The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, and Dzogchen
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HEALING WITH FORM, ENERGY AND LIGHT front.p65 1 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM Page ii blank front.p65 2 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM HEALING WITH FORM, ENERGY AND LIGHT The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, and Dzogchen by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Edited by Mark Dahlby Snow Lion Publications Ithaca, NY / Boulder, CO front.p65 3 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM Snow Lion Publications 605 West State Street P.O. Box 6483 Ithaca, NY 14851 607-273-8519 www.snowlionpub.com Copyright © 2002 by Tenzin Wangyal All right reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. ISBN 1-55939-176-6 Printed in Canada on acid-free recycled paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wangyal, Tenzin. Healing with form, energy and light : the five elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, and Dzogchen / Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 1-55939-176-6 1. Rdzogs-chen (Bonpo). 2. Spiritual life—Bonpo (Sect) 3. Spiritual life—Tantric Buddhism 4. Bonpo (Sect)—Doctrines. I. Title. BQ7982.3. .W345 2002 299’.54—dc21 2002000288 front.p65 4 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM CONTENTS Preface x The Prayer of the Intermediate State xiii Introduction xvii The Bön Religion xix ONE: The Elements 1 Three Levels of Spiritual Practice 3 External 3 Internal 3 Secret 4 Relating to the Sacred 5 The Five Pure Lights 8 The Dissolution of the Elements 11 Understanding Through the Elements 11 Relating Oneself to the Elements 12 Earth 13 Water 15 Fire 16 Air 17 Space 19 The Elements and Our Well-Being 21 How the Elements Become Unbalanced 22 The Arising of Problems 24 Purification and Cultivation 26 Knowing Which Element to Work With 27 Working with the Elements 28 Choosing the Level of the Practice 30 TWO: The Five Elements in Shamanism 33 La, Yee, and Sem 36 La, Sok, and Tse 38 Practices 38 Working with the Elements in Nature 40 The Nine Purification Breaths 41 front.p65 5 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM Earth 42 Water 43 Fire 44 Air 45 Space 45 Dedication 46 Elemental Spirits 46 Relating to Non-Physical Beings 50 First Guests 50 Second Guests 51 Third Guests 51 Fourth Guests 52 Making Offerings 53 Soul Loss and the Retrieval of the Elemental Energies 57 The Arrow, Turquoise, and Soul Deer 59 The Practice of Retrieving the Elemental Energies 60 Outline of the Practice 60 The Nine Purification Breaths 61 Guru Yoga 61 The Four Guests 62 The Transformation of the Body 63 The Transformation of the Energy 65 Retrieving the Elemental Energies 66 The Transformation of the Mind 68 The Long Life Mantra 70 Dedication 70 The Goddess Practice with the Other Elements 71 The Practice in Daily Life 74 THREE: The Five Elements in Tantra 76 The Horse, Path, Rider, and Armor 77 The Horse: Prana 77 The Functions of the Five Pranas 77 The Path: Channels 80 The Rider: Tigle 82 The Armor: Syllables 82 Aspects of Tantra 83 Chakras 83 Positive and Negative 84 Supporting Positive Qualities 86 The Practice of Tsa Lung 89 Posture 90 Breath and Prana 90 Transformation in Holding and Releasing 92 Instructions 93 The Five External Tsa Lung Movements 93 front.p65 6 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM The Five Internal Tsa Lung Practices 105 The Five Secret Tsa Lung Practices 107 Opening the Chakras 109 FOUR: The Five Elements in the Great Perfection 111 The Great Perfection 111 Creating Samsara 112 The Six Lamps 113 Sound, Light, and Rays 118 Being with Problems 120 Dissolving Samsara 122 Appreciating the Space Element 126 Integrating with Space and the Other Four Lights 129 The Dark Retreat: Visions of the Five Elements 130 FIVE: Final Words 134 Glossary 139 Bibliography 147 Appendix 1: Astrological Directions 149 Appendix 2: List of Contacts 151 Appendix 3: The Prayer of the Intermediate State 155 front.p65 7 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM H.H. the Dalai Lama at Menri Bönpo Monastery in India front.p65 8 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM This book is dedicated to: H. H. The Dalai Lama H.H. Lungtok Tenpa’i Nyima Rinpoche Yongzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche and all the teachers from whom I have learned front.p65 9 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM PREFACE For the last fifteen years I have been interested in understanding the five elements because such an understanding is important in so many levels of the Bön tradition. During this time I have researched the five elements and have maintained a close relationship to the elemental goddesses through practice. When I had questions