KYAB-CHI DZONG-TRENG

PADMASAMBHAVA'S FORTRESS BARRICADE

INSTRUCTIONS

WHICH INTRODUCE

THE SIXFOLD SYSTEM OF THE MAHASIDDHAS

FOR UNDERSTANDING THE TANTRAS

The following document has been put together from notes which were originally taken down by myself,
the disreputable upasaka padma shugchang, during a teaching generously offered by my Lama, Khenchen
Palden Sherab Rinpoche, on Guru Padmasambhava's birthday at the midsummer retreat (1993) held in the
western part of New York State. Any mistakes you find here are my own. May these notes serve to help
clarify the teachings and crucial points of practice for members of the vajra sangha and for the rest of those
fortunate enough to view them, to at least deepen appreciation for the comprehensive beauty of the Tantras.
May All Beings Find Happiness and the causes of Happiness!

-Padma Shugchang

The Six Points are as Follows:

1. The view which establishes a clear idea or determination of what must be understood

2. Maintaining the view through samaya of meditation

3. Progressing through the development stage through conduct

4. Receiving initiations and guarding samaya

5. Actualizing through empowerments

6. Fulfilling the aspiration to benefit self and others by implementing the lineage
instructions

1. The view which establishes a clear idea or determination of
what must be understood

lta-ba: view, a clear understanding based in primordial wisdom, the pristine cognition of reality as-
it-is.

This has three aspects:

1. view of objects and phenomena (chö-chin lta-ba)
2. view of absolute reality or truth (chö-nyid lta-ba)
3. view of self-awareness in non-duality (rang-rig lta-ba)

1. view of objects and phenomena (chö-chin lta-ba)has two categories; pure and impure. We are
already well acquainted with the impure view. To recognize the five aggregates and elements as
non-separate from the male and female buddhas is the purified form of the relative truth,

symbolized by the Deity of Initial Attraction. This marks the beginning of the developing stage
practices and the path of accumulation. As your channels become more refined on the path of
application, this becomes the Deity Buddha of the Winds. On the path of seeing, the yidam deity
is the Buddha of the Clear Light. On the path of meditation, s/he is the Buddha of Great
Equanimity. Ultimately, practicing in this way will transform the three gates into the kayas of
indestructible reality.

2. view of absolute reality or truth (chö-nyid lta-ba) presents the unborn, unoriginated,
beginningless and endless sunyata as the transcendent cosmic matrix, the absolute beyond time and
change, birth and death, bondage and liberation, the primordial ground. See Nagarjuna's refutation
of logical systems (which posit the inherent existence of separate objects) implying that phenomena
have no discernible source or destination (reality).

3. view of self-awareness in non-duality (rang-rig lta-ba)the four-fold formula of the Heart Sutra
realizes the absolute view, the virtual fusion of phenomena (samsara) and emptiness (nirvana) as
the state of rig-paor true presence. That which is born is truly unborn. Having discovered the
unconditional source, the true mode of existence and real destiny of the mind, all emotions and
mind-forms are self- liberated as they arise through mere recognition of subject-object dualism in
light of interdependent origination, clearly understanding the machinery of appearances and
intuitively recognizing the Unborn and True Nature of Guru, self and Reality. This is the essence of
Dzogchen. To pursue this inquiry to its empowering and enlightening end is called 'firmly
establishing oneself in the view.

2. Maintaining the view through samaya of meditation

To tame the wild elephant of the mind and to establish equanimity is the end of meditation. In the
course of practice we make use of such techniques as the recitation of mantra, performance of
mudra and visualization. Holding to one thought and peacefully abiding in that state is gzhi-neor
shamatha. Beyond tranquility is vippassana or lhag-thongwhich means supreme or superior seeing.
Wisdom awareness observing the egolessness, emptiness and impermanence of all phenomena. All
sound is heard as mantra, awareness of thoughts is the primordial dharmakaya, and appearances are
the mandala of deities. This all relates to the creation or developing stage practices.

Completion stage practices (rdzogs-rim) have two parts;

1. meditation with an object
2. meditation without an object

#1. Meditation

WITH

an object involves gaining a clear comprehension of

•

channels

•

winds

•

drops

CHANNELS

: tsa, There are 1072 principal channels which merge into three principle meridians;
1. roma on the right, visualized as white
2. kyang-ma on the left, visualized as red
3. uma in the center, visualized as blue ( 1 and 2 are reversed in women)

The meridians run vertically through the body from the muladhara to the crown with braided

junctures at each of the chakras.

Spokes indicate the number of channels which connect directly to a chakra.

The Tibetan Five-Wheeled Model of the Chakras

CHAKRA

COLOR

SYLLABLE

QUALITY

SPOKES

ORIENTATION

crown

white

Great Blissfulness

down

speech

red

High Enjoyment

heart

blue

HUM

Dharma

down

navel

yellow

Emanation

secret

green

Blissfulness

down

WINDS

: rlung, There are five principle winds and five branch winds.

