Does Anybody Else Have Clear Body Experiences?

[Old Student]

So, if I say it sounds like you are at an energetic parallel of what we call Entering the Mandala, according to Samputa, you have this ability, since you are able to perceive such a goddess. Also, when it says "self-concentration", that is Svadisthana, which has a few synonyms, I personally like Water Moon.

Entering the Mandala? I cannot perceive such a goddess on my own, I was shoved there, and it is seemingly very complicated to get up to and pass that particular test. Svadisthana in its version as the name of a chakra, would be the right area where the visions of many bodies get put together, which may be coincidental, or maybe not. Water Moon is also the right area but not part of these particular experiences.

As for some of the other points, I am not sure. In Buddhist tantra, visualizing oneself as the opposite sex is certainly described as an exercise in the release of identity, but I am not sure that it is said that you actually have to do this to pursue Suksma Yoga.

It is probably more related to the shaman aspects, but I can't help thinking that it is distinctly shakti/tantra.

It is so self-secret, I am not sure exactly what to say about her.

Her Thousand Arm form holds Males and Females.

She is Adi Prajna, assisted by Vasudhara and Parasol.

She is Sati's vagina and cervix Pitha.

That sounds like a good fit, except that I don't get the feeling she would have a visage of complete peace. This one did, I'm sure of it, since she was emanated in first person -- i.e. I experienced being her, not looking at her.

I did laminations for probably about an hour and a half last night, in the "from scratch" and not the tweak/switch form. The from scratch is like being a conjoined yab-yum like action, with the female stretching out bliss in a sheetlike form and the male folding and stretching it in the other direction, then the female folding and stretching it out again, etc. The lamination is layers of female and male folded and stretched again and again, this happens between the perineum and roughly dantian or maybe a little higher. When it builds up enough through this lamination, the completely unstoppable dancing starts at the waist which generates the worlds. I only generated the three plus the surrounding void again, but I built more than that many laminations (male-female pairs).

[shaberon]

I have to keep ruminating through some of this to focus the detail and get out the mistakes.

We are looking at something like the fact that Dakini Jala is the "first" Chakrasamvara or "Yogini tantra", Samputa is heavily based on Dakini Jala, but, it has added a generally-unknown retinue, and so we want to compare the two. All the other tantras consist of a modification to Dakini Jala's Gauris, and so this is a bit like looking at Tara's song in the context of the Taras that were in use when it was composed. We can easily find four or five systems of Gauris, just like there are several Tara systems.


When looking at the original Gauris as in Dakini Jala, one finds two changes corresponding to the two transmissions to Tibet. During the first or Padmasambhava transmission, there was the entrance of Sabari, and later in the second or Sarma transmission, there was the addition of Dombi. That makes the currently-practiced Hevajra format.

By looking at the original, we get a view of the "absorption" of Hindu deities and the subjugation of Maheshvara, which is the major theme in any tantra, Hindu or Buddhist.

I am not sure about the first "use" of the name "Heruka"; however, Heruka's first appearance in the Buddhist mantras is in the Sarvatathagatatattvasamgraha [STTS], where his name appears in a Mantra for the drawing of all the [Saiva] Mother-goddesses into Buddhism, and it is that, with the insertion of a single seed syllable, that is adopted as the Mantra of Heruka in the Sarvabuddha Samayoga Dakini Jala Samvara.

Heruka as Dakini Jala Samvara is four faced, eight armed, having for its seed a Blue Hrih.

In STTS, there appears to be a distinction between Candi and Maheshvari:

Pramoha, who, as we have seen, has the boar face of Visnu's Adivaraha incarnation, is invoked as Vajranarayani, Cauri as Vajracandesvari, and Ghasmari as Vajramahesvari.

The titles are, of course, their "consort" roles in Paramadya Tantra, which is the major basis of Dakini Jala:

Visnu, Rudra, and Brahma (Narayan, Candesvara, Padmodbhava) and their consorts Vajrasri, Vajragauri, and Vajratara, join
Akasagarbha and Khavajrini to form the retinue of Vajrasattva in the central section of the abridged Mandala of the Yogatantra Paramadya.

In this sense, Vajra Tara must be about the same as Vajramaheshvari, related tp Brahma and Lotus. The Paramadya has less Families than Dakini Jala, and so the clear emergence of Amoghasiddhi Family perhaps starts there, and so it is not possible for this source to have considered whether Candi is really Amoghasiddhi Tara who is also Sri. This also suggests that Dharma Samgraha is *not* from original or Sutra Nagarjuna, since it clearly has a sixth family with Candi, it must be from the era of Dakini Jala. Nevertheless, one might surmise "this" Candi begets "that" Candi, since the Paramadya is like a Krama or Method that makes the advanced version work.

Either Gauri or Cauri is Candesvari or the consort of Rudra--Canda. The deity that "will be" Vajravarahi is currently Pramoha, who is thought of as Narayan--Vishnu's consort for the Boar avatar.

Ghasmari is perhaps *the* most important player in the tantras. She is "ravenous" and related to Food Offering, and yet also related to Rasa--Taste, quite similar to Vetali. Since she may, perhaps, "gobble the remainder" of food, that would be like Ucchista Ganapati; and even if she does not take "scraps", she is, nevertheless, his mantric "sister". She is one of the extremely few who carries the Agni Kunda or the main tantric fire, as well as a Sword.

Ghasmari has another role when a minor retinue figure:

Ghasmari begins in Panchadaka as a green Bell goddess, and she becomes the South Gatekeeper of Heruka's Jnana Chakra, having characteristics of the southern dakini. Ghasmari is power of food, or taste, similar to Rasa, and the enjoyment of soma or amrita or nectar. She is defined by Drakpa Gyaltsen as the Samputa Tantra itself. Samputa and Hevajra are slightly different systems of similar ingredients; Samputa having more to do with making a Bliss Chakra of Four Dakinis, whereas Hevajra takes this for granted and applies it to higher stages of the Path. Almost any picture of her is going to be the green kind which is how Hevajra does it.

Luminous Wisdom gives Hevajra's Ghasmari as the purified sixth principle, manas of self-grasping, or sakkaya-ditthi or what we have called Sixth Skandha and Gnosis Element. Nairatma "is" this principle, Ghasmari is its purified state. In Sadhanamala, Ghasmari is in the northern quadrant of Nairatma's retinue as Rame, right after Vetali is "Scent Object" and the like, but this name indicates little other than seed syllable Ram, feminine of Rama, and to delight or enjoy, like Ramate.

Like Ganapati, she uses an ordinary seed syllable of her initial, which is only minorly different:

In Vairocana Abhisambodhi, Gha is in the throat, stands for ghana "agglomeration". The basic syllable Gha has alternate meanings of bell (Ghanta) or destruction, and has to become Ghas, to do with food or eating, or Ghan for nose and scent. If she actually "has" a syllable, though, it is Hrim. Maheshvari is also an epithet of Annapurna.

The translation of Dakini Jala says Ghasmari is "eating a corpse", but if we challenge this against the original, it actually says:

mrta-carvanamukhi bhaksanadrstih

and it may have to do more with catharsis:

Mrta is death, but the expression carvana is obscure, does not seem to mean "eating"; according to Rasa, or, the expression of emotion in theater:

"Bhattauta, another scholar from Kashmir, in his treatise called Kavya Kautuka, also says that a dramatic presentation is not a mere physical occurrence. In witnessing a play we forget the actual perpetual experience of the individuals on the stage. The past impressions, memories, associations etc. become connected with the present experience. As a result, a new experience is created and this provides new types of pleasure and pains. This is technically known as rasvadana, camatkara, carvana."

The next phrase, Bhaksana, is a deity's consumption of sacrificed food. Drsti has to do with eyes, view, wrong view, look, divine eye, or in theater, "has the look in her eye". Ghasmari's hands are busy, so, she does not seem to be eating a corpse the way some deities do. It sounds like she has a dramatic expression of eating the meditator's death. Mrta is not a noun, unless it means food obtained by begging, it is the adjective, dead, and the closest noun is mrtam, death, neither one of which is a body. If taken almost literally, it would say face of begging for food of catharsis, and satisfied look of receiving food offering. The closest term for "corpse" is Mrtaka; all other forms of "corpse use" abandon this word and use a form of Zava, or, occasionally, Kravya. Black corpse-eater seems to be a hasty translation, especially in context, they sound more like actresses, with expressions, gestures, and moods.



Dakini Jala Gauris are a little different than most retinues, they are not a ring of eight; there is an inner ring of four, and then the second ring would be filled with more deities in the intermediate directions. They are listed in a standard casting order.

According to Anandagarbha,

Gauri (E) is fair in colour and tranquil-faced. Eight-armed, she cuts off each of the four heads of Brahma by simultaneously firing arrows from four bows.

Cauri (S) is red and fierce-faced. Wearing a chaplet of skulls she holds a goad-hook (ankusah) in her left hand at her heart with a skull-staff in the crook of her left arm resting on her left shoulder, and holds aloft an eight-spoked discuss with the middle finger of her right, pressing down on the three worlds with her left foot.

Pramoha (W) is black and four-armed, with the face of Visnu's boar-incarnation (adivarahamukha, or, according to Humkaravajra, boar above and a red head below. Moreover, he has her raise with her two lower hands a wheel ('khor lo) rather than the earth). In her first left hand she holds a skull -bowl full of wine and in her first right a Vajra. With her other two hands she imitates the boar-incarnation by raising up the earth.

Vetali (N) is white and joyful-faced. With her right hand she pours a stream of the nectar of immortality from a transparent skull-cup and with her left shows the Vajra banner gesture.

Pukkasi [E] is multi-coloured (visvavarna) and dancing in a smoky cremation -ground full of strings of skulls and the like. In her right fist she clasps a five-pronged Vajra and in her left a wind-buffeted tendril from the wish-granting tree of paradise (kalpavrksalata).

Candali (S) is dark blue and riding on a whirlwind (vatamandalika). In her right fist she clenches a Vajra-topped trident and with her left releases a whirlwind against her victims.

Ghasmari (W) is black [?] and eating a corpse [?]. In her left hand she holds a blazing sacrificial fire-vessel (agnikunda-) and with her right grasps a sword. She also represents Samputa Tantra, or, i. e., this later synthesis must be derived from her influence, Secret of Food.

Herukasamnibha (N), black like Heruka, holds a skull-cup [to her heart] in her left hand, with a skull-staff resting on her left shoulder, and a five-pronged Vajra in her right.


What happens in the later editions of Gauri practice is that Pukkasi's multi-colored nature is swiped by Dombi, who goes in the final slot and offers her body to the principal deity. The final deity in this version is guilty of being "just like" Heruka, who is the principal deity, so her intentions may be similar to Dombi's.

If Gauri had been designated as a consort of Brahma's, something happened to that.

Pramoha is either the full Arthasiddhi Boar Face, or, at minimum, having a Ghona; whereas many forms of Vajravarahi are not either. If Pramoha is the name contemplated, it does not infringe on any Vajravarahi rites.


Dakini Jala places Mamaki in Jewel Family; its Dhyani Buddhas and Prajnas are:

Heruka + Isvari, Vairocana + Locana, Vajrasurya + Mamaki, Padmanartesvara + Pandaravasini, Paramasva + Tara, and Vajradhara + Samvari

"Vajrarudra appears already in the Sarvabuddhasamayoga in a passage
that associates the nine dramatic sentiments (rasah) with Vajrasattva, Tathagata,
Vajradhara, Lokesvara, Vajrasurya, Vajrarudra, Sakyamuni, Arali (or perhaps
Aralli), and Sasvata (Vairocana) respectively. Vajrarudra's is the sentiment of ter-
ror (bhayanakarasah) and it is probable therefore that we should understand Vajra-
rudra to be Heruka."

This Heruka would mean Vajra Family, and so, part of the purpose may be to transfer the Raudra and Chandika nature into the "new-ish" Amoghasiddhi Family. Here, Amoghasiddhi is called Paramasva, and only Sadhanamala has anything to say about that. This retinue still uses the name Tara instead of Candi like in Dharma Samgraha. It is a bit like the Shiva practices related to smoke, etc., are inhaled into Akshobya which is our Visnu, and later, exhaled through Amoghasiddhi, when his Family is further developed, since he is our Shiva. In Dakini Jala, Paramasva's mandala receives a unique set of four sub-courts, so it is obvious he is up to something, when it is centered on Vajrasattva as Heruka in Vajra Family.

There is a "related to original Varahi" Blazing Flames or Anala-pramohani-dharani, which is for Vajra Family Mother (Jitana or Curtains).


Dakini Jala is slightly incomplete, as it does not have features such as reversed casting, moving Mamaki, or explicitly teach Eight Dissolutions. It does almost everything except the maestro finishing touches of Completion Stage. We could say, for some reason, the addition of the ring of Vajraraudris is going to be the major upgrade to it, the main difference to being in the state of Hevajra Tantra.

Gauris are fundamental and the intent is something like "harnessing" them, so that Sound is no longer spewing out an eruption of bad memories, and instead has to arise as a pretty Gandharva-type sound to be offered to the deity, and so on with the other things. I am not quite sure they ever do anything besides change character from the "ultimate nightmare" mode as shown in Book of the Dead, etc., into something that smoothly operates to provide its best. Doing so provides a liberation derived from whichever particular goddess.

Vajraraudris are in some other state beyond this, which, much like Sukla Tara, seems to be the replacing of the cemetery environment with Moonlight. Almost as if they could be said to emanate from Sukla Tara. Both things pertain to Six Arm deities. Although they are wrathful, they are still of pleasing appearance. Like the conflux of two opposites.

Gauri or Cauri has been called "consort of Rudra" and "Candesvari"; similarly, Vajraraudri follows as possibly a form of "the consort" or at least the Vidya or knowledge of the rite.

Even though Gauri may be in Tibetan kye rim or kyeurim or Generation Stage, it appears she is still intended to be the same Gauri who is Raudri or Raudrani or Candesvari, likely meaning in Completion Stage. As if calling the two retinue rings "the Gauris" and "the Vajraraudris" is naming them for the same goddess at two different times and again like a hypostasis just as Varuni-->Vairocani-->Varahi (Pramoha).

As a general expression, the Three Times are Pleasant, Unpleasant, and Mystery.

The Gauris are part of Dakini Jala, which means fully-operational Six Family Wheel. Vajraraudris perhaps were first in Weapon Hevajra Tantra and then ported into Samputa, which we are fortunate to have currently available. And it is they who support the incredible esoteric transformation of the deity.

Nothing says that Vajraraudris are Marutgana, until we ask what Raudra Krama is, then we get back either Ganapati, or Pancha Raksa 206. The latter is an esoteric change which has affected Sitabani, which is the name of the main forest near Kashi that had the Peaceful Cemetery where these tantras were originally disseminated, at least to pilgrims, or something like that. The original tantric trinity used the name Rudra, not Shiva, so it is already like the whole thing is about this. It has specifically trampled Bhairava Shiva.

If it probably is Marutgana, and I cross that with what I get from Ganapati, it makes sense, it is like they are celebrating the result of whatever he is trying to do. He is not there. Sound, however, is.

Dakini Jala is adaptable to two, four, or six arm states, and so this is the same as Samputa or Hevajra, where they are definitely a progression.

That Heruki is offering her body, or trying to go to the middle, which is defined as a Raudra nature, but then in the next tantra or Samputa, Raudri has been kicked out to do some work, but was for some reason called "consort" or vidya was interpreted as consort. This retinue nominally is centered on Vajravarahi, who is the consort as usual.

