“I will now explain, For the benefit of practitioners, By what method the disciple is initiated, And also the general ritual procedure. {2.1.1}

“First, the officiating yogin, assuming the identity of the deity, Should purify the ground, Diligently making it into vajra by means of the syllable hūṁ. He should next draw the maṇḍala. {2.1.2}

“In a garden, a secluded place, The abode of a bodhisattva, An empty enclosure, or a residence He should delimit a splendid circle. {2.1.3}

“He should trace it with sublime powders. Alternatively, he should do it with middling materials— Powders of the five precious substances, Rice flour, or something similar. {2.1.4}

“The maṇḍala should be three cubits Plus three thumb-widths in diameter. Into this maṇḍala should be brought four sublime consorts (vidyā), Who originate from the five buddha families. {2.1.5}

“When, in his pursuit of the path of mantra, An able disciple is initiated In the presence of all the buddhas, In a maṇḍala, which is the abode of the bliss-gone ones, {2.1.6}

“He should be able, in addition, To behold the goddess of infinite world spheres If this wise disciple has reached the state of self-consecration And is anxious not to violate his samaya. {2.1.7}

“It has also been taught by the fully awakened ones In the mantra vehicle that from the perspective of absolute truth The samaya of Vajrasattva and other deities Should not be taken lightly. {2.1.8}

“For that reason, a son of the victorious ones Should, with every precaution and care, Approach, according to protocol, A vajra master, who is an ocean of qualities, about the initiation. {2.1.9}

“Optionally, he should choose, as available, A mother, an older sister, a younger sister, A daughter, or a niece And do the right practice with her. {2.1.10}

“But if these consorts (vidyā) are not physically available, He can then take other women, Praised by the omniscient one, And specified by the buddhas: {2.1.11}

“A brahmin’s daughter, a washerwoman, an outcast, a musician, a high caste woman, a princess, a daughter of an artiste, or a craftswoman. She should have the eyes of a doe, a slender waist, wide hips, and taut breasts. She should have a fine bhaga, and be strict in her observance of samaya, clever, honest, and conversant with mantra and tantra. These girls are said to be, in the whole triple universe, invaluable to superior practitioners. With them, every accomplishment will be attained, precisely according to the sequence of the families. {2.1.12}

“Alternatively, he can also take For a consort (mudrā) a sixteen-year-old girl, As may be available, endowed with The freshness of youth and beautiful eyes. {2.1.13}

“Having selected such a consort (vidyā), he should purify her Through the procedure of going for refuge, and so forth, And explain to her the secret reality And all the stages of mantra and tantra. {2.1.14}

“Optionally, with sounds of passion and his tongue In the nether region, he should place her on top. Likewise, he should perform in succession The full repertory of advanced positions. {2.1.15}

“The consort (vidyā), who is adorned with earrings, Waist chain, pearl necklace, anklets, Bracelets, and so forth, being thus purified, Bestows the supreme accomplishment. {2.1.16}

“The partner of the consort (vidyā) and his companions, In a place free from disturbances, Should adorn themselves with garlands, sandalwood paste, Clothes, and so forth, and announce themselves to the master. {2.1.17}

“Using gifts of perfume, chaplets, and so forth, Along with generous offerings of milk, and so forth, The initiate should worship with devotion, Eagerly offering to the master his consort (mudrā). {2.1.18}

“As a disciple, he should, with devotion, Place his knee on the ground And with palms joined beseech The preceptor with the following praise: {2.1.19}

“ ‘Homage to you, O womb of emptiness, Free of all mental constructs! Homage and praise to you, body of wisdom Whose mass is omniscient wisdom! {2.1.20}

“ ‘Homage to you, destroyer of ignorance in the world, Instructor on the pure meaning of reality, Diamond being born from The absence of self in phenomena! {2.1.21}

“ ‘Homage to you, O lord bodhicitta, From which always emerge The fully awakened ones and bodhisattvas, With their qualities of the six perfections! {2.1.22}

“ ‘Homage to you, hero of the world, From whom originate the Three Jewels, the Great Vehicle, All animate and inanimate things, And this entire triple universe! {2.1.23}

“ ‘Homage to you, O venerable son of the Buddha, Who manifests like a wish-fulfilling gem, Carrying out the orders of the bliss-gone ones To accomplish the wishes of the world. {2.1.24}

