Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The Nairātmā Sādhana is a ritual manual designed to guide the practitioner through a complex process of deity yoga and internal alchemy. The text begins by establishing the mythological origin of the Yoginī Nairātmyā as a transformation of the Sage intended to tame sentient beings. It commits the reader to a rigorous sequence of preliminary practices, including refuge, the generation of bodhicitta, and the cultivation of loving-kindness. The ritual progresses into the visualization of a celestial palace and the conceptual unification of insight (prajñā) and method (upāya), represented by the figures of the moon and sun. The practitioner is then directed to map specific vajras to sensory organs to transform delusions and employ inner heat (tummo) to incinerate the five Tathāgatas, facilitating the descent of the bindu. The process concludes with the recitation of a secret mantra and the offering of tormas to remove obstacles and achieve desired aims.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual practice centering on the Yoginī Nairātmyā, the Nairātmāsādhana originates from the Indian tradition and is attributed to the author Durjayacandra. The work entered the Tibetan corpus through the efforts of the translators Gayādhara and lo tsa ba dge slong shakya ye shes, appearing in the classical Tibetan period. It is preserved within the Non-dual Tantra collection of the Tengyur, specifically in volume ཏ, where it occupies six pages. The text enacts a spiritual process beginning with the transformation of the Sage into the Yoginī Nairātmyā to tame the women of saṃsāra. It directs the practitioner through a sequence of preliminary commitments, including taking refuge in the Three Jewels, generating bodhicitta, and meditating on loving-kindness and compassion. This is followed by the visualization of a celestial palace characterized by four doors and eight pillars, and the contemplation of the wheel born from the source of phenomena. A scholar or serious reader consults this work today to examine the specific ritual structures of deity yoga, the visualization of sacred architecture, and the integration of the four immeasurables within the context of the Non-dual Tantra.
This work is significant as it exemplifies the integration of Tantric visualization, somatic manipulation of the subtle body, and the non-dual union of method and wisdom. For the modern reader, it provides a primary example of how Yoginī practices utilize the body as a site for spiritual transmutation.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-2
Preliminaries
Introduction of the deity Nairātmyā and the required preliminary vows and mental preparations.
3-4
Visualization and Union
Description of the Buddha palace and the symbolic unification of insight and method.
5-6
Somatic Mapping and Alchemy
Placement of vajras in the sensory organs and the use of inner heat to manipulate the bindu.
7
Mantra and Offering
The recitation of the secret mantra and instructions for torma offerings.
Themes
Union of Insight and Method (4)
Subtle Body Manipulation (5-6)
Ritual Efficacy and Obstacle Removal (7)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Nairātmyāsādhana-nāma. In the language of Tibet: bdag med ma zhes bya ba’i sgrub pa’i thabs (The Sadhana of Nairātmyā). Homage to the Blessed One, Nairātmyā.
Having perceived that the women of saṃsāra are to be tamed, the Sage transformed into the Yoginī Nairātmyā. Homage to her who has reached the perfections; homage and prostration to the illusory mudrā.
When first training in yoga, one should examine a certain, excellent location. Wherever the mantrin dwells, for the sake of accomplishment, the mind should be placed in one-pointed meditative equipoise.
On a mountain, in a dense thicket, or a bird-sheltered cave, adorned with flowers, fruits, and the like, one should assume the vajra posture. From the syllable paṃ at the heart arises a lotus; upon that, from raṃ, a sun maṇḍala. Visualizing a clear a there, light rays radiate intensely from it. One should visualize the Venerable One, born of the vajra and possessing great compassion, in the sky, and offer worship with the eight goddesses who bear all the ornaments.
Gaurī holds the moon; Caurī, the vessel of the sun; Vetālī holds water in her hand; Ghasmarī holds medicine; Pukkasī holds a vajra; likewise, Śavarī holds a corpse; Caṇḍālī beats the hand-drum (ḍamaru). With these, the principal deity is worshipped. Through the passion of great desire, Ḍombī embraces him from behind. Having worshipped the Guru, who is the Buddha, and having worshipped the Guru as the Vajra, one should perform the sevenfold purification.
One should confess the misdeeds committed, vow to refrain from committing them in the future, and rejoice in all merits.
