th e ph ase of creation c 65 so [At this point,] the practitioner must have achieved not only total ultimate realization of the creation phase itself but also total realization of the completion phase from the warmth [stage]12 on The Bases of Purification: The Various Modes of Birth [iii] It is asserted that since this phase purifies both realms and sentient beings, All four modes of birth are purified by a single method Great Commentary’s System is to purify miraculous birth by creation of the full form all at once; Birth from egg, by creation of the world twice; birth from womb, by another Expositions on this [subject] all agree that the term “phase of creation” refers to the purification of birth, death, and the intermediate state in general, and the purification of the process of birth in particular Birth occurs in one of four ways, known as birth from a womb, birth from an egg, miraculous birth, and birth from heat and moisture Concerning [purification of ] those four kinds of birth, there are two points of view: one, that each kind of birth requires its own specific method of purification; and the other, that the purification of one kind [automatically] purifies all the others According to Lord [Karma] Trinlé,13 one should assume that all forms of the creation phase incorporate two purification steps, that of environments and that of the inhabitants Thus, the statement that “all four modes of birth will be purified by a single [method]” is true in that if one trains in these two steps of the creation phase—the purification of realms and the purification of sentient beings—one will eliminate what all [four kinds of birth] entail In other words, this phase of creation acts as the yoga that effects purification of the impure environments and inhabitants in the same way that the training in purifying realms14 in the way of the perfections does That being the case, [the phase of creation] eliminates what all [kinds of birth] entail According to the system found in [Pundarika’s] Great Commentary on the Kalachakra Tantra, miraculous birth is purified by the method of creation of the full form all at once [in which the deity is visualized] in 66 C t he t reasury of knowled ge an instant Birth from an egg is purified by twice creating the universe.15 Birth from a womb is purified by yet another method, that of creation of the main and attendant deities by means of the two supremely victorious [contemplations].16 [Pundarika’s] Great Commentary, [in discussing The Means of ] Attainment, the fifty-first chapter [of the Kalachakra Concise Tantra,] states:17 Hence, there are two ways of coming into life: one is birth from a womb, and the other, birth from an egg Birth from an egg [corresponds to] the creation of the world because the word “egg” refers to the “egg of Brahma” 18 [from which the world is said to have arisen] Birth from a womb is the way every human comes into being Instantaneous birth is the way sentient beings born in the miraculous mode enter life That is a single-step process of coming into an existence since it occurs in a fraction of an instant simply due to the sentient being’s intention This was spoken by the Buddha Although there are a great number of presentations based on tantras and commentaries by scholars and adepts, the above points should be regarded as the essence [of the subject].19 Entering Pristine Awareness c The Process of Entering Pristine Awareness [II.B.1.c] i The Branches of Visualization Sequences aa Three-Branch Frameworks of Visualization 1 Three Contemplations 2 Shape, Mantra, and Reality 3 Three Yogas bb Four-Branch Frameworks 1 The System of the Net of Magical Manifestation 2 The System of Guhyasamaja 3 The System of the Yamari Tantras 4 The System of the Rali Tantras cc The Six-Branch Framework dd The Eight-Branch Framework ee The Twelve-Branch Framework ff An Alternative Framework [This chapter, a continuation of the subject of creation-phase meditation, begins the presentation of ] part three, the steps in the process of entering the pristine awareness of the phase of creation, for which there are two topics: the [different] branches of the visualization sequences; and the visualization sequences that incorporate those branches The first topic, the branches of visualization sequences, is set forth in six parts: frameworks of three branches; frameworks of four branches; the framework of six branches; the framework of eight branches; the framework of twelve branches; and an alternative framework 68 C t he t reasury of knowled ge Three-Branch Frameworks of Visualization [aa] This section has three parts: the three contemplations; the three [branches of ] shape, mantra, and reality; and the three yogas Three Contemplations [1] The visualization-sequence branches in the framework of three contemplations— The initial union, supremely victorious action, and supremely victorious mandala— Belong to the Indestructible Garland system and apply to all yoga tantras in general There are many different branches that form the visualization sequences1 of the creation phase owing to the [various] approaches of the individual tantras and great masters The Indestructible Garland, an explanatory tantra of the great yoga or general explanatory tantra, presents a framework for the various branches of the creation phase that consists of three contemplations That [tantra] states:2 The initial union comprises yoga, Subsequent yoga, superior yoga, And great yoga; great yoga consists Of the supremely victorious mandala And the supremely victorious action The three contemplations are the contemplation of initial union, the contemplation of the supremely victorious action, and the contemplation of the supremely victorious mandala Altogether, there are six yogas when the yogas of the two supremely victorious [contemplations] are added to the four yogas3 [listed in the above citation] However, since the first four yogas are all included in the initial union, the expression “three contemplations,” or “three yogas,” is used These three form a broad framework [applicable] to the main body of the sadhana Thus, they are found in both yoga tantra and great yoga tantra, as well as in both the father and mother tantras of great yoga All expositions evidently agree with the general statement that “the ini- enter ing pr istine awareness c 69 tial union amounts to a meditation procedure that fulfills primarily one’s own aims, and the two supremely victorious contemplations are meditation procedures that fulfill primarily others’ aims.” Here, the intended meaning is simply that the complete awakening of oneself precedes the stage of application to others’ benefit There are many ways in which the three contemplations are demarcated; these will not be set forth at this point However, the essential meanings of the three are explained as follows: [The first,] for which the body is the point of reference, consists of the contemplation of [oneself as] the main deities, male and female, who act as emanators of the [other] deities of the mandala Since this contemplation is done prior to the remaining two, it is [called] initial Since it inseparably unites method and wisdom, it is [called] union To mention its principal points, initial union includes all [steps of the visualization] from the creation of the [mandala] residence up to the creation of the [main] male and female figures [The second,] the supremely victorious mandala, consists of [the visualization of ] the entirety of the deities of the mandala who have emanated from the bodhichitta of those two [male and female main figures] and the arrangement [of the deities] in their respective places Because [one visualizes] the entire mandala with its arrangement of mandala deities, [this contemplation is called] the supremely victorious mandala.4 [The third,] done subsequent to that, consists of deeds such as the purification of realms by all deities Because these deeds are similar to the deeds of the Buddha, [this contemplation is referred to as] the supremely victorious action As explained above, this represents the system of the Indestructible Garland, a broad framework that encompasses both inner and outer yogas.5 Shape, Mantra, and Reality [2] The Mahamaya teaches the three yogas of shape, mantra, and reality The Mahamaya6 and other tantras set forth the threefold [formulation consisting of ] shape, mantra, and reality [yogas] These three apply to both path and result; and within the path itself, to both the creation phase and the completion phase ... chapter, a continuation of the subject of creation-phase meditation, begins the presentation of ] part three, the steps in the process of entering the pristine awareness of the phase of creation, for... Four-Branch Frameworks 1 The System of the Net of Magical Manifestation 2 The System of Guhyasamaja 3 The System of the Yamari Tantras 4 The System of the Rali Tantras cc The Six-Branch... set forth in six parts: frameworks of three branches; frameworks of four branches; the framework of six branches; the framework of eight branches; the framework of twelve branches; and an alternative