Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This sādhana provides a comprehensive ritual manual for the practice of the Kālacakra deity, integrating visualization, somatic manipulation, and mantra recitation to achieve great accomplishment. The text guides the practitioner through the construction of a complex mandala, beginning with the visualization of the central deity in union with his consort, Viśvamātā, and the subsequent arrangement of the five Buddha families and their associated deities. It commits the reader to a rigorous path of subtle yoga, requiring the precise manipulation of internal winds, drops, and channels to transform ordinary consciousness into coemergent wisdom. The work emphasizes the transmutation of the physical body and sensory perceptions into the pure nature of the mandala, utilizing a system of elemental correspondences and seed syllables. By synthesizing external ritual offerings with internal energetic practices, the text aims to collapse the distinction between the practitioner's body and the enlightened state of the Vajra-holder.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual guide for the practice of the Kālacakra, the Śrīkālacakracaturaṅgasādhanopāyikā belongs to the Non-dual Tantra collection. Attributed to the Indian author Kālapāda, the work was translated into classical Tibetan by Viśvaśrī and lo tsa ba gyi jo zla ba’i ’od zer. The Tibetan version, titled dpal dus kyi 'khor lo'i sgrub pa'i thabs yan lag bzhi pa, is preserved in volume པ of the Tengyur, where it extends over eighteen pages. The work enacts a meditative process beginning with homages to Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara and instructions on selecting suitable sites for practice, such as charnel grounds, lakes, or hidden places. It directs the practitioner to cultivate a mind of generosity and faith in the tantra while meditating on oneself as the Lord of Wrath in the center of the wheel, characterized by the faces of time and the power of the vajra. By guiding the practitioner through the visualization of light rays of reality within the ten directions and the purification of the mouth, the text provides a technical framework for those seeking to engage with the specific meditative requirements of the Kālacakra tradition.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Sādhana in Four Branches for the Glorious Kālacakra” (Toh 1356), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1356
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant as it represents the highly technical intersection of tantric deity yoga and the subtle body physiology characteristic of the Kālacakra system. For the modern reader, it illustrates the Buddhist conceptualization of the body as a microcosm of the universe, where spiritual liberation is achieved through the precise engineering of internal energies.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-9
Preliminary and Visualization
Homages, site selection, and the detailed visualization of the central deity, his consort, and the initial manifestation of the mandala.
10-13
Mandala Architecture and Elemental Correspondences
The mapping of directions to elements, the derivation of vowels from the Buddha families, and the identification of specific deities with sensory and elemental qualities.
14-20
Somatic Purification and Subtle Yoga
Instructions on purifying the body's channels and joints, the manipulation of the inner heat (caṇḍālī), and the attainment of the wisdom body through the union of insight and method.
21-25
Ritual Components and Conclusion
Lists of mantras, ritual implements, and instructions on the transformation of daily activities and substances into spiritual accomplishment.
In the language of India: Śrī-kālacakra-caturaṅga-sādhana-nāma. In the language of Tibet: dPal dus kyi ’khor lo’i sgrub pa’i thabs yan lag bzhir pa zhes bya ba. Homage to the noble Mañjuśrī. Homage to the noble Lord Avalokiteśvara.
Through supreme compassion, you remain as the Teacher on the path of wisdom in order to deliver [beings] from the unbearable suffering of saṃsāra. Though you are ancient, you are a youth; you are the son of all the Victorious Ones, the first of the primordial Buddhas. You practice celibacy even while in union with a woman. Through supreme compassion, you are the friend of the world, the enemy of Yama. You are the very vajra that dispels the fear of existence. You are the constant Māra of Māra; you are liberated from existence. For the sake of maturing wandering beings, you are the Yama who enters [the world]. You are the one to whom the Sage bows, the Sun of the Brahmin caste, whose lotus feet are venerated. For the sake of liberating sentient beings, you clarify the entire Kālacakra upon the surface of the earth. You are the one of the degenerate age, prostrated to by the lords of the earth. In Kalāpa, the glorious and renowned one, having placed his palms together at your lotus feet and resting them upon his head, he prostrated with his crown and shall explain the complete and unerring sādhana. In pleasure groves, mountain retreats, the abodes of the sublime Victorious Ones, empty houses, or the dwellings of gods—
In accomplished sites, charnel grounds,
By lakes, or in hidden places,
Wherever the mind finds joy,
There the practice should be performed, O Lord of Men.
With a mind profound and vast,
Delighting in the certainty of the Guru,
With a mind of generosity and knowledge of qualities,
Desiring liberation and faith in the tantra,
With a mind unwavering,
Having found that very reality and kept it secret,
Free from the hosts of the wicked,
In the glorious Kālacakra maṇḍala,
Whoever has received the empowerments in sequence,
Should sit upon a soft bed or a comfortable cushion.
Having beautifully prepared the maṇḍala and smeared it,
Arrange the offerings endowed with the ten substances.
