Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The Brief Exposition of Empowerment, attributed to Śrī Nandivajra, provides a technical manual for the initiation rituals of a Vajrayana Buddhist system. The text outlines the precise material requirements for the maṇḍala, the ritual consecration of vessels, and the specific sequence of empowerments—including water, bell, and name empowerments—designed to transform the disciple's consciousness. It integrates divinatory practices, such as the casting of a tooth-stick, with complex visualizations of the five Buddha families and the aggregate of consciousness. The work commits the reader to a rigorous path of samaya vows and the adoption of vajra conduct, emphasizing the necessity of a guru's guidance to achieve coemergent joy. Ultimately, the text argues that the realization of non-dual, inconceivable great bliss is attained through the synthesis of ritual precision, ethical commitment to the lineage, and the meditative dissolution of the self into the nature of omniscient wisdom.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual manual detailing the procedures for empowerment, the Sekaprakriyā belongs to the tradition of the Guhyasamāja and Related Tantras. The work is attributed to the Indian author Nandivajra. It was translated into the Tibetan language by Dīpaṃkararakṣita and bod kyi lo tsa ba dge slong ba ri, and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume པི, where it spans twenty-two pages. Under the Tibetan title dbang gi rab tu byed pa, the work enacts the technical requirements of initiation, specifying the arrangement of ritual implements such as the blue lute of the gandharvas, the yellow-white conch, and various colored garments. It further details the consecration of vases through the recitation of mantras of chosen deities or Amṛtakuṇḍalī, alongside the preparation of offerings. A scholar or serious reader consults this classical Tibetan text today to examine the precise material and liturgical requirements necessary to explain the ritual of empowerment and to facilitate the realization of the innate joy of the Sage whose body is great bliss.
Sanskrit title
Sekaprakriyā
Indian author
Nandivajra
Tibetan translators
Dīpaṃkararakṣita, bod kyi lo tsa ba dge slong ba ri
This work is significant as it preserves the intersection of ritual technology, divination, and high-level meditative philosophy within the Indo-Tibetan tradition. For the modern reader, it illustrates the specific mechanisms by which empowerment is intended to shift a practitioner's ontological status from an ordinary being to a vajra-holder.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-8
Ritual Preparation and Divination
Instructions on arranging ritual objects, consecrating vases, and using tooth-stick divination to determine the potential for siddhi.
9-12
Preliminary Initiation and Vows
The process of preparing the disciple, the taking of oaths, and the symbolic use of the vajra and nectars.
13-19
The Sequence of Empowerments
Detailed procedures for the water, bell, and name empowerments, including the mapping of the five Buddha families and the assignment of vajra names.
20-22
Vajra Conduct and Samaya
Guidelines for adopting vajra conduct and the strict requirements for maintaining vows and the relationship with the guru.
23-31
Advanced Yoga and Coemergent Joy
Instruction on the yoga of bliss, the distinction between ripened and characteristic-less joy, and the final attainment of non-dual wisdom.
Themes
Ritual Precision and Materiality (2-3, 8-10)
The Five Buddha Families and Wisdoms (13-17)
Samaya and Ethical Commitment (20-22)
Non-dual Bliss and Coemergent Joy (23-30)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Abhiṣekaprakriyā. In the language of Tibet: dBang gi rab tu byed pa (The Treatise on Empowerment). Homage to the Blessed One, Vajrasattva.
Without beginning or end, eternally established, the Sage whose body is great bliss—to the Innate Joy, I prostrate, and shall clearly explain the ritual of empowerment.
In that regard, a yogi who has received empowerment and authorization exactly as prescribed, who is skilled in the three meditative absorptions, and who is proficient in the recitation of the vidyā-mantra, should carefully examine his own disciple. Desiring to take him under his care, he should, in a maṇḍala house or similar location free from all harms such as kings and thieves, draw a colored-powder maṇḍala or a painted-cloth maṇḍala according to the ritual, and worship it with the five types of offerings. At the time of evening, he should perform the preliminary consecration of the vases.
There should be nineteen, nine, five, or one vase, each adorned with its respective insignia. Among them: Akṣobhya’s is a blue five-pronged vajra; Vairocana’s is a white eight-spoked wheel; Ratnasambhava’s is a green jewel; Amitābha’s is a red lotus; Amoghasiddhi’s is a green sword; Locanā’s is two white eyes with black pupils; Māmakī’s is a blue five-pronged vajra; Pāṇḍaravāsinī’s is a red lotus; Tārā’s is a blue utpala flower; and for the Vajra goddesses of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and the dharmadhātu, there are white mirrors.
One should arrange, in sequence, a blue lute of the gandharvas, a yellow-white conch, a red vessel for the corpse, garments of various colors, and white sources of phenomena (dharmodaya). The vajra-hammers of Yamāntaka, Prajñāntaka, Padmāntaka, and Vighnāntaka are blue, white vajra-staffs, red lotuses, and blue vajras with opened petals, respectively. The vase for all activities is either Amṛtakuṇḍalin or Vajrasattva. Upon a multicolored lotus and moon maṇḍala, one should draw the symbols of Vairocana and the ten goddesses; for the others, they are upon sun maṇḍalas.
