Does Anybody Else Have Clear Body Experiences?

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)

In the statue of Marici you showed, Marici appears to be giving birth to herself? When I looked it up in Himalayan Art, they give yet a different Chinese name for Marici, this one not transliterated, "具光“ literally the Instrument of Light.

It possibly is birth; I just took it as "emanated as charioteer". What I see is that Vajra is her main item like Vajra Tara, neither one of them are in Vajra Family, just have the name and the item.

Marici's outer forms are Akosakanta, which I believe is her samaya, and Needle and Thread, which is obstacle removal. Both units are obviously incorporated into the six arm one, along with the shared items.

Both Amritakundalin and Khandaroha are like obstacle removal with what is usually called an All-Purpose Mantra in the tantras.

The inscription on the reverse of the large Marici mandala begins:

om sarva vidya svaha

which as we have recently seen, is the Adi Buddha mantra of Nepal meant to conjoin with Guyeshvari and the rest.

Perhaps what you are experiencing is non-dualization in all of the 72,000 or 84,000 branch nerves.

Here is the difference between outer retinues that I use and something like Marici mandala, where the image has a meaning similar to things we mentioned:

Before the meditating person arrives at the mandala gates, she must, however, pass the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus circle. These are the circular borders of mandalas:

fire of wisdom: the outermost circle consists of the purifying fire
vajra circle: the diamond circle expresses strength and fearlessness
tombs: there are eight tombs, which symbolises the eight states of consciousness, which the person must go beyond
lotus circle: expresses the open state of devotion, that is necessary to enter the palace

Marici is a feminized version of Savitri from the Puranas:

Name of a sun-deity ([according to] to [Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska] belonging to the atmosphere as well as to heaven; and sometimes in the Veda identified with, at other times distinguished from Sūrya, ‘the Sun’, being conceived of and personified as the divine influence and vivifying power of the sun, while Sūrya is the more concrete conception; [according to] to [Sāyaṇa] the sun before rising is called Savitṛ, and after rising till its setting Sūrya; eleven whole hymns of the [Ṛg-veda] and parts of others [e.g. i, 35; ii, 38; iii, 62, 10-12 etc.] are devoted to the praise of Savitṛ; he has golden hands, arms, hair etc.; he is also reckoned among the Ādityas q.v., and is even worshipped as ‘of all creatures’, supporting the world and delivering his votaries from sin.

The daughter of the Sun. This Sāvitrī is the elder sister of Tapatī. Brahmā married these sisters.

The goddess Savitri is the presiding deity of the Suryamandala or the solar orb along with its aura. She is said to be the mother of the Vedas. Brahma in his role as custodian of the Vedas was the first to worship her.


So the Buddhist Marici is less the solar orb, and more its

Divine Influence and Vivifying Power

as was more frequently historically applied to a male Savitr. But then as soon as she may be a daughter of the sun, Tapati is there, i. e. Tapas--Vairocani.

Marici's Needle is called Suci which is one of the first three sons of Agni and Svaha called Solar Fire.

Agni Yoga is based on three main fires, Prithvi in Manipur chakra, Sky--Pavaka--Vaidyut--Watery Fire--Lightning--Heart, and Agni Savitur Prajna--head. There is also a facial fire for invocation, and others, but it is based in a Trinity.

Male Agni is present but this must also be understood as three shaktis Iccha, Jnana, Kriya:

“ TRI-AGNI MAHA SHAKTI VIDMAHE

DATT SAVITRI DHI MAHI

KALYAN ARTHE PRACHODAYAT"


And so the shaktis of the three major Agnis are Savitri, so it is still Marici and why Agni Homa is involved in Buddhism. Evidently the way it describes inner forces is highly similar. And rather than yoga, the most appropriate term is probably Agni Vaisvanara or the practice of Yajnawalkya, Janaka, and Sita in the same Nepalese borderland shortly prior to Buddha.


Iccha, Jnana, and Kriya are Sarasvati, Lakshmi, and Gauri, the last being that state of prajna of the head which manifests Higher Yoni Triangle.

In the families of Agni, some of the fires are considered "mobile", and some are not. The crux here seems to be with one Samsya "Problem", who is something like shattered and being restored.

Fixed Fires, sons of Samsya, include the Ocean Fire, and Rtudhama in Udumbara Forest with Brahma Jyotir Vasu. It is this Rtudhama I took to be akin to Sitabani.

In the Puranas, you find:

the excellent god, Rtudhama - the lord of the gods, Suci and Sukla are to be worshipped.

(Jupiter, Sun, Venus)

Vayu Purana says Rtudhama lives in Udumbara Forest, right before Brahma's region which houses Brahma Jyotir Vasu.

Brahma's region or Brahmasthana is a "cleared-out center" of a house, navel, heart, etc.

Brahma Jyoti is accompanied by inner heat, can produce Bliss, but not Increasing Bliss. It has effulgent light and primordial sound. So this aspect of Agni has everything to do with regulating inner heat for the purposes of yoga, along with a forest aspect, which usually indicates cooling.

The Agni at Brahma Jyotir is Vishvavyacas, All-Embracing or Aditi.

Udumbara is a fig or custard apple, but also the name of a Kasyapa Gotra of Tattirya Brahmans of Krsna Yajur Veda, who use Vishvavyacas also as a name for a certain cow.

[Agape]

Old Student, you’re right with “there’s no thoughts to digital transcription” but we are good with images ( thanks to Shaberon ) 🌟🌟🌟

I struggle with it all my life finding my neural connections are to slow to catch up with my mind flow to write as a think.

Just reflecting in my thoughts on your sadhana here and what I’ve experienced in the past ( long story, most parts were never told ..especially from the years in monastery, before and after ..it was not a habit we would ever discuss experiences : this kind of practice is still missing in broad Buddhist sangha sometimes to our common disadvantage and as I’ve observed with my parent and grandparent generation they had to learn to accept talking of personal experiences , it’s a process ).

There is also something greater coming through that process, something like observable evolution of life force , trained mind expansion process, no, not many people can see it quite yet and few are even on the edge of “entering the stream” and so many keep fighting the Life Force challenging them because they don’t want to change because someone hurt them too much and ordered them to stop and give up on evolution.

But what happens to those who have reached culminating point of their practice and transcended its levels to where no other being has gone , what happens to those who love everybody too much for the beauty of it ,
what happens to the wise man who after many years of struggle , finally, looses the last chains of his mind to become divine fool ?



My true dream is that we touch the greater Dream of greater Reality of Space and Time with our dreams, purified and magnified and then, I’ve seen it happened ,
the Mother of Reality dawns on us and minds of all are healed and awakened to see clearly what we see in rainy mornings,
crystal clear drops and rainbows in the mist


That powerful consciousness exists from Outer Space


And ..it appears as if empty of inherent existence.


Yet it stabilises the time and perfects all the rest


🙏🌟🙏

[shaberon]

Posted by Agape (here)
..it was not a habit we would ever discuss experiences : this kind of practice is still missing in broad Buddhist sangha sometimes to our common disadvantage and as I’ve observed with my parent and grandparent generation they had to learn to accept talking of personal experiences , it’s a process

My true dream is that we touch the greater Dream of greater Reality of Space and Time with our dreams, purified and magnified and then, I’ve seen it happened ,
the Mother of Reality dawns on us and minds of all are healed and awakened to see clearly what we see in rainy mornings,
crystal clear drops and rainbows in the mist


That powerful consciousness exists from Outer Space

Yes, that was the schism I had with a formal sangha was the relative lack of discussion, and I found it was just some of the highly trained Rinpoches who could understand me.

In Space our seventh principle is a Zero Point "perceived everywhere, found nowhere" with the bounding circle being its reflection through a well-trained meditative consciousness. It occupies All Space and has Permanent Duration.

And so yes, we ought to magnify a feedback loop to it.

A major, but not ultimate, component of this is Deathlessness, which is a subtle yoga based from Amrita or Nectar. Theosophy would have been much more clear if they had stuck to Master's request to call the "monad" by the name Amrita. Then we have an obvious way to show it means certain spiritual and physiological guidance.


As in Samputa tantra, we are instructed to conjoin our Buddhist practice with an Agni Homa, which may be performed as an Inner Homa. One can also say that the Vedas were authored during trance-possession by Agni, state of a Kavya or Poet, and so this is being re-created on a personal level, one will know the Vedas in the inner sense (timeless).

Again there is a pattern of how Agni entered the manifested universe, and then the various fire sacrifices are a return to him, and ultimately we will just burn out our ego.

Agni is a very bulky, difficult character in the sources; and I think with a few passes, we can comb out a few notes which will explain his major basis (some of my notes are rough). Why would we do that, if we are only talking about Fire Philosophy, which is the Central Asian root of eastern mysticism and western alchemy, hidden in garb, mostly complete in Nepal?

This is about Nectar of Immortality, the origins of Hayagriva, and in particular the Aswins, called by HPB "the most occult deities". Yet they are the ones represented on rooftops in Lithuania. No one really knows about them, although at least one author has remarked that this type of tantra is pursuit of "Aswin shakti" which is Immortality. When we go through it, it will "handshake" with how we are taking Varuni and Vairocani as especially from Brahmanda and Vayu Puranas into Buddhist sadhanas.


Agni is the relation from the Great Bear to the Pleiades to the Ganges:


Agni's wife Svaha represents the star Zeta Tauri, which is the tip of one of the horns of Taurus. Svaha was desperately in love with the god of fire, Agni. Unfortunately, Agni was infatuated with the seven Krttika, who were married to the seven Rishis of the Bear. Svaha then disguised herself as the Krttika and conquered Agni's love. Six times, Svaha made love to Agni, who believed that he had conquered the attractive wives of the seven Rishis. Svaha could mimic only six of the Krttika since the seventh sister, Arundhati, was too devoted to her husband to be imitated. After a while, Svaha gave birth to a child that she named Skanda (Mars). With his birth, rumors began to spread that six of the Rishis' wives were his mother. The Rishis divorced their wives. Arundhati (Tara) was the only one that remained with her husband as the star Alcor. The other six Krttika went away to become the Pleiades. She is the only one invoked in the regular daily ghee offering.

So Skanda--Mars is really the son of Aerial Flame in Maha Sunya, of Svaha acting as Six Bear Shaktis, with the Seventh fully veiled or uninvolved. I think this explains both why we have Mars detached from his mother as a Fiery Veil pursuing a secret shakti in a hexagram under Varahi, and why the role of Taurus is stamped as a time reference for the Fixed Cross. It also suggests an interaction of electric fire and Varuni.


To look at the complex descent of Agni and Svaha from Matsya Purana Chapter 51, Vayu Purana Chapter 29:

Brihaspati, Atharva, Ushana (Venus) are the main families.

Their first son was Pavaka, fire from water (Abgharba, worshipped with Varuna) or lightning (also Daksinagni or Vaidyuta). His descendant fire is Saha raksa, fire of the asuras. Pavaka just means brilliant and pure. Vaidyuta is lightning, but it would have to be called Sikhin-Vaidyuta to be fire of lightning. From Pavaka, the fetus of waters, come Avabhrtha, Hrcchaya (in the belly, digestion), Jathara (gastric, in the belly), Manyuman (lord of living beings), Samvartaka (consumes ocean's waters, mare-faced, Brahma's region), Saharaksa, Ksama (burns human habitations), then Kravyid (consumes the dead). Vaidyuta is missile of the gods, Water Thunderbolt, from the clouds: Varuna explained this to Atharvan. Because we may interpret Vajra as Thunderbolt, we may call this missile Apas Vajra.

Sikhin (Peacock--Ketu) Vaidyuta appears to be a special case of lightning related to Varuni and Atharvan in the (purified) Human fire.


Second son Suchi or Saura (Ahavaniya, drinker of waters), which is solar fire (Ayus, 2nd principle of ether); his descendant fire is Havya vahana, fire of the devas. From Suchi, son of the sun, kindled by Gandharvas and Asuras by Friction, come Ayus (in the animal), Adbhuta, down to Rukmavan (in gold, jewels, shinys). In the lesser fires, it looks like anyone can be a Havya Vahana, or carry sacrifice away. Vayu Purana makes these fourteen Vahnis (vehicles) of Suchi.


Third son Pavamana (Garhapatya) is fire from churning the Arani, or friction. Arani is sticks from the Bodhi Tree. His descendant fire is Kavya vahana, fire of the pitris--in this sense, "Vahana" is a vehicle, specifically for the pinda or riceball offering, i. e. bindu. Pavamana, itself, means "purified"; also a name of Soma. Its descent includes first son Samsya ("Problem"), identified as Havya Vahana in the Vayu, and Pavamana's second son is Sukra--Venus. Samsati--Samsya had two sons Sabhya and Avasathya, and then the Samsya Havya Vahana was happy about sixteen rivers. Then the Ahavaniya (Havya vahana) fire "loved sixteen rivers", from Sita in the Tarim to south India.



From the Vayu:

Three Fires:

Pavaka--Subterranean (Form): Electric, or Magnetic (Vaidyuta) when mixed with Water (Varuni), Watery Flame, Amrita; Dakshina ritual fire; parent of Saharaksa Asura fire

Pavamana--Terrestrial, from Friction: fire of Humans, Laukika (Mundane), Taijasa; Garhapatya ritual fire; parent of Kavya-vahana Pitri fire

Suchi--Solar, Saura (Celestial), Formless: Prajna Akasha, Aerial Flame, Ahavaniya ritual fire; parent of Havya Vahana Deva fire, Sarva Vasu, and Mahish Asura

Those are Fixed Fires (Sthavara). Cardinal Cross or Fixed Cross plus Fixed Fire.

Fire by Friction in the Secret Doctrine is the occult Marriage.




Agni Vaisvanara dies while carrying Havya offerings to the gods. So there is also a path of a dead and risen fire god taking place.

Consequently, Bhrigu has a son named Atharvan, and his son named Angirasa (or just Atharvan himself, as Terrestrial Fire) Churns the Cloud to produce the fire Puskarodadhi--Atharva Alaukika Agni or Dakshina Agni--by non-rubbing or without friction. Called Dadhyan in the Brahmanda Purana. With those names, Churning the Cloud makes Right-Hand Paranormal Fire of Watery Curds. The second name Dadhyan makes it an actor.

Sometimes considered the father of Agni, Atharvan is the terrestrial fire (in the ocean), Bhrgu (father of Surya), and churned amrita in puskara (the waters); from him come Dadhyan (earth or matter, worldly fire) and Angiras. Bhrgu also fathered Sukra-Venus (also attributed to Pavamana). Atharvan a Great Bear (married Shanti and spread Yajna) is the father of Venus and Surya and Angiras.



The Guru rivalry at First War in Heaven was Sukra studying under Angirasa, who favored his own son Brihaspati (Angiras; Indra also favored him). Sukra, who has better skills, then went to Sage Gautama and obtained Mrita Sanjivani mantra (can raise the dead). Bhrigu is the husband of Kavya Mata and curses Vishnu and uses the mantra on her. This is the most important crux of the whole thing, so, naming conventions must reflect this. Then Tara left Jupiter for the Moon, i. e. descent into form.

War in Heaven, Vishnu's Curse, and Ashwins' Mead are probably the most intriguing Puranic mysteries we need to arrange the names for. The Puranas are almost useless to identify the various Agni names and roles. The Three Sons of Agni are the same in each, but the rest of it is all over the place.

The lineages are:

Angirasa--> Angiras Brihaspati and Pratyangira --> Atharvana Bhadrakali Narasimhi

Bhrigu close to Varuna--> Sukra who studies Gautama and gains Mrita-Sanjivani

Atharvan--> Fiery Curds (Dakshina)+ Aswins, and Watery Fire which appears to be the juncture and gate: Vadava Samvartaka, Mare's Mouth Cloud, Marut Gana of Durga's Retinue (stomach gate in the person). Atharvan + Varuni = Agni Yoga.



Havya Bhaga brings Saharaksa to the Fire by Friction rituals, which are followed by the bath of Varuni (union with Agni).

In the bath, Heavenly Quintessence meets the offered Antimony, and the voids dissolve. Antimony, Fire of Watery Earth on our plane, meets the Aswins who are Ocean Born. Passage by Mare's Mouth releases the earthiness and resolves to a sort of Cloud Fire or Sikhin Vaidyuta. Summoning Marut Gana still sounds like Wind Horse. Protected by Dakshina Agni and sounds internal. Apas Vajra.

Nectar of Tvastr is available from the Aswins. Tvastr is Purusha, the Celestial Formless Visvakarman. Also named Garhba Pati, Lord of the Womb. The Nectar of the Aswins, Madhu is Mead--Honey and Wine. The Bees of Kashi and Varuni--Brandy, Watery Fire. Tvastr does not get along well with Indra either.

Aswins as sons of Samjna and solar charioteers. Devi gains their role as explainer of Madhi Vidya.

Dadhyan is a hermit. Once Indra taught this hermit Madhuvidyā (the art of mead) Indra told the hermit that his head would be cut off if he taught anybody this art. The Aśvinīdevas approached Dadhyaṅ to learn this art. Fearing Indra the hermit refused to teach them the art. Aśvinīdevas cut off his head and buried it in a place. Then they cut off the head of a horse and fixed it on the neck of Dadhyaṅ. Having the head of the horse he taught the art to the Aśvinīdevas. When Dadhyaṅ had finished teaching, they took away the head of the horse and fixed his own head in place. (Ṛgveda, Maṇḍala 1, Anuvāka, 17, Sūkta 166).

Dadhyanc is the teacher of Madhu-vidya, the mystical doctrine that brahman is present every where (SB 4.1.5.18). the name of this Vidya comes from the essence of sweetness in all flowers, transformed by bees into honey, which is not apparent to anyone.

