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The Yogas of Sleeping, Rising, and Experiencing Nectar

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The first three of the eleven yogas, the yogas of sleeping, rising, and experiencing nectar, are methods for purifying our body, speech, and mind. Collectively they are known as the 'yogas of three joys' or the 'yogas of the three purifications'. The latter title is more correct as it is the one given in the sadhanas of Heruka. The yogas of sleeping and rising purify our body and mind, transforming them into the body and mind of Vajrayogini, and the yoga of experiencing nectar purifies our speech, transforming it into the· speech of Vajrayogini.


THE YOGA OF SLEEPING

In general, the yoga of sleeping is included within the eleventh yoga, the yoga of daily actions, along with the yoga of eating, and other daily activities. However, there are good reasons why the practice of Vajrayogini begins at night, with the yoga of sleeping considered as a separate practice. One reason is

at during the night the Dakinis of the Twenty-four Places visit sincere Vajrayogini practitioners and bestow their blessings. In Vajradaka Tantra it says: The Ladies of these Places Bestow siddhis upon practitioners. They always come at night, They always go at night. Here, the 'Ladies of these Places' are the Dakinis of the Twentyfour Holy Places. If we are not accomplished meditators, we cannot maintain mindfulness and alertness during sleep. This leaves our mind unguarded and exposed to unseen influences. For example, we


may fall asleep with a positive mind but wake up feeling bad because during the night we were disturbed by evil spirits who took advantage of our defenceless state. Sincere practitioners of Vajrayogini, however, may find the opposite happening. They may go to bed with a mind preoccupied with the

problems of the day, but wake up refreshed, with a clear and positive mind. Although 'the external situation may be much the same, they are now able to face it with a peaceful mind. They may also find that obstacles to their Dharma practice inexplicably disappear overnight. These are signs that during the night they have been visited by Dakinis from the Twenty-four Holy Places who blessed their mind and subtle body. Dakinis are able to help a practitioner in

this way when he or she establishes a connection with them through pure Vajrayogini practice. Another reason for beginning the practice of Vajrayogini at night is that during sleep the clear light mind of sleep manifests naturally and, with training, this mind can be used to progress along the spiritual path towards the realizations of example clear light and meaning clear light. One of the main reasons for practising Vajrayogini Tantra is to attain these

realizations. During the day we perceive many different things, but in the darkness of night all these appearances vanish. The day therefore symbolizes conventional truth and the night symbolizes emptiness, or ultimate truth. Beginning our practice at night reminds us that the main purpose of training in these instructions is to develop a mind of clear light that directly realizes emptiness. Remembering this, we begin our practice of the eleven yogas of


Vajrayogini with the yoga of sleeping. Other texts present different reasons but the ones given here are the most accurate. Since we all spend a large portion of our time asleep, it is important that we have a method to transform sleep into the spiritual path. The states of sleeping, dreaming, and waking are similar to death, intermediate state, and rebirth. Through continual training in the yogas of sleeping and rising we will gain the ability to purify and transform our death, intermediate state, and rebirth into the spiritual path.


This is the main purpose of generation stage meditation.

Briefly, there are seven principal benefits to be gained from engaging in the yoga of sleeping:

1 We accumulate great merit.

2 All our hindrances and obstacles are dispelled.

3 We will receive direct care and guidance from Vajrayogini in all our future lives.

4 We will be blessed by the Heroines of the Twenty-four Auspicious Places of Heruka.

5 Our practice of generation stage meditation will be strengthened and stabilized.

6 We will attain both outer and inner Pure Dakini Lands.

7 We will attain enlightenment quickly.


There are two ways to practise the yoga of sleeping: according to generation stage and according to completion stage. We may choose either method. The yoga of sleeping according to generation stage

Sleeping according to generation stage creates great merit and is a cause to attain the Form Body of Vajrayogini. Successful practice of the yoga of sleeping depends upon having gained proficiency in the sixth yoga, the yoga of self-generation. When the time for sleep approaches, we should regard our surroundings as the Pure Land of the Dakinis and our room as Vajrayogini's mandala, the phenomena-source. The phenomena-source is the nature of

