Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This commentary on Anupamarakṣita’s Six-Branched Yoga provides a technical manual for achieving non-conceptual realization through the integration of subtle body manipulation and meditative insight. The text argues that liberation is attained by synthesizing conventional existence with ultimate peace, a process facilitated by the guidance of a qualified guru and the application of specific tantric techniques. The author, Ādityaśrī, details a rigorous path involving the purification of the disciple, the mastery of prāṇāyāma (specifically vase-breath) to block channels and direct winds into the central channel, and the use of visual signs—such as smoke and mirages—to verify the state of meditative absorption. By combining the 'impaired' methods of physical bliss with the 'unimpaired' state of non-emission and emptiness, the practitioner is committed to a process of transforming ordinary perception into the coemergent wisdom of the Kālacakra system, ultimately dissolving the grasping mind into a state of one taste.
Provenance
About this text
A commentary on the six-limbed yoga intended to perfect the qualities of the practitioner, the Ṣaḍaṅgayogaṭīkā belongs to the tradition of the Non-dual Tantra. The work is attributed to the Indian author Raviśrījñāna, though the opening of the translation mentions Ādityaśrī and the master Anupamarakṣita. The text passed into the Tibetan language through the translator Vibhūticandra and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume པ, where it extends over twenty pages under the title sbyor ba yan lag drug pa'i 'grel ba. In the classical Tibetan period, this work served to explain the six branches of yoga as the cause for attaining the level of a Vajradhara. It enacts a path of homage to the Kālacakra and the guru, arguing for a synthesis of conventional existence—the continuum of birth and death—and the ultimate truth of peace. By treating these two as inseparable, the work describes a state of suchness that pervades the three realms. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the technicalities of the six-limbed yoga and the specific relationship between the disciple's supplication and the attainment of non-dual realization.
The work is significant for its detailed intersection of physiological control and epistemological verification within the Kālacakra tradition. It illustrates the reliance on empirical 'signs' to validate internal spiritual progress, offering a window into the technical precision of Indo-Tibetan tantric praxis.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-5
Introduction and Preliminaries
Homages to Kālacakra and the guru, and an initial discussion on the nature of existence and peace.
6-13
Theoretical Foundations and Prerequisites
Discussion on the emptiness of phenomena, the role of the spiritual friend, and the obstacles to samādhi.
14-21
Technical Praxis of the Subtle Body
Detailed instructions on prāṇāyāma, the movement of winds in the central channel, and the management of drops and bliss.
22-27
Verification and Meditative Signs
Analysis of visual signs (smoke, mirages, fireflies) used to determine the quality of the practitioner's yoga and the nature of non-conceptual perception.
Themes
The Guru-Disciple Relationship (1-5, 12, 15)
Subtle Body Physiology (Prāṇāyāma and Channels) (9, 18-20)
Non-conceptual Realization and Emptiness (3, 5, 6, 22, 25-26)
Empirical Signs of Meditative Absorption (9, 17, 24-27)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Commentary on [Anupamarakṣita’s] “Six-Branched Yoga”·
In the language of India: Ṣaḍaṅgayogatīkā. In the language of Tibet: Sbyor ba yan lag drug pa’i ’grel pa (Commentary on the Six-Limbed Yoga). Homage to the glorious Kālacakra!
Bowing to the Lord of Kālacakra and to the guru of great qualities, I shall compose a commentary that perfects the qualities of the six-limbed yoga. Here, the master Anupamarakṣita, whose mind was trained in the outer and inner stages, meditated on the suchness of the object of observation. Although he remained in the presence of the glorious Kāśyapa Paṇḍita for twelve years, he did not attain any particular realization. Becoming despondent, he fell asleep, whereupon Vajrayoginī spoke to him: "Son, go to Vikramapura! There, a particular realization will arise within you."
Placing her command upon the crown of his head, he traveled to Vikramapura with his disciple, the merchant’s son, the great paṇḍita Śrīdhara. There, while engaged in virtuous practice during an auspicious time, at midnight, Vajradhara in the form of Avadhūti gave him direct instructions. Merely by receiving those instructions, he entered into meditative absorption. Then, the Blessed One vanished right there. At dawn, he arose from that absorption and bestowed the instructions upon the glorious Śrīdhara, who had acted as a companion to that great guru. He, in turn, out of compassion and for the sake of the fortunate, gave them to the great paṇḍita Prabhākaradeva. He also explained them to the great paṇḍita’s guru, the omniscient Dharmākaraśānti of this degenerate age.