If the Samputa is a motion towards Completion Stage off of what Dakini Jala has to offer, then any kind of feminine Raudri experience gained from the first, would make sense, as the eastern or "starting" Raudri goddess in the new practice. If there is any question as to whether they are supposed to be related, Ghasmari says yes. Is there a Raudra Krama, Ganapati says yes, there is.

Ghasmari has Agni Kunda which is the Triangle of Inverted Stupa. In that way, it makes perfect sense "the Gauris" are Generation Stage, and the one who appears to be the most powerful by having vanquished Isana Mahesvara is equal to the Samputa Tantra itself.


Samputa gave us the surprising White Vajraraudri, and when we examine the colors and directions, we have to break the standard order to follow the weird casting pattern:

raudrī śuklavarṇā |
dakṣiṇe vajrabimbā pītavarṇā |
paścime rāgavajrā raktābhā |
uttare vajrasaumyā haritābhā || 3.4.48 ||
aiśānyāṃ vajrayakṣī ca sitapītābhā |
āgneyyāṃ vajraḍākinī pītaraktābhā |
nairṛtyāṃ śabdavajrā tu raktanīlābhā |
vāyavyāṃ pṛthivīvajrā tu haritasitābhā

East: White (Sukla) Vajraraudri

First, he should draw the beautiful consort (vidyā)
Who holds an arrow and bow,
A skull cup filled with semen,
And a goad.

South: Yellow Vajrabimba

Second, he should draw the goddess who has in her hands a spear,
A skull cup filled with blood,
A vajra scepter, and a noose.
He should draw her on the southern petal.

North: Green Vajrasaumya

Third, on the northern petal, he should draw
The goddess who has in her hands a sword,
“A skull cup filled with water,
A vajra scepter, and a bell.

West: Red Ragavajra

He should draw the fourth goddess
On the western petal.
“In her left hands she is holding
A khaṭvāṅga and a skull cup,
And in her right hands
A ‘flame thrower’ and a triple banner.


Northeast: White and Yellow Vajrayakshi

“The fifth goddess has a staff in her hand
And holds a skull cup with another.
She also holds a lotus and a ḍamaru.
He should draw her in the northeastern quarter.

Northwest: Green and White Prithvi Vajra

“In the northwestern corner he should draw
The sixth goddess with a lotus in her hand.
She also holds a skull cup filled with fat,
A mirror, and an axe.

Southwest: Red and Blue Sabda Vajra

“The seventh goddess has a lance in her hand.
She also holds a conch shell, a discus weapon,
And a skull cup filled with blood.
He should draw her in the southwestern quarter.

Southeast: Yellow and Red Vajradakini

“The eighth goddess he should draw
In the southeastern quarter.
She is holding in her hands
A pitcher, a vajra scepter, a bell,
“And a skull cup filled with substances,
Covered with human skin.

As a class, "Vajradakinis" form the entire retinue including Musicians and Gatekeepers.

Again I am full of mistakes if I think "eighth" means Prithvi is in the southeast. Vajradakini is definitely in the southeast, she just is not eighth in the standard format.

It is still unusual that Sound and Earth are injected here, because Senses and Elements are defined as being in different rings.

Due to the strange order, we might say, hmm...Earth is obviously related to Yakshi. So is it trying to place Sound in an allied role to Vajradakini?

Vajradakini appears to be the final, initiatory Pitcher goddess, having also a Bell, and "substances".

It seems Vajradakinis are well assigned as a class, having a named leader who has fairly precise roles, up to a point, here, which looks like the Accomplishment of Samputa, or, maybe, is like the real title, Emergence of Samputa.

We found everything else pertaining to Raudri as Smoke, and this has given her back as a sexy, ensemenated White Archer, unleashing some horde that benefits Union in the Moonlight, culminating in Agni Vajradakini.

It seems to me, "that" kind of Vajradakini is the same as her being the Fiery Crown center of Jnanadakini.

It is difficult for me to come up with anything other than Vajraraudri--Marutgana is spinning up through the Brahmarandra into a "sikhi" or fire or mist or colors. That is what the ring is doing and if we are not sure of much else, we know it is Pleasant. By character name, this is closest to Vajrasaumya, who occupies, what would normally be, the Prajna position. This is a refined Gana or Assembly that takes some weird turns.

Vajradakini mysteriously also rules Samsara Skandha, which is weird, since Samsara conditions the opposite or lowest chakra. I suppose that is how she becomes known as Upeksa. Ability to manifest the Crown notwithstanding any phenomena of Samsara.

In the outer sense it is Parasol, and in the inner sense, samaya to Vajravarahi, Nairatma, and Marici. And if you reasonably question that, samaya means Time. And so it is still a bond of dignity, but now also as in Time for "the appearance of", which is why those deities are manifest or immanent accomplishments.

I see a Chain in that, it is like different Rings of Time, according to the aspect of the Samaya.

If I think of the first, Vajravarahi, it is still the same Varuni-->Vairocani-->Khandaroha-->Vajravarahi. Nairatma's predecessor would easily be Vajra Tara. Marici is somewhat of her own antecedent, except she is a bit limited until, at a certain point, she requires Varahi.

Most of the minor manifestations do not matter if you can visualize much of anything, but, the Samayas as used in Sadhanamala refer to a full presence.

Vajradakini threads most of the whole series, but, she is not a dakini in Vajra Family, or something you can just call up by name. She is a tantric aspect of Parasol, that you can. If Parasol is accepted as having been usnisa-emanated by Buddha, everything seems fine.

[shaberon]

From the conversation:

"Entering the Mandala? I cannot perceive such a goddess on my own, I was shoved there, and it is seemingly very complicated to get up to and pass that particular test. Svadisthana in its version as the name of a chakra, would be the right area where the visions of many bodies get put together, which may be coincidental, or maybe not. Water Moon is also the right area but not part of these particular experiences."

Yes, those are all sort of parallels, in perhaps the way that layers of different boiling fluids are parallel.

And accordingly, "Entering the Mandala" as a Gnostic state is far different than a strong education in its components. The closest metaphor is Vajra Netra or Eyes, in which you basically remove dirty, earthly blinders and see the real thing. This is why I think that emphasizing the Yoga approach is most valuable, since it is about experiencing all the concepts or components as inner meaning. A very strict Highest Yoga Tantra approach, if we were to go around transmitting complex Chakrasamvara mandalas and so forth, would be almost an exercise in futility, since we lack grounding in its topics. For most purposes, getting the inner meaning of the teachings is Vajrasattva, which does not require you to start by fully comprehending a complex manifestation.

This stage is of course going to purify and non-dualize the Svadisthana Chakra, whether that is what one means by "navel" or not.

With a bit of aptitude, we can get the hang of the STTS and Paramadya Vajrasattvas, and then it is here in the Samputa where he requires all the intricacies relevant to Emerge in Reverse Order from the Voids, which is a major aspect of Buddhahood making it different from other types of liberation.

The mandala that we enter and emerge in, is something like the "perfect world" for direct perception of the voids and/or Prabhasvara or Absolute Object or Paramartha.

So it sounds like you are somewhat physiologically "forced" into this stage, which, I would say, is the Sambhogakaya equivalent of me having been something like physiologically forced into a Nirakara or Dharmakaya equivalent, much more formless and deathly. Most of what you talk about, and most everything about the use of Six Families Equally, is defined in Vajra Rosary as more or less like the missing half of my mystical experiences. That is why this is all complementary, similar, and yet bizarrely about two things which seem almost total opposites, death and bliss.

Samputa steps in as a major mandala that would take in just about everything we can throw at it, and pose itself as a barrier, whether thought of in theological terms, energetic states, or anything else, between us and Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi or the goal of complete manifest Buddha.


The beginning of Samputa is rather interesting, because, in many ways, it flows like most of the other tantras, but when it delves into the practice of its topic, it actually explains how "you" take any woman and make her into a vidya--consort. It says it is great if you can find the self-arisen yoginis, but, if not, you take anyone and experience her into mantra and tantra.

The purpose of this is highly similar to Maha Vajradhatu, i. e. it pertains to Sambhogakaya. After describing the terms and intentions of tantra, at the end of Ch. 2 part one:

“He who has obtained the initiation becomes the most excellent Vajradhara,
Possessed of the unparalleled state, difficult to gain.
Having truly attained the splendor of the sambhogakāya field,
He has been conferred the great bodhicitta initiation. {2.1.62}

So, it specifically states it is about Samboghakaya, and does not mention Vajra Kaya or anything like that.


Next, in part two, there is a mass outbreak of Catuskoti-type phrasing, such as "neither Desire nor the Absence of Desire" and so on, Mahamudra descriptions of the Four Joys, the identification of the central figure as Vajrasattva, Dakini Jala Samvara, etc., until:

“This wisdom is self-reflexive awareness (svasaṃvedya);
It is impossible to describe this otherwise.
While perceiving all manner of forms,
While listening to sounds, {2.2.19}

The One of the Nirguna state has no reflection or is not self-aware, and so what is being conveyed in Samputa is the One of the Sadguna state, able to manifest a Perfect Image or Reflection.

It is then equivalent to Upeksa--Vajradakini:

“This is said to be equanimity,
The foremost meditation of all buddhas. (or: as an object of reflection) [F.86.b]
From within this very state everything arises—
The world’s animate and inanimate objects, {2.2.23}


So the core subject of Samputa is that of Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine:

Svasam Vedanâ (Sk.). Lit., “the reflection which analyses itself ”; a synonym of Paramârtha.

She approaches, in the best terms she has, the difficulty of Paramartha in the "known" schools of Yogachara and Madhyamika. Nicholas Weeks and David Reigle rake over the "historical discrepancy or conflict" she depicts.

However, she really nails its role in perhaps one of her best lines:

The condition of Paranishpanna, without Paramârtha, the Self-analysing consciousness (Svasamvedana), is no bliss, but simply extinction (for Seven Eternities). . . .

That is how important this is considered.

The Pralaya, or, Nirguna state, has the option to eliminate you, or, to fill "seven eternities" with blissful repose. Only it is not the one making the choice. You do, on an either/or basis explained by Samputa.

"Meditation" in this book has been expanded to involve sexual meditation, whether with someone who is better at it than you are, or, a complete novice. It does not quite say "you must be initiated into Vajravilasini and do her practice". It is saying to do it at all possible costs with the best of whatever you have.

It is correct that it is training to carry the state achieved by such meditation into all other activities. Only in that way could it be described as detached from or beyond sex. Then, it seems to say Svasamvedana is more important than self-generation as a deity:

“In this way, the practitioner of the true state (tattvayogin), resolved upon the practice, authorized by his master, and abiding by his samaya, should practice meditation. If he does, what would be the use of committing to practice hand mudrās, mantras, making deity statues, or cultivating himself as deity, all of which can only produce common siddhis? Intent on buddhahood, he should clearly set up his goal and do the practice of the chosen deity. [F.87.a] In this way, when the goal has been reached, the threefold universe will become for him like the sky. Consequently, the skilled practitioner, having renounced everything, applies himself to the practice of meditation in the state he has attained, cultivating day and night self-reflexive awareness (saṃvedana) exclusively. {2.2.33}

Because this tantra uses some, if not all, front-generated deities, and, as far as I can tell, Transference as explained by Jnana Dakini also means she is an external form, it seems to me that self-generation is less important as a training technique, and the important thing is to simply become self-arisen White Heruka, which "you" do not do, "it" happens.

Svasamvedana is more or less the practice of Mahasukha:

viṣayāṇāṃ śuddhatvāt svasaṃvedyaṃ paraṃ sukham |
rūpaviṣayādi ye ´py anye pratibhāṣanti hi yoginām1629 || 5.2.47 ||


It is a difficult word, since, we would usually think, human personality, oh, that's a "self reflection", but, as soon as we get into the subject, it certainly is not talking about normal personality. It is the same as how Inverted Stupa makes a Reflection of the Divine, which, in most senses, is the opposite of saying the personality and material body is a "direct copy" of the divine. The only such "copy" is Vajradhara which is only perceivable in the, to us, highest samadhi, whereas Samputa Vajrasattva is an ever-deepening Samaya to this state.

Again, it would be incorrect to think of it as a "conceptual self" which is "mentally analyzing" "informational constructs". It refers to a state where all of that has been scrubbed away by Prana, and just is unable to find words that cannot be erroneously interpreted. Same with Atma, it does not mean any kind of "self" that can be expressed at all, but, we have no other word for what one "is".

It is in Sadhanamala one time with Vajra Ananga Manjushri 60, who is a Hrih-related Manjughosha:

svasaṃvedyam ātmānurāgaṃ kārayet

Anuraga is a type of Redness:

“Although one regularly meets with the beloved and is well-acquainted with the beloved, the ever-fresh sentiment of intense attachment causes the beloved to be newly experienced at every moment as if one has never before had any experience of such a person. The attachment which inspires such a feeling is known as anurāga.”.

"When anurāga reaches the state where it becomes the object of its own experience it is known as sva-saṃvedya."

(cf. Bhajana Rahasya)

The Secret Doctrine is certainly a preparatory groundwork for Samputa, even though the title actually means Vajrayogini's explanation (Rahasya = Secret Doctrine) of Dakini Jala. So it is both. Even if we are still making minor errors, Svasamvedana is the spine of the whole thing.

[Old Student]

Again I am full of mistakes if I think "eighth" means Prithvi is in the southeast. Vajradakini is definitely in the southeast, she just is not eighth in the standard format.

It is still unusual that Sound and Earth are injected here, because Senses and Elements are defined as being in different rings.

Due to the strange order, we might say, hmm...Earth is obviously related to Yakshi. So is it trying to place Sound in an allied role to Vajradakini?

Vajradakini appears to be the final, initiatory Pitcher goddess, having also a Bell, and "substances".

Does re-ordering these come from another text? I'm not getting how you did this.

Vajradakini mysteriously also rules Samsara Skandha, which is weird, since Samsara conditions the opposite or lowest chakra. I suppose that is how she becomes known as Upeksa. Ability to manifest the Crown notwithstanding any phenomena of Samsara.

Is it mutually exclusive that she rule Samsara Skandha and manifest the Crown?

[Old Student]

And accordingly, "Entering the Mandala" as a Gnostic state is far different than a strong education in its components. The closest metaphor is Vajra Netra or Eyes, in which you basically remove dirty, earthly blinders and see the real thing.

That would make sense, in that one might be able to get a glimpse of what was to be seen before being able to see it at will. I was being shown that because I had thought that emanating as multiple (small multiple, 3) forms and worlds was quite something, and was being told it was not.

So it sounds like you are somewhat physiologically "forced" into this stage, which, I would say, is the Sambhogakaya equivalent of me having been something like physiologically forced into a Nirakara or Dharmakaya equivalent, much more formless and deathly. Most of what you talk about, and most everything about the use of Six Families Equally, is defined in Vajra Rosary as more or less like the missing half of my mystical experiences. That is why this is all complementary, similar, and yet bizarrely about two things which seem almost total opposites, death and bliss.

That's interesting. Nothing in my shaking can occur without bliss. But death is often there, it just is usually decay and produces a creation thing. I don't think I usually have death all by itself.

"Meditation" in this book has been expanded to involve sexual meditation, whether with someone who is better at it than you are, or, a complete novice. It does not quite say "you must be initiated into Vajravilasini and do her practice". It is saying to do it at all possible costs with the best of whatever you have.