Following the excellent mudrā,
One should recollect the three purities.
In the region of the three vajras,
First of all, one should offer
Torma to the Dharma protectors.
Afterwards, with the four vajras,
Those who have gone to the cardinal and intermediate directions,
The hosts of Māras are certainly incinerated.
The hosts of Māras dwelling
In the region of the glorious vajra,
Are all without exception certainly incinerated.
Afterwards, upon the ten-spoked wheel,
One should meditate on the hosts of wrathful deities
Who have gone to the cardinal and intermediate directions.
Until the very limits of the earth’s boundaries,
As far as they can be seen,
The three enclosures of the three vajras
Have gone around the perimeter of the earth,
Reaching the subterranean realms and the sky.
Within the tiered vajra palace,
In the center, upon a lotus and sun,
The hub and the seat are
The measure of a cubit of time and a cubit of the hand.
Upon that, one should meditate on oneself, free from all stains, in the center of the wheel as the Lord of Wrath, with two more hands than the Victorious One, having the faces of time, and possessing the power of the vajra. First, in the center of the moon at the heart, one should meditate on the light rays of reality within the various [directions] of the ten directions. Having purified the mouth and so forth, once again, by emitting light rays into space, one should summon the Victorious Ones. Having made various offerings, one should confess the many sins accumulated throughout existence. Taking refuge in the Three Jewels, the practitioner should act with the purity of body, speech, and mind. One should rejoice in all the various virtues performed by the perfect Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, and the Noble Saṅgha. Abiding in the conduct of awakening, free from afflictions, one takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, which dispel the fears of existence, for the sake of the liberation of awakening. One should make this aspiration: "May I become a perfect Buddha." For the sake of sentient beings, [one should realize] that all these beings without exception are the nature of the essence of things. Being devoid of substantiality, they are empty. Therefore, there is no Buddha or awakening. Having understood all this in such a way, one should meditate on the Bodhisattva, the Vajra of Body, Speech, and Mind, who possesses immeasurable qualities and is the Lord of the Maṇḍala within the Maṇḍala.
First, the one striving in vows should perform the destruction of fire by water in the center of the body. Subsequently, earth becomes water; like salt, it dissolves into the midst of the water. Then, the wind having dried the water, it quickly departs into the unmanifest sky. Thereafter, the mind and fire, at the end of darkness, free from objects and aspects, should be placed in the central ground.
Emptiness, wind, fire, water, earth, the ocean, the mountain, the lotus, the moon, the sun, and fire—the multi-storied palace radiating stainless light, a pavilion born from the vajra. Within that, upon the vajra ground, like the light of various jewels, the maṇḍala radiates forth. Born from the wisdom of Oṃ, upon the lotus of the supreme Victorious One, are the seats of the moon and sun. Inside, the sixteen pillars are the nature of the lords of the families. The enjoyment wheel of the Victorious One, for the kings who meditate on the Vedas, is adorned with archways of the nature of jewels and gold, and with charnel grounds.
The vowels and consonants, the sun and moon, together with the lords of the families, and the mirror-like [wisdom] and so forth, radiating stainless light, emitting five-colored rays—thus one should meditate on Kālacakra. With a body adorned with vajra ornaments, the lotus-hands of the Victorious One, the sun-like shoulders, the faces of time, three throats, and sun-like eyes; with mouth agape and fangs bared, he is born from the glorious Oṃ. Upon the petals of the wealth-lotus...
Upon the moon, sun, and fire, the feet of the Lord of Victors are in a posture of intense play upon the hearts of the two—Rudra and Kāmadeva—with the right leg extended. Beneath his supreme feet, the red Māra is trampled by the right, and the white Rudra by the left. The central, left, and right necks, as well as the shoulders, are the colors of the sun and moon. Likewise, of the three sets of eight, the right and left shoulders are blue, red, and white like the moon. The two feet on the right and left, and the arms, are non-white, the color of the sun, and the color of the moon. Likewise, together with the weapons of the three sets of eight, the hands are in successive order. On each finger are three joints. From the moon-like lotus of the hand, five colors radiate. In the palms of the supreme black, white, and red hands, the collection of weapons perfectly resides: the vajra, sword, trident, the curved knife that terrifies the three realms, the fire-arrow, the vajra hook, the sounding damaru, the hammer, the wheel, the spear, the staff, and the axe. In the right hands of the Vajra-holder, upon the lotus, are the bell, shield, khaṭvāṅga, the open mouth, the skull-cup filled with blood, the bow, noose, jewel, lotus, and aquatic creature, the mirror, and the iron chain. With the head of Brahmā, whose face is the Vedas, and the lotus—
The Victor’s left hand holds [her]; she who makes the face of the base one, is pressed beneath his feet. Māra and Rudra, the goddess herself, with the faces of the Vedas, golden in color; she is the consort Viśvamātā, embraced by the hand of wealth and the lotus. In the right hands are the curved knife, the hook, the sounding hand-drum, and the rosary, in sequence. In the left hands are the conch, the noose, the hundred-petaled lotus, and the excellent jewel. With the left leg extended, possessing sun-like eyes, she wears the crown of the Lord of Victors and is sealed with the mudrās. In the lotuses of the directions are the four Buddhas; she certainly has nine eyes. Her eyes and her hands are of the [four] times. In the intermediate directions are the goddesses Tārā and the rest. Furthermore, in the eight intermediate corners of these are the eight vases. Black, red, yellow, and the white moon—these are for the gods and goddesses. Black, red, and the moon; furthermore, those situated in the intermediate directions are red and yellow, belonging to the sun. In the directions and intermediate corners of the wall are Ākāśagarbha and the others, and Sparśavajrā and the others. To the right and left of the east, and in the lotuses of the other directions, are Samantabhadra, the glorious Vajrapāṇi, Śabdavajrā herself, and the dharmadhātu, in sequence. The Mute, the Paralysed, the Proud, and the Very Powerful—these are the gatekeepers in the east and so forth. In the lotus of the moon, wisdom and method arise.