By that [praise], I, Ādityaśrī, who strive to please the guru—the source of inexpressible qualities—have attained suchness. This is the lineage of the guru. Thus, by the power of the disciple’s supplication, the master Anupamarakṣita, desiring to practice the six-branch yoga (ṣaḍaṅgayoga) which is the cause for attaining the level of a Vajradhara, expressed the six branches by way of praising his own yidam deity, beginning with "obscuration" (āvaraṇa). Because suchness is obscured, obscuration itself is the mass of clouds; being free from that, one realizes everything without exception. Because the breath-winds have ceased, the ultimate space arises as Avalokiteśvara, who is the Buddha. Since he is the moon that fills suchness, he is beautiful in that he brings joy to beings. This is free from the superimpositions of subject and object in the definitive sense; by this, the branches of individual investigation (pratyavekṣaṇā) and concentration (dhyāna) are explained. The eighty-four thousand moments of mind characterized by attachment and the cessation of the exhaled and inhaled winds are the "all-aspected vision" in the intermediate space; by this, the branches of vital effort (prāṇāyāma), retention (dhāraṇā), and recollection (anusmṛti) are explained. By touching the inner heat (caṇḍālī) that arises, from the wheel of great bliss (mahāsukhacakra), one is held by the crown of all Buddhas and the tip of the vajra as the Lord of the World (Lokanātha). Beautiful like that moon filled with the sixteen joys, this explains the branch of meditative absorption (samādhi).
Now, the activity of the sixth limb is explained as being of great consequence. It is "existence, peace, and so forth." Existence is the conventional continuum of birth and death, while peace is the ultimate truth. Although it is free from apprehension of these two, it is the union of the two because it is inseparable from them. Pervading the three realms, it is the pervader. It is empty, very empty, the great emptiness, and empty of all, thus it is emptiness. It possesses all aspects, like a reflection in a mirror. It is the state of the ultimate non-conceptual wisdom; its sovereign is the twelfth ground. "Non-abiding" is because it is not attached to objects of apprehension. "Immovable" is because it is undegenerated. It is non-conceptual because it is free from duality. "The Wise One" refers to the realization of non-conceptual wisdom.
It demonstrates the undegenerated bliss of the five sensory qualities for those who desire the realization of non-conceptual wisdom. "Non-mind" is the mind in which conceptualization has ceased. Because it arises from that, it is the "Protector" to be relied upon by wandering beings; it is the aspiration to bless the minds of beings. Preceded by the description of existing qualities, the homage to the Guru is explained through "existence, conceptualization, and so forth." If one conceptualizes even the slightest thing as existing, one falls into the extreme of eternalism. If one then discards it without analysis, one falls into the extreme of nihilism, which is the cause for experiencing suffering in the Avīci hell for many eons. Thus, when the sublime path has been obscured, the glorious Guru—who [reveals] the nature of mind that transcends mind, which is non-mind, empty, and endowed with all aspects such as suffering—[is the one who reveals it].
I prostrate with body, speech, and mind to the guru who, by displaying the various forms that are reflections in the sky, brings supreme joy to the sublime disciple. One might ask: "If the sublime path is attained solely through the guru's kindness, what is the purpose of praising him with these supreme six limbs?" It is said: "In that way, and so forth." Describing the qualities of the guru who reveals the path as it is is merely an expression of one's own realization. For just as it is impossible to clearly see the emergence of smoke without a blazing fire, so it is here. One might then ask: "If the very realization of the path of suchness is the cause for pacifying pride, is it not improper to have the pride of thinking, 'I am one who knows suchness'?" It is said: "The account of realization, and so forth." This pride of my own realization does not become a fault, because it causes those who desire liberation to enter the path; it is not for the sake of gain and the like. For people do not enter [the path] when a teacher presents an uncertain entity merely to achieve a desired object. Now, the origin of the tantra will be explained: there are practitioners of mantra who are conceited because they believe they have realized the provisional meaning of all tantras through commentaries composed by ordinary beings. Because they do not understand the distinction between the conventional and the ultimate, they are mistaken regarding the path.
Regarding the statement, "The aggregate of form is Vairocana," and so forth, the words of Vairocana’s entry into the teaching demonstrate that the aggregate of form is empty. In order to realize suchness, which is the non-conceptualization of form as being negated, the glorious Vajradhara—through the command of the emanation of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī, the King of Śambhala who compiled the teachings—spoke the Kālacakra-tantra-uttara. This expresses the greatness of the tantra, as the teacher, the compiler, and the requester of the meaning are all emanations of Vajrapāṇi, namely King Sucandra.
Regarding this tantra, Padmākara, an emanation of Lokeśvara, composed the commentary titled Vimalaprabhā, which clarifies all meanings. Having clarified it, those who have accumulated merit and possess the supreme path of the Buddha’s heart-pledge receive it from the guru. By teaching the nectar of the definitive meaning, the nectar of the four joys dispels the poison of cyclic existence. By enjoying this through unimpaired bliss, the greatness of the expositor is expressed. Furthermore, the praise of the king of tantras is expressed in the passage beginning with "In which," and so forth. This is because it is said that among the entire collection of objects of knowledge, there is nothing that is not taught in the Ādibuddha based upon the fields of outer and inner science. In this king of tantras, the Blessed Buddha is shown to be truly endowed with the name "Omniscient."