The Asvins give a horse's head to Atharvan's son Dadhyanc (Curds Ward), who then proclaims the location of the mead (madhu) of Tvastr. The Ashwins are Ushana's brothers, or else, Tvastr--> Saranyu --> Ashwins, or Tvastr--> Samjna Perception --> Aswins, or Tvastr's sons when he took the form of a woman (Vadava) and married Savitri. Importantly, they obtain Madhu Vidya from Fire of Watery Curds. Further along, they are called Ocean-born (abdhi-jau), Sons-of-the-submarine-fire (vadabeyau), Wreathed-with lotuses (pusbara-srajau). Both, Wondrous Dasra and Without Untruth Nasatya, are consorts of the sun's daughter. Tvastr makes Soma and Indra's Vajra. Indra did not like the low-born Aswins.

So the basis of Horse Head rite is with immortality--Aswins, and it involves the Curds which one might literally make, or visualize, which become Vasudhara.

Solar Fire generates other fires upon being churned in the Arani (by Friction); this fire is taken from one place to another; this lord is known by the name Ayus (Aerial Flame).

The full Agni Homa has many stages and includes a few esoteric sacrifices. The beginning may be somewhat predictable or conform to what we have learned; but the important part is that the climax is about going through the Purnagiri Pitha into the Voids and the Great Void, and afterwards you re-emerge and rain fullness through your aura and across the world, which is Annapurna. When you go Formless or enter the highest Joy that you can, Dissolution is done by:

Filling the Fireplace with Offerings

Purnahuti.

pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate|
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate||

The priest of the ceremony recites the particular mantra and says "Svaha", which means, "we offer". "I offer worship to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, also known as Nilkanth Varni. As Shrihari, together with Aksharbrahma, He is glorious. He is the God of all gods, the son of Bhakti and Dharma and has the supreme divine form".

Third esoteric sacrifice is nectar of Tvastr rains on Talu (palate).

This is called the Deity Agni entering the body.

That means you have enough Kurukulla saturation and enough Nairatma non-psychology to make enough heat melt the white bindu, i. e. the First Joy. Maybe you can get Four, maybe Eight. You are Complete in Suksma Yoga when you can do the Eight and dissolve up into the voids beyond the head; that is the intention here.

We achieve Maha-sunya in the Tri-svabhava because the first fixed fire has No Essence. The second has Suchness, the third Paramartha (Ultimate Meaning). To dissolve the voids, our Paramartha flies through Suchness into No Essence of Parikalpita (which sounds backwards). This is what we have to hold steadily and expand until it culminates and hold that steady. The sun is no longer the radiant sun, but its soft luminousness of dawn.




Tvastr's nectar comes from the secret Water Vajra Sikhin Vaidyuta, who turns out to be Garuda Thunderbird Senya:






Can be gold, female, charioteer of dawn; it is the brother of our charioteer. It is any vajra up to the extent of Vishnu's Chakra. This is heavily archaeologically examined, and presented with some of our same information in an Homage to Hindu civilization, its role is to transfer Soma. Is Homa bird in Avestan.

Purified Mother Elements Protect his Wheel of Time. Thus one may pass to non-time.

Guhyeshvari is Agniyogini, whose form is usually Kakini: Kākinī has the head of a crow (kāka) according to the Śrīmatottara-tantra, or the head of a horse (haya) according to the Kulārṇava-tantra. She has eight arms and is greedy for flesh and liquor (piśitāsavalampaṭā). Her colour is black (kṛṣṇa).

If she knows what Garuda really is, and she is Mamaki who deals with Vajrapani who emits Garudas, everything is still fairly consistent.

[shaberon]

I have been struggling with the Marici mandala. We know it includes word twists on Vetali and Varahi, so, I figured the first goddess, Arkamasi, was perhaps a play on Arcismati.

But all the unique goddesses are a "masi", and so I think it is a form of "month", because there are twelve of them.

Masi is probably “month”, because in Purnamasa, “full moon” is really saying “full month”.

Masi is also an individual name from the Puranas, related to a male Sura, but difficult to pin down:



7) Māṣī (माषी):—[from māṣa] b f. Name of the wife of Śūra, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]


Sura either is Devamidhusa (Liberal) or is his father:


1a) Devamīḍhuṣa (देवमीढुष).—Śūra; a son of Mādrī and Vṛṣṇi;1 a Rājaṛṣi.2

1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 145; Matsya-purāṇa 45. 2.
2) Vāyu-purāṇa 1. 147.

1b) Devamidhusa, son of Sura and Masi, Vayu Purana 96.143.

Is also called Devagarbha:

1h) A son of Aśmaki? (Devagarbha, Viṣṇu-purāṇa): wife Mahiṣā or Bhojā (Mārīṣā, Viṣṇu-purāṇa); Father of ten sons, the eldest being Vasudeva: also of 5 daughters; had a friend Kuntī who was childless; to him he gave his daughter Pṛthā in adoption; Pāṇḍu married her.

Also called Citraratha.


Sura or Surasena is generally accepted as the grandfather of the Pandavas. Masi or Marisa are the names of his first wife.

Masi is apparently Marisa (Milk), wife of Sura, mother of Vasudeva:

3) Māriṣā (मारिषा).—A daughter of a Bhoja king; wife of Devamīḍha and mother of Vasudeva and others.

4b) The wife of Śūra and mother of Vasudeva and others.*

* Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 14. 26-7.

Vishnu Purana:

Śúra, the son of Devamíd́husha, was married to Márishá, and had by her ten sons. On the birth of Vasudeva, who was one of these sons, the gods, to whom the future is manifest, foresaw that the divine being would take a human form in his family, and thereupon they sounded with joy the drums of heaven: from this circumstance Vasudeva was also called Ánakadundubhi.

Vasudeva is the father of Krsna who again is named Vasudeva. Ugrasena’s daughter was Devakī who married Vasudeva and from them Viṣṇu by the curse of Bhṛgu was born as Kṛṣṇa. From Vasudeva’s other wife Rohiṇī was born Saṃkarṣaṇa.

This is the Lunar Dynasty of Yadu.

Soma, Marisa, and trees.

So there is the Marici-esque name, Marisa, and the units with which Marici is involved, Masi, and these two are perhaps identical, mother of Vasudeva. I am not quite sure this is what Marici is getting at with her retinue.

Masi is Pali for Magha, the month in which on Viraj's birthday she is worshipped as Savitri and Paramavaisnavi, or Savitri and Brahmani.


The Gyantse explanation refers to the first group of Masis as:

the four stages preceding sunrise: the sun is invisible (arka), it is concealed (marka), it becomes dimly visible (antardhana 'invisibility')

then Tejo would be visible light. But we cannot see what they are talking about.



The mandala is drawn from the dharani, which, however, seems to use seven Masis. Santideva has Marici Dharani after Janguli. Gretil version. Janguli and Marici in a Sanskrit document. Miranda Shaw with translation.

In Sadhanamala, there is not a corresponding appearance of "masi", but there is a "candramasi", part of the spawn structure for Manjuvajra housing his syllable, however Candramasi is a name of Tara. the name meaning she lived with the moon for a period of time. In Bhagavad Gita, candramasi simply means "in the moon", like Manjuvajra's syllable.

In the Puranas, the monad is not the visible moon Candra, but is Purnamasa, Full Moon Sacrifice. This has one instance in Vajrasarasvati 167 from Krsna Yamari Tantra, right after Prajna Vardhani mantra. Her form is:


tasyāḥ prathamaṃ mukhaṃ raktaṃ
dakṣiṇaṃ śuklaṃ vāmaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ prathamadakṣiṇabhuje kamalaṃ prajñāpāramitā-
pustakāṅkitaṃ dvitīye asiṃ tṛtīye kartīṃ prathama-
vāmabhuje sitacakram aṣṭāraṃ dvitīye navāṃśaratnaṃ tṛtīye
brahmakapālam /


Asi is a different kind of sword as in Janguli's mantra, Asijihve, "sword-tongued". She interestingly does not have Brahma's head, but his skull.

After the mantra, she also has the only instance of Sukla Paksa (Waxing Fortnight) in the relevant phrase:

śuklapakṣapratipadam ārabhya candramsamālokayan
saṃskṛtaṃ kuryād yāvad astameti candramāḥ
yāvat pūrṇamāsīm /


So that is a development of Prajnaparamita using her mantra, but not her name or form--red, but cloesly allied to the moon.

Sadhanamala uses the charioteer Rahu twice, and, also, a Two-arm Devi who in other sources is legless, but un-named. This one has Tarjanikapasa, threatening gesture with a noose, and pallava, which is not the dynasty but an obscure term for a branch, so the charioteer seems intended as an Akosakanta Marici.

The relation of the chariot to four Hindu gods is "Rathacarana", chariot-wheel, ratha "car" and carana "foot"--so when Ghasmari's relation to a corpse is "carana", she may not be eating it, just standing on it.

Ekajati 125 is Agnitratharudham: mounted in a chariot which implies Agni is the "horse" since Marici's is Sukararatha, hitched to pigs.

According to HPB, the Agnishvattas are Pranidhana Natha; and for some reason, Sarvadurgati conveys Seven Paramitas including Pranidhana--which is never seventh in any of the full lists. If we look at the whole thing, it has to add Acala and Four Dakinis. But if we consider Sarvadurgati as a major guide for the Yoga stage, then the seven would be arranged like this.

Dhyanis are defined as the Bhumis or Grounds, Wrathful Prajnas are the Seven Jewels of Enlightenment. Both are Armor which is the Rays.

Discipline.......Ground....................Paramit a...........Dharani

Citta.............Pramudita (Vajrasattva)...Dana........Ratnolka
Pariskara........Vimala (Vairocana)......Sila...........Usnisavijaya
Karma...........Prabhakari (Ratna)..........Ksanti.........Marici
Upapatthi.......Arcismati (Amitabha).......Virya.........Parnasabari
Rddhi............Sudurjaya (Akshobya).....Dhyana........Janguli
Adimukti..........Abhi-mukhi (Amoghasiddhi)..Prajna...Ananta-mukhi
Pranidhana......Durangama................Upaya.... .........Cunda




In Kriya Tantra, the Mother of Tathagata Family is equivalently Marici, Pratisara, or Grahamatrika. That is like calling them Prajnas or female Buddhas.


The main Tibetan Marici is in Taranatha's cluster of a quite weird set attributed to Devasambhava, guru of Droding, Pandita Purnavajra, and Sakya Raksita. The first ones, Pandara, Usnisa, and Cunda, are not that strange, but then comes Aparajita with Aparajita. Then there is White Hayagriva with Blue Ekajata, and they emanate Green Hayagriva and Vajra Nakhi (Claws, or Dorje Dermo), who has a pig face, drum, and skullcup, apparently a type of Varahi. Next is Red Acala with Vajra Candi, who has a drum and flower garland. Then come Orange Marici in her chariot, Dhvaja, Black Vetali, Orange Hariti who emanates Yamantaka, fat Yellow Radish Ganapati looking at a bowl of sweets, Orange Akshobya Manjushri who emanates Yamantaka, Avalokiteshvara who emanates Hayagriva, then green or blue Vajrapani with green or blue Amrita Kundali, who carries an axe.

Horse Marici is part of Maya Jala. Harita Asva explains some of the confusion around this color, as well as saying she casts a wall of pigs, and an Ashoka Grove.


There is a good paper by Gerd Mavissen which takes a detailed look at deities related in Vajravali that also use astrological entities, and we have already looked at this and it is mostly White or Yellow Vairocana deities such as Marici, Pratisara, Usnisa, and Grahamatrika. Vasudhara is related, more as a preliminary. There are a lot of good observations here so we will quote a bunch of it:

"Aparajita [white destroys grahas] belongs to the Enlightenment complex of the Buddha and is closely related to MarÏcÏ and Vairocana. Her images predate those of her successor MarÏcÏ in the sites of Bodh Gaya and Nalanda.

The navagrahas appear collectively as adorants of the yellow MahamayurÏ (SM 206) and of the white MarÏcÏ. The sun and the moon figure as personifications of two of the eight dangers in the description of the white Mrtyuvancana-Tara (SM 103, 112). The grahas are also invoked in SM 206 (Pancaraksa) and SM 223 (Mahamaya).

Aditya and the other nine [!] grahas, who symbolize disease, death, famine and distress, are noted to be overcome by MarÏcÏ’s chariot drawn by seven pigs.

The caitya/stupa that is mentioned in the sadhanas [of Marici with Rahu, Sun, and Moon] as the place where she resides, often represented in the images, links the goddess to the topic of death, viz. the death and final end of the pre-enlightenment life of the Bodhisattva followed by the victory of the Buddha over the powers of darkness."

Actually, in Sadhanamala 206, Panca Raksa, the planets are with Pramardani, and the lunar mansions are with Mayuri.

The aspect of Marici's tree may have suffered from my spelling errors.

The Golden Deer that tempts Sita is really Maricha, who is in a position of needing to be killed by Rama anyway (from the story of Jaya and Vijaya). At the last moment, Lakshman places Sita in Lakshman Rekhe, i. e., boundary, or Fence, but she steps out of it, and Ravan takes her (or takes Maya or Chhaya Sita), to an Ashoka Grove. Vaisnava apparently follows the Maya Sita version.

The Golden Deer that tempts Sita is really Maricha, who is in a position of needing to be killed by Rama anyway (from the story of Jaya and Vijaya). At the last moment, Lakshman places Sita in Lakshman Rekhe, i. e., boundary, or Fence, but she steps out of it, and Ravan takes her (or takes Maya or Chhaya Sita), to an Ashoka Grove. Vaisnava apparently follows the Maya Sita version.

If I randomly look up Ashoka Grove, the whole first page is nothing but versions of Sita's captivity in Lanka, which suggests that if Buddhist Marici casts Ashoka Grove, it would be understood as this. Tibetan Buddhist Symbols says its name means "without sorrow", is the Bodhi Tree of Vispasi, is sacred to Kama, has red flowers, blooms when a pure hearted woman is touching it.

Densatil also has a main stupa having Marici with Janguli and Parnasabari over sixteen Offering Goddesses. A very detailed view of a tashi gomang (Many Doors of Auspiciousness) stupa at Densatil on pp. 12-13 does show us how this works under Akshobya at the top and the Four Kings at the bottom. Above the Kings are Dharma Protectors such as Dhumavati with two swords, Rahu, Ananta, and Prithvi. And above these is the tier of all Sixteen Offering Goddesses--but in the very middle of these is the trio Parnasabari, Marici, Janguli. This is Pamo Dru lineage.



In Dharma Samgraha, Marici is in the Pancha Raksha replacing Mayuri, for some reason having the rare interpretation that a light ray may be of the moon:

Pañca rakṣāḥ,  tad-yathā: 
There are five protectors, they are:

{1} Pratisarā, 
{1} Assailer,

{2} Sāhasra-pramardanī, 
{2} Thousands-crusher,

{3} Mārīcī, 
{3} Moonlight,

{4} Mantrānusāriṇī, 
{4} Mantra-follower,

{5} Śītavanī ceti.
{5} and Cool Wood.

[Old Student]

Perhaps what you are experiencing is non-dualization in all of the 72,000 or 84,000 branch nerves.

I wonder about these sometimes, whether this is what happens when the shaking goes to extreme detail (everything down to fingertips shaking somewhat independently). Also when it seems like the "strength" being exercised is so obviously to extend nervous control to something.

Before the meditating person arrives at the mandala gates, she must, however, pass the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus circle. These are the circular borders of mandalas:

fire of wisdom: the outermost circle consists of the purifying fire
vajra circle: the diamond circle expresses strength and fearlessness
tombs: there are eight tombs, which symbolises the eight states of consciousness, which the person must go beyond
lotus circle: expresses the open state of devotion, that is necessary to enter the palace

This seems very shaman like -- the journey that must pass and surmount barriers.

Brahma's region or Brahmasthana is a "cleared-out center" of a house, navel, heart, etc.

Brahma Jyoti is accompanied by inner heat, can produce Bliss, but not Increasing Bliss. It has effulgent light and primordial sound. So this aspect of Agni has everything to do with regulating inner heat for the purposes of yoga, along with a forest aspect, which usually indicates cooling.

In my shaking, the inner heat becomes one of the kinds of bliss (the one which is hot and creates heat, not surprisingly), and the forest is a constant motif for two things -- one is the constant interplay of decay and birth (usually but not always close to my navel), and one is the pair at my solar plexus which is a branch and a stream.

[Old Student]

But what happens to those who have reached culminating point of their practice and transcended its levels to where no other being has gone , what happens to those who love everybody too much for the beauty of it ,
what happens to the wise man who after many years of struggle , finally, looses the last chains of his mind to become divine fool ?

Almost by definition he is not listened to. That is what we do with fools, we evince pride that we "do not suffer them gladly." Which is why the fool is an embodiment of wisdom from Shakespeare to Zhuangzi.

At the end of a chapter on transmutation of things, after an extended explanation of how someone could be like "dry wood and dead ashes" based on who it is that plays the pipes that make sounds whent he wind blows, and after previously an explanation of time that includes that a butterfly does not know about years and a human does not know about the centuries that an old tree knows, Zhuangzi becomes a butterfly and then becomes Zhuangzi, and we are told there must be some difference "!?" emphasis and question in the original.

When Zhuangzi is a butterfly he flits and flights and does not know Zhuangzi. The question coming from earlier in the chapter is, "How could he?" After all, a butterfly can not know winter and Zhuangzi does. Zhuangzi is confused when he gets back, not knowing if he dreamt he was a butterfly or whether he is a butterfly dreaming this now. "There must be some difference !?" If a being that can not know winter can dream being a being that can, then one can know things in one's dreams that one cannot know when awake.

My true dream is that we touch the greater Dream of greater Reality of Space and Time with our dreams, purified and magnified and then, I’ve seen it happened ,
the Mother of Reality dawns on us and minds of all are healed and awakened to see clearly what we see in rainy mornings,
crystal clear drops and rainbows in the mist

Rainbows are the pure colors from which all that is visible is created, and yet a shift of the light or a breeze on the mist and they are gone.

[Old Student]

So the basis of Horse Head rite is with immortality--Aswins, and it involves the Curds which one might literally make, or visualize, which become Vasudhara.

This is interesting. There is a Honey ceremony done in modern Indian Buddhism (Bengal area) that has a lot of these symbols.