From among those, the Great Victorious Vase (vijayakalaśa) should be very large, free from stains or impurities, with a hanging belly and a long neck. Having well-drawn its symbols, its neck is wrapped with two fine cloths and adorned with mango branches and the like. It is filled with the five precious gems—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, pearl, and coral—and the five grains—barley, wheat, rice, sesame, and mung beans. It is also filled with the five medicinal herbs—vr̥hatī, kaṇṭakārī, white vijayā, white daṇḍotpala, and hasadevā—and the five types of jewels, five types of grains, and five types of medicines placed within its belly. It should be completely filled with fragrant water.
Having meditated upon the maṇḍala wheel above it and offered the argha, foot-washing water, and so forth, one should mentally dissolve the wisdom nectar into the form of the melted [deities].
Following that, one should place a vajra adorned with a garland of flowers upon [the vase] and consecrate it by reciting the mantra of one’s own chosen deity one hundred and eight times, or the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī. The other vases should also be consecrated as appropriate with the mantras of the maṇḍala deities. Having made perfect offerings of flowers, incense, and so forth, and having presented the torma, one should offer praise as follows:
Homage and praise to the Vajra Expanse,
Akṣobhya Vajra, great wisdom,
Great sage of the Vajra Expanse,
Supreme of the three vajras, the three maṇḍalas.
Homage and praise to the Teacher, Vajra,
Vairocana, the great joy,
Vajra peace, great bliss,
The supreme state of natural luminosity.
Homage and praise to the Vajra Body,
Ratnarāja, the most profound,
Vajra space, stainless,
Pure by nature and unsullied.
Homage and praise to the Vajra Speech,
Amitāyus, the great king,
Non-conceptual space, the Vajra Holder,
Who has attained the perfection of passion.
Homage and praise to Vajrasattva,
Amoghasiddhi, the perfect Buddha,
Who completely fulfills all intentions,
Pure by nature and perfectly transformed.
Having recited these words, one should ring the bell. This is the ritual for the consecration of the vases.
After that, the disciples who have prepared the maṇḍala should hold flower garlands, place their right knees on the ground, and for those who are suitable vessels for the mantra, the following should be proclaimed:
"Some seek the accomplishment of secret mantra..."
One should enter this maṇḍala. Those who desire merit [should enter] for that purpose; others seek the supreme worldly [attainment]. Those who seek the supreme worldly [attainment] and possess great faith should enter the maṇḍala with a wise mind; they should not desire the fruits of this life. For those who desire the fruits of this life, the next world will not be attained. By seeking the next world, the fruits of this world will flourish.
Having mentally dissolved those disciples into one's own body, having emitted them through the vajra path, and having visualized them abiding in the lotus of the consort of one's own light, one should confer empowerment in the essence of the melting of all the tathāgatas and place them at the eastern gate of the maṇḍala. Then, for the purpose of entry, one should make this supplication:
"You are the Teacher, the Great Glorious One.
I seek the Great Protector, who is in union with Māmakī.
Grant me the reality of the samaya,
Which demonstrates the way of great awakening.
Grant me also the bodhicitta.
Grant me the Three Refuges:
The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha.
O Protector, I pray that you lead me
Into the supreme city of great liberation."
Thus it is said. Then, taking one disciple as the principal, [the master says]:
"Come here, my son! I shall correctly explain to you
The way of the mantra conduct, the ritual of the Mahāyāna.
You are a vessel for the great way.
The Buddhas who appear in the three times,
Possessing the vajra of body, speech, and mind,
Have perfectly attained incomparable wisdom
Through the power of the vajra mantra.
The application of secret mantra is incomparable."
"By the Protector Śākyasiṃha and others, even the most formidable and powerful hosts of Māra were conquered. Having realized the world in accordance with its nature, he turned the wheel of Dharma and passed into nirvāṇa. Therefore, in order to attain omniscience, my child, apply your intelligence to this!" Having spoken thus, one should recite the refuge formula three times: "I take refuge in the Three Jewels; I individually confess all misdeeds; I rejoice in all merit; I mentally embrace the awakening of the Buddhas." Then, for those disciples, one should perform the protection with the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī: OṂ ĀḤ VIGHNĀNTAKṚT HŪṂ. One should visualize a vajra, a lotus, and a wheel resting upon moons at the hearts, throats, and crowns of the disciples, with the syllables HŪṂ, ĀḤ, and OṂ at their centers. The master also stands up and, holding a vajra in his right fist, touches the vajra to the hearts, throats, and crowns of the disciples while reciting HŪṂ ĀḤ OṂ. The flower is placed on the crown; the incense and lamp are in front; likewise, the perfume should be offered at the heart. Then, one should give to the disciples tooth-sticks that have been consecrated with the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī—unsplit, unblemished, twelve finger-widths in length, such as those from the Aśvattha tree, with their tips wrapped in a garland of flowers. They should then hold them while facing either the east or the north.
One should cast [the tooth-stick] upon ground smeared with a layer of hide. Regarding that, the activities of pacification and so forth are to be taught: "Whatever [direction] one first faces [when it falls], that should be known as the supreme siddhi. Likewise, if the tip faces east, it is renowned as the middling siddhi. Likewise, by facing north, one desires the worldly siddhi of animals. If it is directed toward the south, it will then become extremely dark. By facing toward the west, one should then know it to be the subtle siddhi. Then, from the casting of the tooth-stick, if it falls facing downward, that will become the siddhi of the subterranean; of this there is no doubt."
