Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Oliphant DPhil 2015
Oliphant DPhil 2015
Supervisors:
Professor Charles Ramble and Dr Ulrike Roesler
I
ABSTRACT
Wolfson College
The Tibetan practice of bcud len, or ‘extracting the essence’, has been for long a
neglected aspect of Tibetan medical and spiritual knowledge with scattered evidence and
little certainty regarding its origins or the extent of its effective presence, either in the
past or at currently. In this study, seventy-three texts have been identified and tabulated.
Of these, sixty-seven have been summarised and commented on, and five of these, each
representative of one type of the practice, have been translated in full. All but a handful
The research findings suggest that, whatever its influences from Indian, Chinese
or other medical cultures, bcud len soon evolved into a distinctively Tibetan method of
life enhancement, with teachings that emphasise both spiritual and medical aims and the
The content of the texts indicates that the term bcud len can be applied legitimately to
practices involving ritually empowered pills and elixirs which are ingested, respiratory
and yogic exercises, dietary restrictions and rituals involving mantra recitation,
visualisation and yab yum union with a consort, in that all these are considered to be
The teachings offer extensive material for those interested in the evolution
and contemporary practice of Tibetan medicine, especially its botanical aspects, and
for historians of ritual. In particular, the texts provide ample evidence of the lineage
tradition in Tibetan religious culture, citing examples of transmissions through gter ma,
whereby teachings are preserved in secret to be recovered at a future date by a gter ton
or treasure revealer.
The final section contains conversations with Tibetan doctors, lamas and
contemporary practitioners of bcud len in Asia and the West that complement recent
ethnographic studies in the field testifying to the continuing vitality of the tradition.
III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In its long evolution, this project has benefited from the insights and kind assistance
of many lamas, scholars, doctors and librarians, from Oxford to Dharamsala and
Kathmandu.
doctoral studies. The clarity of his observations at every stage opened new perspectives
and greatly enriched the work. I thank him profusely for his generosity in giving me the
owes everything to the patient explanations of em chi Tenzin Sherab, expert physician
in Kathmandu with a thorough practical and theoretical knowledge of bcud len; em chi
Phuntshog Wangmo, erudite director of the School of Tibetan Medicine of the Shang
widely known as a skilful diagnostician and leader of medical courses and retreats.
Thank you also to the seven generous contributors who give life to Chapter 5
with their conversations, sharing, variously, their professional experiences and personal
histories in relation to bcud len, thus adding a necessary present day dimension to
our discussion: in order of the appearance of their articles, Jamyang Khyentse Norbu,
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, Dr. Sherab Tenzin, Elio Guarisco, Sangay Tsering, Dr. Nida
The detailed criticisms of Dr Robert Mayer and Dr Martin Boord at early stages
were of great help in shaping and refining the study. For his invaluable observations and
VI
generous support in the final stages I thank Dr Lama Jabb. I am also deeply grateful to
the late Anthony Aris as I am among the fortunate in Tibetan studies who benefited from
his constant encouragement and erudite comments. Jeff Watt’s penetrating insights into
This study in both its form and content owes much to Dr George FitzHerbert,
Gerke, with her impressive knowledge of Tibetan medical history pointed out my
encouragement and calls to rigour this study would very probably not have been
completed.
In my pursuit of elusive sources, the librarians of our University (in particular the
indefatigable Charles Manson), as well as of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
help.
complex passages of certain texts and I wish to thank them thoroughly. Professor
Fabian Sanders of the Ca’ Foscari University in Venice and Mr Tsering Gongkatsang
both made valuable suggestions and pointed out my errors and misinterpretations in
translations. Dr. James Valby shared precious information about passages on bcud len in
I also am deeply grateful to two men with a love for Tibetan literature and interest
Tibetan language teacher who has become a sngag pa, a layman who dedicates his
life to tantric practice. The other, Sangay Dorje, is a soft-spoken very kind Nepalese
monk based in Singapore who perfectly embodies Buddhist values. Both these men
I would also like to thank the lively Julia Sprishevska for her contagious
enthusiasm for medical matters, a product of her seven years of study with Dr. Sherab
Tenzin; and her help in understanding the four bcud len texts of ’Ju Mipham, a special
I thank especially Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, perhaps the leading living authority
on bcud len, who introduced me to its practice and pointed me to the first texts that I
translated. His outstanding contributions to Tibetan studies and his profound knowledge
helped me in my on-going project in every possible way and with great patience.
My gratitude also goes to the many people not thanked personally but who were
of appreciated support.
It goes without saying that the responsibility for any lacunae or misunderstanding
is entirely my own.
IX
table of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Bibliography ..........................................................................................................405
Glossary ..................................................................................................................422
chapter 1: IntroductIon
1.1 Aims
The aim of this research project has been to examine both past and continuing practice
of the method of bcud len in its various forms in ‘the Tibetan world’, identifying its
distinguishing characteristics and tracing its dissemination. The bcud len practice
deserves detailed critical examination. There has long been a need to draw together the
findings of scholars working from different angles whose work is beginning to intersect.
The project has assumed greater urgency with the passing of leading practitioners and,
due to the prevailing political situation, the increasing difficulty of gaining access to
regenerative medical practices (see sections 2.1, 2.2) and, as is the case whenever
chapter, where the research questions that framed my enquiry are presented and I
discuss the methodological and ethical issues arising from the research. The extent and
nature of the sources used are then described in section 1.5 and again, more specifically,
in Chapter 3.
Chapter 3 provides a listing of all the texts that I have encountered that make more
than a passing reference to bcud len. I have summarized many of the extant bcud len
texts contained in the table, but due to the constraints of time, it has not been possible
2
to obtain, translate and summarize them all. As researchers continue to make new texts
available, I hesitate to claim that all existing texts are included, but in this study I have
gathered, analysed and presented all that I have found. In the chart in 3.3.2 I indicate
the provenance and authorship of each text wherever possible. Section 3.3 contains
an introductory essay identifying the salient features in the compendium’s texts. In the
subsequent section, 3.3.4 I have provided a summary of contents and identified the
Tibetan Studies in that more texts are being found and translated as momentum gathers
most important from the texts. The reader will note an interesting variety of methods
and substances to be employed in bcud len practices, including the use of human flesh
and sexual practices. The texts range from those with more mundane declared aims
that instruct the practitioner on the mastery of the subtle body through mantras, yogic
techniques and visualisations, all representative of a rich and diverse bcud len tradition.
The table in 3.3.2 is intended to provide a reference framework for future research and
to contextualise the works given more detailed examination in section 3.3.4. In 3.2 other
In Chapter 4, there are five selected bcud len texts not hitherto translated. I
examine the lexical components, imagery and structuring principles of these texts
and have paid particular attention to such questions as the variation in the medicinal
compounds prescribed. I also comment on the forms of offerings and the nature of the
who receive them. The rituals described offer interesting examples of the
3
by Rgyal mtshan dpal bzang (1310-1391) in his Bcud len sna tshogs. Later, similar
references are found in texts by Blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma (1737-1802) and Nyag
bla padma bdud ’dul (1816-1872) in his text Man ngag sku gsum bcud len ’ja’ lus rdo
rje’i skye brnyes (see more on these in 3.3.4). Frances Garrett (2010) has discussed the
question of whether this instruction to partake of human flesh was intended literally or,
as certain scholars have suggested, was meant more figuratively. Garrett tends to the
former interpretation and points out that human flesh is seen to represent ‘the distilled
quintessence of the body’. She also indicates that while the tradition includes
the use of excrement, semen and blood, human flesh is not mentioned (Garrett 2010:
316-18). This is a factor to consider in evaluating the roots and the distinctive nature of
Tibetan bcud len practices, where references to human flesh appear both as an ingredient
and an element in visualisations. The references to this aspect of bcud len in the
collected texts presented below suggest that both literal and metaphorical instructions
were given.
Apart from their value to the growing body of research on ritual, the texts possess
an intrinsic literary value as they have what Lalou calls a ‘prodigious lyricism in both
One of the most demanding tasks has been to resolve issues of authorship,
especially within the gter ma genre. One has to be constantly aware of the implications
when similarities are found between bcud len texts. In an article discussing gter ma
literature in general, Robert Mayer has pointed out (Mayer 2010) how establishing gter
4
ma authorship is highly complex because of the nature of its transmission. His points
are most relevant and useful in the analysis of bcud len literature. I have tried to note
similarities and differences in the texts and to deduce patterns where, for example,
bcud len practices. This section contains a series of conversations with living
len compounds, and bcud len practitioners themselves. These conversations with
acknowledged masters and adepts of the bcud len tradition have been recorded,
transcribed and edited, so as to provide insight into contemporary bcud len practices.
When searching through Tibetan dictionaries, such as that compiled by Lokesh Chandra,
for the translation of bcud len, I found the most precise and helpful entry to be in the
RY) Rejuvenation practice; extracting the essence; . One of the eight common
siddhis/accomplishments {thun mong gi dngos grub brgyad} extraction of nutrients, [the
art of] extracting essence, alchemy. A means of extracting the elixir of minerals from the
earth and subsisting upon it. Essence-extract, extracting essences, extraction of nutrients;
alchemy/extracting the quintessence.
In the Rangjung Yeshe Dictionary, as in many others, the term appeared. This
Bcud len consists of varied methods whose goal is to extract, through alchemical
1
Online: http://www.nitartha.org accessed on February 15th 2011
5
processes, ritual and contemplation, nutrition or ‘essence’ from sources which may
include plants, flowers, barks and roots, rock, sperm and blood, and human flesh as
well as other less tangible substances, such as the ‘essence of space’ and the stars. There
are also texts describing how the practitioner’s subtle energies can be reinvigorated
through sexual practice, both actual and visualised in the mind of the yogin. These I
have included within this spectrum. Thus, the extraction can be compounded either with
actual solid, tangible objects or imagined in the meditator’s mind. The underlying idea
is to transmute the extracted essence into a ‘nectar’ bdud rtsi that the practitioner will
use for his or her sustenance. Mantra recitation and visualisations of particular deities
empower the substances to make them ‘divine’.2 Bcud len exercises and techniques can
respiratory and physical. Unlike many other meditative practices, which focus mostly
on mental exercises and visualisations, in the practice of bcud len the physical body
is given great importance and concoctions are prepared according to the practitioner’s
physical typology. The medicinal goal of certain texts is to nourish the body’s strength
and organs and to increase longevity. The focus of the bcud len texts with a more
attaining various other dngos grub, ‘attainments’. These include ‘pushing out’ white
hair and a ‘miraculous’ riddance of wrinkles. As the evidence of this study indicates, in
Tibetan literature one can find reference to several variations of bcud len whose purpose
is to allow the practitioner to live on negligible amounts of food, thereby purifying the
body and its energy flow and sharpening mental focus on his or her path to Buddhahood.
2
Dzongsar Khyentse, oral communication.
6
medical terms (Gerke 2012b: 21-22). Bcud len itself has been applied to practices of
many types and with diverse aims. Bcud can have various meanings, including essence,
elixir or simply nutrient or even drink. It might also be used as part of a name of a tonic
(Gerke 2012a: 197). Medicinal preparations easily obtained from am chi can therefore
be referred to as bcud len. On the other hand, there are highly secret tantric practices
of bcud len where individuals, exercising contemplative skills, use the visualisation of
the deity and the recitation of mantras with internal yogic breathing exercises in their
quest for enlightenment. As Geoffrey Samuel points out, ‘The central issue for Tantric
practitioners is how one uses a particular system as a meditational device for personal
transformation or other ritual ends’ (Samuel 2013:41). The texts in this thesis are mostly
The practice of bcud len never became institutionalised and was not a communal
spiritual practice. Bcud len often has no clear linear transmission lineage and few
histories of bcud len practitioners are recorded, since the meditative practice was
probably carried out in retreat, often by hermits. The meditators lived in solitude and
with limited access to food; therefore certain practices were designated for those who
sought sustenance while avoiding social interaction. This complicates the formulation of
neat generalised conclusions regarding the purposes of the practice of bcud len and the
transmission, since records refer to a highly particular form of teaching that some more
‘earthbound’ scholars have found difficult to accept. The term gter ma, which can be
which has been deliberately concealed in a specific place and then discovered and
extracted from that place, or ‘treasury’, by a gter ston,3 who then expounds the teaching
anew.
The gter ma has been a bone of contention in academic discourse, with a strong
not within the scope of this study to examine that particular adversarial discourse; what
is said below on the nature and characteristics of the gter ma is based on the acceptance
of the legitimacy of its origin. The notion of gter ma is especially associated with
the early Rnying ma masters who used this method for the transmission of advanced
teachings, and has often been refuted or challenged by the other schools,4 although
5
The principal source of the gter ma teachings of the Rnying
to Tibet by King Trisong Detsen (Khri Srong lde btsan) in the eighth century to help
3
Note that in the Bon tradition a gter ston, or treasure revealer, is not necessarily a predestined one.
4
The exponents of the ’Bka rgyud, Sa skya and Dge lugs new (gsar ma) schools follow the New
Tantra tradition (eleventh century) and historically have often doubted the authenticity of the gter ma
tradition of the Ancient Tantras, despite the fact that some famed gter ston, such as the Fifth Dalai Lama
and the Third Karmapa, for example, have manifested in their ranks.
5
For example the
( ) that shows how all phenomena lack intrinsic existence or self-nature. It was concealed by the
Buddha in the (klu) realm, (the waters inhabited by cruel, powerful, fabulously wealthy half-serpent,
8
his consort, Ye shes mtsho rgyal,6 and other masters close to him, are said to have
elements (sa) in Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan and the depths of the mind (dgongs) of their
destined disciples.7 These were to be discovered and revealed at the appropriate time for
types.8 Of the two main categories, the first is the earth gter ma (sa gter). These are
sacred religious objects or scriptures hidden in the earth, rocks, water, trees, temples,
images or sky, and which then become invisible and indestructible through the power of
the blessing of Padmasambhava and the protection of the gter ma guardians; the second
are the mind gter ma (dgongs gter) which are concealed and then arise once more,
awakened spontaneously in the essential nature of the mind of the gter ston.
I include for discussion in this thesis gter ma bcud len texts attributed to Guru
Rinpoche and Ye shes mtsho rgyal that have been revealed over the ages by several
different treasure revealers. In the overview in Chapter 3, they are dated according to the
date of the respective gter ston, because it is through the activity of these gter ston that
The term ‘Bon’, or its adjectival form ‘Bon po’, appears in this study, often in
6
Padmasambhava’s close disciple. She compiled the major part of his teachings.
7
The first of the special treasure transmissions; gtad rgya: the transmission of aspirational
empowerment or the mind-mandate transmission, which is the transmission of teachings from the
enlightened mind of Padmasambhava to the luminous natural awareness of the minds of his disciples.
8
According to the gter ston Sangye Lingpa (1340-1396): the fourfold group of Secret (gsang),
Profound (zab), Mind (thugs) and Intentional (dgongs) Treasures; the fourfold group of Material (rdzas),
Life-Supporting (bla), Minor (phran) and Liberating by Taste (myong) Treasures; the fourfold group
of Indian (rgya), Tibetan (bod), Lordly (rje) and Father (yab) Treasures; the threefold group of Mother
(yum), Neuter (ma-ning) and Outer (phyi) Treasures and last the group of Inner (nang), Middling (bar)
and Wealth (nor-gter) Treasures (Dudjom Rinpoche 1969).
9
are discussed. Bon has many similarities to Buddhism in doctrines and practice. It
was for a long time, however, described by Western scholars as an unorthodox, and
‘shamanism’ or animism. There is now greater awareness that the two sets of beliefs and
their practices are historically interwoven, which makes earlier simplistic delineations
less acceptable (Kvaerne 2000: 7-19, Guenther 1996: 5, Karmay 2007: 55ff., Kvaerne
1995: 9ff.). Kvaerne offers a succinct account of the interpretations surrounding the
term. He endorses the Tibetan Buddhist view of Bon as a separate religion with an
unbroken tradition on the criteria of ‘religious authority, legitimation and history rather
than on rituals, metaphysical doctrine and monastic discipline’ (Kvaerne 1995: 10).
The Bonpo claim that their original scriptures come from Stag gzig and were written in
the language of Zhang zhung.9 The founder of what became the most widespread Bon
spiritual lineage was Shenrab Miwoche, who lived in western Tibet in the proximity of
Mount Tise. In attributing texts, including bcud len treatises, to either Bon or Buddhist
sources, it must be borne in mind that in periods of intolerance against everything non-
Indian, texts were often given a Sanskrit title and terms were switched to render the text
subtle body’. This elusive concept and the recent attempts to define it are discussed in
section 2.1 below. Essentially every sentient being is said to be endowed with a subtle
body that comprises channels, winds and drops (rtsa, rlung, thig le). (rtsa) is the
term for physical and subtle channels in the Indian system. The Hindu and Buddhist
9
See Section 2.1 regarding debate on its existence and, where this is acknowledged, its possible
classification.
10
ideas are similar but not identical. Even within the Tantric Buddhist systems, there are
variations in descriptions of the subtle body and the meaning and placement of the rtsa,
rlung and thig le, which can vary according to the specific Tantric system involved, such
The Tibetan terms are renderings of respective Sanskrit terms. Geoffrey Samuel’s
extensive work on the subtle body referred to in Chapter 2 examines these distinctions.
According to all major systems of traditional Asian medicine – Chinese, Indian and
Tibetan – vital forces flow through a network of these subtle channels traversing the
flows. The Tibetan term rtsa carries meanings which include channel, passageway,
root and cause, and refers to both physical channels like nerves, veins and arteries
and subtle or immaterial or energy channels. Three main channels - central, left
and right – run through the body, from the crown of the head to the lower part of the
trunk. The central dbu ma channel is connected to the two lateral ro ma and rkyang ma
lunar energy. It is found on the right side in men and on the left side in women. The red
rkyang ma channel corresponds to solar energy. It is on the left side in men, and on the
right in women. In the literature of the gsar ma schools the position of the channels is
A variety of exercises engaging the subtle body are used by practitioners to reach
enlightenment (byang chub) through the unblocking of obstacles in the flow of vital
breath current or . is our physical breath and the essence of life itself, our
energy, power and life force. One must note that the Tibetan term rlung at times can
Another recurring word in the texts is kumbhaka (bum pa can), a special method
of ‘holding the breath’. The regular practice of kumbhaka helps to coordinate breathing.
The Tibetan term bum pa can is an exact translation of the Sanskrit term and literally
At the outset of this project I focused on the following questions to provide a framework
for my investigation. Chapter 6 of this work offers comments on the degree to which
1. Is bcud len, in both its spiritual and medical aspects, an independent tradition or is it
inextricably linked, by the nature of its origins, to other sets of practices such as rtsa rlung
and a minor component in a greater yogic tradition?
The research of Yang Ga (2010, 2014), discussed below, has brought greater specificity
to debate on the question of the existence of a Tibetan medical tradition prior to the
arrival of the main Indian works that influenced its development. He stresses how
important it remains to Tibetans to ‘emphasize the value of Tibetan culture and identity
the diversity of the sources of Tibetan medical culture has helped to create a consensus
that a melange of influences came into play (Yoeli-Tlalim 2013). In the light of their
in the texts translated that can be seen as reflections of the particular legacies of Indian,
breathing, yogic exercises such as Yantra Yoga, gtum mo, mantra recitation, visualisation
and meditative exercises, sexual practices?
There remains some ambiguity about what might be termed a bcud len practice. My
intention was to find and analyse evidence of each of the above in the translated texts in
order to suggest a more comprehensive, and at the same time more specific definition.
3. What is the medical value of the medicinal compounds per se? Are certain substances
employed purely because they are considered ‘auspicious’? To what degree is ritual
This line of enquiry has aimed to evaluate the importance of ritual empowerment in the
bcud len practices analysed by examining the incidence and nature of ritual instruction
4. Having analysed these examples of bcud len literature, is it possible to speak of distinctive
forms and functions of bcud len
Here, the aim has been to identify possible correlations between deities and specific
5. What are contemporary attitudes towards bcud len? Is the tradition experiencing a
renaissance in monastic communities or elsewhere in Tibetan Buddhist practice? Is there a
tangible interest amongst Western Buddhist or Bonpo practitioners?
The conversations held with the interlocutors were intended to inquire into a resurgence
of interest in the practice. The range of interlocutors reflected the broad appeal of the
practice.
Textual research is the key component of this project. The available bcud len texts
are often somewhat ambiguous, since the reader does not have the benefit of the
13
complexity, the researcher should be equipped with some familiarity with the Tibetan
medical system and its underlying premises. The complexity of Tibetan medical terms
was made very clear in the late R.E Emmerick’s analysis of terms used in a single
chapter of the Rgyud bzhi (Emmerick 1975). As research into previously neglected
branches expands and connections between different sources are explored, the need
in the future might be, as Barbara Gerke suggests, for interdisciplinary teamwork as
scholars would work alongside Tibetan translators and editors (Gerke 2012b: 21-22).
Apart from the linguistic challenges, the researcher needs some understanding of
notions of the subtle body and the esoteric practices connected to it, and at least some
acquaintance with esoteric Buddhist, Bonpo and Dzogchen concepts. Thus, prior to
embarking on the translation and scrutiny of selected texts, I read the relevant secondary
literature, and the second and third chapters provide an overview of existing related
research.
One ethical issue that arises in working with sacred texts, especially those
dealing with esoteric practices, is that of the samaya (thugs kyi dam tshig), the sacred
companions and practice. Although I have not received the teachings contained in
the translated texts directly, I feel that there is a justification on historical grounds for
creating and preserving in translation a cultural treasure that has been neglected, and
that might have otherwise remained in obscurity. Those sufficiently interested to have
read the teachings included will know that they are transmitted by lineage and require
10
In order for a tantric practice, and the mantras contained therein, to be effective a master must
transmit the practice by reading the text aloud to his disciple.
14
empowerment to be practised with effect. In certain cases, the fact that the texts located
were printed from woodblocks suggests that the particular teachings were not destined
publication. Secondly, there is the question of whether publication will cause harm or
suffering or endanger others. Bridges suggests furthermore that the researcher must ask
whether any vulnerable individuals or groups of people are exploited, and whether the
Thought should also be given to the circumstances under which data is collected
and to the sharing of the fruits of research. Where there is value to the community
affected by the enquiry, copies of the published findings should be given to participants
by researchers. The study undertaken here involved the risk of offending participants’
religious sensibilities and care has been taken to avoid the inherent dangers indicated
above. For instance, wherever particularly arcane mantras appear in translated passages,
1.5 Sources
The relatively few references to bcud len in Western secondary sources on Tibetan
medicine has been pointed out in more detail in Chapter 2, although Emmerick’s
15
translation of a bcud len practice in Chapter 90 of the Rgyud bzhi (Emmerick 1990)
did stir more interest in this lesser known aspect of Tibetan medical practice. Gerke’s
recent works (2012a and 2013a) have established bcud len as an important hitherto
works in translation, such as the seventeenth century A Mirror of Beryl (Gso ba rig pa’i
translations of bcud len texts in Chapter 3. Visual evidence has also been of use. The set
of seventy-nine thangkas, commissioned by the Great Fifth Dalai Lama’s regent Sangye
Gyatso (1653-1705) to illustrate the latter work contains two thangkas of particular
interest that illustrate the greater and the lesser elixirs of rejuvenation (Williamson and
bcud len, including Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, who revealed the bcud len practice of
Mandarava (Norbu 1999) as well as with doctors who currently compound the medical
substances.
The main source for the present study, however, is the collection of seventy-three
bcud len texts that I present and analyse. Chapter 3 contains a rubric of extant bcud len
texts, composed over an arc of several centuries and authored by masters affiliated with
Tibet’s various religious schools from a range of localities in Tibet. These texts help to
The primary sources that form the basis of these two chapters were gathered from
3, no distinct bcud len chronological lineage exists; thus texts needed to be gathered
16
from broader works by individual authors. Initially, scholars and Tibetan masters
pointed me towards bcud len texts, which I then sought out in their authors’ broader
works. My search for bcud len texts has taken me to various institutions and libraries
across Europe and Asia. I have tried, whenever possible, to locate the gathered texts
on the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center website and to provide a web link so that
whoever may be interested can easily access the text with a few clicks.
Because of the secret nature of the texts and their restricted circulation, many
questions about the practice of bcud len and its history in Tibet remain unanswered.
There has not been a traceable, distinct bcud len school or continuous lineage in Tibetan
history, but the tradition has survived through the sporadic appearance of individual
bcud len adepts who practiced methods often received by masters in gter ma revelations
and revealed, to be then practiced by a select few. Due to this secret nature of the bcud
len transmission lineages, they are difficult to trace. Therefore, my thesis does not focus
and practices, in the hope that this survey may open up new passageways for future
research.
Since bcud len texts do not tend to belong strictly to a particular school or cycle
of teachings, and many texts have colophons describing their provenance in a rather too
ambiguous manner, my initial task has been to try and collate the extant literature.
Fortunately, certain groupings of bcud len texts have been compiled in the past,
and these groupings were helpful in starting my classification. Among them are the
texts found in Chapter 48 of the Rin chen gter mdzod, the collection of gter ma texts
assembled by ’Jam mgon Kong sprul and others in Chapter 17 (tsa) of the Gdams ngag
mdzod, a collection of texts belonging to the eight traditions of Tibetan Buddhism that
17
were also collected by ’Jam mgon Kong sprul. All of the texts I have found thus far are
from larger works by particular authors and many of these can be found on the website
of the Tibetan Buddhist Research Centre. In the process of reading and gathering
references to bcud len texts, I have come across some that proved unavailable to me,
since many works are not yet scanned and placed on TBRC, and access to archival
resources within the Tibetan world is laden with difficulties, particularly for a foreign
In classifying the texts, one difficulty pointed out by Samten Karmay (2007: 219)
is that Bonpo texts were transformed into Buddhist ones and vice versa. Techniques of
adapting the texts can be very basic, with the terms bon and chos or rdo rje and g.yung
drung substituted. The similarities in philosophical perspective are therefore clear and
thus it is sometimes possible to discern a common origin or author for the texts.
long ignored treatises can play an important role in both broadening and refining our
In the introduction to his general history of Tibet, Matthew Kapstein commented on the
the world’s Tibetanists could be gathered in a single room in Oxford, all inhabiting ‘a
common microcosm in which it was taken for granted that one should be familiar with
all things Tibetan . . .’ (Kapstein 2006: vi). In subsequent years, with the rapid growth of
this scholarly community there has been an inevitable process of specialization with far
With the vast corpus of religious texts available, the focus of study long remained
in that sphere, and it is only relatively recently that Tibetan medicine has attracted
more scholarly attention. One of the pioneering works on Tibetan culture reflected the
earlier dismissive attitude towards Tibetan medical knowledge and practice; Snellgrove
and Richardson barely mentioned Tibetan medicine per se and denigrated the idea
of the ‘Tibetan medical college’ suggesting that the Tibetan medical practitioner was
most often a mendicant layman selling pills, medicines and concoctions ‘rather like a
medieval apothecary’, whose surgical skills were mostly derived from experience with
on Tibetan medicine in general, debating its origins, describing its techniques and
At an early stage, the first preoccupation had been to establish its origins. In 1975
Emmerick published the first detailed full English translation of a chapter from the
Rgyud bzhi (as opposed to summaries). In Emmerick’s words, the Rgyud bzhi was ‘. .
1975: 141). As Yang Ga (2010: 22-23) recounts, Emmerick’s early research found
Rgyud bzhi. He also found elements of Chinese medicine present in the Rgyud bzhi and
therefore suggested that the Rgyud bzhi was not the work of a single Indic scholar but
The focal point of much of the discourse on the origins of Tibetan medicine has
been the Rgyud bzhi. This compendium of 156 chapters is often referred to as ‘The
Four Medical Tantras’ and has also been described as ‘the Bible of the Tibetan medical
science’ (Karmay 2007: 6). Its full name is the ‘Secret Instruction Tantra on the Eight
Branches of the Ambrosia Essence’ (Bdud rtsi snying po yan lag brgyad pa gsang ba
The consensus among Western researchers was for a long time that Tibetan
spiritual and medical knowledge was ‘essentially Indian’ in nature (Snellgrove 1987.
Yang Ga 2010: iii). For some two centuries dating from around the mid-tenth century,
Tibetan travellers and scholars returned from India, introducing and translating from
Sanskrit major Buddhist medical literary works. Those who stress this Indian essence of
Tibetan culture claimed that even before this wave of new knowledge reached Tibet, the
seeds of knowledge of the Indian or medical system had been planted from
11
See Gerke’s essay published as an introduction to the German translation of the first two of the four
and in particular her useful visual summary of the organisation of the complete work (Gerke 2012b: 29).
21
the eighth century onward by translators and scholars sent to India King Khri srong lde
btsan. Among them was the celebrated Vairocana, said by some to be the translator of
deriving from Indian longevity practices and, conditioned by their views on mainstream
Tibetan medicine, did not delve deeper into the possible origins of the practice. This
was due to its apparent similarities with the system of , which also
involves the preparation of medicine to maintain the health and strength of the body.
thesis on the uses of medicine and alchemy as described in the Buddhist tantras (Fenner
1979). The passage of these teachings from India to Tibet is also described by Kurtis
S. Schaeffer (Schaeffer 2003: 515-513), while Geoffrey Samuel has also examined the
text ascribed to Matsyendranath, dating from the ninth or tenth century, that provides
several methods of meditation and methods to defeat old age (Samuel 2008: 277). David
spoke of a Buddhist tradition in the Himalayas and Vindhyas from the fourth century.
In his view, this precedes the emergence of the Hindu alchemical tradition that arose,
together with Tantrism and various other yogic traditions, around the tenth century.
His argument was based on the finding of cinnabar and other ingredients in alchemical
With the deepening of interest and the expansion of research in Tibetan medicine,
however, perspectives are shifting. In his doctoral thesis, completed in 2010, the Tibetan
scholar Yang Ga offers highly convincing and detailed evidence that the emphasis on
22
Indian influence has been excessive and that much of the Rgyud bzhi was derived from
the Rgyd bzhi has always been the ‘root’ and the only main text of Tibetan medicine’
(Yang Ga 2010: 28). In his doctoral thesis he points out that the origin of the Rgyd bzhi
has been debated since the fourteenth century, with Tibetan scholars arguing that the
mention of foods, herbal plants and articles peculiar to the Himalayan region, as well as
Chinese astrology (nag rtsis) and Bon po rituals indicate that the treatise is a composite,
Among these other influences, Yang Ga points to the Chinese medical tradition.
We know through the work of Tansen Sen of the extensive material, cultural and
intellectual exchanges between China and India from the seventh century CE onwards
ignoring the changing boundaries of the empire (Nappi 2010: 21). Yang Ga believes that
Chinese medicine entered Tibet in the early seventh century when Tibet occupied six
states bordering China, and King Srong btsan sgam po sent envoys to China, pointing
out how later kings had contacts with Chinese physicians (Yang Ga 2010: 36-7). The
Chinese influence on medical thought and practice in Tibet appears to have been
dominant in the seventh and eighth centuries; it is recorded that the Chinese bride of
Srong btsan Sgam po (c. 617- 650) brought a medical text from China as a gift for the
King, and that Chinese translators compiled and translated many medical texts into
As evidence of the enduring links between the two cultures, Nappi reminds us that
in later periods there was a movement to translate Tibetan works at the Qing court, with
23
a school for Tibetan established in 1657 and Tibetan language training and the printing
the more direct interplay of the Indian and Chinese currents in Tibet’s religious culture,
mentioning the Council of Bsam yas, called by King Khri srong lde btsan (c.742-
797) to decide which view of the path to Buddhahood was correct, that of the Siddha
Medical tradition or that of the Ch’an School (Tucci 1980: 12-15). Although the Indian
school gained the upper hand following the Council, defenders of the Ch’an School
did not disappear. Samten Karmay examines the consequences of the Council for the
practices are increasingly mentioned. White himself later indicated China as the source
of methods for longevity involving mercury, ‘India’s original fascination with mercury
most probably arose out of early contacts with China [. . .] whose Daoist speculative
alchemical tradition had been developing since the second century A.D.; one might
conclude that such traditions reached South India via a maritime route’ (White 1996:
53). He points out the similarities between the South Indian Cittar tradition and the
outer alchemy neidan of the Daoists (Ibid.: 55). Meanwhile, Tansen Sen, in his studies
monk Xuang Zang to South Asia, which stimulated the Emperor Taizong’s interest in
Indian life-prolonging drugs and spiritual healing. In this connection, Sen mentions
a Brahmin doctor expert in longevity medicines who came to China and treated the
Emperor Taizong in the last stages of his life (Sen 2001: 1-28). The Japanese scholar
24
Yoshinobu Sakade offers one of the clearest accounts of Chinese views of the body,
Daoist medicine and methods and ideas for increasing vitality. He describes the Daoist
in the body, from the concept of neidan which involves preparation of an external elixir,
and the mental processes employed for carrying the ‘golden elixir’ to all parts of the
body (Sakade 2007: 51-63). Livia Kohn discusses in more detail the Daoist notion of qi
in a recent collection of essays on the subtle body. She mentions jing, often translated
as essence, as a functioning of yin and yang energies, whose dominant form is sexual
energy, semen in men and menstrual blood in women. Practices are taught to control
sexual energies and make jing revert to qi (Kohn 2013). In the essay presenting the
texts found in Chapter 3 I refer to Geoffrey Samuel’s discussion of the Chinese sexual
spiritual practices that he argues predate the Indian ones. References to semen and
found in a number of the texts translated in this work and may have originally derived
from the Daoist tradition, but the complexities of separating the Chinese Daoist and
Indian tantric concepts mentioned above makes it hazardous to speculate on the original
India has been exaggerated, Yang Ga points out that the testing of the pulse in Tibetan
medicine derived from Chinese influence (Yang Ga 2010:85), noting that it was not part
of practice, and that neither was urine analysis (Ibid:129). Furthermore, Yang
Ga confirms references to Chinese astrology in the Rgyud bzhi (Yang Ga 2014: 157).
25
purveyors of their systems: Bharadvaja from India, Galenos from ‘Trom’12 and Hsüan
Yüan Huang from China. While the Chinese and Indian strands of influence have been
more widely discussed, as indicated above, other possible sources of medical ideas and
practices have been explored, including the introduction of Greek medicine into Tibet
prior to the great exodus of Tibetan scholars to India (Beckwith 1979: 297-313).
In the field of Tibetan medical studies, Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim’s paper on early Tibetan
In this work, the author demonstrated the plurality of influences and the multicultural
foreign places in various texts discovered at Dunhuang and describes the result as a
‘melange’ (Yoeli-Tlalam 2013). While the attempt to reach more nuanced conclusions
Cosmogonic Myths and the Question of Iranian Influence’ shows the pitfalls involved in
1987).
12
Beckwith (1979: 299) identifies Trom as Rome.
26
culture that the most evident differences have emerged among scholars. As Yang Ga
stresses, the question has profound implications for Tibetans and their historical identity
In maintaining that Tibetan medical culture was not simply derived from India,
most attention has been placed on finding evidence on the contribution of Tibetans to
the compilation of the Rgyud bzhi. It has also been claimed that, apart from the use of
pulse and urine analysis, certain foods, plants and ingredients of medicinal compounds
Gavin Kilty focuses on issues of authorship and indicates the points raised
by Tibetan scholars in their arguments that the Four Medical Tantras, at first glance
standard Indian compositions, were in fact either adapted or created entirely by Tibetan
authors. He also asserts that instructions seem adapted to the climate and environment
of Tibet, methods of pulse and urine diagnosis are decidedly non-Indian, references are
made to yak meat and barley porridge, clearly Tibetan foods, and above all there is no
The most intensive and perhaps most controversial research on the roots of
Tibet’s medical culture has been focused on the long ignored, pre-Buddhist Bon culture
of Tibet, and it is now argued that there existed what might be called a Bon medical
indigenous medical science, nad gso sman dpyad, or ‘diagnoses and remedies for curing
disease’ (Norbu 2009: 217-219). He contends, on the basis of the Old Tibetan Dunhuang
Chronicles (PT 127,183), that the Rgyud bzhi was compiled by Vairocana, using Bon po
medical texts. According to Norbu, the evidence for this lies in the names of the sages,
persons in the retinue, and the sacred formulae to cure disease, which were all left in
27
the original Zhang Zhung language.13 However, the very existence of a Zhang Zhung
language is still debated and Norbu’s claims have been questioned (Nishi and Nagano
2001: 1-30).14
The current slow emergence of the medical texts from Dunhuang15 has led to Bon
po medical culture attracting more scholarly attention,16 and the issues raised in the
aforementioned studies have helped highlight the complex and highly varied provenance
of Tibetan medical knowledge. Yang Ga has probably been the most diligent contributor
the arrival of knowledge from elsewhere in the seventh tradition. However he concludes
that given the lack of reliable early Bon and Zhang Zhung medical texts, ‘it is difficult
to know what relationship Bon or Zhang Zhung medicine had with Tibetan medicine in
complex work (Emmerick 1977, 1987; Yang Ga 2010; Yoeli-Tlalim 2010). It contains
many indigenous elements have their origin, as Chögyal Namkhai Norbu has argued,
13
(Norbu 2009: 218). The kingdom of Zhang zhung in western Tibet is widely considered the centre
of pre-Buddhist Tibetan culture and Norbu puts forward his evidence for a written language of Zhang
Zhung in Chapter 4 of this work.
14
The consensus is that this language was spoken in western Tibet but was gradually replaced by
Tibetan and died out completely around the eleventh century. It is now considered more accurate to
speak of it as the language of the Dmu, a tribe in lower Zhang Zhung which followed Bon, rather than a
language spoken by all believers in Bon.
15
The so-called ‘Library Cave’ of Dunhuang in Gansu, part of the complex found by European
archaeologists and explorers in the early twentieth century, contains tens of thousands of manuscripts,
including more than 4,000 in Tibetan. This collection is divided largely between London, Paris and China.
16
See, for example, Yaeli-Tlolim 2013 and Craig, Cuomu, Garrett, Schrempf 2010.
28
of other elements, both foreign and indigenous, it is important to bear in mind this
The above outline of recent studies is intended to provide a context for the
yogic exercise, scholars remain far from agreement on the ‘Tibetan’ features or the
autonomous nature of bcud len practice in the Tibetan world. The translation of and
commentary on Tibetan bcud len texts that follows (Chapter 4) is intended to shed
more light on this aspect of Tibet’s autochthonous medical system. With Tibetanists
preoccupied for so long with debating the origins of longevity techniques, the close
sources in Western literature suggests that no single major published work has yet
As the body of work appearing on Tibetan medicine grows, studies with a greater degree
In this context, initial soundings have been carried out on the topic of bcud len. Despite
chiefly of instructional texts on practicing bcud len, this ancient practice had received
wondrous effects, such as ‘the obtainment of all the qualities of the Buddha’ (promised
to those who practice the bcud len by Gar dbang Dorje, Text 29 in my collection),
for long failed to arouse much serious interest amongst either Tibetan or Western
academics.
29
There exist but a handful of studies published by Western academics that discuss
the detailed methods of bcud len practice. Glen Mullin’s translation of the flower bcud
len composed by the second Dalai Lama, Rgyal ba Dge ’dun rgya mtsho (1475-1542),
who died while sitting in meditation, is one of the few published. But the fact that
Mullin included no commentary of his own nor proceeded to investigate other bcud len
texts suggests that bcud len was of peripheral interest within the greater framework of
his work on the writings of Rgyal ba Dge ’dun rgya mtsho (Mullin 2005: 183-191).
David Germano in his essay ‘Food, clothes, dreams’ has investigated the topic
the thig (Seminal Heart) that began in the eleventh century within the Nyingma
In this article, Germano focuses on the ‘eating wind’ bcud len practices, explaining their
aims and then presenting their function in considerable detail, basing his observations on
the text entitled ‘The Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle’ (TCD 164.4-5). This is a faithful
recounting of Klong chen pa’s instructions on how to ‘eat wind’ in order to replenish
extensively on the topic of bcud len in his series of lectures entitled ‘Aspects rituels et
matériels des techniques de longévité visant à absorber les essences (bcud-len)’ during
30
the 1997-1998 academic year at Paris’s École Pratique des Hautes Études (EHPE); these
The difficulties of locating and translating esoteric texts have long been a deterrent
to scholars who also may have had pragmatic concerns about peer judgements on the
testing. G.J. Meulenbeld’s 2003 review of Aschoff and Tashigang’s (2001) work on
Tibetan ‘precious pills’, in which he deplores the absence of ‘hard facts’ (Meulenbeld
2003: 211), clearly illustrated how differing perceptions of medicine, healing and life
enhancement clash.
medicine with a more ethnographic approach has drawn together much useful evidence
more contemplative aspects of bcud len, particularly in translation. Usually, the texts
that are our primary sources were instructional in nature and restricted to committed
practitioners; they were not divulged in public and thus were never regarded in
techniques de bcud len dans le monde tibétain’ (Lungtok Coktsang 2007). Lungtok
Coktsang offers translations of selected bcud len texts but has not contextualised them
within a corpus. A list of bcud len texts found in the Rnying ma tradition was presented
In their work entitled Tibetan Medicine, Rechung Rinpoche and Jampal Kunzang
(Rechung & Kunzang 1973) dedicate a single page to the practice where bcud len is
defined as ‘the observance of health rules’, chiefly consisting of correct diet, good habits
31
and proper medication. General guidelines for healthier living are given, but no specific
instructions for practicing bcud len are presented. The authors refer their readers to the
‘Man ngag rgyud’, the third treatise of the Rgyud bzhi Medical Tantra, where Chapters
90 and 91 offer some substantial descriptions of bcud len practice. Tsepak Rigzin (1982)
has translated a flower bcud len text authored by the second Dalai Lama.
With these exceptions, to date I have been unable in my research to locate studies
principles underpinning the practice of bcud len. These have been centred on the nature
of the subtle body and the tradition of exercises connected with its nurture. These may
visualisation or ’phrul ’khor (yogic exercises) that are all methods to control the inner
channels and vital energy. Some, according to Fenner, also consider gtum mo (the
method of generating inner heat) and yab yum (sexual union) as closely related to bcud
As Geoffrey Samuel once wrote, the subtle body is one of the most difficult
concepts for Westerners to grasp (Samuel 1993: 237). More recently, in their editorial
introduction to a collection of essays, Samuel and Jay Johnson describe the very term
and the early Theosophists (Samuel and Johnson 2013: 2). It is, simply put, a vessel that
the subtle body is connected with the mind. Channels (nadis) exist through which
various substances flow and the points of intersection of those channels are the cakras.
‘Practices usually involve moving “substances” through the body, clearing “knots” in
32
the flow and directing the substances into a central channel flowing along the spine’
Philip Rawson in his book The Art of Tantra indicates fundamental differences
that Tibetan Buddhists assert exist between the Hindu pattern of the subtle body and
their own, for example, the diverse number of cakras recognized – six by the Hindus
and four by the Buddhists (Rawson 1978: 160-166). Samuel, however, contends that
‘Although significant discrepancies exist in descriptions of the subtle body, Tibetans are
not disturbed by differences that are apparently irreconcilable and recognise the validity
It is the respiratory practices associated with the subtle body that have received
the most attention to date. Germano, as mentioned above, wrote on bcud len of
the breath, while Daniel Cozort in a chapter entitled ‘Channels, Winds and Drops’
compares the
channels and winds (Cozort 1986: 119-122). Kenneth Zysk discusses the ancient Indian
conceptualisation and codification of the bodily winds and their operations in the human
system of Yantra known as ‘The Union of the Sun and Moon’ (’phrul ’khor nyi zla
kha sbyor), said to have been transmitted to Padmasambhava, was then transmitted by
him to Vairocana in the eighth century (Norbu 2008: 1). Yantra Yoga is not normally
included in the discourse on practices directly associated with bcud len, but I have
found examples of texts advocating the complementary use of Yantra exercises such
33
as Thangthong Gyalpo’s Dka’ thub rde’u’i bcud len (text 13 of this study). Other texts
prescribing Yantra are from Blo bzang don grub (1696-1756),who taught the Chu’i bcud
len gyi snying po dngos grub kun ’byung; Btsun pa ye shes don grub bstan pa’i rgyal
mtshan (1792-1855) who transmitted the Chu’i bcud len gyi gdams pa ’chi med rig ’dzin
sgrub pa’i chu rgyun zhes bya ba bzhugs so; and Nyag bla padma du ’dul (1816-1872)
who taught the Man ngag sku gsum bcud len ’ja’ lus rdo rje’i sku brnyes.
Another relevant work which describes the Bonpo tradition of ’phrul ’khor yogic
practices in the Bon religion (Chaoul 2006). Chaoul discusses the term ‘yantra’, which
is used with three different meanings in the texts he examines: a magical diagram, a
yogic posture and a machine or mechanism (Ibid: 72). He offers in the third chapter
of his work a highly detailed presentation of the magical movements contained in the
‘The Great Completeness Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung’ (rdzogs pa chen po zhang
zhung snyan rgyud), the text of cardinal importance studied at the main Bonpo monastic
centres and lay communities (Chaoul 2006: 3). Chaoul asserts that channel breaths
or rtsa rlung and ‘magical movement’ or ’phrul ’khor are distinctive Tibetan mind-
body practices that have been part of spiritual training in Tibet since the tenth century
CE (Chaoul 2011: 297). This collection of texts offers several instances where the
practitioner is instructed how to carry out physical yogic exercises, whose names and
origins are unspecified, but which may well have been of that type.
the practice. The more accessible mantras employed in the preparation of medicinal
substances have been examined by Frances Garrett, who studied the empowerment of
Garrett also studies the rituals surrounding the practice of sman sgrub (Accomplishing
Medicine), its passage from India and its adaptation in Tibet (Garrett 2009: 207-
230). Although the sman sgrub practice has no direct link with bcud len, much of the
The other practice that Fenner believes merits consideration as a form of bcud len
is what he refers to as ‘yab yum bcud len’. He argues from an etymological viewpoint
that bcud is female essence and points to the inner use of Tantric ritual where
the male essence is not expelled but drawn upwrd with the female essence along the
central channel (Fenner 1979: 82). In the bcud len texts in my compendium, often the
sexual act is explicitly discouraged as it is said to exhaust the body; however, in many
texts there are visualisations of deities joined in sexual union and one imagines their
sexual fluids blessing the practitioner. In some instances the ‘red and white bodhicittas’,
the female and male sexual fluids, are used in the compounds to make bcud len nectar or
pills.
Some of the texts included in this collection are entirely focused on sexual
practices, such as the Zab tig chos dbyings rang gsal las: bcud len rdo rje’i chu ’thung
taught by Gar dbang rdo rje (1640-1685) and also the text Lha gcig nyi ma gzhon nus
dag snang du stsal ba’i thabs kyi lam mchog nyi zla’i bcud len dang brgyad ’debs which
was received in a pure vision by Bzhad pa’i rdo rje (1697- 1740). The more recent bcud
len text ’Chi med gnyug ma’i gsang mdzod zhes/ lus med mkha’ ’gro’i chos skor gyi
rig ’dzin thugs tig padma’i srog/ bcud len bdud rtsi’i gdam zab las/ gzhun don cha lag
includes sexual practices in which during copulation, one controls the lower
while imagining that lights radiate from one’s secret place. It is interesting to note that
35
all texts with instructions on sexual practices advocate sperm retention or advise in case
In the analysis of primary sources in the present study, I have searched for
evidence of all the above forms of bcud len and for traces of the influences of all the
This section provides a framework for the classification of the extensive corpus of bcud
len literature (seventy-three texts produced by forty-three authors have been found thus
far). Tibetan masters and Western scholars have directed me to specific works on bcud
len, but the majority of texts are listed in the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC)
online collection. Even when I found texts independently, I checked if they were held in
the TBRC collection. Whenever this was the case, I provided references for those same
texts in that collection, so that the reader might more easily locate the works discussed.
The provenance of each text is, wherever possible, given in section 3.3.5, titled ‘A
Compendium’.
The content of these texts is made clear in the table below. They are drawn from
all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and from the Bon tradition. That the authors
of the texts have widely varied affiliations and that the texts have come down to us
from very different times and places complicates the classification of the texts. The few
academics who have encountered bcud len writings while researching spiritual practices
have therefore found it difficult to place the texts in their context. The absence of a
framework of reference has also compounded the numerous difficulties facing historians
In formulating a classificatory model for bcud len texts a first necessary step
is to overcome the limitations of the biomedical frame of interpretation that has long
influenced historians of medicine in general and of early readings of bcud len texts.
38
Western distinctions between medical and religious purposes tend to exclude Tibetan
notions of disease and therapy and are not always appropriate or helpful. The authors of
a recent work examining the nature of Tibetan medical practice refer to the concept of
gso ba rig pa (science of healing) which extends beyond the classical body of Tibetan
medical knowledge to include ‘knowledge and practices that have either become
marginalised within modern institutions or have been seen as belonging to the domain
of religion’ (Adams, Schrempf, Craig 2011: 3-4). Barbara Gerke, similarly, points to
the need for a more nuanced approach where boundaries between the religious and the
medical ‘become blurred’ in the case of advanced Buddhist practices (Gerke 201b: 85).
on the physical body, unlike many other meditative practices that focus mostly on
mental exercises and visualisations. A basic tenet of Tibetan medicine is that the
functioning of the human organism is supported by the three humours, nyes pa gsum.
Gerke (2012b: 22) has pointed out the troublesome issues surrounding the translation of
medical terms so laden with meaning. She has highlighted how English renderings fail
to convey the polysemous nature of the Tibetan terms. The basic overview of the three
terms that follows, aiming to provide the reader with a general overview, exemplifies
These humours arise from various combinations of the elements. Air and space
produce the humour ‘wind’ (rlung). Water and earth produce the ‘phlegm’ (bad kan)
humour; energy, fire and water combine to form the ‘bile’ (mkhris pa) humour.
The general functions of the ‘wind’ humour (rlung) concern sense perceptions,
awareness and movements of body and limbs, respiration, swallowing food and drink,
circulation of the blood, retaining and evacuating faeces and urine, opening and closing
39
the orifices, the workings of the nervous system and the circulation of the nutritive
essence through blood. The general function of ‘phlegm’ (bad kan) is to develop all the
humid and wet components of the body, such as saliva and gastric juices and so forth;
maintain and safeguard body humidity; prepare food for assimilation; enable digestion;
strengthen physical health; make the skin more supple; stabilize the mind; and induce
sleep. The general functions of the ‘bile’ humour (mkhris pa) are to ensure and protect
the body heat and in particular heat for digestion; maintain the complexion; regulate
the stimuli of hunger and thirst; enable digestion of food and drink; and govern the
There are other bcud len practices in which the subtle body plays a more
significant role. The aim of the bcud len texts with no specific focus on a bodily
weakness and which could be designated more meditative in emphasis is to allow the
thereby purifying his or her body and energy flow and sharpening mental focus.
On balance, this thesis focuses more on bcud len texts that are not specifically
medical in purpose but belong more in the context of instructions for spiritual practice,
in particular for yogic sustenance and solitary meditation. There is, however, insufficient
and accepted by scholars in the field, I devised my own model. In presenting the
summaries and tables below, I chose to select and present certain criteria, chiefly:
author, listed chronologically (re-discoverer in the case of a gter ma); dating of the text;
a summary of the contents; main deities and substances involved; translation of the
The precise date of the creation of a text is not always specified and is hard to
determine; since the teaching may have been transmitted orally for a very long time
before being written down. The dates of the lifetime of the author or gter ston are
in the preceding chapter, there are numerous difficulties in pinpointing a single origin
for the bcud len tradition; thus we cannot view bcud len as a monolithic cultural or
Robert Mayer points out, traditional Tibetan literary work is a final product which
contains ‘the input of more persons than the nominal ‘author’, while in modern literary
(Mayer 2010). Another factor inhibiting research into bcud len in the past was the need
to accept the concept of gter ma. A considerable number of bcud len texts are gter ma
texts, rendering questions of classification and chronology still more complex, given the
added difficulties of defining authorship in such cases.17 For example, a teaching from
a gter ston may have stemmed from a remembered dream and then was communicated
orally. Subsequently it could have been recorded in writing, perhaps through the
patronage of a teacher, a monastery or a sect, and we can never establish with certainty
the accuracy of statements regarding its origin.18 Many bcud len texts have been
17
The concept of gter ma is discussed within a detailed analysis of the historical framework of the
tradition in Gene Smith’s (2001) work. For Smith, ‘. . . the false prophet is a possibility that plagues any
opposition to the tradition that accepts the principle of continuing revelation with doubt.’ (Smith 2001:
240). However, as Dudjom Rinpoche points out in his lucid essay in defence of the gter ma tradition, ‘The
Shortcomings of Refutation and Proof’, these arguments had long been anticipated in the world of Tibetan
sectarian debate and ‘. . . if all the doctrines refuted by learned and accomplished Tibetans were false, no
authentic doctrine at all would be found’ (Dudjom 1991:927-933). As stated earlier, I have not pursued
this argument in its minutiae and my attribution of authorship to bcud len gter ma texts is based on an
acceptance of gter ma legitimacy.