The full Agni Homa has many stages and includes a few esoteric sacrifices. The beginning may be somewhat predictable or conform to what we have learned; but the important part is that the climax is about going through the Purnagiri Pitha into the Voids and the Great Void, and afterwards you re-emerge and rain fullness through your aura and across the world, which is Annapurna. When you go Formless or enter the highest Joy that you can, Dissolution is done by:

Dissolution came last night by working on an uncommon kind of bliss that I had been taught very recently until it was impossible to move and impossible not to move (there was no motion to make, and there was no motion I was not making). What is interesting is what you have next:

Third esoteric sacrifice is nectar of Tvastr rains on Talu (palate).

The accessibility of the plane above my palate to the bliss and shaking below it always comes by a particular press of my tongue on my palate and a throat/tongue/head movement that makes saliva jet backwards onto the soft palate from the lower front of my mouth and then the plane opens.

This is called the Deity Agni entering the body.

That means you have enough Kurukulla saturation and enough Nairatma non-psychology to make enough heat melt the white bindu, i. e. the First Joy. Maybe you can get Four, maybe Eight. You are Complete in Suksma Yoga when you can do the Eight and dissolve up into the voids beyond the head; that is the intention here.

We achieve Maha-sunya in the Tri-svabhava because the first fixed fire has No Essence. The second has Suchness, the third Paramartha (Ultimate Meaning). To dissolve the voids, our Paramartha flies through Suchness into No Essence of Parikalpita (which sounds backwards). This is what we have to hold steadily and expand until it culminates and hold that steady. The sun is no longer the radiant sun, but its soft luminousness of dawn.

When the shaking reached the stage I described above, the plane over my palate had thickened to like a 5 inch thick plate of plexiglas extending to the walls of the room, and then its usual infinitely thin beyond that. It was the same color as my neck when it turns clear. I dissolved into this and was this plane for a full ten minutes before realizing that I had become the breeze in the room -- some delicate wispiness, right? A thick slab of plexiglas, obviously a coarseness I have to work on -- I did spend the last 5 minutes of that being-ness in the knowledge that I was the breeze.

Very clunky but I did do it a first time.

[Old Student]

Ekajati 125 is Agnitratharudham: mounted in a chariot which implies Agni is the "horse" since Marici's is Sukararatha, hitched to pigs.

According to HPB, the Agnishvattas are Pranidhana Natha; and for some reason, Sarvadurgati conveys Seven Paramitas including Pranidhana--which is never seventh in any of the full lists. If we look at the whole thing, it has to add Acala and Four Dakinis. But if we consider Sarvadurgati as a major guide for the Yoga stage, then the seven would be arranged like this.

Dhyanis are defined as the Bhumis or Grounds, Wrathful Prajnas are the Seven Jewels of Enlightenment. Both are Armor which is the Rays.

Discipline.......Ground....................Paramit a...........Dharani

Citta.............Pramudita (Vajrasattva)...Dana........Ratnolka
Pariskara........Vimala (Vairocana)......Sila...........Usnisavijaya
Karma...........Prabhakari (Ratna)..........Ksanti.........Marici
Upapatthi.......Arcismati (Amitabha).......Virya.........Parnasabari
Rddhi............Sudurjaya (Akshobya).....Dhyana........Janguli
Adimukti..........Abhi-mukhi (Amoghasiddhi)..Prajna...Ananta-mukhi
Pranidhana......Durangama................Upaya.... .........Cunda

Is this chart a combination of the several sources you mentioned?

Aditya and the other nine [!] grahas, who symbolize disease, death, famine and distress, are noted to be overcome by MarÏcÏ’s chariot drawn by seven pigs.

The caitya/stupa that is mentioned in the sadhanas [of Marici with Rahu, Sun, and Moon] as the place where she resides, often represented in the images, links the goddess to the topic of death, viz. the death and final end of the pre-enlightenment life of the Bodhisattva followed by the victory of the Buddha over the powers of darkness."

This makes sense, but it is also a kind of "victory over death" thing which is somewhat different. One thinks of victory over death as being some other thing, and Buddha having victory over suffering and over rebirth.

Pañca rakṣāḥ, tad-yathā:
There are five protectors, they are:

{1} Pratisarā,
{1} Assailer,

{2} Sāhasra-pramardanī,
{2} Thousands-crusher,

{3} Mārīcī,
{3} Moonlight,

{4} Mantrānusāriṇī,
{4} Mantra-follower,

{5} Śītavanī ceti.
{5} and Cool Wood.

Are the Pancha Raksa general purpose protectors or protectors from something specific? Earlier, you have Marici vanquishing famine, death, etc.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)

Dhyanis are defined as the Bhumis or Grounds, Wrathful Prajnas are the Seven Jewels of Enlightenment. Both are Armor which is the Rays.

Discipline.......Ground....................Paramit a...........Dharani

Citta.............Pramudita (Vajrasattva)...Dana........Ratnolka
Pariskara........Vimala (Vairocana)......Sila...........Usnisavijaya
Karma...........Prabhakari (Ratna)..........Ksanti.........Marici
Upapatthi.......Arcismati (Amitabha).......Virya.........Parnasabari
Rddhi............Sudurjaya (Akshobya).....Dhyana........Janguli
Adimukti..........Abhi-mukhi (Amoghasiddhi)..Prajna...Ananta-mukhi
Pranidhana......Durangama................Upaya.... .........Cunda

Is this chart a combination of the several sources you mentioned?

Well, the general format is Namasangiti. Most of the standard books make a standard set of Discipline, Ground, and Paramita; Namasangiti attaches the Dharanis to them. It does the very unique thing of adding an "introductory" Paramita which we have skipped here. What has been added are the Dhyani Buddhas as if each representing a Bhumi, and the whole thing clipped so it matches what Sarvadurgati is saying by adding Pranidhana to the usual six. So far, I am not sure why it does it this way, but it says it does, and so if I can accept myself as one who just has a tiny little spark of Prajnaparamita, it is ok if the Path beyond her is truncated into Pranidhana, which indicates Agni, among other things. In our conception of a Seventh Buddha Family, it is about using the three transcendent Agni Shaktis or three-in-one fire, which again is like Lakshmi's Divine Gunas as well as the three voids and great void. So the Six will easily attach to Six Families of Dakini Jala or Om Manipadme Hum, and in giving a seventh, Sarvadurgati also states there are Seven Families. So the whole esoteric everything is pretty much on your fingertips just by this.

You would think Prajna Paramita would just use her own mantra, but no.

There are sub-systems whereby each Paramita was deified as Durgottarini and others, i. e. when we see Prajnaparamita retinues, these are not in her sadhanas, it is a correspondence. Without an actual scriptural source, I am always questioning conclusions that published authors make. In some cases we wind up repeating stuff that was not accurate, so, for example, I am still not sure what Paramita or Bhumi Durgottarini is supposed to be. I think we found something about the Third Bhumi recently. On the Second, we can easily see the concept of Vimala as something like Vairocana Family, but, as Usnisa Vijaya, "holding" Amitabha. And then, tantricly, well, you already know Vairocana or Rupa Skandha is the nexus in the palate, and it may indeed be linked to a Universe Lotus and a type of Web or Net.

If I take another step then on the third is something similar to Bhaskari and Secret Sun or Ratna--Vajrasurya which is assisted by mantras of Marici.

Arcismati is the "intense" form of that, Virya--Powerful, and only then do you get to Dhyana which is Janguli in Akshobya Family.

I can post the version with all Twelve Paramitas, which is something like the Peaceful equivalent of the Cemeteries. I would probably, personally, mainly focus on the Seven because at most, it is whatever Upaya or Skill in Action that I am able to squeak out of my feeble Prajna, which has Amoghasiddhi going into it, so I know there will be Smoke and occultism and the Hydra Hood as provided by Janguli. Until I was essentially a wizard at this, I would derive but little from dwelling on the Irreversible Bodhisattva Grounds beyond this.

Are the Pancha Raksa general purpose protectors or protectors from something specific? Earlier, you have Marici vanquishing famine, death, etc.

Pancha Raksha each may have individual roles. They may be general purpose. They appear to cover the spectrum according to how detailed a person is able to think. I am not that sure, since Protection is a relatively recent idea to me, and I still think of it more as Mantra and Tra syllable generally, and as Armor Deities. I am not really in favor at looking at talismans and seeing any of these deities as a thing you can "pick up and get it to work" like a luck charm. Inversely, if you look at the deity and bond it and force it to work, a talisman will amplify it. And so when I found White Lakshmi is a Peaceful Protector, who is close to the idea of subtle life wind protected from psychological levels through the karmas in the outer world, now that I take her, I am really unable to look around or question it, and the only thing that could actually change it, is if for instance one takes Vajrabhairava initiation, the practice's protector is Dharmaraja, and then you would work with this deity. I would not just pick up Dharmaraja and try it because it sounds interesting. The Pancha Raksa, however, you can, you can take Pratisara and then if you wish, you can make any of them the center, which is a straight trade. The amount of Pancha Raksa material would max out a post. But there is only one creeping hint of an idea out there about the right Mantramanusarini in SM 206, and that is really just about the indiscretion of artists. When really considering the change, I am a bit startled that no one has paid attention to Sitabani and how precise that is to certain things, like the origin of Vajramrita Tantra and the Buddhist use of Agni. This version also has them with Trees.

Marici is usually considered Outer Obstacles, with Acala for Inner Obstacles, in the Vajrasana series that includes Locana.

If anything, Marici is focused on Thieves, or, lost opportunities for enlightenment. But again, she may be against any evil-doers, to whom her chariot simply paves them into golden ground. Rather than defraying fears like the basic Taras, she is more like the state of Fearlessness, hence her appeal to samurai and the like. It is really Vajrapani who is the Protector of Shaolin Monastery.

Miranda Shaw says the Pancha Raksa probably crowded out Janguli as popular protectors. She says Janguli is the Amrita--Visahara axis. Buddha met Janguli at Mount Gandhamadana "Intoxicating Fragrance", which in Buddhism is north of Kailasa--its exact location is disputed by all traditions. In current usage, it is off the coast of Lanka, where Parasu found Dattatreya.

Marici can make an Ashoka Grove, and, she also replicates her pigs into legions:











That almost looks like she has no human face, but, you can find the raised vajra and her needle.

Besides the Green Horses/Pig Rider/Stupa Marici, the largest assembly of her practices in Tibet is six pieces which I think are in Bari Gyatsa. Sadhanamala blows this away like a volcano. She is similar to Kalachakra Tantra where the central goddess, Viswamata, is a blend of Prajnaparamita and Vajradhatvishvari, or perhaps we could say samadhi and the life-winds. If we look at a slice of her power that is framed in the same jargon as the tantras, Oddiyana Marici 140 has in her mandala an unusual:


śrī odiyāna pīṭhaṃ trikoṇamāraktaṃ

She has the Oddiyana Pitha itself as a red triangle. In her mantras, she has, is, or incorporates:


vajrasattveśvari

vajravetāli

vajraḍākini samayas tvaṃ

mahāsukhavivṛddhaye mama sahāyakā bhavatha


And so her issuing source, or Pitha, so to speak, is mostly the same as Tara number One from Saraha:

Pitheshvari is defined as meaning the Four Pithas of Hevajra; her dharmodaya arises from E. Her personal syllables are white Bhrum crown, red Hrih throat, blue Hum heart, Yellow A navel, green Kham thighs. In this case, she means the real one, or we might say established Four Pithas or Joys, and added the fifth.



Marici's second Oddiyana form is for Svadisthana Krama, or sva "self" plus adhisthana "consecration", a term for the preliminary Yoga stage, Water Moon, of Guhyasamaja in five parts: Vajrajapa (Muttering), Cittavisudhi (Mind Isolation), Svadhisthana (Water Moon), Sukhabhisambodhi, Yuganadha. Laksminkara's Advaya Siddhi says it is written from the view of Svadisthana Krama.


Yogi Chen Chen makes a point about getting this at a Yoga level before Completion. He makes a table which is not a bad catalog once you see how it works, and where this terminology lies in the progression.

Vajra Rosary explains both the Guhyasamaja Five Stages and Six Limb Yoga. Vajra Rosary is one of the most important tantric explanations. And even in Kalachakra, after Mandala and Yidam, when it comes to Bindu and Suskma Yoga, it uses Namasangiti verse 158 to set the proper frame for purification of the Four Drops in the Four Chakras by emanating their inner deities.

Since the phrase "Anuttara Yoga" seems to have turned out to be a bad guess by translators, the trend now is for Highest Yoga to be written as Yoga Niruttara because this has original Sanskrit attestations. Niruttara is an entire Hindu tantra involving Cinnamasta. I am not sure how many instances it has, not many, but Marici 134 identifies herself as:

niruttarasukhāsaṅgaprajñāpāraṅgatān gurūn

Niruttara Sukha Sangha Prajnaparagate Guru

Guru of Highest Yoga Bliss Bodhisattva Community on the Other Shore of Prajnaparamita


Marici also has a Heruka form doing Humkara; in Sadhanamala, Ashoka Kanta is usually Asoka Pallava for the branch; but on her larger forms, it is Vrksa or a tree. Marici has numerous Eight Arm forms, and then, so to speak, "Above the Navagrahas" she turns white, gains ten arms, and even four legs. Finally, she has the twelve arm forms which seem to have condensed all the tantras or at least the Chakrasamvara line, up to Six Faces like Mars.

One of her statues in Orissa is set facing Durga.

[shaberon]

Bodhisattva Path or Paramitas with Dharanis


Buddhism and Hinduism both follow a Lunar calendar, which starts on new moon being the first crescent, or, a day after the astronomical dark moon, which is the thirtieth day. Waxing is auspicious, Vajra Paksha and Janma, and full is highly auspicious. Day eight is for Tara. Tsog is the tenth and twenty-fifth. Protector is the twenty-ninth.

In Mahavairocana, Buddha says we should do the Fierce Rites on the eighth or fourteenth day with Saturn or Mars in the Lunar Mansions Hasta, Citra, Asvini, Uttara-phalguni, Punar-vasu, Svati. So the eighth could be Blue Sarasvati or Maha Cina Tara if those conditions call for it, or, any wrathful deity at either of those times.

For general purposes, the new and full moons are best for larger sadhanas, Tara and/or wrathfuls have a suggested time, and Protector comes at the end. Loosely, waxing is more for sending merit, and waning is more wrathful and protective. So that is a simple guide, based solely on the Moon, which is common to India and Tibet.

So if I am on day four which is nothing special, then it would be fine to read Sutra and Dharanis. Any "ritual", which for our purposes is just Guru Yoga, begins with Vajrasattva, and although it begins arbitrarily short, it is what we build into something as deep and intense as possible. Once you establish a Guru, Vajradhara or otherwise, the thing cannot be done in less than twenty minutes, and can easily go much longer. Because I am comfortable with Vajradhara, I tend to want to ask him for something, and so it would now be difficult for me to use the basic format where you just establish and meet him. I still do that, of course, but then it is time to ask him about a mantra, deity, etc., so he actually does something, which is not really "doing something" except in the mental sense.

If we take the case of Dharanis, then they are very adjustable. I use short Usnisa mantra all the time. They can stand alone, be made part of a quick practice, or be used in a larger sadhana. It is perhaps best to use the whole Sutra introduction they usually come with, but, we do not have this in all cases.

Ganapati Hrdaya is one that is not included by name, but we wind up with a few names we do not know.

Ganesh or Ganapati "Lord of Hosts" accomplishes that part of Vajrasattva mantra, "sarva siddhim me prayaccha", bestow all siddhis on me. Hrdaya is his heart-bride, which, at first, is Buddhi, Matangi, and eventually is Gauri or Siddhidhatri, essentially swiping the wives of all the worldly deities. Ganesh, himself, usually "goes first" before meditating on other deities, but also is an Ucchusma or "scraps" deity, like Matangi and Dhumavati. Here is a Ganesh article ending with the dharani, or, Ganapati Hrdaya Dharani itself.

The seven daily dharanis are actually in order in the middle of Dharani Samgraha, which would probably be the main source for Grahamatrika Mahavidya, who occupies pages 350-362.

It is in Nepali accent, i. e. Vajradhara = Vajaddaraya. "2" is a standard shorthand for "repeat previous word".

She has an unusual fourteen-deity configuration in a lineage from Virupa. She normally is shown without sire, but, this is considered Mahavidya Manadala of Tathagata Family in Kriya. Her arrangement is unusual because she has a Swan-driven Marici in the ring, and, apparently, a Horse-driven Marici close to her:








According to Kazumi Yoshizaki, "The first reference to the Buddha Aksobhya of the Lhasa Newars is, as far as I know, found in the colophon of Saptavara-dharani (Grahamatrka-nama-dharani), which was copied in the Newar year (N.S.) 773 by Srimantadeva Vajracary." The manuscript was commissioned after paying homage to a statue of Akshobya, ruler of the Himalaya, Sri Sakyamuni.



As far as I know, Dharmadhatu Vagisvara is the only place where Dharanis are intended to correspond to Paramitas. Usually, Dharanis just mean whatever it says in their Sutras. The seventh, Anantamukhi, depends on the first Paramita, according to Tsonkhapa.

The "bonus" first Dharani is Vasumati Mahalakshmi.

Vasumati means possessing treasure, and is found in 1008 Lakshmis:

parA vasumatI devI

and:

arundhatI vasumatI bhArgavI vAstudevatA |
mAyUrI vajravetAlI vajrahastA varAnanA || 93||

Bhargavi is a very rare name, "Radiant, Beautiful and Charming". This verse is highly esoteric as Tara really is Arundhati, then you have a few beautiful terms, followed by Mayuri, Ghoul, Vajra Holder, and Varnani or the lunar nerve, or, what appears to be the evolution of corpse bride.

Dharanis in DDV are Amoghasiddhi goddesses, in Hinduism they are Lakshmis and consorts of Parasurama, the Immortal, who will be Maitreya's guru in the final cycle when Amoghasiddhi replaces Amitabha. They are inherently mysterious from using non-words. If the first one corresponds to a special pre-Paramita, and that first goddess Mahalakshmi is Mahasri who is a Pancha Jina in Sambhogakaya at her lowest form, it would have to be said that an exoteric recital relating to an undefined preliminary Paramita is definitely only like an outer shadow of her true meaning, which would have to be considered at least five Paramitas at once.