“ ‘O omniscient one, please grant me this favor: Bestow upon me the vajra empowerment without delay So that I can understand, Through your power and merit, the highest truth. {2.1.25}

“ ‘Just as the secret of all the buddhas Was shown to Vajradharmin By the venerable Cittavajra, In the same way, O lord, be kind to me! {2.1.26}

“ ‘Apart from your lotus feet, There is no other path for me. Therefore, please have compassion, O lord, You who have conquered the wanderings of saṃsāra!’ {2.1.27}

“Next, the venerable vajra master, Full of kindness and altruism, Should generate compassion for the disciple And summon him into the maṇḍala of the assembly— {2.1.28}

“The maṇḍala overflowing with the five objects of desire, Brightened with an outstretched canopy, Composed of yoginīs and yogins, Filled with the soft sounds of the bell, {2.1.29}

“Pleasant with flowers, incense, and unguents, Delightful with garlands and the enjoyments of gods— This maṇḍala of Vajrasattva and other deities, Which is marvelous in the highest degree. {2.1.30}

“Having united with the consort (mudrā), The master, supremely pleased, Should place in a lotus dish The bodhicitta born of the son of the victorious ones. {2.1.31}

“Using raised yak-tail whisks and parasols, And singing songs with auspicious verses, The lord of the world (i.e., the master) should initiate The disciple by having him join with the consort (mudrā). {2.1.32}

“Having bestowed the initiation, the true jewel, The master, the supreme lord, Should also bestow the samaya— Exquisite, sublime, and pure in nature. {2.1.33}

“It consists of great blood (human blood) and camphor (semen), Mixed with red sandalwood (human flesh), And blended with vajra water (urine). The fifth ingredient derives from the mind (citta, semen). {2.1.34}

“This samaya has been duly Taught by all buddhas— Please guard this auspicious samaya at all times. Now listen about the vows. {2.1.35}

“You must not kill living beings. You should not give up the jewel of women. You should not abandon your master. These vows must not be violated. {2.1.36}

“The wisdom consort (vidyā) that was described before — Or, alternatively, his own yoginī, Purified and fashioned into the wisdom consort (vidyā)— Should be anointed with olibanum and camphor. {2.1.37}

“He should make love to her Until she releases her sexual fluid. Having covered the face of the female consort (mudrā) And the face of the male consort, {2.1.38}

“The master should place the substance Produced through love-making into the disciple’s mouth. At that point the experience of equal taste Will be produced within his range of perception. {2.1.39}

“His self-awareness will become gnosis, Devoid of discrimination between self and other. Pure and empty like the sky, It is the ultimate nature of existence and nonexistence. {2.1.40}

“It is a combination of insight and skillful means, A mixture of passion and its absence— This alone is the living breath of living beings; This alone is the supreme syllable. {2.1.41}

“This breath pervades everything; It alone possesses the gnosis of the buddhas. It is said to be the glorious Heruka; From it arise existence and nonexistence, And every other entity. {2.1.42}

“The first joy is the hero, the male partner. The supreme joy is the yoginī, the female partner. The joy of sexual bliss is all things combined— Its pleasure is the means leading to omniscience. {2.1.43}

“The first of the four joys is merely called joy. The supreme joy is counted as the second. The third is called the joy of cessation, And the fourth is known as the innate joy. {2.1.44}

“Accordingly, the initiation is also fourfold:

“The first is the vase initiation, The second is the secret initiation, The third is the gnosis initiation with the consort (prajñā), And the fourth is the same again. {2.1.45}

“When the disciple is free of impurities By means of the initiation of bodhicitta, He should be given, before the supreme City of the buddhas, the following command: {2.1.46}

“ ‘Until the final attainment of awakening, In the circle of the compass all around, May you turn the supreme wheel of Dharma In every quarter up to the farthermost reaches. {2.1.47}

“ ‘Embodying the nature of insight and skillful means, Like a wish-fulfilling gem high above, Untiring and without attachment, Please work for the benefit of beings without delay.’ {2.1.48}

“Having now obtained the initiation and the master’s order, Fully content through having done what needed to be done, He should speak the following sweet words, Which bring joy to the world: {2.1.49}

“ ‘Now my birth has become fruitful, And my life has borne fruit. Now I have been born into the family of the Buddha— Right now I am the Buddha’s son. {2.1.50}

