Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The Presentation of the Six Realities (Ṣaṭtattvavyavasthāna) is a ritual manual focused on the precise visualization and material requirements for Vajrayana practice. The text instructs the practitioner in the construction of a mandala, beginning with the placement of eight bodhisattvas in their respective directions and the centering of a primary deity. It details the symbolic correspondence between ritual implements—such as the bell and vase—and internal states or cosmic elements. Furthermore, the work prescribes the specific materials for rosaries based on the intended activity (pacifying or enriching) and provides instructions for the preparation and consumption of Amṛtaprabha nectar. By integrating the physical manipulation of substances and tools with complex mental visualizations of Mount Meru and the celestial realms, the text commits the reader to a rigorous system of ritual precision where material purity and mental focus are essential for achieving the intended spiritual efficacy.
Provenance
About this text
A treatise on the presentation of the six realities, the Ṣaṭtattvavyavasthāna belongs to the Other Wisdom Tantras. The work is attributed to the Indian author Smṛtijñānakīrti. It entered the Tibetan tradition through a translation by Smṛtijñānakīrti, and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཡ, where it extends over seven pages. Written in classical Tibetan as the de kho na nyid drug rnam par gzhag pa, the work enacts a system of ritual visualization and material preparation. It instructs the practitioner in the arrangement of a mandala, detailing the placement of eight bodhisattvas—including Padmapāṇi and Mañjuśrī—in their respective directions, while centering the five wisdoms. The text further establishes symbolic correspondences between ritual implements, such as the bell and vase, and internal states or cosmic elements, while prescribing the use of specific materials for rosaries and the preparation of Amṛtaprabha nectar. A scholar or serious reader consults this work today to examine the integration of physical substances and tools with complex mental visualizations of celestial realms and Mount Meru, reflecting a rigorous system of ritual practice.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Presentation of the Six Suchnesses” (Toh 1621), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1621
Summary & commentary
Significance
This work is significant as it illustrates the intersection of material culture and metaphysical visualization in Indo-Tibetan ritual practice. It provides insight into how specific substances and geometric arrangements are believed to influence the practitioner's state and the external environment.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-3
Mandala and Deity Visualization
Instructions on the placement of the eight bodhisattvas and the symbolic visualization of ritual implements within the mandala.
4-6
Ritual Implements and Materials
Guidelines on the materials for rosaries according to ritual activity and the distinctions of intention regarding celestial realms.
7-8
Nectar Preparation and Offering
Instructions for mixing and purifying Amṛtaprabha nectar and the protocols for its consumption and offering.
9
Cosmological Visualization
Visualization of Mount Meru and its relationship to the realms of saṃsāra and the desire realm.
Themes
Ritual Materiality (4-7)
Mandala Visualization (2-3, 9)
Ritual Purity and Samaya (5, 8)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Ṣaṭtattvavyavasthāna. In the language of Tibet: De kho na nyid drug rnam par gzhag pa (The Presentation of the Six Realities). Homage to the glorious Vajrasattva!
Bowing to the glorious pervasive lord, the embodiment of the five, and to the Wisdom Ḍākinī, I shall compose this "Six Realities" in accordance with the instructions of my guru. Although I have composed this with faith for the benefit of students of dull intellect, having extracted it from the noble Catuḥpīṭha secret tantra, I request the learned to examine it and grant their forbearance.
One should understand the six [realities] by adding: the vajra, the bell, the rosary, wisdom, the four [mudrās], the desire for nectar, and the two types of caityas.
First, regarding the vajra: having loosened the vajra-binding and extended both hands, perform five lotus-circling movements and place them upon the right and left knees. As for the meditation upon the two palms: generate a sun maṇḍala on the right and a moon maṇḍala on the left from the syllables MA and A. Upon these, place the vajra and bell, generating them from HŪṂ and A. Through the union of the vowels and consonants, one should realize and meditate upon the actual nature of method and wisdom.
