Kalachakra Sadhana: The Preliminary Sections

As to the consecration of the inner offering, we have cleared away any obstacles and have purified everything into voidness; now comes the actual generation of the inner offering. From within voidness, the syllable YAM arises and then transforms into a wind mandala. This process is analogous to the letters in a movie credit: in one frame the syllable is there, and in the next it is something else. The wind mandala is bow-shaped or a half-moon with the flat edge in the front and is black in color. The flat edge is facing you, and the two corners have banners sticking up. The size of this depends on what is comfortable for your mind. Next, on top of this, comes the syllable RAM, which transforms into a triangular red fire mandala and is marked with flames. This is flat with one of the angles pointing towards you. Next, on top of this, comes the syllable AH, which transforms into three fresh-cut heads that rest on the sides of the fire mandala. The heads are still alive with the eyes open, staring around. On top of the heads, from the syllable OM, comes a skullcup made of one piece. There are two kinds of skullcups: a one-section skullcup (one fissure) or a many section skullcup (multiple fissures); the worst has nine. This is a one-section skullcup, the best kind. It rests on top of the three human heads. The skullcup is white on the outside and red on the inside, which stands for the union of great bliss and the awareness of voidness. 

In the center of the skullcup arises an eight-petalled red lotus. In the center, from the syllable AH, comes semen. In the east, which is the front of the skullcup, there is the letter I which is transformed into marrow. In the south, from the syllable RI, comes blood. All of these substances are marked by the respective syllables. In the north, from a syllable U, comes urine marked by the syllable U. In the west, from a syllable LI, comes feces marked by a syllable LI. In the northwest, the wind corner, from a long LI, comes an elephant carcass or meat. The reason why this is called the wind corner is that, when you arrange the various deities in their directions, the wind deity is located in the northwest. In the powerful corner, the northeast, from a long syllable U, comes a bull carcass or meat. In the truthless corner, the southwest, from a long syllable RI, comes a horse carcass or meat. In the fire corner, the southeast, where the fire deity is usually arranged when you arrange the various protectors of the directions, from a long syllable I, comes a dog carcass or flesh. In the center, from a long syllable A, comes a human carcass. These meats are also marked by their respective syllables. This is the generation of the ingredients for the inner offering.

In one’s heart, from a short syllable HUM, lights go out, and that causes the wind mandala to become turbulent. The pendants on the corner of the wind mandala start to flutter, and that causes the fire mandala to flare. All the ingredients in the skullcup melt and start to boil. Above this cup, from a long syllable HUM, comes a white five-spoked vajra, which descends and stirs the contents of the skullcup. The vajra melts like an ice cube and becomes of one taste with the ingredients, which become of the color of a melted moon or white. 

To this point, we have cleared away obstacles, purified and generated the inner offering. Next comes consecration of the inner offering in terms of body, speech and mind. During the generation of the ingredients, the first five seed syllables – center, east, south, north and west – have generated substances and are for Akshobhya, Amoghasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Vairochana. These are known as the “five short syllables,” since they were generated from five short vowels. The various substances that were generated from the five short syllables that represent the five Buddha-families were semen, marrow, blood, urine and feces. These are for the purification of the five elements. In the intermediate directions and center (northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast and center), from the seed syllables for the consorts of the dhyani Buddhas, namely Lochana, Mamaki, Pandara, Tara and Vajradhatu Ishvari, are generated the five fleshes of various animals: elephant, cow, horse, dog and human. These are for the purification of the five aggregates and are generated from the long vowels.

In the system of Yamantaka, the inner offering starts in the west, where you have elephant flesh, which is in the nature of Amitabha. Amitabha is for the purification of the aggregate factor of recognition and, from the disturbing attitudes, for the purification of attachment or desire. As the elephant is an animal felt to have very strong attachment and desires (rutting behavior), it is a symbol of the desires on your mental continuum and of your aggregate of recognition. If you can understand the symbolism of the inner offering here, you can apply it to the Kalachakra system. In the north is horse flesh, and horses are noted as being extremely jealous, as in a race they try to outdo each other. Of the aggregate factors, the horse stands for other affecting variables on the mental continuum. Since that aggregate factor needs to be purified, it is represented here by the horse, as well as for the afflictive emotion of jealousy. In the east is the cow, which is known for its stupidity. Vairochana is for the purification of ignorance, and as Vairochana stands for the aggregate of form, the cow stands for ignorance and the aggregate of form. In the south is the aggregate of feeling, and the deity for purifying it is Ratnasambhava who also is the deity for purifying pride and miserliness. The deity for eliminating poverty of wealth, which comes from miserliness, is therefore the deity for purifying miserliness. It is necessary to purify the aggregate of feeling, which is represented by Ratnasambhava who is the deity for purifying miserliness, and the animal with the most miserliness is the dog. In the center, representing anger, is a human being, and this is also for the purification of the aggregate of the different types of consciousness. I will not explain everything, as it is appropriate to teach only what can be applied.