The gods and goddesses are in mutual embrace. Their own hands, which are lotuses, are endowed with their respective insignia. Whatever insignia is on the right, it is on the first hand; therefore, they are without [other] mudrās.
By means of the wheels of wisdom and method, they are the abode of supreme bliss. On the lotus and vajra seats and so forth, the black ones hold a curved knife that terrifies the abodes, and a trident in the right hand. In the left, there is a shield, a skull-cup, and a white khaṭvāṅga in the palm of the hand. Likewise, for the red ones, there is an arrow, a vajra hook, and a hand-drum with sound in the right hands in sequence. In the left, there is a bow, a noose, and a stainless, radiating jewel. For the yellow ones, there is a wheel and a staff; the terrifying vajra is in the right hand in sequence. In the left, there is the glorious chain, accompanied by the sound of a bell. For the white ones, who hold the rabbit [the moon], there is the glorious hammer in the right, and a spear and a trident. In the left, there is a white lotus with eight petals, a mirror, and a rosary. For the green ones, in the right hand, there is a vajra, a curved knife, and a battle-axe in sequence. In the left, there is a bell, a skull-cup, and the treasury of all qualities, as well as an utpala lotus. This should be understood for the blue ones according to their respective qualities. The goddesses are likewise.
Black, red, and white,
And like molten gold, are the goddesses of the East and so forth.
Thus, the three realms of existence without exception
Are taught to be the nature of the maṇḍala of the Vajra-holder.
In the outer, the body, and the other,
The nature of conceptual elaboration is non-existent;
The birth of entities abides in reality.
In that regard, the space-vajra is eternal,
But the three types of existence that have gone forth
Proceed toward impermanence.
The assembly of elemental beings is not eternal;
It is just like a magical illusion.
Regarding the view of the eternal and the impermanent,
That is for those with the intellect of the material;
For the sake of the pure mind,
The sādhana itself shall be explained.
That which has gone from the mouth to the heart
Is not something that can be accomplished [by mere words].
Whatever is to be accomplished by the practitioner
Through the sādhana of the Vajra-holder,
Is entirely an illusion.
Therefore, O King, one's own mind,
Free from afflictions,
Should be accomplished as the maṇḍala itself.
The syllable HOḤ, at the beginning, end, and middle,
Bestows the fruit of perfect bliss.
The vajra of body, speech, and mind
Melts through the passion of insight.
Seeing the Vajra-holder also melted like the moon,
The goddesses sing this song:
"Blessed One, Vajra-holder,
Teacher of gods and men,
You who bring happiness to all sentient beings,
Please protect us who seek your desired purpose."
When that song reached the Vajra-holder,
The three realms without exception
Were seen to be just like a magical illusion.
Having beheld [them], he brings them to birth, emitting stainless rays of light. He radiates the signs, the Vajra-holder adorned with ornaments, wearing the crown of the Lord of Victors, and embraced by Wisdom. Through the King of Wisdom and Means, the entire maṇḍala should be brought forth once again.
With blue light and a terrifying form, his face is in a state of great laughter. With fangs bared like a half-moon, he roars and has eyes of fire. With two extra royal hands and two feet upon the King of the Vedas, he possesses the limbs of Wisdom and Means, perfectly marked with weapons. One should enter by the force of the Vajra.
From the eight-legged chariot, the terrifying enemy of the Victors is the cause of the Wisdom Wheel. Having seen that Wisdom in front, one should perform the ten-fold offering and all the mantras and praises. Having struck the navel with a hook, the stainless light radiates; the Lord of the Wisdom Wheel, the face of the Family Chief, should be bound with that very noose. Having terrified them with weapons and accomplished everything without exception, one returns once again and revolves one's own wheel. Entering, binding, pleasing, and equalizing the flavors are performed by the summoning and other rites.
