A Short Daily Practice of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini Naro Khechari

Arranged according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s instructions on the basis of Phabongkha

Dechen Nyingpo’s short sadhana

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Set in Calibri 12/15, Century Gothic, Helvetica Light, and Lydian BT.

Cover page line drawing © Robert Beer. Used with permission. Pages 8 and 11, line drawings © Andy Weber. Page 38, Mandala of Vajrayogini © Andy Weber.

Practice Requirements:

Restricted. In order to perform this practice, you must have received the blessing initiation (jinlab) of Vajrayogini.

Technical Note

Comments by the compiler or editor are contained in instruction boxes. For example:

Recite these two verses three times.

Instructions or advice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche are marked by the symbol v. For example:

v Then recite the following verses and meditate on the guru entering your heart.

Italics and a small font size indicate instructions and comments found in the Tibetan text. Words in square brackets have been added by the translator for clarification. For example:

This is how to correctly follow the virtuous friend, [the root of the path to full enlightenment].

In this special edition of the Vajrayogini short sadhana, BAṂ is used in place of VAṂ for the letter བཾ

to reflect the pronunciation of the letter in Tibetan, rather than using its standard transliteration in Sanskrit.

A Guide to Pronouncing Sanskrit

The following six points will enable you to learn the pronunciation of most transliterated Sanskrit mantras found in FPMT practice texts:

1. ŚH and ṢH are pronounced similar to the “sh” in “shoe.”

2. CH is pronounced similar to the “ch” in “chat.” CHH is also similar but is more heavily aspirated.

3. Ṭ, ṬH, Ḍ, ḌH, Ṇ are retroflex letters and have no exact equivalent in English. These sounds are made by curling the tongue to the palate and correspond roughly to the sounds “tra” (Ṭ), aspirated “tra” (ṬH), “dra” (Ḍ), aspirated “dra” (ḌH), and “nra” (Ṇ).

4. All consonants followed by an H are aspirated: KH, GH, CH, JH, TH, DH, PH, BH. Note that TH is pronounced like the “t” in “target” (not like the “th” in “the”) and PH is pronounced like the “p” in “partial” (not like the “ph” in “pharaoh”).

5. Vowels with a dash above—Ā, Ī, Ū, ṜI, and ḸI—are elongated to approximately double the amount of time it takes to pronounce their nonelongated counterparts: A, I, U, ṚI, and ḶI.

6. Ṃ indicates a nasal sound. At the end of a word it is generally pronounced as an “m.” Ḥ indicates an “h”-sounding aspiration. ṚI is pronounced similar to the “ree” in “reed.” ṄG is pronounced similar to the “ng” in “king.”

To facilitate correct pronunciation, FPMT practice texts use a slightly modified version of the International Alphabet of Sanskrit Translitera-tion (IAST). For more information, please consult the FPMT Translation Services’ A Guide to Sanskrit Transliteration and Pronunciation, available online: http://fpmt.org/wp-content/uploads/education/translation/A-Guide-to-Sanskrit-Transliteration-and-Pronunciation.pdf

A Short Daily Practice of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini Naro Khechari

NAMO GURU VAJRAVARĀHI

The way to do the recitation of the sadhana of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini Naro Khechari as a daily practice is follows:

1. Yoga of sleeping 2. Yoga of waking 3. Yoga of tasting nectar

4. Yoga of the Immeasurables

Taking Refuge I and all transmigratory beings, equaling the limits of space, from now until reaching the essence of enlightenment, go for refuge to the glorious holy gurus; we go for refuge to the com-plete buddha-bhagavans; we go for refuge to the holy Dharma; we go for refuge to the arya Sangha. (3x)

To the gurus and the precious Three Rare Sublime Ones, I pros-trate and go for refuge. Please bless my continuum.

Generating Bodhichitta I will attain the state of a complete buddha, and then I will free all sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings. For this purpose I will practice the graduated path of Vajrayogini.

(3x)

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5. Yoga of the Guru

In the space in front of me is a jeweled throne supported by lions, [on top of which is] a variegated lotus and a moon. On these is my root guru in the aspect of Perfect Pure Vajradharma. His holy body is red in color with one face and two arms. With his right hand he holds a damaru that resonates with the sound of bliss and emptiness. With his left hand he holds a skullcup filled with nectar at his heart. A khatvanga rests in the crook of his left arm. He sits with his legs in the vajra posture and is adorned with the six bone ornaments. He is in the prime of youth and in essence encompasses all objects of refuge.