It is correct that it is training to carry the state achieved by such meditation into all other activities. Only in that way could it be described as detached from or beyond sex. Then, it seems to say Svasamvedana is more important than self-generation as a deity:

“In this way, the practitioner of the true state (tattvayogin), resolved upon the practice, authorized by his master, and abiding by his samaya, should practice meditation. If he does, what would be the use of committing to practice hand mudrās, mantras, making deity statues, or cultivating himself as deity, all of which can only produce common siddhis? Intent on buddhahood, he should clearly set up his goal and do the practice of the chosen deity. [F.87.a] In this way, when the goal has been reached, the threefold universe will become for him like the sky. Consequently, the skilled practitioner, having renounced everything, applies himself to the practice of meditation in the state he has attained, cultivating day and night self-reflexive awareness (saṃvedana) exclusively. {2.2.33}

Because this tantra uses some, if not all, front-generated deities, and, as far as I can tell, Transference as explained by Jnana Dakini also means she is an external form, it seems to me that self-generation is less important as a training technique, and the important thing is to simply become self-arisen White Heruka, which "you" do not do, "it" happens.

But this does make sense. It cannot be either merely or only the initiation into Vajravilasini that does everything, otherwise what would the rest of it be for? And it makes sense that "you" do not do something that it happens. But it happens as a result of relentless study of every detail and spending all one's time on it. That would correspond nearly exactly to what is called the Aha experience in math. Although it is definitely the desired goal, one does not get to "do" it, it has to dawn on you.

“Although one regularly meets with the beloved and is well-acquainted with the beloved, the ever-fresh sentiment of intense attachment causes the beloved to be newly experienced at every moment as if one has never before had any experience of such a person. The attachment which inspires such a feeling is known as anurāga.”.

"When anurāga reaches the state where it becomes the object of its own experience it is known as sva-saṃvedya."

This does sound a lot like how the training goes with the Dakinis. If I am observing it as time going by and as working on being able to do as instructed, it's a constant string of tryings hard and failures and then a success and when looking back it was easy all the time. But if I'm looking at it as a whole, it is like the fresh sentiment.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
Does re-ordering these come from another text? I'm not getting how you did this.

I didn't. I posted copies of Samputa. The Sanskrit version reads like the standard casting order, which starts East and goes clockwise, and does a second revolution if there are intermediate deities like in Dakini Jala. This is practically a universal law in tantras until you get into the surreal yogini tantras and so on, in which the first "variation on a theme" is to reverse it by starting east and going counter-clockwise.

Mitra Yogin's 108 Mandalas is really a study of the variant geometry which is found in mandala colors moving around and so forth.

I believe historically that some mandalas have changed the colors mistakenly by not understanding the rite meant that the retinue was cast in reverse direction.

And so when the Samputa text says "The eighth goddess should be drawn in the southeast", it does not mean 1, 2, 3...8 is Prithvi, so she must be southeast.

It means that the goddess who is in the southeast is drawn eighth or last.

That is why it looks to me to be using two strange casting orders, because there is no conceivable way anything would ever draw "third" in the "north". But that is exactly what it says it is doing. It seems to be messing up the expectancy of a circular pattern for its own reason.

What that means is, my first impression, the "goal" must be Saumya or Pleasant because the rite is turning Raudri into Pleasant, is a complete mistake, because the text says they are all Pleasant to begin with.

Saumya retains her association to the northern quarter, but, the goal or attainment in this ring is shifted to Ragavajra.

Is it mutually exclusive that she rule Samsara Skandha and manifest the Crown?

No, I believe it is part of an enigma.

The Crown, generally speaking, is protected by the Armor Deities of Jewel Family, and, specifically "gated" by Vajradakini of Agni nature in terms of the subtle body of the Deity Yoga of Jnanadakini, who is the authoress of Transference.

The Wrathful Deities, in the incipient stage, especially as Ten Wrathful Ones, who are like Lokapala or Directional Guardians for Bali Offering, are Vajra Family.

However Guhyagarbha Tantra in terms of its death visualizations, says that in the Bardo the Wrathful Deities dawn in Jewel Family.

And so again if Mamaki is some kind of tribute from Jewel Family to Vajra Family, and, we see the responsibility of Wrath is somehow passed off the other way round, this is some kind of alchemy.

The most Extreme Wrath or Raudra is passed again even further to Amoghasiddhi Family.

The misery of Samsara is equal to ignorant mishandling of the Mamos or Gauris.

Its phenomena come from the same Dharmodaya as does that of Nirvana.

Vajradakini is perhaps a similar pivot.

The idea that Vajradakini is Samsara is straight from the initiatic formula of Nairatma 228:

paścād amṛtabhṛtaiḥ kumbhair abhiṣicyate buddhaḥ /
secayen sarvvasambuddhaiḥ citteśamukuṭo bhavet //

First it seems to have a purley "colors" sequence like we found somewhere else recently:

prathamaṃ bhāvayet kṛṣṇāṃ dvitīye raktāṃ vibhāvayet /
tṛtīye bhāvayet pītāṃ caturthe haritāṃ tathā //
pañcame nīlavarṇābhāṃ ṣaṣṭhe suśukladehikām /
ṣaḍaṅgāṃ bhāvayet yogī paścāt varṇavivarjitām //

Then it defines the Skandhas although it would take some supporting work to identify what is meant by "Vajra" as the goddess of the first skandha:

rūpaskandhe bhaved vajrā gaurī vedanayāṃ smṛtā /
saṃjñāyāṃ vāriyoginī saṃskāre vajraḍākinī //
vijñānaskandharūpeṇa sthitā nairātmyayoginī /
maṇḍale sā sthitā bhīmā bhayasyāpi bhayaṅkarī //

Her Gauris:

pṛthivī pukkasī khyātā abdhātuḥ śabarī matā /
tejaścaṇdālinī jñeyā vāyurḍombī prakīrttitā //
rūpe gaurī sadā khyātā śabde caurī prakīrttitā /
vetālī gandhaviṣaye rame ca ghasmarī tathā //
sparśe ca bhūcarī khyātā khecarī dharmmadhātutaḥ /
sadā hy asāraviśuddhyā vai sidhyanti tattvayoginaḥ //

Her Nyasa:

cakṣuṣormohavajrī ca karṇayordveṣavajrikā /
ghrāṇe mātsaryyakī khyātā vaktre ca rāgavajrikā /
sparśe īrṣyāvajrī ca mano vairātmyayoginī //
kavacamebhir mahāśuddhyā indriyāṇāṃ viśuddhaye /
navamāryyaṃ dhṛtaṃ muṇḍaṃ karttrikā devacchedanī //

Notice that the Gauris have two roles, the first four are Elements, and the next ones are Senses. Sparsha is Bhucari, or, i. e., Touch is the goddess of the lowest chakra. The name Gauri is used twice, Vedana Skandha and Rupa or Sight.

Nairatma and Jnanadakini are not the same and so to be precise, Vajradakini has different roles with each. In this sadhana, the closest thing to a Crown deity appears to be "mano", which would be followed by the name of the sin of the sixth skandha, except unless the "v" is an "n", I don't know what it means. Here, she is the skandha that is usually Amoghasiddhi Family. Nairatma clearly involves a sixth principle, but does not deal with a sixth skandha.

Nairatma is a later, composite tantra explanatory to Hevajra, whereas Jnanadakini is older and closer to Dakini Jala.

In Dakini Jala, the Gauris are the inmost retinue of Vajra Family Heruka, who is a Bhairava with a Trident and separate bowls for flesh and blood. Gauri, Cauri, Pramoha, Vetali, and then PukkasI, Candali, Ghasmari, and Herukasamnivesa or Herukasamnibha, meaning fully alike Heruka.

Heruka then has four unique goddesses with a Bow and other items.

And then the same Offerings and Gatekeepers as All Dakini Jala Families use:

Puspa, Dhupa, Aloka, and Gandha; flowers, an incense-burner, a lamp, and fragrant powder;

and finally four theriocephalic (Pisaci or Tramen) gate-guardians:

Turangama, Vajramukhi (Sukaramukhi), Vajramamaki, and Bhasmapralayavetali stand in the four gates of the enclosure to subjugate all hostile deities (krodhakulam), with the heads of a horse, a boar, a crow, and a dog, and holding a hook, noose, chain, and bell.

It was not Sabari, the Guhyagarbha and Nyingma traditions keep Pramoha, but change the last to Smashani (which would be redundant to cemetery Pukkasi here). As well as being hypnotism, in Ayurveda, Pramoha is diseases to Smrti and Buddhi. So we see Varahi is already "doubled" in this court, as Pramoha and Vajramukhi.

Mamaki here is also dragged down to a Bodhisattva level in order to manifest Crow and Chain in what would ostensibly be Lotus Family sector. Perhaps, if you are good at this, you are able to mate with Vajrapani. Perhaps that is why she enquires him as to the Vajramrita Tantra.

Bhasma is Sacred Ash:

Bhasma (भस्म) means “that which has controlled the essence of the whole universe”. (Bha=vṛddhi (flourishing essence). Sma=svayam. Manyate=‘considers his own’).

It is in Sadhanamala hardly at all, but mostly with Vajra Tara.

So here is a second, different Vetali, visually an opposite of White Nectar Vetali. Those are still Wrathful Jnana Dakini.

It starts with a female Hayagriva (or Hayasira), then doubled Varahi, then Mamaki, then doubled Vetali. Those do its Wrathful Activities and do so for all the other Families as well.

That is a little bizarre.

The whole retinue as a class is "Vajradakinis", meaning potency or strength. The conventional ranking is:

Jnana Dakini

Buddha Dakini (Mahamaya; sex with both legs around partner; four armed drummer usually)

Sarvabuddha Dakini (Varnani)

That is the strand from Chakrasamvara literature. "Vajradakini" strength is perhaps a powerful manifestation of any of it.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
That would make sense, in that one might be able to get a glimpse of what was to be seen before being able to see it at will. I was being shown that because I had thought that emanating as multiple (small multiple, 3) forms and worlds was quite something, and was being told it was not.

Sure, almost anything like that can be summarized as "the phenomena", which are...neither the Dharmodaya, nor mastery of what comes out of it.

Samputa was a bit abrupt towards Laukika or Worldly siddhis. There are only two Transcendent siddhis: Generation and Completion, or, Utpatti and Nispanna. Note that "nispanna" also refers to the non-universe where one has the ability to exist or not, depending on the success of Svasamvedana, during the universe or during the phenomena.

So it definitely is "something", i. e., impressive to those of us who are too jittery to perceive such subtleness, but to someone who has been doing it for a thousand years, it is more like learning how to walk, and, how many of us, as adults, go around saying "Outstanding! You remembered how to walk, again, today! Now you will go in your circular habits".

Nothing in my shaking can occur without bliss. But death is often there, it just is usually decay and produces a creation thing. I don't think I usually have death all by itself.

That in itself, presence of Bliss, is said to be a primary difference between Buddhist and other yogas. I definitely started a powerful kundalini experience from a non-Buddhist perspective. It took maybe a year or so for me to figure out that bliss was even involved, and, when I started reading about Buddhism, I was not getting the stuff that clearly told me how bliss is a necessary ingredient of advanced meditation. Curiosity about death was almost entirely my "seeker's question" that was answered in spades.

Because I had a hard time figuring out what they meant by Wisdoms and was not understanding many aspects of spirituality, the experience shifted from "crystal clear vision of the moment of death, intermediate, and seeking rebirth states", into, I suppose, just the intensity of bliss itself.

Just from looking at the Sakya system, it is correct that Bharati as Bliss Arises and Increases and is central to any advanced practice, which includes Amaravajra or Deathlessness.

Although most of the death and dead imagery is a symbol of impermanence and emptiness, and of course future regrowth is inherent to anything destroyed, nothing will get around the fact that each of us is going to die and that process remains exactly whatever it is for however long it takes, without scenes of regrowth or anything of relative comfort being a part of it. So it would still be correct to describe the "Bardo" as different states of consciousness that it is best to become familiar with navigating.

Yes, you are best off bringing a bliss ball to the event, but if you do not have the skill of stabilizing the process, bliss leaks until it dissipates. It would be something like doing Suksma Yoga in this bitch kennel. Might start fairly well, but, when you get those storms at sea, it may kick you out into an emotional or energetic disaster.

Again I find it very telling that Vajra Rosary speaks of bliss and death as two sort of separate trends which nevertheless merge into one Path.

But this does make sense. It cannot be either merely or only the initiation into Vajravilasini that does everything, otherwise what would the rest of it be for? And it makes sense that "you" do not do something that it happens. But it happens as a result of relentless study of every detail and spending all one's time on it. That would correspond nearly exactly to what is called the Aha experience in math. Although it is definitely the desired goal, one does not get to "do" it, it has to dawn on you.

True, Vilasini is outright described as "limited", is relevant to the first one or two Bhumis, only.

Dawn is definitely the word used relative to Gnosis, i. e. there is your Bell, Seal, etc., that kind of thing, which symbolically moves to occupy the Eastern direction in a new practice.

Vilasini is an extremely specific rite, whereas Union as depicted by Samputa and Guhyajnana Dakini is the universal aspect or is dealing more directly with inherent personal forces, which means it is esoteric, or the language of communicating the Atma Vidya from a Yoga experience, similar to "Aha!", "Eureka!", etc.

The concept of Inverted Stupa means we are explaining Noumenal Yoga by such deities who refer to the innate capacities of body, speech, and mind, whereas "this system" is intended to hitch onto more specific transmissions such as Vilasini, or Vajravarahi, etc., as available Yidams or Ista Devatas.

Although there are many of those, we can say, overall, tantric energy arises as Vairocani which is a yellow glow, and, matures into something like Sita, Vausudhara, or Kamala Lakshmi, which is a golden glow.

I personally have faced the yellow quite aplenty and have no knowledge of gold whatsoever.

Samputa is Vajrasattva and Guhyajnana is Dakini, Bodhi Mind and Pranic Activity. Once they dawn to you, the Vajrasattva can become any of the male tantric principals, or any dakini and so forth can be summoned. That is why any local deities or protectors are a different thing, Yidam is deifferent, and so on. The Dhyanis or classes of deities related to Dhyana are internal and personal. And so for example, Sukla Tara is not necessarily a part of this--she just may be helpful at a particular stage in dealing with the things that are.

This does sound a lot like how the training goes with the Dakinis. If I am observing it as time going by and as working on being able to do as instructed, it's a constant string of tryings hard and failures and then a success and when looking back it was easy all the time. But if I'm looking at it as a whole, it is like the fresh sentiment.

I always wanted a word for it. The phoenix-like regenerating ever-fresh resurrection of the soul. I am sure there are poems about it. But here is one word, Anuraga.

I have no difficulty seeing this as a basis on which a permanent and immortal spirituality stands.

It tells us something about how the sexual bliss is conveyed to all activities.

It relates to Pandara and Desire and the mysterious glow of red onto white. Most texts refer to the end of Desire, but, Samputa states that it does not fall into the extreme of Absence of Desire. Arguably, it infers a type of Divine Desire that we lack words for, but, is somewhere in the center emptiness between the two extremes.

Perhaps it is why Ragavajra is shown having a strange promotion.

Vajra Ananga Manjushri clearly says that the Atma of Anuraga begets Svasamvedana. This kind of Manjushri based on Ananga is simultaneously Kama--Cupid--Desire as well as Body-less (dues to Shiva's incinerating gaze).

This is perhaps the only thing that "practices" Paramartha at all.

All of the Yogacara seems to aim No Ego at the first Void (Parikalpa or Imaginary), Pranic Mastery or Suchness at the second (Paratantra or Other-Dependent), and these all have detailed explanations, but Paramartha or Ultimate Meaning has no real explanation other than you see it by viewing the Prabhasvara or Absolute Object during the type of dissolution and emergence as taught in the sadhanas.

You have to transcend a Black Void to do it.

