When the expiration hath ceased, the vital-force will have sunk into the nerve-centre of Wisdom 1 and the Knower 2 will be experiencing the Clear Light of the natural condition 3. Then the vital force, being thrown backwards and flying downwards through the right and left nerves 4 the Intermediate State (Bardo) momentarily dawns.
The above [directions] should be applied before [the vital force hath] rushed into the left nerve [after first having traversed the navel nerve-center].
The time [ordinarily necessary for this motion of the vital-force] is as long as the inspiration is still present, or about the time required for eating a meal.
Then the manner of application [ of the instructions ] is:
When the breathing is about to cease, it is best if the Transference hath been applied efficiently; if [the application] hath been inefficient, then [address the deceased] thus:
O! noble-born, the time hath now come for thee to seek the Path [in reality]. Thy breathing is about to cease. Thy guru hath set thee face to face before with the Clear Light; and now thou art about to experience in its Reality in the Bardo state, wherein all things are like the void and cloudless sky, and the naked, spotless intellect is like unto a transparent vacuum without circumference or centre. At this moment, know thou thyself-, and abide in that state. 1, too, at this time, am setting thee face to face.
Having read this, repeat it many times in the ear of the person dying, even before the expiration hath ceased, so as to impress it on the mind [of the dying one].
If the expiration is about to cease, turn the dying one over on the right side, which posture is called the ‘Lying Posture of a Lion.’ The throbbing of the arteries [on the right and left side of the throat] is to be pressed.
If the person dying be disposed to sleep, or if the sleeping state advances, that should be arrested, and the arteries pressed gently but firmly. Thereby the vital-force will not be able to return from the median-nerve and will be sure to pass out through the Brahmanic aperture.5 Now the real setting-face-to-face is to be applied.
At this moment, the first glimpsing of the Bardo of the Clear Light of Reality, which is the Infallible Mind of the Dharma-Kaya, is experienced by all sentient beings.
After the expiration hath completely ceased, press the nerves of sleep firmly; and, a lama, or a person higher or more learned than thyself, impress in these words, thus:
Reverend Sir, now that thou art experiencing the Fundamental Clear Light, try to abide in that state which now thou art experiencing.
And also in the case of any other person the reader shall set him face-to-face thus:
0 noble-born [so-and-so], listen. Now thou art experiencing the Radiance of the Clear Light of Pure Reality. Recognize it. 0 noble-born, thy present intellect, in real nature void, not formed into anything as regards characteristics or colour, naturally void, is the very Reality, the All-Good.
Thine own intellect, which is now voidness, yet not to be regarded as of the voidness of nothingness, but as being the intellect itself, unobstructed, shining, thrilling, and blissful, is the very consciousness, the All-good Buddha.
Thine own consciousness, not formed into anything, in reality void, and the intellect, shining and blissful,-these two,-are inseparable. The union of them is the Dharma-Kaya state of Perfect Enlightenment.6
Thine own consciousness, shining, void, and inseparable from the Great Body of Radiance, hath no birth, nor death, and is the Immutable Light-Buddha Amitabha.
Knowing this is sufficient. Recognizing the voidness of thine own intellect to be Buddhahood, and looking upon it as being thine own consciousness, is to keep thyself in the [state of the] divine mind of the Buddha.
Repeat this distinctly and dearly three or [even] seven times. That will recall to the mind [of the dying one] the former [i.e. when living] setting-face-to-face by the guru. Secondly, it will cause the naked consciousness to be recognized as the Clear Light; and, thirdly, recognizing one’s own self [thus], one becometh permanently united with the Dharma-Kaya and liberation will be certain.
[if when dying, one is familiar with this state, the wheel of rebirth is stopped and liberation is instantaneously achieved. But such spiritual efficiency is so very rare that the normal mental condition of the dying person is unequal to the supreme feat of holding on to the state in which the Clear Light shines. There follows a progressive descent into lower and lower states of the Bardo existence, and finally rebirth. immediately after the first state of Chikhai Bardo comes the second stage, when the consciousness-principle leaves the body and says to itself. ‘Am I dead, or am I not dead?’ without being able to determine.]
But even though the Primary Clear Light be not recognized, the Clear Light of the second Bardo being recognized, Liberation will be attained. If not liberated even by that, then that called the third Bardo or the Chonyid Bardo dawneth.
In this third stage of the Bardo, the karmic illusions come to shine. It is very important that this Great setting-face-to-face of the Chonyid Bardo be read: it hath much power and can do much good.
About this time [the deceased] can see that the share of food is being set aside, that the body is being stripped of its garments, that the place of the sleeping-rug is being swept; 7 can hear all the weeping and wailing of his friends and relatives, and, although he can see them and can hear them calling upon him, they cannot hear him calling upon them, so he goeth away displeased.
At that time, sounds, lights, and rays-all three-are experienced. These awe, frighten, and terrify, and cause much fatigue. At this moment, this setting-face-to-face with the Bardo [during the experiencing] of Reality is to be applied. Call the deceased by name, and correctly and distinctly explain to him, as follows:
O! nobly-born, listen with full attention, without being distracted: There are six states of Bardo, namely: the natural state of Bardo while in the womb; the Bardo of the dream-state; the Bardo of ecstatic equilibrium, while in deep meditation; the Bardo of the moment of death; the Bardo [during the experiencing] of Reality, the Bardo of the inverse process of samsaric existence. These are the six.
0 noble-born, thou wilt experience three Bardos, the Bardo of the moment of death, the Bardo [during the experiencing] of Reality, and the Bardo while seeking rebirth. Of these three, up to yesterday, thou hadst experienced the Bardo of the moment of death. Although the Clear Light of Reality dawned upon thee, thou wert unable to hold on, and so thou hast to wander here. Now henceforth thou art going to experience the [other] two, the Chonyid Bardo and the Sidpa Bardo.8
Thou wilt pay undistracted attention to that with which I am about to set thee face to face, and hold on;
0 noble-born, that which is called death hath now come. Thou art departing from this world, but thou art not the only one; [death] cometh to all. Do not cling, in fondness and weakness, to this life. Even though thou clingest out of weakness, thou hast not the power to remain here. Thou wilt gain nothing more than wandering in this Samsara. 9 Be not attached [to this world]; be not weak. Remember the Precious Trinity.10
0 noble-born, whatever fear and terror may come to thee in the Chonyid Bardo, forget not these words; and, bearing their meaning at heart, go forwards: in them lieth the vital secret of recognition:
Alas! when the Uncertain Experiencing of Reality is dawning upon me here,
With every thought of fear or terror or awe for all [apparitional appearances] set aside,
May I recognize whatever [visions] appear, as the reflections of mine own consciousness;
May I know them to be of the nature of apparitions in the Bardo: When at this all-important moment [of opportunity] of achieving a great end.
May I not fear the bands of Peaceful and Wrathful [Deities], mine own thought-forms.
Repeat thou these [verses] dearly, and remembering their significance as thou repeatest them, go forwards, [O nobly-born]. Thereby, whatever visions of awe or terror appear, recognition is certain; and forget not this vital secret art lying therein.
O! nobly-born, when thy body and mind were separating, thou must have experienced a glimpse Of the Pure Truth, subtle, sparkling, bright dazzling, glorious, and radiantly awesome, in appearance like a mirage moving across a landscape in spring-time in one continuous stream of vibrations. Be not daunted thereby, nor terrified, nor awed. That is the radiance of thine own true nature. Recognize it.
From the midst of that radiance, the natural sound of Reality, reverberating like a thousand thunders simultaneously sounding, will come. That is the natural sound of thine own real self. Be not daunted thereby, nor terrified, nor awed.
The body, which thou hast now is called the thought-body of propensities.11 Since thou hast not a material body of flesh and blood, whatever may come,-sounds, lights, or rays,-are, all three, unable to harm thee: thou art incapable of dying. It is quite sufficient for thee to know that these apparitions are thine own thought-forms. Recognize this to be the Bardo.
O! nobly-born, if thou dost not now recognize thine own thoughtforms, whatever of meditation or of devotion thou mayest have performed while in the human world-if thou hast not met with this present teaching-the lights will daunt thee, the sounds will awe thee, and the rays will terrify thee. Shouldst thou not know this an important key to the teachings,-not being able to recognize the sounds, lights, and rays,-thou wilt have to wander in the Samsara.
The invocation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
Oh Buddhas and Bodhisattvas abiding in the ten directions, endowed with great compassion, endowed with pre-knowledge, endowed with impeccable vision, endowed with love, affording protection to sentient beings, consend through the power of your great compassion to accept these offerings actually laid out and mentally created.
Oh you compassionate ones possessing the wisdom of understanding, the love of compassion, the power of acting, and of protecting in an incomprehensible measure, one is passing through this world and leaving it behind. No friends does (s)he have, (s)he is without defenders, without protectors and kinsmen. The light of this world has set. (s)he goes from place to place, (s)he enters darkness, (s)he falls down a steep precipice, (s)he enters a jungle of solitude, (s)he is pursued by karmic forces, (s)he goes into a vast silence, (s)he is borne away on the great ocean, (s)he is wafted on the wind of karma, (s)he goes where there is no certainty, (s)he is caught in the great conflict, (s)he is obsessed by the great affecting spirit, (s)he is awed and terrified by the messengers of death. Existing karma has put hir into repeated existence and no strength does (s)he have although the time has come to go alone.
Oh you compassionate ones, defend who is defenseless, protect who is unprotected, be his kinsman, protect hir from the suffering in the depression of the Bardo, turn hir from the storm wind of karma, turn hir from the great awe and terror of the Lords of Death, liberate hir from the long narrow way of the Bardo.
Oh compassionate ones who do not allow the force of your compassion to be weakened in assistance, who do not allow one to be in the miserable states of existence, forget not your ancient vows, you who do not allow sentient being to be influenced by habit, and protect from the misery of the Bardo.
Oh conquerors and your offspring abiding in the ten directions, Oh ocean congregation of the peaceful and the wrathful, Oh gurus and devas, you dakinis and faithful ones, Hearken now out of your great love and compassion, Obeisance to you, oh assemblage of gurus and dakinis, Out of your great love, lead us along the path.
When through illusion, I and others are wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of undistracted listening, reflecting and meditating, May the gurus of the inspired line lead us, May the bands of mothers be our protectors, May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When through violent anger one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of the wisdom of reflection, May the Bhagavan, Vajra-Sattva lead us, May the Mother Mamaki be our protector, May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When through intense pride one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of the wisdom of equality, May the Bhagavan Ratna-Sambhava lead us, May the Mother of She-who-is-the-Buddha-Eye be our protector, May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When, through great attachment one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of discriminating wisdom, May the Bhagavan Amitabha lead us May the Mother, She-of-white-raiment be our protector May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When, through intense jealousy one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of perfected action, May the Bhagavan Amogha Siddhi lead us May the Mother, the faithful Tara be our protector May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When, through intense stupidity one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of the wisdom of reality, May the Bhagavan Vairochana lead us May the Mother of Great Space be our protector May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When, through intense illusion one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of abandoning hallucinations of fear, awe, and terror, May the Bands of the Bhagavans of the Wrathful Ones lead us May the Bands of Wrathful Goddesses, Rich in Space, be our protectors, May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
When, through intense conditioning one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of Simultaneously-born Wisdom, May the heroic knowledge- holding deities lead us May the Bands of the Mothers, the Dakinis, be our protectors May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.
May the ethereal elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm of the white Buddha. May the watery elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm of the Blue Buddha. May the earthy elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm of the Yellow Buddha. May the fiery elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm of the Red Buddha. May the airy elements not rise up as enemies; May we come to see the realm of the Green Buddha. May the elements of these rainbow colors not rise up as enemies; May it come that all the realms of the Buddhas will be seen May it come that all the sounds in the Bardo will be known as one’s own sounds, May it come that all the radiances will be known as one’s own radiances, And may it come that the Tri-Kaya be realized in the Bardo.
Here begins the Root Verses of the Six Bardos:
O now when the Birthplace Bardo is dawning in one’s mind Abandoning idleness as there is none in a devotee’s life Entering into reality undistractedly listening, reflecting and meditating, Carrying on to the path knowing the true nature of appearances of mind, May the Tri-Kaya be realized: Once that the human form is accomplished, May there be no time as opportunity in which to idle it away.
O now when the dream bardo is dawning in one’s mind Abandoning the inordinate corpse-like sleeping of the sleep of stupidity, May the mind undistractedly remain in it’s natural state In understanding the actual nature of dreams Practice in the clear light of miraculous transformation Acting not like brutes in slothfulness May the blending of sleep and actual waking experience be of value.
O now when the Dhyana bardo is dawning in one’s mind Abandoning the whole mass of distractions and illusions May the mind remain in the mood of timeless undistracted Samadhi May there be accomplishment in visualization and perfection At this time, one-pointedly with all other actions put aside May one not fall under the power of if misleading stupefying passions.