In other anuttarayoga systems, the five liquids are generated from the seed syllables of the five female Buddhas, but in the Kalachakra system they are generated from the five male Buddhas, which indicates the combining of wisdom and method. Likewise, the five meats are usually generated from the seed syllables of the male Buddhas, whereas in the Kalachakra systems they are generated from the long seed syllables of the female Buddhas, which again indicates the combining of wisdom and method. Here, where we have the substances of the five liquids and the five meats, this signifies the purification of the five elements and the five aggregates, which are connected with your own mental continuum. This is the actual object that is being used as the basis for making the inner offering. As it is necessary to purify your own aggregates and elements, as they are impure, this will actually be done on the complete stage. Therefore, on the generation stage, you do this kind of practice of making an inner offering, which will then ripen into the ability to be able to actually purify your aggregates and elements during the complete stage. One thinks in terms of the five aggregate factors of one’s own experience: forms, feelings, recognition, other variables and types of consciousness, and these are the bases which need to be purified through this inner offering.

When it comes to the actual consecration of the inner offering, which is the next section, there are various hand gestures or mudras to be made. There is a consecration of vajra body, speech, mind and deep awareness. We have reached the point where the lights from your heart have stirred the wind mandala, ignited the fire mandala causing the contents to boil and stirred the mixture with the vajra transforming it to a white liquid. On the palm of your left hand is a syllable OM, which transforms into a moon marked by a syllable OM; the moon represents vajra body. Then there is a mantra, the meaning of which you can learn by looking at the sadhana. Light rays radiate from the OM on the moon disc on the palm of your left hand and bring back the actual deep awareness nectar (wisdom nectar) from the heart of the vajra bodies of all the Buddhas. This joins in and mixes together with the symbolic nectar in front of you and purifies all its stains, so that it now becomes pure. 

A long syllable AH on the palm of your right hand transforms into a red sun disc marked by a syllable AH. One recites a mantra, and then from the syllable lights radiate out and bring back the deep awareness nectar from all the hearts of the vajra speech of all the Buddhas. This mixes with the symbolic nectar, and it increases it to a phenomenal amount, so that it becomes a large amount of extremely delicious nectar. Even if you use a small cup, the amount of nectar held within it is inexhaustible. 

Between the two palms held together, a long syllable HUM transforms into a black Rahu disc marked by a black syllable HUM. Lights radiate out and bring back the deep awareness nectar from the hearts of the vajra mind of all the Buddhas. This mixes with the symbolic mixture in front of you and causes it to become radiant and glorious. This is the third syllable by which we describe the process of consecration of the inner offering, namely to purify, to realize its increase and make it radiant.

You then make a mudra with linked little fingers with the right hand behind and visualize the syllable HOH in the common area between the two hands. This transforms into a yellow Kalagni disc marked by the syllable HOH. Lights radiate from the syllable and bring back deep awareness nectars from the vajra wisdom or deep awareness of all the Buddhas. This mixes with the symbolic mixture before you and changes it into a deep awareness nectar, which is completely unassociated with any confusion or, in other words, untainted.

The inner offering has now been transformed into a deep awareness nectar, which is completely unassociated with any confusion. This was consecrated by first being purified, then realized as very increased, becoming radiant and finally being mixed with the nature of deep awareness. It was through the application of vajra body, speech, mind and deep awareness that this process was accomplished. This nectar has an incredibly delicious taste and is extremely potent and powerful. In fact, it is so potent that it can revive a dead animal back to life. Another level of symbolism of what is going on can be applied to the six branches of the complete stage. Later, you will be able to see how this goes together and ripens into the ability to realize the attainments of the complete stage.

The general systems of anuttarayoga tantra start with the generation stage, where one does artificial practices, which are in accordance with or analogy to the basis to be purified, namely birth, death, bardo and rebirth under the influence of impulsive or disturbing attitudes, karma and delusions. The bases to be purified are ordinary birth, death and bardo. The path that purifies these three is taking the three types of Buddha bodies or kayas as a path for purifying these three. In the Kalachakra system, the bases to be purified are just two: ordinary death and birth. The path taken to purify these is Nirmanakaya and Dharmakaya. In the other systems, Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara for instance, where the bases taken for purification involve three things, the actual purification takes place on the complete stage with the attainment of the illusory body and the clear light. Whereas here in the Kalachakra system, the bases taken for purification are two things, and the actual purification also takes place on the complete stage, which is comprised of six parts. The attainment of last two parts, the branch of continual mindfulness and the branch of single-minded concentration, will actually do the purification by eliminating ordinary birth and death. The six branches of the complete stage will be discussed later, but include:

• individual collecting
• mental constancy
• breath control
• retention
• continual mindfulness
• single-minded concentration. 

