the first portion of the medicinal nectars before the gurus and the
Three Jewels.
The acharya and disciples recite:
Far transcending inferior objects,

Supreme pledge of all the conquerors,
The basis of all accomplishments,
I make offering with this supreme nectar.
Having eliminated all stains of obscurations,

Completely freed from all conceptions,
May you be pleased by great bliss –
Unsurpassed bodhichitta.
Again, the action-vajra makes prostrations and then recites:
We offer the first portion of the tsog before the Gurus and the Three Jewels.

HO TING DZIN NGAG DANG CHHAG GYÄ JIN HO! Oceans of off’rings of pure nectar
LAB PÄI Blessed by samadhi, mantra, mudra,
ZAG ME DÜ TSII TSHOG CHHÖ GYA TSHO DI We offer to root lineage gurus
TSA GYÜ LA MÄI TSHOG NAM NYE CHHIR BÜL OM AH HUM . Fulfilled by your sport
OM AH HUM DÖ GÜI PÄL LA RÖL PÄ TSHIM of wished splendors
DZÄ NÄ E MA HO. Please send down rains of
E MA HO JIN LAB CHHAR CHHEN AB TU SÖL blessings.
ZAG ME DÜ TSII TSHOG CHHÖ GYA TSHO DI We offer to please great dakinis,
NÄL JOR WANG MÖI LHA TSHOG NYE CHHIR OM AH HUM . Fulfilled by your sport
BÜL of wished splendors
OM AH HUM DÖ GÜI PÄL LA RÖL PÄ TSHIM E MA HO. Please grant Khechara
DZÄ NÄ siddhis.
E MA HO KHA CHÖ NGÖ DRUB TSÄL DU SÖL
ZAG ME DÜ TSII TSHOG CHHÖ GYA TSHO DI We offer to please yidams and court,
YI DAM LHA TSHOG KHOR CHÄ NYE CHHIR BÜL OM AH HUM . Fulfilled by your sport
DZÄ NÄ E MA HO. Please send rains of great
E MA HO NGÖ DRUB CHHAR CHHEN AB TU siddhis.
SÖL
ZAG ME DÜ TSII TSHOG CHHÖ GYA TSHO DI We offer to please refuge jewels,
KÖN CHHOG RIN CHHEN TSHOG NAM NYE OM AH HUM . Fulfilled by your sport
CHHIR BÜL of wished splendors
OM AH HUM DÖ GÜI PÄL LA RÖL PÄ TSHIM E MA HO. Please send rains of pure
DZÄ NÄ Dharma.
E MA HO DAM CHHÖ CHHAR CHHEN AB TU
SÖL
Tsog Offering 171
HO This ocean of offering tsog of uncontaminated nectar,

Blessed by samadhi, mantra, and mudra,
I offer in order to please the assembly of root and lineage gurus.
OM AH HUM Having been satisfied by the sport in the glory of all that is desired,
How marvelous! Please send down a great rain of blessings.

I offer in order to please the assembly of deities of the powerful yogini.
How marvelous! Please bestow the accomplishment of Khechara.

I offer in order to please the assembly of yidam deities along with your retinues.
How marvelous! Please send down a great rain of accomplishments.

I offer in order to please the assembly of the Rare Supreme Jewels.
How marvelous! Please send down a great rain of holy Dharma.
ZAG ME DÜ TSII TSHOG CHHÖ GYA TSHO DI Offered to dakinis, protectors,
KHA DRO CHHÖ KYONG TSHOG NAM NYE OM AH HUM . Fulfilled by your sport
OM AH HUM DÖ GÜI PÄL LA RÖL PÄ TSHIM E MA HO. Please send rains of pure
DZÄ NÄ conduct.
E MA HO THRIN LÄ CHHAR CHHEN AB TU SÖL
ZAG ME DÜ TSII TSHOG CHHÖ GYA TSHO DI We offer to please all past mothers,
MAR GYUR SEM CHÄN TSHOG NAM NYE OM AH HUM . Fulfilled by your sport
OM AH HUM DÖ GÜI PÄL LA RÖL PÄ TSHIM E MA HO. Please stop pain from false
DZÄ NÄ vision.
E MA HO THRÜL NANG DUG NGÄL ZHI GYUR
CHIG
Outer Offerings
,
ALOKE / GANDHE / NAIVIDYA / SHAPTA PRATICCHA AH HUM
Inner Offering
Tsog Offering 173

I offer in order to please the assembly of dakas, dakinis, and Dharma protectors.
How marvelous! Please send down a great rain of enlightened activity.

I offer in order to please the assembly of mother sentient beings.
How marvelous! May mistaken appearances and suffering be pacified.
Outer Offerings
ALOKE / GANDHE / NAIVIDYA / SHAPTA PRATICCHA AH HUM
Inner Offering

followed by the Tibetan, and chantable English versions. To punctuate each HUM
HUM PHAT, sound the bell sharply 3 times.]

HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT


Tsog Offering 175

followed by the literal English. To punctuate each HUM HUM PHAT, sound the bell
sharply 3 times.]

HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT

HUM HUM PHAT
OMYou terrify and dessicate the demons and are thus victorious over other
forces HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
HUM HUM PHAT
Then, in order to fulfill the pledge, place the vessel of madana in front of the
vajra teacher, with the forehead of the skullcup vessel facing him or her. In it,
place a little bala.
The action vajra makes three prostrations, performs the lotus-turning mudra, and
recites:
DOR JE DZIN PA GONG SU SÖL Vajra holder, heed my plea.

DAG GI TSHOG KYI KHYÄ PAR DI Please partake for your pleasure
DÄ PÄI SEM KYI BÜL LAG KYI This special tsog I offer
CHI DE WAR NI ZHE SU SÖL With a mind filled with great faith.
E MA ZHI WA CHHEN PO KYE E MA! Great peace, this great tsog

TSHOG CHHEN BAR WÄ NYÖN MONG SEG That burns off all delusion
DE DÄI DE WA CHHEN PO TE And in this way brings great bliss.
KÜN KYANG A HO SU KHA CHHE Everything, A HO is bliss.
A HO MAHA SUKHA HOH
Again, make three prostrations and the lotus-turning mudra, and then recite:
DI NI CHHÖ NAM ZANG POR TÖ Phenomena are all pure

DÜ BA LA NI THE TSHOM ME Of this we should have no doubt;
DRAM ZE DÖL PA KHYI DANG PHAG Brahmins, outcasts, pigs, and dogs
RANG ZHIN CHIG TU RÖL DU SÖL Are all of the same nature.
In response, [the teacher] recites:
DE SHEG TSHE LA RIN THANG ME Buddhadharma is priceless

DÖ CHHAG LA SOG DRI MA DRÄL Free of stain such as desire.
ZUNG DANG DZIN PA NAM PANG PA Abandon clinging, grasping
DE ZHIN NYI LA GÜ CHHAG TSHÄL With respect I bow to thusness.
A HO MAHA SUKHA HOH
Tsog Offering 177
Then, in order to fulfill the pledge, place the vessel of madana in front of the
vajra teacher, with the forehead of the skullcup vessel facing him or her. In it,
place a little bala.
The action vajra makes three prostrations, performs the lotus-turning mudra, and
recites:
Vajra holder, please pay attention to me.

This special tsog of mine,
I offer with a mind of faith,
Please partake of it as you please.
E MA! O great peace!

This blazing great tsog burns up afflictions.
Great bliss! Like this,
Everything is wonderful great bliss.
A HO MAHA SUKHA HOH
Again, make three prostrations and the lotus-turning mudra, and then recite:
Regarding this, view phenomena as good.

The congregation should have no doubt,
Since brahmins, outcasts, pigs, and dogs
Are of one nature, please enjoy.
In response, [the teacher] recites:
The Dharma of the sugatas is priceless,

Free from the stains of attachment and so forth.
Having abandoned the aspects of apprehended and apprehender,
Respectfully, I prostrate to thusness.
A HO MAHA SUKHA HOH
Perform the lotus-turning mudra and take [the tsog].
On these occasions, non-vessels [those who have not received initiation] should be
separated out. Furthermore, the practitioners, while contemplating offering to the
syllable VAM at the heart, the nature that encompasses all the buddhas, without con-
ceptualization of purity or filth, enjoy all the substances with satisfaction. In particu-
lar, for instance, for bhikshu vajra-holders, despising the madana and tsog substanc-
es is taught to be the thirteenth [tantric] root downfall, thereby they should certainly
taste the nectar by merely touching the inner offering on the tongue. Because drink-
ing without conscientiousness is prohibited even for lay people, what need is there
to mention [that it too is prohibited] with respect to the ordained? During the entire
tsog, no one should quarrel, argue, and the like. The time should be passed with
Dharma conversations, vajra song and dance, or else the discipline of keeping silence
should be maintained. Also, the terminology [bala and madana] should be used with-
out expressing the ordinary names for meat and alcohol. The tsog substances should
not be placed on bare ground. These and the like need to be followed accordingly.
So it is important to know well the presentations. Since there is a [possibility] of
great gain or loss for us beginners in performing ganachakra [wheel of assembly],
you should know the extensive references and so forth through the text of the om-
nicient Butön and The Ganachakra of Heruka composed by the powerful conqueror,
the omniscient, venerable, glorious, excellent Losang Kelsang Gyatso, and so forth. If
one wishes, perform the vajra song in just the way it occurs in the Hevajra [rite], or
perform the “Song of the Queen of Spring:”
HUM DE ZHIN SHEG PA THAM CHÄ DANG HUM We make our requests to you,
PA WO DANG NI NÄL JOR MA Tathagatas gone beyond,
KHA DRO DANG NI KHA DRO MA Great heroes and yoginis,
KÜN LA DAG NI SÖL WA DEB All dakas and dakinis.
DE WA CHHE LA GYE PÄI HE RU KA Heruka delights in supreme bliss,
DE WÄ RAB NYÖ MA LA NYEN JÄ NÄ With the lady also full of bliss
CHHO GA ZHIN DU LONG CHÖ PA YI NI They enter in simultaneous bliss,
LHÄN KYE DE WÄI JOR WA LA ZHUG SO And enjoy according to the rite.
A LA LA! LA LA HOH! A I AH! A RA LI HOH!
DRI ME KHA DRÖI TSHOG NAM KYI May hosts of pure dakinis
TSE WÄ ZIG LA LÄ KÜN DZÖ Care for us and grant siddhis.
Tsog Offering 179
Perform the lotus-turning mudra and take [the tsog].
On these occasions, non-vessels [those who have not received initiation] should be
separated out. Furthermore, the practitioners, while contemplating offering to the
syllable VAM at the heart, the nature that encompasses all the buddhas, without con-
ceptualization of purity or filth, enjoy all the substances with satisfaction. In particu-
lar, for instance, for bhikshu vajra-holders, despising the madana and tsog substances
is taught to be the thirteenth [tantric] root downfall, thereby they should certainly
taste the nectar by merely touching the inner offering on the tongue. Because drink-
ing without conscientiousness is prohibited even for lay people, what need is there
to mention [that it too is prohibited] with respect to the ordained? During the en-
tire tsog, no one should quarrel, argue, and the like. The time should be passed with
Dharma conversations, vajra song and dance, or else the discipline of keeping silence
should be maintained. Also, the terminology [bala and madana] should be used with-
out expressing the ordinary names for meat and alcohol. The tsog substances should
not be placed on bare ground. These and the like need to be followed according-
ly. So it is important to know well the presentations. Since there is a [possibility] of
great gain or loss for us beginners in performing ganachakra [wheel of assembly],
you should know the extensive references and so forth through the text of the om-
nicient Butön and The Ganachakra of Heruka composed by the powerful conqueror,
the omniscient, venerable, glorious, excellent Losang Kelsang Gyatso, and so forth. If
one wishes, perform the vajra song in just the way it occurs in the Hevajra [rite], or
perform the “Song of the Queen of Spring:”
HUM All tathagatas, heroes and yoginis,

Dakas and dakinis,
To all of you, I make this request.
Dancing with a pleasant, soothing countenance
Heruka who delights in great bliss
Approaches the lady intoxicated with bliss
And enjoying according to the rite,
They enter into the union of simultaneous bliss.
Assemblies of stainless dakinis,

Look mercifully and perform all exalted deeds.
DE WA CHHEN PÖ YI NI RAB KYÖ PÄ With your minds totally stirred by bliss,
LÜ NI KÜN TU YO WÄI GAR GYI NI And your bodies in a constant dance
CHHAG GYÄI PÄ MAR RÖL PÄI DE WA CHHE Make off’rings to all the yoginis:
NÄL JOR MA TSHOG NAM LA TSHÖ PAR DZÖ Great bliss of the lotus-mudra sport.
YI ONG ZHI PÄI NYAM KYI GAR DZÄ PA Dancing with a pleasant, soothing move;
RAB GYE GÖN PO KHYÖ DANG KHA DRÖI Delighted, protector dakinis
TSHOG Come before us, please grant your
DAG GI DÜN DU ZHUG TE JIN LOB LA blessings;
LHÄN KYE DE CHHEN DAG LA TSÄL DU SÖL Give us simultaneous born great bliss.
DE CHHEN THAR PÄI TSHÄN NYI DÄN PA KHYÖ You endowed with liberated bliss,
DE CHHEN PANG PÄI KA THUB DU MA YI Do not say freedom comes in one life
Tsog Offering 181

Dakas and dakinis,
With minds totally stirred by great bliss
And bodies in the dance of constant flux,
Make offering to the assemblies of yoginis,
The great bliss of sporting
In the lotus of the mudra.


Dakas and dakinis,
Dancing with a pleasant, soothing countenance
You, the delighted lord and the assemblies of dakinis,
Come before me to bless me.
Please bestow upon me
The simultaneously born great bliss.


Dakas and dakinis,
You who possess the characteristic of liberation, great bliss,
Do not assert liberation in one lifetime
TSHE CHIG DRÖL WAR MI ZHE DE CHHEN KYANG Through austerities that lack great bliss,
CHHU KYE CHHOG GI Ü NA NÄ PA YIN But through abiding in lotus bliss!
DAM GYI Ü SU KYE PÄI PÄ MA ZHIN Just as a lotus born out of mud,
CHHAG LÄ KYE KYANG CHHAG PÄI KYÖN MA Great bliss comes untainted by desire
GÖ Supreme yoginis with lotus bliss,
NÄL JOR MA CHHOG PÄ MÄI DE WA YI Quickly free us from samsara’s bonds!
SI PÄI CHHING WA NYUR DU DRÖL WAR DZÖ
DRANG TSII JUNG NÄ NAM KYI DRANG TSII CHÜ Like honey’s essence is drunk by bees
BUNG WÄI TSHOG KYI KÜN NÄ THUNG WA TAR Swarming on all sides around its source,
TSHÄN NYI TRUG DÄN TSHO KYE GYÄ PA YI Satisfy us with the taste of bliss,
CHÜ CHING PA YI RO YI TSHIM PAR DZÖ With your mature lotus of six signs.
Tsog Offering 183
Through the many austerities that have abandoned great bliss,

But that great bliss abides in the center of the supreme lotus.


Dakas and dakinis,
As a lotus, born in the midst of mud,
Although born from attachment, is untainted
by the faults of attachment,
Supreme yoginis, with the bliss of your lotus,
Quickly free us from the bonds of [cyclic] existence.


Dakas and dakinis,
As swarms of bees always drink
The essence of honey
From the source of honey,
With the full lotus possessing the six characteristics,
Bring satisfaction with the taste that binds the essence.