18
An example of a rather complex development and transmission of a bcud len practice is the Me tog
41
included in gter ma collections such as the Rin chen gter mdzod and the Gdams ngag
mdzod or have been published in the collected writings of individual gter ston, or
as individual works. This vast corpus of textual material on bcud len has never been
Religious works from different traditions have often influenced one another and
may contain shared thoughts or even shared textual passages. For instance, Samten
Karmay (2007: 219) points out that Bonpo texts were transformed into Buddhist ones
and vice versa. Techniques of adapting the texts can be very basic, such as substituting
the terms bon for chos and g.yung drung for rdo rje, or in some cases the reverse. Where
the substitutions are simple, the similarities in philosophical perspective are clearer and
thus it is sometimes possible to discern a common origin or author for the texts.19
seven categories of bcud len (bcud len of precious substances, bcud len of minerals,
bcud len gyi gdams pa bdud rtsi’i thigs pa text, attributed to Blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma (1737-1802). The
to Pha dam pa Rin po che, and
later the colophon (f. 162, lines 5-6) states: bcud len gyi gdams pa bdud rtsi’i thigs pa zhes bya ba ’di ni
bya bral ba blo bzang chos kyi nyi mas rang gi slob ma dben par chas pa ’ga’ zhig gis nye bar bskul ba
la brten nas tshe blos btang gi thar/ ong ba don gnyer ba rnams la phan pa’i bsam pas kun nas bslangs
te rgyal ba dge ’dun rgya mtsho’i gsung la rang gi bla ma’i zhal gyi man ngag gis brgyan nas chos grwa
chen po dpal ldan ’bras spungs su yi ger bkod pa’o// (These bcud len instructions on the nectar drop were
written by the renunciate Bya bral ba Blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma at the request of his students, may they
benefit those who pursue liberation! By supplementing the words of Rgyal ba dge’dun rgya mtsho with
the instructions of my own guru, it was written at the great monastic institution of ’Bras spungs.)
With so many people involved in the handing down of the practice, one can understand the difficulties
in identifying a single ‘author’.
19
A Bon bcud len text which has many similarities (structural as well as the deities involved) with
other Buddhist bcud len texts and worthy of an interesting comparative study is a work by Shar rdza
Bkra shis rgyal mtshan (1859-1934), Rdzogs pa chen po sku gsum rang shar las sku gsum bcud len thar
pa’i rgyags phye (
spontaneous arising of the three k s’).
42
bcud len of herbs, bcud len of aromatic substances, bcud len of meat, bcud len of
essence of outer elements, bcud len of essence of inner elements). In spite of the
validity of these categories, my research has not brought to light a sufficient number
qualify them as individual topics. The fact that I have yet to identify such texts however
does not exclude the possibility of their existence; in fact, several other bcud len
Padmasambhava,
pa, indicating that a greater array of substances, far more than the seven categories
’grel sgron ma snang byed, may be used for bcud len practice.20 At this stage (of my
research), however, two of the seven subdivisions seem superfluous to the primary
material presented in this thesis. I therefore excluded aromatic substances and meat as
separate categories in my own classification, while opting to add the deities found and
In the section that follows I offer my own classification of existing texts and a
20
“. . . Everywhere he went, he extracted various essences, binding their hands and feet with seals
in order to make them remain firm. Then he prepared the elixir of water and fire and, furthermore, he
undertook the great austerity of [subsisting on] wind and space. In particular, he undertook the great
austerity of the five nectars and sand, as well as the various medicinal herbs and poisons employed in
the austerities of the Bodhisattva Sad austerities using trees, shrubs and
leaves, as well as the nectar of the lotus and the rest of the five nectars. He underwent austerities using
human flesh and urine and the herb Indrahasta. He extracted the essence of faeces and the five precious
substances, including gold and the rest. He extracted the essences of rocks and flowers and fruit and horn
and so on, of bones and beer and an unimaginable number of other substances. As a result of all this, he
attained the deathless vajra body.” Boord [forthcoming].
43
In the review of the work on bcud len produced by Western academics to date, found
working model. These are the only examples of a classificatory model and of bcud
len texts groupings that I have found thus far in Tibetan literature. The first, which
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, Ka dag khregs chod kyi dgongs pa gsal bshad klong chen ’od
gsal, currently being translated by James Valby. Norbu presents his explanation of the
typology that if indeed drafted by Vimalamitra in the eighth century, may be the first
model for a classification of bcud len teachings in Tibetan literature. The second is a
grouping of bcud len texts from the collected writings of ’Jam mgon Kong sprul in the
nineteenth century.
possibly the earliest classification of bcud len practices. It is found in The Illuminating
prove the provenance of the work, but The Illuminating Lamp is generally ascribed to
21
F. 957, line 4. Rin po che snang byed sgron ma zhes bya ba/ mkhas pa bye ma mu tras mdzad pa
rdzogs so. TBRC W25983, vol. 4016, folio 957 (Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center).
Ultimately it is not crucial whether Vimalamitra devised this classification or not (it may have been
attributed to him so as to give the work more legitimacy). Its inherent value is that it offers a Tibetan
example of bcud len classification, and a possible example to emulate. I have searched, to no avail, for
44
Namkhai Norbu’s forthcoming work (Norbu forthcoming: 31-36) he cites from the
firstly as they offer to the reader clear statements of the purpose and processes of the
various forms of bcud len practice made by renowned Tibetan masters and scholars. In
addition, their instructions provide interesting points of comparison with those included
in my subsequent analyses of texts from later periods. The extracts reproduced below
Prior to citing the explanations of the various forms of bcud len, Chögyal
Namkhai Norbu cites a passage on the purpose of practising bcud len from Klong chen
Second, there are all kinds of deliberate meditations, like deity development and
completion stages, with their non-conceptual and conceptual contemplative meditations
that are intentionally cultivated by mind. The intellect uses them for its purposes. For our
and clothes, and in the end they are harmed by dreams and karmic tendencies that continue
in the three realms. As an antidote to these, we have three trainings for meditation sessions:
meditation sessions to cut attachment to food, meditation sessions to cut attachment to
clothes, and meditation sessions to cut attachment to dreams and karmic tendencies. The
bcud len and dependence
upon energy. Various bcud len include bcud len
precious supreme bcud len substances, like medicines, plants, nectars, and so forth. (Norbu
forthcoming: 31)
Tantra 1982, op. 7: 6, 40, 80): the bcud len of precious substances, the bcud len of
similar classification models in the Indian system that may have inspired the above model and
also consulted David White, an expert on the subject, who told me he is unaware of any such occurrences
in Indic literature.
45
minerals, the bcud len of herbs, the bcud len of aromatic substances and the bcud len of
meats:
These bcud len explanations are marvelous, extraordinary and supreme. They are not
taught in other tantras. Powerful gods and sattvas, you listen. Whoever depends upon the
precious substances is identical to the sun and moon. The body of one who uses various
minerals cannot be cut by a blade. Whoever uses and depends upon herbs never has white
hair or wrinkles. Whoever takes bcud len of pure nectar has a healthy appearance and
remains youthful. Whoever uses and depends upon meat has a strong body and develops
physical strength. (Norbu forthcoming: 31)
these five types and then annexes the descriptions of another two types of bcud len,
namely the bcud len of the essence of the outer elements (phyi ’byung ba’i rlung
gnad kyi bcud len) and the bcud len of the essence of the inner elements (rlung
gnad la brten pa’i bcud len). This sevenfold classification of bcud len practices explains
the purpose, preparation and application, as well as the benefits of each type, providing
examples of recipes and methods to apply with each. Although we cannot claim to know
stage, it is still a useful subdivision of bcud len according to the techniques used.
Spatial constraints do not permit the reproduction of the explanations in their entirety;
however, the following selected extracts, derived from Valby’s translations, offer the
a rather long explanation on the bcud len of precious substances, reproduced in Norbu
(forthcoming: 32). This describes the preparation of edible mercury, explaining the four
methods for melting, tempering, refining and eating it.22 An explanation follows on the
method for preparing and ingesting a compound of gold, barley, copper and jewels. The
various benefits of the practice are provided in the final section. It should be pointed out
that neither in this, nor in any other of the descriptions of bcud len methods found in
The Illuminating Lamp, are specific deities or mantras mentioned. This might be simply
because these methods make no use of deity invocation or mantric recitation: however
the author may have chosen to omit these details either in order to illustrate a generic
example of practices or out of respect for the secrecy of the transmission of mantras and
yogic methods.
Second is the explanation of the bcud len of minerals, from The Illuminating Lamp (vol.
ZHE: 119, 57, 3) and reproduced in Norbu (forthcoming: 33), that provides precise
cong zhi (calcite), mu zi (brimstone), mtshal (vermillion), rdo rgyu (grey antimony),
22
An interesting work on the topic is ‘The Social Life of Tsotel: Processing Mercury in Contemporary
Tibetan Medicine’ (Gerke, 2013c).
47
pha wang long bu (cubic stone magnetite), gyam pa sngon po (blue slate), dngul rdo
(hematite iron ore), rag rdo (chalcopyrite mineral), zangs rdo (copper ore) and lcags
rdo (iron ore). Over a period of three weeks, these are sprinkled with one’s urine,
“seasoned” with spittle of beer, and finally boiled. The effects of partaking of this
concoction are listed and these include the loss of body hair, pain in the intestines (as a
result of their turning into “the nature of stone”), freedom from the need for food and so
forth.
Third is the explanation of the bcud len of herbs, drawn from The Illuminating Lamp
(vol. ZHE: 121, 58, 2) and reproduced in Norbu (forthcoming: 33) that provides a recipe
for making pills containing twenty-six different herbs and seeds. The benefits, which
include the ability to endure cold temperatures and to walk a distance of 84,000 miles in
Fourth is the explanation of the bcud len of aromatic substances, drawn from The
Illuminating Lamp (vol. ZHE: 123, 59, 3) and reproduced in Norbu (forthcoming: 34)
that provides a recipe for preparing a bcud len of aromatic substances (juniper, turmeric,
syrup from apricots, rose bush) which is blended with sesame, white mustard, black
mustard, various grain oils, alum and various tree oils and left in an iron vessel for five
years. After that time it can be consumed with soil. Finally the benefits are described,
the most remarkable of which is the ability to fly in the sky, as well as overcoming the
need for food and clothes and becoming capable of enjoying the great celestial realms.
48
Fifth is the explanation of the bcud len of meats, drawn from The Illuminating Lamp
(vol. ZHE: 125, 260, 2) and reproduced in Norbu (forthcoming: 35) that provides a
recipe for a meat powder soup that should be consumed for a period of six months.
The recipe is straightforward, involving drying and pulverizing meat, and what is most
The practitioner’s strength will never decline: One’s strength will be unshakeable, just as
you cannot shake an elephant, wherever you grab it, by the ear or by the tail. Then, after a
one discovers the power capable of moving rocks and mountains. Then internally one is
beyond food, externally one’s body becomes powerful and the size of sixteen cubits, and
secretly one becomes equal to the sun and moon.
Then follow the last two methods of bcud len that rely upon the essence of .
As regards the bcud len of the essence of the outer elements that breaks the
continuity of external elements, the practitioner is told, in summary, to relax the body,
massaging it with butter and cumin seed for five or six days, splashing it with chang
and tanning it in the sun. In a remote place, sitting upright, visualise the letter as a
green vase of presence and practice exercises to keep in the stomach area,
filling the stomach with ‘fire’, before letting the move upwards to the throat.
Food is limited to seven measures of rice, cleansed by wind and sunlight. After seven
or eight days when bodily strength weakens, drinking fine chang is suggested. A small
piece of meat, eaten heedfully, generates heat. After nine months of this meditation the
49
complexion becomes bright and healthy. There will be no attachment to food. After
three more months, white hair and wrinkles will be gone. Teeth and nails will transform.
Continuing a further six months, the practitioner will no longer have a contaminated
body and will need to meditate only a little. After another six months, the body will be
able to fly in the sky, and others will see it in a pure transparent vision. After that, the
practitioner will be ‘like the sun and moon’, beyond food and ready to depart to celestial
realms.
Summarised from The Illuminating Lamp (vol. ZHE: 128, 61, 6).
As for the explanation of the bcud len of the essence of inner elements: with
regard to the alchemy of inner , the practitioner is told to perform a series of 120
inhalations and exhalations. A small pile of beans mixed with brown sugar, honey and
castor oil should be eaten. Continuing this practice, one should not sleep for seven
days or nights. The body will strengthen, the voice will gain power and the mind will
be energized. Special experiences of body, voice and mind will occur. After forty-nine
days there will be no need to defecate, and there will be only pure yoga food. If hunger
arises at this time, by fixing awareness upon some appearances of earth, water, fire and
air, pure outer elements will become food for the practitioner. The practitioner of that
bcud len obtains wisdom and in the future avoids rebirth. Its effects are exceptionally
profound when one has the capacity for both the internal and the external practices.
Summarised from The Illuminating Lamp (vol. ZHE: 128, 61, 6).
The account of bcud len methods thus ends, providing an interesting example of
attention is that written by ’Jam mgon Kong sprul (1813-1899), who produced a
remarkable range of writings, collected in The Five Treasuries (Mdzod chen lnga). In
appreciation of Kong sprul’s wide-ranging interests, Gene Smith (2001: 267) described
him as ‘the nineteenth-century Tibetan Leonardo’. Two compilations of bcud len texts
are found in Kong sprul’s collections and to the best of my knowledge ’Jam mgon Kong
sprul stands alone in having created two such distinct groupings, one contained in the
forty-eighth volume of the Rin chen gter mdzod and the other in Chapters 15 and 17 of
the Gdams ngag mdzod. In that forty-eighth volume of the Rin chen gter mdzod, thirteen
bcud len texts are found; forms of bcud len including those based on stone, flowers,
herbs, water and are present in this collection. I have yet to find a conclusive
explanation as to what criteria were adopted in selecting these particular bcud len texts
In the Gdams ngag mdzod, the section called Khrid skor sna tshogs (assorted texts
of instructions) contains seven bcud len texts. This set of texts also represents a diversity
of bcud len forms and includes treatises on water, flower and stone bcud len. Again, I
have yet to discern whether these texts were selected for specific purposes.
appear that heprul was asked to tabulate the bcud len texts included in his collections
of writings for the sake of the continuation of the teachings, and especially for
the preservation of lesser gter ma teachings (such as bcud len since they were not
23
The following statement was made by ’Jam mgon Kong sprul (2003:102): ‘During the spring equinox I
spent a week in retreat focusing on White Tara according to the tradition of Duddul Dorjé.
51
interest derived from personal experience since we know, from his biography, that Kong
sprul himself had adopted some of these techniques. In the section on Kong sprul’s
biography in the work on Ris med philosophy written by Ringu Tulku (2006: 17) we
read that in his late adolescence Kong sprul subsisted for a week on extracted essences,
obtaining all his nutrition from stalagmites. Ringu Tulku (2006: 21) also informs us that
Kong sprul pursued studies on formulating and dispensing medicines as well as using
herbs.
3.3.2 A guide
The purpose of section 3.3.2 is to offer the reader a listing in tabular form of texts
devoted to the practice of bcud len found to date. As mentioned earlier, it does not
include the numerous texts that may mention the practice in passing. The chosen method
has been to list the texts by author in chronological order and to identify in key words
the essential content of each text. In this constantly evolving project, I obviously cannot
dates. Often the exact dating of the text is unspecified, so I have listed the texts
according to the author or rediscoverer’s dates. Authorship issues have been discussed
Previously, it had occurred to me that it would be of benefit in the transmission of all the many important
minor terma cycles I had received over the years if I were to collect the texts together, and again I
summoned up the inspiration behind that project. I now felt that it would be best to include these minor
instructions – which after all were cases of less important techniques for purposes that were both
beneficial and harmful – in a compilation of the empowerments I had received for the rare termas of the
major and more well-known tertöns, editing these into a concise format. I asked my all-seeing precious
master about this. His response was to write four volumes of texts summarising some minor termas.
He said, “It would be ideal if you were to use these as your basis and write your work, collecting all the
cycles of Guruyoga, tertöns.” I replied,
“That being the case, please compose a table of contents showing which termas should be included and
what order should be adopted.”’
52
in more depth in section 3.3.1; at times texts authored by others may have been
work. I have endeavoured to note and rectify such instances. The title of the text follows
with, in brackets, the numbers of folios that it comprises. The folio numbers listed refer
specifically to the folios of the text’s subsection dealing with bcud len.
In the fourth column, I note the category of bcud len that the text falls into. To
avoid excessive repetition, I have devised the following symbols to insert into the box
‘typology of practice’: A single asterisk * means the reading and identification are still
in progress. A double asterisk ** signifies that the text has not yet become available to
me. This table offers a swift indication of the contents of the individual texts.
The last two columns list the text’s principal deities and main substances. I have
rendered certain words, such as deity names and terms related to the subtle body in
Sanskrit rather than Tibetan. I opted for this choice in instances where the original
coinage was in an Indian tantric context and therefore a Sanskrit term seemed more
appropriate to express the term’s various meanings. Throughout the compendium the
materia medica terms are left in the original Tibetan with their Latin nomenclature
appearing in brackets the first time the term appears. The terms are further examined in
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 1 Ba ri lo tsa ba rin chen Zas bcud len du ’gyur bar Mantra Mantra. A mere
grags (1040-1111) sentence telling of
how to transform
food into bcud
len by reciting an
mantra
Text 2 Grags pa rgyal mtshan Pill No specific deity Arura (Terminalia
(1147-1216) bzhugs (2 folios) chebula), bong nga
(Aconitum sp.)
Text 3 Lam zab mo bla ma’i rnal No deity
1251) ’byor (2 folios)
Text 4 Rang byung rdo rje (1284- Ra mo shag gi bcud len/ Flower, herb One’s own Ra mo shag
1339) dbang lag gi bcud len/ ’od personal yi dam (Polygonatum
ldan sngo’i bcud len/ ya ma (unspecified deity) cirhifolium)
spyi ’joms man ngag drug pa Dbang lag
bcas (4 folios) (Dactylorhiza
hatagirea)
53
54
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 5 Rang byung rdo rje (1284- Rlung dang rigs pa’i bcud len Lha mo dkar mo
1339) (3 folios)
Text 6 Rang byung rdo rje (1284- Chu ’thung ba’i gdams pa (5 Water, yogic White, red and Snow water and
1339) folios) exercises green Goddesses waterfall water
and a “Great
Brahmin blue in
colour”
Text 7 Dri med ’od zer (1308- ’Byung ba rdo’i bcud len (5 Rock Five types of stones:
1364) folios) rdo sha chen, tshil
chen, rdo thu ba, rus
pa chen, ma khris pa
can
Text 8 Dri med ’od zer (1308- Rigs lnga’i bcud len bdud Rock and earth, pill, A golden coloured Earth and stones,
1364) rtsi’i thigs pa (11 folios) water, flower and and exercises,
recipes for bcud len
pills
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 9 Rgyal mtshan dpal bzang Bcud len sna tshogs (3 folios) Herbs and flowers Various recipes
(1310-1391) whose main
ingredients are:
dbang lag, nye
shing (Asparagus
adscendens), arura,
sha chen (human
flesh), ram mnye
(Polygonatum
cirhifolium), ba lu
(Rhododendron sp.),
shug pa (Juniperus
communis), mkhan
pa (Artemisia sp.)
and mtshe (Ephedra).
Dbang lag and rtag
tu ngu pa (Drosera
peltata).
Text 10 Rig ’dzin rgod ldem (1337- Rdzogs pa chen po dgongs pa , calcite Cong zhi (calcite),
1408) zang thal las: bcud len bdud byed ma arura and ram mnye
rtsi’i phreng ba (32 folios)
55
56
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 11 Sangs rgyas gling pa Bcud len snying po bsdus pa: * * *
(1340-1396) dngos grub longs spyod kyi
gnas drug (bla ma dgongs
’dus bcud len) (26 folios)
Text 12 Thang stong rgyal po Gnas skor byin brlabs grub There are No main deity No substances
(1361-1485) rtags bzhag cing skye ba no practical
dran pa sprul sgyur ’gro don instructions on
mdzad/ zas rnams gang byung bcud len practice
bcud len brtul zhugs kyi spyod in this text. It
pa mthar pa’i le’u ste re bdun consists of stories of
pa (7 folios) Thang stong rgyal
po’s present and
past lives, of his
austerities and how
he practiced essence
extraction
Text 13 Thang stong rgyal po Ma gcig gsang spyod snyan Rock and mantra, Rdo rje ’dzum mo Rock and mantra
(1361-1485) brgyud las dka’ thub rde’u’i breathing exercises
bcud len (7 folios)
Text 14 Dge ’dun grub pa (1391- Dngul chu’i bcud len gyi man Mercury Dngul chu (mercury)
1474) ngag (2 folios) and chang (barley
beer)
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 15 Rin chen rgya mtsho (b. Bcud len gyi skor (3 folios) Pill Cong zhi, dbang lag,
14th century) btsun ma rtag tu ngu, arura
Text 16 Ratna gling pa (1403- Yang zab tshe’i bcud len rdo Pill Arura, byang sems
1479) rje’i phreng ba (4 folios) dmar po, byang
sems dkar po (white
and red boddhicita,
semen and menstrual
blood), dbang lag,
rtag tu ngu pa, brag
zhun (bitumen),
gla rtsi (Moschus
moschiferus L.),
tsan dan dkar
( ),
li shi (
aromaticum), dngul
chu, cong zhi, ram
mnye
Text 17 Ratna gling pa (1403- Tshe sgrub gsang ’dus las ’chi Pill Arura, Barura
1479) med bdud rtsi’i bcud len (3 (Terminalia belerica),
folios) Emblica
officinalis)
57
58
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 18 Ratna gling pa (1403- Them med cong zhi sogs rdo Calcite stone Cong zhi
1479) rje bdud rtsi’i bcud len (3
folios)
Text 19 Ratna gling pa (1403- Rtag ngu’i bcud len zab mo (8 Flower, pill Rtag tu ngu pa
1479) folios)
Text 20 Ratna gling pa (1403- Bcud len khyad ’phags zab mo Herb, flower Dbang lag, sro lo
1479) (5 folios) dkar po (Cochlearia
scapiflora), shug
pa (Juniperus
communis), ra mo
shag
Text 21 Padma gling pa (1450- Bcud len yid bzhin nor bu (1515 types of bcud Padma , An array of
1521) folios) len, some of which: ingredients, too
, earth, water, byed ma, Ye shes numerous to list here
fire, space, nectar, mka’ gro’
flower, calcite, rock,
heat producing
Text 22 Bya bral ba Dge ’dun Bcud len gyi gdams pa rim pa Flower, herb Ba lu (Rhododendron
rgya mtsho dpal bzang po lnga pa (3 folios) sp.), rtag tu ngu pa,
(1476-1542) arura, dbang lag
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 23 Blo bzang byang chub Me tog bcud len gyi khrid Flower, pill Vajradhara, Rtag tu ngu pa, ba lu,
bstan pa’i sgron me gnang skabs kyi brjed byang ug chos (Incarvillea
(1504/1505-1565/1566) (7 folios) compacta
), g.yar mo
thang (Primula
fasciculata), me tog
gser chen (Trollius
pumilus d. don)
Text 24 Rig ’dzin ’Ja’ tshon snying Bcud len sman gyi tshe sgrub Pill; flowers, herbs, Arura, barura, skyu
po (1585-1565) zab mo bdud rtsi’i lcags kyu meat ru ra, sha lnga (the
(5 folios) ‘five fleshes’, see
glossary)
Text 25 Lha btsun Nam mkha’ ’jigs Ril bu’i bcud len zag bral (7 Pill Padmasambhava Ingredients
med (1597-1650) folios) in union with a undisclosed
consort
Text 26 Lha btsun Nam mkha’ ’jigs Rdo rje snying po las cong Pill Cong zhi, byang sems
med (1597-1650) zhi’i bcud len bla ma’i snyan dmar po, byang sems
brgyud dri ma med pa (3 dkar po, sindura
folios) (Limonite), bzang po
drug (six excellent
substances; see
glossary)
59
60
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 27 Bdud ’dul rdo rje, padma Bstan srung chen po legs Pill, nectar Cong zhi, bzang po
rgyal mtshan (1615-1672) grub rdo rje yab yum gyi ’chi drug, rat na lnga
med tshe’i bcud len zab mo (4 (five jewels), various
folios) (unspecified) flowers,
curd and meat, byang
sems dmar po, byang
sems dkar po
Text 28 Bdud ’dul rdo rje, padma ’Gro don las tshogs zag med Flower Dorje Drolö, Rtag tu ngu, arura,
rgyal mtshan (1615-1672) bdud rtsi’i bcud len (8 folios) cong zhi
Text 29 Gar dbang rdo rje (1640- Zab tig chos dbyings rang Sexual yoga No specific A sexual partner
1685) gsal las bcud len rdo rje’i chu deities. One
visualizes a seed
syllable in his
body
Text 30 Blo bzang don grub (1696- Chu’i bcud len gyi snying Water Brahmin Saraha Water, mantras
1756) po dngos grub kun’byung (9 and several
folios)
Text 31 Bzhad pa’i rdo rje (1697- Nam mkha’i bcud len bdud A blue and
1740) rtsi’i thur ma zhes bya ba visualisations
bzhugs (3 folios)
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 32 Bzhad pa’i rdo rje (1697- Lha gcig nyi ma gzhon nus Sexual yoga Lha gcig nyi ma A youthful girl
1740) dag snang du stsal ba’i thabs gzhon nus with all suitable
kyi lam mchog nyi zla’i bcud qualities, visualized
len dang brgyad ’debs (5 as the goddess. One
folios) drinks the mixture
of sperm and vaginal
secretions
Text 33 Bzhad pa’i rdo rje (1697- Bden tshig smon lam ’chi med An aspirational Masters and No substance utilised
1740) grub pa’i bcud len (3 folios) prayer not relying
on any substance
Text 34 Tshul khrims rin chen Phyi nang bdud rtsi’i bcud len Medicinal bcud len The ‘five nectars’,
(1697-1774) (2 folios) bdud rtsi lnga, (see
glossary). Various
recipes for each
nectar are explained,
with accompanying
visualizations
61
62
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 35 Tshul khrims rin chen Thams cad kyi dbang phyug gi Medicinal bcud len No main deity Dngul chu and
(1697-1774) bcud len nad thams cad ’joms several ingredients
shing lus kyi stobs rgyas par such as ku ma ra,
byed pa (1 folio) kanti (Aquilaria
sinensis), kon
pachyneura Franch),
tsi tra (Capiscum
annuum), ma dza tsa
Text 36 Tshe dbang nor bu (1698- Bla med sngags chos kyi No ingredients.
1755) snying po’i bcud len lam zab
bdud rtsi’i thig le (7 folios) kumbhaka and gtum
mo exercises
Text 37 Kun dga’ blo gros (1729- Dpal rdo rje nag po chen po Pill White Long life pills made
1783) gur mgon dkar po’i tshe sgrub Panyjaranatha up of 35 ingredients
’khor ’das bcud len (5 folios)
Text 38 ’Jigs med gling pa (1729- “Wrathful king” Barley, cong zhi, ’bri
1798) milk and fresh butter,
ga bur (camphor) and
honey
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 39 Blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma Me tog bcud len gyi gdams pa Flower, herb pill Mi sha (human
(1737-1802) bdud rtsi’i thigs pa (5 folios) flesh), ba lu, rtag
tu ngu pa, ug chos,
g.yar mo thang
Text 40 Dharma bhadra (1772- Bcud len gyi ril bu bsgrubs Pill, nectar Ra mo shag, rtag
1851) nas spyod tshul dang zhabs tu ngu pa, cong zhi,
brtan srub ’jug (4 folios) dban lag
Text 41 Btsun pa Ye shes don grub Chu’i bcud len gyi gdams Water, pills and Pills with honey, old
bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan pa ’chi med rig ’dzin sgrub butter, old bones
(1792-1855) pa’i chu rgyun zhes bya ba (8
folios)
Text 42 Blo bzang nor bu shes rab Rdo rje phag mo bcu gsum Mantra Mantra recitation and
(18th century) ma’i sgrub thabs dang rde’u gtor ma offering
bcud len gyi gdams pa gnyis
(8 folios)
Text 43 Dkar ru grub dbang bstan Theg pa chen po dmar khrid Pill, water, Samantabhadra Various plants and
’dzin rin chen (1801-1860) dug lnga rang drol gyi brgyud types of water (rain
las bcud len zas kyi gdams pa water, lake water,
bzhugs (13 folios) snow water)
63
64
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 44 Dbyangs can grub pa’i rdo Bde mchog dkar po’i sgo nas Pill, nectar White Pill. No specific
rje (1809-1887) tshe ril sogs bsgrub cing longs , ingredients are
spyod pa’i tshul ’chi med mentioned
bdud rtsi’i bcud len (4 folios)
Text 45 Pad ma bdud ’dul (1816- Man nga sku gsum bcud len pill Padmasambhava
1872) ’ja ’lus rdo rje’i sku brnyes and princess barley and white
bshugs (11 folios) Mandarava
various kinds of
flowers devoid of
utpala (Meconopsis
sp.) and rtag tu ngu
Text 46 Mkhyen brtse’i dbang po Bdud rtsi sman gyi sgrub pa Nectar The five family Eight (unspecified)
(1820-1892) mdor bsdus su bya tshul ’chi Buddhas, Che herbs
med rtag pa’i bcud len (5 mchog, the
folios) Goddess Gnam
Zhal Ma (The
Sky-faced One)
Text 47 Mkhyen brtse’i dbang po Nye brgyud tshe khrid sgrub Pill Pills, tshe chang
(1820-1892) thabs dbang chog bcas (17 (long life alcohol)
folios)
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 48 Mkhyen brtse’i dbang po ’Chi med bcud len gyi man Flower , Ba lu, rtag tu ngu
(1820-1892) ngag bkra shis zho yi snying pa, arura, dbang lag
po (8 folios)
Text 49 Mkhyen brtse’i dbang po Tshe sgrub zhag bdun ma’i
(1820-1892) nyams len gyi rim pa ’chi med
bdud rtsi’i bcud len (3 folios)
Text 50 Mchog gyur gling pa aka Mi g.yo ba’i nam mkha’i bcud O rgyan Mi
Gter slob sangs rgyas chos len gyi zin bris bltas chog tu bskyod rdo rje
’phel (1829-1870) bkod pa phyogs med ri khrid chang
khrod ’grim pa’i cha rkyen blo
gtad gcig chog log ’tsho’i zhen
pa rang grol (4 folios)
Text 51 Bdud ’joms gling pa (1835- ’Chi med tshe yi bcud len pill , clarified
1904) dngos grub gter gyi ’byung butter, oily dough
gnas bzhugs (2 folios)
Text 52 Bdud ’joms gling pa (1835- Thugs sgrub ye shes nyi ma’i
1904) skor/ bcud len ’od gsal snying
po yi/ rtsa rlung byin rlabs
chos nyid sprin phung (5
folios)
65
66
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 53 ’Ju mi pham rgya mtso ’Chi med bcud len sgrub pa’i
(1846-1912) thabs mchog bdud rtsi’i bum
pa bzang po (6 folios)
Text 54 ’Ju mi pham rgya mtso Bcud len gyi cha lag rin chen pill Arura
(1846-1912) za ma tog (8 folios)
Text 55 ’Ju mi pham rgya mtso Bcud len sgrub pa’i tshe bka’ Aspirational prayer Dharma protectors No substances
(1846-1912) srung mchod thabs bdud rtsi’i employed
char ’bebs (1 folio)
Text 56 ’Ju mi pham rgya mtso Bcud len sgrub thabs mandzu Mantra, dam tshig Dam tshig rdzas
(1846-1912) shri ra sa ya na sa dha ni (3 rdzas (samaya substances);
folios) bdud rtsi lnga
Text 57 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Pad ma longs sku tshe mtha’ Pill Padma dbang chen Five (unspecified)
1903) yas kyi sgrub thabs (8 folios) Heruka medicines, five
(unspecified)
incenses, bdud rtsi
lnga, sha lnga. Non-
poisonous leaves of
trees, flower seeds,
rice, tsampa, chang,
mare’s milk, dbang
lag, precious metals.
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 58 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Rdzas tshogs bsdu thabs kyi * * *
1903) man nag (3 folios)
Text 59 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Zag med rdo rje’i bcud len (7 Pill Ba lu, cong zhi, arura
1903) folios)
Text 60 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Ril sgrub yid bzhin gter mdzod Pill Unspecified Ingredients not listed
1903) (4 folios) ‘deities’
Text 61 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Tshe ril sgrub pa’i cho ga (7 Pill Master’s relics,
1903) folios) dpal rdo rje lnga log sman rigs
(non specified types
of medicine), five
incenses, precious
metals
Text 62 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Mantra Old wheat, clean rice,
1903) barley flour
Text 63 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Longs sku’i bcud len (7 folios) * * *
1903)
Text 64 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Mi ’gyur rdo rje’i bcud len (7 * * *
1903) folios)
Text 65 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Mngon par byang chub bcud Mantra Amogasiddhi Liquor, rice, butter
1903) len (6 folios)
Text 66 Rang rig rdo rje (1847- Chos sku’i bcud len (7 folios) Mantra Vairocana Tsampa and tea
1903)
67
68
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 67 Shakya shri (1853-1919) Bcud len gyi rim pa lam gong , calcite, grain No deities Grain, calcite,
’phel ba’i gdams pa (3 folios)
Text 68 Shar rdza bkra shis rgyal Rdzogs pa chen po sku gsum Water, , pill Tshe dbang rigs Water, , nettles,
mtshan (1859-1935) rang shar las sku gsum bcud ’dzin, Kun tu dough pills
len thar pa’i rgyags phye (9 bzang po
folios)
Text 69 Blo bzang rta mgrin (1867- Rje bla ma tshe lha sku gsum Mantra; a prayer No substances
1937) la brten pa’i tshe sgrub pa’i and invocation to used and not even
bcud len (3 folios) Lord Tsongkapa Rgyal Ma (Unisha breathing. Mantras
Vijaya) and and visualisations are
Tsongkapa (also used
known as Lobsang
Drakpa)
Text 70 Ngag dbang bstan ’dzin nor Me tog bcud len skal bzang Flower, pill Deities not Pill’s ingredients
bu (1867-1940) rna rgyan gyi lhan thabs specified unspecified
dngos grub mchog ster (5
folios)
Text 71 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Tshe sgrub rdo rje’i srog thig Pill, Mandarava 7 different recipes
(b.1938) rgya for pills, including a
cong zhi based one
Rediscoverer/ Author Text title and number Typology of Main deity Main substance
practice used
Text 72 Gter chen kar ma (1943- ’Chi med gnyug ma’i gsang Pill, Pill containing cong
2005) mdzod zhes/ lus med mkha’ zhi, arura
’gro’i chos skor gyi rig ’dzin
thugs tig padma’i srog/ bcud
len bdud rtsi’i gdam zab las/
gzhun don cha lag mdor bsdus
(18 folios)
Text 73 Gter chen kar ma (1943- ’Chi med gnyugs ma’i sangs
2005) mdzod lus med mkha’ ’gro’i
chos skor las/ yi dam ’khor lo
bsdoms pa yab yum gyi sgrubs
thabs dang a dkar bcud len kyi
gdam pa rlung khrid dang cas
pa (10 folios)
69
70
The contents of the gathered texts, translated, summarised and annotated in the
compendium, range from a mere mention of bcud len in the eleventh century to the
complex gter ma teachings rediscovered in the latter part of the twentieth century. As
was mentioned in Chapter Two, it is difficult to ascertain a posteriori the exact dating of
the origins of the bcud len tradition. These texts were often passed down in oral lineages
and recorded in writing only later. They were authored by exponents of all four schools
of Tibetan Buddhism as well as practitioners from the Bon tradition, a testimony to the
extent of the practices on the Tibetan plateau. The vast majority of the texts collected
here are Buddhist. The Bon tradition is very much underrepresented. This discrepancy
has occurred partially because I gave priority to texts which could be viewed online at
the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center, enabling potential researchers easy access to the
texts of interest. I am aware that further research into Bon bcud len texts is necessary
before definitive findings about the bcud len tradition can be stated. Indeed, the findings
in this essay are based on patterns emerging from a few dozen texts and therefore cannot
be considered as representative of the whole bcud len tradition. Certainly there are many
more texts, both Bon and Buddhist, awaiting translation and interpretation that may well
change our understanding of the bcud len tradition. Despite its current limitations and
lacunae this rubric is presented as a contribution to the body of work on bcud len, an
The reader should bear in mind some of the unresolved complications encountered
by researchers in the field. The practical difficulties in identifying the materia medica,
the differing interpretations of the subtle body, the debates on authorship, and the
legitimacy of the gter ma literary tradition. The texts presented assume an understanding
71
beings, all of them extremely important in meditative bcud len texts. In the readings
below, they often are referred to in regard to the origins and transmissions of the
practices; and instructions are found on rites to appease them so as to avoid disturbances
from the realms of the intangible. In the quest to extend their lifespan, well-being
and physical and mental powers, bcud len practitioners developed a broad tradition,
embracing a wide range of techniques. As the collection shows, these include exercises
to develop the subtle body, sexual practices involving a consort, yantra yoga, breathing
There are structural similarities in many of the examples; typically, a text begins
by paying homage and the preliminary practices follow. The main practice is next and
after that the concluding section, where the benefits of the practices are explained. A
colophon often but not always describes who wrote the text, why, when and where.
In this short introduction to the compendium I indicate the main themes, presences
and practices of the literary corpus of bcud len reflected in the writings. My remarks
are focused on the following themes in particular. First, I explore the main substances
used. I then identify the principal deities addressed. Discussion follows with examples
of the inner yoga techniques found in bcud len rituals that focus on the subtle body,
sexual union, and breathing. I mention important figures and aspects of the tradition
establishing authorship and evaluating the purposes of the texts, while investigating the
possible reasons for the prolific period concomitant with the ris med movement.
72
Substances
There have been difficulties surrounding the identification and labelling of Tibetan
materia medica since the Russian doctor Rehmann’s first publication on the subject in
1811, as Robert Mayer points out. Discussing the historiography of Tibetan medicinal
plants, Mayer recounts how the distance and isolation of places in the Tibetan world
resulted in different labels for the same plant, citing the example of skyu ru ra that has
been identified as: Cratageus pinnatifida (Chinese hawthorn), Mallus Baccata (Siberian
The precise identification of the vast array of ingredients found in bcud len
several countries and as pointed out its materia medica show variation according to local
vegetation, traditions, and foreign influences. All these factors may affect traditional
plant identification and classification as the field data of several scholars has shown.
as standard and static both in time and space, but as a tradition that has been constantly
identification:
plant: shang dril dkar po, shang dril dmar po, shang dril ser po (P. sikkimensis), shang
dril smug po, and shang dril nag po (P. atrodentata
designation shang dril nag po, only used in Khyungpo and in few other Tibetan regions,
is a synonym for the more common shang dril sngon po, “blue shang dril”. The name
shang dril nag po is not mentioned in the classical and modern pharmacopoeias examined.
Similarly, traditional doctors from the region of Dolpo use the expression shang dril sngon
po as a synonym of shang dril nag po (Primula macrophylla), thus corroborating the
information reported by the informant from Khyungpo’ (Ibid: 79).
73
Boesi’s observations reflect the difficulties that Western translators have experienced
since the early nineteenth century in translating Tibetan medical texts. These have
been further elucidated by Gerke who reminds us how hard it is, in the absence of oral
instructions, to extract the meaning and implications of medical terms that are often
represented by only one syllable (Gerke 2012b: 18). The teachings are part of an oral
tradition and meanings can be lost in adopting a strictly literal translation (Ibid: 22).
Glover (2010: 255-277) points out uncertainties surrounding Tibetan plant names
and medicinal ingredients in general in her analysis of the categories of plants specified
in two texts: The Four Tantras (Rgyud bzhi) and the contemporary commentary The
Crystal Mirror. She also refers to various other medical texts, to point out the changes in
recognised categories of plants throughout the history of Tibetan medicine. She asserts
that ‘there is not absolute concordance between various texts as to the exact number
and kind of plant categories nor to which category a plant should be assigned’ (Glover
2010:255).
published thus far in the English language is Tibetan Medicinal Plants (edited by Christa
Kletter and Monika Kriechbaum) which I have used as a general reference, alongside
other sources that are listed in the glossary at the end of this work.
Despite bcud len being a centenary tradition, detailed research has only recently
begun on its specific substances, their inherent qualities and the nature of their ritual
in Tibetan medical studies and therefore it seems apt to enquire whether it may have
significantly influenced Tibet’s bcud len tradition. This is referred to in the twenty-third
chapter of the second volume, and in the ninetieth chapter of the third volume of the
The Rgyud bzhi is generally thought to date from around the twelfth century and
possibly earlier. The earliest mention of bcud len in the texts I have studied is from the
eleventh century. One important point to note is that bcud len was mentioned in Tibetan
has argued that there seem to be earlier examples of Tibetan essence extraction practices
(the pre-eleventh century Tibetan medical text King of the Moon (Zla ba’i rgyal po)
predating the advent of major Indian medical influence. However Gerke (2013a: 334)
encourages caution before jumping to conclusions, and calls for more detailed research
on this point as bcud len might have been added retrospectively to the title by later
editors (Gerke 2013a: 334). Further detailed examination is needed to clarify this
observation.
Of the ingredients found in the Rgyud bzhi’s bcud len recipes it is particularly
worth mentioning a ru ra, ba ru ra and skyu ru ra. These ingredients, found in bcud len
recipes spanning several centuries, are of Indic origin and suggest the Indian provenance
by Rje btsun Grags pa rgyal mtshan (1147-1216). This is nearly concomitant with the
estimated dates of the emergence of the Rgyud bzhi. Given the scarce and imprecise
historical evidence, however, it would be irresponsible to claim on this basis that the
Rgyud bzhi is the principal source of the bcud len tradition in Tibet. Also, much research
into Bon bcud len literature remains to be carried out and may change of current
Mercury is an ingredient which occurs in bcud len texts, starting from Text 14
attributed to By Dge ’dun grub pa (1391- 1474). This teaching is said to have originated
75
pathway by which mercury entered into the bcud len tradition (as exemplified by the
individuals with a background in meditation and are laden with unexplained religious
terms and concepts familiar to the yogin with an experiential background in the practice
but not easily comprehensible to others. This may cause misunderstandings when
particular ingredients are included, perhaps because they are deemed auspicious rather
than for their actual medicinal properties. Often terse, the instructions in the texts are
In several recipes for example one encounters the ‘five nectars’ and the ‘five
fleshes’. In fact, neither of the fivefold sets of substances are definitively identified (for
and ‘meats’ see Wedemeyer, 2007). Frances Garrett has shown how these substances are
laden with tantric meaning. Deemed impure by most, they are transformed, empowered
said to possess is an important factor to consider when analysing bcud len formulas.
Spatial constraints prevent me from delving further into this question but I refer the
more medically oriented reader to the second chapter of the Rgyud bzhi where a section,
Chapter 20, entitled ‘The Potency of Medicine’ is found. Tibetan belief in a substance’s
potencies can be understood as the qualities of several substances, such as gems, rocks,
soils, herbal medicine, animal products (including horns, bones, flesh, tongue, bile, fat,
Examining bcud len texts, one realises that the substances employed, the mantras
and the visualisations all interrelate and affect one another. Certain peculiar ingredients
are listed in bcud len preparations and one cannot but wonder whether their efficacy
is psychosomatic or due to the substances themselves. The late Dr. Trogawa Rinpoche
that the potency of an elixir is derived from the rituals of consecration as much as from
mental focus and mantra, were echoed in my conversations with Tibetan traditional
Practising bcud len often entails the highly complex preparation of pills, medicinal
unguents and oils that can contain large numbers of ingredients. But it is not the
ingredients alone that give the bcud len practices their potency. As an example, the
instructions may specify that the persons who should gather a specific flower, must
pick it at a certain place and time as well as and the mantra to be recited while doing so.
Furthermore mantras, invocations and prayers are indicated for the later stages of the
preparation, and the ingestion of the pill can be accompanied by intricate recitations,
visualisations and breathing exercises that give the practice a power that transcends our
Numerous deities appear in bcud len practices, in a variety of roles; at times they
are said to be at the origin of the specified teaching, or they may be invoked, propitiated
The range of these deities illustrates the breadth of the aims of bcud len and the
large number of enlightened activities connected with the above deities that bcud len
cannot however adopt a binary perspective and divide the practices involving these
practices (for examples Texts 18 and 21) are included in gter ma texts connected with
with the Bka’ rgyud school, although Rnying ma masters such as Rat na gling pa (1403-
texts written in Sanskrit, many of which were grouped in a collection known as the
they may well have originated around the tenth century. (English: 2002: Introduction)
78
Frequently in the bcud len instructions, often given largely for the benefit of
advanced meditators, the description of the deities is minimal. The texts often merely
say one should mentally transform into the deity, expecting the reader to be familiar
ornaments are all laden with meaning. Concerning the figure and symbolisms Simmer-
klesas
(kartari, triguk)
(togme)
(Ibid: 149):
4, section 4.2, in the introduction to my translation of a cong zhi bcud len text by Ratna
In reading through this compendium of bcud len texts, the reader will realise that
such similarities in ritual procedures, both visualised and actual, are not limited to that
particular cong zhi text, and can indeed be discerned in many other bcud len texts which
transmit their blessings by chopping open the practitioner’s heart, trunk or inner body
channels; the earliest example is in Text 5, where Bdud rtsi yi lha mo, ‘The Goddess of
Nectar’, is visualised chopping the tip of the meditator’s heart and pouring nectar into
it. In other instances the meditator visualises that drops issue from the s vagina,
filled with nectar, pills or various substances; lights spread and reabsorb, imbued with
several other benefits of the practice are listed in concluding sections of the texts; for
bcud len
connected to Guru Padmasambhava, said to have attained the long-life siddhi of Buddha
Inner yoga techniques found in bcud len rituals that focus on the subtle
body, sexual union and breathing.
len tradition is the importance it attributes to the subtle body, which was discussed in
Chapter 2.
A number of practices with exercises involving the subtle body are found within
this bcud len compendium. These yogic techniques are used to create and enhance
meditative experiences by manipulating the body’s internal energies. They may include
80
either visualisations of mantric syllables at the body’s chakras, coloured ‘drops’ moving
in the subtle body’s winds and channels or nectar filling the body and channels of the
meditator. Meditative bcud len practices are not confined to mental visualisations; there
are also other forms that serve to raise energy and harmonise the physical body, such as
yogic practices and copulation. The breathing practices of bum pa can ‘vase breathing’
are the subtle body exercises that occur most frequently in this collection of texts. Their
aim is to bring the ‘winds’ into the central channel, an important goal in meditation. The
Chaoul (2006: 29-30) dates certain phrul ’khor yogic practices, found in a
chapter of the Zhang Zhung snyan rgyud, around the eight century. Time constraints
have impeded the inclusion of those texts in this study, but in the future it would be
interesting to research early Bon texts for elements that perhaps have made their way
into later Buddhist bcud len texts. For the moment on the basis of this compendium it
can be suggested that the roots of these subtle body practices lie in Buddhist tantras that
originated in India. Their origins, development and contents have been discussed in
several works, such as Reginald A. Ray (Ray 2002) and Ronald M. Davidson (Davidson
2008). Both these authors trace their development in India and their subsequent arrival
in Tibet. Interestingly, certain inner yoga practices, initially disdained by the Buddhists
in India, slowly made their way into Tantric Buddhist teachings. Davidson (2008: 27)
lists practices employing human bones, scatophagy and ritual copulation, examples of
Despite their Indian origins, several subtle body practices either originated or
were passed on in pure visions or gter mas by Tibetan masters. For example the work
81
practices, supplemented by his own experiential realisations and dreams. Thus, the
seeds of the practices may be Indian, but we should not regard them strictly as Indian
practices, given their subsequent transformations in the Tibetan context. Such subtle
body exercises are intended to bring about particular meditative experiences, such as
effects and the benefits attainable are found in the concluding section of bcud len texts.
research on women in Tantric Buddhism Miranda Shaw quotes a statement from the
attain full enlightenment. She explains how the text proclaims that practising Tantra
without a partner is ‘as useless as churning water to make butter.’ (Shaw 1994: 142-143)
Further on, Shaw explains that according to the , the bliss that Buddha
experienced with his wife before leaving the palace was essential for his
enlightenment.
India’s sophisticated tradition of eroticism, exemplified in the Kama Sutra, a work that
does not, however, seem to refer directly to spiritual development nor longevity. The
a Buddhist text dating from the fifth century. Samuel notes (Ibid: 43) that early
Chinese evidence from around 150-100BCE concerning sexual practices and inner
workings of the subtle body predates the Indian texts by several centuries and may
well have influenced the latter. However, due to the complexities of establishing this,
82
no concentrated attempt has been made to do so as yet. While remaining with our
uncertainties regarding their origins, the texts collected below offer several examples
within their instructions on the subtle body that prescribe sexual union, whether actual
or imagined.
Samuel has explained (2013:43) part of the aim of these sexual practices is
‘to maintain balance and self-control over the processes of the subtle body in an
emotionally intense situation’. This view is echoed in texts by Gar dbang dorje (Text 29)
and Bzhad pa’i rdo rje (Text 32). The gter ma Text 29 instructs the practitioner on how
to overcome attachment to sex while riding the waves of emotions and pleasure without
ejaculating and remaining in a state of awareness while imagining the union as illusion.
The highly explicit Text 32 on sexual practice also advocates the retention of semen
and remaining in a state of awareness during the blissful sexual experience. There are
also other examples, such as Text 54 by ’Ju Mi pham, which advocate sexual union as
a means of gaining meditative insights. It can be said that sexual intercourse, real or
imagined, is frequently suggested to stimulate the flow of substances along and within
the subtle body. Thus, through harnessing passion, somehow the practitioner overcomes
attachment to it.
A particular exercise that appears with some regularity in the instructional bcud
len texts gathered here is bum pa can: a special method of breath retention using
particular holds and muscular contractions. The regular practice of kumbhaka is said to
coordinate breathing and to aid meditation. Exercises comprising retention of the breath
and the contraction of muscles, often adopting specific body postures and visualising
deities or syllables, are frequently mentioned in this collection. These exercises aim
to harness the circulating within one’s subtle body and guide it into the central
83
enters the central channel, explaining the subtle body dynamics of this yogic practice
that, if practiced properly, ‘frees the mind of dualistic thought, allowing the natural
The virtues of practising bum pa can are expressed in several of these collected
In Text 36, by Tshe dbang nor bu, the power of entering the central channel is
again emphasised:
From what is known of them, authors of the texts in this compendium range from
the relatively obscure to prominent figures affiliated with all four schools of Tibetan
Buddhism, as well as with the Bon tradition. However the majority of these teachings
were composed or compiled by masters whom we connect with the Rnying ma school.
This is probably due to the fact that Padmasambhava, the founder of the Rnying ma
practising bcud len is recounted in the twenty-third chapter of his biography, O rgyan gu
translating parts of this biography and he kindly shared the first draft of his translation
84
of a particular section entitled Dka’ spyad mdzad pa’i skor bzhugs so (Concerning [the
guru’s] engagement in ascetic discipline), which tells how Padmasambhava foresaw that
The following summarised extract from the biography offers an opportunity for
bcud len
dbang lag
vajra
The biography does not explain exactly how or from whom Padmasambhava first
received the various essence extraction techniques listed above. There is a similar
charnel grounds in Text 28, folio 447 below. Regarding the origins of the particular
practice (Text 28, a flower and calcite bcud len), the text states that the practice was
85
first given by Buddha to a in the sacred place called Dan ta. Then
the wisdom hid it and Guru Rin po che went to Dur khrod bde byed brtsegs
(‘Enchanting Mound Cemetery’, one of the eight main charnel grounds) and retrieved it.
He transmitted it to eight yogins who benefitted from this bcud len and Padmasambhava
This account is in accord with Boord’s translation of the biography, indicating that
the first contact that Guru Padmasambhava may have had with teachings on bcud len
both the origins and in the transmission mode of bcud len practices. They are mysterious
systematically describe the dakini, for she manifests in forms consistent with her nature.
Scholars of Tibetan Vajrayana have despaired at her definition, calling the term dakini
The ’s origins are Indian, and Simmer- Brown offers a succinct account
how the ‘evolved from a minor goddess figure to a central symbol of meditative
experience in iconography, ritual, and meditation (Ibid: 72). In Tibetan religion the
integrity of the oral tradition of instruction and transmissions is preserved and the secret
nature of the remains. In the Tibetan context, we find the figure at the heart of a
In this bcud len corpus appear in a great variety of forms, ranging from
extremely feminine and sexually attractive (such as Nyi ma gzhon nus in Text 32 or ’Od
gsal in Text 52) to wrathful sow-faced figures bearing weapons, such as Rdo rje
’dzum mo in Text 14. The unpredictability of the forms that the may take on was
5 (dated around 1338). The figure recurs throughout the teachings presented
below, up until the very last text (73), where the practitioner mentally transforms into
As mentioned earlier, Text 28 states that Guru Rinpoche first received bcud
len teachings from a . In their colophons many texts (32, 41, 58, 60, 62, 63,
64, 65, 66, 71) state that guard and disclose the particular teachings. Ye shes
mtsho rgyal, a who was one of the two main consorts of Padamsambhava,
was an instrumental figure in recording and compiling bcud len teachings found in
important for his spiritual progress. The latter two are said to have achieved immortality
Bcud len texts are often associated with Padmasambhava, either directly through
attribution to him or indirectly, by association. For example, bcud len practices were
disciples. Amongst them, the texts mention Rig ’dzin rgod kyi ldem phru can (1337-
1408 CE), the reincarnation of Sna nam rdo rje bdud ’joms (eight-ninth century). Rat
disciples, Kon mchog ’byung gnas. Rgyal ba mchog dbyangs was a close disciple of
Guru Rinpoche who later incarnated in the lineage of the Karmapas and was a forefather
of Dri med ’od zer, 1308-1364. There are also other instances of masters who revealed
or composed bcud len texts who were reincarnations of masters who formerly had
67, was said to have lived previously as Saraha, an important Indian figure mentioned in
In this collection, many of the Bcud len teachings are said to have been revealed
deliberately composed by authors aware of the value and benefits of bcud len practices
who based their instructions on their own meditative experiences, medical and religious
studies. It would appear that gter ma rediscoveries occur through the power of karmic
connections and at the appropriate time the bcud len text is revealed by the pre-destined
gter ston. The authorship issues surrounding gter ma, discussed in Chapter 2, should be
At times the texts state with some precision why and how the teachings emerged.
