c hakrasamvara c 175 The Tradition of Krishna [c] Charyadharapada taught common aspects (training in the creation phase And in the view’s crucial points) and uncommon aspects (the yoga path And the female-emissary path) The yoga path consists of four stages: The tantra stage of the root; inner-fire mantra stage with equal emphasis; Pristine-awareness stage of vital essence; and secret stage of the result Those aspects are used as the path; twelve branch practices were taught [Next is discussed] the completion phase formulated by Charyadharendrapada [Krishnacharya].45 This accomplished master, possessed of many qualities, was prophesied by the Buddha His [Chakrasamvara] completion phase is formed of four stages.46 [This completion phase consists of a common yoga and an uncommon yoga.] First one trains in the common yoga, which involves two aspects: the common-yoga training in the crucial points of the creation-phase esoteric instructions, [which means] to embark on mantra’s own path; [and training in the crucial points of the esoteric instructions on the view that eliminates deviations common to all paths and leads one to freedom’s gateway] [The first training has two parts:] training in the yoga of imaginative meditation by means of the branches of the creation phase, inclusive of nine yogas;47 and training in the yoga of actual meditation, inclusive of the twelve crucial points of the esoteric instructions.48 Following those is [the second training] in which certainty is gained through the twelve crucial points of the esoteric instructions on the view that eliminates all possibilities of deviation and leads to freedom’s gateway.49 Following that is [the training in] the uncommon [yoga of ] the completion phase, which comprises two practices: the path of yoga; and the path of the female emissary The yoga path is formed of four stages: tantra, mantra, pristine awareness, and secret The tantra stage concerns the root This aspect is a root yoga that serves 176 C t he t reasury of knowled ge as the foundation for all focuses of meditation, the esoteric instructions for which treat the tantric stages only.50 The mantra stage concerns the practice This aspect is the inner-fire yoga, the esoteric instructions for which [emphasize] channels, winds, and vital essences equally.51 The stage of pristine awareness concerns what arises (the four joys) This aspect is the yoga of vital essence whose descent in the forward order gives rise to the four joys.52 The secret stage concerns the result This aspect is the training in entering and arising from luminous clarity, based on complete mastery of reversal [of the vital essence] and blazing and dripping.53 Those [four] aspects54 are used as the path That being said, to complete the four-stage path in its entirety is accomplished by means of the inner fire alone Therefore, in some texts the path [of yoga] is called the “complete path of inner fire” or “taking up inner fire as path.” In those expressions, the term “inner fire” is being given a broad meaning and is used as a general term for the completion phase However, in its narrower sense, this is a general term applied to a specific [aspect] It refers to the inner-fire focal points, the principal of which is the fourth channel-wheel [that of the navel] That is stated clearly and extensively in the Mahasamvarodaya Tantra, the Vajradaka Tantra, and the Samputa Tilaka Tantra [Charyadharendrapada] taught twelve crucial points of esoteric instructions [related to] the branches of visualization for the [above] aspects— three concerned with winds, three with nonconceptuality, three with vital essences, and three with inner fire.55 [The second] practice is the path of the female emissary Apart from the substitution of the female-emissary path for inner fire, in this path all the root esoteric instructions are similar to those of the yoga path In the main practice, [one applies] twelve crucial-point esoteric instructions.56 The concluding practice concerns the elimination of impediments by means of the two types of equalizing, the four syllables, the six armors; and the enhancement [of the practice] by means of three [types of ] conducts, thereby attaining the result.57 On [the subject of ] that [path], this great accomplished master [Krishnacharya] composed the Illumination of the Secret Essential Principles.58 [This work sets forth] the completion phase of the highest yoga [tantras] in general since the father-tantra Guhyasamaja and the mother-tantra Chakrasamvara, although differing in terms of the descriptions, are the c hakrasamvara c 177 same in having these four stages as their subject matter Moreover, Krishnacharya composed the Four Stages [This work sets forth] the completion phase of mother tantras in general since the Hevajra and Chakrasamvara, although differing in terms of the descriptions, are the same in having these four stages as their subject matter His formulation of a completion phase unique to the Chakrasamvara tantra is that of the Vital Essence of Spring.59 The sixth examination [section] of the Samputa Tantra states:60 The lotus within the heart Has eight petals and a center The channel within the lotus, Has a flame as its nature [The channel] hangs face downward Like the plantain tree’s flower Within it resides the hero, The size of a mustard seed The invincible hum, the seed, Is what drips like melting snow It gladdens all creatures’ hearts, And thus is known as “spring.” The Mare’s fire, due to its great form,61 Is called Selfless Female, “vital essence.”62 “Spring” [means] the bodhichitta present in the hum at the heart; and [red] “vital essence,” the am at the navel That passage speaks of the method of cultivating the completion phase in which spring and vital essence form a union One tradition [of this completion phase] comprises the four stages that belong to the nine cycles of the path, transmitted through Drokmi [Lotsawa].63 A second is that of the tradition of the ultimate secret of Naropa’s lineage.64 Of those two, the Naropa tradition is especially distinguished and one that is very widely known The lineage of the venerable Sakyapa65 and that of Purang Lochung’s student, Mar Chögyal,66 are both the pure tradition of Naropa According to Jetsun Drakpa67 and others, Krishna composed six 178 C t he t reasury of knowled ge c ompletion-phase synopses: the basic synopsis, [called] Vital Essence of Spring; the synopsis of words, Secret Essential Principle; the synopsis of realizations, Olapati; the synopsis of meanings, Epitome; the synopsis of vital essences and seals, Great Seal; and the synopsis of levels [of awakening], Secret Stages The heart, so to speak, of those six is the Olapati The quintessence of its esoteric instructions lies in the complete path of inner fire.68 The view [taught by] the master [Krishnacharya] is termed “beginningless and endless pure awareness (bodhichitta), the true reality, utterly free from the four extremes.”69 As the means or path for realizing this view, he taught four stages (or five) 10 Mother Tantra Systems: Chatuhpitha, Mahamaya, Buddhakapala, and Tara Yogini dd The Vajra Chatuhpitha Completion Phase [II.B.2.c.ii.dd] ee The Mahamaya Completion Phase ff The Buddhakapala Completion Phase gg The Tara Yogini Completion Phase iii An Encapsulation of the Systems [II.B.2.c.iii] [This chapter continues the presentation of completion-phase systems in highest yoga mother tantras What follow now are parts four, five, six, and seven: the Vajra Chatuhpitha completion phase; the Mahamaya completion phase; the Buddhakapala completion phase; and the Tara Yogini completion phase This chapter concludes with an encapsulation of the systems.] The Vajra Chatuhpitha Completion Phase [dd] The Chatuhpitha completion phase includes an uncommon creation phase In which bliss and emptiness are mutually sealed, and a completion phase Whose preliminary includes blocking the gateways and vajra recitation In its main practice, the pervading aspect consists of two yogas: ... concerns the elimination of impediments by means of the two types of equalizing, the four syllables, the six armors; and the enhancement [of the practice] by means of three [types of ] conducts, thereby... that belong to the nine cycles of the path, transmitted through Drokmi [Lotsawa].63 A second is that of the tradition of the ultimate secret of Naropa’s lineage.64 Of those two, the Naropa tradition... t he t reasury of knowled ge c ompletion-phase synopses: the basic synopsis, [called] Vital Essence of Spring; the synopsis of words, Secret Essential Principle; the synopsis of realizations,