18 Significance o f the Mantras Teachings on the nature o f the mantras i Compiling the mantras Mantra terminology The significance of the mantras Ultimate significance of the mantras Explanation o f the short vowel a, root of the mantras Compiling the mantras The mantras are compiled from the sixteen vowels and the thirty-four con sonants As the Black Yamdri Tantra says, “The city of dli kali is the source of secret mantra.”484 [154] The Compendium o f Practice leaves out ksa and talks of thirty-three consonants, but this is because ksa is not separate from ka and sa The mantras compiled from this source are those essence mantras, nearessence mantras, rosary mantras, and so on found in the tantras As to how they are compiled, many ways are described in those tantras The reality o f all these kinds o f mantras is found in the three syllables om ah hum The Com pendium o f Practice says: Mantras such as the “snake” arise from the dli kali Their reality is in the three syllables that arise from the indestructible, because all mantras in the very nature o f being feminine, masculine, and neu tral, according to scriptural tradition, engage with the three sylla bles Therefore the three syllables are the masters of the mantras.485 The text from “because” up to the end of the sentence expresses why che three syllables are the masters of all mantras The Root Tantra also says that the three syllables are the essence, or chief, of all mantras: 254 A Lamp to Illuminate the Five Stages This is the essence of mantra, the compilation of them all, the secret body, speech, and mind.486 Are the terms “feminine, masculine, and neutral” to be applied to the compilation sources âli kali, the compiled mantras such as the “snake,” and the three syllables? The Chak translation of the Compendium o f Practice has “all mantras in the nature of being feminine, masculine, and neutral.” Illum i nating Lamp on the sixth chapter says: Mantras arising from dli kali have the nature of the snake and so on By being feminine, masculine, and neutral, they are the basis of the three syllables Therefore mantras are the three syllables.487 This is found in the two earlier translations The two later translations have “compiled into the three syllables.” Illum inating Lamp on the tenth chapter talks of the three mantras of feminine, masculine, and neutral gender to be compiled into the three syllables These explanations apply the three genders to the compiled mantras The manner in which the mantras are male, female, and neutral, and how they are compiled within the three syllables “accord ing to scriptural tradition,” is the only clear reference found in the works of the master and the four disciples,488 and there is nothing reliable to be found in other sources Our own position is that the three genders are determined by mantras being those of male, female, and both male and female deities Nevertheless, regardless of how many deities with their corresponding mantras have been taught, they all are contained within the three vajras Likewise, all mantras are contained within the three syllables The three syllables are the essence of all mantras because the essence of all those of the body-vajra family is the syl lable omyand so the main syllable of all their mantras is om [155] The same is applied to the other two families In terms of the consonant and vowel bases of mantra compilation, our position is that of the Ornament o f Vajra Essence Tantra when it says that twelve vowels are feminine, the consonant classes kay cay tay tay and pa are masculine, and the two vowels, r and /, in short and long form, are neutral.489 As for the three syllables, it is clear that om has to be masculine, âh feminine, and hum neutraL Bhavyaklrti and others say that the eight classes of vow els and consonants are compiled within a, kaycaytaytaypayyayand Iaywhich Significance o f the Mantras 255 are the initial letters o f those eight groups, and that these eight are compiled within a, ka,ya, and sa, these four within a, a n d ^ , and these three are combined in feminine ah, masculine hum , and neutral om.m Although there are clearly countless ways of compiling mantras from the bases o f compilation, here they are all included in om ah hum Each o f these three also is compiled by being formed from three individual letters together with the indestructible drop, thereby creating the three syllables into which all mantras are compiled This is mantra compilation The necessity of teaching that all mantras are compiled in the three seed syllables is to make it known that the ability o f all other mantras co achieve siddhi is found within the three syllables Illuminating Lamp on the tenth chap ter says that the generation-stage practitioner who comprehends the three tantric activities, even if he has not attained siddhi, will invoke the essence of every deity’s mind with the recitation of the three seed syllables.491Moreover, as will be explained, the generation-stage practitioner can accomplish the four feats with this recitation If that is the case, there is no need to ask if the vajra-repetition practice of the definitive three syllables joined inseparably to the winds contains the power of every verbal recitation of mantra to invoke the essence of the deities’ mind and bless the practitioner Therefore you have to discover that within vajra repetition, not only are there the benefits of bringing the winds into the dhutl and so on, from the perspective of wind yoga, but also that through the mantra recitation, there is the development of a special power In this way, wind yoga is unlike any other practice Concerning the activities carried out by these three syllables, the Com pendium o f Practice speaks of two types.492 Activities in common with both ordinary beings and yogis include