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(Mahakala’s 7-Syllable Mantra):

OM MAHAKALA HUM PHAT

Sharing Merits and Dedication Through the power of my practice, respect and praise May all sentient beings benefit, where ever they may be, Causing sickness, violence, and poverty to subside, And may Dharma and good omens ever increase.

During this life and in all times,May I have a clear mind, and good traits without pride.Respecting the teachings and having great compassion, May my bond with the glorious Lama continue.

During all lifetimes, may I not be separated from the Lama, And may I enjoy the glory of the Dharma,Having completed the path and stages of wisdom, May I quickly attain the stage of Dorje Chang.

The Meditation

of

Mahakala of the Tent �����������������������������������

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From Drub Thab Kun Du (collected sadhanas) v.9 p.431 (This sadhana is from the Vajra Tent commentary of the Hevajra Tantra. The Great Black Tent Mahakala is mentioned in the

fifth chapter.). Translated by Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche. Formatted by Wolfgang Saumweber 2/2004.

© 2001 by Ewam Choden Buddhist Center, Kensington, California(11/18/01)

Whoever directs toward our venerable, holy Gurus and ourselves, the yogis, a mind of hatred, a mind of anger, a mind of violence, bad intentions and actions—may the bad intentions and actions of those enemies and demons be pacified. If not pacified, then do whatever is necessary to bind the bodies of all of them, bind their voices , bind their minds, and let them shrink with fear!

May their abilities be destroyed! May their magic powers be destroyed! May their power be destroyed! May their recitation of mantras destroy them! May their flesh be eaten by the gods and evil spirits they have propitiated!

Clap your hands three times.

Mantra RecitationThen recite Mahakala’s long mantra (Shasani Dharani):

OM SHRI MAHAKALAYA / SHASANA UPAHARINI / ESHA PACIMAK-ALO / AYAM IDAM RATNA TRAYAYA /APAKARINAM / YADI PRATIJAH SMARASI TADAM / IDAM DUSHTAM KHA KHA / KHAHI KHAHI MARA MARA / GRIHANA GRIHANA / BANDHA BANDHA / HANA HANA / DAHA DAHA / PACA PACA / DINAM-EKENA-MARAYA / HUM HUM PHAT PHAT SVAHA.

(Ekajati’s and Palden Lhamo’s Mantra)

OM RORU RORU VITISHTA BATHOSI KAMALA RAKSASI HUM BHYOH HUM

(Mahakala’s 10-Syllable Mantra)

OM MAHAKALAYA HUM HUM PHAT SVAHA

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After bowing say:

OM PADME KAMA LA YA TOM M

(Offer the Lotus seed: palms together, then open with three fingers up like a lotus petal, right thumb over left.)

Then one makes the sense offerings:

Offerings (offer with the mudras)

OM SHRI MAHAKALA GIRHANEDAM MAHAKALI ARGHAM SVAHA, OM SHRI MAHAKALA GIRHANEDAM MAHAKALI PADYAM SVAHA, OM VAJRA PUSHPE AH HUM SVAHA, OM VAJRA DHUPE AH HUM SVAHA, OMVAJRA ALOKE AH HUM SVAHA, OM VAJRA GANDHE AH HUM SVAHA, OM VAJRA NAIVIDYE AH HUM SVAHA, OM VAJRA SHABDA AH HUM SVAHA. B

Thus offer.

Samaya Mantra & DogpaThen recite with a sure firm visualization of one’s own yidam:

OM SHRI MAHAKALA YA SAMAYA SMARA / SAMAYA MATIKRAMA

SAMAYA RAKSHENDU

OM MAHAKALI DEVI SAMAYA SMARA / SAMAYA MATIKRAMA SAMAYA RAKSHENDU

If you want do the dogpa:

Shri Makala, Brother ans Sister, together with your retinue please accept this vast offering of tormas!

Refuge(Repeat three times)

In the Supreme Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, Until enlightenment, I take refuge.Through perfected wisdom may I attain BuddhahoodFor the sake of all sentient beings.

Enlightenment Thought (Repeat three times)

For the sake of liberating from existence all beings, once mothers; I must obtain complete buddhahood. For that purpose I practice this sadhana of Mahakala.

Four ImmeasurablesMay all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness; May all beings be free of suffering and the cause of suffering; May all beings not be separated from happiness that is without suffering; May all beings be free of attachment and aversion, to near and far, by rest-

ing in equanimity.

Svabhava MantraOM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO

‘HAM.(This clears the mind of all preconceptions.)

