Oṁ, homage to Vajraḍāka!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the bhagas of vajra queens, which are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas. There, he noticed Vajragarbha in the midst of eight hundred million lords of yogins, and smiled. As the Blessed One smiled, Vajragarbha immediately rose from his seat, draped his robe over his shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With palms joined, he spoke to the Blessed One. {1.1.1}

“I would like to hear, O master of gnosis, about the secret foundation of all tantras, defined as their emergence from sampuṭa.” {1.1.2}

The Blessed One said:

“Ho Vajragarbha! Well done! Well done, O great compassionate one! Well done! Well done, O great bodhisattva! Well done! Well done, O receptacle of qualities! {1.1.3}

“You are asking all about that Which is secret in all the tantras.” {1.1.4}

Thereupon, these great bodhisattvas, With Vajragarbha as their leader, Asked questions according to their respective doubts With eyes wide open in great exhilaration. {1.1.5}

Bowing repeatedly, they asked, “What is meant by all the tantras? What would be their foundation? Why is this foundation described as secret? {1.1.6}

“What is the emergence from sampuṭa? What would be its defining characteristic?” {1.1.7}

The Blessed One replied, “These tantras are all the tantras. By the phrase all the tantras is meant the Guhyasamāja Tantra, and so forth. That which constitutes their foundation has been established—this is what is meant. Because this foundation is inaccessible to Viṣṇu, Śiva, Brahmā, hearers, and solitary buddhas, it is secret. This secret foundation is sampuṭa, whose nature is gnosis and skillful means. This (gnosis and means) itself is the emergence, which is the meditative absorption of sampuṭa—this is what is meant. Emergence means ‘arising.’ Such defines the intrinsic nature of all animate and inanimate things. Therefore it is their defining characteristic. {1.1.8}

“Alternatively, by the word sampuṭa —sampuṭa that is the foundation of all the tantras—Vajrasattva is meant. By the word secret is meant the secret character of encoding a mantra according to specified rules, of the empowerment ritual of the maṇḍala deities, and so forth. {1.1.9}

“Hear this tantra, explained by me, which has the nature of insight and means!

“First, one should meditate on emptiness And remove the impurities of embodied beings By considering their constituent element of form as empty. One should apply the same concept to sound, {1.1.10}

“And construe the constituent of sound as empty. One should apply the same concept to smell, And regard the constituent of smell as empty. One should apply the same [concept] to taste, {1.1.11}

“And construe the constituent of taste as empty. One should apply the same concept to tactility, And construe the constituent of tactility as empty. One should apply the same concept to mental objects.” {1.1.12}

Vajragarbha said:

“Since the eye by its nature is empty, How can consciousness arise in its midst? Since the ear by its nature is empty, How can consciousness arise in its midst? {1.1.13}

“Since the nose by its nature is empty, How can consciousness arise in its midst? Since the tongue by its nature is empty, How can consciousness arise in its midst? {1.1.14}

“Since the body by its nature is empty, How can consciousness arise in its midst? Since the mind and its objects are by nature empty, How can consciousness arise in their midst? {1.1.15}

“It follows that there is neither form nor its perceiver, No sound and no one who hears, No smell and also no one who smells, No taste and also no one who tastes, {1.1.16}

“No tactile sensation and no one who feels it, And no mind and no thoughts.” {1.1.17}

The Blessed One said:

“Understand that the truth, just like the path, Is nondual—devoid of duality. It cannot be reasoned out or apprehended, And it is difficult to awaken to for intellectuals. {1.1.18}

“It is the secret of all buddhas, Equivalent to empty space. The hearers do not know it, Since they are enveloped by the darkness of ignorance. {1.1.19}

“The knowledge that leads to the removal of habitual tendencies Can be formed by solitary buddhas. But even they, without exception, do not know The secret that is accessible only to buddhas. {1.1.20}

“It is among embodied beings, Whose minds are turned toward liberation From the terror of the ocean of saṃsāra, That the aim of liberation is taught. {1.1.21}

“One should identify the characteristics of the target, Targeting the consciousness with the faculty of gnosis. Through gnosis one should cognize that which needs to be known, Investigating the possible destinies as knowables, {1.1.22}

“Because if one thus investigates the destiny, One can choose its course according to one’s wish. Before one became a practitioner, one had followed The course of consecutive births thousands of times. {1.1.23}

“A wise person, however, reflecting on equality In terms of the empty characteristic as previously taught, Will plant the seed of the empty body In the field of the physical body and the like. {1.1.24}