Then, the pith instructions for meditating on the reality of the vajra are as follows: on the five prongs of the vajra above, one should associate the deities of the five families. At the central prong is Vairocana; at the eastern prong is Akṣobhya; at the southern prong is Ratnasambhava; at the western prong, place Amitābha; and at the north, meditate on Amoghasiddhi. Below that, upon an eight-petaled lotus...
One should know the eight bodhisattvas: Padmapāṇi, Maitreya, Gaganagañja, Samantabhadra, Vajrapāṇi, Mañjuśrī, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, and Kṣitigarbha. These eight deities are to be meditated upon in their respective directions. In the center, within the egg-like [mandala], one should meditate on the five wisdoms. On the four outer directions, one should meditate on the four [feminine deities] beginning with Aṅkuśī. Below that, on the eight-petaled lotus, one should meditate on the eight [feminine deities] beginning with Lāsyā; although these were not explicitly taught in the tantra as being hidden, they should be understood through the meaning of the pith instructions. Furthermore, the five tips at the bottom are the five Bhagavatī ḍākinīs: the central tip is Jñānaḍākinī. On the four outer directions, Vajraḍākinī is in the east; likewise, Caṇḍā is in the north; Vetālī is at the western tip; and Caṇḍālīḍākinī is in the south. One should meditate on that very vajra as the goddesses. Having thus realized and meditated upon the thirty-one [deities] as the vajra, one should take up this melody of the syllable HŪṂ and please all the Buddhas.
HŪṂ! Brandishing the beautiful vajra, I establish sentient beings in liberation. I shall hold the vajra essence, the meaning of the dharma of complete liberation. HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ HO HO HO! This cuts through saṃsāra; having dispelled the darkness of the afflictions, one will attain unsurpassed awakening and the light of wisdom. If one does not know the reality of that vajra, the accomplishment of awakening is far removed. If the vajra is not purified, [the accomplishment is far removed].
Śakra’s weapon is like a vajra. Then, that very bell is the essence of awakening abiding within the element of inner space. The abandonment of characteristics is the vase, the insight nectar. Above that, upon an eight-petaled lotus, from eight seed-syllables arise the eight goddesses: in the east is the goddess Tārā, and Pāṇḍaravāsinī in the north; in the west is Māmakī, and likewise Buddhalocanā in the south; Cundā is in the southeast, Vajraśṛṅkhalā in the northeast, Bhṛkuṭī in the northwest, and Ratnapradīpā in the southwest. In the center of those eight goddesses is Prajñāpāramitā, who possesses eyes like a full-blown lotus; meditate on her as complete in form and endowed with light. On the eight petals of the upper lotus, as before, are the eight [goddesses] such as Lāsyā. On the five prongs, meditate on the five ḍākinīs. On the central prong is wisdom, which causes all to gather and radiate.
The union with the twenty-two deities—this bell of complete purity—having recited these mantras, ring it three times in each of the eight directions: OṂ VAJRA GHAṆṬE RAṆITA PRARAṆITA SARVA BUDDHA PRACALITE PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ NĀDĀ SVABHĀVE HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ HO HO HO A SVĀHĀ. Having taken up this bell of the Dharma of insight, ring it for the sake of awakening sentient beings who are sinking in the mud of ignorance. If the application of that reality is inferior, it indicates that accomplishments are far off; for a yogin who lacks that reality, [the result is the same].
