Six Session Guru Yoga

An Extremely Abbreviated Six-Session Yoga

(Thun-drug-gi rnal-'byor mdor-bsdus-pa) by dNgul-chu Dharmabhadra

From my gurus and the Three Precious Gems,
I take safe direction.
With myself clear as a deity, holding vajra and bell,
I present you with offerings.
Upholding the teachings of sutra and tantra, I restrain myself
from a wide array of faulty deeds.
Amassing within all constructive measures, I benefit beings
through the four types of giving.

Kalachakra Guru-Yoga in Conjunction with Six-Session Practice

[A1]

From the Buddhas and my foremost empowering master (Namo Arya Guru Vajradhara - Namo Akshobhya Buddha),
The Dharma of indivisible method (Namo Arya Dharma - Namo maha upaya paramita - compassionate skillful expedient means)
and wisdom (the wisdom realizing emptiness -- Namo maha prajna paramita - Namo Avatamsaka "All created by Mind-alone")
they show,
And both Sangha divisions abiding in it (Namo Arya Sangha - Bhikshu-Bhikshuni Bodhisattva, Upasaka-Upasika Bodhisattva),
I pure-heartedly take safe direction (Namo Ratna Trayaya - Namo Arya Gurus, Namo Buddhas, Namo Dharma, Namo Sangha - refuge).

From this moment on, until I'm enlightened,
I dedicate my heart with bodhichitta,
Heighten my resolve and rid myself of
Conceiving of "me" and "myself", the possessor."

[3x, only for the first repetition]

I shall meditate now that all living beings
Be endowed with happiness (Maha Maitri),
Parted from grief (dukkha is responded to with Maha Karuna - compassion),
Have the joy (Maha Mudita) of always remaining blissfully aware (Dhyana Samadhi Paramita),
And equanimity (Maha Upeksha) toward everyone as equal.

[3x, only for the first repetition]

From this moment on, until I'm a Buddha,
I shall never give up, though my life be at stake,
The attitude (bodhi resolve - bodhichitta) wishing (maha pranidhana paramita) to gain full enlightenment  
            (see anuttarasamyaksambodhi, enlightenment, bodhi, Buddha, nirvana, no self)
In order to free from the fears of samsara
And nirvana's complacency all sentient beings.
           (see Three Vehicles)

Oh Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Gurus please listen.
Just as the past Buddhas have developed bodhichitta,
Then trained by stages (ten grounds or dasha bhumi) through Bodhisattva acts (charya),
I likewise develop bodhichitta to benefit beings.

Om I prostrate to the One who melts Brahma with the fury of her wrathful form. Hum Hum Phat.

Tummo is the powerful inner heat associated with the unique red substance (kam mar po) that has a hot, liquid nature and is located in the center of the navel chakra.  This heat appears as the wrathful fury of a dakini's form.  It is like the fierce nature that demons sometimes show. This is a metaphor for the power of the inner heat. 

Tsang pa or Brahma here refers to the unique white substance (kam kar po) located mainly at the center of the head chakra.  It is also called white bodhichitta (jang sem kar po).  Vajrayogini's inner heat or tummo melts that white bodhichitta, which allows us to gain inseparable bliss-voidness wisdom.

Om I prostrate to Her, victorious over opponents, who terrifies and shatters demons. Hum Hum Phat.

There are many classes of demons; the main outer ones here are the worldly god Ishvara and his female consort.  In Buddhism and especially in Tantra, the definition of a demon is any being that is upset by and disapproves of a person who practices the paths that lead to Nirvana and Buddhahood.  Because demons are angered and upset by such efforts, they will deliberately try to block or hinder spiritual practitioners.  That is the nature of outer demons, which can include certain worldly god who dislike Dharma practitioners.

Inner demons are our mental afflictions, such as ignorance, desire, and hatred.  Subtle inner demons include the mental states called white luminosity (nag wa kar lam pa), red radiance (che pa mar lam pa), and black near-attainment (nyer top nak lam pa).  These three states immediately precede the experiences of clear light (wo sel), and are subtle mental obstacles that hinder you from achieving the clear light.  A secret demon is any person that blocks your virtuous actions.

Trak ching kem pey means that Vajrayogini terrifies and shatters all these three kinds of demons.  Shen-gyi chok le gyel means that she is One who is victorious over opponents and who, by defeating demons is not subject to their power and influence.

Om I prostrate to the One who conquers those that muddle, stupefy, and confound.  Hum Hum Phet.

Muk je refers to the influence of all bad spirits and inner obstacles that muddle or cause your mind to become dull, sleepy, or unclear.  Reng je means the action of stupefying others so that they cannot speak clearly or at all.  For example, sometimes people are influenced to stammer or to become tongue-toed.  They tremble, their breathing is affected, and they fell there is something wrong with their throats.  Mong je means to confuse and confound people so that they cannot remember what they are doing and seem almost unconscious.  Kum le nam par gyel means Vajrayogini has conquered and achieved total victory over all the inner and outer demons that can cause these problems.

The benefits and good results of reciting these Lines of Praise are unbelievable.  Many of these benefits are mentioned in the Chakrasamvara Root Tantra, along with explanations of when and where you should recite them.  Although it is very important to know these benefits, I will give only a brief description.

The thirty-eighth chapter of the Chakrasamvara Root Tantra says:

When the yogi sees his Teacher, the Hero,
He should recite seven times the Hero's supreme mantra --
Excellent mantras marks by Hum and so on,
While continually gazing upon Him with great delight. 44

"Teacher" here means your Root Lama; "Hero" refers to Chakrasamvara.  Therefore, whenever you see your Lama, or when you go to a temple and see holy images of Buddhas and other deities or when you see holy scriptures, you should recite these Lines of Praise.  If you visit holy places in India...

Both Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini are the embodiment of all dakas and dakines.  While perceiving yourself as either one, offer the Eight Lines of Praise to yourself.  When you look at the sky or the hills, when you see mountains, forests or jungles, when you look at fire, water, rivers, oceans or houses, don't view them as ordinary but rather as part of Chakrasamvara's Mandala.  This world is like a container -- all beings are contained in it.  When you see any of those six realm's beings.

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Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion by Ashvaghosha (Aryadeva)

(NOTE: Numerous corrections and enhancements have been made under Shastra tradition and "Fair Use" by an Anonymous Buddhist Monk Redactor (Compiler) of this Online Buddhist Encyclopedia Compilation)