“Emerging from the sublime crown of the subtle energy channels, It is said to be completely pure. It is the luminous bodhicitta, Which resembles a translucent crystal. {1.1.25}

“It is an entity comprising the five wisdoms, The size of a mustard seed. Inside it there is the deity In both its manifest and unmanifest forms. {1.1.26}

“Half of it is the mother. It is extremely subtle; It has the form of a drop and consists of mind. It always resides in the heart, Has the luster of a star, and has a great brilliance. {1.1.27}

“It abides in the center of the navel, And, if stretched out as a single thread, It would reach, at the end of twelve units, The soles of the feet, and, at the end of nine units, the head. {1.1.28}

“Its fifth part alone, in its full form, Is like the king of nāgas. When this part expands, It emerges into the center of the vajra. {1.1.29}

“The seed that is inside the womb Is the liquefied sphere of phenomena. Its gradual movement Is always toward the nine doors.

“The same goes for fire, which consists of Brahmā. {1.1.30}

“Two earth seed syllables Should be applied to the eyes. The blazing seed syllable is applied to the crown. Seed syllables of wind, space, and so forth, Are mentally applied to the nose, ears, and so forth. {1.1.31}

“The seed syllable of ambrosia-water is applied to the tongue, The supreme deity and lord of all sense faculties. The seed syllable of delusion is applied to the neck. Likewise, the seed syllable of the afflictions is applied to the two arms. {1.1.32}

“The seed syllable of motility is applied to the area of the heart. The ‘two beasts’ are at the two bases of the navel. One who knows the ritual procedure should wear These eight seed syllables on the eight bodily limbs. {1.1.33}

“That which pervades and that which is pervaded, the whole world, With its inanimate and animate things, And its gods and demigods, starting from Brahmā, Becomes a receptacle for this bodhicitta. {1.1.34}

“It is said that the bhaga is the home Where the lord dwells. It will be the seat of action and inaction For as long as one remains in the body. {1.1.35}

“Doing all kinds of things, one accumulates karma. This can be of any kind, good or bad. The method (yoga) is said to be the actualization of the sameness of phenomena; The application (yuñjāna) is the meditation. {1.1.36}

“When the karmic aspect of the body is destroyed, Such a body becomes the deity. One’s own generative power, for its part, is derived from this body— This deity body permeates everything inanimate and animate. {1.1.37}

“One should know the color of this body To resemble, accordingly, the sky. The hero, abiding in nirvāṇa, Is free of stains and impurities. {1.1.38}

“One should worship one’s mother and sister— So, too, one’s daughter or a female relative, A brahmin or a kṣatriya woman, Or one from the vaiśya or śūdra caste, {1.1.39}

“An artiste, a washerwoman, a musician, Or an outcaste. These women should be worshiped Through the ritual procedure of skillful means and insight By one who is devoted to the truth. {1.1.40}

“She should be served with diligence In such a way that the secret is not disclosed. Should it be done in the open, there could be Problems with snakes, thieves, and others who roam the earth. {1.1.41}

“The female consorts (mudrā) are said to be of five types, Classified according to the division of families. A brahmin woman, being from the family of the twice born, Is thought to belong to the tathāgata family. {1.1.42}

“A kṣatriya woman of royal blood, Born into the clans of Peacock, Moon, and so forth, Is said to be Amṛtavajrā. {1.1.43}

“A vaiśya woman or a cowherdess Is thought to belong to the activity (karma) family. A śūdra or a low caste woman Is thought to belong to Vairocana. {1.1.44}

“An artiste belongs to the lotus family, And a washerwoman to the activity family. A singer belongs to the vajra family, And a female outcaste to the jewel family. {1.1.45}

“Now that the five seals are ascertained, The one family of all tathāgatas Will be briefly explained. {1.1.46}

“A tathāgata, a thus-gone one, is a glorious being Who has attained or arrived at ‘thatness.’ A tathāgata is thus defined Based on his insight. {1.1.47}

“This one family is said to have five, One hundred, or infinite divisions. Further, the tathāgatas are grouped into three categories According to the division of body, speech, and mind. {1.1.48}

“The families are the five elements And they also have the nature of the five aggregates. Thus they are families with successive generations who hold A vajra scepter, a wheel, a jewel, a lotus, and a sword. {1.1.49}