Then, perform the complete dedication. Take refuge in the Three Jewels, generate the supreme mind of awakening (bodhicitta), abide on the path, and offer yourself for the sake of others. Having received the permission and being encouraged by the four abodes of Brahmā, first meditate on loving-kindness (maitrī). Second, meditate on the specific aspects of compassion (karuṇā). Third, meditate on joy (muditā). Finally, all are concluded with equanimity (upekṣā). Afterwards, stabilize the mind of awakening. Then, the samaya of protection: first, having analyzed truth and falsehood, if one engages in conceptualization, one will be unable to meditate. Through the application of non-generation, this generation is thoroughly explained. OṂ ŚŪNYATĀ-JÑĀNA-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. Having thoroughly generated emptiness, from the blue syllable HŪṂ, perform the concentration of the crossed vajra (viśvavajra). To dispel the Māras of wandering beings, radiate clearly from the HŪṂ. Recite: OṂ RAKṢA RAKṢA HŪṂ HŪṂ. From this, meditate on a tent surrounded by vajras and a canopy. In the expanse of space, visualize the bhaga. In its center, meditate: from YAṂ arises the wind maṇḍala, blue, like a drawn bow, marked with banners. From RAṂ arises the fire maṇḍala, red, triangular, surrounded by a garland of vajras. From VAṂ arises the water maṇḍala, white, circular, marked by a surrounding vase. From LAṂ arises the earth maṇḍala, yellow, square, surrounded by a garland of vajras. From BHRŪṂ, upon a wheel, visualize myself as the intermediate state (antarābhava); E and VAṂ merge completely.
That which arises from their union is the common palace of the Buddhas. It has four sides and four doors, adorned with four archways, and is perfectly endowed with lattices and half-lattices. It is beautifully graced by eight pillars. The wheel born from the source of phenomena (dharmodaya) is in union, flawless, and has a single pericarp; it is described as being other than the triangle. In its center, one should visualize a corpse, which is the seat of the fifteen [deities]. Above that is the moon, and upon the moon is the seed-syllable, which is subsequently pressed by the sun. The great bliss of the two in union: the vowels (āli) abide in the form of the moon, and the consonants (kāli) abide in the form of the sun. From the union of the moon and sun, the seed-syllables of Gaurī and the others are: a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, ṛ, ṝ, ḷ, ḹ, e, ai, o, au, aṃ. The first vowel is Nairātmyā; the second vowel is Vajrā; the third vowel is Gaurī; the fourth is Vārīyoginī; the fifth is Vajraḍākinī; the sixth is called Pukkasī; the seventh is Śavarī; the eighth should be known as Caṇḍālī; the ninth is Ḍombī herself. Again, the second Gaurī is the tenth; the eleventh is Caurī; the twelfth is called Vetālī; the thirteenth is Ghasmarī; the fourteenth is called Bhūcarī; the fifteenth is Khecarī. These are the seed-syllables of the yoginīs. The moon possesses the mirror-like wisdom (ādarśajñāna); the sun, possessing the wisdom of equality (samatājñāna), is the seven-horsed [chariot]. The seed-syllable and hand-symbol of one's own deity are said to be the wisdom of individual discernment (pratyavekṣaṇājñāna).
All are unified in earnest application; the perfection is the pure expanse of reality (dharmadhātu). The perfection of all these is the nature of insight (prajñā) and method (upāya). By the thorough distinction of the moon and the sun, the āli is insight and the kāli is method. From these, Gaurī and the others arise. First, in the internal union, the five yoginīs definitely abide: Indra is Vajra-Gaurī, Varuṇa is the Water Yoginī, Kubera is Vajra-Ḍākinī, and in the center is Nairātmya Yoginī. In the external union, in the northeast is Pukkasī, in the southeast is Śavarī, in the southwest is Caṇḍālī, and in the northwest is Ḍombī. These are the yoginīs of the intermediate directions. In the eastern direction is Gaurī; in the south, west, and north are Caurī, Vetālī, and Ghasmarī. These are the yoginīs of the cardinal directions. The upper-faced and lower-faced goddesses are Bhūcarī and Khecarī. She is black in color, extremely fierce, the mistress of the wheel, and Nairātmya. She has one face with three red eyes, two hands, and yellow hair standing erect. In her left hand she holds a skull-cup and a khaṭvāṅga; with her right hand she holds a curved knife (kartṛ). She wears a wheel, earrings, a necklace, bracelets, and a girdle. With her legs in the half-lotus posture, she treads upon a corpse, her lower body wrapped in a tiger skin. Just as with the Yoginī Nairātmya, all these are explained to be identical. One should contemplate the seed-syllable in the heart of a lotus at one's own heart. One should meditate on wisdom in the heart of the wisdom-being. Having summoned [the wisdom-being], one should make perfect offerings.