If one wishes, perform the melodious chant “Urging the Heart-Drop of the Daki-
nis,” a most secret melodious song of the great vajra-holder, Jangkya, and so forth.
Then arrange the leftover tsog in a vessel. If it is nighttime, include a torch [a lit stick
of incense] for the sake of safeguarding the spirits oppressed by obscurations. Place
it upon the table in front of oneself, and from the center of the blazing mudra, re-
lease from the mouth a spray of clean water or alcohol [madana] upon it.
PHAIM
ཕཻཾ
UCHISHTA BALIMTA BHYAKSHASI SVAHA
JUNG PO LHAG MA LA WANG NAM LA JIN NO MÖ SHING TSHIM PÄI KÄL WA DANG DÄN
BAR GYUR CHIG
HO TING DZIN NGAG DANG CHHAG GYÄ JIN HO! Remaining off’rings of pure nectar
ZAG ME DÜ TSII TSHOG LHAG GYA TSHO DI We offer to oath-bound realm
DAM CHÄN ZHING KYONG TSHOG NAM NYE protectors,
CHHIR BÜL OM AH HUM . Fulfilled by your sport
DZÄ NÄ E MA HO. Please do virtuous deeds
E MA HO NÄL JOR THRIN LÄ TSHÜL ZHIN DRUB for us.
Performing music, take out the leftover tsog.
[NÄL JOR DAG CHAG KHOR CHÄ LA

NÄ ME TSHE DANG WANG CHHUG DANG
PÄL DANG DRAG DANG KÄL WA ZANG
LONG CHÖ GYA CHHEN KÜN THOB CHING
ZHI DANG GYÄ LA SOG PA YI

L Ä KYI NGÖ DRUB DAG LA TSÖL
DAM TSHIG CHÄN GYI DAG LA SUNG
NGÖ DRUB KÜN GYI TONG DROG DZÖ
Tsog Offering 185
If one wishes, perform the melodious chant “Urging the Heart-Drop of the Daki-
nis,” a most secret melodious song of the great vajra-holder, Jangkya, and so forth.
Then arrange the leftover tsog in a vessel. If it is nighttime, include a torch [a lit stick
of incense] for the sake of safeguarding the spirits oppressed by obscurations. Place
it upon the table in front of oneself, and from the center of the blazing mudra, re-
lease from the mouth a spray of clean water or alcohol [madana] upon it.
PHAIM
ཕཻཾ
UCHISHTA BALIMTA BHYAKSHASI SVAHA
Bestowing to the spirits that are entitled to the excess [tsog], may they
possess the fortune of enjoyment and satisfaction.
HO This ocean of excess tsog of uncontaminated nectar,

I offer in order to please the assembly of oath-bound local protectors.
How marvelous! Accomplish appropriate deeds for us yogis.
Performing music, take out the leftover tsog.
[May we, the yogis, along with our retinues,

Be free from sickness and obtain long life, power,
Glory, fame, fortune, and
Extensive enjoyments.
Bestow upon us the accomplishments of

Actions of peace, increase, and so forth.
May the oath-bound protectors always protect us and
Provide a thousandfold help in all accomplishments.
DÜ MIN CHHI DANG NÄ NAM DANG

DÖN DANG GEG NAM ME PAR DZÖ
MI LAM NGÄN DANG TSHÄN MA NGÄN
JA JE NGÄN PA ME PAR DZÖ
JIG TEN DE ZHING LO LEG DANG

DRU NAM GYÄ SHING CHHÖ PHEL DANG
DE LEG THAM CHÄ JUNG WA DANG
YI LA DÖ PA KÜN DRUB SHOG
JIN PA GYA CHHEN GYUR PA DI YI THÜ

DRO WÄI DÖN DÜ RANG JUNG SANG GYÄ SHOG
NGÖN TSHE GYÄL WA NAM KYI MA DRÄL WÄI
KYE WÄI TSHOG NAM JIN PÄ DRÖL GYUR CHIG]
Those [verses] set out efficiently the stages of how to perform the ganachakra
[wheel of assembly].
[If you are doing this practice in conjunction with the long sadhana and have not yet
offered the tormas to the protectors, continue by going to p. 134.]
Tsog Offering 187
Destroy untimely death, sicknesses,

Demons, and interferers;
Eliminate nightmares, ill omens,
And bad activities.
May there be happiness in the world, may the harvests be good,

May the crops increase, and may the Dharma flourish.
May all happiness and goodness come about;
May all desires in the mind be accomplished.
Through the force of this extensive giving,

May I become a self-arisen buddha for the welfare of migrating beings,
And through my generosity may I liberate
The multitudes of beings who were not liberated by the previous conquerors.]
Those [verses] set out efficiently the stages of how to perform the ganachakra
[wheel of assembly].
[If you are doing this practice in conjunction with the long sadhana and have not yet
offered the tormas to the protectors, continue by going to p. 135.]
An Extremely Abbreviated
Tsog Offering
This abbreviated tsog offering practice should be preceded by self-generation into

any highest yoga tantra deity on the basis of refuge and bodhichitta or a six-session
guru yoga, the sadhana of the deity, Lama Chöpa, etc. Then, the requisite substanc-
es of bala (meat) and madana (alcohol), together with the food offering, should
be blessed as you would bless the inner offering. For convenience, an abbreviated
blessing has been included here, which should be performed on the basis of hav-
ing generated oneself as the deity. After this, the tsog may be offered as indicated.
[Blessing the Tsog

E MA HO!
DE TONG NANG LÄ THÖ PÄI NANG

ZA THUNG SHA NGA DÜ TSI NGA
DOR JE SUM GYI JANG TOG BAR
ZAG ME DÜ TSI GYA TSHOR GYUR
OM AH HUM (3x)]
Offering the Tsog

HO! DE TONG YER ME JIN LAB TSHOG CHHÖ DI
TSA GYÜ LA MA YIDAM WANG MO SOG
CHHOG SUM KHA DRO DAM CHÄN GYA TSHO DANG
MAR GYUR RIG DRUG DRÖN TSHOG NYE CHHIR BÜL
OM AH HUM
Abbreviated Tsog 189
An Extremely Abbreviated
Tsog Offering
This abbreviated tsog offering practice should be preceded by self-generation into

any highest yoga tantra deity on the basis of refuge and bodhichitta or a six-session
guru yoga, the sadhana of the deity, Lama Chöpa, etc. Then, the requisite substanc-
es of bala (meat) and madana (alcohol), together with the food offering, should
be blessed as you would bless the inner offering. For convenience, an abbreviated
blessing has been included here, which should be performed on the basis of hav-
ing generated oneself as the deity. After this, the tsog may be offered as indicated.
[Blessing the Tsog

E MA HO!
Food, drink, five meats, five nectars – that which is in the skull –
Is in the nature of bliss and voidness.
Purified, actualized, and increased by the three vajras,
It becomes an ocean of uncontaminated nectar.
OM AH HUM (3x)]
Offering the Tsog

HO! In order to please this assembly
Of the root and lineage gurus, the yidams, Vajrayogini and so forth,
The Three Jewels, and the ocean of dakinis and oath-bound protectors,
together with the beings of the six realms who have been my mothers,
I present this blessed offering of inseparable bliss and void.
OM AH HUM
GYE ZHIN ZHE NÄ NYAM CHHAG THAM CHÄ KONG

NYUR DU KHA CHÖ ZHING DU THRI DU SÖL
CHHOG THÜN NGÖ DRUB CHHAR CHHEN NYUR BAB NÄ
MAR GYUR DRO WÄI THRÜL NANG DRIB PA KÜN
BÄ ME DA TA NYI DU JANG GYUR CHIG
Recite 1x, 3x, or any number of times.

Abbreviated Tsog 191
Having joyfully received this, may all degenerated vows be renewed.

Please lead us quickly to the pure land of the dakinis,
And having quickly caused a great rain of supreme and common
accomplishments to fall,
May all the obscuring false appearances of all motherly beings
Be effortlessly purified this very moment.
Recite 1x, 3x, or any number of times.
Colophon:
In these degenerate times (there are those who are) like Mount Meru (when it comes to) taking
commitments (upon themselves) but like the smallest atoms (when it comes to) practicing. So in
order to heal degenerated commitments of all sorts and in order to please the glorious holy Guru,
I, Thubten Zopa, a so-called incarnation, with great delight have written this at the time of the new
year of the Wood Tiger (1974). Also, by this, may the teachings of the victorious Losang (Dragpa)
remain for a long time.
Tea Offering
to Vajrayogini
[This tea offering can be done before drinking your daily tea or coffee or in a
more elaborate way with a proper tea offering set. Ask your teacher for further
clarification about this practice.]
OM AH HUM
RANG LHAR SÄL CHHÖ KYI KHOR LÖI Ü

DOG RAB MAR CHHÖ JUNG NYI TSEG NANG
DÄN DRI DRÄL DA WÄI KYIL KHOR TENG
KYAB KÜN DÜ LA MA LHA TSHOG ZHUG
GYU LHA DZÄ RIN CHHEN LÄ DRUB CHING
YIB RAB DZE YÖL GO TAM PÄI CHÜ
DANG MAR SER GA BUR DRI DANG CHÄN

RO ZANG DÄN GYA JÄI TUNG WA DI
PHA TSA GYÜ LA MÄI TSHOG LA BÜL
DAG GO SUM JIN GYI LAB TU SÖL
MA NÄL JOR WANG MÖI TSHOG LA BÜL

NÄ KHA CHÖ ZHING DU THRI DU SÖL
LHA YI DAM ZHI THRÖI TSHOG LA BÜL

CHHOG THÜN MONG NGÖ DRUB TSÄL DU SÖL
KYAB KÖN CHOG RIN CHHEN SUM LA BÜL

DRA SI ZHII JIG LÄ DRÄL DU SÖL
Tea Offering 193
Tea Offering
to Vajrayogini
[This tea offering can be done before drinking your daily tea or coffee or in a
more elaborate way with a proper tea offering set. Ask your teacher for further
clarification about this practice.]
OM AH HUM
As I visualize myself as the deity

At the center of the dharmachakra,
Extremely red within a
Double tetrahedral reality source,
On a stainless moon mandala seat
Resides the all-encompassing refuge assembly of guru-deities.
In a beautifully shaped container filled with the essences of ingredients

Made from precious celestial substances, this vast drink, delicious in taste,
Reddish yellow in color, with the scent of camphor,
I offer to the assembly of father, root, and lineage gurus.
Please bless my three doors.
I offer to the assembly of powerful mother yoginis.

Please lead me to the field of Khachö pure land.
I offer to the assembly of peaceful and wrathful mind-sealed deities.

Please bestow all the supreme and general attainments.
I offer to the objects of refuge, the Three Rare Sublime Ones.

Please protect me from the fearful enemies of samsara and nirvana’s peace.
DROG KHAN DRO CHHÖ KYONG TSHOG LA BÜL

YI CHI DÖ THRIN LÄ DRUB TU SÖL
NYEN RIG DRUG DRO WÄI TSHOG LA BÜL

SEM THRÜL NANG DUG NGÄL ZHI GYUR CHIG
RANG NANG TONG YI DAM LHAR SÄL WÄ

ZE DÜ TSII RO LA LONG CHÄ PÄ
LO DE CHHEN TONG PÄI YING SU ZHUG
EH MA HO!
MÄ JUNG KÄL PA ZANG

Tea Offering 195
I offer to the assembly of supporters, dakinis, and Dharma protectors.

Please actualize all activities, whatever is wished for.
I offer to the assembly of siblings, the six types of transmigratory beings.

Please pacify the suffering of my mind’s hallucinated appearances.
Clarifying myself as the mind-sealed deity, which appears while empty,

And enjoying the food, with the taste of nectar,
My mind enters into the sphere of great bliss and emptiness.
EH MA HO!
How eminently fortunate I am!
Colophon:
This tea offering to Vajrayogini, composed by Ngülchu Dharmabhadra, was translated at Khachö
Dechen Ling in Aptos, California on August 11, 2003, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ven. Tsenla.
Scribed and lightly edited by Ven. Lhundup Damchö. Edited and Tibetan phonetics checked against
the Tibetan by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, October 2003.
About the hand offering practice:

This profound left-side method of hand offering can be practiced between sessions
at mealtimes when one partakes of food and drink, or at the indicated appropriate
time before offering tsog. One should have inner offering at hand, but other than
this, and the food substances of one’s meal, there are no other special materials
needed for this practice.
Hand Offering 197
The Method of Hand Offering,

Essence of the Banquet of Khechara
Essence of the banquet of the fortunate outer and inner Khechara,1

Where beautiful mind-captivating ladies dance
In the sphere of simultaneously born bliss and emptiness of all conquerors.
You are the victorious!
The method for easily carrying out the practice of hand offering, a principal left-
side conduct of Venerable Vajrayogini Naro Khachö Wangmo, a yoga to be done
between sessions, is set forth here.
Arise instantaneously:
Instantaneously, I transform into Venerable Vajrayogini.
Then bless the food and drink.
Eliminate [interferences] and purify [into emptiness].

[The food and drink substances are just empty.]
On the palm of my right hand is a white HO. From it arises a white eight-spoked
wheel marked at the center with a white HO. It becomes the nature of Vairochana.
On the palm of my left hand is a red HA. From it arises a red eight-petalled lotus
marked at the center with a red HA. It becomes the nature of Amitabha.
From an AH2 between these two arises a broad and expansive skullcup, white on the
outside and red within. It is filled with the five meats and the five nectars. A blue
HRIH on a sun cushion at the center becomes the entity of Akshobhya.
HO HA HRIH (3x)
All faults of color, odor, taste, and potential [of the contents of the skullcup] are de-
stroyed and they are transformed into nectar.
To the right of HRIH is a white OM. To the left of HRIH is a red AH. In front of HRIH is
a blue HUM. Rays of light radiate forth from these and hook back the nectar of exalt-
ed wisdom from the seed syllables at the hearts of all the heroes and yoginis abiding
in the ten directions. It absorbs into the three syllables OM AH HUM. Furthermore,
the three syllables then absorb into the [contents of the] skullcup whereby they be-
come blessed.
OM AH HUM (3x)
[The contents] increase abundantly and are blessed.
It is taught that if one does not act in accordance with this blessing of the hand and
food at meals, there will be great fault, whereas if it is done, there will be infinite
benefit.
The Actual Hand Offering

Taking up the inner offering with the ring finger of the right hand, say the three
grain [syllables OM AH HUM] and place drops, in succession, on the palm of the left
hand, followed by the five fingers of the left hand, starting from the little finger.
Verbally recite:

Hand Offering 199

Place a drop [of inner offering] on the back of the [left] hand:
Instantaneously, the assembly of deities of Venerable Vajrayogini appears on the

back of my hand, like a reflection within a mirror.
Then, smear and mix the inner offering with the three – the ring finger, the middle
finger, and the forefinger of the right [hand]. Stabilize the conviction that they are
the actual deities, while reciting:
**OM AH HUM / OM VAM / HAM YOM / HRIM MOM / HRIM HRIM /

HUM HUM / PHAT PHAT / HUM HUM PHAT**

The hand transforms into the entity of deities encompassing all the yoginis.
Offering the Liquid Substances

Following that, while [reciting the mantra (appearing above marked at the begin-
ning and end with **) with] the three-grain [syllables OM AH HUM (added at the
end)] and the eight-line praise to the armor deities [Vajravarahi, Yamini, Mohini,
Sanchalani, Santrasani, and Chandika], first of all, offer liquid substances such as tea
and alcohol, in succession, to the palm of the [left] hand and [then to] the fingers,
starting from the little finger. Further, offer in a similar manner to Venerable Vajra-
yogini while [reciting] the eight-line praise (p. 201).
Offering the Solid Food Substances

Next, once again while [reciting the (above) mantra with] the three-grain [syllables
OM AH HUM] and the eight-line praise (on the next page), offer solid food substanc-
es as [one did] before [with the liquid substances].
Offering the Inner Offering

Then, taking up the inner offering with the right thumb and ring finger:
OM OM VAM HUM HUM PHAT OM AH HUM

OM HAM YOM HUM HUM PHAT OM AH HUM
OM HRIM MOM HUM HUM PHAT OM AH HUM
OM HRIM HRIM HUM HUM PHAT OM AH HUM
OM HUM HUM HUM HUM PHAT OM AH HUM
OM PHAT PHAT HUM HUM PHAT OM AH HUM

Outer Offerings
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM

Hand Offering 201

[You can recite these verses (only one set) either in Tibetan or in English. To punctu-
ate each HUM HUM PHAT, sound the bell and damaru sharply 3 times.]

Purifying Mistakes
Recite the hundred-syllable mantra such as the following:

AH HUM PHAT
Whatever mistakes I have made

Through not finding, not understanding,
Or not having the ability,
Please, O protector, be patient with all of these.
Through being protected without delay and assisted externally, internally,

and secretly
At all times by the assembly of oceans of heroes and dakinis
Abiding in the twenty-four places of Jambudvipa,
May the two purposes be spontaneously accomplished without exception.
Through the force of having made offerings and requests to you,

May sickness, poverty, and fighting be pacified and
The doctrine and auspiciousness increase
At any place where I and others dwell.
Scrape off the substances on the hand. Hold it with the thumb and ring finger of
the left hand and anoint the three [places] – the heart, the throat, and the crown
– while reciting:
HUM AH OM
Perform the lotus-turning mudra with both hands and place the left hand on the
head.
The deities of the hand enter through my crown and then absorb into my heart,
whereby I become blessed.
Anointing one’s body with the substance on the hand becomes the best protection.
Divide the substance of the hand offering into two portions. Add one portion to the
substances of food and drink, and place the other portion in another vessel in the
manner of a blessed holy object. [Gyälwa] Ensapa and his spiritual sons taught that
if this is done, there will be infinite benefits, such as effortlessly obtaining food,
clothing, dwelling, and bedding.
Rays of light radiate forth from the HUM at my heart inviting all the buddhas and
bodhisattvas of the ten directions in the aspect of bodies of Venerable Vajrayogini.
They enter my body.
Hand Offering 203
Recite:
OM SAMAYA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SAMAYA SHUDDHO HAM
Recite and contemplate while eating:
On my tongue is a HUM. From it arises a white three-pronged vajra. Rays of light [the
thickness] of a mere grain [that issue forth from it] draw forth the essence. The dei-
ties abiding in my body partake of it, whereby they become pleased and satisfied by
the nectar of uncontaminated great bliss.
[Dedicate the merits.]
Engage in this jewel instruction,

The unprecedented hand offering of Mother [Vajrayogini]
Taken from the water treasury of
Oral transmissions of glorious Chakrasamvara!
Note:
1. Tibetan: mkha spyod, phoneticized as “khacho,” literally means “space utilizing” or “sky enjoying.”
2. According to Joerg Eberhardt, the AH in the Tibetan blockprint is written as a short "A," however,
elsewhere in the Vajrayogini and Heruka texts skullcups arise from a long and aspirated "AH." For
consistency, this practice reflects the more common seed syllable.
Colophon:
Although the systematic practice of hand offering, the principal left-side conduct that is the uncom-
mon commitment of Mother Tantra, is readily available as an ancillary of the Father Heruka, apart
from being alluded to in some self-generation [practices] of the Mother [Vajrayogini], the practice
does not seem to have been set down systematically. Therefore, there is a need for such [a text]
since [this practice] is very essential for practitioners of this path. Due to the earlier exhortation
by the supreme logician Wangchug Gyume Lama Umze Yong-gi Gewe She-nyen Thubten Nyinche
and the recent insistent urgings from Gyume Ngagrampa Losang Gyatso, who cited the above in
request, I, [Pabongkha] Dechen Nyingpo, a yogi with interest and conviction in the path of Shri
Chakrasamvara, composed this in accordance with the lineage of instruction and demonstration
in the oral transmission of the Father [Heruka] on a joyous occasion at the palace of Lhalu, a place
resplendent with gardens, lawns, and flowers. It was quickly written down by the scribe Lhatrung
Kelsang Wangyäl. May the welfare of migrators increase!
May the sponsors, Chinese Lama Bhikshu Jampa Kunkyen and

Lhalu Gatselwa [family], who is unequalled in faith and commitment,
Come under the care of the Guru Refuge Protector and
Quickly attain the state of the outer and inner Khechara.
Due to the immense kindness of the precious venerable Geshe Jampa Gyatso, Losang Chomo pre-
pared this translation in May 2001 at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa while referring to related mate-
rial that had been previously translated. May all teachers teaching true paths to enlightenment
have long and healthy lives, and may all sentient beings attain the state of Venerable Vajrayogini as
quickly as possible.
May virtue and goodness increase!

