Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This sādhana provides a ritualized framework for entering the maṇḍala of Vajrayoginī, specifically focusing on the attainment of supreme bliss and the definitive meaning of the vows. The text guides the practitioner through a sequence of preparatory rituals, including mantra extraction, the arrangement of offerings, and the visualization of a square maṇḍala characterized by specific architectural details and guardian deities. It commits the reader to a rigorous process of somatic and mental transformation, utilizing heat gathering and the visualization of a youthful, two-faced form representing the two truths. The practice integrates the use of specific mantras, prostrations, and the gathering of tathāgatas into the skin to achieve a state of non-deceptive certainty. Ultimately, the text argues that by entering this definitive purification of the yoginī-cakra, the practitioner can swiftly attain the accomplishment of Cakrasaṃvara, gaining supernatural abilities such as the capacity to manifest multiple forms and subdue wandering beings.
Provenance
About this text
A sādhana providing a ritualized framework for entering the maṇḍala of Vajrayoginī, the Vajrayoginīsukhapraveśasaṃvaranirṇayārthakamaṇḍala originates from the Indian tradition and is attributed to the author Avadhūtipa Advayavajra. The work was translated into classical Tibetan by Prajñājñānakīrti and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume འ, where it is situated within the collection of the Śaṃvara and Related Tantras. Spanning ten pages in this edition, the text enacts a sequence of preparatory rituals and visualizations. It guides the practitioner through the extraction of the mantra, the arrangement of inner and outer offerings, and the preliminary service of descent into the maṇḍala. The ritual focuses on the attainment of supreme bliss and the definitive meaning of the vows, requiring the practitioner to visualize a square maṇḍala featuring four gates, eight pillars, and the eight charnel grounds, with deities such as Yama-mathani and Kākāsyā positioned accordingly. A scholar or serious reader consults this work today to examine the specific architectural details of the maṇḍala and the somatic and mental transformations required to achieve a state of non-deceptive certainty through the purification of the yoginī-cakra.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Sādhana of the Maṇḍala of the Definitive Meaning of Entering into the Vows of the Supreme Bliss of Vajrayoginī” (Toh 1583), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1583
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant as it illustrates the intersection of somatic energy work and complex deity yoga within the Vajrayoginī tradition. It demonstrates how ritual architecture and mantra are used to bridge the gap between conceptual thought and the direct experience of bliss-wisdom.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-3
Preliminaries and Maṇḍala Setup
Introduction of the title and the initial ritual steps involving mantra recitation, offerings, and the physical description of the square maṇḍala.
4-6
Visualization and Somatic Transformation
Detailed instructions on the nature of the bhaga, the generation of the deity's form through heat gathering, and the practice of bowing to receive wisdom.
7-9
Empowerment and Devotional Practice
Rituals for gathering tathāgatas, the role of the guru, and the symbolic description of the consecrated water and flower-strewn bhaga.
10-13
Mantra, Confession, and Result
The recitation of specific mantras, the confession of misdeeds, and the description of the supernatural accomplishments resulting from the practice.
Themes
Somatic Transformation (5-7)
Ritual Architecture and Space (3, 9)
Non-duality and the Two Truths (4-5)
Supernatural Accomplishment (Siddhis) (12-13)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Sādhana of the Maṇḍala of the Definitive Meaning of Entering into the Vows of the Supreme Bliss of Vajrayoginī·
In the language of India: Vajrayoginī-sukhatara-vaśaṃvara-maṇḍala-nirāmaya-sādhana-nāma. In the language of Tibet: rDo rje rnal ’byor ma’i bde ba mchog gi sdom pa ’jug pa ṅes pa don gyi dkyil ’khor gyi sgrub thabs zhes bya ba (The Sādhana of the Maṇḍala of the Definitive Meaning Entering the Supreme Bliss of Vajrayoginī). Homage to the glorious Cakrasaṃvara!
First, a yogin who has obtained the samaya and empowerment of the glorious Cakrasaṃvara, desiring to attain the perfect welfare of self and others, should focus on the luminosity that is non-conceptual in nature and practice the sādhana of Vajrayoginī in a charnel ground.
