OM GURU

CHAKRASAMVARA
VAJRAYOGINI
SAPARIVARA OM AH
HUM

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 1
 The Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi practice is a
complex series of meditations, including at least four
meditations:

1) The puja to the teacher (Guru Puja)

2) The Generation-Stage meditation, in which the yogin prepares the

environment and creates the phenomenal realm

3) The Inner Offering meditation, which is the ultimate purification

4) The Completion-Stage, in which the yogin dissolves the

phenomenal world into the noumenal world

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 2
 The Inner Offering meditation
is seen in the kiosk in
Section Eleven C:
“Ritual Implements”

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 3
 Puja to Guru Chakrasamvara

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 4
 The yogin is to
take refuge in his
or her own teacher
(guru), who is
envisioned as
Chakrasamvara
and Vajravarahi
generation-stage
form.

Zimmerman Family Collection

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 5
 This painting of
Chakrasamvara has
the Refuge icons of
Buddha, Dharma,
Sangha on the top
register:

The five Victor

Buddhas as the
Buddha,
Prajnaparamita as
Dharma, and
Avalokiteshvara as
Sangha at the right
and left ends.

Zimmerman Family Collection

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 6
 The central painting
contains the five
Buddhas reiterated
as forms of
Chakrasamvara.

This painting is
therefore an actual
refuge painting of
Guru
Chakrasamvara.

Zimmerman Family Collection

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 7
 It consists of the six preliminary practices:

1) Taking refuge and generating bodhichitta

2) Receiving the blessing of the all Buddhas and
Chakrasamvara
3) Purifying the Body, Speech, and Mind
4) Purifying other beings, environment, and
enjoyments
5) Purifying defilements, downfalls, and obstacles
6) Guru Yoga: Visualization of the field of merit with
one’s own Guru in the center as Chakrasamvara

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 8
 While visualizing the field of merit, the yogin recites the
mantra OM GURU CHAKRASMAVARA VAJRAYOGINI
SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM. Then he or she presents the
offering of the Mount Meru mandala. With the offerings, the
entire Mount Meru world system is recreated.

It consists of 23 precious objects:

4 continents
8 subcontinents
7 precious jewels
The treasure vase
The sun
The moon
Mount Meru itself

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 9
 While visualizing the
field of merit, the yogin
offers the Mount Meru
Mandala.

A field of merit to
Tsongkhapa, the one
for Chakrasamvara
would be similar but
with Chakrasamvara in
the center.

The Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Margaret M.

Hibbard in memory of George E. Hibbard (260:1992)
The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 10
 While visualizing the
field of merit, the
yogin offers the Mount
Meru mandala.

Detail from the

previous painting.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 11
 Guru Puja
Mandala can be
elaborate or
symbolized by a
simple hand
gesture.

In either case, the

yogin offers the
entire Buddhist
world system to
his or her guru.

Musee national des Arts asiatiques Guimet (EG 632)

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 12
 The Four Empowerments
resulting from the Guru Puja
The four empowerments are like a rehearsal for the
actual meditation that is to follow. Repetition and
redundancy are key aspects of the Buddhist meditative
techniques and are used extensively in the full
Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi meditations.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 13
 1)Vase Empowerment

Chakrasamvara generates from his heart Vajravarahi

and the four Yoginis, who hold the vases filled with the
nectar of insight.

By pouring water through the crown, the body is purified

from all defilements and obscurations.

This empowerment causes the yogin to realize the

generation-stage.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 14
 2 ) The Secret Empowerment
The yogin visualizes Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi in
union, with all the male deities melting into his white
bodhichitta, while the female deities melt into her red
bodhichitta.

Through tasting this secret substance, the channels,

drops, and inner winds of the subtle body are purified,
and the yogin experiences great bliss, thus receiving
the secret empowerment.

This empowerment causes the yogin to realize the

completion-stage practices related to the illusory body
(maya deha).