Blessings of the Four Initiations

v It is good to do this daily in order to renew the blessings of the four initiations.1

To the guru encompassing all objects of refuge,I make requests: please grant blessings;Please confer the four initiations completely,And bestow the state of the four holy bodies. (3x)

Think:

White nectar and light rays radiate from the OṂ at my guru’s forehead and absorb into my forehead. The negative karmas and obscurations of my body are purified; I receive the vase initiation. The blessings of my guru’s holy body enter my body.

Red nectar and light rays radiate from the ĀḤ at my guru’s throat and absorb into my throat. The negative karmas and obscurations of my speech are purified; I receive the secret initiation. The blessings of my guru’s holy speech enter my speech.

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Blue nectar and light rays radiate from the HŪṂ at my guru’s heart and absorb into my heart. The negative karmas and obscurations of my mind are purified; I receive the wisdom initiation. The blessings of my guru’s holy mind enter my mind.

White, red, and dark blue nectar and light rays radiate from the syllables at my guru’s three places and absorb into my three places. The negative karmas and obscurations of my body, speech, and mind are purified; I receive the fourth initiation, the precious word initiation. The blessings of my guru’s holy body, speech, and mind enter my body, speech, and mind.

RequestPrecious guru, nature of all the buddhas of the three times, to you I prostrate and go for refuge: please bless my continuum.

(3x)

My root guru also, out of affection for me, melts into red light, enters through my crown, and merges indivisibly with my mind in the aspect of a red syllable BAṂ at my heart.2

6. Yoga of Generating Oneself as the Deity

Bringing Death into the Path of the DharmakayaThis very syllable BAṂ expands and becomes equal to the extent of space, whereby the entire environment and all its inhabitants become the nature of bliss and emptiness. Once again it gradually contracts from the edges, becoming a minute syllable BAṂ. From the bottom, it gradually absorbs up into the nada. The nada also becomes unobservable and becomes the dharmakaya of indivisible bliss and emptiness.

OṂ ŚHŪNYATĀ JÑĀNA VAJRA SVABHĀVA ĀTMAKO’ HAṂ

Vajrayogini

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Bringing the Intermediate State into the Path of the SambhogakayaFrom within emptiness in which all appearances have thus been withdrawn, my mind, in nature the apprehension aspect of the transcendental wisdom of nondual bliss and emptiness, takes the aspect of an upright red syllable BAṂ abiding in space.

Bringing Birth into the Path of the NirmanakayaFrom within emptiness, from E E come the red phenomena sources—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: OṂ OṂ OṂ SARVA BUDDHA ḌĀKINĪYE VAJRA VARṆANĪYE VAJRA VAIROCHANĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ PHAṬ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ.

As the syllable BAṂ in space, upon seeing the moon, I develop the intention to take rebirth in its center, whereby I descend there. Light rays radiate from the moon, the syllable BAṂ, and the mantra garland, transforming all the environments and beings of samsara and nirvana into the nature of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini. These gather back and absorb into the syllable BAṂ and the mantra garland. From their transformation, I arise in the form of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini standing on a lotus and sun cushion.

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. 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 pure land of Khechara. My right hand is extended and holds a curved knife marked with a vajra pointing downward, 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 nipples swelling with desire, I bear the

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countenance 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 transcendental wisdom.

At my places, upon moon discs: At my navel is red OṂ BAṂ Vajravarahi; At my heart, blue HAṂ YOṂ Yamini; At my throat, white HRIṂ MOṂ Mohani; At my forehead, yellow HRIṂ HRIṂ Sanchalani; At my crown, green HŪṂ HŪṂ Santrasani; At all my limbs, smoke-colored PHAṬ PHAṬ, the nature of Chandika.

7. Yoga of Purifying Transmigratory Beings

From the mantra garland at my heart, light rays radiate. Leav-ing through my pores, they strike all the sentient beings of the six realms, purifying their negative karmas, obscurations, and imprints. They all transform into the form of Vajrayogini.

8. Yoga of Being Blessed by the Heroes and HeroinesCircle the blazing mudra three times counterclockwise at the level of your forehead and say:

PHAIṂFrom the BAṂ at my heart, light rays radiate, bringing forth Vajrayogini from Akanishta, surrounded by all the heroes and yoginis of the ten directions and all transmigratory beings who were transformed into yoginis. They absorb into me.

JAḤ HŪṂ BAṂ HOḤ

While doing the lotus-turning mudra followed by the embracing mudra, recite:

OṂ YOGA ŚHUDDHĀḤ SARVA DHARMĀḤ YOGA ŚHUDDHO ’HAṂ

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9. Yoga of Verbal and Mental Recitation

a. Verbal RecitationAt my heart, inside the phenomena sources—two intersecting tetrahedron—is a moon disc. At its center is the syllable BAṂ encircled by the red mantra garland standing counterclockwise. Countless red light rays radiate from these, purifying the negative karmas and obscurations of all sentient beings and making offerings to all the buddhas. Their blessings and power are invoked in the aspect of red light rays, which absorb into the mantra garland, thus blessing my mind.

