The Zone

Welcome!

December 2, 2023, 9:22 pm

Welcome!  This is a small page I made from scratch for yoga and buddhism.  Enjoy!

December 11, 2023, 9:33 am

Nice!

December 16, 2023, 11:37 pm

Namaste!🙏

Yoga-and-Buddhism-and-back-woes

December 13, 2023, 9:22 pm

A few years ago, I woke up in severe back pain.

I could barely get out of bed.  

It's a recurring problem, but it was the worst it had ever been.

I had to do something, so I started with an inversion table.  I had to have help to get on and off. 
 There were times I couldn't move for thirty minutes.  Everything hurt.

I was able to gradually walk again but I'd developed Sciatica.  Intense pain would shoot down my 
legs and I'd worry that my hips were going to give out underneath me.

I tried exercises, my hips were off balance, so I'd exercise at night while doing meditation and 
prayer for health and healing for myself and anyone else in pain.  

Later I got a wobble machine that goes both back and forth and up and down.  I've been very happy 
with it.  It helps strengthen those hip muscles.  I still use it every day.

Something spiritually was calling to me though.  I started doing yoga and specifically lotus posture 
for my lower back problems and it has changed my life.  It's like the fountain of youth.  I grew up 
in the 90s and meditated a lot - while being a youth..  I had some friends who were into shamanism 
and wicca and later went to college to study anthropology after switching majors from Information 
Technology.  

In college, I was a regular in Yahoo's Buddhist chat room number 1.  I really enjoyed the chat and 
the people.  I would talk with people from all over the world, and there is at least one with a huge 
following on youtube now - who used to come in regularly and talk about original Buddhism.  I 
appreciated his talks and knowledge about anatman and atman.  I enjoyed chatting there.  Many 
teachers.

After college, I went abroad to South Korea and later to China, where I taught English as a second 
language in both countries for about 10 years while working on my IT skills again for better job 
prospects for coming home.

I did get to visit some Buddhist temples while abroad and meditate with a few Buddhist people.  A 
lovely experience.

After coming home, I've been working in IT but I am a pretty deeply spiritual person.  My whole life 
has been a bit of a spiritual journey.

I hope you enjoy the site.

March 30, 2024, 2:44 am

After this, after a while it went out again pretty bad. Just pushed through it. I mostly do vipassana meditation. Some other stuff you pick up here and there, death is a great equializer. There are some upanishads where a yogi is sitting in meditation and affronted by minions of one sort or another and the only thing that worked was just to breathe. Just breathe.. Short or long, etc.. What arises. We all go sometime.. Hopefully not today. :)

Personal-conceptions-on-God

December 14, 2023, 6:00 pm

For me, anything resembling God, being omni-everything.. would be the summation of everything, 
nature and the cosmos.

So, I conceive of God as nature and the cosmos.  Can I know God?  A little, but I mean, there's 
always more to learn..  The stars are infinite and vast, as are people.

As such, learning about things, what they are, how they work, everything is learning a little about 
God.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology, and am fascinated by the variety of things people do 
around the world.  Anthropology encompasses everything people do.  That's a lot of ground.  What 
makes people people?  It's not an easy thing to pin down.  Time and circumstance changes everything.  

What is important to some isn't as much to others.  Trimming down unnecessaries helps focus.

In meditations and prayers, when they say 'sentient beings', they're talking about beings who are 
suffering.  Everyone suffers, no one likes it.  If they do, those are hindrances to enlightenment.. 
Anwyays..  So, praying for all sentient beings to be happy and not suffer.

Pure Land Buddhism has the prajnaparamitas.  They are: 

Dana (charity or giving)
Sila (morality or ethics)
Ksanti (patience or forebearance)
Virya (zeal or diligence)
Dhyana (meditation or contemplation)

Those are qualities to cultivate.

Just a few short words.  Cheers.

December 15, 2023, 10:33 am

Anthropology in college covered 4 subfields - Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Physical Anthropology and Linguistic Anthropology. I enjoyed them all, but particularly an interest in psychology, social psych, cognitive psych, ethnic studies and mythology. Sacred Geometry. Art and Music History. I am fairly well read. With Buddhism too. Anthropology is a great subject though, and very holistic.

March 28, 2024, 10:10 am

Also ineffable. If you're a Christian, like the name Jehovah. If you're a Muslim, like not being able to represent Allah. If you're a Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, like the Atman and anatman. The idea in Buddhism, with atman and anatman, is that the senses, feelings, thoughts, etc.. are not the self/soul/atman. If people understood those types of things a bit better, maybe.. we'd live in a better world. Maybe.. a little less ignorance at least. Less projection and ignorance? Dunno, would hope..

Tripura-Sundari---Goddess-Lalita

December 15, 2023, 4:29 pm

Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam – 1000 Names of Goddess Lalitha
 

