Part 33 (1/2)

11 DR, p. 209, l. 4, adds an annotation to the effect that the syllable RA is inserted into the effigy's eyes, the syllable KHA into its ears, the syllable LA into its tongue, the syllable YA into its nose, and the syllable E into its neck.

12 DR, p. 209, l. 6, adds that the effigy should be black when offered to male malevolent forces (bdud), red when offered to martial haunting spirits (btsan) and hybrid serpentine haunting spirits (klu-btsan), yellow when offered to hybrid serpentine and plague-causing spirits (klu-gnyan) and malign goblins (the'u-rang), white when offered to the king spirits (rgyal-po), green when offered to the female malevolent forces (bdud-mo) and rural divinities (yul-lha), and multicoloured when offered to earth-ogres (sa-srin).

13 Tib. ltas-ngan-gyi bya-sgrog. Feathers of the owl in particular are deemed to be harbingers of ill-omens.

14 The sense organs are here consecrated with seed-syllables indicative of each of the five elements in turn, beginning with LA, the seed-syllable of the earth element.

15 The Heart-mantra of Dependent Origination (rten-'brel snying-po), which liberates the enduring continuum of phenomena and induces the appearance of multiplying relics ('phel-gdung) and rainbow lights, is: YE DHARMA HETU-PRABHAVA HETUN TEA TATHAGATO HY AVADAT TESAM CA YO NIRODHO EVA VADI MAHASRAMAA ('Whatever events arise from a cause, the Tathgata has told the cause thereof, and the great virtuous ascetic has taught their cessation as well'). See also Ch. 14, p. 376; and S. Beyer, The Cult of Tr, p. 146.

16 On the symbolism of the Sanskrit syllable A, indicative of emptiness, see GGFTC, pp. 559-63. This syllable is frequently utilised as a focal point for the meditations of calm abiding (amatha), in which case it is visualised at the tip of the nose. There are recorded instances of the syllable actually manifesting on the tip of the nose of certain great meditation masters of the past. See e.g. the life of k.u.mrdza in NSTB, pp. 568-72.

17 On the seed-syllable BHRU, the first of the mantras through which the maala of the peaceful deities is generated, specifically referring to the creative visualisation of the celestial palaces of the deities, see Longchen Rabjampa, GGFTC, pp. 689-90.

18 On the seed-syllable KA, which is the final seed-syllable of the mandala of the peaceful deities, specifically referring to Buddha Samantabhadra, see Longchen Rabjampa, GGFTC, p. 591.

19 The short syllable HU has a contracted a.n.u.svra, in which the crescent and nda are subsumed in the bindu.

20 The syllable MA is that of the female buddha Mmak. See Longchen Rabjampa, GGFTC, pp. 691-2.

21 The syllable MU is that the female buddha Dhtvvar. See Longchen Rabjampa, GGFTC, p. 691.

22 Tib. rtsa gnyid-log. See Ch. 11, p. 228.

23 On the diverse divisions of the Buddhist scriptures (gsung-rab) from the Nyingma point of view, see Dudjom Rinpoche, NSTB, pp. 73-87.

24 The rituals referred to here are somewhat unclear, but for the treatment of diseases pertaining to the five solid viscera and the six hollow viscera, see Tibetan Medical Paintings, pp. 101-2, and pp. 257-8.

25 The following series of signs of near death are observed in the urine specimen. Note that whereas here it is the urine sc.u.m (spris-ma) that appears blue or red, in Ch. 8, p. 170, these colours are attributed to the urine vapour (rlangs-pa). See also the elaborate explanations of urinalysis given in Tibetan Medical Paintings , pp. 139-48, and pp. 295-304.

26 The combination of the five elements (khams-lnga) with the twelve animal year-signs is an important feature of elemental divination ('byung-rtsis), on which see G. Dorje, Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings, pp. 66-86.

27 The Delhi reprint adds an annotation to the effect that this is also applicable if the humming sound disappears intermittently.

28 At this point, the various versions of our text include the following paragraph: 'In cases when [one's shadow] is missing from the neck upwards, one should visualise the syllable YA in the subject's heart, and gaze upwards as high as one can. [Death] will then be averted if one performs ablutions from the crown downwards with water [empowered by] mantras of retention.' This observation appears to be misplaced, referring as it does to the a.n.a.lysis of the optically projected shadow rather than the humming of the ears.

10 Natural Liberation through Recollection

1 Tib. 'Pho-ba dran-pa rang-grol.

2 Tib. rDzogs-rim bar-do drug-gi khrid-yig. This cycle has been translated into English by Alan Wallace. See Natural Liberation.