The generation of the yoga of the mind itself is upon the sun of the inner lotus, together with space. In the east are formations and earth; in the south are feeling and water.
In the north, perception becomes fire; in the west, form is otherwise. In the southeast, wind and form; in the southwest, fire and perception; in the northeast, water and feeling; in the northwest, earth and formations. In the space between the Buddhas and the goddesses, in the direction of the names, is nectar. The eight vases filled with flavors are not otherwise in their sequence. Above, the nose becomes smell; in the south, the eye and form are placed. In the left, the tongue becomes taste; in the west, the body and touch likewise become so. To the left of the southern gate, below, the ear and sound become so by the power of their families. To the north of the eastern gate, in space, the mind and the phenomena-element become so. First, the six aspects of method are the presiding deities of the maṇḍala; they become so by the power of their families. Subsequently, the six [aspects] of insight and so forth, upon their respective lotus seats, become clearly manifest. At the eastern gate is Mahābala, holding a sword; his insight is Stambhinī. In the south, he becomes Mūka and Māninī; in the direction of the Giver of Wealth (Vaiśravaṇa), he becomes Māninī and Stambhinī. Stambhinī, possessing immeasurable diligence, resides in the direction of Varuṇa. These deities reside in the center of the gates upon lotuses. These deities are in the posture with the left leg extended. For the Vajra-holder, it is the short a; for the Sword-holder, the short e; for the Jewel-seal, it becomes ṛ.
Amitābha becomes the short u; then again, the syllable ḷ becomes the long form of Vairocana through its divisions. The entire collection of vowels arises in sequence from the six families. The indestructible [syllable] of the glorious Mother is said to be born from a, the element of space. From the sequence ī, ṝ, ū, and ḹ, wind, fire, water, and earth all come into being. For the sake of the bliss of the supreme Victorious Lord and the consort Viśvamātā, the physical entities of the body are mutually [assigned]: Akṣobhya is the element of emptiness; the one with the lotus and sword in hand is the entity of Locanā. The Mistress of Jewels, Māmakī, and furthermore the Holder of the Lotus, Pāṇḍaravāsinī, are the entities of the body. Likewise, the Wheel-Holder, Tārā, through the power of their natural qualities, [arise] from the short and long vowels. Aṃ becomes Samantabhadra; then, by the power of the body, the a of Vajrapāṇi [arises]. Ākāśagarbha becomes the short e. Likewise, Kṣitigarbha becomes ar. Oṃ is the Lord of the World; likewise, it becomes al, which is the body of Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin. A is the dharmadhātu itself; it is likewise certain to be so. From a is born Śabdavajrā; from e is born Sparśavajrā. The principal of the taste family is born from a through the division of the body. From o is born Rūpavajrā; likewise, the Lord of Men [arises]. From a is born Gandhavajrā.
Śrībhadrā is the dharmadhātu; she is the principal of the sound family. Vajrapāṇi is the form [family]; Ākāśagarbha is the vajra of smell. The supreme of the taste family is the principal; the Protector of the World is also a pair. Kṣitigarbha is the vajra of form; Sparśavajrā and Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin are also a pair. Thus, these six families should be correctly understood through the power of their qualities. By the sequence of pairs, the pair of Bala and Sumbharāja becomes clearly manifest. Ra and Va are Mūka and Mānī; they arise through the power of the family. From this very [sequence], Va and Ra are Māninī and Mūka. Laṃ is Sumbharāja and Vīryā; they arise through the power of the family. Wisdom and method are the actual limbs; they arise through the power of the family. Whichever [deity] is directed toward which [family], the glorious Vajradhara Samantabhadra arises through the power of the family. Akṣobhya and Vajrapāṇi, Amoghasiddhi and Ākāśagarbha, the stainless Jewel-Maker and Kṣitigarbha, Cakrapāṇi and Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin—these arise through the power of the family. Amitābha and the Protector of the World arise through the power of the family. The glorious Mother and the dharmadhātu, Dharmadhātuvajrā and Śabdavajrā, arise through the power of the family. The glorious Tārā is Sparśavajrā; through the classification of the Pāṇḍaravāsinī family, she is indeed Rasavajrā.
Māmakī and Rūpavajrā are transformed by the power of their family. Locanā and Gandhavajrā, as well as Mahābala, arise from the Amoghasiddhi family. From the Ratnasambhava family come Mūka and Mūkatā. They are transformed by the power of their family. Amitābha and Māninī, Stambhana and Vairocana, arise from wind, fire, water, and earth, respectively. Vīrya, Hastinī, Mūkatā, and Māninī are clearly and definitively known as the goddesses Caṇḍā and the rest. In the center of the maṇḍala, the Teacher, the goddesses, and the vases are together the bodies of the Victorious Ones. The Buddhas and so forth are the dharmakāya; Śabdavajrā and so forth are the bodhicitta, the saṃbhogakāya; and the wrathful deities are the nirmāṇakāya. They are transformed by the power of their qualities. Abiding in the maṇḍala of the Mind, they act for the benefit of all sentient beings. The Vajra of Body becomes a union, together with the body of the Victorious One, as the cause for the perfection of the body. The Vajra of Speech is the dharmakāya; it also becomes a union. The mind that teaches the dharmas and the saṃbhogakāya also become a union. They act for the benefit of all sentient beings. Wisdom and the nirmāṇakāya bestow liberation upon living beings; they also become a union. The actual limbs of insight and method, the concordant and discordant families, the sun, moon, A, Ka, and so forth, have passed through the three realms of existence.