Then the master should cause them to rinse their mouths by giving them three handfuls of water, rinsing with the mantra: Oṃ hrīḥ viśuddhaḥ sarvadharma pāpaṃ niśchaya saṃśodhaya sarvavikalpān apanaya hūṃ. Having seated them again, he should empower kusha grass with the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī and give it to them as a seat and a pillow. Having empowered a triple-stranded thread with that same mantra and made three knots, he should tie it on the right arm of the disciples for the sake of protection. Then, he should inspire them by explaining the Dharma:
"In the world, the Omniscient Ones are like the udumbara flower; they appear only once in a great while, or perhaps not at all. The way of practicing the Secret Mantra is even rarer than that, for it accomplishes the incomparable benefit of sentient beings."
"One is able to prevent passing into nirvāṇa. Whatever sins have been committed over many tens of millions of eons, they will all be purified upon seeing a maṇḍala such as this. What need is there to mention those who abide in the way of mantra practice with infinite renown? Those whose intellects are utterly unshakable regarding this supreme conduct—today I have completely severed the stream of the lower realms and the origin of all suffering. O great beings, you have today obtained an incomparable gain. For you are all being fully embraced by this teaching of all the great beings, the Victors and their Sons. Therefore, you will be born into the Mahāyāna tomorrow. This supreme path, which brings forth the great Mahāyāna, is glorious. By going there, you will become Tathāgatas."
Having thus explained and proclaimed the Dharma, they should be perfectly protected with the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī and made to take the specific vows. [The disciple should say:] "O Protector, grant me the empowerment of the irreversible wheel. Teach me the reality of the deities of the maṇḍala, the activities of the preceptor, the samayas of the Buddhas, and the unsurpassed secret vow. For the sake of benefiting sentient beings, I shall always become a preceptor."
Having said this, the disciples should be made to sleep on beds of kuśa grass, and told: "Tell me what you see in your dreams."
This is the ritual for the preliminary consecration of the disciples. Furthermore, the master, having entered the maṇḍala house, should recite the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī for the sake of protection. Having also offered the torma, he should emerge early in the morning and call the disciples, asking whether their dreams were auspicious or inauspicious. If the dreams are inauspicious, they should be protected by the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī: OṂ ĀḤ VIGHNĀNTAKṚT HŪṂ.
Then, having made extensive offerings to the maṇḍala, such as the painted image, and having preceded the rite with the yoga of one’s own deity, one should enter by means of the ritual for the entry of the disciples. Then, as will be described below, one should mentally receive the empowerments up to the permission empowerment from the Blessed One, the Principal Deity.
Then, for the purpose of admitting the disciples, one should request the blessing of truth:
"Phenomena are like reflections,
Pure, luminous, and unclouded.
Ingraspable and inexpressible,
Arising entirely from causes and karma.
Born definitively from suchness—
By this truth, may the disciples
See the maṇḍala within,
Like a reflection, clear and stainless."
Having thus requested the blessing of truth, the disciples who have offered their fees outside the curtain are to be made into suitable vessels for empowerment. Visualizing them in the form of Vairocana, [the master recites]: Ā KHAṂ VĪRA HŪṂ.
With the mantra so stated, the disciple should be made to hold a flower garland, have their face covered with a blindfold, be sprinkled with water from the vase, and be questioned for the purpose of entering the maṇḍala: "O, in what do you take delight?" The disciple should reply, "I am fortunate to take delight in great bliss."
Placing the vajra at the disciple's heart, one should generate the bodhicitta and recite: "Oṃ sarvayogacittam utpādayāmi | suratena samayas tvam hoḥ siddhi vajra yathā sukhaṃ." Then it should be said: "Today you will be blessed by all the tathāgatas. You must not speak of this supreme secret of all the tathāgatas to those who have not entered the maṇḍala, nor should you show it to those who lack faith."
Summoning them with "Hūṃ jaḥ hūṃ," they are led inside the curtain and placed correctly at the eastern gate of the maṇḍala. Then this should be said: "Today you have entered the family of all the tathāgatas. Therefore, I shall generate the vajra-wisdom within you. If you obtain even the siddhis of all the tathāgatas through this wisdom, what need is there to mention other siddhis? Do not speak of this in the presence of those who have not seen the maṇḍala, lest your samaya be impaired."
Again, placing the vajra on the disciple's crown, one should say: "This is the samaya-vajra. If you speak of this to anyone, your head shall split apart."
Placing the vajra together with a flower at the heart, one should say:
Oṃ, Vajrasattva, today you
Have truly entered into my heart.
If you speak of this way,
It will immediately tear [your heart] and depart.
Having sworn this oath, the five nectars (amṛta) contained in a lotus vessel are consecrated with the three syllables. Reciting "Oṃ vajrāmṛtodaya hūṃ ṭhaḥ" seven times, one should say:
"This is your hell-water.
If you transgress the samaya, it will burn you.
If you guard the samaya, it bestows siddhi.
Drink this vajra-nectar water!"
Then, one should say: "From this day forward, I am your Vajrapāṇi. Whatever I command you to do, you must do. Do not treat me with contempt. If you do not abandon [this path], you will die and fall into hell." Thus, the samaya-water is given.
Then, the disciple should be made to say: "May all the Tathāgatas grant their blessings, and I pray that Vajrasattva descend into me."
Then, at the disciple's heart, a yellow laṃ transforms into a square maṇḍala of the Great Powerful One (Mahendra) marked by a three-pronged vajra, in which the syllable hūṃ resides. At the crown of the head, a white, circular maṇḍala of water marked by a vase born from the syllable vaṃ resides, in which the syllable haḥ is situated.