1	Srimatha	Mother who gives immeasurable wealth who removes all sorrows and gives only 
happiness.-indicates also her role of creation
2	Sri maharajni	She who is the empress who takes care of the universe- indicates her role of 
protection
3	Sri math simasaneshwari	She who sits on the throne of lions-indicates her  role of 
destruction
4	Chidagni Kunda Sambootha	She who rose from the fire of knowledge and is the ultimate 
truth
5	Deva karya samudhyatha	She who is interested in helping devas
6	Udyath bhanu sahasrabha	She who glitters like thousand rising suns
7	Chadur bahu samanvidha	She who has  four arms
8	Ragha Swaroopa pasadya	She who has love for all in the form of rope(pasa)-She has this in 
one of her left hands
9	Krodhakarankusojwala	She who glitters and has  anger  in the form of Anghusa –in one of 
her right hands.
10	Mano Rupeshu Kodanda	She who has the bow of sweet cane which is her mind-in one of her 
left hands
11	Pancha than mathra sayaka	She who has five bows of touch , smell, hearing, taste and 
sight
12	Nijaruna prabha poora majjath brahmanda mandala	She who makes all the universe immerse in 
her red colour which is like the sun in the dawn
13	Champakasoka –punnaga-sowgandhika- lasath kacha	She who wears in her hair flowers like 
Champaka, Punnaga and Sowgandhika
14	Kuru vinda mani –sreni-kanath kotira manditha	She whose crown glitters with rows of inlaid 
precious stones (Padmaraga stones)
15	Ashtami chandra vibhraja –dhalika sthala shobhitha	She who has a beautiful forehead 
like the half moon (visible on eighth day from new moon)
16	Muka chandra kalankabha mriganabhi viseshaka	She who has the thilaka(dot) of Musk in her 
forehead which is like the black shadow in the moon
17	Vadana smara mangalya griha thorana chillaka	She who has beautiful eyelids which look 
like the ornaments to her face which is like cupids home
18	Vakthra lakshmi –parivaha-chalan meenabha lochana	She who has beautiful eyes which 
look like fish in the pond of her face
19	Nava champaka –pushpabha-nasa dhanda virajitha	She who has nose like freshly opened flowers 
of Champaka
20	Thara kanthi thiraskari nasabharana bhasura	She who has a nose ring which shines more 
than the star
21	Kadambha manjari kluptha karna poora manohara	She who has beautiful ears like the kadamba 
flowers
22	Thadanga yugali bhootha thapanodupa mandala	She who wears the sun and the moon as her 
ear studs
23	Padma raga sila darsha paribhavika polabhu	She who has cheeks which shine more than the 
mirror made of Padmaraga
24	Nava vidhruma bimbha sri nyakkari rathna chhadha	She whose lips are like beautiful 
new  corals
25	Shuddha vidyangurakara dwija pangthi dwayojjala	She who has teeth which look like germinated 
true knowledge(Shodasakshari vidya)
26	Karpoora Veedi Kamodha Samakarsha digandara	She who chews betel leaf with the spices 
which give perfume in all directions
27	Nija Sallabha Madhurya Vinirbhardista Kacchabhi	She who has voice sweeter than the notes 
produced by Sarawathi Devis Veena(This is called Kachabhi)
28	Mandasmitha prabha poora majjat Kamesha manasa	She who has lovely smile which is like the 
river in which the mind of cupid plays
29	Anakalidha Sadrushya Chibuka sri virajitha	She who has a beautiful chin which has 
nothing else to compare
30	Kamesha baddha mangalya sutra shobitha kandhara	She who shines with the sacred thread in her 
neck tied by Lord Kameshwara
31	Kankangadha Keyura Kamaniya Bujanvidha	She who wears golden Armlets
32	Rathna graiveya chinthaka lola muktha phalanvitha	She who wears necklace with moving 
pearls and dollar inlaid with gems
33	Kameswara prema rathna mani prathi pana sthani	She who gave her breasts which are like the 
pot made of Rathna(precious stones) and has obtained the love of Kameshwara
34	Nabhyala vala Romali latha phala kucha dwayi	She who has two breasts that are like fruits 
borne on the creeper of tiny hairs raising from her belly.
35	Lakshya roma latha dharatha samunneya madhyama	She who is suspected to have a waist because 
of the creeper like hairs raising from there
36	Sthana bhara dalan Madhya patta bhandha valithraya	She who has three stripes in her 
belly which looks like having been created to protect her tiny waist from her heavy breasts
37	Arunaruna kausumba vasthra bhaswat kati thati	She who shines in her light reddish silk 
cloth worn over her tiny waist
38	Rathna kinkinika ramya rasana dhama bhooshitha	She who wears a golden thread below her 
waist decorated with bells made of precious stones
39	Kamesha gnatha sowbhagya mardworu dwayanvitha	She who has pretty and tender thighs known 
only to her consort, Kameshwara
40	Manikhya mukuta kara janu dwaya virajitha	She who has knee joints like the crown made 
of manikya below her thighs
41	Indra kopa parikshiptha smarathunabha jangika	She who has forelegs like the cupids case of 
arrows followed by the bee called Indra kopa
42	Kooda Gulpha	She who has round ankles
43	Koorma prashta jayishnu prapadanvidha	She who has upper feet like the back of the tortoise
44	Nakadhi dhithi samchanna namajjana thamoguna	She who removes the darkness in the mind of 
her devotees by the sparkle of nails
45	Pada dwaya Prabha jala parakrutha saroruha	She who has two feet which are much more 
beautiful than lotus flowers
46	Sinchana mani manjira manditha sri pamambuja	She who has feet wearing  musical anklets 
filled with gem stones
47	Marali Mandha Gamana	She who has the slow gait like the swan
48	Maha Lavanya Sewadhi	She who has the store house of supreme beauty
49	Sarvaruna	She who has light reddish colour of the dawn in all her aspects
50	Anavadhyangi	She who has most beautiful limbs which do not lack any aspect of beauty
51	Srvabharana Bhooshita	She who wears all the ornaments
52	Shivakameswarangastha	She who sits on the lap of Kameswara(shiva)
53	Shiva	She who is the personification of Shiva
54	Swadheena Vallabha	She whose husband obeys her
55	Summeru Madhya sringastha	She who lives in the central peak of Mount Meru
56	Sriman nagara nayika	She who is the chief of  Srinagara(a town)
57	Chinthamani grihanthastha	She who lives in the all wish full filling house
58	Pancha brahmasana sthitha	She who sits on the five brahmas viz., Brahma, Vishnu, 
Rudra, Esana and Sadashiva
59	Maha padma davi samstha	She who lives in the forest of lotus flowers
60	Kadambha vana vasini	She who lives in the forest of Kadmbha (Madurai city is also called 
Kadambha vana)
61	Sudha sagara madhyastha	She who lives in the middle of the sea of nectar
62	Kamakshi	She who fulfills desires by her sight
63	Kamadhayini	She who gives what is desired
64	Devarshi Gana-sangatha-stuyamanathma-vaibhava	She who has all the qualities fit to be 
worshipped by sages and devas
65	Bhandasura vadodyuktha  shakthi sena samavitha	She who is surrounded by army set ready to 
kill Bandasura
66	Sampathkari samarooda sindhoora vrija  sevitha	She who is surrounded by Sampathkari (that 
which gives wealth)  elephant brigade
67	Aswaroodadishidaswa kodi kodi biravrutha	She who is surrounded by crores of  cavalry 
of horses
68	Chakra raja ratha rooda sarvayudha parishkridha	She who is fully armed and rides in the 
Srichakra chariot with nine stories
69	Geya chakra ratha rooda  manthrini pari sevitha	She who rides in the chariot with seven 
stories and is served by manthrini who is the goddess of music
70	Giri chakra ratharooda dhanda natha puraskrutha	She who rides in the chariot with five 
stories  and is served by goddess Varahi otherwise called Dhanda natha
71	Jwalimalika ksiptha vanhi prakara madhyaka	She who is in the middle of the fort of fire 
built by the Goddess Jwalamalini
72	Bhanda sainya vadodyuktha shakthi vikrama harshitha	She who was pleased by the various 
Shakthis(literally strength but a goddess) who helped in killing the army of Bhandasura
73	Nithya parakamatopa nireekshana samutsuka	She who is interested and happy in observing 
the valour of Nithya devathas (literally goddess of  every day)
74	Banda puthra vadodyuktha bala vikrama nandhita	She who was pleased by the valour of Bala 
devi(her daughter) in destroying the sons of Banda
75	Manthrinyamba virachitha vishangavatha Doshitha	She who became happy at seeing Goddess 
Manthrini kill Vishanga(this ogre (brother of Banda) represents our desires for physical things)
76	Vishuka prana harana  varahi veeerya nandhitha	She who appreciates the valour of Varahi in 
killing Vishuka (another brother of Banda-he is personification of ignorance)
77	Kameshwara mukaloka kalpitha sri Ganeshwara	She who created God Ganesh by the mere look 
of the face of her Lord , Kameshwara
78	Mahaganesha nirbhinna  vignayanthra  praharshitha	She who became happy at seeing Lord 
Ganesha destroy the Vigna Yanthra (contraption meant to delay ) created by Vishuka
79	Banda surendra nirmuktha  sashtra prathyasthra varshani	She who rained arrows and replied 
with arrows against Bandasura
80	Karanguli  nakhothpanna  narayana dasakrithi	She who created the ten avatharas of 
Narayana from the tip of her nails (when Bandasura send the Sarvasura asthra (arrow), she destroyed 
it by creating the ten avatharas of Vishnu)
81	Maha pasupathasthragni  nirdagdhasura sainika	She who destroyed the army of asuras by the 
Maha pasupatha arrow.
82	Kameshwarasthra nirdhagdha sabandasura sunyaka	She who destroyed Bandasura and his city 
called sunyaka by the Kameshwara arrow.
83	Brhmopendra mahendradhi  deva samsthutha vaibhava	She who is prayed by Lord Brahma , 
Vishnu, indra and other devas
84	Hara nethragni sandhagdha  kama sanjeevanoushadhi	She who brought back to life the God 
of love Manmatha who was burnt to ashes by the fire from the eyes of Shiva
85	Sri vagbhave koodaiga swaroopa mukha pankaja	She whose lotus face is Vagnhava Koota
86	Kantatha kadi paryantha Madhya koodaiga swaroopini	She whose portion from neck to hips 
is Madya koota
87	Sakthi koodaiga thapanna Kadyatho bhaga dharini	She whose portion below hips is the Shakthi 
koota
88	Moola manthrathmikha	She who is the meaning of Moola manthra (root manthra) or She who is 
the cause
89	Moola kooda thraya kalebhara	She whose body is the three parts of the basic manthra i.e. 
pancha dasakshari manthra
90	Kulamruthaika rasika	She who enjoys the ecstatic state of oneness of  one who sees, sight 
and what is seen or She who gets pleasure in drinking the nectar flowing from the thousand petalled 
lotus below the brain.
91	Kula sanketha palini	She who protects the powerful truths from falling into unsuitable 
people
92	Kulangana	She who is a lady belonging to cultured family or She who is like Srividya 
known only to one whom it belongs
93	Kulanthastha	She who is fit to be worshipped any where
94	Kaulini	She who is the unification of the principles of Shiva and Shakthi
95	Kula yogini	She who is related to the family or She who is related to the ultimate 
knowledge
96	Akula	She who is beyond kula or She who is beyond any knowledge
97	Samayanthastha	She who is within the mental worship of Shiva and Shakthi
98	Samayachara that para	She who likes Samayachara i.e. worship  stepwise from mooladhara 
Chakra
99	Moladharaika nilaya	She who exists in Mooladhara In Mooladhara which is in the form of 
four petalled lotus  the kundalini sleeps.
100	Brhama Grandhi Vibhedini	She who breaks the tie in Brahma grandhi i.e she who helps 
us to cross the ties due to our birth.
101	Mani poorantharudhitha	She who exists in Mani pooraka chakra full dressed in her fineries
102	Vishnu grandhi vibedhini	She who breaks the ties of Vishnu grandhi i.e she who helps 
us cross the ties due to our position.
103	Agna chakarantharalastha	She who lives in between two eye lids in the form of  she 
who orders
104	Rudra grandhi vibhedini	She who breaks the ties of Rudra grandhi i.e she who helps us cross 
the ties  due to our violent thoughts and nature
105	Sahararambhujarooda	She who has climbed sahasrara the thousand petalled lotus which is 
the point of ultimate awakening
106	Sudha sarabhi varshini	She who makes nectar flow in all our nerves from sahasrara i.e. she 
who gives the very pleasant experience of the ultimate
107	Thadillatha samaruchya	She who shines like the streak of lightning
108	Shad chakropari samshitha	She who is on the top of six wheels starting from mooladhara
109	Maha ssakthya	She who likes worship by her devotees
110	Kundalini	She who is in the form of Kundalini  ( a form which is a snake hissing and 
exists in mooladhara)
111	Bisa thanthu thaniyasi	She who is as thin as the thread  from lotus
112	Bhavani	She who gives life to the routine life of human beings or She who is the consort of 
Lord Shiva
113	Bhavana gamya	She who can be attained by thinking
114	Bhavarany kudariga	She who is like the axe used to cut the miserable life of the world
115	Bhadra priya	She who is interested in doing good to her devotees
116	Bhadra moorthy	She who is personification  of all that is good
117	Bhaktha sowbhagya dhayini	She who gives all good and luck to her devotees
118	Bhakthi priya	She who likes devotion to her
119	Bhakthi gamya	She who can be reached by devotion
120	Bhakthi vasya	She who can be controlled by devotion
121	Bhayapaha	She who removes fear
122	Sambhavya	She who is married to Shambhu
123	Saradharadya	She who is to be worshipped during Navarathri celebrated during autumn
124	Sarvani	She who is the consort of Lord Shiva in the form of Sarvar
125	Sarmadhayini	She who gives pleasures
126	Sankari	She who is the consort of Sankara
127	Sreekari	She who gives all forms of wealth and happiness
128	Sadhwi	She who is eternally devoted to her husband
129	Sarat chandra nibhanana	She who has the face like moon in the autumn
130	Satho dhari	She who has a thin belly
131	Santhimathi	She who is peace personified
132	Niradhara	She who does not need any support to herself
133	Niranjana	She who is devoid of any blemishes or scars
134	Nirlepa	She who does not have any attachment
135	Nirmala	She who is personification of clarity  or She who is devoid of any dirt
136	Nithya	She who is permanently stable
137	Nirakara	She who does not have any shape
138	Nirakula	She who cannot be attained by confused people
139	Nirguna	She who is beyond any characteristics
140	Nishkala	She who is not divided
141	Santha	She who is peace
142	Nishkama	She who does not have any desires
143	Niruppallava	She who is never destroyed
144	Nithya muktha	She who is forever free of the ties of the world
145	Nirvikara	She never undergoes alteration
146	Nishprapancha	She who is beyond this world
147	Nirasraya	She who does not need support
148	Nithya shuddha	She who is forever clean
149	Nithya bhuddha	She who is for ever knowledge
150	Niravadhya	She who can never be accused
151	Niranthara	She who is forever continuous
152	Nishkarana	She who does not have cause
153	Nishkalanka	She who does not have blemishes
154	Nirupadhi	She who does not have basis
155	Nireeswara	She who does not have any one controlling her
156	Neeraga	She who does not have any desires
157	Ragha madhani	She who removes desires from us
158	Nirmadha	She who does not have any  firm beliefs
159	Madhanasini	She who destroys beliefs
160	Nischintha	She who is not worried
161	Nirahankara	She who does not have an ego
162	Nirmoha	She who does not have any passion
163	Mohanasini	She who destroys passion
164	Nirmama	She who does not have selfish feelings
165	Mamatha hanthri	She who destroys selfishness
166	Nishpapa	She who does not have any sin
167	Papa nashini	She who destroys sin
168	Nishkrodha	She who is devoid of anger
169	Krodha –samani	She who destroys anger
170	Nir Lobha	She who is not miserly
171	Lobha nasini	She who removes miserliness
172	Nissamsaya	She who does not have any doubts
173	Samsayagni	She who clears doubts
174	Nirbhava	She who does not have another birth
175	Bhava nasini	She who helps us not have another birth
176	Nirvikalpa	She who does not do anything she does not desire
177	Nirabhadha	She who is not affected by anything
178	Nirbhedha	She who does not have any difference
179	Bhedha nasini	She who promotes oneness
180	Nirnasa	She who does not die
181	Mrityu madhani	She who removes fear of death
182	Nishkriya	She who does not have any work
183	Nishparigraha	She who does not accept help from others
184	Nisthula	She who does not have anything to be compared to
185	Neela chikura	She who has dark black hair
186	Nirapaya	She who is never destroyed
187	Nirathyaya	She who does not cross limits of rules she herself created
188	Dhurlabha	She who is difficult to obtain
189	Dhurgama	She who can not be neared easily
190	Dhurga	She who is Dhurga who is a nine year old girl
191	Dhuka hanthri	She who removes sorrows
192	Sukha prada	She who gives pleasures and happiness
193	Dushta doora	She who keeps far away from evil men
194	Durachara samani	She who destroys evil practices
195	Dosha varjitha	She who does not have anything bad
196	Sarvangna	She who knows everything
197	Saandra karuna	She who is full of mercy
198	Samanadhika varjitha	She who is incomparable
199	Sarva shakthi mayi	She who has personification of all strengths
200	Sarva mangala	She who is personification of all that is good
201	Sad gathi prada	She who gives us good path
202	Sarveshwari	She who is goddess of all
203	Sarva mayi	She who is everywhere
204	Sarva manthra swaroopini	She who is personification of all manthras
205	Sarva yanthrathmika	She who is represented by all yantras(Talisman)
206	Sarva thanthra roopa	She who is  also goddess of all Thanthras which is a method of 
worship
207	Manonmani	She who is the result of mental thoughts of  thoughts and actions
208	Maaheswari	She who is the consort of Maheswara (Lord of everything)
209	Mahaa devi	She who is the consort of Mahe Deva(God of all gods)
210	Maha lakshmi	She who takes the form of Mahalaksmi, the goddess of wealth
211	Mrida priya	She who is dear to Mrida (a name of Lord Shiva)
212	Maha roopa	She who is very big
213	Maha poojya	She who is fit to be worshipped by great people
214	Maha pathaka nasini	She who destroys the major misdemeanors
215	Maha maya	She who is the great illusion
216	Maha sathva	She who is greatly knowledgeable
217	Maha sakthi	She who is very strong
218	Maha rathi	She who gives great happiness
219	Maha bhoga	She who enjoys great pleasures
220	Mahaiswarya	She who has great wealth
221	Maha veerya	She who has great valour
222	Maha bala	She who is very strong
223	Maha bhudhi	She who is very intelligent
224	Maha sidhi	She who has great super natural powers
225	Maha yogeswareswari	She who is goddess of great yogis
226	Mahathanthra	She who has the greatest Thantra sasthras
227	Mahamanthra	She who has the greatest manthras
228	Mahayanthra	She who has the greatest yanthras
229	Mahasana	She who has the greatest seat
230	Maha yaga kramaradhya	She who should be worshipped by performing great sacrifices( Bhavana 
yaga and Chidagni Kunda yaga)
231	Maha bhairava poojitha	She who is being worshipped by the great Bhairava
232	Maheswara Mahakalpa Maha thandava sakshini	She who will be the witness to the great 
dance  to be performed by the great lord at the end of the worlds
233	Maha kamesha mahishi	She who is the prime consort of the great Kameshwara
234	Maha tripura sundari	She who is the beauty of the three great cities
235	Chatustatyupacharadya	She who should be worshipped with sixty four offerings
236	Chathu sashti kala mayi	She who has sixty four sections
237	Maha Chathusashti kodi yogini gana sevitha	She who is being worshipped by the sixty 
four crore yoginis in the nine different charkas
238	Manu Vidya	She  who is personification of Sri Vidya as expounded by Manu
239	Chandra Vidya	She  who is personification of Sri Vidya as expounded by Moon
240	Chandra mandala Madhyaga	She who is in the center of the universe around the moon
241	Charu Roopa	She who is very beautiful
242	Charu Hasa	She who has a beautiful smile
243	Charu Chandra Kaladhara	She who wears the beautiful crescent
244	Charachara Jagannatha	She  who is the Lord of all moving and immobile things
245	Chakra Raja Nikethana	She who lives in the middle of Sree Chakra
246	Parvathi	She who is the daughter of the mountain
247	Padma nayana	She who has eyes like the lotus
248	Padma raga samaprabha	She who shines as much as the Padma Raga jewel
249	Pancha prethasana seena	She who sits on the seat of five dead bodies ( these are Brahma , 
Vishnu, Rudra, Eesa and Sadasiva without their Shakthi(consort))
250	Pancha brahma swaroopini	She who is personification of five brahmas ( they are the 
gods mentioned in the last name with their Shakthi)
251	Chinmayi	She who is the personification action in every thing
252	Paramananda	She who is supremely happy
253	Vignana Gana Roopini	She who is the personification of knowledge based on science
254	Dhyana Dhyathru dhyeya roopa	She who is personification of meditation, the being who 
meditates and what is being meditated upon
255	Dharmadhrama vivarjitha	She who is beyond Dharma (justice) and Adharma(injustice)
256	Viswa roopa	She  who has the form of the universe
257	Jagarini	She who is always awake
258	Swapanthi	She who is always in the state of dream
259	Thaijasathmika	She who is  the form of Thaijasa which is microbial concept
260	Suptha	She who is in deep sleep
261	Prangnathmika	She who is awake
262	Thurya	She who is in trance
263	Sarvavastha vivarjitha	She who is above all states
264	Srishti karthri	She who creates
265	Brahma roopa	She who is the personification of ultimate
266	Gopthri	She who saves
267	Govinda roopini	She who is of the form of Govinda
268	Samharini	She who destroys
269	Rudhra roopa	She who is of the form of Rudhra
270	Thirodhana kari	She who hides herself from us
271	Eeswari	She who is of the form of easwara
272	Sadashivaa	She who is of the form of Sadashiva
273	Anugrahada	She who blesses
274	Pancha krithya parayana	She who is engaged in the five duties of creation, existence, 
dissolving, disappearing, and blessing
275	Bhanu mandala madhyastha	She who is in the middle of the sun’s universe
276	Bhairavi	She who is the consort of Bhairava
277	Bhaga malini	She who is the goddess bhaga malini
278	Padmasana	She who sits on a lotus
279	Bhagavathi	She who is with all wealth and knowledge
280	Padmanabha sahodari	She who is the sister of Vishnu
281	Unmesha nimishotpanna vipanna bhuvanavali	She who creates and destroys the universe by 
opening and closing of her eye lids
282	Sahasra seersha vadana	She who has thousands of faces and heads
283	Saharakshi	She who has thousands of eyes
284	Sahasra path	She who has thousands of feet
285	Aabrahma keeda janani	She has created all beings from worm to Lord Brahma
286	Varnashrama vidhayini	She who created the four fold division of society
287	Nijangna roopa nigama	She who gave orders which are based on Vedas
288	Punyapunya phala pradha	She who gives compensation for sins and good deeds
289	Sruthi seemantha kula sindhoori kritha padabjha dhooliga	She whose dust from her 
lotus feet is the sindhoora fills up in the parting of the hair of the Vedic mother
290	Sakalagama sandoha shukthi samputa maukthika	She who is like the pearl in the pearl 
holding shell of Vedas
291	Purashartha pradha	She who gives us the purusharthas of Charity, assets, joy and moksha
292	Poorna	She who is complete
293	Bhogini	She who enjoys pleasures
294	Bhuvaneshwari	She who is the Goddess presiding over the universe
295	Ambika	She who is the mother of the world
296	Anadhi nidhana	She who does not have either end or beginning
297	Hari brahmendra sevitha	She who is served by Gods like Vishnu,Indra and Brahma
298	Naarayani	She who is like Narayana
299	Naada roopa	She who is the shape of music (sound)
300	Nama roopa vivarjitha	She who does not have either name or shape
301	Hrim kari	She who makes the holy sound Hrim
302	Harimathi	She who is shy
303	Hrudya	She who is in the heart (devotees)
304	Heyopadeya varjitha	She who does not have aspects which can be accepted or rejected
305	Raja rajarchitha	She who is being worshipped by king of kings
306	Rakhini	She who is the queen of Kameshwara
307	Ramya	She who makes others happy
308	Rajeeva lochana	She who is lotus eyed
309	Ranjani	She who by her red colour makes Shiva also red
310	Ramani	She who plays with her devotees
311	Rasya	She who feeds the juice of everything
312	Ranath kinkini mekhala	She who wears the golden waist band with tinkling bells
313	Ramaa	She who is like Lakshmi
314	Raakendu vadana	She who has a face like the full moon
315	Rathi roopa	She who attracts others with her features like Rathi (wife of God of love-
Manmatha)
316	Rathi priya	She who likes Rathi
317	Rakshaa kari	She who protects
318	Rakshasagni	She who kills Rakshasas-ogres opposed to the heaven
319	Raamaa	She who is feminine
320	Ramana lampata	She who is interested in making love to her lord
321	Kaamya	She who is of the form of love
322	Kamakala roopa	She who is the personification of the art of love
323	Kadambha kusuma priya	She who likes the flowers of Kadamba
324	Kalyani	She who does good
325	Jagathi kandha	She who is like a root to the world
326	Karuna rasa sagara	She who is the sea of  the juice of mercy
327	Kalavathi	She who is an artist or she who has crescents
328	Kalaalapa	She whose talk is artful
329	Kaantha	She who glitters
330	Kadambari priya	She who likes the wine called Kadambari or She who likes long stories
331	Varadha	She who gives boons
332	Vama nayana	She who has beautiful eyes
333	Vaaruni madha vihwala	She who gets drunk with the wine called varuni(The wine of 
happiness)
334	Viswadhika	She who is above all universe
335	Veda vedya	She who can be understood by Vedas
336	Vindhyachala nivasini	She who lives on Vindhya mountains
337	Vidhatri	She who carries the world
338	Veda janani	She who created the Vedas
339	Vishnu maya	She who lives as the Vishnu maya
340	Vilasini	She who enjoys love making
341	Kshetra swaroopa	She who is personification of the Kshetra or body
342	Kshetresi	She who is goddess of bodies
343	Kshethra kshethragna palini	She who looks after bodies and their lord
344	Kshaya vridhi nirmuktha	She who neither decreases or increases
345	Kshetra pala samarchitha	She who is worshipped by those who look after bodies
346	Vijaya	She who is always victorious
347	Vimala	She who is clean of ignorance and  illusion
348	Vandhya	She who is being worshipped by every body
349	Vandharu jana vatsala	She who has affection towards all those who worship her
350	Vaag vadhini	She who uses words with great effect in arguments
351	Vama kesi	She who has beautiful hair
352	Vahni mandala vaasini	She who lives in the universe of fire which is Mooladhara
353	Bhakthi mat kalpa lathika	She who is the wish giving creeper Kalpaga
354	Pasu pasa vimochani	She who removes shackles from the living
355	Samhrutha sesha pashanda	She who destroys those people who have left their faith
356	Sadachara pravarthika	She who makes things happen through good conduct
357	Thapatryagni santhaptha  samahladahna chandrika	She who is like the pleasure giving moon to 
those who suffer from the three types of pain
358	Tharuni	She who is ever young
359	Thapasa aradhya	She who is being worshipped by sages
360	Thanu Madhya	She who has a narrow middle (hip)
361	Thamopaha	She who destroys darkness
362	Chithi	She who is personification of wisdom
363	Thatpada lakshyartha	She who is the indicative meaning of the word “thath” which is the 
first word of vedic saying “that thou art”
364	Chidekara swaroopini	She who is wisdom through out
365	Swathmananda lavi bhootha brahmadyanantha santhathi	She who in her ocean of wisdom makes 
Wisdom about Brahmam look like a wave
366	Paraa	She who is the outside meaning of every thing
367	Prathyak chidi roopa	She who makes us look for wisdom inside
368	Pasyanthi	She who sees everything within herself
369	Para devatha	She who gives power to all gods
370	Madhyama	She who is in the middle of everything
371	Vaikhari roopa	She who is of the form with words
372	Bhaktha manasa hamsikha	She who is like a swan in the lake called mind
373	Kameshwara prana nadi	She who is the life source of  Kameswara
374	Kruthagna	She who watches all actions of every one or She who knows all
375	Kama poojitha	She who is being worshipped by the god of love in the kama giri peeta of 
Mooladhara chakra-Kama
376	Srungara rasa sampoorna	She who is lovely
377	Jayaa	She who is personification of victory
378	Jalandhara sthitha	She who is on Jalandhara peetha or She who is purest of the pure
379	Odyana peeda nilaya	She who is on Odyana peetha or She who lives in orders
380	Bindu mandala vaasini	She who lives in the dot in the center of Srichakra
381	Raho yoga kramaradhya	She who can be worshipped by secret sacrificial rites
382	Rahas tarpana tarpitha	She who is pleased of chants knowing its meaning
383	Sadya prasadini	She who is pleased immediately
384	Viswa sakshini	She who is the witness for the universe
385	Sakshi varjitha	She who does not have witness for herself
386	Shadanga devatha yuktha	She who has her six parts as gods viz., heart, head, hair. Battle 
dress, eyes and arrows
387	Shadgunya paripooritha	She who is full of six characteristics viz.,  wealth, duty, fame, 
knowledge, assets and renunciation
388	Nithya klinna	She in whose heart there is always mercy
389	Nirupama	She who does not have anything to be compared to
390	Nirvanasukha dayini	She who gives redemption
391	Nithya shodasika roopa	She who is of the form sixteen goddesses
392	Sri kandartha sareerini	She who occupies half the body of Lord Shiva
393	Prabhavathi	She who is lustrous of supernatural powers
394	Prabha roopa	She who is personification of the light provided by super natural powers
395	Prasiddha	She who is famous
396	Parameshwari	She who is the ultimate goddess
397	Moola prakrithi	She who is  the root cause
398	Avyaktha	She who is not clearly seen
399	Vyktha Avyaktha swaroopini	She who is visible and not visible
400	Vyapini	She who is spread everywhere
401	Vividhakara	She who has several different forms
402	Vidhya avidhya swaroopini	She who is the form of knowledge as well as ignorance
403	Maha kamesha nayana kumudahladha kaumudhi	She who is like the full moon which opens 
the lotus like eyes of Lord Kameshwara
404	Bhaktha  hardha thamo bedha bhanu mat bhanu santhathi	She who is like the sun’s rays which 
remove the darkness from the heart of devotees
405	Shivadhoothi	She who sent Shiva as her representative
406	Shivaradhya	She who is worshipped by Lord Shiva
407	Shiva moorthi	She who is of the form of Lord Shiva
408	Shivangari	She who makes good to happen
409	Shiva priya	She who is dear to Lord Shiva
410	Shivapara	She who does not have any other interest except Lord Shiva
411	Shishteshta	She who likes people with good habits
412	Shishta poojitha	She who is being worshipped by good people
413	Aprameya	She who cannot be measured
414	Swaprakasha	She who has her own luster
415	Mano vachama gochara	She who is beyond the mind and the word
416	Chitsakthi	She who is the strength of holy knowledge
417	Chethana roopa	She who is the personification of  the power behind action
418	Jada shakthi	She who is the strength of the immobile
419	Jadathmikha	She who is the world of immobile
420	Gayathri	She who is Gayathri
421	Vyahruthi	She who is the grammar originating from letters
422	Sandhya	She who is the union of souls and the God
423	Dwija brinda nishewitha	She who is being worshipped  by all beings
424	Tatwasana	She who sits on principles
425	Tat	She who is that
426	Twam	She who is you
427	Ayee	She who is the mother
428	Pancha kosandara sthitha	She who is in between the five holy parts
429	Nissema mahima	She who has limitless fame
430	Nithya youawana	She who is ever young
431	Madha shalini	She who shines by her exuberance
432	Madha goornitha rakthakshi	She who has rotating red eyes due to her exuberance
433	Madha patala khandaboo	She who has red cheeks due to excessive action
434	Chandana drava dhigdhangi	She who applies sandal paste all over her body
435	Champeya kusuma priya	She who likes the flowers of Champaka tree
436	Kusala	She who is intelligent
437	Komalakara	She who has  soft beautiful form
438	Kuru kulla	She who is of the form of Kuru kulla devi who lives in Vimarsa
439	Kuleshwari	She who is the goddess for the clan
440	Kula kundalaya	She who lives in kula kunda or She who is the power called Kundalani
441	Kaula marga that para sevitha	She who is being worshipped by people who follow Kaula matha
442	Kumara gana nadambha	She who is mother to Ganesha and Subrahmanya
443	Thushti	She who is personification of happiness
444	Pushti	She who is personification of health
445	Mathi	She who is personification of wisdom
446	Dhrithi	She who is personification of courage
447	Santhi	She who is peaceful
448	Swasthimathi	She who always keeps well
449	Kanthi	She who is personification of light
450	Nandhini	She who is personification of Nadhini daughter of Kama denu
451	Vigna nasini	She who removes obstacles
452	Tejowathi	She who shines
453	Trinayana	She who has three eyes
454	Lolakshi-Kamaroopini	She who has wandering passionate eyes
455	Malini	She who wears a garland
456	Hamsini	She who is surrounded by swans
457	Matha	She who is the mother
458	Malayachala vasini	She who lives in the Malaya mountain
459	Sumukhi	She who has a pleasing disposition
460	Nalini	She who is tender
461	Subru	She who has beautiful eyelids
462	Shobhana	She who brings good things
463	Sura Nayika	She who is the leader of devas
464	Kala kanti	She who is the consort of he who killed the god of death
465	Kanthi mathi	She who has ethereal luster
466	Kshobhini	She who creates high emotions or She who gets agitated
467	Sukshma roopini	She who has a micro stature
468	Vajreshwari	She who is Vajreswari (lord of diamonds) who  occupies jalandhara peetha
469	Vamadevi	She who is the consort of Vama deva
470	Vayovastha vivarjitha	She who does not change with age
471	Sidheswari	She who is the goddess of Siddhas (saints with super natural powers)
472	Sidha vidya	She who is personification of pancha dasa manthra which is called siddha 
vidya
473	Sidha matha	She who is the mother of Siddhas
474	Yasawini	She who is famous
475	Vishudhichakra Nilaya	She who is in sixteen petalled lotus
476	Aarakthavarni	She who is slightly red
477	Trilochana	She who has three eyes
478	Khadwangadhi prakarana	She who has arms like the sword
479	Vadanaika samavidha	She who has one face
480	Payasanna priya	She who likes sweet rice (Payasam)
481	Twakstha	She who lives in the sensibility of the skin
482	Pasu loka Bhayamkari	She who creates fear for animal like men
483	Amruthathi maha sakthi samvrutha	She who is surrounded by Maha shakthis like 
Amrutha,Karshini, Indrani, Eesani, uma,Urdwa kesi
484	Dakineeswari	She who is goddess of the south(denoting death)
485	Anahathabja nilaya	She who lives in the twelve petalled lotus
486	Syamabha	She who is greenish black
487	Vadanadwaya	She who has two faces
488	Dhamshtrojwala	She who shines with long protruding teeth
489	Aksha maladhi dhara	She who wears meditation chains
490	Rudhira samsthida	She who is in blood
491	Kala rathryadhi Shakthi youga vrudha	She who is surrounded by Shakthis like Kalarathri. 
Kanditha, Gayathri,  ….etc
492	Sniggdowdhana priya	She who likes Ghee mixed rice
493	Maha veerendra varadha	She who gives boons to great heroes or She who gives boons to great 
sages
494	Rakinyambha swaroopini	She who has names like rakini
495	Mani poorabja nilaya	She who lives in ten petalled lotus
496	Vadana thraya samyudha	She who has three faces
497	Vajradhikayudhopetha	She who has weapons like Vajrayudha
498	Damaryadhibhi ravrutha	She who is surrounded by Goddess like Damari
499	Raktha varna	She who is of the colour of blood
500	Mamsa nishta	She who is in flesh
501	Gudanna preetha manasa	She who likes rice mixed with jaggery
502	Samastha bhaktha sukhadha	She who gives pleasure to all her devotees
503	Lakinyambha swaroopini	She who is famous in the name of “Lakini”
504	Swadhishtanambujagatha	She who lives in the six petalled lotus
505	Chathur vakthra manohara	She who has four beautiful faces
506	Sulayudha sampanna	She who has weapons like Spear
507	Peetha varna	She who is of golden colour
508	Adhi garvitha	She who is very proud
509	Medho nishta	She who is in the fatty layer
510	Madhu preetha	She who likes honey
511	Bhandinyadhi samanvidha	She who is surrounded by Shakthis called Bandhini
512	Dhadyanna saktha hridhaya	She who likes curd rice
513	Kakini roopa dharini	She who resembles “Kakini”
514	Mooladrambujarooda	She who sits on the mooladhara kamala or the lotus which is the 
basic support
515	Pancha vakthra	She who has five faces
516	Sthithi samsthitha	She who is in the bones
517	Ankusathi praharana	She who holds Ankusha and other weapons
518	Varadadhi nishevitha	She who is surrounded by Vardha and other shakthis
519	Mudgou danasaktha chittha	She who likes rice mixed with green gram dhal
520	Sakinyambha swaroopini	She who has the name “Sakini”
521	Agna chakrabja nilaya	She who sits on the lotus called Agna chakra or the wheel of order
522	Shukla varna	She who is white coloured
523	Shadanana	She who has six faces
524	Majja samstha	She who is in the fat surrounding the body
525	Hamsavathi mukhya shakthi samanvitha	She who is surrounded by shakthis called Hamsavathi
526	Hardrannaika rasika	She who likes rice mixed with turmeric powder
527	Hakini roopa dharini	She who has the name “Hakini”
528	Sahasra dhala padhmastha	She who sits on thousand petalled lotus
529	Sarva varnopi shobitha	She who shines in all colours
530	Sarvayudha dhara	She who is armed with all weapons
531	Shukla samsthitha	She who is in shukla or semen
532	Sarvathomukhi	She who has faces everywhere
533	Sarvou dhana preetha chittha	She who likes all types of rice
534	Yakinyambha swaroopini	She who is named as “yakini”
535	Swaha	She who is personification of Swaha ( the manthra chanted during fire sacrifice )
536	Swadha	She who is of the form of Swadha
537	Amathi	She who is ignorance
538	Medha	She who is knowledge
539	Sruthi	She who is Vedas
540	Smrithi	She who is the guide to Vedas
541	Anuthama	She who is above all
542	Punya keerthi	She who is famous for good deeds
543	Punya labhya	She who can be attained by good deeds
544	Punya sravana keerthana	She who gives good for those who listen and those who sing about her
545	Pulomajarchidha	She who is worshipped by wife of Indra
546	Bandha mochini	She who releases us from bondage
547	Barbharalaka	She who has forelocks which resembles waves
548	Vimarsa roopini	She who is hidden from view
549	Vidhya	She who is “learning”
550	Viyadhadhi jagat prasu	She who created the earth and the sky
551	Sarva vyadhi prasamani	She who cures all diseases
552	Sarva mrutyu nivarini	She who avoids all types of death
553	Agra ganya	She who is at the top
554	Achintya roopa	She who is beyond thought
555	Kali kalmasha nasini	She who removes the ills of the dark age
556	Kathyayini	She who is Kathyayini in Odyana peetha or She who is the daughter of sage 
Kathyayana
557	Kala hanthri	She who kills god of death
558	Kamalaksha nishevitha	She who is being worshipped by the lotus eyed Vishnu
559	Thamboola pooritha mukhi	She whose mouth is filled with betel leaves , betel nut and 
lime
560	Dhadimi kusuma prabha	She whose colour is like the pomegranate bud
561	Mrgakshi	She who has eyes like deer
562	Mohini	She who bewitches
563	Mukhya	She who is the chief
564	Mridani	She who gives pleasure
565	Mithra roopini	She who is of the form of Sun
566	Nithya Truptha	She who is satisfied always
567	Bhaktha Nidhi	She who is the treasure house of devotees
568	Niyanthri	She who controls
569	Nikhileswari	She who is goddess for every thing
570	Maitryadhi vasana Labhya	She who can be attained  by habits like Maithree 
(friendship)
571	Maha pralaya sakshini	She who is the witness to the great deluge
572	Para Shakthi	She who is the end  strength
573	Para Nishta	She who is at the end of concentration
574	Prgnana Gana roopini	She who is personification of all superior knowledge
575	Madhvi pana lasaa	She who is not interested in anything else due to drinking of toddy
576	Matha	She who appears to be fainted
577	Mathruka varna roopini	She who is the model of colour and shape
578	Maha Kailasa nilaya	She who sits on Maha Kailasa
579	Mrinala mrudhu dhorllatha	She who has arms as tender as lotus stalk
580	Mahaneeya	She who is fit to be venerated
581	Dhaya moorthi	She who is personification of mercy
582	Maha samrajya shalini	She who is the chef of all the worlds
583	Atma vidhya	She who is the science of soul
584	Maha Vidhya	She who is the great knowledge
585	Srividhya	She who is the knowledge of Goddess
586	Kama sevitha	She who is worshipped by Kama, the God of love
587	Sri Shodasakshari vidhya	She who is the sixteen lettered knowledge
588	Trikoota	She who is divided in to three parts
589	Kama Kotika	She who sits on Kama Koti peetha
590	Kataksha  kimkari bhootha kamala koti sevitha	She who is attended by crores of Lakshmis 
who yearn for her simple glance
591	Shira sthitha	She who is in the head
592	Chandra nibha	She who is like the full moon
593	Bhalastha	She who is in the forehead
594	Indra Dhanu Prabha	She who is like the rain bow
595	Hridayastha	She who is in the heart
596	Ravi pragya	She who has luster like Sun God
597	Tri konanthara deepika	She who is like a light in a triangle
598	Dakshayani	She who is the daughter of Daksha
599	Dhithya hanthri	She who kills asuras
600	Daksha yagna vinasini	She who destroyed the sacrifice of Rudra
601	Dharandholitha deergakshi	She who has long eyes which have slight movement
602	Dharahasojwalanmukhi	She who has face that glitters with her smile
603	Guru moorthi	She who is the teacher
604	Guna nidhi	She who is the treasure house of good qualities
605	Gomatha	She who is the mother cow
606	Guhajanma bhoo	She who is the birth place of Lord Subrahmanya
607	Deveshi	She who is the goddess of Gods
608	Dhanda neethistha	She who judges and punishes
609	Dhaharakasa roopini	She who is of the form of wide sky
610	Prathi panmukhya rakantha thidhi mandala poojitha	She who is being worshipped on all 
the fifteen days from full moon to new moon
611	Kalathmika	She who is the soul of arts
612	Kala nadha	She who is the chief of arts
613	Kavya labha  vimodhini	She who enjoys being described in epics
614	Sachamara rama vani savya dhakshina sevitha	She who is being fanned by Lakshmi the 
goddess of wealth and Saraswathi the goddess of knowledge
615	Adishakthi	She who is the primeval force
616	Ameya	She who cannot be measured
617	Atma	She who is the soul
618	Parama	She who is better than all others
619	Pavana krithi	She who is personification of purity
620	Aneka koti Bramanda janani	She who is the mother of several billions of universes
621	Divya Vigraha	She who is beautifully made
622	Klim karee	She who is the shape of “Klim”
623	Kevalaa	She who is she herself
624	Guhya	She who is secret
625	Kaivalya Padha dhayini	She who gives redemption as well as position
626	Tripura	She who lives everything in three aspects
627	Trijagat vandhya	She who is worshipped by all in three worlds
628	Trimurthi	She who is the trinity
629	Tri daseswari	She who is the goddess for all gods
630	Tryakshya	She who is of the form of three letters
631	Divya Gandhadya	She who has godly smell
632	Sindhura thila kanchidha	She who wears  the sindhoora dot in her forehead
633	Uma	She who is in “om”
634	Sailendra Thanaya	She who is the daughter of the king of mountains
635	Gowri	She who is white coloured
636	Gandharwa Sevitha	She who is worshipped by gandharwas
637	Viswa Grabha	She who carries the universe in her belly
638	Swarna Garbha	She who is personification of gold
639	Avaradha	She who punishes bad people
640	Vagadeeswaree	She who is the goddess of words
641	Dhyanagamya	She who can be attained by meditation
642	Aparichedya	She who cannot be predicted to be in a certain place
643	Gnadha	She who gives out knowledge
644	Gnana Vigraha	She who is personification of knowledge
645	Sarva vedhantha samvedya	She who can be known by all Upanishads
646	Satyananda swaroopini	She who is personification of truth and happiness
647	Lopa mudrarchitha	She who is worshipped by Lopa Mudhra the wife of Agasthya
648	Leela kluptha brahmanda mandala	She who creates the different universes by simple play
649	Adurshya	She who cannot be seen
650	Drusya rahitha	She who does not see things differently
651	Vignathree	She who knows all sciences
652	Vedhya varjitha	She who does not have any  need to know anything
653	Yogini	She who is personification of Yoga
654	Yogadha	She who gives knowledge and experience of yoga
655	Yogya	She who can be reached by yoga
656	Yogananda	She who gets pleasure out of yoga
657	Yugandhara	She who wears the yuga (Division of  eons of time)
658	Iccha shakthi-Gnana shakthi-Kriya shakthi swaroopini	She who has desire as her head, 
Knowledge as her body and work as her feet
659	Sarvaadhara	She who is the basis of everything
660	Suprathishta	She who is the best place of stay
661	Sada sadroopa dharini	She who always has truth in her
662	Ashta moorthy	She who has eight forms
663	Aja jethree	She who has won over ignorance
664	Loka yathra vidahyini	She who makes the world rotate(travel)
665	Ekakini	She who is only herself and alone
666	Bhooma roopa	She who is what we see , hear  and understand
667	Nirdwaitha	She who makes everything as one
668	Dwaitha varjitha	She who is away from “more than one”
669	Annadha	She who gives food
670	Vasudha	She who gives wealth
671	Vriddha	She who is old
672	Brhmatmykya swaroopini	She who  merges herself in brahma-the ultimate truth
673	Brihathi	She who is big
674	Brahmani	She who is  the wife of easwara
675	Brahmi	She who has one aspect of Brhma
676	Brahmananda	She who is the ultimate happiness
677	Bali priya	She who likes the strong
678	Bhasha roopa	She who is personification of language
679	Brihat sena	She who has big army
680	Bhavabhava vivarjitha	She who does not have birth or death
681	Sukharadhya	She who can be worshipped with pleasure
682	Shubhakaree	She who does good
683	Shobhana sulabha gathi	She who is easy to attain and does only good
684	Raja rajeswari	She who is goddess to king of kings like Devaraja, Yaksha raja, , Brahma, 
Vishnu and Rudra
685	Rajya Dhayini	She who gives kingdoms like Vaikunta, kailasa etc
686	Rajya vallabha	She who likes such kingdoms
687	Rajat krupa	She whose mercy shines everywhere
688	Raja peetha nivesitha nijasritha	She who makes people approaching her as kings
689	Rajya lakshmi	She who is the wealth of kingdoms
690	Kosa natha	She who protects the treasury
691	Chathuranga baleswai	She who  is the leader of the four fold army (Mind, brain, thought 
and ego)
692	Samrajya Dhayini	She who makes you emperor
693	Sathya Sandha	She who is truthful
694	Sagara Mekhala	She who is the earth surrounded by the sea
695	Deekshitha	She who gives the right to do fire sacrifice
696	Dhaitya Shamani	She who controls anti gods
697	Sarva loka vasam kari	She who keeps all the world within her control
698	Sarvartha Dhatri	She who gives all wealth
699	Savithri	She who is shines like the sun
700	Sachidananda roopini	She who is personification of the ultimate truth
701	Desa kala parischinna	She who is not divided by region or time
702	Sarvaga	She who is full of everywhere
703	Sarva mohini	She who attracts every thing
704	Saraswathi	She who is the goddess of knowledge
705	Sasthra mayi	She who is the meaning of sciences
706	Guhamba	She who is mother of  Lord Subrahmanya (Guha)
707	Guhya roopini	She whose form is hidden from all
708	Sarvo padhi vinirmuktha	She who does not have any doctrines
709	Sada shiva pathi vritha	She who is devoted wife for all times to Lord Shiva
710	Sampradhayeshwari	She who is goddess to rituals or She who is goddess to teacher-
student hierarchy
711	Sadhu	She who is innocent
712	Ee	She who is the letter “e”
713	Guru mandala roopini	She who is the universe round teachers
714	Kulotheerna	She who is beyond the group of senses
715	Bhagaradhya	She who is to be worshipped in the universe round the sun
716	Maya	She who is illusion
717	Madhumathi	She who is the trance stage (seventh ) in yoga
718	Mahee	She who is personification of earth
719	Ganamba	She who is mother to Ganesha and bhootha ganas
720	Guhyakaradhya	She who should be worshipped in secret places
721	Komalangi	She who has beautiful limbs
722	Guru Priya	She who likes teachers
723	Swathanthra	She who is independent
724	Sarwa thanthresi	She who is goddess to all thanthras (tricks to attain God)
725	Dakshina moorthi roopini	She who is the personification of  God facing South (The 
teacher form of Shiva)
726	Sanakadhi samaradhya	She who is being worshipped by Sanaka sages
727	Siva gnana pradhayini	She who gives the knowledge of God
728	Chid kala	She who is the  micro power deep within
729	Ananda Kalika	She who is the happiness in beings
730	Prema roopa	She who is the form of love
731	Priyamkaree	She who does what is liked
732	Nama parayana preetha	She who likes repetition of her various names
733	Nandhi vidhya	She who is the knowledge taught by Nandi deva (The bull god on whom shiva 
rides)
734	Nateshwaree	She who is the goddess of dance
735	Mithya Jagat athishtana	She who is luck to this world of illusion
736	Mukthida	She who gives redemption
737	Mukthi roopini	She who is redemption
738	Lasya priya	She who likes feminine dance
739	Laya karee	She who is the bridge between dance and music
740	Lajja	She who is shy
741	Rambha adhi vandhitha	She who is worshipped by the celestial dancers
742	Bhava dhava sudha vrishti	She who douses the forest fire of  the sad life of mortals 
with a rain of nectar.
743	Paparanya dhavanala	She who is the forest fire that destroys the forest of sin
744	Daurbhagya thoolavathoola	She who is the cyclone that blows away the cotton of bad 
luck.
745	Jaradwanthara viprabha	She who is the suns rays that swallows the darkness of old age
746	Bhagyabdhi chandrika	She who is the full moon to the sea of luck
747	Bhaktha Chitta Keki Ganagana	She who is the black cloud to the peacock which is he 
devotees mind
748	Roga parvatha Dhambola	She who is the Vajra weapon  which breaks the sickness which is like 
the mountain
749	Mrutyu Dharu Kudarika	She who is like the axe which fells the tree of death
750	Maheswaree	She who is the greatest goddess
751	Maha kali	She who is the great Kalee
752	Maha grasa	She who is like a great drinking bowl
753	Mahasana	She who is the great eater
754	Aparna	She who did meditation without even eating a leaf
755	Chandika	She who is supremely angry
756	Chanda mundasura nishoodhini	She who killed the asuras called Chanda and Munda
757	Ksharaksharathmika	She who can never be destroyed and also destroyed
758	Sarva lokesi	She who is goddess to all the worlds
759	Viswa Dharini	She who carries all the universe
760	Thrivarga Dhathri	She who gives dharma, Assets and pleasure
761	Subhaga	She who is pleasing to look at
762	Thryambhaga	She who has three eyes
763	Trigunathmika	She who is personification of three gunas viz .,Thamo (Kali), Rajo (Dhurga) 
and Sathva (Parvathy)
764	Swargapavargadha	She who gives heaven and the way to it
765	Shuddha	She who is clean
766	Japapushpa nibhakrithi	She who has the colour of  hibiscus
767	Ojovathi	She who is full of vigour
768	Dhyuthidhara	She who has light
769	Yagna roopa	She who is of the form of sacrifice
770	Priyavrudha	She who likes penances
771	Dhuraradhya	She who is rarely available for worship
772	Dhuradharsha	She who cannot be won
773	Patali kusuma priya	She who likes the buds of Patali tree
774	Mahathi	She who is big
775	Meru nilaya	She who lives in Meru mountain
776	Mandhara kusuma priya	She who likes the buds of Mandhara tree
777	Veeraradhya	She who is worshipped by heroes
778	Virad Roopa	She who a universal look
779	Viraja	She who does not have any blemish
780	Viswathomukhi	She who sees through every ones eyes
781	Prathyg roopa	She who can be seen by looking inside
782	Parakasa	She who is the great sky
783	Pranadha	She who gives the soul
784	Prana roopini	She who is the soul
785	Marthanda Bhairavaradhya	She who is being worshipped by Marthanda Bhairava
786	Manthrini nyashtha rajyadhoo	She who gave the power to rule to her form of Manthrini
787	Tripuresi	She who is the head of three cities
788	Jayatsena	She who has an army which wins
789	Nistrai gunya	She who is above the three qualities
790	Parapara	She who is outside and inside
791	Satya gnananda roopa	She who is personification of truth, knowledge and happiness
792	Samarasya parayana	She who stands in peace
793	Kapardhini	She who is the wife of Kapardhi (Siva with hair)
794	Kalamala	She who wears arts as garlands
795	Kamadhukh	She who fulfills desires
796	Kama roopini	She who can take any form
797	Kala nidhi	She who is the treasure of arts
798	Kavya kala	She who is the art of writing
799	Rasagna	She who appreciates  arts
800	Rasa sevadhi	She who is the treasure of arts
801	Pushta	She who is healthy
802	Purathana	She who is ancient
803	Poojya	She who is fit to be worshipped
804	Pushkara	She who gives exuberance
805	Pushkarekshana	She who has lotus like eyes
806	Paramjyothi	She who is the ultimate light
807	Param dhama	She who is the ultimate resting place
808	Paramanu	She who is the ultimate atom
809	Parath para	She who is better than the best
810	Pasa Hastha	She who has rope in her hand
811	Pasa Hanthri	She who cuts off attachment
812	Para manthra Vibhedini	She who destroys the effect of  spells cast
813	Moortha	She who has a form
814	Amoortha	She who does not have a form
815	Anithya thriptha	She who gets happy with prayers using temporary things
816	Muni manasa hamsika	She who is the swan in the mind ( lake like) of sages
817	Satya vritha	She who has resolved to speak only truth
818	Sathya roopa	She who is the real form
819	Sarvantharyamini	She who is within everything
820	Sathee	She who is Sathee the daughter of Daksha
821	Brahmani	She who is the strength behind creator
822	Brahmaa	She who is the creator
823	Janani	She who is the mother
824	Bahu roopa	She who has several forms
825	Budharchitha	She who is being worshipped by the enlightened
826	Prasavithri	She who has given birth to everything
827	Prachanda	She who is very angry
828	Aagna	She who is the order
829	Prathishta	She who has been installed
830	Prakata Krithi	She who is clearly visible
831	Praneshwari	She who is goddess to the soul
832	Prana Dhatri	She who gives the soul
833	Panchast peeta roopini	She who is in fifty Shakthi peethas like Kama ropa, Varanasi. Ujjain 
etc
834	Vishungala	She who is not chained
835	Vivikthastha	She who is in lonely places
836	Veera matha	She who is the mother of heroes
837	Viyat prasoo	She who has created the sky
838	Mukundaa	She who gives redemption
839	Mukthi nilaya	She who is the seat of redemption
840	Moola vigraha roopini	She who is the basic statue
841	Bavagna	She who understands wishes and thoughts
842	Bhava rokagni	She who cures the sin of birth
843	Bhava Chakra Pravarthani	She makes the wheel of birth rotate
844	Chanda sara	She who is the meaning of Vedas
845	Sasthra sara	She who is the meaning of Puranas(epics)
846	Manthra sara	She who is the meaning of Manthras ( chants)
847	Thalodharee	She who has a small belly
848	Udara keerthi	She who has wide and tall fame
849	Uddhhama vaibhava	She who has immeasurable fame
850	Varna roopini	She who is personification of alphabets
851	Janma mrutyu jara  thaptha  jana vishranthi dhayini	She who is the panacea of ills of 
birth, death and aging
852	Sarvopanisha  dhudh gushta	She who is being loudly announced as the greatest by 
Upanishads
853	Shantyathheetha kalathmika	She who is a greater art than peace
854	Gambheera	She whose depth cannot be measured
855	Gagananthastha	She who is situated in the sky
856	Garvitha	She who is proud
857	Gana lolupa	She who likes songs
858	Kalpana rahitha	She who does not imagine
859	Kashta	She who is in the ultimate boundary
860	Akantha	She who removes sins
861	Kanthatha vigraha	She who is half of her husband (kantha)
862	Karya karana nirmuktha	She who is beyond the action and the cause
863	Kama keli tharangitha	She who is the waves of the sea of the play of the God
864	Kanath kanaka thadanga	She who wears the glittering golden ear studs
865	Leela vigraha dharini	She who assumes several forms as play
866	Ajha	She who does not have birth
867	Kshaya nirmuktha	She who does not have death
868	Gubdha	She who is beautiful
869	Ksipra prasadhini	She who is pleased quickly
870	Anthar mukha samaradhya	She who is worshipped by internal thoughts
871	Bahir mukha sudurlabha	She who can be attained by external prayers
872	Thrayee	She who is of the form of three Vedas viz Rik, yajur and sama
873	Trivarga nilaya	She who is in three aspects  of self, assets and pleasure
874	Thristha	She who is in three
875	Tripura malini	She who is in tripura  the sixth section of Srichakra
876	Niramaya	She who is without diseases
877	Niralamba	She who does not need another birth
878	Swatma rama	She who enjoys within herself
879	Sudha sruthi	She who is the rain of nectar
880	Samsara panga nirmagna samuddharana panditha	She who is capable of saving people who 
drown in the mud of day today life
881	Yagna priya	She who likes fire sacrifice
882	Yagna karthree	She who carries out fire sacrifice
883	Yajamana swaroopini	She who is the doer of fire sacrifice
884	Dharma dhara	She who is the basis of Dharma-the rightful action
885	Dhanadyaksha	She who presides over wealth
886	Dhanadhanya vivardhani	She who makes wealth and grain to grow
887	Vipra priya	She who likes those who learn Vedas
888	Vipra roopa	She who is the learner of Vedas
889	Viswa brhamana karini	She who makes the universe to rotate
890	Viswa grasa	She who eats the universe in one handful
891	Vidhrumabha	She who has the luster of coral
892	Vaishnavi	She who is the power of Vishnu
893	Vishnu roopini	She who is Vishnu
894	Ayoni	She who does not have a cause or She who is not born
895	Yoni nilaya	She who is the cause and source of everything
896	Kootastha	She who is stable
897	Kula roopini	She who is personification of culture
898	Veera goshti priya	She who likes company of heroes
899	Veera	She who has valour
900	Naish karmya	She who does not have attachment to action
901	Nadha roopini	She who is the form of sound
902	Vignana kalana	She who makes science
903	Kalya	She who is expert in arts
904	Vidhagdha	She who is an expert
905	Baindavasana	She who sits in the dot of  the thousand petalled lotus
906	Tathwadhika	She who is above all metaphysics
907	Tatwa mayee	She who is Metaphysics
908	Tatwa Martha swaroopini	She who is personification of this and that
909	Sama gana priya	She who likes singing of sama
910	Soumya	She who is peaceful or She who is as pretty as the moon
911	Sada shiva kutumbini	She who is consort of Sada shiva
912	Savyapa savya margastha	She who is birth, death and living or She who likes the priestly and 
tantric methods
913	Sarva apadvi nivarini	She who removes all dangers
914	Swastha	She who has everything within her or She who is peaceful
915	Swabhava madura	She who is by nature sweet
916	Dheera	She who is courageous
917	Dheera samarchida	She who is being worshipped by the courageous
918	Chaithnyarkya samaradhya	She who is worshipped by the  ablation of water
919	Chaitanya kusuma priya	She who likes  the never fading flowers
920	Saddothitha	She who never sets
921	Sadha thushta	She who is always happy
922	Tharunadithya patala	She who like the young son is red mixed with white
923	Dakshina Daksinaradhya	She who is worshipped by the learned and ignorant
924	Dharasmera mukhambuja	She who has a smiling face like the lotus in full bloom
925	Kaulini kevala	She who is mixture of the koula and kevala methods
926	Anargya kaivalya pada dhayini	She who gives the immeasurable heavenly stature
927	Stotra priya	She who likes chants
928	Sthuthi mathi	She who gives boons for those who sing her chants
929	Sthuthi samsthutha vaibhava	She who is worshipped by the Vedas
930	Manaswaini	She who has a stable mind
931	Manavathi	She who has big heart
932	Mahesi	She who is the greatest goddess
933	Mangala kruthi	She who does only good
934	Viswa Matha	The mother of the universe
935	Jagat Dhathri	She who supports the world
936	Visalakshi	She who is broad eyed
937	Viragini	She who has renounced
938	Pragalbha	She who is courageous
939	Paramodhara	She who is great giver
940	Paramodha	She who has great happiness
941	Manomayi	She who is one with mind
942	Vyoma kesi	She who is the wife of Shiva who has sky as his hair
943	Vimanastha	She who is at the top
944	Vajrini	She who has indra’s wife as a part
945	Vamakeshwaree	She who is goddess of the people who follow the left path
946	Pancha yagna priya	She who likes the five sacrifices
947	Pancha pretha manchadhi sayini	She who sleeps on the cot made of five corpses
948	Panchami	She who is the consort of Sadshiva –the fifth of the pancha brahmas
949	Pancha bhoothesi	She who is the chief of Pancha bhoothas viz earth, sky, fire, air. 
And water
950	Pancha sankhyopacharini	She who is to be worshipped by five methods of  Gandha(sandal wood), 
Pushpa(flower), Dhoopa(incense), dheepa(light), Naivedya(offering)
951	Saswathi	She who is permanent
952	Saswathaiswarya	She who gives perennial wealth
953	Sarmadha	She who gives pleasure
954	Sambhu mohini	She who bewitches Lord Shiva
955	Dhara	She who carries (beings like earth)
956	Dharasutha	She who is the daughter of the mountain
957	Dhanya	She who has all sort of wealth
958	Dharmini	She who likes dharma
959	Dharma vardhini	She who makes dharma grow
960	Loka theetha	She who is beyond the world
961	Guna theetha	She who is beyond properties
962	Sarvatheetha	She who is beyond everything
963	Samathmika	She who is peace
964	Bhandhooka kusuma prakhya	She who has the glitter of bhandhooka flowers
965	Bala	She who is a young maiden
966	Leela Vinodhini	She who loves to play
967	Sumangali	She who gives all good things
968	Sukha kari	She who gives pleasure
969	Suveshadya	She who is well made up
970	Suvasini	She who is sweet scented(married woman)
971	Suvasinyarchana preetha	She who likes the worship of married woman
972	AAshobhana	She who has full glitter
973	Shuddha manasa	She who has a clean mind
974	Bindhu tharpana santhushta	She who is happy with the offering in the dot of Ananda maya 
chakra
975	Poorvaja	She who preceded every one
976	Tripurambika	She who is the goddess of three cities
977	Dasa mudhra samaradhya	She who is worshipped by ten mudras(postures of the hand)
978	Thrpura sree vasankari	She who keeps the goddess Tripura sree
979	Gnana mudhra	She who shows the symbol of knowledge
980	Gnana gamya	She who can be attained by knowledge
981	Gnana gneya swaroopini	She who is what is thought and the thought
982	Yoni mudhra	She who shows the symbol of pleasure
983	Trikhandesi	She who is the lord of three zones of fire, moon and sun
984	Triguna	She who is three characters
985	Amba	She who is the mother
986	Trikonaga	She who has attained at all vertices of a triangle
987	Anaga	She  who is not neared by sin
988	Adbutha charithra	She who has a wonderful history
989	Vanchithartha pradayini	She who gives what is desired
990	Abhyasathisaya gnatha	She who can be realized by constant practice
991	Shaddwatheetha roopini	She who supersedes the six methods of prayers
992	Avyaja karuna moorhy	She who shows mercy without reason
993	Agnana dwantha deepika	She who is the lamp that drives away ignorance
994	Abala gopa vidhitha	She who is worshipped by all right from children and cowherds
995	Sarvan ullangya sasana	She whose orders can never be disobeyed
996	Sri chakra raja nilaya	She who lives in Srichakra
997	Sri math thripura sundari	The beautiful goddess of wealth who is consort of the Lord 
of Tripura
998	Sri shivaa	She who is the eternal peace
999	Shiva shakthaikya roopini	She who is unification of Shiva and Shakthi
1000	Lalithambika	The easily approachable mother