Entering Into Retreat 205
The Messenger Invoking

the Hundred Blessings of the Vajra:
How to Enter into

Vajrayogini Retreat

About this practice:

This text is the ritual that is to be done as the preliminary ritual to enter into Vajra-
yogini retreat. During this ritual, one sets the retreat boundaries, purifies the place,
chases away interferers, blesses one’s seat and mala for recitation, and so on. Gen-
erally, this ritual should be performed in the afternoon of the day you begin retreat.
Following this ritual, after taking a short rest, you commence the first session of re-
treat in the evening of the same day.
In the first commentary contained in this volume, The Steps for a Fortunate One
to Proceed to Naro Khachö (p. 239), there are additional instructions and indications
about how to engage in this preliminary rite. It is good to study that text for more
information prior to beginning retreat.
Materials and implements:

Please refer to the instructions at the beginning of the long uncommon sadhana of
Vajrayogini (p. 68) regarding general offerings and tormas that should be in place
before performing this ritual. You should also have all of the ritual instruments and
pledge substances (dorje, bell, damaru, inner offering, and so on) required for per-
forming the actual sadhana. In addition, you will need the following items for this
preliminary ritual:
1. an action vase containing the water to be blessed together with a fresh branch
from a non-poisonous fruit tree; this water is traditionally scented and colored
golden with saffron. (You can consult with your guru regarding whether other
blessed substances should also be dissolved into the vase water.)
2. a very small dorje tied with a long five-colored string and a small conch shell
3. (dark) gugul incense (a type of myrrh resin), mustard seeds, and burning charcoal
on which to burn these
4. a boundary marker placed at the edge of the boundaries of one’s retreat. (This
can be made of a large rock, piled stones, or other outdoor marker that can
stand the effects of weather.)
5. kusha grass and long life grass for placing under your meditation seat (Accord-
ing to oral instructions, it is beneficial to place these together with the swastika.)
Offerings
You should already have prepared the altar, complete with offerings, for engaging in
the first session of retreat, according to the long uncommon retreat sadhana. Please
see page 68 for the description of the appropriate altar set-up. In addition to the
three sets of offerings and three tormas referred to there, you will need the follow-
ing additional offerings and tormas to perform this rite:
1. two more sets of offerings on the main altar, both of which go from right to left
(from the practitioner’s perspective). One set of offerings is for the action vase;
these are placed in a row in front of where the action vase is placed. The second
set is for the general dakinis and for the wrathful deities that are invoked at the
time of the torma offering to the interferers (gek-tor).
2. an additional set of offerings made outside next to the boundary marker. These
offerings also proceed from the practitioner’s right to left and should stand in a
row in front of where the boundary marker is placed.
Additional tormas that are offered during this preliminary ritual are as follows:
1. one torma to be offered to the local landlords and guardians. This is a small
torma; it should contain no meat or alcohol and should be made with the three
sweets (honey, sugar, and molasses) and the three whites (milk, yogurt, and but-
ter) together with a base of roasted barley or oat flour.
2. one torma for the interferers. This is commonly known as the gek-tor. It has a
special configuration in that there are three small tormas (also made with the
three sweets and the three whites mixed with a roasted flour base) placed on a
plate in a row with a small candle (or tealight) placed in front of each small tor-
ma. Behind these on the plate are placed three hand-print offerings (changbu):
Made of the same dough as the tormas, these are made by squeezing a small
amount of dough in your closed fist so that a “hand-print” is left in the dough.
3. a small torma for Khandarohi as the boundary marker. This torma should contain
meat and alcohol and is placed near the boundary marker with the set of water
offerings mentioned earlier.
4. Regarding the torma offering to the general dakinis to be found in this ritual:
This torma is one of the three main tormas designated for the entire retreat.
For the purpose of this ritual, you should place a small additional food offering
in front of the general dakini torma that has been set in place for retreat. This
will be offered during the preliminary rite. Then, before starting the actual first
session of retreat using the Vajrayogini sadhana, replenish this torma again, for
the torma offering to be done during that session.
As was explained in the instructions that appear at the beginning of the long retreat
sadhana of Vajrayogini herein (see p. 68) you can make these tormas according to
the tradition, and to do that, you should receive instruction on making tormas from
a qualified practitioner. However, you can alternatively offer highest quality cakes,
cookies, or other foods as tormas, in accordance with the oral instructions of this
lineage.
The Messenger Invoking the

Hundred Blessings of the Vajra:
How to Enter into
Vajrayogini Retreat
Here is the preliminary to the approximating retreat of the Pure Lady Vajrayogini, the
female possessor of Naro Khachö (sky enjoyer), which is most convenient to read.
The great bliss of all the victors manifesting as the illusory form of the
youthful coral-colored one,
Having the expressions of holy signs and exemplifications and
a dancing gait.
You, Mother of the victors, bring down quickly
The hundred blessings of the three secret vajras to myself
and all practitioners.
This describes how to do the graduated preliminary practice according to what is

written in detail in the scriptural text of the approximation retreat to the Pure Lady
Vajrayogini.
Refuge
I and all living beings pervading the farthest reaches of infinite space, from this mo-
ment until we attain the essence of full enlightenment, take refuge in the magnifi-
cent holy Gurus; we take refuge in the fully accomplished Buddha foe-destroyers,
we take refuge in the pure Dharma, we take refuge in the exalted Sangha. (3–7x)
I will attain the stage of fully accomplished buddhahood and will release all sentient
beings from the ocean of samsaric suffering. For that purpose I am practicing the
graduated path of Vajrayogini. (3x)
To the Gurus and the Three Precious Jewels I prostrate and go for refuge. Please
bless my mind.

Dispel with:
Purify with:

hearthstones of human heads, upon which from AH comes a wide and expansive
skullcup. In it, from OM, KHAM, AM, TRAM, and HUM come the five nectars and
from LAM, MAM, PAM, TAM, and VAM come the five meats, all marked by their
syllables. The wind blows, the fire blazes, and the substances in the skullcup melt.
Above them, from HUM comes a white upside-down khatvanga. It melts and falls
into the skullcup, whereby the substances become the color of mercury. Above
them, three garlands of vowels and consonants, stacked one above the other, trans-
form into OM AH HUM, whose light rays draw back the nectar of exalted wisdom
from the hearts of all the tathagatas, heroes, and yoginis of the ten directions. When
this is added, the contents multiply and increase abundantly.
OM AH HUM (3x)
In that way, bless according to the method of attainment.
Generating the Dispelling Water

Dispel with:
Purify the inherently existing ordinary vase with:

[The vase is just empty.]
From emptiness, a syllable PAM appears, which is transformed into a jeweled white
vase complete with all the qualities, having a large belly, a long neck, a spout, and
so forth.
OM TAPTE TAPTE MAHA TAPTE SVAHA
The divine water (of the Ganga) and the vase water become inseparable. Above all of
this, PAM transforms into a lotus and sun disc. On that appears a human corpse seat.
Then PAM transforms into a curved knife adorned with PAM, which then transforms
into the deity Khandarohi, red in color with one face and two arms. Her right hand
holds a curved knife, and her left, a skullcup. A khatvanga rests on her shoulder.
Adorned with bone ornaments, she is naked and her hair falls loose. She has a crown
ornament of five dry human heads and wears a necklace of fifty dried human skulls.
She has three eyes and stands with her right leg outstretched.
At her crown is a white OM, at her throat a red AH, and at her heart a blue HUM.
From HUM light beams radiate, invoking the wisdom beings, similar to the deity visu-
alized, and the empowering deities from their natural abodes.
PHAIM
JAH HUM VAM HOH

ཕཻཾ [For the mudra, see p. 272.]
The wisdom beings become nondual with the deity. The empowering deities initiate
the Khandarohi deity. Her crown is adorned with Ratnasambhava.
Outer Offerings
Dispel with:
Purify with:

by the six senses.
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM
[In this way,] bless the two waters and five sense enjoyments and so forth accord-
ing to the attaining method.
Then make the offerings.

OM ARGHAM / PADYAM / PUSHPE / DHUPE / ALOKE / GANDHE / NAIVIDYA /
SHAPTA PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM KHANDAROHI HUM HUM PHAT OM AH HUM
Praise
Female one dressed in white [Khandarohi] is the element of fire,
The essence of remembering Dharma.
Principal dakini of the lotus rays,
To you, I prostrate and praise.
Hold the [five-colored] mantra string, which is tied to the [small] vajra that is placed
on [the small conch filled with water that sits on top of] the action vase [that is, the
vase that you use to dispel the interferers].
From my own heart, mantra garlands go out along the mantra string (like drops of
water running along the string) persuading the vase deity’s holy mind. Light beams
are emitted from that deity’s heart. All the blessings of the holy body, speech, and
mind of the buddhas of the ten directions and their children (the male and female
bodhisattvas) are invoked in the aspect of nectar beams, which are absorbed into
the vase deity.
From the deity’s holy body, nectar cascades and fills up the whole vase.
OM KHANDAROHI HUM HUM PHAT (100x)
Restore with the hundred-syllable Vajrasattva mantra to purify anything that is

missing, extra, or done incorrectly.
OM VAJRA HERUKA SAMAYA MANUPALAYA HERUKA TVENOPATISHTHA /

SUCHA ME CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM /HA HA HA HA HO / BHAGAVAN
AH HUM PHAT
Make offerings:
OM ARGHAM PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA

OM PADYAM PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA PUSHPE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA DHUPE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA ALOKE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA GANDHE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA NAIVIDYA PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA SHAPTA PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
Praise
The vase deity melts into light with the fire of great attach-
ment. The vase water becomes of one taste with the essence
of bodhichitta.
In this way, actualize the dispelling vase water.

Torma Offering to the General Dakinis

Dispel with:
Purify with:
Bless like the inner offering:
OM AH HUM (3x)
With the blazing mudra:
ཕཻཾ
PHAIM!
Light beams radiate from the syllable VAM abiding on the moon disc at one’s heart
and invoke the guardians of the directions, the field guardians, the nagas, and so
forth who are abiding in the eight great cemeteries, which are positioned in the four
directions and four corners. [All of these beings] instantly enter into clear light, and
all rise up in the form of the holy body of Pure Lady Vajrayogini. On the tongues of
these guests are white HUMs that transform into white three-pronged vajras, the
size of a barley grain. They are decorated. They draw the nectar up through the vajra
light tubes and drink.

OM ARGHAM PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA

OM PADYAM PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM SVAHA
To the holy mouth of the directional guardians, field guardians, nagas, and so forth:
OM AH HUM
Request
Every single one of the multitude of devas, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of dakas, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of hungry ghosts, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of yaksha spirits, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of pretas, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of flesh eaters, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of crazy-making ones, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of spirits causing forgetfulness, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of dakinis, please be here.
Every single one of the multitude of mamos, please be here.
All these beings without exception, be here. I am requesting you to pay attention to
me. Those who promised with the holy mind and accepted with the holy mouth to
protect the teaching of Buddha and to work for sentient beings; you, the highly glo-
rified ones, who are living in the order, who are quick like the mind, who have a ter-
rifying form, who are the unbearably wrathful, angry ones, who subdue the vicious
ones and destroy those of the black side; you, who have inconceivable power and
blessing, please grant the results to the actions of the yogis and yoginis.
To you, the multitudes of harm-givers and so forth, to the eight, I prostrate.
I request the eight groups1 (degye), princes, sons along with the servants, please
grant me the kindness of all the achievements. Please grant to us the practitioner yo-
gis along with our entourage all the extensive attainments: freedom from sickness,
life, power, glorification, fame, fortune (auspicious time) and enjoyments. Please en-
able us to achieve the four actions of pacifying, increasing, control, and wrath.
Protectors, please always assist us. Please pacify untimely death, sicknesses, spirit
possession, interferences, bad dreams, bad omens, and negative actions.
May the world be happy. May there be good crops and abundant harvests. May the
Dharma increase and may all happiness and goodness be received. Whatever wishes
there are in the mind, may all this be actualized.
Blessing and Offering the Torma to the Local Guardians
Dispel [the interferers] with:

From emptiness appears BHRUM, which transforms into an expansive and extensive
jeweled container. Within that vessel from OM appears the torma, which transforms
into a great extensive ocean of inexhaustible transcendental wisdom nectar.
Recite:
OM AH HUM (3x)
NAMA SARVA TATHAGATA AVALOKITE OM SAMBHARA SAMBHARA HUM (3x)
I prostrate to the Tathagata Having Many Jewels.

I prostrate to the Tathagata Beautiful Form, Holy One.
I prostrate to the Tathagata Extensive Holy Body.
I prostrate to the Tathagata Free from All Fears.
I offer this ocean of nectar torma, which possesses the five perfect desire qualities
(five objects of desire – form, feeling, sound, smell, taste, and tangible objects).
I offer to the earth goddess Tänma, the multitudes of the three galaxy landlords, and
the five long-life sisters, including Dekyong.2
I offer also to all the rest of the protectors who abide in the Land of Snows and espe-
cially those of this country and the devas/landlords. Please take this.
For ourselves and benefactors, whatever activity we do, don’t be jealous; don’t be
angry. Please accomplish all the necessary conditions exactly according to our wishes.
Due to the power of my pure attitude, due to the power of the blessings of the ta-
thagatas, and due to the power of the sphere of Dharma (emptiness), may all the
purposes (activities), whatever we wish for, may all this happen right now without
any obstacles.
Dedicate the torma in this way and request [the local guardians] to dispel the ob-
stacles and to accomplish all the necessary conditions so that you can complete the
approximation attainment (retreat).
Torma Offering to the Interferers (Gek-tor)

Then, lay out the torma for the interferers (gek-tor). [First, bless the offerings to
the wrathful deities as on p. 212.]
Invocation of the Wrathful Deities

From the syllable VAM at my heart light rays radiate, inviting all the assemblies of
wrathful deities to the space before me.
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA VAJRA SAMAJAH
HUM The light of exalted wisdom blazing like the fire of the eon
Burns up all the dark elements of ignorance and desire, and
Destroys all fears of the hatred Yama.
Great hero donning a tiger skin, the sign of a hero,

Who suppresses the extreme evil spirits and subdues the foes,
Wrathful king of knowledge, I request you to abide!
When invited for the sake of subduing the evil ones,

For the welfare of migrating beings, please come due to my offerings!
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA E HYE HI

PRAVARASADKARAM ARGHAM PRATICCHA SVAHA
[Request the deities to remain with:]
PÄDMA KAMALA YE3 STVAM

Offerings
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA PRAVARASADKARAM
ARGHAM PRATICCHA SVAHA
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA PRAVARASADKARAM
PADYAM PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA PUSHPE PRATICCHA AH HUM
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA DHUPE PRATICCHA AH HUM
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA ALOKE PRATICCHA AH HUM
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA GANDHE PRATICCHA AH HUM
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA NAIVIDYA PRATICCHA AH HUM
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA SHAPTA PRATICCHA AH HUM
Offer the inner offering:
OM VAJRA MAHAKRODHA RAJA SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM
Praise
HUM Even within the state of nondual empty reality,
You do not abandon the ways of conduct of the world, and
You reveal yourself in the exalted body of the terrifier who is skilled in means.
I prostrate to the assembly of blazing great wrathful ones.
Even though you do not waver from the state of peaceful exalted wisdom,
Your exalted body appears as the furious one who devours, and
The roar of your exalted speech thunders of a thousand dragons.
I prostrate to you who gathers all without exception under your power.
You show the play of higher exalted wisdom,

Wield in your hands various threatening weapons, and
Destroy the great poisons, the afflictions from their root.
I prostrate to you, ornamented by venomous snakes.
You who abide amidst a conflagration like the fire of the eon,
In the posture of a hero with one leg extended and the other bent,
With fearsome blazing eyes of the sun and moon –
I prostrate to you who burns up the masses of interferers.
Great fury blazing with resplendence like the fire at the end of time,
Wrinkles like a thousand thunderbolts, gnashing fangs, and
Furious roar resounding like that of a thousand dragons –
I prostrate to the king of wrath who subdues the hosts of interferers.
HUM! Proclaiming with certainty the fearsome sound HUM,

Destroying all the interferers without exception,
Deity bestowing all accomplishments,
I prostrate to and praise the foe of interferers.
Blessing the Torma
Sprinkle the gek-tor with water from the action vase. Dispel with:
Purify with:

Within the state of emptiness, from BHRUM comes a vast and expansive jewel ves-
sel. In it from OM comes the torma for the interferers. It becomes a great ocean of
uncontaminated nectar.
Bless it:
OM AH HUM (3x)
Summoning the Interferers