“There is no meditator and nothing to meditate on; There is no mantra and no deity. One should establish these two—the mantra and the deity— To be the very nature of freedom from mental elaborations. {1.1.50}

“Vairocana, Akṣobhya, and Amoghasiddhi, Along with Ratnasambhava, Amitābha, and Vajrasattva, And also Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva—all of them Are said to be awakened to the same reality. {1.1.51}

“Brahmā is a buddha because of his emancipation; Viṣṇu is so named after his entry; Śiva is so called because of his constant auspiciousness. Each of them abides in his respective nature. {1.1.52}

“Reality is endowed with genuine bliss. One is awakened through waking up to pleasure. Because it originates in the body (deha), It is called deity (devatā). {1.1.53}

“He who possesses grace (bhaga) Is called Blessed One (bhagavān). Six types of grace are described. They are all qualities, starting with mastery. {1.1.54}

“Alternatively, Blessed One means ‘He who has destroyed the afflictions,’ and so forth. Wisdom (prajñā) is called mother Because she gives birth to the people of the world. {1.1.55}

“Wisdom is also called sister Because she betokens a dowry. Wisdom is called washerwoman Because she delights all beings. Accordingly, she is called rajakī. {1.1.56}

“Wisdom is called daughter (duhitṛ) Because she suckles (duhana) the milk of qualities. Wisdom is called artiste On account of being moved by great compassion. {1.1.57}

“Since it is not possible to touch the deity-goddess (bhagavatī), An untouchable female musician takes on the same name, bhagavatī. Speaking is called mantra recitation Because it involves uttering vowels and consonants. {1.1.58}

“A maṇḍala is a drawing made by the feet. Because it thus involves grinding (malana), it is called maṇḍala. The movement of hands is mudrā, As is the snapping of fingers. {1.1.59}

“Since thought is what is be meditated upon, The thinking process should be the object of meditation. One should enjoy for oneself Whatever bliss is obtained from the father. {1.1.60}

“Any bliss through which one might die Is, in present circumstances, said to be meditation.” {1.1.61}

“Now I will teach the thirty-seven auxiliary factors of awakening.

“The following are the four applications of mindfulness:

“From observing the body—dwelling upon the inner body, the outer body, and both the inner and outer body simultaneously—one reaches an understanding and becomes mindful of the world of beings who require guidance, dejected on account of their ignorance. {1.2.1}

“From observing the sensations—dwelling upon the inner sensations, the outer sensations, and both the inner and outer sensations simultaneously—one reaches an understanding and becomes mindful of the world of beings who require guidance, dejected on account of their ignorance. {1.2.2}

“From observing phenomena—dwelling upon inner phenomena, outer phenomena, and both inner and outer phenomena simultaneously—one reaches an understanding and becomes mindful of the world of beings who require guidance, dejected on account of their ignorance. {1.2.3}

“From observing the mind—dwelling upon the inner mind, the outer mind, and both the inner and outer minds simultaneously—one reaches an understanding and becomes mindful of the world of beings who require guidance, dejected on account of their ignorance. {1.2.4}

“These are the four applications of mindfulness. {1.2.5}

“Now, for the four right exertions, one forms a strong wish that evil and unwholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen may not arise. One strives for this, takes up discipline for its sake, reins in one’s thoughts, and makes a genuine resolution toward this end. {1.2.6}

“One forms a strong wish for the removal of evil and unwholesome dharmas that have already arisen. One strives for this, takes up discipline for its sake, reins in one’s thoughts, and makes a genuine resolution toward this end. {1.2.7}

“One forms a strong wish that wholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen may arise. One strives for this, takes up discipline for its sake, reins in one’s thoughts, and makes a genuine resolution toward this end. {1.2.8}

“In the same way, one forms a strong wish—one which increases by cultivating it more and more—for the wholesome dharmas that have arisen to remain, for complete fulfillment through the cultivation of immeasurable skillful means, and for the complete fulfillment of that which has not yet been fulfilled. One strives for this, takes up discipline for its sake, reins in one’s thoughts, and makes a genuine resolution to this end. {1.2.9}

“These are the four right exertions. {1.2.10}

“Now, for the four bases of miraculous power, one cultivates the miraculous power of the samādhi of aspiration accompanied by the formation of relinquishment. This involves renunciation based on discrimination, the absence of desire, and the cessation of afflictions, leading to refinement in which one thinks, ‘May my aspiration not be too slack, may it not be too taut.’ {1.2.11}