What is ordinarily called Mahalakshmi or Mahasri Dharani is really from Golden Light Sutra. If we look at what we would probably use in this roster or does it have an available dharani, we have gotten:

Vasumati Mahalakshmi -- Mahasri Sutra
Ratnolka -- Dhvajagrakeyura Dharani
Usnisavijaya -- yes
Marici -- yes
Parnasabari -- yes
Janguli -- yes
Anantamukhi -- yes, copied below
Cunda -- yes
Prajnavardhani -- Prajnaparamita, Vajra Sarasvati
Sarva Varana Vishodani -- Mahamaya Vijayavahini Dharani
Aksaya Jnana Karanda [Imperishable Wisdom Casket]
Sarvabuddhadharma Kosavati or Dharmakāyavatīṃ

On the final two, a straightforward deity interpretation cannot be given. Karanda's meaning is perhaps comparable to terma, or, to a basket of "other things". Kosa could be "cup or vessel", "storehouse or treasury", or a term for the sheaths of the body, mind, and subtle mind. The Nepali version of the last simplifies it to Dharmakaya, which is a fair reason to equate it to the final Paramita. The one that made sense to me for Dharmakaya is Parasol (copied below).

If Karanda is a container of unknown contents, some of the remaining Dharanis and Sutras which have come to our attention would be:

Shurangama
Golden Light
Mayuri and Pancha Raksha
Dhumavati

Here is what happens. This only exists in Namasangiti. It is a special way of learning Paramitas. It just says they are there, it isn't anything about what they are, so we have to supply that. Although there are interpretations that would place these out of order, we will simply note that.

We are really just indexing Dharanis with Paramitas and Bhumis that are already known and established to correspond with each other.

Naga Kings are cultivation of Paramitas. In Sarvadurgati, Offering Goddesses are Eight of the Paramitas.

The Six Families method that would follow from Dakini Jala is that in Abidhanottara (Samvara tantra), there are six Bhumis in order of Vajrasattva, Buddha, Jewel, Lotus, Vajra, Visva Daka. Then, Acala is a divider to the four magical females such as Lama, Khandaroha, Dharmamegha, and Rupini.

With Vajra Tara, Paramitas are the ten syllables of Tara mantra, i. e. her retinue, as in post 384. In her case, it is Four Offerings, Puspa, Dhupa, Dipa, Gandha, then Hook, Noose, Chain, Bell, Sumbha, and Usnisa, in 110. They are actually not Ten Directions, only six. This is really her own personal practice, where we would apply what we glean of the Paramitas.

HPB adds "VIRAGA, indifference to pleasure and to pain, illusion conquered, truth alone perceived", fourth, moving Prajna up to seventh. With her, the Paramitas are really keys to portals which open the hard and thorny way to Jnana, and she uses the normal Tara expression "other shore". Instead of Vi Jnana or mundane concsiousness and reason, it is Pra Jna or Straight Forward Knowledge which is Param Ita or It Crossed to the Other Side.

If these are keys, the Portals, themselves, would be Disciplines, Grounds, and Dharanis.

Longchen and Mipham's Ten Components of tantra as Paramitas reflect that Jnana is behind or within Prajna, is primordial. This is the first iteration, or line with the Sanskrit name, in the following list.

Kalachakra also gives them in a tantric sense. That is the numbered line.



Namasangiti has a unique "first or prior" Bhumi called Adimukticarya, which is Zeal, Confidence, Sraddha, and so on. The Discipline to train is simply called Ayur, meaning Life, as in Ayurveda or Amitayus, and these Discipline goddesses, Ayur and those who follow, are daughters of Amitabha. This cultivates Ratna Paramita, and the Paramitas are Ratna goddesses. Grounds are Vajra Family.

Because this special preliminary is unique, it has no standard commentary, only a deity and her Dharani.

According to Bhattacharya, this Mahasri conforms entirely to Sadhanamala:








In conformity with the Sādhana the principal deity Mahāśrī Tārā is shown as one-faced and two-armed exhibiting the Vyākhyāna or the Dharmacakra-mudrā [or, two of them]. There are two night lotuses on either side. The principal deity sits in the Rājalīlā pose on a lion-throne and bears on her crown the miniature figure of Amoghasiddhi with the Abhaya-mudrā. To her left is the fierce figure of Ekajaṭā, sitting in the Ardhaparyaṅka attitude and holding the Kartri and the Kapāla in the two hands. She has a protruding belly, garment of tiger-skin, and she bears a wrathful demeanour which is clear on the stone. To her right similarly, sits Aśokakāntā Mārīcā who wears a bejewelled crown, and carries the Vajra and the Aśoka flower according to the direction of the Sādhana. The statuette also depicts Ārya-Jaṅgulī towards the extreme left of the deity and shows the snake and the Varada-mudrā in accordance with the direction of the Sādhana. The statuette also includes the small figure of Mahāmāyūrī to the extreme right of the principal goddess. She shows the peacock’s feathers and the Varada-mudrā.

She is almost mantricly identical to Dhanada; presumably green, arises from Harita Tam and is Syamam, or, apparently darker than the syllable. This has got to be the same image as in 341, and, even so, we have to rely on him for the details. I cannot really say her retinue appears to be holding any items. Although she is supposed to have two lotuses like Tara and Prajnaparamita, she is also supposed to be amidst a variety of other flowers.

Khadira is similar to her, but has one hand extended in Varada Mudra, and is with Marici and Ekajata. This three deity configuration is much more common.

Lotus Family has the Messenger Mahasri, which is right from Mahasri Sutra, which is her dharani, distinguished from Golden Light and Kolhapur Mahalakshmi.



In Namasangiti, "The Twelve Paramitas are two-armed and hold in the right hand the flag [Banner] marked with the Cintamani jewel, and in the left their own symbols. But Prajnaparamita has two more hands." The first, or zero compared to regular lists, Ratnaparamita is red in colour and holds the disc of the moon on a lotus in her hand.

All Vasita goddess hold a lotus in the right hand, with certain exceptions. Ayurvasita is whitish red in colour and holds in her left hand the image of the Buddha Amitayus in the Samadhi mudra on the Padmaraga jewel. So here, we find that Usnisa does not hold Amitabha as usual; Amitabha's first Ayur goddess holds the Amitayus form, and at the end, he is in the hand of Samantaprabha Bhumi. This at least superficially resembles the strand of Lotus or Mahakarunika dharanis and outer practices.

Bhumis are two-armed and hold in the right hand the Vajra. Adhimukticarya Bhumi is of the colour of a red lotus, and holds in her left hand the red lotus.

Dharanis are endowed with one face and two arms. They all hold in their right hand the double thunderbolt or the Visvavajra. Vasumati is yellow in colour and holds in her left hand the ears of corn (Vasudhara Ila Devi).

This ring of goddesses corresponds to the four unique Gatekeepers, Pratisamvits, consisting of Dharma (nature), Artha (analysis), Nirukti (etymological analysis) and Pratibhana (context). On the Eastern gate there is Dharma Pratisamvit of whitish red colour, holding in her two hands the goad and the noose marked with the thunderbolt. In the South, there is Artha Pratisamvit of the colour of an emerald and holding in her two hands the jewel and the noose. In the West there is Nirkuti Pratitamvit of red colour, holding in her two hands the chain from which a lotus is suspended. On the North there is Pratibhana Pratisamvit of the colour of an emerald (green), holding in her two hands a bell marked with a Vajra with three thongs.


Traditional Paramitas:


Vajrasattva--Pramudita, Joy

offerings are related to the paramita of generosity (Skt. dānapāramitā)

1. Freedom from conceptual elaborations is known as generosity.

The Discipline (or Mastery) here is Citta, or mind, or perhaps shorthand for Bodhicitta as Vajrasattva would normally say. The spell, however, is Ratnolka, Meteor Face, which is Dhvajagrakeyura, Ornament on Victory Banner, which is odd because it is the highest and final symbol. For example in Lama Yeshe's Thirty-seven point mandala offering, it starts around Vajra Bhumi--the Ground, or golden ground, not originally or inherently in existence--builds the realm, and culminates with Eight Offering Goddesses, Sun, Moon, Parasol, and Banner. So if Sun and Moon are the two drops, inherently dormant, then they are awakened, aided, and assisted by Parasol and Banner. Those things are self-secret or just buried by mundane mind, so, we may learn about them conceptually, and slowly build them as inner recognition and ability grows.

Vajrasattva is already defined as Pramudita in Yoga, and this is re-iterated by Samvara. In this scheme of Paramitas, they have done the same thing we have done with Namasangiti: stick Vajrasattva at the beginning as a Cause.

Pramudita is already in Four Brahma Vihara, it is indeed a firm, early basis which just grows: personally pleasant to be around, and finding joy in the happiness of others.

The Namasangiti goddesses have little other representation, but this is a Tibetan Dana Paramita from the 11th century:







In Namasangiti, Danaparamita is whitish red in colour and holds in her left hand various kinds of ears of corn. Cittavasita is white in colour and holds in her left hand the red Vajra with five thongs. Pramudita is red in colour and holds in her left hand the Cintamani jewel. Ratnolka is red in colour and in her left hand she holds the Cintamani banner.

In 269, Mipham recommends Dhavajagrakeyura to increase Wind Horse, and her dharani is there. 346 has her personal forms after comparing Grahamatrika to Parasol.



Vairocana:

samaya is related to the paramita of discipline (Skt. śīlapāramitā)

2. Not losing one’s regenerative fluids even when in union with a consort is known as ethical discipline.

According to Kalachakra, Marici is the condition of 2 here, or the Paramita itself. In Samvara, Vairocana is the sire. Namasangiti says to use Usnisa Dharani. The Ground is Vimala, or Stainless, which in a feminine sense is close equivalent to goddess Viraj. The discipline called Pariskara resembles polishing. Circularly, it would simply mean "mastery of discipline".

Sila is discipline, or, moreover, morality, "...wholeheartedly following the good path (kuśalamārga) without allowing any faults (pramada) is what is called Śīla”.

Śīla is of three kinds:

hīnaśīla – By means of “lower morality”, one is reborn among humans (manuṣya);
madhyaśīla – By “middling morality”, one is reborn among the six classes of gods of the desire realm (kāmadhātudeva);
praṇītaśīla – By “superior morality”, one is reborn among the pure gods (śuddhāvāsadeva) of the form realm (rūpadhātu) and the formless realm (ārūpyadhātu).

"...it is an adornment (ālaṃkāra) that surpasses the seven jewels (saptaratna). This is why morality must be guarded as if one were defending the life of the body (kāyajīvita) or as if one were watching over a precious object. The immoral man endures ten thousand sufferings; he is like the poor man who broke his vase and lost his wealth, This is why pure discipline must be observed."

The Seven Jewels are means or methods whereby enlightenment becomes available, Paramitas being closer to the thing itself.

Silaparamita is white in colour and holds in her left hand the discus made of white flowers and leaves. Pariskaravasita is yellow in colour and holds in her left hand the Cintamani banner. Vimala is white in colour and holds in her left hand the white lotus. Usnisavijaya is white in colour and holds in her left hand a jar full of Moonstones.

Although Usnisa is hardly ever found without multiple arms and faces and Amitabha, this 1700s Kagyu is exactly the same as the dharani, even with crossed vajra:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ed9plaTh3oU

Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra



Ratna:

action is related to the paramita of patience (Skt. kṣāntipāramitā)

3. The non-craving for the ordinary and the non-craving for true existence are called patience.

Here is where Namasangiti places Marici as Dharani. The discipline goddess is Karma which is action as given above. Action is related to the perfection of patience. Prabhakari is Luminous Ground on which the Bodhisattva radiates light of wisdom.

Shantideva gives the Dharani for Marici but the Dharani never refers to her as Vajravarahi. The conception of Marici has a greater antiquity than the conception of either Vajravarahi or Heruka. She is more of a Tara Bodhisattva already enlightened from the prior cosmos; Varahi is more having problems in this one and it is her or us rising through the muck to Marici.

The Bodhisattva-mahāsattva in the third bhūmi (prabhākarī) should devote himself to five dharmas.

What are these five?

An insatiable desire for learning.
Choosing the selfless gift of Dharma by preference without deriving any pride.
The purification of the Buddha-fields, without deriving pride from it.
[The Bodhisattva “does not tire” of dwelling in saṃsāra].
Settling into shame, but without deriving any pride from it.

"The Bodhisattva who practices patience toward beings acquires immense merit (apramāṇa-puṇya); the Bodhisattva who practices patience toward the Dharma acquires immense wisdom (apramāṇa-prajñā). Endowed with these two benefits, merit and wisdom, he obtains the realization of all his wishes (yatheṣṭa-siddhi): he is like the person who, having eyes and feet, can go wherever he wishes”.

Ksantiparamita is of yellow colour and holds in her left hand the white lotus. Karmavasita is green in colour, and holds in her left hand the Visvavajra (double crossed thunderbolt). Prabhakari is red in colour and holds in her left hand the disc of the sun on a lotus. Marlci is reddish white in colour and holds in her left hand the needle with string.

Marici appears in her Obstacle Clearing form. Again this is like a tiny image, an exoteric handout which is really the tip of the iceberg, or, needle, for her, and it is a regular appearance, same as found elsewhere.

Marici Dharani

Golden Light Sutra mainly uses Sarasvati as Memory, and she gives her dual dharani with Marici. Lokesh Chandra has a translation of it, and also interprets Marici as the ray of light at a Buddha's Final Enlightenment.





Padma:

accomplishment (sadhana and siddhi) is related to the paramita of diligence (Skt. vīryapāramitā)

4. The gathering of the ten vital energies in the central channel is called zeal.

This Dharani is Parnasabari, on Arcismati, Brilliant Ground. The discipline Upapatthi refers to reason, such as examples through various real-life scenarios and logical arguments. The ground may be described as shiny or fiery, and here the Prajnaparamita Sutra begins using rules for monks or ascetics. The subjective guidelines have to do with virtue, little desire, satisfaction, up to disdain for everything.

That combines with the perfection of diligent, zealous energy, which is successful in sadhana, and accomplishes the purposes of Muttering. According to Samvara, this is governed by Padma, Lotus Family.

Viryaparamita is of the colour of emerald and holds in her left hand the blue lotus. Upapattivasita is of variegated colour and holds in her left hand various kinds of creepers of variegated colour. Arcismati is of the colour of an emerald and holds in her left hand the blue lotus. Parnasabari is green in colour and holds in her left hand the peacock's feathers. In this case, two standard iconographical versions of Green Parnasabari also carry plumage as their primary item, one of which works as a mirror or scene of a house.

Parnasabari in Sadhanamala 150:

namo ratnatrayāya, namo 'mitābhāya tathāgatāyārhate
samyaksaṃbuddhāya, nama āryāvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya
mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya, namo mahāsthāmaprāptāya
bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya /
vāmane tvāṃ namasyāmi vāmane tvāṃ bhagavati /
piśāci parṇaśavari pāśaparaśudhāriṇi //
yāni kānicit bhayāny utpadyate yāḥ kāścit māryo
yāḥ kāścit mahāmāryo yāḥ kāścid ītayo ye kecid
upadravā ye kecid apāyā ye kecid ādhyātmikā bhayā ye
kecid upasargā upasargasambaddhā vā utpadyante sarvāṇi tāni
sarvāstāḥ sarve te bālata evotpadyante na paṇḍitataḥ /
tad anena satyena satyavacanena satyavākyena jjaḥ jjaḥ jjaḥ jjaḥ
ebhiḥ paṇḍitādhiṣṭhitair mantrapadair mama sarvasattvānāṃ ca rakṣāṃ
kuru, paritrāṇaṃ kuru, parigrahaṃ kuru, paripālanaṃ kuru, śāntiṃ
kuru, svasstyayanaṃ kuru, daṇḍaparihāraṃ kuru, śastraparihāraṃ
kuru, yāvad viṣadūṣaṇaṃkuru, agniparihāraṃ kuru, udakaparihāraṃ
kuru, kākhorddacchedanaṃ kuru, sīmābandhaṃ kuru, dharaṇībandhaṃ
kuru / tad yathā, amṛte amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛtasambhave
āśvaste āśvastāṅge mā mara mā mara mā sara mā sara śama
praśama upaśama sarvavyādhīnupaśama sarvākālamṛtyūnupaśama
sarvanakṣatragrahadoṣānupaśama sarvadaṃṣṭrināṃ copaśama bhavati
parṇaśavari tunna tunna vitunna vitunna tuṇa tuṇa tumule
svāhā / oṃ gauri gāndhāri caṇḍāli mātāṅgi pūkvasi
svāhā / oṃ aṅkure maṅkure kurukure parṇaśavari svāhā /
oṃ namaḥ sarvaśavarāṇāṃ mahāśavarāṇāṃ bhavati piśāci
parṇaśavari piśāci parṇaśavari piśāci pāśaparaśudhāriṇi
yāni kānicid bhayāni(yau) svāhā / oṃ
piśāci parṇaśavari hrīḥ huṃ phaṭ piśāci svāhā /
// āryaparṇaśavarītārādhāraṇī samāptā //


Medicine Buddha uses Vajradhara with Varahi in one's crown. In Vajradhara's chest is Amitayus, inside him is Drubpai Gyalmo and the lineage. In Varahi's chest is Parnasabari, and inside her is Vijaya, Nampa Gyalma (Usnisa).





Vajra--Akshobya:

samadhi is related to the paramita of meditative concentration (Skt. dhyānapāramitā)

5. The mind that single-pointedly abides in immutable bliss is known as meditative stabilization.

These descriptions refer to Mahamudra and Samadhi of Nisprapancha or Nirakara variety, or the type of Reversal that comes from the previous step. The Ground is Sudurjaya which is Difficult to Accomplish, and, its discipline is Rddhi, which is Magical Powers, including four kinds of gamana or movement, nirmāṇa or creation and āryaṛddhi or noble magical power. It is a name for Varuna's younger wife, who may even be invoked:

oṃ ṛddhyai namaḥ

The full Dharani for this is that of Janguli.