The yogi should understand the distinction between primordial wisdom and consciousness. The three vajras are endowed with svāhā. At the crown, throat, heart, navel, secret place, and crown, these are used to bless the body. The supreme Lord of Victors is to be bathed by the goddesses. The vajras, mutually vajra-like, become the crown. Sometimes, with the five Buddhas, Akṣobhya is above the form; to the right, Vairocana appears with the lotus mark. Holding the jewel of the supreme lotus tongue, the one who acts as the supreme gem is the crown of Amoghasiddhi. The crown of six locks of hair arises through the power of qualities. The remaining others are the wheels. Emptiness and the dharmadhātu, the samaya of the three families, the offering of primordial wisdom, and the passion—through these, the practitioner should worship the self whose nature is the three refuges. The vases of smoke and so forth are purified by the eight channels of the heart, the wheel of dharma. The consorts and the Buddhas are the innate at the crown; it is renowned as having sixteen spokes. At the throat, the wheel of enjoyment, the lord of men is doubled; it is the purity of bodhicitta and so forth. At the navel, the wheel of emanation, it is multiplied by the jewel-holders, such as the fearsome ones. The joints of the hands and feet are the number of six emptinesses and fire.
The deities of the action wheel, the sixteen nāgas and fierce goddesses, are purified in the joints of the fingers; thus the wheel of activity becomes pure. The glorious Vajra-holder, in the purity of time, becomes the lord of men through the divisions of years, months, and so forth. The mind is appearance and non-appearance; by the power of each individual sun, the various objects are purified. The winds, such as smoke and the rest, are purified. The lotus of one’s own heart resides in the wheel of channels. The fierce one, together with his consort, is trampled; the Māra of the afflictions is conquered. By the soles of the feet of the Pervasive Lord, Māra is trampled and the hosts of Māra are destroyed. The conch, the ghaṇṭī, the jewel, and the wish-fulfilling tree—likewise, like the four [deities] such as the Body Vajra, the eight vases are the eight nectars in the body. The Victorious and the Victorious Vase demonstrate bodhicitta and the dust. Formations are Amoghasiddhi; feeling is Ratnasambhava; perception is Amitābha; and form is Vairocana. Semen, marrow, blood, urine, and feces—the six elements purified as the six goddesses. The objects and subjects are purified as the bodhisattvas with their mudrās. The five wrathful ones are the five powers; the others are the five sense faculties. The eight such as Vṛddhā and the retinue who have gone to the lotus petals are the purified hours of the sun. The twelve months, such as Nairṛti and the rest, who have gone to the lotus petals, are the measure of the breaths of the hours. The nāgas and fierce goddesses are the secret.
The lord of men is doubled; it is the purification of the channels. Likewise, Locanā and the others, by the power of their natural qualities, are the purification of the activities of the body. All the hairs of the head without exception and the pores of the skin are the assembly of the elements; they are the inhabitants upon the surface of the earth. Those very principles are the principal weapons; by the power of their natural qualities, they are the mudrās of the purified elements. The vajras are the inner mudrās, which abide perfectly upon a moon in the heart of the Lord. The Vajra-holder and the glorious Viśvamātā have transcended the three states of existence through the application of the wisdom of the three times. From the glorious purity comes the dharmakāya; from the dharma comes the saṃbhogakāya; and from the saṃbhogakāya, it becomes the nirmāṇakāya, acting as the Lord of Victors for the sake of sentient beings. The fourth state is sleeping in the abode, and furthermore, the other two are waking according to the divisions of the body. Thus, by the divisions of the body, the mind of sentient beings abides in four ways within the body: the mind of the nirmāṇakāya follows the body and the senses; the mind of the saṃbhogakāya is the view that has become [manifest] through the power of the family; and the sleep of the dharmakāya is the state of pure bliss. This occurs through day and night, at the end of the liberation of the three drops. Therefore, for the sake of non-emission, the yogi should meditate during the times of day and night. To the left, the life-force (prāṇa) becomes expansive.
