The New Guide to Dakini Land. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

presented. If we put them into practice with deep conviction and joyous effort we will definitely gain realizations. We should know that Buddha Vajradharma, Buddha Vajradhara and Buddha Shakyamuni are the same person with different aspects. Vajradhara is the manifestation of all Buddhas’ minds, Vajradharma is the manifestation of all Buddhas’ speech, and Shakyamuni is the manifestation of all Buddhas’ bodies.

      THE BENEFITS OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS

      It is said in the Condensed Root Tantra of Heruka that the benefits to be gained from engaging in the practice of Vajrayogini are limitless and that a thousand voices could never fully enumer­ate them. Here we will consider ten principal benefits.

      BY PRACTISING THESE INSTRUCTIONS WE QUICKLY RECEIVE GREAT AND POWERFUL BLESSINGS

      When we practise these instructions we quickly receive great and profound blessings from all the Buddhas. These blessings help us temporarily, and eventually enable us to attain the ultimate goal of full enlightenment.

      THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE A SYNTHESIS OF ALL ESSENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS

      The instructions on the practice of Vajrayogini are a synthesis of all the essential instructions contained within the Tantras of Heruka, Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja. All the essential points of the stages of Secret Mantra are included within the practice of Vajrayogini.

      THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE EASY TO PRACTISE

      The instructions on the practice of Vajrayogini contain concise and clearly presented meditations that are relatively easy to practise. The mantra is short and easy to recite, and the visual­izations of the mandala, the Deity and the body mandala are simple compared with those of other Highest Yoga Tantra Deities. Even practitioners with limited abilities and little wisdom can engage in these practices.

      BY PRACTISING THESE INSTRUCTIONS WE CAN SWIFTLY ACCOMPLISH ATTAINMENTS

      Many great Teachers such as Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche have said that through the practice of Vajrayogini those with only middling fortune can attain Dakini Land in this life. Those with greater fortune will attain this with ease, and even those with lesser fortune can attain Dakini Land in the intermediate state between death and rebirth. If we continually recite Vajrayogini’s mantra we will remember the mantra when we are dying, and then, as if in a dream, we will hear Vajrayogini and her retinue of Dakinis calling us and inviting us to her Pure Land. In this way Vajrayogini will guide us through death and the intermediate state and lead us to the Pure Land of the Dakinis.

      It is said that even those with the least fortune who do not attain Dakini Land in the intermediate state will be led by Vajrayogini to her Pure Land within seven lives. Even if such practitioners find themselves in the deepest hell, Vajrayogini will bless their minds and cause their previously accumu­lated virtuous actions to ripen. In this way they will be released from hell and guided directly to the Pure Land of the Dakinis.

      Thus through keeping our commitments purely and practising these instructions sincerely we can attain Dakini Land in this life, in the intermediate state, or certainly within seven lives. ‘Dakini Land’ refers to the pure world of Heruka and Vajrayogini, commonly known as ‘Keajra Pure Land’ or ‘Keajra Heaven’. A detailed explanation of Keajra Pure Land can be found in Part Two of Modern Buddhism. As our main commitment we should emphasize practising the nineteen commitments of the five Buddha families, an explanation of which can be found in Condensed Six-session Yoga, in Appendix II.

      THESE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDE A SPECIAL BODY MANDALA PRACTICE

      Body mandalas are not included within all Deity practices. A practice that contains a body mandala is more profound than one that does not, and the most profound of all body man­dalas is that of Vajrayogini.

      THESE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDE AN UNCOMMON YOGA OF INCONCEIVABILITY

      The uncommon yoga of inconceivability is a special method, unique to the practice of Vajrayogini, whereby we can attain Dakini Land within this life without abandoning our present body. The sadhana or ritual prayer for the attainment of the Pure Land of Keajra, The Uncommon Yoga of Inconceivability, can be found in Appendix II.

      WE CAN PRACTISE BOTH GENERATION STAGE AND COMPLETION STAGE TOGETHER

      In practices such as Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja, practi­tioners can meditate on completion stage only after they have gained experience of generation stage; but in the practice of Vajrayogini we can train in completion stage meditations, and even gain certain completion stage realizations, while we are still training in generation stage.

      THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ESPECIALLY SUITABLE FOR THOSE WITH STRONG DESIROUS ATTACHMENT

      In general it is difficult for those with strong desirous attachment to practise Dharma, but this is not so with the practice of Vajrayogini. Throughout this world there exist countless eman­ations of Heruka and Vajrayogini manifesting as ordinary men and women. These emanations help pure practitioners of Vajrayogini to transform their desirous attachment into the spiritual path. If such practitioners conscientiously keep their commitments and faithfully practise the eleven yogas, eventually they will meet an emanation of Vajrayogini manifesting as an attractive man or woman. By causing desirous attachment to arise in the practitioner, that emanation will bless their channels, drops and winds. Then, by entering into union with the emanation, the practitioner will be able to transform his or her desire into spontaneous great bliss. With this blissful mind the practitioner will meditate on emptiness and eventually eradicate all delusions, including desirous attachment. In this way he or she will swiftly attain full enlightenment. Just as fire that is produced from wood eventually consumes the wood that produced it, so too Tantric bliss, which is devel­oped from desirous attachment, eventually consumes the desirous attachment that gave rise to it. This skilful method of transforming attachment into the spiritual path was adopted by Masters such as Ghantapa and Tilopa.

      The essence of Highest Yoga Tantra practice is to generate a mind of spontaneous great bliss and use that blissful mind to meditate on emptiness. We attain the mind of spontaneous great bliss by gathering the inner winds into the central channel through completion stage meditation. For completion stage meditation to be successful, the channels, drops and winds of our body must be blessed by Deities. We accomplish this through generation stage practice.

      THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE FOR THIS DEGENERATE AGE

      The practice of Vajrayogini quickly brings blessings, especially during this spiritually degenerate age. It is said that as the gen­eral level of spirituality decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult for practitioners to receive the blessings of other Deities; but the opposite is the case with Heruka and Vajrayogini – the more times degenerate, the more easily practitioners can receive their blessings.

      Whenever Vajradhara expounded a Tantra he emanated the mandala associated with it, but after completing the discourse he would usually reabsorb the mandala. For example, when he expounded the Root Tantra of Kalachakra he eman­ated the Kalachakra mandala, and when he had finished he reabsorbed it. However, he did not reabsorb the mandalas of Heruka or Vajrayogini. These mandalas still exist at various places throughout this world, such as in the twenty-four holy places. Because of this, human beings in this world have a special relationship with Heruka and Vajrayogini and can quickly receive their blessings. Furthermore, in the Root Tantra of Heruka Vajradhara promised that in the future, when times became spiritually degenerate, Heruka and Vajrayogini would bestow their blessings on those with strong attachment.

      In general, as the number of lineage Gurus of a Deity’s practice increases, the blessings of that Deity take longer to reach practitioners; but the greater the number of lineage Gurus of Heruka and Vajrayogini, the more quickly practitioners receive their blessings.

      VAJRAYOGINI’S MANTRA HAS MANY SPECIAL QUALITIES

      In the Root Tantra of Heruka Vajradhara says that we can gain attainments merely by reciting Vajrayogini’s mantra, even with poor concentration. Nowadays this is not possible when reciting the mantras of other Deities. However, we need to have very strong faith in Vajrayogini and her mantra if we are to gain realizations by mantra recitation alone.

      If we think deeply about the benefits and special qualities of these instructions