II • Main Practice

A • Transference of Consciousness: Opening the Sky Door

The first part of the main practice, the transference of consciousness called Opening the Sky Door, has three parts: (1) transference with attributes and a support, for those of lesser capability; (2) transference with attributes but with no support, for those of average capability; and (3) transference without attributes or support, for those of superior capability. The first also has three versions: extensive, intermediate, and concise.

1. Transference with Attributes and a Support, for Those of Lesser Capability

a. Extensive Version

In the center of your body is the central channel. It is white and clear and possesses four characteristics.6 The upper end reaches the cranial aperture and the lower end reaches the perineum. Both ends are open. There is a white vital drop that was received from your father [at conception] in the sole of your right foot, and a red vital drop received from your mother in the left sole. They are the size of peas. On top of each of them is the seed syllable of the hell realms: black du. A yellow syllable pre of the hungry ghosts is at the perineum; gray da of the animals at the navel; green nṛi of humans at the heart; red a of the demigods at the throat; and white oṃ, seed syllable of the gods, is at the crown of the head. Light radiates from all the seed syllables and gathers all the karmic seeds for birth in each of the six realms that you and others have in your streams of consciousness. They dissolve into each [respective seed syllable].

Then say phaṭ. The white and red drops in the feet dissolve into the du syllables and they become two black drops. The causes and results of hell, including the places and sufferings, are all gathered up and dissolve [into the drops]. Say phaṭ — the two drops rise up and combine into one drop, the size of a new hen’s egg, and then dissolve into the pre at the perineum. Then with phaṭ it moves to the navel; phaṭ to the heart; phaṭ to the throat; and phaṭ to the head. With each successive utterance of phaṭ, the drop flies up into [the next syllable] and the causes and results of the sufferings and places of each of those realms — animal, human, demigod, and god — are absorbed. The drop becomes bigger and brighter with each ascent. Finally it becomes a vital drop with the nature of five-colored light, the size of a mature hen’s egg, whereupon it ascends and dissolves into Machik’s heart. Rest in equipoise.

b. Intermediate Version

Visualize the central channel in your hollow body and the vital drops in the soles of your feet as before. When you say phaṭ, the two drops merge at the perineum. As the combined essence of vital drops, winds, and mind, it hovers there, ready to take off. With each utterance of phaṭ it flies up to the next place — the navel and so on — as before and finally dissolves into Machik’s heart. Do this version for the daily practice of giving the body.

c. Concise Version

The lower end of the central channel touches an eight-petaled lotus at the heart. In its center the essence of consciousness is a white drop with a red radiance. As you say phaṭ it shoots up into Machik’s heart like an arrow and dissolves into it. Do this version in the subsequent distributions.

2. Transference with Attributes but with No Support, for Those of Average Capability

With attention to basic space and intrinsic awareness, blend them as follows: Say phaṭ and project consciousness into the sky. Wherever the sky pervades, awareness pervades. Wherever awareness pervades, dharmakāya pervades. Rest in great equanimity and the enlightened intention of dharmakāya, the absolute Machik. This is the regular practice, which has a continuous tradition of oral guidance.

3. Transference without Attributes or Support, for Those of Superior Capability

All phenomena subsumed in samsara and nirvana are none other than your own awareness, the awakening mind — forever inexpressible, unimaginable, and ineffable. It never went beyond the open expanse of the Great Mother, nor does it, nor will it ever. Those who are utterly convinced of that do not need transference or change from their perspective of emptiness-clarity endowed with essential awareness; they rest in that equipoise at all times. This great Opening the Sky Door is the sovereign of all transferences. It is the main practice of the intended meaning of the Mother. It is the ultimate sense of the doctrine of the Holy Dharma Severance of Evil Object. This resting in equipoise is concordant with the uncommon vehicle and is the breakthrough into the realm of reality.

