[Clarification]

This is a very rough presentation of the preliminaries, main part, and concluding practices just in the context of the body donation. In terms of the general Holy Dharma Severance of Evil Object, in the preliminaries one would develop definite resolution, the heart pangs of impermanence, the utter certitude in infallible karmic cause and effect, and a sense of urgency and focused attention. Then one goes for refuge, develops the awakening mind, purifies obscurations, accumulates merit, and cultivates guru yoga. Once those general practices are done, the main practice is the introduction to the meaning of the Mother and severing the four devils in basic space. The concluding practice is to integrate vanquishing conduct into one’s life through peaceful severance, wrathful severance, and half-peaceful, half-wrathful severance in order to maintain the experience.

Therefore, in short, with regard to the two practices of the body donation and the feast activities, there are extensive explicit instructions on the preliminaries and concluding practices, while the main practice must be realized in an implicit manner. Nevertheless, nowadays it appears that those known as Severance practitioners for the most part do not stick to the root but only chase after the branches.

Introducing the Meaning of the Mother

First, you need to turn your muddled concepts into bright clarity by implementing the instructions on focusing the mind. With your body in the sevenfold posture of Vairochana, speech in the natural state of breathing, and mind divested of past, present, and future thoughts, rest in wonder (hed de) directly upon ever-fresh consciousness. If you cannot remain within that, focus your attention in front of you on a golden vajra the size of a barley grain; the essence of the Mother. When that also cannot hold your attention, focus your mind on the figure of Shākyamuni. Adjust [your meditation] if dullness or agitation occurs so that faultless meditative stability is born in your being.

Then, with inward-facing consciousness, look at the essence of the one that abides and the one that moves. In essence, these three — external appearances, the movement of discursive thought, and the one who cognizes them — do not exist separately. Since nothing can be identified, anything at all may arise. The unimpeded experience of clarity-emptiness is beyond description and expression. Free of all conceptual elaboration, it is the very characteristic of space — the perfection of wisdom. Since it is the enlightened perspective of the victors of the three times, do not ever leave this meditative absorption.

Severing the Four Devils in Basic Space

Insofar as external things, such as form and so forth, provide support [for perception], they are tangible. When thoughts of attachment or aversion arise toward them, it is a devil. When you fall under its power, it is an obstacle. Therefore, whenever those thoughts of attachment or aversion, or acceptance or rejection, arise, in that very instant utter phaṭ and convey them to basic space. That is the severance of the tangible devil. When you progress in the meditation without falling under the power of that thought, the evidence of success (tshar tshad) and degree of uprising (lhongs tshad) will be sufficient. This applies to other devils as well: when your mind is not under your control, the five toxic emotions, happiness, sadness, fear, and terror will arise. This is the intangible devil. Fixating on your own excellence, pride, or exuberance over the signs [of successful meditation] on the path and so forth is the devil of exaltation. The clinging of self-fixation is itself the devil of inflation.

Therefore, without letting the sentinel of mindful knowing deteriorate or knowing awareness leave its post, convey all that arises to basic space with phaṭ. If you can utterly sever the ties of inflated thoughts and self-fixation, you will become the most sublime and superior practitioner of Severance.