the following: By the action of these three syllables “successively entering, abiding, and rising day and night, they hold the body, in the sense of maintaining it.” These three seeds “together with the dli kd lil in the form of blood and semen, “face downward during the join ing of the two organs, and in the form of the seed, emerge from the secret opening to create the bodies of living beings.” [136] Also, these three sylla bles “travel upward together with the pranayama and awaken the gateways of the senses” such as the eyes This is a description of the three syllables in terms of being mixed with blood, semen, and wind and traveling downward to create the coming and going of winds through the lower gateway and in terms of remaining in their own places Also, when the life-sustaining wind travels upward, part o f it remains in its own place, and after emerging to the z $6 A Lamp to Illuminate the Five Stages outside, it then returns inside, and so it is acceptable to be described in terms o f the three syllables Also, syllables in the form o f the tone o f winds are said to be “together with the winds.” “Abiding in the body, all activities are carried out.” These have been explained and will be explained again Then at death, “finally they enter the indestructible, and again in dependence upon a body, they will initiate all activities as before.” The meaning o f this has already been explained Activities performed by the three syllables that are exclusive to yogis include the following: For the generation-stage practitioner, the combining o f the three syllables generates the body o f the deity These are the three syl lables in the aspect o f shape and color The three syllables with these aspects are placed at the heart and other places, and with whispered or clearly articu lated verbal recitation, the feats o f pacification and so on are accomplished by way o f their respective outer colors and directions In the generation stage, the three syllables have sound and form For the completion-stage practitioner, having arisen from the upper gate way, the spontaneous vajra repetition is performed and “past deeds are puri fied.” W ith vajra-repetition practice, in each half-period flow o f the winds o f the four mandalas, both ordinary and main feats are accomplished At that time, one particular feat from those o f pacification, increase, power, and wrathfulness is accomplished as the principal feat, while the other three are accomplished as ordinary feats For both types o f yogis, when taking food and drink, the three sylla bles remove faults and contamination from the food through the succes sive actions o f purifying, increasing, and making resplendent Here, too, the three syllables have sound and form The above is taught on the basis o f both outer and inner practices The main topic here, however, is the three syllables as the innate tones o f the winds coming from the indestructible drop and entering, abiding, and ris ing As the Compendium o f Practice says, “Although there is no doubt that you should enter into the syllables o f speech whose meaning is inner ”493 It also states that each syllable arises from the indestructible drop Mantra terminology This refers to the names o f mantras, o f which there are many Those begin ning with om and ending with svâhâ are o f the snake class Those with om and no svâhâ are the tailless class The opposite is the headless class, and those Significance o f the M an tras 157 without either are the compiled class [157] There are also essence mantras, near-essence mantras, and so on Nevertheless, here in the Compendium o f Practice, Explanation o f the Intention is cited: Through terminology the three realities exist with characteristics o f natural recitation.494 This is saying that through terminology the reality o f the winds existing from the very beginning as entering, abiding, and rising are shown as possessing the characteristics o f natural recitation Therefore the terminology used for the three inner mantras is “the three realities existing.” In that connection, the reality o f entering is the terminology for om , and the other two can be understood similarly That tantra also uses the terms “swift,” “gathered,” and “slow.” Therefore, when the mantras to be recited in vajra-repetition practice are compiled and the three syllables appear, and when their names, or ter minology, are explained, you understand them as being the syllables o f the innate tones o f the winds, and wind and mantra are indivisibly joined Explanation o f the Intention says: Also, by mantra alone without mudra, you will not become a person o f mantra.495 This means that without mantra and mudra combined, you will not gain accomplishment If that is so, and in Guhyasamaja hand mudras are not taught, How will we gain accomplishment by mantras alone?” The answer: W ith the three, swift and so on, you will achieve the mudra.496 W ith a mantra count that includes the rising and emerging wind as swift, the incoming wind as gathered, and the abiding wind as slow, you will “achieve,” or construct.the mudra Also: Swift, gathered, and slow, well joined as mantras, the master with great effort recites into the disciple s ear.497 ... Vajra Essence Tantra when it says that twelve vowels are feminine, the consonant classes kay cay tay tay and pa are masculine, and the two vowels, r and /, in short and long form, are neutral.489... applied to the compilation sources âli kali, the compiled mantras such as the “snake,” and the three syllables? The Chak translation of the Compendium o f Practice has “all mantras in the nature... main syllable of all their mantras is om [155] The same is applied to the other two families In terms of the consonant and vowel bases of mantra compilation, our position is that of the Ornament