The discussion of the generation stage practices, which will ripen into these things that will actually do the purification of birth and death, should take place now. In the other anuttarayoga systems, in order to actualize the complete stage with the attainment of the illusory body and clear light, there is the attainment of the rough and fine generation stages, which are performed by meditating in analogies on death, bardo and rebirth. The practice of the generation stage begins on the basis of having received the four complete initiations, safeguarding all the vowed restraints and samayas (commitments), and the practice is done in four sessions. One visualizes and meditates on the mandala with its environment and all the deities supported within it. On the basis of this practice, one achieves shamatha and vipashyana, a serenely settled state of mind and an exceptionally perceptive state of mind. When you can hold the visualization of the complete supported and supporting mandalas with perfect concentration for four hours, then you have accomplished the rough generation stage. The next state to achieve is visualizing at the tip of your nose in a tiny drop the size of a mustard seed the entire supported and supporting mandalas. When you can do this in perfect detail, such as telling the difference between the white and dark parts of each deity’s eyes, and hold this single-mindedly for four hours, then you have achieved proficiency in the subtle generation stage. 

After this, one can enter the complete stage practices of causing the energy-winds to enter, stay and dissolve in the central energy-channel. At this point, it is essential to sit in the full posture of Vairochana, gather the energy-winds to the central channel, cause the tummo to burn and to melt the white bodhichitta substances. This leads to the experiences of various blisses and so forth, as is the technique described in mother tantra. All of this comes at this point in the complete stage. Preceding these practices is the life-force of any tantric practice – the guru-yoga and the recitation of the hundred-syllable mantra. One works with the energy-winds of the right and left channels to cause the energy-winds to ignite the inner fire of tummo. First, you must ignite it, cause it to flare and then have it burn greatly; there are many stages of tummo practice. The inner fire is generated at the navel chakra. Out of the different types of mental obscurations one needs to get rid of, there are those from the disturbing attitudes that prevent liberation and those that concern all knowable phenomena and prevent omniscience. The tummo removes the disturbing attitudes that prevent liberation. One then removes the obscurations concerning omniscience. 

Therefore, there are these practices in the complete stage corresponding to this in the inner offering. Making the wind mandala move corresponds to the ability during the complete stage of causing the energy-winds to move and gain control over this subtle energy system of the winds, channels and drops. Flaring of the fire mandala corresponds to using the energy-winds to ignite the inner fire of tummo. Melting of the substances in the skullcup and having them change into the color of a melted moon will ripen into the process on the complete stage, up to the part where one eliminates all the obscurations due to the disturbing attitudes. There are all the impure substances in the skullcup, which are likened to the disturbing attitudes, and through the inner offering process they are melted and transformed, and this refers to the various processes involved in the complete stage for getting rid of mental obscurations due to disturbing attitudes. The inner offering practice ripens into the ability to actually do this on the complete stage. 

Following this are the practices for getting rid of the obscurations concerning all knowable phenomena. These are represented by the practices of consecrating the inner offering, as this is what will ripen into getting rid of this second set of mental obscurations. During the consecration, one causes the substances to be purified, to increase, to have a fantastic taste and to become extremely brilliant. By doing this in the inner offering, it will ripen into the practices on the complete stage that will actually eliminate all the obstacles to knowable phenomena that prevent one’s attainment of omniscience. In the inner offerings of Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara, there are different procedures. In these, the nectars change from white to red, and all of this in each system has its own symbolism analogous to this one.

In the inner offering is the generation of various impure substances, like urine and feces, corresponding to the various types of disturbing attitudes that we have in our minds. These need to be purified, and what will actually do the purification of the various conceptual thoughts of this as dirty and having an impure form is the deep awareness, which is a blissful consciousness inseparable from voidness. When one gains this kind of deep awareness of inseparable voidness and bliss, it is this consciousness that will eliminate the disturbing attitudes and rid us of the perception of things as impure. Our experience of everything will arise as an appearance of great bliss, and in this way, one gains the attainment of a Buddha. No matter what kind of taste a Buddha experiences, it has the most supreme and fantastic taste. Likewise, one gains this type of attainment with the inner offering, and all these substances turn into a nectar with the supreme taste. This signifies that with the attainment of deep awareness of nondual voidness and bliss, one’s experience of everything will be in the form of an appearance of bliss.