Furthermore, in the Source of the Jewel of Suchness, words such as "Īśvara" and so forth are essence-less and thus like grass. Through the realization of the emptiness of phenomena, the Perfection of Insight arises from space; this Mother of the Buddhas, arising from various forms, causes birth and destroys the entire collection of conceptualizations so that they never arise again. Now, the instructions of the Guru, which are the basis for the six branches and the cause for the arising of signs such as smoke, will be explained. In a place and so forth, within the expanse of the sky where there are no stains such as clouds, when the eyes are fixed steadily upon the object of focus, the signs such as smoke arise from a mind free of conceptualization and moistened by compassion, transcending the four extremes. "In the darkness, do not think of anything at all"—this is the instruction. As it is said elsewhere: "If one uproots the root of the mind and familiarizes oneself with emptiness, what other eye-salve is there for those blinded by the cataracts of ignorance?" Saraha also said: "Having made all phenomena equal to space, and having held the mind equal to space, if that mind is made non-mind, one thereby attains unsurpassed awakening." Now, to clarify the completion stage is to reach the single taste of the conventional and the ultimate. This follows the one hundred and twenty-sixth verse of the Wisdom Chapter of the Kālacakra Tantra, beginning with "unfailing" and so forth.
Regarding the realization of the unimpaired primordial wisdom of the Blessed Lady, the unimpaired coemergent kāya: from the āli and kāli upon a lotus, moon, and sun seat, the syllable HŪṂ completely transforms. This process negates the phenomena of conceptualizing forms, shapes, hands, and postures arising from hand-symbols.
The āli refers to the collection of vowels beginning with A, which is the moon. The kāli refers to the collection of consonants beginning with Ka, which is the sun. These two become a single seat. From PAṂ comes the lotus, from A the moon, and from RAṂ the sun. This is not the seat of Vajradhara, who possesses unimpaired primordial wisdom. One does not assert that the deity’s body is supported by a HŪṂ that has transformed into a vajra, because that would be characterized by clinging and is thus impaired. Instead, it generates unimpaired bliss and overcomes impairment; it is free from the letters A and so forth as imputed by ordinary beings, and is endowed with the lord of deities. Therefore, the rest is easy to understand.
The dharmadhātu is like a mirror of emptiness endowed with all various forms appearing in the sky. It is like the reflection seen by a young girl in a mirror when a thief or the like is present; she sees the unborn phenomena without conceptualization. Because external objects do not exist as imputed by the childish, they appear like a dream when the eyes are open. Because there is no material substance, there are no subtle atoms. Because one does not enter the system of the Lokāyatas, the emptiness of nihilism is cast far away. This is because one is attached to the self-knowing awareness of inner bliss.
Regarding the action mudrā: it is not relied upon because of the external [mudrās] and so forth. The pith instructions will be explained later. As for the "Victorious One" and so forth, if condensed, there are four who have not attained the path; if expanded, there are sixteen, as will be explained. These are not attained by the path of conceptualization. The syllables HŪṂ, PHAṬ, and so forth—by the word "and so forth"—refer to being free from mudrās and the like, and entering the path of the generation stage. That which transcends that is the completion stage, which is to be realized by meditating in space. Its sequence consists of the application of smoke and so forth, which is the cause of suchness, and not other conceptualizations such as the lotus and so forth. The method for seeing the bodhicitta is explained: "Fire is [produced] from [friction] and so forth." Let alone being without a support, even fire residing in wood is not seen when cut with an axe or split with a saw; yet it is seen through the application of the fire-drill and so forth. Likewise, the mode of appearance of the mind is not seen through the repeated habituation of conceptualization; however, through the non-dual application of the rasanā, lalanā, and avadhūtī, one's own mind will appear as suchness. This is explained in the Ultimate Approach:
"Fire arises from wood, water from the moonstone,
Butter from curd, and gold from stone;
Likewise, the unimpaired bliss through the teaching of women
Should be grasped by the fortunate through the application of methods.
Not even a slight accumulation exists in your mind;
There is nothing to be placed, no increase or decrease.
In one's own mind, the nature of mind is a mere appearance,
Just as the sun [reflects] in the water of the three realms."
Thus it is said. The intention is that the single mind itself becomes manifold from the reflection of insight.
That very [reality] is explained as smoke and so forth. That which first possesses smoke is the mirage and so forth. The signs are those of conviction. Prāṇāyāma is the "vase-like" [breath], which has the nature of blocking the three channels above and below. Flowing in the central channel is the life-wind entering and circulating in the channel of the mind. The conduct of the consort is celibacy centered upon the consort. "Unimpaired" means standing upright. "Flowing upward" refers to the jewel, the lotus, and so forth; by this path, [one proceeds] by means of the characteristics of the six branches, such as smoke and so forth. The bliss free from the senses of all the Buddhas is the supreme unimpaired [bliss]. All the messengers are the coemergent ḍākinīs, whose nature is the blocking of the seventy-two thousand channels. Form and so forth: meditating on form and so forth within form is the action mudrā. By the word "and so forth," the mental mudrā is included. The maṇḍala is the support, and the cakra is the supported assembly of deities. By the word "and so forth," mantra and mudrā are included. By meditating on these, the "world" refers to the three realms; the "attainment" of that is the attainment of the Great Seal (Mahāmudrā), the sovereignty up to Akaniṣṭha, which is supramundane. Now, does this entire instruction on the path arise from all [these sources], or not? It does not; rather, it arises for disciples who are purified of the stains of ordinary pride through the kindness of a sublime guru, via empowerments and so forth. As it is said in the Mahāmudrā-tilaka:
"Just as poison, through purification by mantras and the like, becomes an elixir, so too, through empowerment and so forth, an impure disciple becomes pure." Thus it is said.