B • Offering the Body Mandala

The practices from the offering of the body as a mandala through the branches of the conduct to enhance subsequent attainment are concordant with the vanquishing conduct to [enhance] awareness and so on found in the mantrayāna.

Your mind, in the form of the red letter hrīḥ in Machik’s heart, projects out and becomes Vajravārāhī. You gesture toward your corpse with the curved knife in your right hand. The skin of the corpse is flayed whole and spread out, and the corpse is piled on top of it. The skin is the golden foundation of the ground; the blood and pus are an ocean of scented water; the fingers and toes are the iron mountain rings; the torso is Supreme Mountain; the four limbs are the four continents and islands; the head is the gods’ abode; the eyes are the sun and moon; the heart is the wish-fulfilling gem; and the inner organs are the eight auspicious signs, the seven emblems of royalty, the precious treasure, the five desirable qualities, and so forth. All of this is arranged in great abundance with nothing left out, like Samantabhadra’s offering cloud. In extent, it totally fills the sky. In terms of time, it lasts as long as cyclic existence. It transcends number and measure. When you offer it, meditate on all sentient beings perfecting the accumulations and purifying obscurations. Afterward, rest within the state of the total purity of the three spheres.

C • White Distribution

Of the many types of white distribution, for this occasion do what is known as the White Feast in Three Cycles of Integration or [White Distribution for] Four Guests. After you have done the appropriate extensive or concise Opening the Sky Door, proceed through to the awareness projecting outside as Vajrayoginī as before.

Then, visualize that the syllable yaṃ from your heart emanates in front of you and becomes wind, and raṃ becomes fire. In the midst of that, three human-skull hearthstones as big as three Supreme Mountains appear spontaneously. By a mere gesture to the corpse with the curved knife, the top of the skull is separated and lifted up.7 It becomes equal to the billionfold universe and is placed on the hearthstones. The corpse is lifted up by the point of the curved knife, and with a mere gesture the flesh and bones are chopped into pieces and poured into the skull.

The syllables khaṃ 8 and oṃ āḥ hūṃ emanate from Vajravārāhī’s heart and stack up above the open end of the skull. Again light emanates and the wind stirs, the fire blazes, and the flesh and bones in the skull melt into elixir and boil. Elixir streams out from khaṃ and washes away all its flaws and defects. Light emanates from the three syllables and invokes the blessings of the Body, Speech, and Mind of the victors as awareness elixir, which absorbs [back into them]. The three letters then melt into light and dissolve [into the contents of the skull], becoming an ocean of blended white, red, and blue elixir. Various offering substances manifest from the steam and fill the realm of space. The liquid becomes an elixir of one hundred flavors and the dregs become an unimaginable wealth of whatever is needed.

A variety of offering goddesses emanated from your heart fill the space and offer all of this to the root and lineage gurus as offering clouds of pleasing delights; to the yidams of the four tantra classes as outer, inner, and secret offerings; to the heroes and ḍākinīs as the feast supplies; to the oath-bound guardians as offering substances of support and fulfillment; to the glorious protectors of the pure abodes as objects of delight; to the obstructors and creditors as desirable sense pleasures; to the ground masters of the billionfold universe as smoke offerings and rewarding substances; to the virtuous types of nāgas as nāga medicine9 and the three white substances; to the negative nāga spirits as oceans of flesh and blood; and to the six kinds of migrators as whatever they each desire. The four kinds of guests are extremely pleased and satisfied by the gift of these offerings. It repays the debts and liabilities to the creditors, and the mind of awakening arises in their mindstreams. The sufferings of each of the six realms are quelled, and those beings develop an interest in liberation and the practice of the holy Dharma. Repeat phaṭ [during this visualization].