At the throat, from the syllable yaṃ, there arises a wind maṇḍala in the shape of a bow, marked by two moving banners and colored like smoke, upon which the syllable āḥ resides. At the soles of the feet, one should meditate on a triangular fire maṇḍala, blazing with radiating light and upon which the syllable jhaiṃḥ resides, together with its rays of light. Then, while ringing the bell with pride, one should recite: āveśaya stambhaya ra ra ra ra calaya hūṃ haḥ aḥ jhaiṃḥ. Having visualized a red syllable āḥ on the tongue, one should meditate on it in the form of Amitābha. Once it has descended, one says: "Child, speak of your virtues and non-virtues." Once the student is able to speak, one should stabilize them by reciting: oṃ tiṣṭha vajra. Then, having asked, "What appears and what do you see in your eyes?" the student will respond. If they see white, yellow, red, or black, one should declare that they are a vessel for the siddhis of pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, or wrathful activities, and then recite the blessing of truth: "Just as in this perfect maṇḍala, may the merit of my entering the disciple be likewise. Just as is the sequence of the families of the deities, and just as is the sequence of the siddhis, may the disciple be a vessel for whichever family they belong to, and by the power of their merit, may it be so in this maṇḍala." Then, with the mantra pratīccha vajra hoḥ, the flower garland should be cast into the maṇḍala. Then, according to where the flower falls, one should indicate the inferior, middling, or supreme siddhi.
In that regard, if it falls upon the forehead at the crown of the Buddhas' heads, one attains the siddhi of Mahāmudrā. If it falls upon the eyes or the face, it is the siddhi of Mantra. If it falls upon the supreme limb, it is supreme. If it falls upon a middling limb, it is middling. If it falls upon the lower part, it is inferior. If it falls at a great distance from the form, it is a minor [siddhi]. If it is close, the siddhi is quickly accomplished. One should understand this by examining the respective positions of the deities within their own squares. If it falls between two deities, then it belongs to the family of whichever deity the flower falls closer to. If it falls outside the maṇḍala, it is a minor siddhi. If it falls outside the boundary of the maṇḍala, then it should be cast again. If, after doing this three times, it falls in that very same spot, there is no siddhi. If it falls outside the outer vajra fence, there is no siddhi. If it falls inside, it is said to be extremely difficult; this is the ritual for casting the flower.
Then, taking that flower garland again, it should be tied upon the crown of the disciple's head while reciting: pratigṛhṇasva mamātmānaṃ mahābala. Having visualized the syllable Oṃ on both eyes, one should recite: "Vajrasattva now strives to open your eyes; he opens all eyes, the unsurpassed vajra eye." Having said this, the face covering should be removed. Then, the maṇḍala should be shown.
In the center is the aggregate of consciousness, Akṣobhya; in the directions of the east and so forth are Form, Vairocana; Feeling, Ratnasambhava; Perception, Amitābha; and Formative Factors, Amoghasiddhi. In the intermediate directions of fire and so forth are the earth element, Locanā; the water element, Māmakī; the fire element, Pāṇḍaravāsinī; and the wind element, Tārā. In the four intermediate directions of the outer maṇḍala, starting from fire, and in the intermediate directions of the eastern gate and so forth, are Rūpavajrā, Śabdavajrā, Gandhavajrā, Rasavajrā, Sparśavajrā, and Dharmadhātuvajrā. Yamāntaka, Padmāntaka, Prajñāntaka, and Vighnāntaka reside in the gates of the east and so forth; this is the ritual for entering the maṇḍala.
Now, the ritual for conferring empowerment will be described. With the supplication: "Just as the great offering was bestowed upon the Buddhas, the Vajras of Awakening, so for the sake of my liberation, I pray to you, the Vajra of Space, today," the disciple, visualized in the form of Akṣobhya, should be addressed. Then: "With the water of the self-arisen person, and with the ornaments of the vases, having visualized the Vajra-holder conferring empowerment, one should meditate intensely on the Vajra Mind." Taking the water with a fist joined with a vajra: "This is the great empowerment, honored by the three realms, arisen from the three secrets."
"All Buddhas shall bestow [it]. Oṃ vajrābhiṣiñcāmi tvām." Having spoken thus, the disciple should be empowered like a universal monarch. This is the ritual for the water empowerment, the mirror-like wisdom.
Then, according to the sequence explained above, a crown made of gold, cloth, or the like, through the application of Ratnasambhava, should be placed upon the disciple's head: "Oṃ sarvabuddhacūḍāmaṇi mahāmaṇḍala pratīccha vajra hoḥ." One should visualize all the Tathāgatas belonging to the realm of space abiding as the crown upon the head of the Lord of the Family. This is the ritual for the crown empowerment, the wisdom of equality.
Then, placing a great five-pronged vajra at the heart: "The disciple is like Lokeśvara; he is empowered as Vajrasattva. The vajra empowerment of all Buddhas is bestowed upon you today. This is the vajra of all Buddhas; take it for the sake of accomplishment." Having spoken thus, and having touched the vajra to the heart and other places, the vajra should be given into the right hand. This is the ritual for the vajra empowerment, the wisdom of individual discernment.
Then, visualizing [the disciple] in the form of Amoghasiddhi, the bell is given with the left hand. The disciple, with both hands holding the vajra and bell, should assume the posture of embracing.