Likewise, the dust [of passion] is on the right, and that is the posture with the left leg extended. The inner heat (caṇḍālī) is in the navel cakra. The ninth is struck by the serpent (nāga). The deities such as the Elder (Vṛddhakāpālin) and so forth, and the wisdom of the heart-mantra Ha, appear in an instant; the splendor of wisdom is awakened. At the navel are Vairocana and the others, who are burned, as are Locanā and the others in the eyes. Having burned them all, they fill the crown of the head. That which drips from the excellent moon is the drop (bindu), the Vajra-holder. Abiding in the source of phenomena (dharmodaya) of insight, from that very drop, all emanations without exception are projected, possessing various ornaments, like reflections in a mirror. The wheel of wisdom arises; having purified the three realms of existence—the forms of desire and the formless—by means of the stages, the outer and inner wisdom offerings, the three realms of existence without exception, are to be summoned in a single instant. Moon, sun, A, Ka, and so forth, moving in three ways; the recitation of the Vajra Body and so forth; the six branches such as withdrawal (pratyāhāra) and so forth. Upon the petals of refined gold, through the union of Body, Speech, and Mind, the vajra and lotus, joy and so forth, become equal in taste; one should meditate on the three vajras. The mind-drop in the lotus of insight, through the power of the bliss of the coemergent, becomes meditated as the indestructible. The approach (sevā) consists of the five nectars and so forth; the mantra recitation and so forth of the four principal ladies of the families become withdrawal and the other branches. Born from the vajra and lotus...
Amṛta
This is the exhortation. The three vajras of joy and so forth, when the lotus and the nectar have become equal, the meditation will be accomplished. That which is the union of insight without emission becomes the great accomplishment itself. This is through the subtle yoga. First is the awakening of emptiness itself; then, the gathering into the drop; then, the generation of the body itself. By means of the family of the supreme nectar, the syllables are to be arranged. These are the common approach, the four vajra aspects, and the accomplishment of the central channel. Here, the method becomes fourfold; likewise, the branch of accomplishment is for the sake of stabilizing the small.
Withdrawal is of ten types; it becomes the lord of the Victorious Ones. Likewise, concentration is Akṣobhya; vital breath and effort are the sword-bearer. Again, there are ten types: retention is the jewel mudrā; mindfulness of the Ḍombī becomes the lotus-holder. The glorious samādhi is the wheel-bearer. Each of these is further divided into five. Furthermore, as for the divisions: the vowels beginning with A and the consonants beginning with Ka. Withdrawal is the subject; the ten types of subjects do not engage with objects. Insight, conceptualization, and discernment; joy, immovability, and bliss; concentration is the single-pointed mind. This inner heat is the appearance that will clearly manifest in the body. That space becomes mindfulness; the path of the two, vital breath and effort, becomes unshakeable; the vital breath entering the central channel.
The life-force enters into the drop, moving to and fro in both. The very act of retention is the single-pointed mind. By the power of that coemergent [wisdom], which is the nature of insight and method, the wisdom body is attained through meditative concentration. This [practice] becomes threefold through the divisions of water and so forth; it is the sādhana of the Lord of Diversity. The three mudrās and the three measures, the three aspects, and the power of existence—through the excellent [consort] of karma and conceptualization, the yogi of withdrawal, free from objects, and having been blessed by the mantras, through the pure application of concentration, will attain the five clairvoyances. Through the purity of prāṇāyāma, the moon and sun are separated. One will be honored by the Bodhisattvas. By the power of retention, the Māras of the afflictions and so forth are defeated, and one enters the ten powers. Through recollection, one becomes pure; it is the maṇḍala of stainless radiance, and furthermore, it arises from the wisdom body. Therefore, through pure meditative concentration, in just a few moments, the wisdom body will be accomplished. If one is not constrained by withdrawal and the other [branches], the desires of the mantra practitioners will not be fulfilled. In the lotus, the vajra, and the jewel of the goddess of sound and the other limbs, one should accomplish the retention of the drop. The first application of the approach is the ten-fold observation of the movement of the wheel-bearer in space. One should also observe the obstructors who are brought to an end, and those who have entered the path of nectar.
The six branches of the near-approach: the union with insight, the lunar drop, and furthermore the vajra-jewel; the three syllables will be accomplished. Bliss unimpaired is the single peace; it becomes the coemergent. Through the union of the great accomplishment of wisdom, the vital breath and effort are entirely beneficial up to the crown of the head. Equal bliss bestows the fruit; above that, it is not beneficial, but causes the fear of death. To turn back the faults of sentient beings, having pierced the gate of the uṣṇīṣa, this should be applied to the state of supreme bliss. Although the yogi without aggregates enters equal bliss, it is not renowned in the world. The entry of the vital breath into the center is the very state free from objects and aspects, embraced by Viśvamātā. One's own vajra is inserted into the lotus; likewise, from the proliferation, it should enter the center of the vajra. Bliss that has not fallen to the ground has become the passion of intense passion. This yoga of the yogi is for the sake of the mudrā accomplishment. Furthermore, the all-pervading lord, the glorious one, more secret than the secret—thus, through the four branches, if one becomes weary of meditation, then the mantra recitation should be performed:
OṂ KĀLACAKRĀYA HŪṂ HŪṂ SVĀHĀ.