“One cultivates the miraculous power of the samādhi of diligence accompanied by the formation of relinquishment. This involves renunciation based on discrimination, the absence of desire, and the cessation of afflictions, leading to refinement in which one thinks, ‘May my diligence not be too slack, may it not be too taut.’ {1.2.12}

“One cultivates the miraculous power of the samādhi of investigation accompanied by the formation of relinquishment. This involves renunciation based on discrimination, the absence of desire, and the cessation of afflictions, leading to refinement in which one thinks, ‘May my investigation not be too slack, may it not be too taut.’ {1.2.13}

“One cultivates the miraculous power of the samādhi of mental activity accompanied by the formation of relinquishment. This involves renunciation based on discrimination, the absence of desire, and the cessation of afflictions, leading to refinement in which one thinks, ‘May my mental activity not be too slack, may it not be too taut.’ {1.2.14}

“These are the four bases of miraculous power. {1.2.15}

“Now, for the five faculties, one places one’s faith in the worldly correct view that is valid in the realm of desire. This means to develop conviction in the ripening of one’s karma. With the thought, ‘Whatever acts I am going to commit, whether wholesome or unwholesome, I acknowledge that they will bear results,’ one does not commit unwholesome acts even at the risk of losing one’s life. This is called the faculty of faith. {1.2.16}

“One acquires by means of the faculty of diligence whatever qualities one places one’s faith in using the faculty of faith. This is called the faculty of diligence. {1.2.17}

“With the faculty of mindfulness one is not in danger of destroying whatever qualities were acquired by means of the faculty of diligence. This is called the faculty of mindfulness. {1.2.18}

“One brings one-pointed focus with the faculty of samādhi to the qualities that are safeguarded by the faculty of mindfulness. This is called the faculty of samādhi. {1.2.19}

“One fully comprehends with the faculty of insight the qualities that one contemplates one-pointedly with the faculty of samādhi. This is called the faculty of insight. {1.2.20}

“These five faculties develop into five powers, namely, (1) the power of faith, (2) the power of diligence, (3) the power of mindfulness, (4) the power of samādhi, and (5) the power of insight. These are the five powers. {1.2.21}

“What in this list of thirty-seven factors are the seven aids to awakening? They are (1) the mindfulness aid to awakening, (2) the examination of phenomena aid to awakening, (3) the diligence aid to awakening, (4) the contentment aid to awakening, (5) the serenity aid to awakening, (6) the samādhi aid to awakening, and (7) the equanimity aid to awakening. These involve renunciation based on discrimination, the absence of desire, and cessation, and lead to total refinement in which one becomes completely free of afflictions. One should cultivate these seven aids to awakening, the examination of phenomena, and so forth. {1.2.22}

“And what is the noble eightfold path? The correct view, which transcends the mundane sphere, is not being motivated by the belief in a soul (ātman). It is being motivated instead by the belief that there is no being (sattva), psyche (jīva), spirit (poṣa), person (puruṣa, pudgala), human (manuja, mānava), agent (kāraka), or experiencer (vedaka); no annihilation or eternal enduring; no existence or nonexistence; and no distinction between virtuous and nonvirtuous, all the way up to no saṃsāra and no nirvāṇa. This is called the correct view. {1.2.23}

“Thoughts (saṃkalpa) through which arise the afflictions of desire, hatred, and delusion, are thoughts that one should avoid. Thoughts through which arise an abundance of morality, meditative absorption, insight, liberation, and vision into the wisdom of liberation, are thoughts that one should have. These are called correct thoughts. {1.2.24}

“One should use speech that hurts neither oneself nor others, causes no distress to oneself or others, and is not derisive of oneself or others. By applying one’s attention to this one becomes endowed with this speech, through which one enters the correct noble path. This is called correct speech. {1.2.25}

“One should not commit acts that are negative, and whose results are negative. One should perform acts that are positive, and whose results are positive. One should not commit acts that are positive, but whose results are negative. One may commit acts that are negative, but whose results are positive and lead to reducing the negative. Relying on virtuous acts is the correct activity. This is called correct activity. {1.2.26}

“Correct livelihood is when one’s livelihood is restrained, like that of the noble ones, and strictly follows the tenets of virtue, when it is free of hypocrisy, when it does not involve too much talking, when it is not embellished by stories, when one’s conduct has moral integrity, when it does not involve envy of the gains of others, when one is content with one’s blameless gains, and when it is recommended by the noble ones. {1.2.27}

