(12) Whose five supernatural powers are walking elephants and horses while the Mahayana is his vehicle, which controlled by the one mind, rolls through the eight noble paths. (Thirty-two) distinctive marks dignify his body; while (eighty) excellences add to it their grace. Shamefulness is his raiment, and deep mind his coiffure. The seven riches that he owns are his assets which, used to teach others, earn more dividends. Dedicating all merits (to Buddhahood), his practice of the Dharma has received wins far greater profit. The four dhyanas are his meditation bed, which from pure living originates. Much learning increases wisdom announcing self-awakening. His broth is the flavour of release. The precepts are his perfumed Salve and pure mind is his bath. By killing the culprit klesa is his boldness unsurpassed. By defeating the four demons, he plants his triumphant banner as a bodhimandala.

(13) Some by meditation perceive the Self in themselves through the mind, some by devotion to knowledge, and some by devotion to work.

(6) In a clean spot, a firm seat should be made, neither too high nor too low, and it should be covered by cloth, skin, and holy grass one over the other. There, being seated, having made the mind one-pointed, controlling the actions of the mind and the senses, let him practice Dhyana Yoga for self-purification.

(4) Ought to teach living beings to meditate in the same manner; this is true kindness.

(2) During this interval, the directions are to be applied [by the lama or reader]: There are those [devotees] of the perfected stage and of the visualizing stage. If it be one who was in the perfected stage, then call him thrice by name and repeat over and over again the above instructions of setting-face-to-face with the Clear Light. If it be one who was in the visualizing stage, then read out to him the introductory descriptions and the text of the Meditation on his tutelary deity, and then say, O thou of noble-birth, meditate upon thine own tutelary deity. — [Here the deity's name is to be mentioned by the reader.] Do not be distracted. Earnestly concentrate thy mind upon thy tutelary deity. Meditate upon him as if he were the reflection of the moon in water, apparent yet in-existent [in itself]. Meditate upon him as if he were a being with a physical body.

(6) Having abandoned all desires born of the ego-centric will, having restrained the group of senses with mind from all sides, one should attain quietude slowly and slowly by the intellect held firmly. And then, fixing the mind in Atma, he should not think of anything else at all.

(6) Now there are three confirmatory experiences which can be tested. The first is that, when one has entered the state of meditation, the gods (20) are in the valley. Men are heard talking as though at a distance of several hundred paces, each one quite clear. But the sounds are all like an echo in a valley. One can always hear them, but never oneself. This is called the presence of the gods in the valley.

(18) When wandering alone, separated from dear friends, When the void forms of one's own thoughts are shining here, May the Buddhas, exerting the force of their grace, Cause not to come the fear, awe, and terror in the Bardo. When the five bright Wisdom-Lights are shining here, May recognition come without dread and without awe; When the divine bodies of the Peaceful and the Wrathful are shining here; May the assurance of fearlessness be obtained and the Bardo be recognized. When, by the power of evil karma, misery is being tasted, May the tutelary deities dissipate the misery; When the natural sound of Reality is reverberating [like] a thousand thunders, May they be transmuted into the sounds of the Six Syllables. When unprotected, karma having to be followed here, I beseech the Gracious Compassionate [One] to protect me; When suffering miseries of karmic propensities here, May the blissfulness of the Clear Light dawn; May the Five Elements not rise up as enemies; But may I behold the realms of the Five Orders of the Enlightened Ones.' Thus, in earnest faith and humility, offer up the prayer; whereby all fears will vanish and Buddhahood in the Sambhoga-Kaya will undoubtedly be won: important is this. Being undistracted, repeat it in that manner, three of [even] seven times.

(26) O nobly-born, to sum up: thy present intellect in the Intermediate State having no firm object whereon to depend, being of little weight and continuously in motion, whatever thought occur to thee now — be it pious or impious — will wield great power; therefore think not in thy mind of impious things, but recall any devotional exercises; or, if thou wert unaccustomed to any such exercises, [show forth] pure affection and humble faith; pray to the Compassionate One, or to thy tutelary deities; with full resolve, utter this prayer: Alas! While wandering alone, separated from loving friends, When the vacuous, reflected boy of mine own mental ideas dawneth upon me, May the Buddhas, vouchsafing their power of compassion, Grant that there shall be no fear, awe, or terror in the Bardo.