One whose mind possesses compassion for sentient beings, strives for the welfare of others, and is constantly diligent in virtue—such a person is the vessel. Now, even if the path is attained, through heedlessness, the causes for being separated from the fire are explained: the supreme path and so forth. That by which buddhahood itself is attained without hardship is the path. Because it increases joy, it is a jewel. Because it is difficult to find and bestows the perfection of desired aims, it is like a wish-fulfilling gem.
Heedlessness is to be indifferent to benefit and happiness, to wander through the six classes of cyclic existence, to be devoid of qualities such as compassion, and to not strive for the benefit and happiness of others. If given to such a person, one's own home is the "wife," which is the forest, because it is the abode of wicked sentient beings. There, the senses are attached to objects—the external objects of enjoyment such as form and so forth—which are inferior and the discordant factors of the path; these are relied upon through delusion. These very things are the thieves, and by them one will be robbed.
It is not only by these alone, but also by doubt and laziness regarding the precious path—the guru, the scriptures, and one's own conviction—which is a lack of enthusiasm for virtue. Sleep is the unserviceability of body and mind. Regret is the mental state of thinking, "I have performed inferior actions; I am unable to manifest the path myself."
The relatives of these robbers—such as sons, wives, and so forth—are the forest itself; having entered it, the supreme path of liberation will be plundered. These are not the only obscurations to meditative absorption (samādhi); however, killing, taking what is not given, lying, divisive speech, harsh words, sexual misconduct, idle gossip, covetousness, malice, and wrong views—by these as well, the precious path will be plundered. It is not only by these that it is plundered, but also by excessive food and drink. In this context, "food" refers to meat and the like; "drink" refers to alcohol and the like. "Excessive" means in a manner contrary to the Dharma of the Victorious One (jina). "Luxuries" refer to various things such as garlands, sandalwood, and women. If these plunder even those possessed of diligence (vīrya), what need is there to mention those without diligence? "Heedlessness" refers to associating with bad companions and so forth; by this, one is as if rendered unconscious.
The examination of the precious path is explained: [it is like] jewels and so forth. Not knowing for oneself whether something is a jewel or not, one asks another—a sinful and unskilled person—whether it is a jewel or not. That person says it is not. Because of those words, the one who lacks the fortune [to recognize it] discards it. This explains the fault of associating with sinful companions. If one asks, "If one does not know through one's own examination, how can one know the precious path?" it is said: [it is like] jewels and so forth.
One must rely solely on those skilled in examining jewels, and through their infallible words, one should understand their value. This explains relying on a spiritual friend (kalyāṇamitra). It is explained that if Māra should arise for one who has entered the path, he must be abandoned. This refers to the father and so forth. Because there are those who rob one of the path, the sinful Māra creates obstacles in the form of the Buddha and so forth, saying things such as, "This is the path to enlightenment." This is as explained in the chapter on the deeds of Māra. This is summarized and explained as robbers and so forth. Because there are those who rob one of the path, one should abandon relatives, doubts, and the like, and strive to make the precious path granted by the Guru extremely clear. If one asks, "Are there other paths for attaining liberation?" it is said: "The self and so forth." The stage of self-consecration (svādhiṣṭhāna) is focused on peaceful deities. The stage of the hero (vīra) is focused on wrathful deities. These were not taught by the Buddha for the sake of liberation; rather, the stage of utter purity is exclusively the stage of completion (niṣpannakrama). If one asks, "How is this known?" it is said: "By the mother and so forth." For what reason? Even those who have committed the five acts with immediate retribution (ānantarya)—killing the father, killing the mother, killing an arhat, causing a schism in the Saṅgha, and drawing blood from a Tathāgata with malicious intent—will, through the empowerment of the stage of utter purity, be purified without effort. Otherwise, those who have committed the acts with immediate retribution will not be turned away from wrathful actions by the stage of the hero.
Even through self-consecration, liberation from the pleasures of saṃsāra is not attained. If one asks, "If these two stages are not the path, why did the Blessed One teach them?" it is said: "The Hero," and so forth. The stage of the Hero is not external; rather, it is that which exhausts the vital winds within the body. Self-consecration is the appearance of one's own mind, which is the appearance of the three realms in space. Because self-consecration is the appearance of one's own mind and is the appearance of the three realms, once it has arisen, it does not turn back, and thus saṃsāra does not turn back.
