Read Tantric Techniques Online
Authors: Jeffrey Hopkins
Tags: #Health & Fitness, #Yoga, #Body; Mind & Spirit, #Meditation, #Religion, #Buddhism, #General, #Tibetan
Second branch: Self-base
Imagining Yourself as a Deity: Meditation of the Six Deities
Ultimate Deity (also called emptiness deity or suchness deity): meditate on yourself and the deity as the same in being empty of inherent existence
Ascertain what is being negated—inherent existence:
Ascertain the entailment of emptiness:
Ascertain that the “I” and the aggregates are not inherently the
The Practice
187
same by considering the consequences if the “I” is the same as mind-body and if the “I” is established in and of itself in accordance with how it appears to your mind:
Ascertain that the “I” and the aggregates are not inherently different by considering the consequences if the “I” is inherently different from mind-body and if the “I” is established in and of itself in accordance with how it appears to your mind:
Not finding yourself either of these ways, realize the absence of inherent existence of the “I” in space-like meditative equipoise.
Reflect on the sameness of yourself and the deity in terms of your final nature:
Sound Deity (also called tone deity)
O
ṃ
ma
ṇ
i padme h
ūṃ
.
Letter Deity
a
Alternatively, this step can include the appearance of a moon disk above which the tones of mantra resound.
188
Tantric Techniques
Form Deity
Seal Deity
Construct the pledge seal of the lotus lineage (seal 2) and bless into a magnificent state the heart, the point between the brows, the neck, and the shoulders
a
through touching them with the seal and
a
Or, alternatively, the crown protrusion, hair-treasury (a single coiled hair in the
The Practice
189
repeating the pledge mantra:
O
ṃ
padma-udbhavaye sv
ā
h
ā
.
With the oblation seal (seal 28), offer oblation to yourself as the dei-ty, saying:
Argha
ṃ
prat
ī
ccha sv
ā
h
ā
.
With the foot-bath seal (seal 29), offer a foot-bath, saying:
O
ṃ
pravarasatkara
ṃ
prat
ī
ccha sv
ā
h
ā
.
With the seal of washing the body (seal 30), imagine washing the deity’s body with great clouds of perfumed water which have risen from many precious gold vases and so forth filled with fragrant perfumes; say:
O
ṃ
sarvadevat
ā
-acinta-am
ṛ
ta sv
ā
h
ā
.
Mentally offer clothing and adornments; offer music, and mentally raise up melodies of praise.
With the perfume seal (seal 31), offer perfume, saying:
Ā
hara
ā
hara sarvavidy
ā
dhari p
ū
jite sv
ā
h
ā
.
With the flower seal (seal 32), offer flowers, saying:
Ā
hara
ā
hara sarvavidy
ā
dhari p
ū
jite sv
ā
h
ā
.
With the incense seal (seal 33), offer incense, saying:
Ā
hara
ā
hara sarvavidy
ā
dhari p
ū
jite sv
ā
h
ā
.
With the seal of divine food (seal 34), offer food, saying:
Ā
hara
ā
hara sarvavidy
ā
dhari p
ū
jite sv
ā
h
ā
.
With the lamp seal (seal 35), offer lamps, saying:
Ā
lok
ā
ya
ā
lok
ā
ya vidh
ā
dhare p
ū
jite sv
ā
h
ā
.
Offer praise: