The Main Recitation Manual for the Female Practice

of the Queen of Great Bliss

from the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
by Jigme Lingpa

Mother of the victorious ones of the three times together with their heirs,
Display of the indestructible Lady of basic space,
Queen of Great Bliss— to you I pay homage!
Grant me the two types of accomplishment!

If you wish to practice the approach and accomplishment phases of the female
practice of Yumka, then go to a special and sacred place where the ḍākinīs gather.
Arrange a maṇḍala of coloured sand or a painted cloth [in the shape of] a half-circle
with one door (facing towards you). In the centre, draw a red dharmodaya1 marked
by a baṃ syllable. Upon that, place an excellent vessel with alcohol and Dharma
medicine2 and sprinkle it with sindūra. If you intend to practice for a long time, seal
the opening of the vessel with ghee; alternatively, it is also appropriate to fill it with
dry substances such as jewels, cowrie shells, essences of medicines, and various
excellent seeds. On top of that, place a mirror coated with sindūra, and draw a
crossed dharmodaya with a syllable baṃ in its centre using the menstrual blood of a
virgin.3 Beginning at the front and proceeding in an anti-clockwise direction, draw
one of the syllables jñā na vā rā hī hūṃ at each corner. Then place a crystal and red
canopy on top. Finally, arrange outer and inner offerings all around.

Sit facing west, looking towards the pure realm of Uḍḍiyāna. Begin by taking refuge
and arousing the mind set upon awakening (bodhicitta). Then focus your attention
on the meaning of the generation and completion phases. All appearances are none
other than the nature of the five elements: in the space of the five female buddhas
they are primordially awakened. From a tantra:

Earth and water are Buddhalocanā and Māmakī,

Fire and wind are Pāṇḍarāvasinī and Samayatārā,
Space is Dhātviśvarī;
The three realms of existence are primordially the realm of awakening.4

While keeping in mind how all appearance and existence is naturally perfected as
the pure realm of the ḍākinīs, clearly visualize the appearance aspect of the
reflection-like manifestations of the palace and deity, while keeping the meaning of
the words in mind. There is a tradition that explains the supports as the channels,
essences, and wind-energies, and the supported as the twenty-four sacred places and
thirty-two sacred lands, such as Jālandhara on the crown.5 The hosts of maṇḍalas of

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the various tantras are complete within the space of the deity's body. Those with
superior faculties will understand the meaning of this, those with medium faculties
will take aspiration as the path, and those with lesser faculties will train in clearly
visualizing the main and wisdom deity. That is the general explanation.

Now, the essential heart-instructions for the approach phase are as follows. In your
heart is the wisdom deity Vajravārāhī, dark blue in colour. With her right hand she
holds a curved knife aloft in the sky and with her left hand she holds a skull-cup
filled with blood at the level of her heart. Her right leg is bent with the heel pointed
towards her bhaga. Her left leg is extended and tramples on the heart of a corpse
that is laid upon a lotus and sun-disk seat. She is naked and adorned with the five
mudrās and six bone ornaments. Behind her ear is the grunting face of a sow. In her
heart is a four-part coil of joy, which turns and spins anti-clockwise. In its centre is a
baṃ syllable surrounded by the twelve seed-syllables of the root mantra, which
resemble coral anointed with oil.

Concentrate on this arrangement and meditate until the body of the deity appears
clearly. Once you have achieved such clear appearance, visualize the mantra-garland
radiating with light-rays that shine out from the crown of your head and invoke the
wisdom mind of the Lord of the family. He is pleased by the offerings of bliss-
emptiness. Rays of light radiate from him and fill the whole of space, making
offerings to buddhas residing in their pure realms, who are also moved and pleased
thereby. The light gathers back into you, and you attain the two kinds of
accomplishment. Light radiates out once again,6 purifying the suffering—together
with its causes—of all six classes of beings in the three realms. Saṃsāra is
transformed, and you should consider that even its name becomes non-existent. Rest
your mind in emptiness.

