The Required Liturgies on the Occasion of Master Tāranātha’s Severance Empowerment of Opening the Door to the Sky in the Gyaltang Tradition

By Taranatha

Translated by Sarah Harding

Preliminaries:

Perform the obstructer torma ritual in the usual way or according to your own source text: cleanse and purify the torma, bless it with the long mantra of the “sky treasure,” and dedicate it with “akaro."

Say: Namo! By the truth of the words of the Buddha, dharma, and sangha, by the truth of the words of the yidam, dakinTs, and dharma protectors, and by the power of my mantra, mudra, and meditative absorption, all spirits who would interfere with tonight’s presentation of the empowerment of the profound method of severance and all disrupting types of devils and obstructers: don’t stay here, go away!

Expel them by the sumbha mantra and strike with hum and phat. For the common vajra protection circle, say the following mantra and meditate on the meaning of emptiness: om vajra raksa raksa hum hunt hum phat svaha For the direction protectors, cleanse, purify, and bless the torma. Invoke the guests with: om lokapala saparivara akarsaya jah Dedicate the torma by adding akaro to that mantra.

Supplicate for desired outcomes with: Worldly protectors and your retinues, accept this torma that is offered and given. We yogins and our retinues...(etc.) For their departure, add [gatsa]1 at the end of saparivara... {166}

For the grounds master torma, cleanse, purify, and bless. Then invoke the guests with: om bhumipati saparivara akarsaya jah

Offer [the torma] by adding akaro to the end of saparivara in that same mantra.

Supplicate for desired outcomes with: Masters of grounds and masters of places and your retinues...(etc.) For their departure, add gatsa to the end of the mantra.

Do the blessing of the offerings as in the general highest yoga tantras and impress the thought of refuge with “Buddha, dharma, sublime assembly...”. Afterwards recite the Heart Sutra with the exorcism of evil. That is the preliminary practice.

[Main Practice]

For the main practice according to the sources, begin with the invitation:
Gurus and Jewels, please come here
from the mansion of pure devotion.
Yidam deity hosts please come here
from the infinite palace of natural purity.
Vajra dakinTs please come here
from the pure realm of the vajra.
Ratna dakinTs please come here
from the pure realm of blazing jewels.
Padma dakinTs please come here
from the pure realm of the lotus.
Karma dakinTs please come here
from the pure realm of dragon thunder.
Buddha dakinTs please come here
from the pure realm of the wheel.
Mothers and dakinTs please come here
from whatever fine place you abide.
Dharma guards and protectors please come here
from the palace of the precious doctrine.
om guru deva dakini... (etc., as usual)
Do the torma blessing as in Samvara or Varahi or whichever of the highest yoga mother tantras is appropriate. For the first part, the ritual of the yidam torma, do your particular [practice] or just the generic offering:
om guru mandala deva gana saparivara om akaro... (etc)
The second [part] is as usual. For the third, if you have a special dharma protector, then do that torma ritual and add the generic offering:
om s'rivajra dharmapala saparivara om akaro... (etc.)
For those, the common [[[mantras]]]:
oni guru mandala deva gana pahtsa dakini srTvajra dharmapala saparivara argham... (etc.) for the outer offering. {167}
om ah hum for the inner offering.
Supplicate for desired outcomes as usual elsewhere:

Gurus, yidams, dakinis, and vajra dharma protectors and retinues, accept this torma that is offered and given.
We yogins and our retinues.. .(etc.)

The supplication before the self-empowerment:

phat

In the mansion of Akanistha dharmadhatu,
Great Mother Perfection of Wisdom has blessings.


I supplicate the blessed one.
Mother, I pray to you.


I pray to the One Mother.

Great Mother, bless me.

On the mountain of Vulture's Peak, Buddha Shakyamuni has blessings. (From here on add the four lines from above).
On the Five-Peak Mountain of China, Manjusri Vadasimha has blessings.

In the pure realm Arrayed in Turquoise Petals, Venerable Tara has blessings.

In the infinite palace of pure bliss-emptiness, Vajravarahi has blessings.

In the mansion of the dakini of Oddiyana, Sukhasiddhi has blessings.

In the grass hut of India,
Aryadeva has blessings.

At Dingri Langkor of Lato, Dampa Sangye has blessings.
In the hermitage of Rasa Panglung,2 Sonam Lama has blessings.

In the hermitage of Zangri Karmar,
Machik Lapdron has blessings.
In the hermitage of Gyalthang Chuzang,
Samten Ozer has blessings.