OṂ HRĀṂ HRĪṂ HRŪṂ HRAUṂ HRAḤ SVĀHĀ.
OṂ VAJRA-DHĀTVĪŚVARĪ HŪṂ HOḤ SVĀHĀ.
OṂ AMOGHASIDDHĀYA SVĀHĀ.
OṂ RATNASAMBHAVĀYA SVĀHĀ.
OṂ AMITĀBHĀYA SVĀHĀ.
OṂ VAIROCANĀYA SVĀHĀ.
Oṃ locanāyai svāhā. Oṃ māmakīyai svāhā. Oṃ pāṇḍarāyai svāhā. Oṃ tārayai svāhā. Oṃ vajrapāṇaye svāhā. Oṃ khagarbhyāya svāhā. Oṃ kṣitigarbhāya svāhā. Oṃ lokeśvarāya svāhā. Oṃ sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhine svāhā. Oṃ samantabhadraya svāhā. Oṃ gandhavajrāyai svāhā. Oṃ rūpavajrāyai svāhā. Oṃ rasavajrāyai svāhā. Oṃ sparśavajrāyai svāhā. Oṃ śabdavajrāyai svāhā. Oṃ dharmadhātuvajrāyai svāhā. Oṃ vighnāntakāya svāhā. Oṃ prajñāntakāya svāhā. Oṃ padmāntakāya svāhā. Oṃ yamāntakāya svāhā.
Then, when weary of the recitation, one should offer the ten offerings, the goddesses of grace and so forth, and the wine and nectar. Thereafter, one should offer praise with the garland mantra that subdues the Māras:
Oṃ namo vajrasattvāya. Namo buddhabodhisattvebhyaḥ. Namo vajrakrodhendrarājebhyaḥ. Namo viśvamātre. Namo buddhabodhisattvadevībhyaḥ. Namo vajraḍākinībhyaḥ. Namo bhagavate kālacakrāya. Vajrabhairavabhikṣave. Mahendranīlavarṇaśarīrāya. Marakleśahṛdayāya. Krāntaśitaraktacaranāya. Kṛṣṇaraktasitakaṇṭhāya. Nīlasitapītaraktadaṃṣṭrākarālagra-bhiṣaṇamukhāya. Kṛṣṇaraktasitaśavetaraskandhāya. Dvādaśabhujāya. Ṣaḍviṃśatikarāya.
VAJRA-KHAḌGA-TRIŚŪLA-LAKARTIKĀ-VĀṆA-AṄKUŚA-ḌAMARUKA-MUṄGARA-CAKRA-KUNTA-DAṆḌA-PARAŚU-VAJRA-GHAṆṬĀ-KHEṬA-KHAṬVĀṄGA-KAPĀLA-CĀPA-PĀŚA-RATNA-KAMĀLA-ŚAṄKHA-MĀLĀ-ŚAṄKHA-ĀDARŚA | ŚRĪṄKHALĀ-BRAHMA-ŚIRO-GAJA-CARMA-DHṚK-KĀRĀYA | VYĀGHRACARMANIVASANĀYA | SKANDHE-MUṆḌAMĀLĀVALAMVINE | ŚIRASI-VAJRAPAṬṬA-MUKUṬE-VAJRA-KAPĀLA-MĀLĀRDHACANDRA-DHĀRĀYA | KUṆḌALA-RUCAKA-KAṆṬHIKĀ-MEKHALĀ-NŪPURA-BHASMAYAJÑOPAVĪTA-ŚIRO-MAṆI-MAHĀMUDRĀ-NĀGE-NDRA-VIBHŪṢAṆĀYA | VAJRA-ḌĀKINĪ-SANTOṢITA-HṚDAYĀYA | INDRA-AGNI-YAMA-NAIRṚTYA-Varuṇa-VĀYU | KUBERA-ĪŚĀNA-BRAHMA-VIṢṆU-VINĀYAKA-KĀRTIKA-YANANDI-MAHĀKĀLA-GRAHA-NAKṢATRA-KṢETRAPĀLA | SURĪNDRA-SURĪNDRA-PHEṆENDRA-BHŪTENDRA-NARENDRA-SAṂSTUTA-CARAṆĀYA |
Praise with the "Arrangement of the Six Families" and the "Vajra Bestower of Supreme Boons." Then, at midnight, offer the torma. OṂ OṂ VAJRA-CANDRA SARVA-DHARMA-SU-VIŚUDDHA SARVA-DHARMĀN SU-VIŚODHANĀYA SVĀHĀ | OṂ ĀḤ VAJRA-SŪRYA SARVA-DHARMA-PRABODHAKA SARVA-DHARMĀN PRABODHĀYA SVĀHĀ | OṂ HŪṂ VAJRA-ANALA SARVA-DHARMA-PRADĪPAKA SARVA-DHARMĀN PRADĪPĀYA SVĀHĀ | OṂ HOḤ SARVA-DHARMA-VAJRA-AMṚTA-KARA SARVA-DHARMĀN VAJRA-AMṚTAṂ KURU KURU SVĀHĀ |
Having thus consecrated the torma with mantras and mudrās, one should invite [the deities] with mudrās and mantras: OṂ HA HĀ HI HĪ VAJRA-BHAIRAVA ĀKARṢAYA ĀKARṢAYA | PRAVEŚAYA PRAVEŚAYA |
BANDHAYA BANDHAYA TOṢAYA TOṢAYA JAḤ HŪṂ BAṂ HOḤ SARVA ḌĀKINĪNĀṂ HṚDAYAṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHREṂ PHREṂ PHAṬ. Following that, once the guests have arrived, the sequence of the ritual should be completed by generating them as deities, conferring empowerment, and bestowing blessings. One should dedicate the offerings and the torma. OṂ BRAHMĀ VIṢṆU NERṚTYA VĀYU YAMA AGNI SAMUDRA ĪŚVARA INDRA YAKṢEBHYAḤ SAPARIVĀREBHYAḤ IDAṂ BALIṂ GANDHAṂ PUṢPAṂ DHŪPAṂ DĪPAṂ AKṢATAṂ DADĀMAHE TE CA EKATYA SAPARIVĀRĀŚĪGHRAM IDAṂ BALIṂ GṚHṆANTU KHĀDANTU PIBANTU JAḤ HŪṂ BAṂ HOḤ SANTṚPTĀḤ SARVASATTVĀNĀṂ ŚĀNTIṂ PUṢṬIṂ RAKṢĀVARAṆAGUPTIṂ KURVANTU HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ VAJRA DHARA ĀJÑĀPAYATI SVĀHĀ. Once again, one should offer and praise, and confess each of the activities with the hundred-syllable mantra. At the