about the elements or about practices with the elements, I prayed to the elemental goddesses. In dreams I received their teachings and their blessings.These and other experiences motivated me to write this book Although all the teachings in the book are based on ancient texts, there is also much in the manner of conveying the teachings that is rooted in my own understanding and experience. Not wanting to write anything that con- tradicted the teachings, I checked many of the points with my teacher, Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, and with other learned Geshes in Nepal and India when I was there in 2000. I am grateful for their guidance. Their enthusiasm and joy about the book and the encouragement they gave me was a great support. Though I followed their direction, any remaining er- rors or confusions are entirely mine. For some years I have been teaching the elemental practices to my stu- dents around the world. It has made me happy to witness the positive re- sults of these practices in my students’ personal lives and in their spiritual growth. I would like to thank all those students who have done the elemen- tal practices. I thank all those who have been long-time supporters of my work to bring the Bön teachings to the West, especially Gerald and Barbara Hines and Murari and Prachi Garodia. Without their continued support, it would have been much more difficult to develop the Ligmincha Institute and to accomplish its work. I thank all the people at Snow Lion Publications for their generosity and kindness, particularly Christine Cox, whose wonderful editing skills have improved this book in every way. I thank Mary Ellen McCourt for all her time and her skillful help with graphics. I thank Radek Dabrowski for supplying the line drawings in the front.p65 10 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM xi Healing with Form, Energy and Light book, not once, but also a second time after the first drawings were lost in the mail. For reading and commenting on the manuscript at different stages, and for offering many suggestions that have improved the book, I thank Laura Shekerjian, Alejandro Chaoul, Cecile Clover, and John Jackson. I am grateful to Steven Goodman for suggestions on an early version of the text and for corrections he made to the glossary. I thank Susan Yenchick for her sup- port. I especially want to thank my close friend and student, Mark Dahlby. Mark offered many thoughts and suggestions that have made this book more accessible to Western readers. Without his joyful effort, this book would not have been realized. front.p65 11 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM Shenla Odkar front.p65 12 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM THE PRAYER OF THE INTERMEDIATE STATE: THE PRECIOUS GARLAND A OM HUNG In the intermediate state that is this life, the present moment, one does not realize one’s own mind and is distracted by deluded activities, does not remember impermanence and death, pursues only the goals of this life and is bound by the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death. When this present illusory body suddenly meets its final illness, may I self-liberate all attachment to objects of matter and mind. O Master, from your compassion, bless me. Bless me that I may cut the illusory visions of the bardo. Bless me that I may reconnect the mother voidness and the son awareness. Thereafter, in the intermediate state near death, though surrounded by loved ones and relatives, one journeys to the other dimension alone. There is no way to prolong life even for a moment when the four elements of this magical body dissolve. O Master, from your compassion, bless me. Bless me that I may cut the illusory visions of the bardo. Bless me that I may reconnect the mother voidness and the son awareness. When the energy of earth dissolves in the water, one experiences the failing collapse of the body. Visions of smoky movement and mirage arise. When the yellow light that is one’s own suddenly appears, may I recognize it as the divine body of Salwa Rangyung (self-originated clarity). front.p65 13 3/6/2002, 11:21 AM xiv Healing with Form, Energy and Light O Master, from your compassion, bless me. Bless me that I may cut the illusory visions of the bardo. Bless me that I may reconnect the mother voidness and the son awareness. When the energy of water dissolves in the fire, the body pales and one is thirsty with a dry tongue and there are visions of flooding water. When the purity of the water arises as the blue light, may I realize it as the divine body of Gawa Dondrup (joyful accomplish- ment). O Master, from your compassion, bless me. Bless me that I may cut the illusory visions of the bardo. Bless me that I may reconnect the mother voidness and the son awareness.