D • Red Distribution

The leftover elixir instantly becomes mountains of flesh, oceans of blood, and stacks of bones — bloody, greasy, and steaming. In essence it is undissipating elixir and in form it is like the flesh of a seven-times-born Brahmin that has the power to pacify physical and mental afflictions when seen, heard, or tasted. Then blow the thighbone three times. Imagine that all kinds of obstructors gather around — primarily the eight kinds of malicious spirits, such as spirits of place and body spirits — to whom you owe karmic debts of life, merit, and power. Recite, “namo, [gods and demons] living in this haunted place…” (namo/gnas gnyan sa ’dir gnas…) and, as the words suggest, think that those gods and demons, experiencing each moment as an aeon, enjoy the flesh and blood. They relish it and are satisfied. Flesh debts are cleared away, debts canceled, and the trajectory of karmic ripening is interrupted.

These two — the white distribution and the red distribution — are the root of all the distributions. The pairs of white and red distributions from here on have no definite order; they can be applied however you like. For instance, by rotating through them in the daily practice of the body donation, you will complete them in a few evenings.

All the versions [of white and red pairs of distributions] that follow should be added on to the previous visualizations up through the consciousness flying up and your awareness transforming into Yoginī.

The Face Skull Cup

Once the corpse is flayed and the skin spread out, the three limbs10 are severed and stuck on top of it. They become the three human-head hearthstones. Place the skull bowl upon them and cut up your body inside of that. Stir the contents three times with the curved knife, transforming it into pure elixir. The blessings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions are gathered into the elixir in the skull cup in your (Vajrayoginī’s) left hand. It pours out of the cranial aperture into the skull bowl in front and melts into it. The contents become an ocean of inseparable pledge and awareness elixir. Imagine that numerous white ḍākinīs emanate from your heart carrying skull cups, scoop it up, and serve it to the four kinds of guests, pleasing them. This is the Face Skull Cup (thod zhal ma), [a white distribution].

The Excellent Stakeout

Cut off the four limbs with the curved knife and stake them in the four directions. Flay the skin and impale it on them. The flesh and blood are contained within it. Imagine that ḍākinīs of four colors — white, yellow, red, and green — emanate from your heart and grasp the flayed skin by the four corners and present it to the guests. This is the Excellent Stakeout (mchog phur ma), [a red distribution].

The Vase of Elixir Distribution

Your consciousness projects out from Machik’s heart as the letter ha and becomes a white ḍākinī carrying a curved knife in the right hand and a vase filled with elixir in the left. She pours the elixir from the vase into the corpse’s cranial aperture, and the corpse becomes like a belly bag full of milk. With a gesture of the curved knife, it suddenly bursts open and spills on the ground, which is pure as crystal, and the ocean of elixir pervades everywhere from the peak of existence down to the deepest hell. You invoke the awareness elixir and dissolve it into the ocean of elixir. Then numerous white goddesses carrying vases emanate from your heart and serve the elixir to the four kinds of guests. Imagine that the dharma protectors are offered fresh skulls full of flesh. This is the Vase of Elixir Distribution (bdud rtsi bum ’gyed ma), [a white distribution].

The Flayed Skin Distribution

Again, your awareness as Yoginī spreads the skin on the ground and piles up the flesh, blood, and bones upon it. Four worker ḍākinīs raise it up and feed it to the guests. This is the Flayed Skin (g.yang gzhi ma), [a red distribution].

The Five Desirables Offering

The basis of this visualization is the Face Skull Cup. Then, variously colored worker ḍākinīs carry a variety of offering articles that include form, sound, smell, taste, and texture and offer them to the guests. This is the Five Desirables Offering (’dod yon lnga mchod ma), [a white distribution].

The Food Distribution

Yoginī chops up the corpse and it becomes an ocean of flesh and blood within the vast and wide kapāla. Ḍākinīs emanate from your (Yoginī’s) form in numbers equal to the atoms of Supreme Mountain. They give it to the eight great malicious spirits, and so forth. Imagine the spirits satisfied — laughing in delight and singing songs of joy. This is the Food Distribution (gzan ’gyed ma), [a red distribution].