It is extremely relevant to me. Without guidance, I would easily take familiarity with death and bliss and whisk myself into a permanently-still nirvana. If I took refuge in Buddha confident that his teaching would tell me something new and useful, then, yes, the way Vajra Rosary explains it, and what is here shown in Samputa, is really important.

Fortunately, I can easily get a kernel of this to alight in the Ucchista pile. It is not old garbage to recycle, more like an eternal flame. The Ucchistas are not made of only garbage, they are Stainless and simply being kind by being willing to stoop into human mess in order to help. And so is this Anuraga something like the center of five arrows or of the Arrow of the Sugarcane Bow? Yes, it seems pretty doggone close to the feeling of the un=weaponlike arrow I experienced moving from heart to heart.

Is it the less-screamy Hrih which turns out to be hugely important in the overall practices?

I am not sure of all the details, but, I am sure it is vital.

[Old Student]

And so when the Samputa text says "The eighth goddess should be drawn in the southeast", it does not mean 1, 2, 3...8 is Prithvi, so she must be southeast.

It means that the goddess who is in the southeast is drawn eighth or last.

This is the part I didn't understand. It makes sense now.

Bhasma is Sacred Ash:

Bhasma (भस्म) means “that which has controlled the essence of the whole universe”. (Bha=vṛddhi (flourishing essence). Sma=svayam. Manyate=‘considers his own’).

So then Bhasmapralayavetali is the Vetali that controls the essence of the whole universe and brings about the destruction of the world? The others at the other three gates don't seem anywhere near that fierce.

Question: You mention a relationship between these deities and the chakras. Is this because this is "Entering the Mandala"? Or is there normally a relationship between elements of the mandala and parts of the body when one is visualizing it?

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
So then Bhasmapralayavetali is the Vetali that controls the essence of the whole universe and brings about the destruction of the world? The others at the other three gates don't seem anywhere near that fierce.

That is what it sounds like. Raging opposite of White Nectar Vetali from the inner ring. Of course it is this white one that is the conundrum, like the white Vajraraudri. Neither of those are elsewhere in any of their forms or appearances. The more "the Gauris" metamorphose through the tantras, they become more gruesome and graphic.

Question: You mention a relationship between these deities and the chakras. Is this because this is "Entering the Mandala"? Or is there normally a relationship between elements of the mandala and parts of the body when one is visualizing it?

Different cases.

Sometimes, a mandala resident is the Ears deity, and so on.

In the case of a Body Mandala, it means it represents all of the sacred sites and therefor the chakras, and is the Kaya Vajra of Kaya--Vak--Citta (Three Vajras), or, part of the Nirmanakaya (Tri-kaya).

Entering the Mandala, strictly speaking, is an initiatory rite where one receives empowerments for the relevant deities and gains permission to ask them to inhabit the Palace. It would also teach self-generation as the deity. And then the moment of Vajra Netra or Eyes means one is supposed to actually see the inhabitants.

Most of our lore consists in finding and climbing Mt. Meru while we are learning the associated components, Banner, Parasol, and the rest. We are working on establishing the Vajra Bhumi or Ground on which the Palace will later appear. This process could be described as Dhanada Krama which is Difficult. As far as I can tell, she is the teacher of a basic mandala up to Gatekeepers and Offering Goddesses.

Dhanada is Green Vasudhara.

She is almost mantricly identical to Mahasri who is Green Lakshmi.

Vasudhara is a type of Lakshmi.

She heads the Dharani sequences. If I look at Namasangiti, she is first as Vasumati Mahalakshmi Ila Devi, or, if I look at the Days of the Week, she is first, on Sunday.

It is not a mistake, the earthy Vasudhara is related to the Sun.

Dharani, by name, is the wife of Parasu Rama, who will be the Guru of Future Buddha Maitreya in the Cycle of Amoghasiddhi.

In the sense of Vajrasattva being considered the seed for the father or male aspect in rites, Vasudhara is the gate or samaya of goddesses such as Vajravarahi, she is the seed of the mother aspects.

Samputa brings into view the goddess Prithvi, right after Vajra Yakshi, with the Yaksha realm being what Vasudhara guards. Prithvi is or was Vasudhara depending on legend consulted.

In a full Homa, Vasudhara's role is Holder of the Vase or Flask, sometimes in Orange, Reddish-Brown, or Black. There is, so to speak, a Vase sub-initiation to any initiation. Or, after you have an initial or first Vase initiation, it is repeated in each new rite.

Her name refers to the Vasus or all elements, which are one thing on the earth plane, and in the Kama loka are the Six Agni seeds and Ganges River, process of Varuni (Maya).

Vasudhara herself from the older traditions places her in the stripe of Prithvi, Earth, Vishnu's second wife besides Lakshmi, most generally referred to as Bhu, Bhudevi, etc. At least in terms of Prithvi Tattva, Ksham is its seed syllable.

Prithvi's basic form is cow:





She had three children with the god Dyaus. Her daughter Ushas is the goddess of the dawn. Her two sons were Agni, the god of fire, and Indra, the god of thunder. So this is about ancient Rig Veda use. A broad-based survey of Prithvi seems to accidentally land her in Ratna Family and as Vasudhara. The survey catches the snag where the lower or daughter Prithvi is no longer the second side of the primal androgynous unit, but more like a locked down half of a giant shell. This helps because the Buddhist Ratna Family has low staff; here, it quickly becomes related to Kamadhenu or magic wealth cows, and, in the Agni concept, we make luminous curds therefrom, and we see something about luminous cows for the future of the chariot of dawn.

Mother Bhumi is also understood to be the consort of Lord Varaha. She is also the mother of Sita, so it is not surprising that baby Sita was found in a ploughed field. According to the Uttara-kanda, when Sita finally leaves her husband Rama, she returns to Bhumi.

The Atharva Veda style is usually Green Four Armed. Vasudhara is plainly equal to Bhumi and Prithvi. She does things like "give me back my bhagavan bhakti, which I threw on the ground in anger". She holds Vaisvanara or the sacred fire worshipped in Agni Homa. This is pre-Buddhist, and so again, we are not changing the definitions much, but insuring our practice is non-materialistic, and oriented towards esoteric or inner wealth and abundance.

Otherwise, Mother Bhumi is often depicted in votive statuary, seated on a square platform which rests on the back of four elephants, who represent the four corners of the world. When depicted with four arms, the paraphernalia she holds are a pomegranate, a water vessel, a bowl containing healing herbs, and another containing vegetables. When shown with two arms, she holds a blue lotus known as Komud or Uttpal, the night lotus, in the right hand. The left hand may be in the Abhaya Mudra (fearlessness), or the Lolahasta Mudra, which is an aesthetic pose meant to mimic the tail of a cow. She is mentioned in the Buddhist Pali Canon, dispelling the temptation figure Mara by attesting to Gautama Buddha's worthiness to attain enlightenment.

Sri and Bhu are usually shown as separate individuals with Vishnu. It is intriguing that "Green Mother Earth" is hard to find in Hindu or Buddhist images.

Prithvi is the only available source of sustenance, and so the Gopala or cowherd mentality is of treating the environment respectfully and protectively.

Her opinion is important in terms of one's Buddhahood.

Vasudhara however has other samaya beings, Ila and Manohara (Hook). Here is Ila Devi from the Dharani with Cintamani and Manohara:






This Cintamani could be called "Yellow Tara". She arises from the Jupiterian syllable Bhrim. Then she has her Gopali form.

Ila and Bhu explain the whole Vedic background and use of Agni Homa, and, there is enough information to this, I will post it separately.

[shaberon]

Vasudhara demanded to step back into view.

She is really perhaps the first goddess that should be "pushed" at one. Depends. In Buddhism, we see it that every person is a little bit crazy, is broken, needs an overhaul. And so Tara especially in her Eight Fears version is generally recommended. That is what helped me. But then suppose there should come a day when I decide I don't need to spend so much time repairing myself...if I was able to function in some kind of "normal" capacaity...it is hard to gain any identity of what that might be. Vasudhara is less like uplifting you from a vale of tears, and, more like putting you to work. Maybe when you stay focused on productive things, you fall apart less. She is less like a hospital, and more like occupational therapy.

The occupation in this case is illusion and spell-casting.

I can not have a day that is not mired in illusion, but, I can learn how to be aware of this and how to control its process in a beneficial manner.


We have found a couple instances where goddesses are featured as something more than or as ultra-Prajnas.

One of these is the Nepalese system, which includes a special trinity. Guhyeshvari is the chief, who is perhaps similar to Guhya Kali. Parasol is another, which is like Buddha's acquisition of Pratyangira and Aparajita, the tenth Durga. And finally there is Vasudhara, who usually appears as an outer wealth deity, thereby seeming less profound.

However, Buddha's Enlightenment is said to have been witnessed by Bhu Devi, a form of Vasudhara.

At Ratnagiri, there is a second witness, Aparajita.

So, ok, two of the special Prajnas equate to the powers who judge one against past standards of liberation, versus whether you have accomplished the Tathagatas' Wisdom.

One of them or Bhu is both an example where Buddhism has retained the ancient tradition and not mixed her up with Sarasvati, and, this aspect is the root of Bharati, who is Increasing Bliss, or, the indispensible way of getting closer to Buddha's or the Tathagatas' Wisdom.

The various Earth Devi names are not obscure, they are all in for instance in a list of Ayurvedic synonyms for Dharani (Earth) including:

Dhartri, Bhu, Ksiti, Mahi, Vasumati, Bhumi, Ila or Ida, Vasudhara, Acala, Jagati, Prithvi, and even Ananta.

Ila is an ancient, complicated name, derived from il, "to send". In practice, it is the name for Samaya Vasudhara, a basic form holding grain or corn. It is this form with the name Vasumati who starts the Namasangiti Dharanis, and therefor is one of the few examples where the devi is not changed or reduced to be in this roster.

With occult color, we dropped the normal or exoteric occult correspondences which would tell us something like Earth is the lowest element and yellow is sunlight or something like that. We raised the earth element or tattva, not really literally but mentally, and placed it under the feet of Mercury or One Initiator, giving it the yellow color.

Ila is the consort of Budha--Mercury.



One of the simple Yellow Vasudhara forms is called Ila, and Red or Pink Cup Vasudhara becomes Jambhala's consort Sukha Bharati. The explanation for this is Vedic:

"Bharati is also called Mahi, the Large, Great or Vast. The three, Ila, Mahi or Bharati and Saraswati are associated together in a constant formula in those hymns of invocation in which the gods are called by Agni to the Sacrifice.

Iḷā sarasvatī mahī, tisro devīr mayobhuvaḥ; barhiḥ sīdantvasridhaḥ.

“May Ila, Saraswati and Mahi, three goddesses who give birth to the bliss, take their place on the sacrificial seat, they who stumble not...”

...The formula is expanded in Hymn 110 of the tenth Mandala of Rg Veda:

ā no yajñaṁ bhāratī tῡyam etu, iḷā manuṣvad iha cet ayantī; tisro devīr barhir edaṁ syonaṁ, sarasvatī svapasaḥ sadantu.

“May Bharati come speeding to our sacrifice and Ila hither awakening our consciousness ... in human wise, and Saraswati, — three goddesses sit on this blissful seat, doing well the Work.” "

The article proceeds in the direction of Agni and the Sun. So if we do Red and Yellow Vasudhara, we are still working with Agni. Red Hook Manohara goes to Takki and Cup Bharati to Jambhala. Bharati is the name of both Red consorts; Takki's has the hook and cup; Jambhala's has jewel and cup. And if you look at White Jambhala, you can find Ila with a Hook and Bharati with Corn, so there is some kind of flux in progress.

Among the Vedic traditions is a class of hymn called an Apri Sukta. Ultimately the hymn addresses the Lord of the Forest, Majestic Tree, or Lord of Trees, Vanaspati, and here we would take the same meaning as Dragon Tree for Nagarjuna, i. e. One Initiator. The hymns end with Svaha. Agni is at the beginning, then a few others, the Doors Dvarah and Durah (increasers of Rta), Night and Dawn (naktosasa, usasanakta, usasa; Mothers of Rta), two Divine Hotras--daivya hotara--who remain unknown, then Ila--Sarasvati--Bharati, then Tvastir (Architect) and Vanaspati and Indra.

Hymn X.110 would generally be understood as Parasu's lineage. Barhish is usually Kusha grass as Buddha also used for a mat during enlightenment. Tanunapat "Son of thyself" is a title of Agni referring to different methods of fire manifestation. In one version, "Ida instructs us (causes us to perceive) as she did Manu", and the goddesses rest on same Kusha grass. So if we did this in a Buddhist way, it's not an animal sacrifice unless of our own animal nature, and we take it for inner meaning. We could make some other kind of offering. One could compare all ten hymns for one the most Astrologically sympathetic. It is all the same framework of the ancient Fire Philosophy invocation of White Sarasvati with Red and Yellow Vasudhara.

Ila is food, a milch cow, mother of a herd, dripping with clarified butter. The devas made her the teacher of man. Agni is at her feet or is her son. His third birth place is in the waters apsu, he dwells in secret, gives three times seven secret names, reveals treasures to those who serve Rta. Ila shows the way.

The goddess iḍā- or iḷā- is daughter of manu- or of man thinking on and worshipping the gods; she is the wife of budha- and mother of purū-ravas- (Lunar Dynasty);in another aspect she is called maitrāvaruṇi- as daughter of mitra-- varuṇa-, two gods who were objects of the highest and most spiritual devotion. According to Aurobindo, "She also is connected with Surya, the Sun, as when Agni, the Will, is invoked to labour by the rays of the Sun, Lord of the true Light, being of one mind with Ila, iḷayā sajoṣā yatamāno raśmibhiḥ sūryasya. She is the mother of the Rays, the herds of the Sun. Her name means she who seeks and attains and it contains the same association of ideas as the words ŗtam and Rishi. Ila is the vision of the seer which attains the truth."

"manuṣvad iha cetayantī" is one of her most common phrases, the last term referring to sentience and animation. "May Ila, Saraswati and Mahi, three goddesses who give birth to the bliss, take their place on the sacrificial seat, they who stumble not", in whom there is no false movement with its evil consequences, duritam, no stumbling into pitfalls of sin and error. Saraswati is the Word, the inspiration that comes from the ŗtam, the Truth-Consciousness. Bharati and Ila are different forms of the same Word or knowledge, in Aurobindo's understanding. He gets it as Bliss, by which we would mean Sambhogakaya.

Bharati is drink, sometimes called Hotra Bharati. She is the vastness of luminosity. According to Aurobindo, this relates to Brihad and Brihaspati--Jupiter., and she is "for the sacrificer, a branch covered with ripe fruit". She is also described as varūtrī dhiṣaṇā, a widely covering or embracing Thought-power. So, he has just vividly described Cintamani, even to the seed syllable. She indicates the universal well, and so we can see the purpose of the meditation if starting with that basic Yellow form and then separating her into Ila and Bharati, and so on from there. Her name Cintamani is an early term for the whole Jewel Family.

Sarasvati can even be mimicking and buffoonery. All three are understood as communication between mortal and divine according to Yajur Veda:

adityair no bharati vastu yajnam
sarasvati saha rudrair na avit
idopahuta vasubhih sajosa
yajnam no devir amrtesu dhatta

May Bharati with the Adityas love our sacrifice
Sarasvati with the Rudras [Maruts] (helps us?)
Ida invoked with vasus in union
Our sacrifice, oh goddesses, place with the immortals.


These three goddesses are consistently found in the eighth verse of all ten gotra lineages of Apri Hymns.

