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The Pilgrimage to Maratika

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In 1984, Norbu Rinpoche traveled to northern Nepal on a pilgrimage to the monastery of Tolu, and to the cave of Maratika where the great Mahasiddha Padmasambhava did a retreat with his consort Mandarava. The following is an account of a series of remarkable dreams he had on this trip, beginning with a dream he had two days after reaching the monastery.

The location of the dream was Tolu Monastery itself. If you dream about a place or a thing where you have been in the past, this usually reflects a repetition through karmic trace; if you dream of a place or a situation where you are not, this reflects a desire or a wish. On the other hand, if you

dream of the place you actually are, this is often significant. Thus I was clued that this might be an important dream. In this dream I was at the cave of Tolu, and even the people who had actually accompanied me on the trip were there. As I was teaching my students, we were joined by my uncle. I should tell you that this man who joined us was not only my uncle, he was also one of my principal teachers, and an extraordinary practitioner and terton.5 I will tell you a short story which will illustrate the remarkable quality of my uncle’s life. When I was a child I was living near a monastery. At the

time I am recalling, a young horse had died. Vultures had eaten the horse, but even after they had finished, one of the vultures remained. My uncle asked two of the monks to go and fetch this vulture. Upon their return to the monastery with the vulture, the monks announced that the bird had been

wounded. There was a piece of iron lodged in its shoulder. One of the monks attempted to pull it out, but the vulture became quite agitated, and my uncle instructed him to stop and to put the vulture in an enclosed garden area. I remember thinking how strange it was that the vulture would remain so silent

and passive while this was occurring. In fact the whole situation was becoming more and more unusual. The next day my uncle instructed me to feed the vulture some milk. When I arrived at the garden, which was semicircular in shape, with a wooden floor and a covering over it, the vulture was sitting

immobile. I placed the milk before it. Moving its head slightly it began to drink. It drank up all of the milk I had offered, and when it had finished began to run, and as it did so it moved its wings slightly. Insofar as the area was quite long it was able to run a long distance. It ran clear to the end

of the garden, and then half way back; then it stopped and the metal piece, an iron rod, dropped from its wing. The very moment the iron piece fell out, the vulture flew away, heading due East in the direction of a large mountain called Sitang. The famous Dzogchen Monastery6 is behind that mountain. It was

also on that mountain that my uncle normally lived in a cave. We examined the iron that had Men from the vulture’s wing. It was quite long. The top that had been embedded in the wing was triangular. I can still remember the beautiful sound that the iron piece made when it fell from the wing. This event

was merely one of the oddities that frequently occurred around my uncle. So, on that occasion at Tolu, my uncle manifested within my dream. In the dream he was no


older than fourteen or fifteen years old. He said to me that he was very pleased that I was giving such a beautiful teaching, and that it was useful to everyone. I asked him if he had really been listening. He replied that he had heard every word. In the dream I had been teaching the Thik Sum Nedek,7 the

famous three final statements of Garab Dorje.8 Then my uncle asked me to explain my gomter9 about the Namkha.10 I replied to him that my dream about the Namkha hadn’t been a gomter. Allow me to explain what I was referring to. A few years ago, I was in New York City. I was giving a seminar there about

the function of elements and energy, as well as about Tibetan history. At this seminar I gave an explanation of the elements and their functioning according to the ancient Bonpo11 tradition. That night I had a dream. In it there was a small boy dressed in blue. I asked him who he was, and he replied

that his name was Fuel. Fuel was a famous Bonpo deity, particularly known for his capacity to accomplish divination through astrology. I said, “If you are really Fuel, then explain to me about the function of the elements of individuals, and how one might harmonize them when there are problems.” This

small child then proceeded to explain the different kinds of functions of the elements, relating to body, life, fortune, capacity, etc. Through this I discovered the precise principle of Namkha, the method of harmonizing the elements of a person. I had said to my uncle that this dream of Fuel wasn’t

