Vajra Repetition 303 For the compilation o f the definitive dh: The letter a was explained before as the supreme life-sustaining wind.611 Also: From the wheel of Dharma lotus to the throat, the letter a twice; prdna and the evacuative wind bound by the letter h in the center of the throat.612 The life-sustaining wind at the heart and the upward wind at the throat is the significance of the letter a doubled to make d> and the evacuative wind illus trated by the letter h, provisionally forming dh and placed at the throat, are all contained within the dhütï in the enjoyment-cakra channel knot On the compilation of the definitive hüm: Letter h is the evacuative wind abiding in the secret area of the anus The letter u is the wind moving above, abiding in the center of the lotus of the throat The letter m abides in the wind cakra at the forehead These taken as one are spoken of as the seed of the enlightened mind in the heart.613 The letter h is the evacuative wind The life-sustaining wind pervading from the heart to the wind cakra at the midway point between the eyebrows is sig nified by the letter m The letter u is the wind moving above, or the upward flowing wind Just as the syllable hüm is*placed at the heart, these three are contained within the dhütï in the wheel of the dharma-cakra channel knot [189] “These taken as one” can also mean the definitive om and definitive dh made into one This explanation of the definitive three syllables is saying that the lifesustaining wind, evacuative wind, and upward flowing wind are mixed within the dhütï with the channel knots of the three cakras already loosened In that 304 A Lamp to Illum inate the Five Stages connection, placing the three syllables om dh hum in the three places to bless body, speech, and mind is expressed in many authentic texts on mantra, but placing the definitive three syllables in the three places to achieve blessings is as described above O n the above passages, Vajrapani asks: The meaning of the three vajras and the separation of the places have been understood, but tell us, in their midst, who is the lord? How is it described?614 The three letters united to form the three seed syllables, their definitive mean ings as winds combined together, and the cakras of the body where they are combined is understood But “in their midst”—meaning “among”—these three describe the one that is the lord The reply: You ask of that which is hidden, which is secret, the supreme of secrets, not taught in other tantras, I will explain, so listen The seed syllable of the mind is lord O f all, it is without conception It is therefore a master, weakening and stealing others.615 This is of great significance, something even more secret than secret, and hid den in other tantras Therefore, “I will explain, so listen.” O f the three, the definitive seed syllable hum , which is the winds combined in the dhutl at the loosened channel knot of the heart, is the lord Why? The loosening of the knots at the heart is “without conception,” meaning it is the best cutter of the conceptions This is because it “weakens” the moving winds of con ceptualization “other” than those winds that remain unmoving, and “it is therefore a master.” If the line is read as “other masters,”616then the body vajra and speech vajra are “other” than the mind vajra The channel knots of the crown and throat at the locations of these two vajras being destroyed by the loosened knot of the mind vajra is the meaning of “weakening and stealing.” This assertion is on the strength of the explanation that says, beginning from below, loosening the knots of the heart will bring about the loosening of the Vajra Repetition 30$ other knots The commentary says that the syllable hum is master of the three syllables because “all phenomena depend upon the mind” and so on, [190] but this is an explanation that has not truly discovered the definitive mean ing of the syllables How loosening the knots at the heart is the main loosening o f the channel knots The third is understood by the yogi free of conceptualization, of great marvel Because all winds have been halted, this is born, an understanding of this reality.617 “The third” is the definitive significance of the mind-vajra syllable—the winds brought into the place where the channel knots of the heart have been loosened “Understood” means that this has been realized by the yogi At that time, an innate wisdom, free of conceptualization, “of great marvel,” or of great wonder, is born “An understanding of this reality” refers to the “great marvel.” The reason for this is that all winds and conceptualization have been halted, meaning that you have the ability to gather the winds into the indestructible drop This clarifies the reason given above for the mind seed-syllable being the master It teaches the vital significance of gathering the winds at the heart in halting conceptualization and the moving winds Therefore it is saying that practices that gather the winds at the other cakras nor have that capability, because it