
Field of Stars
Heart of the Congos
The Path of Means and Of Liberation (in brief)
Translated by Garma C.C. Chang.
excerpts from Appendix,
subsection: “THE CENTRAL TEACHING OF TIBETAN TANTRISM”
A brief summary of the essential teachings of Tibetan Tantra is given [herein].
It goes without saying that this brief summary is less than adequate to represent the vast and comprehensive contents of the Tibetan Tantra.
One cannot expect, therefore, to glean from these brief lines more than a hint of the essential, underlying principles.
Tibetan Tantrism is a form of practical Buddhism abounding in methods and techniques for carrying out the practice of all the Mahãyana teachings. In contrast to the “theoretical” forms of Buddhism… Buddhist Tantrism lays most of its stress on practice and Realization, rather than on philosophical speculations. Its central principles and practices may be summarized as follows:
- That all existence and manifestation can be found in one’s experience, that this experience is within one’s own mind, and that Mind is the source and creator of all things.
- That Mind is an infinitely vast, unfathomably deep complex of marvels, its immensity and depth being inaccessible to the uninitiated.
- One who has come to a thorough realization and perfect mastership of their own mind is a Buddha, and that those who have not done so are unenlightened sentient beings.
- That sentient beings and Buddhas are, in essence, identical. Buddhas are enlightened sentient beings, and sentient beings unenlightened Buddhas.
- That this infinite, all-embracing Buddha-Mind is beyond comprehension and attributes. The best and closest definition might be: “Buddha-Mind is a GREAT ILLUMINATING VOID AWARENESS.”
- That
- the consciousness of sentient beings is of limited awareness;
- the consciousness of an advanced yogi, of illuminating awareness;
- the consciousness of an enlightened Bodhisattva, of illuminating-void awareness;
- the “consciousness” of Buddha, the GREAT ILLUMINATING-VOID AWARENESS.
- the consciousness of sentient beings is of limited awareness;
- That all Buddhist teachings are merely “exaltations,” preparations, and directions leading one toward the unfoldment of this GREAT ILLUMINATING VOID AWARENESS.
- That infinite compassion, merit, and marvels will spontaneously come forth when this Buddha-Mind is fully unfolded.
- That to unfold this Buddha-Mind, two major approaches or Paths are provided for differently disposed individuals: the Path of Means, and the Path of Liberation. The former stresses an approach to Buddhahood through the practice of taming the Prana, and the latter an approach through the practice of taming the mind. Both approaches, however, are based on the truism of the IDENTICALITY OF MIND AND PRANA¹ (T.T.: Rlun.Sems.dWyer.Med.), which is the fundamental theorem of Tantrism.
The principle of the Identicality of Mind and Prana may be briefly stated thus: The world encompasses and is made up of various contrasting forces in an “antithetical” form of relationship – positive and negative, noumenon and phenomenon, potentiality and manifestation, vitality and voidness, Mind and Prana, and the like. Each of these dualities, though apparently antithetical, is an inseparable unity. The dual forces that we see about us are, in fact, one “entity” manifesting in two different forms or stages. Hence, if one’s consciousness or mind is disciplined, tamed, transformed, extended, sharpened, illuminated, and sublimated, so will be his Pranas, and vice versa. The practice that stresses taming the Prana is called the “Yoga with Form,” or the “Path of Means.” The practice that stresses taming the mind is called the “Yoga without Form,” or the “Path of Liberation.” The former is an exertive type of Yoga practice, and the latter a natural and effortless one, known as Mahamudra² (phyag rgya chen po, “great seal”).
(1) The Path of Means: The main practices of the Path of Means contain the following eight steps:
- The cultivation of altruistic thoughts, and basic training in the discipline of the Bodhisattva.
- The four fundamental preparatory practices, which contain:
- One hundred thousand obeisances to the Buddhas. This practice is for the purpose of cleansing all bodily sins and hindrances, thus enabling one to meditate without being handicapped by physical impediments.
- One hundred thousand recitations of repentance prayers. When properly performed, this cleanses mental obstructions and sins, clearing out all mental hindrances that may block spiritual growth.
- One hundred thousand repetitions of the prayer to one’s Guru of the Guru Yoga Practice. This brings protection and blessings from one’s Guru.
- Making one hundred thousand Special Offerings. This will create favorable conditions for one’s devotions.