“One should avoid wrong effort, not recommended by the noble ones, that relies on desire, hatred, ignorance, and other afflictions. Instead, one should pursue the effort that brings one to the genuine truth of the noble ones’ path, lays out the path leading to nirvāṇa, and delivers one to each successive stage. This is called correct effort. {1.2.28}

“The mindfulness in which one’s repose is unshakable, one’s body is straight and not crooked, one is able to see the shortcomings, and so forth, of saṃsāra, and by which one is led to the path to nirvāṇa, is a non-forgetting that connects one to the correct path of the noble ones. This is called correct mindfulness. {1.2.29}

“A samādhi engaged in correctly is the meditative absorption by abiding in which one abides in the right way for the sake of liberating all beings and thus reaches nirvāṇa. This is called correct samādhi. {1.2.30}

“The bodhisattva levels of Joyful, and so forth, Which are enumerated as such, Are the bodhisattva abodes, Whose natures are the sense faculties, and so forth; {1.2.31}

“The abodes of all buddhas, Which are the particular aspects of the aggregates, and so forth; And are the ultimate vehicles of awakening For buddhas and bodhisattvas. {1.2.32}

“When the subtle energy channels in this body Become filled with the thirty-two types of bodhicitta, The awakening of the sense faculties, Aggregates, and elements will happen instantly, {1.2.33}

“For awakening is based in one’s own body And nowhere else. Only those steeped in ignorance Regard awakening to be somewhere other than the body. {1.2.34}

“In one’s own body dwells great wisdom, Free of all mental constructs. Pervading all things, It dwells in the body, but is not born of the body.” {1.2.35}

Vajragarbha asked, “What subtle energy channels are in the body?” {1.2.36}

The Blessed One said, “There are one hundred and twenty of them, corresponding to the divisions within the four cakras. The chief ones, those with bodhicitta as their innate nature, are thirty-two in number. They are:

“Abhedyā, Sūkṣmarūpā, Divyā, Vāmā, Vāmanī, Kūrmajā, Bhāvakī, Sekā, Doṣā, Viṣṭā, Mātarī, {1.2.37}

“Śarvarī, Śītadā, Uṣmā, Lalanā, Rasanā, Avadhūtī, Pravaṇā, Hṛṣṭā, Varṇā, Surūpiṇī, Sāmānyā, Hetudāyikā, {1.2.38}

“Viyogā, Premaṇī, Siddhā, Pāvakī, Sumanas, Trivṛttā, Kāminī, Gehā, Caṇḍikā, and Māradārikā.” {1.2.39}

Vajragarbha asked, “Of what kind are these channels, O Blessed One?” {1.2.40}

The Blessed One replied, “They all are permutations of the threefold existence, and are entirely devoid of apprehended object and apprehending subject.” {1.2.41}

Then all the tathāgatas, having paid reverence and prostrated to the Blessed One, said, “Please teach us, O Blessed One, the secret, pithy wisdom that has no equal.” {1.3.1}

The Blessed One, acknowledging the request made by all the tathāgatas, entered the meditative absorption called “the vajra lamp of wisdom that is the essence of all the tantras” and expounded this secret of all the tantras: {1.3.2}

“Always abiding in the pleasure of the supreme secret, Which is of the nature of everything, He is the being who comprises all buddhas— Vajrasattva, the ultimate bliss. {1.3.3}

“For this Blessed One is union— Eternal, stable, and supreme. He manifests as Manmatha, Always invincible by nature. {1.3.4}

“Because of their performance of different actions People want different ritual procedures. It is in this sense that Buddha Vajradhara and others Are said to discipline sentient beings. {1.3.5}

“He, Vajrasattva, is all things, Animate and inanimate, starting with all the buddhas. He is the deity Ḍākinījālasaṃvara Who is in union with all the buddhas. {1.3.6}

“Because of his being in this magical union, Everything is perfect in every way. Because of being trained by buddhas, and so forth, The ultimate aim of beings is accomplished. {1.3.7}

“All the powers of women are accomplished By means of different transformations, according to their natures. Even women of bad conduct attain fulfillment With every possible gain, pleasure, and enjoyment. {1.3.8}

“This consort (mudrā) with various magical powers Is called ḍākinī in the language of the barbarians. The verbal root ḍai, which means ‘traveling in the sky,’ Should be understood here as the etymology of ḍākinī. {1.3.9}