Oṃ vajrādhipati tvām abhiṣiñcāmi tiṣṭha vajra mahāsamayas tvam. This is the ritual for the bell empowerment, which is the wisdom of all-accomplishing action. Then, visualizing oneself in the form of Vairocana, the name empowerment should be conferred. Placing the vajra and bell upon the head, one says: Oṃ vajrasattva tvām abhiṣiñcāmi vajranāmābhiṣekataḥ. One should give a name according to the nature of the respective family, such as: "O Glorious Hatred Vajra," "O Glorious Delusion Vajra," "O Glorious Pride Vajra," "O Glorious Attachment Vajra," or "O Glorious Jealousy Vajra."
Akṣobhya is called Hevajra, Saṃbhogavajra, Ānandavajra, Līlavajra, Vilāsavajra, Svayambhūvajra, Dveṣavajra, Hevajra, Karuṇābalavajra, and Cittavajra. Vairocana is called Vairocanavajra, Mohavajra, Oṃkāravajra, Śāśvatavajra, Tathāgatavajra, Māyāvajra, Buddhavajra, and Kāyavajra. Ratnasambhava is taught as Ratnavajra, Cintāmaṇivajra, Khavajra, Ākāśavajra, Māvajra, Sūryavajra, Prabhākaravajra, and Mānavajra, and so forth.
For Amitābha, they are called: Rāgavajrā, Avalokiteśvaravajrā, Dharmavajrā, Padmavajrā, Prajñāṅkuravajrā, Sukhāṅkuravajrā, Karuṇāṅkuravajrā, Padmāṅkuravajrā, Paramānandavajrā, Ratisukhavajrā, and Vāgvajrā. For Amoghasiddhi, they are called: Amoghasiddhivajrā, Vajravāhana, Samayavajrā, Pāramitāvajrā, Mārgavajrā, and Īrṣyāvajrā. For Vajrasattva, they are renowned as: Paramādivajrā, Asamavajrā, Rativajrā, Samayavajrā, Vijayavajrā, Mahāsukhavajrā, Akṣobhyavajrā, Sattvavajrā, Anaṅgavajrā, Jñānavajrā, and Sahajavajrā. For the women associated with Akṣobhya, they are called: Nairātmyavajrā, Vajrapāṇī, Vajramālā, Dhātuvajrā, and Vajramāmakī. For Vairocana, they are called: Vajralocanā, Vajraḍākinī, Vajragaurī, Vajralāsyā, and Vajrāliṅganā. For Ratnasambhava, they are called: Vajratārā, Vajrasāntā, Vajrajvālā, and so forth.
She is called Vajramālā. Amitābha is called Rāgavajrī, Vajragītā, Vismayasukhavajrī, Vajravetālī, Vajrabuddhī, Vajrahāsā, Padmavajrī, and Vajrapāṇḍarā. Amoghasiddhi is called Vajragarbhā, Vajramāyā, Vajramudgarā, and Vajratārā. Vajrasattva is called Vajralāsyā, Vajratūrṇā, Vajrakāminī, Vajrakāṅkṣā, Vajraphenā, Vajrodgatā, and Vajramāmakī. This is the ritual of the name empowerment, which is the wisdom of the utterly pure dharmadhātu. Through these empowerments, one is authorized to listen to and explain the mantras and tantras, and to practice the mantras. These five empowerments are called the "empowerments of knowledge" (vidyā-abhiṣeka), because in every respect the activities of the knowledge-consorts (vidyā), such as Locanā and the others, are engaged. Then, the disciple, adorned with all ornaments and having made the supplication: "O Vajra Master, through your kindness, bestow upon me the empowerment of the Vajra Master, by which I may be able to accomplish the welfare of myself and others, O treasury of compassion," should be led forth. Holding a parasol, a victory banner, and a canopy, he is placed upon a lion throne at the eastern gate, atop an eight-petaled multicolored lotus.
Visualizing oneself in the form of Vajrasattva, one should meditate on a vajra arising from the syllable HŪṂ. Then, with the words: "The being without beginning or end, Vajrasattva, the Great Bliss, Samantabhadra, the self of all, the Lord of the Mistress Vajragarvā, the Supreme Primordial Person, the Blessed One," one should cause the student to grasp the vajra.
Then, with the bell arising from the syllable A, one should give it into the left hand with the words: "This is explained as the melody of insight of all the Buddhas; you too must always hold it, for the Victors desire it for supreme enlightenment."
Furthermore, the student should ring it with the words: "Existence is pure by its very nature; by its very nature, existence is made. The supreme being, pure by nature, will make existence supreme."
Then, the samaya of the mudrā should be proclaimed: "Because the body is shown by the mind, that by which all is shown as the body is renowned as the mudrā." With this, one should bless oneself as the Great Mudrā in the form of one's chosen deity and embrace her.
Then, the preceptor should visualize the assembly of deities arising from the seed-syllable at his own heart, abiding in the sky, and bestowing empowerment. He should confer the empowerment with the verse: "The empowerment is the great vajra, to which all the three realms prostrate; arising from the three secrets, it is bestowed by all the Buddhas," and with the verses for the empowerment of non-retrogression.
OṂ SUPRATIṢṬHA TVA VAJRE.
Having spoken thus, one should visualize that Akṣobhya seals the feet of the melted [deity]. As it is said:
"Embracing with both hands a wisdom consort who has reached sixteen years,
By joining the vajra and bell in union,
This is held to be the master initiation."
Then, one should explain the reality of the concise maṇḍala and the purity of the maṇḍala:
"The maṇḍala is described as the lotus itself;
The supreme wheel is the mind.