Then:
From the syllable VAM at my heart light rays radiate, [inviting] the hosts of interfer-
ers who are hindrances to my performing the profound approximation accomplish-
ment as guests of this torma offering.
AKARSHAYA JAH
[At this point, light the three candles and start burning gugul incense and mustard
seeds on the charcoal. Hold the torma plate in your right hand, palm up, with the
candles closest to you as you recite the following:]
Offering the Torma

Circle the torma clockwise and dedicate it:
OM SARVA BIGHNAN NAMAH / SARVA TATHAGATO BHYO VISHVA MUKHE

BHYAH / SARVA TAD KHAMUDGATE SPHARANA IMAM GAGANA KHAM
GRIHNA IDAM BALIMTAYE SVAHA (3x)
[Each time you recite SVAHA, transfer the plate to the left hand and snap the right
fingers.]
[Now, hold the plate with the right hand in the wrathful mudra (palm down, index
and little fingers extended and holding the plate from above, middle fingers folded
in, thumb holding the plate from below) and with the candles facing outward. Ring
the bell with the left hand and circle the torma plate with the right hand as you
recite the wrathful mantras below. (NOTE: The last two mantras below are written
as they appear in Pabongkha Rinpoche's Collected Works.)]
Circle the torma, the little butter lamps, and the hand-print dough counterclock-
wise and dedicate it:
OM SUMBHA NISUMBHA HUM

OM GRIHNA GRIHNA HUM
OM GRIHNA PAYA GRIHNA PAYA HUM
OM ANAYA HO BHAGAVAN VIDYA RAJA HUM PHAT (3x)
[If there is an attendant, he or she takes the torma plate in the right hand, hold-
ing the smoking incense burner in the left hand, and stands in the doorway of the
meditation room facing outward as the following is recited.]
Ordering the Interferers to Leave

Then, along with the mudra of chasing away the evil spirits [that is, while holding
vajra and bell, place the hands back to back with the right hand closest to the heart
and interlock the little fingers]:
HUM All you hosts of interferers, gods, and so forth

Who abide at this ground of the great mandala, listen!
I am performing a profound approximation accomplishment at this place.
Go elsewhere, away from here!
If you transgress my commands,

With a blazing exalted wisdom vajra,
I shall split your head into a hundred fragments.
Have no doubt that the interferers will be demolished!
NAMO! In dependence on the potential and force of blessings of the truth of the ex-
cellent glorious venerable root and lineage gurus, the truth of the buddhas, the truth
of the Dharma, the truth of the Sangha, the truth of all who abide in the lineages of
Tathagata, Vajra, Ratna, Pädma, and Karma, of all the particular deities of essence,
mudra, secret mantra, and knowledge mantra, and in particular, of the assemblies
of deities of venerable Vajrayogini along with your retinues, and the great truth,
may all the hosts of interferers who are hindrances to my performing the profound
approximation accomplishment at this place be satisfied by this torma offering that
has been multiplied into a sky-treasure. May all your negative thoughts of harm and
malice be abandoned, and may you return to your own individual abodes by way of
being endowed with benefit, peace, and the mind of enlightenment! If you do not
leave, the conflagration of wrathful vajra fire of exalted wisdom will burn you up.
Have no doubt that you will be completely destroyed!

OM GRIHNA PAYA GRIHNA PAYA HUM HUM PHAT
OM ANAYA HO BHAGAVAN VIDYA RAJA HUM HUM PHAT [3x or more]
Take the torma very far away while reciting the [above] mantras in an intense and
wrathful way. [Take the torma outside (or your attendant can do so), together with
the incense burner in which both gugul incense and mustard seeds are burning.
Recite the mantras, play the bell and damaru, and throw mustard seeds (as the at-
tendant takes the torma outside, or afterward, if you yourself take the torma out).]
Burn gugul incense [and mustard seeds], spread the smoke, and throw the mus-
tard seeds along with the loud sound of music (bell and damaru). Generate very
intense faith [a strong visualization] and dispel to a very far distance away all the
interferers who hinder one from accomplishing the nearing attainment [retreat].
Marking the Retreat Boundary

Mark the retreat boundary, such as an outside gate or door. Then you don’t need to
go beyond that boundary and do not allow people to enter, who are not permitted
to come near the retreat place.
At a place where people will not step over it, erect the retreat boundary marker,
usually some tall stones raised up with syllables written on them (such as HUM, or
according to the deity or protector that you use to consecrate the stones). If not
stones, it can be another material.
In front of that, place offerings and tormas. Sit down facing the retreat boundary
marker.
Blessing the Offerings [and Torma]

Then dispel the interferences with:

Purify with:

Bless with this prayer:
by the six senses.
OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM
Then dispel the interferences [from the torma] with:
Purify with:

OM AH HUM (3x)
Generating the Boundary Marker as Khandarohi

Sprinkle the retreat boundary marker with vase water.
Dispel [the interferences from the retreat boundary marker] with:
Purify with:

[The marker is just empty.]
From emptiness appears PAM from which appear a lotus, a sun disc, and a human
corpse seat. PAM appears and is transformed into an adorned curved knife. This
transforms into Khandarohi, red in color with one face and two arms. Her right arm
holds a vajra-marked flaying knife, which is outstretched and points downward. Her
left hand holds a skullcup. Under her left arm she holds a khatvanga. She is naked
and adorned with the bone ornaments. Her hair hangs loose. She wears a crown
of five dried human skulls and a necklace of fifty dried skulls. She has one face and
three eyes, and she is standing with her right leg outstretched and left leg bent.
At her crown is a white OM, at her throat a red AH, and at her heart a blue HUM.
Light rays radiate from the HUM and invite the wisdom beings and empowering dei-
ties, who are in similar appearance, from their natural abode.
Then you say:
PHAIM!
ཕཻཾ
JAH HUM VAM HOH (For the mudra, see p. 272.)
They became nondual. The empowering deities grant initiation, and her head is
adorned with Ratnasambhava.
Make outer and inner offerings:

Praise
On the tip of Khandarohi’s tongue is a HUM, which transforms into a three-pronged

vajra, the size of a barley grain. It is decorated.
[It is inside the tongue at the tip, with the top part exposed.]
From the tip, beams are emitted. She partakes of the torma by sucking [up its es-
sence] through the tube [of light].
By reciting three times, offer the torma:
OM VAJRA ARALI HO / JAH HUM VAM HOH / VAJRA DAKINI SAMAYA STVAM
TRISHYA HOH (3x)
Again make outer offerings:

Make the inner offering:
Praise
Recite the following while scattering flowers.
Khandarohi, please stably abide here at this place until I, the yogi, complete the ac-
tivities of nearing attainment (retreat). Please do the actions not allowing outer or
inner spirit possession, interferers, and obstacles, and do not let the inner attain-
ment be lost outside.
Think that Khandarohi has promised [as you have asked]. Until you complete
your attainment [retreat], do not visualize her melting into light. Khandarohi
abides there at that place doing the activities [of protection].
Stabilize with the wisdom [of emptiness] the whole object [that is, for Khandarohi
to remain] by reciting the heart mantra of dependent arising:
OM YE DHARMA HETU PRABHAVA HETUN TESHAN TATHAGATO HYAVADAT

TESHAN CHAYO NIRODHA EVAM VADI MAHA SHRAMANAYE SVAHA
Recite the hundred-syllable mantra:


SUCHAME CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA HO / BHAGAVAN
AH HUM PHAT
Perform auspicious prayers here.
Meditation on the Protection Wheels

Then come inside and sprinkle the dispelling water and the inner offering in the
abiding room. Dispel with:
Purify with:

[The room is just empty.]
Within emptiness, the thumb and index finger of one’s own hand are snapped [in
the four principal directions, with the east being in front of you]:

In the east the mantra is black color.
In the north the mantra is green color.
In the west the mantra is red color.
OM ANAYA HO BHAGAVAN VIDYA RAJA HUM HUM PHAT 4
In the south the mantra is yellow color.
The mantras are decorated in that direction.
From the mantras, which have become their respective

mantra colors, light beams radiate [in all directions] and
pervade from the top of the Brahma world down to the
golden base. Everything becomes a great gigantic radiat-
ing form. The mantras along with the light beams trans-
Earth
form into a square vajra fence – in the east, black; in the
north, green; in the west, red; and in the south, yellow –
which extends from the Brahma world above down to the
golden base below. At the same time the fence is actual- Water
ized, HUM appears and is transformed into a variegated
vajra adorned with HUM in the center. Light beams are
emitted from HUM and strike the golden base. Below the
golden base is transformed into the nature of the variegat-
Fire
ed vajra. Light beams are emitted from the HUM of the var-
iegated vajra and pervade outside, above and around. This
becomes the arrow net, which is [also] in the nature of
five-pronged vajras. Below that is the vajra tent and above Air
the vajra fence is a vajra canopy. Everything becomes of
one piece, without any spaces or gaps. Outside, all is sur-
The cosmos
rounded by vajra fire, like the blazing fire at the end of the
eon.
With these mantras all is gradually blessed from below the base up to the confla-
gration of the fire.
OM MEDINI VAJRA BHAVA VAJRA BÄNDHA HUM

[Bless the vajra ground.]
OM VAJRA PRAKARA HUM PAM HUM

[Bless the vajra fence.]
OM VAJRA PANCHA RAM HUM VAM HUM
[Bless the vajra tent.]
OM VAJRA BITANA HUM KAM HUM

[Bless the vajra canopy.]
OM VAJRA SARA JVALA TRAM SAM TRAM
[Bless the vajra arrows.]
OM VAJRA JVALA ANALARKA HUM HUM HUM
[Bless the vajra fire.]
Again, with each mantra, snap your fingers as before:

OM ANAYA HO BHAGAVAN VIDYA RAJA HUM HUM PHAT
Thus, the migrator beings become free from interferences.
At this point, visualize within the protection wheel those whom you will need to
come inside in the retreat. In order not to forget those persons’ names, use a mala,
beads, stones, or anything you use for counting to count or remember them in your
mind. [It has been suggested to add a couple of unidentified but friendly figures,
just in case there are unforeseen emergencies or in case someone wanders into
your retreat area unintentionally.]
Blessing the Seat

Place your left hand in the mudra of concentration, holding the bell. Holding the
vajra, your right hand touches the seat with the earth-controlling mudra.
From the retreat seat down to the golden base, the great controlling one becomes
so solid, in the vajra nature.
Recite this mantra seven times.
OM AH VAJRA ASANA HUM SVAHA (7x)
Bless by thinking that the whole ground

becomes the vajra nature.
Protecting the Directions

Innumerable streams of wrathful deities are emitted from oneself who is clarified
in the form of the deity’s holy body. The wrathful deities dispel all interferences to
listening, reflecting, meditation, and practice.
Recite the four divisions of the SUMBHANI mantra three times while you are think-
ing of the meaning:
[OM SUMBHA NISUMBHA HUM HUM PHAT

OM ANAYA HO BHAGAVAN VIDYA RAJA HUM HUM PHAT] (3x)
Then recite this mantra as many times as possible:
Gradually, in the four directions, starting from the east and moving toward the left
side, sprinkle the inner offering toward oneself, the place, the material possessions,
and enjoyments. And so, dispel the interferers and protect.
The Practice of Protecting Oneself

At one’s own crown, OM is transformed into a white wheel adorned with OM in
the center.
At one’s own neck, AH is transformed into a red lotus adorned with AH in the center.
At one’s own heart, HUM is transformed into a blue vajra adorned with HUM in
the center.
Recite this and with one’s own left ring finger and thumb take the inner offering and
put a drop at one’s crown, neck, and heart. Recite:
OM AH HUM (3x)
From these syllables light rays are emitted and hook all the buddhas and bodhisatt-
vas of the ten directions. All the blessings of their holy body, speech, and mind in the
aspect of light rays are hooked into the deities of the three vajras (vajra holy body:
Vairochana, vajra holy speech: Amitabha, and vajra holy mind: Akshobhya) and also
absorb into my own three places. My own three doors are blessed in the nature of
the three vajras.
Think of the meaning in that way.
When you protect yourself, you need to visualize the protection wheel. In that
way, meditating on the protection wheel comes at three different times: be-
fore, in the middle, and later. In the two later instances, you do not need to
dispel, purify, and so forth.
One precisely meditates by visualizing what was there before (the protection
wheel), and by this the preliminary practice is well completed.
So now take a little rest and have some drink and food. Refresh yourself. Then,
when evening time comes, start the actual session.
At the End of Retreat

After having completed well the number of mantras of the nearing retreat and after
a short session in the morning, [dissolve the boundary marker as follows:] In front
of the retreat boundary marker, bless the offerings and tormas as before [p. 224],
then offer the torma by reciting the prayer “On the tip of Kandarohi's tongue is a
HUM” and so forth [p. 227]. Then make the outer offerings, inner offering, and the
[short] praise [as before, p. 228].
Khandarohi dakini, who is enriched in the sphere is welcomed, having accomplished

actions and supported my virtuous activities. Please be here when there is need and
please descend here in the time according to my wish.
Recite the hundred-syllable mantra:

SUCHAME CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA HO / BHAGAVAN
AH HUM PHAT (3x)
Then ask for forgiveness by saying the prayer:
Whatever I have done incorrectly due to not acquiring the proper materials, not fully
understanding, or lack of ability, please be patient with all of these mistakes.
OM You who possess the treasury of all beings’ welfare, please grant the blessings
wished for. And after returning to the land of the buddhas, return here in the future.
Pray let it be done.
OM VAJRA MUH
The wisdom beings of the retreat boundary mark return back to their natural abodes
and the samaya beings absorb into oneself with a pleased mind.
Make the offerings and torma to give thanks (p. 125), and then offer the circle of
tsog (p. 165). Afterward, offer the burning puja for restoration.5 Then actualize the
mandala and make offerings and the self-entering (self-initiation).6
Finally, dedicate the merits.
Kandarohi
Notes:
1. The eight groups are the harm-givers, gods, nagas, smell-eaters, anti-gods, garudas, probable
humans, and the great serpent-spirits.
2. This refers to the twelve tänmas, those protectors who were subdued by Padmasambhava who
made them protect Buddha’s teachings and the practitioners of those teachings. These twelve
tänmas are situated in Tibet and along the border of Tibet, in the Himalayan region.
3. This syllable appears as YE in Pabongkha Rinpoche's Collected Works and YO in the Vajrayogini
Collected Activities, although in that case YO seems to be a mistake in the wood carving.
4. The last line of this four-line mantra is rendered differently than it is in the Vajrayogini long
sadhana. The current rendering accords with both Pabongkha Rinpoche's Collected Works and
the Vajrayogini Collected Activities for this particular ritual. In the practice of Vajrayogini, this
mantra is usually recited twice and the fingers are snapped in the ten directions. Here, it is only
recited once while snapping in the four cardinal directions. This accords with the practice of
Chakrasamvara, the root tantra from which Vajrayogini practice is drawn.
5. You can find the burning offering text in Volume 2 of this series of Vajrayogini materials: The
Pacifying Burning Offering Ritual of Vajrayogini: An FPMT Manual to Complete the Approxima-
tion Retreat.
6. The self-initiation text can be found in Volume 3 of this series: The Intermediate Practices of
Vajrayogini: An FPMT Manual for Completing the Actions of the Deity.
Dedication for the person who sponsored the text:

May Palden Tsering, who is very devoted and is an extensive benefactor, who made offerings for
the teachings of Buddha to be victorious, be able to proceed like an extremely quick chariot along
the paths and bhumis, and may he be led quickly to the victorious state of primordial unification.
Colophon:
This gradual recitation of the preliminary practice for the nearing retreat of the Pure Lady Vajra-
yogini, Naro Khachö Wongmo (sky-enjoying one endowed with qualities) was put together by the
one who is called Jampa Tenzin Trinlay Gyatso, who has been named an incarnation of Pabongkha,
who was requested again and again by Upasika Dorje Rabten and Sera-je Tänway Gelong Thubten
Neodeo. It was written down by the scribe Chän Dopa Ngagden Dönlal.
Translators’ and Editors’ Colophon:

Translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and written down by Ven. Holly Ansett, in California, January
1997–February 1998. Additional sections translated by Losang Chomo in February–March 2005.
Originally formatted as a rough document for the use of individual students requesting instructions
for entering into Vajrayogini retreat by Ven. Constance Miller, May 2000. Final editing for publica-
tion in January 2005 by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Services, with the helpful assistance
of Fabrizio Pallotti, Losang Chomo, and Ven. Lhundup Nyingje. In 2010, the inner, outer, and torma
offering verses were changed to match the translation used in the long sadhana. Updated in 2012
with the assistance of Joerg Ebherhardt and Joona Repo referring to Pabongkha's Collected Works
as well as to Pabongkha's works in the Vajrayogini Collected Activities, co-authored with other Gelug
lamas. In cases of discrepancy between the two, the editor deferred to what appears in the Col-
lected Works. Edited by Kendall Magnussen, May 2012.
Commentaries 237
Two Commentaries
on the Retreat Practice of Vajrayogini