Emptying the Six Realms

This is similar to the Vase Distribution, but then the offering goddesses go to the individual abodes of the six classes of beings and give them [the elixir]. It eases their specific sufferings. Light shines on them and the six realms become empty. Meditate that the hell realm transforms into the pure land of Abhirati (“Manifest Joy”); the hungry ghost realm becomes Sukhāvatī (“Blissful”); the animal realm becomes Gaṇḍavyūha (“Richly Adorned”); the human realm becomes Shrīmat (“Glorious”); the demigod realm becomes Karmaprasiddhi (“Consummate Activity”); and the god realm becomes the pure land of Akaniṣhṭa Dharmadhātu (“Unexcelled Realm of Reality”). This is Emptying the Six Realms (rigs drug gnas stong ma), [a white distribution].11

Casting Out the Corpse

The corpse becomes huge, lustrous, attractive, and alluring, with excellent color, smell, flavor, ability, and power filling the billionfold universe. Imagine that the gods and demons all gobble it up noisily with satisfied sounds of ha. This is Casting Out the Corpse (bem bskyur ma), [a red distribution].

Assorted Distribution

Yoginī flays the skin of the corpse and spreads it out. She draws a checkered pattern on it with the curved knife. Each square contains whatever pleases the particular types of guests, such as the five meats and the five elixirs; the five desirable sense pleasures; the auspicious articles and signs; the substances of support, fulfillment, and accomplishment; the three whites and three sweets; elixir, flesh, blood, human wealth, lands, dwellings, and so forth. Imagine that each of them enjoys their particular favorites and are delighted. This is the Assorted Distribution (khra ’gyed), [counted as a white distribution].

The Banners

As Jetsunma, you chop up the corpse with the curved knife. The blood collects in a huge lake and the bones are stuck in it like stakes. The flesh is raised on the tips [of the bones] like standards. A waterfall of flesh, blood, and bones falls continuously from them. Imagine that the malicious spirits and obstructors enjoy it for aeons. This is the Banners (ba dan ma), [a red distribution].

That completes the white distributions and red distributions presented as pairs.

Additional Red Distributions

The Four Continents

Vajravārāhī cuts off the corpse’s limbs and throws them in the four directions. Imagine that all the spirits — primarily the scent-eaters, death lords, nāgas, and harm-doers — greedily gobble them up. This is the Four Continents (gling bzhi ma).

The Corpse Distribution

The corpse turns into dry, fresh, and putrid corpses in the shapes of children, elders, youths, and so forth, as numerous as atoms. Imagine that the gods and demons partake of them according to their individual desires. This is the Corpse Distribution (ro ’gyed ma).

These two may be joined with any of the white distributions described above.

The Bone Shaker

Visualize your mind as Krodhī. She grabs the corpse by the feet and swings it around, scattering little pieces of flesh, blood, and bones, which fall into the spirits’ wide-open mouths in an uninterrupted flow. Imagine that they are thus satisfied. This is the Bone Shaker (rus sprugs ma), a slightly wrathful visualization.

The Slapping

Krodhī grabs the corpse’s two feet with her two hands and carries it up into the sky. Imagine the gods and demons below holding up their red mouths, opening and closing them. She gives them the corpse by slapping it [on their mouths].

Alternatively, the severed head of the corpse in front becomes a huge boulder of molten lead and [the remaining corpse] is slapped upon that, whereupon the red flesh and blood scatters and is consumed by the gods and demons. These visualizations are the Slapping (rdeb pa ma). They are intense wrathful visualizations customarily done during the Ninefold Spirit Feast.12

In between the visualizations, pray to the lineage gurus with intense devotion from the bottom of your heart. Make the aspiration to stop self-fixation and hopes and fears. Rest for a while without thought in the purity of the three spheres.