December 18, 2023, 10:17 am

The Sri Chakra represents Mount Meru

December 29, 2023, 12:46 am

Everything is beautiful and blissful - meditative thoughts.

Aum---the-meaning-per-the-Upanishads

December 15, 2023, 5:51 pm

The syllable “Aum” is a sacred sound in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is believed to represent 
the four states of consciousness 1. The Mandukya Upanishad, a Hindu scripture, describes these four 
states as follows:

Jagrat (wakefulness): This is the state of being awake and aware of the external world.
Svapna (dreaming): This is the state of dreaming, where the mind creates its own reality.
Sushupti (deep sleep): This is the state of deep sleep, where the mind is at rest and there is no 
awareness of the external world.
Turiya (the fourth): This is the state of pure consciousness, beyond the other three states. It is 
often described as the state of enlightenment or self-realization 12.

The Mandukya Upanishad also associates each of these states with a syllable of “Aum”. The syllable 
“A” represents the state of wakefulness, “U” represents the state of dreaming, “M” represents the 
state of deep sleep, and the silence that follows represents the state of Turiya

The-Yoga-Sutras---Pantanjali

December 15, 2023, 6:15 pm

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The 196 Sutras
Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
SwamiJ.com 

List of all 196 sutras of the Yoga Sutras: The interpretive translation below lists all 196 of the 
Yoga Sutras (some renditions divide the Yoga Sutras into 194-200 sutras). Individual descriptions of 
the sutras are linked through the sutra numbers. There are also separate pages, which address other 
aspects of the Yoga Sutras in greater detail.

1: Concentration (Samadhi Pada)
2: Practice (Sadhana Pada)
3: Experiences (Vibhuti Pada)
4: Absolute Freedom (Kaivalya Pada)
(Click on the sutra number below to go to word-for-word translations from Sanskrit, discussions, and 
graphics. Click here to go to a 1-page summary of the entire Yoga Sutras.) 

Chapter 1 of the Yoga Sutras: 
Concentration (Samadhi Pada)   

What is Yoga? (Yoga Sutras 1.1-1.4)

1.1 Now, after having done prior preparation through life and other practices, the study and 
practice of Yoga begins.

1.2 Yoga is the control (nirodhah, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, 
stilling, quieting, setting aside) of the modifications (gross and subtle thought patterns) of the 
mind field.

1.3 Then the Seer abides in Itself, resting in its own True Nature, which is called Self-
realization.

1.4 At other times, when one is not in Self-realization, the Seer appears to take on the form of the 
modifications of the mind field, taking on the identity of those thought patterns.

Un-coloring your thoughts (Yoga Sutras 1.5-1.11)

1.5 Those gross and subtle thought patterns (vrittis) fall into five varieties, of which some are 
colored (klishta) and others are uncolored (aklishta).

1.6 The five varieties of thought patterns to witness are: 1) knowing correctly (pramana), 2) 
incorrect knowing (viparyaya), 3) fantasy or imagination (vikalpa), 4) the object of void-ness that 
is deep sleep (nidra), and 5) recollection or memory (smriti).

1.7 Of these five, there are three ways of gaining correct knowledge (pramana): 1) perception, 2) 
inference, and 3) testimony or verbal communication from others who have knowledge.

1.8 Incorrect knowledge or illusion (viparyaya) is false knowledge formed by perceiving a thing as 
being other than what it really is.

1.9 Fantasy or imagination (vikalpa) is a thought pattern that has verbal expression and knowledge, 
but for which there is no such object or reality in existence.

1.10 Dreamless sleep (nidra) is the subtle thought pattern which has as its object an inertia, 
blankness, absence, or negation of the other thought patterns (vrittis).

1.11 Recollection or memory (smriti) is mental modification caused by the inner reproducing of a 
previous impression of an object, but without adding any other characteristics from other sources.

Practice and non-attachment (Yoga Sutras 1.12-1.16)

1.12 These thought patterns (vrittis) are mastered (nirodhah, regulated, coordinated, controlled, 
stilled, quieted) through practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya).

1.13 Practice (abhyasa) means choosing, applying the effort, and doing those actions that bring a 
stable and tranquil state (sthitau).

1.14 When that practice is done for a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then 
the practice becomes a firmly rooted, stable and solid foundation.

1.15 When the mind loses desire even for objects seen or described in a tradition or in scriptures, 
it acquires a state of utter (vashikara) desirelessness that is called non-attachment (vairagya).

1.16 Indifference to the subtlest elements, constituent principles, or qualities themselves (gunas), 
achieved through a knowledge of the nature of pure consciousness (purusha), is called supreme non-
attachment (paravairagya).

Types of concentration (Yoga Sutras 1.17-1.18)

1.17 The deep absorption of attention on an object is of four kinds, 1) gross (vitarka), 2) subtle 
(vichara), 3) bliss accompanied (ananda), and 4) with I-ness (asmita), and is called samprajnata 
samadhi.

1.18 The other kind of samadhi is asamprajnata samadhi, and has no object in which attention is 
absorbed, wherein only latent impressions remain; attainment of this state is preceded by the 
constant practice of allowing all of the gross and subtle fluctuations of mind to recede back into 
the field from which they arose.

Efforts and commitment (Yoga Sutras 1.19-1.22)

1.19 Some who have attained higher levels (videhas) or know unmanifest nature (prakritilayas), are 
drawn into birth in this world by their remaining latent impressions of ignorance, and more 
naturally come to these states of samadhi.

1.20 Others follow a five-fold systematic path of 1) faithful certainty in the path, 2) directing 
energy towards the practices, 3) repeated memory of the path and the process of stilling the mind, 
4) training in deep concentration, and 5) the pursuit of real knowledge, by which the higher samadhi 
(asamprajnata samadhi) is attained.

1.21 Those who pursue their practices with intensity of feeling, vigor, and firm conviction achieve 
concentration and the fruits thereof more quickly, compared to those of medium or lesser intensity.

1.22 Because the methods may be applied in slow, medium, or speedy ways, even among those who have 
such commitment and conviction, there are differences in the rate of progress, resulting in nine 
grades of practice.

Direct route through AUM (Yoga Sutras 1.23-1.29)

1.23 From a special process of devotion and letting go into the creative source from which we 
emerged (ishvara pranidhana), the coming of samadhi is imminent.

1.24 That creative source (ishvara) is a particular consciousness (purusha) that is unaffected by 
colorings (kleshas), actions (karmas), or results of those actions that happen when latent 
impressions stir and cause those actions.

1.25 In that pure consciousness (ishvara) the seed of omniscience has reached its highest 
development and cannot be exceeded.

1.26 From that consciousness (ishvara) the ancient-most teachers were taught, since it is not 
limited by the constraint of time.

1.27 The sacred word designating this creative source is the sound OM, called pranava.

1.28 This sound is remembered with deep feeling for the meaning of what it represents.

1.29 From that remembering comes the realization of the individual Self and the removal of 
obstacles.

Obstacles and solutions (Yoga Sutras 1.30-1.32)

1.30 Nine kinds of distractions come that are obstacles naturally encountered on the path, and are 
physical illness, tendency of the mind to not work efficiently, doubt or indecision, lack of 
attention to pursuing the means of samadhi, laziness in mind and body, failure to regulate the 
desire for worldly objects, incorrect assumptions or thinking, failing to attain stages of the 
practice, and instability in maintaining a level of practice once attained.

1.31 From these obstacles, there are four other consequences that also arise, and these are: 1) 
mental or physical pain, 2) sadness or dejection, 3) restlessness, shakiness, or anxiety, and 4) 
irregularities in the exhalation and inhalation of breath.

1.32 To prevent or deal with these nine obstacles and their four consequences, the recommendation is 
to make the mind one-pointed, training it how to focus on a single principle or object.

Stabilizing and clearing the mind (Yoga Sutras 1.33-1.39)

1.33 In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards 
those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are 
virtuous, and indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked or evil.

1.34 The mind is also calmed by regulating the breath, particularly attending to exhalation and the 
natural stilling of breath that comes from such practice.

1.35 The inner concentration on the process of sensory experiencing, done in a way that leads 
towards higher, subtle sense perception; this also leads to stability and tranquility of the mind.

1.36 Or concentration on a painless inner state of lucidness and luminosity also brings stability 
and tranquility.

1.37 Or contemplating on having a mind that is free from desires, the mind gets stabilized and 
tranquil.

1.38 Or by focusing on the nature of the stream in the dream state or the nature of the state of 
dreamless sleep, the mind becomes stabilized and tranquil.

1.39 Or by contemplating or concentrating on whatever object or principle one may like, or towards 
which one has a predisposition, the mind becomes stable and tranquil.

Results of stabilizing the mind (Yoga Sutras 1.40-1.51)

1.40 When, through such practices, the mind develops the power of becoming stable on the smallest 
size object as well as on the largest, then the mind truly comes under control.

1.41 When the modifications of mind have become weakened, the mind becomes like a transparent 
crystal, and thus can easily take on the qualities of whatever object observed, whether that object 
be the observer, the means of observing, or an object observed, in a process of engrossment called 
samapatti.

1.42 One type of such an engrossment (samapatti) is one in which there is a mixture of three things, 
a word or name going with the object, the meaning or identity of that object, and the knowledge 
associated with that object; this engrossment is known as savitarka samapatti (associated with gross 
objects).

1.43 When the memory or storehouse of modifications of mind is purified, then the mind appears to be 
devoid of its own nature and only the object on which it is contemplating appears to shine forward; 
this type of engrossment is known as nirvitarka samapatti.

1.44 In the same way that these engrossments operate with gross objects in savitarka samapatti, the 
engrossment with subtle objects also operates, and is known as savichara and nirvichara samapatti.

1.45 Having such subtle objects extends all the way up to unmanifest prakriti.

1.46 These four varieties of engrossment are the only kinds of concentrations (samadhi) which are 
objective, and have a seed of an object.

1.47 As one gains proficiency in the undisturbed flow in nirvichara, a purity and luminosity of the 
inner instrument of mind is developed.

1.48 The experiential knowledge that is gained in that state is one of essential wisdom and is 
filled with truth.

1.49 That knowledge is different from the knowledge that is commingled with testimony or through 
inference, because it relates directly to the specifics of the object, rather than to those words or 
other concepts.

1.50 This type of knowledge that is filled with truth creates latent impressions in the mind-field, 
and those new impressions tend to reduce the formation of other less useful forms of habitual latent 
impressions.

1.51 When even these latent impressions from truth filled knowledge recede along with the other 
impressions, then there is objectless concentration.

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Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras: 
Practice (Sadhana Pada)

Minimizing gross coloring (Yoga Sutras 2.1-2.9)

2.1 Yoga in the form of action (kriya yoga) has three parts: 1) training and purifying the senses 
(tapas), 2) self-study in the context of teachings (svadhyaya), and 3) devotion and letting go into 
the creative source from which we emerged (ishvara pranidhana).

2.2 That Yoga of action (kriya yoga) is practiced to bring about samadhi and to minimize the colored 
thought patterns (kleshas).

2.3 There are five kinds of coloring (kleshas): 1) forgetting, or ignorance about the true nature of 
things (avidya), 2) I-ness, individuality, or egoism (asmita), 3) attachment or addiction to mental 
impressions or objects (raga), 4) aversion to thought patterns or objects (dvesha), and 5) love of 
these as being life itself, as well as fear of their loss as being death.

2.4 The root forgetting or ignorance of the nature of things (avidya) is the breeding ground for the 
other of the five colorings (kleshas), and each of these is in one of four states: 1) dormant or 
inactive, 2) attenuated or weakened, 3) interrupted or separated from temporarily, or 4) active and 
producing thoughts or actions to varying degrees.

2.5 Ignorance (avidya) is of four types: 1) regarding that which is transient as eternal, 2) 
mistaking the impure for pure, 3) thinking that which brings misery to bring happiness, and 4) 
taking that which is not-self to be self.

2.6 The coloring (klesha) of I-ness or egoism (asmita), which arises from the ignorance, occurs due 
to the mistake of taking the intellect (buddhi, which knows, decides, judges, and discriminates) to 
itself be pure consciousness (purusha).

2.7 Attachment (raga) is a separate modification of mind, which follows the rising of the memory of 
pleasure, where the three modifications of attachment, pleasure, and the memory of the object are 
then associated with one another.

2.8 Aversion (dvesha) is a modification that results from misery associated with some memory, 
whereby the three modifications of aversion, pain, and the memory of the object or experience are 
then associated with one another.

2.9 Even for those people who are learned, there is an ever-flowing, firmly established love for 
continuation and a fear of cessation, or death, of these various colored modifications (kleshas).

Dealing with subtle thoughts (Yoga Sutras 2.10-2.11)

2.10 When the five types of colorings (kleshas) are in their subtle, merely potential form, they are 
then destroyed by their disappearance or cessation into and of the field of mind itself.

2.11 When the modifications still have some potency of coloring (klishta), they are brought to the 
state of mere potential by meditation (dhyana).

Breaking the alliance of karma (Yoga Sutras 2.12-2.25)

2.12 Latent impressions that are colored (karmashaya) result from other actions (karmas) that were 
brought about by colorings (kleshas), and become active and experienced in a current life or a 
future life.

2.13 As long as those colorings (kleshas) remains at the root, three consequences are produced: 1) 
birth, 2) span of life, and 3) experiences in that life.

2.14 Because of having the nature of merits or demerits (virtue or vice), these three (birth, span 
of life, and experiences) may be experienced as either pleasure or pain.

2.15 A wise, discriminating person sees all worldly experiences as painful, because of reasoning 
that all these experiences lead to more consequences, anxiety, and deep habits (samskaras), as well 
as acting in opposition to the natural qualities.

2.16 Because the worldly experiences are seen as painful, it is the pain, which is yet to come that 
is to be avoided and discarded.

2.17 The uniting of the seer (the subject, or experiencer) with the seen (the object, or that which 
is experienced) is the cause or connection to be avoided.

2.18 The objects (or knowables) are by their nature of: 1) illumination or sentience, 2) activity or 
mutability, or 3) inertia or stasis; they consist of the elements and the powers of the senses, and 
exist for the purpose of experiencing the world and for liberation or enlightenment.

2.19 There are four states of the elements (gunas), and these are: 1) diversified, specialized, or 
particularized (vishesha), 2) undiversified, unspecialized, or unparticularized (avishesha), 3) 
indicator-only, undifferentiated phenomenal, or marked only (linga-matra), and 4) without indicator, 
noumenal, or without mark (alingani).

2.20 The Seer is but the force of seeing itself, appearing to see or experience that which is 
presented as a cognitive principle.

2.21 The essence or nature of the knowable objects exists only to serve as the objective field for 
pure consciousness.

2.22 Although knowable objects cease to exist in relation to one who has experienced their 
fundamental, formless true nature, the appearance of the knowable objects is not destroyed, for 
their existence continues to be shared by others who are still observing them in their grosser 
forms.

2.23 Having an alliance, or relationship between objects and the Self is the necessary means by 
which there can subsequently be realization of the true nature of those objects by that very Self.

2.24 Avidya or ignorance (2.3-2.5), the condition of ignoring, is the underlying cause that allows 
this alliance to appear to exist.

2.25 By causing a lack of avidya, or ignorance there is then an absence of the alliance, and this 
leads to a freedom known as a state of liberation or enlightenment for the Seer.

Reason for the 8 rungs (Yoga Sutras 2.26-2.29)

2.26 Clear, distinct, unimpaired discriminative knowledge is the means of liberation from this 
alliance.

2.27 Seven kinds of ultimate insight come to one who has attained this degree of discrimination.

2.28 Through the practice of the different limbs, or steps to Yoga, whereby impurities are 
eliminated, there arises an illumination that culminates in discriminative wisdom, or enlightenment.

2.29 The eight rungs, limbs, or steps of Yoga are the codes of self-regulation or restraint (yamas), 
observances or practices of self-training (niyamas), postures (asana), expansion of breath and prana 
(pranayama), withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), 
and perfected concentration (samadhi).

Yamas & Niyamas, #1-2 of 8 rungs (Yoga Sutras 2.30-2.34)

2.30 Non-injury or non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), abstention from stealing (asteya), 
walking in awareness of the highest reality (brahmacharya), and non-possessiveness or non-grasping 
with the senses (aparigraha) are the five yamas, or codes of self-regulation or restraint, and are 
the first of the eight steps of Yoga.

2.31 These codes of self-regulation or restraint become a great vow when they become universal and 
are not restricted by any consideration of the nature of the kind of living being to whom one is 
related, nor in any place, time or situation.

2.32 Cleanliness and purity of body and mind (shaucha), an attitude of contentment (santosha), 
ascesis or training of the senses (tapas), self-study and reflection on sacred words (svadhyaya), 
and an attitude of letting go into one's source (ishvarapranidhana) are the observances or practices 
of self-training (niyamas), and are the second rung on the ladder of Yoga.

2.33 When these codes of self-regulation or restraint (yamas) and observances or practices of self-
training (niyamas) are inhibited from being practiced due to perverse, unwholesome, troublesome, or 
deviant thoughts, principles in the opposite direction, or contrary thought should be cultivated.

2.34 Actions arising out of such negative thoughts are performed directly by oneself, caused to be 
done through others, or approved of when done by others. All of these may be preceded by, or 
performed through anger, greed or delusion, and can be mild, moderate or intense in nature. To 
remind oneself that these negative thoughts and actions are the causes of unending misery and 
ignorance is the contrary thought, or principle in the opposite direction that was recommended in 
the previous sutra.

Benefits from Yamas & Niyamas (Yoga Sutras 2.35-2.45)

2.35 As a Yogi becomes firmly grounded in non-injury (ahimsa), other people who come near will 
naturally lose any feelings of hostility.

2.36 As truthfulness (satya) is achieved, the fruits of actions naturally result according to the 
will of the Yogi.

2.37 When non-stealing (asteya) is established, all jewels, or treasures present themselves, or are 
available to the Yogi.

2.38 When walking in the awareness of the highest reality (brahmacharya) is firmly established, then 
a great strength, capacity, or vitality (virya) is acquired.

2.39 When one is steadfast in non-possessiveness or non-grasping with the senses (aparigraha), there 
arises knowledge of the why and wherefore of past and future incarnations.

2.40 Through cleanliness and purity of body and mind (shaucha), one develops an attitude of 
distancing, or disinterest towards one's own body, and becomes disinclined towards contacting the 
bodies of others.

2.41 Also through cleanliness and purity of body and mind (shaucha) comes a purification of the 
subtle mental essence (sattva), a pleasantness, goodness and gladness of feeling, a one-pointedness 
with intentness, the conquest or mastery over the senses, and a fitness, qualification, or 
capability for self-realization.

2.42 From an attitude of contentment (santosha), unexcelled happiness, mental comfort, joy, and 
satisfaction is obtained.

2.43 Through ascesis or training of the senses (tapas), there comes a destruction of mental 
impurities, and an ensuing mastery or perfection over the body and the mental organs of senses and 
actions (indriyas).

