Milarepa: Karmamudra Written by Milarepa This famous story about the Tibetan Saint and Master Milarepa describes his encounter with five wellknown Dakini. Dakini are difficult to describe with precision, as they have special properties or attributes that the intellect fails to grasp. To say that Dakini are goddesses falls short of their unique character; to say they are mere nature spirits (elementals) fails to illustrate their great intelligence and wisdom. In Tibetan Buddhism, dakini are generally depicted as fiercely intelligent female divinities who have been known to teach Dharma to initiates, but also come to initiates to learn Dharma. Dakini are often cited as protectors of Dharma, and many well-known scriptures and teachings were given to initiates by the Dakini. The five in this story are said to be sisters (which may be symbolic of the five aspects of the Divine Mother). They also appear in the life story of Padmasambhava, who by teaching them Dharma tames them from being somewhat wild spirits or the elemental intelligences of nearby mountains, and they become protectors of the Dharma. The events and characters of this story - like every great story of hidden wisdom are symbolic. It is incorrect to take the story literally; to retreive the actual meaning requires meditation and conscious experience of the practice being taught here. Tseringma and the Dakini Sisters
Tseringma and the Practice of Mudra Late on the night of the eighth day of the Month of the Fire Rooster, a great light shone upon Milarepa's quiet hermitage in Chu Bar. Milarepa then sensed a fragrant odor he had never smelled before and heard the sound of approaching voices. While he was wondering about them, the Auspicious Lady of Long Life [Tseringma], well-dressed and wearing beautiful ornaments, appeared with her sisters —one bringing various kinds of incense; one, many delicious foods and drinks; one, musical instruments; another, fine and pretty clothes; and still another, beautiful flowers. They all bowed down before the Jetsun [an honorific honorific title], circumambulated him many times, and offered him desirable oblations conjured by their miraculous powers. Then they sang in chorus: Milarepa “Oh perfect, precious, destined and well-endowed Guru, Is "Laughing Vajra" [see below] the name that Buddhas and Gurus call you? Did not your parents name you "Toubagha," While people call you "The Great Accomplished Repa"? Are you not the one with three wondrous names? Vajra: (Sanskrit, "thunderbolt, lightning, diamond, adamantine") In Hinduism, the vajra is the weapon of Indra (compare to Zeus of the Greeks). In Tibetan Buddhism, the vajra (In Tibetan, dorje) is a symbol of true reality, the Emptiness, the Absolute, that which is indestructible. Esoterically, it is a symbol of the masculine phallus. Thou-ba-gha: Tibetan for “Delightful to hear.” Repa: “cotton-clad”
To the left of the mountain, Lhaman Jalmo, Stands your hut by the bank of Lodahan River. The King of the Nagas [“serpent people”] sounded His magic conch-shell trumpet, And into a wish-fulfilling Palace Was this hut transformed.
On this river-bank in Medicine Valley, You, a wondrous yogi, Industriously practice the Pinnacle Teachings [highest tantras]. Renouncing the Eight Worldly Desires, From Samsaric temples you are freed [he is not subject to illusory religions]. Through our wondrous powers We five girls have come To praise and sing for you With sweet words and tuneful voices. We represent the four known types of womanhood Called Lotus, Conch, Mark, and the Elephant [named thus by the shape of the yoni or feminine sexual organ; these names have levels of meanings]. Pray, practice Karma Mudra with us. Karmamudra: (Sanskrit: literally, “action seal.” Tibetan: las ryga) In Tantra Yoga, a “mudra” is a female consort or sexual partner. Karma simply means “action.” Karmamudra is the tantric method of sexual transmutation accomplished through the sexual union of man and woman while restraining desire and the orgasm. The restrained creative energy is transformed into bodhichitta: the energy of the awakening wisdom mind.