Furthermore:
Bowing at the feet of the Protector Guru, who perceives the desires of living beings,
From his dust-free lotus feet, through his compassion, the source of all nectar is found like a vase;
By constantly recollecting him, may I become the Yoginī.
In that regard, having first performed the consecration of the Vajrayoginī maṇḍala or having made offerings to the maṇḍala with whatever is available, one should constantly practice the visualization. Having performed the outer and inner offerings and praised with the eight-line verse, one should accomplish the substances of accomplishment and place the pill in the mouth, remaining in a state of mental ease.
Then, the yogin should purify with water from the five vases and draw a svastika with the accomplished substances. In the center is the bhaga of the Consort together with the syllable Hrīḥ. Then, having visualized the five Vārāhīs and completed the sequence of the ritual, one should make offerings with five types of flower garlands.
Then, having understood how to extract the mantra from its thread, one should recite the mantra. Then, fill [the vessel] with the samaya substances and the three excellent [substances], and worship with outer and inner offerings. This descent into the swirling [maṇḍala] is the ritual of the preliminary service (pūrvasevā). Furthermore:
"In the joy of the supreme secret,
The self of all dwells eternally.
The being who is the essence of all Buddhas
Is Vajrasattva, the supreme bliss."
Thus it is said. "Secret" refers to the samaya of Cakrasaṃvara. "Supreme" refers to the samaya of the welfare of sentient beings and one's own welfare. "Joy" refers to the samaya of worshipping the maṇḍala. "All" refers to the thirteen yogas. "Self" refers to the accomplishment of the permanent. "Eternally dwelling" refers to its purity. "All Buddhas" refers to the five yoginīs. "Essence" refers to the actual application, the ritual for blessing the vessel of yoga. "Being" refers to the application of the yogin’s thorough knowledge. "Vajra" refers to the supreme vajra, which is praised. "Being" refers to the garland of coming and going. "Supreme bliss" refers to the assembly that has descended into the swirling [maṇḍala]. By this, the definitive meaning of the service should be understood.
Then, in a secluded place such as a charnel ground, inside a space smeared with the specific samaya substances, one should cast the lines using the best sinew twisted together, mixed with the best ashes and milk. Then, for the eight-part maṇḍala, having performed the division, one part and one sub-part are the place of the Blessed Lady. Six parts and one sub-part are for the ḍākinīs and so forth.
One part is for Yama-mathani and the others. At the gates are Kākāsyā and the others. It is square with four gates, beautified by four archways, and adorned with cornices and half-lattices. The base and the back are of precious bricks, and it is beautified by a perimeter of eight pillars and so forth. Inside the blazing vajra, it is adorned with the eight charnel grounds. Furthermore, the east, north, west, and south are blue, green, red, and yellow, respectively; these are the colors of the directions of the maṇḍala. White is made with the ash of old charnel ground bones. Black is with the ash of oily bones. Red is with saffron grown in the bhaga. Green is with neem leaves boiled in water and dried. Yellow is with cadurasama. If one is unable to draw it, one may use colored dots along with the lines, or even heaps of flowers. The Blessed Lady’s [seed syllable] is a radiant red hrīḥ surrounded by six swirling [syllables], with the symbols of fire, a lotus, a corpse, and the sun and moon upon it. The others are in the form of swirls. The body colors correspond to the directions. The directional goddesses are arranged counter-clockwise, and the intermediate goddesses are arranged clockwise; these are the forms of the second direction. The drawing should be done by the ācārya himself, or it is also permissible for a wisdom consort or a son who possesses the samaya. In all these applications, one should don the armor of non-conceptuality, as it is taught: "This is the self-arisen Blessed One; he alone is the supreme deity."