In the preamble to Text 19, there is an account of how Guru Padmasambhava was asked
for a bcud len that would be easy to perform in the future when scarce harvests will
make it hard to practice free from preoccupation about procuring food. A troubled future
when food will not be plentiful and circumstances adverse for meditators is often cited
as one of the reasons underlying the setting down of bcud len instructions that are then
concealed as gter ma. Or, the authors extol the benefits they received from the practices
for the benefits of others. In order to try and understand why individuals may have
authored particular bcud len texts, I have attempted to note, in the ‘Remarks’ section in
88
the compendium below, instances where the authors may have been inspired to do so
by virtue of prolonged periods of solitary retreat with limited access to food, or if their
connection to bcud len came from a training in Tibetan medicine. In the absence of
sufficient evidence on this question we are often in the realm of speculation, limited in
value in the study of gter ma literature. As Holly Gayley points out in her introduction
to Sarah Harding’s translation of Padma Lingpa’s life and revelations, ‘Tertöns may
receive some training during their youth in textual study and ritual practice, but this is
not seen as the basis for their literary achievements”(Gayley in Harding 2003:16). Her
This is exemplified by Gnam chos mi ‘gyur rdo rje (1645-1667) who was already
retrieving gter ma while in his teens, producing works of literature which transcend the
literary contents and style can thus be problematic. In a biography of Mi ‘gyur rdo rje’s
by Karma Chagme (2008: 113) there is a short section titled ‘How the terton composed
Besides the complexities and doubts raised by the gter ma tradition, there are other
hard to pinpoint the original source, as a specific teaching will have passed through
various stages of transmission and recording. The practice of bcud len, despite its
popularity among all religious schools, was never institutionalised and there is no clear
transmission lineage. Vague divine origins are attributed to several texts, and with gter
ma texts said to been planted into the rediscover’s stream of consciousness centuries
example, Text 15, (f. 102, line 4; f. 103, line 2) states that the rtag tu ngu bcud len was
transmitted from the gods, the dbang lag bcud len from the s, and the arura bcud
len from the sages. The mythical origins of the specific bcud len recipes are also echoed
in Text 28 (f. 483, line 3) which states that the recipe of the rtag tu ngu bdud tsi lha
him that of the dbang lag. The ‘three a ru ra’ recipes were offered to him by Indian
Colophons illustrate how a teaching from a gter gton may have stemmed from a
remembered dream, which was then communicated orally and subsequently recorded
a sect. Thus we can never establish with certainty the accuracy of statements regarding
its origin. We must always be cautious before attributing a bcud len teaching to exalted
figures, such as Padmasambhava, since attributing a text to them gave a work legitimacy
and status. As Davidson (2008: 49) suggests: ‘We will see that great antiquity is one
of the important values of Tibetan religion, and imputing it into the lives of the saints
becomes an essential tool for the affirmation of their sanctity and authority.’
The reader should bear all of these points in mind while reading through the
compendium and note carefully the authors’ stated motivations in the colophons.
may have been the most prolific period of bcud len text writing, the nineteenth century.
Concomitant with the Ris med, ‘non-sectarian’, movement, around two dozen bcud len
texts emerged from Eastern Tibet. The high incidence of texts could be attributed to
certain factors. Perhaps, more texts survived simply because they were authored more
recently. However my inclination would be to think this owes much to the eclectic spirit
The only attempt at grouping bcud len literature that I am aware of was made by
‘Jam mgon Kong sprul (1813-1899). Most probably, Kong sprul was moved to do this
for the sake of the preservation and continuation of the teachings, especially the lesser
gter ma teachings, but there could well have been a reflection of personal interest.
The section on Kong sprul’s biography in the work on Ris med philosophy written by
Ringu Tulku (2006: 17) states that in his late teens Kong sprul subsisted for a week
91
on extracted essences, obtaining all his nutrition from stalagmites as instructed in the
Northern gter ma ‘Vitality Practice’. Kongtrul’s groupings of bcud len texts are found
in the forty-eight chapter of the Rin chen gter mdzod and in the fifteenth and seventeenth
chapters of the Gdams ngag mdzod. In the forty-eighth chapter of the Rin chen gter
mdzod, thirteen bcud len texts are found. Several forms of the practice, including rock,
flower, water, pr na and nectar pill bcud len are present in this collection. In the Gdam
ngags mdzod instead, in the section headed Khri skor sna tshogs (assorted texts of
instructions), seven bcud len texts are found. This set of texts represents the diversity of
bcud len forms, an important characteristic that the collection I have presented below is
intended to emphasise.
3.3.4 A compendium
Text 1:
Front page:
Source: Man ngag zab mo ga. Ba-ri lo-tsa-ba Rin-chen Grags kyi Be’u Bum, Delhi
Layout: 5 lines
Content:
92
Remarks: This is the earliest mention of bcud len that I have located in Tibetan litera-
ture. Regarding the authorship, this text is included in the compilation attributed to Bari
Lotsawa Rinchen Drag. Unfortunately this Be’u Bum has been augmented with other
texts, composed after the time of Bari Lotsawa. The majority of the later texts are added
at the conclusion. Most of the early texts are not necessarily or actually written by Bari
Lotsawa himself but rather collected from many sources and compiled together under
what appears to be the earliest mention of bcud len in Tibetan literature. Perhaps this
bcud len instruction was received from Vairochanavajra (born in Orissa around 1100)
who was renowned for his skill in alchemy and who is said to have worked on trans-
lations along with Bari Lotsawa. Orissa was the native region of Mitra Dzo ki and of
Saraha who are mentioned in texts in this compendium, making one wonder how that
bcud len.
Text 2:
Front page:
1992, vol. 8, item #21, folio 140-141. Accessed through TBRC W2DB4569.
Folios: 1a-1b
After paying homage to the lama, the practitioner gathers bong nga (Aconitum
species) flowers. A ru ra is added to the aconite (if the bong nga is of good quality
add six parts of a ru ra, if not, add twelve parts of a ru ra). This is cleaned, dried and
ground, then mixed with urine and beaten. Pills are made the size of peas and placed in
a pot. Above, one visualises a moon ; in the middle of that the syllable, at
its four directions From these syllables, imagine nectars flow and
the pills become nectar. The mantra on line six should be recited many times.
At first, eleven pills are taken as food. Each month, one reduces this by two a ru
ra (units). Depending on the quality of the bong nga, after six or twelve months only
bong nga will remain. One eats an amount of bong nga the size of a pea. Each month,
this is increased by one twelfth of this pea size until, after a year, the size will be like a
sheep’s dropping. Each day, one eats a scoop of that size and it acts ‘as both food and
clothing’.
Should one fall ill, be poisoned or experience mental torpor, one imagines a
moon at the crown of the head and from the letters (previously mentioned),
nectar gushing out and washing one’s body. The nectar fills the body and one recites the
mantras.
Main deity and main substance employed: No deities, but visualisation of seed
Colophon: No colophon is present. This short text is part of the Sa skya Vajrayogin
corpus of material.
94
Remarks: It is noteworthy that certain sub-varieties of aconitum species are highly tox-
ic. In the scrutinised passages there are no mentions or instructions on how to detoxify
bong nga, however in the last section a visualisation as an antidote to poisoning is men-
tioned.
Text 3:
The subsection containing the bcud len text is called: Lnga pa rlung gi bcud len bstan
Author:
Sakya Pandita, 1968, vol. 12, folio 215 – 230. Accessed through TBRC W22271.
Folios: 2
Layout: 6 lines
Content: One practices ‘with the rlung of wrathful forms’: sitting cross-legged with
fingers placed on the chest and the hands rotating in circles. The body is straight and
eyes gaze upwards. The facial expression is as wrathful as that of a wrathful deity’s.
Holding the head up, one inhales air with force, holding it as long as possible; when
one can hold it no longer, it should be released slowly from the nose. The instruction
reads: ‘Do this seven times each session and repeat it twenty-one times a day’. As for
the effects, the author claims that one will overcome ageing and eliminate white hair
95
and wrinkles. One’s life span will be equal to the sun and moon and no harm will come
from obstacles and hindrances. One’s body will become somewhat similar to the body
of Bhairava.
Remarks: This is the earliest example I have found of a bcud len advocating the
Text 4:
Source: Rang byung rdo rje. Ra mo shag gi bcud len/ dbang lag gi bcud len/ ’od ldan
sngo’i bcud len/ ya ma spyi ’joms man ngag drug pa bcas. In Gsung ’bum. Zi ling:
Mtshur phu mkhan po lo yag bkra shis, 2006, vol. 11: 639-646. Accessed through TBRC
W30541.
Folios: 1a-4b
Content: After a brief description of the ramo shag (Polygonatum cirhifolium) plant,
an account on its mythological origin is given (f. 636, lines 1-2). The account states that
in previous times at ’O ma’i mtsho (‘Lake of Milk’) nectar churned from the lake was
96
stolen by Rahula, who put it in a vase. Vajrapani, with a weapon, cut the neck of the
vase. From the fallen nectar the ra mo shag sprung from the ground.
The second part of the text (starting on f. 637, line four) is a dbang lag
(Dactylorhiza hatagirea) bcud len. An account of the mythological origin of the plant
is given (f. 638, lines 1-2): In previous times, the gods and the asuras had a dispute and
the chief of the asuras shot an arrow into the hand of a god. The spilt blood spread forth
like a hand shape on the surface, thus came about the name dbang lag [lag meaning
hand in Tibetan]. After preparing and partaking of medicinal substances, said to increase
strength and lifespan, one is instructed to visualise one’s yi dam above one’s head and a
The text concludes with a list of remedies for a range of ailments, spanning sinus
Main deity and main substances: One’s yi dam; ra mo shag and dbang lag.
Colophon: There is no colophon present in this text; however, as regards its authorship
(f. 637, line 3) bdud rtsi ra nye’i bcud len yin/ rang byung rdo rjes sbyar ba yin/
‘This is the bcud len of the ram mo shag nectar. This was written by Rang byung
And again: (f. 641/line 5) . . .ces pa rang byung rdo rjes bkod/ dge bas ’gro dang
‘Rang byung rdo rje composed this, dedicating the virtue [of writing it] to all
beings.’
97
Remarks: Overall, this is a bcud len text with a medical emphasis; it describes the
physical benefits of particular plants and instructions for concoctions. It is the first text
in which dbang lag, an ingredient often seen in bcud len recipes, appears. With so little
stated about the origins of the text, it is difficult to determine how this practice came
about. In this text there are no deities visualised, nor are any mantras recited. This is
the first text with a major list of home remedies for illnesses. This suggests that perhaps
bcud len was devised for practitioners who spent long periods of time in isolation and
who would have to resort to self-medication. Such lists are also interesting in that they
Text 5:
Source: Rang byung rdo rje. In Gsung ’bum. Zi ling: Mtshur phu mkhan po lo yag bkra
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: The colophon (f. 626) informs us that it was written during a stag lo (Tiger
year). The Tiger years that occurred during Rang byung rdo rje’s life are the following:
1290 (he was most likely too young to have composed it then) 1302, 1314, 1326, 1338. I
have yet to find the location and the date of construction of the shrine room of ‘the great
98
palace of sta’i tu’i steng gser ba’ (which is mentioned in the colophon); however, the
author mentions the shrine room’s ongoing construction at the time of writing.24
Content: One performs breathing exercises and visualisations of the goddess of nectar
(bdud rtsi yi lha mo); she is visualised cutting off the tip of the practitioner’s heart. She
fills it with nectar from the vase she carries; this leads the practitioner to a state of bliss.
Main deity and substances employed: The goddess of nectar (bdud rtsi yi lha mo);
. . .bla ma dam pa rims kyis rgyud pa yin/ bcud len kun la khyad par ’phags pa
yin/ rang byung rdo rjes mthong nas ni/ gzhan la phan par bsam nas ni/ ’phri mnan
med par bris pa yin/ slob dpon gsang zhing rang che ’dod/ yig ge yod nas nga mkhas
zer/ don med ’chal pa’i gang zag la/ gsang nas bsgrub pa man ngag yin/ dad ldan ’jig
rten zhen pa chung/ bsgrub la brtson zhing gdams ngag la/ ’phri bsnan mi byed bstan par
mkhas/ de ’dra rnams la phyogs med sbyin/ bcud len thams cad kyi rgyal po rlung rigs
pa’i bcud len rdzogs so/ stag lo zla ba bzhi pa la pho brang chen po sta’i tu’i steng gser
ba na/ lha khang chen po bzheng zhing yod pa’i dus su bris pa’o/ bkra shis dpal ’bar
amongst all practices of bcud len. Rang byung rdo rje has experienced [lit.: seen]
this. Thinking that this may benefit others, I wrote it without adding or withholding
anything. There are teachers who keep secrets and say, wishing to be grand, “I have a
text, I am knowledgeable!” This practice instruction will be hidden from people who
24
The name Sta’i tu, may well be rendered as Dadu, the name of the Chinese capital Beijing. The
author was there visiting the Yuan court in 1332-34, and then again in 1338-9; therefore the Tiger year in
question was probably 1338.
99
say such senseless, confused things. This is a secret method for obtainment that I will
give without partiality to the faithful, to those having little attachment to the world, to
diligent practitioners and those who are skillful in giving unadulterated teachings. This
completes the king of all bcud len, the bcud len associated with . Written in the
Tiger year, in the fourth month, in the great palace of Sta’i tu’i steng gser ba, at the time
when the great shrine room was being built. May the world be adorned by auspicious,
blazing glory!’
nor ritual accessories such as (cups made from human skulls) or vases, nor
particular circumstances nor places where one should practice. It is the first text where
we find instructions for visualisations of a deity chopping open the practitioner’s heart
and filling it with nectar, a recurrent theme in several texts. As will be seen in the texts
body or heart and filling it with nectar. English, (2002: preface xxiii) claims that Rang
importing of Vajrayogin
Text 6:
Source: Rang byung rdo rje. In Gsung ’bum. Zi ling: Mtshur phu mkhan po lo yag bkra
Folios: 1a-5a
Content: A bcud len text on how to avert starvation in future degenerate times, by
sustaining oneself on water. It has the further goal of developing one’s meditation.
One offers a gtor ma (sacrificial cake made from barley flour) and invokes the
lamas and yi dam, visualising the lamas of the Bka’ brgyud lineage. There is a long list
of the characteristics of which waters are suitable to be employed; murky and stagnant
is inappropriate and one should use snow water, slate water or waterfall water. Then,
the water is visualised as nectar and the goddesses of nectar (bdud rtsi yi lha mo) of the
four directions are the chief deities involved. A green goddess cuts open the practitioner
who visualises the other goddesses pouring nectar into his severed body, which is filled
with nectar and then made whole again. One drinks the water and practices a twelve
fold set of [unspecified] yogic exercises. Then, one meditates in an undistracted state
of equanimity. The final section of the text contains a list of remedies for the physical
ailments that may arise during the practice of this bcud len.
Main deity and main substance employed: Goddesses of nectar (bdud rtsi yi lha mo);
water.
Colophon: The information usually contained in the colophon is found in the opening
section of this text (f. 628, lines 2-3). Rang byung rdo rje explains the historical
(f. 628, line 2) ’di’i rgyud pa ni/ dur khrod chen po dpal gyi rgyu skar rol par/
bram ze chen po sa ra has/ rje btsun dam pa rin po che la gnang/ des kun dga’ la gnang/
des dam pa phyags la/ des ko brag pa la/ des dung ston dge bshes la/ des Dharma shri
la/ des rnal ’byor rang byung rdo rje la phul/ des bu sangs rgyas ye shes la/ des bdag
‘As regards its lineage; at the great cemetery of Dpal gyi rgyu skar rol pa, the
great Brahmin Saraha transmitted it to Rje btsun dam pa rin po che. He transmitted it to
Kun dga’, who transmitted it to Dam pa phyags, who gave it to Ko brag pa who gave
it to Dung ston dge bshes who transmitted it to Dharma Shri who offered it to the yogi
Rang byung rdo rje who transmitted it to his spiritual son Sangs rgyas ye shes, who
transmitted it to me.
Remarks: f. 632 and f.633 are in the wrong order. This text appears in the Gsung ’bum
of Rang byung rdo rje. It, however, must have been compiled in its current form after
Rang byung rdo rje’s death, as the colophon states that this particular text was recorded
two generations later. Similar deities and visualisations are used in the rlung dang rig
pa’i bcud len authored by Rang byung rdo rje. This makes one wonder if that text might
share the same lineage of transmission as this water bcud len. Rang byung rdo rje states
It is interesting to note the dietary recommendation of avoiding roast barley for at least
sites is mentioned; this is often mentioned in bcud len texts, suggesting that it probably
Text 7:
Author: Klong chen rab ’byams pa Dri med ’od zer (1308-1364)
Source: Dri med ’od zer. ’Byung ba rdo’i bcud len. In . Delhi: Sherab
Gyaltsen Lama, 1975, vol. 11: 205 - 211. Accessed through TBRC W12827.
Folios: 1a-5a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: This text presents a dialogue in which Pad ma ’byung gnas gives detailed
instructions to Ye shes mtsho rgyal in response to her request for a teaching for
practitioners who are distracted and hindered by their continual search for sustenance of
the body.
A specific description of the types of stones used, their qualities and where they
are to be found is included. The terms used to designate various stones are unusual and
do not correspond to the terms found in medical treatises or the Rgyud bzhi. Only sha
chen (‘human flesh’) and tshil chen (‘human fat’) stones are suitable material for this
bcud len. Others such as rus pa can ‘bony’ stones, mkhris pa can (‘bile’) stones and shi
The practice of the nectar of the stone bcud len has eight aspects: After the
homage to the five classes of the first aspect consists of an examination of the
one’s fingers as the five and the stones as nectar. Reciting the appropriate mantra
103
one invites the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, masters and to enter the stones. Then one
places the stones first in a heap, and then in a yak hair pouch under one’s armpit. The
third aspect consists of the ways of ingesting the stone once ground: either accompanied
by a thick soup or mixed into a thick soup with cooked vegetables and spices and salt; in
As regards the consecration, five types of flesh (sha lnga), five nectars (bdud rtsis
lnga) and mantra recitation are used. The commitments consist in always performing
the appropriate consecration and visualisation before eating the stone powder. One must
practice in a solitary fashion, shun all contact, not lose semen nor eat any oil. The sixth
aspect is the removal of obstacles by resolutely performing this practice without fear for
one’s life. If one feels hungry, cold, on the point of death or discouraged, one must eat a
small piece of butter before and after swallowing the stone powder.
The benefits will be a stronger, lighter body free of parasites, supple soft skin, and
a general aversion to food. The five senses will become more acute, the mind and one’s
understanding will become clearer, spiritual practice will progress. One will be blessed
by the masters of the lineage, by the protectors and by the . One will acquire
clairvoyance, purify all greed and attachment to food, attain stable practice rapidly and
have a fortunate rebirth. Finally Pad ma ’byung gnas gives precise instructions on the
locations where the stones are to be found, the various caves and hermitages where he
Colophon: f. 211/line 5 . . .’di rdo’i snying po yin gsungs/ bdud rtsi’i rdo bcud len gyi
gdams pa/ ku su lu’i tsha rkyen/ kun las khyad par du ’phags pa rdzogs so/ las can cig
dang ’phrad par shog/ sa ma ya a thi rgya rgya rgya padma las ’brel rtsal gis gter gnas
‘. . .It is said that this is the essence of rock. The instructions on the rock nectar
essence extraction, which are particularly suitable for mendicants, are completed. May
Remarks: A thorough set of instructions for advancing spiritual practice while allowing
one to live in a very simple fashion. At the end of the text on f. 4a Guru Rin po che
states that this bcud len is particularly suited to ku su lu (mendicants). The title probably
does not specifically refer to rock (rdo) as the earth element (’byung ba) but rather as a
material substance. This practice of the bcud len of the element of stone is found in the
ston chos rje, the gter ston Pad ma las ‘brel rtsal is considered to be the reincarnation of
Text 8:
The extraction of the essence of the five kinds [that is, the five elements] [that are like]
drops of nectar
Author: Klong chen rab ’byams pa Dri med ’od zer (1308-1364)
25
This practice of the bcud len of the element of rock is found in the Mkha’ ’gro snying thig treasure
teaching revealed by Pad ma las ’brel rtsal in Khra mo brag. It is a gter ma contained in the
yab bzhi collection. A disciple of Rong ston chos rje, the gter ston Pad ma las ’brel rtsal is considered to
be the reincarnation of Princess Pad ma gsal, King Khri Srong lde btsan’s daughter. Pad ma las ’brel rtsal
was to receive his full gterma cycle in his future reincarnation as Dri med ’od zer, hence on can label Dri
med ’od zer as the rediscoverer.
105
Source: Dri med ’od zer. Rigs lnga’i bcud len bdud rtsi’i thigs pa. In
bzhi. Delhi: Sherab Gyaltsen Lama, 1975, vol. 9: 299-320. Accessed through TBRC
W12827.
Folios: 1a-11b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: A method using the five external elements to heal the five internal elements.
The first part of the text describes the bcud len of earth. Numerous points, such as the
terms used to designate earth and stone (the ‘fat of the earth’ sa’i tshil and the ‘fat of the
stone’ rdo’i tshil bu that corresponds to calcite), are similar to the practice of the ’byung
ba rdo’i bcud len (rock element essence extraction, see text 6). There follow sections on
practices.
Colophon: (f. 320, line1) rigs lnga’i bcud len bdud rtsi’i thigs pa zhes bya ba/ dpal o
rgyan gyi slob dpon chen po pad ma ’byung gnas kyis rjes su bzung ba’i rnal ’byor pa
dri med ’od zer gyis/ ston gsum me tog dang ’bras bu smin pa’i tshe bkod pa rdzogs so//
‘Here ends “The essential nectar of the five families” essence extraction that was
arranged by the yogi Dri med ’od zer, who had been favoured by the glorious great
master of O rgyan, Pad ma ’byung gnas, in autumn, at the time of the ripening of fruits
and flowers.’
Remarks: The Rigs lnga’i bcud len authored by Klong chen pa Dri med ’od zer is part
of the Mkha’ ’gro yang thig (a commentary on the Mkha’ ’gro snying thig) contained
106
based approach to bcud len that resonates with other texts (for example Text 43, by
Dka’ ru grub dbang Bstan ’dzin rin chen). In this text we have the first appearance
It is interesting to note that Klong chen pa Dri med ’od zer is considered to be a
reincarnation of princess Lha lcam Pad ma rtsal (eighth century), as is Pad ma gling pa
bcud
len.
Text 9:
Source: Rgyal mtshan dpal bzang. In Gsung ’bum. Dehradun: Ngawang Gyaltsen and
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: A medically oriented plant bcud len. Instructions for various bcud len
substances are divided into several sections. The first section, presented as an oral
bcud len. The dbang lag is ground and cooked in milk and raw sugar. Pills are prepared
and should be consumed within one month. As for their ingredients, it is suggested that
107
one obtain a deer’s female organ. Should this be unavailable, one should take a female
sheep’s organ, chop and grind it into each pill. This added ingredient is said to ‘prevent
Next, from an oral transmission, comes the nye shing bcud len (Asparagus
adscendens); the bark is removed and beaten into coarse chunks which are then boiled
in one’s own urine. A paste is made with refined butter and beaten molasses and three
chunks of dbang lag. Calcite is heated and added into the mixture that is then ground
into a fine powder to make pills. These are taken and then practices are applied.
Retz.) and human flesh are soaked in two pints of milk for three nights, and nectar pills
are added. Boiled, dried mutton is added to the milk. After the milk thickens and dries,
body will be light and purified, ‘like yoghurt in a jar’. This advice and practice is said to
Instructions follow on the bcud len of the four bka’ shing. Pills the size of a deer’s
dropping are made with ba lu, shug pa, mkhan pa and mtshe. These are beaten, boiled
and mixed with honey, molasses and fresh butter, with which roughly ground dbang lag
is mixed thoroughly. Eaten at dawn on an empty stomach the pills will greatly enhance
meditation. It states that when the stomach is accustomed, one should eat as much
as is appropriate and great benefits will result. This is an oral transmission of ‘the noble
The ra mo shag bcud len: The instruction reads, ‘Having dug up a large amount
of ramo shag from a damp area, rinse (the earth off), place it in a mortar and beat it
into chunks, and add oil or butter. Add water, filling the pot almost to the top. Boil
108
thoroughly on a stove lit by dry meadow grass. When the mixture starts boiling you will
see a greyish froth: drain it once or twice and then throw it out. Then, boil it again for a
long time, and strain it through a wet cloth. Then, pour it back in, let it boil again using
dry meadow grass fire. Stir it only in one direction. Add molasses and a good amount of
butter and whatever amount of honey you can obtain. When you boil it, it will simmer
out. On a flat stone slab or in a tray, pour it over tsampa and mix it in. Knead it just
greatly benefit your meditation; it will purify and cleanse your body perfectly’.
Then comes an oral transmission on the bcud len of rtag tu ngu. The flower is
simmered along with ’brong (wild yak) meat, dbang lag and calcite in butter or milk,
until the liquid dissolves. Jaggery, garlic and chang are added. After the paste is dried
and beaten into a powder, it is heated with ’bri butter. It becomes a solid mould of me-
dicinal paste that is then heated and allowed to cool. Honey is added and the pills, the
size of a deer dropping, are eaten on an empty stomach. This oral transmission of the
practice ends with the dedication, ‘May things be auspicious and glory blaze and all un-
dertakings be realised!’
Main deity and main substance employed: No specific deity; dbang lag, nye shing,
arura, ra mo shag, ba lu, shug pa, mkhan pa, mtshe and rtag tu ngu pa.
Yig chung gi zhal shes stong gi mdzal pa bzhugs so ‘This small document is the
The colophon does not provide much information regarding the text’s origins;
however, as seen above, each subsection of the various bcud len has a few words on the
Remarks: Regarding the origins, there is a vague statement that ‘this is the oral
transmission lineage’ at the end of many of the subsections. The plurality of the nature
of the recipes perhaps suggests this compilation of bcud len recipes and instructions was
compiled but not necessarily entirely authored by Rgyal mtshan dpal bzang.
The ingredients in these recipes are said to enhance meditation. Also in Text
13, a rock bcud len, it is said that eating rocks will improve practice. The way
diet affects meditative states clearly was an important concern. Further research into the
correlation between certain bcud len diets or substance intake and their effects on the
This is the first text found where human urine is used to empower the ingredients.
In the compendium there are other such occurences, for example Text 21, in its eleventh
section, states that urine makes all problems related to the disappear.
Text 10:
Front page: Rdzogs pa chen po dgongs pa zang thal las/ bcud len bdud rtsi’i phreng ba
From ‘The great perfection’s piercing contemplation: The garland of nectar bcud len’
Source: Rgod kyi ldem ’phru can. In Dgongs pa zang thal. Vol.2: 45-64. Simla: Thub
bstan rdo rje brag e wam lcog sgar, 2000. Accessed through W18557.
Folios: 1a-32b
Dating: Unspecified
110
Content: Time constraints did not allow me to examine the whole text, however in the
first section the practitioner visualises himself as vajra zhi byed ma (vajra
who pacifies), while practising exercises. Cong zhi, arura, and ram mnye are
Main deity and main substance employed: zhi byed ma. Calcite, arura
Colophon: (f. 484, line 5) Dgongs pa zang thal gyi cha lag rig ’dzin rgod kyi ldem
’phru can gyis zang zang lha brag gi sked sgrom smug po’i mdzod dbus ma nas gdan
’dzin rgod kyi ldem ’phru can, from the middle treasury of the maroon casket from the
Remarks: Rig ’dzin rgod ldem was a reincarnation of Sna nam rdo rje bdud ‘joms
Text 11:
Front page: Bcud len snying po bsdus pa dngos grub longs spyod kyi gnas drug (bla ma
The essence extract on the six precepts on the condensed essence of the spiritual
Source: Bcud len snying po bsdus pa. In Bla ma dgongs ’dus. Gangtok: Sonam Topgay
Folios: 26
Text 12:
Front page: Gnas skor byin brlabs grub rtags bzhag cing skye ba dran pa sprul sgyur
’gro don mdzad/ zas rnams gang byung bcud len brtul zhugs kyi spyod pa mthar pa’i
The sixty-seventh chapter; how the signs of accomplishment through pilgrimage and
blessing were established: how he remembered his previous births and worked for the
benefit of beings through his manifestations: how he observed the vow of extracting the
Source: Thang stong rgyal po. In Gsung ’bum. Thimphu, Bhutan: National Library of
Folios: 1a-7b
Layout: 6 lines
112
Dating: Unspecified
Content: Several stories regarding Thang ston rgyal po’s current as well as past
incarnations recount places he visited and people he brought onto the Dharma path such
as kings and ministers. In the past he took birth as an elephant, and sacred scriptures and
Buddha shapes appeared on his skull. In his many rebirths he benefited innumerable
sentient beings.
He writes about how he remembers each and every past life and that there are too
cave for almost ninety years where he performed the smyung gnas fasting practice
continuously.
Of the two specific mentions of bcud len, only on the penultimate folio (f. 311,
line 5) does the first mention of bcud len appear: tham la zas rnams gang byung bcud du
len, ‘even the most nutrition-less foods I transform them into bcud len’.
The very last line (f. 312, line1) states: zas rnams gang byung bcud len rtul bshugs
kyi spyod pa pa mthar pa’i le’u ste re bdun pa’o (‘This is the sixty-seventh chapter:
whatever food he partook of throughout his life he transformed into bcud len.’)
Main deity and main substance employed: No specific deities or substances are
described.
Remarks: Although there are no practical instructions on bcud len, the text is included
in the rubric because it indicates that Thang stong rgyal po practised bcud len, a fact of
Text 13:
Front page: Ma gcig gsang spyod snyan brgyud las dka’ thub rde’u’i bcud len
Source: Thang stong rgyal po. In Gsung ’bum. Thimphu: Kunsang Topgey,1976, vol. 2:
Folios: 1a-7b
Dating: Unspecified.
Content: A rock bcud len practice involving visualisation and mantra recitation.
Stones are purified, empowered and eaten. The stated benefits are curing stomach
illness, bad kan and specific male genital troubles, improving practice and
clearing worms from the body. Ultimately, it is said to close the door to rebirth as a
preta. Specific instructions are given on purifying the practice place where there should
be no ‘non human, wild or savage beings’. Visualisations and mantras are performed
shape and the size of a sheep dropping, are thrown into the sky, saying a mantra. Then
they are empowered with the hot urine of one’s lama, or one’s own.
One visualises oneself first as a Brahmin with a white, radiant body and then
as Rdo rje `dzum mo. Her right hand holds a gris gu (curved knife) in the air and the
left hand, a nectar pill. She wears bone ornaments, and sits on a half lotus. She has a
sow’s face and her body flows with nectar; the syllables are at the three
usual places of her body. One recites a mantra to attract the . The stones are
114
empowered as an inner offering, and the mantra of emptiness is recited along with a
series of mantras to appease the rgyal po and n ga, to aid digestion and so on.
There are instructions to place five or seven stones on the tip of the tongue and
to visualise a red on the palate and a syllable on the forehead. The two
letters disappear into the stones and the stones take on a yab yum manifestation and are
swallowed. Then one imagines that nectar flows uninterruptedly from the union of the
yab yum and fills the body with white and red bodhicitta. food reinforces the
While doing the practice one should speak little and recite mantras under one’s
breath, move calmly and maintain bar lung (continuous presence of a light kumbhaka).
The body should not perspire and the loss of semen should be avoided. One should keep
a pure vision of one’s lama and vajra brothers and keep the practice secret, except from
lamas.
A list of benefits follows; the practice is said to aid the digestion; bad kan troubles
and male illnesses disappear; ‘In life you will be like the sun and moon, with the
strength of an elephant, and fast as the wind; sight and dreams are lucid; the ultimate
benefits are that one closes the door to preta rebirth; and clairvoyance increase;
the two siddhis (minor and major) are swiftly obtained’ (f. 412, line 4).
Some final instructions to overcome obstacles in the practice are given: for
example, if stones remain blocked in one’s stomach one must empower one`s urine or
delicious beer with a mantra, visualise a blue vajra and do certain yoga movements to
Main deity and main substance employed: Rdo rje ’dzum mo. Rocks empowered in
Colophon: f. 413, line 2 ’di ltar snyan brgyud zab mo’i chos// bkod ces dad ldan slob bu
yis// nan gyis bskul ngor mkhas btsun gyi// bla ma’i gsung bzhin bkod ’di zab//
‘Faithful disciples requested that this profound Dharma of the hearing lineage be
written down. They earnestly appealed for it and to please them I wrote in the way the
Remarks: The instructions point out that ingesting rocks makes the practices
more effective. It is interesting to note which substances are said to bring about certain
meditative effects; for example, Text 9 listed herbal ingredients said to aid
practices. This text’s practice comes from the ‘oral tradition of the secret practice of Ma
gcig’ (presumably Ma gcig lab sgron) and it is worth keeping in mind that it might have
been transmitted through her teacher Pha dam pa Sangs rgya, who is found in several
bcud len transmission lineages such as those in Texts 22, 30, 39 and 70.
Text 14:
Source: Dge ’dun grub pa. In Gsung ’bum. Bkra shis lhun po: Bkra shis lhun po gzhung,
Folios: 1a-2a
Layout: 6 lines
Dating: Unspecified
116
, wearing bone ornaments, hair tied up and flowing outwards, with three eyes
wide open. Three separate mantras are recited one hundred times to rid the mercury of
its toxicity.26 Then a drop or up to four drops of mercury is put into half a bre of pure
The text states that even if one reaches one hundred years of age, the teeth will
grow again, white hair will be pushed out by black hair and even at sixty years one will
regain a youthful appearance. The lifespan will be as long as the sun and moon, and
one will have the energy of a lion and the strength of an elephant. One feels able to lift
an entire mountain. Even if one consumes the various types of poisons such as highly
poisonous peacock eggs, Indian stone poisons or Chinese mixtures of poisons, all these
will have no effect. There will be no swelling in the throat, no blockages, no ulcers,
no piercing pains, no disturbances from the gnyan (a class of beings causing disease)
or from the 424 illnesses. In particular, the flesh and body will become stronger. The
Main deity and main substance employed: The practitioner transforms into an
rdznya na siddha/ ma ha ka ra dzi/ bla ma rdo rje gdan pa/ lo tsa bag rags pa ’bum/ nyi
ma seng ge khro lo/ chos dpal bzang po/ bya bral chos rje/ des grags pa ’byung gnas
la’o//
‘As regards the lineage of this practice; Ye shes mtsho rgyal transmitteded it to the
26
Gerke in her article in Asian Medicine has written in some detail on the use of mercury in Tibetan
medicine describing the lengthy process of detoxification. (Gerke 2013)
117
to Lo tsa ba Grags pa ’bum to Nyi ma seng ge, Khro lo, Chos dpal bzang po and Bya
Remarks: The practice is said to enhance one’s life force. This is the first instance of
a mercury based bcud len practice. Unfortunately no indications are provided as to its
precise origins.
Text 15:
Source: In ’Brong rtse’i be’u bum dkar po. Delhi: Damchoe Sangpo, 1983, vol. 1: 99-
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: Unspecified.
Content: The first subsection (f. 99, lines 1-5) describes a recipe where dbang lag,
rice, butter and cloves are blended and stirred into cooking milk. Then the concoction is
The second subsection (f. 99, line 5- f. 100, line 7) provides a recipe for a
including cong zhi (for healing bones), brag zhun27 (for healing flesh), shug pa, ba lu
27
Dark, sticky substance with medicinal qualities that seeps from cracks in mountains, also used in
Ayurvedic medicine.
118
and molasses is prepared for consumption and partaken of so that illness is stopped in its
tracks, ageing is prevented, one’s body becomes like that of a sixteen-year-old and one
The third subsection (f. 100, line 7- f. 102, line 4) is an arura bcud len pill
visualizing the syllables and , working with upper and lower winds.
The fourth and last subsection (f. 102, line 4- f.103, line 2) states that the rtag ngu
bcud len was transmitted by the gods, the dbang lag by the , and the a ru ra bcud
len
the mantra and take the pills on an empty stomach. The text ends by listing the benefits
of these bcud len, which include swiftness of foot and an increase in bodily strength.
Colophon: f.103, line1-line 2 phan yon sbyin dang mthun/ sbyor ’di gu ru’i bcud len yin
no/
‘This is a bcud len of the masters; the benefits are similar to those [of other bcud
len practices].’
Remarks: The only bcud len practice I am aware of where Rje bstun ma is found. The
belief, repeated in other texts, that certain bcud len recipes and practices have divine
origins is stated in the text, (f. 102, line 4- f.103, line 2) ‘the rtag ngu bcud len was
transmitted by the gods, the dbang lag by the , and the a ru ra bcud len by the
sages.’
119
Text 16:
Front page: Yang zab tshe’i bcud len rdo rje’i phreng ba
Source: Rat na gling pa. In Gter chos. Darjeeling: Taklung Tsetrul Pema Wangyal,
Folios: 1a-4b
Content: The text begins by stating that the essence of the supreme inexhaustible life
There are three parts; the preliminary, the main practice and the concluding
section.
For the preliminary section one accumulates merit by keeping the samaya and
making a in a remote place. Instructions are given for the outer and inner
flour, gla rtsi, smyug cu gang, li shi, shing mngar (Glycyrrhiza glabra), tsan dkar po,
cong zhi, dngul chu and ram mnye. Recite the hundred-syllable mantra 100,000 times.
Instructions are given to mix the nectar and the lama’s urine and the mngar gsum
‘three sweets’ (molasses, sugar and honey). The pills are made the size of peas, then
placed in a vase. A multicoloured thread is tied to the vase that is hung around the neck,
For the main practice, the root mantra is visualised around the syllable at
red-bodied with all the ornaments, as one eats the pill. The merits and
life of all sentient beings are invited through emanations of light and everything in the
and again, the lights expand and return. The visualisation is repeated as before, reciting
The concluding section instructs one to practise recitation for a week, purifying
one’s karma., Clear white light spreads from the deities’ nectar in the vase and the
essence of life dissolves into the practitioner. A concentrated mind and pleasant bodily
experiences result. Pleasing dreams of sun and moon, picking flowers and drinking beer
are signs of the arising stages. After three days, one receives siddhi. Further instructions
on mantras and visualisation follow. Each day at sunrise, five pills are eaten and one
practises the sky breath retention. Thus, one attains the life power of a
and can live one year and four months without food.
Main deity and main substance employed . Pill bcud len utilising a ru ra.
breath retention.
Colophon: f.484, line 1 da la’i dpe’u chung ngo/ rad na gling pa’i thugs bcud ’di kho
na’o/ shog ser ngos las nub g.yu mtsho’i mgul du byi ba’i lo la zhus so/// bkra shis par
shog//
‘This is a small dpe cha from a (da la). This is the mind essence of Rat
na gling pa. From the yellow scroll recovered on the bank of the western Turquoise
earlier.
Text 17:
Front page: Tshe sgrub gsang ’dus las ’chi med bdud rtsi’i bcud len
From ‘The secret collection of long life s: the immortal nectar bcud len’
Source: Rat na gling pa’i gter chos. In Gter chos. Darjeeling: Taklung Tsetrul Pema
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: The colophon informs us that the text was revealed in an unspecified Rat year;
the Rat years occurring during Ratna gling pa’s life are: 1408 (although he would have
The pills, 360 in number, are made with an array of ingredients including arura, barura,
skyurura, as well as ka ko la, pi pi ling and molasses. After going to a secluded place
ingredients is placed in the middle of the . Its neck is covered with a cloth,
and offerings are made to the three roots and to the spirits and negative forces that
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white in colour, holding a life vase and united with a yum. Above the crown of his
joined in yab yum. Nectar pours down into the vase and the body
everything dissolves into the life nectar. A mantra is recited. For twelve months, pills
should be taken before dawn; these will bring various benefits, such as a body free of
illnesses. Strength will be generated along with a clear intellect and the power to attract
Colophon: f. 502, line 6 ’di’i rgyud pa ni/ mgon po tshe dpag med kyi[s] spyan ras
rab blo ldan snying po can dang ’phrad par shog sa ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/ gter rgya/
sbas rgya/ gter rgya/ gu ru rad na gling pa’i thugs bcud lho brag gnam skas can gyi gter
ma’o//
concealed it for the benefit of future generations. In the future in the year of the Rat may
sbas rgya. gter rgya Guru Rat na gling pa’s heart essence, the gter ma from the “Sky
Remarks: Listed among the benefits of the practice is the power to attract the opposite
sex. It indicates how bcud len can be a practice with worldly benefits and not restricted
123
to the monastic community. In this particular practice one does not engage in actual
sexual practice; however one visualises joined with a consort. For more about
tantric sexual practices, both imagined and visualised, see Shaw (1994:140-171).
Text 18:
Front page: Them yig med cong zhi la sogs bdud rtsi rdo rje’i bcud len bzhugs pa’i dgu
phyogs lags so
There is no abstract: the ninth section on the calcite [and so on] vajra nectar bcud len
Source: Rat na gling pa. Them yig med cong zhi la sogs bdud rtsi rdo rje’i bcud len
bzhugs pa’i dgu phyogs lags so. In Rat na gling pa’i gter chos. Darjeeling: Taklung
Tsetrul PemaWangyal, 1977-1979, vol. 12: 153 -159. Accessed through TBRC W21730
Folios: 1a-4b
Layout: 1a: 1line. 1b- 2a: 5 lines. 2b-4a: 6 lines. 4b: 3 lines.
Dating: The colophon informs us that the text was revealed in an unspecified Rabbit
year. The Rabbit years occurring during Ratna gling pa’s life are: 1411 (although he
would have been very young), 1423, 1435, 1447, 1459, and 1471.
Content: A full translation of this text is included in Chapter 4 of this study and can be
referred to.
Colophon: f. 159, line 2 ’di ’dra’i gdams pa yang zab ngo mtshar che/ g.yeng med dge
sbyor ngang gi ’phel/ ma ’ongs las can gcig L3 dang ’di ’phrad nas/ skal ldan las can
124
rnams la phan thog par shog/ sa ma ya/ kha tham/ gu ha ya/ yos kyi lo la gu ru rad nas
bton/ dge’o/ //
‘Such teachings are profound and marvellous. The undistracted virtuous activities
will spontaneously increase. In the future, after one with the right karma has found it,
Remarks: For more on this text, see a full translation and its introduction to it in
Chapter 4.
Text 19:
Source: Ratna gling pa. Rtag ngu’i bcud len zab mo. In Ratna gling pa’i gter chos.
Folios: 1a-8b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: This text is fully translated in Chapter 4 and the reader can refer to it there.
The text contains instructions for a set of practices involving visualisations combined
with mantra recitation and breathing exercises as well as ingesting pills made with
ingredients such as flowers and human and snake flesh, that are empowered with the
mantras are recited while picking the flowers), a beautiful medicine goddess (whose
chopping off the tip of the practitioner’s heart and filling it with white nectar). Air
retention, a recurring feature in most bcud len texts, is also practiced at different stages
of the practice. Several herbs, the main one being rtag tu ngu, are utilised. In the
explanation on the making of pills according to ‘method and wisdom combined’, male
Colophon: (f. 148, line 6). mkhar chen mtsho rgyal gyis/ ma ’ongs don du yi ger btab/
da lta ma spel gter du sbas/ nam zhig rtsod ldan rnying ma la/ las can gcig dang ’di
’phrad nas/ bsgrub pa byed pa dpag med/ ’gro don dpag med ’byung bar shog/ rgya
rgya rgya/ zab rgya/ gter rgya/ sbas rgya/ zathi/ mantra/ gu yha/ sha ma tha sha tha rtsa
sprul sku ratna gling pa’i dmyal smad dge ri’i brag nas gdan drangs pa’o/ manga lam/
‘I, Mkhar chen mtsho rgyal, have recorded this in writing for the sake of future
(beings). It is not to be disseminated at present, but hidden as a treasure. One day, in the
strife-ridden Kali Yuga times, may a fortunate one encounter this text and practising it
relentlessly may he benefit countless beings. Guyha sha ma tha sha tha rtsa.’
Retrieved from a rock at sprul sku Ratna gling pa’s Dmyal smad dge ri.
Remarks: In the preamble to the text, four people, Bdag dkar chen sa, Lang dro lo tsa
wa, the divine prince Mu tig Btsan po and Shel dkar bza’ ask Guru Rin po che for a
bcud len that would be easy to perform in the future, when scarce harvests will make
it hard to practice free from preoccupation about procuring food. They request concise
Future troubled times are often cited as one of the reasons underlying the setting
appropriate time.
Text 20:
Front page: Thugs rje chen po gsang ba ’dus pa las bcud len khyad ’phags zab mo
rnams bzhugs so
From ‘The secret gathering of the Great Compassionate One: the exalted profound bcud
len practices’
Source: In Ratna gling pa’i gter chos. Darjeeling: Taklung Tsetrul Pema Wangyal,
Folios: 1a-5b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: Part one refers to the preparation ‘in the king’s tradition’ of the dbang lag
bcud len. The best quality dbang lag measures five finger spans; if white and its fruit
fulsome it is auspicious. It must be dug up in spring and autumn, dried in a cool, dry,
breezy place and then ground into a fine powder and stirred as it is cooked in one ’bre
(a measure corresponding to about two pints) of milk. Once it becomes milk pap one
spreads and dries it on a flat slate, beats and grounds it into a fine powder, adds brown
sugar, honey and the six auspicious substances, as well as a ru ra, ba ru ra and skyu ru
ra. With that paste, one makes three or four pills. Three should be eaten at a time.
127
Part two is a simpler version, ‘according to the queen’s tradition’. The dbang
lag should be cooked in milk and once it becomes milk pap, dried in the shade. Then
it is ground finely and mixed with honey and medicinal substances and supplementary
Part three regards the method for taking the essence of rmongs (ram meat). It is
cooked in water until it sinks to the bottom, then dried and beaten to the size of barley
grain and mixed with incense. If available add tsampa, tea and thug pa (soup). There
is no prescribed quantity. Empowered with mantras and Guruyoga, the mixture has to
sit for a few nights. This is beneficial when chu skyag28 or phlegm illnesses arise and
The text goes on to describe the sro lo dkar po (Cochlearia scapiflora) bcud len,
said to be good for the bones and the heart. The best specimens of this herb are found
where the meadow meets the mountain slope. The leaf should be greyish or whitish and
fluffy and the root should be white. It tastes like turnip and will remove illnesses of the
lungs. It is peeled, boiled, dried and mixed with roasted barley, ground finely and added
to tsampa and made into a warm paste. Butter or meat fat is added and it may be mixed
with brown sugar and nutmeg. Prepared as chang, it is made in the same way, adding
yeast and left to ferment. Once strained, it can be drunk and will give strength and
balance and all illnesses related to blood, remove pus and phlegm. This ends the sro lo
There follow instructions on the sro lo dmar po (Rhodiola crenulata) bcud len.
The plant grows on rocky mountains along the snow line. The reddest type is best. The
28
Literally ‘water excrement’ could be diarrhea.
128
preferred type grows in the meadow of Mon kha seng ge rdzong cave [a cave in eastern
Instructions are given on preparing the plant, cleaning it, drying it and mixing it
with roasted barley and then making it into a warm broth. Alternatively, it can be cooked
like rice. If the ingredients are good it will be delicious. Or else, to beat it, one kneads
it without any mixture. If milk and fresh butter are available, it is cooked as one would
rice, using old bones to make gruel. This helps control the rlung and one will not suffer
harm from spirits or invisible entities. When it is boiled with extracts from barks, leaves,
herbs, and fruits, innumerable will appear bearing elixirs. These are mixed with
the concoction, which mantras will transform into elixir. The preparation will remove
any chance of death through famine. Furthermore, one’s meditative concentration will
develop spontaneously.
(f. 189, line 1) Next, the text describes the bcud len of a substance called rdhe [?]
that comes from the juniper tree. Practice in a grove of tall cypress and juniper trees.
The rdhe [?] is yellowish and can be found among the juniper leaves. It is boiled until
the juice becomes a sap. Then one adds barley and makes pills from it. Otherwise, one
boils the barley into a paste and mixes it with white butter. Alternatively, one cooks
seven juniper acorns and boils them until they become a sap, adding brown sugar and
dbang lag, and a ru ra, kyu ru ra, bu ru ra. One eats the pills while practising the
generation stage, holding the air in ’bar rlung (presence of slight continuous kumbhaka).
This brings a feeling of balance and warmth. The qualities and benefits are long life and
youthful radiance. One’s meditation will be clear and one will develop prescience. This
(f. 190, line 2) The text then describes a ramo shag bcud len. The plant grows
where there is slate and groves of willow. Its roots resemble the horns of a Tibetan
antelope. The leaves are slender and the flowers are brownish purple. The taste is
bittersweet and nutritious. Initially, it is cooked gently with milk. The roots are most
nutritious in the spring or autumn. They should be dug up and cooked gently in milk
until they become sap. This is dried in the shade and mixed with roasted barley, then
ground and mixed as a paste or as a broth (thug pa). It can be eaten as such or preserved
or else mixed with chang. This will be very nutritious and makes the mind clear.
The practitioner is told to practice this bcud len in future degenerate times as it
will revitalise and prolong life and remove all kinds of cold-related illnesses.
Main deity and main substance employed: Dbang lag, rmongs, sro lo
bdag ’dra bud med mtsho rgyal gyis/ mon kha seng ge rdzongs gsum du/ gu ru
nyid la zhus nas kyang/ gsang ’dus chos kyi cha rkyen du/ zin bris yi ger bkod nas
kyang/ gnam skas brag la sbas te bzhag/ phyi mar gyur pa’i dus kyi tshe/ las can chos
byed dpag med la/ phan thogs ’gro don dpag med shog/ gter rgya/ sbas rgya/ zab rgya/
gtad rgya/ zab mo’i bcud len gyi skor rdzogs so/ zab mo’i bcud len lus stobs rgyas gyur
cig/ sbas yul mnga’ bdag bstan pa rgyas par shog/ skye dgu thams cad chos la ’god gyur
‘I, Lady Ye shes mtsho rgyal, at the three forts of Mon kha seng ge rdzong, by
wrote this and concealed it in the “Sky Ladder” rock. In later degenerate times may it
benefit beings gter rgya/ sbas rgya/ zab rgya/ gtad rgya/. This completes this profound
bcud len. With this profound bcud len may the body gain in strength. May the ruler of
the hidden land [Bhutan] and the doctrine prosper. May all beings be brought into the
Dharma. May the lineage of the powerful Victorious One be continuous and strong.’
Remarks: Like the previously analysed Text 19, this practice was concealed as a gter
ma. It was intended for later use for those who want to focus on practice and minimize
their involvement in worldly affairs, a purported goal of bcud len practice. This is the
first instance of a complete set of bcud len instructions based on shug pa connected with
Text 21:
Front page: Bla ma nor bu rgya mtsho las: bcud len yid bzhin nor bu zhes bya ba
bzhugs
From The Lama Jewel Ocean; the bcud len of the wish-fulfilling jewel
Source: In Rig ’dzin pad ma gling pa yi zab gter chos mdzod rin po che. Thimphu:
Kunsang Tobgay, 1975-1976, vol. 2: 715 - 744. Accessed through TBRC W21727.
Content: This text begins by foretelling how, in the future, Princess Lha lcam Pad ma
rtsal will take rebirth in ’Bum thang [as Pad ma gling pa, the rediscoverer of this gter
ma]. The introductory section offers specific indications on when one should practice
particular types of bcud len. For example, when one’s body feels too hot, one should
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practice rlung bcud len; when one’s rlung (wind element) is overly agitated, earth bcud
len is advised. If the fire element is too active, one should practice water bcud len; when
the water element is too forceful, fire bcud len is appropriate. When all four elements
(earth/wind/fire/water) are unbalanced, one should practice the bcud len of space. When
physical strength deteriorates, nectar bcud len is suggested. When the mind becomes
dull, the practice of flower bcud len helps. When the constituent elements are weak,
one should practice the tshan (Rhodiola dumulosa (Franch) Fu) bcud len; when the
five sense faculties are dull, dbang lag bcud len. After the above indications on when to
apply each bcud len, the text gives instructions on a set of fifteen different types of bcud
len practices.