In the sadhana what follows the consecration of the inner offering is the consecration of the vajra and bell. The consecration of the vajra and bell is in terms of the vajra being generated as a blue Vajrasattva embracing green Vajradhatu Ishvari and the bell as a blue Vishvamata embraced by green Akshobhya.

The vajra and bell have a great deal of symbolism to them. The vajra with its five spokes and so forth has the symbolism of the five male and five female Buddhas of the five Buddha families, the five types of deep awareness and so forth. The bell with the various spokes on the handle stands as well for the five Buddha families and the members of these families. The face on the handle of the bell is of Vairochana. On the neck of the bell are the various syllables, such as LUM, MUM and so forth of the consorts. The syllable LUM that stands for the consort Lochana should come directly under the face of Vairochana. On the mouth of the bell is a ring of vajras, wheels or lotuses, which stand for the different kind of Buddha-family bells you can have. If there is a ring of vajras, it is an Akshobhya bell; a ring of wheels is a Vairochana bell; a ring of swords is an Amoghasiddhi bell, and so on. The inside of the bell has the symbolism of the three gateways to liberation. In this way, the vajra and bell both have a great deal of symbolism for you to become aware of. In short, on the definitive level, the vajra stands for the deep awareness of a blissful consciousness, and the bell for the discriminating awareness of voidness.

The way these are generated and consecrated here in the Kalachakra is that both the vajra and bell are generated as a deity couple. The actual deep awareness couples are then brought forth; they dissolve into the visualized couple; initiation is conferred on them; offerings are made to them by the twelve offering goddesses; and then they are generated back into the vajra and bell.

The consecration of the outer offerings comes next. First, with the syllables OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAH, the six seed syllables for the six Buddha families, one chases away or clears out the various interferences. One visualizes the vajra dakini figures as before. Each offering substance has its own interference or obstacle that can arise in connection with it. For instance, concerning the water for rinsing out the mouth, the interference that can arise with it is to make your mind unsettled. Another interference common to all is the grasping at these substances as being truly existent. This common interference is gotten rid of by the mantra OM SHUNYATA JNANA VAJRA SVABHAVA ATMAKO HAM, which stands for deep awareness of voidness. From within a state of voidness, from the syllable SPHAM, come crystal vessels of the offering substances:

• argham – water for drinking
• padyam – water for washing the feet
• prokshanam – water for showering the body
• amchamanam – water for rinsing out the mouth.

After this, comes the twelve substances starting with gandham (fragrance), and these are related to the twelve goddesses. This will be discussed later with the secret offering, but it includes flowers, incense, a butter lamp, food and music of drums. These are the offerings of the five sense objects. Some include perfumed water and omit music, while others omit perfumed water and include music. If one does not include music, one does not play music at the end of this offering.

The Symbolism of the Syllables

OM starts many mantras, and perhaps it will be helpful if I discuss OM. The syllable OM is made up of three parts. These three can be understood on an outer, inner and alternative level. On the outer level, the three parts refer to the sun, the moon and Rahu. On the inner level, the three parts refer to semen, blood and consciousness. The alternative level would be body, speech and mind. On the outer level, the moon would relate with semen on the inner level and with the body on the alternative level. On the outer level, the sun would relate to blood on the inner level and speech on the alternative level. On the outer level, the Rahu planet would relate to consciousness on the inner level and mind on the alternative level. This is referred to in a verse from the Root Kalachakra Tantra.

The dot that is there in the syllable OM has three levels of meaning: outer, inner and alternative. On the outer level, it stands for the moon; on the inner level, for semen; and on the alternative level, for the body. The two dots, rnam-gcig in Tibetan or visarga in Sanskrit, on the outer level are the sun, on the inner level blood and on the alternative level speech. The AH on the external level is Rahu, consciousness on the inner level and mind on the alternative level. In Sanskrit the syllables VAM and BAM are written the same. VAM is also said to include body, speech and mind. The way in which OM is constituted from the three parts AH, U and M has as well the same levels of symbolism and can be understood in an analogous way. OM is known as the mantra which holds the jewels. This has the connotation that just reciting OM has many great benefits to it, as it has incorporated into it all these levels of meaning.

There is the word EVAM that is made up of two syllables. The various tantras, especially Guhyasamaja, state that all the essential points are incorporated into its two syllables. There are many levels of meaning that derive from the syllables and will apply to the acrostic constructed out of the “all-powerful ten” or “that which has the power of ten aspects.” The detailed explanation of how the six syllables are stacked on top of each other will come later. All of them share a common vowel and there are many levels of meaning.