- The Patron Buddha Yoga, a training for identifying and unifying oneself with a divine Buddha (such as The Nobel Lady Tara) as assigned to one by his Guru. This Yoga consists of mantra recitations, visualization, concentration, and breathing exercises.
- The advanced form of breathing exercises and their concomitant and subsidiary practices, including the Yogas of Dream, of Transformation, of Union, and of Light – generally known as the Perfecting Yogas.
- Guiding the subtle Prana-Mind (T.T.: Rluñ.Sems.) into the Central Channel, thus successively opening the four main Cakras (“psychic” centers) and transforming the mundane consciousness into transcendal Wisdom.
- Applying the power of Prana-Mind to bring about or to vanquish at will, one’s death, Bardo, and reborn state, thus achieving emancipation from Samsara.
- Applying the power of Prana-Mind to master the mind-projection performances.
- Sublimating and perfecting the Prana-Mind into the Three Bodies of Buddhahood.
(2) The Path of Liberation, or the Yoga without Form, is the simplest and most direct approach toward the Buddha-Mind. It is a natural and spontaneous practice, bypassing many preparations, strenuous exercises, and even successive stages as laid down in other types of Yoga. Its essence consists in the Guru’s capability of bringing to his disciple a glimpse of the Innate Buddha-Mind in its primordial and natural state. With this initial and direct “glimpsing experience,” the disciple gradually learns to sustain, expand, and deepen his realization of this Innate Mind. Eventually one will consummate this realization to its full blossoming in Perfect Enlightenment. This practice is called Mahamudra.
- The first glimps of the Innate Mind can be acquired either through practicing Mahamudra Yoga by oneself, or through receiving a “Pointing-out” demonstration from one’s Guru. The former way is to follow the Guru’s instructions and meditate alone; the latter consists of an effort by the Guru to open the disciple’s mind instantaneously. Both approaches, however, require the continuous practice of Mahamudra Yoga to deepen and perfect one’s experience.
- The central teaching of Mahamudra consists of two major points: relaxation, and effortlessness. All pains and desires are of a tense nature. But Liberation, in contrast, is another name for “perfect relaxation.” Dominated by long-established habits, however, average persons find it most difficult, if not entirely impossible, to reach a state of deep relaxation; so instructions and practices are needed to enable them to attain such a state. The primary concern of Mahmudra, therefore, is to instruct the yogi on how to relax the mind and thus induce the unfolding of Primordial Mind.
Paradoxically, effortlessness is even more difficult to achieve than relaxation. It requires long practice to become “effortless” at all times and under all circumstances. If one can keep their mind always relaxed, spontaneous, and free of clinging, the Innate Buddha-Mind will soon dawn.
(3) The Path of Means and The Path of Liberation, exist only in the beginning stages. In the advanced stages these two Paths converge and become one. It is to the advantage of a yogi, in order to hasten spiritual progress, to either practice both teachings at the same time or use one to supplement the other. Most of the great yogis of Tibet practiced both Paths, as did Milarepa.
Notes
- Prana: a Sanskrit term, equivalent to the Tibetan term Rlun. and to the Chinese term Ch’i, conveying various meanings: air, energy, vital force, breathing, propensity, and so forth. An exact translation of this term into English is extremely difficult. (Note 2, ch 3) Prana-Mind: According to Tantric teaching, mind and Prana manifest as two aspects of a unity. Mind is that which is aware; Prana is the active energy which gives support to the awareness. Who masters the mind automatically masters the Prana, and vice versa. The aim of any system of meditation is to control or master the Prana-Mind. An accomplished yogi is one who has mastered his Prina-Mind.