The celestial palace is called 'wisdom,'
The lofty celestial palace of the mind.
In brief, the five aggregates
Are renowned as the five buddhas," and so forth.
Then, having visualized the disciples in the forms of Vairocana and the others, the authorization should be granted:
"For the benefit of all sentient beings,
Throughout all the world systems,
By means of various ways of taming,
Turn the wheel of Dharma."
In place of the word "Dharma," one should insert "vajra," "jewel," "lotus," or "activity," and then grant the authorization sequentially with these five verses.
Then, having visualized [the disciple] in the form of Akṣobhya, the vajra vow should be granted:
"This is the vajra held in the hand
Of all the buddhas and Vajrasattva.
You too must always hold it;
Firm is the vow of Vajrapāṇi."
With these words, one should grant the vajra born from the syllable HŪṂ. Then, one should recite:
OṂ SARVA-TATHĀGATA-SIDDHI-VAJRA-SAMAYA TIṢṬHA EṢA TVAM DHĀRAYĀMI HI HI HI HI HI HŪṂ.
Regarding the phrase "the disciple is to be made to adopt the vajra conduct," this refers to the bestowal of the vajra conduct. Then, having meditated upon oneself in the form of a buddha, one should hold the corner of the dharma robe at the heart with the left fist. With the right hand, in the mudrā of supreme generosity, one should visualize one's disciple in the form of whichever buddha family they belong to. One should then grant the prophecy with the following:
Oṃ eṣo 'haṃ tvāṃ vyākaromi | vajrasattva tathāgata | bhava durgatito dhṛtyā | atyanta-bhava-śuddhāya | O [Name], Vajra Tathāgata, siddhya samaya sthābhu bhūva svāḥ.
By means of this mudrā that arises in this way, all the Tathāgatas and all the Bodhisattvas of the maṇḍala circle will, with one voice, grant the prophecy of unsurpassed, perfectly complete enlightenment to whoever has been prophesied. One should say to the disciple, "You should have faith because of the power of this mudrā that arises and the very strength of this mantra." This is the prophecy.
Then, having recited "Oṃ mahāsamaya hana hūṃ phaṭ," one should grant the encouragement:
"By seeing and entering this supreme, secret, and holy maṇḍala,
You are certainly liberated from all misdeeds.
Today you are well-established;
In this vehicle of great bliss,
Henceforth there is no death.
You have transcended the suffering of existence,
Because existence is utterly pure.
For whoever is born,
There is no realization of buddhahood itself [without this]."
The vajra and the mudrā, and the bodhicitta, must not be abandoned. The sublime Dharma must not be forsaken, nor should it ever be cast aside. If one has acted out of ignorance or delusion, one must confess it. The mudrās of the vajra and the bell must never be abandoned. The master must not be disparaged, for he is equal to all the buddhas. One must not forsake one’s own self, nor should one be tormented by asceticism. One should maintain bliss through bliss; this is the future perfect buddha. Today, you shall become a master of the maṇḍala, and a holder of the mantras and tantras. The buddhas, bodhisattvas, and gods also desire this in harmony. For the sake of gathering sentient beings, you must diligently draw the maṇḍala according to the ritual. Apply the practitioners to the tantras. This is the granting of encouragement. These four, beginning with the authorization, are to be bestowed either following the five types of knowledge empowerments or following the master empowerment. The master empowerment itself is called the "empowerment of non-retrogression." The five empowerments and the master empowerment are called the "vase empowerment," because the activity of the vase is applied to all of them. These six empowerments are not in contradiction with any of the tantras. The so-called "vajra master empowerment" is the complete purification of the body. Following that, in a secluded place, having set up a curtain and so forth, [one should visualize] a form pleasing to one’s own mind...
Having offered the disciple—who is a vessel endowed with the samaya and vows and adorned with youth—to the guru for the sake of the secret empowerment, one should offer a supplication at the time of liberation:
"Just as Bodhivajra bestowed the great offering upon the Buddhas,
So, for the sake of my own liberation,
Grant me the Vajra of Space."
The guru, having actualized the three samādhis, should recognize it for himself and emanate it into the expanse of space. Then, taking it from the lotus of the wisdom consort, he should bind the faces of both the wisdom consort and the method [the disciple]. With the thumb and ring finger, he should place it into the disciple’s mouth. The disciple, reciting "Aho Sukhaṃ," should partake of it, thereby becoming the very nature of Vairocana.
Regarding the instruction that "he should also rise and give it in this very manner," this is the ritual of the secret empowerment which purifies the vajra of speech.
Then, whether the same mudrā is desired or a different mudrā is desired, for the sake of the disciple realizing the dharmakāya—which is to be personally experienced—the guru places his hand upon the disciple’s hand. Having made all the Tathāgatas witnesses and placing the vajra upon the crown of the head, the Vajra Guru should say:
"This is the supreme object to be held by you,
Stable, as determined by the Buddhas."
"Through the application of the successive wheels, experience the perfect bliss. By no other means can the state of Buddhahood be attained, even for the three worlds. Therefore, do not be separated from this, and you must never abandon it. This is the unsurpassed conduct of the consort of all the Buddhas. Any fool who transgresses this shall not attain the supreme siddhi." Having spoken thus, she should be given.