“Traveling throughout the entirety of space is a magical feat— The name ḍākinī indicates that she can accomplish this. In every way, she is the universal consort (mudrā), Joining in union with every Saṃvara. {1.3.10}

“Vajra and Vajradhara (Vajra Holder), Lotus and Padmadhara (Lotus Holder), Jewel and Maṇidhara (Jewel Holder)— These are the Saṃvaras and their respective families.” {1.3.11}

Now the Blessed One entered the meditative absorption called “the stainless seat of the overpowering ability of all the tathāgatas” and explained bodhicitta. {1.3.12}

“It is neither empty nor not empty, Nor can it be in the middle between these two. Its application is the perfection of insight And its means is compassion itself. {1.3.13}

“Consequently, the perfection of insight, With the skillful means of sublime compassion, is clarified. With respect to phenomena free of conceptuality, There is no entity and nothing to cultivate. {1.3.14}

“Also, one should perform all mental activity Inclined toward nonconceptuality. One’s thoughts for the benefit of beings Will then lead to nonconceptual processes. {1.3.15}

“Phenomena all have the nature of the tathāgatas— There is neither a possessor of qualities, nor the condition of being a quality. This talk about phenomena is therefore The same as the sound of an echo.” {1.3.16}

Then, because of the vast scope of qualities Arising through the meditation of the Great Vehicle, All the tathāgatas of the three times Expressed their praise with this king of eulogies: {1.3.17}

“Homage to the king of yoga, the liberator of beings! Homage to the meditator on oneness arising as the universal nature! Homage to the destroyer of ignorance in the ocean of saṃsāra! Homage to the revealer of the singular wisdom of all of reality! I always offer my salutations.” {1.3.18}

The tathāgatas, paying reverence And prostrating themselves again, said, “Please give us, O Blessed One, A single, condensed summary of all phenomena.” {1.3.19}

The Blessed One said:

“One should follow any path that involves sense faculties According to one’s natural disposition. Without applying a focus One should always remain concentrated. {1.3.20}

“Because the identity of everyone abides As the aggregate of consciousness, Some ordinary people and fools Cannot comprehend it. {1.3.21}

“Both mind and thoughts are, by nature, thinking; The consciousness takes on the nature of its knowables. It is the agency in the case of things to be done And, as regards qualities, it constitutes their cultivation. {1.3.22}

“For just as there is a single ocean for many streams, So too, with all the multiplicity of qualities, There is only one liberation —No multiplicity can be here observed. {1.3.23}

“How this instruction is to be internalized can only be learned from the teacher’s mouth.” {1.3.24}

“I will now teach The conclusions common to all the tantras. In all beings alike There is a triangle of vast form, {1.4.1}

“Which is the foundation of them all, Including Brahmā and the other gods and demigods. It is Perfection of Insight, In her form of conventional attributes. {1.4.2}

“It transcends sense objects; It is found in every being’s heart. Why would it need to be elaborated upon? In short, it is awakening itself. {1.4.3}

“While the state of awakening is normally attained After millions of uncountable eons, You can attain it even in this birth Through genuine bliss. {1.4.4}

“One will attain the state of Vajradhara, The state of a universal emperor, Or the eight great siddhis, Or anything else desired by the mind. {1.4.5}

“Beings who are thoroughly bound By the five major afflictions of Ignorance, hatred, desire, pride, and envy Are hurting themselves with their own limbs. {1.4.6}

“Beings who are bound by these are born As denizens of saṃsāra, circling through the six destinies. Deluded by afflictions, They commit many evil deeds. {1.4.7}

“Therefore, in order to destroy the afflictions, A method has been devised by the ingenious Buddha, Who saw that suffering was of no use For those mired in the ocean of saṃsāra. {1.4.8}

“ ‘Once I am transformed by insight and means, The afflictions will become causes for liberation.’ This is the result to be aimed for, The stainless light throughout the three realms. {1.4.9}

“Things partake of the nature Of whatever they are to be cleansed with. Because the function of fire is to consume fuel, It is to be enjoyed as the sublime dance of the Conqueror. {1.4.10}

“Just these—the aggregates, the sense-fields, And the elements—are the pure target. The skillful one will strike them, Just as a capable marksman strikes his enemy. {1.4.11}

“One should strike ignorance with the pure aspect of ignorance, And likewise hatred with the pure aspect of hatred. One should strike desire with the pure aspect of desire, And one’s powerful pride with the pure aspect of pride. {1.4.12}