O now when the bardo of the moment of death is dawning in one’s mind Abandoning all awe, fear and terror of all phenomena May one recognize that whatever appears as being one’s own thought-forms May one know them as apparitions of the intermediate state It is said, there comes a time when a turning point is reached. Fear not the forms of the peaceful and wrathful who are one’s own thought-forms.
O now when the bardo of rebirth is dawning in one’s mind With one single wish, join with the results of meritious acts May the door of the womb be closed and the revulsion recollected The time has come when energy and pure love are needed May one cast off jealousy and meditate upon the father-mother
O procrastinating one, who thinks not of the coming of death Devoting oneself to the useless doings of this life, Improvident one is in dissipating ones opportunity Mistaken indeed would ones purpose be now if one returns empty-handed Since Dharma is one’s need, would one not devote oneself to the Dharma even now?
Thus say the Great Adepts in devotion If the chosen teaching of the guru not be borne in mind Would one not be acting as a traitor to oneself? It is of great importance that these root words be heard.
Here begins “The Path of Good Wishes Which Protects from Fear in the Bardo”:
When the cast of chance of one’s life is exhausted The relatives of the world avail one not When wandering alone by oneself in the bardo O you conquerors, peaceful and wrathful, exercising the power of your compassion Let it come that the gloom of ignorance is dispelled
When wandering alone, parted from loving friends When the shapes of one’s empty thought-forms dawn upon one here May the Buddhas, exercising the power of their divine compassion That there be neither awe nor terror in the bardo
When the bright radiances of the five wisdoms shines upon one now May one, neither awed or terrified recognize them to be of oneself When the apparitions of the Peaceful and the Wrathful forms are dawning upon ones mind Let it be that with the assurance of fearlessness that one recognizes the bardo
When experiencing miseries because of the results of one’s actions Let it be that the conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful dispel the miseries When the self-originating sound of reality reverberates like a thousand thunders Let it be that they are transmuted into the sounds of the Mahayana.
When one is unprotected and habitual influences have been followed here Beseech the conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful for their protection When suffering miseries because of habitual propensities Let it be the blissful Samadhi of clear light dawning upon ones mind
When assuming supernormal rebirth in the Sidpa Bardo Let it be that the perverting revelations of Mara do not occur within When ones mind arrives wheresoever one wishes Let it be that one not experience the illusory fright and awe from karma.
When the roarings of savage beasts are uttered Let it be that they are transformed into the Six Syllables (the mantra of the jewel in the lotus) When pursued by snow, rain, wind and darkness Let it be that one sees with the celestial eyes of bright wisdom
Let it be that all sentient beings of the same harmonious order in the bardo Without jealousy obtain re-birth in the Buddhalands When suffering from intense miseries of hunger and thirst Let it be that one not experience the pangs of hunger and thirst, heat and cold.
When beholding one’s parents in union Let it be that one see them as the divine pair, The conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful, Father and Mother. With the ability of being born anywhere for the benefit of others May one be endowed with signs and graces
Obtaining for oneself a body, Let it be one that liberates all Without allowing karma to follow Let it be the merits which follow and be multiplied
Wherever one is born, there and then Let it be that one meets the conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful. With the ability to walk and talk at birth, May it come that one accomplishes the non-forgetting intellect And remember all ones past lives.
In all the various lores, great, small and intermediate Let it be that one masters hearing, reflecting and seeing In whatever place one is born let it be auspicious And may all sentient beings be endowed with happiness
O you conquerors, Peaceful and Wrathful, in likeness to your bodies, The number of your followers, duration of your life period, limits of your realms. And in the likeness of ones divine nature Let it be that all others equal you in every way
By the gift-waves if the innumerable Peaceful and Wrathful deities And by the gift-waves of the wholly pure reality And by the gift-waves of the one- pointed devotion of the mystics Let it be that whatever is wished for be fulfilled here and now.
The Colophon:
Through perfectly pure intention In the making of this, through the roots of the merits thereof May the protectorless sentient beings, Mothers, Be placed in the state of the Buddha Let the radiant glory illuminate Jambudvipa (this world) Let this treatise be auspicious And let goodness and virtue be perfected in every way.
(credited to the precious guru, Padma Sambhava)
The Path of Liberation Through Hearing, Reflecting, and Seeing in the Bardo
Throughout the six realms of samsaric existence this teaching is known as “Liberation Through Hearing and Reflecting”. It is not necessary to understand what this teaching means, but rather in simply listening to the words and letting one’s own interpretations do the rest. The title means just what it says, particularly the use of the word “through”. These teachings are the “Root Verses of the Bardo Thodol”, the transition, state of change, life flux, basis of duality, between birth and death; a description of conditioned arising. The deities mentioned are representative of the different aspects of consciousness in one’s own mind, and do not represent some external divine being. They form a mandala, a recognizable pattern of archetypal conscious thought-forms.
Psychologically, they are known to the individual minds of samsaric beings as expressions of egocentrism, namely: (1)ignorance,(2)jealousy, (3)desire, (4)pride, and (5)hatred, as well as the corresponding collective alternatives as (1)bodhisattvic mind,(2)impartiality (justice), (3)altruistic affection, (4)compassion, and (5)all-embracing love. The attributes 2 through 4 constitute the first(1). This teaching is important because of the changes in consciousness, and is not meant to be understood as an intellectual truth or conclusion. It is applicable to uprooting the habitual tendencies of conditioning in one’s own mind, but it has no utility otherwise. This teaching is tantric in nature, utilizing duality as a vehicle of skillful means for expounding this dharma and penetrates to the deepest layers of collective unconsciousness. I post it not as an effort of self-aggrandizement, but only to offer it to you without any expectations of reward or condemnation, that all sentient beings realize enlightenment.
INVOCATION
O God, Boundless Light of this Reality, O loving and fierce celestial beings, angels and guides, O great spiritual teachers and saints I acknowledge the oneness of the Infinite Potential.
RECOGNITION BY THE INFINITE, IMMORTAL SPIRIT OF THE PERFECT CLEAR LIGHT OF THE INFINITE POTENTIAL IN THE POST PHYSICAL DEATH SPIRITUAL REALITY
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! The time has come for you to find your path in the reality of the spirit. Your physical breath has stopped; the perfect clear light of the Infinite Potential of the first phase of your transition into the spiritual reality has begun to manifest. Your physical breath has stopped and you begin to experience the spirit reality; barren and void-like space. Your immortal, infinite spiritual awareness begins to awaken, clear and empty; perceiving no horizon or center. You must immediately recognize this void as yourself. You must stay centered within this experience.
Now the vision that begins to manifest in the void is the image of mud which represents the earth merging into water. The image of smoke which represents water merging into fire. The image of sparks which represents fire merging into the wind. The image of a candle flame which represents the wind merging into consciousness. The image of a moonlit sky which represents consciousness merging into luminance. The image of the sunlit sky which represents luminance merging into radiance. The image of the night sky which represents radiance merging into imminence. The image of the predawn twilight sky which represents imminence merging into the perfect clear light.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called ______! Now that you have passed through the doorway of “physical death” and transitioned into the spiritual reality, you must now reorient yourself. Repeat to yourself the following words.
“Wake up! I have transitioned from physical life through bodily death to the point of spiritual awakening. From this point on, I will awaken my spirit and my consciousness by contemplating the Infinite Potential of the spirit. I must meditate on peace and harmony and love and compassion. For the sake of all beings in all realities, I must remain centered in the oneness of the Infinite Potential. Now for the sake of all beings, I will acknowledge the perfect clear light as the representation of the Infinite Potential. Within this experience of Infinite oneness, I will attain the supreme peace and harmony of the Infinite Potential and I will accomplish the purpose of all beings. If I do not attain the supreme peace and harmony, then, at the least, while I reside in the spiritual reality, I will recognize that I am residing within the spiritual reality.
I will moment to moment recognize and acknowledge the spiritual reality as a manifestation of the Infinite Potential and I will moment to moment stay centered on my path of life in the spiritual reality and thereby accomplish my purposes in this reality by manifesting whatever I need in order to remain centered in the Infinite Potential.
Hey immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen to me! Right now the perfect clear light of Infinite Potential manifests for you. Recognize it! Acknowledge it! Incorporate it into your experience!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! This, your present conscious natural clear void awareness, this presence in clear voidness without any objectivity of substance, sign, or color – just this is the reality, the Mother, Buddha All-around Goodness! And this, your conscious awareness natural voidness, not succumbing to a false annihilative voidness, just your own conscious awareness, unceasing, bright, distinct, and vibrant – just this awareness is the Father, Buddha All-around Goodness! Just this presence of the indivisibility of your awareness’ naturally insubstantial voidness and the vibrant bright presence of your conscious awareness- just this is the Buddha Body of Truth. Your awareness thus abides in this vast mass of light of clarity-void oneness. You are free of birth or death – just this is the Buddha Changeless Light. It is enough just to recognize this. Recognizing this you own conscious awareness’ purity nature as the Buddha, yourself beholding you own awareness -that is to dwell in the inner realization of all Buddhas.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called ____! Meditate on the Infinite Potential! Do not be distracted! Focus your entire being on the Infinite oneness! Meditate on manifesting the spiritual reality! Do not meditate on it manifesting the material reality!
Center yourself within the Infinite Oneness!
THE LOVING DEITY REALITY BETWEEN
Hey, immortal one, you who was called ____! Listen resolutely with intense concentration! There are seven kinds of between: 1) the physcial birth point between, 2) the physical life consciousness between, 3) the dream consciousness between, 4) the contemplation-meditation between, 5) the physical death-point consciousness between, 6) the spiritual reality between, 7) and the spiritual existence consciousness between.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called ____! At the end of physical life, the three spiritual betweens will dawn for you; 5) the death-point consciousness between, 6) the spiritual reality consciousness between, 7) and the spiritual existence consciousness between.
In the death-point consciousness between, the reality clear light manifested. But unfortunately, you did not recognize it, so you arrived here. Now the spiritual reality consciousness between and the existence consciousness between will manifest for you. As I describe them, you must make every effort to recognize them without fail.
Hey, immortal one, who was called _____! Now you have arrived at what is called “physical death”. You are transitioning from the physical reality to the spiritual reality. You are not alone; it happens to everyone. You must not indulge in attachment to or insistence on your physical life. Though you are attached to it and you insist, you have no power to stay. You will not avoid wandering the life cycle. Do not lust! Do not cling! Be now mindful of the Three Jewels!
Hey, immortal one, who was called ____! Whatever terrifying visions of the spiritual reality consciousness between may dawn upon you, you should not forget the following words. You must proceed remembering in your mind the meaning of these words. Herein lies the key to your peaceful orientation within the spiritual reality.
“Hey! Now when the spiritual reality consciousness between dawns upon me, I will let go of the illusion of instinctive terror. I will recognize all objects as my mind’s own visions and understand this as the pattern of perception in the spiritual between; Come to this moment, arrived at this most critical cessation, I will not fear my own visions of the loving and fierce deities!”
Hey, immortal one, you who was called ______! You should proceed clearly repeating these words aloud in your mind and remembering their meaning. This is very important! It is the key to recognizing whatever terrifying visions dawn as being a manifestation of your own mind.
Hey, immortal one you who was called _____! At this time when your spirit and body have parted ways, pure reality manifests in subtle, dazzling visions, vividly experienced, naturally frightening and worrisome, shimmering like a mirage on the desert. Do not fear them! Do not be terrified! Do not panic! You now have what is call an “instinctual spiritual body,” not a material, flesh and blood body. Thus whatever sounds, lights, and rays may come at you, they cannot harm you. You cannot die. It is enough for you to recognize these experiences as a manifestation of your own mind. Remember your are now in the spiritual between.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called ____! If you do not recognize these visions as a manifestation of your own mind in this way – whatever other meditations and achievements you may have experienced in the human world, if you did not meet this particular instruction – the lights will frighten you, the sounds will panic you, the rays will terrify you. If you do not know the key of this instruction, you will not recognize the sounds, lights, and rays and you will become confused in the cycle of life between the physical and spiritual realities. This is why I am reading this information to you. To help you find your way in the spiritual between reality.
THE FIRST PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Having been without your physcial body for a time, you are now proceeding. You have awakened in the confusion of anxiety with the worry asking yourself, “What is happening to me?” Recognize that you are in the spiritual between! Now, your life cycle is transcending and all things manifest as lights and deities. All space manifests full of blue light. Now, from the central Buddha-land, All-pervading Drop, the Lord Vairochana appears before you, white bodied, sitting on a lion throne, holding in his hand an eight-spoked wheel, united with his consort Akasha Dhatvishvari. The natural purity of the consciousness mosaic, the blue light of the Reality Perfection wisdom, a clear and vivid color blue, frighteningly intense, shines piercingly from the heart center of the Vairochana couple, dazzling yours eyes unbearably.