"This" refers to the maṇḍala of the bhaga. "Self-arisen" is the supreme vow of the bliss of Vajrayoginī; it is the appearance of that very [bliss] as a single taste. If one asks what that is, it is the Blessed One, the lord of the city of nirvāṇa, the saṃbhogakāya cakra. "Solely" refers to the mind; it indicates that there is nothing else. The appearance of that very [mind] as Vajrayoginī is the supreme deity. These [terms] teach the application of drawing [the maṇḍala] together with the armor of non-conceptuality. Furthermore, regarding the protection of the perfection of insight, because it cuts through all the māras of signs, the signs of the maṇḍala are unable to produce [obstacles]. If one asks why, it is because of the statement: "The ācārya possesses the excellent characteristics and knows that very reality of authentic wisdom." Thus, it becomes the fruit of the two accumulations. Then, preceded by the four applications and the purifications, one cleanses and protects, blesses the six locations, invites the maṇḍala of seed-syllables, and accumulates the merit. Then, having purified with the mantras of the three purities, the continuum of consciousness of the intermediate state of emptiness is the illusion-like absorption. From the complete transformation of the four elements arising in the bhaga as the protection wheel, the maṇḍala arises like that previously explained, beautified by the eight charnel grounds. From the five awakenings, Vajradhara arises, and through the melting of the amṛta of wisdom, upon a blazing fire, a corpse, a lotus, and the suppression of the sun and moon, the red syllable Hrīḥ gathers the blessings of the light rays.
Having gathered the heat, from the complete transformation of the two names, the body arises, possessing a youthful and perfect form. It abides in the dance of the half-lotus posture, with two faces representing the two truths. It is adorned with a crossed vajra and the five buddhas, holding a vajra, a curved knife, a bell, and a lotus. Naked, with hair loose and adorned with the five mudrās, it possesses the graceful expression of a khaṭvāṅga. It dwells, flourishing with the taste of bliss and a garland of dripping blood.
In that regard, having performed the blessing of the former Blessed Lady, the threefold blessing, the application of the armor of the six, the receiving of empowerment, the secret offering, the praise, and the stabilization, one should arrange the assembly of the directional and intermediate goddesses emanated in an instant, and practice as before. Then, having tasted the nectar, one should accomplish the vase with as many mantras as are required. Then, one should visualize the application of the accomplished substances with the five outer offerings, the offering of alcohol, the hand, the madya, and the sindūra.
Then, having entered by way of the definitive engagement, the disciple—who possesses the supreme characteristics—is led into the secret chamber. Wearing the attire of one who is naked and adorned with flowers, they grasp the feet of the guru and say: "Guru Vajradhara, you who possess the wheel of body, speech, and mind and the vow of supreme bliss, I pray that you grant the entry of all the Blessed Ladies, the Vajrayoginīs. I pray that you grant me your blessing."
"Please grant the wisdom of great bliss," it is said. Then, with the body straightened, one bows the crown of the head to the lotus of the [deity's] feet. By meditating on the stream of light rays from the big toe of the right foot pervading the seat of the wheel of bliss-wisdom, one is blessed, and the winds are stirred and consecrated. Therefore, the meaning is as follows: "The yogi himself is the supreme merit; the purifier that destroys negativity; through the recitation of secret mantra and through concentration, accomplishment is attained." Here, "yoga" means union. "Pa" means possessing. "Nyid" means the very maṇḍala itself is the application. "Supreme merit" is the offering of the substances of accomplishment. "Purifier" is the certain entry of the self. "Negativity" refers to the habitual tendencies of the disciple, which are destroyed by entering here. "Secret mantra" refers to all the yoginīs; "kyi" refers to the mantra of accomplishment. "Recitation" refers to the approach and the transference. If one asks, "Is it by that alone?" it is not so; it is through concentration. Nor is it by that alone; the word "also" implies that it is accomplished by being endowed with mantra. Then, having placed the disciple upon a new bhaga strewn with a carpet of flowers, one should view the maṇḍala with meditative absorption and perform as many offerings as possible. As it is said: "If one desires the supreme accomplishment, one should offer incense, perfumes, and so forth, as well as a hundred lamps." And: "With the most excellent breaths and with scented water, one should always [offer] according to the specific times."