If one asks, "How does one become a Buddha?" it is said: "Saṃsāra," and so forth. After the essence-less, false, and exhausted three realms, the result characterized by the qualities of omniscience and so forth of all Buddhas arises. For example, just as fruit ripens on a plantain tree that has no core, it emerges once that [tree] is exhausted.
If one asks, "Since this appearance like an illusion is ignorance, how can the bodhicitta arising from it be the cause of awakening?" it is said: "The mare," and so forth. Just as mares, crabs, and the like kill the very mother from whom they were born, so too does the mind of yoga—the union of method and insight—kill that illusion by means of that from which it arose through the fourth conventional [truth]. The undegenerated state of this yogic mind is explained through the four and sixteen divisions, such as "non-dual" and so forth. "Non-dual" refers to that in which both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa do not exist.
Because he is unmoving from the jewel and the lotus, he is "Immovable." Because he is without the causes of method or wisdom, he is "Causeless." Because he bestows unsurpassed bliss, he is the "Yidam," the fourth yoga. Because the twenty-one thousand six hundred breaths are arrested, he is "Unimpaired." Because he abides in the interval between attachment and the absence of attachment, he is "Great Attachment." Because he is liberated from the interval between having aspects and being aspectless, he is "Neither Entity nor Non-entity." Because he perceives all objects of knowledge without exception, he is "Wisdom," the third yoga. Because he delights beings and is preceded by a commitment to the welfare of sentient beings, he is "Sattva." Because he is virtuous in the beginning, middle, and end, he is "Samantabhadra." Because he has abandoned conceptualization regarding Māras and afflictions, and because there is no sound expressed as outer or inner, he is "Soundless." Because he lacks the nature of self-sound, he is "Great Sound," the second yoga. Because he has abandoned birth from a womb, he is "Coemergent." Because the obscurations of the four bodies are exhausted, he holds the drop of bodhicitta. Because emptiness and compassion are inseparable, he is the "Vajra of the Glorious Kālacakra." Because the accumulation of discipline is perfected, he is the yoga endowed with method and wisdom, the first yoga. To demonstrate this, the characteristics of the guru are explained, beginning with "In that way" and so forth. Because he has meditated on the wisdom of entering the Vajrayāna without impairment, he meditates on suchness. Because he guards the bodhicitta, he possesses the samaya. Because he is free from desire and the like, he is "Unturbid." Because he has no attachment to children, wife, his own body, and so forth, he is "Without Desire."
On the Buddhist path endowed with acceptance, the guru who has been pleased, who shows the way to protect from the fear of hell, and who, having attained unimpaired bliss, practices the holy life therein—that guru who conquers the four Māras is blessed by Vajradhara and is his emanation; therefore, he is Vajrasattva. Now, in order to accomplish the mundane and supramundane, the visualization of the deity is explained, beginning with "the deity" and so forth. The application of that is through the application of meditating on various forms. Like a wheel of stars, within a drop in the form of a blue jewel and a moon mandala, one first sees the infinite saṃbhogakāya of the Buddha. With the fleshly eye, which sees objects a hundred leagues away, one sees the vases and so forth of the three realms; and with the Buddha-eye, the knowledge of others' minds, the wisdom-eye characterized by the non-conceptual nature of all phenomena, and the gnosis-eye, one sees all things in all their aspects. To others who are ordinary, [the guru] appears like a dead corpse, as there is no [realization of] the earth and so forth being fashioned, nor the casting of brass and so forth, nor the emanation and so forth. The five nectars are feces, urine, marrow, blood, and semen. By the word "and so forth," the five lamps are the flesh of the cow, the dog, the elephant, the horse, and the human. The five inner nectars are the five aggregates, and the five lamps are the five sense faculties. Regarding that, there is no dependence.
Food is that which is oriented toward; the reversal of being oriented toward ordinary forms and so forth is analytical discernment. Other forms and so forth are not composed of atoms, and are thus supramundane forms and so forth. The vajra-lotus is the lotus at the crown of the head, where [the nectar] arises; the nectar is the undiminished bodhicitta. By "seven months," nine months are indicated. By "six aggregates," [it refers to] the aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness, and wisdom.
Through the divisions of "small" and so forth, the attainment of the grounds is applied to the three sets of four, such as the small and so on. From the "Very Joyful" up to the "Wisdom Eye," there are twelve grounds. The meaning of the twelve aspects of truth is the purification of the twelve zodiacal signs, such as Aries and Taurus, which is the cessation of the twelve shifts in the nostrils. Knowing the sixteen aspects of reality is the non-diminishment [of the mind] through the exhaustion of the sixteen lunar parts of cyclic existence. Awakening through the twenty aspects is through the conceptualization of the purity of the five aggregates, five elements, five faculties, and five sense bases, purified by the central channel through the meditation on the six yogas. Complete buddhahood is through the cessation of ignorance. The "All-Knowing" is through realizing all phenomena as the nature of a buddha. For that very reason, it is supreme. By "some days," one will attain the siddhi of Mahāmudrā in three years and one and a half months, according to the days of the Kālacakra.