“ ‘From the turmoil of being born in Avīci hell, Where there is great terror for oceans of eons, I have been saved, O lord, by you— Saved from the quagmire of afflictions, so difficult to cross. {2.1.51}

“ ‘Because of your grace, I know myself To be manifested in full, as it were. Being freed from all habitual tendencies, In the state of complete awakening I have no desires.’ {2.1.52}

“The disciple should fall with devotion at the master’s feet, Joyful, with eyes wide open, And whatever thing is most pleasing to the master, He should offer it to him without expectations. {2.1.53}

“The master, for his part, Should listen, full of compassion, For the sake of removing the disciple’s grasping And for the sake of his welfare. {2.1.54}

“The disciple should then bow to and worship the master, Offering to him the master’s fee— Hundreds of thousands of gold pieces, Jewels of various kinds, {2.1.55}

“And hundreds of pairs of garments; Elephants, horses, the kingdom itself, Earrings, bracelets, Supreme necklaces, and finger rings; {2.1.56}

“A golden thread of a brahmin, And even his wife and daughter; Male and female slaves, and his own sister— Having prostrated oneself, he should offer all this. {2.1.57}

“Prostrating before the master, he should offer himself And all that exists with the following words: ‘From now on I am your servant, Presented to you by myself.’ {2.1.58}

“In this way, he should further say: ‘The desired place has been reached; Now the kind favor of all the buddhas Is with me. {2.1.59}

“ ‘As I have accomplished, through your power, The unsurpassable awakening, I set up, in this perfect awakening, The seat (pada) worshipped by all the exalted ones. On this very seat, I will establish all beings Dwelling throughout the threefold universe.’ {2.1.60}

“The initiation can only be given by a realized master (muni), According to the procedure, after ascertaining the disciple’s dedication. Such a master, dedicated to the vast and profound conduct, Should give the precious initiation by speech alone. {2.1.61}

“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}

“Having obtained the master’s order, with an intellect that dons armor For embarking upon conquest over the wicked foes throughout the three worlds, The practitioner of truth should apply himself stainlessly In this vast attitude set on awakening.” {2.1.63}

“Now I will explain the meditation Done for the sake of developing insight and skillful means— I will explain it in order to benefit practitioners, Whose energy is devoted to serving the interests of others. {2.2.1}

“The yogins, having practiced this meditation, Do not remain in saṃsāra—this frightening ocean, difficult to cross— Nor do they remain in nirvāṇa, Which would merely be for their own sake. {2.2.2}

“By this meditation, at its exalted culmination, They will attain unsurpassable awakening— The wondrous awakening of the buddhas, Free from waning or waxing. {2.2.3}

“They should neither relinquish phenomena, such as the five aggregates, Nor should they transgress against the three vehicles. They should perceive them to be empty like the plantain tree, Absolutely equal in the expanse of phenomena. {2.2.4}

“A yogin should neither contemplate that entities are empty, Nor that they are not empty. Nor should a yogin abandon the thought that they are empty, Or that they are not empty. {2.2.5}

“When there is grasping at things as ‘empty’ or ‘not empty,’ There will arise a lot of conceptual thoughts, But when there is complete renunciation, there is no conceptual thought. Therefore, he should abandon this duality of ‘empty’ and ‘not empty.’ {2.2.6}

“When he gives up dualistic grasping, He is liberated—free of reference point. Since ‘I’ is also a concept, It should also be abandoned. {2.2.7}

“Without fluctuations, without doubts, Without yearnings, the impurities gone, Free of thoughts of a beginning and an end, The wise practitioner should engage in a sky-like meditation. {2.2.8}

“But a compassionate practitioner also Should never turn his back on living beings. ‘Beings exist’ or ‘beings do not exist’— He should not speculate in this way. {2.2.9}

“The state characterized by the absence of mental elaboration Has been proclaimed to be insight. Compassion is bringing about the welfare of all beings, Like a wish-fulfilling gem. {2.2.10}

“On the meditational level without reference There is great compassion without reference. This great compassion is one with insight, Just like space contained within space. {2.2.11}

“Where there is no meditator, There also is no meditation, And no object to meditate upon— This is called meditation on reality. {2.2.12}

“So, too, there is no action here, And also nothing to partake of. Free from the agent and the experiencer, Such is meditation on the ultimate truth. {2.2.13}