is a passage teaching why gathering winds at the heart is of prime significance Then: The centers of the emanation and dharma cakras are two lotuses, it has been said, above and below, as if facing, of sixty-four and eight petals Well positioned above and below, the life and evacuative winds flow Iohas been clearly taught that these two are solely winds of conceptualization The channels laland and rasand are the essence of body and speech.618 3o A Lamp to Illum inate the Five Stages The sixty-four-petal lotus is the emanation cakra, and the eight-petal lotus is the dharma cakra These are the two lotuses The commentary on the third line says, “They are positioned like a lidded box.”619 This is a good descrip tion It means that the heart lotus faces down and the navel lotus faces up, as described in the Samputa Tantra, and therefore they are like a box with its top and bottom joined These lines describe the positions of the heart and navel-channel cakras and teach that the life-sustaining and evacuative winds, positioned above and below and flowing through the two channels, are winds that create conceptualizations Then: The avadhuti, supreme channel, lying in between these two, supreme of the supreme, without conception, always flowing, pervading all Such a yoga, once achieved, is always able to work for living beings, victorious over the 108 specific winds, at all times in a state of victory Unknown by the fledgling yogi, it grants full enlightenment instantaneously, this tantra has said.620 If the winds enter the dhutl, which lies between the other two channels, con ceptualizations are severed [191] Therefore it is greater than the other two channels W ith the attainment of such a yoga comes the ability to work for others and a victory over the winds that produce the 108 conceptual minds This is not known by the generation-stage practitioner, and it has been said that the gathering of the two winds into the dhutl will “instantaneously,” or quickly, brings about the full enlightenment of clear-light attainment In order to bring the winds into the dhutl, the generation stage must be completed, and then you have to proceed through the stages leading to the practice of vajra repetition: How is that to be achieved? I will speak of this practice First, the great yogi, with an excellent mind, meditates upon mental quiescence W ith the yogas o f the generation stage, Vajra Repetition 307 he practices the wrathful mudras, and at the nine openings of the senses, all is everywhere constrained The hum recitation is unparalleled, the unbroken continuum is supreme and is maintained for six months.621 Then, instantaneously it is achieved.622 The “mudra” is the mahamudra of the deity form of the generation stage The commentary describes “wrathful mudras” as “blazing mudras,” referring to the generation stage that burns away ordinary perceptions “H um recitation” is said to be just one part of vajra repetition This practice draws in the winds from the nine openings, such as the eyes, as taught by the two lines beginning “and at the nine openings.” Then: By what is this achieved? By recitation the heart lotus also is broken to face upward Then the conjoining of the secret lotus is separated, and the two winds of conceptualizations are severed The nonconceptualization brings bliss, achieved by the reality of mantra, and remains within the flow of the avadhuti Having opened the eyebrow center with the winds, it is achieved, and the joy in that achievement arises constandy and does not end.623 The first two lines describe how the channel knots at the heart are destroyed after vajra repetition has been performed for six months The Shiwa O trans lation, d\e Ra translation, and the translation within the commentary all have “the heart lotus turns to face upward,” but Darma Tsondrii translates this line as above The commentary says that the two channel cakras are con joined, and opening them up is the meaning of “turns to face upward.” It also asserts that “secret lotus” refers to the emanation cakra and that its opening is “the unlocking of the lidded box.” This description is no different from the former The channel cakras of the heart and the navel exist with the former facing down and the latter facing up, and are not conjoined Therefore these two not open up individually.624In the descriptions of the six cakras in this tantra, the secret cakra does not appear In the section that states, “Comes ... of conceptualization The channels laland and rasand are the essence of body and speech.618 3o A Lamp to Illum inate the Five Stages The sixty-four-petal lotus is the emanation cakra, and the. .. at the other cakras nor have that capability, because it is a passage teaching why gathering winds at the heart is of prime significance Then: The centers of the emanation and dharma cakras are... lation, de Ra translation, and the translation within the commentary all have ? ?the heart lotus turns to face upward,” but Darma Tsondrii translates this line as above The commentary says that