In the secluded site of Jangchub Ling, Namkha Ozer has blessings.
In the sacred sites of a hundred haunted retreats, Shakya Ozer has blessings.
In the kingdom of directionless vastness, Delek Gyaltsen has blessings.
In the presence of the blessed guru,
Onse Cholek has blessings.

In the hermitage of Karak Samling, Yikdruk Shepal has blessings.
In the secluded site of Cholung Jangtse,
Jetsun Drolchok has blessings. {168}
In the mansion of Drakto Dorje,
Choku Lhawang has blessings.


In the secluded site of Cholung Demchok, Lungrik Gyatso has blessings.
In the mansion of Takten Dorje,
Kunga Nyingpo has blessings.


In the sublime site of Chime Drubpa, Kunga Sonam has blessings.
In the secluded site blessed by Dampa, Kunga Yeshe has blessings.
In the realm of pure dharmadhatu, Yonten Gonpo has blessings.
In the mansion of Mokchok Dorje, Kunga Lhundrup has blessings.
At the secluded site of Nyamtok Tarchin,

Choying Dorje has blessings.



In the mansion of Drowa Dulwa, Sangye Dorje has blessings.
At the sacred site of Ngedon Nyingpo, Ngawang Trinle has blessings.
At the seat of Lungrik Mawa, Chopel Gyatso has blessings.

At the sanctum site of Kedrup Gyatso,
Kunga Namgyal has blessings.
In the coil of Ogmin Tashi,
Jikme Wangpo has blessings.


At the sacred site blessed by ancestors, Konchok Senge has blessings.
At the dharma school of Rikdrol Dupa, Konchik Tencho has blessings.

In the illusory appearance of Lhaden Gazhi, Dondrup Gyaltsen has blessings.
Upon the seat of the crowning sun and moon, my root guru has blessings.
In the dharma mansion in my heart, yidam deities have blessings.
At the twenty-four sacred sites, heroes and dakinis have blessings.
In the eight great graveyards, dharma guard protectors have blessings.
Among participants with pure sacred oaths, vajra siblings have blessings.


In these sacred sites with blessings,
I pray to you, bless me to know this rare, free and endowed life and take to heart its grand purpose.

Bless me right now. {169}

I pray to you, bless me to remember death and impermanence and a sense of urgency in my being. Bless me right now.
I pray to you, bless me to mentally relinquish this life and cast out the body as food. Bless me right now.
I pray to you, bless me to keep to haunted retreat sites and develop love and compassion. Bless me right now.
I pray to you, bless me to realize the abiding nature of nonself and cut off self-fixation at the root. Bless me right now.
I pray to you, bless me to pacify the four devils in their own ground and actualize the three kayas.


Bless me right now.


I pray to you, bless me to bind apparent existence into service and endow all relationships with meaning. Bless me right now. Bless me instantly.
Bless me right on this seat.

For the entry torma at the time of the empowerment, the Supplication that Stirs Intentions:3
Mother, when your intention stirs in the East, with the feelings of unwavering purpose, your blue-black body radiates rays of light, sublime topknot sways back and forth, blue silk ribbons of your tiara flutter, and bone ornaments swing, encircled by a hundred thousand vajra dakinis: Mother Lapdron, I pray to you.
Dharma Lamp of Enlightenment, I pray to you.


Mistress of experiential realization, I pray to you. Vista of clear light, I pray to you.
Dakini of primordial awareness, I pray to you. Great Mother of space, bless me.


Mother, when your intention stirs in the South, with the feelings of equitable purpose, your yellow body radiates rays of light, golden topknot sways back and forth, yellow silk ribbons of your tiara flutter, and bone ornaments swing, {170} encircled by a hundred thousand ratna dakinis: Mother Lapdron, I pray to you.
Dharma Lamp of Enlightenment, I pray to you. Mistress of experiential realization, I pray to you. Vista of clear light, I pray to you.
Dakini of primordial awareness, I pray to you. Great Mother of space, bless me.


Mother, when your intention stirs in the West, with the feelings flawless, pure purpose, your red body radiates rays of light, coral topknot sways back and forth, red silk ribbons of your tiara flutter, and bone ornaments swing, encircled by a hundred thousand padma dakinis: Mother Lapdron, I pray to you.
Dharma Lamp of Enlightenment, I pray to you. Mistress of experiential realization, I pray to you. Vista of clear light, I pray to you.
Dakini of primordial awareness, I pray to you. Great Mother of space, bless me.