Recite the mantra:

OṂ OṂ OṂ SARVA BUDDHA ḌĀKINĪYE VAJRA VARṆANĪYE VAJRA VAIROCHANĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ PHAṬ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ (100x [or at least the number of times that fulfils your daily recitation commitment])

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b. Mental RecitationBring the phenomena sources, moon, and grain syllables at your heart down• to your secret place, if you wish to generate bliss, or • to your navel, if you wish to generate nonconceptuality.

Then, focus your mind on the joy swirls spinning counterclockwise in the four corners [of the phenomena sources] —excluding the ones in the front and back—and on mentally reading the mantra garland three or seven times. Then hold the conjoined winds as long as you can.

Focus your mind on the joy swirls between your eyebrows and at your secret place, which are spinning furiously counterclockwise, and hold the conjoined winds. At the end, the two joy swirls absorb into the BAṂ at your heart.

10. Yoga of the Inconceivable

From the syllable BAṂ and the mantra garland at my heart, light rays radiate, pervading all three realms. The formless realm, in the aspect of blue light rays, absorbs into the upper part of my body. The form realm, in the aspect of red light rays, absorbs into the middle part of my body. The desire realm, in the aspect of white light rays, absorbs into the lower part of my body. I also melt into light progressively from above and below and absorb into the phenomena sources. They absorb into the moon. That absorbs into the mantra garland. That absorbs into the syllable BAṂ. That absorbs into the head of the BAṂ. That absorbs into the crescent moon. That absorbs into the drop. That absorbs into the nada. That, too, becomes smaller and smaller and becomes unobservable.Remain for as long as you can on the inexpressible.

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11. Yoga of Conduct

From within emptiness, I transform into the form of Perfect Pure Lady.

At my places, upon moon discs: At my navel is red OṂ BAṂ Vajravarahi; At my heart, blue HAṂ YOṂ Yamini; At my throat, white HRIṂ MOṂ Mohani; At my forehead, yellow HRIṂ HRIṂ Sanchalani; At my crown, green HŪṂ HŪṂ Santrasani; At all my limbs, smoke-colored PHAṬ PHAṬ, the nature of Chandika.

Perform the Protection with That Which Terrorizes by reciting:

OṂ SUMBHA NISUMBHA HUṂ HŪṂ PHAṬOṂ GṚIHṆA GṚIHṆA HUṂ HŪṂ PHAṬOṂ GṚIHṆĀPAYA GṚIHṆĀPAYA HUṂ HŪṂ PHAṬOṂ ĀNAYAHO BHAGAVĀN VAJRA HUṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ (2x)

DedicationsDue to this virtueMay I quickly become Khechari And lead all transmigratory beings Without exception to that state.

At the time of my death may the savior and an assembly of heroes and heroines,

Holding aloft flowers, parasols, and victory banners And offering the music of cymbals, melodious singing, and so

forth, Lead me to the land of Khechara.

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A Short Daily Torma Offering to VajrayoginiIf you wish to offer a torma between sessions, do as follows:

[Bless the torma with:]

OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ HA HO HRĪḤ (3x)

From within emptiness, within a large skullcup, the five meats and five nectars transform into a great ocean of transcendental wisdom nectar.

[Invoke the guests for the torma with:]

PHAIṂ

Vajrayogini is invoked from Akanishta surrounded by all the heroes, yoginis, Dharma protectors, and worldly protectors.

[Offer the torma with:]First do the lotus-turning mudra, then the mudra of the vajra palms facing upward, and at the end snap your fingers while reciting:

OṂ OṂ OṂ SARVA BUDDHA ḌĀKINĪYE VAJRA VARṆANĪYE VAJRA VAIROCHANĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ PHAṬ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ / OṂ AKĀRO MUKHAṂ SARVA DHARMĀṆĀM ĀDYA NUTPANNA TVĀTA OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ (3, 5, or 7x)

Present the offerings with:

OṂ VAJRAYOGINĪ SAPARIVĀRA ARGHAṂ / PĀDYAṂ / PUṢHPE / DHŪPE / ALOKE / GANDHE / NAIVIDYA / ŚHAPTA ĀḤ HŪṂ

Present the inner offering with:

OṂ VAJRAYOGINĪ SAPARIVĀRA OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ

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[Prostrate and praise with:]

To Glorious Vajradakini,Wheel-turning queen of dakinisWho attained the five transcendental wisdoms and three holy

bodies,Protector of transmigratory beings, I prostrate.