Dhyana we have variously translated as Dzyan, Chan, Zen, and so to us as practitioners it may seem very deep and intense and regarded as samadhi, which, provisionally it is, but eventually samadhi is determined to be a process between the ten winds and Clear Light or Prabhasvara.

Dhyanaparamita is of sky colour [gaganasyama, i. e. dark sky] and holds in her left hand the white lotus. Rddhivasita is green as the sky and holds in her left hand the discs of the sun and the moon on a lotus. Sudurjaya is yellow in colour and carries an emerald on her open palm on the lap. Janguli is white in colour and holds in her left hand buds of poisonous flowers.

Generally, it is the large Yellow Janguli that carries a blue poison flower.

oṃ ilimitte tilimitte ilitilimitte dumbe
dumbālīe dumme dummālīe tarkke tarkkaraṇe marmme marmmaraṇe
kaśmīre kaśmīramukte aghe aghane aghanāghane ili ilīe
milīe ilimilīe akyāie apyāie śvete śvetatuṇḍe
ananurakte svāhā






Visva Daka:

view (drsti) is related to the paramita of wisdom (Skt. prajñāpāramitā)

6. The wisdom that is not overcome by conceptualization and that bears the speech of the buddha, which is perfectly suitable for those to whom it is directed, is known as wisdom.

Prajnaparamita, herself, does not really have a dharani. The Ground is Abhimukhi, which is the Bhumi of Presence, or stage of the manifest. It somewhat circularly means to perfect the manifestation of all the prior perfections. The discipline Adhimukti is resolution, trust and confidence, and the worst thing to be avoided here is Arhat sin or doubt.

The Dharmasamgraha here in listing the vasitas or disciplines as "masteries", uses Janma, or mastery of birth; Adhimukti and the rest are pushed forward one spot. Namasangiti has really added two disciplines at the end, instead of one first and then one at the end; normally they do start with Ayur.

As we see this one is circular, it is of course around the summit of what we can possibly train, with the next perhaps being a kind of mystic thread we are able to perceive. This one is already asking us to emit some kind of Buddha Speech, so, it may be a bit ahead of where we are now.

Prajnaparamita is of delightful yellow colour- In her left hand she holds the Prajnaparamita book on lotus. The two principal hands display the Dharmacakra mudra; here she also has Banner, different from her standard iconography. Adhimuktivasita is white like the stalk of a lotus, and holds in her left hand the buds of the flowers of Priyangu. Abhimukhi is of the colour of gold and holds on a lotus the Prajnaparamita manuscript. Anantamukhl is green as the Priyangu flower and holds in her left hand the jar full of inexhaustive treasures, on the red lotus.


The dharani used in Namasangiti loops back to the beginning:

Boundless Gate--Nirhara--Anantamukhi (Dana or First Paramita, Generosity, according to Tson Khapa)

(Arya ananta mukha sadhaka nama dharani)

As to living beings who dispute with others,
It is tightfistedness that is the root cause.
So renounce that which you crave.
After you give up craving, the formula will work.


Tadhyata ane akhe ma-khe mukhe samanta-mukhe su me satya rame saudhi yukti nir-ukte nir-ukti. Prabhe hire hiri kalpe kalpasi sale. Saravati hire hire hire hire hire hire hiri hirile maha-hi hire cande javane cara carani acale ma-cale anante ananta-gati arani nir-mani nir-vapani nir-vartane nir-dante. Dharma-dhare nir-hare nir-hare vimale sila vi-sodhane prakrti-dipane bhava vi-bhavane a-sange a-sanga vihare dame. Vimale vimala-prabhe sam-karsani. Dhire dhi dhire maha-dhi dhire yase yasovati. Cale a-cale ma-cale sama-cale drdha sam-dhi su-sthire. A-sange a-sanga vihare a-sanga nir-hare. Nihara vimale nihara sodhane drdhasu me. Sthira sthame sthamavati. Maha-prabhe samanta-prabhe vipula-prabhe vipula-rasmi samanta-mukhe sarvatranugati anacchedye. Dharani dharma ni-dhana gotre samanta-prabhe. Sarva tathagata adhisthanadhistithe svaha.


Yellow Prajnaparamita is in some respects the first goddess, as this is one of the oldest dharanis, and commonly refers to the first paramita. So it is very circular, a Six Buddha Wheel where the end is the beginning. That is why Infinite Gate makes sense here. Knowledge and interest in paramitas is indeed the key that would open it, and the portal would mainly consist of repetition of the six.

Originally, only six paramitas were taught. The end section has always been a kind of special addition that explains the full Bodhisattva path in a way that most of us ordinary humans would not likely achieve in one lifetime. It would not be out of line to consider the rest as the Seventh Family, or as Vajradhara teaching during samadhi at Completion Stage. One may be just as well off to dismiss them and concentrate at this current point. This is flexible and bendable, a series of mainly exoteric formulations intended to help us get familiar with what Perfection is and how to pursue it.

The spells do nothing inherently, but work as portals, the more we pour in the associated meaning, the more the "nonsense" does what does to stabilize it.

We did, so to speak, "cross a degree of space" to unite the five senses under the sixth sense of mind, which then encounters additional spatial barriers.



Acala

He is a non-associated divider. He has to do with Trailokyavijaya and the Queen of Space, and after him, instead of Buddha Families, the Paramitas are governed by Four Dakinis. There is not one which does not know Bliss or does not originate in Sambhogakaya, all of the Joy is now Sahaja. There is not one which is anything but barely understandable in ordinary terms.




Lama

mudra & mantra are related to the paramita of skilful means (Skt. upāyakauśalapāramitā)

7. Meditative stabilization is the means for retaining the drops while engaged with the three mudrās, namely, the action mudrā, primordial wisdom mudrā, and the empty form mahā- mudrā.

The discipline is Pranidhana, which is the next Paramita. The Ground is called Durangama, "Far Going". The dharani used is Cunda.

Upayaparamita is green like the Priyangu flower and holds in her left hand the Vajra on a yellow lotus. Pranidhanavasita is yellow in colour and holds in her left hand the blue lotus. Durangama is green like the sky and holds in her left hand the Visvavajra (double thunderbolt) on a Visvapadma (double conventional lotus). Cunda is white in colour and holds the rosary from which a Kamandalu [water picher] is suspended.

Cundi Dharani Sutra against karmic seeds





Khandaroha


enlightened activity is related to the paramita of aspiration prayers (Skt. praṇidhānapāramitā)

8. Prayer is bringing oneself and others to fulfillment.

This discipline is Jnana, which is the tenth Paramita. The Ground is Acala. Its dharani is Prajnavardhani, apparently a common mantra of Prajnaparamita and Vajrasarasvati.

Pranidhanaparamita is of the colour of the blue lotus, and she holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus. Jnanavasita is whitish blue in colour and holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus. Acala is of the colour of the moon in autumn, and holds with pride in her left hand the stalk of a lotus over which is placed the five- thonged Vajra on the disc of the moon. Prajnavardhani is white in colour and holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus.

That leans more towards use of Prajnaparamita for the dharani. Red Vajrasarasvati is like her but changing into something like a celibate kunkuma-smeared female who "was" white and now is bathed in Desire splashed all over her. When in practice we breach the subconscious and open a bunch of karmic seeds, inevitably in some way there is a stage where the poor celibate student is burned alive and raped by us, showing us in a mirror what we are really doing.

This is using a non-iconographic form of her where she is required to have a Crossed Vajra. This is taking White Prajnaparamita and asking what it is like for Amoghasiddhi as sire and what it means to be increased in wisdom by using mantras which in some parts are very precise and symbolic, and in other parts are "meaningless spells".

If we look at Namasangiti Prajnaparamita, we find her general Four Arm Yellow form still as the mistress of the process of Paramitas, and her personal, inner, or esoteric form migrated to Amoghasiddhi or Activity or Accomplishment through mantra. Usually, she would have Red and White Lotuses with her text on them. Here is is just a Blue Lotus with a Sword, which is closer to Manjushri. Siddha Ekavira is the Two Arm White Manjushri who has a Blue Lotus with a Prajnaparamita text. This is an unusual nineteenth century Mongolian Manjushri whose lotuses have Sword and Text:








Prajnaparamita with Vardhani mantra and muttering



Dharmamegha [or Dakini]

empowerment (abhiseka or wang) is related to the paramita of strength (Skt. balapāramitā)

9. Power refers to the power of immutable bliss in which one gains liberation from the three states of existence.

Dharmamegha is normally just the name, Cloud of Dharma, of the tenth Bhumi; however it was used as the third dakini. The discipline is Dharma. Its Ground is Sadhumati, "Good Prajna":

What are these twelve?

In universes infinite in number, the Bodhisattva takes hold of the class of beings capable of being converted (vineyabhāga).
All obtain according their wishes.
The knowledge of the languages spoken by the devas, nāgas, yakṣas and gandharvas.
The talent of eloquence.
The excellence of the descent into the womb.
The excellence of the birth.
The excellence of the family.
The excellence of the clan.
Excellence of the entourage.
Excellence of departure.
The excellence of the splendor of the tree of enlightenment.
Excellence in the complete accomplishment of all the qualities.

These, O Subhūti, are the twelve dharmas which the Bodhisattva-mahāsattva in the ninth ground must fulfill completely.

It is the place of Bala Paramita and uses Sarva Karma Varana Vishodani, which, in deity terms, is found most closely with Mahamaya Vijayavahini and Prasanna.

Śraddhā, vīrya, smṛti and prajñā are called faculties (indriya) when they are weak, called powers or strengths (bala) when they are strong.

Also, “when the five faculties (pañcendriya) have been developed (vṛddha), they are able to intercept the afflictions (kleśa): this is like the power of a big tree (mahāvṛkṣa) that is able to block off water. These five faculties, when they have been developed, are able to gradually penetrate the profound Dharma (gambhīradharma): this is called ‘power’ (bala)”.

Balaparamita is red in colour and holds the book Prajnaparamita in her left hand. Dharmavasita is white in colour and holds in her left hand the Bhadraghata (auspicious bowl) on a lotus of red colour. Sadhumati is white in colour and holds in her left hand the sword on a night lotus. Sarvakarmavaranavisodhani is green in colour and holds in her left hand the Vajra with three thongs on a lotus.

Mahamaya Vijayavahini with dharani in part seven





Rupini

mandala is related to the paramita of primordial wisdom (Skt. jñānapāramitā)

10. Taking the bodhicitta from the tip of the jewel up to the crown of the head and experiencing immutable bliss is called primordial wisdom.

The tenth discipline is simply Tathata. The Ground, Cloud of Dharma or Dharmamegha, is again a type of cumulative reprise. Its Paramita is Jnana. The dharani is an Imperishable Container of Jnana.

Jnanaparamita is white in colour and holds in her left hand the Bodhi tree which is adorned with various kinds of jewels and fruits. Tathata is white in colour. She holds in her right hand the white lotus and in the left the bunch of jewels. Dharmamegha holds in her left hand the Prajnaparamita manuscript which is composed of the clouds of Dharma. Aksayajnanakaranda is of red colour and holds in her left hand the basket full of jewels.



As a final or eleventh stage, Namasangiti adds Buddhabodhiprabha Vasita, Samantaprabha Bhumi, Vajrakarma Paramita, Sarvabuddhadharmakosavati or Dharmakayavati Dharani.

Various schools or texts have ways of adding two or three or six Bhumis as extremely subtle refinements of the last. We can say little but see Prabha or Prabhasvara, the Dharmakaya, and can identify a Vajrakarma deity which is something like an inner grade of Vajradhara.

Since we can barely say anything about these last stages that do not seem to have a specific spell, we will simply attach some that we have found to be relevant somewhere.

Vajrakarmaparamita is of variegated colour and holds in her left hand the Visvavajra (double thunderbolt) on a blue lotus. Buddhabodhiprabha is of yellow colour. She holds in her right hand a Vajra with five thongs on a yellow lotus, and in the left the discus on the Cintamani banner. Samantaprabha is of the colour of the sun at noon, and holds in her left hand the image of Amitabha Buddha which indicates Perfect Enlightenment. Sarvabuddhadharma-Kosavati is yellow in colour and holds in her left hand the trunk full of various kinds of jewels on a lotus.



Parasol Dharani is commonly used on Prayer Flags.

Om Sitatapatra Hum Phat

White Umbrella Ushnisha-Sitatapatra (gTsug-tor gdugs-dkar) Praise

Great repulser, queen of mantra,
Invincible lady, very strong!
To great White Umbrella and her host
Of buddhas and bodhisattvas, praise!

TADYATHA OM ANALE ANALE KHASAME KHASAME BHAIRE BHAIRE SAUME SAUME SARVA BUDDHA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE SARVA TATHAGATA USHNISHA SITATAPATRE HUM PHAT HUM MAMA HUM NI SVAHA

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BuAWHtO2-NA

Shurangama:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z3tEEgf_Ruc

Considering that Nepal gives Sitatapatra --> Aparajita --> Pratyangira as one of the supreme aspects of Prajna, it comes straight from there.






This can be edited/cleaned/tightened/expanded, there are always tweaks, I just realized that for "Seven Paramitas" I used Pranidhana Bhumi instead of Pranidhana Paramita.

[Old Student]

Pancha Raksha each may have individual roles. They may be general purpose. They appear to cover the spectrum according to how detailed a person is able to think. I am not that sure, since Protection is a relatively recent idea to me, and I still think of it more as Mantra and Tra syllable generally, and as Armor Deities. I am not really in favor at looking at talismans and seeing any of these deities as a thing you can "pick up and get it to work" like a luck charm. Inversely, if you look at the deity and bond it and force it to work, a talisman will amplify it. And so when I found White Lakshmi is a Peaceful Protector, who is close to the idea of subtle life wind protected from psychological levels through the karmas in the outer world, now that I take her, I am really unable to look around or question it, and the only thing that could actually change it, is if for instance one takes Vajrabhairava initiation, the practice's protector is Dharmaraja, and then you would work with this deity. I would not just pick up Dharmaraja and try it because it sounds interesting. The Pancha Raksa, however, you can, you can take Pratisara and then if you wish, you can make any of them the center, which is a straight trade. The amount of Pancha Raksa material would max out a post. But there is only one creeping hint of an idea out there about the right Mantramanusarini in SM 206, and that is really just about the indiscretion of artists. When really considering the change, I am a bit startled that no one has paid attention to Sitabani and how precise that is to certain things, like the origin of Vajramrita Tantra and the Buddhist use of Agni. This version also has them with Trees.

I guess I look at it from the point of view of a journey, with potentially mentally or physically deadly obstacles, against which one needs to protect oneself. I see some of the tasks, exercises, obstacles to overcome as potentially either drowningly consuming or, for instance that passage I posted my notes about, deadly.

If we look at a slice of her power that is framed in the same jargon as the tantras, Oddiyana Marici 140 has in her mandala an unusual:


śrī odiyāna pīṭhaṃ trikoṇamāraktaṃ

She has the Oddiyana Pitha itself as a red triangle. In her mantras, she has, is, or incorporates:


vajrasattveśvari

vajravetāli

vajraḍākini samayas tvaṃ

mahāsukhavivṛddhaye mama sahāyakā bhavatha


And so her issuing source, or Pitha, so to speak, is mostly the same as Tara number One from Saraha:

Pitheshvari is defined as meaning the Four Pithas of Hevajra; her dharmodaya arises from E. Her personal syllables are white Bhrum crown, red Hrih throat, blue Hum heart, Yellow A navel, green Kham thighs. In this case, she means the real one, or we might say established Four Pithas or Joys, and added the fifth.

Interesting. Are the locations of each color related to that she arises from the East? I am, as a result of what happens in my shaking, aware of different kinds of bliss and that they are different colors. Last night, for instance the colors were purple arising from the base of my pelvis (which was yellow rimmed in red) blue in my mid-lower abdomen. There is one which is not colored but distinguished by being "of movement".

niruttarasukhāsaṅgaprajñāpāraṅgatān gurūn

Niruttara Sukha Sangha Prajnaparagate Guru

Guru of Highest Yoga Bliss Bodhisattva Community on the Other Shore of Prajnaparamita

The Sangha in tantra is the lineage of gurus or the assembly of guru deities, is it not?

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)

I guess I look at it from the point of view of a journey, with potentially mentally or physically deadly obstacles, against which one needs to protect oneself. I see some of the tasks, exercises, obstacles to overcome as potentially either drowningly consuming or, for instance that passage I posted my notes about, deadly.

It is true that becoming a Buddhist does not change one's karma much.

Currently, all I have are obstacles. I cannot operate a shrine because Guru is too powerful and the last time I made an attempt, it was like the tiny green light on a keyboard was an infinite spear shredding my consciousness. I have to clear a lot of outer things; it is sad and difficult. In general, I consider it mostly Thieves, so, outer Marici might be appropriate for me. It is strange, I have mostly disposed of the inner obstacles, at least the blatant and obvious ones, but it does me little good in the face of adversity.

Pitheshvari is defined as meaning the Four Pithas of Hevajra; her dharmodaya arises from E. Her personal syllables are white Bhrum crown, red Hrih throat, blue Hum heart, Yellow A navel, green Kham thighs. In this case, she means the real one, or we might say established Four Pithas or Joys, and added the fifth.

Interesting. Are the locations of each color related to that she arises from the East? I am, as a result of what happens in my shaking, aware of different kinds of bliss and that they are different colors. Last night, for instance the colors were purple arising from the base of my pelvis (which was yellow rimmed in red) blue in my mid-lower abdomen. There is one which is not colored but distinguished by being "of movement".