She, in turn, should anoint herself with saffron and sandalwood, adorn herself with garlands of fragrant flowers, and without clothing, clearly display her own lotus. She should then say: "Son, do you also desire this? Will you eat feces, urine, and so forth? Likewise, meat, blood, and semen? Furthermore, will you honor women and kiss the bhaga (lotus)? Son, speak! Is it to your liking?"
He should reply: "Goddess, why should I not desire it? I shall eat blood, semen, and so forth, and I shall always honor women. I shall also kiss the bhaga."
Then, looking on with joy and delight, gazing at her as if she were her own beloved, she sits in a squatting posture and clearly reveals her own lotus. She should say: "Aho! This lotus of mine is blessed by all the Buddhas. Whoever relies upon it according to the ritual, I abide before them. Perform the purpose of the lotus, such as pleasing the perfect Buddhas. I myself am the King of Great Bliss."
One should say: "Bhañja mokṣa hoḥ!" One should then cause that [consort], who is the nature of the yoga of one's own respective tutelary deity, to be endowed with the assembly of the five families by means of "Oṃ āḥ hūṃ svā hā" at her crown, heart, navel, secret place, and both thighs in successive order. Then, from the syllable HŪṂ, there is a lotus and a vajra. From the two syllables ĀḤ and OṂ, there is a pericarp and a jewel. Having placed a yellow PHAṬ at the opening, one should slightly stimulate with the fingers the channel of Vajradhātvīśvarī located in the left part. Once the external guru has understood this, he should say: "Oṃ sarvatathāgatānurāgaṇavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ," and then begin the joy. Having inserted the vajra into the lotus, one must not emit the bodhicitta. Having stirred that joy, one should meditate on the mind as being full. As long as the yogi does not emit the bodhicitta, he will obtain an uninterrupted stream of that [joy]. What need is there to mention the bliss of joy? If the bodhicitta, which is the treasury of all accomplishments, should fall, how could there be the supreme accomplishment? Joining the space-element and the vajra, if a wondrous bliss should arise through that contact, it is the creator of supreme joy. In the midst of the joy of "separation from joy," point it out, look at it, and demonstrate it. When the vajra-jewel is pressed against the space of the lotus, one should look into the interior of the jewel with the mind in the vajra posture.
That wisdom which has been born, that wisdom is extremely disciplined in form. It is neither passion nor the absence of passion; it is not even perceived in the middle. Through whatever yoga one sees wisdom, one abides in bliss and does not arise. For a session, or a single day, a month, a fortnight, a year, an eon, or even a hundred thousand eons, one will abide in the application of wisdom. When the disciple sees the meditative absorption, the four—delusion, joy, and so forth—which have emerged from the guru’s heart, should be inserted into the disciple’s heart. Once the disciple has grasped and realized them, they should be projected into the interior of the lotus. Then, with the tongue, that mind should be taken up, preceded by awakening. This is the ritual for the wisdom-gnosis empowerment.
Next, regarding that very wisdom-gnosis empowerment of accomplishment received through the ritual as it was taught, the precious fourth empowerment, which is the result, shall be described; otherwise, there is the fear of violating the samaya. As it is said in the Tantra: "If a yogi who has not received empowerment desires to be a yogi, it is like striking the sky with a fist or drinking the water of a mirage." Therefore, the empowerment should be bestowed through the ritual as it was taught. Having thoroughly observed the disciple’s inclination, if they have superior devotion to the profound and vast way, the precious empowerment should be bestowed through words; it is not for others. If one asks, "How is it known whether they have superior devotion to the vast or not?" it is said in response:
From smoke, fire is known; from a crane, water is known. From the signs, the lineage of the wise Bodhisattva is known. With a face of great joy like a lotus in full bloom and the hair of the body standing on end, when the wise one sees these very signs, he should accept the sublime disciple. As the Blessed One has said: "In this tantra, the empowerments are renowned as being of three types: the master, the secret, and the wisdom; the fourth is likewise." Furthermore: "Laughing, gazing, holding hands, and the union of the two embracing; joy, supreme joy, the joy of separation, and likewise the coemergent; the variegated, the ripened, the refined, and the characteristic-free—all these are to be understood as arising from the gathering of the branches of wisdom in the sequence following the empowerments." It is also said: "That which is the excellent form of the syllable E, adorned in the center by the syllable Vaṃ, is the abode of all bliss, the jewel casket of the Buddhas." Regarding that: "Purity through laughing is the master; likewise, gazing is the secret; holding hands is the wisdom-gnosis; and the fourth is the union of the two. Joy is slight bliss; supreme joy is bliss exceeding that; the joy of separation is the absence of passion; the remainder is coemergent joy. The first is the desire to touch; the second is the desire for bliss; the third is for the sake of being free from passion; therefore, one should meditate on the fourth. The first joy is the variegated; supreme joy is the ripened; the joy of separation is the joy of the variegated."
Innate joy is devoid of characteristics; it is described as the manifold and the manifold itself, such as kissing, embracing, and so forth. The "ripened" is the reverse of that: the tasting of the wisdom of bliss. The "ripened" is conceptualization, thinking, "I am experiencing bliss." "Devoid of characteristics" is other than the three; it is the abandonment of both passion and the absence of passion. Thus it is said. Regarding that very point, it is stated: "Neither passion, nor the absence of passion, nor even the middle is perceived. The complete abandonment of these three is described as innate, perfect awakening."