Commentaries 239
The Steps for a Fortunate One to Proceed

to Naro Khachö, Vajrayogini’s Pure Land:
How to Engage in the Retreat of Vajrayogini
Herein, written down simply, are the instructions of how to do the

nearing retreat of enabling action, the practice of three activities,
of the fully accomplished totally pure Vajrayogini, Naro Sky Enjoyer.
NAMO GURU VAJRADHARAYA
In the dance of the heart of sublime great bliss, the sphere of existence,1 with a wish-
fulfilling gait like an enchanting illusion, may the Guru Vajra Fully Accomplished To-
tally Pure Female One 2 (Vajrayogini) who leads the fortunate ones to the outer and
inner Khachö (sky enjoyment) please guide me!
Here, regarding what was said by the great Fifth Omniscient One: 3 “The most for-
tunate being of highest capacity and the being of middling capacity will go to Khachö
(Pure Land) with this body. The least [fortunate beings] will be taken to Khachö by
the heroes and dakinis in the intermediate stage right after death or, at the very
least, will achieve attainments throughout their lives.” 4
As it has been said, “The quickest one will be instantly transferred by the path
of near death.” 5
As is mentioned, this is the profound instruction for the fortunate to go to the
pure land without leaving this body. Also, it is the instruction, as it says in the forty-
eighth chapter of the root Chakrasamvara tantra, that “One will accomplish by merely
reciting the heart mantra of the Vajra Fully Accomplished Totally Pure Female One.”
This is the well-clarified profound teaching that Naropa, the crown of all the
pandits of the country of aryas,6 heard directly from the Vajra Fully Accomplished
Totally Pure One. The advice on how to do the nearing retreat 7 of enabling action8 to
achieve the pure land of Khachö through the Fully Accomplished Totally Pure Vajray-
ogini Naro Khachö (Sky-Enjoying Female One) is clearly written here.
Who Can Practice This Path

For the extremely fortunate, it is said that the root of the path is correct devotion to
the qualified virtuous friend. Having received well the instructions of the Great Ve-
hicle, the common path of the graduated steps of the path to enlightenment, from
the qualified virtuous friend, [one should] practice them correctly and at least have
the initial experiences of renunciation, bodhichitta, and right view. Having engaged
in the preliminary training of the mind in the common path, [one is] able to enter
the ripening path.9 Having definitely planted the seed of the four kayas in the mental
continuum by receiving the four initiations that ripen the mental continuum in the
Mother Tantra mandala – Heruka, Hevajra, and so forth – the yogi/yogini who is the
most fortunate one receives well the profound commentary of the graduated gen-
eration stage – the eleven yogas – and the graduated completion stage – the cen-
tral channel. On this basis, having definitely identified the profound blessing of the
outer, inner, and secret yoga in the sindura10 mandala of this tradition, which enables
one to meditate on the liberating path, one can be liberated by merely reciting and
meditating on the sadhana.
[By receiving the initiation of Vajrayogini,] the yogi/yogini practitioner of the
Vajrayogini path of middling capacity can go to the pure land of Dagpa Khachö with-
out leaving the body by means of the retreat practice of the langali,11 [thereby be-
coming liberated from samsara and the bondage of delusion and karma]. For this,
one first must have completed at least the nearing retreat of enabling action. Even
for that, there are two aspects: the preliminary and the actual body of the practice.
About the Graduated Preliminary Practice

For the actual body of the practice to be effective depends on the preliminary prac-
tices of collecting merit and purifying negative karma and defilements. For the pre-
liminary practice – even for the nearing retreat of enabling actions – it is good to do
the practices of refuge, [reciting the] hundred-syllable mantra,12 prostrations with the
Confession of Downfalls,13 mandala offerings, the requesting prayer connected with
[Lama Tsongkhapa’s] guru yoga,14 water offerings, Samayavajra recitation, offering
Commentaries 241
burning puja to Dorje Khadro (the Eater Sky-goer),15 and making statues or tsa-tsas.16
Do all of these 100,000 times or as many times as possible.
One should practice according to the oral instructions of the Ganden ear lin-
eage17 as follows: In addition to completing the preliminary practices for the near-
ing18 retreat, one can also read holy scriptures, make offerings to the Sangha, offer
the One Hundred Tormas,19 perform the Three-Part Giving,20 make charity to the
poor, and so forth, according to how much wealth one has. One should collect merit
as extensively as possible.
Where to Engage in This Practice

It is good if one can find yari 21 and so forth, auspicious and pleasant, with magnifi-
cent mountains, forests, caves, canyons with medicinal plants growing, cemeteries,
and so forth. For beginners it is good if one meditates in a place of attainment of
great holy beings and one’s root guru. There is a special purpose [to this in that] the
place blesses the person. If one can find a place like this, it is good. Even if this does
not happen, one can practice either in one’s own home – in a house that harmonizes
with this yoga22 – or in a place where there will be no obstacles from the start of the
retreat until it finishes. One should enter retreat there.
The Time When One Should Practice

One should enter the nearing retreat at special times of the month of Gyäl,23 that
is, the twelfth Tibetan month, when the moon is waxing or waning, on the tenth of
the month [or the twenty-fifth], and so forth. These are the times that are drawing
in the dakinis.
How to Prepare for the Retreat

Setting up
Clean well 24 the entire place: inside, outside, and around the house of attainment.25
Fill the place well with the scent of incense, put the scented smell of flowers, and
sprinkle the place with the five nectars (dutsi rilbu) and pachung.26 Alternately, you
can bless the place with the inner offering itself and sprinkle with that.
Inside the house of attainment, in the direction that is suitable to oneself, display
well holy statues, thangkas, or pictures of Vajrayogini, scriptures of the tantra, and
so forth, as well as holy objects of the Triple Gem. In front of these, place a table
that has levels and is covered with a cloth and so forth. On that, in the center put a
Vajrayogini torma,27 which is round with four petals, painted with a red color,28 and
beautified with the butter decorations and so forth. On a lower level put the general
dakini torma, which is similar in shape to the previous torma.
Then place the torma of the individual protector of the teaching, the Lord of the
Charnel Grounds (Kinkara couple). The upper part of this torma is triangular-shaped
and the lower part round. It has seven changbu29 circled around and standing up. If
you are not happy to offer a new torma everyday during the time of the owinma,30
then you can make a torma house. The torma is of red color and is cut in half. Place
it inside the torma house. It is said that the substance of these tormas is mainly meat
and alcohol, made with dough mixed with nectar pills. As the dutsi rilbu nectar pills
have meat in them, it is enough to mix one of these in the torma along with some
alcohol and well-melted butter as the main liquid. Make the tormas so they can last
a long time (without any water) and make sure no insects can get into them.
Also, perform daily without missing any other tormas to the deity-protectors
that one has promised to do, as well as the landlord’s torma, which is made of the
three white substances and so forth. Make a torma house for all of these. This helps
to keep the torma from receiving harm from dust and also prevents mice from en-
tering, and so forth.
In front of this, set a line of three sets of close enjoyments31 with the preliminary
two waters, to offer to the tathagata deity, the worldly ones, and Dharma protectors
starting from the left side of the front generation. Perform well also the offering to
the self-generation from one’s own left side. Other than this, prepare also any num-
ber of tepku32 to refresh the torma daily (by adding more pieces to the main torma).
The offering tormas need to be clean and unmistaken in substance and shape. It
is very important that the materials33 of the torma not be mixed by a person who has
broken their samaya with one’s own guru and with the Dharma. [NOTE: According
to the instructions of the oral tradition, cakes or cookies (as long as they are made
of the correct ingredients), fruit and nuts, or other high quality food substances are
also considered to be suitable.]
The bed [seat] on which one sits should be soft and not solid. The backside of
the bed should be slightly higher. Underneath the bed draw a swastika with chalk or
grain, which points clockwise.
Commentaries 243
In front of oneself, one should gather the samaya substances: vajra, bell, damaru, a
skull filled with wine that has nectar pills in it,34 and also a khatvanga and so forth,
which are the samaya implements and needs.
inner dorje & damaru action mala

offering bell vase
The attendant during retreat

The servant of the retreat should be someone who has a soft heart, who also has
devotion, respect, and clean samaya with you, and who is harmonious with your
mind. In this regard, in order to stay in long retreat, one or two extra people who
could serve for the retreat should be imagined inside the boundary35 in case your
one retreat servant gets sick or has to go to some other place, etc. In the same way,
in addition to your servant, place within the boundary one’s own guru, vajra friends,
and doctors so that one can meet them when there is a need. Include all those who
are worthwhile within the boundary. The way to put them inside the boundary is to
visualize all of these people inside the protection wheel when you put the boundary
marker. Even though you put these people inside the boundary, only meet them if it
is important; otherwise, do not meet them.
What to keep and what to leave outside

You should plan from the very beginning not to undertake any great or small works
for oneself or others during the retreat. If that is not examined and not done, then
there is a great danger of obstacles rising, so one needs to do like this. But if some-
thing important comes up that one has to do, then communicate this via writing
or with hand language. One cannot meet new people at all, and so forth. Regard-
ing one’s possessions, these should not be kept in the retreat house unless they
are things that you definitely need during the retreat. Also, don’t move things out
of your retreat place until the retreat is finished. [Before starting retreat,] move
the things that you do not need to another place until the retreat finishes. Keeping
things that you definitely believe you don’t need36 can cause doubt and superstitious
thought to arise.
During the retreat, other things and material enjoyments37 cannot be brought
inside the boundary mark and also things that are within the boundary mark can-
not be taken out of the boundary mark. The purpose is that by allowing things to be
brought inside the boundary mark, obstacles may enter along with them. By not al-
lowing things to go outside the boundary mark, our attainments do not go out along
with them. (Therefore, one should collect even one’s garbage and keep it some-
where within the boundary in a container or bag. Then it can be disposed of after
the retreat.)
Whatever works that must be done during the nearing retreat – from when it
has well started until it finishes – should be done. Whatever other things oneself
needs to do, finish them up until the day when you start retreat in order to not cre-
ate any outer or inner distractions.
About the ritual to enter retreat

Then, according to the list of preliminaries explained separately, obtain dispelling
water.38 Perform the general torma for the dakas and dakinis, then the torma for the
landlord and the torma for the interferers. With the divine pride of oneself as the
Fully Accomplished Totally Pure Vajrayogini, as it comes from the list of the prelimi-
nary practices, do the preliminary torma and the landlord’s torma. Request that the
activities that are conducive for your practice be done and that the obstacles for the
perfect completion of your retreat be dispelled. Give away the interferers’ torma
and do a very intensive visualization that all the multitudes of interferers who do
not like that you are doing the nearing attainment retreat are dispelled to another
Commentaries 245
place.39 Recite the mantra of Khandarohi forcefully and in a wrathful manner. Burn
gugul incense,40 sprinkle mustard seeds, do the wrathful sound of music,41 and take
the torma outside. [In this way,] dispel all the interferers and generate stable faith
that they have gone to another place.
Then, at the boundary [beyond which] you do not need to go during the retreat,
a place that does not get stepped over, if there is a suitable place, then erect the
boundary marker in the four directions. If not, then erect the boundary marker in
front of the door. Generate the boundary marker into the deity Khandarohi, offer
the torma and the offerings, and request the activity of protecting from obstacles.
[The ritual for entering retreat according to these instructions is included on p. 207.]
Blessing the seat

Then, on a comfortable seat, [sit] facing the western direction, or visualizing that you
are facing that way, by setting up the body in the seven dharmas of Vairochana.42
Place some blessed inner offering with nectar pills in it on your tongue, and by
experiencing this, make the mouth clean and pure. Sprinkle some inner offering on
yourself, on the place, and on your material possessions while reciting the Khanda-
rohi mantra again to dispel interferers and for protection.
Then, on your crown a white OM transforms into a white wheel, whose center
is adorned by a white OM. At your neck, a red AH transforms into a red lotus, the
center of which is adorned by a red AH. At your heart, a blue HUM transforms into
a five-pronged blue vajra, which is adorned in the center by a blue HUM. Recite OM
AH HUM three times and bless the three places43 with the inner offering.
Visualize that even the seat is in the vajra nature. Touch the seat with your left
hand and protect the seat by reciting this mantra:
OM AH VAJRA ASANA HUM SVAHA
Dispelling the interferers, visualizing the protection wheel, blessing the three
places, and protecting the cushion – all of these are explained in so many scriptures
of the mahasiddhas.44 Therefore, it is very important.
Generating Faith in the Practice and a Strong Motivation

Then, as it is said in Drubtob Kunsang: “Derive the definite understanding that these
freedoms and endowments45 are extremely difficult to find and so easily perish, that
it is extremely difficult to meet and be guided by a holy being, the virtuous friend,46
and that it is extremely difficult to be able to practice the pure path. Therefore, direct
the life in the skillful methods that are the best to comprehend. Try to have direct
ascertainment of this particularly, as it is said in the root tantra of Chakrasamvara,
“In whatever place or direction those heroes and great supreme practitioners dwell,
whether they are low caste or barbarians or whatever, that place will be fully exam-
ined and will be a cause to gather sentient beings, and I will abide there.” Thus it is
said that for the yogi[ni] who practices the path of Shri Chakrasamvara, the supreme
bliss father-mother, even if they are considered to be of low caste (a barbarian or of
the butcher caste) and so forth, wherever that person abides, Shri Chakrasamvara,
together with the dakas and dakinis, actually abides there as well and blesses that
place and all beings, animate and inanimate.
The yogi[ni] who practices this path in this life will actualize the unification of
learning and no more learning at the end of the clear light of meaning, which is the
inner Khachö. Or, without leaving this body, one will go to outer Khachö, the place of
innate awareness (rig-dzin47), and by holding the innate awareness, one will actualize
unification in that very life or body. In case one does not accomplish this in this life
due to distraction, then at the time of death one is led to Khachö pure land by the
assemblies of dakas and dakinis, along with the sound of music.
Other than this, in the yogi[ni]s and practitioners who are encouraged in this
path, their negative karmas, even if they have collected so many negative karmas
in the past, are purified instantly (in one second) just by simply doing the medita-
tion and reading the root Chakrasamvara text. It is said that even merely by writing,
meditating on, or reading this text, one will generally achieve the glory of the higher
realms, and particularly, the state of a wheel-turning king and so forth.
Generate an intensive happy mind by thinking, “I am extremely fortunate that I
am able to do the nearing attainment by entering such a good path that is admired
not just once but many times in many tantras, root texts, and commentaries.”
Until the nearing attainment is complete, one should zealously think as follows:
“Whatever happens, works for self and works for others, and whatever great or
small happiness or problems arise, I will not let myself come under their control.”
One should generate a brave heart by relying on the Guru Triple Gem and partic-
ularly on this mind-seal deity (yidam), thinking: “Except for being under the control
of previous karma, there is no way sudden obstacles and so forth can disturb me.”
It is very important to generate these thoughts in all the sessions and in the
break times. Then, transform the mind into bodhichitta.48 One should enter into the
Commentaries 247
ceremony, the method, by thinking: “For the benefit of all sentient beings, I will ac-
tualize this state of unified Vajradhara in this very lifetime.”
How to Conduct the Various Sessions of the Day

Even concerning this, as it comes from the particular attaining method, the great
bliss-nearing path, do [the parts] from the yoga of experiencing nectar down to the
auspicious prayer, including the ganachakra offering, communal tormas, dedication
prayers, and so forth.
Do well the gradual practice of near sleeping, entering the yoga of sleep. Then
the next day at dawn, when the third part of the night has gone, arise by doing the
yoga of rising out of clear light, then dress well and do the washing yoga correctly.
Even though some of the previous lamas did not wash during retreat nor cut
their hair or nails, and they made this out to be a profound point, still in many of
the tantras and scriptures of the Indian pandits it is said that even if inwardly one is
practicing the yoga of secret mantra, one’s outer costume should still be harmoni-
ous with the Vinaya subduing laws. Therefore, do not leave long what is called “re-
treat hair.”
Do the preliminary blessing of the speech, guru puja and so forth, guru yoga,
attaining long life, and so on. Practice that which is necessary. Put either the mara-
medicinal pill49 or the inner offering that is mixed with that on your tongue, and do
the yoga of experiencing nectar. Then perform from refuge and bodhichitta down to
the yoga of conduct and the protection armor. Do the abbreviated prayer of dedica-
tion.50 Then engage in the session break.
For the two middle sessions, do according to the sadhana51 from experiencing
nectar down to blessing the offerings for the self-generation. Then do the yoga of
generating the guru by reciting the guru yoga, which starts with, “In the space before
[me]…” [middle-length sadhana (MLS), p. 38; long sadhana (LS), p. 82] down to “Each
transforms into a nature encompassing all objects of refuge.” [MLS, p. 39; LS, p. 83]
Leave the section from the prostrations “I bow to the lotus feet of the Vajra-
holder, whose kindness…” [LS, p. 84/85] and so forth down to taking the four initia-
tions [LS, p. 111].
Do according to the sadhana passage from absorbing the Guru, “nature of all
the buddhas of the three times…,” [LS, p. 112] down to “They all transform into the
exalted body of Vajrayogini.” [LS, p. 114] The difference is that the lord of the race
(the crown deity) should be generated by itself. Therefore, you add: “...and stand in
the center of a blazing fire of exalted wisdom, adorned on my crown with Heruka-
Vairochana and consort.” [see MLS, p. 41] Do whatever is comfortable for you –
meditating on the body mandala or not. Do the two: absorbing the transcendental
wisdom within oneself, from “PHAIM! From the syllable VAM at my heart…” [LS, p.
116] down to “…the nature of Chandika” [LS, p. 117] and decorate the armor. No
need to do initiating and sealing [LS, p. 117].
During the two middle sessions, do as in the first session from the self-gener-
ation offerings down to the protection border frightening mantra [OM SUMBHA
NISUMBHA…] reciting the mantras as one snaps the fingers of the left hand, and the
short condensed dedication prayers, as one did in the first session.
During the last session, [perform all] down to the protection border frightening
mantra just as in the two middle sessions mentioned previously, [as well as] the tor-
ma offering, the elaborate prayer (of the graduated path of Vajrayogini), and the aus-
picious prayer according to The Nearing Path to Great Bliss: The Uncommon Means
of Attainment of Venerable Vajrayogini Naro Khachö.52
The times of day appropriate for practice