The start of the outer offering consecration is with the mantra OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAH, followed by the purification into voidness. From the state of voidness, from the syllable SPHAM, which is the first syllable of the Sanskrit word for a crystal vessel, crystal vessels are generated. Within them are generated the various offering substances, the first of which is the set of four water offerings. Each of these is offered with its corresponding mudra. When making the various mudras, the fingers should be close together to imitate one of the major signs of a Buddha – a web of light connecting the fingers similar to the webbing on a swan’s toes. Gandham (perfumed water), pushpam (flowers), dhupam (incense), dipam (lamp), akshatam (fruit), naivedyam (food), lasyem (standing seductively), hasyem (smiling), vadyem (music), nrityem (cymbals), gityem (dancing) and kamem (embracing) are then offered with their respective mudras.

In the sadhana, the next practice is the offering of the mandala. The verses recited for it in the Kalachakra are short. After this comes the Vajrasattva meditation. The Vajrasattva meditation is very important, and if one does this practice 100,000 times, one can purify oneself of having broken the tantric vows. If you can’t do this many, recite it twenty-one times each day to prevent the negative potential from increasing. Without purifying one’s negative potentials, they will increase. Thus, one needs to do something to prevent their increase. The mantra starts with Om Vajrasattva, which is his name. Samaya refers to one’s close bonds or commitments. The rest of the mantra makes requests for purification. Sarva-karma is a request to purify all our karma or impulsive behavior. The explanation of all the syllables is made very clear in Panchen Sonam Dragpa’s commentary on the Yamantaka practice. It’s very important to feel that one has actually purified oneself of all negative potentials at the end of the recitation. This is what is said to you by Vajrasattva who is sitting on the crown of your head, and you yourself should feel this. The Vajrasattva couple then dissolves into you.

Following this comes the building up of the two bountiful stores or networks. The way in which the bountiful field for building up this potential is called forth is similar to that found in the guru-yoga. In the sadhana, one arises spontaneously as a simple Kalachakra with one face and two arms. In your heart, from the syllable PAM, comes a red eight-petalled lotus. On top of the lotus, from OM, comes a moon disc, and on top of that, from HUM, comes a five-spoked vajra that gives off light. The symbolism involved here is that the color red of the eight-petalled lotus symbolizes control over all the deities. The eight petals signify the eight channels at the heart chakra. The moon disc and the five-spoked vajra stand for the two levels of the dedicated heart.

This is a peaceful vajra. There are both peaceful and wrathful forms of vajras. The peaceful one has spokes on the top joining together with the middle spoke, whereas the wrathful form has the upper ends of the spokes curving out and not joining the middle one. The five-spoked vajra is also referred to as a nine-spoked vajra. The nine spokes refer to the central spoke along with the four on top and the four on the bottom, making nine. There are both wrathful and peaceful forms of Kalachakra, Vajravega being the wrathful form. Here one is visualizing oneself as peaceful Kalachakra.

Currently we have no control over the energy-winds in our bodies, and it is necessary to gain control over these inner winds and dissolve them in the heart chakra. Therefore, in order to be able to gain control over the energy-winds, particularly at the heart, the various visualizations come out of the heart. For instance, when one radiates lights to call forth the bountiful field or the offering goddesses, the lights emanate from the heart chakra. Likewise, when one dissolves all the various lights and so forth, that as well goes into the heart chakra. In the Vajrasattva meditation, emphasis should be placed on purifying the negative potentials visualized as a clump around the heart and clearing those away. All of these help gain control over the fine energy-winds at the heart.

In the sadhana, one calls forth the bountiful field in the form of the Kalachakra mandala with Kalachakra being inseparable from the spiritual master. Then comes the offering of the basic seven-part practice, which is similar to the guru-yoga except for the fact that there are different words. It starts with the words, “With a nature of voidness and compassion.” 

From the moon disc at the heart, the offering goddesses who make the outer offerings are generated. They are generated in pairs from lists of syllables from each of the classes of Sanskrit syllables – short, long, etc. From the short syllable A come ka kha ga gha nga, and from the long syllable A come kā khā gā ghā ngā. These in turn become the lady of music Gandhari, holding a drum, and the lady of dance Nati, holding a veil. Both goddesses are green and purify the element of space. From cha chha ja jha nya and chā chhā jā jhā nyā come the goddess of perfume water Gandhi, holding a conch shell of perfumed water, and the garland-holding one, Mali, holding a garland of blue flowers. They are both black, and they are for purifying the element of wind. From ta tha da dha na and tā thā dā dhā nā come the lady of incense Dhupi, and the lady of the butter lamp Pradipi. They are red and are for purifying the element of fire. From pa pha ba bha ma and pā phā bā bhā mā come the goddess of food Amrti, holding a vessel of nectar or ambrosia, and the goddess of fruit Akshati, holding red fruits from Shambhala. They are white and are for purifying the element of water. From ta tha da dha na and tā thā dā dhā nā come the goddess of flirting Lasya, holding a crown, and the goddess of smiling Hasya, holding a necklace. They are yellow and are for purifying the element of earth. From sha zha sa ha ksha and shā zhā sā hā kshā, come Luma, the one singing, holding a vajra, and Dhuma, the one embracing, making the embracing mudra. They are blue and are for purifying the element of deep awareness. After making their offerings, the various pairs dissolve back into one’s heart.

