Takhyung Barwa Nyenyik

Key Points for the Approach Practice of Takhyung Barwa, The Blazing Wrathful Guru, Hayagrīva and Garuḍa[1]

by Jigme Lingpa

For the approach practice, you need to establish the boundary.
Having perfected the vivid presence of the deity [Visualized as in the practice text.] rising from the creative power of emptiness,
From the mantra-mālā in your heart [The crucial point is to visualize in your heart, on a sun-disk seat the size of a mustard seed, a red hūṁ encircled by the root mantra, coloured red and spinning clockwise, and to focus on it without even a moment’s distraction.]
Rays of light stream out and gather back, bringing about the well-being of yourself and others.
Then from the mantra-mālā, jets and balls of fire streak out
And fiery, sparking garuḍas, [Imagine that from all parts of your body as the deity, flocks of garuḍas burst out amidst a blaze of light and fire that that burns the bodies of all and any that create harm, like something going up in flames.] burning those who lead astray.
The horse’s neigh makes the three worlds shudder.
All harmful influences in the ten directions are overpowered and crushed,[Imagine that the harmful influences that watch over the ten directions, with each of their retinues, are summoned by the rays of light and trampled underfoot.]
When the harmful influences above are being subjugated, from the garuḍa’s head
Rays of light burst out. [From the red garuḍa in the deity’s left hand, countless emanations just like it streak out and even from the pores of the deity’s body identical garuḍas pour out. From their dazzling radiance, rays of light shoot out that burn on contact, and the harmful influences of planetary demons and nāgas burst into flames and are utterly destroyed.] Such is the pith instruction.
Any dark, harmful force is just the outflow of the deluded mind;
The harmed, the harmer and the antidote—when all three
Are seen to be the same in the intrinsic nature of things,
You will have arrived at the stage of spontaneously perfect vidyādhara.

Extremely profound, this wisdom mind treasure
Is sealed from those with wrong views and no right to receive it.
Samaya! Dha tim.

In the root text itself of the notes for the approach practice of the Wrathful Hayagrīva and Garuḍa, whatever may be difficult to understand is clarified by the interlinear notes. In a retreat, however long you do, most important is just to maintain silence, and focus with the mind undistracted. Also, even if you do not imagine a lot of emanating and reabsorbing rays of light, it is not a fault. Mainly, when you do the recitation, you should keep your attention focused one-pointedly on the red hūṁ, drawn as fine as a split hair, with the mantra-mālā spinning around it clockwise making its own sound.

The way to do a retreat is no different from what is explained in the guide for the approach of the main practice of the Lion-Faced Ḍākinī[2] and the like.

| Rigpa Translations. Edited by the Longchen Nyingtik Project, 2023.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions

'Jigs med gling pa. "bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba las/ dbang dang bsnyen pa'i gnad yig". In klong chen snying thig rtsa pod. 5 Vols. Bodhnath, Kathmandu and Bodhgaya, Bihar: Shechen Publications, 1994. (BDRC W1KG13585). Vol. 2: 439–441.

'Jigs med gling pa. "bla ma drag po rta khyung 'bar ba las/ dbang dang bsnyen pa'i gnad yig." In gsung ’bum/_’jigs med gling pa, Lhasa edition (9 vols). Gangtok, Sikkim: 1999. (BDRC W1KG10193) Vol. 8: 21–23.

Version: 1.0-20230227