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 15
 3) Insight Seal Empowerment

The yogin visualizes the female insight “seal,” (jnana mudra),

who is an emanation of Vajravarahi.

She serves as the insight aspect of the yogin, as he realizes

the union of his own adamantine body as Buddha
Chakrasamvara with Vajravarahi.

Through this unification, the bodhichitta, now envisioned at

the crown, melts. As it descends, the yogin experiences the
four joys.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 16
 The Four Joys:

1. As bodhichitta descends from the crown to the throat, the yogin

experiences Joy (ananda).

2. As it descends from the throat to the heart, one experiences

Supreme Joy (parama ananda).

3. As it descends from the heart to the navel, one experiences

Extraordinary Joy (vira ananda).

4. As it descends from the navel to the sex organ, one experiences

spontaneous Great Bliss (mahasukha ananda).

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 17
 The Insight Seal (jnanamudra) empowerment
concludes the completion-stage practices related to the
clear light of bliss (prabhasvara).

The experience of the clear light of bliss is the

consummating methodology of the Chakrasamvara
system.

Although this preliminary stage is simply imagined, the

four joys are visualized in this manner.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 18
 4. Precious Word Empowerment

After the Insight Seal empowerment, the yogin visualizes

himself as Chakrasamvara/Vajravarahi’s united body.

Through the practice of the precious word empowerment, the

yogin attains the actual body and mind of
Chakrasamvara/Vajravarahi, resulting from the union of the
illusory body (maya deha) and clear light (prabhasvara).

This is the goal of ultimate truth of shunyata—the union of No-

More Learning (asheksha yuganaddha) and the state of
attaining the Rainbow Body (indrachapa kaya).

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 19
 Concluding the
Guru Yoga Puja

All the deities of the

Merit field dissolve into
radiant light and
dissolve into the heart-
mind of the root Guru
Chakrasamvara and
Vajravarahi.

The view is then

consolidated by the
yogin.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 20
 The Guru
Chakrasamvara
and Vajravarahi are
then visualized as
diminishing in size.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 21
 They gradually
become smaller
and —

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 22
 enters the yogin’s
crown, and
descends through
the central channel.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 23
 In this manner, the
yogin understands
that he or she is
the nondual Adi-
Buddha
Chakrasamvara
and Vajravarahi.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 24
 The Generation-Stage
Meditation

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 25
 The Environment of
Transformation
As part of the preparation for the meditation, the
yogin prepares a space by cleansing it, pouring a circle
of water and decorating it to the best of his ability as
the mandala palace atop Mount Meru.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 26
 The Mount Meru
world system is the
location both of the
total “real world” and
the place of all
transformations is in
Akanishta paradise.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 27
 No matter what the
real setting, the
grandest of temples
or a teacher’s mud
hut, the practitioner is
always seated on the
Vajrasana at
Bodhgaya.

It is both in Akanishta
heaven and
Akanishta exists only
in his or her own
heart-mind (chitta).

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 28
 Conventionally, the
mandala palace that
resides in Akanishta is
depicted above a Mount
Meru that has vishva
vajra (universal Vajra)
protruding from the four
sides.

Usually the heaven

worlds are omitted in
three dimensional
representations, but it is
understood that the
mandala palace is in
Akanishta.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 29
 The Actual Practice

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 30
 The Outer Mandala

First, the yogin

generates the outer
body as
Chakrasamvara’s
phenomenal
mandala.

The yogin prepares

by focusing his mind.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 31
 Then from a green
YAM syllable he
generates the wind
(or air) chakra.

He symbolizes this
by spreading his
legs in the shape of
a bow.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 32
 From a red RAM
syllable he
generates the fire
chakra.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 33
 From a white VAM
syllable he
generates the water
chakra.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 34
 From a yellow LAM
syllable he
generates the earth
chakra.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 35
 From SUM the
spine is generated
as Mount Meru.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 36
 From a PAM syllable,
the thousand-petaled
lotus emerges.