E • The Communal Feast Offering of the Bodies of Self and Others

First perform the three cycles of blending: the blending of your own and others’ awareness, the blending of awareness and the realm of phenomena, and the blending of your own and others’ corpses in the feast. The container is the padma bhañja (lotus skull cup): white outside, the nature of the moon, and red inside, the nature of the sun. In its center, the essence of the corpses is the feast substance. In appearance, it is a vertical golden vajra marked with āḥ at the hub, oṃ on the upper tip, and hūṃ on the lower end. Above it is the lid of the moon and below it the seat of the sun.

Light radiates from the oṃ in your forehead and strikes the oṃ in Machik’s forehead. Light then radiates from that and gathers all the Body blessings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas in all directions and times in the form of white light rays, which dissolve into Machik’s forehead and immediately emanate as white light rays from the oṃ and strike the oṃ of the marked vajra. The moon lid along with the upper part of the vajra and the oṃ dissolve into light, filling the kapāla with white elixir. Follow the same pattern with the red āḥ and the gathering of the Speech blessings, which dissolves the middle part of the vajra and fills the skull with red elixir, and the dark blue hūṃ and the gathering of the Mind blessings, which dissolves the lower part of the vajra and fills the skull with blue elixir. The white, red, and blue mixture of elixir becomes an abundance of excellent color, scent, taste, ability, and power. In essence it is the elixir of timeless awareness and in appearance it becomes immeasurable, inexhaustible outer, inner, and secret feast offerings.

Unimaginably numerous offering goddesses emanate from your (Vajrayoginī’s) heart and offer it to all who are included in the four kinds of guests, from the gracious root and lineage gurus down to the sentient beings of the six realms. It is offered as an outer feast of all the glory and wealth there is in all existence that belongs to no one. It is offered as an inner feast of personal possessions such as life force, merit, good fortune, and dominion. It is offered as a secret feast of the pleasure of male and female union. And it is offered as a suchness feast of mahāmudrā’s lucid clarity without referencing the three spheres. Meditate that the guests are extremely pleased by this exquisite offering and they each grant their particular spiritual powers.

You may perform the Ninefold Spirit Feast for the occasion of a particular malicious spirit or sick person and so forth. Certainly there are some traditions of the daily practice in which this is done. However, since this is merely a particularly wrathful visualization of the red distribution, it does not warrant separate mention in the outline. There are a variety of special visualization procedures that can be found in the major manuals.

The Leftovers is a branch of the communal feast activities. All the leftovers from the offering and giving of the body in this way become mountains of flesh, lakes of blood, and banks of bones inside a kapāla that extends throughout the three existences. A skeleton ḍākinī emanates from you and distributes it to the powerful mover ḍākinīs who partake of leftovers, the eight classes of gods and spirits who have power to take [only] leftovers, those who did not come before and just arrived, and the humble and meek ones who have dominion over nothing but leftovers. Meditate that they are satisfied and rejoice, promising to accomplish activities for you.

6. Traditionally these are (1) straight as an arrow; (2) white colored with a red tinge; (3) glistening or oily; and (4) hollow.

7. thod bskar gyis ’phar ba: This spelling is from the Kundeling edition. I believe it has been miscopied everywhere, even in the Shechen printing from the same woodblocks, as thod pa sgar gyis ’phar ba.

8. The seed syllable of water.

9. An extensive list of nāga “medicines,” including their scientific names and the diseases they cure, can be found in “The Splendor of Generosity: An Elaborate Torma Offering to the Nāgas” (klu gtor rgyas pa sbyin pe (sic) lang tsho Nāga Menaka), available from www.drikung.org/texts (accessed 5/5/15).

10. rkang lag gsum. Other translations, apparently benefiting from oral commentaries, specify two arms and a leg.

11. These are the buddha fields of the five buddha families plus Gaṇḍavyūha.

12. gDon tshogs dgu ma, usually attributed to Rangjung Dorje, but in Pearl Rosary it is attributed to his disciple Yakde Paṇchen