Then, a stream of nectar flows from the guru, the Lord of the family. As you
continue to visualize yourself clearly as the ḍākinī, the nectar arrives at your crown
and you experience joy; it arrives at your throat and you experience supreme joy; it
arrives at your heart bringing special joy; and when it arrives at your secret place,
innate wisdom. Impurities of your channels, essences, and wind-energies are
purified, and you gain special qualities. In this way, you obtain the four
empowerments of all the classes of tantra of the secret mantra vehicle and purify the
four obscurations. This is a very profound point. The process brings more joy than
thousands of feast-gatherings, and entirely fulfils the purpose of hundreds of
thousands of self-initiations and empowerments. Impairments, breakages, negative
actions, and downfalls are purified, and you become a fit vessel for the great
accomplishment. The powerful radiance of awareness expands, and experiences and
realization naturally increase. Since [Vajrayoginī] is the source of all things and the
mother of all the victorious ones, all the maṇḍalas of the various sections of the
tantras are complete within her body. By accomplishing her practice, all auspicious
interdependent circumstances of the profound and swift path of secret mantra will

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come together.

As for the number of recitations: in order to be able to perform the activities, recite a
hundred thousand for each syllable.7 For the approach phase, when based on the
number of mantras, you need to multiply that by four.8 In order to perfect the
practice, you need to practice until signs arise. The signs of the recitation are as the
main text9 says:

Although signs of accomplishment are inconceivable in number,

The supreme sign is to possess an unwavering wisdom mind.

The supreme accomplishment and special realization will dawn in your mind,
bringing ordinary accomplishments, such as the eight great accomplishments, and
minor accomplishments, such as the three gatherings—that is, gathering people
during the day, ḍākinīs during the night, and sustenance at all times.

In the breaks between sessions, perform activities in accordance with the general
tradition of secret mantra. The amendment of the fire offering must be understood
from other texts.

In response to the insistent request of Palding Jetsün Drung, I, the vidyādhara Khyentsé
Lha, swiftly wrote this.

| Translated by Han Kop, 2019, with the guidance of Tulku Dawa Zangpo of Chorten Gompa, for the
Longchen Nyingtik Project. Edited by Aaron Coote.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions
'Jigs med gling pa. "Yum ka bde chen rgyal mo'i rtsa ba’i bsnyen yig", ingSung
'bum/_'Jigs med gling pa/（sde dge par ma). 9 Vols. BDRC W27300. Gangtok, India:
Pema Thinley for Dodrupchen Rinpoche, 1985. Vol. 7: 237–41.

___ . "yum ka bde chen rgyal mo'i rtsa ba’i bsnyen yig", in gSung 'bum/_'Jigs med
gling pa (a 'dzom par ma/ 'brug spa gro la bskyar par brgyab pa/). 14 Vols. BDRC
W7477. A 'dzom chos sgar par khang, 1999?. Vol. 10: 271–75.

___ . "yum ka bde chen rgyal mo'i rtsa ba’i bsnyen yig", in gSung 'bum/_'Jigs med
gling pa. 9 Vols. BDRC W1KG10193. Gangtok, Sikkim: Sonam T. Kazi, 1970-1975.
Vol. 7: 365–70.

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___ . "yum ka bde chen rgyal mo'i rtsa ba’i bsnyen yig", in klong chen snying thig rtsa
pod. 5 Vols. BDRC W1KG13585. Bodhnath, Kathmandu and Bodhgaya, Bihar:
Shechen Publications, 1994. Vol. 1: 313–19.

___ . "yum ka bde chen rgyal mo'i rtsa ba’i bsnyen yig", in Rig ’dzin ’Jigs med gling
pa’i gsung ’bum. 9 Vols. China: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang & Bod ljongs bod
yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang, 2018.

1. Literally 'the source (udaya) of all phenomena (dharma)'. It is triangular in

shape and represents the space out of which all phenomena arise. Often two
triangles are combined to form a star (like the Star of David) known as ‘a
crossed dharmodaya’, which is marked with the sign of the deity. ↩

2. I.e., ambrosia (Skt. amṛta). ↩

3. Normally either sindūra or red pigment is used. ↩

4. The Secret Essence Tantra (Skt. Guhyagarbha Tantra), chapter two. ↩

5. Tulku Dawa Zangpo explains that the support can also refer to the body of the
deity and the supported to the twenty-four sacred places and thirty-two sacred
lands, and the channels, essences and wind-energies. ↩

6. Tulku Dawa adds that the light radiates from you, visualized as Vajrayoginī. ↩

7. Since there are twelve syllables, this means 1.2 million. ↩

8. This then amounts to 4.8 million. ↩

9. A Glorious Garland of Great Bliss—the Fundamental, Female Practice of Tsogyal,

the Queen of Great Bliss (yum ka mtsho rgyal bde chen rgyal mo'i sgrub pa bde
chen dpal phreng). ↩

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