Simultaneously the soft white light of the gods shines upon you and penetrates you along with the bright blue light. Confused in the manifestation of the spiritual reality, you panic and are terrified of that bright blue light of Reality Perfection wisdom and you attempt to flee from it. You tend to feel an attraction to the soft white light of the gods, and you approach it.
Listen! You must not panic at the blue light; the clear, piercing, brilliant, frightening supreme wisdom clear light! Do not fear it! It is the light ray of the Transcendent Lord, the Reality Perfection wisdom, the oneness of th Infinite Potential. Feel attracted to it with faith and reverence! Make it answer to your prayer, thinking, “It is the light ray of compassion of Lord Vairochana – I must take refuge in it!” It is the way Lord Vairochana comes to escort you through the straits of the spiritual between. It is the light ray of the compassion of Vairochana. Do not be enticed by the soft white light of the gods. Do not be attached to it! Do not long for it! If you cling to it, you will wander into the realm of the gods, and you will continue to cycle through the seven realms of driven existence in the life cycle. It is an obstacle to merging into the Infinite oneness, the path of peace and harmony, so do not look upon it. Become devoted to the brilliant penetrating blue light, aim your intense willpower toward Vairochana, and repeat after me the following prayer:
“When I roam the life cycle driven by confusion in the manifestations of the Infinite, May the Lord Vairochana lead me on the path of clear light of reality-perfection wisdom! May his Consort Buddha Dhatvishvari back me on the way, deliver me from the perilous straits of the between, and carry me to the perfect Buddhahood!”
Thus praying with fierce devotion, you dissolve into rainbow light into the heart of the Vairochana couple. There you will enter the central pure land Ghanavyuha, Dense Array, and become a Buddha by way of the Body of Perfect Beatitude!
THE SECOND PERIOD
Hey, immortal one you who was called _____! Listen without wavering! In this second period, the white light that is the purity of the element water dawns before you. At this time, from the blue eastern pure land of Abhirati, Intense Delight, the blue Lord Vajrasattva Akshobhya arises before you seated on an elephant, carrying a five-pronged vajra scepter, in union with his consort Buddhalochana, attended by the male Bodhisattvas Kshitigarblh and Maitreya and the female Bodhisattvas Lasya and Pushpa – a group of six Archetype Deities. The white light of Mirror wisdom, purity of the form mosaic, white and piercing, bright and clear, shines from the heart of the Vajrasattva couple before you, penetrating, unbearable to you eyes.
At the same time the soft smokey light of the hells shines before you along with the wisdom light. At that time, under the influence of hate you panic, terrified by that brilliant white light, and you attempt to flee from it. You feel a liking for that soft smokey light of the hells and you approach it. But now you must fearlessly recognize that brilliant white, piercing, dazzling clear light as wisdom. Be gladdened by it with faith and reverence! Pray, and increase your love for it, thinking, “It is the light of the compassion of Lord Vajrasattva! I take refuge in it!”
It is Lord Vajrasattva’s shining upon you to escort you through the terrors of the between. It is the guiding beam of the light of compassion of Vajrasattva – have faith in it! Do not be enticed by that soft smoky light of hell! Hey! That is the path of destruction from the confusion you have accumulated by your strong hatred! If you cling to it, you will fall into the hells; you will be stuck in the mire of unbearable ordeals of suffering, without any escape. It is an obstacle to the path of peace and harmony. Do not look upon it and abandon all hate! Do not cling to it! Do not long for it! Have faith in that dazzling bright white light! Aim your intense willpower toward Lord Vajrasattva and make the following prayer:
“Alas! When I roam the life cycle by strong hate, may the Lord Vajrasattva lead me on the path of clear light of the mirror wisdom! May his consort Buddhalochana back me on the way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the spiritual between, and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!”
By praying in this way with intense faith, you will dissolve into rainbow light in the heart of Lord Vajrasattva, and you will go to his eastern pure land Abhirate and attain Buddhahood in the Body of Perfect Beatitude.
THE THIRD PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, who was called _____! Listen without wavering! In this third period, the yellow light that is the purity of the element of earth manifests. At this time, from the yellow southern Buddha-land of Shrimat, the yellow Lord Ratnasambhava appears seated on a fine horse, carrying a precious wish-granting gem, in union with his consort Mamaki, attended by the male Bodhisattvas Akashagarbha and Samantabhadra and the female Bodisattvas Mala and Dhupa – a group of six Buddha deities in a background of rainbows, rays and lights. The yellow light of the Equalizing wisdom, the purity of the sensation mosaic, yellow and piercing, dazzling and clear, adorned with glistening drops of droplets, shines from the heart of the Ratnasambhava couple before you, penetrating your heart center, unbearable to behold with your eyes.
At the same time, the soft blue light of the human realm shines before you, penetrating your heart in parallel with the wisdom light. At that time, under the influence of pride, you panic and are terrified by that brilliant, energetic yellow light, and you flee it. You feel a liking for that soft blue light of the human realms and you approach it. But you must fearlessly recognize that brilliant yellow, piercing, dazzling clear light as wisdom. Upon it place your mind, relaxing you awareness in the experience of nothing more to do. Or again be gladdened by it with faith and reverence! If you can recognize it as the natural energy of your own awareness, without even having to feel faith or make prayers, you will dissolve indivisibly with all the images and light rays and you will become a Buddha.
If you do not recognize it as the natural energy of your own awareness, then pray and increase your love for it, thinking, ” It is the light ray of the compassion of Lord Ratnasambhave! I take refuge in it!” It is the tractor-beam of the light rays of compassion of Lord Ratnasambhave – have faith in it! Do not be enticed by that soft blue light of the human realms – that is the path of confusion in the transgressions you have accumulated by your fierce pride! If you cling to it, you will fall into the human realms; you will experience the suffering of birth, sickness, old age, and death, and you will find no time from liberation for the life cycle.
The soft blue light is an obstacle blocking the path of liberation. Do not look upon it, and abandon all pride! Abandon all instinct! Do not cling to it! Do not long for it! Have faith in that dazzling bright yellow light! Aim your one-pointed willpower toward the Lord Ratnasambhava and make the following prayer:
” Hey! When I roam the life cycle driven by strong pride, may the Lord Tarnasambhava lead me on the path of the clear light of the equalizing wisdom! May his consort Buddha Mamaki back me on the way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the spiritual between, and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
By praying in this way with intense faith, you will dissolve into rainbow light in the heart of the Lord Ratnasambhava couple and you will go to the southern pure land Shrimat and attain Buddhahood in the Body of Perfect Beatitude.
THE FOURTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one you who was called _____! Listen without wavering! In this fourth period, the red light that is the purity of the element of fire dawns. At this time, from the red western world of Sukhavate, the red Lord Amitabha appears before you seated on a peacock throne, carrying a lotus, in union with his consort Pandaravasini, attended by the male Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri and the female Bodhisattvas Gita and Aloka – a group of six Buddha deities in a background of rainbows and lights.
the red light of the Discriminating wisdom, purity of the conceptual mosaic, red and piercing, dazzling and clear, adorned with drops and droplets, shines from the heart of the Amitabha couple, precisely penetrating your heart center, unbearable to see with you eyes. Do not fear it!
At the same time a soft yellow light of the realm of the hungry ghost shines before you, penetrating your heart in parallel with the wisdom light. Do not indulge in it! Abandon clinging and longing! At that time, under the influence of the fierce passion, you panic and are terrified by that brilliant, energetic red light, and you want to flee it. You feel a liking for that soft yellow light on the realms of the hungry ghosts and you approach it.
But at that time you must fearlessly recognize that brilliant red, piercing, dazzling clear light as wisdom. Upon it place you mind, relaxing your awareness in the experience of nothing more to do. Or again be gladdened by it with faith and reverence! If you can recognize it as the natural energy of your own awareness, without feeling faith, without making prayers, you will merge indivisibly with all the images and light rays and you will become a Buddha.
If you do not recognize it as the natural energy of your own awareness, then pray and hold your aspiration for it, thinking, “It is the light ray of the compassion of the Lord Amitabha! I take refuge in it!” It is the tractor-beam of the light rays of the compassion of Lord Ambitabha – have faith in it! Do not flee it! If you flee it, it still will not leave you! Do not fear it! Do not be enticed by that soft yellow light of the realms of the hungry ghosts! It is the path of the instincts of the transgressions you have accumulated by your fierce attachment! If you cling to it, you will fall into the realms of the hungry ghosts; you will experience the intolerable suffering of hunger and thirst, and it will be an obstacle blocking the path of peace and harmony. Without clinging to it, abandon your instinct for it! Do not long for it! Have faith in the dazzling bright red light Aim your one-pointed will toward the Lord Amitabha couple and make the following prayer:
“When I roam the life cycle driven by strong passion, may the Lord Amitabha lead me on the path of the clear light of the discrimination wisdom! May his consort Buddha Pandaravasini back me on the way and deliver me from the dangerous straits of the spiritual between and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
By praying in this way with intense faith, you will dissolve into rainbow light in the heart of the Lord Amitabha couple and you will go to the western pure land Sukhavati and attain Buddhahood in the body of Perfect Beatitude.
THE FIFTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen without wavering! In this fifth period, the green light that is the purity of the element of wind dawns. At this time, from the green northern Buddha-land of Prakuta, the green Lord Amoghasiddhi appears seated on an eagle throne, carrying a vajra cross, in union with his consort Samayatara, attended by the male Bodhisattvas Vajrapani and Sarvanivaranaviskambhin and the female Bodhisattvas Gandha and Nartya – a group of six Buddha Deities in a background of rainbows and lights. The green light of the All-accomplishing wisdom, purity of the creation mosaic, green, piercing, dazzling and clear, adorned with glistening drops and droplets, shines from the heart of the Amoghasiddhi couple, precisely penetrating your heart center, unbearable to see with your eyes.
Not fearing it, knowing it as the natural force of the wisdom of your own awareness, enter the experience of the great, unoccupied equanimity, free of attraction to the familiar and aversion to the alien!
At the same time a soft, envy-made red light of the titan realm shines upon you together with the wisdom light ray. Meditate upon it with attraction and aversion in balance. If you are of inferior mind, do not indulge in it! At that time, under the influence of fierce jealousy, you panic and are terrified by that brilliant, piercing green light, and you flee it in alarm. You enjoy and are attached to that soft red light of the titan realm and you approach it. But at that time you must fearlessly recognize that brilliant green, piercing, dazzling clear light as wisdom. Upon it relax your awareness in the experience of transcendence with nothing to do. Or again pray and increase your love for it, thinking, “It is the light ray of the compassion of Lord Amoghasiddhi! I take refuge in it!” It is the All-accomplishing wisdom, the light ray of the tractor-beam of the compassion of Lord Amoghasiddhi – have faith in it! Do not flee it! If you flee it, it still will not leave you! Do not fear it!
Do not be enticed by that soft red light of the titan realms! It is the path of destruction from the negative evolutionary actions you have committed through your powerful jealously! If you cling to it, you will fall into the titan realms; you will experience the intolerable suffering of interminable fighting, and it will be an obstacle blocking the path of liberation. Without clinging to it, abandon your instinct for it! Do not long for it! Have faith in that dazzling bright green light! Aim your one-pointed willpower toward the Lord Amoghasiddhi couple and make the following prayer:
“Hey! When I roam the life cycle driven by strong envy, may the Lord Amoghasiddhi lead me on the path of the clear light of the all-encompassing wisdom! May his consort Buddha Samayatara back me on the way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the spiritual between, and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
By praying in this way with intense faith, you will dissolve into rainbow light in the heart of Lord Amoghasiddhi couple and you will go to the northern pure land Prakuta and attain Buddhahood in the Body of Perfect Beatitude!
THE SIXTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen without wavering! Up until yesterday, the visions of the five Buddha-clans appeared to you one by one. Though they were clearly described, under the influence of negative evolution you were panicked, and still up to now are left behind here. If you had already recognized the natural shining of one of the wisdoms of the five clans as your own vision, it would have caused you to dissolve into rainbow light in the body of one of the five Buddha clans and to attain Buddhahood in the Body of Beatitude. As it is, you did not recognize the light and you are still wandering here. Now, behold without distraction! Now the vision of all the five clans and the vision of the joining of the four wisdoms have come to escort you in their direction. Recognize them!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! The purity of the four elements is dawning as the four lights. In the center the Vairochana Buddha couple as described above appears from the pure land All-pervading Drop. In the east the Vajrasattva Buddha couple with retinue appears from the pure land Abhirati. In the south the Ratnasambhava Buddha couple with retinue as described above appears from the pure land Shrimat. In the west the Amitabha Buddha couple with retinue as described above appears from the lotus-heaped pure land Sukhavate. In the north the Amoghasiddhi Buddha couple with retinue as described above appears from the pure land Prakuta, in a rainbow light background.