It is like an elephant ringing a bell. Then, one should understand the authentic ritual for that very rosary. Crystal, mother-of-pearl, pearl, and other white substances are taught as the specific materials for pacifying activities. Gold, silver, copper, and the heart of a lotus are for enriching activities. Pills smeared with fragrances such as saffron are mentioned for magnetizing activities. Rudrākṣa, long pepper, and human bone are taught for wrathful activities. For pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and wrathful activities, the bodhi-seed (bodhi-kyi-se) performs all functions. Its count is as follows: fifty for mantra accomplishment, twenty-five likewise for magnetizing, one hundred for pacifying, one hundred and eight for enriching, and sixty for wrathful activities. The string should be made of nine strands, and the central bead should be known to be double-layered. On the palm of the right hand, which is the sun, one should meditate on a red syllable ĀḤ. On the palm of the left hand, which is the moon, one should meditate on a red syllable HŪṂ. From those very seed syllables, one should generate: the right fingers as a five-pronged vajra and the left as a five-petaled lotus. Placing the rosary in the center, join the vajra and lotus in the hollow of the palms. Having meditated on the beads as Arhats, bless the string as the nine deities. The lower central bead is a caitya, and the upper one should be meditated upon as the dharmakāya. Having meditated upon that very rosary, bless it with this mantra: OṂ YATE YAMA HĀJÑĀNA SARVA BUDDHA MAHĀBHEVE TA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ HO HO HO A SVĀHĀ.
Thinking to perform circumambulations of the dharmakāya and the caityas, and even not to step upon the shadow of a caitya, one should turn [the rosary] back and count the beads. Regarding the counting of those rosaries, one should know the specific distinctions: for pacifying rites, the rosary is placed on the index finger; likewise, for enriching rites, on the middle finger; for magnetizing, it is explained to be on the ring finger; and for wrathful rites, one should know it is on the little finger. Thinking to summon whichever deity is to be accomplished, one should meditate on drawing them in with the thumb as a hook. Furthermore, the goddesses lead with the left hand, while the gods lead with the right. Thus, by means of a pure rosary, one accomplishes whatever siddhi is desired. A rosary lacking that [purity] is like a woman’s ornamental necklace. Then, that very wisdom should be correctly understood in this way: although all phenomena are a single wisdom, they abide with distinctions of long and short. Gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, the Great Kings, Pūrṇabhadra, mahoragas, kumbhāṇḍas, humans, non-humans, ḍākinīs, animals, pretas, and beings including those in the hells; the various forms of animals, the subtle, those holding eggs, and so forth—all those that are moving and even those that are unmoving, the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, the subtle, the primary, leaves, stones, clods of earth, peaks, and so on—all are the manifestation of wisdom. Furthermore, these are asserted to be of two types: those possessing mind and those lacking mind.
The distinction of possessing intention is as follows: the specific types of wisdom are these: the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Heaven Free from Strife, the Heaven of Joy, the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations, the Brahmakāyika, the Brahmapurohita, the Mahābrahmā, the Parīttābha, the Apramāṇābha, the Ābhāsvara, the Parīttaśubha, the Śubhakṛtsna, the Apramāṇaśubha, the Anabhraka, the Puṇyaprasava, the Bṛhatphala, the Avṛha, the Atapa, the Sudṛśa, the Sudarśana, and the Akaniṣṭha. These twenty-three classes of gods possess wisdom that is increasingly coarse and profound, each being twice as [profound] as the one before. Furthermore, from the Four Great Kings up to the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations, the wisdom of the five sensory desires becomes increasingly profound as one ascends. The wisdom of the asuras is wrathful; the wisdom of the pretas is defiled; the wisdom of animals is delusion; and the wisdom of those exhausted by the terrors of hell is ignorance. The five types of wisdom of the ignorant are: the foolish, the deaf, the mute, the childish, and the wise—these five should be known in their distinctions. Moreover, although not explicitly taught in the Root Tantra by the yakṣas and others, the yogi should understand the specific distinctions of the wisdom of the ultimate meaning. Any yogi who realizes such wisdom itself has been exhorted by the Buddhas throughout a thousand million lifetimes. If one does not know that very wisdom arising from the yogic scriptures, even if one knows external sciences, it is like the costume of a dancer.