Those Hymns all start with a particular sage's perception of pure consciousness of Agni and all are similar. Arrangement of the Rig Veda shows organization where the Bhrigu-Angiras lines are separated. The hymns vary by whether they invoke Tanunapat or Narasamsa or both. It is the very last section around the last Apri which refers heavily to such things as Pitris, Mrtyu, seven ancient Rishis, Angiras, and others, giving it a distinct atmosphere, referring to X.85 and forward. The first main group centers on Atreya, referring to the Moon as the parent of Budha-Mercury, Atri is the source of Soma-Moon. The candelabra style balance of gotras:

Bhrigu--Gritsamada
Viswamitra
Angiras--Gautama
Atri
Angiras--Bharadvaja
Vasishtha
Pragata

That leaves out the mythological rishis of IX and X. Regardless of what changes around, all rely on the same trinity of Sarasvati with Ila and Bharati. She also has a blackened form from once stopping Shiva's Badavagni, fire from his third eye unleashed at a wicked world. She used her watery or river power to hold the fire to the ocean and make the "Mare's Mouth". In another version, the fire was from Aurva, Parasu's great grandfather.

In any case, Sarasvati with two colorful attendants is extremely consistent with one of the most ancient and widespread sacrificial rites. Blue is separate and probably not Vedic. So we start Blue Sarasvati with Vadiraj Manjushri, who, in at least the Bari Gyatsa description, also faces off with Krodha Yama, i. e. Wrathful Death.

Yama himself is a Preta who hangs out in one of the middle heavens and sends the deceased to hell. This can also mean a class of pretas, and also appears with worldly directional guardians at the Eight Cemeteries. These are not meditation deities. The Protector of similar name is Yama Dharmaraja. Manjushri confronts death and takes on two colored Wrathful Yamari forms and Black Vajrabhairava. His success is Yamantaka, who joins the Ten Wrathful Ones.


In going over those details, one notices that Ila and Bhu both require Rta or the tight bowstring of Jupiterian discipline, but, then they go beyond it. Similarly, the Yellow Cintamani Tara or Ila form uses the Jupiterian syllable Bhrim, but then, this vanishes from mantra practice almost entirely.

Ila and Cintamani are almost the same; Ila always has corn, and offers something that usually looks like gems; Cintamani may have corn, or, she may pick fruit from a tree, and her offering usually is more fruit-like and is a tantric Bindu, same one that will later be held by Varuni's unique Bindu Mudra.


Tara abandoned Jupiter as a symbol of rebellion against rote memorization, routine, superstition, mentality of a Tirtha and so forth, things that leash a disciple to the lowest tantras. She enjoyed the Moon--Soma instead, and their somewhat androgynous child was Budha--Mercury, who later winds up conjoining Bhu--Earth.

The Tree, the Yellow color, Mercury, Vairocani, are all related to Gopalis and Forest Maidens who, so to speak, lead one across the frontiers of Mt. Meru to the One Initiator or Nagarjuna.

In Buddhism, Gopali is like the next generation of Ila, herding the Kamadhenu and being the source of Yogurt in the tantric jar.


Hindu Ila is the consort of Mercury-Budha and she is the true "Jupiter" or guru of men.

Om Illayah Namah

Gavesanam, On the Track of the Cow, explains Ida. Physically it is a food offering with milk, curds, etc. offered to the priest with:

surupavarsavarna ehi

you of fair rain color, come here (every shade of krsna)

ida ehy adita ehi sarasvaty ehi rantir asi ramatir asi sunary asi

Come Ila, Aditi, Sarasvati, you are delight, delighting, and fair

Saptadevagavi, or Seven Names of the Cow. This is part of idopahvana or invocation of Ila, starting low and building up:

bhuyasy ehi, sreyasy ehi, vasiyasy ehi, citta ehi, dadhisa ehi, 'da ehi, sunrta'ehi ti

Come greater one, better one, richer one, desired one, thoughtful one, Ila, truthful one (or Ida with Six Cows)

Saptamanusagavi is spoken by attendants when the voice is raised:

cid asi mana'si dhir asi ranti ramatih sunuh sunari'ti

Citta, manas, and dhih are involved with Ranti, Ramatih, Sunuh, Sunari (daughter of Manu)

devir devair abhi ma nivartadhvam / syonah syonena ghrtena ma sumaksata / na ma idam upa / dambhisak rsir brahma yad dade / samudrad udacann iva sruca / vag agre viprasya tisthati srngebhir dasabhir disan

Return to me with the gods, o goddesses / sprinkle me thoroughly with the lovely sweet ghee, o lovely sweet ones / this shall not harm me, what the rsi, the Brahman, has given / scooping as though with a ladle out of the ocean / Speech stands before the ecstatic poet, pointing with ten horns.

While this is going on, one meditates that Vayu is the calf of Ila.

vayava ida te mata

Holding the idapatra or offering to the mouth:

ido'pahuta / upahute'da / upo asmam ida hvayatam (repeatedly)

The ida is called, called is the ida, and may the ida call us

another says:

matre' vatsam upavasrjati

He lets the calf go to the mother

Ila is the rain and the milk above Bharati and Sarasvati, who flow on her stream, the last being visible and five-fold, or completing seven rays; when the milk becomes luminous and multicolored, that cow is Prsni. Ida and the solar/lunar races remain the principal branch nerves and their activity.

In Buddhism, both Nidhi Khanda and the basics of Vaudhara Dharani announce right off the bat that she has nothing to do with wealth in the muindane sense, that material wealth is ok if it is based in sharing, and more importantly, she means spiritual wealth derived from secret treasure. So this is unmistakably clear.

That has her long Dharani which for example gives some of her retinue names; most of the time, her attendants are simply minor variant Vasudharas. There are smaller examples, such as Seventh Panchen's "Dharani of Vasudhara, Goddess arisen from Dharani":

Om Vasudharini Svaha

From the tradition of Jamari, “This deity topic is applied to empowerments and rituals focusing upon the golden Vasundhārā [another name for Vasudhārā], whose color is like refined gold; she is adorned with silks and jewel ornaments and is in the full bloom of youth; her right hand holds a reddish blue picula fruit, her left an ear of rice; she stands with feet together on two jewel vases with their bases meeting and streams of jewels pouring forth from their mouths.” (TBRC)

NAMO RATNA TRAYĀYA/ OṂ GHATAṂ JHIBHASAṂ RAKṢANI/ PHALA HASHTI/ VĀSUDHĀRITE/ ŚIVAṂ KARI ŚĀNTIṂ KURU PUṢTIṂ KURU/ BHAYANĀSI/ SARVA DUṢTAṂ/ BHAÑCA BHAÑCA/ JAMBHA JAMBHA/ STAMBHA STAMBHA/ AMṚTE/
UTBHAVE/ KURU KURU/ MAMAKA JYAIṂ SVĀHĀ


Vasudhara is nominally like Vajra Tara, being the main Jewel Family goddesses. Vajra Tara lacks any intermediate developmental forms. Vasudhara definitely has these, she has stupa forms and powerful six arm forms with significant retinues, and in Nepal she has a bundle of massive Dharanis. A lot of her strangeness is more to be found in her merry association with Jambhala. In Sadhanamala, she is extremely simple.

Vasudhara appears once with Khasarpana, Sudhana, Bhrkuti, and Hayagriva.

Vasudhara 213 is a small retinue form. Her other Sadhanamala articles are incredibly brief and appear to indicate Ila or rather Cintamani who is giving a comlicated Manjari Ratna kind of jewel or jewelled grain:

214.

atha vasudhārāṃ bhāvayitum icchati, tadā sarvvam eva
pūrvvavat kin tu ṣaṣṭhasya tṛtīyakaṃ bījaṃ arddhendubindu-
bhūṣitaṃ tenaiva niṣpannāṃ vasudhārāṃ pītavarṇāṃ dhānya-
mañjarīnānāratnavarṣamāṇaghaṭavāmahastāṃ dakṣiṇena varadāṃ
sarvvālaṅkārabhūṣitāṃ sakhījanaparivṛtāṃ bhāvayet aham eva
vasudhāreti / hastadvayena muṣṭiṃ baddhvā madhyamātṛtīyaparvvabhagnā
vasudhārāmudreyam / tato jāpaṃ kuryyāt - oṃ śrīvasunidhāna-
kṣetre svāhā / paṭṭagatāṃ bhagavatīṃ avatāryya mahatī pūjāṃ
kṛtvā bhāvayet svapec ca / tataḥ siddhā bhavati bhagavatī /

// vasudhārāsādhanam /


215.

pūrvoktavidhānena pītavaṃkāraparinatāṃ dvibhujaikamukhīṃ
pītāṃ navayauvanābharaṇavastravibhūṣitāṃ dhānyamañjarīnānā-
ratnavarṣaghaṭavāmahastāṃ dakṣiṇena varadāṃ anekasakhījanapari-
vṛtāṃ viśvapadmacandrāsanasthāṃ ratnasambhavamukuṭinīṃ svabīja-
hṛdayāṃ jhaṭiti niṣpādya mudrāṃ bandhayet / hastadvayena muṣṭiṃ
kṛtvā madhyamā tṛtīyaparvvabhagnā vasudhārāmudrā / tataḥ
oṃ vasudhārā ratnanidhānakṣetre svāhā iti mantraṃ japet /

// vasudhārāsādhanam //


216.

vasudhārāyāḥ paṭasya pratimāyā vā agrataścandanena catu-
rasraṃ maṇḍalakaṃ kṛtvā tatra bhagavatīṃ manasā' 'ropya pūjayitvā
candranāliptapāṇiḥ vasudhārādhāraṇīpustakasūtrāvabaddha-
kusumamālāṃ purataḥ sthāpitodakabhājanena nikṣipya sarvva-
sattveṣu mahāmaitrīcittamālāmbyābhimatasiddhyai hṛdayam ādhāya
vasudhārādhāraṇīṃ paṭhet / paṭhaś ca svāhānvitamantrāṇāṃ
svāhāśabdam uccārayan sitapuṣpadūrvvāsahitākṣatataṇḍulā-
nyudakabhājane dadyāt ṣaṇmāsaṃ yāvat / pāṭhāvasāne ca
śucipradeśe tadudakaṃ visarjjayed iti /

// vasudhārādhāraṇyupadeśaḥ //


One thing she does is arise from Yellow Vam syllable. So, this thing is not forbidden and does have a legitimate use other than Vajravarahi. Of course, these exercises are right before the major exposition of Varahi. The two are undoubtedly related. Bhu is a Boar Rider. But there is not much in any Vasudhara development that really raises this power; it appears to be passed to Marici. If Bhu in some sense is considered the mother of Usas, this perhaps makes sense.

If Ila is not quite specifically Buddhist, Cintamani is. She probably is the best option for a Samaya to Jewel Family. She takes the normal Tara mantra and inaugurates the syllable Bhrim, which can hardly be found elsewhere.

Taranatha suggests she is actually dancing:






Vasudhara will also convert Bhrim into the more well-known Srim syllable, the Lunar one, related to Sri. In Ayurveda, It is much like milk in nature, and in qualities very sedating and sleep-promoting. It is nurturing and is also the mantra of the Cosmic Cow in Hinduism as Go-Mata, the Mother-Cow, of which the earth itself as seen as an energy.

The mantra “Śrīṃ” is said to have a feminine and cooling energy that helps calm and cool the mind and is good for anger and rage and other fiery emotions. It relates to shriya (prosperity). It relates to the Hundu Goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity and also aggravates the Ayurvedic dosha or biological humor of Kapha (phlegm). Śrīṃ as the sound “Sha” relates to the Soma-shakti and Apas or Waters, making the sound of a stream (sha).

Red Vasudhara mating with Jambhala comes from the Jnanadakini and Virupa Chakrasamvara lineage. Jambhala occasionally has an elephant head; he and Vasudhara may have a mouse or mice known as a Treasury Mouse. There is a lot to say that Ganapati is not quite a Yidam, but, a great deal of his work appears to be claimed by Jambhala, who is. In some instances, the union of Jambhala and Vasudhara is crowned by Vajradhara, which is extremely unusual.

So in a general sense, she could be considered Sunday goddess in basic Ila or Cintamani forms. You would do this as long as needed until going to her Red forms or more complex Dharanis. She would always be a part of whatever one may make of Homa, or, rather, she is expounding the whole thing.


Dharani categorically is related to Parasu Rama, who in turn is related to Dattatreya ("giver of Atri or Aitreya lineage") who in turn is related to the Matangi and Sabari lineages.

The oldest Orissan temple is Parasurameswar, i. e. Parasu or Axe Rama, who is behind all this. It is a Shiva temple, but one of the first to show the Sapta Matrika with him and Ganesh.

Vishnu's sixth incarnation Parasu got the mysteries of Divine Mother from Dattatreya, whose fierce form is Chamunda. Datta Pitha is at the feet of the Chamunda mountains, and he is seen as a fusion of Chamunda and Narasimha. Datta also produces the Om sound like Ganesh. Parasu placed the deity Ayyappa at Sabarimala. He also gave the earth to Kasyapa. This very ancient system is that of Matangi, who is Ganesha's consort, and prime minister of Sundari--meaning the latter is completely un-worldly, using Matangi and others as go-betweens. With Agasthya, Parasu started the kalari payattu or martial arts system, and, with Dattatreya, the guru system or parampara. So Parasu starts this, eventually Rama chandra picks it up via Sabari and Sastha Ayyappa (Makara Vilakku), and later the Mohini Ayyappa uses a non-Hindu mudra, and there is chanting of Saranam Ayyappa, basically the same as Refuge Vow. so the current Sabari milieu has those Buddhist leanings. So that is something like 8,000 (Parasu) then 6,000 years ago (Rama) and ca. 1100.


For the very basic Yellow and Red Samaya Taras, there is not strictly an Ila form in the sadhana oceans, which call forward:

RG 62 Cintamani Tara is probably the most basic sadhana ever.

TD 138 expands it a little bit and adds a mantra almost identical to Dhanada's, except it reads:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Dhanam Me Dehi Svaha



Sakya Red Tara is next, TD 139 or RG 63, who is Hook and related to Hrih and Vasikaran. After her is Dhanada, so, these are a "cluster". This one is not quite called Manohara but is obviously going that direction.

Arya Cunda is TD 152 or RG 70 uses only the plain Tara mantra, but is also offering Picula fruit. This is perhaps a bit odd being Red Cunda with a piece of Vasudhara's property, and yet being purely Tam and Tara's mantra.

Vasumati in Namasangiti is Ila, and this form is also used in the increments of increasing Vasudhara. So it can be isolated and associated with its own mantras or dharanis. By name, Vasumati is a Yakshi in Manjushri Mulakalpa. For her, we have also appended the Mahasri Sutra and the Namostute or Kolhapur Mahalakshmi song. And so it is "this" Ila which would propogate across most of the Vasudhara mandalas.

Ila will parallel with most of the relevant Hinduism, whereas Cintamani is a way to specifically make her Buddhist and a nexus of tantric incipience. Ila as the Dharani source is an Amoghasiddhi emanation, whereas the rest of her is almost always Jewel Family. All the Dharanis hold a Crossed Vajra, so she is yellow, has this, and corn.

The Ila mandala in Sadhanamala is in Akshobya Family, and the name Vasumati is its final or northern resident. Here, manjari is supposed to be corn, so, that interpretation should hold on her other forms. As we can see, the first thing she "does" is like a sub-Mamaki alchemy from Jewel Family to Vajra.

[Old Student]

In the sense of Vajrasattva being considered the seed for the father or male aspect in rites, Vasudhara is the gate or samaya of goddesses such as Vajravarahi, she is the seed of the mother aspects.