Pitha Ishvari is one of the few wildly wrathful Taras, and probably the only one to emerge from a Dharmodaya. She arises from Hum and is crowned with five Buddhas; she is said to manifest in Oddiyana, but to govern all the Pithas. So she is not specifically Marici--she seems more like one's first glimpse of Oddiyana Pitha. She only has one brief sadhana, and so it is the other Oddiyana deities such as Marici and Kurukulla who elaborate the details.

The syllables, I believe, are the same as for Jnana Dakini. The coloration is just basic for the Five Families, so, Green--Amoghasiddhi--Kham is the base of the spine which is not used in any preliminary Yoga. It is in Vajrakilaya and others of the Extremely Wrathful stage which are conditioned by Amoghasiddhi. Now we are confused because we just put Sky Syllable in the Nadir, but, this is like Vajradakini of the crown being Samsara Skandha, whose nature is the Nadir. This looks contradictory, but I take it to have a lot to do with Touch Object. Touch goes to the middle of the mandala, and later, "splits" into the upper and lower poles.

It makes sense that Bliss may be a bit different per chakra, or per zone, the colors perhaps being various life-winds.


Pitheshvari is from the yogini Vajravati (trained by a weaver, Anandavajra), who equates her with a full Buddha. She is far from the first Tara, but is a major new thing sent by a woman specifically Buddhist and using Vajra methods. Although called a Saraha lineage, her sadhana is supposed to have been composed by Vajravati, who is barely ever mentioned, except in the large Pratisara Dharani. So it may be more accurate to say that White Arrow Dakini was a human female adept, whereas Red Pitheshvari is built into the earth or the Pithas, which are one's body.

Vimala is also called Pitheshvari.

Saraha with Arrow Dakini:








Pitheshvari between Day/Night Tara and Cintamani Vasudhara:








Chinese 1400s:








She is a bit basic, in terms of tantra, but very relevant due to the syllables, it is probably best to learn them from her. This is why I think of her as "Tara One", instead of Pravira which is a similar eight arm red Tara, with two of her hands raised straight up. According to Taranatha, Cunda is the basic samaya Red Tara; Pitheshvari can hardly be said to be Lotus Family.

The Sangha in tantra is the lineage of gurus or the assembly of guru deities, is it not?

HPB called it, in Puranic terms, the Vairajas, those who are already liberated and established in higher planes. In Nepal, it is the Bodhisattvas. Sometimes it is seen as the twenty-five or so close disciples who followed Buddha, reincarnated again around Padmasambhava, and perhaps came again at other times.

Although it might sound mean to discard the exoteric Sangha, I would not be able to find Refuge, i. e. a safe and reliable guide, in just anyone who may have taken Refuge Vow.

Part of the idea is that Buddha teaches the Bodhisattvas, who in turn teach us.

We do not think the personal incarnation of Buddha exists any more, and so taking refuge in a "yellow oriental man" is not necessary. In tantra, it is generally seen that whatever there is of Buddha is part of what we call Vajradhara. And then Vajradhara usually does little but serve as a background for other deities and Bodhisattvas. So they are on a scale of more transcendent, more subtle, harder for us to reach. If we met a real Tulku or Jangchub, would we see their transcendent aspect? Probably not. We would see an ordinary person, perhaps more dignified, more experienced and educated, but unless we actually entered a samadhi together, then it could only make a very minor impression.

It may mean the Buddhist community, it may mean all life forms, but the essence I get is that it comes to the most subtle things we are able to perceive. In the rites, Bodhisattva perception is assisted peacefully by Offering Goddesses, whereas the Wrathfuls are Tramen and Gauris.




So when we get to Amoghasiddhi, we have found that Wrathful Tara is Smoky Chandika. This has a few aspects: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad told us it is a veil for Prana; smoke may be the first "sign" of dissolution; and when in some way mixed with Mahavidya Dhumavati, then you get the Kamadhatvishvari of Vajra Panjara Tantra.

Dakini Jala fixes the order of Dissolutions with Dhumavati first, Marici second.

Smoke is usually the theme of Candi or Wrathful Amoghasiddhi Tara, and so in the order of things, this is an absorption of prana into samadhi.

A careful look at Dhumavati will convey something about why we have Marici, like a wrathful equivalent of Viraj becoming Savitri.

One of Dhumavati's only temples is at Kashi--Benares, where she also has the role of protector.

"Smoke" may just mean formless. However, in Upanishadic tradition, the rays of the sun may be called smoke, Smoke Wisdom, specifically from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. When it speaks of mind and voice dissolving into prana (smoke), this is very nearly exactly the same thing we mean by Muttering, mixing mantra and wind (prana) in the central channel.

Dakinis in Dhumatala are marked with a swastika on the forehead; and this refers to solar rays.

She is rarely revered in Hinduism, and if anything, her role is almost purely left-handed, destructive, slurping away energy at the end of time, associated with the monsoon blocking the sun, not very nice, a smoked out husk. She is supposed to be about as repulsive as a person could be, starving, widowed, ugly, and cold. She is filthy and nasty, A-lakshmi, or the opposite of Lakshmi. Rare in temples, commonly honored in cemeteries.



In Mahabharata, Arjuna burned the Kurus by the heat of his weapons, like the Dhuma Ketu (comet) that appears at the end of the Yuga, burning all creatures. As if he were the sun that rises at the end of the Yuga. Arjuna has just slaughtered 100,000 relatives with a "comet" that is a particular name of Agni, associated with the end of time. Dhuma Ketu "smoke-bannered" is an exclusive epithet of Agni, i. e. supporting the sky with smoke.

That means all of the sacrifices plus the Five Dissolutions from Smoke into Sky.

Giuseppe Tucci relates Dhumatala as a place where flesh-eating Tramen appear to become one's spouse; Lawapa turned them into sheep. A sandalwood Bhattarika Tara, called Mangala Devi, self-arose. Near it is a cemetery called Bhirasmasana (fear, intimidation).

Dhumatala in Longchen Nyintik Fire Offering.

Dhumatala referred to as luminous in Yeshe Tsogyal song.

The place is old, but the deity name Dhumavati does not come from any particularly ancient source (Mahavidyas), although it likely refers to Nrrti or Danu of Rg Veda. Since her vehicle is Crow, she is likely represented in the Tramen as Kaka Mukhi, in the northwest, or Nrrti direction. That is something like her basic or apparent mode, whereas in the Twelve Arm Varahi mandala, being called Kakasya, meaning the same thing, she is the presiding deity of the eastern outer gate of the vārāhyabhyudaya-maṇḍala; being in the east, or "first", means something has already been established or accomplished with her.

Sanskrit Documents has a really long list of Thousand Name songs. This is one of the only places to find Dhumavati, ITX being the Romanized format. When we refer to her, she is, for instance, Cinnamasta, who is one of the "latest" deities, can likely be viewed as emerging in Buddhism and being accepted in Hinduism, having an incarnate representation with Laksminkara and friends. Dhumavati is also the mysterious Padmavati. When we go through these, we are bound to find clusters of titles calling them Durga and so forth, along with a few other things to show how this is a specific form or she works in a particular way. So if we try Lakshmi, we are unlikely to find her called Cinnamasta, whereas Dhumavati is her direct support or antecedent.

Dhumavati is also:

nArIprIti narArAdhyA

Nara-Radha sounds like Radha or Krishna's beloved in Vaisnava Sahaja. It is followed by a dozen ways she loves sex. She is in the cemetery several times, and has many Lotus epithets followed by Munda Mala. She is pralaya. She is apparently a vetala and dakini with a drum.

Her first name is Mahamaya.

The list lacks Nrrti, Jyestha, or Alakshmi, and those deities were never called widows or ugly.

Her tantra is supposed to be on Muktabodha, although it is hard to find. They do however mention that in a related group of Kashmiri Siva tantras, all twelve were taken from Nepali manuscripts.

Similar to Vajradaka, Hindus believe offering her black sesame seeds in black cloth alleviates karma.

Nepalese Dhumavati yantra:






I do not know why they give her an upright or male triangle, unless she is fascinated or fixated on "male".

She is the Sati who ate Shiva, and the insatiable hunger remaining when the male has been "erased" at pralaya, which is the reign of worldly mamos. To an ordinary being, pralaya is just more unconscious deep sleep. Paramartha is the "formless" condition that a yoga practitioner strives to reach, which is to remain in absolute perfection during the sleep or the pralaya. What we call the black void then is no longer an obstacle, because one has attained Great Void or Maha Sunya, based in Clear Light or Prabhasvara. Mahamaya is the yoga that aims to do so.

In Himalayan regions, Yellow Crane Face Bagalamukhi is usually with Dhumavati. After she ate Shiva, he was irked because that meant she widowed herself; the blow of "stopping his speech" is Bagala, and the smoke she burped is Dhumavati.

Dhumavati is usually considered the producer of Matsya or Vishnu's Fish avatar. Varahi, rarely, is depicted with fish. In a description of twenty-eight of her forms (murtis) along with the source and tradition, we are able to find there is such a thing as a Dhumavati Varahi hybrid. The hybrid is from the aptly-named dhumravArAhi kalpa.

The unique Nepali image of Dhumavati astride a peacock is widely-referred to, but utterly unexplained:








She follows the same narrative as other flesh-eating ghouls, pisaci, or tramen, who confront and threaten yogis, but then in these stories--I guess they can only be told by survivors--she is tamed or harnessed, as if by a Kila, and becomes a Wisdom Dakini. Guhya Jnana does roughly the same thing. Basil Bodysis contends Dhumavati represents manasic or mental control of the Ida Nadi, the lunar nerve. So, this is perfectly complementary--Guhya Jnana becoming Varahi meaning mastery of the solar nerve. As a hybrid, it would mean control of both main branch nerves. Cinnamasta is meaningless and non-existent without the support of lunar Dhumavati and solar Varahi.

The more terrible appearance as Dudsolma carries a mirror; if we know how to use it, and offer her some energy without being attached to it, perhaps inside the mirror she really does have a nicer appearance.

In Orissa at Chaurasi, Varahi has one of her only personal temples, where she is generally considered Matsya Varahi. They simultaneously understand her as Dhumra Varahi, a Ratri or night goddess, but also believe her the inspiration for Marici. According to Parsurama Kalpasutra, the time for worshipping Varahi is in the middle of the night. Surya is also there on a seven horse chariot. How can Sun, the God of the Day be worshipped along with the Goddess of Darkness ? Apparently this seems to be a riddle.

Fat Varahi in Orissa with Fish and Bowl









It definitely would be a riddle if distracted by the forms and not understanding the relationships. Well, this is not much of a secret in Buddhism. The most common form of Lakshmi as Dudsolma is Alakshmi, or, something fairly close to that, Dhumavati. Once we see fish, know about the solar and lunar nerves, and how desire or Kamadhatvishvari is sort of the "make it or break it" with dakinis, then it is a continuum of the same thing. Tramen as "objects of desire" will control and devour you; tamed or pacified, they produce wisdom.

At the Varahi temple, you find a hellish night goddess somehow related to the sun, which is quite close to Vajrapani's explanation that Varahi mounts a Garuda to approach the sun--and Marici evidently absorbs her and runs it to infinity.



Here is how Mahacina and Ekajati appear to come in.

The way of worship (Bali puja bidhi) of Kamakhya Devi's temple in Assam is considered Kirata bidhi.

Kirat is Naga culture which is Mahacina; its calendar claims to be over 5,000 years old.

According to Bhattacharya, a Prajnaparamita manuscript bearing the date A.D. 1071, is there in the holding of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta. Interestingly, this manuscript contains the illustration of a male divinity with the accompanying inscribed label reading: Mahacine Manjughosah.

In the famous iconographic set in a Nepalese Astasahasrika (Cambridge 1643)
Mahācīne occurs three times once for *Mañjughoṣaḥ *[folio 202v], once for
*Samantabhadraḥ* [folio 127r], and once for* Buddharūpaka Lokanāthaḥ*
[folio 123v].


In the Swayambhu Purana, a monk named Dharmasri Mitra met Manjushri in Kathmandu Valley while he was on his way to Mahacina to learn the meaning of twelve vowels of Namasangiti Manjushri. So he received the teaching without making a trip.

Dharmasri Mitra is translator of Sarva Tathagata Matani Tara Vishwa-Karma Bhava-Tantra; it is spoken by Buddha to Manjushri about Tara as Mother of all Tathagatas.

At Sankhu, this place is also known as the Eighty Siddhas as there are four of five caves where the siddhas of India are said to have stayed. One of the caves is also said to have been the practice cave of Nagarjuna, and an image of the great master which was originally in the cave has been taken outside and placed some distance away.The present temple was built by Raja Prakas Malla in 1655. It enshrines the main sacred representations of this site, Ugra-tara manifesting as Ekazati, which are said to give very powerful blessings, particularly the image in the upper temple. The image in the lower temple is red in colour with one face and four arms, two of which hold a skull-cup (kapala) and knife at her heart, and the remaining two hold a sword and an utpala lotus [Guhya Jnana Dakini]. In the upper temple is an identical image of Ugra-tara in bell metal, in which her left leg is outstretched. In the upper temple is the loom of the Nepali Princess Brhikuti, spouse of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. In both the upper and lower temples, Vajrayogini is flanked Baghini and Singhini, the Tiger and Lion-headed Yoginis.

The primordial Indian Buddhists in Orissa are weavers, and, Assamese tantrists "joined" weaver caste. And there goes Bhrikuti's loom.

In Assam, Sarasvati is cotton. The cotton is white, and she teaches weaving; the name tantra has warp and woof as its roots, and the weaver caste is the Buddhist tribal minority in northern Orissa. The Limbu women are expert in making carpet, and knitting colourful local cloth (dhaka) with intricate design for clothing. They are also expert in bamboo work.

The timelessly ancient place in Assam is vagina pitha or Kamakhya herself, Kubjika, Mahamaya. In the shrine there is no goddess, only a vagina. It however is the center of the Mahavidya temple complex, and Ugra Tara is the navel pitha. For Ugra Tara, Vasistha was specifically sent by the goddess herself, in order to import her proper practice. But at least in Brahmayamala, it is actually Cina and also that "Vashishtha then went to Vishnu in the country Mahacina, which is by the side of the Himalaya (Himavatparshve), a country inhabited by great Sadhakas and thousands of beautiful and youthful women whose hearts were gladdened with wine, and whose minds were blissful with enjoyment (Vilasa). They were adorned with clothes which inspired love (Shringaravesha) and the movement of their hips made tinkle their girdles of little bells. Free of both fear and prudish shame they enchanted the world. They surround Ishvara and are devoted to the worship of Devi."

Kamakhya is considered a major pitha in Hevajra of 4th century: Kamarupa was renowned to both Buddhists and Hindus as a powerful pilgrimage center, and in fact one of the earliest surviving references to Kamarupa as a shakti pith is in the Hevajra Tantra, a fourth century Buddhist text.

In its own local view:

"The first temple on the site of Yonipīțha was built by the divine architect Viśvakarmā. When Kāmadeva was reduced to ashes by the flame of Lord Śiva’s third eye, his wife Ratī came here and propitiated Devī Siddha Kubjikā for resurrection of her husband. When brought back to life, Kāma duly worshiped Pīțhaśakti of Yonipīțha, who then became renowned by the name “Kāmākhyā” while the region came to be known as “Kāmarūpa” country. The current temple was constructed by King Viśva Sińģha of Koch Behar (West Bengal).

The most renowned festival celebrated in Kamakhya Temple is Ambuvācī, when a big fair is also organised and many Avadhūtas, Sādhus, Aghorīs and Sanyāsīs (who otherwise lead reclusive life) also come out in public. Astrologically in the month of Āşāďa (June-July) when Sūrya (Sun) enters Mithun Rāşī (Gemini) under 1/4th part or first quarter of Ārdrā Nakşatra, at that time Devī Vasundharā (Earth) undergoes menstrual cycle which is known as “Ambuvācī”."

"Tara of Kamakhya, as pictured on the interior of the Bhairavi temple, is dark blue or black and pot-bellied, holding kartarī (a pair of scissors), khaḍga (a sword), muṇḍa (a severed head) or kapālā (a cup or bowl made from a skull cap), and a lotus blossom. When worshipped as Tārā, her face is beautiful and benevolent. When worshipped as Ekajaṭā (related closely to the Tantric Buddhist schools), her face becomes grotesque and terrifying. Each reveals different but related truths about the nature of practice and liberation."

Here, her scissors are mixed up with the term kartri, or chopper. Scissors interpretation is thought to show influence from Rajasthan or Punjab. But as we see, the Kamakhya Tara is almost the same thing as Sankhu Vajrayogini.

Scissors makes sense in relation to cotton. And this is a mystical name Cotton Mouth or Picuva. Kubjika Tantra itself is pretty amazing; in most Shiva Tantra such as Pasupati, it is said his fifth face, Ishana, points upward, and not even the highest seer can see it. Kubjika goes on to a sixth, downwards face, Cotton Mouth (Picu Vaktra). Mouth of the Yogini. Matsyendra Nath in Kamarupa. So Picu is part of Prajnavardhani mantra (Prajnaparamita and Sarasvati). And you get Picuva Marici. Actually:


Picuvaktra "cotton mouth" in Satsahasra Samhita is the Seventh or downwards mouth of Shiva. Here Devi resides as Guhyashakti, here the worlds originate from Jagadyoni. They took the normal five mouths representing five pranas and nadis, added a sixth avyakta unmanifest (Vyomaka, "sky"), and the last, Patala, "serves the purpose of emanation". Picuyoni, Muladhara chakra. They sneak it in and not until chapter 47 is this made clear. So Kubjika or Malini tries to esoterically give seven principles to Shiva, in a way maintaining the first five are the primordial bundle of almost any organism, and the sixth and seventh are subtle additions. Because this source is all about mantra, here we see pretty much the same sevenfold idea related to mantra born yoginis.

The Seventh Mouth is Nadir because it cannot be reached by light.

Pasupatas and Tantras gives it as anandacakra or circle of bliss from which flows visarga sakti, energy of emission, kundalini, as Kubjika.

Matangi is in Kubjika tantra; in the mantra, Medha is a form of Sarasvati, and is also "dh" which becomes Dhih that she shares with Manjushri.