- Refers to: 1. “All phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable.” 2. A body of teachings representing the culmination of all the practices of the New Translation schools of Tibetan Buddhism
T.T.: Tibetan Transliteration
Jetsün Drölma (Noble Lady Tara)





















Name and Attributes of Her Twenty-one Emanations
Name of Tara* | Her Color | Her Hand Object | Her Activity according to Outer Level |
---|---|---|---|
1. Nyurma Pamo | red | conch shell | swift, heroic liberation from sufferings |
2. Loter Yangchenma | white | mirror | sound of peace, harmony, truth, and wisdom |
3. Sönam Tobché | golden | wish-fulfilling jewel | increases merit and prosperity |
4. Tsugtor Namgyalma | golden | nectar vase | increases life force and longevity |
5. Wangdü Rigié Lhamo | red | bow and arrow | magnetizes beneficial wisdom essences |
6. Jigjé Chenmo | dark red | phurba/dagger | subdues invisible beings, mental disturbances |
7. Zhengyi Mithubma | blue-black | flaming sword | destroys internal and external artifices |
8. Zhengyi Migyalma | dark red | flaming vajra | destroys maras, subdues illusions |
9. Sengdeng Nagchi | green | dharma wheel | protects from all outer and inner fears |
10. Jigten Sumlé Gyalma | rich red | victory banner | subdues worldly distractions, arrogance |
11. Phagma Norter Drolma | orange-red | treasure vase | gives wealth, removes sufferings of poverty |
12. Tashi Donjé | gold/yellow | infinite knot | inner and outer balance, timely seasons, harvests |
13. Yallé Gyalma | dark red | open vajra | stops warfare, enmity; heals destruction of anger |
14. Thronyer Chen | blue/black | tung shing/pestle | crushes subtlest negativities and obstacles |
15. Rabhima | rich white | small vase | purifies greatest evils and obscurations |
16. Rigngag Tobjom | red | double dorje | destroys bad intentions and their source, ego |
17. Pagmé Nonma | orange | golden stupa | stops violent activites such as robbery, hunting |
18. Maja Chenmo | white | rabbit-marked moon | protects against outer and inner poisons; protects infants and children |
19. Dugkarmo | white | white umbrella | protects from nightmares, disputes, curses |
20. Rito Loma Jonma | saffron | za ma tog | dispels epidemics and deadly illness |
21. Lhamo Ozer Chenma | white | golden fish | protects life force, brings inner radiance;protects animals |
* Each name is prefixed by an honorific title, either Jetsün Drölma or Noble Lady Tara.

Visualizing the Refuge Tree
From “Words of My Perfect Teacher”
Part Two “The Extraordinary Or Inner Preliminaries”
Chapter One “Taking refuge, the foundation stone of all paths”
by Patrul Rinpoche.
Herein excerpt from subsection II. “How to Take Refuge”
According to the Basic Vehicle, one takes refuge in the Buddha as the teacher, in the Dharma as the path, and in the Sangha as companions along the way.
The general method of the extraordinary Secret Mantra Vehicle is to take refuge by offering body, speech and mind to the teacher, taking the yidams as support and the dakinis as companions.
The special, sublime method of the Vajra Essence is to take refuge in the rapid path whereby one uses the channels as the nirmanakãya, trains the energies as the sambhogakaya and purifies the essences as the dharmakaya.
The ultimate and infallible refuge in the indestructible natural state is based on the primal wisdom inherent in the refuge. That wisdom’s essential nature is emptiness; its natural expression is clarity; and its compassion is all-pervasive.” Taking refuge here means to realize in one’s own mindstream, with total confidence, the great inseparability of these three aspects of primal wisdom.
Having gained a clear understanding of all these ways in which refuge should be taken, we now go on to the actual practice of taking refuge.
First, visualize the field of merit in the presence of which you will take refuge.
Consider that the place where you are is all a Buddhafield, beautiful and pleasant, made of all sorts of precious substances. The ground is as smooth as the surface of a mirror, without any hills, valleys or irregularities. In the middle, in front of you, grows a wish-fulfilling tree with five great branches spreading from its trunk. Its perfect leaves, flowers and fruit stretch so far to the east, south, west and north that they fill the entire sky, and every branch and twig is hung with a multitude of entrancing jewels and bells of many kinds.
On the central branch is a jewelled throne upheld by eight great lions. Seated upon the throne, on a seat consisting of a multi-coloured lotus, a sun and a moon, is your own glorious root teacher, incomparable source of compassion, embodiment of all past, present and future Buddhas, appearing in the form of the great Vajradhara of Oddiyana. His body is of a compelling white colour with a rosy gleam. He has one face, two arms and two legs and is seated in the royal posture. In his right hand he holds a golden five-pronged vajra with the threatening gesture. In his left hand, which rests in the gesture of meditation, he holds a skull-cup containing a vase filled with the ambrosia of deathless wisdom. The lid of the vase is topped by a wish-fulfilling tree. He wears a brocade cloak, monastic robes and a long sleeved blue tunic, and on his head the lotus hat. Seated in union with him is his consort, the white däkini Yeshe Tsogyal, holding a hooked knife and a skull cup.