Samputa brings into view the goddess Prithvi, right after Vajra Yakshi, with the Yaksha realm being what Vasudhara guards. Prithvi is or was Vasudhara depending on legend consulted.

She is the mother aspects and is the earth? If Vajrasattva were associated with the sky it would sound Mongolian.

She had three children with the god Dyaus. Her daughter Ushas is the goddess of the dawn. Her two sons were Agni, the god of fire, and Indra, the god of thunder. So this is about ancient Rig Veda use. A broad-based survey of Prithvi seems to accidentally land her in Ratna Family and as Vasudhara. The survey catches the snag where the lower or daughter Prithvi is no longer the second side of the primal androgynous unit, but more like a locked down half of a giant shell. This helps because the Buddhist Ratna Family has low staff; here, it quickly becomes related to Kamadhenu or magic wealth cows, and, in the Agni concept, we make luminous curds therefrom, and we see something about luminous cows for the future of the chariot of dawn.

Mother Bhumi is also understood to be the consort of Lord Varaha. She is also the mother of Sita, so it is not surprising that baby Sita was found in a ploughed field. According to the Uttara-kanda, when Sita finally leaves her husband Rama, she returns to Bhumi.

Vasudhara, if you look at a lot of sources without further looking, is the stream of gems. But oddly, her name is not translated as that in Chinese, it is 持世 which means "The One Who Supports the World", probably a reference to her as Bhumi.

Sri and Bhu are usually shown as separate individuals with Vishnu. It is intriguing that "Green Mother Earth" is hard to find in Hindu or Buddhist images.

The earth is not really what is green about a green world, is it? But we think of it that way here.

[shaberon]

There is a kink.

Vasudhara uses some of the most basic mandalas which give her retinues of four, or eight, goddesses, depending on the mantra or dharani referred to. Only the most basic kind is in Sadhanamala. With respect to this, I believe he made another mistake in the descriptions. It is unusual for a deity to hold another as a hand symbol, but, we know this is done by Usnisa Vijaya 191:

dakṣiṇacaturbhujaiḥ viśvavajrapadmasthabuddhabāṇavaradamudrādharāṃ

Her four right hands hold Crossed Vajra, Padmastha Buddha, Bana (arrow or arrows), and Varada Mudra--so her relation to Padma or Amitabha is -dhara, being held, whereas she is crowned by Vairocana:

caityaguhāgarbhasthitāṃ vairocanamukuṭinīṃ



Vasudhara does not have a mukuta or "crowned", she has:

dhānyamañjarīdharām akṣobhyadhāriṇīm

where again, -dhara or similar means "holding", so, dhanya (giving) manjari (corn), but then Akshobya, which appears to be in the second hand, has the odd ending Dharini which has nothing to do with a crown, is commonly used for "holding" in Sadhanamala, and is the chosen spelling for "Dharani goddesses" according to Bhattacharya, whose additional errors creep onto that very page.

The suggestion has been something like Abhayakaragupta selected Dharanis to group together, however, the set really comes from Namasangiti. And there his mistakes stand at:

1. Sumati (not the male Bodhisattva, should be Vasumati)

4. Mari (not the pisaci or plague goddess, should be Marici)

it is not just what you might guess if you thought about it for a while, the correct names are from the Nepalese archives.

It looks to me like she is supposed to be holding a mini-Akshobya, which is not being recognized by art or other sadhanas.

Her other forms are Ratnasambhavamukutinim.


Avalokiteshvara and Guhyajnana Dakini are each other's heart mates based on Hrih. Here, Jambhala has in his heart a Vam which emits Vasudhara, so they work similarly. So you need a Jambhala--it doesn't specify yellow, just any Jambhala form--in order to make the multiple Vasudharas. The basic Vasudhara mandala is like a four goddess version of the following, except the four have as their seeds "their initials", which are Vam:

Vasudhara Yantra - auspicious for the acquisition and accumulation of wealth.

The central Vasudhara has one face and two hands with the right in a gesture of generosity holding a jewel and the left at the waist holding a stalk of grain. At the heart, written in a circle of Tibetan letters is the shortest mantra of Vasudhara - om va su dha ri ni sva ha. The right leg is pendant with the foot resting on a wealth vase and bowl of jewels. The left leg is drawn up in a relaxed posture; seated in the center of an eight petaled lotus.

Surrounding that, on the eight circling petals are eight forms of Vasudhara all identical in appearance except for the mantra in the heart which is different for each. Outside of that is a complete ring of Sanskrit mantras written with Tibetan letters followed by a further ring of vajras and then finally by a ring of flames representing the five wisdoms.














The smaller version with four "V" goddesses is also:

pratyahaṃ gomayena

Before them is gomaya which is dung. Although the mass of bodily substances visualized in tantric ritual has never been known to have been taken literally, the opposite is true of the Five Products of a Cow, so even this is part of the ancient Vedic performance.

Vasumati is in Lankavatara Sutra after the explanation of Buddhahood being attained in Akanistha (neither Kama Loka nor Formless Realm), wherein Buddha says:

798. My mother is Vasumati, my father is the wise Prajāpati; I belong to the Kātyāyana family, and my name is Viraja the Victor.


So there he is about as close as can be to a male version of Katyayani and Vimala and Viraj aspects.


In Sadhanamala, Vasudhara is really Ila, the first one you could call Ila with retinue, the next two are similar solo Ilas, and, the last piece does not really talk about form because it is her Dharani Upadesa or discusses the intent of her Dharani practice. For one, it appears to be suited towards worshipping Devi in a mental form:

bhagavatīṃ manasā' 'ropya pūjayitvā


and it also says that it does not use the spelling "Dharini" to mean the mantric spells:

vasudhārādhāraṇīṃ paṭhet

So for her, Sadhanamala is perhaps the only source of Ila and nothing else, however, she has several "else's" which are important.

Dhanada may be a Vasudhara but she cannot possibly be the Hindu one, since her Treasures are the Paramitas, and her practice is a complete Buddhist mandala.

Ila is still what she was in the beginning, plus, "the basket of Dharanis".

That is, of course, Sound having a lot to do with Earth as for some reason highlighted by the Vajraraudris.

[Old Student]

“May Bharati come speeding to our sacrifice and Ila hither awakening our consciousness ... in human wise, and Saraswati, — three goddesses sit on this blissful seat, doing well the Work.” "
[...]
Ila is the vision of the seer which attains the truth.
[...]
Bharati is drink, sometimes called Hotra Bharati. She is the vastness of luminosity.

But also,

And if you look at White Jambhala, you can find Ila with a Hook and Bharati with Corn, so there is some kind of flux in progress.

And you mention Vasudhara as Ila being associated with curds, or as Gopala with yogurt.

This looks like a vision of the world as created in its various aspects (at least the female components) by bliss. It is interesting that Bharati is luminosity, elsewhere, you have Vasudhara as Prithvi, who is the mother of Ushas, who is dawn, also drawing associations with milk and luminosity.

Arya Cunda is TD 152 or RG 70 uses only the plain Tara mantra, but is also offering Picula fruit. This is perhaps a bit odd being Red Cunda with a piece of Vasudhara's property, and yet being purely Tam and Tara's mantra.

Vasumati in Namasangiti is Ila, and this form is also used in the increments of increasing Vasudhara. So it can be isolated and associated with its own mantras or dharanis. By name, Vasumati is a Yakshi in Manjushri Mulakalpa. For her, we have also appended the Mahasri Sutra and the Namostute or Kolhapur Mahalakshmi song. And so it is "this" Ila which would propogate across most of the Vasudhara mandalas.

Ila will parallel with most of the relevant Hinduism, whereas Cintamani is a way to specifically make her Buddhist and a nexus of tantric incipience. Ila as the Dharani source is an Amoghasiddhi emanation, whereas the rest of her is almost always Jewel Family. All the Dharanis hold a Crossed Vajra, so she is yellow, has this, and corn.

The Ila mandala in Sadhanamala is in Akshobya Family, and the name Vasumati is its final or northern resident. Here, manjari is supposed to be corn, so, that interpretation should hold on her other forms. As we can see, the first thing she "does" is like a sub-Mamaki alchemy from Jewel Family to Vajra.

And this part goes back towards her "stream of jewels" characterization. I was going to write something else but it looks like my online sanskrit dictionary's website has been captured even as I was writing.

I thought I had a sort of neat picture in my mind of how things were put together surrounding the chakras (in my shaking with all the emanations), based on emanating from the lower abdomen and formerly having seen from the jewel at my throat.

Then last night I had a rush of energy -- which was interpreted very much as Shakti related by what the Dakinis were doing and saying when it happened. But instead of originating along the centerline -- at Muladhara or dantian or somewhere, or even at the crown, it originated at the soles of my feet, went rushing up through me and pushed out as beams of light through my face and head. It was the same as the endless worlds emanation I had told you about, the green one from my lower abdomen, it was also the same as the net seen from my throat, the yellow/golden one. But it was splashed with all sorts of colors and rushing quickly without form through me, causing me to twist around in a continuation of the dance at the waist, like a corkscrew with arms flung upward.

The analogy that seemed to fit was of the endless emanation of worlds in green being "classical" -- say, maybe, Beethoven or better Rimsky-Korsakov, and this splashed and streaked multicolor flood being more jazz or modern, say Philip Glass or Vieux Fakra Toure (who I'm not sure is really jazz). Or between form and formless.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
She is the mother aspects and is the earth? If Vajrasattva were associated with the sky it would sound Mongolian.

Yes, I think it is like that.

She is the material aspect and he is the mind.

The material is all the power, the mind can only hold it.

She is Nidhana Ksetre, the farmer or field of hidden treasure, and this Ksetra is both used in "Buddha Fields" as well as the Sister class of deities, subterranean or within the body and related to Sambhogakaya.

I would say she should be "the first goddess given" for multiple reasons. Her appearance in Namasangiti is pivotal not only for what it is, but, she equates to a unique introductory Paramita as well. She depicts the unusual association of Earth to Yellow and equating to the Buddhic Plane rather than "most dense", which carries on to Nagarjuna and tantric Kamala and so forth. Yellow into Molten Gold seems to be a staple of maturation. And overall she works out to be a developmental samaya to Vajravarahi as well as Bharati.

It is Vajrasattva who does that development. She dances according to his vibration, so to speak.

Vasudhara, if you look at a lot of sources without further looking, is the stream of gems. But oddly, her name is not translated as that in Chinese, it is 持世 which means "The One Who Supports the World", probably a reference to her as Bhumi.

Yes, but, only slightly less than looking very far, the general source about the Vasus shows why it is significant that she is the Dhara of them. The Chinese is accurate since "dhara" may mean "holds in the hands", but also, "to support, to bear", and so she is certainly more "bearing" these Vasus than displaying them in any of her forms.

Vasus are Aditis.

But--the details vary--they request to be reborn through goddess Ganga.

So they show the descent of formless or mental elements into the Gangetic or illusory astral plane, which itself is prior to material creation.

Again this is extremely similar to Ganga giving birth to mayavic Agni seeds from the Pleiades.

Lakshmi explains this in terms of Shaktis, i. e. the powers associated with enlightened use of the Vasus. Both the Shaktis and Vasus swirl/mix/reflect in order to move from the formless world into material. "Reversing Creation" is not simply a matter that there are more etherealized states, it is a Noumenal process of disengagement from it.

Individual shaktis are thought of as existing on a per-element basis, so you have Magnetic Shakti, Fire Shakti, and so on.

Vasudhara may hold them, but, she may not, personally, tell you anything about the dangers of Water, leaving that to Janguli for instance.

Ila is the source of Food, and we see how that goes through Ghasmari--Samputa into Annapurna, which is the entire Homa. All of the secrets I can come up with, directly spill from the cornucopia of this deity.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
And you mention Vasudhara as Ila being associated with curds, or as Gopala with yogurt.

This looks like a vision of the world as created in its various aspects (at least the female components) by bliss. It is interesting that Bharati is luminosity, elsewhere, you have Vasudhara as Prithvi, who is the mother of Ushas, who is dawn, also drawing associations with milk and luminosity.

Yes.

Gopali is like a samaya to the Sabaris or Forest Maidens.

On the one hand, Krishna's Gopalis discovered the Red Kunkuma powder which goes in the jar "Kumari".

On the other hand, one of the products of the cow goes in the jar "Yogurt".

So there you have two of the main "magical substances" used in a Homa.

As for the Kamadhenu or Gomata, they are also magical cows which may become luminous:






They have many stories, especially about being stolen, but with the transition she is making, they become inhabitants of the slopes of one's personal Mt. Meru. Think of it that way. She helps you rustle and milk these cows. Then you make magic yogurt purified by the sun for use in the Homa. Vasudhara said to meditate her mentally. We can mostly do it that way. If a person buys actual yogurt, or, emulates the entire rite by making it themselves, that can only help.


In her 108 Names she is also Kama Dhatvishvari, same as Lakshmi of Hevajra Tantra.

The Gopali form is another Dharani goddess who is an increment past Ila, and a bridge to Manohara.

As we see, Vasumati is like a Mother aspect to Kumari or Katyayani (or equivalent such as Buddha).

So there are two tracks of Yogurt and Red Powder used in the Homa on that basis.

The yogurt has a cosmic aspect similar to the Milky Way or nebulae, as well as a personal aspect, like the degree and quality of luminosity.

The luminosity intended by matured Vasudhara is absolutely gorgeous, like aurorae. Mind's inner nature is incomprehensively beautiful. We have dirt or Earth in our Vajra Eyes.

[Old Student]

Before them is gomaya which is dung. Although the mass of bodily substances visualized in tantric ritual has never been known to have been taken literally, the opposite is true of the Five Products of a Cow, so even this is part of the ancient Vedic performance.

I think it actually has been known to have been taken literally, somewhere around the 10th century, there were rumors of priests ingesting dead flesh and feces and so forth. When the collapse came starting in 1003 B.C.E., this was cited as part of the evidence that the truth had been strayed from and reform was needed.

It seems like all of the esoteric religions of the East (I can't answer for those of the West, I just don't know enough about them, but certainly some of the beliefs and what they did with them in the Malleus Maleficarum would point that way), went through an early period when people strained at how to describe and explain the means and methods for pursuing enlightenment, longevity, siddhis, and the like. Then there was a period where people took the texts those earlier people wrote literally in harmful ways -- the aforementioned eating foul things, or in China, the Daoist alchemy being interpreted as really eating cinnabar (mercury) and malachite, and so forth, which of course are poisonous and people died. And then a third period started where those experiments were proof that the meaning was something that had to be contemplated inside and true appreciation of the texts began. I suppose we are fortunate that the poisonous experiments and damaging ones have already been tried and cast aside. But I can find plenty of people on websites all over that are rediscovering the texts without rediscovering that knowledge of the history and starting in on harmful experiments again.

Her other forms are Ratnasambhavamukutinim.


Avalokiteshvara and Guhyajnana Dakini are each other's heart mates based on Hrih. Here, Jambhala has in his heart a Vam which emits Vasudhara, so they work similarly. So you need a Jambhala--it doesn't specify yellow, just any Jambhala form--in order to make the multiple Vasudharas. The basic Vasudhara mandala is like a four goddess version of the following, except the four have as their seeds "their initials", which are Vam:

Vasudhara Yantra - auspicious for the acquisition and accumulation of wealth.

So again the association of wealth. Or maybe not quite, as you say it could be any Jambhala, so it could be anything from close to Avalokitashvara to red Ganapati.

There is a deeper reason that the earth is always yellow and not green. The cognitive colors psychophysicists catalog different color schemes with the civilizations that have them, there are at most 30 colors in such a scheme -- you figure out which they are because they have their own names (e.g. yellow) and not the names of something (rose, gold). In societies that have 5 cognitive colors, they are always black, white, red, green, and yellow. In such schemes, green cannot be the color of earth because it is the color of the sky. E.g. the term 青 in Chinese is both the color of the sky and the color of a forest. But never the color of the earth.