3 Tib. Zab-chos zhi-khro dgongs-pa rang-grol.

4 The six topics of the perfection stage (sampannakrama) respectively relate to the six intermediate states summarised in Ch. 3. Among them, the yoga of consciousness transference relates to the intermediate state of the time of death ('chi-kha'i bar-do), on which see also Ch. 11, pp. 225-34. At this point an annotation in the text refers to the importance of this chapter as 'an oral instruction which is like the giving of a royal injunction' (rgyal-po bka'-them bskur-ba lta-bu).

5 Tib. 'Chi-ltas mtshan-la rang-grol. See Ch. 8, pp. 153-81.

6 On the ritual deception of death ('chi-bslu), see above, Ch. 9, pp. 184-95.

7 Tib. 'Chi-bslu 'jigs-pa rang-grol. This is the subject matter of Ch. 9 above.

8 Consciousness transference may be taught in the context of general guidance (khrid-kyi dus), as in the case of the preliminary practices (sngon-'gro). See Paltrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher, pp. 351-65; and Sonam T. Kazi (trans.), Kun-zang La-may Zhal-lung, Pt. 3, pp. 493-516. Manuals of particular guidance on consciousness transference ('pho-ba'i sgos-khrid) include the present chapter from Karma Lingpa's Zhi-khro dgongs-pa rang-grol and Tsele Natsok Rangdrol's The Mirror of Mindfulness, pp. 65-73.

9 Tib. khrid kyi sngon 'gro. See above, Ch. 1.

10 Tib. sa-gnon-pa'i phyag-rgya (Skt. bhmykramaa), here identified with the bhsparamudr.

11 On the a.s.sociation of these other orifices with specific modes of rebirth, see p. 214.

12 On the crown or anterior fontanelle (tshangs-pa'i bu-ga), and its relations.h.i.+p to the central energy channel of the subtle body (avadhti), see Tibetan Medical Paintings, pp. 33-40 and pp. 189-96.

13 On the relation between the central channel and those of the Rasan to its right and the Lalan to its left, see also Longchen Rabjampa, GGFTC, pp. 1006 ff., and Tibetan Medical Paintings, pp. 33-4.

14 Tib. khu-tshur.

15 See Ch. 3, p. 33.

16 This refers to the recitation of Ch. 11 of the present work.

17 On these transformations, see Ch. 8, pp. 156-9 and 171-3.

18 This reference is unidentified.

19 Tib. Nyi-zla kha-sbyor. This text is contained in Vol. 4 of the Collected Tantras of the Nyingmapa (rNying-ma'i rgyud-'b.u.m).

20 The 'field of acc.u.mulated merits' (tshogs-bsags zhing), to whom offerings are made, comprises one's parents, invalids or other disadvantaged persons, spiritual teachers, monks, and bodhisattvas.

21 Skt. araagamana. On the taking of refuge, see above, Ch. 1, pp. 11-13; and also glossary.

22 There are many diverse techniques of consciousness-transference within the Tibetan tradition, including those derived from The Six Doctrines of Nrop (Nro chos-drug), the Innermost Spirituality of Longchenpa (Klong-chen snying-thig), and the present cycle.

23 Tib. thos-grol. The words to be communicated in this context are contained below, Ch. 11, which includes descriptions of the three intermediate states of the time of death, reality, and rebirth. The intermediate state of reality (chos-nyid bar-do) is also known as the intermediate state of inner radiance ('od-gsal ), on which see Ch. 11, p. 227ff.

24 Just as there are outer, inner, and secret signs of impending death (see Ch. 8, pp. 155-71) and outer and inner signs of the efficacy of the mantras utilised in 'liberation by wearing' (see Ch. 14, pa.s.sim), so here, in the context of the various types of consciousness-transference, there are 'outer' signs observable in the atmosphere, 'inner' signs observable on the body of the deceased, and 'secret' signs observable in the relics that emerge after death. On the appearance of seed-syllables among the cremated relics of great spiritual teachers, see e.g. Dudjom Rinpoche, NSTB, p. 564.

25 The white syllable A is the seed-syllable of Vajradhara, the azure syllable HU is that of Vajrasattva, and the red syllable HRI is that of Avalokitevara. See Longchen Rabjampa, GGFTC, Ch. 7, pp. 682-93.

26 The five types of bone-relic (Tib. dung-rigs rnam-pa-lnga), which appear following cremation, are a.s.sociated with the five seed-syllables of the five male buddhas, and with five bodily const.i.tuents. See Ch. 14. On the appearance of cremation relics in the form of a deity's hand-implement (phyag-mtshan) or image (sku-'dra), see e.g. Dudjom Rinpoche, NSTB, pp. 572.

27 Here the emergence of fluids from the left nostril rather than the crown fontanelle is an indication that the consciousness-transference has taken effect into the Buddha-body of Emanation rather than into the Buddha-bodies of Reality or Perfect Resource. On the appearance of such signs, see Ch. 14, pa.s.sim; and for a recorded instance of the whole skull being left as a cremation relic, see Dudjom Rinpoche, NSTB, p. 572.