Normally, when one sets up the offering of food, one places bread and a piece of fruit. Here fruit takes the place of both. A piece of cloth is often used to represent Lasya. When one recites the mantra for each goddess, one uses various mudras to symbolize the offering. For example, for Hasya one recites: 

• OM TĀTHĀDĀDHĀN VAJRAHASYE (perform the mudra for the goddess) GHANTA (ring the bell)
• ADARSHA (make the mirror mudra) 
• PUJAM KURUKURU SVAHA

For Akshati one recites:

• OM PĀPHĀBĀBHĀMĀ VAJRAKSHATE (mudra for goddess, fruit)
• AKSHATE (make the mudra for offering food)
• PHALA (make the mudra for fruit)
• ARCHANAM KURUKURU SVAHA

For Lasya one recites:

• OM TATHADADHANA VAJRALASYE (mudra for the goddess, flirting)
• VASTRA (mudra for clothing)
• ABHARANA (mudra for jewelry)
• PUJAM KURUKURU SVAHA

For Giti one recites:

• OM SHAZHASAHAKSHA VAJRAGITE (mudra of song)
• GITA (mudra for dance)
• PUJAM KURUKURU SVAHA

Now comes the rest of the basic seven-limb practice: openly admitting one’s wrongs, rejoicing in virtue, requesting transmission of teachings, asking the masters to remain, and dedication. For the actual dedication, first one does the causes for the dedication, taking refuge. One then offers oneself as a servant and then comes the actual dedication. What follows is the nine-part section for being mindful of the various things. This is exactly the same as it was in the guru-yoga, where one was mindful of the three roots, the three collections, the fours ways of influencing others, the ten negative actions, etc. In terms of building up the two bountiful networks, both of these constitute the first, building up a network of positive potential. 

The order of the sadhana from the beginning is that first comes the consecration of the inner offering. One cannot consecrate the inner offering in an ordinary form, so one must first instantaneously arise as the Kalachakra deity. The need for first generating oneself as a deity is that one can’t offer the inner offering while in an ordinary form. The reason the inner offering comes before the consecration of the outer offering is that one can’t consecrate the outer offering without consecrating the inner offering first. The outer offering is then made followed by the preliminary torma offering, which cannot be consecrated without consecrating the outer offering first. The preliminary torma offering is consecrated the same way as the inner offering and is often represented by a piece of fruit. In India, torma were not made from tsampa and so forth, but in Tibet the practice of making different-shaped torma from tsampa started. Again, it can’t be offered in its ordinary form but must be transformed into a Dharma offering of nectar that is not associated with any confusion.

The transformation is the same procedure as for consecrating the inner offering itself. The five meats and the five nectars can also be referred to as the five lamps and the five hooks: “lamps” in the sense that they light the way for gaining actual attainment, and “hooks” in the sense that they hook in the actual attainments. There are various levels of correspondences for the meats and nectars, the lamps and hooks, the male and female dhyani Buddhas, and the aggregates and elements of the body. The actual consecration and offering of the torma can occur in different parts of a sadhana. Depending on the practice, in some it is consecrated and offered at the very end, and in others at both the beginning and end, as in Yamantaka. I will explain it at this point, and if you get a general idea about making a torma offering, you can apply this understanding to the actual torma offering.

After one has consecrated the torma offering, one must call forth the guests to whom the torma will be offered. From the two hands together, from the syllable HAM, comes a lotus and a sun disc. On top of this, from the syllable HI, comes a black five-spoked vajra. One makes the black five-spoked vajra mudra, followed by the one for the cleaver, the sword, the jewel, the lotus and the wheel or chakra. From these mudras, the actual hand implements arise, and from them lights go out. The light rays go out to the ones to whom you are making the torma offering. First is the main couple of Kalachakra and Vishvamata together with the six classes of protectors: the wrathful ones, the depleters, the directional protectors, the planet deities, the nagas and the elemental deities. The light rays bring all of them forward, call them forth. The tongues of all of the invited deities, from a syllable HUNG, are transformed into a single-spoked vajra similar to a straw. Through this single-spoked vajra, they take in the essence of the torma.