(37) At this time, if one can recollect the Great Symbol [teachings] concerning the Voidness, that will be best. If one be not trained in that, train the [mental] powers into [regarding] all things as illusion [or maya]. Even if this be impossible, be not attracted by anything. By meditating upon the Tutelary Deity, the Great Compassionate [One], Buddhahood will be obtained in the Sambhoga-Kdya.

(34) Still, even when this is done, if the holding [phenomena] as real remaineth undissolved, the womb- door is not closed; and, if one be ready to enter into the womb, thereupon one should close the womb- door by meditating upon the Clear Light, this being the fifth [method]. The meditation is performed as follows: 'Lo! All substances are mine own mind; and this mind is vacuousness, is unborn, and unceasing.' Thus meditating, allow the mind to rest in the uncreated [state] — like, for example, the pouring of water into water. The mind should be allowed its own easy mental posture, in its natural [or unmodified] condition, clear and vibrant. By maintaining this relaxed, uncreated [state of mind], the womb-doors of the four kinds of birth are sure to be closed. Meditate thus until the closing is successfully accomplished.

(3) When the perceiving consciousness in this meditative is wholly given to illuminating the essential meaning of the object contemplated, and is freed from the sense of separateness and personality, this is contemplation (samadhi).

(9) Not yielding to attraction towards the illusory lights of the Six Lokas, but devoting thy whole mind one-pointedly towards the Divine Fathers and Mothers, the Buddhas of the Five Orders, pray thus: 'Alas! when wandering in the Sangsdra through the power of the five virulent poisons, On the bright radiance-path of the Four Wisdoms united, May [I] be led by the Five Victorious Conquerors, May the Five Orders of Divine Mothers be [my] rear-guard; May [I] be rescued from the impure light-paths of the Six Lokas; And, being saved from the ambuscades of the dread Bardo, May [I] be placed within the five pure Divine Realms.'

(9) O nobly-born, if thou art one who hath not obtained the select words of the guru, thou wilt have fear of the pure radiances of Wisdom and of the deities thereof. Being thus frightened, thou wilt be attracted towards the impure sangsaric objects. Act not so. Humbly trust in the dazzling pu7re radiances of Wisdom. Frame thy mind to faith, and think, 'The compassionate radiances of Wisdom of the Five Orders of Buddhas have come to take hold of me out of compassion; I take refuge in them.'

(5) The sages look with equal eye on a Brahmana endowed with knowledge and humility, on a cow, on an elephant, on a dog and on the outcaste who feeds on dog’s flesh.

(323) For with these animals does no man reach the untrodden country (Nirvâna), where a tamed man goes on a tamed animal, viz. on his own well-tamed self.

(42) Fourth, the never-receding Dharma of the six paramitas is always expounded in it; Fifth, the most melodious heavenly music intoning countless Dharma doors (to enlightenment) is heard in it;

(16) Manjusri asked: “What should he do to uphold right mindfulness?”

Vimalakirti replied: “He should advocate the unborn and the undying.”

(6) Be not fond of that dull bluish-yellow light from the human [world]. That is the path of thine accumulated propensities of violent egotism come to receive thee. If thou art attracted by it, thou wilt be born in the human world and have to suffer birth, age, sickness, and death; and thou wilt have no chance of getting out of the quagmire of worldly existence. That is an interruption to obstruct thy path of liberation. Therefore, look not upon it, and abandon egotism, abandon propensities; be not attracted towards it; be not weak. Act so as to trust in that bright dazzling light. Put thine earnest thought, one- pointedly, upon the Bhagavan Ratna-Sambhava; and pray thus: Alas! when wandering in the Sangsara because of the power of violent egotism, on the radiant light-path of the Wisdom of Equality, May [I] be led by the Bhagavan Ratna-Sambhava; May the Divine Mother, She-of-the-Buddha-Eye, be [my] rear-guard; May [I] be led safely across the fearful ambush of the Bardo; And may [I] be placed in the state of the All-Perfect Buddhahood.' By praying thus, with deep humility and faith, thou wilt merge into the heart of the Bhagavan Ratna- Sambhava, the Divine Father-Mother, in halo of rainbow light, and attain Buddhahood in the Sambhoga-Kaya, in the Southern Realm Endowed with Glory.

(47) Mastery over the powers of perception and action comes through perfectly concentrated Meditation on their fivefold forms; namely, their power to grasp their distinctive nature, the element of self-consciousness in them, their inherence, and their purposiveness.