VisualizationFrom empty space there appears a beautiful palace built of bones and skeletons. In the center of the palace appears a lotus seat covered by an orange cushion or sun disc. On top of this is a corpse, yellow reddish in color with the head turned to the right side. Place yourself as a dark-blue syllable HUM on top of the corpse. From this HUM extend rays of light with the intention to conquer and subdue all evils. The light then re-absorbs into the HUM and you visualize yourself as Shri Vajra Mahakala forcefully exuding and gushing red-orange flames like the sun.

Mahakala is black and has one face and two arms. In his right hand he is holding a crooked knife (drigug) and in his left hand a blood-filled skull cup. Both are held at his heart, the knife on top of the skull cup as if cutting the top of the skull cup, right hand over left. Across his arms is a gandhri (wooden gong used to call

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the monks to prayer) with jewels on both ends having magical implications. His hair is yellow and flows upwards and he has three eyes. The third eye, the wisdom eye, is the left eye turned on its side and placed in the middle of the forehead. He has a crown of five skulls (denoting the Five Wisdoms). He wears a necklace of fifty freshly cut heads still dripping blood (denoting the emptiness and imperma-nence of life), six bone ornaments decorating his body, snake belts and bracelets (signifying having conquered the Naga realm of the subconscious). He wears a tiger-skin loincloth (representing the ancient idea of a warrior costume and having the strength of an animal able to survive in a jungle or forest) and fluttering garments of all kinds hanging from his waist. He has a dwarfish quality, like a wrathful midget sitting on top of the corpse (the corpse denotes the death of some mental state or interior obstacle).

He is surrounded by his retinue of messengers and helpers. On the right side are black birds, on his left black dogs, and in front a black man; above his head, eagles are soaring. His head is crowned with a vajra, the wisdom of Akshobya—the clear mirror-like wisdom. A fire of wisdom surrounds him, his own manifestation of wisdom purifying everything.

To the left of Mahakala is Ekajati, the wisdom aspect of the wrathful Buddha. Her seed syllable is TRAM. The color of her body is blue, with one face and two arms, both holding a vase filled with nectar at her heart. She is wearing a white shawl and a tiger-skin loincloth. Her long dark hair is tied up on the left side. She has a wrathful expression. Her eyes are almost completely closed—the emphasis is on the third eye (the wisdom eye) which is open.

Inside her vast belly, from TRAK, comes an ocean of blood, in the center of which, from BHYOH, comes Palden Lhamo, the Victorious Goddess, dark-blue in color, riding a donkey, with one face, three eyes, and four arms. The first right hand holds a sword, the

second a blood-filled skull cup, her first left a spear and the second left a trident (trishula). She wears a crown of five skulls, a necklace of fifty freshly cut skulls, the six bone ornaments decorating her body, an elephant-skin shawl, a cow-hide skirt, a petticoat woven of human hair, and a girdle made of a snake-skins. She has a human corpse between her teeth, and her right ear is adorned with a poisonous snake, her left with a lion. Her body is strong and thin and is decorated with blood spots painted in circles with surrounding designs made of grease or fat. Human ash from the cemetery is pow-dered all over her body. From her navel shine the sun and the moon surrounded by female beasts, dakinis, flesh-eaters who are her retinue of helpers. She is sing-ing a joyful song: HUM BHYOH. At her forehead is the syllable OM, at her throat AH, at her heart HUM. From this HUM light rays invoke Mahakala who is in the heart of Vairochana dwelling in Wogim (the Tushita Heaven).

InvocationSay:

OM VAJRA SAMAJAH M

(snap the fingers and cross the right hand over left, and visualize Mahakali in her natural dwelling place of ultimate space.)

Take the vajra and bell and in praise of Mahakala - Mahakali say:

HUM GOMPO KUN SHIG DENLAG SHENGDATA NGYINGMA NGAYAI DU SHIGSHING SHUPAY NE NGAN YANG SHUCKYA TENPA SUNGWA TANG DAG CHAG NALA PANDAG CHYIR NEDI NGYIDU SHIG SU SO

BYO GOMPO KUN SHIG DENLAG SHENG DATA NGYINGMA NGAYAI DU SHIGSHING SHUPAY NE NGAN YANG SHUCKYA TENPA SUNGWA TANGDAG CHAG NALA PANDAG CHYIR NEDI NGYIDU SHIG SU SO

[Come Protector, arise from the seed. Now in this degenerate time,Even though this place is not Good for you to come and stay.

But for the sake of protecting The teachings of the Buddha, And in order to help us,Please come to this place.]

(perform the vajra mudra with vajra and bell: ringing the bell in the left hand; hold the vajra in the right hand straight up and move in a circle to the left gracefully. At OM SHRI, bow the head.) B M

OM SHRI MAHAKALA E HYE HI NYE / DZA HUM BAM HO