“Nor is there a practitioner of any kind here, Nor anyone who offers praise. There is, therefore, nothing whatsoever to abandon And nothing whatsoever to adopt. {2.2.14}

“This state has the nature of a city of gandharvas. Similar to a magical display or a mirage, And the same as the city of Hariścandra, It is perceived as if it were play in a dream. {2.2.15}

“It is seen and touched As an illusion in every way. It is impossible to find Lasting existence for any living being. {2.2.16}

“In the inconceivable commingling of union, Which is like the conjunction of a dream and subsequent awakening, There is a meeting of two sex organs, The same as in the case of a divinely youthful form. {2.2.17}

“When one has placed the liṅga inside the bhaga, This is the meditation of recollecting the buddhas— A certain amount of wisdom will arise, Stainless in the beginning, middle, and end. {2.2.18}

“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}

“While talking, laughing, Or tasting different tastes, And while performing all kinds of actions With the mind not wandering elsewhere, {2.2.20}

“There always arises nondual union (yoga) For yogins who know reality. This is called nonduality— This is the ultimate bodhicitta. {2.2.21}

“This is vajra and glorious Vajrasattva, The one who is fully awakened, and also awakening itself. This is also the perfection of wisdom, Which comprises all the perfections. {2.2.22}

“This is said to be equanimity, The foremost meditation of all buddhas. From within this very state everything arises— The world’s animate and inanimate objects, {2.2.23}

“Infinite bodhisattvas, fully awakened buddhas, Hearers, and so forth. The yogin, disconnected from both existence and nonexistence, Should cultivate this state only. {2.2.24}

“If he meditates, free from existence and nonexistence, He will swiftly become accomplished, Feeling distaste for all his faults, And turning his back upon the afflictions. {2.2.25}

“The endless qualities of the glorious bliss-gone ones Will arise from his meditation. {2.2.26}

“The mind, which is overcome by the darkness of many concepts, Mad as a storm and fickle as lightning, Stained with the dirt of unrestrainable desire, and so forth— This mind has been declared by the vajra holder (Vajradhara) to be saṃsāra. {2.2.27}

“But the mind, which is luminous and free from conceptuality, Which has lost its layer of the dirt of desire, and so forth, Which lacks both the perceived and the perceiver— This mind has been declared by the best of beings to be supreme nirvāṇa. {2.2.28}

“As a cause for the manifold heap of suffering, There is nothing other than this mind. And likewise, as a cause for the emergence of infinite happiness, There is nothing other than this mind, O seekers of liberation! {2.2.29}

“Those who have resolved on the destruction of all suffering, Who wish to obtain the genuine happiness of the fully awakened ones, They should stabilize their minds and investigate with care, Construing this mind to be devoid of independent existence. {2.2.30}

“For as long as the minds of beings who are subject to birth Are hampered by the thick, dark veil of conceptual thinking, Their suffering will be endless. But as soon as their minds are free of this veil, {2.2.31}

“Their happiness will be immense and unequaled. The noble ones should therefore exert themselves For the sake of removing this veil— They will then witness the great expansion of their happiness. {2.2.32}

“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. 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}

“On a mountaintop, in a Śiva temple, in a lotus garden, on the ocean’s shore, in a royal park, in any secluded place, in his own home, in any place pleasing to the mind that is praised by the omniscient ones—in locations like these, in whatever place the adept of mantra may find himself—there he should practice meditation with tenacity. Awakening can never be directly attained without insight and skillful means. Therefore, if he abandons the wisdom consort (prajñā), the sublime lady who grants complete awakening, siddhis that are endowed with each of the seals (mudrā) will not be bestowed. For that reason, he should apply the four seals that give rise to wisdom. {2.2.34}

“Ignorance is the samayamudrā (seal of commitment). Hatred is always said to be the mahāmudrā (great seal), and envy the karmamudrā (seal of action). Desire is, by its nature, the dharmamudrā (seal of phenomena). The practitioner should manifest these different seals and sexually enjoy and serve his consort (prajñā), regarding them both (the seal and the consort) to be deity by nature. {2.2.35}

“Being tranquil because of ignorance, wrathful because of anger, or impassioned because of desire, he performs different actions to fulfill the aims of these five emotions. With these five, he becomes a victorious one. {2.2.36}