Hey, immortal one you who was called _____! Outside of those five Buddha-clan couples appear the fierce male door guardians Vijaya, Yamantaka, Hayagriva, and Amertakundali; the fierce female door guardians Amkusha, Pasha, Sphota, and Ghanta; and the six Lord Buddhas: Indra Shatakratu, the Buddha of the gods; Vemachitra, the Buddha of the titans; Shakyamuni, the Buddha of the humans: Simham the Buddha of the animals; Jvalamukha, the Buddha of the hungry ghostss; and Dharmaraja, the Buddha of the hells. Also appearing is the All-around-goodness Samantabhadra Father-Mother, the general ancestor of all Buddhas. Altogether the host of the forty-two deities of the Beatific Body emerges from you own heart center and appears to you. Recognize it as you own pure vision!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Those pure lands are not anywhere else – they abide in your own heart within its center and four directions. They now emerge from out of your heart and appear to you! Those images do not come from anywhere else! They are primordially created as the natural manifestation of your own awareness – so you should know how to recognize them!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Those deities, not great, not small, symmetrical, each with ornamentation, color, posture, throne, and gesture: those deities each pervaded by five mantras, each of the five circled by a five colored rainbow aura; with male Bodhisattvas of each clan upholding the male part and female Bodhisattvas of each clan upholding the female part, with all the mandalas arising simultaneously whole – they are your Archetype Deities, so you should recognize them!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called ____! From the heart of those five Buddha-clan couples, four combined wisdom light rays dawn in your heart center, each extremely subtle and clear, like sun rays woven together in a rope.
Now first, from Vairochana’s heart center, a cloth of the frightening brilliant white light rays of the reality-perfection wisdom dawns connecting to your heart center. Within that light-ray cloth, white drops glisten with their rays, like mirrors facing toward you, very clear, brilliant, and awesomely penetrating, with each drop itself naturally adorned with five other drops. Thus that light-ray cloth is adorned with drops and droplets without limit or center.
From the heart of Vajrasattva, the mirror wisdom, a cloth of blue light rays shines brilliantly upon you connecting to your heart center, on which shining blue drops like turquoise bowls facing down toward you, adorned by other drops and droplets, all shine upon you.
From the heart of Ratnasambhave, a cloth of the equalizing wisdom yellow light rays shines brilliantly upon you, on which golden drops like golden bowls adorned by other golden drops and droplets face down and dawn upon you.
From the heart center of Amitabha, the discriminating wisdom red light cloth shines brilliantly upon you, on which radiant red drops like coral bowls facing down to you, endowed with the deep luster of wisdom, very bright and penetrating, each adorned by five natural red drops – all these shine upon you adorned by drops and droplets without center or limit. These also shine upon you connecting to your heart center.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! These all arise from the natural exercise of your own awareness. They do not come from anywhere else! So do not be attached to them! Do not be terrified of them! Relax in the experience of nonconceptualization. Within that experience all the deities and light rays will dissolve into you and you will become a Buddha!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Since the exercise of the wisdom of your awareness is not perfected, the all-encompassing wisdom’s green light does not shine.
Hey, immortal one you who was called _____! These are the visions of the four wisdoms in combination, the inner passageway of Vajrasattva. At that time, you should remember the orientation previously given by your spiritual teacher! If you remember that orientation, you will trust those visions, you will recognize reality like a child meeting its mother, or like the greeting of a long familiar person; and you will cease all reifying notions. Recognizing your visions as your own creations, you will trust your being held on the changeless path of pure reality, and you will achieve the samadhi of continuity. Your awareness will dissolve into the body of great effortlessness, and you will become a Buddha in the Beatific Body.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Along with the wisdom lights, there also arise impure, misleading visions of the six species; namely, the soft white light of the gods, the soft red light of the titans, the soft blue light of the humans, the soft green light of the animals, the soft yellow light of the hungry ghostss, and the soft smoky light of the hells. These six arise entwined in parallel with the pure wisdom lights. Therefore, do not seize or cling to any of those lights. Relax in the experience of nonperception! If you fear the wisdom lights and cling to the impure six-species life-cycle lights, you will assume a body of a being of the six species. You will not reach the time of liberation from the great ocean of suffering of the life cycle. You will experience only trouble.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! If you lack the orientation given in the instruction of the spiritual teacher, and you fear and are terrified by the above images and pure wisdom lights, you will come to cling to the impure life-cycle lights. Do not do so! Have faith in those dazzling, piercing pure wisdom lights! Trust in them, thinking, “These light rays of the wisdom of the compassion of the Blissful Lords of the five clans have come to me to hold me with compassion – I must take refuge in them!” Not clinging, not longing for the misleading lights of the six species, aim your will one-pointedly toward the five Buddha-clan couples, and make the following prayer:
“Hey! When I roam the life cycle driven by the five strong passions, may the Lord Victors of the five clans lead me on the path of the clear light of the four wisdoms in combination! May the supreme five Consort Buddhas back me on the way, and deliver me from the impure lights of the six realms! Delivering me from the dangerous straits of the between, may they carry me to the five supreme pure lands!
THE SEVENTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! You continue to wander in the between! Listen without wavering! In the seventh period, a five-colored, rainbow light will dawn to purify your instincts by immersion into reality. At that time, from the pure land of the angels, the Scientist Deity host will come to escort you. In the center of a mandala wreathed in rainbows and lights, the unexcelled Scientist of evolutionary development, Padmanarteshvara, will arise, his body lustrous with the five colors, his consort the Red Angel wound round his body, performing the dance of chopper and blood-filled skull bowl, striking the gazing posture toward the sky.
From the east of that mandala the Stage-contemplating Scientist will arise, white, his expression smiling, his consort the White Angel wound round his body, performing the chopper and skull-bowl dance and the gesture of gazing into space. From the south of that mandala the Lifespan-master Scientist will arise, yellow with beautiful signs, his consort the Yellow Angel wound round his body, performing the chopper and skull-bowl dance and the gesture of gazing into space. From the west of that mandala the Great Seal Scientist will arise, red with a smiling expression, his consort the Red Angel wound round his body, performing the chopper and skull-bowl dance and the gesture of gazing into space. From the north of that mandala the Effortlessness Scientist will arise, green and smiling fiercely, his consort the Green Angel wound round his body, performing the chopper and skull-bowl dance and the gesture of gazing into space.
Positioned outside of those scientists, the infinite Angelic host arises in order to escort the vow-holding devotee, and to punish the breakers of vows; they are the eight death-ground Angels, the four classes of Angels, the three holy place Angels, the ten holy place Angels, the twenty-four holy land Angels, and the Heroes, the Heroines, and the warrior deities, along with all their defenders, the Dharma-protectors. All wear the six human bone ornaments, carry drums, thigh-bones trumpets, skull drums, human skin victory standards, human skin parasols and pennants, singed flesh incense, and play infinite different kinds of music. They fill the entire universe, rocking, dancing, and shaking, all their musical sounds vibrating as if to split your head open and performing various dances.
Hey, immortal one, who was called ____! Spontaneously purifying instincts in reality, the five-colored wisdom light striped like colored threads wound together dazzles, shimmers, and shines steadily, clear and brilliant, startlingly piercing; from the hearts of the five Scientist Lords it blinds your eyes and penetrates your heart center. At the same time the soft green light of the animal realm dawns together with the wisdom light. At that time, under the influence of your instincts, you fear the five-colored light and flee from it, enticed by the soft green light of the animal realm. Therefore, do not be afraid of that energetic, piercing, five-colored light! Do not be terrified! Recognize it as wisdom! From within the light comes the thousand rolling thunders of the natural sound of teaching. The sound is fierce, reverberating, rumbling, stirring, like fierce mantras of intense sound. Do not fear it! Do not flee it! Do not be terrified of it! Recognize it as the exercise of your own awareness; your own perception. Do not be attached to that soft green light of the animal realms. Do not long for it! If you cling to it, you will fall into the delusion-dominated realm of the animals and you will suffer infinite miseries of stupefaction, dumbness, and slavery, without any time of escape. So do not cling to it! Have faith in that penetrating, bright, five-colored light! Aim you will one-pointedly toward the Lord Scientist Master Deity host! Aim your will with the thought:
“This Scientist Deity host with its Heroes and Angels has come to escort me to the pure angelic heaven! O, you must know how beings such as me have accumulated no stores of merit and wisdom. We have not been taken up by the grip of the light rays of compassion of such a five-clan Deity host of the Blissful Buddhas of the three times. Alas! Such am I! Now, you the Scientist Deity host, from now on do not neglect me no matter what! Hold me with the tractor-beam of your compassion! Right now draw me to the pure heaven of the Buddha Angels!
Then you should make the following prayer:
“May the Scientist Deity host look upon me! Please lead me on the path with your great love! When I roam the life cycle driven by strong instincts, may the Hero Scientists lead me on the path of the clear light of orgasmic wisdom! May their consort Angel host back me on my way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between, and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!”
When you make this prayer with intense faith, you will dissolve into rainbow light at the heart center of the Scientist Deity host and without a doubt will be reborn in the perfect Angel heaven realm.
THE EIGHTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one who was called _____! If you can hear me, it is because you continue to wander in the spiritual between! Listen without wavering! The peaceful between already dawned, but you did not recognize the light. So now you still must wander here. Now in this eighth period, the Heruka Fierce Deity host will arise. Do not waver! Recognize them!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! The great, glorious Buddha Heruka appears, wine maroon in color, with three faces, six arms, and four legs stretched out, his front face maroon, his right face white, his left face red, his entire body blazing with light rays. His eyes glare, fiercely terrifying, his eyebrows flash like lightning, his fangs gleam like new copper. He roars with laughter, “A la la,” and “Ha ha ha,” and he makes loud hissing noises like “shu-uu.”
His bright orange hair blazes upward, adorned with skull crown and sun and moon discs. His body is adorned with black snakes and a freshly severed head garland. His first right hand holds a wheel, the middle an ax, and the third a sword; his first left hand holds a bell, the middle a plowshare, and the third a skull bowl.
His consort Buddha Krodhishvari enfolds his body, her right arm embracing his neck, her left hand offering him sips of blood from her skull bowl. She clucks her tongue menacingly and roars like thunder.
Both are ablaze with wisdom flames, shooting out from their blazing vajra hairs. They stand in the warrior’s posture on a throne supported by garudas. Thus they arise manifestly before you, having emerged from within your own brain! Do not fear them! Do not be terrified! Do not hate them! Recognize them as an image of your own awareness! He is your own Archetype Deity, so do not panic! In fact, they are really Lord Vairochana Father and Mother, so do not be afraid! The very moment you recognize them, you will be liberated!
THE NINTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen without wavering! You continue to wander in the spiritual between! Now in the ninth period the Lord Vajra Heruka of the Vajra-clan will arise before you, emerging from within your brain. He is dark blue, with three faces, six arms, and four legs stretched out. His front face is dark blue, his right face is white, his left face is red. His first right hand holds a vajra, the middle a skull bowl, and the third and ax; his first left hand hold a bell, the middle a skull bowl, and the third a plowshare.
His consort Buddha Vajra Krodhishvari enfolds his body, her right arm embracing his neck, her left hand offering him sips of blood from her skull bowl.
Thus they manifest before you, having emerged from within your own brain! Do not fear them! Do not be terrified! Do not hate them! Recognize them as an image of your own awareness! They are your own Archetype Deity, so do not panic! In fact, they are really Lord Vajrasattva Father and Mother, so have faith in them! The very moment you recognize them, you will be liberated!
THE TENTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! You continue to wander in the spiritual between! Listen without wavering! Now in the tenth period the Jewel-clan Heruka, Lord Ratna Heruka, will manifest to you, emerging from within your mind. He is dark yellow, with three faces, six arms, and four legs stretched out, his front face dark yellow, his right face white, his left face red. His first right hand holds a jewel, the middle a khatvanga staff, and the third a club; his first left hand holds a bell, the middle a skull bowl, and the third a trident.
His consort Buddha Ratna Krodhishvari enfolds his body, her right arm embracing his neck, her left hand offering him sips of blood from her skull bowl.
Thus they arise manifestly before your eyes, having emerged from within the southern part of your own brain! Do not fear them! Do not be terrified! Do not hate them! Recognize them as an image of your own awareness! They are you own Archetype Deity, so do not panic! In fact, they are really Lord Tatnasambhava Father and Mother, so have faith in them! The very moment you recognize them, you will be liberated!