a gomter, it was merely a dream, but he insisted that because it was a gomter he would like a transmission. Insofar as he is my teacher, I didn’t really feel comfortable with his request, but he insisted and so eventually I did read him the book, and thus gave the transmission. After that was complete he

said that Namkha will be an important practice in the future. He also said that I must practice and teach on the “five darkness practice”. I asked what was this five darkness practice. He responded that there would be some indications later. That was one of my dreams. During the days we spent at Tolu Monastery I had extremely important dreams constantly, and by the time we approached the astrologically significant twenty-fifth day,12 I was a bit nervous about sleeping. With a concern as to what would happen now, I went to bed, but for quite awhile I couldn’t sleep. Finally, when I did sleep, I found myself

in a kind of dream, in which I was speaking with someone. I actually don’t know if I was speaking with someone else, or carrying on a conversation with myself. The voice instructed me to relax, first the breathing, and then the body, until I found myself in the relaxed state of Samaya.13 I thought to

myself that I had never heard of this relaxed state of Samaya. Nevertheless, I tried again and again to relax, and to put myself into that state. Each time, largely due to my discomfort with the sleeping conditions at Tolu, I would wake up. Indeed, I awoke at least two or three times in the course of

trying to get into the state of relaxation. On one of these occasions I received instructions within the dream to loosen the mountaineering leggings that, due to exhaustion, I had failed to remove before falling asleep. When I awoke remembering the instructions, I untied them, and fell asleep once again,

slowly relaxing into the state of Samaya. “It’s not perfect yet,” the voice said, “we have to have fresher, easier breathing.” In order to comply I opened the tent to let in some fresh air, even though it was very cold and a fierce wind was blowing. Once again I returned to sleep and entered Samaya. I was

again thinking that this Samaya wasn’t that terrific, not really a state of contemplation.14 The voice returned, and said “Now that you’ve done that, you have to get to the state of Dharmadhatu.15 As instructed, I relaxed, and directed myself towards this state of Dharmadhatu. Meanwhile, I was awakened

by a cough from a nearby tent. I went back to sleep yet another time, and directed myself to go through the successive levels of relaxation. Again and again I awoke for one reason or another, and had to start from the beginning. Then suddenly the voice was saying, “We’re here,

this is the state of Dharmadhatu,” which seemed to me to be the state of contemplation. The voice now instructed me to direct myself to another state. As I did this, there began to appear a kind of tigle16 similar to one which had appeared in a previous dream at Tolu cave. I also saw some writing, and

then I woke up once again... I had to start at the beginning, relaxing through the different stages until the tigle reappeared. What I had seen in the tigle was the title of a text. This time after the title there appeared a text itself, just as if I were looking at a movie screen. One after another, an

entire series of meditation practices appeared. I was reading page after page, but if at any point I couldn’t read one, I would only need to think to myself that this wasn’t clear, and the unclear portion would return. It would repeat itself as if I had some sort of telecommand. In this manner I read the

whole text from beginning to end at least three or four times. Due to interruptions I awoke frequently. But each time I would go back to sleep, and begin with Samaya and all the rest, and then the text would go on. Suddenly the voice said, “You are now in the next state.” What distinguished this

state from the previous one was that now the few words which had not been completely clear appeared to occupy all of space. Without any focusing or staring on my part, they just appeared. Thus I went on reading, and it continued without interruption until almost morning. At this point I coughed intensely

and awoke. The words were still there even with my eyes open. It wasn’t a dream. I saw them for a short time, and then they disappeared. I thought that perhaps this was just the influence of the dream. Curious, I continued to look into the sky. The sky was very clear, and there was no more vision. I remembered one time when I was doing a retreat in Norway. I was in the middle of a practice when the same thing happened. I told some people about my experience at that time. Previously I had read about Snang-ba-yi-ger-shar17 in the biographies of some accomplished teachers. In Norway I recall having thought that I had not previously understood what the phrase “Snang-ba-yi-ger-shar” meant. Anyway, I fell asleep once again, and relaxed through the successive stages. In the dream, while being instructed to enter the various states of relaxation I suddenly had a thought about an even further state— something entitled “Bya-grub-yeshe,” the furthest state of wisdom. The voice answered my thought saying, “It will come when all is completed.” Then morning came. I was truly exhausted. Everyone else was still pleasantly asleep. That is the story of the twenty-fifth day. The next day we had a long climb. That evening, when I fell asleep, it all happened again. Again I read the text through several times, and particularly the areas where the letters hadn’t been sharp. At a certain point I suddenly woke up. I found my head covered with a blanket. There had been so much wind that I must have been protecting