2.44 From self-study and reflection on sacred words (svadhyaya), one attains contact, communion, or 
concert with that underlying natural reality or force.

2.45 From an attitude of letting go into one's source (ishvarapranidhana), the state of perfected 
concentration (samadhi) is attained.

Asana, #3 of 8 rungs (Yoga Sutras 2.46-2.48)

2.46 The posture (asana) for Yoga meditation should be steady, stable, and motionless, as well as 
comfortable, and this is the third of the eight rungs of Yoga.

2.47 The means of perfecting the posture is that of relaxing or loosening of effort, and allowing 
attention to merge with endlessness, or the infinite.

2.48 From the attainment of that perfected posture, there arises an unassailable, unimpeded freedom 
from suffering due to the pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold, good and bad, or pain and 
pleasure).

Pranayama, #4 of 8 rungs (Yoga Sutras 2.49-2.53)

2.49 Once that perfected posture has been achieved, the slowing or braking of the force behind, and 
of unregulated movement of inhalation and exhalation is called breath control and expansion of prana 
(pranayama), which leads to the absence of the awareness of both, and is the fourth of the eight 
rungs.

2.50 That pranayama has three aspects of external or outward flow (exhalation), internal or inward 
flow (inhalation), and the third, which is the absence of both during the transition between them, 
and is known as fixedness, retention, or suspension. These are regulated by place, time, and number, 
with breath becoming slow and subtle.

2.51 The fourth pranayama is that continuous prana which surpasses, is beyond, or behind those 
others that operate in the exterior and interior realms or fields.

2.52 Through that pranayama the veil of karmasheya (2.12) that covers the inner illumination or 
light is thinned, diminishes and vanishes.

2.53 Through these practices and processes of pranayama, which is the fourth of the eight steps, the 
mind acquires or develops the fitness, qualification, or capability for true concentration 
(dharana), which is itself the sixth of the steps.

Pratyahara, #5 of 8 rungs (Yoga Sutras 2.54-2.55)

2.54 When the mental organs of senses and actions (indriyas) cease to be engaged with the 
corresponding objects in their mental realm, and assimilate or turn back into the mind-field from 
which they arose, this is called pratyahara, and is the fifth step.

2.55 Through that turning inward of the organs of senses and actions (indriyas) also comes a supreme 
ability, controllability, or mastery over those senses inclining to go outward towards their 
objects.

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Chapter 3 of the Yoga Sutras: 
Experiences (Vibhuti Pada)

Dharana, Dhyana, & Samadhi, #6, 7, and 8 of 8 rungs (Yoga Sutras 3.1-3.3)

3.1 Concentration (dharana) is the process of holding or fixing the attention of mind onto one 
object or place, and is the sixth of the eight rungs.

3.2 The repeated continuation, or uninterrupted stream of that one point of focus is called 
absorption in meditation (dhyana), and is the seventh of the eight steps.

3.3 When only the essence of that object, place, or point shines forth in the mind, as if devoid 
even of its own form, that state of deep absorption is called deep concentration or samadhi, which 
is the eighth rung.

Samyama is the finer tool (Yoga Sutras 3.4-3.6)

3.4 The three processes of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, when taken together on the same object, 
place or point is called samyama.

3.5 Through the mastery of that three-part process of samyama, the light of knowledge, 
transcendental insight, or higher consciousness (prajna) dawns, illumines, flashes, or is visible.

3.6 That three-part process of samyama is gradually applied to the finer planes, states, or stages 
of practice.

Internal is seen to be external (Yoga Sutras 3.7-3.8)

3.7 These three practices of concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and samadhi are more 
intimate or internal than the previous five practices.

3.8 However, these three practices are external, and not intimate compared to nirbija samadhi, which 
is samadhi that has no object, nor even a seed object on which there is concentration.

Witnessing subtle transitions (Yoga Sutras 3.9-3.16)

3.9 That high level of mastery called nirodhah-parinamah occurs in the moment when there is a 
convergence of the rising tendency of deep impressions, the subsiding tendency, and the attention of 
the mind field itself.

3.10 The steady flow of this state (nirodhah-parinamah) continues by the creation of deep 
impressions (samskaras) from doing the practice.

3.11 The mastery called samadhi-parinamah is the transition whereby the tendency to all-pointedness 
subsides, while the tendency to one-pointedness arises.

3.12 The mastery called ekagrata-parinamah is the transition whereby the same one-pointedness arises 
and subsides sequentially.

3.13 These three transition processes also explain the three transformations of form, time, and 
characteristics, and how these relate to the material elements and senses.

3.14 There is an unmanifest, indescribable substratum or existence that is common or contained 
within all of the other forms or qualities.

3.15 Change in the sequence of the characteristics is the cause for the different appearances of 
results, consequences, or effects.

3.16 By samyama on the three-fold changes in form, time, and characteristics, there comes knowledge 
of the past and future.

Experiences from Samyama (Yoga Sutras 3.17-3.37)

3.17 The name associated with an object, the object itself implied by that name, and the conceptual 
existence of the object, all three usually interpenetrate or commingle with one another. By samyama 
on the distinction between these three, the meaning of the sounds made by all beings becomes 
available.

3.18 Through the direct perception of the latent impressions (samskaras) comes the knowledge of 
previous incarnations.

3.19 By samyama on the notions or presented ideas comes knowledge of another's mind.

3.20 But the underlying support of that knowledge (of the other persons mind, in 3.19) remains 
unperceived or out of reach.

3.21 When samyama is done on the form of one's own physical body, the illumination or visual 
characteristic of the body is suspended, and is thus invisible to other people.

3.22 In the same way as described in relation to sight (3.21), one is able to suspend the ability of 
the body to be heard, touched, tasted, or smelled.

3.23 Karma is of two kinds, either fast or slow to manifest; by samyama on these karmas comes 
foreknowledge of the time of death.

3.24 By samyama on friendliness (and the other attitudes of 1.33), there comes great strength of 
that attitude.

3.25 By samyama on the strength of elephants comes a similar strength.

3.26 By directing the flash of inner light of higher sensory activity, knowledge of subtle objects, 
those hidden from view, and those very distant can be attained.

3.27 By samyama on the inner sun, knowledge of the many subtle realms can be known.

3.28 By samyama on the moon, knowledge of the arrangement of the inner stars can be known.

3.29 By samyama on the pole-star, knowledge of the movement of those stars can be known.

3.30 By samyama on the navel center, knowledge of the arrangement of the systems of the body can be 
known.

3.31 By samyama on the pit of the throat, hunger and thirst leave.

3.32 By samyama on the tortoise channel, below the throat, steadiness is attained.

3.33 By samyama on the coronal light of the head, visions of the siddhas, the masters can come.

3.34 Or, through the intuitive light of higher knowledge, anything might become known.

3.35 By practicing samyama on the heart, knowledge of the mind is attained.

3.36 The having of experiences comes from a presented idea only when there is a commingling of the 
subtlest aspect of mind (sattva) and pure consciousness (purusha), which are really quite different. 
Samyama on the pure consciousness, which is distinct from the subtlest aspect of mind, reveals 
knowledge of that pure consciousness.

3.37 From the light of the higher knowledge of that pure consciousness or purusha (3.36) arises 
higher, transcendental, or divine hearing, touch, vision, taste, and smell.

What to do with experiences (Yoga Sutras 3.38)

3.38 These experiences resulting from samyama are obstacles to samadhi, but appear to be attainments 
or powers to the outgoing or worldly mind.

More from Samyama (Yoga Sutras 3.39-3.49)

3.39 By loosening or letting go of the causes of bondage and attachment, and by following the 
knowledge of how to go forth into the passages of the mind, there comes the ability to enter into 
another body.

3.40 By the mastery over udana, the upward flowing prana vayu, there is a cessation of contact with 
mud, water, thorns, and other such objects, and there ensues the rising or levitation of the body.

3.41 By mastery over samana, the prana flowing in the navel area, there comes effulgence, radiance, 
or fire.

3.42 By samyama over the relation between space and the power of hearing, the higher, divine power 
of hearing comes.

3.43 By Samyama on the relationship between the body and space (akasha) and by concentrating on the 
lightness of cotton, passage through space can be attained.

3.44 When the formless thought patterns of mind are projected outside of the body, it is called 
maha-videha, a great disincarnate one. By samyama on that outward projection, the veil over the 
spiritual light is removed.

3.45 By samyama on the five forms of the elements (bhutas), which are gross form, essence, 
subtleness, interconnectedness, and it's purpose, then mastery over those bhutas is attained.

3.46 Through that mastery over the elements, comes the abilities of making the body atomically 
small, perfect, and indestructible in its characteristics or components, as well as bringing other 
such powers.

3.47 This perfection of the body includes beauty, gracefulness, strength, and adamantine hardness in 
taking the blows that come.

3.48 By samyama on the process of perception and action, essence, I-ness, connectedness, and 
purposefulness of senses and acts, mastery over those senses and acts (indriyas) is attained.

3.49 By that mastery over the senses and acts (indriyas), there comes quickness of mind, perception 
with the physical instruments of perception, and mastery over the primal cause out of which 
manifestation arises.

Renunciation that brings liberation (Yoga Sutras 3.50-3.52)

3.50 To one well established in the knowledge of the distinction between the purest aspect of mind 
and consciousness itself, there comes supremacy over all forms or states of existence, as well as 
over all forms of knowing.

3.51 With non-attachment or desirelessness even for that supremacy over forms and states of 
existence and the omniscience (3.50), the seeds at the root of those bondages are destroyed, and 
absolute liberation is attained.

3.52 When invited by the celestial beings, no cause should be allowed to arise in the mind that 
would allow either acceptance of the offer, or the smile of pride from receiving the invitation, 
because to allow such thoughts to arise again might create the possibility of repeating undesirable 
thoughts and actions.

Higher discrimination through Samyama (Yoga Sutras 3.53-3.56)

3.53 By samyama over the moments and their succession, there comes the higher knowledge that is born 
from discrimination.

3.54 From that discriminative knowledge (3.53) comes awareness of the difference or distinction 
between two similar objects, which are not normally distinguishable by category, characteristics, or 
position in space.

3.55 That higher knowledge is intuitive and transcendent, and is born of discrimination; it includes 
all objects within its field, all conditions related to those objects, and is beyond any succession.

3.56 With the attainment of equality between the purest aspect of sattvic buddhi and the pure 
consciousness of purusha, there comes absolute liberation, and that is the end.

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Chapter 4 of the Yoga Sutras: 
Absolute Freedom (Kaivalya Pada)

Means of attaining experience (Yoga Sutras 4.1-4.3)

4.1 The subtler attainments come with birth or are attained through herbs, mantra, austerities or 
concentration.

4.2 The transition or transformation into another form or type of birth takes place through the 
filling in of their innate nature.

4.3 Incidental causes or actions do not lead to the emergence of attainments or realization, but 
rather, come by the removal of obstacles, much like the way a farmer removes a barrier (sluice 
gate), so as to naturally allow the irrigation of his field.

Advanced use of mind (Yoga Sutras 4.4-4.6)

4.4 The emergent mind fields springs forth from the individuality of I-ness (asmita).

4.5 While the activities of the emergent mind fields may be diverse, the one mind is the director of 
the many.

4.6 Of these mind fields, the one that is born from meditation is free from any latent impressions 
that could produce karma.

Actions and karma (Yoga Sutras 4.7-4.8)

4.7 The actions of yogis are neither white nor black, while they are threefold for others.

4.8 Those threefold actions result in latent impressions (vasanas) that will later arise to fruition 
only corresponding to those impressions.

Subconscious impressions (Yoga Sutras 4.9-4.12)

4.9 Since memory (smriti) and the deep habit patterns (samskaras) are the same in appearance, there 
is an unbroken continuity in the playing out of those traits, even though there might be a gap in 
location, time, or state of life.

4.10 There is no beginning to the process of these deep habit patterns (samskaras), due to the 
eternal nature of the will to live.

4.11 Since the impressions (4.10) are held together by cause, motive, substratum, and object, they 
disappear when those deep impressions disappear.

4.12 Past and future exist in the present reality, appearing to be different because of having 
different characteristics or forms.

Objects and the 3 gunas (Yoga Sutras 4.13-4.14)

4.13 Whether these ever-present characteristics or forms are manifest or subtle, they are composed 
of the primary elements called the three gunas.

4.14 The characteristics of an object appear as a single unit, as they manifested uniformly from the 
underlying elements.

Mind perceiving objects (Yoga Sutras 4.15-4.17)

4.15 Although the same objects may be perceived by different minds, they are perceived in different 
ways, because those minds manifested differently.

4.16 However, the object itself does not depend on any one mind, for if it did, then what would 
happen to the object if it were not being experienced by that mind?

4.17 Objects are either known or not known according to the way in which the coloring of that object 
falls on the coloring of the mind observing it.

Illumination of the mind (Yoga Sutras 4.18-4.21)

4.18 The activities of the mind are always known by the pure consciousness, because that pure 
consciousness is superior to, support of, and master over the mind.

4.19 That mind is not self-illuminating, as it is the object of knowledge and perception by the pure 
consciousness.

4.20 Nor can both the mind and the illuminating process be cognized simultaneously.

4.21 If one mind were illumined by another, as its master, then there would be an endless and absurd 
progression of cognitions, as well as confusion.

Buddhi and liberation (Yoga Sutras 4.22-4.26)

4.22 When the unchanging consciousness appears to take on the shape of that finest aspect of mind-
field (4.18), then the experience of one's own cognition process is possible.

4.23 Therefore, the mind field, which is colored by both seer and seen, has the potential to 
perceive any and all objects.

4.24 That mind field, though filled with countless impressions, exists for the benefit of another 
witnessing consciousness, as the mind field is operating only in combination with those impressions.

4.25 For one who has experienced this distinction between seer and this subtlest mind, the false 
identities and even the curiosity about the nature of one's own self come to an end.

4.26 Then the mind is inclined towards the highest discrimination, and gravitates towards absolute 
liberation between seer and seen.

Breaches in enlightenment (Yoga Sutras 4.27-4.28)

4.27 When there are breaks or breaches in that high discrimination, other impressions arise from the 
deep unconscious.

4.28 The removal of those interfering thought patterns is by the same means by which the original 
colorings were removed.

Perpetual enlightenment (Yoga Sutras 4.29-4.30)

4.29 When there is no longer any interest even in omniscience, that discrimination allows the 
samadhi, which brings an abundance of virtues like a rain cloud brings rain.

4.30 After that dharma-meghah samadhi, the colorings of the kleshas and the karmas are removed.

Knowables become few (Yoga Sutras 4.31)

4.31 Then, by the removal of those veils of imperfection, there comes the experience of the 
infinite, and the realization that there is almost nothing to be known.

Gunas after liberation (Yoga Sutras 4.32-4.34)

4.32 Also resulting from that dharma-meghah samadhi (4.29), the three primary elements or gunas 
(4.13-4.14) will have fulfilled their purpose, cease to transform into further transformations, and 
recede back into their essence.

4.33 The sequencing process of moments and impressions corresponds to the moments of time, and is 
apprehended at the end point of the sequence.

4.34 When those primary elements involve, or resolve themselves back into that out of which they 
emerged, there comes liberation, wherein the power of pure consciousness becomes established in its 
true nature.

Mudras

December 15, 2023, 9:00 pm

December 16, 2023, 11:28 am

Although probably every kid everywhere is like, fireball! In a yoga context, I'd think more like.. essence of air, essence of fire, etc.. as a means of dissolving superficial discomforts and hindrances in meditation. The senses including thoughts, feelings, forms, perceptions, etc.. dissolving into their base components. Not self/soul - anatman, impermanent, unsatisfactory - 3 marks of existence.

Pranayama-Breathing-Practice

December 15, 2023, 10:01 pm

Pranayama, the practice of controlled breathing, is an essential component of yoga. It involves 
various breathing techniques that can have a profound impact on physical, mental, and spiritual 
well-being. Here's a general guide on how to practice pranayama:

1. Find a Comfortable Seat:
Sit comfortably on the floor or a chair with your spine straight. You can use a cushion or blanket 
to support your hips.

2. Relax and Ground Yourself:
Take a few moments to relax your body and mind. Close your eyes and bring awareness to your breath 
without trying to control it initially.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing (Optional):
Begin with diaphragmatic breathing to engage your diaphragm. Inhale deeply through your nose, 
allowing your abdomen to expand. Exhale fully, letting your abdomen contract. This helps establish a 
foundation for other pranayama techniques.

4. Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath):
Inhale slowly through your nose, filling your lungs.
Constrict the back of your throat slightly, creating a soft "haa" sound as you exhale.
Make both the inhalation and exhalation equally long, smooth, and controlled.
Practice for several rounds, gradually increasing the duration.

5. Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing):
Sit comfortably with your spine straight.
Use your right thumb to close your right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril.
Close your left nostril with your right ring finger, release your right nostril, and exhale.
Inhale through the right nostril, then close it, release the left nostril, and exhale.
This completes one round. Repeat for several rounds.

6. Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath):
Sit comfortably and take a deep inhalation.
Exhale forcefully and quickly through your nose by contracting your abdominal muscles.
The inhalation is passive; focus on the forceful exhalations.
Start slowly and gradually increase the pace. After completing a round, take a few deep breaths.

7. Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath):
Close your eyes and cover your ears with your thumbs, placing your fingers over your eyes.
Inhale deeply through your nose.
Exhale slowly, creating a humming sound like a bee.
Repeat several times, focusing on the soothing vibration and sound.

8. Conclude and Relax:
After completing your chosen pranayama techniques, sit quietly and observe the natural rhythm of 
your breath.
Allow yourself a few moments of stillness and reflection.

Tips:

Consistency is Key: Regular practice is more beneficial than sporadic sessions.
Start Slow: If you're a beginner, start with shorter durations and gradually increase as your 
comfort and capacity grow.

Listen to Your Body: If you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or uncomfortable, stop the practice and return 
to normal breathing.

Remember, pranayama is a powerful tool, and it's essential to practice with awareness and respect 
for your body's limits. If you have any respiratory or health concerns, it's advisable to consult 
with a qualified yoga instructor or healthcare professional before starting a pranayama practice.

21-Praises-to-Tara

December 16, 2023, 6:23 am

The Praises (English)
Invocation

From your sublime abode at the Potala, O Tara,
Born from the green letter TAM
Your crown adorned with Amitabha,
Action mother of the buddhas of the three times,
Tara, please come with your attendants.

The gods and demi-gods bow to your lotus feet, O Tara,
Your who rescue all who are destitute,
To you, Mother Tara, I pay homage

Praises to the 21 Taras
Om I prostrate to the noble transcendent liberator!

1. Homage! Tara, swift, heroic!
Eyes like lightning instantaneous!
Sprung from op’ning stamens of the
Lord of three world’s tear-born lotus!

2. Homage! She whose face combines a
Hundred autumn moons at fullest!
Blazing with light rays resplendent
As a thousand star collection!

3. Homage! Golden-blue one, lotus
Water born, in hand adorned!
Giving, effort, calm, austerities,
Patience, meditation her sphere!

4. Homage! Crown of tathagatas,
Actions triumph without limit
Relied on by conquerors’ children,
Having reached ev’ry perfection!

5. Homage! Filling with TUTTARE,
HUM, desire, direction, and space!
Trampling with her feet the seven worlds,
Able to draw forth all beings!

6. Homage! Worshipped by the all-lords,
Shakra, Agni, Brahma, Marut!
Honored by the hosts of spirits,
Corpse-raisers, gandharvas, yakshas!

7. Homage! With Her TRAD and PHAT sounds
Destroying foes’ magic diagrams!
Her feet pressing, left out, right in,
Blazing in a raging fire-blaze!

8. Homage! TURE, very dreadful!
Destroyer of Mara’s champion(s)!
She with frowning lotus visage
Who is slayer of all enemies!

9. Homage! At the heart her fingers,
Adorn her with Three Jewel mudra!
Light-ray masses all excited!
All directions’ wheels adorn her!

10. Homage! She so joyous, radiant,
Crown emitting garlands of light!
Mirthful, laughing with TUTTARE,
Subjugating maras, devas!

11. Homage! She able to summon
All earth-guardians’ assembly!
Shaking, frowning, with her HUM sign
Saving from every misfortune!

12. Homage! Crown adorned with crescent
Moon, all ornaments most shining!
Amitabha in her hair-knot
Sending out much light eternal!

13. Homage! She ’mid wreath ablaze like
Eon-ending fire abiding!
Right stretched, left bent, joy surrounds you
Troops of enemies destroying!

14. Homage! She who strikes the ground with
Her palm, and with her foot beats it!
Scowling, with the letter HUM the
Seven levels she does conquer!

15. Homage! Happy, virtuous, peaceful!
She whose field is peace, nirvana!
She endowed with OM and SOHA,
Destroyer of the great evil!

16. Homage! She with joy surrounded
Tearing foes’ bodies asunder,
Frees with HUM and knowledge mantra,
Arrangement of the ten letters!

17. Homage! TURE! With seed letter
Of the shape of syllable HUM!
By foot stamping shakes the three worlds,
Meru, Mandara, and Vindhya!

18. Homage! Holding in her hand the
Hare-marked moon of deva-lake form!
With twice spoken TARA and PHAT,
Totally dispelling poison!

19. Homage!  She whom gods and their kings,
And the kinnaras do honor!
Armored in all joyful splendor,
She dispels bad dreams and conflicts!

20. Homage! She whose two eyes bright with
Radiance of sun and full moon!
With twice HARA and TUTTARE
She dispels severe contagion!

21. Homage! Full of liberating
Pow’r by the set of three natures!
Destroys hosts of spirits, yakshas,
And raised corpses! Supreme! TURE!

These praises with the root mantras
And prostrations thus are twenty-one!

 

Prayer of the Benefits
Whoever is endowed with devotion for the goddess and recites this with supreme faith,
Remembering it at dawn upon waking and in the evenings,
Will be granted all fearlessness, will perfectly pacify all negativities,
And will eliminate all unfortunate migrations.

The multitudes of conquerors will quickly grant initiation:
Thus, endowed with this greatness, one will eventually reach the state of a buddha.

If affected by the most terrible poison,
Whether ingested, drunk, or from a living being,
Just by remembering will one be thoroughly cleansed.

If this prayer is recited two, three, or seven times,
It will pacify all the sufferings of torments
Caused by spirits, fevers, and poisons, and by other beings as well.

If you wish for a child, you will get a child;
If you wish for wealth, you will receive wealth.
All your wishes will be fulfilled
And all obstacles pacified.

December 18, 2023, 8:12 am

The Origins of the Tara Tantra - written in 1608 by Taranatha elaborates on the stories. As a meditation, green tara like the embodiment of loving kindness. Arya Tara - Arya means noble. Tara means star. She was incarnated as princess wisdom moon. She is a protectress from the fear of enemies. Om tare tuttare ture soha is her mantra.

Man---by-Steve-Cutts

December 16, 2023, 6:31 am

January 1, 2024, 8:32 am

Prayers for all sentient beings. In whatever forms they appear to be.

Happiness---by-Steve-Cutts

December 16, 2023, 6:33 am

Eight-Worldly-Concerns---Mahayana

December 16, 2023, 6:39 am

These eight worldly concerns are: gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, and fame and 
disgrace.

These are the concerns that pervade most people's daily lives. They are pervasive precisely because 
they are mistaken for effective means to attain happiness and to avoid suffering. For example, many 
of us, driven by the concerns of gain and loss, work to acquire an income so that we can buy the 
things that money can buy, some of them necessities but often many of them unnecessary things that 
we believe will bring us happiness. We also earn money so that we can avoid the misery and 
humiliation of poverty.

Again, experiencing pleasure and avoiding pain are the primary motivations for a majority of our 
activities. We engage in many actions — some of which may seem spiritual — for the sake of immediate 
satisfaction or relief. For example, if we have a headache we may take aspirin, or sit and meditate 
hoping the headache will go away. These remedies may lead to temporary relief from discomfort, but 
that is where their effectiveness ends.

Praise and blame is the next pair of worldly concerns, and even a little reflection reveals the 
great extent to which our behavior is influenced by desire for praise and fear of blame. The final 
pair, fame and disgrace, includes seeking others' approval, affection, acknowledgment, respect, and 
appreciation, and avoiding the corresponding disapproval, rejection, and so on.
The reason for drawing attention to these eight worldly concerns is not to show that they are 
inherently bad. It is not bad to buy a car, enjoy a fine meal, to be praised for one's work, or be 
respected by others. Rather, the reason for pointing them out is to reveal their essentially 
transient nature and their impotence as means to lasting happiness.[4]

Mahavidyas

December 16, 2023, 6:52 am

December 18, 2023, 10:15 am

Tara is in there, from Origin of Tara Tantra: Then in the aeon of Vibuddha known as 'very vast',20 she vowed in th presence of the Tathagata Amoghasiddhi21 to preserve and defend from a1l harm all the sentient beings in 8 the profound vastness of the 10 directions. Seated in the equanimity of the meditation known as 'completely subduing all demons' daily, for 95 aeons, she established the minds of one billion and 10,000 million beings in deep meditation. Each night, too, in her capacity as Mistress of Kamadeva's Realm22 she vanquished 10 million and 100,000 demons. Thus she became garlanded with the names of 'Saviouress', 'Mainstay', 'Swift One' and 'Heroine' .2

Vajrayana-Tantra---some-symbolism---from-The-Treasury-of-Knowledge---Systems-of-Buddhist-Tantra

December 16, 2023, 6:59 am

Tsongkapa states that the ten outer essential principles of tantric expertise apply to
the vajra master of the three lower tantras and the inner or secret essential principles are
primarily characteristic of the vajra master of the highest yoga tantra (Collected Works of
Tsongkapa, vol. Ka, f. 8b1-2). He explains the inner essential principles in the following
way: (1) and (2) The two reversals consist of the ritual of turning away negative forces
through contemplation of the ten wrathful deities, and so forth, and through the drawing of 
protective wheels that are then worn by the practitioner around the neck. (3) and
(4) Knowledge of the secret initiation and the pristine awareness through wisdom initiation implies 
knowledge of the vase and the word initiations. (5) Tearing apart the union
of body and mind means to drive away guardians of the enemies of the doctrine and
then to implement fierce rituals in order to terminate the power of enemies through the
power of concentration. (6) Food offerings (gtor ma, bali) refers to offerings to the worldly
protectors. (7) Vajra recitation refers to the mental and verbal vajra recitation. (8) The
ritual to perform the fierce activation means that if the adept has been initiated, is abiding in 
the pledges and commitments, has practiced according to the prescribed means of
attainment (s›dhana) for eighteen months or more, and yet has had no results, he may
strike the dagger to call upon the deities to bestow attainments. (9) Consecration refers
to the blessing of temples and so forth. (10) Actualization of the mandala entails creation of the 
mandala of the deities in front, veneration, entering into the mandala, and
receiving initiation and permission. Commentary on the Fifty Verses on Devotion to the
Master, ff. 7b5-8a4.

13. The mystic staff (khaîvaºga) symbolizes the wisdom of emptiness, and in the Hevajra
tantra, Nairatmya, Hevajra’s consort. The small drum (cang te’u, çamaru) symbolizes
the method of compassion and resonates with the sound of great bliss. To hold the
mystic staff and the small drum is a symbol of the union of wisdom and method (CH,
f. 96a5-b1). The symbolic bone ornaments (rus pa’i rgyan/ phyag rgya, aýîhiamudr›),
known as seals (mudr›), are listed in various ways in the tantras and the treatises of
tantric adepts. They are five in number, often with an additional sixth ornament. To
use the example of the Hevajra tantra, the five ornaments are the wheel-like (’khor lo)
crown ornament (sometimes called crown jewel) (gtsug gi nor bu), which symbolizes
Akshobhya and mirror-like pristine awareness; earrings (rna cha), symbolizing Amitabha
and pristine awareness of discernment; the necklace (mgul rgyan) symbolizing
Ratnasambhava and pristine awareness of total sameness; bracelets (lag gdu) and anklets (gdu bu) 
symbolizing Vairochana and pristine awareness of the ultimate dimension of phenomena; girdle (ske 
rags) symbolizing Amoghasiddhi and the accomplishing
pristine awareness (CH, f. 66a6-b1). The additional ornament spoken of in various
texts related to Hevajra is ash from a cremation ground smeared on the body (thal chen)
(MH, f. 77b3).

In the Chakrasamvara literature is found an additional ornament—the sacred thread
worn by brahmins (tshangs skud ). The Kalachakra and Chakrasamvara tantras and the
adept Lohipa teach that the six ornaments represent the purity of the six perfections: the
necklace represents generosity; bracelets, ethics; earrings, patience; crown ornament,
diligence; the sacred thread, meditation; and the girdle (or sacred ashes), wisdom (MH,
f. 78a7)

Kongtrul explains that these ornaments symbolize the yogin’s (or yogini’s) pledges:
the yogin wears the crown ornament on the head in order not to forget to pay homage to
the vajra master who is “heavy” with qualities, the master who explains the training, and
the favored deity. The yogin wears the earrings as a reminder not to listen to others’
words disparaging the master, and so forth; the necklace as a reminder never to stray
from the inner and outer mantra recitations which protect the mind from conceptual
limitations; the bracelets and anklets as a symbol of the vow not to kill creatures; and
the girdle to symbolize the binding of the vital essence by relying on the outer and
inner consort. For these reasons, the yogin always wears these ornaments which symbolize the five 
buddhas. According to the definitive meaning given in the Stainless
Light, the crown and the other ornaments symbolize the fixing of the vital essence at
the crown of the head and at the other channel-wheels by binding the five winds (CH, ff.
289b1-290a2).