There are a few kinds of Eight Arm Marici, such as Three Moods Marici. Picuva however is the intensification of this because she is all Nine Moods:

śṛṅgāravīrasaddharṣairjāmbūnadasamaprabhām //
madhyendranīlavarṇasyāṃ bhayabībhatsaraudrakaiḥ /
karuṇādbhutaśāntaiś ca sphaṭikendvitarānanām //


First, Picuva Marici displays the sentiments of Sritgara, Vira and Harsa in one of her faces which is of the colour of Jambunada (gold, or sama prabham, luminous); in the middle face which is of the colour of Indranila gem, the sentiments of Bhaya, Bhibhatsa, and Raudra are displayed; and in the third face of crystal colour, the sentiments of Karuna, Adbhuta and Santa appear. She has three eyes in all the three faces, which give freedom from the three great evils. Her essence is made up of the Dharmakaya and Sambhogakaya. She is clad in garments of yellow colour and resides happily in the mass of rays. She sews up the eyes and the mouths of the wicked by the needle and secures them with a string. She strikes their heart
with the Ankusa, draws them by the neck with the noose, pierces them by
the bow and the arrow, and by rending their heart to pieces with the
Vajra, sprinkles water with the leaves of Asoka....she tramples under
her feet Prajna and Upaya.”

She have given us all Nine Rasas or moods here. The phrase about the kayas is "dharmasambhoganirmitam": Nirmita (निर्मित) refers to “apparitional creations” according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XIV), “There cannot be two minds (citta) at the same time: when the apparitional (nirmita) Buddhas speak, the master who creates them (nirmātṛ) must be silent; when the creating master speaks, the apparitional creations must be silent”.

"Sphatika" crystal is a quality quartz, but is rather highly rated:

Ratna (रत्न) refers to jewels, into which the universe was transformed by the Buddha’s miraculous power (ṛddhibala) according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XV).

There are four types of jewels:

Kin (suvarṇa), gold;
Yin (rajata, rūpya), silver;
P’i lieou li (vaiḍūrya), lapis-lazuli;
P’o li (sphaṭika), crystal.
Tch’ö k’iu (musāragalva) cat’s-eye;
Ma nao (aśmagarbha) emerald;
Tch’e tchen tchou (lohitamukti), red pearl.

There are yet other jewels:

Mo lo k’ie t’o (marakata), emerald;
Yin t’o ni lo (indranīla), sapphire;
Mo ho ni lo (mahānīla) ‘great blue’ pearl;
Po mo lo k’ie (padmarāga), ruby;
Yue chö (vajra) diamond;
Long tchou (nāgamaṇi), nāga pearl;
Jou yi tchou (cintāmaṇi), precious stone that grants all the wishes of its owner;
Yu, jade;
Pei (śaṅkha) conch;
Chan hou (pravāḍa, vidruma), coral;
Hou p’e (tṛṇamaṇi) amber, etc.

All these are called jewel (ratna). These jewels are of three types, Human jewels (manuṣya-ratna), Divine jewels (divya-ratna) and Bodhisattva jewels (bodhisattva-ratna). These various jewels remove the poverty (dāridrya) and the suffering (duḥkha) of beings.





I do not know much Chinese, but here is one that is the same as the Sanskrit for a dharani that is important in Nepal, but not directly indicated for use in Namasangiti--which would be Mahasri Sutra.

Mahasri Dharani as in the Chinese basket is really from Sutra of Golden Light; regarding this,

"Reciting with the auspicious clarity of Sri Devi Deity and the compassion of Maha Cunda Bodhisattva the Dharani represents luminosity and brings good fortune to sentient beings". If one recites this mantra before mantra recitation or repentance, one will not be distracted outside conditions. One can also attain the Golden Light samadhi.

Golden Light is gigantic, something like twenty-nine chapters. And basically it is aimed at rulers with respect to the Four Kings. So this is using only the lowest class of Kama Loka being. Whereas with Mayuri Sutra, which is large but could probably be done in an hour or so, it brings Golden Peacock and has the Kings, Naga Kings, Rivers, Mountains, many classes of beings and several dharanis.

According to Iconography of the Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains,

Mahamayuri very frequently appears in a triad
with Sitatara and Marici. In another triad she
appears with Janguli and Ekajata. As Queen of
the Magic Art, she is shown three-faced and six-
handed or eight-handed. In Nepal she is looked
upon as chief of the Five Protectresses (Pancha-
rakshas).



And so if China uses a Golden Light Mahalakshmi daily, they came up with this dharani song, and we can learn some Chinese:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZItjW-XUl8

nā mó fó tuó。nā mó dá mó，nā mó sēng qié。 nā mó shì lì。mó hē tí bí yě。dá nǐ yě tuō。 bō lì fù lóu nuó。zhē lì sān màn tuó。dá shě ní。 mó hē pí hē luó qié dì。sān màn tuó。pí ní qié dì。 mó hē jiā lì yě。bō nǐ。bō là。bō nǐ。 sà lì wā lì tuō。sān màn tuó。 xiū bō lí dì。fù lì nuó。ē lì nuó。dá mó dì。 mó hē pí gǔ bì dì。mó hē mí lè dì。 lóu bǒ sēng qí dì。xī dì xǐ。sēng qí xī dì。 sān màn tuó。ē tuō ē nóu。pó luó ní

namo fotuo = namo buddha
namo damo = namo dharma
namo sengqie = namo sangha
namo shili = namo sri
mohe tibiye = maha devi
daniyetuo = tadhyata


And we can get it because there is a sort of, not quite calypso, but maybe a lounge lizard version in Sanskrit with English (many more repetitions):

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qGP_FvA3PiY

The Dharani of Sri Devi Lyrics (Samskrt):

Namo Buddhaya.
Namo Dharmaya.
Namo Sanghaya.
Namo Sri Maha-Deviye.
Tadyatha, Om, Pari-purana Care Samanta Darsane.
Maha Vihara-gate Samata Vi-dam Mane.
Maha-karya Prati-sthapane.
Sarvartha Sadhane Su Prati-puri A-yatna Dharmata.
Maha Vi-kurvite Maha-maitri Upa-samhite.
Maha-klese Su Sam-grhite.
Samantartha Anu-palane Svaha.

The Mantra of the Virtuous Goddess:

Adoration to the Buddha,
adoration to the Buddhist teaching,
adoration to the Buddhist community,
adoration to the great auspicious goddess!
Like this: Oṃ (She) completes (pūrṇa) the deed (ka're, kama) successively (pari), all good to be seen, abides in great position, understands (mana) all good kowledge
tays peaceably in great practice (caryā), in procuring (sādhane) all truths perfectly, and approaching great indestructible nature
benefits (all) with great compassion, manages the great defilements, supports the welfare (of all), All Hail!

[Rawhide68]

For what it's worth

I have had a spontaneous out of body experience once many years ago.
Just getting out of my bed in the middle of the night from my room into the kitchen because I felt hungry and couldn't sleep. Reaching the door handle of the fridge I watched my hand go thru it!, and immediately I woke up in my bed, couldnt go back to sleep after, not even go to school the day after, it was lifechanging.

Another much stranger event:

Lot's of years later I was staying at a friends summer cottage, half woke up at 5 am in the morning, experienced how I was strolling around on another planet, having conversations with people non-humans, (I was non human as well) but I was one of them so It felt natural.
The point here is that I was absolutely aware of me being in bed and at the same time I was there!, at 2 places at once!

I'd like to hear if anyone have had an experience being at 2 places simultaneously?

PS:No drugs involved.
DS

[Old Student]

Wow, thank you!

For reference, one can extract,

dānapāramitā 1. Freedom from conceptual elaborations is known as generosity.
śīlapāramitā 2. Not losing one’s regenerative fluids even when in union with a consort is known as ethical discipline.
kṣāntipāramitā 3. The non-craving for the ordinary and the non-craving for true existence are called patience.
vīryapāramitā 4. The gathering of the ten vital energies in the central channel is called zeal.
dhyānapāramitā 5. The mind that single-pointedly abides in immutable bliss is known as meditative stabilization.
prajñāpāramitā 6. The wisdom that is not overcome by conceptualization and that bears the speech of the buddha, which is perfectly suitable for
those to whom it is directed, is known as wisdom.
upāyakauśalapāramitā 7. Meditative stabilization is the means for retaining the drops while engaged with the three mudrās, namely, the action mudrā,
primordial wisdom mudrā, and the empty form mahā- mudrā.
praṇidhānapāramitā 8. Prayer is bringing oneself and others to fulfillment.
balapāramitā 9. Power refers to the power of immutable bliss in which one gains liberation from the three states of existence.
jñānapāramitā 10. Taking the bodhicitta from the tip of the jewel up to the crown of the head and experiencing immutable bliss is called primordial
wisdom.

This makes it easier for me to commit to memory. but it also crystalizes all the rest of it, because it gives a set of flows (I think you usually call them 'winds') within the body.

Why is jñāna here as "Primordial wisdom", instead of prajñā? I thought jnana was knowledge and prajna was pre-knowledge or primordial wisdom.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)

Why is jñāna here as "Primordial wisdom", instead of prajñā? I thought jnana was knowledge and prajna was pre-knowledge or primordial wisdom.

Pra-Jna, forward or straight knowledge, Param Ita, is on the other side. It is the root of what we think Tara carries us across. But both words "step down" in the main sense, to mean learning in general.

2) Prajñā (ध्यान, “wisdom”) also refers to the “three kinds of wisdom” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 110):
śruta-mayī (by way of learning),
cintā-mayī (by way of thinking),
bhāvanā-mayī (by way of meditation).


Prajnaparamita is an exoteric Sutra; Jnanadakini is a secret deity. Jnana tends to have a spiritual implication with most yogic literature:

The very syncretically-occult Dnyaneshvari was written by a sixteen-year-old; it was the "unofficial" occult program around Maharasthra--Bombay for five hundred years until published, anonymously, at the University of Dublin in 1854, or, that is, referred to by the "Dream of Ravan", which, itself, is a twist on "esoteric scenes" which are sometimes added to the Ramayana. The explanation of the title would be Jnana Ishvari, which is not a far miss from the Buddhist Jnana Dakini. If I remember rightly, it actually means the Kolhapur Maha Lakshmi. It has been speculated that Koothoomi wrote this, but no one really knows; nevertheless, it was the most accurate thing to the Secret Doctrine to have appeared in Europe at the time, considerably beyond anything they had.

And the actual Prajnas or Buddha Wisdoms are named such as Adarsana Jnana, Mirror Wisdom.

Jnana has a bit more leaning towards tantrism, and now is usually translated as Gnosis.

Prajnaparamita is classed as a Sherab deity, like Sarasvati, their outer forms are worldly, helping you learn subjects, perform music, and so forth. We will see in a moment it never really leaves, just changes names and forms.

If we make the repair to what I did to Sarvadurgati, we will find the correct Paramita, Pranidhana, uses the skill of Jnana:



Correction for Seven Paramitas



Discipline.......Ground....................Paramit a...........Dharani

Citta.............Pramudita (Vajrasattva)...Dana........Ratnolka
Pariskara........Vimala (Vairocana)......Sila...........Usnisavijaya
Karma...........Prabhakari (Ratna)..........Ksanti.........Marici
Upapatthi.......Arcismati (Amitabha).......Virya.........Parnasabari
Rddhi............Sudurjaya (Akshobya).....Dhyana........Janguli
Adimukti..........Abhi-mukhi (Amoghasiddhi)..Prajna...Ananta-mukhi

Jnana...........Acala..........................Pranidhana.......Prajnavardhani



With the normally highest Sixth Paramita, Prajna, in terms of Bhumis, Abhimukhi is "appearance" or perhaps "emergence" of Sunyata.

I made an error because Pranidhana as well as Jnana are duplicated in the array of Paramita-related things. The list may also be seen as layers of a
Stupa.



The Sarvadurgati tantra text uses the term Monlam which is commonly understood and translated as Pranidhana Paramita. So this is what they mean is conveyed as a seventh Paramita after Consecration of the Chakravartin with Seven Precious Items. This is the ordinary mandala population which we are tending to re-iterate as Seven Jewels of Enlightenment with tantric Vajradaka. This will be modified shortly.

The corresponging Namasangiti layer of goddesses have a lunar and Blue Lotus aspect:

Pranidhanaparamita is of the colour of the blue lotus, and she holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus.

Jnanavasita is whitish blue in colour and holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus.

Acala is of the colour of the moon in autumn, and holds with pride in her left hand the stalk of a lotus over which is placed the five- thonged Vajra on the disc of the moon.

Prajnavardhani is white in colour and holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus.

They have the same uniform except for Acala Bhumi.

In the collection Nightmare Tales, HPB shows Varuni inhabiting a lake where a very powerful incident involving the sound of Vina (Om) and the Voice in a relatively short story called Blue Lotus.



Pranidhana itself shows up in the discussion of lunar and solar pitris.

Commenting Stanza IV, HPB says:

THE Progenitors of Man, called in India "Fathers," Pitara or Pitris, are the creators of our bodies and lower principles. They are ourselves, as the first personalities, and we are they. Primeval man would be "the bone of their bone and the flesh of their flesh," if they had body and flesh. As stated, they were "lunar Beings."

The Endowers of man with his conscious, immortal EGO, are the "Solar Angels" -- whether so regarded metaphorically or literally. The mysteries of the Conscious EGO or human Soul are great. The esoteric name of these "Solar Angels" is, literally, the "Lords" (Nath) of "persevering ceaseless devotion" (pranidhana). Therefore they of the fifth principle (Manas) seem to be connected with, or to have originated the system of the Yogis who make of pranidhana their fifth observance (see Yoga Shastra, II., 32.) It has already been explained why the trans-Himalayan Occultists regard them as evidently identical with those who in India are termed Kumaras, Agnishwattas, and the Barhishads.

From there proceeds her description of the three formless and four form kingdoms.



Taken on a Dharani basis, this would cause us to engage the seventh Paramita with Prajnavardhani mantra, which employs Picu, of the seventh Shiva face. On a Bhumi basis, it is Acala, who in tantra is the "divider" before attaining the higher Bhumis of the Four Dakinis. What that means is these Dakinis who may arise with Guhyajnana Dakini, and maintain their presence as the core of the tantras, are, themselves, the highest parts of the Path. It is telling us to train and master Jnana, which may loosely be described as "knowledge", but we could immediately say Gnosis and Jnana Chakra and Jnana Kaya, and that the chakra may be manifested by Charchika.

This system does not grapple with the aspects of the real Bodhisattva Bhumis, about the same way that Dakini Jala does not quite reach the Dissolutions of the voids themselves. And so this is more like using all Six Families and making the appearance of Sunyata. If we can do this, it would eventually evoke Vairocani, at which point one could perform the highest tantras.

It is a different perspective on Prajnaparamita. She is not addressed, personally, but uses Anantamukhi, which is like a revolving door going back to the first Dana Paramita. Then the seventh, or somewhat abstract part, is her shared mantra which is Increasing (Vardhani), is related to Vajrasarasvati and Kubjika Tantra and Kamakhya and Mahacina Tara, which, if part of Pranidhana, is related to Agni.

If Picuva Marici accumulates this mantric power, then we should become aware that nothing says she has a pig face, it says her main or middle face is Midnight Sapphire. Normally, a deity's main face is the same as its body. Hers is wrathful. But unlike most sadhanas, this one does not quite elucidate her form, but only implies it by her eight items. She has ratnamukutapattanga, a jewel crown of Red Sandalwood. She apparently gets this after using Four Activities to draw in All Buddhas with Bhrta Kumbha--Aquarius, a filled pitcher of Amrta and Budih. It says her clothes are yellow. In the beginning it just says Mam is the Tattva from which the famous Asoka arises. Nothing seems to indicate what her personal color is. She does mention four sandhya and three sandhya (time periods).

Sphatika is sometimes used as a coloration, but hers is the only face to do so. Indranila is rare and on this, her face matches Ekajati's background light when spawning.


Picuva is established for Three Vimoksha:

2) Vimokṣa (विमोक्ष, “liberation”) or Trivimokṣa refers to the “three liberations” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 73):
śūnyata (empty),
animitta (signless),
apraṇihita (desireless).

And perhaps has Picu having to to with Kavya or Poet:

sphuradbuddhaughakhavyāpicaturasrādisaṃyute



It is correct that the similar Three Moods or Kalpokta Marici does have an Indranila Varaha face--not the main one--which has an abundance of representations. One could say on the "Asokastavaka" (praise, or a bouquet of flowers) Maricis, the simple Asoka Marici and then, eight armed, Samskipta has a "krsna" boar face, like a regular color; Kalpoktam is Indranila Prabhara (light); and Picuva would be center, Indranilavarna (color), and debatably not a boar. Nothing in her article mentions a pig or pig companion. The first two are Asokastavaka, and Picuva is Asokastavakodbhavam, i. e., born from the prior, like Tarodbhava Kurukulla is born from Tara.

Indian stonework with boar faces:







Indian miniature ca. 1000s with a whole Varahi on her head:








This one also has Bandhuka flowers and Sindura.

From Vairocana there is a Lotus Womb and Lion Throne:


oṃkāraṃ tatsarvvaṃ pariṇamya śrīmadvairocananāthaṃ padmagarbha-
siṃhāsanasthaṃ vajraparyyaṅkaniṣaṇṇaṃ suvarṇacandre bodhyaṅgī-
samādhisamāpannaṃ

Then you see samadhi on the Bodhyangi or Seven Jewels of Enlightenment. This is mentioned four times in the book, all on Marici. So now she is more or less a peaceful parallel to Vajradaka. They are really "on" Vairocana who is in the business of conjuring Marici. However, Arya Marici 147 is called Adi Marici, and has the puzzling form:

pītamārāśoka

The way it would appear to make sense would be as the linked words:

Pita Amara Asoka

making her yellow; she is cast by Vairocana, but after she appears, her role is the explainer of her dharani, which she relates to the Seven Jewels in this way:

kurvāṇāmasakṛnnaddhabodhyaṅgīdhāraṇīṃ

She has a Suci and Sutra (string) and this looks like Ashoka Grove:

aśokavṛkṣaśākhāgravilagnāṃ

That is what Sadhanamala may intend as her samaya form if one has the dharani and knows anything about Vairocana.