The Blessed One explained the meaning of this in the Glorious Guhyasamāja: "The perfect union of the object of accomplishment and the means of accomplishment is called 'approach' (sevā). Through the union of the vajra and the lotus, it is called 'near-approach' (upasevā). The movement is the 'accomplishment' (sādhana), endowed with the syllables HŪṂ and PHAṬ. The supreme, peaceful bliss of the nature is to be called the 'great accomplishment' (mahāsādhana)."
The "object of accomplishment" is insight (prajñā); the "means of accomplishment" is method (upāya). The complete union of these two is "approach." Inserting the vajra into the lotus is "near-approach." The movement is "accomplishment." The supreme, peaceful bliss of the nature is to be called "great accomplishment." Through the union of the object and the means, the stage up to the insertion of the vajra into the lotus is "joy" (ānanda). Being filled with the bodhicitta from intense movement is "supreme joy" (paramānanda). The emission is "joy-withdrawal" (viramānanda). When, in the interval between those two, the supreme bliss becomes peaceful, at that time—
This is the meaning of "one should accomplish the coemergent joy." Regarding this very point, it is said:
"Without beginning, end, or middle,
Neither existence nor nirvāṇa—
This is that supreme great bliss,
In which self and other are not perceived.
It is described as the existence of supreme joy,
And as nirvāṇa through the joy of cessation.
In the middle is mere joy itself;
Abandoning these is the coemergent.
In the instant of abandoning diversity,
One truly attains supreme joy.
The Teacher declared, 'O Great Being,
Perfectly uphold great bliss.
Until enlightenment is reached,
Act for the sake of sentient beings, O Vajra Holder.'"
If this is so, one might ask: how are the three distinctions explained?
"Because cause and effect are inseparable,
The three are renowned as the former.
In the very middle of the joy of cessation,
It is clearly manifest as the aspect of peace."
If one asks how it is clearly manifest in the middle of those two:
"From the emptiness of the end of supreme joy and the middle of cessation,
The Vajra Holder is emptiness from emptiness,"
and so forth.
"What is the emptiness from emptiness?"
"Without beginning or end, peaceful,
The sovereign nature of existence and non-existence,
The inseparability of emptiness and compassion—
This is what is known as bodhicitta."
This is the established tenet.
If one asks by what means and how this is generated:
"By the means of the maṇḍala wheel and so forth,
And by the stage of self-consecration,"
and so on. I have not explained this in detail here. Why? Because this wisdom is self-cognizing.
Beyond the sphere of speech, this stage of self-consecration is the very nature of omniscient wisdom. Furthermore, it is said:
The coemergent is not expressed by another;
Though sought everywhere, it is not found.
By relying on the succession of the guru lineage
And through one's own merit, it is realized.
Through the kindness of the guru’s feet,
Those possessing great merit
Will, in a single instant, generate wisdom,
Which is beyond the sphere of speech.
Likewise, it is said:
The sole King of Great Bliss is the Victor;
Cause and effect always dawn for migratory beings.
But at the very moment of expression,
The Omniscient One is deprived of speech.
As Saraha said:
The guru does not express it with words,
And the disciple does not understand it.
The nectar-essence of the coemergent in all beings—
What is there to recite, and what is to be recited?
Because it is not the sphere of the intellect,
It cannot be expressed by speech.
The guru’s instruction is practiced through the engagement with phenomena.
Gradually, it becomes endowed with qualities such as compassion.
In the heart of the faithful, it will arise of its own accord.
If one asks what the characteristics of generating the mind of enlightenment are:
The senses themselves are withdrawn,
The mind is drawn inward,
The state of the sattva is clearly manifest,
And the body experiences sublime bliss.
The collection of senses sinks within,
And through the fading of conceptual thought, the seeds of existence are no longer obtained.
By the light of joy, this very nature—
Equal to space, wondrous, cool, and delicious, that which causes the senses to melt and one’s own self-nature to dissolve—that is the coemergent joy. Ask clearly at the feet of the guru. For that very reason, it is said:
"I prostrate to that which arises and subsides simultaneously in both object and sense faculty. That which is the single, beautiful body of the Victorious One of Manifest Joy remains clear and awakened in the hearts of the wise. Therefore, those who have utterly conquered all conceptual thoughts and who, through their intellect, desire the supreme bliss here, are the wise who have accomplished what was to be done; others are but cattle among bipeds."
Thus it is said. Let this suffice for the detailed explanation. Therefore, having properly pleased the sublime guru, the sublime disciple should personally realize the essence of great bliss, which is internally understood as the three bodies. This is the attainment of the sublime empowerment. Having performed the ritual actions, one should say:
"Today my birth has borne fruit; I am the chief of those possessing the fruit. Today I am born into the family of the Buddhas; today I am a son of the Buddhas. These qualities spoken by the Tathāgatas, I offer to that guru. Various ornaments, garments, and so forth, and especially my own body."
Then, having performed the fire offering and given the torma, one should thoroughly conduct the gaṇacakra. Having held a feast for the Saṅgha, one should satisfy those who are suffering and without refuge. This concludes the brief ritual for the conferral of empowerment.
By whatever [merit] has been obtained, may all living beings attain the self-arisen Vajradhara, the non-dual, inconceivable, and great bliss.
The Brief Exposition of Empowerment, composed by the great learned master Śrī Nandivajra, is hereby complete. The length of the text is three hundred verses, comprising one fascicle. At the Tholing Monastery, by the command of the sovereign lord Tse-de-btsan, it was translated by the Indian abbot, the great learned master Śrī Dīpaṃkara, and the Tibetan translator, the monk Bari.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.