myself. Uncovering my head, I opened my eyes, and immediately looked into the sky. There, very briefly, were the letters again. I’d like to tell you now about a dream I had on the first night that we arrived at Maratika cave. Before going to bed I thought to myself that tomorrow would be a good day to

begin a long life meditation practice that I had brought along. I still hadn’t entirely developed a particular method for doing this practice, but I had carried the practice text along with me because I had had the idea that Maratika would be a nice place to practice it. That night I dreamed that I was

preparing to do the practice in a big cave. I was explaining how the practice would be done, and was giving an initiation which would enable the students to do the practice themselves. Normally, in our tradition, in order to do a long life practice, one


needs a long life initiation. Those of you who know me know that I am not the type who typically does elaborate formal initiations,18 but I have always said that it is necessary to do some kind of initiation for empowering. In my dream I had the idea that I would first give a careful explanation of

the meaning of the initiation. When the people had understood it well, I would give empowerment with the mantra. After that, we would do the practice together; that would constitute the voice transmission. So, in my dream I was explaining each point of what the initiation was, starting with the

initiation of the body. At that moment I noticed that there was a person near to me giving me something. I turned to him, and saw that he was not a normal human being. Of this I was certain, because the first thing I observed while looking at him was that the lower part of his body was that of a serpent. I

thought that perhaps this was Rahula,19 one of the guardians, but when I looked at his face this seemed unlikely. I then thought that perhaps it was, or represented, someone that I knew. I looked again—his face was dragon-like in appearance. His body was white. Suddenly he placed something into my hand.

If you have taken an initiation, you know that there is usually someone assisting the teacher by giving him things. At the appropriate point in the ceremony, the assistant offers the correct object. In my dream the dragon-like being was giving me a round object with which I was about to authenticate

the initiation of the body that I had just given. I took the round object into my hand. It was a mirror, but on the rim surrounding the mirror were what seemed to be twelve smaller mirrors. Around them all was a kind of rainbow. And around this perimeter were peacock feathers. It was very beautiful. As

I took it into my hand I knew that this was the object with which I could give the initiation of the body. Normally in an initiation, the mirror represents the mind, the aspect of understanding. Immediately in the dream an explanation came to me: “The body seems to be substantial, but inherently it

is void. The symbol of this is the reflection that appears to be our form in the mirror.” Conveying this explanation, I used the mirror in my dream to give the initiation of the body. In my dream I touched the mirror to the heads of each of the people receiving initiation. As each went past I also said a

mantra.20 I next began to explain the initiation of the voice. At this very moment I sensed the presence of another being on my left. This being also offered an object for authentication. The object was a mala21 made of deeply colored red rubies shaped into a figure eight. I looked carefully at the being

who was offering the mala. It had a dark red body, and only one eye. I thought again that this was no ordinary human being, perhaps it was Ekajati.22 On the other hand it didn’t seem quite like Ekajati, and in her hands were these strange objects. In any case, just after she gave me the mala, I found that I

was again giving an explanation. “This mala represents the continual utterance of the mantra.” Not only did I explain the function of mantra, but I also gave a very unusual explanation about this form of mantra which is presented in the form of a figure eight. It was all quite strange because the

explanation had nothing to do with the particular long life practice (Cedrub Gondus) of Nyala Pema Dendul23 with which I had arrived. The next day, after dreaming about another long life practice featuring the dakini Mandarava, I discovered that there is really a Yantik practice, which in fact includes