To as many vajradakinis as there are,Cutting the bonds of conceptualizationAnd engaging in worldly activities,To all of them, I prostrate and offer praise.

[Request the guests for the torma to depart with:]

VAJRA MUḤ

The wisdom beings depart. The commitment beings absorb into me.

Adorn the end with dedications and prayers such as:

Due to this virtueMay I quickly become Khechari And lead all transmigratory beings Without exception to that state.

May all be auspicious for me to accomplish The supreme and common realizations of Powerful Lady

Khechara, Who, when remembered, dispels the torment in my heart,And who, when meditated upon with effort, happily grants

mahamudra in this life.

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Original Colophon:

I, with the tulku name [Phabongkha Dechen Nyingpo], taking the teachings of Tsarchen Losel Gyatso as a basis and supplementing them slightly with the torma offering, the armor mantra, and so forth, compiled this Short Daily Practice of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini as a recitation text for myself. Published by Honorable Dagbhrum Jetsunma Thubten Tsultrim Drolkar. May virtue and excellence increase.

Publisher’s Colophon:

Translated and edited by FPMT Education Services, 2019, from Phabongkha Dechen Nyingpo (pha bong kha bde chen snying po), A Short Daily Practice of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini Naro Khechari, rje btsun rdo rje rnal 'byor ma nA ro mkha' spyod kyi nyams len rgyun 'khyer mdor bsdus in zhal 'don gces btus, Bylakuppe: Sera Mey Library, 2010, 414–422, May 2019.

Blessings of the Four Initiations translated by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, transcribed by members of Institut Vajra Yogini, France and extracted from A Short Daily Practice of Venerable Vajrayogini, Taos: FPMT Inc., 2002, translator unknown. Blessings of the Four Initiations, Bringing Death into the Path of the Dharmakaya, Bringing the Intermediate State into the Path of the Sambhogakaya, and part of Bringing Birth into the Path of the Nirmanakaya were incorporated into the sadhana on the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Mahamudra Centre, New Zealand, 1994. For the sake of consistency, sections of this translation have been extracted from The Quick Path to Great Bliss, trans. Losang Chomo, Portland: FPMT, Inc., 2019.

This is a special edition produced for the occasion of the Vajrayogini initiation given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Institut Vajra Yogini, France, in May 2019.

Notes

1 Taking the four initiations on a daily basis without break after receiving the blessing initiation of Vajrayogini ensures that one maintains the power and stream of the blessing in one’s mind.

2 According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche “It is good to do bringing death, intermediate state, and birth into the paths of the three holy bodies [from the long sadhana of Vajrayogini] as these are the main practices [of the generation stage].” It is for this reason that, here, the section from the absorption of the guru up to the generation of Vajrayogini are extracted from Phabongkha’s long sadhana. In Phabongkha’s original short sadhana, this section reads: “My guru melts into light and absorbs into me through my crown. At my heart, from E E come red phenomena sources—two intersecting tetrahedrons. Inside them, A becomes a moon disc. At its center is a red syllable BAṂ with the mantra garland—OṂ OṂ OṂ SARVA BUDDHA ḌĀKINĪYE VAJRA VARṆANĪYE VAJRA VAIROCHANĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ PHAṬ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ—standing counterclockwise around its edge. From the BAṂ and mantra garland, light rays radiate, filling my entire body and purifying the sicknesses, spirit harms, negative karmas, and obscurations of my body, speech, and mind. My body becomes a mass of light. From its transformation, I arise in the form of Perfect Pure Vajrayogini standing on a lotus and sun cushion…”

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Printed Dharma materials, as well as phones, tablets, laptops, and hard drives containing Dharma, should be kept off the floor, beds, chairs, meditation cushions, and all other places where people sit or walk. Dharma materials should not be stepped over or put in places where the feet or buttocks will point at them. They should be covered or protected for transporting and kept in a high, clean place separate from more mundane materials. Other objects, including statues, stupas, ritual implements, malas, reading glasses, and so forth, should not be placed on top of Dharma books and devices containing Dharma materials. Avoid licking the fingers to turn the pages of Dharma texts.

If it is necessary to dispose of printed Dharma materials, they should be burned rather than thrown in the trash. When burning Dharma texts, visualize that the letters transform into an A (ཨ) and the A absorbs into your heart. Imagine burning blank paper. As the paper burns, recite OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ or the Heart Sutra, while meditating on emptiness.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends that images of holy beings, deities, and holy objects not be burned. Ideally, if undamaged, they should be put in a stupa. Otherwise, put them high up in a tree inside a well-sealed structure, something like a bird house, so that the images are protected from the weather and do not end up on the ground.

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