Now, the six applications are explained by means of the verses beginning with "Vajrasattva" and so forth. Discernment (pratyavekṣaṇā) is of ten types, distinguished by the signs such as smoke and so forth. Concentration (dhyāna) is so called because the various forms become the eleven objects and subjects. Breath control (prāṇāyāma) is so called because the maṇḍalas of the left and right [channels] become eleven. Retention (dhāraṇā) is of ten types because the vital wind (prāṇavāyu) neither goes nor comes at the navel, heart, throat, forehead, and crown. Regarding recollection (anusmṛti), by means of the division of the ten stages of desire: "Thought, desire, and the emergence of the body's measure; dry mouth and lack of appetite; trembling, intoxication, and the body spinning; mental confusion and extreme fainting—these stages in the body of a sentient being are the stages of Vajradhara." Meditative absorption (samādhi) is the cessation of the ten winds: the vital, the downward-clearing, the equalizing, the upward-moving, the pervasive, the nāga, the tortoise, the chameleon, the Devadatta, and the Dhananjaya. Through passion and the absence of passion, there is non-abiding nirvāṇa. The five [eyes] such as the eye and so forth, by means of others, see various forms such as the fleshly eye and so forth. Certainty is the certainty of emptiness (śūnyatā). Attachment to various forms is the joy (prīti) that arises from entering suchness, where the unsurpassed insight and method have become of one taste, through the mere mind of the object and so forth. Immovable bliss is through the bliss of physical pliancy (praśrabdhi) and so forth. The entry of the two paths into the central channel is the five [elements] such as space in the left nostril and so forth.
To the right, because the five [elements] such as earth do not circulate, the rasanā and lalanā are blocked, and [the winds] enter, abide, and emerge solely through the path of the avadhūtī. This subtle [process] characterized by these [three] is prāṇāyāma. Being free from the two [side] circulations means there is no going or coming at the navel, heart, throat, or crown.
The ten aspects previously explained are as follows: by abiding in the holding of the mind, the appearances of the ten signs, such as smoke and so forth, naturally precede the appearance of the deities of the complete maṇḍala, which is like a reflection and free from conceptualization. Then, light radiates forth; then, the emanation of the maṇḍala of deities into the three realms and so forth precede the ten stages of the desired state, such as the stage of recollection, which is characterized by [the ten aspects].
Because the movement of the prāṇa winds and so forth has ceased, the caṇḍālī blazes, and the bodhicitta remains undiminished at the tip of the vajra-jewel. By gradually arresting the twenty-one thousand six hundred breaths in the six cakras, there is the samādhi of the nature of Vajradhara, which is the wisdom of union, the nature of which is non-conceptual, undiminished bliss.
Regarding the statement "one becomes a Bodhisattva," this refers to not yet performing the arising of the mind of nirvāṇa, the awakening, the turning of the wheel of dharma, and so forth. The intention is that when one performs those [deeds], one will be renowned as a perfectly awakened Buddha in a Buddha-field.
The ten masteries are: mastery over lifespan, action, aspiration, requisites, prayer, miraculous power, dharma, mind, birth, and...
[This refers to] mastery over wisdom and so forth. Through training in the nāda, one trains in the joy of coemergent wisdom (sahaja-jñāna). As for the "youthful maiden" as previously explained: having inserted the vajra into the lotus and rested without movement, one presses the vajra-jewel against her lotus. When the joy and supreme joy arise and remain unmoving for a moment, and the joy of non-decline dawns in both, one should first utter "HŪṂ" and turn toward the grace of the sublime guru. By experiencing the fourth coemergent joy, the bodhicitta is arrested, and the moment of non-decline is attained. One proceeds to the state of non-apprehension.
At the end of the twelve [finger-widths], from the left nostril, the movement extends from the space element down to the earth maṇḍala, from sixteen to twelve [finger-widths]. At the end of the sixteen, from the right nostril, it extends from the earth maṇḍala up to space, from twelve to sixteen [finger-widths]. By uttering the sound "HŪṂ," the prāṇa and apāna are joined and made to dissolve at the navel; having entered the central channel, they are stirred upward like a flash of lightning, resembling snow. If one is unable to perform the "entering the city" (grong 'jug), one should perform the transference ('pho ba). The "rising of the vajra" generates the supreme wisdom of bliss. "Wandering in space" means exercising mastery as far as Akaniṣṭha.
The five superknowledges (abhijñā) are: miraculous power, the divine eye, the divine ear, knowledge of others' minds, and recollection of former abodes. Having become the consort Viśvamātā, who is the nature of these five superknowledges, the non-conceptual caṇḍālī blazes through attachment to the Great Seal (mahāmudrā).