[Old Student]

[Replying to both the short posts, because of the first sentence in the first being related to the last para of the second]

It is Vajrasattva who does that development. She dances according to his vibration, so to speak.


Quote Vasudhara, if you look at a lot of sources without further looking, is the stream of gems. But oddly, her name is not translated as that in Chinese, it is 持世 which means "The One Who Supports the World", probably a reference to her as Bhumi.
Yes, but, only slightly less than looking very far, the general source about the Vasus shows why it is significant that she is the Dhara of them. The Chinese is accurate since "dhara" may mean "holds in the hands", but also, "to support, to bear", and so she is certainly more "bearing" these Vasus than displaying them in any of her forms.

Vasus are Aditis.

But--the details vary--they request to be reborn through goddess Ganga.

This is truly interesting, I read the link to the Vasus, thank you. So this brings together her roles that I had called "Mongolian" with her roles in the heavens and makes her a supporter of the whole "world". And she does this dancing to the vibration of Vajrasattva, supplying the power coming from the earth.

Lakshmi explains this in terms of Shaktis, i. e. the powers associated with enlightened use of the Vasus. Both the Shaktis and Vasus swirl/mix/reflect in order to move from the formless world into material. "Reversing Creation" is not simply a matter that there are more etherealized states, it is a Noumenal process of disengagement from it.

Individual shaktis are thought of as existing on a per-element basis, so you have Magnetic Shakti, Fire Shakti, and so on.

Reversing creation to realize the primordial state or to realize nonduality?

They have many stories, especially about being stolen, but with the transition she is making, they become inhabitants of the slopes of one's personal Mt. Meru. Think of it that way. She helps you rustle and milk these cows. Then you make magic yogurt purified by the sun for use in the Homa. Vasudhara said to meditate her mentally. We can mostly do it that way. If a person buys actual yogurt, or, emulates the entire rite by making it themselves, that can only help.


In her 108 Names she is also Kama Dhatvishvari, same as Lakshmi of Hevajra Tantra.

The Gopali form is another Dharani goddess who is an increment past Ila, and a bridge to Manohara.

As we see, Vasumati is like a Mother aspect to Kumari or Katyayani (or equivalent such as Buddha).

So there are two tracks of Yogurt and Red Powder used in the Homa on that basis.

The yogurt has a cosmic aspect similar to the Milky Way or nebulae, as well as a personal aspect, like the degree and quality of luminosity.

So some of this goes a long way towards explaining why there is so much milk and yogurt in some of my shakings. And goes back to my question about relating these goings on with the body and chakras. The yogurt or cream I told you about formed above my palate, and that is only a few centimeters from where, in the space in the front of my head in the cranium, I had found a "micro-pair" that was clouds and space -- filled with stars.

I put these responses in one response because I wanted to quote the following from the first and the second of your posts:

Yes, I think it is like that.

She is the material aspect and he is the mind.

The material is all the power, the mind can only hold it.

The luminosity intended by matured Vasudhara is absolutely gorgeous, like aurorae. Mind's inner nature is incomprehensively beautiful. We have dirt or Earth in our Vajra Eyes.

These two statements come very close to describing the endlessness of the visions and blisses that I find during shaking. The material is the power - the bliss is generated and refined and stored by the body. The mind holds it -- there is huge space in the visions and encounters powered by the bliss. The luminosity is gorgeous, like aurorae -- this aptly describes the sort of "volume on 10" beauty of what happens in any of the visions. Mind is incomprehensively beautiful -- in two senses. It is endless and spectacularly beautiful beyond comprehension, and it is by "not comprehending" that one can see it.

I've spent a lot of time recently on the notions (some of which I'm reading in the Avatamsaka) that one should relinquish imagination and the senses. I have seen/been taught/been shown that this means ending the association of these things with the self -- with "I". If "I" cease to imagine things and just let "imagine things" without the "I", the imagination expands to the infinite. If "I" cease to sense things and just let "sense things" without the "I", there is seemingly no limit to what is sensed.

There are physical relationships to these things, there is a "mind's eye" in the brain, it is part of the pattern recognition system by which we understand the world. When we recognize something, a movie playing from our memory lines up with the sensory input from our eyes, and identifies the latter. When we imagine something, the movie plays back on our sensory inputs. One can teach, by biofeedback, a blind person to draw from their imagination this way. The mind is not just memories but also subconscious, unconscious, collective subconscious, and the last of those acquires into the genetic memory everything from our ancestors, but also from the spiegelbund (marketplace of words), from similar circumstances and from antiquity -- even sometimes the birds, caught in just the right movement and angle, show their forebears the dinosaurs. So even if one only believed in the physical, the statements you made above are true, and nothing changes that.

Only the self seems ever to limit the mind, the places we "don't want to go", the places we "want to see again". And in mirror to that, one would see that the beauty that can be appreciated is limited to what the self imposes on the senses as well. It's kind of a well-known fact that if a cow started flying tomorrow, only those who's senses and mind could accommodate the belief in flying cows would be able to see it.

[shaberon]

Allright, it is perhaps historically true that there was consumption of feces and so forth; after all, it is Tson kha pa who speaks to us about Golden Zombie as if it were the Methodist gardeners' square dance.

I don't think it literally is part of a Homa, like Five Products of Cow and so forth.

We definitely symbolicly are talking about eating Mercury, and, perhaps literally, semen and menstrual blood. However, most alchemy, the Mahabharata, the lives of the Mahasiddhas, should be seen as biased towards metaphorical. Recall the gentlement who came round waiting for a bid to die so he could get Peacock's Neck. It means copper sulfate.

"Green like the sky" is a phrase we have seen lately, and, correspondingly from what can be told of most older cultures, any difference between blue and green is vague or seems to lack vocabulary. That is why to be picky about sadhana-ese, we could say:

Nila is deep or midnight blue

Krsna means "dark", usually blue, but is sometimes called "black" without any additional modifiers present

Syama means "dark", usually green, and is the word for green on most such deities, although sometimes is black in mandalas

Harita is a lighter, yellowish, nitrogenated vegetative shade of green, such as Green Janguli

Priyangu Fruit is a similar pale green

Turquoise is its own special shade or designation

Sky Blue is an alternate for white

Gaura is arguably white or orange

White may be Sita, Sukla, or Sveta

Gold can be Kanaka or Hema

Silver is not even used that I have ever seen

Blood color is with Mahamaya Vijayavahini


The idea of "reversing creation" is really the reason that all Puranas must contain a creation myth.

It is a very old idea in Yoga which I think in Buddhism we are saying is a little more that just saying, well, there are ever-more ethereal states of being. It is like having all the Void Gnosis available from Nirguna and yet forbidding if from being the only school by saying Buddhahood is reached in the Akanistha, because it is going to radiate back out into the lower world. It is not so much in finding that Akanistha is very ethereal or is like a Perfect Form--you are able to remain stable, dissolve the voids, and Emerge in Reverse Order.



I cannot recall where I first dug up some of this material what is now a few years ago. We can say, that in Sadhanamala, Vasudhara is a simple Ila who does perhaps the world's most basic mandala by staffing it with clones.

The Nepalese Sanskrit archive could be described as repeating this cycle in a larger format more related to the mandala with eight cloned attendants.

The Vasudhara Dharani itself is related to Vajradhara and Tara.

When I first looked at her, it was difficult to see how the "initials" could be anything but Vam; however, the Dharani makes it plain that in some cases, it is Srim, regardless.

So although she has odd combinations like "Srim Vasusri", her identity is plainly given:

hṛdayam| lakṣmyai svāhā| om upahṛdayam| om lakṣmī bhūtalanivāsine svāhā|


It is Lakshmi, but also as resident in the place of Bhutas, which has a dual meaning.

Yama, the fearsome judge of the dead, is a Preta. This is the regular class of Ghosts, such as the Four Kings, or, also, Bhutas, are "elementaries" meaning drawn back to the physical world.

The Pisacis are more powerful, but, for all intents and purposes, Pretas and Bhuts are powerful enough.

Bhuta also simply means Element.

So it may mean Resident in Ghost World (Kama Loka) as well as Resident in Elements.

It also calls her Vrstini Patini, probably a cloud or goddess of Rain (Vrsti), right after Kailasa Vasini, and an unknown term:

levadike
levadika



Her Nama Dharani song near the beginning explains her as:

dharaṇī dhāraṇī dhātā śaraṇyā bhaktavatsalā |

prajñāpāramitā devī prajñā śrībuddhivardhinī || 2 ||

Saranya is perhaps Saranyu or Swift Cloud Samjna.


She also refers to at least Dana, Virya, and Ksanti Paramitas by name. She has Candi, Sabari, Raudri, and others. For Energy, she says something it is hard for me not to see as a play on "Vairocani" and then the two wives of Ganapati:

vīryapāramitā devī jagadānandarocanī |

tāpasī ugrarūpī ca ṛddhisiddhibalapradā || 7 ||


She implies that a matured Cintamani turns gold and carries a Prajnaparamita book:

śuddharūpī mahātejā hemavarṇā prabhākarī |

cintāmaṇimahādevī prajñāpustakadhāriṇī || 10 ||


She handles Seven Patalas or underworlds, and, it is not "Kama", it is actually Karma, we see Karma Dhatvishvari and Ratna Dhatvishvari as if she were unleashing two Families.

As such, she does have the Seven Jewels of Enlightenment:

bodha(dhi)nī sarvasattvānāṃ bodhyaṅgakṛtaśekharī |

dhyānā dhīrmuktisaṃpannā advayadvayabhāvinī || 16 ||



In a Four Verse song, she is called Samjna, twice.

She deals with Dharmaraja and Sukhavati. She seems tangentially related to Lotus or Padma, and evidently to the Skandha of that Family.

Dhanada comes up so frequently that you would expect to go off and look for what is this.

Vasudhara throws tentacles at Dhanada, Cintamani, and Manohara.

The Dharani is a Mahavidya. That makes it a fluidic practice or publicly-accessible and considered to have revelation within the doing so.

It would get two syllables going, Vam and Srim, on one form, Ila. Obviously these are closely related to Sri, where again, our Sri is almost mantricly the same as Dhanada.

One can even build to this since "Sim" = Sita who is accepted in Buddhism as Vasudhara.

I am not sure if Sim is even used in any Buddhist sadhana, but, I am sure that Sita is the "pre-Buddhist closest neighbor and philosophy".

That would give you Peace Syllable followed by Lunar Syllable.



Vayu as the Calf is from Yajur Veda on the role of the sacrificer in the new and full moon sacrifices.

This role may be performed by Ganapati, and the Full Moon is Purnimasa or Vajrasattva, or Amrta or human monad.

In a commentary, the calf returned to its mother is Vayu joined to Ida (Cow). Their meeting is the Viraj, When the calf is being milked, the milk belongs to the Aswins, when done, to the Viswadevas.

That is a subtle hint about Aswin Nectar which is Deathlessness.

Their meeting is the Viraj...what did Buddha just claim to be...well...

Elsewhere the Yajur says:

(The offering) to Vaiçvanara is on twelve potsherds; the year has twelve months; verily by the year he removes his rivals for him; there is one to the Maruts [6]; the Maruts are the subject class among the gods; verily by the subjects among the gods he wins for him the subjects among men; (the offering) is on seven potsherds; the Maruts are in seven troops; verily in troops he wins his rivals for him; he deposits (the offering) when (the verses) are being repeated; verily he makes the people follow him.

Without poring through the whole thing, at a glance, we see something about Wind as a returned prana capable of transmitting immortality; Vaisvanara is Agni Visnu Man, a type of primordial Purusha who was shattered Osiris-like, and who is being re-assembled by various fires and sacrifices, against the tendencies of his son Samsya "Problem".

Just as Vasus are associated with Vasudhara, they are also with Agni. The Yajur has a Marut hymn which says that the divine body is broken into four chunks and that part of the destiny is to unite Rudras with Maruts:


g I hail the dear names [1] of yon impetuous ones,
That, O Maruts, calling they may rejoice.
h For glory they are wreathed in flames,
In the rays (of the sun), adorned with rings they (are accompanied) with singers;
They wearing daggers, impetuous, fearless,
Here found the dear home of the Maruts.
i First let Agni with the Vasus aid us;
Let Soma with the Rudras protect (us);
Let Indra with the Maruts act in due course;
Let Varuna with the Adityas quicken us.'
k God Agni with the Vasus [2],
Soma with the dread forms,
Indra with the Maruts, worthy of sacrifice,
Varuna with the Adityas hath been in harmony with us.
l As the Adityas are united with the Vasus,
The Rudras with the Maruts,
So, O thou of three names,
May the All-gods without anger be of one mind.

A bit further along is an even stranger section where Ida shows back up in the context of the Aswins:


a What went new that became fresh butter; what crept that became clarified butter; that which became firm became ghee.
b Thou art the breath of the Açvins; of that to thee let the two give whose breath thou art; hail! Thou art the breath of Indra; of that to thee let him give whose breath thou art; hail! Thou art the breath of Mitra and Varuna; of that to thee let them give whose' breath thou art; hail! Thou art the breath of the All-gods [1]; of that to thee let them give whose breath thou art; hail!
c Stream of ghee, path of ambrosia,
Given by Indra, presented by the Maruts,
Thee Visnu perceived,
Then Ida moved thee in the cow.
d Let the god Savitr set thee free for life, for living, with the Pavamana Stoma, with the path of the Gayatra (Saman)...


In Tattirya Aranyaka, the same concept is presented; Bharati is called Aditi; Vasat ("in the power of") is the invocation for Aswins; on p. 79, Viraj is Food. Usually, Viraj is the non-dual state prior to creation, and is the "neuter" Brahma. It is not just Victory like Jaya or Aparajita, nor just Stainless like Vimala, but more like the rarefied state attained by them.

There, Prana is also called Yama with the Angirases and Pitris (p. 78), as well as the most Indra-like fire. Aditi or Agni and the Vasus are also time cycles or seasons. Pravargya is the head of the sacrifice (Aditya oir the Sun), Wind is its body. Udumbara Wood is Food.

There is a special ray of the sun that brings rain; in one instance, Prsni is "that cloud". Prsni is mother of Maruts, or of Savitri, and is also "that cow".

The scenes are complex, since they describe multiple levels of creation, from prime motion down to the interqction of heat and moisture; and yet the sacrifice or rite is always about harmonizing the Winds, Vayu or Maruts, which animate us. The Maruts come under the influence of Indra, so they are apt to become Storms, but again Indra is like a "middle junction" that one has to become conscioously and eventually transcend.

In the older systems, "the one" Prana is Rudra--Atman, and so his descendants and branches are "the Rudras" and then "the Maruts".

Vasudhara is also a waterfall above Badrinath, perhaps the most important water site.

Nidhāna (निधान, “treasure”) is accomplished by performing mantrasādhana (preparatory procedures) beginning with japamālā using a rosary bead made of conch shell beads, according to the Kakṣapuṭatantra verse 1.47, “to achieve artha (wealth), a rosary should be made from conch shell beads. To accomplish the nidhāna (treasure) and Yakṣiṇī ritual, the rosary should be strung with a white thread”.

(S) A treasure of kubēra the Indian Plutus. There are nine, padma, mahāpadma, śaṅkha, makara, kacchapa, mukunda, nanda, nīla, kharva.

Also a treasury storehouse, or death or annihilation.

False treasure in the Dnyaneshwari or Jnaneswari which evidently is published.