Practice in this way in the pre-dawn time, morning time, evening time, and night
time (four times each day). How long you make your sessions should be according to
your own wishes and temperament.53
The beginning of retreat and end of retreat should be relaxed, whereas the mid-
dle should be tighter and more intensive. The [intensity of] the nearing attainment
(retreat) should be similar to a grain of wheat (starting smaller, getting bigger in the
middle, and ending smaller).
The four times in which there is the destruction of concentration – the two:
when the sun rises and when it sets, and the two: the middle of the day and the
middle of the night – these four times in which one’s concentration disintegrates (or
interferes) should be break times (between sessions).
General Meditation Advice

One should recite the prayers slowly and clarify the visualization of each section.
Don’t let the mind get distracted or dispersed, especially during the duration of tak-
ing the three kayas into the path.
One should motivate in order to purify (this and that) base to be purified. Think:
I am going to do the meditations of (this and that) visualization.
Commentaries 249
During the body mandala, reflect on the channels and the drops of the body into
this and that deity.
It is important to meditate in the center of the central channel (avadhuti); even
within that, clarify in the very center of the heart. Also, another thing: One should
generate clear appearance and divine pride according to where it comes in the sad-
hana. Regarding how to keep the mind on the object and so forth, it is important to
do according to what comes from the gradual generation stage.
How to Do the Mantra Recitation, and Within That, the Mala Used for
Counting
Perform the mala of each activity according to the explanation from tantra. If one
cannot find the auspicious mala for all the activities, then the general one is the skull
or bodhi seed mala. Both are acceptable.
Different numbers of beads for the different actions are mentioned, but accord-
ing to traditional practices the mala should be of 108 beads. The thread of the mala
should be woolen and have nine woolen threads rolled together by a virgin girl.
Blessing the mala

Now, blessing the action (reciting) mala. According to what is said to generate the
vajra holy speech, do according to how it is done during Chakrasamvara practice –
that is, generating into the deity Pädma Karwang and so forth.
The previous lineage lamas of this practice have done according to how it is
said in Sambhuta, “The all foe-destroyer mala….” As it is said: Your own left hand
becomes a five-petalled lotus. In the center of that is a moon disc, on top of that
is a white AH, and surrounding around the edges are the white ali vowels, circling
clockwise. Your own right hand becomes a blue vajra. In the center of that is a sun
disc, above that is a HUM, and the edges of the HUM are decorated with the red kali
consonants, circling anticlockwise. Above the garland (mala) appears a white SUM,
(above that) a blue HUM, (above that) a red AH, and (above that) a white OM. Think
that they are all existing as piled syllables.
Then hold the mala in your cupped two hands at the heart. Dispel with the
mantra:
OM VAJRA AMRITA KUNDALI HANA HANA HUM PHAT
All is emptiness. Purify in emptiness. From emptiness, the mala thread becomes
a HUM that is transformed into the principal deity Vajrasattva surrounded by eight
bodhisattvas.
The beads become AH, which are transformed into arhats. Regarding the holder
of the beginning and end of the thread, which is called dor-dzin (referring to that
which holds the mala together): The one below is transformed into an OM and be-
comes rupakaya; the top one is transformed into an OM and becomes dharmakaya.
All these are not in the aspect of the deity, but it is just enough to think they are
the essence, so all are this and that deity.
For a new mala recite the mantra 108 times:
OM PADE PADE MAHA JÑANAM SARVA BUDDHA MAYA BARVE TA HUM HUM
HUM HO HO HO AH KHAM SVAHA
For other [malas], or usually, one can recite according to the time of that session.
Light beams radiate from your own heart syllable VAM, invoking all the blessings
of holy speech of the buddhas and bodhisattvas in the aspect of ali and kali. These
absorb into the mala. With the action of the two hands, method and wisdom, churn-
ing (like butter), continuous nectar from the syllables absorbs to the garland (mala).
With the HA of the mantra blow on the mala.
If one is unable to do daily, then even by reciting the three-OM mantra three
times, it is said to be acceptable.
How to count the mantras

First put the mala over the left hand ring finger; then with the thumb, bring down the
thumb, counting as much as possible. Later, if that is uncomfortable, one can recite
by putting the mala over the left hand forefinger. Then count with the thought to
hook the realizations, thinking of the thumb as a hook.
The actual recitation has three parts:
1. decorating recitation
2. emitting and absorbing recitation
3. ceasing recitation
Commentaries 251
Decorating recitation
In the first (decorating recitation), you visualize the body mandala at the heart of
the principal deity of the body mandala. Then visualize the chöjung [phenomena-
sources], the moon disk, and the syllable VAM surrounded by the mantra. As you
concentrate on the syllables recite the mantra in the manner of reading.
Emitting and absorbing recitation

Now in the second [recitation] (emitting and absorbing), there are two visualizations:
the visualization of doing the works for others and doing the works for self.
The first visualization, doing the works for others: Innumerable immeasurable
beams of light radiate from the heart mantra completely illuminating the inside of
the holy body of the principal deity of the body mandala. Then visualize gradually
illuminating all the holy bodies, four yoginis, thirty-two heroines, and yourself clari-
fied as Vajrayogini. After that, the illuminating light rays are also emitted from your
own body, radiating to the ten directions. The light strikes all the sentient beings of
the six realms and purifies the two defilements and imprints of all the sentient be-
ings. They are all transformed into Vajrayogini’s holy body. From their holy mouths
comes the sound of “wrrrr dhir dhir” [the murmuring roar one hears when thou-
sands of people are talking].
The second visualization, doing the works of self: On the tips of the light beams
inconceivable clouds of outer, inner, and secret offerings are carried. All the victors
and their sons (the buddhas and bodhisattvas) are invoked in the form of red light.
Think that they all absorb into you and bless your mental continuum. Recite as you
visualize in this way.
The mantra of recitation should be only the three- OM mantra [of Vajrayogini].
Ceasing recitation
The third is how to do the ceasing, or mental, recitation with the seven-point pos-
ture of meditation.
At first, breathe from the left nostril, softly at the beginning and the end and
stronger in the middle. As you breathe, think that your own two obscurations to-
gether with their imprints, especially the afflictive emotion of attachment, exit
through the kyangma (left) channel together with the wind. First, about one fathom
(four arm-lengths), then it goes outside the house, then further and further away,
crossing the three galaxies of the universe until it eventually disappears like a cloud.
Place the mind on that for some time.
When you exhale, the sign that you have expelled all the bad air is when you
start to have pain in the heart.54
Again, one breathes in slowly and exhales through the right nostril with the visu-
alization of purifying hatred from the roma (right) path/channel [as above].
Then, from both nostrils exhale doing the visualization of purifying ignorance
which goes out from between the eyes through the path of the central channel
(avadhuti) [again as above].
If you want to hold the vase breathing many times, then first do that complete
set two more times, thus clearing away the bad air by doing nine rounds.55
Then, with the lower door [the anus] slightly opened and closed, bring up the
downward wind in a relaxed and enjoying way, without tightness. Then inhale com-
pletely the upper wind in the manner of taking earth. Then, swallow spit without
making any sound, while at the same time pressing down at the navel. At that time
think: “With the upper wind bring the body mandala, together with the seat chöjung
at the heart, down to the navel.” The tip of the chöjung almost touches the secret
place. With that, all the body mandala deities become syllable letters and the YA RA
LA VA absorb into the syllable VAM.
Again, bring the lower wind completely up, mixing it with the life wind. Do not
keep the body too tight; let it be relaxed. Think that your own mind has entered into
the VAM syllable at the navel; then do [the mental recitation] as if you are reading
the mantra, anti-clockwise. Hold the breath as long as possible. When you can’t
[hold it any longer] without forcing, pull up the downward wind and exhale slowly so
that the hairs of the nostrils don’t move.
Take a little rest, then do the vase breathing and so forth again. Do what one can,
and along with that do the mental recitation. At the end of the session, by the way,
engage in the two graduated completion stages, especially the inconceivable yoga,
which is the particular profound point of this deity. This should be a heart practice
as it comes from the commentaries. It is very important to meditate precisely and
again and again.
During the recitation, while one’s mind is one-pointedly concentrating on and
inseparable from that, if the recitation is done in that way, without doubt you will re-
ceive the blessing without taking a long time. If one does the recitation with the mind
distracted by ordinary superstitious thought, then no matter how many mantras one
Commentaries 253
recites, it is said that one won’t receive the actual blessing. Therefore, be careful and
precise in this.
In some of the past nearing retreat writings it was explained that one can drink
tea, urinate, and such in a container during the session, but that traditional practice
looks very gross and should not be done.
The number of recitations for the enabling action is 100,000, or in the time of
quarreling, it increases, so one must recite 400,000 times.
After the number of mantra is completed, recite the invoking wisdom mantra.
This wasn’t said by the previous lineage lamas, but if it’s done, it becomes a branch
of perfection. If one wishes, recite 10,000 [(or 10 percent of the total number of
Vajrayogini mantras recited in retreat) of the wisdom mantra]:
VAIROCHANIYE HUM HUM HUM PHAT PHAT PHAT HUM HA AH JHAI SVAHA
At that time, the visualization is as follows: innumerable red beams radiate from
your heart. These invoke all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions who
descend in the form of Vajrayogini. Like a great rainfall, they are all absorbed into
your body.
Obstacles to Completing the Retreat and Mistakes to Avoid

To do the valid nearing retreat followed by the graduated practice of samaya – what
is to be abandoned and what is to be practiced – it is as it was said by Padampa
Sangye: “If one doesn’t recognize the five points, then the nearing retreat disap-
pears. As a result, doing the practice of the nearing retreat becomes meaningless.”
The five points are as follows: Interrupting the visualization of oneself as the de-
ity makes the deity of the body disappear. If one talks during the mantra recitation
before coming to the holder of the two ends of the mala, the power of mantra disap-
pears. If one engages in mantra recitation without having done the emitting and ab-
sorbing visualization, then concentration disappears. During the retreat if one meets
people [that one hasn’t put in the retreat], the sign of the deity disappears. If the
altar, the holy objects, the offerings, torma, samaya objects, and so forth are seen
by other people, it is said that the the power of the substances disappears.
The great holy being, Pädmakara, who completed the conduct, said: “The rea-
son why tantric practitioners these days don’t receive exactly the powers and signs
explained in the root tantric text is due to interrupting the three retreats. That is:
Before the holy body retreat is over, one meets others; before the holy speech re-
treat is over, you lose speech (talk slips out); and before the holy mind retreat is over,
it is interrupted by strong delusion.”
If the three samayas are degenerated – generation of the deity is not clear, man-
tra recitation is not clear, and meditative concentration is distracted – then also it
(attainment of powers and signs) will not happen.
If the three protections are degenerated – that is, if the essence of the body drop
is lost, if the essence of the speech (saliva) is spit out, and if the essence of the mind
[is contaminated] by superstition rising, then it also will not happen.
Without completing the retreat don’t change the place; don’t disturb the seat;
and don’t mix one’s food with others’ leftover food. Offer the torma without go-
ing beyond the time (always offer at the right time in the evenings). Don’t fight and
don’t harbor grudges. Don’t let the first torma be degenerated. Don’t allow dogs,
prostitutes, or males who have leprosy or black spots on the face to come into the
house of attainment, and don’t eat food eaten by them. Don’t pull a bow; don’t
break an arrow. Don’t let anyone in the room where you sleep. Don’t allow others
to touch your mala. Don’t put the tip of any weapon [or any sharp or pointed thing]
into your mouth.
Generally, when you recite mantra, there are ten mistakes that need to be aban-
doned. The ten are as follows: the five mistakes of sound – reciting too loud, too
softly, too fast, too slowly, and blowing on the fire (such as blowing out a candle),
and the five obstacles – coughing with mucus, talking, falling asleep, being distract-
ed, and yawning. These [latter] five are the mistakes that degenerate the life of one’s
concentration. Therefore, when one recites mantra during the nearing attainment,
if, during the recitation, one falls asleep, coughs with mucus, yawns, passes down-
ward gas, or leaks feces or urine, one should immediately put down the mala and
do the practice of nyer-ne [take water with the fingers and sprinkle it on the mouth,
eyes, nose, and ears] and clean the mouth. One should not count the mantras re-
cited during those times.
If talk slips out, you don’t count 4 beads. Similarly, when you cough, 5, or yawn,
10. If you spit out mucus, snot, or saliva, 1 bead; if you pass downward gas, 7 beads;
if you fall asleep, 15 beads.
Even during the breaktime session, don’t let the mind get scattered. Without
separating from the divine pride of yourself as the mind-seal deity, everything ap-
pears to you with bliss-voidness. In that way, meditate on yourself as the deity’s
Commentaries 255
holy body. Do the yoga of washing, eating, sleeping, and awakening. If you become
exhausted, do the yoga of developing the body and so forth according to the genera-
tion stage.
It is especially important to meditate on devotion to the guru and the deity and
to constantly make requests (whether one is happy or sad, sick or healthy, whether
there are obstacles or no obstacles).
During the retreat, one cannot chat about many unnecessary things. It is accept-
able to say a few particularly necessary things during the breaktime session to one’s
own retreat time servant. Don’t look at many da texts (such as worldly poetry or how
to form the sound of Sanskrit letters with male and female letters) [the meaning here
is not to read worldly things], astrology, medicine, and so forth. There is no mistake in
reading the Lam-rim and the explanations, advice, and so forth related to the genera-
tion and completion stage of this tradition [of Vajrayogini].
One shouldn’t have any expectation to see the deity or to receive predictions
either directly or in dreams. One shouldn’t have any doubts, thinking that obstacles
or interferers might come. Without any of these one should have faith and respect,
trusting the guru, the deity, and the practice intensively in the session times and in
the break times between the sessions as it is instructed. Keep the mind happy and
comfortable with joy.
One should not do the recitation and so forth half in one place and half in another
place [i.e., changing places]. One should complete the total number of mantras in one
place in one retreat. When the numbers are completed well, in order to purify what
is missing or what has been added to the recitation, perform the purifying burning
offering practice. Here, the glorified Sakyapas accept the ten-part burning offering
practice. The meaning of the ten-part burning offering practice is as follows: For ex-
ample, if you do 400,000 mantras, then [according to the Sakya tradition] 40,000
sesame seed offerings are acceptable. But according to the Dharma king, the great
Tsongkhapa, for the nearing retreat of enabling action, doing the peaceful burning of-
fering practice is sufficient. The ten-part burning offering practice is considered as a
preliminary to accomplishing the collections of actions (the four activities); therefore,
you don’t need to do it here.
According to the Vajrayogini instructions, the ten-part burning offering practice is
said to be the controlling burning offering practice (for the all-controlling activities) in
order to control the deity and the fireplace. Here, how to do the burning offering prac-
tice to purify the missed and the added is: Perform according to the sublime refuge
Vajradhara Pabongkha’s instructions on how to do “the peaceful burning offering

practice fulfilling the desires or attainments.” It is said that if the burning offering
practice can be done along with the retreat, that is good, but if that doesn’t get ac-
complished, then it can also be done later. But until the burning offering practice is
accomplished, one must do the long sadhana every day without break. That is the
tradition.
Pleasing the Deities through the Celebration of the Hearers

Like that, after having done well the nearing retreat, before the retreat is over do
the Celebration of the Hearers Pleasing the Deity (tsog) in the manner of a puja of
thanksgiving to the Dharma protectors, satisfying or fulfilling the protectors’ holy
minds (kang so). Do elaborate offerings of torma, incense, and so forth to the deva of
the country and the landlord. Then pack up the torma of one’s mind-seal deity and
enjoy it as a means of attainment/blessing. Take the offerings that have to be taken
out to a clean place or to a big body of water. Statues or paintings of one’s own deity,
the scriptures (i.e., the tantra), as well as the samaya substances – bell, vajra, skulls
and so forth, and counting malas from the nearing attainment should not be shown;
they should be hidden from those who haven’t received instruction and those who
don’t have clean samaya.
Then make the torma offering to the retreat boundary marker deity and ask to
return back (see page 236). Leave the retreat marker in the place where people don’t
step over it. When you finish the retreat, you first conclude the inner retreat. Then
you can meet the people that you visualized inside the retreat boundary (at the time
of visualizing the protection wheel) but whom you did not meet during retreat, as
well as your own companion, relatives, and so forth, those who are near to you who
are harmonious to your mind. Then you yourself can go outside the boundary and
walk around a bit where not too many people will see you. Then you should gradu-
ally conclude the outer boundary, after which you can meet outside people.
Commentaries 257
Notes:
1. That is, the dharmadhatu, or emptiness.