5-Wisdom-Buddhas---video-from-Harvard-Divinity-School

December 16, 2023, 7:28 am

5 Tathagatas - one thus gone

Amoghasiddhi (North) - unfailing accomplishment
Amitābha (West)	- infinite light
Vairocana (Principal deity/meditator) - Center - gentle splendour
Akshobhya (East) - mirror knowledge
Ratnasambhava (South) - jewel born

According to the Guhyasamājatantra, each Buddha family is also assigned a specific mantra:[13]

Vairocana - Buddha family mantra: jinajik
Akṣobhya - Vajra family mantra: vajradhr̥k
Ratnasaṁbhava - Ratna family mantra: ratnadhr̥k
Amitābha - Lotus family mantrs: ārolik
Amoghasiddhi - Karma family mantra: prajñādhr̥k

In East Asia, they each are also often depicted with consorts, and preside over their own pure 
lands, with the aspiration to be reborn into a pure land being the central point of Pure Land 
Buddhism. Although all five Buddhas have pure lands, it appears that only Sukhavati of Amitābha, and 
to a much lesser extent Abhirati of Akshobhya (where great masters like Vimalakirti and Milarepa are 
said to dwell) were popularly venerated, though some temples include all five Buddhas in their 
mandalas and statuary.

Buddha (Skt)	Consort	                Bodhisattva	Pure land	                        Bīja
Vairocana	Dharmadhatvishvari	Samantabhadra	Akaniṣṭha-Ghanavyūha (Center)	        Om
Akṣobhya	Locanā	                Vajrapani	Abhirati (East)	                        Hum
Amitābha	Pandara [16]	        Avalokiteśvara	Sukhāvatī (West)	                Hrih
Ratnasaṃbhava	Mamaki [17]	        Ratnapani	Śrīmat (South)	                        Tram
Amoghasiddhi	Green Tara[18][19]	Viśvapāni	Karmaprasiddhi or Prakuṭā (North)	Ah

December 17, 2023, 8:56 am

Personal scheme with elements would be. West - Air South - Fire East - Earth North - Water Space - All around There are lots of different mandalas and schemas with their own systems, go with what works for you, but that would make sense in a lot of ways, with ancient monuments and holy sites. Ratnasambhava - in the video he has as earth and yellow color, but the sun is also yellow color and the ancients conceived of fire like the sun - see Plato. Ratna is also for passion - sambhava for transmental state in the mantha bhairava tantra. Compassion would make sense by way of language and naming. Just one of those things, learning what the names mean makes all the difference in the world.

December 17, 2023, 8:59 am

So, I guess I'd switch out Vairocana from the center to the east and aksobhya to the center or all around. Samantabhadra is on youtube as the tantric yab-yum consort - which would align for me with rest of my stuff as being the east, so that's a position I'm fond of anyways. The rest would work for me.

January 17, 2024, 7:56 am

Ratna is precious, not passion, was thinking of something else with previous comment.

Samantabhadra---yab-yum

December 16, 2023, 7:25 pm

No-self-concept-of-Mahayana-Buddhism-explain-by-His-Holiness-the-Dalai-Lama

December 18, 2023, 11:25 am

The yogic distinction between gross, subtle, and very subtle states - as described by the Dalai Lama.

Good talk.

Ellora-Caves-and-Tara

December 18, 2023, 11:43 am

Tara with attendants in cave 6.  Cool place.  Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sites in the caves during an 
era of great Tantric activity in India.

The Ellora caves are ancient Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cave-temple complexes found in India. They were 
built between the fifth and tenth centuries C.E.12. The caves had three important building periods: an 
early Hindu period (~550 to 600 CE), a Buddhist phase (~600 to 730 CE) and a later Hindu and Jain 
phase (~730 to 950 CE)34. Most of the artwork, monuments, and structures belong between 600 AD and 
1000 AD2. The caves were built during different Hindu dynasties like the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, Yadava 
Dynasty, and others2.

Mudras-in-Buddhism

December 18, 2023, 12:25 pm

I do a lot of lotus posture stretching these days for my back.  Mudras are cool, I posted on 
comments for the other mudras how I'd use them in meditations.  

the thumb is representative of the element of Fire ( Agni)
the index finger is associated with the Air element ( Vayu)
the middle finger is the representation of Space ( Akash)
the ring finger represents the element of Earth ( Prithvi)
the little finger is associated with the Water element ( Jal ).

When meditating in lotus posture, it hits the prostate area for a guy.  All types of thoughts or 
sensations could occur there.  Also, that's an area that is active when we sleep.  Ya get a woody or 
have a wet dream.  Nature's magic..  :p  

Dbn't sleep with your neighbor's wife, steal your neighbor's stuff, or try to otherwise f them over, 
that'd be bad karma eh?  Hindrances to enlightenment.

I saw an online meme once that said, you'll understand non-violence when a mosquito lands on your 
testacles.

Think about it..  :) :p

Anyways, thoughts, senses, feelings, etc.. not the self / soul - anatman, impermanent - anicca, and 
dukkha - unsatisfactory.

Skylike awareness - primordial purity - concentration, it's good.

Anyways, more mudras.  They're great to meditate with, and the diaphram ones can help you breathe, 
stuff like anjali mudra, hakini mudra.  They're all interesting though.  Can you unlock the mystery 
of their meaning?..  :)

January 7, 2024, 7:09 am

The hand gesture you use in meditation, if you hold both hands up like that at chest center and then into meditative pose facing up on the knees. Doing it at chest center does help me breathe. Try it, seems weird, but works for me..

November 18, 2023, 2:03 am

Non-conceptual sky like awareness. Digging deep into the Treasury of Knowledge Books about Tantra, it brings you back. Like looking up - the heavens of the ancients.. Cheers.

Tantric-Creation-and-Completion-phases---vajrayana---from-The-Treasury-of-Knowledge,-Elements-of-Tantric-Practice

December 18, 2023, 2:56 pm

Buddhist vajrayana Tantric Practice - for the highest yoga tantra.  Sorry for the added characters 
from copy and paste.  It's a bit long, but you can find a copy of the book floating around online.  
The Treasury of Knowledge Books are an amazing compendium of knowledge.  I'm enjoying them a lot, 
and consider them pretty authoritative for vajrayana practices.  Should be legit anyways, I wouldn't 
intentionally provide misleading information about Buddhism, for whatever else I may or may not be, 
I'm not that guy..  :p :)  

Consult your local Buddhist group for questions and proper instruction and whatnot.

Peace and good will, cheers.


The Two Phases of Tantric Practice
Although the highest yoga tantras differ greatly from one another in 
emphasis and methods of application, they all consist of the two phases of 
practice. Kongtrul writes:20
The highest yoga tantra’s distinctive features are its clarity of 
profound meaning in the completion phase; its infinitude of 
TOK_8-3_rev4.indd 14 8/6/08 3:11:26 PM
translators’ introduction c 15
profound methods in the creation phase; its absence of hardship in the attainment of awakening 
through the practice of 
these two phases; and its being intended for persons of exceptionally sharp faculties by virtue of 
these features.
Thus, the yogas of the two phases of creation and completion are distinctive features of highest 
yoga tantra alone, not to 
be found in the other classes of tantras… since only the highest yoga tantra provides a path that 
corresponds to the complete process of birth in cyclic existence… a path of training that 
leads to perfect [recognition] of genuine luminous clarity [at 
the time] of death.
Kongtrul describes the creation phase as a path based on the deliberate 
effort of thought. Its essential nature is the deity’s form, which represents 
inseparable appearance and emptiness. Its distinguishing feature is meditation whose steps 
correspond to birth, death, and the intermediate state, 
the three processes in cyclic existence. The completion phase is a nonconceptual path. Its 
essential nature is pristine awareness, made manifest 
when winds and mind have entered, abided in, and dissolved in the central channel.
The term “creation” (bskyed), derived from the Sanskrit utpatti, denotes 
that which is created or fabricated by thought. “Phase” (rim, krama) refers 
to a step or stage in the path, a “yoga.” The phase of creation is also known 
as the phase of imagination, the fabricated yoga, or the conceptually created yoga. The term 
“completion” (rdzogs), from the Sanskrit niṣpanna, 
means that which is ultimately true, the natural state, or the true nature. 
What is meant, Kongtrul explains, is a state with which one has to become 
familiar—not a new state of mind developed through practice, but one 
already fully present in the mind stream of every being: the pristine awareness of luminous 
clarity, the union of bliss and emptiness. The phase of 
completion is also called the nonconceptual yoga or the yoga of the natural state.
Kongtrul points out that an ordinary person “entangled in the net of 
discursive thinking” would not be able to train in the completion phase, 
since it does not involve thoughts. Therefore, one first purifies the ordinary 
thought process by means of the yoga of creation, which entails the imagination of the deity and 
the mandala. Then, when one has understood the 
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tion. In other words, until the practitioner has given rise to an exceptionally stable realization 
of the natural state—the unfabricated completion 
phase—he or she must rely on the fabricated creation phase and employ 
imagination. Once realization has arisen, however, it is no longer necessary 
to deliberately cultivate ordinary types of creation-phase practices. Kongtrul compares this 
sequence of creation followed by completion to using a 
boat to cross a river but dispensing with it once one has reached the opposite shore.
The Creation Phase
Kongtrul begins his treatment of the creation phase by identifying what is 
to be accomplished through its practice: the overcoming of ordinary and 
habitual perceptions and fixation on these perceptions. Three elements are 
required for this practice to be effective: a clear image of the deity’s form; 
divine pride (the sense of actually being the deity); and the view that what 
arises in meditation is like an illusion. The first element is an antidote to 
ordinary form; the second, an antidote to concepts such as self-identity 
and ordinary human pride; and the third, an antidote to regarding experience as inherently real. In 
other words, these elements are the means to 
transform, or in tantric terminology, “purify,” all aspects of ordinary existence: living, dying, 
being reborn, one’s body, environment, fellow beings, 
possessions, enjoyments, and activities.
The creation of the deity’s form in the transformation of impure perceptions into a pure mandala 
may be achieved through several different 
methods. Some methods are gradual, as in the visualization of a seed-syllable from which arises the 
hand implement, or insignia, of the deity, which 
then changes into the deity. Others are instantaneous, as in the visualization of the deity 
appearing suddenly, “like the flash of a fish as it springs 
from water.” Kongtrul notes that the gradual approaches are intended for 
average practitioners while the sudden approach should be attempted only 
by someone possessing the sharpest faculties.
These creation methods are integral parts of visualization sequences 
found in the various tantras. Each tantra describes its own visualization 
sequence in terms of that tantra’s particular framework or system of organization. Some 
commentators have invented their own frameworks to 
explain different tantras. Kongtrul discusses these frameworks at length. 
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tions called the initial union, the supremely victorious mandala, and the 
supremely victorious action. The first contemplation involves imagining 
oneself as the principal deities, male and female, from whom emanate the 
other deities of the mandala. It includes all the steps of the visualization, 
from the creation of the mandala residence up to the creation of the principal male and female 
figures. The second contemplation involves visualization of all of the deities of the mandala, who 
have emanated from the 
principal deity figures, and the arrangement of the deities in their respective places. The third 
contemplation consists of imagining the deities in 
action, as in the purification of realms. This framework of three contemplations is applied in the 
Vajramala, Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, Guhyasamaja, Chatuhpitha, Mahamaya, Buddhasamayoga, and 
Buddhakapala, 
that is to say, in most highest yoga tantras (although each tantra presents 
its own interpretation).
One of the most important of the remaining frameworks set forth by 
Kongtrul is that of the four branches: familiarization, near attainment, 
attainment, and great attainment. This framework is applied in the Guhyasamaja (both the Arya and 
Jnanapada traditions), the cycle of Chakrasamvara, the Hevajra, the Yamari tantras, and others. 
Another framework of 
great importance comprises four yogas (the first, the subsequent, the superior, and the great yoga) 
and is applied in the Buddhasamayoga and the 
Red and Black Yamari tantras. Finally, Kongtrul presents an elaborate 
framework formulated by Jalandhara and Rahulaguhya21 consisting of 
thirty-two steps by which one attains a pure form adorned by the thirtytwo signs of awakening. The 
methods contained in each of these frameworks encompass all aspects of the creation phase.
Drawing on these tantras and commentaries, Kongtrul discusses many 
details of the creation-phase practice including suitable places, times and 
durations of practice, and the materials required for practice. For general 
purposes, most tantras advise staying “in a place that is secluded and pleasant” to accomplish 
general purposes. They also describe the types of places 
to be used for specific purposes. Kongtrul recommends that, above all, the 
place one chooses be a region in consonance with one’s own disposition. 
As for the times for practice, Kongtrul points out that most beginners will 
more easily achieve clarity in visualization by cultivating the practice at 
night. Once such clarity has been stabilized, one can meditate at any time. 
While in retreat, the practitioner must never be without certain essentials, 
such as qualified assistants, ritual articles, nourishing food and drink and 
translators’ introduction c 17
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18 C the treasury of knowledge
adequate clothing. More than anything, the practitioner needs fortitude, 
which Kongtrul defines as “unrelenting perseverance that, despite adverse 
circumstances and even at the risk of one’s life, is never relaxed until the 
intended goal has been achieved.”
Kongtrul then describes the actual practice of the creation phase. He 
outlines the steps needed to prepare the practitioner for the main practice: 
the offering of sacrificial food to dispel interferences; the visualization of a 
circle of protection; generating the mind of awakening to develop positive 
potential; and meditating on emptiness to cultivate pristine awareness.
The main practice begins with the creation of the celestial palace of residence. According to most 
tantras, the base for the creation of the palace 
is the visualization of a tetrahedral dharmodaya22 and the tiers of the four 
elements. The celestial palace itself is generated from a syllable, an insignia, or the melting of 
a deity’s form. Some tantras describe charnel grounds 
along with particular trees, guardians, and so on, to be imagined outside 
the celestial palace.
The next step is the creation of the entire array of the resident deities. 
Three main procedures are followed: creation by means of the five actual 
awakenings; creation in four vajra steps; and creation by means of three 
vajra rites.
Creation by means of the five awakenings entails five steps that represent the five pristine 
awarenesses. The first is the generation of a moon, 
referred to as “awakening by means of mirror-like pristine awareness”; the 
second, of a sun, “awakening by the pristine awareness of sameness”; the 
third, of the seed-syllable and insignia, “awakening by the discerning pristine awareness”; the 
fourth, the merging of all these elements, “awakening 
by the pristine awareness of accomplishment”; and fifth, the full manifestation of the deity’s 
body, “awakening by the pristine awareness of the ultimate dimension of phenomena.”
Creation in four vajra steps entails meditation on emptiness; generating 
a moon, sun, and seed-syllable from which light emanates and then converges; the full manifestation 
of the deity resulting from the convergence 
of the light and transformation of the seed-syllable; and visualization of 
three syllables at the deity’s three places.23
Creation by means of three vajra rites involves imagining the deity’s 
seed-syllable; the seed-syllable’s transformation into the deity’s insignia; 
and the insignia’s transformation into the full manifestation of the deity’s body.
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translators’ introduction c 19
The majority of tantras include the step known as the placement of the 
three beings, the pledge-being, the pristine-awareness being, and the contemplation-being.24 The 
pledge-being means the particular deity generated 
through the ritual, that is, the deity who is the object of meditation. At 
the heart of the pledge deity is the pristine-awareness being, imagined as 
a deity identical to the pledge deity; as a deity differing from the pledge 
deity in color, appearance, or number of faces and arms; or as an insignia 
arisen from a seed-syllable. At the heart of the pristine-awareness being 
is the contemplation-being, visualized as the seed-syllable or insignia. In 
some tantras, the placement of the three beings is enacted for all the deities; in others, for only 
the principal deities.
Kongtrul also reveals a number of steps that complete the creationphase meditation. The step of 
absorbing the pristine-awareness mandala
into oneself dispels the notion that oneself and the pristine-awareness deities are separate, and 
reinforces the “pride” of being indivisible from them. 
Conferral of initiation cleanses oneself of impurities and establishes the 
potency required to accomplish the ultimate goal of the tantra. The different types of sealing,25 
such as the deity being sealed by the lord of a buddha 
family, ensure that meditation is carried out without misidentification. 
The tasting of nectar, offering, and praise, for which there are many variations from one tantra to 
the next, bring about the understanding that 
all objects of experience, the sensory pleasures, and so forth, are the pure 
expressions of bliss and emptiness.
Kongtrul explains that all the varieties of the creation phase incorporate the four key elements of 
form, imagination, result, and transformative power. “Form” means meditating on forms that 
represent the aspects 
of awakening and generating clear images of these forms, thereby stopping 
impure appearances. “Imagination” means using the force of creative imagination to convert the 
visualized forms of awakening into reality. “Result” 
means meditating on the result, that is, the very goal to be attained, and 
thereby achieving that goal. “Transformative power” means turning the 
ordinary body and mind into pristine awareness by relying on the transformative powers of awakened 
beings. Among these, Kongtrul points out, 
the most important element for realization of the path is the transformative power of the vajra 
master combined with one’s own devotion to that 
master.
In addition to those four key elements, creation-phase practice requires 
the development of clarity in visualization. To that end, one repeatedly 
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20 C the treasury of knowledge
brings forth clear images in both the coarse and subtle aspects of visualization. Moreover, one 
practices the meditation while firmly identifying with 
the deity. As one trains in the phase of creation, one must understand that 
the entire mandala is like an illusion, devoid of inherent nature, ultimately 
emptiness. Finally, one must manifest the pristine awareness in which the 
appearance of the deity (along with the certainty of being the deity) arises 
unceasingly as the essence of bliss and emptiness.
The practitioner who grows tired from the effort of visualizing the 
deity is advised to introduce a new element: the recollection of the pure 
nature of the deity. This means to recall the symbolic meanings of the different elements in the 
visualization, which represent the great qualities of 
the buddhas. For example, in meditation on Avalokiteshvara, one would 
recall that his single face symbolizes the single taste of all phenomena, his 
four arms symbolize the four boundless qualities of love, compassion, joy, 
and equanimity, and so on. Bringing to mind the purity of these attributes 
counteracts the notion that the attributes of the path and those of the 
result are different.
The phase of creation ends with the dissolution of the visualization. The 
mandala residence and resident deities dissolve into oneself. Then, one dissolves gradually into 
luminous clarity, once again to emerge as the deity.
All the above steps of meditation are means of transformation or purification. The fields or 
objects of the purificatory process include all aspects of 
the three processes of dying, experiencing the intermediate state between 
death and birth, and taking birth and living one’s life. As Kongtrul elucidates, each purificatory 
step acts on a corresponding aspect of ordinary 
existence that is to be purified.
For example, the cultivation of positive potential in relation to the deity 
corresponds to and purifies the accumulation of karma in the previous life 
that would lead to rebirth in a particular existence. The meditation on 
emptiness, which cultivates pristine awareness, corresponds to and purifies the dissolution of the 
coarse and subtle constituents at the end of life. 
These and other steps apply to the process of dying.
The visualizations of the tiers of elements, the celestial palace, and seat 
of the deity correspond to and purify the world into which the intermediate-state being will be 
born. The generation of the principal male and 
female deities purifies the vision of the future father and mother. Imagining three syllables 
marking body, speech, and mind purifies the vision of 
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translators’ introduction c 21
the parents in the act of copulation that leads to conception in the womb. 
These and other steps apply to the intermediate state.
Visualization of the seed-syllable (for example, as part of the five awakenings) purifies the five 
stages in the human womb. Visualization of the 
deity’s form through the steps of the seed-syllable, the insignia arising from 
the seed-syllable, and so forth, purifies the habitual tendencies accompanying embryonic and fetal 
development. Visualization of the pledge-being 
purifies habitual tendencies pertaining to the coarse temporal body composed of elements. 
Visualization of the pristine-awareness being purifies 
habitual tendencies related to the most refined aspects of the channels, 
winds, and vital essences of the body. Visualization of the contemplationbeing purifies the 
habitual tendencies related to the innate body, the subtle body consisting of wind and mind alone. 
These and other steps apply 
to being born as a human.
The step of drawing in the pristine-awareness deities purifies the newborn’s ability to discern the 
details of perceived objects. The conferral of 
initiation purifies the newborn’s earliest experience of being washed and 
of acting independently. The act of sealing purifies the child’s experience of 
being in its own family. The offering ritual purifies the child’s experience of 
pleasure, which arises as desire and craving, as the sense faculties develop. 
The uttering of praise purifies the experience of being praised by others in 
society. The recitation of mantra purifies ordinary breathing and conversation based on confused 
ideas. These and other steps apply to living one’s 
life as a human. The last steps—the dissolution of the mandala and reemergence as the deity—purify 
the experiences of the end of life, the stages 
of dying, the entrance into the state of luminous clarity, the re-emergence 
as the mental body of the intermediate state, and the taking of rebirth.
Finally, the purificatory means acting on their objects bring about the 
corresponding results of the purification process. Kongtrul explains that 
the place where one attains enlightenment corresponds to the creation of 
the celestial palace and related steps in the meditation practice. The manner of attaining 
enlightenment corresponds to the creation of the deity by 
means of the five awakenings, or other creation methods. The deeds and 
activities performed subsequent to enlightenment correspond to the steps 
of offering, praise, recitation of mantra, dissolution of the mandala, postmeditation activity, and 
so forth.
The following words of the outstanding master Longchenpa (1308-1363), 
considered to be the most brilliant teacher of the Nyingma school, encapTOK_8-3_rev4.indd 21 8/6/08 
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sulate the three components—the means, objects, and results of purification—of the creation 
phase:26
One imagines one’s environment as a celestial palace, thus purifying the ordinary apprehension of 
appearances as inherently 
existent, as stones, earth, and so forth. One imagines sentient 
beings as male and female deities, thus purifying one’s belief 
in beings as inherently existent and dispelling one’s attachment to some and aversion to others. 
One imagines all one’s 
own psychophysical constituents as deities, their primordial 
nature, thus purifying oneself of obstacles to the attainment of 
the form dimensions of awakening, generating positive potential, developing meditative tranquility, 
and accruing many 
other benefits.
The Completion Phase
The term “completion phase” denotes a nonconceptual yoga, or yoga of 
the natural state, and is described as being unfabricated, effortless, not 
involving thought or imagination. Thus, the reader might well be surprised by the complexity of the 
completion-phase methods presented in 
this work. It would be helpful to know that the term is used in three different contexts:
First, the dissolution of the visualization at the end of the creation phase 
together with the resting of the mind in its own nature is called the completion phase. It is 
possible for some practitioners of exceptionally sharp 
faculties to attain the true completion phase (as in the third context) as a 
by-product of creation-phase practice.
Second, the special techniques focused on the subtle vajra body that 
cause winds normally flowing through the right and left channels to enter 
the central channel are also called the completion phase, translated by 
some as the “completing phase.” These methods allow the practitioner 
to become familiar with the experience of pristine awareness and move 
toward completion or perfection of the path. “Completion phase” in the 
present work refers primarily to the systems comprising these methods. 
Many of them are similar in form to those used in creation-phase deity 
yoga: one is instructed to visualize a mandala, to imagine oneself as a deity, 
and so forth. It is important to keep in mind, as Tsongkapa points out,27
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translators’ introduction c 23
that “deity yoga should be taken as applicable to both stages [creation and 
completion].” In the completion phase, however, the effort of imagination 
falls away as one’s meditation becomes more refined.
Third, the actual realization of the natural state, the ultimate goal of tantra, when the winds 
have dissolved in the central channel and authentic 
pristine awareness has been made manifest, is called the completion phase. 
In this last context, the form of the deity vividly manifests as the essence of 
bliss and emptiness, without the requirements of effort and imagination. 
It is completion in the sense of being the end of the path. More will be said 
on this third context below.
Kongtrul begins his discussion of the completion phase by identifying 
the root of the path. In the context of the mahayana system, the root is 
bodhichitta, the altruistic mind of awakening. In the vajrayana, particularly in its completion 
phase, the root of the path is held to be the “union 
of an uncommon emptiness and an uncommon compassion.” This union is 
referred to as “bodhichitta” in the sense of a pure awareness that is “the ultimate object to be 
known, the ultimate focus of meditation, and the ultimate result.” The tantras clearly state that 
this union represents the essence 
of all their teachings.
In the completion phase, emptiness and compassion are specifically 
defined. Their union, Kongtrul states, forms the root of the path because 
the two elements overcome the extremes of existence and perfect peace: 
uncommon emptiness cuts through the elaborations of conceptual grasping; uncommon compassion 
ensures that the welfare of sentient beings is 
never abandoned. This inseparability of emptiness and compassion, known 
as the “vajra yoga of the method-wisdom union,” is present throughout the 
stages of the ground, path, and result. The nature of reality at the ground 
stage is that of the essence of that union. The path or method used for realizing this pristine 
awareness incorporates the qualities of the union. Finally, 
the resultant pristine awareness is of the essential nature of the union.
Having established the root of the path, Kongtrul explores in detail the 
natures of emptiness and compassion in this context. The emptiness to be 
contemplated in the completion phase differs from the emptiness understood as the two truths of no-
self taught in the mahayana. It is not grasped 
through analysis or dialectical approaches but is intuited through various visions experienced by 
the yogin in the course of practice, which also 
appear naturally to ordinary people at the time of death. These visions are 
manifestations of an uncommon emptiness, luminous clarity itself.
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Kongtrul describes this uncommon emptiness as endowed with all 
aspects of the three realms, spontaneously appearing like magical reflections in a divination 
mirror, while its own nature remains free of concepts, free of inherent reality. Uncommon emptiness 
is characterized as 
the “abode of great bliss” because when focused on and directly experienced, it has the power to 
bring forth the pristine awareness whose nature 
is great bliss. Thus, uncommon emptiness is cultivated in the completion 
phase because it alone can generate unchanging bliss.
Since the pristine awareness whose nature is great bliss manifests from 
uncommon emptiness and is free from all conceptual elaborations of dualistic experience, one might 
conclude that it is an emptiness devoid of 
appearance. However, Kongtrul makes it clear that this is not the case. It 
is rather the ineffability of pristine awareness itself that arises as the circle 
of deities of the mandala, and as everything in cyclic existence and in the 
state of liberation. Moreover, as Kongtrul writes, this manifestation is “not 
a relative appearance, karmic appearance, or delusory appearance, but is a 
manifestation of pristine awareness, of reality itself, the primordial nature.” 
This same point has been illuminated by Bokar Rinpoché:
In the beginning, meditation is a conceptual notion. Imagining 
our body as the deity’s body, for example as Avalokiteshvara, 
is only a mental production. But it is still useful… As our ability in meditation is refined, the 
deity in our meditation appears 
naturally, through the inherent power of the mind. It is no longer a mental production but is the 
experience of appearance and 
emptiness arising as one, like an enchantment. That is the deity 
that represents what is ultimately true.
Thus Rinpoché first describes the creation-phase deity yoga based on the 
effort of thought, and second, the unfabricated completion phase in which 
the deity arises naturally through the pristine awareness that is luminous 
clarity, without the effort of thought.
The “uncommon compassion” to be cultivated in the completion phase 
is not the same as ordinary compassion—or even the great compassion 
spoken of in the hinayana and mahayana systems—which does not by 
itself enable one to transcend cyclic existence. Here, compassion primarily means the compassion 
that exists in union with emptiness. This compassion of union is defined as changeless great bliss, 
the very bliss that 
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translators’ introduction c 25
arises from the uncommon emptiness just described. Great bliss is a distinguishing feature of the 
completion phase. Kongtrul notes that this bliss is 
appropriately referred to as “great compassion” because it overcomes the 
suffering of oneself and others, and to fully protect all suffering beings is 
the characteristic of great compassion.
The Completion Phase 
in Father and Mother Tantras
In the next section of the book, Kongtrul sets forth the various tantras’ 
particular completion-phase systems, beginning with those in the father 
tantras. Father tantras are divided into three families: desire tantras, delusion tantras, and 
aversion tantras.28 Although this threefold division is also 
found in the mother tantras and the lower tantras, it is emphasized mainly 
in the father tantras.
To the family of desire tantras belong the Guhyasamaja tantra, some of 
the Yamari tantras, and others that Kongtrul does not present here. These 
are considered desire tantras because they stress the use of sexual desire on 
the path. They are intended for persons who are dominated by the emotional affliction of desire.
To the family of delusion tantras, of those translated into Tibetan, 
belongs Chanting the Names of Manjushri.
29 This is considered a delusion 
tantra because it teaches methods to purify delusion and is intended to 
treat persons whose strongest affliction is delusion.
To the family of aversion tantras belong the Vajrabhairava and other 
tantras. These teach the use of aversion as the path. This does not imply 
that they employ the visualization of wrathful deities only and the application of wrathful rites 
to the total exclusion of the path of desire, but that 
they place less emphasis on these elements than do the tantras of desire.
The first completion-phase system presented by Kongtrul is that of the 
Guhyasamaja, a father tantra of the aversion family. Of the twenty-four 
variants of the Guhyasamaja propagated in India, only six were introduced 
into Tibet: those of the traditions of Nagarjuna, Buddhajnanapada, Shantipa, Vajrahasa, Padmavajra, 
and Anandagarbha. In this book, however, 
Kongtrul discusses only the most important and well known traditions of 
the Guhyasamaja completion phase, those of Nagarjuna and Buddhajnanapada. Nagarjuna evidently 
received the oral transmission of the Guhyasamaja from Rahula (Saraha) who, as far as we know, did 
not himself write on 
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this subject. The Guhyasamaja completion phase that derives from Nagarjuna is known as the Arya 
tradition (’phags lugs) and comprises five stages. 
This tradition is based on commentaries written by Nagarjuna himself as 
well as his followers such as Nagabodhi and Aryadeva. Buddhajnanapada 
is said to have received teachings directly from Manjushri and transmission from Manjushrimitra. 
His completion phase is known as the Jnanapada tradition (ye shes zhabs lugs) of four yogas. Some 
of his followers, 
such as Dipamkarashribhadra and Vitapada, wrote lengthy commentaries 
on the works of Buddhajnanapada.
In his treatment of the cycle of Yamari tantras, also father tantras, Kongtrul discusses a general 
completion-phase system formulated by Shridhara 
that is related to three tantras, Red Yamari, Black Yamari (both wrathful 
forms of Manjushri), and Vajrabhairava; a special Red Yamari completion 
phase based on the oral teachings of Virupa; and the Black Yamari completion phase of Lalitavajra 
as elucidated by Devakarachandra.
Kongtrul next turns to the highest yoga mother tantras. The mother tantras form the six families 
known as Vajrasattva, Vairochana, Heruka, Vajraditya, Padmanvarteshvararaja, and Ashvottama. Each 
of these families is 
related to one of the principal buddhas and embodies the qualities of that 
buddha. Heruka refers to Akshobhya; Vajraditya, to Ratnasambhava; Padmanvarteshvararaja, to 
Amitabha; and Ashvottama, to Amoghasiddhi. The 
Kalachakra, Buddhasamayoga, and Secret Moon Essence are examples of 
tantras that belong to the Vajrasattva family. The Chatuhpitha is the only 
tantra of the Vairochana family translated into Tibetan. The Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, Mahamaya, 
Buddhakapala, as well as others not mentioned 
by Kongtrul, belong to the Akshobhya family. The Vajramrita belongs to 
the Ratnasambhava family; the Kulalokanatha, to the Amitabha family; 
and the Tara Yogini tantra, to the Amoghasiddhi family.
Kongtrul begins his treatment of the mother-tantra systems with the 
Kalachakra completion phase of the six vajra yogas, which constitute the 
very heart of all Kalachakra teachings and are preserved in seventeen different lineages. He then 
concisely presents the eight autonomous systems 
of Hevajra: that of Virupa (as found in the path-and-result teachings), 
Dombi Heruka, Saroruha, Samayavajra (also known as Krishnasamayavajra), Naropa (as found in the 
Marpa tradition), Maitripa (as found 
in the Marpa tradition), Vyadalipa, and Shantigupta (as transmitted to 
Taranatha). The Chakrasamvara completion phase is then presented in 
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translators’ introduction c 27
the versions of the three traditions most famous in both India and Tibet 
and whose transmissions of initiations remain unbroken: the traditions 
of Luipa, Ghantapa, and Krishna. Then, each in turn, Kongtrul presents 
the Vajra Chatuhpitha completion phase based on the traditions of Aryadeva and Bhavabhadra; the 
Mahamaya completion phase as formulated 
by Marpa and Ngoktön; the Buddhakapala completion phase derived 
from the teachings of Saraha; and the Tara Yogini completion phase of 
four yogas.
As mentioned above, in the preparation of the Treasury of Knowledge
Kongtrul draws from numerous sources. His choices reflect the masters 
who most influenced him, one of whom was the extraordinary Taranatha 
(1575-1634),30 a prolific writer whose works are contained in seventeen 
large volumes. It seems evident that Kongtrul felt immense respect for 
this “Venerable Jonang Master,” perhaps more than for any other lineage 
holder, and that he adhered fully to Taranatha’s views. Cited frequently 
in the Treasury, the writings of Taranatha constitute the very foundation 
of all Kongtrul’s writings on the tantric teachings of the new translation 
traditions. The present section on the systems of the completion phase is 
based almost entirely on the works of Taranatha, which record in precise 
detail the meditation instructions related to the systems.
Kongtrul’s explanation of the Arya Nagarjuna completion-phase tradition of Guhyasamaja is a summary 
of Taranatha’s Guhyasamaja, Arya 
Tradition, Manual of Instructions on the Five Stages Transmitted through 
Gö Lotsawa. His explanation of the Jnanapada tradition summarizes Taranatha’s Guhyasamaja, 
Jnanapada Tradition, Manual of Instructions on the 
Indivisibility of Clarity and Profundity.
The common completion phase of the Red Yamari is a summary of Taranatha’s Yamari, Red, Manual of 
Instructions on the Four-Yoga Practice; the 
special Red Yamari completion phase summarizes his Yamari, Red, Manual of Instructions on the 
Completion Phase; and the Black Yamari completion phase, his Yamari, Black, Manual of Instructions 
on the Completion 
Phase according to the Zhang Tradition.
The Kalachakra completion phase of the six vajra yogas is largely taken 
verbatim from Taranatha’s Meaningful to Behold: Manual of Instructions 
on the Indestructible Yoga’s Profound Path. The Hevajra completion phase 
of the Marpa tradition is a summary of Taranatha’s Hevajra Tantra, Marpa 
Tradition, Manual of Instructions; that of the Vyadalipa tradition, of his 
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28 C the treasury of knowledge
Hevajra Tantra Esoteric Instructions on the Four Seals of the Completion 
Phase; that of Shantigupta tradition, of his Hevajra Tantra Manual of 
Instructions on the Four Principles of the Completion Phase: and that of the
Single Lamp instructions, of Taranatha’s Hevajra Tantra Esoteric Instructions on the Completion 
Phase.
The Chakrasamvara completion-phase traditions of Luipa, Ghantapa, 
and Krishna are summaries of Taranatha’s Chakrasamvara Tantra, Luipa 
Tradition, Manual of Instructions on the Completion Phase; Chakrasamvara Tantra, Ghantapa 
Tradition, Manual of Instructions on the Five 
Stages in the Completion Phase;and Chakrasamvara Tantra Exegesis of the 
Essence of the Teachings of Krishnacharya on the Four Stages of the Completion Phase.
The Chatuhpitha completion phase is a summary of Taranatha’s Chatuhpitha Tantra Manual of 
Instructions for the Practice; the Mahamaya completion phase, a summary of his Mahamaya Tantra 
Manual of Instructions: 
The Excellent Path of the Victorious Ones; the Buddhakapala completion 
phase, of his Buddhakapala Tantra Instructions on the Completion Phase; 
and the Tara Yogini completion phase, of Taranatha’s Tara Tantra Manual of Instructions for the 
Practice.
The Key Elements of the Completion Phase
Thus, Kongtrul introduces the reader to the completion-phase systems of 
many different tantras. However, as he points out, the underlying process 
is the same for all of these systems, with each step depending on prior completion of the previous 
one. The process begins with bringing the channels, 
winds, and vital essences under control, making them “workable” or serviceable. Such control allows 
effective practice of the relative element, the 
completion phase of the inner fire and the illusory body, called “self-consecration,” and the 
ultimate element, the completion phase of luminous clarity. Cultivation of the relative and 
ultimate elements allows one to effect 
the dissolution and manifestation of the deity, the practice whereby the 
illusion-like body of the deity is dissolved into luminous clarity and then 
made to reappear as the union of emptiness and appearance. Attainment 
of that union, which still requires training or refinement, is the direct cause 
for the attainment of the goal of union beyond training, the utterly pure 
body of pristine awareness.
Although all systems utilize this process, some differences in execution 
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translators’ introduction c 29
exist. In order to make the channels, winds, and vital essences workable, a 
practitioner of the father tantras would rely on what are called “three types 
of isolation.”31 That would be followed by the cultivation of union through 
the stages of the illusory body and luminous clarity. A mother-tantra practitioner would first gain 
proficiency in the yogas of the channels, winds, 
and vital essences, and then cultivate union through the stages of innate 
bliss and emptiness.
Kongtrul enumerates three elements essential to all completion-phase 
systems: practice that relies on one’s own body as method;32 practice that 
relies on the body of another person as the wisdom aspect;33 and practice 
that relies on the great seal of empty form.34 However, Kongtrul states 
that people of his day are not qualified to rely on a consort (the second 
practice) and are therefore advised to avoid those practices (and we might 
assume this still to be the case). Instead, the student of tantra is taught 
three “ultimate elements”—the relative, the ultimate, and the inseparability of the relative and 
ultimate—that subsume the elements of the previous three.
The Relative Element
The first element, the relative, refers to the yoga of inner fire35 and the illusory body (called 
“self-consecration”). The inner fire is the very core of the 
mother-tantra system since the practice of the illusory body and the great 
seal of luminous clarity, as well as their inseparable union, are all derived 
from inner-fire yoga. The main practice for the realization of inner fire 
evokes the pristine awareness that is the indivisibility of luminous clarity 
and the bliss of the innate joy (the last of four joys).36
The illusory body is considered the most important teaching of all the 
sutra and mantra ways. As Kongtrul explains, in the course of cyclic existence, one’s coarse, 
karmic bodies are all discarded, one after the other. 
Nevertheless, a pure-essence body, which is the inseparability of wind and 
mind, continues without interruption throughout all one’s lifetimes, until 
the attainment of total enlightenment. In tantric literature this is referred 
to as the “innate body.” This innate body creates the mental body of the 
intermediate state, the dream body formed of karmic imprints, and the 
latent subtle body of the formless realm of existence.37 Moreover, it acts as 
the ground for the actualization of the illusory body. The seed of the innate 
body is an extremely subtle vital-essence-and-wind union that has always 
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been present in the central channel and is the support for innate bliss. It is 
this innate body that manifests as the illusory body.
Kongtrul presents various interpretations of the illusory body, first 
defining the illusory body in its literal sense: the fact that all phenomena are like illusions. 
The illusory nature of existence is illustrated in both 
sutras and tantras by twelve examples: a magician’s enchantment, a mirage, 
a city of gandharvas,38 a rainbow, an image in a mirror, the moon reflected 
on water, an echo, a dream, an optical illusion, a cloud, a flash of lightning, and a water bubble. 
The practitioner, states Kongtrul, must first gain 
understanding of this literal meaning through study and reflection. Then, 
one can begin to meditate on the illusory body in its general sense, as the 
“impure illusory body,” that is, everything that comprises the environment 
and inhabitants of the three realms. As Kongtrul explains, all phenomena are “composite creations 
arising from causes and conditions, … impermanent, [changing] moment by moment. Without any true 
essence, they 
are merely the manifestations of dependent origination and therefore like 
illusions.” In particular, one meditates that all bodies—one’s own and 
others’—are like reflections, voices like echoes, and minds like mirages. 
One’s meditation then becomes focused on the “pure illusory body,” specific to the vajrayana: the 
mandala and its resident deities.
The true illusory body—the goal of one’s practice—is the illusory body 
in its hidden sense. To attain the hidden illusory body means that having 
entered pristine awareness, one manifests the body of a deity—adorned 
with all the major and minor signs of awakening—from the pure essence of 
wind and mind. Kongtrul describes this body as “an instantaneously complete form, like an image 
reflected in a mirror. Its colors are vivid and distinct, like those of a rainbow. It is a single 
thing that is ubiquitous, like the 
moon reflected on water.” In father-tantra practice, this illusory pristineawareness body is 
attained by first cultivating the stage called “focus on 
mind”39 and then repeatedly entering into and re-emerging from the state 
of luminous clarity. In mother-tantra practice, it is attained by relying on 
the inner-fire practice that gives rise to the four special joys.
Familiarization with the illusory body in its hidden sense moves one 
toward realization of the illusory body in its ultimate sense: the utterly 
pure illusory body of the deity in the form of the enjoyment dimension 
of awakening, called the “union beyond training.” This union will be 
described below.
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translators’ introduction c 31
The Ultimate Element
The second element, the ultimate, refers to the completion phase of luminous clarity. Kongtrul 
presents this element in terms of the ground, path, 
and result. He begins his discussion by citing Maitreya’s Jewel Affinity:
40
“Mind’s nature is luminous clarity. It is changeless like space.” These words, 
he explains, indicate the luminous clarity of the ground, the primordially 
pure, naturally clear and luminous basis of phenomena: emptiness that has 
no origin. This ground–luminous clarity manifests naturally during sleep 
and at death, and it is recognized through practice of the path.
The luminous clarity to be cultivated on the vajrayana path is luminous clarity in its hidden 
sense. The meditation consists in dissolving the 
environment and its inhabitants into luminous clarity by means of two 
contemplations, known as “total apprehension” and “successive destruction,”41 as well as through 
the mother-tantra yogas of the channels, winds, 
and vital essences. Kongtrul describes how the proper cultivation of these 
methods brings about the gathering of winds and vital essences in the central channel at the area 
of the heart. As a consequence, there arise five signs 
indicative of the sequential dissolutions of earth, water, fire, wind, and 
consciousness, followed by the four manifestations of emptiness, in succession: the light of the 
empty, which is like moonlight; the increase of 
light of the further empty, like sunlight; the full culmination of the great 
empty, like the pervasive darkness of night; and luminous clarity, like a 
perfectly clear sky at dawn. This is the actualization of luminous clarity in 
its hidden sense.
As Kongtrul points out, the luminous clarity of the path moves one 
toward the result: the direct realization of emptiness through the nonconceptual pristine awareness 
of the true nature of things. This realization is 
the luminous clarity at the training stage. The luminous clarity at the stage 
beyond training is realized when all phenomena manifest fully as pristine awareness, and through 
the merging of ground–luminous clarity and 
path–luminous clarity, arise as the infinite expanse of reality. This is luminous clarity as the 
ultimate result.
The Union of the Relative and Ultimate
The third element, the inseparability of the relative and ultimate elements, 
refers to union in the completion phase. Kongtrul provides various interTOK_8-3_rev4.indd 31 8/6/08 
3:11:27 PM
32 C the treasury of knowledge
pretations of the nature of this union: the union of the relative and ultimate 
truths (its literal meaning), the union of emptiness and compassion (the 
mahayana perspective), and the union of innate great bliss and the emptiness of luminous clarity 
(the vajrayana perspective). He then describes 
union in its hidden sense: In the mother tantras, union denotes the single taste—like a blend of 
water and milk—of the object, the uncommon 
emptiness, and the subject, unchanging great bliss. In the father tantras, 
union means the inseparability of the relative truth—the self-consecration 
of the body so that it manifests as the illusory body—and the ultimate 
truth—mind entering essential reality through luminous clarity. This hidden union still requires 
training or refinement until one attains the union 
that is beyond training, known as the body of pristine awareness, which is 
the ultimate union.
The meditation on union involves first dissolving the environment and 
its inhabitants sequentially and then, from the state of luminous clarity 
brought forth by the four manifestations of emptiness, arising as the illusory body. As noted by 
Kongtrul, this illusory body manifests from the 
combination of pristine awareness (luminous clarity) and the subtle wind 
element upon which pristine awareness is mounted. It is a vajra body “not 
subject to destruction by any means: the very nature of Great Vajradhara.” 
It is neither the illusory body alone nor luminous clarity alone, but is the 
simultaneity of the mind abiding in the nature of luminous clarity and the 
body manifesting as the illusory body.
With this elucidation of the completion phase of union, Jamgön Kongtrul concludes his General 
Exposition of the Process of Meditation in the 
Indestructible Way of Secret Mantra, with an Emphasis on the Tantras, 
Book Eight, Part Three, of the Treasury of Knowledge.