Kshetrajna is one of the "principles of Vishnu" formed primordially:

Kṣetra is the physical body and kṣetrajña is the soul. Kṣetra is made up of thirty six tattvas (some take only twentyfour) or principles. Kṣetra is gross and kṣetrajña is subtle. Kṣetra is perishable, whereas the knower of Kṣetra, kṣetrajña is eternal and imperishable.

Kshetra could also be the Seven Cities of India, or the zones of Jambuvipa, or the "fields of the body".

Vasudhara pre-dates Buddhism or Durga considerably, and, in her mantra, is Nidhana Kshetre, so the intent is rather clear, though somewhat variable as to the details of the classifications.

[Old Student]

Allright, it is perhaps historically true that there was consumption of feces and so forth; after all, it is Tson kha pa who speaks to us about Golden Zombie as if it were the Methodist gardeners' square dance.

I don't think it literally is part of a Homa, like Five Products of Cow and so forth.

Of course it isn't. But people get desperate when they try to accomplish something that evades them, and the do things literally, convincing themselves that it's the one death-defying thing they haven't tried. All I was pointing out is that throughout history there have always been such people -- today we would think of them as New Agers who were deluding themselves and others about a far-off religion they didn't really take the time to understand.

There was also a monk in the Tarim Basin someplace in the 800s who was the subject of countless complaints to civilian authorities because he was apparently "practicing" karmamudra with everybody's daughters and ruining their marriage prospects.

I don't know about you, but I find it sort of hilarious that they had some of the same kinds of nuts in those days that we have a tendency to think are unique to our modern times.

So although she has odd combinations like "Srim Vasusri", her identity is plainly given:

hṛdayam| lakṣmyai svāhā| om upahṛdayam| om lakṣmī bhūtalanivāsine svāhā|


It is Lakshmi, but also as resident in the place of Bhutas, which has a dual meaning.

Yama, the fearsome judge of the dead, is a Preta. This is the regular class of Ghosts, such as the Four Kings, or, also, Bhutas, are "elementaries" meaning drawn back to the physical world.

The Pisacis are more powerful, but, for all intents and purposes, Pretas and Bhuts are powerful enough.

Bhuta also simply means Element

My resident speaker says that bhuts are what some other people call "spirits" and pretas are the souls of people.

She also refers to at least Dana, Virya, and Ksanti Paramitas by name. She has Candi, Sabari, Raudri, and others. For Energy, she says something it is hard for me not to see as a play on "Vairocani" and then the two wives of Ganapati:

vīryapāramitā devī jagadānandarocanī |

tāpasī ugrarūpī ca ṛddhisiddhibalapradā || 7 ||

Is this the two consorts, or is it a bestowal -- rddhi, siddhi, bala, pradA (bestow upon)?

In a Four Verse song, she is called Samjna, twice.

She almost seems like a "pre-Tara". Samjna is part of the eightfold path.

Vasudhara pre-dates Buddhism or Durga considerably, and, in her mantra, is Nidhana Kshetre, so the intent is rather clear, though somewhat variable as to the details of the classifications.

Again the wealth aspect of her.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
But people get desperate when they try to accomplish something that evades them, and the do things literally, convincing themselves that it's the one death-defying thing they haven't tried. All I was pointing out is that throughout history there have always been such people -- today we would think of them as New Agers who were deluding themselves and others about a far-off religion they didn't really take the time to understand.

There was also a monk in the Tarim Basin someplace in the 800s who was the subject of countless complaints to civilian authorities because he was apparently "practicing" karmamudra with everybody's daughters and ruining their marriage prospects.

Indeed. There are aspects of that which are quite silly, but, at the same time, some of it is pretty serious.

Having mentioned Badrinath, it is correct that on the "pilgrimage routes" all over India, there are certain meeting points a few times a year determined astrologically. The main meeting is near Badrinath.

As to how close the Buddhist Theosophical Mahatmas were to this core of Indian esoterism, in referring to "D. Swami" or Dayanand Sarasvati, they said "last year he was a high chela at Badrinath".

He had actually spent something like six years scrambling over the mountains until his shoes wore off and he had none. He kept going around and met one guru just briefly and then kept going until he got what he was looking for and was given the disciple name "Sarasvati".

The same guru had another chela who went off to become Kasi Naresh, that is, spiritual advisor to the Maharaja of Kashi, which is perhaps the most powerful office held by Indian esoterists and so held for 12,000 years. This particular fellow is another "Sarasvati", can't remember the first name, but he met for instance Alexandra David-Neel and Mark Twain, and I think his picture is on Wikipedia.

The motto of the original Theosophical Society is nothing but a copy of the motto of the then-Maharaja of Kashi.

"D. Swami" *was* in good standing, but, when he took the nationalistic spin into Arya Samaj, they said:

"We will stop him".

His expertise was replaced by that of Subba Row.

But he took the hardship of a solo quest very literally for a long time. Hence the hesitancy to just "hand it over" to someone.

My resident speaker says that bhuts are what some other people call "spirits" and pretas are the souls of people.

Preta Loka is the Ghost Realm in Buddhism, so, it is at least the "shells" of people.

By "spirits" he probably means pookas and brownies and so forth, probably types of Elementals. I think when it means a Pure Element it is called Mahabhut.

So I mean that is roughly correct, but, try to get an English speaker to give us the difference between "soul" and "spirit". Maybe they can?

she says something it is hard for me not to see as a play on "Vairocani" and then the two wives of Ganapati:

vīryapāramitā devī jagadānandarocanī |

tāpasī ugrarūpī ca ṛddhisiddhibalapradā || 7 ||


Is this the two consorts, or is it a bestowal -- rddhi, siddhi, bala, pradA (bestow upon)?

In Jainism, Kshetra interestingly is both clairvoyant knowledge, and they have Kṣetrariddhi, which refers to “extraordinary power to enhance a space of small capacity to a space with extraordinarily large space”.

I think the phrase says Riddhi and Siddhi are made stronger by the fierce form of tapas, which is the intent of Energy or Virya Paramita and a Devi whose name is something like Jagad Ananda Vairocani. That may not necessarily be correct since just as it is written, Rocani is Yellow Locana, which seems much more appropriate, or, close. She would still be Yellow Earth in Vairocana Family. But I think she can deify three elements. All those kinds of things are like a matter of "at this time", i. e. there is a reason she was Space and got moved.

Rocani "may be":

Wife of Kakusandha Buddha in his last lay life (BuA.210; DA.ii.422). Elsewhere (Bu.xxiii.17) she is called Virocamana.

As far as I know, Rddhi and Siddhi are only considered "consorts" specifically by Ganapati; elsewhere, they are "related subjects".

That one is called Lakshmi Ganapati; and Siddha Lakshmi was the tutelary goddess of the Malla dynasty, something like a nice version of Guhya Kali. So you perhaps could learn it by Siddha Lakshmi without the Ganapati. But then you probably would be better off if you had Siddha Lakshmi that you also did Ganapati. Or you could get it from Kurukulla. There could be multiple avenues of approach, but, categorically, none of it happens without something from Tapas.

Because Ganapati Hrdaya is the Dharani given, and, it is weird once you start looking into it, you may think of it as conjuring one Vinayaki like him, or, two devis, or, one at a time, or, different ones depending upon the rddhi or siddhi emphasized.

It is like it is ok for Ganapati to sportingly chase any goddess. If they are any way meaningful to or constructive of Rddhi or Siddhi, it will work. It is probably more meaningful to spend most of his time around Matangi, nevertheless, we have to say he is not a Yidam and you really only have to have one Yidam. He is something like "good choice in a powerful booster".

He still looks a lot like a backstory for Jambhala, and if we do Vasudhara it will bring Jambhala anyway. This pair is easily avoidable if you keep your eyes closed. But if the Path requires Bliss and Increasing Bliss, this is Bharati, who is a Vasudhara. So then one can easily see Vasudhara as starting the whole mantra path--in its Mahavidya aspect--as Vasumati Ila Devi and her subject Nidhana, and, continuing, at the very least, to the point where Union at Bodhisattva-level strength is unavoidable, including the Completion Stage details I usually don't say much about.

Then it occurs that Union at Bodhisattva-level strength is the means by which Buddhahood is attained.

Does that mean we have to use Buddha's personal consort, Tilottama, of whom there are two?

One created by Viswakarman, and another Tilottamā was born to Pradhā, wife of Kaśyapa, grandson of Brahmā and son of Marīci. Alambuṣā, Miśrakeśī, Vidyutparṇā, Aruṇā, Rakṣitā, Rambhā, Manoramā, Subāhu, Keśinī, Suratā, Surajā and Supriyā were all sisters of Tilottamā.

She is in Dakarnava but not as the principal consort.

Since her name includes "finest", then it is much like an inner meaning of "most subtle", and I am pretty sure the one we have to have has to match this description.

Was she a form of Bharati? It was Bhu who attested to the Tathagatas that Gautama was ready, but I am not sure that it says anything about whether she slipped inside the rite. One way or another, Vasudhara has the final word.

In her own song, it would seem unlikely that Ganapati is implicated in any way. I would take the verse as Vasudhara telling us how Virya Paramita works. I think the basic thing they tell people is "I need energy for mindfulness", since that is the condition they are found in, and this Vasudhara will not work that way. Once you can follow the Sutra level, she is telling us the basic tantric equivalent, and making it Bala or strong, which, by comparison, Ganapati or Pancha Raksha can make it Maha Bala at which point we are dealing with the Raudras--Maruts. Vasudhara starts the beginning of the Yaksha Realm, and most of these could be more accurately described as "impish or mischievous", and Ganapati is able to command their upper echelons and angrier versions.

So those two deities are on the map, they are tantricly related, but one would probably conclude that "Vasudhara and some version of Rddhi and Siddhi" are crucial, whereas Ganapati and the enactment of them as consorts would be a unique and powerful assistant if so chosen.

In a Four Verse song, she is called Samjna, twice.

She almost seems like a "pre-Tara". Samjna is part of the eightfold path.

I had not looked at it like that.

That is possibly because the "Eightfold" contains repetitive elements to other groups, and so, when boiled down, it is not noticeable, but I think some versions of Thirty-seven Point Enlightenment have it. And when looking at those and the replication, instead, I have found that if one was to group that many things, the version that teaches Kriya-Chara into Yoga is much more explanatory since it is starting from the Six Gods of Abhisambodhi, and the Atma Tattva and Devata Tattva, and thereby forces extreme grounding into what Deity Yoga actually is, you would no longer be able to bombard it with funny foreign notions. That is the kind of material I wish had been available when I was younger.

The deity Samjna is of two kinds, the original or Swift Cloud or Saranyu Samjna, and, the sister that she made, Chhaya or Shadow Samjna. The latter means Terrestrial Perception and so is mainly the same as Samjna Skandha. The first is of course purified spiritual perception:

Name of a daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ (in, [Ṛg-veda] represented as the wife of Vivasvat and mother of the two Aśvins, and [according to] to some, of the twins Yama and Yamī, whom she brought forth in the form of a mare; [according to] to some also Name of the Dawn.

And so if purified Samjna Skandha is Lotus Family which means also Long Life which is really the pursuit of immortality, which is the gift of the Aswins or the most occult deities, and this same lore rapidly attaches Varuni and Vairocani, that is what tells me tantric Buddhism is a lot more Puranic than it is a novel product.

Vaivasvata or Sun Manu is the son of the Sun and Samjna, and finding at first that he could not create beings he caused a sacrifice in honour of Mitra and Varuṇa out of which came Iḍā or Ilā. Manu is the Hindu Noah or sire of the human race. Ila must not be the earth, itself, but a shakti or creative power of it.

Vasudhara also had a Rain Cloud motif slip in. There definitely is significance to Cloud as we find them in the Cemeteries as well as being the ninth or tenth Bhumi.

The only real difference I can say as to Tara is that she is a Noumenal presence. In other words, if you do almost any Yoga to a successful point, then you are going to realize the default Lakshmi. We are taking whatever this "is", and, so to speak, placing it in Tara's hand of grace. Lakshmi is just whatever Prakriti actually is. Tara is a person like us who attained Buddhahood in a prior cosmos, so, she must have Svasamvedana and have experienced Parinispanna as Seven Eternities of Bliss. In our time she is already a Tathagata even compared to Buddha Gautama.

She "isn't" Lakshmi or Durga, other than she can operate them.

She appears to operate Lakshmi by the name Vasudhara. Vasudhara is Tara. Therefor Tara is Lakshmi, by way of claiming or co-opting her.

I did not realize Nidhana also meant "Muttering", and, the difference with Charchika is that she "only" means Muttering and "only" at a tantric stage, whereas the Nidhana is much more broad-based and introductory and simply includes it.

It was 108 Names that says Vasudhara is Kama Dhatvishvari, whereas in the song, it appears to be making her the progenetrix of Ratna and Karma Families. That would probably be pretty handy for someone who may be accustomed to the Three Jewels and perhaps Three Families of Kriya or Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani.

Then I honestly think she is going to be a tease and hide in the woods and make us figure out a Pandora's box of Vasus and shaktis and so forth until we find her again in Sambhogakaya.


An evolved Six Arm Vasudhara is in TD 504, although it is one of the briefest, least informative articles. She is a Yellow Vam-arisen Ratna deity with eighteen attendants who are not described. It says it comes from the short Vasudhara-kalpa, but the editors disagree, and think it may come from the Rite of Reciting the Vasudhara Dharani. It's All-Purpose mantra is that of Vighnantaka (i. e. Ganapati). This article tells us almost nothing, and certainly nothing new, except that five of her hands have standard Vasudhara attributes, and the third right is:

Raised in homage to the Tathagata Vajradhara Calling with the True Voice of the Sea (Sagara Nirghosa).

Vajradhara is somewhere in the west of the large mandala; he is the central figure in the Sutra portion of her Dharani, which is probably what the editors mean, and he is also invoked by mantra in that name.

Vasudhara appears to be aimed frim Ila who may be very Hindu, into her Six Arm form that likes Vajradhara, in retinues based on four, eight, or eighteen deities, mostly within the power of her Dharani.


Debris of the Ages:

The most popular and common in Tibetan art is the two armed and the most common in Nepalese art is the six armed form.

None of these Vasudharas have a Four Arm form, until you accept Dhanada. Then you can easily see Dhanada Krama as a gate from the minor Vasudharas to the big one, which seems to be the intent.

Concerning her gesture which has a more specific meaning:

...the third with the hand in a gesture accompanying singing...This form of Vasudhara arises from the Togpa Chungwa and the Vajravali text of Abhayakaragupta.

That is a bit less instructive than what the sadhana says, but, of course it also clarifies that there is a song-like intent here.

Artists have retained it as a sort of raised hand, sometimes adding a rosary or something, but sometimes it appears empty:






Vajradhara is not prominent in her mandala; it is possible he is here in the Northwest. Occasionally, you can find her crowned or surmounted by Ratnasambhava, which people might easily mistake for Buddha:





There are several versions of this, and, it is unusual, on the ones where the Grounds are obvious, South is Blue, sometimes with Sky Blue.

North is typically a lighter Harita Green or else black.

You can see this in the Grounds around her detail image:






Here is one with a lighter North which perhaps is even Yellow:






There are some tricky details right under the hood of a goddess who is "public" and "popular". I might tend to guess that even people who are immersed in this culture may not even be aware that why it looks like Vajra Family in the South is a question.

That is why I think you do need the "basic", or, even pan-cultural type of Pancha Jina or Pentagon or Quintessence, and then you are in a position to uncover the Winds and Families and what they are doing as mental and pysiological changes to a person in these tantras.