2. Fully Accomplished Totally Pure Female One is an expanded way of translating jetsünma, a word
that, in Tibetan, is full of meaning.
3. The Fifth Dalai Lama.
4. That is, they will continue on the path and gain attainments.
5. This possibly refers to the path of the clear light of death.
6. That is, India, the land of buddhas, arhats, and bodhisattvas.
7. “Nearing” means “coming closer to the deity.” There are two types of nearing (or approxima-
tion) retreat: the great retreat (ngen-chen) and the short retreat (ngen-pa). Here “nearing re-
treat” refers to the short retreat, also called the retreat enabling action (see note 8 below). It
is said that in these degenerate times one must recite 400,000 mantras in order to complete
the short retreat.
8. “Enabling action” refers to the fact that completing the short nearing retreat enables one to do
various activities, such as consecrating holy objects, doing fire puja, and performing the self-
initiation.
9. That is, the first level path of highest yoga tantra — the graduated path of the generation stage.
10. Sindura is a special red earth powder found in the holy places of Vajrayogini and Heruka.
11. Langali is a particular bush that has a circular leaf with seven points; the stem of the plant is
hollow inside.
12. That is, Vajrasattva.
13. That is, making prostrations while reciting the names of the Thirty-five Buddhas of Confession
as a way of purifying downfalls.
14. That is, reciting the requesting prayer to Lama Tsongkhapa (mig-tse-ma) in conjunction with the
guru yoga practice of Lama Tsongkhapa.
15. Vajra Daka, or Dorje Khadro.
16. Clay or plaster images of the Buddha.
17. Sometimes translated as the ear-whispered lineage.
18. That is, coming closer to becoming the deity.
19. This is a special practice of offering one hundred small round tormas. Verse 98 of Guru Puja
says: “Whatever I occasion to meet, I seek your blessings that I may adapt it to my meditation
by the skillful means of the four application. May I render this life of liberties and endowments
infinitely meaningful by practicing the advice and commitments of thought training.”
As Pabongkha Rinpoche explains in Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, the “four applica-
tions” refers to (1) amassing the two collections, (2) purifying obscurations, (3) giving ritual
cakes (torma) to the spirits, and (4) invoking the enlightened activity of the Dharma protectors.
If one confesses all one’s negativities by reciting the General Confession after completing a One
Hundred Torma Offering, then this fulfills all four acts. It is also appropriate to do mind training
prayers at the end of such a ceremony.
When those who are thoroughly familiar with mind training fall ill, they should invoke the
enlightened activity of the Dharma protectors by saying: “My practice of giving and taking
(tong-len) has gained new meaning because the suffering of all sentient beings is now ripening
on me. May the sickness be even worse than it is already!” When offering the ritual cakes to
the spirits, they should think, “You have been so kind to me by harming me. This has been so
beneficial for my practice, helping me to purify my negative karmas and obscurations and build
up my collections of merit. Now please do me even more harm!” Those who are not sufficiently
brave will be frightened by such a thought and not capable of doing this, so they should instead
do the usual practice of invoking the aid of the spirits to prevent sickness and so forth.
20. Three-Part Giving (cha-sum) is a practice said to be effective for dying people or those who are
in great pain. Three tormas are offered: (1) a torma with a three-petalled decoration is offered
to the ten guardians, (2) a torma with a two-petalled decoration is offered to the eight groups
of worldly gods, and (3) a torma with a one-petalled decoration is offered to the hungry ghosts.
Generally, before performing this Three-Part Giving, a torma with a four-petalled decoration is
offered to the landlord.
21. Yari can refer to snow mountains or mountains where the rock is blue-colored. Generally, it
refers to high mountains where grass is growing.
22. That is, with this practice of Vajrayogini.
23. This is the name of a star; each month of the year has a specific name.
24. Chag-dar. This means first sprinkle water and then clean the dust, so that the dust does not rise
up and make the holy objects dirty.
25. The “house of attainment” refers to the retreat house. It is called this because the purpose of
doing the nearing retreat is to achieve attainments.
26. Pachung is a pill made of cow dung from a cow that has eaten a particular kind of grass.
27. There are three main tormas for the nearing retreat: (1) the Vajrayogini torma, (2) the general
dakini torma, and (3) the protector torma. You can make one torma for all the protectors or dif-
ferent tormas for the different protectors. If you do self-initiation, you need to offer a separate
torma to the landlord and a separate torma to the Kinkara couple protectors.
28. Muksti: a plant that produces red color. If this plant is not available, then use red food coloring.
29. That is, dough which is fingerprinted.
30. That is, when doing the prayer of making the torma offering to the protectors. It begins: “HUM
From the palace of pure great bliss in Akanishta…”
Commentaries 259
31. “Close enjoyments” (sometimes called “near enjoyments”) refers to the offerings of flowers
(pushpe), incense (dhupe), lights (dipe), perfume (gandhe) and food (naividya).
32. That is, triangular-shaped pieces of dough.
33. That is, the flour and substances.
34. That is, the inner offering.
35. In other words, you should think of them as being inside the boundary when you begin the
retreat.
36. Such as things that belong to other people who have broken their samaya (commitments) with
the gurus.
37. In other words, household needs.
38. That is, bless the vase containing the dispelling water at the beginning of the retreat using the
prayer found in the sadhana.
39. They are dispelled from the mandala to beyond this world so that it is impossible for them to
come back again and interfere.
40. Gugul (a type of myrrh) is a kind of resin that is burned when dispelling interferers. For example,
it is burned when offering the dispelling torma (gek-tor). Gugul is easily available in India and
Nepal.
41. Using the cymbals.
42. The seven features of the correct sitting position are: (1) legs in the vajra position, (2) hands in
the gesture of meditative absorption, (3) back straight, (4) teeth and lips relaxed and the tip of
the tongue touching the upper palate, (5) head bent slightly forward, (6) eyes focused on the tip
of the nose, (7) shoulders level.
43. That is, at the crown, neck, and heart.
44. The mahasiddhas are the great meditators who have realized emptiness and the great attain-
ments that derive from direct realization of emptiness.
45. This refers to the eight freedoms and ten richnesses that constitute a perfect human rebirth.
46. Holy beings can refer to those who are considered holy in other people’s view but are not their
virtuous friend. Here it relates to your own virtuous friend who may not necessarily be viewed
as a holy being by others.
47. Rig-dzin generally refers to one who possesses the transcendental wisdom of non-dual bliss
and voidness. There are three kinds of Khachö: (1) outer Khachö refers to Vajrayogini’s pure
land, (2) inner Khachö refers to the clear light, and (3) great Khachö refers to enlightenment.
48. The Tibetan says literally “clarify the object aspect of bodhichitta,” indicating the way in which
one generates bodhichitta. By meditating on the kindness of all mother sentient beings and
thinking of their sufferings in cyclic existence, generate great compassion and the strong wish
to become enlightened for their sake.
49. This is called dutsi rilbu in Tibetan. It is a nectar pill that has the function of destroying the maras
and bringing realizations, hence the name “mara-medicinal” pill. It can either be taken straight,
or mixed with some inner offering and a small amount placed on the tongue as explained.
50. The point here is that for the first, second, and third sessions, it is not necessary to do the torma
offering, the elaborate dedication prayer, or the auspicious prayers, so the sadhana is thereby
abbreviated.
51. The “method of attainment,” that is, the recitation text.
52. The name of this Vajrayogini sadhana.
53. Tib: khams dang mos pa
54. Literally, “having dryness.”
55. From Lama Zopa Rinpoche: My guess is that this could mean to exhale and inhale from both
nostrils holding the vase breathing. Or perhaps to inhale and exhale from the left nostril and
then from the right nostril with the vase breath, then first from the right and then from the left
with the vase breath, and finally from both nostrils with the vase breath. If you are going to hold
the vase breath only two or three times, then it’s enough just to clean away the bad air three
times.
Colophon:
Here it is said:
Actually proceeding to the city of the knowledge-holder

Without discarding this body of flesh and bones and
Attaining accomplishment by merely reciting the near-essence [mantra];
Such features are [present] only in this profound instruction.
By penetrating the essential points of the three inner messengers

And being assisted by the three outer messengers,
Actualizing the self-face of the three secret messengers
Is a feature only of this practice.
Based upon the mandala of the vajra body

At the palace of the inner tips of the channels of the twenty-four [places],
The action wind is quickly hooked into the indestructible sphere;
Also this profound point is the feature of the quickness of this path.
Commentaries 261
For those such as I who have no time to achieve the means of everlasting happiness,
Even though they practice, other than collecting mere words, they do not know to meditate;
For such inferior fortunate beings who have obtained this perfect good path,
There is nothing easier to perform and of greater profit than this profound instruction.
Therefore now, my friends, by forcefully discarding

All the deceptive appearance of this life,
Enjoy this pinnacle of the quick path to everlasting happiness and
Definitely achieve the state of inner and outer Khachö quickly.
Through the force of the result of bearing hardships with my three doors in this path
And all the collections of goodness,
May I be cared for by the Vajra Queen in all lifetimes
And may I quickly achieve the celebration of the outer and inner Khachö.
Just as requested by the secretary of Nyemo, Tsering, one with exalted devotion and perseverance,
who said that there was a need to write something like this in order to benefit beginners who take
this special deity as their yidam, I who bear the name of the incarnation of Trijang extracted just this
way to perform a serviceable retreat from The Steps for a Fortunate One to Proceed to Naro Khachö,
Vajrayogini’s Pure Land set forth in the Recitation Practice of the Three Actions of Approximation
Accomplishments of Venerable Vajrayogini Naro Khachö Wangmo, the holy speech of the supreme
object of refuge Vajradhara, foremost Pabongkha, whose kindness is unparalleled. Apart from con-
densing the quotations and so forth, I have stated it by way of copying the very blessed holy speech
of the Guru Vajradhara without any corruption or modification.
Dedication for the benefactor of the printing:

May Palden Tsering, who is very devoted and is an extensive benefactor, who made offerings for
the teachings of Buddha to be victorious, be able to proceed like an extremely quick chariot along
the paths and bhumis, and may he be led quickly to the victorious state of primordial unification.
Translator’s colophon:
The main body of this text was translated from the Tibetan text by Kyabje Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
The first part was dictated to Deborah Bloomer in Big Sur, February 1998, and to Ven. Holly Ansett
in India, April 1998. The second part was dictated to Ven. Sarah Thresher and Ven. Holly at Kachoe
Dechen Ling, Aptos, 2001. It was then edited by Ven. Sarah. Further checked and corrected by
Geshe Thubten Sherab and scribed by Merry Colony, January 2004. The colophon was translated
by Losang Chomo. Final editing by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, October
2004–January 2005. All errors are the fault of the editors.
Commentaries 263
Song of the Spring Queen

on the Experiences of the Path:
Advice on How to Conduct the Practices During the

Great Retreat of Vajrayogini
This is a short writing on the detailed and vast advices that are needed to be thought for the
session and the periods in between called Song of the Spring Queen on the Experiences of
the Path. This advice was given during the teachings [by Pabongkha Rinpoche] on how to do
the great retreat on Vajrayogini to Upasaka Dorje Rapten from Upper Rongthang.
The precise instructions concerning the practice of the basic visualizations during
and between sessions are clearly explained in the retreat manual. If you wish to
elaborate on what is already explained in the scriptures concerning the visualizations
at the time of mantra recitation during the approximation retreat, for beginners like
us it is very good to train in the topics of the graduated path to enlightenment. In this
respect, there are definitely instructions and layout. For instance, during a month-
long retreat program, if you divide the meditation topics beginning with guru devo-
tion up to bodhichitta day by day, applying effort in each of the topics and gradually
moving over to the next one in the course of retreat, by the time you have com-
pleted the retreat you will have been able to go over a very extensive panoramic
meditation on the whole path, and this will be excellent.
For people like us, this will be just enough to place imprints or merely an initial
experiential glimpse [of the topics] but not enough to be able to produce the con-
trived or uncontrived experiences.
You can also consider another way in which during the first session you begin with
meditation on guru devotion [and go over the topics]; you then proceed [with medi-
tations on the other topics in the subsequent sessions], arriving at [the meditation
on] bodhichitta by the end of the last session. By meditating in this way, starting
the morning session with guru devotion and arriving as far as bodhichitta in the last
session, you’ll be able to complete a panoramic meditation on a daily basis. Just as
I mentioned before, aside from placing stable imprints, this is not going to produce
either contrived or uncontrived experiences. Yet, in comparison to having a pure vi-
sion of the deity, reciting billions of mantras, or achieving clairvoyance and magical
powers, placing stable imprints of the graduated path has many superior qualities.
This is the only time we have found the meaningful basis so difficult to find, the
only time we have come into contact with the teachings of the whispered lineage
of the Gentle Protector [Lama Tsongkhapa]; thus, we must do whatever we can to
generate the complete special experiences. Therefore, in order to leave the imprints
of the whole path, engage in a glance meditation from guru devotion to bodhichitta
and, in addition to that, also meditate on the general advice of the six perfections in
general and the perfection of concentration and wisdom in particular, even just in
prayer. Then, during the self-generation of the deity, apply your mind in the medita-
tion topics of the gradual generation stage, and at the conclusion of your session, do
a panoramic meditation on the topics of the gradual completion stage. In this way,
you will be able to complete on a daily basis a short panoramic meditation on the
entire path.
If you want to approach each topic comprehensively, you should first strive to
produce the experience of [the topics of] guru devotion. Among the topics of cor-
rectly devoting to the spiritual teacher, training in the root, faith, is very difficult to
elicit. For some people, just to bring forth this experience might require the entire
life. Thus, if you wait for this to happen there is a danger of not having the opportu-
nity to move on to the next topics of leisure and fortune and so forth before many
eons. Therefore, approach this skillfully. Begin by taking a single topic of guru de-
votion and one of leisure and fortune. Focus on these with extensive analysis until
you are able to produce an experience. During the other occasions [sessions] do the
short panoramic meditations as I have explained before. For example, in [a daily
program of] four sessions, during the first two or three sessions meditate exclusively
on these two topics. During the last one or two sessions, do the panoramic medita-
tion on the entire path up to bodhichitta. Include also the taking of the bodhisattva
vows in connection with engaging bodhichitta, and use the meditation prayers of
Commentaries 265
Lama Chöpa or Lama Tsongkhapa’s most brief lam-rim text, Songs of Experience,
for the training in the six perfections and so forth. From time to time, engage in the
visualizations as explained in the retreat manuals of the gradual generation stage.
However, if you rely too much on the visualizations at your heart, there is a danger
of developing life-wind diseases; therefore, one must be careful.
Taking the individual meditations of correctly devoting to the spiritual friend and
leisure and fortune means that [for guru devotion,] first you focus only on the eight
benefits of correctly devoting to the spiritual friend, and for leisure and fortune, you
begin by focusing only on recognizing the leisures and fortunes. Stay with these until
you are able to elicit an experience.
How to Elicit Experiences of the Meditation Topics

The manner of eliciting experiences is as follows. For instance, let’s take the ben-
efits of correctly devoting to the spiritual friend. First, you should establish the root
[core meaning] that you need to generate [in your mind as experiential realization].
Analyze each of the eight benefits using their specific quotations and reasoning, as
if you were engaging in a debate against yourself. Apply this with effort until you are
able to generate an ascertaining awareness. When the core meaning of the subject
clearly appears to the mind, when you are able to see, “This is it. It’s like this,” then
just focus your mind on that conviction. This is the way of applying analytical medi-
tation combined with single-pointed meditation on the conviction [elicited by the
analysis]. You should do this over and over. With the exception of calm abiding, this
is the manner of meditation for all the topics [of the graduated path to enlighten-
ment] up to special insight.
Until you have produced the experience of a specific topic, you should not move
on to the next. You move on to the next topic only once you have elicited the expe-
rience of the previous one. In the case of some of the topics, the experience can be
easily elicited within the space of one or two weeks; for the difficult ones, it might
require months or years. However, you should not be concerned with the amount
of time; just apply the effort required in producing the experience. If you keep put-
ting effort in this way, the experience of realizations will gradually develop until it is
firmly rooted.
In terms of how to develop experiences, I have written in verse, separate from
this advice, to the sponsor named Pomda Nima as otherwise [if you don’t know how
to develop the experiences] even though one might have the motivation to do pure
Dharma, there will not be any resultant experiences. If one spends one’s time in this
way, then one will be able to spend days and months without being distracted by
clinging to this life.
How to Start the Day

The most important practice between sessions is to bring to mind over and over
the topic on which you have meditated during the session. One of the key points to
increase virtue is to mix this as much as possible throughout all one’s daily activi-
ties of going, standing, sleeping, and sitting. If you look at the scriptures, you should
then read the biographies of the lamas of your lineage, as well as lam-rim, lo-jong,
and texts on the two stages. If you read various texts at random, your wisdom will
degenerate. It is most important to read the scriptures containing the meditation
topics you are practicing during the sessions.
In the early morning, rise with the yoga of waking in the early morning, etc., as
is generally taught, and think that it is extraordinary that you are able to wake up
this morning and that you did not die during the night. Then, generate the inten-
tion that for whatever time of one’s life is left, particularly this year, moreover this
month, especially during this day, "I will practice only the pure Mahayana path," thus
extracting a meaningful essence. Then recite the increasing effect mantra and the
mantras to bless the speech, the rosary, and so forth. Then, by particularly stressing
the leisures, fortunes, and impermanence, generate renunciation and bodhichitta
together with making requests for the proper motivation. First, engage in any of
the elaborate or short versions of guru yoga, such as Lama Chöpa or the Six Session
[Guru Yoga], and then begin the self-generation for the actual session. If you medi-
tate with effort on impermanence at the start of each session, it will make a great
deal of difference to the way you engage in the actual session. As well, you should
definitely generate bodhichitta, which is strengthened by the impermanence medi-
tation, as the motivation for the session. For instance, [think,] “I will definitely die,
although I don’t know when. Before this happens, I must achieve supreme enlight-
enment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Therefore, in this very session I will
manifest the state of the three exalted bodies of Dorje Näljorma.” Motivate like this
at the outset of the session and also bring to the mind this motivation again and
again during the actual session.
Commentaries 267
How to Engage Between Sessions