Will you grant our prayer? Do you know well The four techniques of Karma Mudra Called falling, holding, turning back, and spreading — If so, you may apply them now, For your servants are prepared. It is said in the Supreme Tantra, [That the qualified yogi] should attract the maids of Heaven, Of Nagas, of Asuras, or of human kind. It also says that of all services The best is Karma Mudra. Thus we come here this evening. Pray witness this, oh great Yogi, Whose naked body is full of splendor and radiance. The Jetsun answered: At this late hour I hear your tuneful voices raised, And your thoughts expressed in song. [From whence come you, fair ladies?] Does not your abode Stand on the shining summit, The Snow Mountain's crystal peak? Towers not a palace
Under the canopy of clouds ‘Midst the flower-galaxy of stars? Long are your lives and great your powers — This of your mercy is the reward. Your fortune rivals that of the God of Wealth — This of your bounty is the reward. Your servants are faithful and obedient — This of your patience is the reward. In practicing meritorious deeds You are full of aspiration — This is the sign of your diligence. The fact that you have met me in this life Proves your good wishes in past lives. I sing this song for you To reveal the deep relationship. I am a follower of Naropa's Lineage, Who has mastered Prana [life force or energy] and Bindu [“drop” or “dot”: masculine sexual energy]. 'Tis true that of all offerings A qualified Mudra is the best. Most wondrous indeed are the four perfected Mudras. The radiant Face and Lotus promote bliss; The shell-shaped Nadi [energy passage, meaning the yoni] speeds the ecstasy [Samadhi]; The Mark [-shaped yoni] in the deep recess prevents all waste [of energy]; While through the "Elephant" Reality [Shunyata, the Absolute] is realized. You are the auspicious, noble, and fault-free Lady of Long Life. In your secret Wisdom Lotus [yoni] Lies the bija [seed, essence]: "Bham" shaped like the sign "e"; [a mantric sound representing the receptive feminine sexual forces] The male gem [sexual organ or vajra] is likened to the blue bija [seed, essence] "Hum"; [a mantric sound representing the projective masculine sexual forces] And, when combined with "Pad," [a mantric sound representing the conciliating force that joins and harmonizes the male and female] fixes Tig Le well. [tig le: Tibetan for seed or essence. A reference to sexual energy] When Wisdom and Method [Father and Mother, male and female] together join The Bliss of Two-in-One is offered best. The Four Blisses and Four Moments are The essence of the Four Bodies of Buddha. Like the crawling of a tortoise
[Slowly Tig Le, sexual energy] should drip down. In Tibetan medicine, sexual energy is considered to originate at the top of the spinal column. Then hold it in the Central Channel [an energy channel within the spine], And like a coursing beast, Reverse it [to the head]. Later when you spread it [through the nervous system], Use the Liberating Mudra [of meditation]. "Tig" is Nirvana Path! 'Le" the Bliss of Equality; “Las” [Tibetan: “action”] means the various actions and plays, "Kyi" [Tibetan: “of”] the intercourse 'twixt Bliss and Voidness [Reality]; "Phyag" is this and that to hold; And "rGya," [Phyag rGya: Tibetan for mudra] to embrace Nirvana and Samsara. This section is a poetic play on words revealing deeper meanings of the components to the Tibetan phrase “las kyi phyag rGya,” which means “ karmamudra .” Milarepa does this again here: "Las" is to contact this and act on that, "Kyi" to do this and that for the associate; "Phyag" is the Union of the Bliss and Void; While "rGya" is not to go beyond [restrain the orgasm]. This is the speed-path of Union, A path full of retained-bliss [retaining sexual energy], A path to consummate the accomplishment Of the Illuminating-Void [sunyata, emptiness, ultimate reality], Leading toward undiscriminating Dharmakaya [the highest Buddha body; in Kabbalah: Kether], Directing one to the perfect Samhhogakaya [second Buddha body or state of attainment], And leading to the Manifesting-Void of the Nirmanakayas [third Buddha body or state of attainment]. This is a path of bliss — of voidness, of no thoughts, and of two-in-one, A path of quick assistance by a goddess. Following this inspiring way You, fair ladies, will reach Liberation, And, in the Realm of No-arising [the Absolute] will remain. Oh gifted fairies, you are indeed well qualified! The Karma Mudra was then performed, during which the five goddesses offered Milarepa their bodies, words, and minds — also many foods and drinks to please him. Among the five Dakinis — the Auspicious Lady of Long Life, the Drogmanzulema of Lashi Snow Mountain, the Mannmo of Linpa Draug, the Tsomanma of Nepal, and the Yidagmo of Yolmo Snow Mountain — the Auspicious Lady of Long Life was the one who gained the best Karma Mudra inspiration from the Jetsun. This is the story of how the Repa, "Laughing Vajra," the great Yogi who was capable of attracting and using goddesses for his Mudra practice, met with the Lady of Long Life; and in which the songs of inquiry and the answers, named "The Rosary of Bliss-Void Wisdom," are found. After sincere prayers and offerings to the Deities, the two brother yogis -the compilers of this story -received
a delightful revelation of permission, upon which the story was written. Samaya Ja Ja Ja! [Warning- Secret! Secret! Secret!] The story of the Lady of Long Life and Milarepa, including several preachings of Mila and the requests of the five Dakinis, was compiled and preserved by Ahtsarya Bodhi Radsa and Repa Shiwa Aui. This is the end of this wondrous account, composed of three successive stories. Quoted from "The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa" as translated by Garma C.C. Chang, Shambhala Publications, 1962.
