Ladder to Akanishta.

Ladder to Akanishta: A Thorough Presentation of the Development Stage's Deity Yoga . Jigme Lingpa (1730-1798) composed this text to lay out the general principles of development stage practice. He begins his presentation by describing the basis for the practice, first outlining the four types of birth and how they are purified, and then proceeding to an explication of the three samadhis.

The second section, which forms the bulk of his explanation, addresses the path, i.e., how to practice deity yoga.

Here, Jigme Lingpa focuses primarily on visualization, showing not only how both beginning and advanced students can progress in the practice, but also the various errors and missteps that can occur along the way and how to deal with them.

The text concludes by setting out the result of practice, the four vidhyadhara levels and five kayas. Jigme Lingpa’s presentation draws upon both the traditional Mahayoga scriptures, as well as Dzogchen Tantras, thus providing a unique Dzogchen slant on the topic.

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