One makes the offering first of all to the main couple, which is done with the black vajra mudra and reciting the appropriate mantra. The mantra includes: idam is the torma, balinta is the inner offering, and then the five offerings. The meaning of the mantra that follows is “Please take and consume this torma, enjoy it and be happy.” Jah hum mab hoh means, “Please enjoy this, be satisfied and grant all powers.” Shantam is to pacify, pushtim is to increase. Also, there is a request to protect and take care of all beings.

Next, you make offerings to the ten wrathful ones (the ten terrifics), who are the protectors that one would ordinarily have on the protection wheel in the Guhyasamaja. These include Yamantaka, Prajnantaka, Takkiraja, Sumbharaja, Ushnishachakravarti and so forth. The mantra starts out OM AH HUM HO HAM KSAH MALAVARAYA followed by the names of the ten wrathful ones and then follows the same pattern.

Next, you offer to the ten depleters (elemental totalities), who are the gods of the various elements, such as space, wind, fire, water and so on. One makes the cleaver mudra while making the offering to them. 

Next, you offer to the directional protectors (world gods), namely Indra, Agni and so on. One makes the sword mudra while offering to these deities. 

Next is to the set of ten planet gods: Rahu, Kalagni, Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and so forth. One makes the jewel mudra during this offering.

Next is the offering to the nagas – the half-human, half-serpent beings. One makes the lotus mudra during this offering.

Next is the offering to the ten elemental deities, which refer to the ten types of zombies, such as the Owl Head, the Bird Head and other differently headed zombie spirits. One offers these with the wheel mudra.

These offerings are followed by a praise to the deities. This completes the offering of the torma, and then one requests for them to go back home. You snap the fingers of your right hand, and the central couple dissolves into you. The wrathful ones dissolve into the syllable HAM at one’s private place. The depleters dissolve into HAM at the crown of one’s head. The directional protectors dissolve into the letter I at the forehead. The planet deities dissolve into RI at the throat. The nagas dissolve into U in the heart. The elemental deities dissolve into LI at the navel. 

This is the torma offering. The torma offering can be in either of three places: in the beginning after consecrating the torma, the end of the sadhana or after the protection wheel. Once one knows how to perform the torma offering, it can be placed wherever it seems appropriate.

The Vajrasattva meditation is next. After this comes calling forth the bountiful field for building up a positive potential or merit. All of the practices associated with the bountiful field in the guru-yoga can be applied here in the sadhana. As this was explained extensively in the guru-yoga, I will not explain it extensively here. 

Now comes the building up of the store of deep awareness. This is done with a verse which, when paraphrased, says that to claim there are no phenomena at all is improper and to claim that there are truly existent things to meditate on is also improper. It is a verse for thinking in terms of voidness in order to build up a store of deep awareness.

After the verse comes the practice of the protection wheel, which has three versions: extensive, medium and abbreviated. I will explain only the outline of the extensive, as it is very long and complicated. The practice has two parts – protection for oneself and protection of the place of practice. In this practice, the torma is offered at the end of the protection wheel. 

The protection of oneself is divided into five sections. The first is the cleansing out of one’s body, speech, mind and deep awareness. The second is arranging the six Buddha families. The third is the act of purifying the body, speech, mind and deep awareness. The fourth is the arranging of the six limbs. The fifth is the destruction of the demonic Mara forces by means of the vajra and various mantras.

Cleansing out is done by reciting a long mantra. While reciting the mantra, one visualizes from a syllable VAM at the crown of one’s head a vajra moon disc complete in its sixteen sections. As it takes sixteen days to go from a new to full moon, the moon is said to be composed of sixteen parts, so this is referring to a full moon. Like a snake shedding its skin, the moon disc moves down one’s body three times, and one’s body becomes completely white. This is analogous to the first purification in the yoga of the triple purification in the Chakrasamvara practice, namely the purification of body. 

Arranging the six Buddha families is done in six places in one’s body. Starting at the forehead, one arranges the six Buddhas in various places of one’s body.

The act of purifying one’s body, speech, mind and deep awareness has various parts. The first is the act of washing the hands for the purpose of making the mudras. One recites a mantra and performs the mudra of hand washing. Following this, one visualizes the fifteen short vowels of the Sanskrit alphabet on the various joints of the left hand. One visualizes the fifteen long vowels on the right hand. The left hand becomes a moon disc, and the right becomes a sun disc. The two hands are brought together, and a blue HUM arises between them. These all transform into a five-spoked vajra. One makes the five-spoked vajra mudra, which is used to safeguard the various points on the body. One touches this to the various points on one’s body while reciting a mantra. At the end of this, one makes the embracing mudra and holds the pride and dignity of being vajra body. For the elements of space, wind, fire, water, earth and deep awareness, there are six syllables that are arranged on different parts of the heart.