“At dawn, at the close of the day, at midday, or at midnight he should thoroughly do the practice with the consort (mudrā). Otherwise there will be no accomplishment. When the practitioner stays among uncouth people, and is afraid that the teachings might be disparaged, he should visualize the union with consort in his own mind only, manifesting it in his imagination. Otherwise, the practitioner should do this practice assiduously with a real consort. If a wisdom consort (prajñā) cannot be acquired in the flesh, he should practice perpetually with those in ‘the horizontal profession.’ For if the practitioner does not physically touch the best of lotuses every day, every month of the year, his samaya becomes damaged. And when the samaya is damaged, he becomes negligent of his practice. Having restored his samaya of a bodhisattva, he should vow not to let this happen again thenceforth. Consequently, he should do the practice with the consort (mudrā) in secret, using secret substances, mantra, and tantric techniques, while keeping his samaya, following his prescribed conduct, and abiding in reality (tattva). Having attained awakening in this way, having inevitably reached the inconceivable state by means of the correct practice of union, he should meditate one-pointedly on the threefold universe as the inconceivable domain.” {2.2.37}

“Now I will teach The miraculous manifestation of all maṇḍalas— The maṇḍala of glorious Vajrasattva and other deities, Which is complete and perfect in every way. {2.3.1}

“Within the pleasure of the supreme secret, One should practice the nature of them all. In a secluded place, a residence, Or one’s own garden {2.3.2}

“One should perform each of the seals thoroughly, And together with each of the Saṃvaras, in all their detail, Complete all the other features necessary in a maṇḍala, At one’s leisure. {2.3.3}

“The maṇḍala of all the tathāgatas Is the gnosis of emptiness itself; It accomplishes all the practices Of wrathful and peaceful deities. {2.3.4}

“How shall I explain the inconceivable Dance of the buddhas, The meditation of deity practice, The ritual procedure of mantra recitation, {2.3.5}

“Or the images painted or sculpted, Or any images mentally created? All this has been taught by me in the tantras For the benefit and advantage of beings. {2.3.6}

“While the holder of the vajra of emptiness (Vajradhara) is only one, The family of the tathāgatas is said to be fivefold.” {2.3.7}

Vajragarbha said:

“Please be so kind to explain, O gentle lord of great bliss, The nature of the letters and colors visualized in the development stage, And the order and arrangement of the deities’ arms. {2.3.8}

“Please explain also the rules regarding the mantra recitation, By means of which the practitioner will become accomplished.” {2.3.9}

The Blessed One said:

“Firstly, one should cultivate loving kindness; Secondly, compassion; Thirdly, sympathetic joy; And lastly, equanimity. {2.3.10}

“Enumerating again, one should first awaken in emptiness; Secondly, one should conceive the seed syllable; Thirdly, one should generate the complete image of the deity; And fourthly, one should do the placement of syllables. {2.3.11}

“One should visualize in front a sun disk transformed from the syllable ra, And on it a double vajra scepter transformed from the syllable hūṁ. One should visualize a surrounding wall and a protective canopy As made of such double scepters. {2.3.12}

“Then the wise practitioner should first visualize a corpse, Which has the nature of the expanse of phenomena. Then, standing on top of it, He should conceive of himself as Heruka. {2.3.13}

“In his heart he should visualize the syllable ra, And arising from it, a sun disk. On that sun disk he should visualize the syllable hūṁ, With the nature of wisdom and skillful means, {2.3.14}

“Black in color and very frightening. The hūṁ then transforms into a vajra scepter. In the center of the scepter’s hub, He should once again visualize the very quintessence of hūṁ. {2.3.15}

“He should visualize that this transforms Into the lord whose nature is hatred— The great hero of adamantine origin, Whose color resembles that of a blue lotus. {2.3.16}

“Alternatively, he should visualize him, With strong faith, as reddish-blue, Picturing him, the venerable one, in the sky above As being of adamantine origin and filled with great compassion. {2.3.17}

“He should worship him by means of visualizing The eight goddesses of offerings, adorned with all kinds of jewelry: Gaurī who is holding a moon disk, Caurī holding a sun disk, {2.3.18}

“Vetalī with a water vessel in her hand, Ghasmarī holding medicines, Pukkasī with a vajra scepter in her hand, Śavarī holding tasty foodstuffs, {2.3.19}

“Caṇḍālī sounding a ḍamaru, And Ḍombī embracing him around the neck. The lord should be worshiped by these goddesses According to the elaborate ritual procedure for offering. {2.3.20}