crown of the head, it becomes a five-pronged vajra. Subsequently, it becomes double the size, which is the dharma-cakra. That, doubled again, becomes the sahaja-cakra. Doubling that again is the saṃbhoga-cakra and the nirmāṇa-cakra. Within that is the single-pronged [vajra], which bestows the fruit of equal bliss. It is taught for the purpose of meditating on the mudrā, abiding in the secret lotus. At the time of day and night, for the very purpose of exhausting desire, and for the sake of tasting the vajra of speech, it was taught to the mantra practitioners. It is not merely something to be done poorly; it is taught for each individual day.
All food is for the sake of bliss; it is not for the cause of non-engagement. The glorious conduct transforms into accomplishment. Going to the cremation ground at night is not for the sake of compassion for beings. Any yogi who performs the taking of life day and night is said to be one who destroys life. That sound which is devoid of the mouth but is clearly present in the heart is itself the speaking of lies. That which also performs the grasping upon the ground of the omniscient wisdom is said to be the yogi. The bliss-drop that has not fallen becomes the consort of another; this is the reliance that is not free from passion. By the fire of prāṇa and āyāma, even the moon is melted. The drink is the drinking of wine. From the joint of the big toe to the uṣṇīṣa, the movement according to the lunar dates reaches the full moon; then, from the uṣṇīṣa, one's own mind moves again until the end of the dark fortnight. By that conduct of the yogi, at the time of every day, the accomplishment of desire is bestowed. Conduct, desire, and the measure of the body—no words emerge from the supreme lotus of the mouth, and one is asleep. This is the delusion and the victory; the ten aspects of clarity, such as smoke and so forth, are the states of the embodied vajra-holder. The worldly state of desire is certainly from clarity; whoever desires to be victorious, whatever is the stream of the white drop, its falling day and night—
Māmakī is that very [wisdom]; the eyes and so forth are gokula and the rest. The five nectars (amṛta) are relied upon daily, having gone to the stage of one’s own family (kula) within the pure bodies of the deities. Through the diligence of that empty mind, the coemergent (sahaja) pervasive bliss is attained. That is not the sexual union of the birth-place. The giving of wealth and the mental union with the woman is discipline (śīla). Acceptance (kṣānti) is the non-engagement with sounds and so forth. The laziness that has gone into both is utterly destroyed by diligence (vīrya). Concentration (dhyāna) and insight (prajñā) are the mind and all that has gone together with bliss. All beings are described [as such]. For the sake of sentient beings, that is miraculous power (ṛddhi). Not acting for the sake of cyclic existence (saṃsāra), the other attainment is the fourth. By the light rays of stainless intelligence, all darkness is dispelled. Having first grasped whatever the people desire from the Guru, those who wish to be freed from bondage are certainly liberated by me. Thus, by that which is pure and stainless, may the minds of beings always dwell in the state known as the feet of Kālacakra.
The Sādhana of the Four Limbs of Kālacakra, composed by the great Kālapāda, is complete. Translated by the Paṇḍita Viśvaśrī and the translator Gyi jo Zla ba’i ’od zer.