One should meditate on the wheel of primordial wisdom (jñānacakra). In the eyes and so forth, one should place the three vajras—delusion and the rest—at the three locations. Mohavajrā is in the two eyes; Dveṣavajrā is in the ears; Mātsaryā is said to be in the nose; Rāgavajrā is in the mouth; Sparśavajrā is in the sense of touch; and Nairātmyā is in the mind. From these mantras—OṂ, ĀḤ, and HŪṂ—of the body, speech, and mind, one should perform the concentration on Khaṇḍarohā, Bhūcarī, and Pātālavāsinī, who are described as having various forms. In this way, Vairocana and the others [are invoked].
The light rays from the seed-syllable at the heart summon the Sugatas in the form of hooks. When the eight goddesses have made offerings, one should receive the empowerment. One should pray: "All Blessed Tathāgatas, please grant me the empowerment and so forth." Then, in the form of Heruka, one should imagine the empowerment being bestowed upon oneself. The Mind, the Constant, the Jewel Lord, Amitābha, and Amoghasiddhi, along with Nairātmyā, the Eastern Vajra, and the others, seal the five yoginīs. The Mind, the Constant, the Jewel Lord, Amitābha, and the yoginīs of the intermediate directions—Hatred, Delusion, Great Pride, and Desire—reside in the vajra directions. Through the seals of Body and Speech, Khaṇḍarohā and Bhūcarī are first to be meditated upon as black, second as red, and third as yellow. Likewise, the fourth is green, the fifth is blue, and the sixth is to be meditated upon as white. One should meditate on the six branches of yoga.
By the blazing of the inner heat at the navel, the five Tathāgatas are incinerated; by the incineration of Locanā and the others as well, the moon [bindu] drips from the syllable Haṃ due to that burning. Any yogi who is weary from meditative concentration should then perform the recollection of purity: the aggregate of form is Vajrā; feeling is Guhyagaurī; likewise, the aggregate of perception is Varuṇī; the aggregate of formations is Vajraḍākinī; and the aggregate of consciousness abides as Nairātmyavajrā. The earth element is said to be Pukkasī; the water element is said to be Śavarī; heat is thoroughly described as Caṇḍālī; and wind is renowned as Ḍombī. Form is renowned as Gaurī; sound is renowned as Caurī; the aspect of smell is Vetālī; taste is likewise Ghasmarī; touch is Bhūcarī; and the dharma-element is Khecarī. Hatred is explained as Vajrā; desire is the Water Yoginī; jealousy is Vajraḍākinī; avarice is Guhyagaurī; likewise, delusion is Vajrā; and the mind is Vajraḍākinī—thus are hatred and the others purified. The Māra of birth holds the head; the deity cuts with the curved knife. The Māra of the afflictions is the skull; the Māra of the aggregates is said to be the corpse. Akṣobhya is the form of the wheel; Amitābha is the lord of the earrings; Ratnasambhava is the lord of the necklace; Vairocana is said to be the bracelets; and Amoghasiddhi abides in the belt. These five mudrās are completely pure. When weary from meditative concentration, one should recite the mantra: the letter A at the end of the Āli [vowels] is abandoned.
The secret mantra is that which possesses the syllables Oṃ, Hūṃ, and Phaṭ, with Svāhā placed at the end. Oṃ a ā i ī u ū ṛ ṝ ḷ ḹ e ai o au aṃ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā. In order to accomplish all desired aims and to exhaust and pacify obstacles, one should offer the torma with the ritual explained below. Residing in the skull-cup upon wind and fire, through heating and so forth by the blazing [flames], the great flesh and the five nectars are accomplished. Blessed by the three syllables: Oṃ inda jama jala jakka bhūta vahnī vāyu rakka candā sūjjā māda pampa tala pātālā aṣṭā sapta svāhā. Idaṃ baliṃ bhuñja jiṅgha phulla dhūpa puṣpa māṃsa piṅgha amba sarva kañja sādhā khanti khuni pheḍa gada. Oṃ ākāro mukhaṃ sarvadharmāṇām ādyanutpannatvāt. Oṃ āḥ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā. This concludes the Nairātmyā Sādhana composed by the great scholar Śrī Durjayacandra. Translated by the Indian abbot Gayadhara and the translator-monk Śākya Yeshe.