Saraha-and-the-radish-dakini---a-wonderful-story

December 18, 2023, 4:49 pm

Saraha, Sarahapa, Sarahapāda (or, in the Tibetan language མདའ་བསྣུན་, [danün], Wyl. mda' bsnun The 
Archer), (circa 8th century CE) was known as the first sahajiya and one of the Mahasiddhas. The name 
Saraha means "the one who has shot the arrow.".[1] According to one, scholar, "This is an explicit 
reference to an incident in many versions of his biography when he studied with a dakini disguised 
as a low-caste arrow smith. Metaphorically, it refers to one who has shot the arrow of non duality 
into the heart of duality."[2]

Saraha is considered to be one of the founders of Vajrayana Buddhism, particularly the Mahāmudrā 
tradition associated with the mind teachings of Tibet.[3]

Saraha was originally known as Rāhula or Rāhulbhadra and was born in Roli, a region of the city-
state of Rajni in eastern India, into a Shakya family and studied at the Buddhist monastic 
university Nalanda.[4]

The Arrow Making Dakini
Saraha is normally shown seated and holding an arrow (Skt. śaru). It is from a mature nameless 
woman, often called the Arrow Smith Dakini or the Arrow Making Dakini, who was Saraha's teacher and 
consort, that the typical iconography of Saraha holding an arrow emerges. Some versions of their 
meeting say that Saraha saw the Arrow Making Dakini in a vision and thus was wandering here and 
there, searching her out. Some say they met at a crossroads,[5] while other versions say that it was 
in a busy marketplace where she was selling her arrows.[6][7]

Whether they meet in a marketplace or a crossroads, it is this woman's intense concentration and 
spiritual instructions to Saraha that are transformative. When he finds her, Saraha inquires about 
what she is doing. Her reply to him is pith and direct: "The Buddha's meaning can be known through 
symbols and actions, not through words and books."[8]

The Arrow Making Dakini then explained the symbolic meaning of the arrow to him using the elusive 
tantric twilight language that is common to Dakini teachings. It is said, that in this moment, 
Saraha fully realized the state of mahamudra and at that moment he said the single syllable "da." 
This is a play on the sound of this word, which can mean either "arrow" or "symbol" (dadar or mda' 
dar in Tibetan). Saraha then recognized the wisdom Dakini in front of him, abandoned his studies and 
monastic vows, and moved to a cremation ground with her to practice[9][10]

As an homage to the Arrow Making Dakini and Saraha and their great spiritual accomplishments, and to 
bring forth the blessings of these spiritual lineages, contemporary tantric communities are engaging 
in archery and arrow smithing as a form of spiritual discipline and practice.[citation needed]

The Radish Curry Dakini
The second nameless woman who was Saraha's teacher and consort is often called the Radish Curry Girl 
or the Radish Curry Dakini. Saraha met her when she was just 15 years old and it is likely she had 
been working as a servant. The story that provides this accomplished dakini with the epithet Radish 
Curry Girl also has several versions. One of the more well-known ones states that Saraha asked this 
young woman to make him a radish curry one day. While she was doing this, Saraha fell into 
meditation. His meditative absorption was so complete that he remained in samadhi for twelve years.
[citation needed]

When he emerged from mediation, he asked the young woman if he could have some of the radish curry 
twelve long years later. Her direct replies to him are the teachings. She said: "You sit in samadhi 
for twelve years and the first thing you ask for is radish curry?"[11]

Saraha noted her wisdom and realized his own faults in meditative practice. He decided that the only 
way for him to make any progress on the spiritual path would be to move into an isolated mountain 
location, away from all distractions.[citation needed]

Again, the Radish Curry Dakini offered pith instructions to Saraha: "If you awaken from samadhi with 
an undiminished desire for radish curry, what do you think the isolation of the mountains will do 
for you? The purest solitude," she counseled, "is one that allows you to escape from the 
preconceptions and prejudices, from the labels and concepts of a narrow, inflexible mind."[12]

Saraha was wise enough to listen carefully to the wisdom of this dakini in front of him, realizing 
that she was indeed not just his consort but also his teacher. From that moment forward, his 
meditative practices changed and he eventually attained the supreme realization of mahamudra. At the 
time of his death, both Saraha and his consort ascended to Dakini Pure Lands.[13]

Disciples
Luipa was a pupil of Saraha.[14]

Doha, Caryagiti, and Vajragiti
In the oral and literary traditions of South Asia, there are at least three classifications for the 
tantric compositions and teachings of Saraha: doha (poetic couplets), caryagiti (performance songs), 
and vajragiti (adamantine songs, which are classified according to the content, not the form).

As Braitstein writes:

Saraha's transmission does not consist merely in his presence--past and present--but also in the 
corpus of his work. As befits a mahasiddha, his method of teaching was spontaneous, inspired, and 
challenging. Saraha is said to have uttered collections of esoteric verses designed to directly 
point to the nature of mind and reality. Despite the size of the corpus (there are twenty-four works 
attributed to him in the Tengyur alone, the only ones that have received any serious attention to 
date are his Doha Trilogy (Doha score sum; grub snying), a trilogy of songs that have eclipsed 
everything else attributed to the master Saraha. His King and People dohas have been translated 
numerous times into English and into other Western languages and have been the subject of major 
studies. Saraha's Adamantine Songs, however, have scarcely been touched.[15]

Doha is a form of couplet poetry and a portion of Saraha's doha are compiled in Dohakośa, the 
'Treasury of Rhyming Couplets'. Pada (verses) 22, 32, 38 and 39 of Caryagītikośa (or Charyapada) are 
assigned to him. The script used in the doha shows close resemblance with the present-day Bengali–
Assamese, Tirhuta and Odia scripts which imply that Sarahapa has compiled his literature in the 
earlier language which has similarity with all Assamese, Bengali, Maithili and Odia languages.[16]
[17]


Resemblance of Odia script in Dohakosa by Sarahapada
In the disputed opinion of Rahul Sankrityayan, Sarahapāda was the earliest Siddha or Siddhācārya and 
the first poet of Bengali, Odia, Angika and Hindi literature . According to him, Sarahapāda was a 
student of Haribhadra, who was, in turn, a disciple of Śāntarakṣita, the noted Buddhist scholar who 
traveled to Tibet. As Śāntarakṣita is known to have lived in the mid-8th century from Tibetan 
historical sources[18] and Haribhadra was a contemporary of Pāla king Dharmapala (770 – 815 CE), 
Sarahapāda must have lived in the late 8th century or early 9th-century CE.[19] From the colophon of 
a manuscript of Saraha's Dohakośa, copied in Nepali Samvat 221 (1101 CE) and found from Royal Durbar 
Library in Nepal (most probably the earliest manuscript of Dohakośa), by Pt. Haraprasad Shastri in 
1907, we know that many doha-s of Saraha were extant by that time. Thanks to the efforts of a 
scholar named Divakar Chanda, some of them have been preserved.,[20] and were printed and published 
first in the modern Bangla font by the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad in 1916 along with the Dohakosh of 
Sarahapa in Bangla font, the Sanskrit notes of the dohas of Sarahapa also in the Bangla font, the 
Dakarnab adage-poems, the dohas of Kanhapa or Krishnacharyapa or Kanifnath and the Mekhla notes. The 
mouthpiece was by Haraprasad Shastri who had found the manuscript at the Royal Durbar Library of the 
Nepal kingdom in 1907.


A scroll painting of Saraha, surrounded by other Mahāsiddhas, probably 18th century and now in the 
British Museum
The following song and poem of Saraha are from the original Apabhramsa (the language Saraha most 
often wrote in) is no longer extant but we have the Tibetan translation:

Tibetan in Wylie transcription:
la la nam mkha'i khams la rtog par snang
gzhan yang stong nyid ldan par byed pa de
phal cher mi mthun phyogs la zhugs pa yin

English translation
Some think it's
in the realm of space,
others connect it
with emptiness:
mostly, they dwell
in contradiction.[21]

Here is one scholarly interpretation of the above verses:

" space: In Indian thought, especially Buddhist, a common metaphor for the objective nature of 
reality as empty or unlimited, and the subjective quality of the mind that experiences that 
emptiness...Space also is one of the five elements recognized in most Indian cosmologies, along with 
earth, water, fire, and air. In certain contexts... "sky" is a more appropriate translation for the 
Apabhramsa or Tibetan original. emptiness: According to most Mahayana Buddhist schools, the ultimate 
nature of all entities and concepts in the cosmos, realization of which is required for attaining 
liberation. Emptiness (Skt. śūnyatā) may be regarded negatively as the absence, anywhere, of 
anything resembling a permanent, independent substance or nature...more positively, it is regarded 
as the mind's natural luminosity, which is "empty" of the defilements that temporarily obscure...The 
critical remarks directed here at those who think "it" (i.e., reality) is connected with emptiness 
presumably are meant to correct a one-sided obsession with negation, which is one of Saraha's major 
targets."[22]

The point of Saraha in this poem is clearly to ensure that the aspirant on way to becoming adept, 
does not get trapped by the metaphor and soteriological lexicon. This was a recurrent motif in 
Saraha's teachings and is key for why he is depicted in Tibetan iconography with an 'arrow' or 
'dadar' (Tibetan: mda' dar). Further to this, the comment of scholar Judith Simmer-Brown (2001: p. 
359) as follows is relevant: "The word for arrow is mda', which is identical in pronunciation to the 
word for symbol, brda'".

Eight-Limbs-of-Yoga

December 20, 2023, 2:11 pm

From Wikipedia

Ashtanga yoga (Sanskrit: अष्टाङ्गयोग, romanized: aṣṭāṅgayoga[1], "the eight limbs of yoga") is 
Patanjali's classification of classical yoga, as set out in his Yoga Sutras. He defined the eight 
limbs as yamas (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breathing), 
pratyahara (withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption).

The eight limbs form a sequence from the outer to the inner. The posture, asana, must be steady and 
comfortable for a long time, in order for the yogi to practice the limbs from pranayama until 
samadhi. The main aim is kaivalya, discernment of Puruṣa, the witness-conscious, as separate from 
Prakṛti, the cognitive apparatus, and disentanglement of Puruṣa from its muddled defilements.

