c. Meditation and Recitation of Vajrasattva

In the practice of Vajrasattva, the four powers must be complete.

The first of the four powers is the power of support. AH signifies the unborn nature. Reflect on how all phenomena included within your ordinary dualistic perception are empty, devoid of self and sky-like. From that state, the essence of which is clear and spacious, generate compassion for all those who have not realized this themselves. And then, with the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, visualize yourself in your ordinary form. Consider that about eighteen inches above your head is a white lotus. If you are following the extensive commentary [Kunzang Lama’i Shelung] the lotus has a thousand petals, whereas according to the briefer commentary [by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo] it has eight petals. Upon it, in the centre of a full moon-disc seat, is a white syllable HUNG, which melts into light and becomes your own root lama in the form of Vajrasattva. He is brilliant white, with complete sambhogakaya adornments.

He is ornamented with all thirteen adornments: the five silk adornments of the headscarf, upper garment, long scarf, belt and lower garment; and the eight jewelled ornaments of the crown, earrings, short necklace, armlets, two long necklaces (one longer than the other), bracelets, anklets and rings.

His legs are crossed in the vajra posture. His right hand holds a vajra at his heart, and his left holds a bell against his hip. The consort white Vajratopa (Dorje Nyemma) has her legs crossed in the lotus posture, and is embracing Vajrasattva.

Consider that their bodies appear vividly and distinctly, yet lack any true reality, just like reflections in a mirror.

Then, understanding that it is through relying on you, Lama Vajrasattva, and taking you as a refuge and support with one-pointed faith that all our negative actions will be purified, we pray: “Take care of me and all other beings! Look after us! Purify all our negative actions and obscurations!” Pray like this with such intense devotion that tears come to your eyes.

The second power is the power of regret. Consider how, throughout all your lifetimes, throughout beginningless time until now, you have accumulated negative actions with your body, speech and mind. And even in this life, you have committed intrinsically negative acts such as the ten non-virtues, and “proscribed negative acts”, which are all the transgressions of the pratimoksha, bodhisattva and mantrayana vows.

With the deepest regret, like somebody who has swallowed poison, you should acknowledge all your negative acts “without concealing anything, and without hiding anything.” Without any thought of keeping your negative actions secret, openly confess them, saying to yourself: “I committed this negative action. I acted wrongly in this way. I did this and that.”

Just as, in society, if we are guilty of a crime such as manslaughter we are made to express our regret and then pay compensation, here, too, we should confess our negative actions of the past and then vow not to repeat them.

The third power is the power of resolve, or the power of turning away from faults and misconduct. In the past, you have accumulated all kinds of negative actions out of ignorance, disrespect, recklessness, and turbulent emotions. But now, through the kindness of your spiritual master, you understand the gains and losses incurred as a result of positive and negative actions. So from now on, even if your life is at stake, vow to refrain from harmful actions.

The fourth power is the power of action as an antidote. Even though any virtuous action will function as an antidote to our negativity, in this practice we concentrate on visualizing the deity and reciting the mantra.

So, the text says:

In Vajrasattva’s heart, upon a full moon, is the letter HUNG, encircled by the letters of the hundred syllable mantra mala. Reciting the hundred syllables of the mantra causes rays of light to emanate from the mantra mala, invoking his wisdom mind. From the point of union of the bliss-emptiness play of yab-yum, a cloud of nectar, the nature of which is bodhichitta, flows down like a stream of milk (or camphor) and enters my body through the top of my head and the heads of all sentient beings of the three worlds. Through this, my past negative karma and more immediate destructive emotions—the causes of suffering—are purified.

All illnesses are expelled through the pores of the skin and the two lower orifices of your body, in the form of pus and blood. All harmful influences (dön) are expelled in the form of creatures such as spiders, scorpions and snakes. All negative actions and obscurations are expelled in the form of black liquid, smoke and soot. The ground beneath you opens up to reveal Yama, the Lord of Death, surrounded by his entourage, the controllers of karmic debts. All the impurities flow into their open mouths. They are satisfied. All your karmic debts are repaid and untimely death is averted. Yama turns away and the earth closes up again.

Pray that all your faults and imperfections, such as the wrongdoing of the ten non-virtues, which are negative by their very nature, the downfalls that are infractions of discipline and the blockages due to breakages of samaya are completely purified, till not a single one remains.

Recite the hundred syllable mantra, considering that as a result of your one-pointed faith, your body becomes clear and unobstructed inside and out, like a crystal vase filled with milk. As it fills with nectar, you obtain the four empowerments and the wisdom of the four joys arises in your mind-stream.