this visualization. Meanwhile the Ekajati figure had placed another object in my hand, this one a symbol for empowering the initiation of mind. The object resembled a swastika, but at the top there were tridents. It was the center which was the swastika. It was constructed of a transparent, precious


blue stone. I then explained the meaning of the transmission of mind. Afterwards, I put this object at the heart of each person in turn. At the same time I was pronouncing the mantra related to initiation of mind. After I placed the object at the first person’s heart, I saw that it left an impression,

and that the impression of the object was turning, with a small sound. It seemed very alive. When I initiated the next person, the same thing happened. When I was finally finished I saw that all the swastika impressions were still turning. That was how I conducted the initiation, and then I awoke. The next

day I decided to do a retreat inside the cave. Many of the students who accompanied me on this pilgrimage joined me to do the practice of Pema Dendul in the cave of Mandarava. The next day I had yet another special dream. Although many of our people had not actually arrived yet, I dreamed that we were

all together in the cavern. We had already done a practice together, and I was giving teachings. In the dream it seemed as if the dream of the previous night had been recreated exactly. At my left there was the figure that was reddish-brown with one eye. Once again she was holding many objects in her hand;

this time she gave me a bead of crystal. It was now clear that this being was assisting me as I gave instruction. I took the crystal into my hand, and looked at it. At the center of the crystal I saw a word. As soon as I saw that special word, I knew that this being was indeed Ekajati. I also had a very

clear dream vision of the guardian Ekajati who advised me, saying: “This is the time to open your mind treasure of life’s circle of Vajra, the dakini practice for obtaining long life.” Looking inside the small crystal ball, I could see light rays radiating in all directions from the word, but they

did not radiate outside the ball. As I took the ball, I asked, “What is this thing?” She said, “This is ‘Ta-te.’ You have to do Ta-te’.” “I don’t understand,” I replied. The moment I said that, it seemed as if the crystal disappeared inside me. I looked around to see Ekajati, but she too had

disappeared. Upon awakening, my first thought was “Ta-te,” and what it could mean. It was still far from dawn, I had a lot of time, so I continued to concentrate on the word “Ta-te”. This is not a familiar word. “Ta” means pure, “te” means to confront, or sometimes it means to list. In my half-awake

state I was thinking of this word, when it came to me that what was required was that I write down the text, and later write it again without referring to the first version in order to test its authenticity. It was now perfectly clear what must be done. After washing myself, I took a paper and pen, and

went out onto a rock. Then, without a plan, I wrote whatever came to my mind. I wrote several pages, and what emerged was a ceremony of Ekajati. This was the beginning. Afterwards I went to have breakfast. During breakfast I asked one of my students to fetch me a notebook. When I had finished breakfast she

still had not returned, so I took another notebook to a specific place where I had been on the first day, a power location of Maratika, and sat down. I had almost begun when the student arrived with a black notebook and a red pen. With these I started writing. It was as if I was starting off a letter. I

headed it Maratika, along with the hour and the day. It was 9:15 in the morning. While I was writing, various people from my group came over. Some of them didn’t know what I was doing. As they came over to greet me I tried to get rid of them. Despite interruptions, I finished writing at 12:15. When I had

finished I had used up the last page, right up to the last line of the notebook. It almost seemed as if it had been deliberately planned. I reflected to myself that this was a good sign. Returning to our campsite, I gave the text to two students to hold for several days. I was


thinking that after a few days I would write it out again. That would be the “Ta-te,” the second version to be compared with the first in order to confirm its authenticity. This would be proof that the text was genuine, and not merely my intellect at play. Two days passed. On the third day, I had a dream

indicating that the time had come to write and make some clarifications. After completing morning practice I again sat down to write, and continued until lunchtime. The second time I wrote it out very calmly in an easy script. This time it took me two and one-half hours. I then asked that the original be

returned, and that my older sister compare the two versions. There was virtually no difference, only two or three grammatical corrections. This is the story of the origin of that practice text, a practice for developing a long and firm life. The text includes mantras, exercises for breathing and control

of one’s energy, as well as visualization. There are also instructions pertaining to chakras and channels. In the Tibetan tradition this type of practice is often sealed, meaning that it has to be kept secret for many, many years. When you are keeping such a thing secret you are not permitted even to say

that you are keeping something secret. In this case it has not been necessary. There has been no indication that this should be sealed. I have no secret to keep; therefore, I have talked about it. I also talked about it at Maratika, and have done transmission of the mantras.