Mother, when your intention stirs in the North, with the feelings of irrational purpose, your green body radiates rays of light, turquoise topknot sways back and forth, green silk ribbons of your tiara flutter, and bone ornaments swing, encircled by a hundred thousand karma dakinis: Mother Lapdron, I pray to you.
Dharma Lamp of Enlightenment, I pray to you. Mistress of experiential realization, I pray to you. Vista of clear light, I pray to you.
Dakini of primordial awareness, I pray to you. Great Mother of space, bless me.


Mother, when your intention stirs in the Center, with the feelings of uncircumscribed purpose, your white body radiates rays of light, conch topknot sways back and forth, white silk ribbons of your tiara flutter, and bone ornaments swing, encircled by a hundred thousand buddha dakinis: Mother Lapdron, I pray to you.
Dharma Lamp of Enlightenment, I pray to you. Mistress of experiential realization, I pray to you. Vista of clear light, I pray to you.
Dakini of primordial awareness, I pray to you. Great Mother of space, bless me.


Bloody argham, khyil li li. Flowers of five heads, tho lo lo.
Smoke of human fat, chi li li. Melted marrow, ya la la.
Perfumed rakta, khyil li li. Human flesh torma, sam se sam.


Human thighbone flute, kyu ru ru. Human skull drum, khro lo lo. Heroes to the right, shar ra ra.
Symbolic language of phat, sang se sang Heroines to the left, tip se tib. {171} Sonorous song of hum, kyu ru ru.
Dancing feet, chem se chem. Flourishing hands, shik se shik.
Melodious songs of experience, ur ru ru. Mists of blessings, thu lu lu.
Seasonal rains of instruction, si li li.


Mother Lapdron, I pray to you. Dharma Lamp of Enlightenment, I pray to you. Mistress of experiential realization, I pray to you. Vista of clear light, I pray to you.
Dakini of primordial awareness, I pray to you. Great Mother of space, bless me.
Dakini of the vajra family in the East,
I pray to you with fierce faith.


Accept me with immeasurable great compassion and bless me, your destined child.
Imbue all faithful disciples with the quintessence.
Dakin! of the jewel family in the South,
I pray to you with fierce faith.
Accept me with immeasurable great compassion
and bless me, your destined child.


Imbue all faithful disciples with the quintessence.
Dakim of the lotus family in the West,
I pray to you with fierce faith.
Accept me with immeasurable great compassion
and bless me, your destined child.
Imbue all faithful disciples with the quintessence.
Dakin! of the karma family in the North,
I pray to you with fierce faith.


Accept me with immeasurable great compassion
and bless me, your destined child.
Imbue all faithful disciples with the quintessence.
Dakin! of the buddha family in the Center,
I pray to you with fierce faith.


Accept me with immeasurable great compassion
and bless me, your destined child.
Imbue all faithful disciples with the quintessence.

Afterwards, do the feast offerings and so on from VarahT, Chakrasamvara, or whatever source text is appropriate. To do an extended ritual, it is excellent to practice in connection with the feast activity of Object Severance itself. For a short practice, what is here is sufficient. For the main empowerment it is good to do the introduction (ngo sprod) as in the source text of the Gyalthang tradition itself, however there is nothing of essential meaning missing from what Jetsun Taranatha has taught here. In any case, the long or short arrangement of the liturgy, from the formulation of the motivation and history of the teaching onwards, should be done according to the master’s discretion.

References

Rgyal thang lugs kyi gcod dbang nam mkha' sgo ’byed kyi cho ga rje btsun la ra na thus mdzacl pa'i skabs su nye bar mkho ba'i 'don cha, DXZ Shechen Planting, vol. 14, pp. 165-171; Kundeling Planting, pp. 611-617.

Dam chos sdug bsngal zhi byed rtsa ba’i chos sde dang/ yan lag bdud kyi gcod yul gyi glegs bam, TA, pp. 587-600. Dingri Langkor Tsuglag Khang, 2013. 1 Added from the Dingri edition.

2 Ra sa spang Ihung or more commonly spang lung (but mistaken in Dingri text as spang Ihud), literally “grassy valley goat land.” Sonam Lama was Machik Lapdron's principal gum.

3 This section is very similar to a text called Ma gcig gi dbang bskur dgongs bskyod ma, in Dingri, vol. TA of pp. 651-665. From the Jonang Foundation Library: www.JonangFoundation.org/Works. Licensed CC-BY.