Cry out to your master like a child calling for its mother. We use the words, “O protector!” because the master serves all beings as their refuge, and protector. “Under the power of ignorance and delusion, not knowing the benefits of positive actions and the faults of harmful actions, I have gone against and corrupted my samaya. Lama protector, be my refuge and protect me from the experience of suffering! Chief of all the mandalas, embodiment of all the buddhas, Guru Vajradhara you are the embodiment of great compassion. Chief of all living beings, until enlightenment I take refuge in you!”

There are twenty-seven root samayas of the body, speech and mind[i]. Firstly, there are three sets of three samayas related to the body. The outer three are to abandon stealing, sexual misconduct and taking life. The inner three are to abandon abusing your father and mother, your vajra family and your own body; abusing the Dharma and other individuals, and striking your own body; and forcing yourself to undergo the hardship of extreme ascetic discipline. The secret three are to abandon striking the body of a vajra relative, or criticizing ornaments they may be wearing; striking your vajra sisters or making sexual advances to the lama’s consort; and stepping on or over the lama’s shadow, or acting carelessly with your body and speech in the lama’s presence.

There are three sets of three commitments related to the speech. The outer three are to abandon lying, slander and harsh words. The inner three are to abandon speaking disrespectfully about someone who teaches the Dharma, who contemplates its meaning, or who meditates on the natural state. The secret three are to abandon being disrespectful about what is said by vajra brothers and sisters, those in the master’s entourage, or the master himself.

There are three sets of three commitments related to the mind. The outer three are to abandon malice, covetousness and wrong view. The inner three are to abandon careless activity; dullness or agitation in your meditation; and clinging to the views of eternalism or nihilism. The secret three are to maintain an awareness of the view, meditation and action throughout every session of practice, to maintain an awareness of the yidam deity, and to have faith in the teacher and love for your vajra brothers and sisters.

There are twenty-five branch samayas[ii]. Firstly, there are the five to be recognized: the five aggregates, the five elements, the five faculties, the five consciousnesses, and the five objects. They should be recognized as the mandala of deities of the three seats[iii]. Once they have been understood, there are the five to be accomplished: the vajra family, ratna family, padma family, karma family and tathagata family. There are five substances to be accepted at the time of accomplishment: faeces, urine, blood, semen and marrow. There are five signs of warmth in the practice not to be rejected: the transformation of the five poisons, which are matured into the five wisdoms. There are five to be practised when the signs on the path have become manifest: the three [negative] actions of the body and lying and idle gossip. You should practise them in order to accomplish the benefit of others.

“I confess all my impairments of these commitments! I implore you: let my negative actions caused by disturbing emotions, cognitive obscurations, and wrongs or downfalls, such as those described above—all my flaws—be completely cleansed and purified!”

By confessing and making a resolution in this way, with all four powers complete, Vajrasattva is pleased and smiling, says: “Son/daughter of an enlightened family, your negative actions, obscurations, wrong doing and downfalls are all purified.” Granting his forgiveness, he melts into light and dissolves into you. Through this, you too become Vajrasattva, appearing yet empty, like a reflection in a mirror. At your heart, upon a full moon, is HUNG, around which the four brilliantly radiant syllables OM VAJRA SA TVA emanate rays of five-coloured light. Offering goddesses appear at the tip of each ray of light, holding boundless offering substances, such as the eight auspicious symbols, in their hands. They offer these to the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, who are pleased and send back their blessings and siddhis in the form of five-coloured rays of light which dissolve into you. Light rays emanate from the mantra mala once again, transforming the outer environment into the pure land of Abhirati ('Manifest Joy'), and causing all beings to take on the nature of Vajrasattva’s enlightened body, speech and mind. With this in mind, recite the mantra.

At the end of the session, the outer environment dissolves into the bodies of the Vajrasattvas within it. All their bodies dissolve into you. You melt into light, which is absorbed into the mantra mala. The mantra mala dissolves into the HUNG. The HUNG then gradually dissolves, beginning with the shyabkyu (the vowel sign), and you rest in the state of shunyata.

Then, in a single instant, you visualize the environment and beings as the pure realm and Vajrasattvas once again, and dedicate the merit and make aspirations.

When you practise visualization and recitation like this, it is vital not to interrupt the recitation with ordinary speech, and not to allow the mind to become distracted. As it says in the tantras:

If you lack samadhi meditation,

You are just like a stone in the ocean’s depths:

You might recite the mantra for aeons,

But still there will be no result.

Nevertheless, if you can do the practice with the attitude of bodhichitta and with the four powers complete, then you will purify even serious harmful actions. As Shantideva said:

Like the inferno at the end of time,

Instantly, it will burn away harmful deeds.