“Then he should become the nature of all phenomena, Which is free from any reference. He should visualize the seed syllable between the moon and sun disks, Which emerge from the vowels and the consonants respectively. {2.3.21}

“That cognition is precisely what is called the being Whose nature is the supreme joy. Forms of light identical to his own body emanate forth, Flooding the expanse of the sky. {2.3.22}

“Once the practitioner has absorbed them, drawing them back into his heart, He should become Heruka—one whose nature is hatred. {2.3.23}

“In the center of the expanse of the sky He should visualize a sun disk. Then from the syllable hūṁ atop the sun disk he arises, Reddish-blue in color, and adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.3.24}

“He has two arms, one face, Three eyes, and yellow, upward-flowing hair. With an angry gaze, and the body of a sixteen year old, He stands astride Bhairava. {2.3.25}

“With a vajra khaṭvāṅga in his left arm, A skull cup in his left hand, And a black vajra scepter in his right hand, Whose nature is to make the sound hūṁ, {2.3.26}

“The lord frolics in a charnel ground, Surrounded by the eight goddesses. The practitioner should visualize in this way The lord who is the supreme ambrosia of all practices. {2.3.27}

“He alone is the blessed practice of the union— The tathāgata Vajrasattva. {2.3.28}

“He should then assume the form of the angry Heruka Adorned with four arms, Meaning that he is the nature of the four joys And is purified of the four Māras. {2.3.29}

“Standing in the previously described maṇḍala circle, He has transformed from the seed syllable hūṁ. In his left hand there is a skull cup Filled with the blood of gods and demigods. {2.3.30}

“In his right hand he holds a flame-like vajra scepter, Frightening even fear itself. With his other two arms he is embracing the consort (prajñā), Who, for her part, is embracing him. {2.3.31}

“He should visualize her form As the Blessed Vajravārāhī. {2.3.32}

“First, he should meditate on emptiness. Then, on the pericarp of a lotus He should visualize a full moon disk, And in the center of this moon disk, the syllable hūṁ. {2.3.33}

“He should visualize the form of the deity With three faces and six arms. The first face is black, The right one is white and peaceful, {2.3.34}

“And the left one is red in color. The lord has three eyes that are sublime in appearance. He is replete with all the adornments, And stands on a skull cup platform. {2.3.35}

“In his hands he is holding a skull cup Filled with excrement, urine, semen, and blood; A bow and arrow; A vajra scepter; and a bell. {2.3.36}

“The first right hand has a blazing vajra scepter, And the third, a trident. The glorious one is embraced by his consort (prajñā) And adorned by a knot of matted hair. {2.3.37}

“He should repeatedly radiate blazing light With scintillating clouds composed of buddhas. The practitioner should then visualize Himself in the center of a bhaga. {2.3.38}

“Then he should visualize the consort (mudrā) As united with the main deity. On the lotus petals, he should draw the goddesses Standing on skull cup platforms. {2.3.39}

“Their forms, of different colors, are pleasing to the mind And they each have one face and four arms. First, he should draw the beautiful consort (vidyā) Who holds an arrow and bow, {2.3.40}

“A skull cup filled with semen, And a goad. Second, he should draw the goddess who has in her hands a spear, A skull cup filled with blood, {2.3.41}

“A vajra scepter, and a noose. He should draw her on the southern petal. Third, on the northern petal, he should draw The goddess who has in her hands a sword, {2.3.42}

“A skull cup filled with water, A vajra scepter, and a bell. He should draw the fourth goddess On the western petal. {2.3.43}

“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. {2.3.44}

“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. {2.3.45}

“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. {2.3.46}

“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. {2.3.47}

“The eighth goddess he should draw In the southeastern quarter. She is holding in her hands A pitcher, a vajra scepter, a bell, {2.3.48}

“And a skull cup filled with substances, Covered with human skin. He should draw these goddesses on the petals And the lord Mahāsukha on the pericarp. {2.3.49}

“He should draw, in the secret maṇḍala, Various musical instruments. He should draw the gate keepers— A goddess holding a goad, {2.3.50}

“And likewise, one with a vajra noose, a chain, And a vajra bell. He should visualize himself in the center of a vulva, And later begin mantra recitation. {2.3.51}