1) Rlung gi bcud len ( bcud len) (f.717, line 2): Rubbing one’s body with
one’s hands, stroking one’s chest with clawed fingertips, one stares upwards, the eyes
rolled back, and makes a face like a wrathful skeleton. Whatever sickness or negative
influence is encountered, one retains the breath and exerts pressure on it. At the locus
of the illness, one visualises whirling wind and imagines a wheel with eight spokes. For
a heat disorder, one imagines a white wheel. For a cold disorder, one imagines a red
wheel. A practitioner can recover from an earth disease or parasites as well as most other
2) (Earth bcud len) (f.718, line 1): This bcud len should be
practiced in the early morning because this is when the ‘wind of life’ (rlung srog)
moves in the body. Visualising a syllable (unspecified) at the navel, one focuses on
the light that issues from it, spreading over the whole world, and returns, carrying the
energy of the universe and sentient beings. The light transforms into the precious three
meditative posture and imagines the vital essence moving around; once it is in motion,
one imagines the body transforming into precious substances. Whatever is desired
showers down like rainfall. Sometimes, one moves one’s vital essence to the centre and
3) Chu yi bcud len (Water bcud len) (f.718, line 5): Sitting cross-legged, in
meditative posture, one visualises a syllable on the crown of the head; the syllable
is turned upside down. In the middle of the eyebrows, one visualises a syllable
facing outwards; on the tip of the tongue, a white syllable ; at the heart a
surronded by letters; in the central channel a red letter A. Flames issue forth from the
letter A at the navel. All the syllables, the at the heart, the between the
eyebrows and the on the tip of the tongue all melt and become of a blissful nature.
The upper wind moves for a while and the syllable produces nectar that goes to
the at the heart and generates power. From this power, the eight consciousnesses29
suddenly become white in colour and fill the navel. One sucks the tip of one’s tongue,
swallowing the saliva. Then one practises vase-breathing retention (kumbhaka) and all
the mental perceptions, lustre, organs and senses will become more vivid and one will
4) Me yi bcud len (Fire bcud len) (f.719, line 3): One visualises the whole body
as stainless glass, completely transparent. Holding down the upper below the
29
The first five consciousnesses, linked to the five senses, are the visual, the auditory, the olfactory, the
gustatory and the tactile. The sixth is mental consciousness which engages with the five sensory ones. The
and an eighth consciousness, known as the ‘ground consciousness’, that is an aspect of understanding that
is ever present. The latter provides an underlying continuous consciousness that is the basis, the ‘ground’,
underpinning all the other consciousness.
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navel, one visualises a syllable with flames issuing forth. Flames pervade the
body and depart through the crown of the head and reach all the way up to the tshangs
pa (Brahma) god realm. These flames help to open up the ‘door’ of the dbu ma central
channel. The practitioner visualises the inner and outer body totally covered in fire. If
feeling too hot, then one visualises one’s body as white in colour; if sleepy, flames move
5) Nam ’mkha’i bcud len (Space bcud len) (f. 720, line 1): The instructions are to
sit with both elbows on the knees, both hands below the chin, pressing the thumbs close
to the ears and visualizing the outer and inner body as totally empty. The entire universe
dissolves into space. The breath is held down with force; while thinking that death has
been deceived, from emptiness a loud sound arises. Again, one focuses on the mind
6) Bdud rtsi’i bcud len (Nectar bcud len) (f. 720, line 3): One prepares nectar,
dries and soaks it in water before extracting the fluid. This is then soaked into meat
and cooked. One puts barley wheat onto it and allows it to cool down; then yeast is
placed on it and it is left to rest. Once it rises, it can be eaten with roast barley or chang.
Pills can be made with it. The body will become strong and the will bestow
7) Me tog bcud len (Flower bcud len) f. 720, line 5: The instructions are to collect
ba lu, meadow flowers and any nonpoisonous flowers, to essicate and pulverise them.
One adds honey and molasses and makes pills the size of a sheep’s dropping and places
them in a bowl. One should eat five pills a day; this will help balance physical energy
8) Tshan gyi bcud len ( bcud len) (f. 721, line 2): At the time
of picking, the flower’s head is red, the stalk has green petals and its roots are very
thick. It has thorns. This flower is filled with nutrients and represents the four tantric
spiritual activities;30 its redness is power; its root’s long reach represents the flourishing
of spiritual activities; its thorns represent wrathful spiritual activities; its green petals
There are various categories of the flower; the male flower’s stem is larger than
the female’s. The female flower’s stem is narrow but its roots are larger than those of
the male. The gender neutral’s flower swirls like a sheep’s horns. The ’dre tshan demon
flower is a deeper hue of red and faces outwards from its stalk. The lha tshan god’s
flower is white with red points, its stem is medium-sized and it has long branches. Once
ripped up, the female flower will be like calcite stone. One cannot consume the ’dre
tshan or the neutral gender flowers, but one can consume all others.
where there are no samaya breakers, on an attractive mountain that faces southwest. The
flowers must be cleaned of impurities with water and chopped finely, dried for seven
days, then soaked in water, allowed to dry again and then pulverised.
As regards the actual practice, one visualises a red at the crown of the head;
a huge flame gushes out, burning one’s body and the universe. On a sun and moon
disc, a lotus throne emerges from emptiness and on it is a dead body. Above this, one
hand she holds a curved knife with a full of blood in her right hand. At the crown
30
Four activities (las bzhi): 1) pacification (zhi); 2) enrichment (rgyas); 3) subjugation (dbang); 4)
wrath (drag).
135
of her head is a pig’s head, making loud noises. She is standing, holding a , her
left leg extended and the right curled up; very hot flames surround her. At her heart the
syllable red in colour, circled by the mantra (red in colour). Above and below the
syllable there are syllables. One recites the mantra undistractedly at least
one hundred times. In a bowl on a stove there is nectar, with flames inside; one chants
mantras and imagines that the nectar is made of the nature of emptiness. Chanting other
mantras purifies the substance. It is then cooked and butter and milk are added. One
visualises sacred syllables and the mixture transforming into pure nectar that spreads
at the navel go up to the at the heart as the nectar is consumed, and one
one times. The benefits claimed for this practice are a good complexion, an enhanced
intellect and the ability to summon and gods. One will meet kindness from
humans and one’s lifespan will be extended; one will have mastery over all appearences.
Any cold-natured illness will be cured. A powder can be made of the nectar and mixed
with flour or wheat and offered to the in the morning on one’s awakening. The
blessing and visualisation is the same as above. One will have a pleasant voice and any
9) Cong zhi bcud len (Calcite bcud len) f.725, line 1: The text differentiates types
of calcite as male, female and neutral as well as demon and god calcite.
byed ma (in her pacifying aspect) standing on a sun and moon lotus disk on a corpse.
She is white in colour: one face, two arms: holding a curved knive and , in a
dancing posture. Visualising the seed syllable, spreading and absorbing lights, one does
The calcite is cooked with a ru ra. While practising bcud len, one should adopt a
peaceful, quiet way of behaviour. There follows a list of benefits and antidotes for health
10) Dbang lag bcud len (f.730, line 4); there are female and male types of dbang
lag. The male plant has four short fingers, the female has three longer fingers, while
the neutral one has only two fingers; the ‘god’ variety of the plant has five, the demon
At the end of September, taking refuge, one goes to collect the dbang lag, then
washes and dries it. Then, visualising oneself as a , one grinds the dbang lag
(male and female). One visualises a red at the navel and the whole body blazing,
and oneself as Ye shes mkha’ ’gro Stobs ldan ma, red in colour. Reciting mantras, one
visualises lights spreading. After preparing the concoction with molasses, one consumes
a spoonful a day for seven days. While consuming it, one repeats the visualisation and
all illnesses will disappear, and vital energy will expand. In listing the benefits, there
appears a long list of concoctions for various diseases. Antidotes are given for health
problems that might arise during bcud len practice, including the visualisation of a
swirling, flaming swastika at the stomach in case of pains in the lower parts.
11) Rdo yi bcud len (Rock bcud len) f.734, line 2: The male stone is white in
colour and the female is delicate and oily. A neutral stone is as supple as butter. The
gods’ stone radiates lights and merely seeing it makes one feel at ease. The demon’s
stone is rough and not delicate. The practitioner is told to self-visualise as a with
a lion’s head, a at the belly and a mantra swirling around it; one recites the mantra
at least 800 times and then blows on the stone. Holding the stone powder in a bowl,
one recites the mantra of emptiness. This powder is offered to the and
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while visualising the light from the striking the stone powder that
becomes nectar. Remedies for problems of stone indigestion are suggested. The benefits
listed are mental clarity, physical strength and a realisation of the ultimate nature of
reality.
Furthermore, with the heat of and breathing exercises, one imagines a wheel
of fire and all the stones’ powers spreading throughout one’s entire body, or it may be
consumed with a little water. There are various ways of mixing: with sweets (to increase
energy), with urine (n ga related problems disappear) or with dairy products (this
increases the family clan [fertility]). If a small part of stone remains in the body it helps
transform it into a vajra body. For throat pain, one visualises a blazing syllable; if
the eyes twitch one tenses up the lower body muscles; if one shivers or has a headache,
The list of benefits includes the gathering of the , the avoidance of hunger
12) Rdo rje zab mo’i bcud len (The profound dor je bcud len) f.737, line 3; there
are three sections: the outer, the inner and the secret.
12a) The first section is on the Phyi yi bcud len (outer vajra bcud len) (f. 737, line
3): one should take a handful of dkar po chig thub ( ), tshan, dbang po lag
pa and sro lo dkar po. One boils the mixture, dries it and extracts the liquid. The process
is repeated three times. One mixes butter and honey and extracts the liquid from broad
beans. One mixes the three together with a little water and churns them in a circular
stature. If the stomach becomes withered, gas arises and the stomach becomes tight,
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milk should be boiled and the film eaten. One can drink fresh chang but should avoid
The list of benefits includes a youthful appearance and living for a hundred years.
12b) Nang gi bcud len sman (Inner bcud len) (f.738, line 2): Take one bowlful
of calcite and two handfuls of brag zhun31 and boil them in water: this will produce a
liquid to be mixed with butter and a broad bean liquid. Mix all and pour into a clean pot.
12c) Gsang ba’i bcud len (Secret bcud len) (f. 738, line 3): The practitioner
is instructed as follows: ‘Take stone liquid, mercury, well water and rainwater and
combine these four. The secret bcud len is mostly extracted from water. Pour it into
a bottle and add blood powder, dark red in colour, from the blood of ox and cow, and
sulphur and calcite. Once it is all mixed, take half out and mix this half with milk and
The list of benefits includes regaining the body of a twenty-one year old,
becoming more attractive and living to the age of one hundred. If one mixes nectar with
chang, four parts chang and one part nectar, and adds to the liquid black sesame seed,
it can be boiled and applied onto one’s body. One will return to being youthful and will
never forget what one has studied and heard from one’s teacher.
An alternative recipe is suggested: ‘Take nectar, mercury, shilajit, then mix and
Another method, ascribed to Guru Rin po che, is to collect one hundred pods of
black cardamom and juniper berries; cook these to liquefy them and mix them with
nectar, mercury and shilajit. One adds butter and pours it into a tied with red and
31
See note 26.
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white fabric. One then pours , the five fleshes and five nectars into the .
The is placed on a tripod with a butter lamp below it and mantras are recited for
seven days. On the last day, when an odour arises, milk should be added. Consuming
this for twenty-one days, one’s body becomes like a vajra. The list of benefits includes
total enlightenment.
13) Yongs rdzogs bcud len (The perfectly complete bcud len) (f. 739, line 5): One
collects sap from a sho ka [possibly a synonym for ba spru, myrabilis himalaica], silk,
liquid calcite, brag zhun, honey, butter, a handful of dkar po chig thub and a handful of
dbang lag. One crushes them seperately to extract their liquid and mixes them all with
butter. One should not drink water during this period. After consuming the bcud len, one
drinks boiled milk and a little new wine. One has to avoid old wine, salt and copulation.
14) Drod skyed bcud len (The heat producing bcud len) f. 740, line 2: The
practitioner is told to collect sow’s blood, the brain of a small child, gold and turquoise
snakes, the meat from between skin and muscle of a female goat, and bear’s bile. This
should all be poured into a white goat’s milk, covered with muslin and turned upside
down. The pure liquid filters out, and one eats it on an empty stomach. After consuming
it, one feels extreme body heat. Those unable to control their sperm should not ejaculate.
If one has problems with constipation, butter yeast mixed with the milk of a red cow
will help. If the stomach is filled with air, one should drink bone soup. If one has
parasites, one must chew on white garlic. If one feels too much water in the stomach,
15) Ting ’dzin bcud len ( essence extraction) (f.740, line 6): This bcud
len is explicitly prescribed for tantric yogins. They should see their own body as
identical with the teachers and the deities; form corresponds to the male deities and
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emptiness to the female deities. They should realise form and emptiness, body and mind
as inseparable. Searching for nectar and substances external to one’s own mind
the yogin does not need to search for food and drink externally. Consuming one’s
own perceptions as food during meditation will help to make the meditation free from
obstacles.
threng rtsal is visualised with a dark blue body in union with a female consort (Bde
a red A with flames blazing forth are visualised at the tip of the tongue, between the
eyebrows facing inward and at the heart and at the navel, respectively. The lower wind
rises up to touch the . Flames rise to the and then again upwards to the crown
of the head. The and the dissolve into light that dissolves into the and
then into flowing nectar. The upper is pushed downwards, the tongue’s saliva
with thumbs touching the sides of the nape of the neck, one meditates on the nature of
There is a list of benefits; for example, one will be reborn neither as an animal
nor in a barbarian place, nor will one experience rebirth as a demigod or god; supreme
wisdom arises within; one will have a fair complexion and strength, desires will
skull at your heart with a white syllable inside it which produces a yellow-
coloured nectar that spreads in your body, aiding health and well-being. If you feel
The benefits cited are: a mind resembling the pure mind of Samantabhadra,
attainments.
Main deity and main substance employed: There are several deities found in the
above fifteen bcud len practices: in the tshan flower bcud len one transforms into a
Padma ; in the calcite bcud len dbang lag bcud len into Ye
shes mkha’ ’gro stobs ldan ma; in the rock bcud len into a with a lion’s head. In
the bcud len one visualises Pad ma thod threng rtsal with a consort. The main
substances are: rlung, earth, water, fire, space, nectar, tshan, calcite, dbang lag, rock.
Colophon: (f. 743, line 5) mtsho rgyal bdag gis yi ger bris/ rin chen bcud len bdud rtsi
mchog/ lho brag sman mdo’i brag la sbas/ bdag gi nying sras skal pa can/ padma’i
ming can ’phra par shog/ sa ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/ bdag pad ma gling pas lho brag
sman mdo’i brag senge’i gdong pa can nas gdan drangs pa’o//
‘I, (Ye shes) mtsho rgyal, wrote this precious supreme nectar bcud len and
concealed it in the Medicine Valley Rock (Sman mdo brag) at Lho Brag. May it be
this text from the ‘lion-faced rock’ at Lho brag Sman mdo brag.’
Remarks: The Lama Jewel Ocean contains a series of tantric initiations (dbang
bskur) and practice manuals (sgrub thabs). These instructions come from that cycle of
teachings. Because of the great variety of detailed instructions and antidotes contained
within that cycle, I decided to reproduce the translation of the entire text for it illustrates
the broad variety of subjects that can be found in a bcud len text. A variety of remedies,
for minor ailments such as headaches or eye twitching are accompanied by profound
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instructions said to lead to total enlightenment (section 12c). The last subsection,
starting on f.741, is considered the highest practice contained in the text. It states that
the highest bcud len practice lies entirely within one’s mind and that ‘through meditative
concentration, the yogin does not need to search for food and drink externally.
Consuming one’s own perceptions as food during meditation will help to make the
meditation free from obstacles.’ This view, that the ultimate nutrition lies is in one’s own
Text 22:
Author: Bya bral ba Dge ’dun rgya mtsho dpal bzang po (1476-1542)
Source: In Gdams ngag mdzod. Delhi: Shechen Publications, 1999, vol.17: 303-309.
Folios: 1a-3b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: This text, on ‘the essence extraction instructions in five stages’, is a flower
rgyas (d. 1117), who by virtue of practising this bcud len obtained siddhis and lived for
572 years.
Regarding the making of the pills: entering a field, one visualises oneself as
lu and rtag tu ngu. These are dried, ground and mixed with a ru ra, dbang lag, as
well as the six precious substances and other ingredients. As regards the practice:
after preparing offerings for the shrine, seeking refuge and refreshing the bodhicitta
blessings and these, along with the essence of all elements enter the pills, transforming
them into a nectar of wisdom. A mantra is recited a thousand times. Thus the pills are
empowered. Two or three pills are consumed daily, while one imagines being in a state
of emptiness and bliss, accompanied by the recitation of the mantra twenty-one times.
One should practice for twenty-one days; the first week is linked to the stomach, the
second week to disease and the third week to reverting illness. The text describes a
deities invoked in this flower bcud len. Some of the main plants used are: ba lu, rtag tu
Colophon: (f.308, line 6) bya bral ba dge ’dun rgya mtsho dpal bzang pos gzhan la
phan par ’dod pa’i bsam pas yi ger bkod pa’o// dge’o// ’di’i khrid lung gnyis ka’i
brgyud pa/ rgyal ba dge ’dun rgya mtsho nas/ pan chen bsod nams grags pa/ rgyal
ba bsod nams rgya mtshos/ sgom sde nam mkha’ rgyal mtshan/ grub dbang bkra shis
rgyal mtshan/ gnas brtan ’jam dbyangs grags pa/ rje blo bzang sgom chung/ nyang
tshang pa ngag dbang bstan pa’i nyi ma/ zhabs drung nam mkha’ seng ge/ ri khrod pa
’jam dbyangs shes rab/ ri khrod pa ngag dbang bsam grub/ mkhan chen dkon mchog
rgyal mtshan/ ’jam pa’i dbyangs ye shes don grub zhi ba’i rgyal mtshan/ ’jam dbyangs
The colophon informs us about the oral transmission and explanations of the
practice, which originated from Bya bral ba Dge ’dun rgya mtsho dpal bzang po (1476-
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1542) was practised by hermits in eastern Tibet and ultimately transmitted from ’Jam
dbyangs mkhyen brtse’i dbang po to ’Jam mgong kong sprul, who set it down on paper.
illnesses and restoring the health of the stomach. In the list of benefits, however,
attractive to the are all listed; therefore it may also qualify as a spiritual practice.
No breathing or yogic exercises are included. The colophon informs us that this bcud len
was practiced by hermits in eastern Tibet, regrettably without specifying what lineage or
school they belonged to. However this may be a fertile lead for future research into what
may have been a continuous lineage of bcud len practitioners. Due to the fact that bcud
lineage of practice would be a land mark point in this area of studies. This practice,
once perhaps only orally transmitted and restricted to initiated hermits, was set down
on paper in its current form thanks to the efforts of ’Jam mgong kong sprul, who as was
mentioned earlier, was the only known person to have gathered bcud len texts into a
compendium.
Text 23:
Front page: Me tog bcud len gyi khrid gnang skabs kyi brjed byang.
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Byang chub bstan pa’i sgron me. Sku ’bum: Sku ’bum byams
Folios: 1a-7b
145
Dating: Unspecified
Content: ‘The bcud len of extracting the essence of flowers’; Dge gdun bstan ’dzin rgya
mtsho dpal bzang po received the teaching on bcud len. bcud len
should be for the use of those living in mountain retreat; it is a secret teaching but the
author states that he will explain the practice a little, saying ‘those who enjoy food and
Before giving out detailed bcud len instructions the author writes about the bcud
There is a warning that the texts should not be given to ‘those who are full of
desires but pretend to be sages in retreat’ (f. 355, line 1). The early Bka’ brgyud pa
required food and clothing but did not look for food and shelter; and so had need of
these instructions. The text mentions Mi la ras pa and Indian saints who had great
pa like Lo ras and Rgod tshang ba who completed countless retreats. The all-knowing
’Khor dag pa meditated in ’Ol khar where a realised sage (a rtogs ldan) called ’Jam dpal
rgya mtsho sustained himself on juniper berries and so was known as the juniper seed
lama, bla ma shug ’bru. Those masters and disciples who went on retreat in solitary
We find a quote from Milarepa to the effect that ‘If the rdo rje cliff is not high,
then how is it that the eagles fly under it? If on New Year’s Day the wind is not strong,
then how will it freeze the mountain river and village water? If gtum mo clothing
does not keep you warm, then how can a single wool cloth be warming? If you do not
eat food, then how can you stand hunger? Likewise, if you retreat into the
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mountains and eat meditative foods, because of their power you will not suffer from
The author states that just as in earlier times it was Milarepa, at present it is Blo
bzang don grub who requires no external substances, except for basic food and clothing.
On f. 357, line 1 the text states, ’Blo bzang don grub practiced this supreme path and
became enlightened in one lifetime’. It is said that practising perfectly with perfect
contemplation, one does not need to rely on essence extraction. However, first time
The text explains that there are different types of essence extraction such as water,
wind, flower and soup and so forth. The first three are said to be the best ones.
Regarding the latter type, Blo bzang bzang chos ’phel from Phan po brag rgyab
wrote treatises on soup bcud len. He said that rlung bcud len is difficult to master, but
once done is very useful. There is also rock extraction. Students of ’Brug pa pad dkar
put stone extraction into practice. During the summer, the students would carry stones
extraction.
experiencing hunger and thirst. With patience initially, it becomes easier as one makes
progress. Acquiring the foundation is very difficult. Amongst all bcud len, the flower
bcud len is the easiest. The instructions by Dge ’dun rgya mtsho are called Rim pa lnga
pa, ‘the five stages’. When carrying out flower bcud len one should also refer to the
text written by Mkhar rdo blo bzang sgom chung called The first
from the temple of Gag a dhwa rdza sgom sde. Then the lineage passed to Pan chen Blo
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bzang chos rgyan, next to Pha bong kha pa ’Jam dbyang grags and afterwards to Mkhar
The actual instructions on flower extraction follow (f. 360, line 3). The time to
gather the flowers is between the fifth month and the eighth day of the sixth month.
flowers may be gathered with others or alone. Flowers that disturb rlung, mkhris pa or
bad kan should not be picked. The important flowers are rtag ngu, ug chos, g.yar mo
thang, ba lu and sur dkar me tog. It is always better to collect poison-free flowers and
to discard bitter or spicy flowers. It is best to collect just their petals. Spread them to
dry them in the shade. If one needs them to dry quickly, they should be covered with a
The preparation of the flower pills is then described (f.361, line 4). The best
flowers are selected and then heated until yellow. One adds two ’bre measures of roast
barley. Honey is shaken and used with tsampa medicine (unspecified) and flowers and
made into a mixture. The pills should be slightly larger than the size of goat or sheep
dropping.
When making the pills, one rubs one’s hands with oil. After the ingredients
have dried in the shade, they are put in a precious vessel or in a skull. The practitioner
and following the five stages, makes the pills. The pill is
taken two or three times a day with soup or tea, reciting one’s personal yi dam mantra.
When taking the pill, it should be chewed and swallowed. Initially, one takes seven
pills at a time and then gradually reduces the pills. If they are hard to digest, then
one can take fewer pills at first, and more later. Sunlight or proximity to fire must be
avoided. Immobility may cause stomachaches so one should move a little and perform
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and exertion avoided. Mantras are recited slowly. To avoid rlung problems, one can
suck on paper that contains molasses. One teacher’s advice is to keep meat or tsampa
out of sight to avoid the arising of desire for meat. Another teacher advises keeping
food in view as one can practice essence extraction by seeing it. It is best if the pills
of extraction, so he has no pills to give out. Those who have practical experience based
on this system should be asked for pills. It is good to practise with such people. The
real name of Mkhar rdo blo bzang sgom chung is Blo bzang rin chen, who said that a
practitioner of bcud len should be devoted to spiritual practice and not be affected by the
tu, ug chos, g.yar mo thang and me tog gser chen (a yellow flower which grows near
water).
Colophon: There is no colophon present; however in its opening lines the text identifies
Dge gdun bstan ’dzin rgya mtsho dpal bzang po as a recepient of the teaching, without
Remarks: The secret nature of this bcud len is emphasised at the beginning of the
text, where it is recommended that the practice should not be given to ‘those who are
full of desires but pretend to be sages in retreat’ (f. 355, line 1). The stories of former
practitioners, both Indian and Tibetan, in the preamble remind the reader that the
essence extraction tradition was widespread and its importance is pointed out in f. 357,
line 1 ‘first time practitioners need to rely on extraction’. Interesting insights about diet
and behaviour that one should keep during bcud len are also given; the exact dosage of
physical exercises.
Text 24:
Front page: Tshe sgrub gnam lcags rdo rje dngos grub kun ’dus las: bcud len sman gyi
tshe sgrub zab mo bdud rtsi’i lcags kyu zhes bya ba bzhugs so
Source: In ’Ja’ tshon pod drug. Darjeeling: Taklung Tsetrul Pema Wangyal, 1979-1982,
Dating: Unspecified
Content: A bcud len method for manufacturing and taking medicinal pills to increase
medicinal bcud len. A great variety of [not always specified] medicinal ingredients
are included: the three root medicines, the four medicines of the tree trunk, the five
medicines of the branches, the six medicines of the leaves, the seven medicines of the
flowers, the medicinal ingredients of the ten bodhisattvas, the two inner ingredients and
the five fleshes, the secret ingredients of the various caves, the essence of rocks, ocean
and wood, silver, gold, a ru ra, ba ru ra, skyu ru ra, honey and good quality alcohol.
The text prescribes making two hundred and sixty pills the size of beans. They should
reciting
including the five fleshes, silver and gold and also more abstract ones such as ‘the
Colophon: (f. 307, line 4) gu ru’i thugs kyi ’od zer las sprul pa/ sngags ’chang zhum
nag me ’bar gyis/ shar ljon pa lung gi gnas sgo nas bton pa’o// //
‘The teaching manifested from the light of the Guru’s heart, the mantric
Regarding the origins of the practice, one should also note that the first folio states
bcud len’.
Remarks: The practice comes from the Gathering of Long Life of the Sky Iron
Vajra (’Ja’ tshon snying po’s second volume of gter ma dedicated to long life practice),
and is titled bcud len sman gyi tshe sgrub zab mo bdud rtsi’i lcags kyu, ‘the profound
life granting medicinal bcud len of the nectar hook’. The ingredients mentioned are
not specified and their identification would require consulting a medical expert. This
is the first instance of a bcud len text I am aware of that includes a bsangs ritual.
According to Namkhai Norbu bsang originally was a Bon smoke purification ritual
that Padmasambhava assimilated into the Buddhist tradition. (Norbu 1996: 193-197).
fragrant branches of juniper, cypress or pine and other aromatic plants, the rite was
carried out in order to purify and enhance the practitioner’s energy and the immediate
obstacle that the practitioner might have unknowingly provoked and to propitiate the
local gods and spirits, so as to ensure their benevolence. Many different versions of the
bsangs exist.
Text 25:
Front page: Rig ’dzin srog sgrub las ril bu’i bcud len zag bral ’chi med bdud rtsi’i
dwangs bcud ’od gsal gyi myu gu bcud du len pa’i dmigs rim zab mo bzhugs so
From [the cycle of] ‘The ’s accomplishment of life: extracting the stainless
pill essence – the pure immortality nectar: the profound gradual concentration method
Source: In Rig ’dzin srog sgrub. Delhi: Chos spyod dpar skrun khang, 2000, vol.1: 191 -
Folios: 1a-4a
Dating: Sometime between 1646 and the author’s death (1650), as the cycle was
discovered by Lha btsun after his arrival in Sikkim.32 The exact date is not specified in
the text. To establish it, further research into the other texts of this cycle (five volumes)
32
‘…Lhatsün proceeded on foot to Lhari Ösel Nyingpo in Sikkim in 1646 (a fire Dog year).
While residing there, in accord with a prophetic declaration of the , in the Dhaki-nying
Cavern at Trakar Trashiding, he discovered the
extraordinary instructions of Ati, the unsurpassed Innermost Spirituality, that
emerged in a pure vision.’ Dudjom Rinpoche,
, trans. and ed. Gyurme Dorje (Boston: Wisdom, 1991), p. 820.
152
practitioner visualises Padma thod phreng rtsal in union with his consort. They are
holding their attributes of long life vase, mda’ dar, sword and , emitting light rays.
(sexual union), dissolves into the red syllable visualised in the practitioner’s center,
which in turn dissolves in the practitioner’s body, transforming it into a vajra rainbow
consort. The substance is the visualised nectar of immortality. exercises are also
employed.
Colophon: (f. 196, line 6) skye ’chi spang bar do rje’i rig ’dzin zhes/ ’ja’ gur pad ma
dra wa ba’i gling mchog tu/ ma ha gu ru’i gsung bzhin ’od gnang gsang chen rdo rje’i
ngo sprod ’di thob nas/ skyes chen mchog rnams sku tshe brtan pa’i phyir/ gsang yang
the supreme place of ’ja’ gur pad ma dra wa (“rainbow tent lotus field”), having been
authorised by the Great Guru, having obtained this highly secret direct introduction, in
order to stabilise the lives of the greatest humans, I was not able to keep the secret, so I
offer it.’
with Refuge and Bodhicitta, visualisation, a dissolving phase, and a final dedication.
153
Text 26:
Front page: Rdo rje snying po las cong zhi’i bcud len bla ma’i snyan brgyud dri ma
med pa bzhugs so
From ‘The vajra essence: the lama’s stainless oral transmission on calcite bcud len’
Source: In Rdo rje snying po sprin gyi thol glu, vol. 2: 747 - 751. Accessed through
TBRC W13780.
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: A bcud len practice using byang sems dkar po, byang sems dmar po and
dam rdzas (samaya substances). Ideally, one should obtain the lama’s semen from his
union with a consort or if this is unattainable, the lama’s hair or saliva. First one cleans
thoroughly and then grinds finely all these ingredients: calcite, sindhura, a substance
from the rgya skyegs, the head of a ’bri and bamboo sap. The text says offerings should
be made with the fragrance of the ‘six excellent substances’ and garments sealed with
the letter A. Having completed the outer, inner and secret preliminaries, one sounds
and the outer appearances merge into the pills. Recalling all the Victorious One’s
kindness in the form of light, one recites the three syllables, the one hundred syllables
of Vajrasattva and the Alikali Sanskrit alphabet with the seal of nondualistic direct
perception. Once again, all outer worldly appearances merge into the A and dissolve
into light, which then dissolves into the pills. These are consecrated as before (with
mantras), and one imagines that all worldly appearances dissolve into the of
154
Again, one consecrates the pills, visualising lights coming from the , imagines
that the lama’s body, speech and mind dissolve into the pills. The signs of the practice
will appear in dreams and all obstructing and illness-causing spirits will be completely
cleared. Strength and might will increase. The power of the three realms gathers and
one’s lifespan will be (as lengthy) as the sun and moon and other unimaginable virtues
will be gained.
Main deity and main substance employed bcud len ingredients: byang
sems dkarpo, byang sems dkar po, dam rdzas, the lama’s semen from his union with
a consort, or at least the lama’s hair or saliva; cong zhi, sindhura; rgya skyegs; a’bri’s
head; and bamboo sap. One also makes offerings with the fragrance of the ‘six excellent
substances’.
Colophon: There are no details about the text’s transmission, which ends with a list of
the practice’s benefits. With no details about the text’s origins it is difficult to speculate,
of the Sanskrit alphabet. The ’bri’s head in the recipe however is distinctly Tibetan.
Remarks:
believe to derive from one’s Guru are made very clear in this text.
Text 27:
Front page: Dam chos sprul sku snying thig las bstan srung chen po legs grub rdo rje
yab yum gyi ’chi med tshe’i bcud len zab mo bzhugs so
From ‘The innermost essence emanation (of) noble Dharma, the profound bcud len of
immortality of the great Dharma protector Legs grub rdo rje in yab yum’
155
Source: Bdud ’dul rdo rje pad ma rgyal mtshan. Bstan srung chen po legs grub rdo rje
yab yum gyi ’chi med tshe’i bcud len zab mo. In Gter chos. Bdud ’dul rdo je. Darjeeling:
Folios: 1a-4b
Dating: Unspecificied
Content: A ril bu (pill) bcud len text with three methods, consisting of the visualisation
and Guru Rinpoche. The practice concludes with a week of silent meditation and there
follows a list of signs of attainment that could occur in dreams. The signs that may occur
water, a shining sun and moon, washing oneself, wearing new ornaments and clothes,
finding swords and other types of weapons, dreaming of mountains and holy places, fire
blazing from one’s own body or blood and pus issuing forth or seeing the Noble Ones
and beautiful women offering one food, clothes and ornaments. The final paragraph lists
a lenghty list of ingredients for the pill, including calcite, various flowers and meat.
variety of ingredients: cong zhi, bzang po drug, byang sems dkar po, byang sems dmar po,
rtag tu ngu, a ru ra, ba ru ra, skyu ru ra, various (unspecified) flowers, meat.
156
Colophon: (f.561, line 4) bdag ’dra bdud ’dul rdo rje yis/ tsha ba sgro brag ces tsit ta
ga nam langs ’dra ba’i mgul nas gdan drangs pa’o/ shog ser ngos nas dag par phab
‘I, Bdud ’dul rdo rje, retrieved this gter ma at Tsha ba sgro from the boulder called Tsit
ta gnam langs ’dra ba (“The Dawning of the Mind”). It was accurately transcribed from
Remarks: The week of silent meditation following the main practice is a rarely seen
Text 28:
Front page: Dam chos sprul sku’i thig las:’gro don las tshogs zag med bdud rtsi’i bcud
len
From ‘The sphere of the noble Dharma’s emanation body: the stainless nectar bcud len
Source: In Gter chos. Bdud ’dul rdo rje. Darjeeling: Kargyud Sungrab Nyamso Khang,
Folios: 1a-8b
Layout: 1a: 1 line. 1b: 4 lines. 2a: 6 lines. 2b: 4 lines. 3a-8a: 6 lines. 8b: 1line.
Dating: Unspecified
Content: A ‘stainless nectar bcud len’ known ‘in the language of India’ as ro dhanati
, and in Tibetan as sbrang zil rtag tu ngu. This predominantly medical bcud len
offers very specific remedies for a wide variety of illnesses, including the cold ones, the
The teaching is divided into topics. First, its origin, then the places where the
flower can be found, its characteristics, how and when to gather the ingredients, the
methods of compounding it (and additional ingredients and their specific purposes), how
to
in the sacred place called Dan ta. Then the wisdom hid it and Guru Rin
po che went to Dur khrod bde byed brtsegs (‘Enchanting Mound Cemetery’, one of
the main eight charnel grounds), and retrieved it. He transmitted it to eight yogins who
benefitted from this bcud len and Padmasambhava himself accomplished the immortal
mo mtsho rgyal and to ’Brog ban lo tsa wa khrom pa rgyan who in the future would
The text states that the flower can be found in abundance at ’Thing po nying ldan
and at Guru Rin po che holy sites. The root looks like ginger or onion with fine hairs
and very thin petals and pistil. The flowers come in five colours, the white, yellow and
dew, rtag tu ngu has dew on it all the time and is constantly circled by bees. It possesses
The time to gather the flower is when the pea flower and bean plant are bright.
The flower should be collected in autumn, when grass is being cut, at the time of the
rgyal and phur constellations, or at special holy times. When gathering the flowers, the
be recited one hundred times when picking the flower, which should be collected by a
Instructions on preparing the nectar when the flower is picked: it should be dried
and crushed into a powder to which butter and honey is added. Pills should be made
the size of a finger joint bone. The bcud len should be mixed with the five fleshes
and alcohol. One should not take excessive amounts of the pill and a prayer should
At the heart, one visualises one’s own root master, then oneself as Vajrapani. Streams of
nectar pour into one’s body and a supreme blissful experience is imagined.
The text indicates diseases against which this bcud len practice can be applied
with benefit and specific recipe modifications are suggested for particular ailments and
imbalances.
The text states (f. 483) that the recipe of the rtag tu ngu bdud tsi lha dbang
Padmasambhava the dbang lag one. The ‘three a ru ra’ recipe was offered by Indian
When the pills are made and dried they are placed in a human skull and covered
while visualising that all the powers of the universe dissolve into the pills. These can be
and others should be recited for at least seven days or better two months. When reciting
and taking the pill, the practitioner becomes like Jamyang himself. Several variations,
Another recipe with a different empowerment method starts on f. 488. Using raw
sugar and avoiding all poisonous flowers, one mixes in several ingredients, including
Indian a ru ra, dbang lag, blood and intestines [of an unidentified source], rice powder.
Consuming the powder of these medicines for three months, three times a day, one
visualises oneself as Rdo rje khro lod: at the heart Padma drag po tsal’s body is red and
in his right hand he holds a curved knife and in the left hand a filled with the
bdud rtsi of all these ingredients. With the knife he severs the life channel in the upper
trunk; he also splits the cakra of the practitioner’s heart where there is a syllable
Then, one takes a spoonful of the nectar and visualises that the nectar powder is falling
all over one’s body and one’s nose, spreading within the body and filling the cakras and
channels. Again, the upper life channel is severed and the mind no longer focuses on
one object. If the mind is concentrated on one thing, a prayer is offered to one’s masters,
and one makes the offering to them seven times. In this way, all diseases and
Main deity and main substance employed: Several deities and ingredients are present,
rtag tu ngu.
Colophon: (f. 489, line 4) Bdag ’dra rig ’dzin bdud ’dul rdo rje yis/ tsha ba brag cas tsi
tta ga nam langs ’dra ba’i mgul nas gdan drangs pa’o/ bde chen ’pho ba chen po’i sku
’grub pa/ bi ma mi tra dngos snang sgyu ma’i gar/ zla bral rtsod med zhing ’dir yongs
grags pa/ rnam dag brig le ’od sku bde ba’i gar/ ’gro ba’i mgon po chos kyi bdag po
mchog/ lha btsun nam mkha’ ’jigs med des bskul ngor/ bdag ’dra bdud ’dul rdo rje yis/
rgyas dar chos sding po brang yang dben du/ shog ser rnam dkar ngos phab/ yi ge’i ris
byed bstan pa rgya mtsho’o/ chos ’di ci srid bskal pa ma stongs kyi bar du ma rdzogs
‘I Bdud ’dul dorje discovered this text from tsha ba sgro boulder, which is like
the dawning of the mind. In accordance with the request of the great transference body
Vimalamitra, his illusory magical manifestation Lha btsun nam kha’ ’jigs med, known
as an incomparable scholar who enjoys the totally pure light body essence, the supreme
teacher protecting beings. I, Bdud ’dul dorje, wrote down this text in the palace of
Rgyas dar chod sding, on a totally pure yellow scroll to foster beneficial activities. The
scribe is Bstan pa rgya tsho. This teaching will remain until the eon is exhausted.’
Remarks: The first instance where a recipe includes intestines. This ingredient
reappears in Text 54. On f. 476 the text recounts how these instructions were first
compendium, those early charnel ground bcud len practices may be the first bcud len
Text 29:
Front page: Zab tig chos dbyings rang gsal las: bcud len rdo rje’i chu ’thung
From ‘The profound Dharma essence expanse of self-clarity: the bcud len of drinking
vajra water’
Source: In Rdor sems thugs kyi me long dang zab tig chos dbyings rang gsal. New
Delhi: Rta rna bla ma, 1974, 427-432. Accessed through TBRC W30347.
Folios: 1a-3b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: The penis is made erect, and when engaged in the sexual act, one practises
purifying the sperm. Instructions are given for overcoming attachment to sex. The
practitioner is told first to remain alone for seven days, refraining from engaging in
any sexual act. Then, when joining in union with the consort, sperm should not be lost.
Again when bliss is imminent, one should abandon it. Finally when sperm is about to
issue it should be pulled back in. The vajra (penis) becomes round, able to divide water
and milk. The essence of the yum is collected from the vajra.
After massaging the consort’s breasts, one embraces her and engages in union. Types of
vaginas are described; ‘sometimes they look like an elephant’s trunk, sometimes like a
lotus . . .’
Controlling ejaculation, the union is gentle and ‘the red and white arise from
making love’. The rig pa can be established in different ways; either by remaining still,
moving a little, or moving more actively. One visualises the clear pure red of the yum
entering through the vajra and dissolving into the syllable at the heart. This should
again, the consort’s vagina is opened slowly. The union is imagined as an illusion. This
way of thinking leads to happiness and the obtainment of all the qualities of the Buddha.
Main deity and main substance employed: No specific deities, but the seed
‘Sprul sku Rig ’dzin Gar dbang rdo rje retrieved this (teaching) from the “Loving
consort with the purpose of extracting female essence. It is the first sexual practice
found in this compendium and one of its aims is for the practitioner to work on his
Text 30:
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Blo bzang don grub. Chengdu: Lho nub mi rigs par khang,
Folios: 1a-5a
Layout: 1a: 2 lines. 1b-2a: 4 lines. 2b: 5 lines. 3a: 6 lines. 3b-5a: 6 lines.
Dating: Unspecified
Content: As regards the origins of the practice, it is said that the great Brahmin Saraha
transmitted the practice to Pha dam pa sangs rgyas, at the great cemetery of Dpal gyi
The teaching is divided into three parts: sbyor ba (preliminaries); dngos gzhi (the
As to the preliminaries, one goes to a place with water, with no sinful people or
malign spirits guarding the land. The water should not be stagnant, swirling or turbid.
163
Ideally, it should be purificatory or snow water; otherwise, fast flowing water or, at the
very least, slowly flowing water. One takes refuge and offers a gtor ma.
Visualising oneself as a yidam, one recites a mantra (f. 374, line 3) and purifies the
water. From emptiness, the syllable appears and the water is imagined as
nectar. On a sun and moon disk, on a lotus on the water, sits Saraha, blue in colour. He is
joined in union with his consort Sangs rgyas mkha ’gro. One dissolves the visualisation
As for the ngos bzhin, the practice itself (f. 375, line 3): reciting a mantra twenty-
one times, one imagines that all the water’s faults are purified; one then recites another
mantra twenty-one times and blows on the water, ridding it of harmful parasites.
One visualises being surrounded by deities: to the right a white nectar goddess
holding a vase; behind, a red Rje btsun ma; to the left a blue holding a curved
knife. She cuts one’s body in half, slicing the heart in two and opening the three
channels. The behind takes the upper half of one’s torso. The nectar goddess on
the right pours nectar into the practitioner’s body from her vase, completely filling the
three channels with nectar. The behind reattaches the two divided parts of the
body, returning it to its former state. The whole body is filled with nectar. The nectar
overflows from the crown of one’s head, where, in the middle of a four-petalled lotus is
the Brahmin Saraha, embraced by his consort Sangs rgyas mkha ’gro.
Further details are given for the visualisation of other deities (a blue heruka
into the water that one now drinks, imagining one’s whole body filled with nectar that
enters through the mouth and exits from ears and nose. This pacifies all sufferings of
164
hunger and thirst. One can practice yogic exercises. One meditates on equipoise with
one’s mind.
The rjes kyi bya ba, instructions on the conclusion of the practice are given (f.
377, line 6). A long list of the benefits for the practitioner’s body, energy and mind are
listed.
Main deity and main substance employed: Brahmin Saraha in union with Sangs rgyas
mkha’ ’gro. Water empowered by visualisations and mantras is the sole substance used.
Colophon: (f. 379, line 4) ’Di lta bu’i gdams pa khyad par can gyi brgyud pa ni/ he ru
ka/ sa ra ha/ dam pa sangs rgyas/ kun dga’/ dam pa ’phyar chen/ ko brag pa/ gdung
stor dge bshes/ Dharma shri/ rang ’byung rdo rje/ rgyal mtshan dpal/ tshul ’khrims dpal
ldan/ dpal ldan ’don grub/ rgyal dbang chos rje/ bkra shis dpal ba/ shes rab rgya mthso/
‘As for the transmission lineage of the practice: the lineage of this teaching comes
from Heruka, Saraha, Pha dam pa sangs rgyas, Kunga, Dampa ’phyar chen, Ko brag
pa, Gdung stor dge bshes, Dharma shri, Rang ’byung rdo rje, Rgyal mtshan dpal, Thsul
’khrims dpal ldan, Dpal ldan ’don grub, Rgyal dbang chos rje, Bkra shis dpal ba, Shes
Remarks: There are similarities with Text 6, both being water bcud len practices with
Saraha at the texts’ origin. In both texts are visualised filling the practitioner’s
body with nectar. This particular text however contains more elaborate practices; if both
texts came from the same original source it would be an interesting example of how the
Text 31:
Front page: Nam mkha’i bcud len bdud rtsi’ i thur ma zhes bya ba bzhugs
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. Leh: T. Sonam & D.L. Tashigang, 1983-
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: This ‘sky bcud len of the spoon of nectar’ has two sections; the preliminaries
The ngondro is said to both purify negative circumstances and establish positive
conditions. For the former purpose, one exhales the stale air three times, imagining all
the outer and inner negative circumstances having been purified. Visualising the lama on
the crown of one’s head, devotion is paid to the lama as the essence of all the Buddhas
The second part (on the main practice) has four subsections: first, one imagines
visualising one’s body with three and five cakras at its centre. Gazing upwards, the
essence of the sky enters the practitioner’s central channel through the path of the ro and
rkyang, filling the and body to the brim. The air is sealed in vase breath retention.
In the second section, one imagines that the outer sky dissolves into the inner sky
In the third subsection, one imagines that the outer world as Mount Meru melts
In the fourth section one mentally transforms into a luminous deity, the and
cakras are radiant and the two skies, outer and inner, become one. Rest in a state of
equanimity.
Finally, the virtues are dedicated and the benefits are listed. If practiced
continuously one can effortlessly liberate and achieve the body of light; it is said the
Main deity and main substance employed: A blue of the Buddha family. .
Colophon: f. 76, line 3 Kun bzang pad ma dbang gi sras/ bde chen por mos la byin/ ces
pa’ang bzhad pa’i rdo rjes gnas mchog pad ma bkod kyi snying ga chos kyi ’khor lo’i
‘To the heart disciple Kun bzang Pad ma dbang who desired great bliss, I Bzhad
pa’i rdo rje spread it in the supreme place at the heart of Pad ma ko, in the hermitage of
Remarks: A more essential practice in that it does not contain many visualisations and
Text 32:
Front page: Lha gcig nyi ma gzhon nus dag snang du stsal ba’i thabs kyi lam mchog nyi
The supreme path of skillful means given through the pure vision of Lha gcig nyi ma
gzhon nus: the sun and moon bcud len and the eight supplements
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. Leh: T. Sonam & D.L. Tashigang, 1983-
Folios: 1a-5a
Dating: The author tells of when he composed the text, in eastern Tibet, in the male Iron
Dog year at the age of thirty-four (therefore in 1730) on the twenty-ninth day of the fifth
month, between the full moon of the fifth moon and the middle of the sixth moon.
Content: The first two folios (f. 364-365) contain supplications to these masters,
starting from Guru Samanthabadra, down to Ye shes mtsho rgyal and Nyi ma gzhon nus.
The author describes (f. 367, lines 3-4) his visions of the goddess, ‘her beauty
generates strong desire for her. Lying down, she shows her lotus, described as a source
of desire water boiling forth. She invites the practitioner to a blissful time together,
saying she is a yogini who practices secret sexual yoga, eliminating all the obstacles and
There are three subdivisions to this ritual; the preparation sbyor ba, the actual
In the preparation stage; one prepares a comfortable bed and the consort’s required
qualities are described in detail. She should be a very attractive young adolescent, with
a clean body and genitals that emanate a good smell and remain warm all the time. Her
skin should be very soft and delicate, her complexion fair. Her voice is beautiful, she
talks aimlessly and just by hearing her sweet voice she can turn any mind towards her.
168
She is fundamentally modest and not hypocritical in regard to sexual activities and she
is not jealous, having a very kind heart. Once we have her, we should visualise her as
The main section, rife with explicit details on how to engage with the consort,
starts on f. 368, line 1. Details on how to tease her with salacious words and jokes to
excite sexual desire, including where to touch her and how to suck on her nipples are
given.
During the sexual acts the yogin visualises himself as Chags pa rdo rje (the
author), and the female practitioner as the goddess Nyi ma zhon nus.
Specific [although cryptic] instructions are given (f. 369). The male practitioner
is instructed to thrust sideways, upwards and downwards, sometimes ‘in the manner
an arrow is released from a bow’, or ‘how a lion does it to a lioness’. After that, to rub
his genitals on the face, in the way one applies oil. Anthropomorphic literary elements
appear and one is told to ‘extend your body like a lion, engage like a fish, do it like a
Sperm should not be lost. If lost and one is not familiar with the techniques to
retrieve it or how to reverse and spread it (within the body), then the ejaculation is
visualised as an offering.
After ejaculation, one does not exit immediately but stays inside and feels the
female blissfulness without exiting. With the tongue, the male sucks the mixture and
inserts the ring finger and tastes it. This is the supreme bcud len mixture and it helps to
(f. 369, line 4) The third section is on the ending of the practice. Once sexual
intercourse is completed, there should not be immediate separation but embracing, and
169
one should apply to the female’s navel, the lower part of her body and her mouth and
genitals, specified herbs such as musk and cumin, mixed with sesame oil. Additionally,
fat collected from vulture, sparrow, duck and donkey can be boiled and blended and
applied to male and female genitals. This helps to make them very warm and to gain
ultimate blissfulness during sexual intercourse, and makes them very strong.
(f. 370, line 1) Further advice is given on other medical conditions. Mixing
donkey fat with ginger and pi pi ling (long pepper) and cloves into oil and applying
it to the back and stomach helps one recover from any cold diseases. After rising and
separating from the consort one should eat delicious food with her, avoiding tiring
activities or aggressive behaviour and emotions like sadness and anger that might
should perform the purification ritual for oneself. Admissions of wrong doing need to be
expressed.
Main deity and main substance employed: Lha gcig nyi ma gzhon nus. One tastes the
Colophon: (f.370, line 5) ces gsungs/ rdo rje’i gsung nying bcos med du/ chags pa rdo
rjes yi ger bkod/ gang zhig rgyo yi chog las/ byang chub ’dod rnams ’dir ltos shig/ dge
’dis snang srid ma lus pa/ rgyo yi ’khor lor ’char ba dang/ rang rig rang so zin pa yis/
cham gcig ’od skur grol gyur cig/ lha gcig nyi ma gzhon nus gsungs pa’i thabs lam gyi
‘These are the genuine, very secret vajra words written down by Chags pa rdo
rje. Anyone who wants to reach liberation through sexual intercourse should engage in
this practice. May this work’s virtues liberate all beings without exception in the body
170
of light with self-awareness and self-confidence as soon as they engage in this practice.
This completes the section on the method of bcud len taught by Lha gcig nyi ma gzhon
nus.’
Remarks: An interesting description of the manner in which this bcud len practice was
received in a pure vision, from the goddess Lha cgig nyi ma gzhon nus, is provided,
giving the reader an insight into how the practices can come into being. Like the
practice in text 29, these instructions teach how to maintain awareness during moments
of intense bliss.
An important practice for those who seek liberation through sexual intercourse,
the text states that this ‘sun and moon’ (referring to male and female essence) bcud
len is the supreme bcud len mixture and that consuming it helps to remove any kind of
Text 33:
Front page: Bden tshig smon lam ’chi med grub pa’i bcud len
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Bzhad pa’i rdo rje. Leh: T. Sonam & D.L. Tashigang, 1983-
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: Unspecified
The text describes how the eight classes of have made the lives of the
From the palace of the realm, the main ‘Dod khams ma is invited
from the paradise, De mchog gsang ba palace, along with her retinue and
uninterruptedly.
Then Bzhad pa’i rdo rje’s prayer begins, invoking all to remove all
obstacles, inner, outer and secret, and invoking the powers to see all one’s vajra brothers
as a
Dharma teachings. May they always be with me, day and night, and protect me. May
I always continue to make offerings and may they continue always to enjoy those
offerings. May all the buddhas and who have realised the union of bliss and
emptiness always be victorious. May a new auspicious sun shine on us. May I reach
the summit of and may my fame spread in the ten directions. May I raise the
victory banner. When the perfect hundred-petalled white lotus blossoms may one find
the honey essence of virtuous activities. May the clear light realised by all the various
gods and Dharma protectors like a bee [imbued in pollen] spread thoroughly throughout
Main deity and main substance employed: The ’Dod khams ma. No
substances.
Colophon: (f. 473, line 3) Ces ’od gsal lha’i gdud las nye ’og gi rgyal po chen po’i rigs
kyi btsun mo yid bzhin rnam rgyal dbang mo’i sku tshe’i ’gal rkyen sel thabs kyi bden
tshig smon lam du mkha’ ’gro dga’ ba’i lang tshos sol byung du smras sarba rdza aryu//
‘The queen Yid bzhin rnam rgyal dbang mo had a life obstacle. Her husband
was the king of Nye ’og whose forefathers descended from the gods of clear light. To
remove the obstacles to her lifespan this aspirational prayer was spontaneously said by
Remarks: It differs from other bcud len texts in that no substances are employed, no
yogic breathing exercises are carried out and one does not mentally transform into a
deity. Instead, attention is directed to supplicating various divine beings and protectors,
such as the Dkor bdag rgyal po who are deemed to have influences on the length of
one’s lifespan. For more on Tibetan concepts of lifespan see Gerke (2008).