“One should strike envy with the pure aspect of envy. Lord Vajradhara, for his part, is free of all these afflictions. Struck by the pure aspects of his nature, The five afflictions are pacified. {1.4.13}

“These five afflictions are the five families, The five wisdoms, and the five buddhas. From them are born Vajragarbha, The wrathful deities, the three realms, and beings. {1.4.14}

“This very division of inner constituents Can be learned, very clearly, from the teacher’s mouth. Those beings who are bereft of a teacher Do not learn it, nor the mantra or the mudrā. {1.4.15}

“So, in this Jambūdvīpa— This pure triangle dwelt in by the Buddha— In its central area shaped like the Sanskrit letter e There is the syllable vam, and so we get evam. {1.4.16}

“In this delightful maṇḍala with its three corners Emerges Vajrāralli. This space is also called source of phenomena, And the bhaga of all queens . {1.4.17}

“The lotus at its center Has eight petals and a pericarp. There the vowels and consonants reside in combination, Arranged into eight classes. {1.4.18}

“These vowels and consonants, in the form of mantra, Carry out a multitude of ritual acts for embodied beings. These fifty letters alone Constitute the Vedic scriptures, {1.4.19}

“And also the mantras, the tantras, And the śāstras in their outer aspect. These letters are by nature of indestructible essence— There is nothing whatsoever other than them. {1.4.20}

“The joys of the classes a, ka, ca, ṭa, ta, pa, ya, and sa Are also fifty in number. Evenly fashioned, they are located Within the lotus inside Vajrāralli. {1.4.21}

“They are known to be on each petal In the eight directions. In the center between them, on the stamen, Is the supreme deity. {1.4.22}

“The letter a, the greatest letter, is surrounded By the eight classes. As the foremost among all letters, It is the leader of the classes. {1.4.23}

“From this letter originate All the mantras of embodied beings. {1.4.24}

“The magical powers of the sword, eye salve, foot ointment, magical pill, Entry into subterranean realms, association with full-figured yakṣa women, Ability to course throughout the three realms, and to act in accordance With the properties of alchemical operations— {1.4.25}

“All those great magical powers, accompanied by genuine enjoyment Of the five sense objects within one’s own abode, Issue forth from within the eight classes of letters, Specifically from the supreme sound, whose nature is the eight classes. {1.4.26}

“Whatever utterance of persons’ words Is picked up by the listener Is all the nature of mantra, For it originates only from mantra. {1.4.27}

“This is because it is said that sound is mantra For all embodied beings. It emerges as Dharmāralli, From the great place of the universal knot. {1.4.28}

“There is no fixity whatsoever with mantras Used for siddhis or magical powers. The mantra that is by nature unproduced Is the supreme lord of the sound classes. {1.4.29}

“I will further teach the characteristics Of the emergence from sampuṭa. The letter e, known to be earth, Is Locanā, the ‘seal of action’ (karmamudrā). {1.4.30}

“She is great compassion, omnifarious great means Of unlimited scope. She resides in the nirmāṇa cakra at the navel, Inside a multicolored lotus. {1.4.31}

“The syllable vam, known to be water, Is Māmakī, the ‘seal of phenomena’ (dharmamudrā). Her nature is loving kindness and ardent good wishes. She is the principal goddess of the vajra family. {1.4.32}

“She resides in the dharma cakra At the heart, in an eight-petaled lotus. The syllable ma, said to be fire, Is Pāṇḍarā, the ‘great seal’ (mahāmudrā). {1.4.33}

“Endowed with power and sympathetic joy, This goddess arises from the lotus family. She resides in the sambhoga cakra At the throat, in a sixteen-petaled lotus. {1.4.34}

“The syllable yā, the nature of wind, Which thoroughly destroys all afflictions, Is the chief goddess of the activity family, The great ‘seal of the pledge’ (samayamudrā). {1.4.35}

“With her application of the wisdom of equanimity, She is Tārā who ferries beings across the ocean of saṃsāra. She resides in the mahāsukha cakra, In a thirty-two-petaled lotus. {1.4.36}

“The letter e is known to be insight (prajñā) And vaṃ is skillful means (upāya). This letter e is adorned with the syllable vaṃ And shines with a steady light. {1.4.37}

“Being arranged below and above, They have the natures of insight and skillful means respectively. The syllables e and vaṃ are always a pair, And they are always pronounced as a pair. {1.4.38}