Visualize him like this in the space before you, facing toward you. Above his head are all the lamas of the lineage, seated one above the other, each not quite touching the one below. The teachers of the general tantra transmission are innumerable, but here we visualize particularly the main figures of the Heart-essence lineage of the Great Perfection: Samantabhadra, the dharmakaya; Vajrasattva, the sambhogakaya; Garab Dorje, the nirmanakäya; the master Mañjusrimitra; Guru Sri Simha; the learned Janasûtra; the great pandita, Vimalamitra; Padmasambhava of Oddiyana and his three closest disciples, the King, Subject and Consort – the Dharma king Trisongdetsen, the great translator Vairotsana and the däkini Yeshe Tsogyal; the omniscient Longchen Rabjampa; and Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa. Each of them should be visualized with their own particular ornaments and attributes. They are all surrounded by an inconceivable multitude of yidam deities of the four sections of tantra and by dakas and dakinis.
On the front branch is the Buddha, the Conqueror Sakyamuni, surrounded by the thousand and two perfect Buddhas of this Good Kalpa as well as all the other Buddhas of the past, present and future and of the ten directions. All of them are in the supreme nirmanakya form, garbed in monastic robes, bearing all the thirty-two major marks of Buddhahood – the crown protuberance, the wheels marked on the soles of the feet and so on – and the eighty minor signs. They are seated in the vajra posture. Some are white, some yellow, some red, some green and some blue. Inconceivable rays of light stream forth from their bodies.
On the right-hand branch visualize the eight great Close Sons, headed by the Bodhisattva Protectors of the Three Families – Mañjusri, Vajrapani and Avalokitesvara – and surrounded by the whole noble sangha of Bodhisattvas. They are white, yellow, red, green and blue. They all wear the thirteen ornaments of the sambhogakaya, and are standing with both feet together.
On the left-hand branch visualize the two principal sravakas, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, surrounded by the noble sangha of sravakas and pratyekabuddhas. All are white in colour, and dressed in the three monastic robes. They too are standing, holding their staffs and alms-bowls in their hands.
On the rear branch visualize the Jewel of the Dharma in the form of piles of books. Topmost of them, encased in a attice of lights, are the six million tour hundred thousand tantras of the Great Pertection, the label of each volume facing towards you. All these books appear very clearly and distinctly, and resonate with the spontaneous melody of the vowels and consonants.
Between the branches are all the glorious Dharma-protectors, both the wisdom protectors and the protectors constrained by the effect of their past actions. The male protectors all face outwards; their activity is to prevent outer obstacles from coming in, protecting us from hindrances and conditions unfavourable to practising the Dharma and attaining enlightenment. The female protectors all face inwards; their activity is to keep inner accomplishments from leaking out.
Think of all these figures of refuge, with their immeasurable qualities of knowledge, love and power, leading you as your only great guide.
Imagine that your father in this lifetime is with you on your right and your mother on your left. In front of you, gathered together in an immense crowd covering the surface of the earth, are all beings of the three worlds and the six realms of existence, the first row consisting of all adversaries who detest you and all obstacle makers who harm you, All these beings with you are standing up, with the palms of their hands joined. Expressing respect with your body, do prostrations. Expressing respect with your speech, recite the refuge-prayer. Expressing respect with your mind, cultivate the following thought:
“O Teacher and Three Jewels, whatever happens to me, favourable or unfavourable, pleasant or painful, good or bad, whatever sickness and suffering befall me, I have no other refuge nor protection than you. You are my only protector, my only guide, my only shelter and my only hope. From now on until I reach the very heart of enlightenment, I place all my trust and faith in you. I shall neither seek my father’s counsel, nor ask my mother’s advice, nor decide on my own. It is you, my teacher and the Three Jewels, that I take as my support. It is to you that I make my offerings. I pledge myself to you alone. I have no other refuge, no other hope than you!”
With this burning conviction, recite the following text:
In the Sugatas of the Three Roots, the true Three Jewels,
In the bodhicitta, nature of the channels, energies and essences
And in the mandala of essential nature, natural expression and compassion, I take refuge until I reach the heart of enlightenment.