By definition, the lotus

is both the thousand-
petaled lotus of
attainment and the
great lotus of
Akanishta paradise
upon which
Vairochana resides

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 37
 DHRUM emerges
from the torso and
converts the torso
into the great
mandala palace.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 38
 Beyond the core of
the mandala is the
ring of protection.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 39
 Beyond the core of
the mandala is the
ring of protection
and beyond that are
the eight charnel
fields.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 40
 The eight charnel fields are the beginning of the
transformative process. The flames the consume the
body are considered the final purification of all
transgressions.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 41
 To ascend to Akanishta, the practitioner must symbolically
cross the life-death threshold by traversing the cremation
fires and the charnel fields where one’s own dead body is
devoured by the flames and carrion-eating animals.

There is a ritual song that is sung going through the

entire eight charnel fields that surround Mount Meru and
the mandala field in Akanistha.
The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 42
 Generation-Stage, Part 2:
The Inner Mandala

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 43
 The outer mandala is now
complete.

Next the yogin must

generate the inner
mandala.

To do so he must
completely understand
the six energy centers
(chakras) and the three
channels (nadis).

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 44
 "Basal" or Earth chakra

Base of the body

Blood red petals with

white center

Central lotus has 4 petals

Either Ganesh or Airvata

is associated with the
chakra.

Sanskrit syllable LAM

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 45
 Water Chakra
(Ap/Varuna)

Abdomen

Red petals with white

center

Central lotus has 6

petals

Sanskrit Syllable VAM

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 46
 Nirmana (Transformation)
Chakra

Navel

Blue

Central Lotus has 64 petals

Supports an upward facing

triangle

Sanskrit syllable AM

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 47
 Dharma Chakra

Heart

Central lotus has 8 petals

and is supported by eight
natural colored lotuses

Variegated colors

Sanskrit syllable HUM,

facing downward

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 48
 Sambhoga (Bliss) Chakra

Throat

Red

Central lotus has 16 petals

Sanskrit Syllable AUM

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 49
 Mahasukha (Great Bliss)
Chakra

Crown of head

No color, ethereal

Central lotus has 4 petals

outside of which is a
downward facing triangle on
a lotus with 32 petals

Sanskrit syllable HAM

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 50
 In the Chakrasamvara
meditations, the channels
(nadis) of the subtle body
are envisioned as lying
close to each other and
knotted at four points.

There is a knot at the

head, throat, heart, and
abdominal chakra. These
knots constrict the flow in
the central channel.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 51
 One of the final
stages in the
meditations is to
loosen all of the
knots so that the
“drops” can flow
freely along the
central channel.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 52
 The meditation begins:

The yogin visualizes

the white bodhichitta
at the center of the
heart chakra, as the
size of a mustard
seed—

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 53
 it transforms into the
bija HUM—

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 54
 which in turn,
transforms into
Chakrasamvara, with
four faces and twelve
arms.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 55
 At the navel chakra is
the red Chandali fire
of Vajravarahi, in the
form of a red drop
(bindu)—

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 56
 which transforms into
the Sanskrit syllable
VAM—

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 57
 Which, in turn, is
transformed into
Vajravarahi.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 58
 As the nature of
the red and white
drops,
Chakrasamvara
and Vajravarahi
meet at the center
of the celestial
palace and enter
into nondual
union.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 59
 At this point the
yogin has generated
his true nature as the
nondual
Chakrasamvara and
Vajravarahi.

They abide in both

his heart-mind and in
the mandala palace
at the summit of
Mount Meru

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 60
 They reside in the center
of a great mandala which
consists of four concentric
rings, four corners and
four doors.

The four circles are:

1) White, the body (kaya)
circle
2) Red, the speech (vak)
circle
3) Blue, the mind (chitta)
circle
4) Gold, Great Bliss
(mahasukha) Circle
The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 61
 The deities of the
four corners and four
doors belong to the
Pledge (samaya) or
Vow circle.