The Five Principle Winds

wind

color

buddha family element

seat

function

life-supporting

white

Akshobhya

water

heart

life force

downward-voiding

yellow

Ratnasambhava

earth

anus and genitals

retention and release

upward moving

red

Amitabha

fire

throat

speech

equally-abiding

green

Amoghasiddhi

wind

navel

heat, digestion

pervading

blue

Vairochana

space

joints and cavities

enabling

The Five Branch Winds

all radiate out from the life-supporting wind

in the heart chakra and flow toward a sense door

wind

color

empowers

moving

red

visual consciousness

intensely-moving

blue

auditory consciousness

perfectly-moving yellow olfactory consciousness

strongly-moving white gustatory consciousness

definitely-moving green

tactile consciousness

An average human takes about 21,600 breaths daily.

Every 200 breaths, a wisdom air is released into the channels.

This comes to 72 times during average waking hours,

4.5 time per hour or every 13 minutes.

Meditative practices such as visualization, recitation of mantra and Dzogchen or Mahamudra
meditation help one to realize and stabilize these wisdom airs. This ye-shes rlung intensifies
everytime you meditate. The wind system controls the emotions; this is why we begin with breath
exercises before formal practice. Many other techniques relate to the wisdom-airs such as the big
and small vase practices as well as wind-walking.

DROPS

: Thig-le, bindu: the root elements inherited from oneâs parents pervade the body. These

are of two kinds; subtle (white) and gross (red). The practice of candali or tum-mo focuses on these
seminal points, drawing them down from the crown chakra as great blissfulness while the yogin
transcends the movement by abiding in the state of Mahamudra. All dualistic notions must be
transcended to engage these practices. These are called completion or perfection stage practices
accompanied by signs.

#2. Completion stage practices

WITHOUT

a focus

Meditating on the primordial nature state beyond categories or characteristics, pure from the
beginning and abiding in that condition. Recognition of mind as a momentary phenomena with each
moment arising as the continuity of the primordial condition, reflecting pristine purity, symbolized
by a radiant white AH in a blue sky. This multiplies into an infinite host of smaller white AHâs
which purify the entire universe and gradually dissolve until only the central AH remains. Finally, it
too vanishes in light.

3. Progressing through the development stage by means of
conduct

non-separate from

the view and meditation

, both of which are both based in bodhicitta

Maintaining the view of the three vajra states while upholding love and compassion. On higher
levels, this also means recognizing the mantra, mudras and mandalas of the deities as the true nature
of this very world and its various phenomena. The Guhyagarbha Tantra states that conduct is to be
practiced in three modes;

1. a novice should observe his conduct in the same way a new monk would during the first
few days of his ordination. This attitude must be maintained until the dawn of realization.
2. as realization dawns, one may begin to perform crazy-wisdom activities beyond conventional
hopes and fears,
all the while maintaining the bodhicitta attitude.
3. Eventually, king-like bodhisattva conduct follows from the original vow.
Shakyamuni taught his disciples to modify the Vinaya for the suitability of time and place.
Padmasambhava said, 'Ascend with conduct, descend with the view.'

4. Receiving initiations and guarding samaya.

There are samayas at all levels of the teaching. Basically, these are sacred promises to firmly apply
oneself to the practices so as to accomplish the understandings and realizations of the path.
Continuity of the view in practice is dependent upon maintaining samayas.
There are three divisions of samaya;

1. the general samayas have three aspects;

the outer

represented by the Tripitaka teachings. Monks who observe the vinaya follow 240

rules.
Nuns adhere to many more. Most of these insure ahimsa or harmlessness.

the inner

represented by the bodhicitta and bodhisattva vows.

Bodhisattvas take 18 root vows and 46 auxiliary vows. While acting in the spirit of gentleness,
bodhisattvas also generate merit by engaging in deeds to benefit sentient beings.

the secret

, represented by the tantric oaths which include all three levels of samaya.

The outer tantras feature 14 root vows with eight major branches.

The essence of the tantric samayas is to maintain an understanding of the purity of phenomena as
the mandala of deities. Vinaya harmlessness, blended with the Mahayana emphasis on love and
compassion yields pure perception, the heart-core of the Vajrayana and tantric samayas. This
unique approach utilizing all three vehicles in a single weave is the fruit of the way Buddhism came
to Tibet.

Five Particular Samayas of the Guhyagarbha

1. to never abandon the unsurpassable view

2. to have devotion to the guru

3. never to stop practicing mantra and mudra

4. do not withhold love from vajra family members

5. maintain secrecy regarding profound doctrines in the company
of the uninitiated

1. never to abandon the unsurpassable view: the purity of phenomena as a display of emptiness
recognized as non-dual and non-separate from our own inmost consciousness, primordial-awareness
wisdom, the union of mahakaruna and mahaprajna. Practicing on the effortless or spontaneously
arisen mind of Samantabhadra.