One should make offerings to those of noble family. Then, having mentally placed the sindhūra maṇḍala upon the disciple, one should gather all the tathāgatas into the pores of the skin. Having drunk the empowerment of the essence of the three excellences, and through the application of the guru’s empowerment of the crown drop, and by entering the heart mantra from the heart mantra, and by the utterance of the musical instruments with sound, the mind enters into all phenomena as being like an echo. Vajrayoginī pervades as equal to space; contemplate it in that way. "The conceptualization of Vajravārāhī, free from all thought, has entered your heart," it is said. And: "O, through the echo-like speech of this Vajrayoginī maṇḍala, the resolve for awakening is generated in all beings; hold fast to those who possess good fortune. The illusory form of Vajrayoginī, when honored with the five sensory qualities, becomes the cause of accomplishment." Thus, having applied the drops to the five places, the four root channels of the limbs, and the four petals, they are blessed as the support. At the end of all, beautified by Hoḥ, Hūṃ, and Phaṭ, one performs the offering, the praise, the dissolution, and the recitation of the three purities. "Make offerings to the maṇḍala of Vajrayoginī at the specific time," it is said. Having spoken the praise of the samaya and made it firm: "O Vajra, you yourself are the maṇḍala of Vajrayoginī; with the mind of great bliss, conduct yourself throughout all families." Thus it is said.
You, O Vajra, are the one who dwells within the bhaga of the consorts of the body, speech, and mind of all the tathāgatas. Offer worship with the samaya of the ascetic discipline of wisdom, which is indestructible by both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. And: "There is no sin like the abandonment of desire; there is no sin in the three realms greater than that. Therefore, you must never be free from desire." By these words, one should engage in the play of all the gathered assemblies. O Vajra, you have become the nature of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. I, along with all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and vajrayoginīs, also grant you this prophecy. Son, you have obtained the empowerment of vajra-wisdom. The most supreme ones have gathered before you, and within each and every pore, countless buddhas reside. Emerging from that very place, they act for the benefit of all sentient beings. This supreme secret maṇḍala of the vajrayoginī herself—by seeing, touching, hearing, or even remembering it, one will be liberated from all sins. Of this there is no doubt. Through such a perfect application, the stages of entering the definitive meaning will be fully perfected. Therefore, its detailed analysis shall be explained: "The source, the mode of sound, and the definitive emergence are not the domain of those who practice the samaya. Abiding perfectly in the beginning, middle, and end, it is difficult to find within the three worlds." Thus it is taught; and as for that "source":
The bhaga is strewn with a carpet of fresh flowers. The manner of sound is like an echo; it is thoroughly worshipped with such a collection of offerings. "Nir" is the certainty, the non-deceptive wheel. The water is consecrated by the fluid that washes away conceptual thought; the crown is the union of the great powerful guru; the inseparable sign is placed within the heart-mantra of fire; the echo is the wind entering the objects; and because Vajravārāhī dwells in space, she is called "You Yourself." The samaya is that which is primarily for the benefit of others; it is the Vajra Master. The conduct is the samaya of body, speech, and mind, and it is the sphere of activity for those who have previously received the empowerments of the definitive family. The beginning is the activity of the master, as it is the beginning of the entry, the reliance, the yoga, the activity, and the supreme food. The middle is the subsequent protection, as it is the practice of the heart-mantra. The end is the ascetic discipline, which brings actions and accumulations to an end and has the characteristic of the unconditioned. The "perfect" refers to the five sensory qualities that transform into great bliss, which cause the innate mind to abide. The "three worlds" are the desire realm and so forth; "du" is the prophecy that they are all of that nature. It is difficult to find; the benefit of attaining it is the granting of relief and encouragement. Thus, one should please all the stages through worship.
OṂ OṂ OṂ SARVA-BUDDHA-ḌĀKINĪYE VAJRA-VARṆANĪYE VAJRA-VAIROCANĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ. The ḍākinīs and so forth are interspersed with the three syllables at the end of their respective names. Following that, one should offer praise with the eight-line mantra and stabilize its power. As it is said: "The entire wheel is the mantra; because it performs all mantra activities, the offerings, praises, and accomplishments are also distinguished by the mantra itself."
To state another application:
Glorious Blessed Lady, you who sport in bliss equal to space, the mistress of all beings, with the illusory form of enjoyment and the luster of passion—to the binding of the ḍākinī net, I prostrate.
To the utterly pure, unmoving, and unshakable dharmadhātu, the face that reveals the truth of the coemergent, who assumes the form of a causeless vajra emanation—at the dust of the feet of Vajravārāhī, I bow.