Then, one should understand the instruction for that very Amṛtaprabha as follows: In a skull-cup, a mother-of-pearl shell, or the like, mix the five nectars. Fill it with the light of Amṛtaprabha and purify it with mantras and mudrās. Visualize a moon disk in the right hand and place the vessel upon it. With the left hand in the three-pronged mudrā, touch the vessel and recite this mantra: OṂ HA HO HRĪḤ SVĀHĀ. With HA, the color is removed; with HO, external impurities are cleared away; and with HRĪḤ, even the [adverse] powers are overcome. One should understand this sequence. Having thus cleared away the errors, meditate on the authentic application in this way: Form is Padmeśvara, and the urine is Vairocana in person. Taste is Vajreśvara; contemplate them as the essence of body, speech, and mind. Thereafter, by churning with the mudrā and mantra, it is accomplished as the light of nectar. On the palm of the left hand, meditate on a moon disk generated from the seed-syllable SUṂ. In its center, meditate on the nectar seed-syllable SUṂ. Joining the ring finger and thumb tips, place that mudrā in the center of the nectar and meditate on this sequence: Visualize the thumb generated from HŪṂ as the powerful earth. Visualize the ring finger generated from SUṂ as the four-sided Mount Meru. Meditating on SUṂ at the tip of the ring finger, recite the three heart mantras of nectar three or seven times to accomplish it. Visualizing saṃsāra as nectar, offer it individually to the deities, yoginīs, and ḍākinīs to please them.
Having placed drops of nectar on the tongue, the forehead, and the crown, one should also make offerings to the yidam deity; it is renowned that one should drink [the nectar] as a mere samaya. When the assembly of yogis is gathered, one should sing this melody and offer it to others: "Behold the sublime Dharma, which is beautiful! It is not right to entertain doubt regarding this. Brahmins, dogs, and outcasts—meditating on them as being of one nature, partake [of the nectar]. Other yogis who receive it should also know the melody and the mudrā: visualizing the right hand as a lotus seat, receive it with the trident mudrā of the left. To the Sugatas and the supreme Dharma, to this stainless state, to suchness which is liberated from subject and object, I prostrate." Having thus realized the pith instructions and relied upon the light of the nectar, one destroys the suffering of saṃsāra and achieves the elixir of liberation. If a yogi who lacks that very [realization] drinks for the sake of complexion, strength, and wealth, doing so through the door of craving is like the drink of ordinary beings. Then, that very caitya should also be correctly contemplated: like the internal space, meditate on all things as emptiness. Meditate on the inseparability of one's own mind and the syllable HŪṂ together with the seat. One should meditate on the three realms of the world as the site of the caitya. The twelve-sided base of the earth is the eight directions of the continents; the seven tiers to be visualized should be known as the seven golden mountains. The bell is the expanse, and the vase is—
One should meditate on Mount Meru, the abode of the gods. The base of the vase is the shape of the suffering of saṃsāra; the nāga king is Vāsuki. The rim has six tiers, which are designated as the six classes of gods of the desire realm. In the center, the life-tree is erected upward; meditate on the inexhaustible nature of phenomena, selflessness. Adorned with seventeen wheels, these are designated as the seventeen abodes of the form realm. The pinnacle of the Dharma shape is raised upward; know this as the four formless realms. Above that, in the shape of an egg, meditate on one’s own mind as the body [of the deity]. Visualizing that the Tathāgatas, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, one’s own ācārya, and yidam deities reside there, and having meditated on them as inseparable from one’s own mind, prostrate, and present offerings and praises, one will attain the unsurpassed state. Otherwise, if one prostrates after realizing [the deity] as an actual entity without having abandoned subject and object, one will not achieve liberation from saṃsāra; it is like the shrines of the gods of the non-Buddhists. This sequence of the six suchnesses, whether applied externally or internally, is without contradiction and bestows accomplishments, because it is taught for the common [purpose] of the Teacher. This was composed by Smṛtijñānakīrti in response to the request of a disciple. Whatever virtue has been gained by this, through that may all sentient beings become Buddhas. The Establishment of the Six Suchnesses, composed by the Indian preceptor Smṛtijñānakīrti, is complete. It was translated and finalized by that same paṇḍita.