The three unimpaired [states] are: the cessation of the mental drop at the secret place, the cessation of the vocal drop at the navel, and the cessation of the physical drop at the heart. Through the bliss of the unimpaired, the collection of drops at the tip of the vajra is unimpaired, and thus the wisdom drop is ceased. The section ending with "the cessation of the two winds" teaches the accomplishment of the Sky-Farer (Khecarī). The section ending with "Viśvamātā" teaches the accomplishment of Mahāmudrā. Mahāmudrā, which is like an illusion, is like a reflection in a clear mirror. "The mind is not in space" refers to the mind that is not [ordinary] mind. Regarding the sequence of insight (prajñā) and wisdom (jñāna): the realization that all phenomena are empty is insight; wisdom is the apprehending mind. The appearances of smoke and so forth are its objects of apprehension. Just as one sees the reflection in a mirror with one's own eyes, so too does one's own mind see its own nature of emptiness, which is endowed with all aspects. Regarding this characteristic of the apprehended mind possessing smoke, the yogi must cause the life-wind to enter the central channel; by that, the signs are seen. This is the first [empowerment], the Vajra Body of the Guru’s speech. Then, by binding the life-wind that moves to the sun and moon, the second is the Vajra Speech of Prāṇāyāma. The third is the Vajra Mind, which is the bodhicitta’s attachment to the various reflected forms. "Arouse the vajra with supreme bliss."
If joy is not generated through the gateway of various forms, then at that time one should produce the vajra sound slowly. If a wisdom consort is not found, then at that time one should brandish the vajra with one's own hand for the sake of increasing bliss, and not for the sake of emission. Thus, this fourth [empowerment], the Wisdom Vajra, protects one from the fear of death while not discarding the bodhicitta and being endowed with bliss. This is the certainty of the yogi’s meditation.
Regarding the "First Buddha," this occurs in the context of the Empowerment in Brief (Abhiṣekanirukti), beginning with "this very [one]" and so forth. The yogi should accomplish this very [state] by means of the fire of omniscient wisdom, which consumes the fuel of the afflictive and cognitive obscurations, through the smoke and so forth. How so? It is renowned in the Root Tantra, the Explanatory Tantra, the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā), and other sūtras of definitive meaning.
It is the result of suchness, the inconceivable state free from all conceptualizations of appearance within emptiness. It is the reflection of the wisdom that is naturally empty, free from the duality of subject and object such as signs and so forth. Unobscured by internal or external veils, it is equal to space. Free from conceptualizations of existence, non-existence, and so forth, it transcends existence and non-existence. Being self-aware, it is marvelous because its meaning is not fabricated by the ordinary mind. Being without intrinsic nature, it is empty of an aggregation of subtle particles.
Just as bliss arises in a dream from the union with the son of a barren woman, so too, by relying on the reflection arisen from space, it is the same for oneself. The characteristics of the reflection are the aspects of the earth and so forth.
Here, the appearance of emptiness is not a solid thing, and so forth. It is not water, appearing in the form of a mirage, because it is not a substantial entity. It is not fire, appearing in the form of fire, because it does not burn. It appears like the wind, moving, but it is not wind because it is not a substantial entity. It is like space, but it is not seen. Like a city of illusions, although it possesses colors such as white and so forth, it is not a color because it is not a substantial entity. Although it possesses all aspects, it is not an object of perception for the childish, due to the power of the afflictions and Māra, and because the vital winds flow through the left and right [channels].
Now, the manner in which the five maṇḍalas dissolve is explained: earth, wind, and so forth. When the yogi stabilizes the gaze and, with the wrathful posture, focuses the mind on emptiness, at that time, as space and so forth or earth and so forth flow through the left or right nostril, the earth-wind dissolves into the water-wind. In that way, from the left, space and so forth dissolve up to the maṇḍala of consciousness. Thus, in emptiness, the ten signs such as smoke and so forth arise. These signs also become the reflected image possessing all aspects. That reflected image becomes the bliss of the unimpaired. That itself is the wisdom of the perfection of insight (prajñāpāramitā). From that wisdom, the miraculous powers such as traveling through space and the accomplishment of mastery over the three realms will be achieved in this very life. The yoga is thus summarized and explained, including the central channel and so forth.
Here, first, the dissolving of the grasping mind into emptiness is becoming of one taste. Childhood, youth, and emission are the two types of bliss of the impaired method, which are subject to change and are slow. Insight is non-emission, because it does not quickly degenerate. The supreme among these is the supramundane, which is the non-emission arising from the Mahāmudrā.
Now, the entry into the appearances of one’s own mind, which are like reflections in a mirror, is explained: "In the sky and so forth." "Night" is a metaphor for darkness. "Attachment" is the mind dissolving into the sky. The appearance of form is like a reflection in a mirror, appearing without turbidity and without obstruction. The appearance of sound does not arise from the effort of the throat, palate, and so forth; rather, it is experienced as a mere self-sound through the power of great bliss. This verse explains the two bodies. "The absence of knowing the minds of others" is because there is no other mind of another to be known apart from one’s own mind. It is said:
"Unborn and unceasing, whatever object of knowledge is seen here,
That is not other than one’s own mind, because it is other than external objects of knowledge.
Therefore, there is nowhere a sealing of oneself by oneself,
Just as a great sword cannot cut its own blade."