“Hūṁ pertains to Vajrasattva; Oṁ is distinctiveness of tone; Aḥ, which is of the color of pure crystal, Is perfectly endowed with speech. {2.3.52}

“He should add the syllable hrīḥ And also the word svāhā. This mantra has been taught as the one to recite, But, during meditation, it should consist of a single syllable. {2.3.53}

“The syllable hrīḥ of the goddesses Should then be placed on the petals. It should be joined with the four seed syllables That are the nature of the four types of offerings. {2.3.54}

“It should be joined with the first sound (oṁ), and so forth, And placed on the female gatekeepers all around. Then the practitioner should insert His vajra into the bhaga. {2.3.55}

“He should, at that point, utter the syllable hūṁ, And also the syllable hrīḥ. He should orally ingest the semen, Mixing it with the blood, when the woman is menstruating. {2.3.56}

“He should make offerings of flowers and fragrances To himself and also to the bhaga. At this point he should recite the mantra If he wants to attain siddhi. {2.3.57}

“There is Vajraraudrī And also Vajrabimbā. Vajrarāgī is the third And Vajrasaumyā the fourth. {2.3.58}

“The fifth is Vajrayakṣī And the sixth Vajraḍākinī. The seventh is Śabdavajrā And Pṛthvīvajrā is the eighth.” {2.3.59}

“Listen well, Vajragarbha, about the preparation Of magical circles and their specifications, as required for Pacifying, enriching, enthralling, and so forth, And also protecting and assaulting. {2.4.1}

“The wise practitioner should have someone Draw the outline of a wheel, with nine divisions and the rest, And visualize the colors, and so forth, As required for individual rituals involving the circle. {2.4.2}

“Oṁ tāre tuttāre ture svāhā. {2.4.3}

“The seed syllables of this mantra are all-purpose— The first (oṁ) and the last (svāhā) are for homage and homa respectively. The target’s name should be included in the middle, Along with the phrase “please protect.” {2.4.4}

“He should fashion his form From emptiness, by means of the wisdom of equality, And position it within the protective circle, The place of knowing everything as equal. {2.4.5}

“He should meditate that protection is provided By wisdom beings, so that all dangers are kept at a distance. Accepting the non-reality of sentient beings, He should cultivate the state of deity yoga. {2.4.6}

“In the center of a moon disk He should visualize a lotus throne And imagine there his own body As the goddess Tārā, who grants all siddhis. {2.4.7}

“He should visualize the following letters:

“On his head, oṁ tāre svāhā. On the eyes, oṁ tuttāre svāhā. On the nose, oṁ ture svāhā. On the ears, oṁ tu svāhā. On the tongue, oṁ re svāhā. On the chest, oṁ tāriṇi svāhā. {2.4.8}

“He should always wear this sixfold protection And visualize himself as noble Tārā, With two arms, sitting in the sattvaparyaṅka posture, And adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.9}

“Her right hand grants fearlessness to all; Her left one holds a lotus. Among all the deities, he should propitiate The one who is roused by the following king of mantras: {2.4.10}

“Oṁ kurukulle hrīḥ svāhā.

“This mantra accomplishes everything. {2.4.11}

“It protects from being bound by enemies and kings, From poisons dreadful in their ways. It arrests various fevers afflicting the body And removes untimely death due to toxins and so forth. {2.4.12}

“Wherever there is fear, He should employ this mantra. A dull-witted person will become intelligent. He should write it down and wear it for protection. {2.4.13}

“This sublime protection Vanquishes every threat. It protects everyone; It is the unsurpassable essence of deity yoga. {2.4.14}

“He should visualize a sun disk With blazing light rays, And at its center the syllable hrīḥ, Shining with red light. {2.4.15}

“Then, he should visualize himself In Kurukullā’s form, with one face and four arms, Holding in one pair of her hands an arrow and a bow, And in the other pair, a lotus and a goad. {2.4.16}

“By merely meditating on this One can enthrall the threefold universe— Kings with one hundred thousand repetitions of the mantra; Ordinary people with ten thousand; {2.4.17}

“Animals, yakṣas, and so forth with ten million repetitions; Demigods with seven hundred thousand; Gods with two hundred thousand; And followers of Mantra with one hundred. {2.4.18}

“This yantra-wheel has eight spokes, Is white, and has a beautiful glow. Visualizing it as having the nature of equality, And being in essence the threefold universe, {2.4.19}