Written by Tilopa When serving a karmamudra [spouse], the pure awareness of bliss and emptiness will arise: Composed in a blessed union of insight and means, Slowly send down, retain and draw back up the bodhichitta [the sexual energy] , And conducting it to the source [the divine], saturate the entire body. But only if lust and attachment are absent will that awareness arise. Then gaining long-life and eternal youth, waxing like the moon, Radiant and clear, with the strength of a lion, You will quickly gain mundane power and supreme enlightenment. from "The Song of Mahamudra" ( Do ha mdzod brgyad ces bya ba Phyag rgya chen po'i man ngag gsal bar ston pa'i gzhung) Written by Naropa The practitioner who if free from doubts and who wishes To engage in vast activities for the benefit of the world [bodhichitta] Should seek the great bliss [ecstasy] which is the secret of the dakinis. He should rely on a mudra [woman] who is between The ages of sixteen and twenty-five, A diamond-like yogini qualified [educated] for the tantric sexual practices, Such as the lotus-like, antelope-like, or conch-shell-like. That fortunate practitioner, who is as though a Heruka Chakrasamvara, Should, without grasping at duality, seek her sexual embrace And sport in both worldly [physical] and beyond-worldly [internal] delight. The drop [of sexual energy] that descends [from within to the sexual organ] is to be retained [no orgasm], reversed, And diffused to the appropriate sites. This diffusion is to be done pervasively: An eagle drinking the essence, Like a lion, elephant, peacock, tiger and turtle. And behold! Three aspects of the four blisses appear, making twelve. The innate wisdom of inseparable nature is revealed, And whatever occurs arises as non-worldly great bliss. The secret initiation, mudra, nectar, pills: Half of half of sixteen drops means four are given. Bliss spreads through the four chakras and three channels. If the yogi is drunk with mindlessness and attachment, He misses the essence and falls to the realms of misery; But if he applies the yogic techniques well, Undoubtedly he will achieve buddhahood in this lifetime. Vajra Verses of the Whispered Tradition by Naropa [mid-eleventh century]. Published by Snow Lion (1997) in The Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa, translated by Glenn H. Mullin.
Written by Panchen Lama (1st) [After an extensive and detailed description of meditation practices to harness and control the vital energies, the Panchen Lama writes]: When the practice has developed stability and you have arrived at the point where the knots constricting the heart chakra are ready to be released, take up the practice of karmamudra ["action seal"] with a qualified sexual consort, with you being the relier and the consort being the relied-upon, until the energies that support the final semblant clear light arise in the actual form of Heruka. [Nagarjuna's] The Five Stages describes the experience thus: The illusion-like samadhi Perceives everything in that way. The meaning of this passage is that the illusory samadhi is taken to complete fulfillment. The illustrious Naropa said to Marpa Lotsawa, Day and night appearances manifest as illusory forms; This is the instruction known as "the illusory body." Have you reversed all grasping at appearances, O Lotsawa? The practitioner takes the illusory yoga to fulfillment, and eventually perceives the signs of the eradication of all spiritual distortions [egos or aggregates], together with their seeds. He or she relies on the inner conditions of the energy yogas and the outer conditions of a sexual consort, and this causes the inner and outer signs of enlightenment to manifest. This is the experience of the actual clear light. Jey Naropa sand to Marpa Lotsawa, In the space between sleep and dreams Is unknowing, in nature the Dharmakaya. It is to be drawn into one's experience As inexpressible, uncontrived emptiness. Thereafter, whatever appears arises as bliss. This is the unfabricated primordial nature of being And is called "the clear light instruction." Have you fathomed this unborn mind, O Lotsawa? From the uncontaminated energy and consciousness that support this mind of actual clear light arises the vajra body of great union, on the basis of which the resultant state of full buddhahood in teh form of Vajradhara endowed with the seven excellent qualities is acheived. Excerpted from The Golden Key: A Profound Guide to the Six Yogas of Naropa written by Panchen Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen (1568-1662). Published by Snow Lion (1997) in The Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa, translated by Glenn H. Mullin.