THE ELEVENTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! You continue to wander in the spiritual between! Listen without wavering! Now in the eleventh period, the Lotus-clan Heruka, Lora Padma Heruka, will manifest before you, emerging from within your mind. He is dark red, with three faces, six arms, and four legs stretched out, his front face dark red, his right face white, his left face blue. His first right hand holds a lotus, the middle a khatvanga staff, and the third a rod; his first left hand holds a bell, the middle a skull bowl filled with blood, and the third a small drum.
His Consort Buddha Padma Krodhishvari enfolds his body, her right arm embracing his neck, her left hand offering him sips of blood from her skull bowl.
Thus they manifest before you, standing in sexual union, having emerged from within your own brain! Do not fear them! Do not be terrified! Do not hate them! Feel delight! Recognize them as an image of your own awareness! They are your own Archetype Deity, so do not panic! In fact, they are really Lord Amitabha Father and Mother, so have faith in them! The very moment you recognize them, you will be liberated!
THE TWELFTH PERIOD
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! You continue to wander in the spiritual between! Listen without wavering! Now in the twelfth period, the Lord Karma Heruka of the Karma-clan will manifest before you, emerging from within your brain. He is dark green, with three faces, six arms, and four legs stretched out, his front face dark green, his right face white, his left face red. His first right hand holds a sword, the middle a khatvanga staff, and the third a rod; his first left hand holds a bell, the middle a skull bowl, and the third a plowshare.
His Consort Buddha Karma Krodhishvari enfolds his body, her right arm embracing his neck, her left hand offering him sips of blood from her skull bowl.
Thus they manifest before you, standing in sexual embrace, having emerged from the north of your own brain! Do not fear them! Do not be terrified! Do not hate them! Recognize them as an image of your own awareness! They are your own Archetype Deity, so do not panic! In fact, they are really Lord Amoghasiddhi Father and Mother, so have faith in them, feel deep reverence for them! The very moment you recognize them, you will be liberated!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! You continue to wander in the between! Listen without wavering! The eight Gauri goddesses will emerge from within your brain and appear to you! Do not fear them! From the east of your brain appears to your east a white Gauri, her right hand holding a corpse as a club and her left hand holding a blood-filled skull bowl. Do not fear her! From the south, a yellow Chauri, aiming a bow and arrow; from the west, a red Pramoha, holding a crocodile victory standard; from the north, a black Vetali, holding a vajra and a blood-filled skull bowl; from the southeast, an orange Pukkasi, her right hand holding intestines, her left feeding them into her mouth; from the southwest, a dark green Ghasmari, her left hand holding a blood-filled skull bowl and her right hand holding a vajra, with which she stirs the blood and feeds it into her mouth; from the northwest, a pale yellow Chandali holding a body and head across her shoulders, her right hand holding a heart and her left hand feeding herself with the corpse; from the northeast, a dark blue Shmashani, feeding on a headless body; all these eight holy-ground Gauri goddesses emerge from within your brain and appear to you surrounding the five Herukas! Do not fear them!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen without wavering! After that, the eight Pishachi ghouls of the holy lands will appear to you! From the east a dark maroon, lion-headed Simhasya, crossing her arms over her chest, holding a corpse in her mouth, and tossing her mane; from the south, a red, tiger-headed Vyaghrasya, crossing her arms downward, staring hypnotically and gnashing her fangs; from the west, a black, jackal-headed Shrgalasya, with a razor in her right hand, holding and feeding on intestines in her left hand; from the north, a dark blue, wolf-headed Shvanasya, lifting a corpse up to her mouth with her two hands and staring hypnotically; from the southeast, a light yellow, vulture-headed Grdhrasya, carrying a corpse over her shoulder and holding a skeleton in her hand; from the southwest, a dark red, hawk-headed Kankhasya, carrying a corpse over her shoulders; from the northwest, a black, crow-headed Kakasya, with a sword in her right hand, eating lungs and hearts; from the northeast, a dark blue, owl-headed Ulukasya, eating flesh and holding a vajra in her right hand and a sword in her left hand; all these holy-land Pishachi ghouls emerge from within your brain and appear to you surrounding the five Herukas! Do not fear them! Recognize whatever arises as the creativity of your own visionary awareness!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen without wavering! The four Door-guardian goddesses will emerge from your own brain and appear to you, so recognize them! From the east of your brain, a white, horse-headed Ankusha, with an iron hook in her right hand, and a blood-filled skull bowl in her left hand, will appear to your east. From the south, a yellow, pig-headed Pasha holding a noose; from the west, a red lion-headed Shernkhala, holding an iron chain; from the north, a green, serpent-headed Ghanta holding a bell; these four Door-guardian goddesses will emerge from your brain and appear to you! Recognize them as being your own Archetype Deities!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Outside of these thirty fierce Heruka deities, the twenty-eight Ishvari goddesses with their various heads and their various implements will emerge from within your brain and appear to you. Do not fear them, but recognize them as the creativity of your own visionary awareness! At this time when you have arrived at the crucial moment of cessation, remember the instructions of your spiritual teacher!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! From the east, the dark maroon, yak-headed Rakshasi holding a vajra; the orange, serpent-headed Brahmi holding a lotus; the dark green, leopard-headed Maheshvari holding a trident; the blue, mongoose-headed Lobha holding a wheel; the red, mule-headed Kumari holding a javelin; the white, bear-headed Indrani holding an intestine-noose; these six eastern Yoginis emerge from your own brain and appear before you! Do not fear them!
From the west, the dark green, vulture-headed Bhakshasi holding a club; the red, horse-headed Rati holding a human torso; the white, garuda-headed Mahabali holding a club; the red, dog-headed Rakshasi holding a vajra razor; the red, hoopoe-headed Kama aiming a bow and arrow; the red-green, deer-headed Vasuraksha holding a vase; these six western Yoginis emerge from within your brain and appear before you! Do not fear them!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! From the north, the blue, wolf-headed Vayavi holding a banner; the red, ibex-headed Narini holding an impaling stake; the black, boar-headed Varahi holding a tusk-noose; the red, crow-headed Rati holding a child’s skin; the green-black, elephant-headed Mahanasi holding a fresh corpse and drinking blood from a skull bowl; the blue, serpent-headed Varuni holding a serpent-noose; these six northern Yoginis will emerge from within your brain and appear before you! Do not fear them!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! The four outer Door-guardian Yoginis will emerge from within your brain and appear before you! From the east, the white, cuckoo-headed Vajra holding an iron hook; from the south, the yellow, goat-headed Vajra holding a noose; from the west, the red, lion-headed Vajra holding and iron chain; from the north, the green-black, serpent-headed Vajra holding a bell; these four Door Yoginis will emerge from within your brain and appear before you! All these twenty-eight goddesses arise naturally from the creativity of the self-originating bodies of the fierce Herukas- so you should recognize them as Buddha-wisdom!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! The Truth Body arises from the voidness side as the peaceful deities! Recognize it! The Beatific Body arises from the clarity side as the fierce deities! Recognize it! At this time when the fifty-eight-deity Heruka host emerge from within your brain and appear before you, if you know that whatever arises is arisen from the natural energy of your own awareness, you will immediately become nondual with the Heruka Body and become a Buddha!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! If you do not recognize that, you will cling to superficial reality, feel fear and hate, and flee these deities. You will go down again into excessive misery! If you do not recognize them, you will perceive the whole Heruka Deity host as if they were Yamas, Lords of Death, and you will fear the Heruka deities. You will hate them! You will panic! You will faint! Your own visions having become devils, you will wander in the life cycle!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! These mild and fierce deities at most will be as big as space, at medium will be as large as Sumeru, the planetary axis, at the least will be as large as eighteen times the height of your own body-so do not be afraid of them! All visible existence will arise as lights and deities! And all visions arising as lights and deities must be recognized as the natural energy of your own awareness. When your own energy dissolves nondually into these natural lights and deities, you will become a Buddha!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! What you see and perceive, whatever terrifying visions occur, recognize them as your own visions! Recognize the clear light as the natural energy of your own awareness! If you so recognize, there is no doubt you will become a Buddha right away! The so-called “instantaneous perfect Buddhahood” will have come to pass! Remember this in your mind!
Hey immortal one, you who was called _____! If now you do not recognize the light, and if you cling to terror, all the mild deities will arise as black Mahakala guardians! All the fierce deities will arise as Yama Dharmaraja deities! Your own visions having become devils, you will wander in the life cycle!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! When it happens that such a vision arises, do not be afraid! Do not feel terror! You have a mental body made of instincts; even if it is killed or dismembered, it cannot die! Since in fact you are a natural form of voidness, anger at being injured is unnecessary! The Yama Lords of Death are but arisen from the natural energy of your own awareness and really lack all substantiality. Voidness cannot injure voidness!
Except insofar as they arise from the natural creativity of your own awareness, you must firmly decide that all that you see- the mild and fierce deities, the Herukas, the animal-headed angels, the rainbow lights, and the Yama deities– none is substantially, objectively existent! Once you understand that, then all the fears and terrors become liberated on the spot, you dissolve into nonduality and become a Buddha! If you so recognize them, you must feel intense faith, thinking, “They are my Archetype Deities! They have come to escort me through the straits of the between! I take refuge in them!”
Be mindful of the Three Jewels! Remember whoever is your Archetype Deity! Call him or her by name! Pray to him or her, “I am wandering lost in the between – by my savior! Hold me with your compassion, O precious deity!” Call on your spiritual teacher by name, praying, “I am wandering lost in the between – be my savior! For compassion’s sake, do not let me go!” Feel faith in the Heruka Deity host, and pray to them:
When I wander in the life cycle driven by powerful instincts, may the host of mild and fierce Lords lead me on the path of the clear light that conquers terror-visions of hate and fear! May the fierce Ishvari goddess hosts back me on the way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the spiritual between and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
Now that I wander alone, apart from my loved ones, and all my visions are but empty images, may the Buddhas exert the force of their compassion and stop the fear- and hate-drawn terrors of the between!
When the five lights of brilliant wisdom dawn, fearless, bravely, may I know them as myself! When the forms of the Lords mild and fierce arise, bold and fearless, may I recognize the between! Now when I suffer by the power of negative evolution, may the Archetype Deities dispel that suffering! When reality crashes with a thousand thunders may they all become OM MANI PADME HUM!
When I am pulled by evolution without recourse, may the Compassion Lord provide me refuge! When I suffer due to evolutionary instincts, may the clear light bliss samadhi dawn upon me!
May the five main elements not arise as enemies! May I behold the pure lands of the five Buddha-clans!
Thus you should pray with intense reverence and faith! It is extremely important, since your fear and terror will thus disappear and you will surely become a Buddha in the Beatific Body! Do not waver!
Orientation to the Existence Between
With deep reverence I bow to the Deity host of Spiritual Mentors, Archetypes, and Angels! I pray you to free me in the between!
Basic Introduction
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! You continue to wander in the between! Listen well, and keep this in your mind! In hell, heaven, and the between, the body is born by apparition. But when the perceptions of the mild and fierce deities arose in the reality between, you did not recognize them. So after five and a half days, you fainted with terror. Upon awakening, your awareness became more clear, and you immediately arose in a likeness of your former body. As it says in the Tantra:
Having the fleshy form of the preceding and emerging lives, senses all complete, moving unobstructed, with evolutionary magic powers, one sees similar species with pure clairvoyance.
Here “preceding” means that you arise as if in a flesh-and-blood body determined by the instincts of your preceding life. If you are radiant and have traces of the auspicious bodily signs and marks of a mythic hero, it is because your imagination can transform your body; thus, that perceived in the between is called a “mental body”
At that time, if your are to be born as a god, you will have visions of the heavens. If you are to be born as a titan, a human, an animal, a pretan, or a hell-being, you will have visions of whichever realm you will be born in. “Preceding” here means that for up to four and a half days you experience yourself as having a fleshy body of your previous life with its habitual instincts. “Emerging” means that you begin to have visions of the place where you are heading for rebirth. So much for “Preceding and emerging.”
Therefore, do not follow after every vision that happens. Do not be attached to it! Do not adhere to it! If you are stubborn and attached to all of them, you will roam in suffering through the six realms. Up until yesterday, the visions of the reality between dawned for you, but you did not recognize them. So you have had to wander here now. So now, if, without wavering, you can develop recognition, the spiritual teacher’s orientation can open your awareness of the clear light, the naked, pure, vibrant void. Enter into it, relax into the experience of nonholding, nondoing! Without having to enter a womb, you will be liberated.
If you do not recognize the light, then meditate that your spiritual teacher or Archetype Deity is present on the crown of your head, and devote yourself totally with a strong force of faith. It is so important! Do it without wavering, again and again!