Definition of yoga

This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or 
boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.
Patanjali begins his treatise by stating the purpose of his book in the first sutra, followed by 
defining the word "yoga" in his second sutra of Book 1:[2]

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ॥२॥
yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ

— Yoga Sutras 1.2
This terse definition hinges on the meaning of three Sanskrit terms. I. K. Taimni translates it as 
"Yoga is the inhibition (nirodhaḥ) of the modifications (vṛtti) of the mind (citta)".[3] Swami 
Vivekananda translates the sutra as "Yoga is restraining (nirodhah) the mind-stuff (citta) from 
taking various forms (vrittis)."[4] When the mind is stilled, the seer or real Self is revealed:

1.3. Then the Seer is established in his own essential and fundamental nature.
1.4. In other states there is assimilation (of the Seer) with the modifications (of the mind).[5]

Eight limbs
Further information: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga
Patanjali set out his definition of yoga in the Yoga Sutras as having eight limbs (अष्टाङ्ग aṣṭ āṅga, 
"eight limbs") as follows:

The eight limbs of yoga are yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (yoga postures), 
pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana 
(meditation) and samadhi (absorption)."[6]

The eightfold path of Patanjali's yoga consists of a set of prescriptions for a morally disciplined 
and purposeful life, of which asana (yoga posture) form only one limb.[7]

1. Yamas
Main article: Yamas
Yamas are ethical rules in Hinduism and can be thought of as moral imperatives (the "don'ts"). The 
five yamas listed by Patanjali in Yoga Sutra 2.30 are:[8]

Ahimsa (अहिंसा): Nonviolence, non-harming other living beings[9]
Satya (सत्य): truthfulness, non-falsehood[9][10]
Asteya (अस्तेय): non-stealing[9]
Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): chastity,[10] marital fidelity or sexual restraint[11]
Aparigraha (अपरिग्रह): non-avarice,[9] non-possessiveness[10]
Patanjali, in Book 2, states how and why each of the above self-restraints helps in an individual's 
personal growth. For example, in verse II.35, Patanjali states that the virtue of nonviolence and 
non-injury to others (Ahimsa) leads to the abandonment of enmity, a state that leads the yogi to the 
perfection of inner and outer amity with everyone, everything.[12][13]

2. Niyamas
Main article: Niyama
The second component of Patanjali's Yoga path is niyama, which includes virtuous habits and 
observances (the "dos").[14][15] Sadhana Pada Verse 32 lists the niyamas as:[16]

Shaucha (शौच): purity, clearness of mind, speech and body[17]
Santosha (संतोष): contentment, acceptance of others, acceptance of one's circumstances as they are in 
order to get past or change them, optimism for self[18]
Tapas (तपस्): persistence, perseverance, austerity, asceticism, self-discipline[19][20][21][22]
Svadhyaya (स्वाध्याय): study of Vedas, study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's 
thoughts, speech and actions[20][23]
Ishvarapranidhana (ईश्वरप्रणिधान): contemplation of the Ishvara (God/Supreme Being, Brahman, True Self, 
Unchanging Reality)[18][24]
As with the Yamas, Patanjali explains how and why each of the Niyamas helps in personal growth. For 
example, in verse II.42, Patanjali states that the virtue of contentment and acceptance of others as 
they are (Santosha) leads to the state where inner sources of joy matter most, and the craving for 
external sources of pleasure ceases.[25]

3. Āsana

Lahiri Mahasaya in Padmasana, one of the ancient seated meditation asanas
Main article: Asana
Patanjali begins discussion of Āsana (आसन, posture, seat) by defining it in verse 46 of Book 2, as 
follows,[2]

स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥४६॥
The meditation posture should be steady and comfortable.[26][27]

— Yoga Sutras II.46
Asana is a posture that one can hold for a period of time, staying relaxed, steady, comfortable and 
motionless. The Yoga Sutra does not list any specific asana.[28] Āraṇya translates verse II.47 as, 
"asanas are perfected over time by relaxation of effort with meditation on the infinite"; this 
combination and practice stops the body from shaking.[29] Any posture that causes pain or 
restlessness is not a yogic posture. Secondary texts that discuss Patanjali's sutra state that one 
requirement of correct posture for sitting meditation is to keep chest, neck and head erect (proper 
spinal posture).[27]

The Bhasya commentary attached to the Sutras, now thought to be by Patanjali himself,[30] suggests 
twelve seated meditation postures:[31] Padmasana (lotus), Virasana (hero), Bhadrasana (glorious), 
Svastikasana (lucky mark), Dandasana (staff), Sopasrayasana (supported), Paryankasana (bedstead), 
Krauncha-nishadasana (seated heron), Hastanishadasana (seated elephant), Ushtranishadasana (seated 
camel), Samasansthanasana (evenly balanced) and Sthirasukhasana (any motionless posture that is in 
accordance with one's pleasure).[27]

Over a thousand years later, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika mentions 84 [a] asanas taught by Shiva, 
stating four of these as most important: Siddhasana (accomplished), Padmasana (lotus), Simhasana 
(lion), and Bhadrasana (glorious), and describes the technique of these four and eleven other 
asanas.[33][34] In modern yoga, asanas are prominent and numerous, unlike in any earlier form of 
yoga.[35][36]

4. Prāņāyāma

Alternate nostril breathing, one form of Pranayama
Main article: Pranayama
Prāṇāyāma is the control of the breath, from the Sanskrit prāṇa (प्राण, breath)[37] and āyāma (आयाम, 
restraint).[38]

After a desired posture has been achieved, verses II.49 through II.51 recommend prāṇāyāma, the 
practice of consciously regulating the breath (inhalation, the full pause, exhalation, and the empty 
pause).[39] This is done in several ways, such as by inhaling and then suspending exhalation for a 
period, exhaling and then suspending inhalation for a period, by slowing the inhalation and 
exhalation, or by consciously changing the timing and length of the breath (deep, short breathing).
[40][41]

5. Pratyāhāra
Main article: Pratyahara
Pratyāhāra is a combination of two Sanskrit words prati- (the prefix प्रति-, "against" or "contra") 
and āhāra (आहार, "bring near, fetch").[42]

Pratyahara is drawing within one's awareness. It is a process of retracting the sensory experience 
from external objects. It is a step of self extraction and abstraction. Pratyahara is not 
consciously closing one's eyes to the sensory world; it is consciously closing one's mind processes 
to the sensory world. Pratyahara empowers one to stop being controlled by the external world, fetch 
one's attention to seek self-knowledge and experience the freedom innate in one's inner world.[43]
[44]

Pratyahara marks the transition of yoga experience from the first four limbs of Patanjali's Ashtanga 
scheme that perfect external forms, to the last three limbs that perfect the yogin's inner state: 
moving from outside to inside, from the outer sphere of the body to the inner sphere of the spirit.
[45]

6. Dhāraṇā
Main article: Dharana
Dharana (Sanskrit: धारणा) means concentration, introspective focus and one-pointedness of mind. The 
root of the word is dhṛ (धृ), meaning "to hold, maintain, keep".[46]

Dharana, as the sixth limb of yoga, is holding one's mind onto a particular inner state, subject or 
topic of one's mind.[47] The mind is fixed on a mantra, or one's breath/navel/tip of tongue/any 
place, or an object one wants to observe, or a concept/idea in one's mind.[48][49] Fixing the mind 
means one-pointed focus, without drifting of mind, and without jumping from one topic to another.
[48]

7. Dhyāna

A woman meditating beside the sacred river Ganges in Varanasi
Main article: Dhyana in Hinduism
Dhyana (Sanskrit: ध्यान) literally means "contemplation, reflection" and "profound, abstract 
meditation".[50]

Dhyana is contemplating, reflecting on whatever Dharana has focused on. If in the sixth limb of yoga 
one focused on a personal deity, Dhyana is its contemplation. If the concentration was on one 
object, Dhyana is non-judgmental, non-presumptuous observation of that object.[51] If the focus was 
on a concept/idea, Dhyana is contemplating that concept/idea in all its aspects, forms and 
consequences. Dhyana is uninterrupted train of thought, current of cognition, flow of awareness.[49]

Dhyana is integrally related to Dharana, one leads to other. Dharana is a state of mind, Dhyana the 
process of mind. Dhyana is distinct from Dharana in that the meditator becomes actively engaged with 
its focus. Patanjali defines contemplation (Dhyana) as the mind process, where the mind is fixed on 
something, and then there is "a course of uniform modification of knowledge".[52] Adi Shankara, in 
his commentary on Yoga Sutras, distinguishes Dhyana from Dharana, by explaining Dhyana as the yoga 
state when there is only the "stream of continuous thought about the object, uninterrupted by other 
thoughts of different kind for the same object"; Dharana, states Shankara, is focussed on one 
object, but aware of its many aspects and ideas about the same object. Shankara gives the example of 
a yogin in a state of dharana on morning sun may be aware of its brilliance, color and orbit; the 
yogin in dhyana state contemplates on sun's orbit alone for example, without being interrupted by 
its color, brilliance or other related ideas.[53]

8. Samādhi
Main article: Samadhi
Samadhi (Sanskrit: समाधि) literally means "putting together, joining, combining with, union, 
harmonious whole, trance".[54][55] In samadhi, when meditating on an object, only the object of 
awareness is present,[56] and the awareness that one is meditating disappears.[49][56][57] Samadhi 
is of two kinds,[58][59] Samprajnata Samadhi, with support of an object of meditation, and 
Asamprajnata Samadhi, without support of an object of meditation.[60]

Samprajnata Samadhi, also called savikalpa samadhi and Sabija Samadhi,[61][b] meditation with 
support of an object,[60][c] is associated with deliberation, reflection, bliss, and I-am-ness (YS 
1.17).[65][d]

The first two associations, deliberation and reflection, form the basis of the various types of 
Samāpatti:[65][67]

Savitarka, "deliberative" (YS 1.42):[65][e] The citta is concentrated upon a gross object of 
meditation,[60] an object with a manifest appearance that is perceptible to our senses,[68] such as 
a flame of a lamp, the tip of the nose, or the image of a deity.[citation needed] Conceptualization 
(vikalpa) still takes place, in the form of perception, the word and the knowledge of the object of 
meditation.[65] When the deliberation is ended this is called nirvitarka samadhi (YS 1.43).[69][f]
Savichara, "reflective":[68] the citta is concentrated upon a subtle object of meditation,[60][68] 
which is not perceptible to the senses, but arrived at through inference,[68] such as the senses, 
the process of cognition, the mind, the I-am-ness,[g] the chakras, the inner-breath (prana), the 
nadis, the intellect (buddhi).[68] The stilling of reflection is called nirvichara samapatti (YS 
1.44).[68][h]
The last two associations, sananda samadhi and sasmita, are respectively a state of meditation, and 
an object of savichara samadhi:

Sananda Samadhi, ananda,[i] "bliss": this state emphasizes the still subtler state of bliss in 
meditation;[60]
Sasmita: the citta is concentrated upon the sense or feeling of "I-am-ness".[60]
According to Ian Whicher, the status of ananda and asmita in Patanjali's system is a matter of 
dispute.[70] According to Maehle, the first two constituents, deliberation and reflection, form the 
basis of the various types of samapatti.[65] According to Feuerstein,

"Joy" and "I-am-ness" [...] must be regarded as accompanying phenomena of every cognitive [ecstasy]. 
The explanations of the classical commentators on this point appear to be foreign to Patanjali's 
hierarchy of [ecstatic] states, and it seems unlikely that ananda and asmita should constitute 
independent levels of samadhi.

— [70]
Ian Whicher disagrees with Feuerstein, seeing ananda and asmita as later stages of nirvicara-
samapatti.[70] Whicher refers to Vācaspati Miśra (AD 900-980), the founder of the Bhāmatī Advaita 
Vedanta who proposes eight types of samapatti:[71]

Savitarka-samāpatti and Nirvitarka-samāpatti, both with gross objects as objects of support;
Savicāra-samāpatti and Nirvicāra-samāpatti, both with subtle objects as objects of support;
Sānanda-samāpatti and Nirānanda-samāpatti, both with the sense organs as objects of support
Sāsmitā-samāpatti and Nirasmitā-samāpatti, both with the sense of "I-am-ness" as support.
Vijnana Bikshu (ca. 1550-1600) proposes a six-stage model, explicitly rejecting Vacaspati Misra's 
model. Vijnana Bikshu regards joy (ananda) as a state that arises when the mind passes beyond the 
vicara stage.[67] Whicher agrees that ananda is not a separate stage of samadhi.[67] According to 
Whicher, Patanjali's own view seems to be that nirvicara-samadhi is the highest form of cognitive 
ecstasy.[67]

Asamprajnata Samadhi, also called Nirvikalpa Samadhi[59] and Nirbija Samadhi,[59][j] is meditation 
without an object,[60] which leads to knowledge of purusha or consciousness, the subtlest element.
[68][k]

Soteriological goal: Kaivalya
According to Bryant, the purpose of yoga is liberation from suffering, caused by entanglement with 
the world, by means of discriminative discernment between Purusha, the witness-consciousness, and 
prakriti, the cognitive apparatus including the muddled mind and the kleshas. The eight limbs are 
"the means of achieving discriminative discernment," the "uncoupling of puruṣa from all connection 
with prakṛti and all involvement with the citta." Bryant states that, to Patanjali, Yoga-practice 
"essentially consists of meditative practices culminating in attaining a state of consciousness free 
from all modes of active or discursive thought, and of eventually attaining a state where 
consciousness is unaware of any object external to itself, that is, is only aware of its own nature 
as consciousness unmixed with any other object."[73][74]

The Samkhya school suggests that jnana (knowledge) is a sufficient means to moksha, Patanjali 
suggests that systematic techniques/practice (personal experimentation) combined with Samkhya's 
approach to knowledge is the path to moksha.[73] Patanjali holds that avidya, ignorance is the cause 
of all five kleshas, which are the cause of suffering and saṁsāra.[73] Liberation, like many other 
schools, is removal of ignorance, which is achieved through discriminating discernment, knowledge 
and self-awareness. The Yoga Sūtras is the Yoga school's treatise on how to accomplish this.[73] 
Samādhi is the state where ecstatic awareness develops, state Yoga scholars, and this is how one 
starts the process of becoming aware of Purusa and true Self. It further claims that this awareness 
is eternal, and once this awareness is achieved, a person cannot ever cease being aware; this is 
moksha, the soteriological goal in Hinduism.[73]

Book 3 of Patanjali's Yogasutra is dedicated to soteriological aspects of yoga philosophy. Patanjali 
begins by stating that all limbs of yoga are a necessary foundation to reaching the state of self-
awareness, freedom and liberation. He refers to the three last limbs of yoga as samyama, in verses 
III.4 to III.5, and calls it the technology for "discerning principle" and mastery of citta and 
self-knowledge.[49][75] In verse III.12, the Yogasutras state that this discerning principle then 
empowers one to perfect sant (tranquility) and udita (reason) in one's mind and spirit, through 
intentness. This leads to one's ability to discern the difference between sabda (word), artha 
(meaning) and pratyaya (understanding), and this ability empowers one to compassionately comprehend 
the cry/speech of all living beings.[76][77] Once a yogi reaches this state of samyama, it leads to 
unusual powers, intuition, self-knowledge, freedoms and kaivalya, the redemptive goal of the yogi.
[76]

The-Explicit-and-Hidden-Aspects-of-Tāra

December 21, 2023, 7:41 pm

First Verse:

Swift and Heroic

Praise to Tāra! Swift heroine,
Whose eyes flash like lightning,
Born from the blooming lotus of
Avalokiteshvara, protector of the three-worlds.
The first half of the verse should be understood as explained
below. To whom does one ‘pay praise’? To the all-victorious
liberator goddess, Tāra. Moreover, if one asks, what
distinguishes her? It is a mind of great compassion, without
duality, that swiftly benefits sentient beings. She is the ‘heroine’
who protects from all fears, dangers and fire and so on, with
the power and energy of unobstructed enlightened activity.
Whose primordial awareness eyes are like a flash of lightning,
swiftly moving, beholding and understanding all knowable
phenomena. For that reason, Tāra the liberator is the one
possessed with the enlightened activity who liberates all
sentient beings from samsara. Likewise, she has knowledge,
love, power and enlightened activity. Not only that, but she
exemplifies having the power of all infinite good qualities. The
goddess who possesses these qualities, was born from a
blooming lotus sprung from the tears on the face of
Avalokiteshvara, protector of the three worlds. The translator
Namkha Zangpo said: ‘born from the tears on the face of the
protector of the three worlds. The Goddess arose from a
blooming lotus’. I will rewrite this phrase in an easy way to
understand that is not the literal meaning. The form body of
Tāra arose from the Dharmakāya, the protector of the three-
worlds.

Second Verse:

White as Autumn Moon

Praise to Tāra! Whose face is like
A mass of hundreds of full autumn moons,
Blazing with expanding brilliant light of
A constellation of thousands of stars.
This verse means a female with a beautiful, clean-clear face like
a mass of radiant light which resembles a celestial constellation.
Like the radiant light from an assembly of thousands of stars, a
female possessing a form of expanding, blazing clear, radiant
light. Her body is white, clear, transparent and extremely
beautiful and ravishing, emanating white, brilliant rays of light.
The hidden meaning is: hundreds of full autumn moons are
the stacked up unmoving bodhicitta from the jewel tip to the
crown of the head. A constellation of stars means all the subtle
channels and essential drops that are filled up with kunda.

Third Verse:

Golden-goddess of the six pāramitās

Praise to Tāra! Golden goddess,
Hand adorned with a blue, water-born flower
Whose field of activity is generosity, effort, endurance,
Pacification, patience and mental focus.
The golden goddess, hand adorned with a water-born blue
flower24, means you Goddess Tāra, who arose from generosity,
effort, endurance, peace, patience and mental focus. You are
the one who possesses all these six pāramitās and takes delight
in them. In terms of the pāramitās, this is your, goddess Tāra’s
conduct.
The profound meaning is as follows: water-born is the secret
lotus and hand means the vajra25. The union of those two gives
birth to the unchanging effort, endurance and bliss of mental
focus. With the realisation of emptiness, the wisdom that has
pacified thoughts, you never depart from joyous effort. From
that comes the patience that is able to bear with calm
equanimity all pleasure and suffering; and the generosity that is
carried out without self-clinging. That is the teaching of this
verse.


Fourth Verse:

Victorious Crown Pinnacle

Praise to Tāra! Crown jewel of the Tathāgatas,
Whose victorious actions are infinite;
You attained the transcendent perfections, without
exception,
Revered and relied on by the Victor’s heirs.
Emanating brilliantly from the crown jewel of the
Tathāgatas. The one with infinite beneficial qualities, who is
completely victorious over all unharmonious and difficult
conditions and situations; who manifests as the primordial
awareness knowledge mantra/female deity. The female
practitioner, Tāra, with your positive deeds of the
Samboghakāya (Enjoyment Body), and with the knowledge
mantra, you accomplish for beginningless sentient beings,
without exception, the ten transcendent perfections. The
Victor’s children means those with the power of the tenth
bodhisattva level.
The deep meaning is as follows: the descending and
ascending levels of joy are that which is called the glorious
Tathāgata [One Gone Thus], and is that which ‘goes thus’ again
and again [ascending and descending]. By dissolving the
elements and the winds at the crown jewel pinnacle, one is
completely victorious over all infinite things worthy of being
abandoned. The ten perfections are transformed into the ten
winds. The bodhisattva Victors’ heirs, are transformed from
the eye sense-spheres and so on, into primordial awareness.
This joined with the previous verse about the full autumn moons
and so on, is the stage of samādhi.

Fifth Verse:

Trampling Seven Worlds

Praise to Tāra! Whose tuttāra and hūṃ
Fills the desire realms and space in all directions;
trampling the seven worlds beneath your feet,
with the power to summon all.
The sound of the letters tuttāra and hūṃ fills the desire realms
means all the desire realms, and space means the form and
formless realms; all directions means all the places in the
worldly realms of the ten directions, become pervaded by, and
full of, your activity. The seven worldly realms are trampled
underneath you by the power of your stamping feet. With the
great power and energy of your blessing of the knowledge
mantra and so on, even the great worldly deities are enslaved
and summoned to you by your power and abilities. What need is
there to consider anything subtler or smaller! The seven worlds
means the seven inanimate containers [outer environment] and
seven animate contents [sentient beings]. There are many
different ways of explaining the environment and beings
combined together. However, here it means the seven worldly
realms endowed with life-energy: the nāgas, hungry ghosts,
demi-gods, humans, vidyadharas, kiṃnarass and worldly deities.
The hidden meaning is as follows: tuttāra means ‘burning
longing’. It is the sweltering longing of the fire of inner heat
tummo. The letter hūṃ is the indestructible sound, which arises
from the inner heat tummo. Desire realm means the place of
the secret chakra; all directions means the inner central channel
becomes filled completely with sound; the space becomes
completely full with the inexpressible mantra. The seven
worldly realms are the five root chakras and the two chakras of
fire and wind, the burning of the inner heat melts the seven and
completely fills them with kunda. This kunda, without leaving
any residue, ascends again from the secret chakra and is
brought back up to the top of the crown.

Sixth Verse:

Praised by All the Gods

Praise to Tāra! Whom Indra, Agni, Brahma,
Vahyu and the other mighty gods worship.
Before whom, the hosts of evil spirits, zombies,
gandharvas and yakshas respectfully offer praise.
Indra means the king of all the gods. Agni, the fire god
means the chief of all the sages. Brahma, is the creator of all
worldly desires. The wind god, Vāyu, is in particular, the
creator and maker of the worldly realms. Wrathful ones, those
that desire to take the wealth of another, the sages with magical
powers who can block the sun, prognostics and so on, the
renowned rulers, these various rulers and Sovereigns. All these
greatest of the renowned also make offerings and praise. Evil
spirits (jungpo) means all the lords of the feast and so on,
obstructing spirits and obstacles that lead one in the wrong
direction. Zombies (rolang) are those who do the work of raising
dead spirits; the name is given to that activity. Yakshas
(cannibal spirits), those with the power of mantras, those
endowed with great magical powers, the nine yamantakas,
odour-eaters, gods, demons and those difficult to tame and so
on, offer praise and reverence in front of you, the goddess Tāra.
All sentient beings offer you, the teacher, praise.
The hidden meaning is as follows. The phrase Indra and so
on, these five gods are the five elements. Indra means earth;
Agni, the fire god is fire; Brahma is water; the wind god is wind;
‘the various rulers’ are space. In that way, the winds of the five
elements dissolve into the essential drops, this is the
respectfully offering praise. The evil spirits are the nadi
channels. The zombies are the essential drops. The odour-
eaters are the winds. The yakshas are conceptual thoughts.
The dissolution of all these into the essential drops is the
offering and praise to you. Doing this demonstrates the stage of
retention.

Seventh Verse:

Destroying Adversaries

Praise to Tāra! Whose trat and phat,
completely destroy adversaries’ magic circles.
Right leg bent, left outstretched, pressing down,
Blazing with a fierce and raging fire.
The mantra TRAT and PHAT and so on, are the knowledge
mantras of Noble Liberator, Tāra. By the power and energy of
her fierce and wrathful activities, she transforms all the various
enemies and obstructing spirits. Furthermore, in order to
benefit others, she tames the difficult to tame. This is not the
application, or practice, of harmful violence. In particular, with
the knowledge mantra she completely conquers the magic
circles (trulkhor) of adversaries , with the force and power of the
mantra. She is a wrathful, fierce female manifestation. With
right leg bent and left outstretched and so on, wicked, evil-doers
are trampled on. Infectious diseases, plagues and epidemics
and so on are pacified and through the agitated, fiery body of
the inner heat tummo - fierce, wrathful woman, blazes with a
fierce and raging fire. Expelling the Lord of Death and so on,
and providing great protection to all sentient beings.
The hidden meaning is as follows. TRAT tears open and PHAT
cracks apart, conquering all conceptual thoughts. External
negative forces, the magic circles of the afflictive mental states,
means the juncture (unions) of the twelve winds are
blocked/halted. The right main channel is looking upwards [red
essence is ascending]. The left channel is looking downwards
[white descending]. These two channels are then completely
pressed into the central channel at the base. The winds of these
two channels are then halted in the central channel. As a result,
the tummo inner heat fire blazes and the letter HŪṂ melts like
water, becoming agitated and excited and even more intensely
hot and blazing, which causes greater melting and so on. This is
the stage of vital energy control (prāṇāyāma).

Eighth Verse:

Slaying all Enemies and Demons

Praise to Tāra! Extremely fearsome lady,
Whose TURE totally destroys hosts of ‘demons’,
with the wrathful look on your lotus-face
Slayer of all enemies without exception.
From the naturally peaceful expanse, the one with the power of
reciting the mantra OM TURE, Tāra manifests as extremely
fearsome. Destroys hosts of demons means like an army
general, she conquers and destroys them. With the wrathful
look on your lotus face, she slays all enemies, those who wish to
cause harm to many sentient beings, and hostile and malignant
forces. She also eliminates harmful thoughts and intentions,
and death.
The inner meaning is the heroine destroyer of the ‘demons’,
the one whose conduct is victorious over all. The wrathful look
symbolises one who is included among the deities, exemplifying
one who is a primordial awareness (jñanakāya) form being.
Since she is the non-dual primordial awareness of bliss-
emptiness, which manifests in order to frighten all those pitiful
ones, she is the extremely fearsome lady. With both the
primordial awareness and the primordial awareness body, she
conquers, without exception, all the enemies, the obscurations.
TURE means by following the swift path, one attains complete
enlightenment. This is the result of the stage of samādhi of total
illumination44 and so on until the twelfth bhūmi level.

Ninth Verse:

‘Three-Jewel’ Mudrā

Praise to Tāra! Whose fingers perfectly adorn your heart,
with mudrā symbolizing the three precious jewels,
adorned with a wheel of all directions,
whose radiant light, without exception, outshines all.
The three precious jewels are illustrated by the form of the
uptala flower, which is the mudrā of Tāra’s commitment.
Whose fingers perfectly adorn your heart means cupped hand,
the middle finger up and index finger joined from behind touch
the top of the thumb up touching the root of the index fingers,
arranged and directed towards the heart centre. If all disciples
also hold this hand mudrā of commitment while doing this
ritual, it bestows the blessing of the knowledge mantra goddess,
as it is similar to the physical expressions of previous victorious
goddesses. Adorned with a wheel of all directions means a mass
of radiant, sparkling, extremely exciting light radiates out to the
Buddha realms of all the ten directions; without exception,
means emanates a radiant light that pervades and shines on
everything. For the disciple, the mudrā invitation manifests
radiant light rays from the realms of the ten directions and
actual manifestation.
The hidden meaning is as follows. The example of the three
precious jewels means the seminal fluids of the man,
woman and wind energy. Those three unify together, like the
mudrā of the three fingers, all these three are bound at root
chakra heart centre. At the navel essence drop inside the
central channel, from the inner heat tummo of the primordial
awareness body, radiant rays of light stream out and pervade all
directions. Through the power/force of holding this dissolution,
the recollection stage is generated.

Tenth Verse

Joyful Laughter ‘Tuttāre’

Praise to Tāra! Whose joyful and shining
crown ornament radiates a garland of light,
conquering the demons and all worldly gods,
with mocking, extremely joyful laughter 'Tuttāre'
The one with utterly joyful form for wanderers, whose brilliantly
sparkling and beautiful jewel crown ornament is a garland of
brilliant light that expands and radiates outwards. The words
mocking and extremely joyful laughter mean with the mantra
sound of OM TUTTĀRE, she forcefully overcomes all the
demons, worldly gods and beings. With her power she brings
under control all the worldly realms and establishes them in
liberation and omniscience.
The hidden meaning is as follows: brilliantly shining, radiant
light of innately spontaneous absolute joy, adorns the crown of
her head. It is the innate joy that descends from the top of the
head. The sound of laughter and utterly joyful laughter is the
fire of the inner heat tummo. TUTTĀRE means the burning
longing of the inner heat fire. The demons of lust, concepts and
the three worldly body, speech and mind are blessed and
empowered by the great bliss of primordial awareness. This is
the stage of recollection

Eleventh Verse:

Summoner of Beings ‘Hūṃ’

Praise to Tāra! Able to summon
all local earth protectors and their retinue;
frowning and shaking with the letter 'Hūṃ',
liberating all impoverished from misfortune.
The goddess with her mantra, is the one who has the power to
summon and bring under her control the retinue of the kings
of the local earth protectors, the earth goddesses, the nāgas
who live underground, the demi-gods and vidyadharas and
dākinīs, this whole assembly. Frowning and shaking means the
frowning goddess with the energy force of the letter HŪṂ. She
who liberates and pacifies, without exception, the suffering of
poverty and destitution of all impoverished sentient beings; she
expands and increases the siddhis of great treasures and
auspicious and abundant resources.
The hidden meaning is as follows: The earth protectors and
rulers of the underground, means the atomic, essential energy
that is ’summoned’ by stabilising the essential luminous energy
from the crown until the jewel tip. The terms frowning and
shaking HŪṂ means the frowning and shaking essential energy
of the moon that is stabilised at the essential drop at the point
between the eyebrows until the crown of the head. Liberating
all impoverished means the samādhi such as the ‘Sky-Treasury’
and so on.
This is the stage of samādhi that is characterised by halting
the upwards and downwards flow of the white and red
elements.

Twelfth Verse

Eternally Radiating Light

Praise to Tāra! Crowned with sliver of moon,
all adornments blazing brightly.
Amitabha [infinite light] at matted topknot
eternally radiating bright, shining light.
Sliver of moon means an ornament that is part moon. Also, all
the other ornaments are blazing with radiant light. She is the
one who vanquishes the arrogant conceit of one billion great
lords of the nāgas55. Who sometimes manifests in the form of
an ascetic hermit, with matted dreadlocked topknot, in the
centre of which resides Tathāgata, Amitabha [Infinite Light]..
The one who eternally, without interruption, radiates intense,
bright light; this illuminating light making all luminously clear.
The hidden meaning is about that which is radiated above.
The crowned with sliver of moon is the stabilised [white]
bodhicitta at the top of the head. The matted topknot is the
stabilised ‘shadow’ at the top of the head. Amitabha means the
‘red’ essential element. From these two, continually radiates
intense bright light, means the white and red elements
transform into the infinite chakra wheel of the empty-form
mahamudrā mandala.

Thirteenth Verse:

Aeon-Ending Fire

Praise to Tāra! Residing in the centre of a halo
blazing like an aeon-ending fire,
right leg extended, left drawn in,
fully circulating with joy, defeating hordes of enemies.
The term aeon-ending fire means residing in the centre of a
massive garland of fire which incinerates a universe. Within
that is completely immaculate joy that is unperturbable. With
right leg extended, left drawn in, circulating with wrathful poses
and movements, these manifold displays are joyful. Enemies
means the hordes of human and non-human harm-doers are
totally defeated.
The hidden meaning is as follows: the fire of the primordial
awareness, inner heat tummo is like an aeon-ending fire; the
cause of the pervasive origin of appearance and the body. Right
leg extended and left drawn in, fully circulating with joy means
the right and left channel and the upward and downward
movement of the ‘life-force’ and ‘downward cleansing winds’
is fully circulating within them. The dissolution of the five
elemental sources in each of the individual main energy
chakras is the source of the manifestation of the manifold
display. With joy means the wind energies transform into the
bliss of the essential drops; defeating hordes of enemies means
abandoning the ‘demons’ of afflictive mind-states.

Fourteenth Verse:

Wrathful, frowning Hūṃ

Praise to Tāra! Who on the ground’s surface
Beats with palms and stamps with feet,
wrathfully grimacing with Hūṃ,
destroying all seven worlds into dust.
She smashes down with her palms and stamps with her feet, on
the surface of the vast ground surface of the realm of Mount
Meru. Her expression is wrathfully grimacing through the force
of her fury. With the fearsome sound of HŪṂ, the seven
underground abodes of nāga serpents, demi-gods, raksha
spirits, hungry ghosts and poisonous ones, are destroyed60 and
all shattered into pieces. The words, seven underground worlds,
means below the great ground base are the seven innermost
levels of a huge abode of non-humans. Some say that the peak
of Mount Meru holds them in a crevice there below the surface,
but this is not well-evident. One should know them as the
ground, the ground above, without ground, the ground itself,
the ground container, the excellent ground and the pure
ground. These are the underground levels of the enormous,
worldly cosmos.
The hidden meaning is: the ground surface is the navel
chakra. The fire of the primordial awareness tummo is the
stamping feet of the definitive goddess, and the hands smashing
down are its tongues of fire. Moreover, the meaning of the
seven underground worlds is at the lower end of the central
channel, like an emanation of the ‘fire of Bhrama’, is a coil
wound round seven times. It abides there blazing intensely.
When the bodhicitta comes down to the blazing tummo heat, it
completely pacifies the burning longing of the fire.; conquering
and destroying these seven roots.