Notes


1. Mandarava’s Cave at Maratika: In Northern Nepal, where Norbu Rinpoche did a retreat in 1984, there are two sacred caves. The larger one is associated with Padmasambhava, and the smaller one with Mandarava. In the seventh century, Mandarava—together with Guru Padmasambhava—practiced and attained immortality in this cave, which has consequently become known as the Cave of Long Life. [return]

2. Mahasiddha: Sanskrit, literally “Great Adept”. Maha means great, while siddha is one who has attained siddhipsychic and spiritual powers. In Tibetan Buddhism there is the example of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas who were men and women with supernatural powers. These tantric practitioners lived in India and Nepal during the eighth century. [return]

3. Guru Padmasambhava: Sanskrit, from padma (lotus) and sambhava (born). An Indian Buddhist master of Tantra and Dzogchen from Oddiyana. He is known as the “lotus born” because of his miraculous birth. Guru Padmasambhava is said to have spontaneously manifested as an eight-year-old boy sitting on a lotus flower in the middle of a lake at Oddiyana. He brought Buddhism to Tibet from India in the eighth century. With his extraordinary powers, Guru Padmasambhava overcame obstacles that had prevented Buddhism from taking root in Tibetan soil. [return]

4. Mandarava: This Indian princess from Mandi was one of the principal consorts of Padmasambhava. She left the royal life in order to practice the Dharma. She is most renowned for mastering the long life practice with Padmasambhava. She is invoked in certain Tantric rituals which aim to extend life. [return]

5. Terton: One who discovers terma, or Dharma texts that were hidden with the purpose of being discovered at a later date. Termas are believed to be hidden in trees, lakes, the earth, and even the sky. [return]

6. Dzogchen Monastery: In the seventeenth century, in Kham (East Tibet) the Dzogchen Monastery was founded by the first Dzogchen Rinpoche, Pema Rigzin. This became the largest Nyingma monastery. The monastery was considered one of the twenty-five great pilgrimage places in East Tibet. Close by the

monastery is a sacred cave of Padmasambhava and three sacred lakes. Many famous scholars of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and from the Bon tradition studied at Dzogchen Monastery. These include Patrul Rinpoche and Mipham. In 1959 Dzogchen Monastery was destroyed by the Chinese. The monastery is currently being rebuilt in Mysore, South India. [return]

7. Thik Sum Nedek: The Three Statements of Garab Dorje. This text summarizes Dzogchen teachings in three essential points: (1) The direct introduction of the primordial state from teacher to student. (2) The practitioner does not remain in doubt in reference to what the primordial state is. (3) The practitioner continues in the state of primordial awareness until total realization. [return]

8. Garab Dorje: According to traditional Nyingmapa sources, Garab Dorje lived 166 years after the parinirvana of the Buddha, dated in Tibetan sources as 881 B.C. Western scholars say it occurred 200 years later. It is said that Garab Dorje was immaculately conceived by the nunprincess daughter of a minor

king of Oddiyana. This nun had been practicing on an island in the middle of a lake when she had a dream. She dreamt of a handsome, white man holding a crystal vase with mantras engraved on it. This man bestowed initiation on the nun, and then dissolving into light he entered her body and impregnated her. Sometime after this dream she gave birth to Garab Dorje. According to Nyingmapa sources, Garab Dorje was the first human Dzogchen master. In his previous life in another dimension, Garab Dorje had received Dzogchen transmission directly from the sambhogakaya manifestation of Vajrasattva. After being born in the human realm, Garab Dorje immediately remembered these Dzogchen teachings and instructed a class of beings known as dakinis in the sacred land of