Powers and Problems of a Between Being
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen without your mind wandering! “Senses all complete, moving unobstructed” means that even if in life you were blind, deaf, crippled, and so on, now in the between, your eyes clearly discern forms, your ears hear sounds, and so forth. Your senses become flawlessly clear and complete; so, “senses all complete”. Recognize this as a sign that you have died and are wandering in the between! Remember your personal instructions!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! What is “unobstructed” is your mental body; your awareness is free from embodiment and you lack a solid body. So now you can move hither and thither everywhere, through walls, houses, land, rocks, and earth, even through Meru, the axial mountain; except through a mother’s womb and the Vajra Throne at Dodhgaya. This is a sign that you are wandering in the spiritual existence between, so remember the instructions of your spiritual teacher! Pray to the Lord of Great Compassion!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! “With evolutionary magic powers” means that you, who have no special abilities or meditational magic powers whatsoever, now have magic powers arising as the result of your evolution. In a split second, you can circle this planet with its axial mountain. You now have the power just to think about any place you wish and you will arrive there in that very instant. You can reach any where and return just as a normal man stretches out and pulls back his arm. But these various magic powers are not so miraculous; if you do not specially need them, ignore them! You should not worry about whether or not you can manifest this or that, which you may think of. The fact is you have the ability to immediately manifest anything without any obstruction. You should recognize this as a sign of the existence between! You should pray to your spiritual teacher!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! “One sees similar species with pure clairvoyance” means that beings of the same species in the between can see each other. Thus if some beings are of the same species, all going to be reborn as gods, they will see each other. Likewise, other beings of the same species, to be reborn in whichever of the six realms, will see each other. So you should not be attached to such encounters! Meditate on the Lord of Great Compassion!
“With pure clairvoyance” refers also to the vision of those whose pure clairvoyance has been developed by the practice of contemplation, as well as to the vision of those whose divine power of merit has developed it. But such yogis or deities cannot always see between-beings. They see them only when they will to see them, and not when they do not, or when their contemplation is distracted.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! As you have a ghostly body, you encounter relatives and familiar places as if in a dream. When you meet these relatives, though you communicate with them, they do not answer. When you see your relatives and dear ones crying, you will think, “Now I have died, what can I do?” You feel a searing pain, like a fish flopping in hot sand. But however greatly you suffer, tormenting yourself at this time does not help. If you have a spiritual teacher, pray to your spiritual teacher. Or else pray to the compassionate Archetype Deity. Do not be attached to your loved ones – it is useless. Pray to the Compassionate Ones, and do not suffer or be terrified!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Driven by the swift wind of evolution, your mind is helpless and unstable, riding the horse of breath like a feather blown on the wind, spinning and fluttering. You tell the mourners, “Do not cry! Here I am!” They take no notice. You realize you have died and you feel great anguish. Now do not indulge in your pain! There is a constant twilight, gray as the predawn autumn sky, neither day nor night. That kind of between can last for one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven weeks – up to forty-nine days. Though it is said that for most people the suffering of the existence between lasts twenty-one days, this is not always certain due to people’s different evolutionary histories.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! At this time the great red wind of evolution will drive you from behind, fiercely, unbearably, terrifyingly. Do not be afraid of it! It is your own hallucination! A frightening thick darkness draws you from the from, irresistibly. You are terrified by harsh cries, such as “strike!” “kill!” Do not be afraid of them! Heavy sinners will see cannibal ogres brandishing many weapons, shouting war cries, “Kill, Kill!” and “Strike! Strike!” You will see ferocious wild animals. You will be hunted by troops in blizzards, storms, and fogs. You will hear sounds of avalanches, flood waters, forest fires, and hurricanes. In panic, you will escape by any means, only to stop short on the brink of falling down a yawning triple abyss, red, black, and white, bottomless and horrifying.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! It is not really an abyss. It is lust, hate, and delusion. You should recognize this as the moment of existence between! Call upon the Lord of Great Compassion, and pray intensely, “O Lord of Great Compassion! Spiritual teacher! Three Jewels! I was called _____. Please do not abandon me to the horrid states! Do not forget me!”
Those who have gathered merit, virtuous and sincere in Dharma practice, are entertained with various delights and enjoy various excellent pleasures. And those dominated by delusion, who have neither strong virtue nor strong vice, have neither happiness nor suffering, but feel only stupefaction and indifference.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Whatever happens along these lines, do not crave! Do not long for pleasures or joys! Offer them all to the jewel of the spiritual teacher! Abandon attachment to them! Even without any visions of pleasure or pain, with only feelings of indifference, set the mind on the experience of the Great Seal, free of both concentration and distraction! This is most important.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! At that time, structures such as bridges, temples, cathedrals, huts, and stupas will seem to shelter you for a moment – but do not cling to them at length. Since your mind lacks a body, it cannot settle down. You feel cold, you become angry and distraught, and your awareness seems erratic, volatile, and unsteady. Then you will have the thought, “Now I have died – what can I do!” Your heart will feel cold and weak. You will feel fierce and boundless suffering. The fact is you must travel and cannot be attached to any one place. So do not worry about it, and let your mind come to rest.
From now on you have no food except for what is dedicated for you. There is no certainty about your friends. These are signs of your mental body wandering in the existence between. Your present joys and sorrows are determined by your evolution. When you see your lands, friends, loved ones, and your own corpse, and you think, “Now I have died, what can be done?” at that time, your mental body feels greatly stressed.
You think, “How nice it would be to have a new body!” Then you will have visions of looking everywhere for a body. Even if you try up to nine times to enter your old corpse, due to the length of the reality between, in the winter it will have frozen, in the summer it will have rotted. Otherwise, your loved ones will have burned it or buried it or given it to birds and beasts, so it affords no place to inhabit. You will feel sick at heart, and will have visions of being squeezed between boulders, stones, and dirt. This kind of suffering is in the nature of the existence between. Even if you find a body, there will be nothing other than such suffering. So give up longing for a body! Focus yourself undistractedly in the experience of creative nonaction!
Encountering the Lord of Death
Hey, immortal one, you who was called_____! Listen to me! This suffering of yours comes from you own evolutionary acts; there is no one else to blame. It is your own evolution, so pray strongly to the Three Jewels. They can protect you. If you do not pray to them, do not know how to meditate of the Great Seal, and do not meditate on an Archetype Deity, then your native angel will count out a white stone for each virtue you accumulated, and your native demon will count out a black stone for every sin.
Then you will be worried, angry, and terrified. Trembling, you will lie, saying, “I committed no sins!” But then Yama, the Judge of the Dead, will say, “I will look into the mirror of evolution!” When he looks into the mirror of evolution, all your sins and virtues will clearly and distinctly appear therein. Your lies will not help. Yama will tie a rope around your neck and lead you away. He will cut off your head, rip out your heart, pull out your guts, lick your brains, drink your blood, eat your flesh, and gnaw your bones. But since you cannot die, even though your body is cut to pieces, you revive again. Being cut up again and again, you will suffer immense pain.
So when the white stones are being counted, do not be afraid, do not panic, do not lie! Do not fear Yama! Your body is mental, so even if it is killed and cut up, you cannot die. In fact, your form is the void itself, so you have nothing to fear. The Yama-deities are your own hallucinations and themselves are forms of the void. Your own instinctual mental body is void. Voidness cannot harm voidness. Singlessness cannot harm singlessness. You should recognize that there is nothing other than your own hallucination. There is no external, substantially existent Yama, angel, demon, or bull-headed ogre, and so on. You must recognize all this as the between!
Meditate on the samadhi of the Great Seal!
If you do not know how to meditate, examine carefully whatever terrifies you and see the voidness that is its lack of objective status. That is the Natural Body of Truth. And that voidness is not merely an annihilation. Your triumphant, distinct awareness of the terror of the void is itself the blissful mind of the Body of Beatitude. Voidness and clarity are indistinguishable; the actuality of the void is clarity, the actuality of clarity is voidness. Your awareness of voidness-clarity indivisible is stripped naked, and now you abide in the unfabricated experience. That is the Wisdom Body of Truth. and that spontaneously and unobstructedly arises anywhere. and that is the Body of Compassionate Emanation.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Behold this without wavering! Recognize it! You will definitely become a Buddha, the perfection of the Four Bodies. Do not be distracted! This is the borderline between a Buddha and an ordinary being. Now is the time described as, “One instant alienated, one instant perfectly enlightened.”
Until yesterday you were given to distraction, you did not recognize what arose as the between, and you were gripped by so much terror. If you again surrender to distraction, the cord of compassion will be cut and you will go into the abodes that lack all freedom; so be careful!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! If you do not know how to meditate thus, then remember and pray to the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Compassionate Lords. Contemplate all the terrors and visions as the Compassionate Lord or your own Archetype Deity. Remember your esoteric initiation name and the spiritual teacher who gave you the initiations you received in the human realm; proclaim them to Yama, the Lord of Truth! You will not be injured even if you fall off cliffs, so abandon fear and hate!
Detachment from the previous life
The present visions will propel you into the hardship of the changing states of pleasure and pain, as if flung by a catapult. So do not become absorbed in any visions of love or hate! Even when you are about to be born in the higher estates, when the visions of the higher estates arise, should the relatives you have left behind begin to make sacrifices with the slaughter of living beings, to dedicate them to the Lord of Death, you will have many impure visions and begin to feel fierce anger.
Conditioned by that, you will be reborn in hell. So no matter what actions are committed among the surviving, do not become angry, but contemplate love! Or, if you yourself have great attachment to the wealth and possessions you left behind, or if you know that others are using your possessions, you will feel attached to them and angry at the people who are using them. Conditioned by that, even though you might have attained the high estates, you will be reborn in hell or in the pretan realm. Therefore, even if you are attached to your old possessions, you have no power to own them anymore. They are of no use to you at all. Abandon fondness and attachment for your possessions left behind! Totally throw them away! Be decisive! Whoever uses your things, do not be stingy! Let go of them in you mind! Generate a one-pointed will to offer them to the spiritual teacher and the Three Jewels and abide in the experience of detachment and unconcern!
When death rites, such as exorcistic food-offering rites, or other rites that purify the dangers of the horrid states, are performed for your sake, and, with your subtle evolutionary clairvoyance, you perceive the performers being inaccurate, sleepy, or distracted, breaking their vows and commitments, and acting carelessly, and you notice their lack of faith, distorted views, fearful negative actions, and impure practices, then you think, “Alas! These people are betraying me. They are surely letting me down!” You become depressed, you become disgusted. You lose your positive attitude and all respect and you become cynical and disillusioned. Conditioned by that you will be reborn in the horrid states, and thus their actions, rather that helping you, will harm you greatly.
So whatever your surviving relatives perform in the way of incorrect religious rites, you must think, “Well, my perception is certainly imperfect! How can any impurity adhere to the Buddha’s Teaching? I see these as a result of my own negative attitude, like seeing the mirror’s faults as if in my own form. The bodies of these performers are the Sangha, their speech is the Holy Dharma, their minds are the actual Buddha – so I must take refuge in them!” So you must respect them and project your most positive attitude upon them. Then whatever your dear ones do for you will definitely help you. Such keeping of a positive attitude is very important, so do it without forgetting!
Again, even if you are heading for rebirth in the three horrid states, when the visions of the horrid states arise, when you see the pure virtue, unsullied with sins, performed by your surviving relatives, and when you see the perfect physical, verbal, and mental practices of your spiritual teachers and mentors, then, when you are compelled to rebirth, your feeling of great delight has the invaluable benefit of lifting you up into the higher estates just as you were about to be reborn in the horrid states. So be very careful, as it is so important for you to construct a positive attitude of reverence and faith and not allow any place for impure negativity of perception.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! In short, since your present between-consciousness is highly unstable, volatile, and mobile, and virtuous or vicious perception is very powerful, do not think at all about any unvirtuous practice, then adopt a positive perception and feel faith and reverence. Pray to your Archetype Deity and to the Lord of Compassion! With intense willpower, perform this prayer!
Now that I wander alone, without my loved ones, and all my visions are but empty images, may the Buddhas exert the force of their compassion and stop the fear- and hate-drawn terror of the between!
Now, when I suffer by the power of negative evolution, may my Archetype Deities dispel my suffering! When reality crashes with a thousand thunders, may they all become OM MANI PADME HUM!
When I am pulled by evolution without recourse, may the Lords mild and fierce dispel my suffering! When I suffer due to evolutionary instincts, may clear light bliss samadhi arise for me!
Avoiding the dull lights to block rebirth
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! If you have not recognized the clear light by remembering what we have already said, from now on your sense of your body from the preceding life will become vague, and your sense of your body of emerging life will become more distance. Then you will feel sand and think, “I am suffering so – now I will seek whatever body come along!” Then you will move toward whatever appears, gradually and uncertainly, and the six lights of the six realms will dawn. The realm toward which evolution impels your rebirth will dawn most clearly.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen to me! What are the six lights? The dull white light of the gods will dawn; and also the red light of the titans, the blue light of the humans, the green light of the animals, the yellow light of the pretans, and the dull smokey light of the hells – all these will dawn. these are the six lights. So your body’s color will become that of the light of the realm of rebirth.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! At that time the essence of the instructions is very important. Contemplate the particular light that arises as the Lord of Great Compassion! When the light arises, hold the thought, “It is the Lord of Great Compassion.” This is the extremely profound key of instruction. this is crucial to block rebirth.