“Alternatively, with the adverbial particle evaṃ (thus) is expressed the totality of tantras, from their beginning to their end. The statement mayā śrutam (have I heard) is made because great passion continually dwells in this tantra. The syllable śru indicates hearing, and the syllable ta, Lord Mahāsukha (Great Bliss). In saying ‘only heard by me,’ the narrator means that it was heard with his ear consciousness, but not directly realized. It has been, however, realized by the Blessed One, so nothing is amiss.” {1.4.39}

The Blessed One continued, “There is no distinction between the recounter of the teaching and the teacher. Or, rather, realization is only from the perspective of the person to be guided, so that the teacher could himself be the recounter: {1.4.40}

“ ‘I am the teacher and I am the teaching; I am also the recipient, part of my assembly.’ How should this be understood? {1.4.41}

“Wherever Lord Mahāsukha dances, he is playing by means of language with singular and multiple modes of expression. Whatever has been taught by the Blessed One, O sons of noble family, that ‘I have heard at one time,’ that is to say, on a particular occasion. This implies that I have realized it. This statement indicates the attainment of the meditative absorption of complete confidence in the inconceivable. {1.4.42}

“ ‘Occasion’ is called time, And time is of three types— Pleasurable time, painful time, And inconceivable time. {1.4.43}

“The pleasurable time is when bodhicitta enters The passage of the nose like a stream of milk; The painful time is when it departs in the form of fire. Between these two ‘times,’ only the latter one is known. {1.4.44}

“Should the former one be unaccompanied by the latter, Time will become inconceivable— There will be neither desire, nor the absence of it, Nor anything in between that can be ascertained. {1.4.45}

“Here, desire has the characteristic of ability (āśakti); The absence of desire is thought to be cessation. Since the in between, devoid of both, is inconceivable, None of the three will be ascertained. {1.4.46}

“Desire and its absence, When combined, are stainless. Likewise, from desire and desirelessness combined Comes the moment of one equal taste. {1.4.47}

“All entities are of equal taste. Bhagavān (one possessing grace) and samaya (time) are said to be one and the same.

“According to the tradition, This grace (bhaga) consists of six aspects: Complete power, form, fame, Splendor, wisdom, and effort.

“He who has these six is called bhagavān (Blessed One). {1.4.48}

“An alternative interpretation is that a bhagavān is one who has destroyed (bhagnavān) all qualities inconducive to awakening. Another interpretation is that the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas are the essence, this essence is the vajra, this vajra is the queen, and in the bhaga of this vajra queen dwelled the Blessed One. By addressing him he bhagavan (O Blessed One), one implies that he dwelled in the bhaga.” {1.4.49}

The Blessed One continued, “This means that the minds of people requiring guidance are captivated by various methods which, for every tathāgata, are of equal taste. ‘I heard his teaching when the Blessed One was dwelling in the source of phenomena, which has the nature of [the bhaga of] vajra queens, who, in turn, are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all the tathāgatas.’ This is how it is: since afflictions are destroyed by insight—afflictions which themselves are devoid of insight—the insight is called bhaga. In this bhaga dwells every tathāgata together with his queen. {1.4.50}

“It is indeed due to the supreme omniscient Wisdom of all the buddhas That in order to experience the bliss of a tathāgata You should take a consort and pay homage to her. {1.4.51}

“O sons of noble family! The letters of the phrase evaṃ mayā śrutam (thus have I heard) are always formed (saṃsthita) at the beginning of a Dharma teaching. These pure letters, which bring the accomplishment of full awakening, and which are ineffable, O Vajrapāṇi, have been spoken by me. By means of these letters, beings reach the other shore of saṃsāra, so distant. Having repeatedly put this goal in front of yourself, you will, with your mind set on it, attain the state of awakening or the state of Vajrasattva in this birth. {1.4.52}

“Beings can attain this inconceivable state, which is not attained even by the bliss-gone ones. Beings can become buddhas when correctly instructed and when the goal is set. By mere self-indulgence they would fall into Avīci hell. They should therefore abandon being afflicted by afflictive thoughts. Fine practitioners, who are beyond the fear of saṃsāric existence, will meditate with a pristine mind. In this way, through the application of skillful means and insight, they will attain the true and pristine state, whose character is the nature of original awareness. Through the transformative power of insight and skillful means, they will become equal to space, illuminating the three realms. This goal is difficult to attain, universally present, and free of causes and conditions. Acting in the world on behalf of oneself and others like a wish-fulfilling gem is, of all siddhis, the supreme one.” {1.4.53}