The mandala is
generated from the
Great Bliss
(mahasukha) circle
outward to the pledge
circle.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 62
 But, except for
Chakrasamvara and
Vajravarahi, the
mandala inside the
mandala palace is
uninhabited. Now the
deities of the mandala
must generated.

The Great Bliss

(mahasukha) Circle is
generated first.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 63
 On the four channel
petals of the heart-
channel chakra, which
are the four elements,
appear in the aspects of
their bijas:

Yellow LAM (earth)

White MAM (water)
Red PAM, (fire)
Green TAM (air)

These are the four

elements and the
syllables (bija) are the
colors of the elements.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 64
 The syllables are
transformed counter-
clockwise:

• East (in front) into blue

Dakini
• North (to the yogin’s left)
into green Lama
• West (behind the yogin) into
red Khandaroha
• South (to the yogin’s right)
into yellow Rupini

These deities of the Great

Bliss Circle are called the
“goddesses of the four
elements,” because they arise
from the winds of the four
elements.
The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 65
 In the intermediate
points of the four-
petaled lotus of the
heart chakra are the
four skull cups with
five nectars (organs
of the senses).

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 66
 In the cup are:
• The eyes
represent seeing
forms (rupa)
• The nose
represents smell
(gandha)
• The tongue
represents taste
(rasa)
• The hands
represent touch
(sparsha)

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 67
 The four visualized
skull cups symbolize
the four Offering
Goddesses:

• Rupa Vajri,
sight/form
• Gandha Vajri,
smell/odor
• Rasa Vajri,
taste/flavor
• Sparsha Vajri.
touch/tactility

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 68
 The goddesses arise
from the winds of the four
offering substances:
form, smell, taste, and
touch.

As the yogin purifies

these winds through
meditation and recitation
of the Chakrasamvara
body mandala, the inner
winds of the subtle body
are purified. Thus, the
yogin experiences all
phenomena as pure.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 69
 The Circle of Great
Bliss is complete.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 70
 Once the deities of
the Great Bliss circle
(mahasukha) have
been generated the
deities of the Body
(kaya) Speech (vak)
and Mind (chitta)
circles must be
generated.

There two ways to

do this.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 71
 The first is an a pilgrimage of substantial scale— literally
creating the physical world place by place. For example, in
Newar Buddhism, a pilgrimage encompassing most of the
Kathmandu valley and to some degree beyond has been
established based on the very ancient shrines (b.c.e.) of the
Ashtamatrikas (“Eight Little mothers”).

A version of the following map may be examined

in detail in the catalog of the exhibition.

There are similar routes for both India and Tibet.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 72
The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003
Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 73
 The second is to create a body mandala on one’s own
body. The body (kaya) circle is the lower extremities,
the speech (vak) is on the torso and the air passage
way, and the mind (chitta) circle is on the shoulders and
head.

It may be diagrammed as follows:

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 74
 All of the nondual
deities of the
mandala are
identical to
Chakrasamvara and
Vajravarahi.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 75
 They are usually
depicted in the Sahaja
(born together) form with
only two arms.

There are color

variations, depending on
the circle they are in.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 76
 Subsequently, the yogin visualizes the eight openings
of the senses:

1) Root of the tongue

2) Navel
3) Sexual organ
4) Anus
5) Point between the eyebrows
6) Two ears
7) Two eyes
8) Two nostrils

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 77
 In the channels of
the eight openings
appear the bija
HUM, which is
transformed into the
eight Heroines of the
outer Pledge Circle

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 78
The mandala of
Chakrasamvara and
Vajravarahi is now
complete.

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003 Collection

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 79 R.R.E.
 The interior of
the mandala
palace

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003 Collection R.R.E.

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 80
 OM SHRI VAJRA HE HE RU RU
KAM HUM HUM PHAT DAKINI
JALA SAMVARAM SVAHA

The Circle of Bliss JCH © 2003

Chakrasamvara & Vajravarahi, 81