Again, meditate long and carefully that, whoever your Archetype Deity is, he or she appears like a magic illusion, lacking intrinsic reality. It is called the “pure Magic Body.” Then, contemplate that Archetype Deity as dissolving from the edges inward, and enter the experience of not holding rigidly to the insubstantial, the clear light of voidness. Again contemplate that as the Archetype Deity! Again contemplate it as clear light! Thus meditating deity and clear light in alternation, then let you own awareness dissolve from the edges; where space pervades, let awareness pervade. Where awareness pervades, let the Truth Body pervade. Enter comfortably into the experience of the ceaseless nonproliferation of the Truth Body.
Blocking the door of the womb
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! If you have not understood from the above, at this time, by power of evolution the vision will arise of your proceeding upward, on the level, or downward with head hanging. Now meditate of the Lord of Great Compassion! Remember him! Then, as already explained, you will have visions of hurricanes, blizzards, hailstorms, dense fogs, and being chased by many men, and you will seem to escape. Those without merit will seem to escape to a miserable place, but those with merit will seem to escape to a happy place. At that time, immortal one, all the signs will arise showing the continent and keys of instruction, so listen carefully! Even though you did not recognize freedom form the previous keys of orientation, here even those of the weakest practice can recognize freedom through the following keys, so listen!
Now, here the method of blocking the womb door is very effective and important. There are two methods of blocking that door; blocking the entering person and blocking the womb door entered. First, the instruction for blocking the enterer.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Clearly visualize your Archetype Deity appearing like magic without intrinsic reality like the moon in water. If you are unsure about your Archetype Deity, then vividly envision Avalokiteshvara, thinking, “He is the Lord of Great Compassion!” then dissolve the Archetype from the edges and contemplate the void clear light transparency of ultimate nonperception. That is the profound key. Using it, the Buddhas said, the womb will not be entered; so meditate in that way!
But if this still does not block the way and you are just about to enter a womb, there is the profound instruction to block the door of the womb about to be entered. So Listen! Repeat after me the following from The Root Verses of the Six Betweens!
Hey! Now when the existence between dawns upon me, I will hold my will with mind one-pointed, and increase forcefully the impulse of positive evolution; blocking the womb door, I will remember to be revulsed. Now courage and positive perception are essential; I will give up envy, and contemplate all couples as my Spiritual Mentor, Father and Mother.
Repeat this loud and clear and stir you memory. It is important to meditate on its meaning and put it into practice. As for its meaning, “Now when the existence between dawns upon me” means that you are now wandering within the existence between. A sign of that is that when you look in water you will not see your reflection. You have no shadow. You have no substantial flesh-and-blood body. These are signs that your mental body is wandering in the existence between. Now you must hold one-pointed in your mind the unwavering will power. This one-pointed will is of chief importance. It is like reins to guide a horse. You can achieve whatever your will intends, so do not open your mind to negative evolution, but remember the teachings, instructions, initiations, authorizations, and inspirations you received in the human realm, such as this Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding the in Between, and intensify the result of all good evolutionary actions. This is very important. Do not forget it! Do not be distracted! This is the exact time that determines whether you go up or you go down. Now is the time when indulgence in laziness definitely will bring on suffering. Now is the time when one-pointed positive willpower definitely brings on happiness. Hold one-pointed goodwill in your mind! Sustain forcefully the result of good action!
Now is the time to block the door of the womb! As the root verse says, blocking the womb door, remember to be revulsed! Now courage and positive perception are essential! That time is now. You should block the door of the womb. There are five methods to block the womb door; fix them well in the mind.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! At this time you will have visions of couples making love. When you see them, do not enter between them, but stay mindful. Visualize the males and females as the Teacher, Father and Mother, prostrate to them, and make them visualized offerings! Feel intense reverence and devotion! Aim a strong will to request them to teach the Dharma, and the womb door will definitely be blocked.
If that does not block it, and you are about to enter the womb, then visualize them as Mentor Father-Mother, Archetype Deity Father and Mother, or Compassion Lord Father and Mother. Offer them visualized offerings! Form the powerful intention to receive spiritual attainments from them, and that will block the womb door.
If that does not block it, and you are again about to enter a womb, then third there is the instruction for reversing lust and hate. There are four modes of birth; egg birth, womb birth; magic birth, and warm-moisture birth. Egg birth and womb birth are alike. As before, you begin to see males and females engaged in love-making. If you enter the womb under the influence of lust and hate, whether you are reborn as horse, bird, dog, or human, if you are going to be male, you arise appearing to be male; you feel strong hate toward the father, and attraction and lust toward the mother. If you are going to be female, you appear as a female; you feel strong envy and jealousy toward the mother, you feel strong longing and lust for the father.
Conditioned by that, you enter the path of the womb. You experience orgasmic bliss in the center of the union between white and red drops, and within the experience of that bliss you faint and lose consciousness. Your body develops through embryonic stages of “custard”, “gelatin,” and so forth. Eventually you will be born outside the mother’s womb. Once your eyes are open, you realize you have been born a puppy. Having been a human, now you are a dog. In the dog’s kennel, you suffer. Or in the pig’s sty, or in the anthill, or in the wormhole, or in the herds of cows or goats or sheep – born there you cannot return to the human state.
Being extremely stupid, in the state of delusion you suffer various miseries. In this way you will cycle through the hells and the pretan realms, and will be tortured by limitless suffering. There is nothing more powerful, nothing more terrible than this. Alas! Alas! Those lacking the holy spiritual teacher’s instruction fall down this deep abyss into the life cycle. They are tormented uninterruptedly by unbearable suffering. So listen to what I say! Hold my personal instruction in your mind!
Now I will teach you an instruction to close the womb door by reversing lust and hate. Listen to it and remember it! As the verse says:
Blocking the door of the womb, I will remember to be revulsed. Now courage and positive perception are essential; I will give up envy and contemplate all couples As my Spiritual Mentor, Father and Mother.
As before, you will have strong feelings of envy; if reborn as a male, you will lust for the mother and hate the father, If reborn as a female you will lust for the father and hate the mother. For that time, there is this profound instruction.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! When such lust and hate arise, meditate like this. “Alas! Such a creature of negative evolution as myself will wander in the life cycle under the influence of lust and hate. If I still persist in lust and hate, I will know no end to my wanderings. I am in danger of being sunk forever in the ocean of miseries. Now I must give up lust and hate entirely. Alas! I must hold intensely the one-pointed will never to entertain lust and hate.” The Tantras state that this meditation itself will close the door of the womb.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Do not waver! Hold your will one pointed in your mind! Even though you have done that, if the womb door did not close and you are about to enter the womb, you should block the womb door by the instruction of truthless magical illusion. Meditate as follows: “Male and female, father and mother, the thunderstorm, the hurricane, the thunder, terrifying visions, all phenomena are naturally like magical illusions. However they arise, they are truthless. All things are untrue and false. Like mirages. Impermanent. Nonenternal. Why be attached to them? Why fear and hate them? It is to see nothing as something. All of these are but visions of my mind. The mind itself is as originally nonexistent as a magical illusion. So where – out there- do they come from? Since I never understood this in the past, I held the nonexistent to exist. I held the untrue to be true. I held illusion as truth. So for this long time I wandered in the life cycle. If I still now do not recognize the illusoriness of things, I will wander even longer in the life cycle, and I will be stuck in the quicksand of various miseries. So now I will recognize all these things as like a dream, a magical illusion, an echo, a fairy city, a mirage, a reflection, an optical illusion, the moon in water, lacking even a moment’s truth-status, definitely untrue, and false.”
Thus, holding these thoughts one-pointedly in mind, the truth-habit erodes and as the resulting freedom is impressed in your continuum, the deeper self-habit is reversed. As you thus deeply understand cosmic unreality, the womb door will definitely be blocked.
Yet even doing that, if the truth-habit does not erode, the womb door is not blocked, and you are about to enter the womb, again there is a profound instruction.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Even doing that, if the womb door is not blocked, now, fifth, you should block the womb door by meditating on clear light. This is how to contemplate. “Hey, all things are my own mind. That mind is voidness, free of creation and destruction.” Thinking thus, do not artificially compose your mind. Like water poured in water, let the mind flow into its own reality condition; release it into its own nature. Letting it relax easily and openly will decisively and definitely block the womb door for all four forms of rebirth. Thus meditate again and again until the womb door is blocked.
Choosing a womb
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Listen to me! All the previous instructions for orientation have been given to you and still you do not understand. Now, since the womb door is not blocked, it is time to assume a body. You have many different authentic and profound instructions for the choosing of a womb. Hold them in your mind! Listen well with strong intent, and hold them in your mind!
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____!. Now signs and marks will arise about which continent you will be reborn on – recognize them! Now you should explore where to be reborn, you should choose a continent. If you are reborn in eastern Videha, you will see lakes and waters adorned with male and female geese. Think of renunciation and do not go there. If you are born there, your situation will be comfortable; but you should not go there as the Dharma is not available there. If you are going to be reborn in the southern Jambudvipa, you will see beautiful and comfortable houses. If you can go there, do so. If you are to be reborn in western Godaniay, you will see lakes adorned with male and female horses. Turn back and do not go there. Although it is very enjoyable, the Dharma has not spread there, so do not go there. If you are going to be reborn in northern Kuru, you see lakes adorned with cattle or with evergreen trees. Recognize these as signs of being reborn there. Do not go there! Though you will have long life and much fortune there, the Dharma is not available there. Do not go there!
If you are to be reborn as a god, you will see delightful, divine, multistoried mansions made of various jewels. It is alright to dwell there, so you may enter there.
If you are to be reborn as a titan, you will see a pleasant grove and spinning wheels of fire; remember renunciation, and by all means do not go there!
If you are to be reborn among the animals you will see caves, ant holes, and grass huts, as if through a fog. Do not go there! If you are to reborn as a pretan, you will see charred stumps, black spots, dark ravines, darkness, and shadows. If you go there, reborn as a pretan, you will experience various sufferings of hunger and thirst. So do not go there! Remember renunciation! Be fiercely courageous!
If you are to be reborn in the hells, you will hear the songs of negative evolution, or you will feel a helpless need to go there, and you will have visions of an island of darkness, a black house or a red house, black pits, and black roads. If you go there, you will be stuck in the hells. You will experience unbearable pains of heat and cold. You will have great difficulty escaping. You must take every precaution not to get caught there! By any means, never enter there at all! “Block the womb door and remember renunciation!” Now is the time when renunciation is essential.
Hey, immortal one, you who was called _____! Though you might wish not to go on, helplessly you are chased by the butchers of evolution. You find yourself powerless to stop, you must go on. Ahead of you are butchers and killers to drag you along. You will feel as if you are fleeing from overwhelming darkness, hurricanes, tempests, fearsome noises, snow and rain, hailstorms, thunderstorms, and violent blizzards. Escaping in panic, you will seek a refuge, and you will feel safe in the previously mentioned beautiful houses, in rock caves, in earthen caverns, in forest thickets, within the round blossoms of lotuses and so forth. Hiding in such places, you will think, “I must not leave here now!” And feeling so anxious about losing your place, you will become very attached to it. Feeling so anxious about meeting the terrors of the between if you go out, hating those terrors, you hide within and assume no matter what kind of inferior body, and you will come to experience various sufferings. All that is the sign that demons and ogres are troubling you. There is a profound, crucial instruction for you at this time. Listen to it and hold it in your mind!
At the time when you are helplessly chased by butchers and are overwhelmed by terror, instantaneously visualize all at one the Lord Chemchok Heruka, or Hayagriva, of Bajrapani, and so forth, whoever is your Archetype Deity; gigantic in size, with bulging limbs, terrifying, furious, able to crush all demons to dust. By his blessing and compassion, you will free yourself from those butchers, and you will gain the power to choose a good womb. This is the authentic profound key of the instruction; so hold it in your mind!
Hey, immortal one who was called _____! Further, the deities of the contemplation realms are reborn by the poser of their samadhi. The majority of the demonic types such as the pretans, by changing their self-images while in the between, manifest various magical transformations in bodies of pretans, demons, and ogres, and then become mental bodies just like them. The pretans of the underworld, the pretans of the sky realms, and the eighty thousand types of demons adopt their bodies just by changing their self-concepts. At such a time, if you remember the import of voidness, the Great Seal, it is best. If you cannot, you should practice meditation on magical illusion. If you cannot do that, free of any kind of attachment to anything, you should meditate on the greatly compassionate Archetype Deity, and attain enlightenment in the Beatific Body in the between.