Oddiyana. He also had human disciples, one of whom was Manjushrimita, who organized his Garab Dorje teachings on Semde, Longde, and Managede. For further information on Garab Dorje see John Reynold’s The Golden Letters, Station Hill Press, forthcoming. [return]

9. Gomter: “mind terma”, a terma discovered in the mind stream of a terton (one who discovers terma). [return]

10. Namkha: A method of practice to balance one’s bodily elements. A namkha is made in accordance with one’s astrological birth chart. It is formed by two pieces of wood and five colors of string, each representing a different element: white, metal; green, wood/air; red, fire; yellow, earth; and blue, water.

The colored string is wrapped around the wood in a pattern that functions to harmonize one’s elements. The namkhas are empowered by a master, and the practitioner is given meditation instruction on a ceremony, which, if practiced together with the namkha, can balance one’s elements. [return]

11. Bonpo: A practitioner of the Bon religion. Bon is the ancient and indigenous religion of Tibet, whose origins far predate the advent of Buddhism in Tibet. According to Lopon Tenzin Namdak, the Bon religion in Tibet dates as far back as 18,000 B.C.E. Bon is divided into two categories: Old Bon and New or “Yung-drung” Bon. Old Bon was characterized by animistic and shamanistic practices, whereas Yung-drung Bon shares many similarities with Buddhism, which came to Tibet in the eighth century A.D. from India. According to Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and Lopon Tenzin Namdak, Dzogchen is part of the ancient tradition of Bon, and was practiced in Tibet long before the arrival of Buddhism. [return]

12. Twenty-fifth day: The twenty-fifth day of the lunar month (Tibetan calendar), when the moon is waning, is known as Dakini Day. Dakini Day is associated with enlightened feminine energy. Therefore, many Tibetan lamas do practices associated with feminine energy at this time. Dakini Day is an auspicious time to do Ghana Puja (Tantric Feast Offering). [return]

13. Samaya: Although the term samaya is often translated as “commitment”, and frequently pertains to the commitment to maintain a meditation practice or vow in a pure way, the dreams’ meaning of this term is idiosyncratic. In Norbu Rinpoche’s dream, the terms Samaya and Dharmadhatu refer to successively deepening levels of relaxation. [return]

14. Contemplation: The primary practice of Dzogchen in which one remains continually in a state of self-liberation. In this state one is beyond all concepts of the ordinary dualistic mind, yet one is fully capable of using the intellect and rational mind. Contemplation does not involve trying to find

experiences of calmness or clarity, nor does it involve avoiding distractions. In contemplation, when a thought arises it is neither suppressed nor followed, but is spontaneously self-liberated and dissolves. It is this practice of liberating all that arises which a Dzogchen master introduces when he gives explanations on the nature of mind. [return]

15. Dharmadhatu: This term normally refers to the ultimate ground of being, and the dimension of reality as it is. However, in this dream it refers specifically to the deepest level of relaxation. [return]

16. Tigle: There are different definitions of tigle. On one level it is defined as something without any corners or angles, a circle or perfect sphere,

like the Sanskrit bindu (drop), for example. Tigle is also defined as the dimension inside a sphere. Tigle Chenbo (Great Sphere), meaning “that which embraces everything”, is another term for Dzogchen. Tigle is also known as “the essence,” as in nying thik, “essence of mind.” In another definition, tigle

is semen in men, and vaginal fluid in women, which are physical vehicles for carrying energy. In terms of Yantra Yoga, tigle is defined as the most essential form of the body’s subtle energy, also known as Kundalini in Sanskrit. Tigles are also tiny spheres of rainbow light that may arise with the beginnings of vision in togel practice. [return]