This verse explains the accomplishment of the dharmakāya. Following the appearance of clouds, the form of smoke pervading the internal and external arises. As it is said:
"First, it appears like clouds;
The appearance of smoke is the second."
The mirage is like shimmering water. The firefly and the lamp are as they are renowned. These four signs arise from darkness in a room without apertures; thus, they are the yoga of the night and the yoga of space. Regarding the first and second [signs], the Guhyasamāja states:
"When the mind becomes the vajra of cessation,
The signs will then arise.
Those signs are of five types,
As Vajrabodhi has taught:
First, the form of a mirage;
Second, like smoke;
Third, the firefly;
Fourth, like a lamp;
And fifth, like a cloudless sky,
The constant radiance."
Thus it is said. Following the appearance of the cloudless sky, there is the appearance of fire, and the appearances of the moon and sun are as they are renowned. Rāhu appears like a black jewel. Lightning and the great drop (bindu) clarify the stable and the moving; they appear blue, like the form of the lunar maṇḍala. These six signs arise from the appearance of the cloudless sky; they are the yoga of the day and the yoga of the open air.
Then, in the center of that, preceded by the vision of the reflection of the Buddha—the nature of the Saṃbhogakāya—one sees the luminous (ābhāsvara) variety of forms, such as vases and cloths, endowed with all aspects, as clear as water in the palm of one's hand. In a single instant, one sees them.
Regarding the closing [of the eyes] and so forth: the emptiness perceived by the two eyes half-open in the intermediate space arises from being free from subject and object. One should constantly meditate on the reflections of smoke and so forth as the direct perception of unexamined yoga. Both yogas are taught in the Kālacakra as being free from attachment to space and so forth. It is also taught in the Prajñāpāramitā: the absorption called "Jewel Radiance," the "Jewel Lamp," the "Moon Radiance," the "Sun Lamp," and the "Vision of All Aspects," and so forth. Therefore, those who desire to attain buddhahood through the path of smoke and so forth should meditate without doubt.
If it is asked: "Since Mahāmudrā is free from conceptualization, and meditation is a superimposition, how can one meditate?" It is replied: "Meditation and so forth." According to the instructions, regarding that very reflection of meditation which is without exterior or interior, whatever meditation the yogi performs is not "meditation" because it is not a [substantial] entity.
If it is asked: "Whether it be an entity or a non-entity, there is no difference in terms of conceptualization; how then can one meditate on a non-entity?" It is replied: "Mind and so forth." Because the yogi has no conceptualization of entity or non-entity regarding the reflection of emptiness, the reflection of emptiness—smoke and so forth—is seen directly as unexamined.
The intended meaning is as follows: if it were an object of conceptual analysis, it would be a functional entity, like a cast statue and so forth. If it were not seen, it would not be a functional entity, like the son of a barren woman and so forth. Here, however, because it is seen directly without conceptual analysis, everything is perfectly established.
The examples of such seeing are explained as being like a mirror divination (prāveśa) and so forth. In mirror divination, the practitioner performs the rite; then, in a mirror, a sword, a thumb, a lamp, the moon, the sun, or water, there appears an object of the eye that has not arisen from a functional entity, nor has it arisen from the material properties of thieves and the like. In this seeing without conceptual analysis, there is neither "entity" nor "non-entity," because one perceives a mere capacity for causal efficiency despite the absence of a [conventional] entity. In the world alone, one sees an entity where there is no entity, as in the case of illusions, dreams, and so forth.
Regarding the subject and so forth, the arising of non-conceptual wisdom (jñāna) accomplishes the welfare of all beings in every respect, and is thus like a wish-fulfilling jewel (cintāmaṇi). The examples are explained as being like a young girl and so forth. When a young girl performs mirror divination, she sees thieves and the like that were previously unseen through eyes empowered by mantra. The practitioner, having gone to where the young girl described it, sees it with his limited eyes. The intention is this: with the eye of the intellect empowered by the mantra of the practice instructions, the yogi—like the young girl—sees the supramundane suchness (tattva) in the sky, which is not the domain of ordinary beings and is not shown [to them] because their bodhicitta is unimpaired.
Furthermore, it is explained as being free from all conceptual elaborations, such as "by others" and so forth. It is not seen by the eyes of others, because smoke is not seen by others. It is not seen by one's own eyes, because the eyes are covered by a blindfold. By this example of the descent of the prāsa (divination mirror), the yogic direct perception is unarisen because it lacks any inherent nature; thus, the wisdom of omniscience is established, just as a young woman perceives a son in a dream.
Whatever virtue I have gained by explaining the six-branch yoga, by that may the entire world without exception attain unimpaired bliss.
The commentary on the Six-Branch Yoga composed by the great Paṇḍita Sūryaśrījñāna is complete. It was translated, edited, and finalized by the great Paṇḍita of Eastern India, Śrī Vibhūticandra, at the glorious Gyatag Monastery in the region of Drimtsam, the heart of Rulak.