Hey, immortal one who was called _____! Thus, if it becomes necessary by the power of evolution to enter the womb, you should now rely on the instruction for choosing the womb. Listen! Do not go to just any womb door that presents itself. If, due to the demonic butchers, you lose the power not to go, then meditate on Hayagriva. Since now you have subtle clairvoyance, you will be able to understand the nature of all places, so choose your place of rebirth wisely. There are two instructions, one for transmitting your soul into the pure Buddha-lands, and one for choosing a womb door in the impure life cycle. You should now practice the following.
If you are the most intelligent type of person, to perform the soul-transmission to the angel realms you should formulate the following controlling intention: “Alas! I am sad that I have stayed here in this swamp of the life cycle for so long, beginninglessly for boundless, countless eons! Alas! During all the lifetimes of so many Buddhas, I have still not been liberated! I am revulsed and nauseated by this interminable life cycle. I am terrified of it. I totally repudiate it. I must now remember the methods of escaping it. I must now take miraculous rebirth in the blossom of a lotus in the presence of the Buddha Amitabha in the western pure-land universe. Sukhavati the Blissful!” It is essential here to make great effort to aim all your willpower in this way toward the western pure universe of Sukhavati. Whichever pure universe you have faith in – whether it is Amitabha’s Sukhavati;abhirati, the delightful land of Akshobhya; Ghanavyuha, the pure land of Vairochanan; Alakavati, the earthly paradise of Vaishravana; Potalake, the earthly paradise of Avalokiteshvara, or the lotus light palace of Padma Sambhava in Udyana, if you aim your concentrated willpower at any one of these pure lands and hold it one-pointedly without distraction, you will be reborn immediately in that pure land. Further, if you wish to be reborn in the presence of the Dharma Lord Maitreya in the Tushita heaven, just aim your will, thinking, “Now that I am in this between it is time to visit the Dharma Lord Maitreya in his Tushita realm, I will go there!” You will be miraculously reborn in the heart of a lotus in the presence of Maitreya.
Again, if you cannot, or do not want to, proceed to any pure land, and must enter a womb, there is this instruction for choosing a womb in the impure life cycle. Listen to it! Choose you continent for rebirth as explained already. Using your clairvoyance, enter a womb in a place where the Dharma has spread. Caution is required, for even if you were to be reborn magically in a heap of dung, you would get the notion that the impure mass smelled delicious and you would be reborn in it by the force of your attraction. Therefore you should not adhere to whatever appearance occurs, and you must discount any signs that trigger attachment or aversion. Then choose a good womb. And here the willed intention is important; so you must create it as follows: “Hey! For the sake of all beings, I will be reborn as a world-ruling emperor, or of the priestly class, sheltering all beings like a great shade tree, or as the child of a holy man, an adept, or of a clan with an impeccable Dharma lineage, or in a family where the parents have great faith. I must succeed in this coming life, by adopting a body that has great merit, to enable me to accomplish the aims of all beings!” Aiming your will in this way you should enter the womb. At that time, the womb you have entered should appear to you as if magically transformed into a divine palace. You should pray to the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas of the ten directions, the Archetype Deities, and especially to the Lord of Great Compassion. And you should visualize that they are all anointing you in consecration as you enter the womb.
In thus choosing the womb door, there is always danger of erring. Under the influence of evolution, you might see an excellent womb door as bad. You might see a bad door as excellent. So here the key instruction for choosing is important; do as follows: Even if a womb door appears to be excellent, do not become attached to it. Even if it appears bad, do not become averse to it. Enter it within the experience of the universal loving equanimity, free of lust and hate and compulsive choosing between good and bad. This is the authentic profound key instruction.
Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels
Hey, immortal one who was called _____! If you cannot abandon lust and hate, and know how to choose a womb door, then, no matter what visions come to you, say the name of the Three Jewels, and go to them for refuge! Pray to the Lord of Great Compassion! Go forward with your head held high! Recognize that you are in the between! Abandon possessive love toward your dear ones left behind, your son, your daughter, your friends! They cannot help you now. Now go to the blue light of the human realm and the white light of the divine! Go to the beautiful jewel house and the pleasure garden!
The prayer for help from the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas
O ten directions’ Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, compassionate, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-loving – you are the refuge of beings! By the power of your compassion, please come to this place! Please accept these physical and visualized offerings! You compassionate ones command inconceivable all-knowing wisdom, miraculous deeds performed with loving compassion, and power to give refuge! O you compassionate one, this immortal one who was called _____ is going from this world to the beyond, leaving this world, making the great migration. She has no friend. She has great suffering, no refuge, no protector, and no allies. Her perception of this life is declining. She is going to another life-ream, entering a thick darkness, falling into a great abyss, and getting lost in a dense forest. She is driven by the power of evolution, going into a vast wilderness, swept off by a huge ocean. She is blown away by the wind of evolution, going to a place without firm ground, entering a vast battleground. She is being seized by a great devil, terrified by the messengers of Yama. She is going from on evolutionary existence to another, without any power of her own. The time has come when she must go, friendless and alone.
Therefore, may your companionate ones please give refuge to this helpless one who was called _____! Protect her! Be her ally! Save her from the great darkness of the between! Hold her back from the harsh red wind of evolution! Save her from the great terror of Yama! Deliver her from the great long straits of the between! O compassionate ones, do not hold back on your compassion! Help her! Do not let her fall into the three horrid states! Do not waver from you ancient vows! Extend your compassion power! O Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, enfold this one who was called _____ with your companionate art and power! Look after her with compassion! Do not abandon her to the power of negative evolution! I strongly pray to you Three Jewels save her from the suffering of the between!
The prayer for deliverance from the straits of the Between
Homage to the host of Mentors, Archetypes, and Angels! Please guide me on the path with your great love!
When I roam the life cycle driven by sheer error, may the Oral Transmission Mentors lead me on the path. of unwavering light of learning, thought, and meditation! And may their consort host of Angels back me on the way, Deliver me form the dangerous straits of the between, and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong delusion, may the Lord Vairochana lead me on the path of the clear light of reality-perfection wisdom! May his consort Buddha Dhatvishvari back me on the way Deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong hated may the Lord Vajrasattva lead me on the path of the clear light of the mirror wisdom! May his consort Buddhalochana back me on the way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong pride, may the Lord Ratnasambhava lead me on the path of the clear light of the equalizing wisdom! May his consort Buddha Mamaki back me on the way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between, and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong passion, may the Lord Amitabha lead me on the path of the clear light of discriminating wisdom! May his consort Buddha Pandaravasini back me on the way, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between, and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong envy, may the Lord Amoghasiddhi lead me on the path of the clear light of the all-encompassing wisdom! May his consort Buddha Samayatara back me on the way deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
When I roam the life cycle driven by the five strong poisons, may the Lord Victors of the five clans lead me on the path of clear light of the four wisdoms in combination! May the five consort Buddhas back me on the way, and deliver me from the impure lights of the six realms! Delivering me from the dangerous straits of the between may they carry me to the five supreme pure lands!
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong instincts may the hero Scientist lead me on the path of the clear light of orgasmic wisdom! May their consort Angel host support me from behind, deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong hallucinations may the host of mild and fierce Lords lead me on the path of the light that conquers terrifying visions of hate and fear! May the space-goddess Angel hosts back me on the way deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between and carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
Hey! May the space elements not arise as enemies and may I behold the realm of the sapphire Buddha! May the water elements not arise as enemies and may I see the realm of the diamond Buddha! May the earth elements not arise as enemies and may I behold the realm of the golden Buddha! May the fire elements not arise as enemies and may I behold the realm of the ruby Buddha! May the wind elements not arise as enemies and may I behold the realm of the emerald Buddha! May the rainbow elements not arise as enemies and may I behold the realm of the rainbow Buddha! May sounds, lights, and rays not arise as enemies and may I behold the magnificent realm of the mild and fierce Lords! May I know all sounds as my own sounds! May I know all lights as my own lights! May I know all rays as my own rays! May I know the between’s reality as mine! And may I realize the realm of the Three Buddha Bodies!
The prayer for refuge from all terrors of the between
Hey! When the impulse of my lifespan is worn our as dear ones cannot help beyond this world and I must wander alone in the between May Buddhas mild and fierce exert the force of their compassion and clear the dense fog of darkness of misknowledge!
Now that I wander alone, apart from my loved ones and all my visions are but empty images may the Buddhas exert the force of their compassion and stop the fear and hate-drawn terrors of the between!
When the five lights of brilliant wisdom dawn fearlessly, bravely, may I know them as myself! When the forms of the Lords mild and fierce arise bold and fearless, may I recognize the between!
Now when I suffer by the power of negative evolution may the Archetype Deities dispel that suffering! When reality crashes with a thousand thunders may they all become OM MANI PADME HUM!
When I am pulled by evolution without recourse may the Lords mild and fierce dispel my suffering! When I suffer due to evolutionary instincts may the clear-light bliss samadhi dawn upon me!
When I am born by apparition in the existence between may evil prophesies of perverse devils not come true! When I arrive wherever by the power of thought may fears created by negative evolution not occur!
When wild beasts of prey roar savagely may it become the Dharma sound – OM MANI PADME HUM! When I am driven by snow, rain, wind, and darkness may I find the divine vision of brilliant wisdom!
May all beings compatible types in the between avoid all rivalry and find rebirth in high estates! When I am hungry and thirsty from intense addictions may I not suffer real hunger, thirst, heat, and cold!
When I behold the coupling of my next life’s father and mother, may I see them as the Lord of Compassion Father-Mother themselves! Free consciously to choose my birth, then for the sake of others may I obtain the best body adorned with the signs and marks!
Having obtained for myself the finest body living may all who see or hear me swiftly be delivered! Not pursuing any negative evolutions may I follow and develop all my existing merits!
Wherever I am born in every life to come may I meet again my Archetype Deity of this life! Speaking and understanding the moment I am born may I have the retention to remember my former lives!
Knowledge great and small, average and various may I understand it just by hearing it or seeing it! May good luck prevail in the land wherein I am born and may all beings be endowed with happiness!
You Victors mild and fierce as are you bodies Your retinues, lifespans, and your pure worlds and your superior auspicious signs of greatness may I and all others become just like you!
By the vast compassion of the All-Goods mild and fierce By the power of the truth of reality-perfection and by the blessing of Tantric adepts’ single-minded success- May I accomplish just what I have prayed for!
The root verses of the six betweens
Hey! Now when the life between dawns upon me I will abandon laziness, as life has no more time Unwavering, enter the path of learning, thinking, and meditating and taking perceptions and mind as path I will realize the Three Bodies of enlightenment! This once that I have obtained the human body is not the time to stay on the path of distractions.
Hey! Now when the dream between dawns upon me I will give up corpselike sleeping in delusion and mindfully enter unwavering the experience of reality. Conscious of dreaming, I will enjoy the changes as clear light Not sleeping mindlessly like an animal I will cherish the practice merging sleep and realization!
Hey! Now when the meditation between dawns upon me I will abandon the host of distracting errors Focus in extreme-free experience, without releasing or controlling And achieve stability in the creation and perfection stages! Giving up business, now one-pointed in meditation I will not surrender to the power of erroneous addictions!
Hey! Now when the death-point between dawns upon me I will give up the preoccupations of the all-desiring mind Enter unwavering the experience of the clarity of the precepts and transmigrate into the birthless space of inner awareness; About to lose this created body of flesh and blood I will realize it to be impermanent illusion!
Hey! Now when the reality between dawns upon me I will let go of the hallucinations of instinctive terror Enter the recognition of all objects as my mind’s own visions And understand this as the pattern of perception in the between; Come to this moment, arrived at this most critical cessation I will not fear my own visions of deities mild and fierce!
Hey! Now when the existence between dawns upon me I will hold my will with mind one-pointed And increase forcefully the impulse of positive evolution; Blocking the womb door, I will remember to be revulsed. Now courage and positive perception are essential; I will give up envy, and contemplate all couples as my Spiritual Mentor, Father and Mother.
“With mind distracted, never thinking, ‘Death is Coming,’ To slave away on the pointless business of mundane life and then to come out empty – is a tragic error.
Recognition of necessity is the holy teaching of the gods so will not you live this divine truth from now on?” These are the words of the great adepts. If you do not put the Mentor’s precept in your mind will not you be the one who deceives yourself?
Bardo Thodol is a Tibetan book to guide a person towards death and dying. The first part, called Chikhai Bardo, describes the moment of death. The second part, Chonyid Bardo, deals with the states which supervene immediately after death. The third part, Sidpa Bardo, concerns the onset of the birth instinct and of prenatal events.