Text 34:
Source: In Bstan ’gyur. (Sde dge). Delhi: Delhi Karmapae Choedhey, Gyalwae Sungrab
Partun Khang, 1982-1985, vol. 53: 76 – 78. Accessed through TBRC W23703.
Folios: 1a-2b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: ‘The inner and outer nectar bcud len’ (in the Indian language Bahara antara
; in Tibetan Phyi nang bdud rtsi’i bcud len) is a pill practice said to
extend life, remove illness and purify the body. After six months, it enhances natural
and the preparation of the medicine are explained. The yogin who wants to practise
not known’.33
Excrement is stirred with ‘vajra water’ (urine) and squeezed. For those with rlung
problems it is mixed with molasses, for phlegm with a ru ra, kyu ru ra and ba ru ra.
The excrement is dried in the shade, ground into fine powder and mixed with butter and
honey. Stirred with urine it is made edible and taken. Meat and milk may be eaten but
chang is renounced. It is said that the practice of rnam snang (excrement), was taught
Human urine, mixed with milk and sugar, is cooled and drunk by the practitioner
who by abandoning alcohol and women can accomplish this bcud len in six months. It is
The text gives specific instructions for variations of this bcud len to be practised in
accordance with different states of mind, seasons and different medical conditions.
33
In this instance it appears that the five Dhyani Buddhas symbolize the five body fluids or
(bdud rtsi lnga), which are: feces, urine, menstrual blood, semen and brains. In medicine rnam snang
is a secret name for feces, bskyod ba refers to urine, ’byung ldan refers to sperm, don yon grub to bone
marrow and and ’od dpag med pa to menstrual blood. Dr. Sherab Tenzin, personal correspondence
5/11/14.
174
pa (menstrual blood) and the three fruits. If these are mixed with calcite, all illnesses
will disappear. One follows whatever advice the lama gives. After six months, the
mixture can be taken along with boiled root of ru rta, dkar gsum and mngar gsum.
Vahyira (Vairocana) is said to have relied on these and rocks. Instructions are given for
cross-legged stance, holding a nectar vase. Mantras are recited, and visualisations of
seed syllables, lights and nectar filling the body are described in great detail.
The visualisations can vary according to the medical problem experienced by the
practitioner. For rlung problems, the vase is imagined as filled with butter; for mkhris
pa, epidemics or fever, one imagines the body being washed by camphor water; while
those suffering from cold diseases should meditate on the power of heat medicines. If
the mind wanders when meditating, an intelligent practitioner should recite . The
Bhari considers this the secret bcud len. ‘Only the stable yogins will accomplish it’.
Colophon: (f. 78, line 5) slob dpon bhya ris gsungs pa’i phyi nang gi bcud len gyi
gdams pa rdzogs so/ rgya gar gyi pan di ta rat na pa las rang ’gyur du mdzad nas/
‘This completes the inner and outer nectar bcud len of Slob dpon Bha ri. The
Indian Rat na pha la translated it [into Tibetan] without the help of a native
speaker. The teachings of the oral lineage have been transmitted without interruption.’
Remarks: The focus of this practice is on the ‘five nectars’; regarding the purpose of
175
utilising the five nectars, Garret (2010: 307) quotes Guru Chos dbang’s Bdud rtsi sman
bsgrubs that states that nectar elixirs subdue the five afflictive poisons of desire, anger,
delusion, pride and envy. Besides this Garret (ibid: 314-315) explains and provides
examples of instances in the Four Medical Tantras where human by-products are
advocated as ingredients in recipes for a wide range of ailments and health benefits.
Text 35:
Front page: Thams cad kyi dbang phyug gi bcud len nad thams cad ’joms shing lus kyi
The all-powerful bcud len that overcomes every sickness and generates bodily strength
Source: In Bstan ’gyur. (Sde dge). Delhi: Delhi Karmapae Choedhey, Gyalwae Sungrab
Partun Khang, 1982-1985, vol. 203: 34 - 35. Accessed through TBRC W23703.
Folios: 1a-1b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: Mercury is the main ingredient. After purifying and refining it, several
ingredients are added, such as wood and wood sap (ku ma ra, kanti, kon, tsi tra, ma dza
tsa). In one who takes four pills, it is claimed, all illnesses will disappear. Sour foods,
As for the benefits: taking four doses daily for six months one will have neither
white hair nor wrinkles. One’s life will be equal to the sun and moon. Weapons will
176
not harm one. One will be able to practise sperm retention with young women. For six
Colophon: f. 35, line 2 ha ri dho bar kyi rnal byor bas hi ba da sha dang urgyan pas
‘The yogins of Haridhoba, Shi ba da sha and Urgyan pa, translated (it) at Buta.’
Dietary restrictions, such as avoiding sour foods, vegetables and sugar are advocated
and could be noted for further research on the effects of foods in bcud len practices. The
stated benefits appear to be more concerned with mundane rather than spiritual goals,
although sperm retention (in the context of meditation and awareness of sensations) is
Text 36:
Front page: Bla med sngags chos kyi snying po’i bcud len lam zab bdud rtsi’i thig le
The heart of the bcud len of the unsurpassable mantra tradition, the nectar thigle of the
profound path
Source: In Gdams ngag mdzod. Delhi: Shechen publications, 1999, vol. 15: 315 - 326.
Folios: 1a-7a
Layout: 1a: 1 line. 1b: 5 lines. 2a: 5 lines. 2b-6b: 7 lines. 7a: 6 lines.
Dating: The text was written in (an unspecified) year of the bgrang bya rnga chen (an
177
epithet for a male Water Dog year), on the tenth day of the waning moon of the fourth
month.
Content:
the second section is related to ; the third section to gtum mo yoga; the
concluding section is made up of a dedication and a colophon explaining who wrote the
text.
bodhicitta, seated in equipoise. All the outer and inner impurities are naturally purified
into a state free from elaboration, which is the of the three complete bases (ngo
bo, rang bzhin, thugs rje ‘essence, nature and compassionate activity’).
Their bodies blaze with five-coloured light rays of primordial wisdom fire. At the
white, red, black, yellow, green, dark. Light rays radiate from the letters, spreading
throughout the sky’s expanse, inviting lamas, yi dams, buddhas, bodhisattvas and
they become indivisible from the practitioner. Then one fervently supplicates Buddha
him, one recites viva voce that he is the dispeller of all obscurations, whose primordial
wisdom body is blissful, so he may kindly bestow the empowerments for the union of
emptiness and compassion, and so that one’s bodhicitta may become unchangeable.
178
moonlight radiates, entering the forehead of the practitioner, whose outer and inner body
is purified. One performs the activities of purification and attainment of the ripening and
One visualises that from their place of unification, the mixed red and white
essences drop onto one’s tongue and descend into the central channel filling the
body. One executes the activities of purification and attainment of ripening and
liberation related to the secret empowerment, which is the special enjoyment of fellow
practitioners.
From the heart centre of the yab yum five-coloured light rays [similar to] silk-like
threads dissolve totally into one’s heart centre and cover one with a net of light rays. The
activities of purification and ripening and liberation are carried out through the wisdom
From the heart core of the yab yum manifestation, the union of clarity and
emptiness full of unchanging supreme bliss enters into the crown of one’s head and
dissolves into the heart centre. All related activities of manifestation and attainment of
ripening and liberation connected to the fourth empowerment, the nyer thob lhan dga’
are performed.
into light, and one’s three gates become one with the stainless primordial Buddha
179
Concluding section (f. 321, line 5): all the appearances of the Pure Land and the
wants to meditate on the completion stage one should meditate free from mental
elaborations, seated in the six-fold posture, with a straight back, clearing the stale air,
relaxing the breath, eyes slightly open, mouth slightly open, body immobile.
At the time of practising, even if empty forms appear one does not pursue them
but looks at the sky. As for concentration, when there are no empty appearances one
conceives the mind as empty, natural, clear light. These aspects are concepts with no
In this way, whether one is familiar or not with this, while keeping the breath
relaxed, one does the vajra breath recitation as much as possible while controlling the
and releasing. In this way the uniting of connected with vajra recitation becomes
channel below the navel. Again, this process (entering, staying and dissolving) should
be done at the other, upper and secret, cakras. Having attained stability one can attain
the first . Hold in this way. There are also separate pith instructions, but many
If one is relying on the three s, the ultimate fourth joy, or the recollection
of the sixteen letters, will be accomplished. The qualities and the state of Vajrasattva
are attained. To accomplish all of these, one should practice gtum mo diligently in this
and channels, visualising the syllable. The gtum mo fire mingles with
empty forms and has the special marvellous completion stage of the primordial Buddha.
Milarepa also told Gampopa that if he practised this gtum mo meditation of the small A
(a thung), then he would see the essence. At the end of the gtum mo session, dedicate
merit.
Colophon: (f. 326, line 3) Ces bla med sngags chos kyi snying po’i bcud len lam zab
bdud rtsi’i thig le zhes bya ba ’di ni sgrub brgyud bstan pa’i mnga’ bdag dpal ldan
’brug pa zhes snyan pa’i ba dang srid rtser ’phyo ba gang gi spyi phud yongs kyi ’dren
pa ’jig rten dbang phyug gi sgyu ’phrul ’gog pa med pa’i rang gdangs rje ’gro mgon rin
po che sprul pa’i sku mchog kun mkhyen rgyal dbang bka’ brgyud phrin las shing rta’i
zhal snga nas gong gi bka’ stsal dgyes pa bsgrub pa’i slad du rang gi nyams len snying
po dang mthun par rab byung bcu gnyis pa’i bgrang bya rnga chen gyi lo sa ga zla ba’i
dmar phyogs kyi tshes bcu mkha’ ’gro ’du ba’i dus bzang por kong yul zang kha lcags ri
’od gsal lding du rnal ’byor pa tshe dbang nor bu rdo rje dpal ’bar gyis sbyar pa sarba
mangalam.
‘As for the heart of the bcud len of the unsurpassable mantra tradition, it is the
nectar thig le of the profound path. The holder of the practice lineage teaching is called
Dpal ldan ’brug pa; he is renowned as at the peak of the world, the leader of the most
181
the precious protector of beings. He is the supreme form of Rje ’gro mgon
Rin po che, the all-knowing Victorious One, Bka’ brgyud phrin las shing rta from his
teaching, in order to happily accomplish the previous instructions, matching with the
essence of his own practice, in the twelfth year of the sixty-year cycle, in the bgrang bya
rnga chen (an epithet for male Water Dog year), on the tenth day of the waning moon of
the fourth month, at the excellent time when the gather, in the Kong District at
the place of Zang kha lcags ri ’od gsal lding, the yogin Tshe dbang nor bu rdo rje dpal
manipulation and respiratory exercises. The text states how mastery over is
essential for spiritual progress and ends by stating that Milarepa told his disciple
Gampopa that by pratising gtum mo he would ‘see the essence’. The practices contained
Since they are mentally constructed even those with celibacy vows can experience the
Text 37:
Front page: Dpal rdo rje nag po chen po gur mgon dkar po’i tshe sgrub ’khor ’das
bcud len
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Kun dga’ blo gros. Boudha, Kathmandu: Sa skya rgyal yongs
gsung rab slob gnyer khang, 2008, vol. 5: 303 - 311. Accessed through TBRC W24054.
182
Folios: 1a-5a
Dating: Unspecified
practitioner.
Before engaging in the practice, one recites the Hevajra and Brag ljong ma
mantras.
In an isolated place and on a raised table one places gtor ma, pills and nectar. The
gtor ma is human-shaped with lotuses on the four sides. A white mda’ dar [ceremonial
long life arrow] is placed next to the gtor ma. The main gtor ma is surrounded with four
On the right side; the long life pills are placed. The thirty-five (unspecified)
ingredients are set out and placed in the long life vase. Then a fine powder is made of all
of these: saffron, juniper acorns, ba lu, brag zhun, red calcite, raw sugar and honey from
red bees.
On the left side; a filled with tshe chang (long life alcohol). In front,
When practising, one should complete either three or four sessions, keeping a
vajra and bell before one. It is best to do this practice during the waxing moon. Mantras
are recited to purify the substance. From the nature of emptiness the syllable A manifests
there the eight offerings (water, for drinking and for bathing, flowers, incense, light,
183
perfume and music) emerge. One performs s, blesses the offered substances and
Now, as to the root text of Hevajra and Brag ljong ma, one recites and visualises
from the taking of refuge until the part where the ten protector deities dissolve into
one. All the substances are purified through recitation of mantras. From the nature of
emptiness a sky-like blue light arises, from which a syllable emerges and turns into
a lotus. Above the lotus there is a syllable that transforms into a sun disk. Above
it, trampling on a dead corpse, stands white Panyjaranatha, looking as glorious as the
sun shining over the mountains. His right hand holds a curved blade, the left a skull cup
full of blood held at his heart. He has three widely opened eyes and a semi-wrathful
expression. His moustache and hair are red and yellow and extend upward. He wears a
crown with five wet human heads, a garland of human heads, human bone ornaments
and snakes. He dons a tiger skin as a lower garnment and on the torso, silks. He stands
with the left leg extended; an at the forehead; an at the throat and a at
the heart are visualised. From the a very bright light radiates in all directions,
inviting all deities and in particular long life deities. All deities gather and now surround
Panyjaranatha. Again lights radiate from the , inviting the power deities (dbang
gi lha) and their retinues. Now, while reciting a mantra one pours the nectar from the
vase on the crown of the head and imagines that all obscurations and negative karma are
Again from the Panyjaranatha’s syllable white lights radiate, collecting all
the dispersed fortune and long life belonging to oneself, one’s benefactors and friends,
which return to the . Again, white lights radiate from the and all the power,
potential, blessings, wisdom and life of sublime and sentient beings and of all material
Now, from the syllable nectar flows down and dissolves into one’s body,
into the three principal channels and the five cakras, and the 72,000 channels. The
nectar spreads everywhere in the body, purifying all negative karma and dispelling
darkness like the rising sun or moon. One feels blissful. As this visualisation is repeated,
one contemplates in a nonconceptual state, at the same time reciting the mantra
for protection and blessings for oneself, one’s patrons and friends. Now one offers the
gtor ma, recites mantras and does and visualisations of the eight offerings. The
the granting of protection, merits, and wisdom is recited so that one may gain all the
glory and fortune of the entire universe; and so that visualising the three syllables at
one’s three gates may be a cause to reduce accumulated karmic debts, and that one’s
mind may always be directed towards Dharma activities; and that assistance be granted
in Dharma practice, so that one may be able to practise bodhicitta and to engage in
have to face poverty; and so that one may practice Dharma in a joyful manner. At every
Main deity and main substance employed: White Panyjaranatha. The main
ingredients are saffron, juniper acorns, ba lu, brag zhun, molted iron, red calcite, raw
chos dgon bshur ’che kun dga’ chos ’phel zhes bya ba bskul ba bzhin sbyar//
185
‘I, the Sa skya pa Nga dbang blo gros, composed this in Bsam yas in the temple called
Remarks: One of the few Sa skya texts found in this compendium. The text mentions
how it is preferable to practise during the waxing moon. This has been reiterated in texts
Text 38:
Front page:
In Gsung ’bum. ’Jigs med gling pa. A ’dzom par ma ’brug spa gro la bskyar par brgya
Folios: 1a-2a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: ‘The bcud len of the three bodies’ is a teaching on the essence extraction of
exercise, as well as a recipe for a concoction made with calcite stone and instructions on
ingesting it. The last section is dedicated to the essence extraction ‘of the great barley’,
where the practitioner is sustained on boiled barley alone. The benefits of the practice
are listed.
186
Main deity invoked and main substance employed: The only mention of a deity is
when one is instructed to transform into the ‘wrathful king’. Barley, (female) calcite,
yak milk and fresh butter, camphor and honey are used.
does not have long invocations to deities or masters of the lineage and is instructional
and concise in nature. The subdivision according to the three kayas is similar
Text 39:
Front page: Me tog bcud len gyi gdams pa bdud rtsi’i thigs pa
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma. Lhasa: Zholpar khang gsar pa,
HZ0102865|O00CHZ01028653006$W21507
Folios: 1a-5a
Dating: Unspecified
Content:
gave the practice to Pha dam pa Rinpoche (d.1117) who practised and lived for 577
years, accomplishing great yogic feats. It reached the author through Bla ma Skal bzang
chos dbang who was born in Amdo and was taught by Bla ma Ngag dbang byams pa.
187
After receiving teaching directly from this lama he renounced everything and went to
Mount Kailash, Skyid grong, and several sacred places. He sustained himself on bcud
len. Later, he taught the instructions on the Stages of the Path in Phyis su chu bar ’gro
The instructions are fourfold: on the appropriate adept, the motivations to practise,
‘lower aspirations’.
As for the motivation, one should not practice bcud len as a means to collect alms
or out of miserliness wishing to preserve one’s wealth. Doing so, one will turn into a
hungry ghost, since if the practice is done with wrong intentions it will damage the
Regarding the time to practise, the best practitioner will practise all the time or
Concerning the method, it has two aspects: the way of practising and its benefits.
The former has three components: how to compound the substance, the practice itself,
The compounding has two stages, making the pills and their consecration.
Instructions on the first stage begin with the gathering. The pills are made from flowers
in bloom, gathered on the eighth day of the month and on auspicious days, while
reciting mantras, having bathed and put on new clothes. In the fields, while reciting the
188
holding a gri gu and a , radiating infinite , as the curved knife lops off the
Specific medical conditions require particular plants. For bad kan, one uses human
flesh and the ba lu flower; for mkhris pa, the rtag tu ngu pa; for the ears the entire
(unbroken flower) ug chos me tog; for the eyes the g.yar mo thang flower. If the above
are not available, any flower that is not poisonous may be collected. The flowers are
The pill will also contain arura gser mdog, arura, human flesh, and dbang lag. All
of these are necessary, essential medicines. Whichever medicine is apt for the specific
illness is used in the same measure as the arura. Ambrosia pills with seven benefits can
Pills the size of a large sheep dropping are made and placed in a precious .
Offerings are made before the three jewels according to one’s circumstances and the
right leg stretched out. Glancing skyward, all the lineage lamas and all Buddhas arrive
like clouds. They are attracted in the form of light and the rays dissolve into the pill,
which turns into the ambrosia of uncontaminated wisdom. After reciting the mantra one
Secondly, the practice itself has four aspects: the process of consuming the
pills, the revitalizing of the body, the removal of obstacles and the behaviour of the
practitioner.
On taking the pills, it is said that doing the practice for the first time one should
become accustomed gradually. The number of pills is slowly reduced over twenty-one
189
days, but at least one pill per day is taken while focusing on uncontaminated, blissful
emptiness.
to the top of a mountain at dawn and while the sky is still grey and before the greyness
vanishes, facing east, to eat the sky. This is to help prevent a loss of physical energy.
problems. One needs to know all methods from other sources to be rid of rlung.
circumambulations, reciting mantras. With the mind one visualises deities, otherwise
bad kan illnesses may result. When practising this for twenty-one days to overcome
illness, one tries to proceed without one’s usual food for the first week. In the second
week all illnesses might be overcome and in the third week, if relying on bcud len,
On ending this gradual process. If the practice is successful one is revitalised and
becomes very strong. But it may be unsuccessful or inappropriate for some people. If
this happens, one should not persevere and thereby endanger one’s life.
Having concluded a (period of) bcud len practice, initially one has either tea or
water with tsampa in it, gradually increasing the tsampa intake before returning to one’s
normal food. If one finds alms and overeats greedily, death may result. The benefits
The practice is good for body, complexion and for ageing; it reduces white
hair and wrinkles, protects from epidemics and infections and deters nits and lice. It
increases one’s intelligence and reduces dependence on the offerings of others and
gser mdog, arura, sha chen, dbang lag. The following flowers: ba lu, rtag tu ngu pa,
Colophon: (f. 5a, line 5) bcud len gyi gdams pa bdud rtsi’i thigs pa zhes bya ba
’di ni bya bral ba blo bzang chos kyi nyi mas rang gi slob ma dben par chas pa ’ga’ zhig
gis nye bar bskul ba la brten nas tshe blos btang gi thar ba don gnyer ba rnams la phan
pa’i bsam pas kun nas bslangs te rgyal ba dge ’dun rgya mtsho’i gsung la rang gi bla
ma’i zhal gyi man ngag gis brgyan nas chos grwa chen po dpal ldan ’bras spungs su yi
‘This bcud len teaching called “A drop of nectar” was written by Bya bral ba blo
bzang chos kyi nyi ma at the request of his students. He went to solitary places with
the motivation of benefiting those who have let go of worldly concerns so as to pursue
liberation. Supplementing the words of Gyal ba dge ’dun rgya mtsho with the pith
instructions of my own guru, it was written at the great monastic institution of glorious
’Bras spungs.
Remarks: The remarks found at the beginning of the summary of contents, on who is
an appropriate adept and on the motivations one should have for pratising bcud len are
noteworthy.
Text 40:
Front page: Bcud len gyi ril bu bsgrubs nas spyod thsul dang zhabs brtan srub ’jug
From the pill bcud len accomplishment on the behaviour and the prayer for the stability
of life
Source: in Gsung ’bum. Dharma bha dra. New Delhi: Tibet House, 1973-1981, vol. 2:
Folios: 1a-4b
Layout: 1a: 1 line. 1b: 4 lines. 2a: 5 lines. 2b-4a: 6 lines. 4b: 4 lines.
Dating: Written on the seventeenth day of the tenth month of the (unspecified) Iron
Tiger year.
problems ra mo shag is used; for bile, rtag tu ngu; for phlegm, calcite; for negative
vital force in the body, dbang lag. To improve general physical health, arura gser mdog
and ra mo shag are suggested. These are purified and detoxified, then poured through
a sieve and boiled in another pot. Honey, calcite and cow’s milk to make a broth are
added. Next day, when solidified, the powders of arura gser mdog, rtag tu ngu pa and
calcite, along with jaggery are blended in. Round pills the size of a rabbit’s droppings
Secondly, having prepared the pills for their empowerment, pills are placed in
a suitable on an altar. The front of the skull should be facing the practitioner
and the covered with a cloth with a string of five-coloured threads attached to
a vajra. The refuge prayer is recited. One purifies everything into emptiness, reciting
a mantra. From the space of emptiness, on top of a throne of precious metals held up
by peacocks, a lotus emerges from a syllable. From the A syllable a moon seat
emerges. On that moon throne is the syllable, above which one visualises oneself
192
One recites syllables and carries out visualisations leading to a state of unification with
human flesh and urine, the meats of cow, ox and dog, blood, elephant flesh and semen
emanating from the different syllables. Light emanates, wind blows, fire blazes, and
all the ingredients in the dissolve into red and white nectar and bubble away.
As further light emanates, the essence of the five elements, the longevity, fortune and
charismatic power of all sentient beings, all the blessings of the bodhisattvas manifest.
All these are summoned in the form of the five nectars with shining light and dissolve
into the nectar in the . Reciting and visualising in that way, one recites
, imagining that the three syllables dissolve into the wisdom nectar. The siddhi of
and to ’Phrog ma (female ). One practises four sessions every day, ideally for
seven days; the middle way is for five days or three days, or at the very least for one
day.
Thirdly, having practised, instructions follow on how to consume the pills. ‘The
pills are not to be seen by anyone else. From the first day of the waxing moon, at
the white
appearing at the heart from the syllable. From the at the heart, light
emanates and the essence of and is collected and dissolves into the
nectar in the . The nectar overflows and from the three arteries at the heart it
spreads through one’s body, filling it and bestowing immortal life. Imagining this, one
Main deity and main substance employed: Ra mo shag, rtag tu ngu; cong
zhi, dbang lag; arura gser mdog; honey and cow’s milk.
193
Colophon: There are three separate sections relevant to the authorship and origin of the
text.
(f.424, line 6) tshul ’di ma gcig grub pa’i rgyal mo dang/ skyes mchog rgyal
mtshan dpal bzang thugs kyi bcud/ rim brgyud gdams pa’i ’phreng bas gsal byas pa/ ces
pa ’di yang Dharma bhadras sbyar ba’o/ ces pa ’di yang dge tshul ma skal bzang chos
skyid nas sngar gyi yun brtan tshigs bcad lnga po’i snyon mar tshigs bcad gsum pa zhig
dgos tshul nan cher byung ba bzhin/ bgrang yas bskal par mi ’gyur rtag brtan shog/
dang khyod zhal bdud rtis yongs brlan gdul bya’i son/ zhes pa’i bar du ’jug rgyur lcags
stag zla ba bcu pa’i tshe bcu bdun bzang por dhar ma bha dres sbyar pa’o/ mang ga
lam//
In the above statements the author, before dedicating merit, explains that this
lineage came from Ma gcig grub pa’i rgyal mo to the great noble one, Rgyal mtshan
dpal bzang,. He states it was written on the auspicious seventeenth day of the tenth
Remarks: Elaborate visualisations are used to empower the pill. The empowerment
process is lengthier and more detailed than the actual pill consumption stage, indicating
Text 41:
Front page: Chu’i bcud len gyi gdams pa ’chi med rig ’dzin sgrub pa’i chu rgyun zhes
bya ba bzhugs so
The instructions on water bcud len, called the stream of attainment of the immortal
Author: Btsun pa ye shes don grub bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan (1792-1855)
194
Source: In Gdams ngag mdzod. Paro: Lama Ngodrup and Sherab Drimey, 1979-1981,
Folios: 1a-4b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: A water bcud len practised to obtain the state. Waters deemed
suitable and unsuitable are listed; sea and lake water must not be drunk, nor water
touched by sun or moon rays. Rainwater, snow water, water from slow-flowing rivers
and from springs may be used. Water from glaciers is considered the best. Ganges river
water is deemed medicinal, as tasty as nectar and by virtue of drinking it one’s mind will
become clearer.
Without taking food or other beverages, one partakes only of water, meditating
appear and from their secret places and the nectar descends. One visualises all
obstacles, illness, hunger and thirst disappearing. If problems arise in meditation, one
can do Yantra Yoga. One can also practise gtum mo (visualising) the sun at the belly and
the moon at the head. Practising three sessions daily, one takes pills made with honey,
butter and old bones. Rang byung dorje (the third Karmapa) recommends mixing them
with tsampa so as not to disrupt eating habits suddenly. Once the practice is stable, one
The practitioner is instructed to visualise various letters in the four directions and
to visualise the letter at the throat to overcome thirst. To overcome cold, fire is
195
imagined at the forehead. To control the mind, the space element syllable is visualised.
To overcome desire, one controls the rlung of the wind element by holding the breath in
The text concludes with a list of the benefits that should manifest in six months.
Main deity and main substance employed: Pills made with honey, butter
Colophon: 318/L2 ces mang du thos pa’i btsun pa ye shes don grub bstan pa’i rgyal
mtshan gyis yig rnying rnams kyi bcud bsdus pa manga lam//
Written by the erudite monk Ye shes don grub bstan pa rgyal mtshan, who
The first folio is on the origins of the practice, explaining that it is linked to
by the and written down by Karmapa Rang byung Dorje, the third Karmapa.
Remarks: in these instructions, based on Text 6 by the third Karmapa, there are
visualisations said to overcome physical and mental cravings, such as thirst, hunger and
Text 42:
Front page: Rdo rje phag mo bcu gsum ma’i sgrub thabs dang rde’u bcud len gyi
gdams pa gnyis
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Blo bzang nor bu shes rab. Beijing: Yellow Pagoda, 1996, 2:
Folios: 1a-8a
Dating: Unspecified
Content
making inner offerings and reciting mantras. One visualises the state of emptiness; from
the syllable wind arises; from the fire arises; from the letter A a human head
on a tripod of three heads appears. From the A a arises, white outside and red
inside, containing five meats and five nectars. One imagines an ocean of nectar, and
recites
arising from emptiness and offers butter lamps, flowers, incense, and food, gtor ma and
blessings to eliminate obstacles. At one’s heart, one imagines a blue from which
lights spread and return, inviting the deities from all directions, bringing their blessings.
One offers the blessed gtor ma to the deities and recites mantras of supplication for help
in one’s practice.
Offerings are made to the self-generated deities as before. One takes refuge and
generates bodhicitta
inviting buddhas and bodhisattvas. They dissolve into the heart and one is liberated from
The seven limbs of offering (yang lag bdun) are carried out; 1) prostration
bodhicitta 5) rejoicing 6) urging the turning of the wheel of Dharma 7) supplicating not
to enter .
One generates altruistic intentions and promises to engage in good deeds until
Reciting the mantra one visualises a from which light shines creating a
vajra tent surrounded by fire. A divine palace, square-shaped, with four doors. Inside the
throne.
There is a detailed description of her retinue of thirteen deities; each one has an
the crown of the head of each deity is a white syllable, at the throat a red , at the
heart a blue . Lights spread from the inviting the wisdom from each deity
seated in their place, blessing the practitioner’s body, speech and mind. One recites the
mantra again and lights spread. Water is offered to the deities who are asked for their
blessing. One imagines the body clean and purified. Reciting mantras one imagines
and gtor ma blessed with mantras for the prevention and overcoming of obstacles,
To conclude the practice, lights spread from the practitioner’s heart and strike the
circle of protection that then dissolves. All deities dissolve into a seed at the heart. The
practitioner also dissolves into this seed at the heart; this dot disappears like a rainbow
in the sky.
198
Colophon: (f. 321, line 2) gzhan la phan pa dang rang la dgos pa’i phyir du/ lha’i
btsun pa su ma ti ma ni pra dza nyas sbyar ba’i yi ge pa ni sang gha bha dra’o/ ’dis
kyang rgyal ba’i bstan pa yun ring du gnas pa dang / ma gyur sems can thams cad rdo
Written for the benefit of others and his own. Lha’i btsun pa su ma ti ma ni pra
dza composed it and the scribe was Sang gha bha dra. May this particular victorious
teaching remain for a long time and may all sentient beings reach the state of
Remarks: The instructions are attributed to Mitra dzoki also known as Mitra yogin,
who was a yogin from Orissa. The possible connections with Orissa of Text 1 were
commented upon earlier. The eastern Indian coast region might well have played an
important role in the formation of essence extraction traditions in India, which would
Text 43:
Front page: Theg pa chen po dmar khrid dug lnga rang grol gyi brgyud las bcud len zas
The advice on the essence extraction food that spontaneously removes the five poisons
Source: This manuscript belongs to the cycle of Dmar khrid dug lnga rang grol, (3827-
3838). The manuscript was found in Mustang by Charles Ramble and is not at present
easily available.
199
Folios: 1a-8a
Layout: 1a: 1 line (title with swastika symbols on both sides). 2a: 4 lines. 2b-8a: 6 lines
Dating: Unspecified
Content: The text explains two methods of practice; the first is the method of practice
‘which relies on visible symbols’: the five elements, earth, rock, water, fire and air,
as well as that of medicines, flowers and plants in the preparation of bcud len. The
text continues with a detailed explanation on how to empower the substances with
visualisations (transforming oneself into Kun tu Bzang po) and mantra recitation,
followed finally by the explanation of the practice itself. The second method of practice
‘relying on wisdom with no visible signs’ does not make use of substances nor of
Main deity and main substance employed: Kun tu Bzang po (Samantabhadra) is the
only deity mentioned in the text. Pills made from: earth, rgya mtshal (vermillion), btsag
Colophon: There is no colophon per se in the text. As for the origins of the text, Dka
ru (f. 3828b, line 3) writes he received signs through his mental awareness regarding
this bcud len when he was out in the wilderness and had no food, and so relied on
earth and stones to survive. Therefore, it appears that this practice does not belong to
any particular lineage and was created spontaneously. At the moment I am not aware
of whether Dka ru had received bcud len teachings during his life and may have been
influenced (in this composition) by the teachings he may have previously received.
Remarks: This text describes the preparation, ritual empowerment and the actual
practice of a bcud len said to liberate from suffering caused by any illness and to enable
200
one to enjoy longevity, clear wisdom and sharp intellect. Atypically, it begins by paying
homage to the nature of the mind (rather than to a particular deity as in most other texts).
Also, this manual of instructions on bcud len practice lacks any mention of breathing
exercises, which instead appear in almost every other bcud len text thus far surveyed.
Text 44:
Front page: Bde mchog dkar po’i sgo nas tshe ril sogs bsgrub cing longs spyod pa’i
tshul ’chi med bdud rtsi’i bcud len zhes bya ba bzhugs so
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Dbyangs can grub pa’i rdo rje. Dngul chu bla brang, 1999. Vol.
Folios: 1a-4b.
Layout: 1a: 3 lines. 2a: 4 lines. 2b: 5 lines. 3a-4a: 6 lines. 4b: 6 lines.
Dating: This text was written in the Water Rabbit year 1843.
Content:
placed on a raised table, tshe chu ‘life water’ on their right and tshe chang ‘longevity
alcohol’ to their left. A series of visualisations of syllables and deities follow. One
yab yum
is also visualised. In the mind’s eye, mantra garlands swirl and gather good qualities, life
essence and radiance from both and . The practitioner then visualises
receiving four separate empowerments. The first is the ‘vase empowerment’, where the
201
transforms into the nectar of female fluid that fills the practitioner’s body and bestows
both white and red fluids dissolve into the crown of one’s head. Fourth is the ‘precious
empowerment of words’ where the syllable at the heart gradually dissolves into
the central channel. Each empowerment purifies various hindrances and obscurations
the practitioner has accrued through body, voice and mind. The pills are finally
(ingredients unspecified).
Colophon: There is no colophon and the author does not explain exactly how he
received the practice. The only reference to the origin and transmission of the text
Remarks: Pills are used but the text gives no instruction on how to make them, which
makes one wonder whether there might be a previous section related to this bcud len.
Text 45:
Front page: Bka’ gsang zab chos mkha’ khyab rang grol las/ man ngag sku gsum bcud
From the cycle of ‘The profound secret teaching, space-pervading self-liberation: The
esoteric instructions on the three essence extraction, the obtainment of the rainbow
vajra body’
Source: In Nyag bla pad ma bdud ’dul gyi gter chos skor. Vol. 2: 219-237. Accessed
Folios: 1a-11a
Layout: 1a: 1line. 1b-2a: 4 lines. 2b-9a: 6 lines. 9b: 5 lines. 10a: 3 lines.
Dating: Unspecified
The teaching is divided into three parts, the preparation, the main practice and the
conclusion.
empower the offerings, exhaling the impure air and practising Yantra Yoga.
so forth).
( of , the of , the
of ) using various ingredients. One puts the pills into skull cups and
empowers them with practice. One mentally transforms into Pad ma thod phreng rsal
203
from the whole universe and the five natural elements enter the pills one empowers the
visualisation with mantras. One consumes seven pills, three times a day. To conclude the
recipes containing dbang lag and rock bcud len used in conjunction with human flesh.
integrating into the pills. Once a week one consumes a pill, visualising
bcud len, where one pours (cow’s or other) milk into water.
mantras one visualises lights spreading to the enlightened beings of the ten directions.
Samanthabadri joined in sexual union. All these deities, along with hosts of other
visualised gods, dissolve into the water nectar. One recites a mantra 1000 times and then
drinks the two types of water, and afterwards holds kumbhaka for twenty-one counts.
The final part of the text enumerates the benefits of the practice such as the
flourishing of rigpa, the mind no longer craving food or drink and, ultimately, the
are the main deities. A variety of ingredients are used, including dbang lag, human
Colophon: (f. 237, line 1) shar gter khams pa padma bdud ’dul gyis/ gnas chen lhang
lhang nor bu’i yang rtse nas/ rin po che yi shog ser spyan drangs te/ skyes bu chos bdag
mang pos bskul pa’i ngor/ brda ris gsal la brten nas phab pa’o/ yige pa ni lung dzin
mtha’ yas so/ nam mkha’i mtha’ khyab sems can ma lus pas/ sku gsum bcud kyi snying
pol on nas kyang/ gdod ma’i mgon po’i go ’phang myur thob shog/
‘(I) the eastern Khampa treasure (revealer) Pad ma Bdud ’dul retrieved the
precious golden paper (scroll) from the topmost peak of the great sacred place of Lhang
lhang nor bu. I bestowed it, requested by many Dharma practitioners and based on the
clear signs that appeared. The scribe was Lung ’dzin mtha’ yas.
By extracting the heart essence of the three , may all beings without exception in
pervading space swiftly obtain the state of the primordial master (Samanthabdra).’
Remarks: A gter ma text rediscovered by Nyag bla padma bdud ’dul in Lhang lhang nor
bu yang rtse.34 The bcud len of the three kayas is described as leading to the attainment
of the rainbow body. Upon dying Nyag bla padma bdud ’dul’s physical body dissolved
into the elements, leaving no bodily remains behind. This episode was investigated by
This is the only recipe in which the utpala flower is listed. Boesi (Boesi 2006:
70) speculates that in ancient times it corresponded to the imported Indian blue
lotus (Nymphaea nouchali). Boesi explains: ‘The Tibetan expression utpala is the
34
A sacred mountain in the lower region of Dokham where gter gton Sangs rgyas Gling pa
revealed numerous treasures (Karmay and Nagano 2003:181-189).
205
transliteration of the Sanskrit word utpala that points to the blue lotus. Some plants
thriving in Tibetan regions are the substitutes for plants that once were imported from
India. Some of them have maintained their original Sanskrit designation as in this case.’
Text 46:
Front page: Bdud rtsi sman sgrub mdor bsdus bya tshul ’chi med rtag pa’i bcud len
The bcud len of deathless permanence that is a brief way of practising with nectar
medicine
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Mkhyen brtse’i dbang po. Gangtok: Gonpo Tseten, 1977-1980,
Folios: 1a-5a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: There are three sections; the preparation; the main practice; the dedication
1) The preparation
There are four aspects; the place, the time for practice, collecting the medicines
No specific instructions are given for the first three; the texts say written
instructions from the lineage of instructions should be followed. As for the fourth (the
necessary items for carrying it out); one fashions a on a table and places a
at its center, with the forehead facing one. One fills it with medicine nectar
containing eight herbs. If only a small quantity of medicine is available, one fills the
206
base with grain and tops it with medicine nectar. One covers it with red silk and a five-
coloured mantra thread. Inner and outer offerings are made and (unspecified) ritual
implements gathered.
This can be done with musical accompaniment or solely reciting. Only the reciting
the nectar substance before one, mantras are recited to purify it. The letters
are visualised, emanating fire . On a skull tripod hangs a vast, spacious and
glorious vessel, marked with the letter . In the middle of the vessel there is a wheel
At the centre: red and white bodhicittas, lion meat and the six excellent
substances.
All of the substances should have colour, odour, taste and power.
Light rays emanate from the mantra at the practitioner’s heart. Fire blazes in
the blowing wind, all the substances in the dissolve into light and become ten
symbolic emblems. In the middle of each are ten distinct seed syllables ( , ,
, , , , , , , ).
Boundless light rays fill the sky and the essence of all and
is collected and dissolves into the syllables. These instantaneously become the
five Buddha families in union with their consorts, in the state of union of bliss and
207
emptiness. One visualises the nectar nature in whose eight directions are
They are splendid being tamers, carrying weapons. Over them, in the middle,
there is the of wrathful Takrita, and in the four directions there are four
herukas
respective colours are dark blue, yellow, red and green. They have a blackish hue.
Their consorts hold full of blood. In the sky above them is Gnam
zhal ma, her four feet posed on the heads of the four wrathful ones. She is light blue,
with nine heads and eighteen hands. At Gnam zhal ma’s vagina is the forehead of Sa
nu Heruka with half of his forehead inside her. Above her is the great glorious
of the deity Rdo rje tshe (Vajra Life). He is dark maroon, with twenty-one heads and
forty-two hands; to his right are the peaceful fathers and to his left the consorts. He is
flanked by six buddhas. One visualises the five Buddha families with their consorts.
mantra light rays and one visualises this as an offering to the five Buddha families with
their consorts. One requests that one’s mind-stream be samaya bound. The visualised
offerings generate joyfulness in the five Buddhas and their consorts. The buddhas
and bodhisattvas’ siddhis and blessings are collected. The substances are now shining
with lights endowed with the five qualities. The lights enter into the heads of the five
Buddhas who are in the . From the supreme one’s penis lights and nectars enter
the consort’s vagina, from which lights exit and enter the crown of the head of Sa nu
Heruka. The nectar drops fill the bodies of the four families of wrathful ones (heruka).
Through the points where the five wrathful herukas unite with their consorts, the lights
208
and nectar strike the ten wrathful ones in the containing nectar. Lights also
emanate from the uniting places of the five Buddha families with their consorts and
mix with the nectar. The qualities of the inner and outer world are summoned and the
There are detailed instructions on how to practise different sections of the above
practice on different days. The section ends with the instructions on how, finally, to
partake of the nectar, dipping one’s left thumb into it and placing it on one’s tongue
while reciting mantras and doing visualisations. One abides in the primordial wisdom of
3) The dedication
With the sweet dew of deathless nectar, one who wants to attain permanent
youthfulness can rely on this vajra bcud len. One will acquire the jewel of all siddhis.
Main deity and main substance employed: Several deities, prominent ones include
the five Buddha families, Gnam zhal ma, Sanu Heruka. Nectar containing eight
(unspecified) herbs.
Colophon: (f. 556, line 6) Bdud rtsi sman gyi sgrub pa mdor bsdus te lag tu blang ba’i
thsul nyung gsal nying por dril ’di ’am rdi ’dzin gnye bdag gling pa’i gsung gi rdze su
’brangs te nyer mkho’i yan lag tu mnyang gho shas bris pa siddhi hum.
‘It is a brief practice of nectar medicine, succinct and clear, essentially constructed
in the way it should be practised. Following the teachings of Rigdzin gter bdag glin pa,
by mantras are carried out to imbue the substances with divine blessings. Both doctors
209
with whom I conversed (see Chapter 5) made it clear that visualisation is of cardinal
Text 47:
Front page: Nye brgyud tshe khrid sgrub thabs dbang chog bcas pa ’chi med rdo rje’i
bcud len
The immortal vajra bcud len connected with the empowerment ritual of the obtainment
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Mkhyen brtse’i dbang po. Vol 13:135-167. Gangtok:
Folios: 1a-17a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: There are three parts: the preparation; the method for the main part; the
empowerment ritual.
1) The preparation
at the centre of a raised table. On the right side is alcohol representing life; on the left
pills; in front, a gtor ma and offerings. Before the practitioner there should be a vajra,
bell and damaru and a small ‘inner offering’ bowl, a mda’ dar, sindhura, an ‘activity
vase’ (las bum), flowers, gtor ma for the obstructing spirits and other ritual implements.
210
The practitioner generates as the deity, reciting mantras and sprinkling the nectar
from the
sun and moon disk, holding a curved blade on the right and, on the left, a filled
and blazing wisdom fire is all around. Regarding the offering for the obstructing spirits,
from the state of emptiness arises an syllable, from which appears a very light,
enormous precious vase, and within it, a pure gtor ma and the unhindered five desired
mudras and dedicate the five desired qualities to all sentient beings.
Sounding , all the obstructing demons are invited and offered the gtor ma.
They are then requested to leave and if they do not, they must be ordered fiercely to do
so.
before him. Nonvirtuous actions are confessed and offerings made to Kun tu
bzang po. Then one imagines obtaining the siddhi of deathlessness and dedicating it to
all sentient beings, collecting the merit. All virtues dissolve within as one continues to
make offerings.
(f. 141) On a seat held up by lions one visualises the letter ; on top of it a
lotus; on top of the lotus a syllable; on top of that a sun disk with an A with a
hand is in meditative equipoise, holding a vase filled with nectar. Holding a mda’ dar
in the other hand, he is wearing ornaments, very peaceful and smiling. His body is of
and Guru Rin po che, and by other buddhas. All the lineage of gurus amass like
clouds, at their foreheads the letter at the throat and at the heart; from
there lights go to western dbe ba chen and invite all wisdoms. One visualises being
empowered by all . On top of the vessel filled with nectar one visualises the
mantra and receives the empowerment, imagining the nectar filling one’s body. Now the
The practitioner is told to make offerings and request the siddhis of the deathless
(f. 143) As the essence of the elements, red, yellow, blue, white and green, all
dissolve in one’s heart, along with the glory and radiance of the three worlds, all the
into the vase he is holding. Inside the vase is a moon , on top of which a red
letter surrounded by mantras radiating lights that emanate and gather all essences.
(f. 149) All wisdom siddhis are obtained. The hundred-syllable mantra is recited
the retinue of deities are recited. Again, one’s heart radiates lights that shine like sunrays
reaching out and gathering all essences that dissolve into the syllable on the
(f. 150) Next there is a visualisation of the vajra disciples dissolving into the sun
and moon, which then dissolve into white light. Then the white light dissolves into the
NRI, and the syllable disappears like a rainbow. One recites mantras.
The environment is cleansed and the teacher gives the explanation. The disciple
is told to practise the pacification of untimely death and all disciples attain the siddhi
There follow oral instructions featuring Mkha’ ’gro ma gsang ba ye shes seated
on the sun and moon. She gives the empowerment and Guru Padmasambhava is present
giving secret empowerment to all gods and demons, taming them. Through this the
practitioners are granted the siddhi of long life and one will see the true bodies of
Padmasambhava and Dpal ldan rdo rje. You will see Dpal ldan bsod nams rgya mtsho in
(f. 152) offerings are made to the deities visualised previously (Mkha’
’gro ma gsang ba ye shes, and so forth). Then, the practitioner recites three times an
lineage gurus. One visualises taking all sentient beings to this sacred place and reciting
emerges, from there a lotus and on top of it a on top of the a sun, on top of
(f. 154) With Padmasambhava visualised, with his heart light going out to the
west, one invites the bodhisattvas, who dissolve into oneself. Visualizing the gurus of
them to grant siddhis. The mantras are recited three times. One imagines receiving the
through the long life pill and the long life alcohol, visualising in front of one the
by mantras and five-coloured thread lights. The lights spread out purifying the Lord of
Death and reaching the practitioner and all acquaintances, demons, ghosts, nonhumans,
and thieves and then return, filling the , the vase and the begging bowl.
They all dissolve into the mantra garland from which nectar pours forth; it fills the
vase and then pours into the crown of the practitioner’s head, filling all the inner body.
One then washes the outer body and becomes like a diamond, indestructible and
all conquering. Wishing to attain the siddhi of immortality, one rings a bell and with
one’s disciples recites mantras. The fortunate ones receive the life empowerment from
the practitioner. Their life becomes diamond-like, victorious and never sets. They
become beyond death. When the mantras are recited, flowers are scattered.
Bells are rung as aspiration prayers are said. All lost power and longevity is regained.
If samaya
visualised once again. One washes one’s body, purifying all that has been obscured and
accumulated illnesses. One’s body elements and life are refreshed and one visualises
three worlds dissolve into the vase. They dissolve into the crown of the head of the
214
vajra disciples filling their inner body entirely. The practitioner is told to wave a mda’
dar in the air and sound again as lights emerge from one’s guru’s heart and invite
return and surround the guru. They dissolve into the immeasurable light in the vase.
This light dissolves into one’s head and the crown of the head of the other disciples.
mind. One wishes for attainment of the state beyond death a and imagines
that obscuration and all illnesses disappear, and that one has protection from the
Now, one takes the thread from the vase, tying it so that it connects to the heart.
This is the life alcohol (tshe chang) empowerment in which one drinks and imagines
that the and 72,000 channels are filled with nectar. The working of the conceptual
mind is suspended. One is in an inseparable union of bliss and emptiness. The power of
the rtsa, rlung and thigle are refreshed. One attains the of life without death,
The empowerment arises through the life pill. The essence of and
is combined in the pill and by taking it the 84,000 illnesses and 80,000 types
of obscuration and obstacles are all purified and one attains the state
beyond death. The aspiration prayer is recited, along with mantras and the life pills are
handed out. Further visualisations follow. One imagines the disciples transforming into
flowers and musical sounds, and also recite the hundred-syllable mantra and confess
The previous practices were carried out reading the text. There now follow
instructions for a silent meditation: from the heart, lights go out and invite enlightened
215
beings from the western field, and gtor ma and water are offered. Reciting mantras, the
Offering gtor ma, one imagines a surrounded by wind and fire with above
it the five nectars and five fleshes. The liquid within boils and dissolves into light and
the nectar essence and offerings fill the sky. Mantras are recited to empower the thsogs
all directions there are lotuses and lights and the immortal three roots and the host of
and Padmasambhava and the lineage gurus there, eating the tshogs food. Mistakes
and vow breakages are confessed. One asks them to grant the supreme life siddhi.
Transforming into the deities, one eats the food, offers the leftovers and recites
mantras and performs mudras to invite the lower beings as guests. is sounded and
samaya nectar is offered to the protector deities of the . All that is negative is
abandoned, all that is positive is increased. Mantras are recited. If the deities are present,
they are requested to stay. If they are no longer there, one visualises that they have
Colophon: (f.167, line 3) ’di’ brgyud pa ni/ ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho nas/
byams pa ngag dbang lhun grub/ rmor chen kun dga’ lhung grub/ gnas gsar ba legs
pa’i ’byung gnas/ ’phags pa dge legs rgyal mtshan/ bla ma skal bzang bstan dar/ bka’
bcu byams pa blo gros/ slob dpon ’phags pa mchog dga’/ chos rje ngag dbang ’jams
dbyangs rdo rje ’dzin pa kun dga’ dpal ldan/ des dbang mkhyen brtse’i dbang po la’o//
‘As for this lineage, it is from Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho to Byams pa
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ngag dbang lhun grub to Rmor chen Kun dga’ lhun grub to Gnas gsar ba legs pa’i
’byung nas to ’Phags pa dge legs rgyal mtshan to Bla ma Skal bzang bstan Tar to Bka’
bcu byams pa blo gros to Slob dpon ’phags pa mchog dga’ to Chos rje ngag dbang ’jam
dbyangs to Rdo rje ’dzin pa kun dga’ dpal ldan who gave it to me, Mkhyen brtse dbang
po.’
Remarks: this text is very rich in details with regard to ritual procedures.
Text 48:
Front page: ’Chi med bcud len gyi man ngag bkra shis zho yi snying po
The pith instructions of deathless bcud len, the auspicious yoghurt essence
Publisher, Dzongsar Institute for Advanced Studies, vol. 10: 699-715. Accessed through
TBRC W23681.
Folios: 1a-8b
Dating: Unspecified
Ba lu and rtag tu ngu are mixed with a ru ra, dbang lag, as well as the six
mantra is recited a thousand times to empower the pills. Further instructions on how to
consume the pills are present. The text ends describing a range of benefits resulting from
the practice.
217
deities invoked in this flower bcud len. Some of the main plants used are: ba lu, rtag tu
Colophon: (f. 715, line 6) zhes pa’ang sgrub thabs rin po che kun las btus pa’i kha
skang du gdams ngag rin po che’i mdzod kyi khrod nas blo gter dbang pos nyung ngur
bsdus pa’i dge bas sems can thams cad ring ’tsho’i rten la dam chos spyod pa’i rgyur
gyur cig//
sadhanas transmitted in the Sakya], among the Treasury of Precious Oral Instructions
[of ’Jam mgon Kong sprul], there is a short dedication of merits composed by Blo gter
dbang po which states: “May this become the cause for all beings to practise the sacred
Remarks: This text’s contents are very similar to those of text 22. In the opening
section (f. 700) the author notes that the text is ‘based on former instructions on the
Text 49:
Front page: Tshe sgrub zhag bdun ma’i nyams len gyi rim pa ’chi med bdud rtsi’i bcud
len
The immortal nectar bcud len, the seven-day practice to accomplish life
Publisher, Dzongsar Institute for Advanced Studies, vol. 1: 495 - 400. Accessed through
TBRC W23681.
218
Folios: 1a-3b
Dating: Unspecified
Content:
and not cawing, the practitioner abides in and is instructed to take refuge
in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, generate bodhicitta and to meditate on the Four
Immeasurables. In the space in front of one, the practitioner visualises a red lotus with
as a sixteen-year old youth. He has a single smiling face, a peaceful appearance, two
hands joined together at the heart and holds a glowing nectar vase. He is standing with
his feet parallel. He has pitch black matted hair; half of his hair is tied up in a knot and
the other half falls loose, reaching his feet. He wears a red silk shawl and different silks.
With great devotion one pays homage, reciting mantras, visualising offerings,
performing mudras and prostrating. One recites mantras three times and supplicates.
Inhaling and exhaling from the nostrils three times, one clears the stale air. Then one
exhales softly from the left nostril. One visualises the moving from the tip of
one’s nose, and the [nine] syllables that make negativities and ailments disappear.
The syllables enter the nectar-filled bowl in the Buddha’s hands. One visualises the
immortality nectar brimming out of the vase. This is connected with the breathing
visualisation: inhaling it into one’s mouth, the white nectar flows through one’s mouth,
downward. The body is filled with fire, which purifies all illnesses, obscuration,
untimely death, and fears. One visualises attaining the immortality siddhi. Holding
219
kumbhaka breathing, one does this five, ten or fifteen, twenty times, or as much as
possible.
One repeats the visualisation as before and now recites the mantra, one hundred
or one thousand times with the offerings and praise as before. From the Buddha in
with immeasurable wisdom. At the heart, atop a moon disk there is a red
syllable, encircled by a long mantra emanating lights that completely fill one’s body.