“He should form himself as previously explained With the aforementioned characteristics, And then visualize [Prajñāpāramitā’s] yantra-wheel In the rituals for making wisdom blaze forth. {2.4.20}

“He should recite, Oṁ prajñe mahāprajñe hūṁ svāhā. {2.4.21}

“He should visualize himself by means of merging with the essence As Prajñāpāramitā, the very nature of wisdom made manifest, Sitting in the center of a moon disk, And blazing with a profusion of light. {2.4.22}

“She has two arms and sits in the sattvaparyaṅka posture. Adorned with all kinds of jewelry, Sublime with white radiance, She should be construed as the very nature of wisdom. {2.4.23}

“When this mantra is recited By those who are dull, or of inferior intellect, Their wisdom will grow like the branch of a tree Through their applying this method for increasing it. {2.4.24}

“In the center of a moon disk He should place the seed syllable of Vairocana. This syllable changes into the lord with one face and four arms, Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls. {2.4.25}

“Of gentle disposition, he holds a wheel, a bell, A human skull, and a noose. He radiates bursts of light all around And is surrounded by a halo of flames. {2.4.26}

“Following the same procedure, He should visualize Ratnasambhava— Radiant yellow, Resembling molten gold, {2.4.27}

“Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls, With one face and four arms, Of heroic disposition, and holding a jewel, a goad, A human skull, and a noose. {2.4.28}

“Following the same procedure, he should visualize The vajra holder of the lotus family (Amitābha), With one face and four arms, Shining like ruby, {2.4.29}

“Holding a bow and arrow, of heroic disposition, Sitting on a throne of human skulls. Holding in his other pair of hands a lotus and a noose, He is adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.30}

“Following the same procedure, he should visualize Amoghasiddhi, a sword in his hand, Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls, With one face and four arms, {2.4.31}

“Holding a human skull and a vajra bell, And brandishing a goad in one of his right hands. He is the color of green beryl And adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.32}

“In the middle of the expanse of the sky, He should visualize a moon disk. At its center, is the seed syllable bhrūṁ Which changes into the form of Locanā. {2.4.33}

“Sitting on a throne of human skulls, She is adorned with eight arms And holds in her hands a wheel, A bow and arrow, a vajra scepter, a bell, {2.4.34}

“A noose, a sword, and a human skull. She has one face and three eyes, And is fully adorned with all kinds of jewelry, Necklaces, and anklets. {2.4.35}

“She is white and very beautiful, And she is wearing a crown of human skulls. Next he should visualize, in the middle Of the expanse of the sky, a full moon disk. {2.4.36}

“At its center there is the syllable hūṁ, Which changes into the form of Māmakī, Radiant blue in color, Sitting in the center of a throne of human skulls. {2.4.37}

“She has three eyes, one face, And is adorned with a garland of human skulls. She holds a bow, an arrow, A goad, a sword, {2.4.38}

“A noose, a scepter, A bell, a human skull, A wheel, a jewel, a lotus, and a khaṭvāṅga— Twelve articles for her twelve hands. {2.4.39}

“Next he should draw a secret maṇḍala Adorned with all embellishments. In the center of the bhaga, He should visualize a full moon disk. {2.4.40}

“There he should visualize the syllable hrīḥ, And generate from it the goddess called Pāṇḍarā. She is sitting on a throne of human skulls And blazes forth bright red light. {2.4.41}

“Replete with all adornments, She is adorned with eight hands, In which she is holding a bow, An arrow, a lotus, a sword, {2.4.42}

“A skull cup, a vajra scepter, a bell, A noose, and a jewel. She is adorned with all kinds of jewelry, And makes a jingling sound with her necklaces and anklets. {2.4.43}

“If the practitioner visualizes her as such, He will swiftly attain the state of awakening. Next he should visualize, in the sky above, The disk of a full moon. {2.4.44}

“At its center there is the syllable tāṁ, Which changes into the form of Tārā, Adorned with eight arms, Sitting on a throne of human skulls. {2.4.45}

“Impassioned, she holds in her hands a sword, A lotus, a goad, A skull cup filled with blood, A noose, a wheel, {2.4.46}

“A bow, and an arrow. He should visualize her with one face, Of green color, with three eyes, And adorned with all kinds of jewelry. {2.4.47}

“If the practitioner meditates in this way, He will become equal to Vajrasattva.” {2.4.48}