Vajrayogini' s wisdom. It is made of red light in the shape of a double tetrahedron, and it should be visualized as large as possible. Inside the phenomena-source we visualize a throne of precious jewels supported by eight snow lions. Covering the surface of the throne is an eightpetalled lotus, and

on top of this there is either a sun cushion or a moon cushion. When we lie down to sleep we visualize ourself clearly as Vajrayogini, but without the usual ornaments and hand implements. If we wish to sleep lightly and wake quickly, or if we wish to sleep with strong concentration, we visualize ourself lying on a cool moon cushion. If we feel cold, or if we wish to sleep


deeply, or for a long time, we visualize ourself going to sleep on a warm sun cushion. Usually, however, we need a balanced sleep. If we sleep too lightly we may wake too readily, but if we sleep too deeply we will be unable to retain mindfulness during our dreams. To achieve a balanced sleep we visualize

yourself lying on a sun cushion, but without imagining it to be warm. We should lie facing west with our head towards the north. Facing west is auspicious because we invite the Dakinis to visit us from the land of Odiyana, which is in the west. The soles of our feet should point towards the south. This is auspicious for a long life because it symbolizes our wish to subdue Yama, the Lord of Death, who is said to live in the south. Our practice is enhanced by

sleeping in this position, but if it is not practical because of the shape of our room or the position of the bed, we can simply imagine that we are doing this. Directions are merely imputed. On the northern petal of the lotus flower we visualize our root Guru in the aspect of Buddha Vajradharma. Visualizing our Guru in the aspect of a Buddha is a practice unique to Secret Mantra. According to the Vinaya, the Guru should be regarded as like a Buddha, but

according to Secret Mantra, the Guru should be regarded as a Buddha. Although some texts state that we should visualize our Guru in the aspect of Hero Vajradharma, there are in fact three ways in which we can visualize him: iri his outer aspect, as Hero Vajradharma, in his inner aspect, as Buddha Vajradharma, or in his secret aspect, as Buddha Vajradharma ·with consort. In essence there is no difference between these thn?e aspects of the Guru

because Hero Vajradharma, Buddha Vajradharma without consort, and Buddha Vajradharma with consort are exactly the same nature. Whichever aspect we choose to visualize, we should regard him as our root Guru, the synthesis of all the Buddhas. Hero Vajradharma is red. His left hand holds at the level of his heart a skullcup filled with nectar, his right hand is raised holding a damaru, and his left shoulder supports a khatanga. Buddha Vajradharma looks exactly like Buddha Vajradhara, except that Buddha Vajradharma is red and adorned with six


Buddha Vajradharma bone ornaments while Buddha Vajradhara is blue and wears ornaments made of jewels. Buddha Vajradharma is similar to Buddha Amitabha in that he is a manifestation of the speech of all the Buddhas. It is primarily through receiving teachings from our Guru that we receive the blessings of

Buddha's speech, so for us our Guru functions as the manifestation of Buddha's speech. To help us develop this recognition we visualize our Guru as Buddha Vajradharma. When we practise the yoga of sleeping according to generation stage the most important thing is to maintain strong divine pride that we are

Vajrayogini, that our room is the phenomenasource, and that our bed is a sun cushion or moon cushion. As we lie on our bed we imagine that we rest ou:r head in Guru Vajradharma's lap and then, with strong faith in our ·Guru, we go to sleep. As we fall asleep we should prevent all ordinary appearances and maintain only pure appearano:!s. When we wake we should immediately recollect that we are Vajrayogini, that our room is the phenomena-source mandala, and that our root Guru is on the northern petal of the lotus in the aspect of Buddha Vajradharma.


The yoga of sleeping according to completion stage

In the completion stage yoga of sleeping, before we go to sleep we imagine that the entire world system and all its inhabitants melt into light, and that this light dissolves into our body. Our body then gradually melts into light and diminishes in size until it dissolves into the letter BAM at our heart. At this stage only the letter BAM appears to our mind; nothing else is perceived. Then the letter BAM gradually dissolves into its head, or upper horizontal line, the head dissolves into the crescent moon, the crescent moon dissolves into the drop, and the drop dissolves into the nada; the three-curved line at the top of the letter. The nada then gradually decreases in size, until finally it dissolves into the clear light of emptiness. Now only emptiness appears.

It is important to feel that our mind of clear light has become one with emptiness, like water mixed with water. This inseparable union of our very subtle mind and emptiness is called the 'clear light of emptiness'. We identify this as the Dharmakaya, the Truth Body of Vajrayogini, and then we fall asleep, maintaining this recognition throughout our sleep. When we wake the next morning we immediately remember emptiness. This practice increases our wisdom, causing us to gain experience of the clear light, and eventually to achieve the Truth Body of a Buddha. The clear light mind manifests automatically during

sleep and during death, but only those proficient in completion stage meditation are able to retain mindfulness at these times. Most people are unable to recognize either the clear light of sleep or the clear light of death. Besides sleep and death, the only other time the clear light manifests is when all the winds are deliberately gathered and dissolved into the central channel through the force of completion stage meditation. Yogis who can cause the clear light mind to manifest in this way are able to use this mind to meditate on emptiness. When they fall asleep they remain mindful throughout their sleep and