One imagines attaining the long life siddhi, recites the mantra twenty-one times, then
For those wishing to carry out the seven-day life obtainment practice, it is best
done in the first month of the [Tibetan] New Year during the waxing moon. One focuses
diligently for one week in retreat under an auspicious constellation, making a daily
offering of food and white pebbles, washing one’s body every morning and, when
finished, taking on the vows of (healing and purifying the samaya breakages).
After taking a break and repeating another session, one pauses in the heat of the day,
then practices every single session in the same way, doing the exercises and
zlog pa to repel negativities and strives to perform guardian rituals. Before going to
sleep, one’s pillow is turned to the west and the practitioner sleeps in the lion position.
hears his speech. Dreaming, one will see the sun and moon rising and be undisturbed
by outer noises. Upon awakening in the morning, one finds the begging bowl and vase
filled with white nectar and the countryside with white tsa tsa (clay moulds). These are
some of the virtuous signs of this special teaching. If the effects do not appear, practice
Colophon: (f. 399, line 5) Rje btsun dam pa’i thugs bcud bdud rtsi’i rgyun/ rgyun chad
med par bla ma’i drin las thob/ gang ’dir ris med bstan pa’i sbyin bdag che/ nor ’dzin
skyong bdag dbang mtshan can gyi/ rgyun gyi nyams bzhes tshul du bkod pa ni/ sha
teacher treasure-holder, Ngag dbang mtshan can, wrote on how to practise. Shakya
The texts end with a long supplication to all the masters of the lineage by Jamyang
providing details not usually given in other texts. The breakdown of which practices
are more suitable to be carried out in the morning ( ) and in the evening (guardian
Text 50:
Front page: Mi g.yo ba’i nam mkha’i bcud len gyi zin bris bltas chog tu bkod pa phyogs
med ri khrid khrod ’grim pa’i cha rkyen blo gtad gcig chog log ’tsho’i zhen pa rang grol
hermitage essentials, single-mind focus, self-liberation from the desire for wrongful living
Source: In Mchog gling gter gsar. Paro: Lama Pema Tashi, 1982-1986, vol. 11: 459
Folios: 1a-4a
221
Dating: Written on the tenth day of spring (ston zla ra ba dmar phyogs) of an
Content: Indications as to the ideal place and season for pratising are given and one
melodiously recites the invocation to the root lama O rgyan Mi bskyod rdo rje chang.
One raises one’s right palm to the middle of the eyebrows and recites the Guru Rin po
che mantra three times. One visualises one’s root lama above one’s head.
food and surviving on sky-nutrition. In a place where a blue sky is visible, one praises
the lama. Blocking the left nostril, one exhales with force and visualises that diseases,
negativities and obstacles exit the body as smoke, dissolving into space. Blocking the
right nostril, while inhaling imagine that power and blessing enter one in the form of
blue light. Inhaling gently from the left nostril and gently retaining the air, one then
forcefully exhales from the right nostril. One inhales thrice from the left nostril and
exhales thrice from the right one. Uniting one’s heels one rests hands on knees, bending
the head down slightly. One exhales forcefully from the mouth sounding ‘Ha’ and
tensing the body. This is repeated thrice. Visualising all three realms turning a lapis
blue colour and inhaling this via the mouth, one retains the air in the stomach as long as
visualising O rgyan rdo rje chang as clear silver-white and in space before one, a
syllable. Lights issue forth from the letter and return carrying back with them
the essence of both and in the form of elixir nectars. One inhales
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and retains the breath in the stomach. Keeping the saliva in the mouth, one visualises
having an indestructible vajra body, all skin pores sparkling with elixir. One practices
the extraction of essence nutrition from physical substances. Then from the letter
for any period such as three, four, five, seven, twenty-one or twenty-eight days. A list of
Main deity and substance employed: O rgyan Mi bskyod rdo rje chang, Guru Rin po
che. .
Colophon: (f. 464, line 5) ces pa’ang mtsho skyes ma ha gu ru’i rgyal mtshab rig ’dzin
bla ma mchog gi bka’ stsal spyi bor mchod de/ gnas mchog nam mkha’ mdzod kyi dbu
rtser bla ma’i gdams ngag zab mo la mos pa bgyis pa rnams slar rang gi mi brjed phyir
rten mchog ’gyur med gling gi gtsug lag khang du gter slobs sangs rgyas chos ’phel gyi
shing glang ston zla ra ba’i dmar phyogs kyi tshes bcur zin bris su btab pa dge’o/ dge’o/
dge’o//
representative of the Great Lotus Guru, I, the treasure-disciple Sangs rgyas chos ’phel,
produced this text. I wrote it down in order not to forget the profound teachings of my
Lama which I had received with great joy on the summit of the great sacred site of Nam
mkha’ mdzod – Sky Treasury, on the tenth day, during the waning moon of ston zla (the
seventh month) of the Wood Ox Year, at the main temple of the most sacred ’Gur med
nutrition. The importance of pratising in open spaces and the visibility of blue skies is
stated, as it was in Text 31, for the meditator to merge space and awareness.
223
Text 51:
Front page: Dag snang ye shes drwa ba las/ ’chi med tshe yi bcud len dngos grub gter
From the net of pure appearing primordial wisdom, the source of the rediscovered
Source: In Gter chos. Bdud ’joms gling pa. Thimphu, Bhutan: Lama Kuenzang
Wangdue, 2004, vol. 15: 202 – 207. TBRC W28732. Accessed through:
Folios: 1a-2b
Dating: unspecified
are given to the guardians of the land and the place, entrusting them as harbingers of
favourable secondary conditions. Cooked rice and ransom effigies are offered to the
obstructing forces. Once the deity is visualised, having cast away obstructions, one
comfortable cushion, one cleanses nine times the karmic of the three poisons,
then meditates, visualising the lama above the crown of the head, and offering many
prayers. At the end, the master dissolves in a dimension of light within the practitioner,
who meditates that all ailments, hindrances, impediments and karmic traces dissolve in
and moon seat, body red like a ruby lotus, adorned with major and minor signs, with two
(f. 204) In his two hands, held in meditative equipoise, he carries a life vase, and
he wears all the ornaments of the perfect . Light emits from the essence
of his three vajra places that are visualised in his illusory rainbow body, within a
The tutelary deity in the form of the Immortal Lord together with the sons of all
the Buddhas of the three times, dissolves in the form of the samayasattva like snow
falling into the ocean, and then the three doors change and turn into a display of the
three vajras.
After that, one imagines that the blue essence of all space of the three worlds
enters the mouth, and all the body is filled by that blue essence.
Then one should practice eating the air element a hundred or a thousand times.
Only a few cups of a beverage should be drunk the following morning and at midday
At midday, for food, having made a lump of clarified butter or a lump of oily
emerges and enters the body through one’s mouth (f. 205); everything is filled by the
225
pale white light and then glittering small drops issue from all pores. To pacify thirst one
the stomach. When one talks excessively, the becomes wild; therefore one should
train in restraining speech. At night too, in order not to lose the main point of the ,
When eating and drinking a great deal, there is no control of the main point of the
and one becomes an unworthy recipient of this teaching; therefore, one should
Otherwise, the beginner’s mind, being irritated, will be unable to train for a long
time. As eating and drinking are reduced, eating to sustain life will decrease likewise.
At the end, both food and clothing are no longer needed because of mastery over
. As for the elements, one will have achieved the purification of the elements.
Attainment in this practice brings longevity and absence of illness; the common
siddhis, the eight accomplishments and the supreme accomplishment; the , the
bindu and the three will be purified in their own place. Through contemplating
the door of accomplishment, the practitioner will have attained the state of an end to
learning.
Colophon: (f. 205, line 6) Zhes pa ’di rang slob dam pa mkhyen rab rgya mtsho nan du
bskul ngor khrag ’thung bdud ’joms rdo rjes dag snang ye shes drwa ba las bsgyur pa’o/
‘As for this, to fulfil the persistent request of my own noble disciple Mkhyen
rab rgya mtsho, Khrag ’thung Bdud ’joms rdo rje translated it from The Net of Pure
Remarks: This text offers some interesting insights into subtle body dynamics, the
section there is a mention that exhaling the stale air nine times (an instruction often
imparted at the beginning of bcud len practices) cleanses the karmic (las rlung) of
the ‘three poisons’. Advice regarding factors affecting circulation includes dietary
recommendations: to not talk excessively (as it results in the going wild) and to
Text 52:
Front page: Zab gsang mkha’ ’gro’i snying thig las/ thugs sgrub ye shes nyi ma’i skor/
bcud len ’od gsal snying po yi/ rtsa rlung byin rlabs chos nyid sprin phung bzhugs so
From ‘The profound and sacred heart essence of the : the accomplishment
of enlightened mind, the sun-like primordial wisdom, the essence of the clear light
bcud len, the blessing of channels and [which is like] the amassing of clouds of
Dharma nature’
Source: In Gter chos. Bdud ’joms gling pa. Thimphu, Bhutan: Lama Kuenzang
Dating: Female Sheep year, in the eleventh month of the Mongolian calendar, on the
essence of all rtsa rlung methods. If applied correctly, it should enable the practitioner
Practice: at dawn, in the first practice session, one takes refuge, generates
bodhicitta and at the end of the (mantra) recitation pledges to practise bcud len and
accumulation, fixations, faith, desire and attachments, all of them without exception,
through the awareness at the core of the heart and through the powerful, skilfully
blazing primordial wisdom fire are dissolved in the illusory dimension. One visualises
three eyes symbolise the perfect obtainment of the three . Her right hand holds the
curved knife that subjugates appearances; the left hand holds a filled with blood,
moon disk symbolizing faultless skilful means and wisdom. She steps on the heart of a
rudra that clings to his self. The left sole is turned out, subjugating the three worlds. As
consciousnesses she is adorned with bone ornaments and a garland of white lotuses.
228
Within are the channels; at the centre of her body, the kundarma central channel
has different colours: externally, internally and secretly, it is white, red and blue
symbolizing the union of the essence of the three . To symbolise the non-fabricated
and primordially established four , the channel has the characteristics of being
straight, slender, lustrous and luminous. On her right side abides the ro ma channel, the
(that is) total compassion. To symbolise the indivisibility of ngo, rang, thugs rje they
As for the main rtsa ’dul: the habitual tendencies (brought about by) karmic wind
trickle down the channel, together with all malady and suffering, from the ro ma and the
rkyang ma, developing into a thick mist (na bun), (which) disappears in the space of the
basic sphere. One visualises that the channels become free of all faults. One expels the
As for the : one sounds A and visualises that at her heart centre, on
in meditative equipoise. At her heart centre there is a sphere approximately the size of
a pea, and at its centre is one’s own consciousness, in the form of a clear white letter
A, very thin as if drawn by a hair. To receive the blessings of the three and the
Victorious Ones, in the form of the wisdom one visualises a rainbow-like thread
stretching out through the nostrils. It is inhaled swiftly, passing through the ro ma and
rkyang ma into the clear and aware white A and the residual part drips into the cakra of
Engaging in the union of the three primordial wisdoms, engaging in the path
great bliss . In the heart centre of the all-pervading protector Khyab bdag ’od
229
min ’gyur, the lineage lamas appear one after the other. They gradually dissolve and
are subsumed in the lama who is at the heart. The lama dissolves into a white and red
bliss-sustaining cakra; the red a shad is clear and shines; the light of the letter , is
an offering to all the Victorious Ones who are invited and dissolve into the . The
blaze, flickering. The flames reach the letter and the immeasurable primordial
wisdom of the union of bliss and emptiness is produced. Thirty-two small drops spread
through the secondary channels in the bliss cakra and restore, by making offerings to the
Buddha families, all that has been damaged; thus the two accumulations are perfected
Trickling down to the heart centre, the drops repair all damage (to the) Vajra
family, perfecting the accumulations and all obscurations without exception are purified.
Trickling down to the cakra of emanation, the drops pervade it and then restore
the damage (to the) Ratna Family, perfecting the accumulations and all obscurations
Trickling down to the cakra that enhances bliss, it restores the damage done (to
the) Karma Family, perfecting the accumulations. All obscurations without exception
are purified.
The last thigle drop flows into the fire; the essence of the and the nectar
One imagines that one has obtained the initiations of the tsal energy and rigpa and
One imagines experiencing at the navel the empowerment of the word; at the
heart, the empowerment of knowledge; at the throat, the secret empowerment; and at the
conditions will be burnt; having made the subtle, one abides in the great state
Colophon: (f.158, line 3) zhes pa ’di yang gar bdang bdud ’joms rdo rje khrag ’thung
rol pa rtsal lha btsun ’od gsal snying po sngags nag hum che ka ra gling pa mkha’ ’gro’i
gtso mchog klong chen mi ’gyur rdo rje la sogs dpa’ bo mkha’ ’gro’i gling du ming gi
tha snyan grags pa don la kun gyi skar ’debs dang gleng mot ha snyad kyi gans ma nus
sbrang smyon zob rdzun mkhan des sa mo lug gyi lor hor zla bcu gcig pa’i tshes bcu’i
nyin gser smad rnga la stag rtse’i g.yas logs brag rdo rje zhes grags pa’i brag dkar seng
ge ’dra ba’i mgul nas bton te mi lo bzhi la bka’ rgyas btab nas mthar smar stod ’bros
phug ces pa’i dben pa’i khrod du dpal ldan rang byung rgyal mos bskul ba’i ngor shog
ser las zhal bshus te dag par phab pa’i yi ge’i mthun rkyen phun tshogs bkra shis kyis
Compared to Lha btsun ’od gsal snying po, Hum ka ra gling pa, Mkha’ ’gro’i
gtso mchog klong chen, Mi ’gyur rdo rje and so forth, how can I take the place of these
dakas and ? I, Gar bdang bdud ’joms rdo rje khrag ’thung rol pa rtsal, the crazy,
In the female Earth Sheep year, in the eleventh month of the Mongolian calendar,
on the tenth day, that of the gser smad rnga [constellation], on the right side of Stag rtse
county, in the place of ‘Vajra Rock’ (brag dorje) from the white rock which looks like a
snow lion, I retrieved [a terma] from its neck. I kept it for four years and finally in the
231
solitary cave of Smar stod ’bros, at the bequest of Dpal ldan rang byung rgyal mos, I
copied it from the yellow paper. It was copied clearly by Phun tshogs bkra shis. May it
be auspicious!
154) tells us that her three channels symbolise the three kayas. Regarding the effects
of spreading to various areas of the subtle body, the text states that spreading the
thig le ‘drops’ through secondary channels appease the Buddhas of the different (Ratna,
Text 53:
Front page: ’Chi med bcud len sgrub pa’i thabs mchog bdud rtsi’i bum pa bzang po
The perfect vase of elixir; the supreme bcud len method for achieving immortality
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Mi pham rgya mtsho.Vol. 4: 691-702. Gangtok: Sonam Topgay
Folios: 1a-6b
Dating: The tenth day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month of the Iron Hare
year. (1891)
Content: The full translation of this pill bcud len text is found in Chapter Four.
Colophon: f.701, line 6 Ces pa ’di rab chos lcags yos khrum zla’i dmar phyogs kyi
tshes bcu’i nyi dros kyi thun skabs su mi pham rnam par rgyal ba’am ’jam dpal dgyes
pa’i rdo rjer grags pas shar mar sbel ba dge’o mangalam
232
‘This was written in haste by Mipham Nampar Gyalwai, also known as Jampel
Gyespa’i Dorje, during the morning meditation session on the tenth day of the waning
moon of the eighth lunar month in the year of the Iron Hare. Mangalam.’
Text 54:
Front page: Bcud len gyi cha lag rin chen za ma tog bzhugs so
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Mi pham rgya mtsho.Vol. 4: 185-199. Gangtok: Sonam Topgay
Folios: 1a-8a
Content: One awakens at dawn, straightens one’s body, exhales the stale air and
increases. One inhales and retains air according to one’s capacity. Instantly, one
invokes the blessings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions into one’s
vajra body. Recitation of mantras follows and all that was visualised dissolves into clear
light.
mantra lights spread and gather. From the at the crown of the head, while reciting
233
the cranial aperture and fills the body, which one imagines becoming transparent, and
recites the mantra. Then, imagining that one is eating the sky as food, one inhales more
air and retains it. The deities dissolve. The smon lam bkra shis (auspicious aspirational
magical illusion. A whole day is dedicated to the second session. Also, in this session,
one ingests a pill whenever needed, at a time of one’s choice and does whatever one
likes, increasing the heart joy and gathering essence, like the sky essence, and so forth.
At night, one visualises oneself as Gos dkar mo (Pandara) and recites her mantra.
At the end of the session, one practices the ‘blazing and trickling down’ meditation.
One visualises the hollow parts of the body, the three channels and the four cakras and
expels the stale air. While inhaling, one visualises inhaling the pure essence of
and in the form of yellow and red lights. Visualising this as dissolving at a
point four fingers below the navel, into the blazing a shad. The fire enters upward into
the central channel. It strikes the red at the heart causing blissful heat. The fire
touches the upside down syllable at the centre of the moon disk; bliss pervades.
From there, a white stream of nectar pours forth. As soon as it touches the base of gtum
mo’s fire, the a shad, the fire blazes more intensely, as when butter is poured on fire.
Then, the fire melts more nectar and the blissful heat blaze increases. The red and the
white mix and pervade all the channels, purifying the body’s impurities. One imagines
obtaining vajra life and strength. If one holds the air as much as possible in rhythmic
breathing, from this alone, one will accomplish the liberating air bcud len and the
purifying transformation of the defiled material body. At the end of the session, one
234
imagines the body becoming clearer, light-like, blending into space. One remains in this
state of equanimity. Then, at night, usually it is better to practise the instructions on clear
light, invoking the wisdom lineage holders. Offering a to the gods and ,
one confesses and atones and offers gtor mas to the healers. As a support to this bcud
len there is the long life and the dedication of merit. At dawn one visualises
goddess. Holding the arrow banner and the vase, they gather the life, essence and lustre
of and
into the crown of one’s head and fill one’s body. All obstacles are pacified.
and his retinue dissolving into the wisdom nectar. This dissolves into oneself and one
thus imagines obtaining a sky-like (eternal) life, free from destruction. One recites
and vajra strength. Then, the author recommends a recipe for an a ru ra bcud len
mentions that one should practice the various stone essence, water essence, and flower
essence practices in accordance with one’s desired goals or illnesses, constitution and
temperature.
One should also practice and bcud len with water empowered by
After one week of bcud len, body parasites will be purged and one will be
accomplished in the essence. As for this long life practice, it is very important and
235
special, so it is beneficial to do it. Not only that, but at this time recite the mantra of
The text states the practitioner should offer gtor ma to (unnamed) bcud len
accumulate merit.
It is emphasised that an eleven year-old girl is not suitable. One should ejaculate sperm
onto the consort’s vagina and draw it back in or scoop it with one’s tongue and eat it.
When pratising bcud len one needs to eat correctly, according to one’s inner
constitution.
taken on an empty stomach in the middle of autumn on the eighth or tenth day. It
rtsi bo che (asafoetida), glad pa (brain), honey, white garlic, which are all mixed and
The text concludes by listing the benefits of pratising the great bliss nectar bcud
len.
The thig le of great bliss, abiding within, neither diminishes nor increases. If
the method of restoration is well executed, one develops clear wisdom and strength.
The common body will become the indestructible rdo rje body. It is beneficial also for
elderly people.
Experiences and realisations will occur. The finely treated ingredients will bestow
strength. The mantras will restore both subtle and coarse energies. Breathing exercises
236
and visualisations will separate and awaken the subtle and coarse energies. When the
three ingredients (mantra and air and visualisations) are combined and enhancing, the
Colophon: f.199, line 5 rig pa’i rtsal las ma bris thabs med byung/ / rang bzo ma yin
rgyal gsung dbang du bzhag / ’dra rtsom ma yin lha yi byin rlabs yin/ don med ma yin
don chen gter dang ldan/ gzhan phan blo dang bla ma lha yi mthu/ rten cing ’brel ba’i
stobs las ’di byung phyir/ /skal bzang brtson ldan lus srog bla ma’i phyir/ /gtong bar nus
pa de dag rnams kyis ’grub/ /rab tshes me sprel khrums zla’i chu gter tshes la ’chi med
mchog grub gling du rnal ’byor pa ’jam dpal dbyes pa dbang gi rdo rjes spel ba dge
‘I wrote this from my knowledge, I had to write it. It is not my making; they are
the words of the Victorious One; it is not made by others; it has the blessings of the
the motivation to benefit others, by the power of the divine lama and the power of
diligence, who will give their life and body for the sake of the lama.
‘During the water treasure time of the eighth month of the Fire Monkey year, at
’Chi med mchog grub gling, the ’Jam dpal dbyes pa dbang gi rdo rjes wrote this.
at night. We know from the texts that certain lunar dates are associated with
237
Padmasambhava and others with the , but nothing is said about meditating on
this text. On f. 194, line 6 a section begins regarding the purification of obstacles
Padmasambhava), which concerns two families of worms. Since they demolish the
body‘s energies, if these worms are not defeated, then it is difficult for bcud len to be
as effective as it should be. A method is provided: in the middle of the autumn, on the
eight or tenth day, mix and boil srin bu ke ke ru (scorpion), rtsi bo che (asafoetida), glad
pa (brain), honey and white garlic, in a soup of deer intestine. Consume it on an empty
stomach, the two worms will come out from the urinary tract in the form of a silk thread.
If this method is ineffective another recipe (f. 195, line 4) is provided to prepare a pill
with: sdom (spider), the skin of a baby scorpion (sdig pa bu’i shun), human, goat and
pig fat, the six precious substances, various salts. Take them on an empty stomach and
Text 55:
Front page: Bcud len sgrub pa’i tshe bka’ srung mchod thabs bdud rtsi’i char ’bebs
The rainfall of nectar: the method for offering to the dharmapalas at the time of pratising
bcud len
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Mi pham rgya mtsho. Khreng tu’u: Gangs can rig gzhung dpe
rnying myur skyobs lhan tshogs, 2007, vol. 28: 190 - 191. Accessed through TBRC
W2DB16631.
238
Folios: 1a-1b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: The text states (f. 190, line 3) that whenever practising bcud len one ought to
make offerings to the before carrying out the practice. One offers gtor ma
There is an invocation asking for help in the practice and to avert illness, invoking
the worldly protectors, the devas, the the raksas (local gods), and those who
possess various mantric powers, the immortal and who look after sacred
places, valleys and fields, the medicinal nectar goddess and the .
Guru Rinpoche is the embodiment of the Buddha of all times. He and his disciples
in the lineage tamed and bound by vows the immortal , the long-lived
skilled and powerful who can bestow long life, the assembly of lower
of the and the various who look after those engaged in virtuous
activities. The gods, , local deities, local guardians who help extend people’s
lifespan and who bestow bcud len, the lesser deities, protectors and the gnyan po [a class
of spirits said to cause serious illnesses in humans]. We request all of them to increase
our lifespan.
239
offer you whatever you desire, gtor ma and appropriate sacred substances. I confess all
You are entrusted by the buddhas, and lineage masters who gave you
particular responsibilities; once you accept them you should not break your vows and
should help and assist all those protectors who follow the lineage masters from whom
Help us accomplish this nectar bcud len practice; protect us from any hindrance
and obstacle and grant us blessings without exceptions. May we remain youthful and
attain the vajra (indestructible) life and carry out enlightened activities’.
Main deity and main substance employed: In this invocation one praises several
and deities. There are no substances partaken by the practitioner, but gtor
Colophon: (f.191, line 6) ’jam dpal rdo rjes spel ba manga lam//
Remarks: The text is not an instructional treatise about bcud len methods related to
be granted in the practice and to rid the practitioner of obstacles on the path. The text
(f. 190, line 3) states that aspirational prayers should be recited whenever one sets out
to practise bcud len; however the vast majority of texts in this compendium lack such
aspirational prayers. There is also the mention of the gnyan po to whom respects are
Text 56:
Source:In Gsung ’bum. Mi pham rgya mtsho. Paro, Bhutan: Lama Ngo drup and Sherab
Folios: 1a-2a
Dating: Written on the fourteenth day of the eleventh month of the Wood Horse year
(unspecified)
Content:
and a text of scriptures in his hand; surrounded by the four secret yum families. One
visualises that all outer phenomenal appearances dissolve and converge into the dam
tshig rdzas35 substance. Thereafter, one empowers the substance by reciting several
mantras, which transform it into wisdom nectar. The signs of the practice include
experiences of lights and pleasant smells. If the nectar goddess appears in dreams, then
Main deity and main substance employed: dam tshig rdzas substances.
Colophon: (f.178, line 4) zhes pa’ang nye bar mkho pa’i slad du lugs gnyis kyi ’dun
chen po dpal lhun grub steng gi pho brang yang rtsi nas ’jam dpal dgyes pas shing rta
zla ba bcu gcig gi tshes bcu bzhi la dge bar bris pa mangalam
35
In this text no specific ingredients are listed; as for dam tshig rdzas, Van Schaik (2010:
62) suggests that: ‘The five nectars of tantric ritual – the faeces, urine, semen, blood and
human flesh – are known as the samaya substances (dam tshig rdzas) because they embody this
ritualized inherence of the divine in the ordinary’.
241
‘For the purposes of the requirement of the daily practice, on the crown of the
spontaneously perfected palace that is the great aspiration of the two traditions, ’Jam
dpal dgyes pa virtuously wrote this in the Wood Horse year, on the fourteenth day of the
eleventh month.’
Remarks
Text 57:
Front page: Pad ma longs sku tshe mtha’ yas kyi sgrub thabs bcud len dang ’brel ba
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan
nyi ma, 2005, vol. 27: 611 – 624. Accessed through: TBRC W1PD289.
Folios: 1a-8a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: Time constraints prevented me from reading the complete text, but I reproduce
The text starts by listing ingredients to make life-prolonging pills: relics and
samaya substances from supreme teachers are collected. The text also lists: five
medicines, five incenses, five precious substances, non-poisonous leaves of trees, flower
242
seeds, clean rice, tsampa, chang, mare’s milk (beverage made from fermented mare’s
After having beaten, ground and filtered the ingredients properly, one makes bean-
sized pills, using vermilion for their colouring. One places them in a and blends
in the bzang drug dri (six excellent odours). These are covered with five-coloured silks
and placed in the middle of a . The substances should be gathered and prepared
by one who has pure samaya, in a solitary place. One cleans and sprinkles water and
then prepares outer offerings, ornaments the and prepares gtor ma. Now,
taking the relics, one mixes them with dbang lag, tsan dkar po, saffron, gla rtsi, nutmeg,
powders of precious stones, the five fleshes and the five nectars. One mixes all these
with clean rice and makes bean-sized pills. These are then placed in a with all
the characteristics and the bzang drug dri are then mixed in. One covers the in
five-coloured silks, and places it in the middle of the . One sprinkles water and
First; one practices refuge and bodhicitta, reciting it three times. One dispels
the hindrances offering gtor ma and bsang. Sounding one self-visualises as the
Main deity and main substance employed: The primordial deity Padma dbang chen
Heruka. Refer to the above section for the main ingredients in the pills.
Colophon: (f. 624, line 5) Pad ma longs sku tshe mtha’ yas kyi sgrub thabs bcud len
dang ’brel ba ’chi med grub pa’i sgrom zhes bya ba bzhugs so ’di rang gzhan la nye
’khor bsams te gsang gling pas gter gzhung gi dgongs pa’i lta ba bzhin dmar khrid du
243
bsdebs ’di’i yig ris dge sbyor shar rdzas bgyis ’dis kyang lus can rgya mtsho ’chi med
tshe mtha’ yas kyi srog chen ’grub pa’i rgyur gyur cig sarba mangalam
called “Frame for the accomplishment of deathlessness” connected with bcud len.
Thinking that it might be necessary for others and myself, I prepared it in the form of a
commentary with the point of view of Sangs gling pa’s gter ma text. This virtuous work
was arranged by Shar rdza. May it become the cause for obtaining the great life force of
Remarks: This is the first of a series of bcud len texts found in this compendium
rediscovered by Rang rig rdo rje. He was a disciple of Nyag bla pad ma bdud ’dul
and a prolific treasure revealer. His master Nyag bla padma bdud ’dul (1816-1872),
the rediscoverer of Text 45, claimed that his practice would enable one to manifest a
miraculous death where the cadaver shrinks or ‘disappears’. Interestingly both masters
manifested such signs at death and a comparative study of their bcud len practices
and mysterious deaths could be an interesting topic for future research. Rang rig rdo
rdje’s gter ma teachings may somehow be connected to the Mkha’ khyab rang grol
cycle of teachings of his master Pad ma bdud ’dul. Further research on the correlations
between these two masters’ bcud len teachings would probably bring about interesting
discoveries regarding gter ma authorship and interconnectedness. This is one of the rare
bcud len texts that I am aware of which prescribes the practice of bsang. (See Text 24)
Text 58:
Front page: Bla ma bka’ brgyad zab pa gten mdzad las/ bcud ldan zag med bdud rtsi’i
bcud len rdzas tshogs bsdu thabs kyi man nag gzer ti ka
244
The explanation of the Nail of Secret Instructions on the way of accumulating and
collecting the substances of stainless nectar bcud len extracted from the gter ma treasury
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan nyi
ma, 2005, vol. 19: 455 – 458. Accessed through TBRC W1PD289.
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: Unspecified
Colophon: f. 2b, line 5 Zhes zag med bdud rtsi’i bcud len rdzas tshogs bsdu thabs kyi
man ngag gsal ba’i lag len ’debs tshul gyi gdams pa zab mo ’di ni/ ’ga’ brag dkar gyi
dben khrod du/ man ngag gsang mdzod gyi bdag po kho bo sku gsum gling pas mkha’
’gro’i gsang sgrom nas bton ’di’i/ yig ris snang med rdo rjes bgyis ’dis kyang skye bzhi’i
sems can zag med ting ’dzin gyi bdud rtsi’i ro la longs spyod cing rgyal dbang mtsho
skyes rdo rje’i go ’phang bde blags tu ’god pa’i rgyur gyur cig/ sa ma ya/ rgya rgya
rgya/ bcud len rdzas tshogs bsdu thabs sarba tish thati//
These are profound instructions on the practice that clarifies the pith instructions
on the way of accumulating and collecting the substances of stainless nectar bcud len.
At the hermitage of ’Ga’ brag dkar, I, Sku gsum gling pa, who has the mastery of the
secret treasury of pith instructions, retrieved this from the ’s secret hiding place. It
was written down by Snang med rdo rje. May it become the cause for beings of the four
245
types of birth to enjoy the taste of stainless nectar and comfortably place them
in the state of the Victorious One of the Lake-born Vajra (Guru Padmasambhava). The
Remarks: It must be remembered that Sku gsum gling pa and Rang rig rdo rje are two
Text 59:
Front page: Tshe yi dngos grub la zab pa ’jam dpal gzhin rje’i gshed sku’i sgrub pa la
brten pa’i zag med rdo rje’i bcud len ’chi med rang grol shes bya ba bzhugs
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar Rin po che Thub bstan
Nyi ma, 2005, vol. 21: 619 – 630. Accessed through TBRC W1PD289.
Folios: 1a-7a
Dating: Unspecified
As for the preparations, the main ingredients are: dbang lag, bamboo, calcite, a
ru ra, ba ru ra, skyu ru ra, nutmeg, yogurt, meat, yellow pigment and the six excellent
substances with the addition of stag horn’s blood and deer musk. This is mixed with
milk from one hundred red cows and shaped into gold-coloured pills. Sprinkling water
246
on them, one imagines that obstacles disappear and primordial wisdom dissolves into
the pills. [Go to] an isolated hermitage, during an auspicious constellation in the period
between summer and autumn, where fruit trees bloom and birds gather. One visualises
and at its centre the syllable. Offerings are placed on these syllables.
As for the preliminary practices, the practitioner is told: ‘Purify your mind-stream
The main practice: One takes refuge and generates bodhicitta. For removing
His right hand raises the wisdom sword, the left hand forms a fierce, threatening mudra
and the fingertip emanates kalpa destroying fire. From his five places and from the
body’s every pore, emanate innumerable small, wrathful Yamantaka forms, similar to
himself, bearing sharp weapons blazing with fire. They spread in all directions and all
the misguided groups of spirits have no place to stay or go to. One recites the main
To create the circle of protection, the instructions are as follows: one visualises
wrathful deities endowed with primordial wisdom light and recites the interdependence
of and radiates light rays from their three gates. The lights
purify one’s obscuration. One recites a mantra and visualises five-coloured light rays
spreading to the outer world and to inner beings. Summoning their clear essence, life,
merits and glory, particularly from the pure lands, the three roots, wrathful and peaceful
buddhas, along with all their qualities and activities, splendour and power, dissolve
247
into the letter at one’s heart centre, around which a garland of mantras revolves
One practises the bcud len in four daily sessions and takes a pill
every seven days. The practitioner should drink four cups of excellent tea daily. At the
end of the session, one remains in the equipoise of samaya and wisdom, in the sphere
of pacification of all elaborations. The practice’s benefits are listed: one will remain
youthful, possess a melodious voice and attain the deathless vajra body.
In the bcud len, one is in a state inseparable from the vivid deities
appearing. One imagines at one’s navel an inconceivably hot black letter, the
size of the three realms. Exhaling, one imagines all obstacles disappearing. Then, one
imagines inhaling all the splendid power of the illusory of the three roots. One
takes in the essence of stillness and movement. The air is visualised as a glittering white
letter. One holds kumbhaka. After training for four sessions in the
In the bcud len, chang is boiled and shaped into a ball the size of a
pigeon’s egg. One is taken at each meditation session. The practitioner engages in gentle
kumbhaka and will be totally freed from conditioning thoughts. All elaborations will be
pacified in the sphere of great emptiness. Moving from this base, one does not struggle
but stays relaxed and opened, with the channels uncontrolled. The benefits are that one’s
five aggregates and five sense faculties will be transformed into the five Buddhas; one
The final advice is that one should practice accordingly: for three
Colophon: (f. 629, line 4) zhes zag med rdo rje’i bcud len ’chi med rang grol zhes pa’i
gdams pa khyad du ’phags pa ’di ni rig ’dzin bla ma dgyes pa’i dben khrod ’ga’ brag
dkar gdas kyi zhol ’go min pa’i dgal tshal du kun bzang za hor bla ma’i phrin las kyi
kha longs kho bo sku gsum gling pas bro’i gsang yig las bton ’di ni dpa’bo’i bstan pa
tshul bzhin du gzhol ba’i slob skal bzang chos kyi bdag po ’od zer rdo rje legs par thon
’di’i kyang skye bzhi’i bsdus pa’i sems can rnams gdos bcas kyi phung po snang med
’pho chen dwangs ma’i skur ’grub pa’i rgyur gyur cig/ samaya/ rgya rgya rgya.
‘As for the particularly supreme teaching known as the “stainless vajra bcud
len of deathless self-liberation”, At the pleasure grove of the White Rock Solitary
Hermitage that pleases the and gurus, from the sphere of buddha activities
of the all-perfected Za hor Guru, I, Sku gsum ling pa, have extracted these from the
secret dancing letters. It (this teaching) was given to the disciple known as Skal bzang
chos kyi bdag po ’od zer legs pa. This bcud len enables beings conditioned by birth
and death to accomplish the clear body of great transformation and causes their solid
Remarks: The text claims that if this practice is carried out properly one will
accomplish the ‘great transference’ and at death leave behind no bodily remains. The
inclusion of ingredients such as ‘milk from one hundred cows’ would merit further
Text 60:
Front page: Bla ma bka’ brgyad zab pa gter mdzod las: bcud ldan zag med bdud rtsi’i
From ‘The treasure of the eight profound pronouncements of Guru Padmasambhava: the
249
pills’
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan
Folios: 1a-4b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: The essence extraction to make pills, from the eight pronouncements of
One meditates on the nature of emptiness and pours the ingredients into a ,
covering them with five-coloured silks. One applies pleasing fragrances around the
skull, meditating that on the right side of the there are , and on the left side
As for the actual practice; after reciting the mantra, one visualises a five-coloured
KEM syllable at one’s heart and in front of one a filled with nectar of one
hundred flavours. One invites the blessings of the deities into the skull’s contents.
One sounds and imagines deities before oneself, lights expand and are
reabsorbed, moving between oneself and the deities. The three realms of existence,
gods, and the powers of the eight nonhuman life forms, blessings and merits all
dissolve into the pill’s ingredients. Continuously reciting Guru Rinpoche mantras one
imagines lights from the deities going into the pills. One practises this for a month or six
weeks. When this is completed, then one prepares the pills. One stays in retreat relying
250
on the pills, for the summer and some of the autumn months. The text ends with a list of
Main deity and main substance employed: Unspecified deities are visualised before
Colophon: (f. 458, line 6) ’di ni rig ’dzin bla ma dgyes pa’i dben khrod ’ga’ shel rdzong
gi mgul dag pa lha yi ’og min gsang ba chen po’i khang bzang du/ dus snyigs mtsho
skyes bla ma’i bris pa kho bo sku gsum gling pas mkha’ ’gro’i gab sgrom nas bton ’di’i
yig mkhan slob ma skal bzang snang med rdo rje grub ’dis kyang skye rgu’i ’gro ba cog
’dzad med bdud rtsi’i dpal gyi dga’ ston la rol zhing o rgyan chen po’i thugs klong rnam
par mi rtog pa’i dbyings su grol ba’i rgyur gyur cig/ sa ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/ bcud len
excellent heavenly, highly secret abode of pure deities. For the degenerate times, the
bcud len text was written by the Lake-Born Lama. I, Sku gsum Glin pa retrieved it from
the s treasure casket. The scribe who completed it was the disciple Skal bzang
snang med rdo rje. Through this, may all beings enjoy the joyful gloriousness of the
inexhaustible nectar and may it be a cause for liberating beings in the inconceivable
sphere of Guru Rin po che’s mind expanse. The explanations on the bcud len pill
Remarks: the text focuses almost entirely on the empowerment of the pills and lacks
instructions on how to ingest them or on breathing practices. This brings one to question
Text 61:
Front page: Tshe dbang rdo rje’i srog sgrubs ril bu’i sgrubs pas cho ga tshe’i bcud len
The making of the pill of vajra life power obtainment bcud len ritual
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan nyi
ma, 2005, vol. 27: 689 - 701. Accessed through TBRC W1PD289.
Folios: 1a-7b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: Instructions are given for the making of the pills, their empowerment and
There are instructions on the ingredients of the pill and its preparation.
The ingredients include relics of the Victorious Ones, the five different medicines
(lnga log sman rigs dang), the five different incenses, and leaves from the ‘excellent
tree’ (shing bzang po) that have the essence of life. Other ingredients include: gold,
silver, dbang lag and mare’s milk. These are mixed with rice flour and very strong
chang and shaped. Mustard seeds are added and the pills rolled into balls.
gtor
instructed to visualise that the retinue; oneself and the pills are purified.
heart. Five colours spread and one unites with the glorious three roots. One imagines
the essence and glory of the three realms dissolve into one’s heart. Reciting mantras,
countless buddhas. Their power, love and knowledge dissolve into the accomplishment
pills in front of one. One recites mantras and does this practice for seven days but if
that is not possible for at least three days. When reciting the mantras one prepares
surrounded by his retinue. Hevajra is there along with Guru Rinpoche, Yeshe Tsogyal,
Finally, one recites and visualises the three roots dissolving into the three
gates of Guru Rinpoche. One visualises infinite offerings to Guru Rinpoche and
Mandhara and to protectors. The inner and outer and secret obstacles and negative
forces are pulverised. One visualises the buddha field in the sky dissolving and
becoming inseparable with the substances. One carries out further rituals described in
the text. Finally one prepares a and places the pills on it and visualises them
receiving empowerment. Offering praises, one confesses all wrongdoings and offers the
253
to the root guru for his long life. Aspiration prayers are offered for all beings in
all directions.
include masters’ relics, five different medicines (lnga log sman rigs dang), five different
incenses and leaves from the ‘excellent tree’ (shing bzang po). Also: pearls, gold, silver,
dbang lag and mare’s milk, rice flour, strong chang and mustard seeds.
Remarks: Once again we see a text containing particularly elaborate rituals and
Text 62:
Front page: Gsang chen ’od gsal snying gi thig las/ sprul sku’i bcud len gsal rang grol
bzhungs
From ‘The heart essence, the luminous great secret: the self-liberation clear light
bcud len’
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Ggzan dkar rin po che thub bstan
nyi ma, 2005, vol. 28: 555 - 565. Accessed through TBRC W1PD289.
Folios: 1a-6b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: First, one makes and gtor ma offerings. The gtor ma should be red,
with colourful decorations. After completing the one practises the bcud len.
254
fills it with old wheat, clean rice and barley flour, covers this with a red silk cloth and
evening sessions. One drinks boiled water in the early morning and evening. During the
afternoon session one takes some food from the and cooks it in white butter.
The ritual has three sections: preparation, the main part and the latter stage.
1) Preparation
One takes refuge and generates bodhicitta. One accumulates merit and dispels
obstacles by reciting mantras. One receives blessings from the Padma family in the
2) Main part
in his left hand a longevity vase. His consort has a white, slightly reddish complexion.
One invites their wisdom and makes offerings and prostrates to the host of
3) Concluding section
One requests and the deities bestow supreme body, speech and mind
empowerments. One confesses any transgressions of one’s vows. One makes offerings
and receives blessings from the host of deities. One eliminates the evil spirits by
barley flour.
255
Colophon: (f. 565, line 1) lhun grub dpal gyi bsam yas su/rigs bdag padma ’od ’bar
gyis/ ji bzhin gdams pa ma ’khrul ba/ ’gro don dus bab byung ba’i tshe/ kho bo klong
chen rdo rje yis/ gtan la phab cing zhal bshus so/ bka ’di pad ma mkha’ ’gros tshongs/
dam nyams lag tu ma shor gces/ kho ba’am chos kyi gdung ’dzin pa’i/ skal ldan skyes
bu dam pa rnams/ ’phrad nas phung po ’od sku ru/ grol ba’i smon lam ’grub par shog/
sa ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/ zab rgya/ gter rgya/ dam rgya/ sbas rgya//
‘The instructions without mistakes are given by the lineage master Pad ma ’od bar
in the spontaneously perfected glorious Bsam yas. I, Klong chen rdo rje, prepared the
texts at the appropriate time for the benefit of beings. These instructions are safeguarded
these, may the body aggregates of fortunate ones longing to grasp the Dharma and I,
become a body of light and may they obtain the aspiration of liberation!
Remarks: The food used for the yogin’s sustenance is placed in a and resides
Sherab discusses the use of the for empowering substances. The interested reader
can refer to research carried out by Andrea Loseries-Leick (2008) in her study of human
Text 63:
Front page: Gsang chen ’od gsal snying gi thig le las/ longs sku’i bcud len bde chen
From ‘The great secret clear light heart essence: the self-liberating great bliss
bcud len’
Source: in Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan nyi
ma, 2005, vol. 28: 539 - 550. Accessed through TBRC W1PD289.
Folios: 1a-7a
Dating: Unspecified
Colophon: (f. 549, line 5) bcud len bde chen rang grol ’di/ sngon tshe dpal gyi bsam
yas su/ padmas gdams bzhin ma ’khrul ba/ kho bo klong chen rdo rje yis/ gtan la dbab
cing zhal bsdus so/ bka’ ’di rin chen mkha’ ’gros srung/ snod med dam nyams lag ma
shor/ shor na don snying ’phyungs la shog/ skal bzang chos kyi bdag po dang/ ’phrad
nas man ngag ’di brten te/ lhag med ’od skur ’grub par shog/ sa ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/
zab rgya/ gter rgya/ sbas rgya/ dgongs rgya/ kha tham / smrag/ sitta rgya/
The bcud len of self-liberating great bliss. In previous times, at the glorious Bsam
yas, as instructed by Padmasambhava, without making any errors, I, Klong chen rdo rje
do not let it fall into the hands of unsuitable recipients, samaya breakers. If it does so,
may their hearts be removed! May it be met by those fortunate ones who have faith in
the Dharma. By relying on these pith instructions may they accomplish the rainbow
body!
Text 64:
Front page: Gsang chen ’od gsal snying gi thig le las / mi ’gyur rdo rje’i bcud len ka
From ‘The great secret clear light heart essence: the unchanging vajra bcud len, the self-
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan
nyi ma, 2005, vol. 28: 571 - 582. Access through TBRC W1PD289.
Folios: 1a-7a
Dating: Unspecified
Colophon: (f. 581, line 6) bcud len ka dag rang grol ’di/ lhun grub dpal gyi bsam yas
su/ rigs bdag sngags rgan pad ma yis/ gdams bzhes dus bab byung ba’i tshe/ mkha’
’gros brda rim dang/ mi brjed gzungs gzung blo gros las/ dag ther byed cing gtan la
phabs/ zhal bshus khrigs chags legs sdeb pa/ rdzogs pa chen po gdung ’dzin ba/ zab lam
gsang spyod phyogs dgyes pa’i/ sngags kyi rnal ’byor brtul zhugs can/ o rgyan klong
chen rdo rje’i/ ’gro ’dul dpa’ bo kho bos dgyes/ bka’ ’di thugs kyi srung ma las rdo rje
mkha’ ’gror gtad/ ma dad cing log par lta ba dang snod med dam tshig nyams ral can
gyi lag tu ma shor gces/ gal te shor na srog gcod cing snying khrag rol cig/ gsang chen
theg mchog rgyal po’i snod du ’os pa rnams dang kho bos chos kyi gdung rabs ’dzin
cing sgrub brgyud snying po gzhol ba’i skal bzang skyes bu dam pa rnams dang ’phrad
258
nas zab mo’i gdams pa ’di nyams su bzhes te gdan thog gcig du rdzogs pa chen po’i
dgongs pa blo sems las ’das pa ka dag zang ka dren pa’i ngo bo mngon du gyur nas
’ja’ lus ’pho ba chen po’i sku bsnyes pa’i rgyur gyur cig/ sa ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/ zab
rgya/ gsang rgya/ dgongs rgya/ rgya gsum gyis shin tu dam zhig/
Instructions for this self-liberating, primordially pure bcud len were given by
Padma, the elder mantrika and lord of the lineage, in the spontaneously perfect glorious
Bsam yas. At the appropriate time the different stages of the signs of the , were
made clear by the profound mind that holds the [long rolls of symbolic Sanskrit
syllables that sum up the true nature of reality] who prepared it. The one who properly
copied and compiled this was the rdzog pa chen po lineage holder, the ascetic yogic
mantra practitioner who delights in the secret conduct of the profound path, I the
The last part of the colophon contains warnings about not passing the teachings on
to samaya breakers, and aspirations expressed for attaining the rainbow body.
Text 65:
Front page: Gsang chen ’od gsal snying gi thig le las/ mngon par byang chub bcud len
From ‘The heart essence the luminous great secret: the essence extraction of complete
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan
nyi ma, 2005, vol. 28: 589 – 599. Accessed through: TBRC W1PD289.
259
Folios: 1a-6b
Dating: Unspecified
One places liquor, rice and butter in the . One covers this with green silk
In the morning one drinks green tea, and in the evening water. Every afternoon,
one takes rice and butter from the skull at the center of the and boils it in a
vessel’.
(f. 591) The practice and prayers start. It comprises sections on the preparation,
1) Preparation
One takes refuge and generates bodhicitta, accumulates merits and dispels
obstacles by reciting mantras. One receives blessings from the Bde chen ’gyur med ’og
min celestial palace, the deity of the karma family. One makes offerings and recites
mantras.
2) Main part
Reciting one transforms into Lord Amoghasiddhi. He has a blue body and a
Sperm flows between them and is converted into bright light and returned to her.
260
One visualises the Karma family , whose nature is like a clear mirror. Sperm
retrieving is practiced along with visualisations of light. Then, one invokes merit fields
and makes offerings. One performs prostrations, recites mantras and makes
3) Concluding section
All visualisations dissolve within and one invites merits. One presents the
(unspecified) medicine, makes final offerings and confesses any mistakes. One offers
any remaining gtor ma cakes and makes final requests to be granted blessings. One
Main deity and main substance employed: Amoghasiddhi embracing his consort
Colophon: (f. 599, line 3) Bcud len ’ja’ lus rang grol ’di/ sngon tshe padma ’od ’bar
gyis/ lhun grub dpal gyi bsam yas su/ gdams pa ji bzhin ma ’khrul ba/ ’gro don dus la
bab pa’i tshe/ padma’i gsung dang mkha’ ’gro’i brda’/ bsgyur te khrigs chags sdeb pa
po/ rdzogs pa chen po’i gdung ’dzin pa/ o rgyan klong chen rdo rje ’am/ ’gro ’dul rol pa
rtsal nyid do/ dam nyams rnams kyi lag tu khros mas ma shor bar bya ra ma dzod cig/
This self-liberated rainbow body bcud len, taught in former times by Blazing
Light Padma in the spontaneously perfected glorious Bsam yas, to benefit beings at the
right time. The words of Padma and numerous signs of the will appear at the
right time. It was prepared by the lineage holders of rdzogs chen O rgyan klong chen rdo
Remarks: This is the only text I have thus far encountered where there is a mention of a
gtor ma (prepared at the initial stage of the practice) are green due to the fact that this
practice is related with the Karma family deities. Text 62 featured red
gtor mas as that text’s practice dealt with Padma family deities.
Text 66:
Front page: Gsang chen ’od gsal snying gi thig le las/ chos sku’i bcud len dri bral rang
grol bzhugs
len’
Source: In Gter chos. Rang rig rdo rje. Khreng tu’u: Gzan dkar rin po che thub bstan
Folios: 1a-7b
Dating: Unspecified
Content: Instructions are given for the three stages. Go to a secret beneficial place in
the mountains, with chirping birds and yaks about. Sitting motionless in the Vairocana
posture, one exhales the stale air nine times and practices kumbhaka. One pours black
in the middle of the One repeats this thrice daily; before dawn, at daybreak
and at noon. One mixes tsampa with the tea in the and boils it for a long time to
One engages in the main ; takes refuge and generates bodhicitta and then
There are three sections, the preliminaries, the main part and the dedication.
Sounding A, one practises bodhicitta with limitless compassion towards all beings,
offering allone’s merits, virtues and results to them and abandoning all obscuration.
Sounding , one prostrates and confesses all one’s misguided deeds and malignity
from the letter at the center of one’s heart, lights emanate. Five yum consorts
emanate and from the syllables at one’s heart arises a blue-grey Vairocana
with one face, two arms and bent legs, holding a wheel in the right hand and a long life
vessel in the left. The secret yum of Vairocana is young with a smiling face, a secret
beyond happiness and suffering. They are joined together, enjoying the union of
bliss and emptiness. As they unite, their white and red bodhicittas emanate lights. The
’s deities are mirror-like, clear and insubstantial; they are illusory and come
The supplication: sounding , one supplicates the deities from the place of
purifies. Reciting mantras, one visualises all the deities abiding in the secret ;
mantra. Sounding A, having made the gods rejoice, now one receives the essence of all
supreme Buddha and his retinue and Vairocana in yab yum, praises the various types of
One sounds A and recites mantras. From the white at the heart of one’s
lama lights emerge and dissolve into the practitioner. The guru’s lights dissolve all
obscurations of sentient beings and the lights return to one. The essence of the four
elements dissolves into one. One imagines gaining complete siddhis and recites mantras.
Samantabhadra and recites mantras. The offerings make all the gods from Vairocana’s
field rejoice.
Supplicating and offering medicine: one sounds , receives the blessings from
all the gods in the self-manifesting , and recites mantras. Sounding , one
makes offerings so that the Buddha may rejoice and the five poisons transform into
nectar medicine.
Offering merit and confessing: sounding , one offers the stainless bcud len
substance to the buddhas, making them rejoice. Mantras are recited. Sounding ,
one confesses one’s samaya breaches to the gods. One recites mantras.
free from clinging to the self, one recites mantras. is sounded; at night mantras are
governs the enjoyment of tastes. Sounding , one visualises oneself giving all
creatures the substance that liberates through taste. There is the recitation of mantras.
264
deities in the sacred and reciting mantras. Sounding , one awakens all the
pure and beyond expression, are inseparably joined by the intentions of the Buddha and
his retinue. One opens the spontaneously perfected ; the Dharma protectors,
buddhas and all promise to protect the samaya. Enlightened activities and gtor
ma are offered; mantras are recited. Sounding and , one visualises Padma
’od bar, who in a past life bound beings by making them drink special water. Recitation
of mantras.
For the siddhi of taming horses; one sounds , tames all who are bound
by ignorance by pegging them under a stupa of Dharma nature. Mantras are recited.
Confessing and dedicating: sounding , one confesses all wicked deeds from
previous lives until now, recites the one hundred syllable Vajrasattva mantra intensely.
When one sounds A, the self-appearing deity dissolves into primordial space.
primordial wisdom deity appears in the postmeditation state. Equally, enjoy the essence
of inner and outer worlds. Sound ; dedicate the virtue and results, stained and
Aspirational prayers and explanation: sound . May all sentient beings who
compassionate truth of the three roots, may all beings pervading space attain the vajra
265
body! May you take the light [teachings] of the Lotus One (Padmasmbhava), having
received the profound oral instructions, following Vairocana, in the times when lifespan
will only be thirty years, the disciple wishes to ripen buddhahood. The diligent
will gain innumerable qualities. Purifying all ignorance and habitual tendencies. One
will be in the Dharma expanse of primordial wisdom, one will be in the main retinue of
rgya.