When the time comes to conclude the session, visualize that your yearning devotion causes innumerable rays of light to stream out from the refuge deities. The rays touch you and all sentient beings, and, like a flock of birds scattered by a slingstone, you all fly up with a whirring sound and dissolve into the assembly of deities.
Then the surrounding deities melt into light, from the outside inwards, and dissolve into the teacher in the centre, embodiment of the three refuges. All the deities above the teacher’s head also dissolve into him.
The teacher then dissolves and vanishes into light. Rest for as long as you can in the primordial state free from all elaboration, the dharmakäya, without any movement of thought.
As you arise from this meditation, dedicate the merit to the infinity of beings with these words:
Through the merit of this practice,
May I swiftly accomplish the Three Jewels
And establish every single being, Without exception, on their level.
Remember the deities of the refuge constantly, in all situations. When you walk, visualize them in space above your right shoulder and imagine that you are circumambulating them. When you sit, visualize them above your head as the support of your prayers. When you eat, visualize them in your throat and offer them the first part of your food or drink. When you sleep, visualize them in your heart centre. This practice is essential to dissolve delusions into clear light.
Whatever you are doing, never separate from a clear mental image of the refuge deities. Entrust yourself with total confidence to the Three Jewels and devote yourself entirely to taking refuge.
On Views

Untold Neglected,
As many Scattered,
Until Gathered
And Collected.
Some Selected,
Others Rejected.
Surmised
To Mind devised,
Perceived contrived.
Visualizing the Accomplishment Mandala
It is impossible to attain the twofold purity of Buddhahood or to realize fully the truth of emptiness without completing the two accumulations of merit and wisdom.
The Conqueror, in his great compassion and with all his skill in means, taught innumerable methods by which the two accumulations can be performed. The best of all these methods is the offering of the mandala.
In this tradition, when making such an offering, we use two separate mandalas: the accomplishment mandala and the offering mandala.
The Accomplishment Mandala
We make offerings in the presence of the accomplishment mandala, which is used rather as one might use a statue of the Buddha. It symbolizes the perfect Buddhafield of the five Buddhas which represent the five wisdoms. As it is these five wisdoms which we wish to accomplish, this mandala is called the accomplishment mandala.
Begin by arranging five [offering] piles on the accomplishment mandala.
The [centre] heap represents Vairochana surrounded by his retinue of many deities of the Buddha lineage.
A second heap in the east (meaning towards yourself) represents Akshobhya and his retinue of deities in the Vajra lineage.
To the south of Vairochana place a third pile of rice representing Ratnasambhava surrounded by deities of the Jewel lineage.
A fourth [offering] behind [the west] Vairochana symbolizes Amitabha and his retinue of the Lotus lineage.
A fifth on Vairochana’s left [the north] represents Amoghasiddhi with his retinue of the Karma lineage.
Another possibility is to visualize the field of merit as in the refuge practice. The central pile would then represent the Great Master of Oddiyana, inseparable from your own root teacher, with all the teachers of the Great Perfection lineage above him, arranged in order, one above the other. The front pile would represent the Buddha Sakyamuni, surrounded by the thousand and two Buddhas of this Good Kalpa. The pile on the right would represent his eight great Close Sons surrounded by the noble sangha of Bodhisattvas, and the pile on the left would represent the Two Principal Srävakas, surrounded by the noble sangha of Sravakas and Prayekabuddhas. The pile at the back would be the Jewel of the Dharma, in the form of stacked-up books encased in a lattice of light rays.
…
In Sanskrit, manda means “essence” or “quintessence” while la means to “hold” or “uphold.” Thus, the word means “the ground that holds essential qualities. Alternatively, if one takes the word as a whole and directly translates it, it means “completely round” or “full circle.” For this reason, it is called kyilkhor (“center and circle”) in Tibetan, referring to a chief figure surrounded by a retinue, or the Transcendent Conqueror Dharma King, along with his retinue and palace. Hence, in this context, a mandala is the ground that upholds supreme qualities and appears as the embodiment of the completely pure support and supported.
…
Subject of Meditation
“Meditation is not on the level of the object but on that of the subject…”
from “Introduction to Tantra” By Lama Thubten Yeshe
What Not and Whatnot

Neither Emptiness negation,
Nor Form affirmation.
No thing to affirm,
Nothing to confirm.
As something nothing,
Nothing some thing.