How to engage between sessions is as follows: One should circumambulate holy
objects. If you don’t get up very much during the retreat and if the retreat is long,
then one’s body can become sick, and this may become an obstacle to your Dharma
practice. Therefore, engage in the activities that require standing. If one has attach-
ment to the good signs, etc., or is superstitious about the bad signs, etc., this will be-
come an obstacle to one’s practice. Therefore, one shouldn’t have any expectation
[of good] or doubts [about not receiving good signs]. If one’s mind is too tight and
narrow with too much energy, then again this can result in the obstacle of negative
mind. Therefore, in the depths of one’s mind one must have great energy while re-
maining very calm and collected on the outside. Since one does not know whether
the so-called obstacles are outer, inner, or secret, one’s mind should be very alert.
Dispelling Obstacles
Even though there are many ways of dispelling obstacles or enhancing [the practice]
according to the individual [deity practices], the one that is common to all, which
pervades all, which is like the king [of practices], is making requests to the guru.
When engaging in virtuous activities or practices, one must develop a vast mind to
be able to retain a consistent continuity to complete the practice and not be blown
about by the mind that expects to generate realizations and see the deity instantly.
No matter whether there is happiness or suffering, good or bad, praise or criti-
cism, etc., whatever conditions one encounters, on top of not following those condi-
tions, one should quash them and try as much as one can to take them as the path
and as a conducive condition for the practice of virtue. But one should not neglect
[the conditions] such as sickness, etc., that are obstacles to one’s life, and one must
strive again and again in the means to pacify such sickness, etc., and to have the
means for long life.
In the evening before going to sleep, engage in the concentration of “the play
of the lion” (sengye nampar tse wäi ting nge dzin), which means to look at all the
activities one has done in the day and to investigate clearly whether everything has
gone according to the motivation one made in the early morning. Also, investigate in
detail each of the three sets of vows, the afflictive emotions and faults, as well as all
the negative karma and downfalls of transgressing these vows. As well, meticulously
investigate how many virtues one has created and try to count them. For those ac-
tions that have not been in accord with the Dharma, one should clearly acknowledge
these faults and generate great remorse. One should then engage in the practice of
confession again and again for all the negative karma and downfalls that one has cre-
ated in the day and make a strong resolution not to do the same tomorrow. If one
has created many virtues that day, then rejoice and make a strong determination to
do the same tomorrow.
Then, do the general dedications and prayers for all the virtues that one has cre-
ated that day. Particularly, since the time of death is uncertain, there is no certainty
that one will be able to wake up tomorrow after going to sleep tonight. There is also
no guarantee that one will be alive tonight, and if one were to die suddenly tonight,
one must make sure that there will be no regret. Therefore, one must confess again
and again whatever negative karma and downfalls one has created; one must gather
all the virtues together and make strong dedications and prayers; and one must
strive to actualize the ultimate aspiration again and again. Just as the elder Kadam
masters said, “Even if I die now, there is no other aspiration than this.” Like this, one
must engage in the yoga of sleeping, thinking that one has no regret and feeling joy
even if one is to die tonight.
On the next day, one engages in the practices starting with the yoga of awaken-
ing. Whether one engages in retreat or not, if one is able to take the life practices into
each day’s activities, in this way the root of definite goodness will be immovable.
Colophon:
This advice by Pabongkha Rinpoche was translated from The Collection of Vajrayogini, printed by
Sheri Pharkhang, India, second printing, 1995, folios 301–16.
Translation by Fabrizio Pallotti and Geshe Thubten Sherab. Edited by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT
Education Services, January 2004.
Hand Gestures 269
How to Perform
Hand Gestures (Mudras)
for Vajrayogini Practice
About these mudras

Please note that different lamas may teach the following mudras in different ways.
For example, with the first mudra related to the mantra OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH,
some traditions teach the hand positions for OM and AH opposite to what is shown
here. If you have been taught something different to what is depicted here, do the
mudras according to the lineage you have received from your teacher.
Hand Gestures 271
Mudras with OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH
OM AH
HUM HA HO HRIH
Blazing Mudra to Be Performed with PHAIM
Bring the hands up from the left thigh, and then, with palms outward at the level
of the forehead, make an undulating circular motion three times counterclockwise,
three times clockwise, and again, three times counterclockwise.
Mudras with JAH HUM VAM HOH
JAH
HUM
Hand Gestures 273
VAM
HOH
Lotus-Turning Mudra
These illustrations only approximate how this mudra sequence should be done. One
should learn directly from a qualified teacher.
A (snapping the fingers)
B (turning left) C (turning right)
Start by snapping the fingers as in A. Turn the hands first to the left (B), then to the
right (C), and again to the left, ending in the embracing mudra (F).
Hand Gestures 275
D (turning left) E (transitioning to embracing mudra [F])
F (embracing mudra)
Offering Mudras
ARGHAM
PADYAM
Side view Top view

Hand Gestures 277
PUSHPE
A B
DHUPE
A B
At the end, the hands close completely into soft fists.

DIPE/ALOKE
GANDHE
Hand Gestures 279
NAIVIDYA
SHAPTA
Wag the extended fingers up and down in alternation as if playing drums.

ADARSHE/RUPA
OR
Gesture as if one is showing a mirror: Right hand upright and flat facing out; left hand
flat at right wrist, palm facing down, or alternatively, facing in.
VINI
A B
Gesture as if one is strumming a guitar with the right hand and holding the guitar
neck with the left.
Hand Gestures 281
GANDHE
(As before. See p. 278.)
RASE
(The same as Naividya. See p. 279.)
SPARSHE
A B
Gesture as if showing a silk scarf: Thumb and index together,

moving from the center outward.
DHARME/DHARMADHATU
Wisdom: All middle fingers interlaced, little fingers touching at the tips, and thumb
and index fingers touching to form a triangle.
Embracing Mudra
Hands crossed at the heart level, index and little fingers extended, middle fingers
touching thumbs.
The Pledge Substances of Highest Yoga Tantra 283
The Pledge Substances of Highest

Yoga Tantra
[NOTE: Having received a highest yoga tantra empowerment, you should always
carry these pledge substances with you. If you wish, you can photocopy this draw-
ing of the pledge substances and have it laminated in order to be able to carry it
easily with your prayers and texts.]
Bibliography and Resources
Practice support
For a collection of various helpful resources and support related to the practice of
Vajrayogini please visit: www.Vajrayogini.com.
Color images (available at www.AndyWeberStudios.com)

Guru Vajradharma
Vajrayogini (two separate images)
Kinkara Skeleton Couple
Vajrayogini Mandala
Mantra Mandala
Inner Offering – Vajrayogini Tradition
Books on the graduated path to enlightenment:

Pabongka Rinpoche, edited by Trijang Rinpoche. Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand.
Somerville, Mass.: Wisdom Publications, 1991, 1997.
Sopa, Geshe Lhundup, with David Patt. Steps on the Path to Enlightenment, vols. 1, 2
and 3. Somerville, Mass.: Wisdom Publications, 2004.
Tsong-kha-pa. The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, vols.
1–3. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 2000, 2002, 2004.
Books on tantra and related meditation methods:

Cozort, Daniel. Highest Yoga Tantra. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1986.
Dalai Lama, and Alexander Berzin. The Gelug/Kagyü Tradition of Mahamudra. Ithaca,
NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1997.
Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins. Deity Yoga. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Pub-
lications, 1987.
Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins. Tantra in Tibet. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion
Publications, 1987.
Rinpoché, Kirti Tsenshap, Ian Coghlan and Voula Zarpani. Principles of Buddhist Tan-
tra. Boston, Mass.: Wisdom Publications, 2011.
Tsongkapa. Preparing for Tantra: The Mountain of Blessings. Howell, NJ: Mahayana
Sutra and Tantra Press, 1995.
Yeshe, Lama Thubten. Introduction to Tantra. Boston, Mass.: Wisdom Publications,
1987.
Yeshe, Lama Thubten. The Bliss of Inner Fire. Somerville, Mass.: Wisdom Publica-
tions, 1998.
Yeshe, Lama Thubten. The Tantric Path of Purification. Boston: Wisdom Publications,
1995.
References for Vajrayogini practice:

Dhargey, Geshe Ngawang. Vajrayogini Sadhana and Commentary, Library of Tibetan
Works and Archives, 2006.
English, Elizabeth. Vajrayogini: Her Visualizations, Rituals, and Forms. Somerville,

Massachusetts: Wisdom Publications, 2002.
Guenther, Herbert V. The Life and Teaching of Naropa. Boston: Shambhala Publica-
tions, 1995.
Lobsang Tharchin, Sermey Khensur. Sublime Path to Kechara Paradise. Howell, New
Jersey: Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press, 1997.
Nyingpo, Pabongkha Dechen, translated by David Gonsalez. The Extremely Secret
Dakini of Naropa: Vajrayogini Practice and Commentary. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Pub-
lications, 2011.
Simmer-Brown, Judith. Dakini’s Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Bud-
dhism. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2001.
Thubten Loden, Geshe Acharya. Path to the Union of Clear Light and Illusory Body.
Melbourne, Australia: Tushita Publications, 2002.
Yeshe, Lama Thubten. Commentary on the Vajrayogini Tantra. Lightly edited tran-
script. Boston: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, 2000.
Zopa, Lama Thubten, Rinpoche. A Chat about Heruka. Boston: Lama Yeshe Wisdom
Archive, 2000.
Books on iconography and related visual imagery:

Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Boston: Shambhala
Publications, 1999.
Beer, Robert. The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. Boston: Shambhala Pub-
lications, 2003.
Mullin, Glenn and Jeff J. Watt. Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan
Mystical Art. Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers, 2003.
Related materials from FPMT Education Services (shop.fpmt.org):

Vajrayogini Retreat and Practice Materials
Volumes 2, 3, and 4 of this series of Vajrayogini practice manuals.
Tunes for the Vajrayogini long sadhana. MP3 downloads of the English and Tibetan
chants for select prayers throughout the practice.
Hand Mudras for Vajrayogini. DVD of Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel of
Kopan Monastery demonstrating the various hand mudras for the Vajrayogini long
sadhana and self-initiation practice.
Heart Advice for Retreat. Collection of essential advice from Pabongkha Rinpoche
and Lama Zopa Rinpoche for getting the most of retreat.
General Prayers and Practice Materials

Essential Buddhist Prayers, Vol. 1: Basic Prayers and Practices. Includes practices for
blessing the speech, taking the eight Mahayana precepts, a collection of lam-rim
prayers, dedication prayers, and more to enhance and empower your practice.
Essential Buddhist Prayers, Vol. 2: Common Center Practices. Includes a number of

pujas and protector prayers to invoke blessings and clear away obstacles to virtuous
activity.
FPMT Retreat Prayer Book. Includes all of the daily practices advised by Lama Zopa
Rinpoche when in retreat. Including morning prayers, Lama Chopa Jorchö, protector
prayers, Tara praises, dedication prayers and more.
Lama Chöpa (Guru Puja). Extensive guru puja practice related to Lama Tsongkhapa.
Includes tsog offering and additions to the practice according to commentaries and
advice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Heruka Vajrasattva Tsog Offering. Audio CD of Lama Thubten Yeshe leading this
practice to invoke the blessings of our teachers, purify broken samaya, and clear
obstacles to practice.
Preliminary Practices
The Preliminary Practice of Vajrasattva. Practice texts and detailed instructions for
how to complete the preliminary practice of 100,000 Vajrasattva mantras.
A Short Vajrasattva Practice. Audio CD guiding practitioners through a simple Vajra-

sattva practice that can be done as a daily practice or in conjunction with completing
the Vajrasattva retreat of 100,000 mantras.
The Preliminary Practice of Prostrations – Extensive Version. Practice texts and de-
tailed instructions on how to complete the preliminary practice of 100,000 pros-
trations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas with the “Confession of Downfalls”
prayer.
Altar Set-up and Water Bowl Offerings. The basics on how to set up an altar, perform
water bowl offerings, and offer them in the most extensive way. Includes instruc-
tions for how to complete the preliminary practice of water bowls.
The Preliminary Practice of Dorje Khadro. Practice texts and detailed instructions for
how to complete the preliminary practice of 100,000 Dorje Khadro mantras.
Simple practice booklets for the remaining preliminary practices mentioned in this
text are also available: Samayavajra, water bowls, mandala offerings, tsa-tsas, Lama
Tsongkhapa guru yoga, and refuge.
Credits 289
Credits
Photographs:
Black and white photograph of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, p. 9, reprinted courtesy of Venerable
Roger Kunsang.
Line drawings:
The following line drawings by Andy Weber have been reprinted here with permission:
Vajrayogini: title page, 19, 72, 94
Buddha Vajradharma: 22, 38, 82, 94
Hero (Vira) Vajradharma: 39, 83
Heruka Chakramsvara: 46
Heruka Vajrasattva: 80
Guru Vajradhara: 109
Naropa: 66, 95
Lineage lamas: 96-109
Protectors: 134-139
Mantra mandala: 49, 122
Tormas for Vajrayogini retreat: 69
Khandarohi: 211, 235
Offerings: as on p. 20
The following line drawings by Robert Beer have been reprinted with permission:
Vajrayogini: 29
Offerings (in various configurations): as on p. 69.
Chöjungs with bliss swirls: as on p. 28
Various misc. drawings throughout the text that are not otherwise credited:
as on p. 31, 45, 65, 83, etc.
Inner offering visualization: 34, 76, 90, 91
The following line drawings by Ven. Ingrid Braun have been reprinted with permission:
Hand mudras: 271-282
Line drawings by other artists:

Drawing of the cosmos, p. 230, by Dharmacari Aloka, from Vajrayogini: Her Visualiza-
tions, Rituals, and Forms by Elizabeth English (Wisdom Publications, 2002).
Pledge substances of highest yoga tantra, p. 283, reprinted from Lamäi Näljor, pub-
lished in Dharamsala, India.
FPMT Education Services logo, p. 1 and p. 292, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

The Vajrayogini Practice Series 291
The Vajrayogini Practice Series

from FPMT Education Services
Volume 1: Initial Practices of Vajrayogini: An FPMT Manual for Initiates
Volume 2: The Pacifying Burning Offering Ritual of Vajrayogini:

An FPMT Manual to Complete the Approximation Retreat
Volume 3: The Intermediate Practices of Vajrayogini:

An FPMT Manual for Completing the Actions of the Deity
Volume 4: The Secret Advanced Practices of Vajrayogini:

An FPMT Manual for the Great Retreat
Volumes 2 and 3 are currently available from the Foundation Store (shop.fpmt.org).
FPMT Education Services
FPMT Education Services offers a vast range of Buddhist study programs, prayer books,
and practice materials from the Gelugpa lineage. Our study programs meet the needs of all
levels of students, from courses introducing Buddhism to the study of Tibetan and classic
philosophical texts. We work with translators around the world to provide clear and precise
translations in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, and other languages.
Working in collaboration with the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, we publish Buddhist prayer
books, sadhanas, retreat materials, and practice texts, many with commentary by Lama
Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We offer DVDs and CDs of prayers and teachings
that inspire and inform.
Education Services is committed to making study and practice materials available through
the FPMT Online Learning Center, a dynamic virtual learning environment complete with au-
dio/visual materials, texts, guided meditations, forums, and guidance from elders. In addi-
tion, the FPMT Foundation Store stocks a growing number of e-reader downloads for Kindle,
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Whatever your interest, FPMT Education Services provides the materials you need to actu-
alize the Buddhist path.
Education Services
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Initial Practices

Volume 1: An FPMT Manual for Initiates

FPMT Education Publications

All rights reserved.

FPMT Education Services

Cover design by Lynn Schwadchuck.

As an inspiration to Vajrayogini practitioners everywhere, I would like to quote FPMT’s

Additional acknowledgements for the 2012 edition

To the incomparably kind Lama Zopa Rinpoche,

This book should be read only by those who

About This Book

About Vajrayogini’s Seed Syllable

Revisions and Formatting for this 2012 Edition

English, Tibetan Phonetics, and English chantable options

Ven. Constance Miller

Key to the various symbols indicating practice elements, mudras, etc.:

the lotus-turning mudra (see p. 274)

ring the bell

show the dorje at the heart level

play the damaru

the blazing mudra (see p. 271)

the prostration mudra

the embracing mudra (see p. 282)

A Short Daily Practice of

by Je Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo

About this short daily practice of Vajrayogini:

Set of oﬀerings to the main deity according to Mother Tantra

A Short Daily Practice of

NAMO GURU VAJRAVARAHI

[Receiving the Blessings of the Four Empowerments

O Guru, incorporating all objects of refuge, to you I make requests. Bestow on me

6. Generation of Self as the Deity

Taking Bardo into the Path as Sambhogakaya

Taking Birth into the Path as Nirmanakaya

At my places, upon moon discs,

at the navel is red OM VAM

7. Leading Sentient Beings to Enlightenment

8. Blessing by the Dakas and Dakinis

OM YOGA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA YOGA SHUDDHO HAM

9. Recitation of the Mantra

10. Yoga of the Unimaginable

11. The Yoga of Action

at the navel is red OM VAM

OM SUMBHA NISUMBHA HUM HUM PHAT

A Short Daily Torma Offering to Vajrayogini [optional]

OM AH HUM HA HO HRIH (3x) [For how to do the mudra, see p. 271]

OM OM OM SARVA BUDDHA DAKINIYE VAJRA VARNANIYE VAJRA

OM AKARO MUKHAM SARVA DHARMA NAM ADHYA NUTPANAM TVATA OM

OM VAJRAYOGINI SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM

Prostrations and Requests

The Middle-Length Sadhana of

For daily recitation or during retreat

by Je Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo

About this middle-length sadhana:

Materials and implements:

The Middle-Length Sadhana of

[NAMO GURU VAJRAVARAHI]1

Sit in the sevenfold posture and recite:

Then, folding your palms, recite:

Sit in the sevenfold posture and recite:

Then, folding your palms, recite:

RANG NYI KÄ CHIG GI JE TSÜN DOR JE NÄL JOR MAR GYUR

Blessing the Inner Offering