Main deity and main substance employed: Vairocana and his secret consort. Tsampa
and tea.
Colophon: (f. 530, line 3) Bcud len dri bral rang grol ’di/ sngon tshe pad ma thod
phreng gis/ ji ltar gdams par ma ’phrul ba/ ’gro don dus bab byung ba’i tshe/ gtan bab
zhal bshus khrigs chags su/ kho bo klong chen rdo rje’am/ sngags ’chang rnal ’byor ku
su lu/ ’gro ’dul rol ba rtsal gyis brdebs/ bka’ ’di sangs rgyas mkha’ ’gros srungs/ snod
med lag tu ma shor gces/ shor na snying khrag dron mo ’thungs/ kho bos chos kyi gdung
’dzin ’di/ skal bzang las can dang ’phrad nas/ gdams pa ’di nyid nyams su blangs te/
tshe gcig ’od lus ’grub par shog/ sa ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/ zab rgya/ gter rgya/ sbas
rgya/ dam rgya/ gtad rgya/ las ’phro smon lam gyi rgya/
The self-liberating, stainless bcud len. As in the past Guru Rinpoche taught this
faultlessly when the time came to benefit sentient beings; so did Klong chen Dorje,
also known as Sngags ’chang rnal ’byor ku su lu ’gro ’dul rol ba rtsal. This teaching
is protected by Sangs rgyas mkha’ ’gro. May it be cherished it so it does not fall into
unsuitable hands. If it is lost, one drinks warm heart blood. May my work be met by the
fortunate ones who will become holders of this Dharma. Practising this teaching may
Remarks: the practice focuses on offerings both physical and mental. Five-coloured
gtor mas are prepared and one mixes tsampa with tea in a The offerings are
commonplace, perhaps indicating how visualisations and mantras are given a greater
Text 67:
Front page: Bcud len gyi rim pa lam gong ’phel ba’i gdams pa bzhugs so
The composition on the stages of bcud len; the oral instructions that lead to the higher
path
Thinley Namgyal, 1998, vol. 765 – 770. Accessed through TBRC W23563.
Folios: 1a-3b
Dating: Unspecified
As for the grain bcud len: for those of lower capacity, one fills a [measure]
with barley free of dust, pours it into a clean vessel and cooks it properly. One reduces
(f. 767) At sunrise and sunset one eats seven grains, visualising them as unpolluted
bcud len pills. At the end, in the raw natural state of the unity of awareness and
emptiness, whatever self-arises will self-liberate. Maintaining that state, one ultimately
abides in the equanimity of the virtuous three roots, free from the elaborations of
267
the three spheres. The conclusion is adorned with the dedication of virtues and the
proclaiming of auspiciousness.
For the bcud len of stone essence, first one grinds calcite stone, cooks it properly
in milk and makes the broth dissolve into itself. The method of relying on it and the
(f. 768) The bcud len for those of medium capacity: at the beginning,
having completed the motivation of bodhicitta, with one’s body upright one exhales the
One sits in the posture with seven characteristics. The key point of the breathing;
one breathes in slowly from the mouth with the sound of the teeth, and presses [the air]
As for the visualisation, one visualises that the compassion of the buddhas of the
pure lands of the ten directions, the life, merits and prosperity of the six realms and
especially all the clear essence of the four elements enters into one’s mouth in the form
of white nectar.
One envisages that one becomes the indestructible clear essence of a vajra-like
body. In accordance with the presence of the sun, whether it is shining or overcast,
one performs this twenty-one times. One’s mindfulness must be continuous like
water flowing. In that way the natural state abides in the equanimity of the state of
The end of the session, in the state free from the elaborations of the three spheres,
(f. 769) As for seeking refuge: all three, the refuge field, the refuge and the
refugee, take refuge in the state free from attributes in its fundamental nature,
primordially pure.
and the agent generating bodhicitta. One remains with equanimity in the way of the
very beginning, in the nature of the nondual great primordial expanse. With the body
held upright, the breath moves slowly within. One remains empty, effortless, after
exhaling. At that time, the sky softens into a blueish hue and enters through the mouth.
One imagines that it remains below the navel in a blue-tinted hue. At sunrise and in
the evening one fills the body with blue light and instantaneously does the bar rlung
twenty-one times. It should be practiced along with the aspiration and visualisation.
The main practice: one frees one’s own mind from fabrication and from accepting
The thoughts of the three times: whatever arises is liberated as it does so;
one keeps on doing this without interruption. In the inseparable unity of space and
awareness, one abides evenly in the flowing river of the yoga of awareness.
arises, liberated impartially without interruption day and night. Beyond accepting
and rejecting, ceasing and obtaining, purified together, the characteristics of the three
times, all are beyond concepts, the primordial expanse, free from movement and
transformation, A la la ho!
bcud
len of the ultimate Dorje Chang. At the time of practice, the agent, action and object
269
[of the action] rest in equanimity in the bare union of awareness and emptiness, in the
nature of wisdom.
Main deity and main substance employed: There are no deities. There are four main
Colophon: (f. 770, line 3) zhes pa ’di yang sprang smyon bdag rgyal khams su ’khyams
nyul byed skabs/ rje yongs ’dzin rin po che’i zhal slob kyi mchog gyur pa/ drung blo
gros bcud len dang rig pa skyong thabs ’di ltar dgos zhes bka’ yi phebs tshul ltar gnas
mchog dpal tsa ri’i yang ’dabs bkra shis chos zam gdor nas sha kya shris bris pa’o//
‘This work was completed by myself, the unquestionably poor, crazed one, when
I was wandering aimlessly around the country. I was asked by Rje Yongs ’dzin Rin po
che, the supreme disciple of Drung blo gros. He said, “I need a bcud len and method
to maintain my awareness”. (This is) the way in which it was asked, in the supreme
glorious place at the foothills of Tsari, in front of Chos zam. This was composed by
Shakya Shri.’
highest form of bcud len. In the future it would be interesting to ask Dzongsar Khyentse,
who mentioned having practised a bcud len from Shakya Shri’s lineage when he spoke
an advanced meditator would greatly enrich our knowledge about meditative bcud len.
In the biography of Shakya Shri, written by Ka thog si tu Chos kyi rgya mtsho (1880-
1925), we find instances of Shakya Shri’s life where he most probably practised bcud
len. Ka thog situ (2009: 54-55) describes a period when Shakya Shri lived in the Great
270
Cave of Evam in Drugu: ‘When he undertook strict retreat there, he had with him only a
cracked clay pot to boil water, with a flat stone for a lid. He practised day and night. …
When he had no roasted barley flour to eat, he would beg for food, walking about in the
vicinity of Drugu Monastery. He lived on whatever he was given and dedicated himself
solely to his practice.’ The biography (Ibid: 65) also tells of how ‘Shakya Shri spent
many years of intensive practice at Lhadrag Pema Yangdzong, in the Long Vajra Cave,
Text 68:
Front page: Rdzogs pa chen po sku gsum rang shar las sku gsum bcud len thar pa’i
rgyags phye
The Dzogchen self-liberating three bodies, the three bodies bcud len, the food of
liberation
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Bkra shis rgyal mtshan. Sde dge: Rdza steng chen dgon, 1983
Folios: 1a- 9a
Dating: Unspecified
The text is divided in three parts: a preliminary practice of Guru Yoga of Guru
Dran pa nam mkha’;36 the main part that is summarised below; the conclusion.
In the main part, the section is divided into three components, one
bcud len for those of superior capacities relying solely on air; one for the average, on
water; and one for the least capable, utilising hot water. In all these practices, the deity
uses ‘the supreme medicine’, the average one relies on pills; and the least advanced on
calcite.
The ‘supreme medicine’ type is based on a ru ra and the deity one transforms into
The pill bcud len consists chiefly of dbang lag, ra mnye, honey and molasses. The
The calcite bcud len uses two types of calcite and breath retention. The deity
involved is a white-coloured .
The section has three different bcud len based on the following
three substances: nettles, dough pills and milk soup. For all three, the mantras, deity and
breathing exercises are the same as those used in the aforementioned calcite bcud len
recipe.
Main deity and main substance employed: In the bcud len of the ;
nettles, dough pills, and milk soup. In the bcud len: air, water, hot water. In all
36
Dran pa nam kha’ is a long life deity in the Bon pantheon.
272
The ’s bcud len deity is Tshe dbang rigs ’dzin and the substances
The pill bcud len consists chiefly of: dbang lag, ra mnye, honey and molasses.
The central deity for the practice is ’Chi med ’dren pa.
Colophon: (f. 401, line 4) Ces pa ’di’ang dge ba’i bshes gnyen bla ma don ’grub nas
bcud len gyi gdams pa dam ral zab pa’i zhig cis kyang ’dri dgos zhes bskul ba’i ngor
shar rdza bkra shis rgyal mtshan gyis rtsom pa la/ /yi ge pa ni mchog sprul drung mu’i
mtshan can gyis bgyis pas ’gro rnams sdig zas kyi zhen pa dang bral ba’i rgyur ’gyur ba
‘Thus, in response to the request by the spiritual friend Lama Don ’grub, I
composed a direct and profound teaching on bcud len. I, Shar rdza bkra shis rgyal
mtshan (1859-1934), composed this. The scribe was Mchog sprul drung mu. May it be a
Remarks: This text has been translated by Peter Roberts under the auspice of the Kalpa
Group and is a forthcoming publication. The brief overview of the text’s contents is
based on that translation. The interested reader can refer to the full translation once it is
published.
Text 69:
Front page: Rje bla ma tshe lha sku gsum la brten pa’i tshe sgrub pa’i bcud len
The accomplishing life essence extraction relying on the Lord Lama [Je Tsongkhapa]
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Blo bzang rta mgrin. New Delhi: Mongolian Lama Gurudeva,
Folios: 1a-3a
Dating: (unspecified) Wood Tiger year, twenty-fifth day of the second month.
Content:
tshe
chang in the right hand and a nectar vase in the left hand. From his left thumb, a lotus
stem emerges and appears above one’s shoulder. At the three places are the syllables
These instructions are given for the main practice: ‘Pay homage to the three
deities, make offerings and recite confessions. Rejoice in the deities’ power and request
them to teach Sutra and Tantra and ask them to stay. Make aspiration prayers that
all beings may reach enlightenment. Prepare a offering that can be either
extensive or simple.’
Both types are explained. ‘Now you invoke blessings from Tsong kha pa, recite
Tsongkhapa mantras. At the end of the mantras, you recite the yig brgyas lhag chad kha
bskang “the cut-off prayer” which redresses any mistakes in mantric recitation. Imagine
and mind from the goddesses. Finally, recite aspirational prayers to receive blessings to
Main deity and main substance employed: In this prayer and invocation to Lord
Vijaya) and Tsong kha pa. No substances are used and there are no breathing exercises.
Colophon: (f. 29, line 2) Ces rje bla ma tshe lha sku gsum la brten pa’i tshe sgrub
pa’i bcud len zhes bya ba ’di ni/ ’jam mgon bla ma’i ring lugs la mos pa’i btsun gzugs
snyoms las pa blo bzang rta dbyangs kyis/ dge phrug ’jam dbyangs shes rab dang
phun tshogs tshe ring zer ba gnyis nas/ skyabs mgon sku phreng lnga pa’i mkha’ spyod
sgrub khang gi shul gyi phyag bdar khrod nas rje bla ma tshe lha sku gsum ma’i lder
sku rnying pa shin tu dkon pa zhig rnyed nas rang la ster byung ba la zhig gsos dang
gser tshon legs par phul te mchod gral du bzhugs su gsol ba’i skabs su/ rten ’byung gi
sgo ’grigs par bya ba’i ched du mkhas grub dam pa rnams kyi man ngag bzhin du rab
tshes shing rta zla 2 tshes 25 dge bar mdo sngags bstan pa’i ’byung gnas dga’ ldan theg
chen gling gi rang sbyil du sbyar ba’o/ ’dis kyang dpal ldan bla ma dam pa rnams dang
mched grogs chos mdzad thams cad zhabs pad bskal brgyar brtan cing rnam dkar gyi
mdzad ’phrin phyogs dus kun tu dar zhing rgyas par gyur cig/
‘The text was written by Blo bzang mta grin, a follower of the Geluk sect. Two
students, ’Jam dbyangs shes rab and Phun tshogs tshe ring, had found a thangka of the
three goddesses in the refuse. After cleaning it, he wrote the text in a room in Dga’ ldan
Remarks: A Dge lugs pa invocation requesting long life deities to bestow longevity
blessings.
275
Text 70:
Front page: Me tog bcud len skal bzang rna rgyan gyi lhan thabs dngos grub mchog
The flower bcud len, the complimentary method of a ‘good age’s ear ornament’ that
Source: In Gsung ’bum. Ngag dbang bstan ’dzin nor bu. Kathmandu: Ngagyur Dongak
Folios: 1a-5a
Dating: Unspecified
Content: The practitioner is given instructions in three stages and offering prayers:
‘With the practice displaced, having become haughty through wrong-living and
fame, clinging to attachments and cravings because of this, one does not meet genuine
goals. Therefore this bcud len of clinging-less nourishment, by relying on it, stainless
‘The Indian holy man Pha dam pa sangs rgyas transmitted the oral teachings of
For the ritual of the complimentary method of the practice we have three subsections,
First, for the sbyor ba: the flowers are picked as described in the text and the
(f. 323, line 1) One should know how to do so as seen and transmitted. They
should be put inside a skull possessing the characteristics. The text states that the
practitioner, one’s guru, kinsmen and friends with pure samaya should practice until
signs appear. Then one goes to a suitable abode where there are no human crowds,
no dogs barking and so forth; one cleans the place and sprinkles it with water and
incense, makes offerings with whatever can be collected, displays them beautifully, with
undeceiving presentation. Moreover, one gathers medicines beneficial for the condition
of ailments such as the rising of anger, and the necessary samaya substances.
First, one supports bodhicitta and experiences the generating and completion
(f. 324, line 2) At this time, the conceptual mind has wandered in from
time without beginning until now in this perishable and short-lasting human body.
The only means of benefit is Dharma. Since life is subject to the need for food and
clothing, therefore I will do away with them. By renouncing these things I will make
all sentient beings who are mothers and who are suffering, attain buddhahood swiftly.
The bodhisattvas of the noble land of Tibet developed this advice on bcud len. I will
practice it and with this thought, take refuge and generate bodhicitta. As for lineage
supplications, I recite: ‘All pervading Primordial Protector Vajra Dhara, Mother Tantra
(f. 325, line1) Supplications to lineage holders, to fierce and peaceful deities, the
May the clear essence of the five elements of the outer dimension ripen in the
body. May the clear essence of the glorious life of inner beings ripen in speech. May
the primordial wisdom of the secret Victorious Ones mature in the mind. May this
defiled body no longer be visible but instead may I accomplish the rainbow body. May
I become the protector of beings tormented by suffering for a long time. May I become
one who ends suffering and guides beings . . . After reciting the invocation take the four
(f. 325, line 6) Secondly, the main practice (dngos gzhi). The text of phag mo
mngon rtogs says to rely on the practice of one’s own tutelary deity at the time of eating
pills is suitable. For one day one abandons material food, then the next morning, at noon
and in the evening or just morning and evening, whatever is convenient, it is best to take
the pill with the best water available, natural or boiled. Otherwise, the next best way is
to take it with bone soup and black tea. The lesser way is to take it with some roasted
barley. To bless the pills; one recites a mantra (line 3). The letter A arises from the nature
of empty space and from that A, a precious vast skull cup. In the jewel ornament skull
pot, from the letter, various flowers emerge and from them nectar pills that fill the
skull to the brim. Above it the syllables one on top of another radiate red
and white and blue light rays in the ten directions. The blessings of the root and lineage
lamas and their blessing of the earth, water, space, the essence of the five elements and
the lives and merits of all sentient beings, the splendour and lustre of the three worlds
and all glories of the world dissolve in the form of light and nectars into the pills.
(f. 327, line 1) One imagines that the pills become stainless nectar pills, recites
the mantra twenty-one times and blesses them. When eating, in a state of stable
experience of generating the completion stage, one recites, ‘My body from the very
278
beginning, the aggregates, constituents and sense basis and the cakra that possesses the
three seats of completeness has primordial godly nature, the five perfected
and the places of great bliss. It has unsurpassed samaya bonds of the three vajras.
Marvellous! Sensual pleasures and the enjoyments are gathered like clouds and enjoyed
in a state of nonduality, neither accepting nor rejecting. By giving at all times, may the
(f. 327, line 4) One recites in this way and enjoys the benefits of the inner fire
offerings. The body’s 72,000 energy channels will be filled with bodhicitta nectar,
experiencing bliss and emptiness. At the end, seal it with dedications and aspiration
prayers. The duration of this should be twenty-one days. In the first week, one
should be liberated from the hindrances of hunger. The second week should give rise
to the excellent qualities. From the third week one develops the radiance of flowers; in
this way one will discover its happiness. If one experiences hunger and hindrances, it
is from remembering them as the expression of sense desires. One should abandon the
meaningless activities in life . . . Accepting hardships, one must be patient with hunger
and thirst. It will generate joy and happiness, knowing that you are able to follow the
Victorious One for the great benefits of total happiness. Moreover, whatever the high or
At the end of the session, with one’s body one does prostrations and practises
circumambulation and Yantra Yoga. With speech, one recites supplications and retains
. With the mind one should endeavour to find the clear light of rdzogs
chen, the Great Perfection. This should be done at all suitable times, day and night.
This main practice should be learned through the guru’s principal instructions.
279
As for behaviour, one should avoid shade, foul places or prolonged exposure
to sun and fire. One should not meet new people, entertain various thoughts nor
wander here and there; one needs to abide in the commitments of retreat. One who has
overcharged rlung should rely on molasses. If unable to sleep, mixed nutmeg with butter
should be applied to the nose. Feeling nauseous, experiencing a spinning head, having a
dull mind or sensing one’s hearing is impaired is due to rlung. Therefore, one relies on
bone soup and massaging one’s body with butter. Feeling no appetite, one eats ginger.
If urinating excessively, one relies on one bowl of tsampa. If parasites are present, one
smells radishes and drinks garlic water. If one becomes lazy and one’s mental faculties
become poor, if virtuous activities are not enacted as they should be, then the cause is
unclear . See that your rig pa is alert and offer praise with joy.
(f. 329) The benefits of these efforts are that one will not be obscured by wrong
nourishment, it will be easy for the realisations of the path to be met and one will
not need to rely on patrons. Omniscience arises and tutelary deities and are
attracted. One’s body will be stainless, inner and outer parasites will not appear, mucous
flow stops, white hair and wrinkles disappear, life is like the sun and moon, strength
resembles that of an elephant, great wisdom and awareness grow, the body radiates
heat, one is freed from the need to sleep, it is also said swift-footedness is granted.
Especially, since one is eating as food, one will extract the essence of food and
can overcome conditions through antidotes and acquire clarity as to what to accept and
Main deity and main substance employed: No specific deites are mentioned; the text
states that one’s own personal tutelary deity should be used. The ingredients contained
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in the pill are not listed although the initial part of the text talks mentions collecting
flowers.
Colophon: (f. 329, line 4) De ltar me tog bcud len rtsa ba’i lhan thabs ’di bzhin/ rdza
sprul ngag dbang stam ’dzin nor bu’i sdes sbyar ba’o//
‘This accompanying method of the root practice on flower bcud len was composed by
Note that in the intial section of the text, the practice is attributed to Pha dam pa
sangs rgyas.
Remarks: Pha dam pa sangs rgyas is often mentioned in texts, making him an important
Text 71:
Source: Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. In The Practice of Long Life of the Immortal Dakini
Dating: The text appeared to the author in a pure vision in a dream in the early morning
on the twenty-fifth day of the fourth month, on the day of the in the year of the
Wood Ox (1985).
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Content: The practice of long life is performed with meditation on the five immortal
, the principal one being Mandarava, Mother of Life tshe yum. She is the
emanation of the
form. Detailed
The bcud len instructions contain detailed descriptions of the preparation, use and
properties of seven different types of bcud len elixirs or ‘nectars’ connected with this
practice of long life: the elixir made from shug pa nectar; the elixir made from honey;
the elixir made from calcite nectar; the elixir made from a ru ra nectar; the elixir made
from tshan dmar; the elixir made from ra mnye nectar; the elixir made from the nectar
of the blue rtag ngu flower. Each elixir contains a combination of various ingredients in
varying proportions. Any of these seven nectars can be used according to circumstances
and can be made into pills or a paste lde gu. Various substances and medicines are used.
Some of the main ones are: cypress seeds and leaves and juniper berries; mountain
water or water from rocks or melted snow; cypress syrup; honey; calcite crystals; the
three fruits: a ru ra, ba ru ra and skyu ru ra; the three roots: ra mnye, lca ba, ba spru;
rtag ngu, dbang lag, shang dril dkar po ( ) flowers and the ha
lo dmar red flowers; white molasses bu ram dkar; ‘the six excellent substances’ used in
purifications linked to the six principal organs: nutmeg, bamboo pith, saffron, cloves,
cardamom and Chinese cardamom. The author also suggests appropriate behavior and
diet and gives a list of further additional ingredients to cure particular disturbances and
Pills the size of deer droppings are made and then dried in fresh air. Then
vermillion, sindhura and boiled linseed oil are mixed together and used to coat the pills
so as to protect them and preserve their substance. The pills must then be empowered on
The text suggests practising in a peaceful place with fresh air because it is
for the exercises linked to this bcud len are found in the section of the long life
practice called
Further instructions on rtsa rlung methods related to the teaching of the Tshe sgrub rdo
rje’i srog thig are contained in the Tshe sgrub rdo rje’i srog thig gi gnad kyi man ngag
zab mo37
One bcud len pill is taken in the morning and one in the evening in combination
with this long life practice, with its visualisations, mantras, mudras and breathing
exercises.
Through this practice, energy, strength, agility and health are improved and clarity
and blissful feelings are promoted. One’s body will feel lighter and one’s senses sharp;
physically, one will manifest a more youthful and beautiful appearance. Normal food is
reduced and gradually substituted with the essential substances contained in the bcud len
pills. One should avoid meat, blood, garlic, onions, raw vegetables and intoxicants as
well as sexual contact or anything physically disturbing. Benefits include the extension
37
The author received this gter ma in its complete form in July 1998, during a personal
retreat in Tuscany, at Me ri gar, one the centers of the Dzogchen Community in western Europe
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At the end of each thun of practice one integrates the presence of clarity into the
state of contemplation and dedicates one’s merits to all sentient beings for attaining their
primarily on: shug pa, honey, calcite, a ru ra, tshan dmar, ra mnye and the blue rtag ngu
flower.
Colophon: (f. 119, line) 5 Ye shes mkha’ ’gro’i bcud len gyi man ngag zab mo ’di ni kho
bo nam mkha’i nor bu’am klong chen rol pa’i rdo rje a me ri kha’i shar ljongs khams
we rdzogs chen ’dus ste rtse rgyal sgar du ri mtshams bgyid bzhin yod pa’i skabs/ phyi
lo 1985 bod sa ga zla ba’i tshes nyer lnga mkha’ ’gro ’du ba’i dus chen gyi zhogs pa
The author informs us that the text appeared to him in a pure vision in a dream in
the early morning on the twenty-fifth day of the fourth month, the auspicious day of the
the Wood Ox (1985). This was during a retreat of Rdzog chen teachings the author was
Remarks: The practice of bcud len ’chi med mkha’ ’gro’i bcud len rgya is connected
to the long life practice of Mandarava titled ’chi med mkha’ ’gro’i tshe sgrub rdo rje’i
during a pilgrimage to the sacred cave of Maratika in eastern Nepal in the year of the
Wood Mouse (1984). This teaching belongs to both the category of dgongs gter (mind
gter ma) and dag snang (pure vision). The description of the sequence of events that
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occurred during the pilgrimage is narrated by the author in the chapter A Bouquet of
Lotus Flowers. A brief summary of the way in which the teaching entitled
was revealed and sealed. (Tshe sgrub rdo rje’i srog thig
gi rgya ji ltar grol tshul nyung du’i ngag gis brjod pa pad ma’i chun po bshug.)
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu who has been often transmitted it since its inception in 1985.
This practice has probably been the most widespread bcud len practice in history.
Text 72:
Front page: ’chi med gnyug ma’i gsang mdzod zhes. lus med mkha’ ’gro’i chos skor gyi
rig ’dzin thugs tig padma’i srog/ bcud len bdud rtsi’i gdam zab las/ gzhun don cha lag
The immortal secret treasury of primordial wisdom. From the cycle of teachings of
the bodiless , the heart essence of the vidy dhara, the lotus life force. From the
profound teachings on bcud len nectar, the main parts and the supplementary section, in
brief form
Source: A gter ma text discovered by Gter chen kar ma in Mtsho pad ma (‘Lotus lake’,
Himachal Pradesh India). Given to me by Charles Manson, from the School of Oriental
and African Studies, London University, the folios were loose and we were not able to
Folios: Originals misplaced. I currently possess only the transcribed typewritten Wylie
version.
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invites the buddhas, bodhisattvas and life deities from the ten directions.
One then visualises Ma ’gag tshe lha, the unceasing life deity.
The practitioner is then told to sound A three times and visualise five lights
and from that a great clear red bliss with a pig face symbolising the dispersion
a Ratnasambhava golden in colour and at the secret place the ‘accomplishing’ Buddha,
ruby-coloured. All of them are holding long life vases. The practitioner requests that
they totally fulfill desires, and recite mantras. The purpose of all these visualisations and
One repeats the aforementioned (f. 5a-7a) offerings, confessions, mantras and
visualisation. Then, from a syllable the great bliss wisdom , clear red in
colour, appears. One visualises a filled with infinite offerings, mountains of flesh
and oceans of blood, heaped with bones. All is offered to the self-liberated deities, one
There are a series of exercises dealing with starting on 17b. The key aspects
secretly, there is the unfixated primordial mind. Adopting the seven-point posture of
Vairocana, one inhales and then holds the breath. One then exhales, shooting the breath
out like an arrow. One inhales like a hook and silently releases the air. Then one presses
the lower and upper and visualises oneself as a rainbow body . The five
and major channels is accompanied by breathing exercises. One visualises all illnesses,
exercises envisaging the central channel filling with wisdom and one visualises
the letter . The practitioner visualises lights spreading from his or her centre and
reaching Buddha, Vajra, Ratna, Padma, and Karma Herukas, each in union with his
consort. One visualises light rays and coming from them, being absorbed in one’s
body and dualism, obstacles, death, demons, hindrances, mental confusion and agitation
all dissipate. Other exercises follow where one transforms karmic breath into wisdom
breath that spreads in the central channel through visualisations of light and
blessed by various buddhas and replete with yogic breathing exercises. A sexual practice
and controlling the lower , one radiates lights from one’s secret place.
Then there are instructions on how to prepare a longevity pill (31b). Ingredients
include: a ru ra gser mdog, ba ru ra, skyu ru ra, cloves, cardamom, red and white
sandalwood, utpala pistils, calcite, sugar, molasses and honey, and butter from a
hundred cows. ‘The pills are empowered in a skull cup then one self-visualises as a
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heruka
nectar pouring down and empowering the pills. Mantras are recited to empower them
(f. 33a) There is a flower bcud len to enhance beauty. One gathers and compounds
da lis flowers, saffron, utapala, a ru ra and the three whites (yoghurt, milk, butter).
While partaking of these one follows a restricted diet. One practises gtum mo exercises.
(f. 34b) There is advice on a calcite bcud len. There is a description of the various
male, female and gender-neutral calcite types and which to utilise. One grinds the stone
make use of a number of substances. The longevity pill features: a ru ra gser mdog,
ba ru ra, skyu ru ra, cloves, cardamom, red and white sandalwood, ka li ka, utpala
pistils, calcite, sugar, molasses, honey and butter from a hundred cows. The flower bcud
len contains: da lis flowers, saffron, utapala, a ru ra, the three whites (yoghurt, milk,
Colophon: (f. 37b) bcud len gyi ril bu dang gdams ngag bstan pa’i le’u ste lnga po/ sa
ma ya/ rgya rgya rgya/ ces pa’ang lcags phag zla ba bcu tshe ’gza’ skar bzang po mkha’
’gro bsdu ba’i dus chen la rnal ’byor rdo zab gling pa’am snags nag stobs ldan chos
dbyings gling pas kun gzhi smug pa’i mtshe las bsre bslad med par gtan la phab pa’i
mthus ’chi med tshe’i rig ’dzin thob pa’i rgyur gyur cig/ yi ge pa ni badzra shwa ras so/
dge’o//
This is the fifth chapter on the preparation of the bcud len pill and advice. Samaya
rgya rgya rgya. This text was written in the Iron Pig year, on the second day of the tenth
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month on an auspicious astrological day when the gather around the one called
Rnal ‘byor rdo zab gling pa also known as Snags nag stobs ldan chos dbyings gling pa.
From the sea of the brown lake without adulteration as a result of codifying
it (writing it down), may this become the source for attaining the siddhi of immortality.
Remarks: The respiratory techniques found on f. 17b where visualisations are connect-
Text 73:
Front page: ’chi med gnyugs ma’i sangs mdzod lus med mkha’ ’gro’i chos skor las/ yi
dam ’khor lo bsdoms pa yab yum gyi sgrubs thabs dang a dkar bcud len kyi gdam pa
The text on the natural deathless condition secret treasure, from the cycle of the
with no body, the method of attainment of the father and mother of the yi dam
and the white A bcud len instructions for rlung and bad kan
Source: A gter ma text discovered by Gter chen kar ma in Mtsho pad ma (‘Lotus Lake’,
in Himachal Pradesh, India. The folios were loose and thus far I have not been able to
Dating: Unspecified
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Content: The text is divided into four main sections: the section on ‘the flawless
One takes refuge and makes bodhicitta commitments. For the practice itself,
sounding and
in colour, in union with a supreme female , red in colour. Lights spread out to
the victorious wisdom deities and return to merge nondually into one’s visualised
and nectars dissolves into you. In the last stage of the visualisation one sounds A, and
The section (f. 6a-9a) on the bcud len of the lung khrid
One visualises making offerings to the deities, lights spreading to the Victorious Ones
and returning, blessing one. Surrounded by of the various families who send us
their wisdoms in the form of light, one visualises one’s body as composed of bright light
and recites mantras. All visualisations dissolve and one meditates in the space of pure
essence.
3) The section (f. 9b-15a) on the teaching and commentary on the lung of
Seated in lotus position, abiding in a state where the mind is nonfixating, one
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it. Then, empowering a rock with mantras and holding it in one’s hand, one visualises
the essence of the whole world liquefying into it. Manifesting as Dorje Phagmo, from
whose mouth wisdom lights radiates; one visualises the Ali Kali letters spinning in
one’s mouth. After washing the rock, one practices visualisations of the channels
Phagmo, Stong nyid ras pa dkar, Bstan skyong gling, Nus stan drag po stal and many
more, including Ye shes msho rgyal at sixteen years of age. The lineage gurus dissolve
into light and then into you. You practise retention while visualizing the a shad
emanating lights and heat spreads throughout your body. You conclude by practising
kumbhaka.
4) (f. 15a) The section on the stages of instruction on the lung related with the
cakra
One recites the mantra of emptiness and visualises that in the celestial palace,
above a lotus and moon disk, at one’s heart there is a syllable, radiating lights
and accomplishing the two benefits (to self and others). One visualises a with
has three eyes, a fierce grimace and is wearing splendid clothes. His two feet are in
a dignified posture, pinning down the dying Kalaratri. There is also Dorje Phagmo, a
yellowish red colour, holding a knife and skull. At their heart centres, mantras circle
the syllable clockwise, exiting from the yab’s mouth and connecting through the
yum’s mouth. It melts inside the and all benefits and qualities are obtained. Recite
Then, visualising the yid dam in front of one and generating primordial wisdom,
one sounds . On top of the head one visualises the yid dam in yab yum; the
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body of Yeshe Sems dpa [the yab] is clear blue, and he gracefully embraces the Phagmo
who is clear red in color. The heart mantra radiates, pervading the bodies of the yab
yum.
The two benefits are obtained and from the uniting point of the yab yum, white
sperm and red nectar gush forth. The liquids enter at the crown of one’s head and
one’s body’s obscurations are purified. Finally the yab yum dissolve into light and one
becomes inseparable from their wisdom. Recite a [specific] mantra seven, twenty-one or
as many times as possible. Imagine that this light dissolves into one.
Again, one imagines the yab yum and the retinue as visualised before. Following
the three points, outer, inner and secret, without error, one extracts the clear essence of
the five elements. The upper presses down on the lower ; when inhaling,
one visualises that the yab yum’s rdo rje and pad ma separate.
One visualises a red syllable at the navel of the yab. As before, one
visualises the a shad and gtum mo practices in the yum. After three sessions of
cakra practices, one imagines that the navel cakra is enveloped with fire that spreads to
Again, one visualises the expanding and reabsorbing, as before. The gtum
Imagine that the body’s heat rises and the fire element fills the body to the finger
tips. Visualise that the throat cakra is filled with fire. One will attain the siddhi of the
enjoyment of all desires. The cakra of great bliss at the crown of the head is filled
with fire. The syllable at the crown of the head shines downwards and encircles
the head. The white semen nectar greatly increases. After all these visualisations, one
practices the wind’s absorption and spreading as described before. The nectar above
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the crown of the head dissolves into light and fills the crown of the head. The nature
of supreme great joy is recognised and the nectar drops precipitate, in the manner of
a breaking pearl rosary, striking the a shad. The fire heat increases greatly and sperm
Sperm completely dissolves, filling the heart’s channels. The gtum mo fire blazes
intensely, the sperm spreads towards the navel and one feels immeasurable happiness.
Again, one practices the breathing and visualises spreading and reabsorbing as before.
spreads everywhere, it is recognised and grasped. One visualises that the white semen
of the male deity is offered to the delighted female deities. The red eggs of the female
deities delight the male deities. Again, one imagines the lower ever spreading.
The male deity’s sperm joyfully proceeds to dissolve into the syllable. The red
essence of the female deity dissolves into the a shad. The thig le, the semen and the
secretions of the yab and yum, return to their original resting places. The spreading
and reabsorbing of is practiced as before. The outer sphere is dissolved into the
bodies of the deities. The yum dissolves into the yab and the yab dissolves into the
point.
the shoulders three times. At the navel, fire spreads; one imagines that illnesses and
obscurations are burnt. One rotates one’s head many times and pauses intermittently.
Imagining fire spreading to one’s throat and heart cakra and that the five poisons are
burned, one rotates the left, right and central parts of the back. Immeasurable bliss,
heat and power spread all over the body. One contracts one’s muscles at the navel. One
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visualises illness, evil spirits, bad actions, obscuration all disappear into the ground.
Pressing the thumb-sized vampires (mtheb srin) into the ground with five small
controlled falls ), the heads of the five poisons are pressed down; one imagines
the five wisdoms unravel. One stretches and compresses the body three times, imagines
the channels are purified and wisdom light spreads. As for the six roots and the four
branches, one rubs one’s hands and imagines a sun on one’s palms; the sun’s heat and
Rubbing the soles of one’s feet and the palms of one’s hands, one visualises a
lotus and the sun there. The heat and power dissolve into the a shad and unify. For the
‘six fire stoves’, one imagines the sun on one’s shoulders and hands. Performing small
falls (’bebs) striking the body, one imagines the blazing heat and power of the gtum mo.
Hitting the two sides of one’s trunk roughly with one’s inner arms, simultaneously one
one imagines that one has attained the real nature. One pronounces three times
and abides in the primordially pure space. Each day one practises ‘the middle ’
according to the strength of one’s body. If the wind element becomes too powerful, one
eats a measure of sugar. If the khrid pa rises excessively, one takes sugar. If there are
blood illnesses, one eats red-coloured fruit. As for indigestion, one relies on medicines,
The final section is on the benefits of the practice and the dedication of merit.
The white hair and wrinkles of the old will disappear; the body strength of the
young will increase and their appearance will improve. Hearts will be won with a divine
body. Without seeking omniscience, one will obtain it. Visions of the deity will appear
without one having to meditate. Practising heat generation one will need no clothes. One
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will overcome the five poisons; all the obscurations accumulated in the past are purified
and one will attain the perfection of wisdom and be endowed with the five faculties of
prescience. All impediments to one’s life are overcome and one attains the vajra body.
This is the nondeceptive secret tantra and the never changing Dharma of the . If
one gets properly used to this and gains certainty, one will attain the signs of realisation.
Guru Rin po che will not disappoint sentient beings, whoever doubts the and
will harm their own soul. . One should dedicate the merit
This is the fourth chapter explaining the breath flow according to the A dkar po
Main deity and main substance employed: There are two main deities:
in union with a
exercises.
Colophon: There is no colophon per se. The final lines (see the end of the ‘contents’
sections) list the practice’s benefits but do not specifically mention the text’s authorship
or origin.
Remarks: This text begins by stating that this practice is the essence of Rdzogs chen, a
method by which co-emergent wisdom is born. Several of the practices in this text end
with a dissolution of the visualisation and indications to meditate in the state of pure
awareness.
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3.3.5 Observations
The summaries and remarks on the texts above suggests the following points on Tibetan
medical and meditative bcud len practices connected to long life empowerment, health
certain teachings indicate a clear debt to Indic knowledge. At least seven of the
texts specifically indicate their Indian origins, and are connected to masters such
probable Indian connections or influences, as seen from the use of ingredients, the
mention of deities, and stated links to Naropa (Text 41). One text is said to derive from
a transmission lineage that mentions Orissa (Text 43). There is also a strong possibility
by the fact that we often have only the dates of the author’s birth and death. If we
assume that they were not created or rediscovered in the author’s childhood, then we can
trace only one to the eleventh century, and that has only a simple reference to bcud len.
The historical period puts it in a time frame similar to the advent of the Rgyud bzhi in
Tibet. What we know of the chronology of the texts from documentation and evidence
available at present is, however, inadequate to support the contention that bcud len,
as a developed set of practices, was imported into Tibet from India. Many of the key
From the lives of the authors, it is highly probable that at least seven texts came
probably belong to that time as they turned 18 and 16 respectively in 1300. Rin chen
rgya mtsho’s pill text may be added to these as we know he was born in the fourteenth
century. From the fifteenth century we have the four teachings of Ratna gling pa, while
those from Padma gling pa, fifty years old in 1500, and Dge ’dun rgya mtsho dpal
bzang po, in his early twenties in 1500, could also be placed there. Two flower pill
bcud len remain from the sixteenth century, while five texts are from the seventeenth
century, including the yab yum practice from Gar dbang rdo rje. At least six texts
can be attributed to the eighteenth century, where more ingredients seem to be listed
in the medicinal preparations. In one teaching by Kun dga ’ blo gros, where White
Panyajaranatha is invoked, 35 ingredients are listed for one pill. It is the nineteenth
century that has left us the greatest number of texts; of the ten whose authors’ lifetimes
were within the nineteenth century, there is no discernible change in the pattern of the
practices or ingredients used. Human flesh, first mentioned among these texts as a pill
ingredient by Rig ’ dzin ’ Ja ’ tshon po (born 1585), is also spoken of by Blo bzang
chos kyi nyi ma (1737-1851) in Text 39. Later, it is again included by Mkhyen brtse’i
dbang po in a nineteenth-century pill text (Text 46), and most recently by ’Ju mi pham
rgya mtso (Text 56). The ‘five fleshes’ are mentioned in prescribed visualizations and
cow, elephant, horse and dog as specific ingredients in Text 46. References are made
It may be that the higher probability of survival of texts from the nineteenth
century is the main reason for their greater number. It could, however, be the case that
this was a prolific age for revelations and writing of bcud len practice. The high number
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of texts recorded in this period also bears witness to the successful efforts for the
preservation of spiritual traditions by the luminaries of the ris med movement, among
Rang rig rdo rje is the single name associated with as many as ten bcud len texts,
It is the gterma tradition that may be considered the most ‘Tibetan’ characteristic
of the bcud len corpus. The texts recorded as being transmitted by gter ma continue into
the late twentieth century. The earliest rediscovery is that by Dri med ’od zer (1308-
1364), in his rock bcud len (Text 7), and the most recent are those of Chögyal Namkhai
Norbu in 1984 (Text 71), and Gter chen kar ma (1943-2005). The texts in this collection
recorded as gter ma transmissions are those numbered numbers 7,10, 16, 17, 18, 19,
20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 45, 52, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 71, 72 and 73 in the table in the preceding
sub-genres of bcud len teachings were more diffused in particular periods (there were
no identifiable ‘new waves’ of popular practices), nor can one detect a shift from more
meditation oriented to more ‘medical’ texts. The blurred lines between medical and
As regards the aims of bcud len, rejuvenation is a recurring theme, but not its
exclusive aim. The restoration or enhancement of the life force is an explicitly stated
objective in the texts numbered 2, 3, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 24, 25, 34, 35, 39, 70, 71 and
73. Signs of the efficacy of the practice that are often cited are the return of original hair
colour, white hair being pushed out, the banishing of wrinkles and the acquiring of the
Remedies for specific ailments, such as parasites, that represent obstacles for the
practitioner are also a part of bcud len teachings. Mentions of parasites are common
throughout the compendium. An example from Text 54 (f. 194, line 6) begins a section
worms. Since they debilitate the body‘s energies, if these worms are not defeated the
effectiveness of bcud len is diminished. Two alternative remedies are provided. The first
instructs ‘In the middle of the autumn, on the eight or tenth day, mix and boil srin bu ke
ke ru (scorpion), rtsi bo che (asafoetida), glad pa (brain), honey and white garlic, in a
soup of deer intestine. Consume it on an empty stomach, the two worms will come out
from the urinary tract in the form of a silk thread‘. The second (f. 195, line 4) suggests a
pill prepared with sdom (spider), the skin of a baby scorpion, the fat of human, goat and
pig, the six precious substances, and various salts, to be taken on an empty stomach.
Bcud len practice, either in the preliminaries or interspersed in the main body
of the text also includes rites for the appeasement of negative spirits. One in Text 55
is addressed to the gnyan po who are believed to provoke illnesses. Text 65 mentions
Likewise, the practice in Text 28 is said to offer similar protection from spirits.
In Text 24, we find the only mention of the bsang ritual as part of a purifactory
practice to appease local guardians. This may well represent another indigenous aspect
With regard to the more tangible characteristics of the practice, in these texts
dating from the 11th century to the present the texts over the centuries refect no
clear pattern of change in their use of the principal botanical ingredients. The plant
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ingredients specified most frequently over a wide timespan are dbang lag in texts 8, 14,
15, 19, 20, 21, 39, 40, 45 and 48 and rtag tu in texts 8, 14, 15, 18, 21, 27, 39 40 and 48.
It should be noted that while the prescribed use of chosen plants and ingredients remains
constant, we must not assume standard procedures across Tibet among those producing
points out that they showed no consistency in ingredients and processing techniques
its appearance in the texts as either the main or one of the two principal aspects of the
practice in 23 of the 68 texts analysed. This has been discussed in the essay introducing
the texts.
mention is in Text 14, the teaching from Dge ’dun grub pa (1391-1474), which refers
to the use of mantras to remove toxicity. It is also used in the ‘secret’ bcud len of Ratna
gling pa (1403-1479), and in the ‘all powerful’ medical bcud len of Tshul khrims rin
chen (1697-1774).
In seeking a definition of bcud len, the variance in its aims must be appreciated.
Certain texts may be designated as more ‘spiritual’ in nature, in that they state goals
that go beyond the easing of bodily ailments. Freedom from hunger, so as to enable the
as a benefit and one text is recommended particularly for mendicants (Text 7). Texts 7,
13 and 21 suggest that the practitioner will never enter the preta realm or experience
a lower rebirth. The supreme attainment of the rainbow body, through mastery of the
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subtle body, is cited as a fruit of the practices given in the texts numbered 25, 31, 45, 59
and 71.
The question also arises as to whom these practices are intended to benefit. The
secret nature of the meditative teachings is often specified, but the introduction to some
texts suggests that they could be made available to all those seriously interested.
Text 39, like several others, speaks of ‘excellent’ and ‘lower’ candidates, while
Text 67 and the Bon Text 68 describe three levels of practitioner: the those of lower and
One aspect of the bcud len teachings that deserves more attention is the role of the
female in bcud len practice. At first sight, the practice of bcud len appears to be centred
on the male practitioner. Female authors are absent, with the notable exception of Yeshe
Mtsho rgyal who recorded many of Guru Rin po che’s teachings, and in practices of
sexual union females appear to be relegated to the supportive role of consort. Several
texts, however, invoke, propitiate, recite mantras to or have their teachings originating
Also, in text 13 there is a mention of ‘the lineage of Ma gcig’ (probably Ma gcig lab
sgron) suggesting some bcud len practices might derive from her. The texts where
sexual practices are taught implicitly recognize the feminine principle as indispensible
for the practitioner. For example, Text 29, which focuses on ‘extracting female essence’
claims to bring about ‘the obtainment of all qualities of the Buddha’. Several bcud len
texts discourage sexual activity while practicing as it is said to bring about physical
exhaustion. It is interesting to note how some bcud len texts will explicitly forbid sex
and others actively encourage it as a means to extract the essence, as in Text 32, where
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the practitioner drinks a mixture of his sperm and the vaginal excretions of a youthful
Clearly, bcud len is an eclectic tradition, practised and authored by those from
In this chapter I have selected five bcud len texts of which, to my knowledge, no
previous translations have been published. These texts are representative of the five
main categories of substance found in bcud len literature: water, calcite, , flower
and pill. Classifying bcud len texts according to substances may seem simplistic, since
often within a single text more than one substance is used. However, as was indicated
As the compendium in this work shows, several substances are combined in a single
bcud len practice. It is hard to find texts focusing exclusively on a single substance.
Although structural similarities such as the three sections labelled , dngos and
rjes (preparation, main section and conclusion) are found in texts and some deities
feature more often than others, there is no ‘typical’ bcud len text. I have selected five
The five texts were authored in a period of time spanning the fourteenth century to the
nineteenth century and offer interesting and detailed contents that allow us an insight
into the rich and multilayered world of the bcud len literary genre.
While the boundary between ‘medical’ and ‘spiritual’ teachings is not absolute,
specific ingredients are utilised in bcud len recipes for specific physical conditions
or circumstances, and in the introductions to each translation more will be said about
the selected substances as well as the deities associated with each subgenre. The five
texts chosen refer to a range of substances, deities and exercises. In the analysed texts
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of bcud len should be carried out is offered in Text 21, the Bcud len yid bzhin nor bu (f.
As for the stages of bcud len: when your body feels too hot you need to do rlung bcud len.
When the rlung is too charged you need to practice earth bcud len
charged, practise water bcud len bcud len.
bcud len. When
physical strength deteriorates, practise nectar bcud len. When the mind becomes dull,
bcud len. When the constituent elements are weak, practise the na tshan
bcud len dbang lag bcud len.
In the translations below, I have, as all translators of Tibetan must, attempted to strike a
balance between accuracy and readability, striving to preserve each text’s original spirit
4.2.1. Introduction
Although several metallurgic and mineral ingredients (to list a few: silver, gold,
mercury, cinnabar, calcite, along with various minerals and gems) are employed in
traditional Tibetan medicine, rarely have the origins and development of their use been
studied systematically. Mercury is the exception; its highly toxic nature and the ensuing
controversies over its usage have stirred the interest of investigators.1 Calcite, despite
1
Interesting research was carried out by Geoffrey Samuel (2010: 222-234), who suggests that
the use of refine mercury began in China, was then developed in India in the Ayurvedic branch
of and evolved into the refinement of the mercury found in Tibetan precious pills.
Another important study on the development of mercury in Tibetan medicine is Olaf Czaja’s On
Barbara Gerke is currently researching
mercury processing in Tibetan pharmacology and her study is likely to bring further insights to
this field of research. See also Gerke 2013c.
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being an important ingredient in medical recipes (not only in the bcud len tradition), has
Among the texts I have examined, the first instance of calcite’s use in a bcud len
by Klong chen pa Dri med ’od zer (1308-1363). It is quite common to find calcite
included as a secondary ingredient in recipes, and I have found eleven texts where
calcite, I would like, drawing from selected texts to present some statements below on
In Rin chen rgya mtsho’s Bcud len gyi skor text, calcite is described (f. 99) as
useful for healing bones. Dharmabhadra (1772-1851) in his Bcud len gyi ril bu bsgrubs
’Jigs med gling pa (1729/30-1798), in his text Sku gsum bcud len, (text 38)
describes the benefits of his calcite recipe in a less specific way: ‘The diseases caused
by [the imbalance of] the combination of the three humors will be cured, defilements
cleansed and experiences and realisations will increase powerfully.’ (f. 304)
len (text 28) states: ‘If you add calcite it helps extend long life, generating elephant-like
categories: male, female, neutral, ‘god’, and ‘demon’ calcite. In the text entitled
of such types is found (f. 226, line 3): l – the god’s calcite, white-coloured,
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smooth and supple like butter; pho cong – male calcite, white as a pile of snow; mo
cong – female calcite, clear coloured and resembles small aligned needles; and m
The male calcite looks like small needles. The female calcite is snow-like and cloudy. The
neutral calcite looks like frozen water. The demon calcite is like putrid water. As for the
‘nectar of the gods’ calcite, it is supple like a white swan, soft and pliable like butter. The
male calcite is good for use by females. The female calcite is good for use by males. The
neutral one is appropriate for use by both [males and females]. The demon calcite is not
appropriate. The god’s calcite is the supreme substance of accomplishment.
during retreats; for example, in the section on the life of Kong sprul in a work on Ris
med philosophy by Ringu Tulku (2006: 17), we read that in his late teens Kong sprul
subsisted for a week on extracted essences, obtaining all his nutrition from stalagmites.
Also, in Tibetan art images, Rma Rin chen mchog, one of Guru Padmasambhava’s
original twenty-five disciples, is depicted holding a calcite stone rock. Such occurrences
confirm that calcite has long been an integral part of Tibetan yogic practices. 2
techniques, with their specific processes of cleansing, crushing, heating and placing
2
Rinchen Mchog was among the party who traveled to India to invite Vimalamitra (eighth
century) to Tibet, becoming a close disciple of the master. Having practiced Padmasambhava’s
teachings, mostly at Chimpu (mchims phu), he demonstrated his realisation by cutting rocks
into pieces as if they were dough and then eating them as if they were food. http://www.
treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Ma-Rinchen-Chok/5234 (accessed on March 10th 2013)
3
More about the patent here: http://www.google.com/patents/CN102114039B?cl=en.
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in a number of calcite-related texts such as Padma ling pa’s Bcud len yid bzhin nor bu
(text 21), and is also the central deity in Rin chen rgya mtsho’s
other bcud len genre, making her one of the most prominent deities linked to bcud len
practices.
explained by Elizabeth English, and the particular calcite bcud len text by Ratna gling
pa presented below. These similarities, however, are not limited to this calcite text, and
indeed can be discerned in many other bcud len texts, utilising various other substances.
striking similarities of this practice with the ritual procedures found in so many bcud len
texts, it seems appropriate to reproduce a passage from her work (English, 2002: 208-
210):
. .. the rite of tasting nectar requires the yogin to generate an imaginary bowl in which he
an imaginary food offering resulting in great bliss, to be offered within the context
and
a hearth is then fashioned from three heads arranged like the base of a tripod; these are
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turning them bright red. . . It only remains for the liquid to be empowered by the syllables
We can see that certain notions, exercises and visualisations are shared in the Indian
of purifying substances on a tripod of skulls and transforming them into nectars. Further
f. 153
There is no abstract: the ninth section on the calcite (and so on) nectar bcud
len.
f. 154 ’ ’
’ ’ ’
’di
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’ ’
bcud len in order to dispel the concerns for sustenance of certain devout people and
to stabilise their body and life forces. This bcud len is composed of five sections:
the examination of the stone; the collection; the method of consumption; eliminating
First, regarding the examination: human flesh, human fat, marrow and the rock’s
also when you examine it the shape is the same. The rock is smooth and supple ‘killed
by teeth’ [chewable] human skin is the fat of the earth. It is soft and fine, smooth beaten,
f. 155
310
Second, regarding the collection: do the Guru Yoga practice, imagining yourself
taken the commitments, in order for me to achieve great benefit (realisation), please
come and assist me to attain the siddhis – the substance that generates liberation and
enlightenment”. You should go along (collecting) while reciting melodies, and playing
the and bell. Then recite [. . . mantra . . .]. Imagine there are immeasurable
siddhis and that you have collected them. Then sit in front of them and recite
, imagine that the five meats become the nature of the five nectars. Imagine that
you dissolve all the essence of the four elements into it. Imagine also that the s
melt into light and that you dissolve them into it; then pour it into a receptacle. Third,
the method of consuming it: the stones are ground, sifted and pulverized and you
pronounce: […mantra…]
f.156
311
Recite this 100,000 or at least 50,000 times. Then imagine that from the hearth
[there come three] hearth-stones of human heads the size of Mount Meru. The container
should be visualized as an intact skull that fills the thrice-thousand (or hundred million)
worlds. Inside, imagine the collection of the five meats as the five nectars. Visualize
rdo rje spatula. Recite the prescribed mantra and the three syllables and stir it. Imagine
light emanating from there [the nectar], and and the life force of gods and humans as
well as their prosperity and all the essence of the four elements being collected and
absorbed into the nectar. Invite the guru and tutelary deities into the space before you;
the white and red fluids of their sexual union drop down. Imagine that they have been
inseparably mixed, then stir. Then generate the tutelary divinity as yourself, the lama
and lineage at your throat, and the s and s at your navel, and the six
classes of beings and your karmic debtors at your privy region; do not throw away the
first-offering, but visualize it as an offering to yourself and eat it while reciting the three
syllables of the tutelary deities. Do not rinse the vessel with water.
f.157
312
The remains should not be thrown and should not be shown to those not familiar.