For the fifth part, the overcoming of the Maras with the all-encompassing vajras, in the six places (chakras) in the body for the purification of the six elements, vajras with various numbers of spokes and colors corresponding to each of these various places are placed. The necessity for doing all these elaborate visualizations of the various vajras, with different numbers of spokes corresponding to each of the main chakras, is that just as the energy-winds travel through the channels and one aims to dissolve them at the major chakras, likewise, in order to eliminate interferences, one dissolves the interferences in the body into the chakras. A similar process is used for the entrances of the various sense organs; one would want to block interferences from entering through these as well, so one performs a similar type of practice. The whole process is known as the “protection of self.” This concludes the first part of the extensive protection practice, namely the protection of oneself. A rough idea of this is sufficient and can be applied to further study.

The second part is the protection of place. There is the generation of the place, the deities who will reside in the place and then the recitation of the mantras to get rid of the interferences.

The way in which the supported environment of the protected place is generated is as follows. First of all, the mandalas of the four elements are generated from their respective seed syllables, YAM, RAM and so forth, as is normally done. They are marked with their usual symbols, such as victory banners on the wind mandala. The four element mandalas join together, and from their joining are formed two sets of protection fences, external and internal. The inner fence or perimeter of protection is circular and is at the distance of the horizon all around one, where the earth and the sky meet. The external fence is also circular and is located outside the inner fence as far away as you can imagine. These vajra fences extend like a circular dome all around and over one. 

Within this, one generates the celestial mansion with its three stories. One imagines it as very high. First, at the center of the inner protection fence is an eight-petalled lotus. On top of this is a sun disc. Now one places the deities of the protection wheel. The ten wrathful ones are placed inside this building. In the half-space outside but closest to the building, between it and the inner fence, are placed the ten depleters (elemental totalities). In the half-space closest to the inner fence and outside the building are placed the ten directional protectors. The space between the inner and outer fences is divided into two, and in the half-space closest to the inner fence are placed the ten planet deities. In the half-space, closest to the outer fence, are placed the ten nagas. On the outside of the outer fence are placed the ten flaming ones referring to the elemental spirits or zombies, which have many names. This completes the generation of the place where the deities will be supported.

Now comes the generation of the deities of the protected environment. This process is divided into four sections: the generation of the symbolic deities, calling forth the wisdom deities to dissolve into the imagined deities, the consecration of body, speech and mind, and finally the giving of initiation and crown ornaments to them. In the center of the building, on the lotus, is a sun disc. On the sun disc arises the syllable HUM that transforms into a vajra. The vajra transforms into Vajravega, the wrathful form of Kalachakra. All of his various implements and adornments are then generated from mantras. All the protection deities are generated out of him, and they are emanated to the places previously described. 

At the heart, from a syllable HUM of oneself as Vajravega, comes a vajra, which transforms into another Vajravega and goes out with one’s breath. He goes out, brings back the wisdom beings to whom offerings are made, and the deep awareness counterparts of the imagined protection deities dissolve into the visualized beings becoming one.

Initiation is given to all of them in terms of the full set of eleven initiations by the empowering deities who are called forth. All the procedures of the initiation are done as was explained during a similar section of the guru-yoga. 

Arranged around the syllable HUM at one’s heart as Vajravega, one recites the root mantra of Vajravega. This mantra is twelve stanzas in length and the Sanskrit words in it go over all his implements and adornments. The twelve offering goddesses then make a set of outer offerings. Finally, there is a verse of praise to Vajravega. This completes the offering to the sixty protectors of the Kalachakra. In the elaborate protection wheel practice, the torma offering comes at this point. In the less extensive forms, the torma offering is often performed earlier, as previously explained. If placed here, the sequence is exactly the same as previously described. This finishes the elaborate form of the protection wheel practice. Understanding the elaborate form will allow you to understand the medium and abbreviated forms. Other practices have a very abbreviated form of generating the vajra fence, canopy and tent.

The necessity for performing the protection wheel practices is to get rid of non-conducive circumstances and interferences. In order to have success in one’s practice, one has to gather all the conducive circumstances by building up a network of positive potential and get rid of the non-conducive circumstances and interferences with this type of protection practice. This finishes all the preliminary practices of the sadhana and then the actual sadhana practice starts.