2. having established the view, devotion to the teacher as Buddha. Natural gratitude for having
encountered the lama and recognizing his kindness, even if his realization is not quite that of the
Buddha; the Buddha has already given us the Dharma; the root teacher is an embodiment of
kindness and compassion appearing for your benefit in a unique way.

3. to abide in the the Three Vajra States, which is to recognize all form as the Buddha- body, all
sounds as mantra or Buddha-speech, and awareness of thoughts being the space of the Dharmakaya
or primordial mind. Deity yoga invokes oneâs original nature, mantra evokes the power of love
and compassion by modifying the movement of the winds in the channels and chakras and purifying
obscurations in the roots (rtsa) winds (rlung) and essence elements (thig-le)

Five mudras or phyag-rgya / mudra: to seal or fix; a sign or manual gesture

1. bodily mudra
2. mudra as bodily samaya; as in deity yoga
3. mudra of mantra recitation
4. mudra of mental activity

5. karmamudra; based on proficiency in the Three Vajra States
and the four activities; pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, destroying

4. do not withhold love from vajra family members. We have a common ground and must work
together to accomplish the welfare of all beings, to fulfill the aspirations of all the doctrine holders
and bodhisattvas.

The vajra-family has four distinct levels;

1. all sentient beings- the cosmic sangha
2. all buddhists
3. your local group
4. your home sangha

5. maintaining secrecy regarding profound doctrines in the company of the uninitiated includes
discriminating and using caution in wielding all forms of radical truth and esoteric symbolism, the
details of unconventional practices and axioms, etc.,. This even applies to tantric art. Don't
casually reveal siddhis or even dreams, guard your insights from profane eyes and ears. Guru
Padmasambhava said, 'Keep your realization like a stone in the ocean.' Don't use experiences on the
path to bolster ego-identity. There are many things which work better if there is no knowledge of
their existence on the part of those who are not participants. In Tibet, there was a tradition of 'secret
retreatâ', simply to avoid complications. In the course of practicing with a sangha, there will be
secret information you will have access to. To maintain compassion in communicating what is not
always easily seen or heard - such as obscurations or a lapse of samaya in others. To be loving
while assisting others to understand the teaching in direct relation to their own egoic activities
and/or being served in this same way. Originally, Padmasambhava had nine students whom he
took far off into the mountains above Samye so as to maintain secrecy in relation to the practice.

5. Actualizing through empowerments: abhisheka, abhikhekata or
'bang

Abhi: highest or direct, khekata: throwing or releasing. A true empowerment is a timely and
effective means of quickening and purifying obscurations (sgrib-pa) helping one to realize the
mind of the lama. In the Vajrayana, enlightenment is based upon empowerment. It prepares the
ground and establishes the appropriate conditions for accomplishment of the Supreme Siddhi.
Four Kinds of Obscurations

1. of body/ the emotions
2. of speech/ knowledge
3. of mind/ as the union of thought and feeling
4. of habit patterns, which are of four types-

1. those of the day
2. those of the night
3. those of deep sleep
4. those of sensuality

The Four Empowerments

EMPOWERMENT

DIMENSION

PURIFIES

BESTOWED

ACTUALIZES

vase

body

channels

nirmanakaya

generation stage

secret

speech

winds

sambhogakaya

completion

stage

wisdom

mind

bindu

dharmakaya

shes-rab yeshe

word

whole

subtlest habit

energy

svabhavikakaya rang-jung yeshe

6. Fulfilling the aspiration to benefit self and others by
implementing the lineage instructions

drub-pa: accomplishment ngo-drub: siddhi
This is the result of diligent application of the previous five points. Practice must be free of laziness
and doubt.
Actualization has two aspects;
1. general actualization: visionary experiences, predictions, peace, clarity,
healing, the ability to read omens, clairvoyance, telepathy...
these are some of the signs of minor accomplishments realized through practice.

2. absolute actualizing: samyak-sambodhi, perfect, unexcelled, complete enlightenment,
is realized via the following four methods:

1. nyen-pa: keeping close to the mind of the lama
2. nye-bar nyen-pa: proximity to the degree of intimate involvement
3. drub-pa: effective practice, accomplishment
4. drub-pa chen-po: extraordinary, enlightened practice

"Samantabhadra passed on this teaching

without the notion of separate subject and object,
without the dualistic notion of one who teaches
and one who follows the teaching. His great
laughter resounds throughout the dharmadhatu.
Relax into the primordial without changing
anything. Abide as self-liberated awareness. This
is Mahamudra, the great seal, sign, disposition
and demonstration of the true nature, the sublime
symbol of all the Buddhas. Those who hold this