Mistress of the Victors, possessing the mudrās of the five, your pure body is beautified by the signs of Akṣobhya; endowed with the armor of the wheel-turning monarch of the six families—to the Mother of all wheels, I prostrate.
You yourself reveal the five pure aggregates and abide in the four brahmā abodes of the pure elements; with feet that subdue Māra through emanation, I always bow at the feet of Cakrasaṃvara.
By the power of the negative habitual tendencies accumulated from the beginning, the ripened results are newly stirred and increased.
Whatever misdeeds and afflictions exist, I confess them to you, the Cakra of the Blessed Lady. To the Hearers, Solitary Realizers, and Bodhisattvas of the past, future, and present, and to the Saṅgha of the four resultant tantras and the Cakrasaṃvara, I rejoice in all of them. Although you remain forever unchanging like the sky throughout the past and future, for the sake of liberating sentient beings from the ground of doubt, I pray that you do not pass into nirvāṇa but remain out of compassion. Remaining for as long as saṃsāra endures, look upon sentient beings—whether inferior, middling, or superior—with eyes of compassionate attachment, and please teach the Cakra of Supreme Bliss. I dedicate all the praised dharmas to the non-conceptual expanse of uncontaminated Great Bliss, the Cakra that transcends all conceptualization, the non-conceptual union of Āli and Kāli. Through the symbols of samaya and the play of blissful conduct in the twelve places, such as the fields and near-fields, may I be purified of obscurations as you regard me like a child, and may I abide on the ground of Supreme Bliss. Constantly bowing at the feet of the Guru and recollecting Vajrayoginī, may I enjoy the assembly of the Consort’s śukra, and may I worship and be worshipped at her lotus feet. May I become the very essence of those who behold the faces of the twenty-four heroic Blessed Ladies, and may I become like a precious jewel that sustains all beings who are destitute of happiness.
Thus, if one enters into the definitive purification of the yoginī-cakra, the accomplishment of the Blessed Lady Cakrasaṃvara will be swiftly attained. Therefore, the ācārya, having become well-composed and having performed a profound prostration, should then perform circumambulation in this sequence beginning from the left. One should prostrate to the maṇḍala and the guru according to the ritual. Then, one should offer to the gurus the gifts spoken of by the Tathāgatas: gold in the amount of hundreds of thousands, various kinds of jewels, a hundred pairs of cotton cloths, elephants, horses, or entire provinces, earrings, bracelets, excellent necklaces and rings, and golden yajñopavīta threads. One should also offer a fine wife and daughters, male and female servants, and sisters, saying: "From this day forward, I offer myself to you as a servant." With a mind of total devotion, the wise one should offer even their own self. The practitioner should certainly act with such resolve. Then, the ḍākinīs and the yoginīs will be pleased with him. The ḍākinīs, Lāmās, Khaṇḍarohās, and Rūpiṇīs, together with the ḍākinīs, will allow the practitioner to roam and act among all beings as he pleases; of this there is no doubt. When that yoga is accomplished, one will be unassailable in the three worlds, and will possess the powers of invisibility, entering caves, and traveling through the sky, as well as swift-footedness and the attainment of alchemy. The practitioner will achieve these simply by wishing for them.
It will be generated constantly and continuously. One will manifest many forms and travel through the sky. One will especially subdue the ḍākinīs and all wandering beings. Through the application of a mere glance, the union itself is generated in an instant. For a mantrin who desires the state of a yogin without having seen the maṇḍala, it is like striking the sky with a fist or drinking the water of a mirage. This yoga is the most supreme and the best of all applications. Whoever always desires this will proceed having overwhelmed the asuras. This maṇḍala is the empowerment taught as the accomplishment of all tantras. Laughter, gazing, holding hands, the two-by-two embrace, and so forth, are the best of all tantras. In that, the empowerment is conferred. Thus, one should perform the service in accordance with the tantra. One should demonstrate that which is endowed with the blessing of the definitive meaning. This concludes the Vajrayoginīparamasukhasaṃvara, the maṇḍala of the definitive meaning of the entrance. Composed by the Indian abbot Avadhūtipa Śrī Advayavajra. Translated into Tibetan by the yogin Prajñāśrījñānakīrti himself.