Kalpoktam is not quite Picuva Marici, who triples her. We may be a long time in finding anything that shows or explains how Marici's main face looks like Ekajati's aura, or, why Picu Vaktra would not be the most accurate understanding of a name that some scholars call "an acrostic".

Nothing says she has a retinue, either. I am not sure that Marici's usual attendants' names are plays on Vetali since they are plausibly all words:

Varali, the moon (Vara Ali)

Vadali is possibly a dark day or storm.

Varttali is possibly Day Rakshasha.



Mandala Marici has the Gatekeepers that Bhattacharya called "very strange and peculiar", Alo, Talo, Kalo, Matsaro, but if o was an i there might be something.

When Picuva expresses Nine Moods then she is compatible to the Durga system which appears melded to Nepalese Buddhism in the guise of Six plus Three Buddha Families.

I am not sure the three are new families, since the Trikaya is formed of merged families, such as Jewel into Tathagata makes the Kaya of Body and so forth. So it could perhaps be seen as Six Families and Tri-samadhi.

Nine Moods is a standard from classical theater just as Kavya is for literature. I am not aware of any other deity combining these. Not in a way that makes us ask if she has a main Ekajati face not Varahi.

The end of Pivuva says "Picuvalesasamlekha"--lekha being letters used in twenty-one Sandhyantara, which are like nine moods, but are plot-changing elements. Her final section is after Three Syllables for kaya-vak-chitta sadhana, which appears to be standard for Om Ah Hum. This is Visarjana, or the "mystical conclusion" after the other rites of cloth, incense, etc.:

sandhyāntare 'pi pūjādipuraḥsaramito japet /
prāgvidhinā puraḥ prātardevīsaṅgīticeditaḥ //
imāṃ vidyāṃ tathā cānyāṃ bhāvayet sa samājapan /
tantrāmnāyena sanmantrī rucitaḥ sādhayed bhṛśam //
picuvāleśasaṃlekhād yat puṇyaṃ samupārjitam /
tena loko 'stu sarvāśaḥ syāmahaṃ mañjurāṭ svayam //

Pra-vidhina is skill developed by training; Saramit is a measure of truth, or the Vedas; Devi Sangiti is chanting. Although there are a few other mentions of "tantra", this is about the only one where the Tantra Amnaya, its family or lineages, are sanmantri or associated with her mantras. She does not describe her mantras, so, probably relies on Kalpoktam and others.

There are not that many Mahavidyas in Sadhanamala: Sadasksari, Ekajati, and a few others. Janguli was given by Buddha, as was Vardhani or Picu mantra, for which it says:

This Mantra which has power to confer the cleverness of a poet was introduced
by the Sugata.

Compared to the Picu mantra, Picuva Marici is not really giving anything new or different; she is just more intense and detailed, the state of Kavya covers a wide range of emotions and acts.

[Old Student]

From your reference on Matsyendranatha:

Several sources point to the origin of this school, at least in some kind of systematized form, in Kāmarūpa, where this knowledge was transmitted by the divine yōginīs to Matsyendranātha.

Dr. Suniti Bhushan Qanungo in his detailed history of the region -- History of Chittagong vol. I gives extensive evidence that Matsyndranath's school of yoga was actually derived/inherited from Buddhist viharas, and is an evolution mostly of the Six Yogas of Naropa.

I am fascinated at how many twists and turns there are trying to figure out the vague term Mahacina, how many different locations it is attributed to, how many uses it has, etc.

And we can get it because there is a sort of, not quite calypso, but maybe a lounge lizard version in Sanskrit with English (many more repetitions):

The two videos differ in one interesting aspect: The Chinese version has no "svaha" at the end. I wonder whether it has been shortened.[COLOR="red"]

In Assam, Sarasvati is cotton. The cotton is white, and she teaches weaving; the name tantra has warp and woof as its roots, and the weaver caste is the Buddhist tribal minority in northern Orissa. The Limbu women are expert in making carpet, and knitting colourful local cloth (dhaka) with intricate design for clothing. They are also expert in bamboo work.

Tantra and sutra = Warp and Woof. In modern Bengali, warp and woof are still tonto and shudho.

[Old Student]

Rawhide68, thank you.

I'd like to hear if anyone have had an experience being at 2 places simultaneously?

I have never had the experience of being in two places simultaneously. I have had the experience of being across the room looking at myself in the bed, similar to yours, but I didn't feel myself from within the bed at the time, I was asleep. I have had the experience of being in two bodies at one time, but in the same place. And I have had the experience of not being in any place sometimes.

[Old Student]

Thanks for the explanation on Prajna vs. Jnana. I now have another question because you bring up 'Pranidhana':

The Sarvadurgati tantra text uses the term Monlam which is commonly understood and translated as Pranidhana Paramita. So this is what they mean is conveyed as a seventh Paramita after Consecration of the Chakravartin with Seven Precious Items. This is the ordinary mandala population which we are tending to re-iterate as Seven Jewels of Enlightenment with tantric Vajradaka. This will be modified shortly.

The corresponging Namasangiti layer of goddesses have a lunar and Blue Lotus aspect:

Pranidhanaparamita is of the colour of the blue lotus, and she holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus.

Jnanavasita is whitish blue in colour and holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus.

Acala is of the colour of the moon in autumn, and holds with pride in her left hand the stalk of a lotus over which is placed the five- thonged Vajra on the disc of the moon.

Prajnavardhani is white in colour and holds in her left hand the sword on a blue lotus.

They have the same uniform except for Acala Bhumi.

In the collection Nightmare Tales, HPB shows Varuni inhabiting a lake where a very powerful incident involving the sound of Vina (Om) and the Voice in a relatively short story called Blue Lotus.


Pranidhana itself shows up in the discussion of lunar and solar pitris.

Pranidhana meaning what? Aspiration, surrender, annihilation, (these are the things I was able to come up with for a "translation")?

You break it as Pra Nidhana which sounds like it should be annihilation, but surrender seems to be a very common translation of it.

Indranila is apparently a gemstone, additionally? Which is a deep blue stone because it is Indra-nil, blue like the sky? Is this "Midnight Sapphire?"

Picuva Marici is "cotton" Marici?, but not the one with the needle and thread, in this form? Also, I found two versions of the needle and thread story:
1) She takes your defilements and sews them up in a bag to dispose of (doesn't sound right)
2) She sews your lids closed to force you to confront an attachment related to sight (sounds more plausible).

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
Pranidhana meaning what? Aspiration, surrender, annihilation, (these are the things I was able to come up with for a "translation")?

You break it as Pra Nidhana which sounds like it should be annihilation, but surrender seems to be a very common translation of it.

In that sense, Nidhana is the same as Nidhi, hidden treasure (of Kubera, etc.).

Aspiration is its main meaning. The term is in Sadhanamala nineteen times. Early, there is something like Karuna powerfully promotes Pranidhana siddhi; a few times it seems to have the meaning "spawn sequence"; and it is generally near Puja (ritual) or Punya (merit), standard sadhana descriptions. Sometimes it is near Emptiness mantra, Nairatma uses it before spawning, there is:

svaparaṃ vibhāvya śūnyaṃ praṇidhānam anusmared yogī /

So there is aspiration/meditation/devotion to Sunya itself. Surrender is also perhaps fitting, as long as we keep in mind what is being surrendered to what. The Emptiness mantra is largely intended to sacrifice ego to void-gnosis.



It is in Samputa one time:

vajra•añjaliṃ tu baddhvā svahṛdaye dhārayet |
tataḥ sarvasattva•ādipraṇidhānāni kārayet || 9.2.36 ||


Praṇidhāna (प्रणिधान) refers to “buddhist vow” according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter X. During innumerable kalpas of this kind (asaṃkhyeyakalpa), the Bodhisattva has formed the great vow to save all beings. This is what is called the vow of the Great Mind. In order to save all beings, the fetters (saṃyojana) must be cut through and supreme perfect enlightenment (anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi) must be realized. This is what is called vow (praṇidhāna).

Similar to Samaya or Vrata (Gauri).

If I think in terms of Cunda mantra, then, from the human point of view, four or five words does not a spiritual career make. You would get shifty and restless and crave something. But in that Buddha Field, they never grow tired, they do not think about it, they do not question it, they simply enjoy it, unceasingly (Acala Bhumi).

And so most literally--if I was not too sure what Pranidhana was--since it is helped by a Dharani, the answer is really Prajnavardhani, which is not even "a" goddess, it is Prajnaparamita and Vajrasarasvati. This is the same thing we mean when we say that there are deities "mantricly identical" to Seven Syllable deity. In various practices, they may have different forms, other mantras, and so forth, but the entree', so to speak, is the same.

Indranila is apparently a gemstone, additionally? Which is a deep blue stone because it is Indra-nil, blue like the sky? Is this "Midnight Sapphire?"

Yes, sapphire generally, or blue-black sapphire particularly. The color shows up with Arapacana and Canda Maharoshana, although it does not look like a "part" of them, and Ekajati and Marici, where it does. Regular (dark) blue is just Nila or Krsna, in almost every sadhana of everything.

Day Sky Blue is a visual "code" for white. This is not Turquoise, which is not the light blue Turkish kind--ones from Tibet are greener. A Vishnu Linga is supposed to be made of Indranila. But in terms of a deity form, so far, we can only say it pertains to Marici and Ekajati.

Picuva Marici is "cotton" Marici?, but not the one with the needle and thread, in this form? Also, I found two versions of the needle and thread story:
1) She takes your defilements and sews them up in a bag to dispose of (doesn't sound right)
2) She sews your lids closed to force you to confront an attachment related to sight (sounds more plausible).

Picuva still has eight arms, viz., Needle and Thread, Archer, and the other standard Marici items. In fact, after her faces, the first part of her description is not "she has eight arms, holding a needle in her main hand", it says she is sewing faces shut.

She should resemble Kalpoktam, except whatever her blue face is, is in the middle. I still have not found any image of Marici with either a central pig face or a blue one, and, no matter how unclear the lack of description of the rest of her may be, the basic fact this blue face is her main one is certain. Also, her sadhana is sanitized of either Varaha or Sukara, either of which she uses to express "pig".

The emphasis is almost entirely about her faces, since each one shows Three Moods--two of them are practically unique colors, and even the golden one uses an uncommon or limited way of saying it; Kanaka is more frequently found.

My guess is if it meant cotton, it would just say "picu". It is only by digging to chapter forty-seven in Satsahasra Samhita that the suggestion it may be Picu Vaktra might be relevant. This book is like the commentary or operative details for Kubjika Tantra, which would talk about deity forms and rituals. I think the world knowledge base will deny Picuva means anything, and the few people who studied it guess it must be a word twist or something, and Picu Vaktra is my suggestion where they have none.

Well, I was already expecting Marici to absorb Prajnaparamita and Sarasvati, so this can only help.

If there was some issue about whether Kubjika is closely related, up to including the possibility that Nath is a Buddhist outcropping anyway, almost all the available information will say "yes". We are pushing the envelope. Even in modern Bengal and Assam they have some hazy recognition of once having shared tradition like this, and nothing to show for it. They all get their answers from Nepal, even Sri Lanka and Kashmir do. When we see how much is obscured behind Matsyendranath, Kamakhya, etc., everything suggests Kubjika, and if Picu Vaktra is like a secret of hers, then perhaps "Picuva" is playing along really well.

Mahacina and related cultural terms refer to kingdoms and peoples that were hugely historically significant, spanning the entire Indian trans-Himalaya out to at least Cambodia. They had territories in what became China all the way up to Wu Tai Shan and who knows how much of Mongolia or Siberia. The only Buddhist family I currently know are Shen which I believe is a Burmese name for Mahacina. But this is not to say it was like a Mahacina Tara Empire--we would run aground into shamanism such as Sanamahi of Manipur. Perhaps the most important rationale is really that at least in India, there was Tara taking human sacrifices, until there was like a revelation saying, hey, this is really symbolic. We don't have to kill actual people, just like the Vedic Horse sacrifice does not really mean we have to kill a horse. A few thousand years ago, that might have been a way to insult people and get yourself killed. We imported all the "left hand path" ingredients, but no one uses real horse meat, we just imagine it. This substitution idea may be "old news", but, the principle is about the same with everything. We were doing something unnecessary and destructive. Do something better. I think it is mostly the same throughout non-dualization of thousands of subtle nerves.

Outer Marici is said to use a "trash bag" and do a little voodoo surgery. This is correct. Many of the traditions simply adjust her more towards Outer Obstacles. But she can also clear Inner Obstacles like that. Same items work both ways.

Because there are a lot of other deities that can do things like this, I, personally take her Needle to be Suci--Solar Fire, and the thread to be used in weaving, I. e. tantra as "warp and woof". The position of historical Bhrkuti in relation to this, and, the underlying importance of weaver caste across northern Orissa towards East India should not be underestimated.

The most basic Marici is probably Asokakanta 133, no fancy moves from Vairocana, although this one seems to be a boar rider from the onset. So one could reason "Needle" is more like the sun, and "Tree Branch" uses the earth symbol or Bhu Devi vehicle, a mount is a deity's interface to the mundane world.


I had not noticed the lack of "Svaha" in the Chinese dharani. Neither one is technically correct, since the Dharani is only the part after "Tadhyata", and it should say Om the first time and then just repeat the rest of it. But hardly anyone follows this old rule, and will often include a whole paragraph from the Sutra like those do.

The Shurangama mantra was done in Malaysia; most countries are very avid about doing Sanskrit. But when I drop the rules and language barriers, and try to look at the Chinese in a common light, I think it would work. If I was actually casting Golden Light, it would work. I wish I was. There is something to Lakshmi which is not the same as Sarasvati.

Sarasvati is like a school goddess, small and portable. When I want to learn to read and write, to do some math, it is her, all the way up to the Vedas and Yoga and so forth, she teaches anything openly under a Hexagram.

Lakshmi is territorial. If you do not have a sacred space for her, either, nothing will happen, or, if you somehow get her attention, it will demolish you. She is the whole farm, the whole village, really big, requires a proper operating environment as for instance depicted by Golden Light Sutra. That is what that is all about. Keep the Vows and make the Four Kings Keep theirs. Make the "social structure" as beautiful as it can be. Therefor something like a household is the minimum size to participate.

[Old Student]

So there is aspiration/meditation/devotion to Sunya itself. Surrender is also perhaps fitting, as long as we keep in mind what is being surrendered to what. The Emptiness mantra is largely intended to sacrifice ego to void-gnosis.

This is how I had interpreted "surrender" so this works. The list I extracted from your longer explanation before of the paramitas, contains in each of them a "formula" for personal yogic control within the body (withholding sperm, channels, directing bodhicitta from the jewel tip to the crown, etc. It doesn't make much sense in the order they're given to interpret pranidhana as many of the definitions but it does if it is final fulfillment of a Bodhisattva's vow, or surrender or annihilation. These all end up seeming like things that are stages, accomplishments in the shaking exercises given by the Dakinis if this is interpreted as the dissolve.

My guess is if it meant cotton, it would just say "picu". It is only by digging to chapter forty-seven in Satsahasra Samhita that the suggestion it may be Picu Vaktra might be relevant. This book is like the commentary or operative details for Kubjika Tantra, which would talk about deity forms and rituals. I think the world knowledge base will deny Picuva means anything, and the few people who studied it guess it must be a word twist or something, and Picu Vaktra is my suggestion where they have none.

This makes what you had said before about Picu vs. Picuva make more sense, thanks.

Mahacina and related cultural terms refer to kingdoms and peoples that were hugely historically significant, spanning the entire Indian trans-Himalaya out to at least Cambodia. They had territories in what became China all the way up to Wu Tai Shan and who knows how much of Mongolia or Siberia. The only Buddhist family I currently know are Shen which I believe is a Burmese name for Mahacina.

This term is all over the map, there is some justification for thinking it means the rump state of Tibet after the fall during Langdarma -- that Cina means this state (essentially Ngari) and Mahacina means the same plus Kashmir and Ladakh. There is also some belief it means farther north.

One of the reasons for not believing automatically that it has to do with China is that the term cina lacks any contemporaneity with Qin, and subsequent dynasties did not describe themselves as Qin. But anything is possible. China nowadays is more than twice the size it ever was as an empire, because it usually did not include Tibet, it usually did not include Xinjiang, or even usually Gansu and Ningxia, and it usually did not include either Mongolia or Manchuria. Also not usually included would have been Yunnan and Guangxi, from whence the Burmese Shan most likely derive (the state of Dali has people who are of the same ethnic group, as does, as you mentioned, Cambodia). But it may have meant "out that way" kind of a catch-all for having to name a place where something happened or someone came from that is far far away.

I had not noticed the lack of "Svaha" in the Chinese dharani. Neither one is technically correct, since the Dharani is only the part after "Tadhyata", and it should say Om the first time and then just repeat the rest of it. But hardly anyone follows this old rule, and will often include a whole paragraph from the Sutra like those do.

There are some people who only put the "svaha" at the very end.

Chinese is a particularly poor language to do transliteration into, most of what you found transcribed is transliteration, except where the Chinese name of something is thrown in. And sometimes the Chinese carry both a transliteration and a native or translated name -- San Francisco is both 三藩市 (san fan shi -- transliterated, literally three barbarians city) and 舊金山 (jiu jin shan old golden hills) originally 九金山 and pronounced the same way -- nine golden hills, a reference to the gold rush. Hence the inscriptions on your Marici images, some transliterating Marici and some calling her the bearer of light in Chinese.

Yes, sapphire generally, or blue-black sapphire particularly.

I asked because my clear body has been very very dark the last few nights, but very transparent. I have not been focused on it, I had too many other things to try to juggle at one time, but I did notice it to the point of commenting on it in last night's notes, it corresponds to the recent feeling of being empty inside much of my torso with the whole being filled up with something like an electric charge.