17. Snang-ba-gi-ger-shar: The spontaneous arising of letters. [return]

18. Initiation: Initiation, transmission, and empowerment of body, speech, and mind. Human existence is made up of body, speech and mind. First, there is the dimension of “body,” which is the dynamic interrelationship between one’s body and the physical environment. There are two


different Tibetan terms for “body.” Lu refers to the gross body of an ordinary human being, whereas ku refers to the sublime body of an enlightened being. Secondly, there is the dimension of our energy known as “speech”, which is represented by speech, breath, and psychic energy. Ordinary speech is known as

ngag, whereas enlightened speech is sung. In the dimension of mind or mental activity there is yid, ordinary mind, and thuk, enlightened mind. Through transmission (gyudpd) from the master to the disciple, there occurs a potentiation which is communicated on the three levels: material, energetic, and

mental. Dzogchen transmission by the master is for the purpose of revealing the true nature of the individual. Empowerment or wang is a ritual ceremony in which this transmission takes place. Empowerment, especially within Tantric Buddhism, may be extremely elaborate, utilizing symbolic instruments and

ceremonies. In Dzogchen, the method of direct introduction, which may be elaborate or non-elaborate, is used to introduce one to the nature of one’s mind. For information on direct introduction see John Reynolds, The Golden Letters, Station Hill Press, forthcoming. [return]

19. Rahula: A principal guardian of the Dzogchen teachings. Rahula manifests in a terrifying and ferocious form. He has extreme power and, according to Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, if not respected can cause considerable harm. [return]

20. Mantra: Literally, “mind protector.” Mantra is the sounding of sacred syllables. Different mantras have different functions: some are used to stir up and activate one’s energy while others create a calming and pacifying effect. Ultimately the goal of mantra is to help the practitioner to transcend

dualistic thought. Many mantras are associated with particular deities, and within Tantric ceremony they are repeated until one has attained the same enlightened qualities as the deity. [return]

21. Mala: In the Buddhist tradition a mala or rosary is a string of 108 beads used for counting mantra. [return]

22. Ekajati: Ekajati is the principal guardian of the Dzogchen teachings. Enlightened from the very beginning, Ekajati is a direct emanation (trulpa) of

primordial wisdom, Samantabhadri, who is the feminine aspect of the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra. As the primordially enlightened one, Samantabhadri Ekajati has all-knowing wisdom regarding the 84 million teachings of Dzogchen. Ekajati visibly manifests in a particularly wrathful form in order to

subjugate the very powerful and potentially destructive class of beings called Mamos. “Ekajati” means “one-eye”, which is symbolic of wisdom. What is unique about her physical form is that it is one-eyed, onetoothed, and one-breasted. These features symbolize non-dual awareness. As chief protectress of

the Dzogchen teachings, she may make contact with a terton or Dzogchen master when the time is ripe to reveal a certain teaching or terma. Norbu Rinpoche received a sadhana from Ekajati as part of this gomter of the Mandarava practice. The sadhana is an invocation, within which the practitioner asks that Mandarava clear all obstacles to total realization and provide protection on the path. [return]

23. Cedrub Gondus: “The Union of Primordial Essences”, the long life practice Norbu Rinpoche brought to Maratika. This long life practice was a terma of the root master of Chang-chub Dorje, Nyala Pema Dendul (1816-1872). The practice was originally transmitted directly from Buddha Amitayus to Guru Padmasambhava. Together as consorts, in the sacred cave of Maratika in North Nepal, Dakini Mandarava and Guru Padmasambhava practiced and mastered the Union of Primordial Essences, thus attaining immortality. In the eighth century, for the benefit of future generations, Guru Padmasambhava wrote out the


practice and placed it as a hidden treasure within a rock in East Tibet. Approximately one thousand years later, in the nineteenth century, Nyala Pema Dendul rediscovered this “hidden treasure” or terma. For several years he practiced this long life terma intensively. At his life’s end he attained the

rainbow body of light. Nyala Pema Dendul transmitted the practice to Changchub Dorje and Ayu Khandro, who both practiced it and subsequently lived unusually long lives—137 years and 116 years respectively. They also attained the body of light. Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche received transmission of this terma from both Changchub Dorje and Ayu Khandro, and presently gives transmission on the practice for the benefit of his students.





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