use the clear light of sleep to deepen their experience of emptiness. In deep sleep the winds naturally and forcefully gather and dissolve within the central channel, and the clear light that manifests at that time is purer than that which a novice completion stage meditator can induce through meditation alone. Therefore, sleep becomes extremely valuable for these Yogis. Their most profound experience of emptiness occurs during deep sleep. Meditators who are familiar with transforming the clear light of sleep into the spiritual path will also be able to transform the clear light of death. They will remain

aware throughout their death process and when the clear light of death dawns they will be able to transform it into ultimate example clear light. This realization directly prevents ordinary death. For this reason transforming sleep into the path is one of the principal practices of Secret Mantra, and one of the most important methods for attaining enlightenment.


THE YOGA OF RISING

There are two ways to practise the yoga of rising depending upon which way we practise the yoga of sleeping. If we sleep according to generation stage we should practise the yoga of rising according to generation stage, and if we sleep according to completion stage we should practise the yoga of rising according to completion stage.


The yoga of rising according to generation stage

Immediately upon waking we should recall our visualization of the previous night and try to prevent ordinary appearances. We should develop three recognitions: that the world is Pure Dakini Land with our room as the phenomena-source mandala, that we are Vajrayogini, and that all other beings are Heroes and Heroines. We imagine that in the space around us Dakas and Dakinis are reciting Vajrayogini's mantra. This causes us to arise with the joyful

motivation to benefit others. Throughout the day we regard any sound we hear as the sound of this mantra. While dressing, instead of putting on ordinary clothes, we imagine that we are offering the five ornaments, such as the crown, and the earrings, to ourself generated as Vajrayogini. Then we prostrate

three times to our root Guru on the northern petal of the lotus. This causes our Guru to generate a joyful wish to enter our body and mind. We imagine that he melts into light and decreases to the size of a small egg. He then enters through our crown and dissolves into the letter BAM at our heart. Throughout

the day we should remember that our Guru is at our heart in the aspect of a letter BAM. We should also retain the divine pride of our body and mind as Vajratyogini's body and mind, the room as the phenomena-source mandala, the world as Pure Dakini Land, and all beings as Heroes or Heroines. When we a:re about to develop negative states of mind we should immediately recall these recognitions. If we can maintain this pure appearance there will be no basis

for delusions to arise. We should try to maintain these three recognitions until we go to sleep, when we once again practise the yoga of sleeping. The yoga of rising is practised continually throughout the day and the yoga of sleeping is practised continually throughout the night. If we practise these two yogas diligently all our daily actions become a quick path to enlightenment, and Buddhahood will definitely be attained before very long. The yoga of rising according to completion stage


If we have slept according to completion stage yoga, absorbed in the clear light of emptiness, then upon waking we imagine that from that state of emptiness we arise instantly in the form of Vajrayogini, just as clouds might suddenly appear in a clear sky. As in the practice of generation stage, we

should recall the three recognitions: ourself as Vajrayogini, the world as Pure Dakini Land with our room as the phenomena-source mandala, and all beings as Heroes and Heroines. The previous night we dissolved all phenomena into emptiness and our mind of clear light was mixed inseparably with this emptiness

and identified as the Dharmakaya. From this union of bliss and emptiness a new world now appears, arising from the substance of our blissful mind and having the same nature as our mind. If we think like this it will be easy to generate pure appearance and develop the three recognitions. We should

maintain the three recognitions strongly throughout the day, recalling them again and again until we go to sleep. In order to sustain this practice we need both mindfulness and alertness. By relying on mindfulness we should maintain the motivation and the three recognitions that we generated upon rising. From

time to time we should apply alertness to check that we are still holding these recognitions. If we fail to apply alertness our practice of maintaining the three recognitions will quickly degenerate. We will lose pure appearance and revert to viewing ourself as ordinary. This happens because we are so accustomed to ordinary appearance. Whenever we find that we have forgotten our initial motivation, or the three recognitions,


we should recall them immediately. To maintain pure appearance we do not need to recite words or sit on a cushion. If our daily actions are performed with mindfulness of the three recognitions they all become a method for attaining enlightenment quickly. When we are able to maintain these three recognitions

all the time, everything we see will help us to develop great bliss. Nothing will appear as ugly, irritating, or disgusting. Everything experienced by our

senses will seem attractive and will stimulate pure pleasure. Because, at this stage, we will be very familiar with meditating on the union of bliss and emptiness, even our sense pleasures will remind us of emptiness. Thus, by maintaining the three recognitions all our daily experiences can be transformed into the wisdom of great bliss and emptiness. The practice of the three recognitions is the supr.eme moral discipline of Vajrayana.





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