Fifteenth Verse:

Blissful, virtuous and peaceful

Praise to Tāra! Blissful, virtuous, and peaceful,
Whose field of activity is ‘gone beyond suffering’.
Perfectly endowed with OM and SVAHA
Completely obliterating horrendous acts.
This verse means the Bhagavati is eternally blissful , virtuous and
peaceful; the supreme peace of ‘nirvana’; ‘gone beyond
suffering’. The one whose meditative equipoise on the expanse
of the truth of cessation, embodies the field of activity of peace.
Therefore, she is the one who brings bliss to wanderers in this
life and generates virtue in them for the sake of the next life.
She is the one who shows the path of peace to the fortunate
ones. The one who establishes them in the field of activity of
the sacred peace of the result of the non-abiding nirvana. Also,
she is the goddess who chants the knowledge mantra, whose
perfect recitation SVAHA and OM, completely obliterates
horrendous acts and the vast suffering that is their result.
Repelling those before with TRAT and slaughtering after with
PHAT, transforms other activities.
The definitive, ultimate meaning is as follows: blissful means
the primordial awareness of individual sense withdrawal,
virtuous means mirror primordial awareness, peaceful means
equality primordial awareness. The peace of having gone
beyond means the expanse primordial awareness. The
completely obliterating horrendous acts is the primordial
awareness that accomplishes actions. The invincible sound of
the knowledge mantra of OM and SVAHA exemplifies the
dawning of infinity. Conqueror of negative actions and so on,
means accomplishing the result for the benefit of sentient
beings.

Sixteenth Verse:

Ten Syllables Destroying Enemies
Praise to Tāra! Who completely immersed in joy
totally destroys the bodies of enemies.
The saviouress arisen from the rigpa HŪṂ
from the array of sounds of the ten-syllable mantra.
Completely immersed in joy, means the one with the mind of
total joy of the meditative equipoise of a bodhisattva and
accomplished vidhyadhara. The one who shatters into pieces
and totally destroys the bodies of enemies who harm and do
negative actions, such as the lords of those with power over
other emanations and horrific evil-doers. The ten syllable
mantra means: You, the goddess who arises from the arrayed
mantra; rigpa means the embodiment of the blazing brilliant
light lamp that arises from the rigpa mantra, letter HŪṂ.
Therefore, it is taught that the ten-syllable mantra that
approaches the HŪṂ seed syllable is that of wrathful Tāra.
The ultimate meaning is as follows: the brilliant light of the
mahāmudrā empty-form is the unchanging bliss of being
completely immersed in joy. Bodies of enemies means defeating
those forms whose appearances are impure. This is the stage of
meditative stability. The ten-syllables means the ten signs of
attainment that come from halting parts of the ten chakras in
the left and right [channels].

Seventeenth Verse:

Stamping Feet TURE

Praise to Tāra! TURE, whose stamping feet
And seed syllable HŪṂ
Cause Mount Meru, Mandara, Kailash
And the three worlds to shake.
TURE means ‘the swift one’. She is the goddess whose activity is
swift for the benefit of others. Wrathfully stamping her two
feet, causes Mount Meru, Mandara and Kailash to shake. These
mountains are the abode of the powerful ones, such as
Mahesvara and others. Tāra causes those, and the three
worlds, (underground, on the ground and above the ground),
to shake.
In most Tibetan texts, ‘bigje’ means Mount Meru. In this
text, if one looks at the Sanskrit, it appears as Kailasha68
Therefore, saying ‘snow mountain’ is compatible with that, even
though there are various examples. Since is it difficult to
definitely identify it as one, it is not contradictory to see them as
like both.
The aspect of HŪṂ means HŪṂ KARA. The second meaning
of the three worlds, is that the seven syllables make these three
main ones shake and tremble. If one asks what is the object of
‘causing the three worlds to shake and tremble’? Generally,
even though the three worlds are shaken, as the abodes of the
extremely powerful gods, in particular, are unmoving yet still
part of existence, it means the noble lady has even greater
power to move them.
The hidden meaning is: Mount Meru means the ‘Brahma
lineage’ (central channel). The other two mountains means
the heart nadi channel and the lower part of the central
channel. Shakes means completely filling up with bodhicitta.
The three worlds means dividing those three roots (the heart,
navel and central channel) into three, that makes six. The HŪṂ
is the mind vajra in the avadhūti (central channel); all the nadi
roots dissolve into that seed syllable there.
Eighteenth Verse:
HARA and PHET Poison-Eliminator
Praise to Tāra! Who holds in her hand
the’ hare-shaped’ moon, like a divine lake.
Cleansing all poisons without exception
With twice-said HARA and then PHAT.
Divine lake, means the ‘Lake Mānsarova’, or resembling a pool
that has the aspect of being relaxed and gently-flowing. She is
the one who has the knowledge mantra HARA, spoken twice.
Finally, with the mantra support of PHAT, she eliminates,
without exception, the poisons of the animate and inanimate.
To illustrate that, one meditates that her form eclipses the
moon. By recitation of the distinctive mantra, she eliminates
and cures the poisons of snakes and so on. As for the mantra
HARA, that is said twice: Om nama tare mo hare hūṃ hare sva
ha. And then at the end, sarva bidza zharinya du ru phat is
labelled the mantra from the wrathful Tāra that eliminates
poison. That is the meaning of the final sentence.
The definitive meaning is as follows. Divine means the
body’s elements. The lake is the spontaneously present bliss,
the stabilised kunda. The primordial awareness of emptiness
which is inseparable from that, is like the moon, stainless. Over
what does she have mastery? That is the meaning of what she
holds in her hand, mastery of the inseparable bliss-emptiness.
HARA means ‘to rob’ [or take away]; by reciting it twice, she
robs our faults and negativities of the two obscurations.
Conquering and destroying the poison of an impure body.

Eighteenth Verse:

HARA and PHET Poison-Eliminator
Praise to Tāra! Who holds in her hand
the’ hare-shaped’ moon, like a divine lake.
Cleansing all poisons without exception
With twice-said HARA and then PHAT.
Divine lake, means the ‘Lake Mānsarova’, or resembling a pool
that has the aspect of being relaxed and gently-flowing. She is
the one who has the knowledge mantra HARA, spoken twice.
Finally, with the mantra support of PHAT, she eliminates,
without exception, the poisons of the animate and inanimate.
To illustrate that, one meditates that her form eclipses the
moon. By recitation of the distinctive mantra, she eliminates
and cures the poisons of snakes and so on. As for the mantra
HARA, that is said twice: Om nama tare mo hare hūṃ hare sva
ha. And then at the end, sarva bidza zharinya du ru phat is
labelled the mantra from the wrathful Tāra that eliminates
poison. That is the meaning of the final sentence.
The definitive meaning is as follows. Divine means the
body’s elements. The lake is the spontaneously present bliss,
the stabilised kunda. The primordial awareness of emptiness
which is inseparable from that, is like the moon, stainless. Over
what does she have mastery? That is the meaning of what she
holds in her hand, mastery of the inseparable bliss-emptiness.
HARA means ‘to rob’ [or take away]; by reciting it twice, she
robs our faults and negativities of the two obscurations.
Conquering and destroying the poison of an impure body.

Nineteenth Verse:

Disputes and Nightmares Eliminator

Praise to Tāra! Whom the assemblies of divine-Kings
Gods and Kiṃnaras rely upon.
Who eliminates disputes and nightmares
With a vast armour of joy and splendour.
This verse, the assemblies of divine kings means the six classes
of gods of the desire realm. Likewise, kings means the wheel-
turning masters of this world (cakravartins) and so on. In
particular, the mountain gods, forest gods and goddesses of the
oceans and so on, these are divine. The powerful Kiṃnaras and
so on, bow respectfully at your lotus-feet. Oh goddess, praise
Tāra, the blessing of your mantra speech, the vast armour the
cause of bliss and joy, accomplishes by embracing all.
Eliminating all bad dreams, external disputes and discord with
her majestic body, speech and mind. Here, armour means
protection.
The definitive meaning is as follows: Divine means Bhagha
the primordial-awareness ‘body’ (jñānakaya) arises from the
body. Assembly describes the primordial-awareness ‘body’,
endowed with the completely pure ten aggregates and
elements. Since that itself is the Master of the Vidhyadharas,
she is worthy of praise of the three worlds. The gods and
kiṃnaras rely upon her means that with the majestic glory of
the binding of the unchanging assembly, she conquers the
‘disputes’, which means separated from attachment and the
ordinary appearances of bad dreams.

Twentieth Verse:

TĀRA TUTTĀRE Disease eliminator

Praise to Tāra! Whose two eyes shine fully
with the brilliant light of sun and moon.
Whose twice-spoken TĀRA and TUTTĀRE
Clearing away the most powerful diseases.
Her two eyes are like the brilliant light of the sun and moon,
that see clearly like an outer blazing light, that sees fully the
aspects of all wanderers. Establishing all suffering wanderers of
the lower realms into bliss. Whose twice-spoken TĀRA and
TUTTĀRE cures extremely powerful diseases and plagues,
without exception. Whose ten-syllable mantra pacifies disease,
severes contagious epidemics and protects from infection.
The main meaning is this. Reciting the ten syllables, she
pacifies, without exception, the afflictions, such as intense.
powerful diseases. As for whose two eyes are the brilliant light
of the sun and moon: the right eye scares away all troubles and
distress, like the sun’s brilliant light incinerates suffering and
negativities. The left eye’s light bestows bliss, resources and
long life; like the light of the moon’s joyful nectar. Twice-recited
HĀRA means, as was said before, within the twice TARE and
TUTTARE identified as that of the ten-syllable mantra. Thus, the
mantra, oṃ tāre tuttāre ture svaha is widely renowned. It is the
mantra of the approach, accomplishment and activities of
peaceful Tāra.
The hidden meaning is as follows: the sun and moon means
blood and semen. Her eyes, which are full of that, means those
two substances of the upper and lower central channel. Since
the primordial awareness comes out of [practising with] those, it
says the brilliant light clears away. Twice-recited HĀRA means
liberates, thus the union bliss-emptiness liberates from the
extremes of peace and existence. TUTTĀRE means the tortuous
longing of ascetic discipline. The ascetic discipline of the sun
energy pulling down and drawing out the moon energy at the
crown protuberance. This unchanging discipline that moves the
essential drops is the clears away the most powerful diseases.

Twenty-first Verse

Brilliant, Vast Light.

Praise to Tāra! Truly possessing the power to pacify
With the arrayed three natural states.
Destroyer of hosts of evil spirits, yaskhas and zombies,
TURE, completely supreme one.
There are four meanings, the word meaning, the general
meaning, the hidden meaning and the ultimate meaning. First,
the three natural states are ‘emptiness’, ‘devoid of
characteristics’ and ‘free of intention’. By establishing the
disciples in the authentic mind itself, like that, all harms are
conquered via these three doors of liberation. This is done by
means of the completely supreme TURE mantra. Also, TURE
means swift one. ‘O supreme goddess, destroyer of evil spirits’;
if we translate the meaning of this it means, the completely
supreme one who swiftly destroys.
Second, the general meaning is as follows. Within the
mental focus that generates the form of Tāra the Liberator, one
arranges the three syllables in the three places (means the array
of the three natural states). Pacify means who supremely
protects against obstacles and whose oral instructions also
protect against harm from the evil spirits and so on.
Third, the hidden meaning is as follows: the three natural
states illuminate and expand to full attainment. The array of
those states gradually arises and all the four moments comes
closer to the luminous clarity-emptiness. Evil spirits means the
channels, zombies means essential drops, yakshas means
conceptual consciousnesses. These all become destroyed in the
expanse of the luminous-clarity. Completely supreme one
means the form of the deity swiftly arises. That kind of
awareness, from the luminous clarity of the brilliant light lamp,
completely reveals and completely realises the union and
reveals the two extremes.
Finally, in terms of the definitions of these words, in our
tradition of the Guhyasamaja teachings of Nāgārjuna they also
state that for the explanation of the ultimate meaning, one
should understand the hidden meaning. Fourth, the ultimate
meaning. The three natural states are the vajra body, speech
and mind. They are the primordial array of the nature of all
phenomena. Since the primordial nature is completely pure, by
meditating on the path, it truly possesses the power to attain
peace. By the meditative equipoise on the ultimate expanse
inseparable from the three vajras, the suffering of the harms of
evil spirits and so on, the work of yakshas and demons, those
afflictions are swiftly destroyed. Completely supreme means
completely one with the primordial awareness of the
spontaneously present great bliss.

Kalachakra---Buddha-Families---Elements

December 26, 2023, 1:37 am

Source - Innate Kālacakra: Instructions and Recitations
https://dakinitranslations.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/26d9c-innate-kalacakra-threetexts.pdf

Written by Jetsun Taranatha

The six syllables - Buddha families and elements

Then, think that at both their foreheads, is a white oṃ, representing that oneself is
the water element, all those belonging to the family of Amitābha (snang ba mtha'
yas; ‘Infinite Light’)28 and the vajra body.

At the throat, is a red āḥ, representing that oneself is the completely pure fire
element, all those belonging to the family of Ratnasambhava (rin chen 'byung
gnas, rin chen 'byung ldan; 'Source of Preciousness')29 and the vajra speech.

At the heart, is a blue-black hūṃ, representing oneself as the completely pure
wind element, all those belonging to the family Amoghasiddhi (don yod grub pa;
'Accomplishing The Meaningful')30 and the vajra mind.

At the navel, is a yellow hoḥ, representing oneself as the completely pure earth
element, all those belonging to the family of Vairocana (rnam par snang mdzad, ‘Fully
Manifested’)31, and the vajra primordial awareness.

At the secret place, is a blue svā, representing oneself as the completely pure
primordial awareness element, and all those belonging to the family Vajrasattva (rdo
rje sems pa, Vajra Hero).

At the crown, is a green hā, representing oneself as the completely pure space
element, all those belonging to the family Akshobya (mi bskyod pa; 'The
Unshakeable').

Those six syllables, arranged at the six abodes, did not become that way by
blessings of the six Buddha families. They are a way to understand that the six
Buddha families are included and subsumed within oneself as the glorious Kālacakra
and consort, thus one meditates like that.

Finger Symbolism

Symbolising the five primordial awarenesses23, and the five pure qualities of the
moon, are the fingers of five colours: thumb is yellow, forefinger is white, middle
finger is red, ring finger is black and little finger is green.

Representing being endowed with the three pure qualities of the sun24 and the
three vajras of body, speech and mind, are the triple rows of the joints of the fingers.
The first row of joints is black; the second is red; the third is white. These are the
three colours of the rows of finger joints.

Elements-and-Directions---Astrology-and-Gunas---Personal-thoughts

December 26, 2023, 10:43 am

Symbolism is cool, you can convey things in numerous ways.

I enjoy tossing around a bunch of symbols in different ways sometimes.  It's a creative wellspring.  So, it's hard to get too attached to anything, but this is a system that I put together over time and am pretty fond of..  It's fairly rational, in my mind anyways.

It's ok to use this, but I would request not to ask for money.  That's my spiritual side.  I don't mean any ill will and it's meant to meditate on in a healthy way.  I didn't ask for money, so..  Cheers.

Some aspects of tantra ask not to share with others or use it without a guru.  There are no prohibitions with elements and astrology..

Simply, if ya don't like it, don't use it.  :)  Breathe and stretch, it's ok..  Just thoughts after reading a bunch of stuff and tossing around ideas for years.  I do have training in Anthropology, I suppose..  I meditate pretty much unceasingly too, so there's that.  Anyways..  People's personal preferences are their preferences, no harm, no foul.  Some things seem more rational than others though, to me anyways..  :)

Cheers, peace and good will.  

Air - NW, W, SW
head - sagittarius - tamas - passive
throat - scorpio - sattva - balanced
arms - libra - rajas - active

Fire - SW, S, SE
chest - virgo - tamas - passive
heart - leo - sattva - balanced
stomach - cancer - rajas - active

Earth - SE, E, NE
bowels - gemini - tamas - passive
hips - taurus - sattva - balanced
thighs - aries - rajas - active

Water - NE, N, NW
knees - Pisces - tamas - passive
heels - Aquarius - sattva - balanced
feet - Capricorn - rajas - active

December 27, 2023, 12:52 am

If ya want some other interesting insights, turn the sri yantra a quarter turn and look at it with these correspondences too, it's interesting. It's not the way other folks look at the sri yantra, but it's interesting. :) Cheers.

December 29, 2023, 12:39 am

I guess technically, nw would be water and air, sw would be air and fire, se would be fire and earth, ne would be earth and water - ok - that's perfect really. Cheers.

December 29, 2023, 1:18 am

Tara as liberator, protector from the fear of enemies, and mother of space too. I like Tara. Cheers.

January 3, 2024, 11:06 pm

A few quick thoughts on what I'd originally think of as a pure land, a place without suffering. As per the 4 noble truths and the path out, it'd be a place where there is no suffering. Always there, a pervasive transcendent ideal. The rest are people who are focused on whatever they're focused on. I find trance states interesting. People do what they want. I like to chill out and stretch. Less drama, more zen.

February 3, 2024, 9:02 am

Buddha wise - I'd have: West - Amitabha - infinite light - represents cognition; SW - Mamaki - mine maker - makes everything herself - represents pure fire; S - Ratnasambhava - jewel born - represents feeling; SE - Locana - buddha eye - represents pure earth; E - Vairocana - illuminator - represents form, NE - Tara - star - represents pure water, N - Amoghasiddhi - unfailing buddha - represents volition; NW - Pandara - whitish yellow - represents pure air; All around - Aksobhya - the immovable - represents consciousness; All around consort - Dharmadhatvishvari - represents pure space - name.. taken apart - maybe dharma dhatu vishvari - like teachings community protector

November 10, 2023, 3:23 pm

Quick note on Aries - god of war - and the thighs. For me, that idea is somewhat like.. chivalry and such. In yoga, they have the nadis and sometimes they show them crossing at certain points. The vajrayana systems show them going straight up - not crossing. In yoga, getting the breath through the central channel instead of the left and right one is the goal. So, in a sense, kinda like empty phenomena and BS. So, anyways.. don't be an a hole to others. Cheers.

November 10, 2023, 4:45 pm

One more quick note. What happens if you are an a hole to others? Someone's not gonna be happy. That could range from the merest trifle to the most despicable and egregious offenses. Trench warfare ain't so pretty. ;p Anyways, be good to folks, including yourself. Cheers.

March 25, 2024, 12:26 pm

For the lady buddhas, they're often linked to the opposite of what it shows here, but the directions are often used in these regards. For example, Tara is often linked with air - which would be the direct opposite of where I have it here, Pandara - with fire - again, the opposite, Mamaki with water - the opposite, Locana - usually does represent earth, so I guess that one's standard. Just an interesting thing. Dharmadhatvishvari is space - so that's the same. Just something I should probably write, because personally, I do care what the Buddhist masters say. :) As in, they are formally versed and trained in their particular traditions. I am fond of logic too, Buddhism has it's own logic as well. Anyways, just an interesting thing. :) Bedtime..

March 25, 2024, 12:32 pm

The manthana bhairava tantra does have Tara at the thighs though, but also lists her as a male, which in the Buddhist tradition, she takes a vow to always be reborn as female. Just an interesting side note. I'm fond of the Buddhist tradition, but still interesting to me.

Matangi---MIA-Music-Video

January 3, 2024, 9:21 am

January 6, 2024, 9:38 am

I'd read a little about MIA in the news but not extensively. Reading a bit a sec ago about the Tamil Tigers though can be eye opening. I guess they bombed a Buddhist holy site and bought from North Korea, had suicide bombers and kid soldiers among other stuff according to Wikipedia. I dunno, interesting though. I'd wish all well with meditations, but it's good to keep eyes open and be careful. Not everyone would wish me well, despite my good will.. Travelling abroad is interesting, 6 degrees of separation from anyone on the planet they say. Still, I'd wish folks well..

January 6, 2024, 9:40 am

Sometimes I might wish them well from a distance though. :) Protect your communications if they're done electronically. Just stuff to use your head about. Fight on.. or not.. I'll be chillin, stretching and meditating somewhere if possible - somewhere tranquil. If not, I'll move if possible. It's not always.. Anyways.. :p

January 6, 2024, 11:37 am

Still a cool song and video though. :)

Just-a-kid-growing-up

January 5, 2024, 7:57 pm

Shaolin-Staff-Fighting---European-Division

January 5, 2024, 8:01 pm

Because it's cool.

You can do online courses with the Shaolin in Europe.  Found it from a Facebook ad a while back.  They 
have a few free courses.

https://www.shaolintemple.eu/index.php?page=english

Seti-Song

January 9, 2024, 6:24 am

December 15, 2024, 9:45 pm

Ancient Astronaut theories are fun and can bring people into learning about Archaeology. Looking at the stars and knowing that many are even galaxies and considering the sheer immensity of the universe, I'd take an educated guess that there is life out there. Occam's Razor though maybe.. No offense to the alien theorists. :)

December 15, 2024, 9:46 pm

I like what Rhett and Link are getting at though. :)

The-Celtic-Otherworld

March 31, 2024, 10:12 pm

From my younger years, King Arthur and the Celtic Otherworld..  The salmon of knowledge.  They're beautiful stories, truly.

This is from Wikipedia.  A magical and mythical land.  Youth, beauty, health, those are in line with things I'd think of as a pure land I suppose.  There are many beautiful tales from around the world, but these have a special place for me.  Meditatively too, just nice stories and poems.

My wiccan influences as a youth generally extended to these things more than the darker side of things, but I had some friends who were into that stuff too, so I got to read a little.  Not really my cup of tea though, I generally preferred fantasy stuff, sci fi.  Things that were definitely fiction.  

Stories of youth, health, courtly affairs and love, etc..  knights and wizards and such, anyways..  :)

I have read a little on a variety of mysticism and magical traditions from all over the world - elemental - angels and demons and such - mythology from all over.  It's interesting.  While I do find ancient languages interesting too, I generally was limited somewhat in traditional stories that were English translations.

The otherworld though, those were some otherworldly tales..  :)  A spiritual thing too somewhat. World heritage.

Anyways, the otherworld is a creative and beautiful place people should read.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Otherworld

In Celtic mythology, the Otherworld is the realm of the deities and possibly also the dead. In Gaelic and Brittonic myth it is usually a supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy.[1] It is described either as a parallel world that exists alongside our own, or as a heavenly land beyond the sea or under the earth.[1] The Otherworld is usually elusive, but various mythical heroes visit it either through chance or after being invited by one of its residents. They often reach it by entering ancient burial mounds or caves, or by going under water or across the western sea.[1] Sometimes, they suddenly find themselves in the Otherworld with the appearance of a magic mist, supernatural beings or unusual animals.[2][3] An otherworldly woman may invite the hero into the Otherworld by offering an apple or a silver apple branch, or a ball of thread to follow as it unwinds.[3][4]

The Otherworld is usually called Annwn in Welsh mythology and Avalon in Arthurian legend. In Irish mythology it has several names, including Tír na nÓg, Mag Mell (or Magh Meall = Plain of Honey) and Emain Ablach. Ynis Avalach is the original of Avalon. Emain Ablach is also Inis Abhlach (Place of Apples, Isle of Apples in Old Irish) In Irish myth there is also Tech Duinn, where the souls of the dead gather. Stories also mention the Land under waves (can be sea or grass) and the Land of the Big Women.

December 15, 2024, 12:49 am

The Egyptian Book of the Dead has the sun god in his moon boat visiting different otherworldly locations, the iliad and odyssey, etc.. Meeting youtube hypnotizing witches and warlocks and such.. The lady of the lake.. Meditative advice like, the more still the water becomes, the more clear you can see reflected the truth. ;) Peace and love. Cheers.

December 15, 2024, 12:55 am

The ways in which ancient people transformed their environment, like gaining mastery of the elements themselves, creating beautiful gardens out of the desert and terraces on mountainsides, beautiful heavenly meditative dwelling places or abodes. Halls of birds surrounded by jungles teeming with life. The most clear streams of water from glacial sources. Ancient forests, mushrooms that form a giant sentient network spanning miles. The natural world is amazing and beautiful.

December 15, 2024, 2:04 am

What's smaller than the smallest thing, what's bigger than the biggest thing. I dunno, but an interesting one to meditate on. Like stories of little people. :)

December 15, 2024, 2:19 am

When things are more still, it's almost like time stops for a bit eh? Kala means time. How would you represent complete stillness. Fun one to think about. :)

Walking-Meditation

October 23, 2024, 9:26 am

One day when I was working on my lower back and walking around looking down meditating this song came 
on.

Try it.  ;)

He's been in a few of the epic rap battles of history videos.  Rhett and Link have been too.  Fun 
videos.

Mindful-Solutionism---Aesop-Rock

November 5, 2024, 6:58 am

Aggressive-Steven---Aesop-Rock

November 5, 2024, 8:34 am

Aesop Rock is brilliant and amazingly prolific.  I really enjoy his stuff.  First time I'd heard this 
this morning.  Midway through it starts getting pretty wild.  Kinda funny though.  :)

November 7, 2024, 1:05 am

Anything can be anything in the mind. Something fun to think about when looking at stuff like psychic powers and whatnot. People project a bunch of stuff on others in general. We're surrounded by hypnotic suggestion and whatnot all the time. Anything can be anything in the mind, like basic association. Is it reasonable or rational in some way? The mind isn't always. That's ok too except logical arguments are superb when possible and the scientific method is pretty tops.. until somebody comes up with a better theory to knock it down anyways. A scientific method joke.. The idea that we generally have of the self is fairly limiting. Yoga and Buddhism is pretty good at emphasizing that. Sometimes it's more forceful. Not to be too harsh is a Buddhist thing. Like some mella fellas. :)

November 7, 2024, 1:08 am

If ya have negative type thoughts, remember that anything can be anything in the mind and turn the bullets into flowers. Some peacenik thoughts, but also siddhis and stories in Buddhism..

November 28, 2024, 9:54 pm

If someone's idiotic suggestion got you thinking that anything can't be anything in the mind try it.. Why ya lookin' like a snaggle naggle baggle fraggle? ;p Real talk. ;p

Framing-Theory

November 5, 2024, 2:17 pm

In college, I had a professor who was partial to Framing Theory.

There is a lot of good information in Wikipedia these days.  Cognitive Psychology theories of how 
the mind work are interesting, tricks for memory and things.  Social Psychology is excellent for 
ideas that are really pressing social concerns right now, like the theories on aggression and 
violence, racism, etc..  the dynamics of how we as individuals respond to societal pressures. 

Just a few scientific studies that are pretty relevant I think in today's climate.  I enjoy cultural 
anthropology and ethnic studies, like Indiana Jones when I'm wearing my Anthropology hat.

I'm really trying to keep this site solely about Buddhism and Yoga though.

November 15, 2024, 12:08 am

Wikipedia can be edited and all, for Buddhism, personally, I'd look for the suttas and sutras. A way to get a little background info, but it's not canon or anything.. neither is AI.. Cheers.

Moody-Blues-Album

November 6, 2024, 6:38 pm

Go-Chiefs

November 8, 2024, 7:06 am

I grew up around Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, over by what's now Martin Luther King Boulevard.

This is a song we grew up singing with dad on the guitar.   

We had some little medicine pouches we made at one point.  As a teen, I liked the stories of 
shamanism.  I had a friend who, when I asked him about his interest in shamanic and wiccan 
interests, he got me interested in Carlos Castaneda and the stories of Don Juan.  Follow a path with 
a heart.  Then I studied Anthropology in college, like Castaneda.

Anyways, I guess this is also a sacred peyote song.  Sometimes substances can be sacred to certain 
communities.

At 4:20 in the year of the caterpillar, I heard..  something interesting, something new, something 
different, something cool, something smooth, something calm and collected, something..  :)  Cheers.

Never get too caught up in your own BS - Belief System - Robert Anton Wilson

November 10, 2024, 2:29 pm

I know some of my grammar and typing is off, there are several reasons that I like that, but one maybe is a subtle middle finger at the petty tyrants out there. :p Castaneda style.

November 11, 2024, 8:22 pm

If somebody gives ya trouble about smoking weed, say, you're a racist bitch and should be arrested. When they proceed to laugh, say, you better google that shit and walk away. Thou shalt not smoke bud or peyote or whatever isn't in any religious text anywhere. Those guys are probably more spiritual than you, let it go.

November 11, 2024, 8:29 pm

as in, prejudice is technically a crime - in the USA anyways - google it. Cheers.

November 11, 2024, 8:31 pm

and making bud illegal in the 1930s America was a racist act - it's a historical fact.

December 15, 2024, 10:52 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXXbfIK5kDs

Peace-Pipe

November 8, 2024, 7:49 am

Real-Genius

November 9, 2024, 6:44 pm

I'm a Val Kilmer fan.

Great movie, lots of great scenes, like the tooth scene, but jiffy pop for the win.  :)

November 11, 2024, 9:21 am

Aesthetics are interesting, superficiality pretty much sums up the root poisons pretty well I think, greed, ignorance, anger - don't be too superficial for the win. :p

Mulholland-Drive

November 10, 2024, 8:41 pm

One day I put this on loop and just drove around for a while.  Yep, it was great.

Trance-Music

November 12, 2024, 10:29 am

I've been enjoying this Youtube channel lately.  I'm not sure how long some of these will live stream, 
but it's up for now.

They have a lot of tantra music too.

Fascination

November 22, 2024, 4:02 am

Cuz everything I do I'm fascinated with.  Another Aesop Rock song, so some stuff I've been looking 
at the past few days - the Sahajayana and the Charyapada.

The past few days I've been reading about Sahajayana and the Charyapada.

Saraha, I'd posted some other things about on the site, seems pretty cool.  Sahajayana were his 
people.

The Charyapada are some cryptic poems written by master yogis spontaneously composed during some 
lovingly ecstatic moments with a real or imagined consort.

Also some more references online at twilight language and dakini teachings - which points to both 
yoga and buddhist teachings.

Sundown is one of those magical times..  A great time to be outside, maybe go for a zen garden type 
stroll.  What a lovely flower.

Inner-Peace---Ani-Choying-Drolma

December 13, 2024, 9:45 pm

Beautiful music - Buddhist mantras.