Do not give this to Dharma friends who do not have (pure) . Place one
measurement (half a thumb) of tsampa and roll it into a ball and give it to the initiated.
Add a part of salt and rock each; if there is no rock then put a chunk of salt. Its presence
is more important than the other. The amount eaten initially should be moderate. Then
eat until you are satiated. It can also be mixed with vegetables. It can also be eaten as
barley dough. The thickness of this gravy, it can be eaten in any amount. You will have a
lot of appetite. If you rely on dairy products, by meditating on the visualisations pound it
into the size of barley or rice. You can mix it with broth or water. Ensure you rotate your
stomach and the essence of the flavour [ ] is retained. In short, it is not a difficult
bcud len but a perfect one, and its excellent qualities are inconceivable.
The fourth: on eliminating hindrances. First, initially for three or four days, take
a thumb of butter and no hindrances will arise. If it is hard to go to the bathroom, add
more gruel to the dry ingredient. If you have loose bowels the gruel will eliminate it.
f.158
313
Be sure to train in this bcud len. Invoke the master fervently. If you have no desire to eat
or if you feel no appetite, or if you have misguided thoughts, you should pray. Even at
the risk of your own life, do not give up your commitment. Making this vow will dispel
the obstacles. Do not rely on meat, alcohol, and so forth, rely solely on bcud len. Apart
from , give up food. As for what to guard oneself from: salt and sour tastes,
spoilt or rotting, food, nettles, radish, fish flesh, onion, intimacy with females, anger,
exertive work. Fifth, as for the excellent fruition and qualities: it is difficult to age,
one attains long life, white hair and wrinkles are removed, the families gather, a
radiant lustre appears, you will sleep less, and have greater awareness and wisdom, clear
meditation, and virtuous actions increase. Since you do not live on donations you will
are balanced, sickness will not be there, the parasites in your body are extinguished. In
five or six days the toxicity of the body declines. Because one eats the essence, strength
grows,
f.159
the mind will be pure and clear. In one month of bcud len, the body will be light
and sleep decreases, various capacities emerge. In short the qualities are inexpressible,
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one will become a holder in a single life. Such a teaching is profound and mar-
vellous. Undistracted virtuous activities will spontaneously increase. In the future may
4.3.1. Introduction
The medicinal qualities of flowers and herbs have long been recognised in the
Himalayan region. Local flora has been used there in natural remedies from time
supernatural feats, and in White’s Sinister Yogis (White 2009: 217) he mentions the late
the ‘Fuckeers’, and their knowledge of botanical and mineral elixirs. White reproduces a
can hold in their breath and ly as it were dead for some yeares, all which time their bodies
any beast. They can transforme their bodies into what shapes they please and make them
so plyable that [they] then can draw them thorow a little hole, and wind and turne them
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Tibet’s centuries old tradition of floral remedies has also sparked interest in the West and
is now used somewhat loosely as a reference point in centres of healing and spirituality.
Tales abound of meditators in the Tibetan world surviving on flowers and herbs
as they practised on isolated mountains. Foremost among these was the great ascetic
Mi la ras pa, whose body was said to have taken on a green hue from his nettle-based
diet; indeed, it is not uncommon to find him portrayed with a greenish hue in Tibetan
paintings.
In the present study I have found fifteen texts containing purely floral ingredients.
The earliest among these are from the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries
(Karma pa Rang byung rdo rje and Nyang ral Dri med ’od zer), the most recent one by
the twentieth century teacher Gter chen Karma. Perhaps the most famous author of this
type of bcud len is the second Dalai Lama, Dge ’dun rgya mtsho (1476–1542), who
Glenn Mullin (2005) discusses his bcud len recipe. This text is one of the few bcud len
I reproduce below some of these texts which give indications of the purposes for
the wish fulfilling jewel”) by Padma gling pa (1450-1521), the author states that when
the mind becomes dull one should practise flower bcud len. Later in that text there are
two flower bcud len recipes; the first is found on f. 720, line 5. Here one collects lu
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meadow flowers and prepares the bcud len which will ‘help your body energy be
balanced and also your mental sharpness and knowledge will develop’.
The second recipe, found on f. 721, line 2 is more detailed. The different
characteristics of the flower are explained and instructions are given on when to
collect them, how to process them and how to practice this bcud len with specific
visualisations. Dietary restrictions are also stipulated for this practice said to lead to a
good complexion, a sharper intellect and the presence of and gods. ‘Humans
will be kind to you, your lifespan will be extended and you will have mastery over all
appearances. If you have any cold natured ailments they will heal, your voice will be
Another flower bcud len, specifically reputed to develop beauty, is found in text
72 (f. 33a-33b) by Gter chen Karma (1943-2005). This flower bcud len is said to bring
long life, prevent illness, improve health and increase body strength and radiance. One
gains power to captivate the minds and hearts of all others and to subjugate gods and
demons. In the dream state, the illusory clear light body will appear naturally.
Several other bcud len texts include floral ingredients as secondary ingredients.
f. 135
317
From the collection of the heart essence of the thugs sgrub, the beginning of the
text called (
).’
f.136
I pay obesiance to Guru Rinpoche, unborn fearless mind. Now then, to the
south of the glorious, naturally manifested glorious temple of Bsam yas in the flower
grove in the meadow in the south west of the copper palace reigning over the three
realms, in the three-storey bamboo house, Bdag mkhar chen gza’, the translator Lang
gro lo and the prince Mu tig btsad po and Shel dkar bza’ offered the master drinks of
rice beer and wine, and a golden mandala mounted with a turquoise ornament. After
“You, who have emanated as the protector of sentient beings, at present we are
endowed with fertile fields and wealth. One day, in degenerate times, the fertility of the
f. 137
318
wealth will be hard to obtain, and for those living a religious life livelihood will
food. Hence this special bcud len which is easy to carry out, and with little effort swiftly
gives beneficial results. We request you to give us, in a few words, concise advice for
removing the obstacles to the attainment of long life.’ To this request the great master
replied: ‘Very well, all of you faithful people will carry out important deeds in the
future. Hence I will teach you. Listen! For this you should practise the profound bcud
len. First, I will present the bcud len endowed with light. Five main points pertain to
it: the first, on gathering and examining the herbs; the second, on how to dry and mix
them; the third, on beating and blessing them; the fourth, on how to compound them;
f. 138
319
the examination. The herbs grow in sacred places such as Gangs ti se,4 ’Bras mo lung,5
Zam bu lung,6 Paro, Khum bu,7 Gro ma lung,8 Rgyal gyi rtsib ri,9 Mkhar chu,10 Mkhan
pa ljong,11 Bum thang, Shing sgo,12 Stag sgo,13 Tsari, Ko ro, Rgya la, Bu chu14 and so
on. Although the herbs can be found in all the abovementioned places, the five flowers
can be found only in Sikkim and Kharchu. The majority of these flowers are yellow.
Although these plants are not everywhere, they have dew light. Yellow bees are attracted
to these plants and when the sun warms them they are fragrant. Although endowed with
eight qualities, nobody eats them. Because they therefore cry they are called the ‘ever
weeping’. Next, as for the gathering: either at the time when pea flowers are bright or
when gentians are in flower, take a sixteen or twenty-one year old boy born in a Monkey
f. 139
4
Kailash.
5
Sikkim.
6
A holy place in Tsang.
7
Solu Kumbu, district in north-eastern Nepal.
8
In northern Tibet.
9
Victorious Tsibri in central Tibet.
10
Kharchu monastery in Lho ’brag near the Bhutanese border.
11
Khenpa valley, a secret place in Bhutan.
12
Land of the Wooden doors, a sacred place in Sikkim.
13
Secret hidden valley in Lhatse Dzong, upper Tsang.
14
Kongpo Buchu temple.
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with you and visualize yourself with mind either as Spyan ras gzigs or
as [Rdo rje] phag mo and recite [. . . mantra . . .]. You should pick grass blades, flowers,
and so on. Secondly, as for drying and mixing: when the sun is slightly warm, dry the
herbs in the sun and wind. Thirdly, regarding the beating and blessing, the third day
of the new year is excellent, otherwise [do it on] the good dates in the first half of the
month (8th, 10th, 15th). You should grind them using a hard pestle and mortar. Each of
the medicines should be ground separately, without mixing them. As for the medicine
that should be added: , the six excellent substances, saffron, sugar, calcite,
obtainment. If you have no time to gather all these, it will be enough to utilise ,
f. 140
321
ts
As for their use, utilise method or combine method and wisdom. First, as for the
application of method. All the medicines are symbolized by the five grains. Having
summoned the five families you should dissolve them [into the five grains] and, reciting
the three syllables [ ] bless the grains. Then having gathered them all
[verses]. Then mix a handful of the middle passage of your own urine in rice alcohol
or any other alcohol, stirring it. Add the same amount of boiled milk. Then add melted
butter, brown sugar, honey and stir until the water evaporates. Visualize yourself as
a luminous yidam. From the heart, [lights] radiate from a sun and moon locket and
strike the medicine, and the medicine dissolves into light. Imagine that it is completely
transformed into a beautiful medicine goddess. As a result of your union, from the point
f.141
/
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Imagine that the medicine transforms into the nectar of wisdom and stir it over a
suitable fire until the water evaporates. Then make pills about the size of the droppings
of a musk deer, or a juniper berry, or whatever is appropriate, and then consume them.
After preparing a small amount of jaggery and honey, you may also turn it into an
edible flour ( ) after drying and grinding it. Effecting the union of wisdom
and method is a very profound matter. Visualize [yourself and] a consort who has the
right qualities, both [together] as the and enter the state of equanimity. Having
ejaculated in the female organ, with a mirror scoop out a pea-sized amount of sperm and
within a single lifetime, and it is prophesied that you will see the faces of the
lama, and , and will give spiritual instructions. Then, grind it and bless it.
Fourth, on making and consuming pills: if you make pills of the size of deer droppings,
f. 142
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If you make the pills the size of musk deer droppings, consume them in sets of
five. If you make the pills juniper berry-sized, consume them in sets of seven. After
one month of practising bcud len you will automatically stop eating tsampa. If you
encounter major obstacles and doubts, imagine that nectar is trickling down from the
sky. Uttering the sound zhub zhub, inhale the sky and swallow your saliva, holding your
breath for a thousand counts. As soon as you are no longer able to hold (your breath),
slowly exhale through the nose. After the (?) arrives and until (you reach)
(?), carry on practicing. As for the commitment, swearing on the triple gem
you should pledge from the depths of your heart not to breach your oath, even at the
cost of your life. Consequently you will have no more doubts, and will feel that you are
completely full and your arrogance will be diminished. Should you feel dizzy, each time
have some of the liquid from the boiled broth and later eat a little butter, perform the
‘gentle breath’ exercise and hold it for a while. By doing that, obstacles will not occur
and if you perform this [practice] steadily for six months your body will become lighter,
your strength will be like that of an elephant’s and you will be faster than a horse.
f. 143
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Your mind will be very clear and, imagining that you wish to fly, your wisdom
will ignite. All will be drawn to you like flies attracted to putrid flesh. If you
practice for six years, white hair will vanish, wrinkles will disappear and a ‘conch tooth’
will grow. Misconceptions will cease and foresight will arise. The lama, and
status of one who holds the knowledge of immortality. In short, the qualities are beyond
description. Now, although you may not relinquish food completely, as mentioned
previously, use the pills as food and relying regularly on these in sets of five, seven
or three, you will achieve the status of one who holds the knowledge of immortality.
Your faculties will clarify and you will become very wise. Your body will suffer no
illness and your mind will be clear. will be mesmerised by you, and meditative
experiences of blissful emptiness will arise effortlessly. Your body will have great
strength, and a lovely lustre: the qualities are incalculable. Fifth, on the yogic activities
and sporadic eating. Now, according to the potential of the trainee, I will expound on the
stages of the method of eating. For six months, eat , , calcite and
f. 144
325
Your agility and strength will equal that of a lion. Compound the ,
the six excellent substances, (ginger, long pepper, black pepper), and
pieces of rock sugar and eat them, and as a result of your bodily heat you will have
a fair complexion, possess strength and your skin will become youthful. If you eat a
compound of and dried vulture and sheep meat for three years, your
will increase without any need to cultivate it. If you eat an amalgam of honey, butter,
, human flesh, calcite and nectar, you will be endowed with a clear mind and
strength and will attract gods and demons. A mixture of snake flesh, ,
calcite, three cowry shells, honey and butter, if eaten for a month will produce clear eye
[sight]. A compound of the biles of pig, bear and black dog and of the biles of vulture,
owl and fox, if eaten for three months, will allow you constantly to see the whole world
clearly day and night, without any obstruction. If you rub sparrow flesh on the five
precious gems and apply this thoroughly to your forehead, at the time of a solar or lunar
eclipse, reciting the mantra of Hayagr va and eating the compound for six months, you
f. 145
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Pound [together] and snake flesh, an ounce of each, and honey with good
quality butter. If you eat this for three months your strength will increase, you will
gain long life, clear sight, and stable faculties of the senses. Thus, these qualities are
beyond comprehension. For one year rely on a handful of calcite and the tip of a spoon
tsampa ( ) on an empty stomach, and your strength and sight will be like those
of a youth, will gather and you will live one hundred years. According to one
profound system, when you have gathered all the aforementioned substances, visualize
your heart, cuts off the tip of your heart and lungs with the sword. Visualize all your
channels becoming hollow and empty and eat a spoonful [of the compound]. Visualizing
all the channels as full to the brim with white nectar, think of the previously uttered
resolution, retain the air and abide in an unfocussed state. Each day rely on one session,
periodically refraining from eating food from the . This way you will obtain
f. 146
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Whosoever practices in this manner will obtain the siddhis in a matter of mere
months or a year, without the distractions of having to acquire food and clothing. I,
the Lotus Born, and others like me have brought together here, in a profound manner,
the concentrated essence of everything and have concealed this treasure for the benefit
of future beings. He spoke thus. This is the completion of the very profound bcud len.
. A further request was made: ‘How should we partake of the elixir in an easy
and effortless manner?’ The Guru replied: ‘Yogin, if you dedicate this life to practicing
the Dharma, since this nectar constitutes the supreme bcud len, the manner of partaking
of it is as follows: the lama and your brothers, who have a sacred bond with you,
will show you the elixir. Other than this one, renounce all elixirs from ordinary people
and those with whom you do not share samaya, as these will obscure your virtuous
efforts. [Once you have taken it], your body will be free of illness.
‘The nectar from the harvest vegetables and the rotting uneaten food left for the
f. 147
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bring it into contact with some sprinklings ( ) of chang if you have it; and if
you haven’t got any, then with the third straining of chang, or otherwise with your own
urine and then dry it, or else cook it in weak beer or bone soup, and then dry it. Then
grind it finely and it in a ratio of one-third powder to two-thirds nectar. With [added]
warm broth, it will become a dough ( ), and if you want to use it as the basis of
a meal, this is how to do it. If you take it as a paste, as above mix it in a proportion of
one-third powder with weak chang just until it starts to steam, pour it into a clay pot,
and let it sit. After a day or two, drink it as soon as the chang ferments. If you have no
weak chang, blend it with warm water, add yeast and do as above, [letting it rest for
two days]. If you want to take it in the form of pills, you should eat it with the
ngu medicinal compound. Even if you take it in various ways, by using the
compound the benefits are similar to those of the . Do not eat any food that has
arise. Invoking the lama, thoroughly grind [possibly a variant name for ]
f. 148
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old meat which has been seasoned for a year, and once in a while eat a portion
of it on an empty stomach. This will open the door and not harm your eyesight. For
enhancing the removal of obstacles; first of all, as long as you are unfamiliar with in a
ratio of about half powder and elixir, and one third of water. After you have discovered
the taste of bcud len it will be sufficient just to bow your head. No harm will come to
you from others. Offer prayers to the lama who gives you guidance. With perseverance
and dedication, even in the face of death, death will not come about. Wearing the armour
of hope is the pivotal advice. Generally, as people of these degenerate times are less
diligent, they are unable to practice bcud len. By not accumulating obscuration through
eating food meant for the sangha virtuous activities will spontaneously occur. It has the
I, Khar chen Mtsho rgyal, and people like myself, have recorded this in writing for
the sake of posterity. It is not to be disseminated at present, but hidden as a treasure. One
f. 149
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someone with the appropriate karma find this text and, practising it relentlessly,
. Retrieved from Ratna Lingpa’s virtuous mountain cave of Dmyal smad. Blessings
( , lit. ).
4.4.1. Introduction
Buddhist teacher that the first illness ever to strike man was indigestion, and the first
ever prescribed cure was boiled water (Rechung Rinpoche, 1973: 8).
It is not only boiled water that is believed to have medical efficacy in the Tibetan
medical view, where water is differentiated and put into several categories. In the second
of the four Medical Tantras the qualities of various waters are described, and comments
found on how the seasons affect water, and how heating and boiling change its qualities.
Rechung provides a clear overview of the topic along with a description of seven
different types of water: rain water, melted snow water, river water, spring water, well
water, sea water and forest water. He is quite detailed in describing the various functions
of the above waters and how exposure to sun, moon and wind affect the water’s
qualities. He also explains the differing effects of drinking hot or cold water and how to
analyse water to ascertain its qualities (Rechung Rin po che 1973: 61-62).
Aside from being an important ingredient and remedy in the medical context,
water features prominently in the Tibetan ritual tradition. In religious texts and practices
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(including bcud len texts) one can find ablution rites where empowered water is
water being offered to statues or poured into bowls. Also, springs are seen as places
endowed with spiritual powers, and Rechung (1973:259) tells of how Gyu thog blessed
108 springs in Tibet. There follows an explanation of the preventive and curative
effects of spring waters. Springs are seen as power places and gcod practitioners would
customarily frequent them to practice. Not only springs are considered sacred and in
Tibet there are numerous sacred lakes. Traditionally, Tibetans do not eat fish, and in
the Tibetan psyche the s (klu) guard the water realms of lakes, rivers, oceans and
wells, and if disturbed can provoke illnesses. These can be countered through appeasing
rituals.
The water bcud len texts, by pinpointing specific waters, reiterate the idea that
distinct waters have specific qualities. Besides the text by Rang byung rdo rje (1284-
1339), whose translation I have set out below, in the course of my research I have
found other texts where water is the main ingredient, including a text by Dri med ’od
gling pa’s list of fifteen bcud len practices is dedicated to water; here no specific deities
are visualised but the meditator visualises syllables at the points and flames
flickering in the central channel while practising breathing. In the same text
by Padma gling pa, (in the third subsection of the twelfth recipe found in text 21) one is
instructed specifically to use rainwater, illustrating how specific waters are considered
Blo bzang don grub (1696-1756) the central figure is Saraha along with several .
In this bcud len, one partakes of purificatory or snow water while reciting mantras.
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Then, there is a text by Btsun pa Ye shes don grub bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan (1792-
1855), titled
that the text is ‘based on ancient documents’. The similarity between the texts is evident
and could eventually make an interesting comparative literature study on the authorship
I have also found a Bonpo text (text 31) with a section on water, authored by Dkar
(rainwater, lake water, snow water) are used, once again illustrating how specific powers
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I prostrate to the lamas. In these final degenerate times, I will write the pith
instructions on bcud len for those being who suffer from [a lack of] food.
As for the lineage, at the great cemetery of Dpal gyi rgyu skar rol par, the great
Brahmin Saraha transmitted it to Rje btsun dam pa rin po che. He transmitted it to Kun
dga’, who transmitted it to Dam pa phyags. As for the lineage, at the great cemetery
of Dpal gyi rgyu skar rol par who gave it to Ko brag pa, who gave it to Dung ston Dge
bshes, who transmitted it to Dharma shri, who offered it to the yogi Rang byung rdo rje
who transmitted it to his spiritual son Sangs rgyas ye shes who transmitted it down to
me. Now, the main instructions: having gone to a a solitary place such as a hermitage,
f. 629
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will achieve enlightenment.’ Then, examining the water carefully, spoiled, murky and
stagnant will not do. Use snow water, purificatory water, or waterfall water. Then, place
the water in front of yourself, imagine it (the water) as intrinsically15 empty, imagine that
the water’s faults are purified. Imagine above the water a sun and lotus seat. Visualize
Then, imagine the lamas successively dissolve. Imagine that the water, becomes
f. 630
15
(Tib. ): own-being, one’s intrinsic essential nature.
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by reciting the following mantra twenty-one times, no obstacles from the water
will arise: [. . . mantra . . .]. Then, reciting the following mantra, by blowing on the
water the water will not develop any parasites (worms): [. . . mantra . . .]. Then imagine
that your heart, in the place it normally resides, now faces upwards. On your right,
there is the white goddess of nectar, carrying a vase in her hand. Imagine a standing red
goddess behind you. On your left, imagine a green goddess holding a curved knife (gri
gug) and a skull. Imagine that she cuts your body, along with your heart, from above.
Meditate that the goddess on your right pours nectar into the wide open holes of the
three main arteries of your heart and your whole body is filled with white fire. Imagine
the goddess behind you reunites your body which had been cut. Imagine that from the
remaining water, spiraling upwards, is blessed by a great Brahmin, body blue in colour,
wearing bone ornaments who is residing on top of the crown of your head. Imagine that
also the goddesses dissolve into you. Visualize this once for each bowl of water. Then,
after having drunk the water, do the twelve body exercises. Then recite the following
supplication: ‘I take refuge in the main teachers! Bless me lamas, bless your disciple’s
body
f. 631
336
with happiness. Bless me with powerful speech! Bless my mind with realisations!
Bless me with your mind for the [attainment of] the three bodies! Bless me for the
pacification of hindrances!’ Then, rest your mind in a natural clear state of equanimity
are transmitted from the sublime masters. The thirty-seven body exercises are important.
(new subsection) I prostrate to the sacred lamas! The faithful and diligent practitioner
who wishes to practice these very instructions, should practice the three ‘non-abidings’:
the non-abiding speech, [by] supplicating the guru and reciting the mantras, [and] the
way, after seven days you will acquire power. With twenty-one days (practice) you will
totally for one month. Purifying and not abandoning what there is, not accomplishing
what is not there, without attachment to the place, not practicing for a purpose, you
will obtain experiences and contemplations beyond imagination. The three non-
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attachments, the three gatherings, the three separations, the three joys, the three blazes
[of enlightened body speech and mind], the three equanimities, the three freedoms, these
f. 632
the body has no defilements. There are no parasites within. There will be no
gather by night and food gathers always. The three freedoms are: that the mind is free
from suffering, the body is free from exhaustion, and the speech is free from lies. The
three joys are: the (outer) joy coming from non-attachment to outer appearances, the
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(inner) joy of having no antidote to inner experience, the (middle) joy of balancing
the elements in between. The three blazes are: the blazing joy of the body, the blazing
power of the speech, the blazing realisation of the mind. The three equanimities are: the
life-span being equal to the sun and moon’s, the strength equaling that of an elephant,
the swiftness equaling the wind’s. The three liberations are: outwardly being free
from appearances, within being free from the aggregates, in between being free from
indifference. Moreover, the freedom from material food, not feeling the breath moving
in and out , freedom from the slumber of ignorance, the body is as light as cotton wisps,
non-conceptual primordial wisdom arises from inside, clairvoyance is born in the mind
stream, you attain the siddhi of swift-footedness, and as the most excellent siddhi, you
Now, the teaching on the clearance of obstacles, these are fivefold: vomiting
water, difficulty urinating, the urine not being sufficient, urine retention, urine leaking
out.
f. 633
339
As soon as you feel like vomiting, take [missing word]. If passing of the urine is
interrupted, take molasses. If urine is not coming, take ginger. For incontinence, take
vegetables to diminish it later on. If rlung arises, have a bowl of bone and vegetable
broth. If the urine is not clear, take ginger. If the urine is pouring downwards, have
a bowl of vegetable powder. If the urine is coming upward, you can smell radish. If
this is not sufficient, take a little garlic juice. If the body is sluggish apply the sku
mnye [massage]. If you have headaches or dizziness, suckle on some bone marrow
[alternatively it could mean ‘suckle on an old bone’]. Place white ginger in water and it
is nice if you have some seasonings. Since grain beer, milk and old butter, these three,
blessings are taken as a food, nectar is taken as a food, by doing thus everything is
completed. On completion of the bcud len of food, the complexion and sense faculties
will be clear, through the antidotes [described] the conditions [for spiritual practice] are
achieved; the eyes will only see the edible instead of eating it, this is the fruition of bcud
len. If you practice bcud len for seven days, you will be freed from the fate of hunger.
At the final time when roasted barley flour will disappear, meditate. If these instructions
are given to those who do not fear birth or death i.e., who are not afraid of and
don’t seek liberation or those who wish for happiness or those wishing for the fame of
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not eating or desiring respect etc., the will stop helping and therefore it should
not be done. If those with a fortunate karma practice this, it will be of great benefit.
f. 634
Since the merits of the world are completed, the mind will not long for food and
wealth. When you are unconditioned by men’s gratitude, the qualities [of self?] are not
clear of ego [?]. It is the medicine for the illnesses of famine. These are the necessary
conditions ( ) [that are like] a purifying rain for [living in] a hermitage. If after
receiving these instructions you are attached to food and wealth, you have been deceived
by the demons. Here ends the instruction on bcud len from the Precious Instructions.
4.5
4.5.1. Introduction
Exercises comprising retention of the breath and the contraction of muscles, often while
adopting specific body postures and visualising deities or syllables, are often found in
bcud len texts. These practices are related to , the vital force circulating within
breath exercises are not specific to bcud len texts, but are an integral
part of Indian yogic exercise and as such have entered the tantric traditions, both Hindu
and Buddhist. The practices related to inner breath and the subtle body occur frequently
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in the bcud len texts in this study, even if these are devoted to other types of bcud len.
Such practices have received a fair amount of scholarly attention and I have
Since the workings of the inner body winds affect the overall health and mental
states,16 proficiency in practices working with energies in the subtle body is crucial for
to ‘vase retention breathing’, in the bcud len tradition. Even the shortest
and most straightforward bcud len treatise where no deities are visualized and no
substance is consumed, will exhort the practitioner to engage in air retention exercises.
As discussed in the essay introducing Chapter 3 the underlying idea is to guide the
movement of energies and in the subtle body by using the air retained below the
one’s awareness and into the central channel, various meditative experiences can
be generated. The effect of exercises on the mind have been described in depth
daily life, so that one is no longer dominated by thoughts and emotions. The correlation
between the abiding in the central channel and resting in a meditative state is
explained at length. Vesna Wallace has also stressed the ‘interconnectedness’ of mind
16
This can also be traced back to Ayurvedic notions as explored by Dominik Wujastyk (2003: 116-
125) where the various wind diseases are explained.
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It should be noted that Bonpo conceptions and exercises regarding have been
discussed in depth in Alejandro Chaoul’s unpublished doctoral thesis and also in a later
article.17 It appears evident that has an important role in the spiritual traditions of
ancient India as well as of Buddhist and Bonpo Tibet. Further research and translation
work on Bonpo bcud len texts might shed light on Tibetan indigenous yogic practices
Some of the texts I examined mention the purposes and virtues of practising
The text
by ‘Ju mi pham rgya mtso states (f. 700, line 5): ‘Applying and so forth, the
damaged wind element will be restored. Gathering the essence of the immortal sky, the
degenerated mind will be healed.’ In the first section of the Bcud len yid bzhin nor bu
by Pad ma gling pa the author states that: ‘when your body feels too hot you need to
In the text
le (‘Nectar drops of the profound path of the bcud len of the supreme Dharma of mantra
[i.e., Tantra]’) by Tshe dbang nor bu (1698-1755), the power of is again stated:
I have chosen to translate the text below by the Third Karmapa, Rang byung rdo rje
(1284-1339) partly because it is one of the earliest texts on bcud len which I
on . I have selected this, however, as it is richer in detail. Also, Rang byung rdo
ingredients (Kletter and Kriechbaum, 2001: 4); therefore it seemed apt to choose one of
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f. 623
This is the bcud len associated with rlung, composed by Rang byung rdo rje.
f. 624
I pay homage to the lamas. As for this bcud len associated with rlung, its qualities
are outstanding amongst other [bcud len], therefore I will explain it for others. In
a remote place, renouncing worldly activities, one who desires the unsurpassable
enlightenment should sit on a comfortable cushion with a straight body, crossed legs,
and with the hands resting in mediation . He should place the tip of the tongue on
the upper palate and leave the lips and teeth as they are [i.e., in their natural position].
Having first expelled the stale air, he should purify what is related with the rlung. In
particular for this very bcud len compress the upper into the stomach, filling it,
and retain the lower very tightly. Visualize the upper as white and the lower
as red, join them together like a and focus your mind on its center. Swallow
f. 625
bodies filling with bliss. Sometimes you should drink some broth. At this time
imagine the white goddess of nectar holding in the right hand a curved knife (gri gug)
and in the left hand a vase of nectar. Imagine that when you cut the tip of your heart, the
nectar in it flows out and fills up, thus the body is endowed with bliss. At this time you
should drink some broth. Cut off the conceptions/thoughts of other foods. If you practice
in this way for six months, you will sustain yourself through air and contemplation. You
will become clairvoyant. You will have no white hair and wrinkles and you will gain
immeasurable qualities. In this way absolutely no obstacles will arise. First of all it is
f. 626
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focus on meditation. Do the bcud len abiding in the . This is the very main
aspect of all bcud lens. This is the transmitted lineage of the eminent lamas. This is
outstanding amongst all bcud lens. Rang byung rdo rjes has experienced this.
Thinking that this may benefit others, I wrote it without annexing or withholding
anything. It is an instruction for secret practice for those who desire to be great on their
own and conceal the teacher, those who proclaim to be scholars because they have [the
practices] in writing, senseless confused individuals. To the faithful who have little
attachment to the world, those who are diligent practitioners and those who are skillful
in giving teachings without omitting or annexing, to those I give this without partiality.
The king of all bcud lens, the bcud len related with rlung ends here. It was written
in the Tiger year, in the fourth month, in the great palace of Sta’i tu’i steng gser ba, at
the time when the great shrine room was being built. 18
4.6.1. Introduction
Historically, miraculous life elixirs have fascinated emperors and commoners alike
with their promise of the acquisition of great benefits with minimal effort. Indeed, the
18
The name Sta’i tu, may well be rendered as Dadu, the name of the Chinese capital Beijing.
The author was there visiting the Yuan court in 1332-34 and then again in 1338-9, so the Tiger
year in question was probably 1338.
347
thirteenth Dalai Lama’s mausoleum has a fine mural depicting his offering of a precious
pill to the Chinese emperor when he visited him in 1908 (Aschoff and Tashigang;
2004: 7-8). Life enhancing pills with their empowered ingredients have by now
attracted considerable interest in the West among academics and even once sceptical
pharmaceutical companies.
Samuel writes that rin chen ril bu (precious pills) derive from the Indian alchemical
tradition (2010: 221). Based on the findings of Yonten Gyatso (Gyatso: 1991), Samuel
goes on to identify in O rgyan Rinchen dpal the figure at the heart of the Tibetan
mercury pill tradition (Samuel 2010: 217). O rgyan pa travelled to Oddiyana (O rgyan)
where he received this practice from and passed it on to his student Rang
byung rdo rje, the Third Karmapa (author of two bcud len texts fully translated in the
present study) There is a pill, the ‘precious black pill’, that continues
to be made and empowered in the Karmapa lineage. The begging bowl of the Third
Karmapa serves as the container and measure for the ‘mother’ pills.19
Aschoff and Tashigang (2001: 3-4) suggest that precious pills, the fruit of centuries
of tradition and empirical knowledge, can heal otherwise intractable diseases, thanks
to their ingredients deriving from metallic, mineral, botanical and animal sources.
Judging from the benefits claimed in the texts, the same could be said of the pills whose
preparation, empowerment and way of ingesting are explained in the bcud len treatises I
have analysed.
In the greater medical and spiritual traditions several famous Tibetan masters have
come to be associated with celebrated pill formulas. Spatial constraints do not allow me
to analyse them in depth, but some worthy of mention are: , a pill said to have
19
http://www.khandro.net/karmapa_rilnak.htm.
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been formulated by the eighth-century Dzogchen master Vimalamitra; the rin che ril
‘moon crystal nectar’, an elixir whose formula was said to have been transmitted
paintings and statues holding a long-life pill. He is renowned for his miraculous grub
Ril bu, a general term for what could be the condensation of an amalgam of
ingredients, can serve a variety of purposes. One of these goals is balancing the three
are also numerous deities said to be at the source of the recipe or to be the generating
Several categories of pills exist and whether they are deemed purely medicinal,
for longevity, or to provide a more general ‘blessing’, they are an important aspect of
the Tibetan medical and spiritual tradition. Pills are partially defined by the ingredients
they contain, for example Gerke (2013c: 121) reproduces a quote on how
‘cooked ash’ was considered the indispensible base material for most rin chen ril bu
deemed very important, as shown in the complex rites and visualisations found in the
scholarly attention, particularly in the context of the g.Yu thog snying thig. Noteworthy
Garrett (2010).
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and empower them, and the secrecy of the oral tradition of explaining specific ritual
procedures.
impossible to understand why, over the course of centuries, and from what motives the
composition of the jewel pills has been supplemented, expanded, or altered with respect
to individual components. From one century to the next, the writings of a famous
physician may suddenly give the recipe in a slightly modified version without giving
Yet sometimes mystery is not all that mysterious and it might be fruitless to
whether they correlate with others or if they are somehow mystically connected to
certain deities. Their presence may depend on much more pragmatic reasons, such as
cost or availability. For example, ’Ju Mi pham the author of the ril bu bcud len text
translated below, was known for developing his medicinal preparations with only herbal
ingredients in order to reduce the cost, for the sake of the poor in his society (Aschoff
Regarding the instances of ril bu bcud len, of the texts examined twenty-six
mention pills, whether with regard to the whole process of fabricating and empowering
In some instances (as in text 71, a Mandarava bcud len recipe) it is optional to take
the substance either as a paste or it can be made into pills. Other texts have different
instructions on how to ingest the pill; for example in the text by Ngag dbang bstan ’dzin
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nor bu: it
says the best way to take the pill is with water, the second best with bone soup or black
tea, the third best with roasted barley. We can also see that alternative ways of taking
rgyal mtshan). Here there are three versions of the practice; the superior one is feeding
on air, while, secondly, the average practitioner may use water and a pill containing
mnye and so forth. Finally the ‘inferior’ way is with hot water and calcite pill. As we
can understand from this, there are different ways of practicing bcud len with pills. Of
the many aspects of the rich Tibetan ril bu bcud len tradition. This particular text was
authored by ’Ju Mi pham rgya mtsho, a figure who perfectly embodies the combination
of medical knowledge derived from study and from meditation. His medical knowledge
was renown, as exemplified by his medical writings as well as by his bcud len texts
found in this compendium. As well as a propensity for scholarship, he was also blessed
with an ability to connect with the divine while meditating, such as in the aformentioned
v. X, 691-702.
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f. 691
The perfect vase of elixir; the supreme method of bcud len for achieving
immortality.
f. 692
cong /
May the wisdom body of the immortal lotus king [Guru Rinpoche], who is
kindly
By virtue of the tantric auspicious influence of material objects and thoughts, may
the method of the practice of the nectar corresponding to the oral instructions
all.
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Making this supreme vessel last long is the basis of all attainments. Who
would not wish for this excellent object of one’s wishes? Hence, practice with diligence
fortunate ones!
The is the vital force and the pure essence of the five elements. In order
for it to be firm, there are two factors, karma and merits. Its support consists of the
four main elements of the body. For this to happen you must enhance merit by acting
virtuously and, to the extent you can, present offerings and gifts. In particular you
To extend life, balance the elements and to increase the essence you should
practice the nectar medicine of bcud len: In accordance with the ‘lustrous nectar’ ritual,
collect the , the six excellent substances, calcite, the four nectars (rtsi bzhi),
, , ( ) , nye shing, ,
f. 693 /
353
According to the practitioner’s state of health, formulate the strength of the dosage
and the composition as you have heard it in the oral instructions. On an auspicious and
meritorious day such as during the twelfth lunar month, on a Thursday, visualize in front
through the mantra, gather the essence of and You may actually realize
From an auspicious time onwards, at daybreak regularly take a pill while keeping
the body straight, expelling the stale air three times. Imagine that without exception all
Visualizing yourself as the deity, lights emanate from your heart and gather the
elixir comprised of the five pure essences of and Imagining that all
impurities within your body are purified, you obtain an indestructible youthful body of
light.
time to time strive to apply these nine: the three-fold visualisation, the three mantras20
and the three actions, in any order, to the best of your ability.
20
The , and mantras.
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Now, regarding the three-fold visualisation, that is: drinking the essence of the
moon, eating the sky and delighting the heart. As for the first, imagine, on a moon seat
f. 694
Imagine that the light emanating from that syllable gathers the essence of
and and dissolves into the obtaining the supreme essence as your entire
body is filled by a stream of white nectar flowing down from there. In just one instance,
you obtain the bcud len of a radiant complexion, longevity and youthfulness. At the
end of each session visualize that the and the moon throne liquefy into nectar that
dissolves in your body. Whenever you can, for example before dawn, practice it again
and again.
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Second, in a place where you can see the vastness of the sky clearly, expel the
stale air in an upright posture. Visualize the entire space of the melting
into nectar, white or in whatever colour you wish. Mix (the nectar) with air inhaled,
quickly and through the teeth, imagining that your body becomes purified. Holding
, whilst breathing in and out repeat the visualisation again and again. It is said
that once one gets accustomed to this, the colour of the yogi’s body will accord with the
colour of the nectar chosen. A single session has the benefit of healing your diminished
become well-acquainted with this practice, your appetite for gross food will disappear.
By obtaining the supreme siddhi of immortality and youthfulness, you will remain as
f. 695
356
in the middle of the central channel at the heart level, is the orange syllable ,
blazing brilliantly like the sun, so that its rays pervade all phenomenal existence and
all obtains the nature of great bliss. Everything merges in light of five colours which
dissolves into the nectar of the five wisdoms. As it spreads throughout the system
of the body, the unclean aspects such as illnesses are cleansed and purified, as if turned
into gold. All parts of the in the rest in the luminous essence ( )
of the nectar of wisdom, and the letter dissolves into the indestructible drop (thig
le). Within this luminous body, the mind is blissful primordial wisdom. Visualize that,
like the hue of sunrays at sunrise, it pervades and Practice again and
again the smooth breathing vase retention ( ). In this way, this gross body will
become radiant and you obtain the supreme blissful wisdom in this life. Remaining
impurities are purified, you are freed from impurities and your god-like body will shine
Whenever, day and night, eat the pill. The yogi who is immersed in the
and in the early morning, whenever possible, diligently recite the mantra and transform
f. 696
357
gnyis pa spyan ma’i sngags kyis gso ba ni/ /rang nyid sangs rgyas spyan ma sku
mdog dkar/ /phyag g.yas ’khor lo mig ’bras kyis mtshan pa/ /g.yon pas pad ma dkar po
legs par bsnams/ /dar dkar na bza’ rdo rje’i skyil krung gis
sitting in half lotus position with her left leg stretched out.
The right hand holds a five-pointed blazing , the left hand holds a garland of
blue flowers in the ‘threatening’ mudra. At the heart, on top of the moon there
is a around which the mantra rotates. From it blue light rays expand pervading
all space. From all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, the three secrets
and blessings all gather as blue light and dissolve into your own body, which is made
of particles and is indestructible. In it, the wisdom fire is blazing and you imagine
that all illness, harm, obstacles and so forth are burned. You recite [. . . mantra . . .]
seven or one hundred times or as much as you can. Life and all hindrances impeding
the practice of bcud len are pacified from their basis. By merely thinking of them, all
hindrances without exception will be dispelled. Therefore one should recite the mantra
).
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lotus moon throne, in the right hand a wheel characterised with eyeballs while her left
f. 697
gsum pa gos dkar mo yi gsang sngags kyis/ /rdo rje’i tshe dang gzi mdangs sgrub
pa la/ /rang nyid yum chen gos dkar sku mdog dmar/ /g-yon pa’i phyag gis brla g-yon
steng du ni/ /padma dmar po ’dzin cing phyag g-yas kyis/ /thugs kar padma de yi kha
’byed cing / /lte bar gnas pa’i nor bu dmar po la/ /gzigs pa’i tshul can stod g-yogs dkar
po sogs/ /dar dang rin chen rgyan ldan skyil krung gis/ /pad zla’i steng bzhugs thugs kar
mdog dmar ba’i/ padma kha sbyor dbus su zla ba la/ paM yig sngags phreng bcas pa’i
At the heart, on top of the moon there is a syllable. At its edge a white
mantra garland rotates. From there rays radiate and all the victorious ones’ supreme
blessings and all the luminous energy of the inanimate and animate world are drawn
in in the form of white nectar light rays. Whatever your body has lost is regenerated.
Now you must think that you achieve indestructible youth [as firm as] a . Recite
the mantra [. . . mantra . . .] as often as you can: this is for healing all decline of life and
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essence, it can bring one back from death, and it is supreme for pacifying all bodily
illnesses without exception. Merely through its recitation you will attain the
youthfulness.
will be obtained. You transform into the great mother, the body red in colour, dressed
in white. The left hand rests on the left thigh, holding a red lotus. The right hand is at
the heart, holding a partially opened lotus, at the navel there is a red jewel, the gaze
is directed to the navel. Sitting in the lotus position on a lotus and moon [disc], she is
dressed in silk with white upper-garments and jewel ornaments. At the tip of the heart,
red-coloured lotuses face each other, between them on a moon disk with a letter
f. 698
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all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas and all beings of the three realms, their life
and lustrous great bliss nectar is filling your body. Recite as often as you can
[. . . mantra . . .]. Then, even if the length of your life is exhausted, you will certainly
heal the defect and your life will be prolonged. Like the radiant sun’s blazing flames, all
defilements and obscuration are thoroughly burnt away, like straw in fire. Therefore one
Of the three actions, the first one is ‘food and beverage’. Visualize that whatever
you eat and drink is nectar coming naturally from the white syllable. Partaking
of it expels sickness and you accomplish life and youthfulness. Also, the essence of
Secondly, ‘daily life healing’. (Visualize) sixteen great bliss drops (thig le) in
and red thig le, meditate that each of their own letters has rays emanating in the ten
directions and the luminous energy of inanimate and animate beings are extracted and
dissolve there. Imagine that the essence of life and the [bodily] elements develop and
grow, spreading throughout the body. Anoint and apply nectar of melted butter. Recite
the auspicious essence of the Sanskrit alphabet’s vowels and consonants and blow (on
the butter).
f. 699
21
The vowels of the Sanskrit alphabet
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In particular, apply the melted butter together with white sandalwood and musk to
the crown of the head. It is good to do this in the full moon’s light.
During the waning moon, apply nutmeg, various red seeds, butter, and honey on
the soles of the feet and expose them to the sunshine: then life, radiance and happiness
will develop. Your elements will be balanced and you will swiftly obtain the bcud
len.
Thirdly, ‘the path of good behaviour’. Use whatever food, drink, clothes,
ornaments, place, friends, accessories, and so forth, suit you, so that you are at ease and
feeling harmonious. Through the deity, mantra and blessings, the sensual objects
perceive it as great bliss. and dissolve into light in the form of blissful
red and white nectar and dissolve into you. Abide in the state of equanimity of the
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primordial thig le. One should proceed along the path of the great bliss and emptiness of
sensual enjoyments. Especially in the early evening time and so on, meditate that your
body is a divine body. As the fire melts the , meditate that you are pervaded by
bliss along with the gathering of . The nectar of great bliss, red and white rays,
yoga) and with a qualified partner strive to practice the method of enhancement of bliss.
f. 700
Through that, you will obtain life and supreme indestructible youth and
the wisdom of great bliss. Whichever sublime substances you use, practice
diligently combining visualisation and . Having made this the core practice, make
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efforts in the nine methods that aid the practice. By doing that, after one month even
a decrepit old person over eighty years old will regenerate as radiant as a sixteen year
old, like a fresh lotus rising from the mud. All of the remaining impurities are gradually
purified. Your divine body will be the most beautiful in the whole world and live as
long as the sun and the moon exist. Gratify the three roots and guardians by offering
and gtor and ask extensively for their activity to obtain your desires.
Besides this, extracting the essence of various water and milk and so forth, the
blood elements are healed. With the essence of various rocks, the bones strengthen.
Extracting the essence of various flowers, the complexion will be radiant. The warm
and so forth, the damaged wind element will be restored. Gathering the essence of the
immortal sky, the degenerated mind will be healed. All of these will increase the life
span and heal the elements. Therefore one should rely on the method that is suitable [in
a specific case].
f. 701
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You should apply the various profound methods on each occasion as it is suitable.
Through the profound mantra and visualisation of the meditation deity you will obtain
life, and whatever siddhis are desired will be obtained. All things lack an inherent
existence; practice, knowing their illusory nature. Especially, let your own mind rest in
the primordial clear light in the focus-less space. Having faith in the lama’s profound
path of instruction, through meditative equipoise one will obtain the power of the life
force of the primordial , the supreme siddhi. Therefore with great kindness and a
pure intention, you will bear responsibility for the teachings and for sentient beings in
the dark age. Those who possess the ability to fulfil the wishes of both [self and other]
and power of supreme wisdom, I request you to retain these profound instructions,
which are more precious than jewels. Knowing that these have great meaning, do not
lose or neglect these teachings, and practice with diligence. In accordance with the
unfaltering instructions of the Buddhas and knowledge holders, you will experience the
joy of all siddhis. Through the merit of this good behaviour, may Dharma practitioners
have long lives and may the noble Dharma flourish through their power.
f. 702
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This was composed unimpededly by Mi pham rnam par rgyal wa, also known as
’Jam dpal dgyes pa’i rdo rje, during the morning session on the tenth day of the waning
moon of the eighth lunar month in the year of the Iron Hare (1891).
(May it be auspicious).
Chapter 5: Conversations with Contemporary
bCud len adepts and praCtitioners
In this chapter the project extends to an investigation of contemporary bcud len practice.
This section contains the views of religious figures, monastic scholars, traditional
doctors and bcud len practitioners. All of these statements resulted from private
meetings with the speakers, except for the contribution of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu,
which is taken from an introductory talk that he gave at the beginning of a two week
long bcud len retreat. These observations of acknowledged adepts and practitioners of
the bcud len tradition were recorded, transcribed, translated and edited and incorporated
in the study.
The accounts below emphasise the continuation of the bcud len practice in
general, with more specific reference to its more esoteric spiritual aspects – where the
practitioner actively ‘extracts the essence’ through actions that accompany the partaking
of the pills or substances – and contain a description of the revelation of a bcud len
In presenting these oral statements I have followed the style of the testimonio
school of oral history, which suggests that rather than annexing continual burdening
comments it is best to let the stories speak for themselves and to preserve the
authenticity of the informant’s lexical resources (Beverley 2004). Only where the
speaker’s meaning is unclear have I exercised editorial discretion and amended their
wording.
preserve the respondent’s original speech as far as possible without imposing stylistic
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of traditional bcud len practice and to offer insights into contemporary attitudes toward
the practice.
An important point to emerge from the conversations is the current status of bcud
len practices and traditions. Bcud len is actively practised by students of the Dzogchen
master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. Em chi Nida Chenagtsang is teaching bcud len’s
medical aspects to Western audiences and em chi Tenzin Sherab is producing a variety
Dzongsar Khyentse speaks of the various benefits of bcud len, but notes that few
practitioners remain in Bhutan, partly because food is more easily available. He refers
specifically to ‘sexual energy bcud len’ and the dietary restrictions in place when it is
practiced. No such parallels with dietary restrictions appear in the sexual practices found
in the compendium Text 29 and Text 34. He stresses the value of subtle body exercises,
in the kumbhaka exercises in several texts. He claims that an essential part of bcud
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu reiterates the idea of three levels of bcud len practice,
describing their particular features and suitability. He mentions the example of the Dzog
chen master Nyagla Pema Dudul, author of Text 45, who gradually ascended to the
higher form of the practice, eventually attaining the rainbow body. He points out how
breath can become the sole source of nourishment for the advanced practitioner.
Tenzin Sherab, the Bhutanese physician to the illustrious Nyingma lama Kyabje
Chatral Sangye Dorje prepares bcud len medicinal compounds for Chögyal Namkhai
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Norbu from his gter ma recipe. Dr Sherab interestingly speaks of pills that can prevent
disturbances from malevolent sources, such as the for example, but stresses that
they are more effective when empowered by meditation and specific visualisations.
Like Chögyal Namkhai Norbu he refers to ‘higher practitioners’ using ‘higher bcud
len’, suggesting that while a binary division between ‘medical and spiritual’ bcud len
may not be fruitful, hierarchical distinctions are made, sometimes even in offering the
same teaching in different forms as in certain texts in the compendium. In his remarks
component in ritual and warns against its indiscriminate use. The is mentioned in
several texts as a ritual implement in which bcud len substances are empowered.
Elio Guarisco echoes the statements of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and Dr Tenzin
Sherab on the importance of empowering substances and the value of pills for the first
two levels of bcud len and the connection between mastery of and the ‘highest’
Curiously, Sangye Tsering states that in his view the individual practitioner may
enjoy a certain freedom in approaching bcud len practice through his own personal yi
Dr Nida makes a more clear cut distinction between ‘spiritual’ and ‘medical’
bcud len. In the latter, he attributes most importance to the substance itself. In his terms,
medical bcud len is for ‘nonpractitioners’. He alludes to certain pills that should not be
widely distributed, implying that these are for those advanced in practice. His mention
of kumbhaka breathing retention exercises at the heart, throat and other cakras has not
been spotted in the instructions in the texts in the collection. Perhaps such details were
Mandrava bcud len practice is interesting in that the revelation did not occur in a single
moment as the rediscoveries described in the texts seem to suggest. She recounts how
the teaching came to him in separate dreams at different locations in a gradual unveiling.
practices that at times present us with insights and information not contained in the
compendium.
D.K.: Yes, many years ago – an oral transmission my grandfather Sonam Zangpo
D.K.: Yes, especially in the Nyingma School. There is a very important bcud len
connected with the Eight Heruka practice. Mahorta Chemchog is the supreme, central
deity, who has forty-two heads. In the practice of bcud len, bdud rtsi is very important.
Real bdud rtsi is the nondual aspect of everything; there is no dualism and everything
is equal in the state of . In one of the bdud rtsi Tantras, Buddha said: Gods and
Brahmins eat clean food, I never declared that they achieve enlightenment. Pigs and
dogs eat dirty food and I never claimed they attain enlightenment. Because of this
are nondual emptiness and clarity; Samayatara and other four corresponding
to the five elements. Having this premise of nonduality we can use this as a source of
nutrition to sustain ourselves. For us, who are so far from having a correct balance of the
There are bcud len related to various elements. Sa’i bcud len – flowers, stone,
roots – are all linked to the earth. The positive side effect of this bcud len is good health,
and when the five elements are coordinated, clarity arises. In Bhutan these transmissions
are still alive but few people are practising because of the easy access to food. At public
Then there are sexual energy bcud len; here you eat no bitter things and particular
fruits and flowers. There are particular visualisations one must do and the partner must
have particular characteristics. The best and consorts are not at all appealing in a
classical way.
The path of bcud len is one of losing attachment to normal food and stepping
The tshogs is one of the most important bcud len (nowadays it has become a sort
of feast), so let me tell you a story of the famous Terdag Lingpa from Mindrolling:
guru was the guest of honour and there were tons of fruits, foods, wine. He was really
enjoying and circumambulating the place. He saw a round house with a round wall and
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a single door. He wanted to enter it as he heard lots of noise of an even bigger party in
there. He tried to get in, but two wrathful deities stopped him. He prayed to his guru
and managed to get in. Inside, there were creatures with two heads and many arms. The
main VIP there was Guru Rinpoche. Then he saw an even more innermost section but
there was no door. He asked how he could get in there and someone told him only those
who know how to go can get in. He asked his guru for a blessing and got in. There was
pus, shit and blood everywhere and everybody in there was naked. The main guest in
Practising bcud len will break through tons of hang-ups and inhibitions. Through
austerities we overcome them. All our emotions and enjoyments are nothing other than
our wisdom. Balancing of the elements is very important in Buddhism and Vajrayana
since death comes with the dissolution of one or more of the elements.
In Anuttara Tantra there is an emphasis on air/energy. The belief is that the mood
is always dominated by the winds that go through the central channel. The best is if they
You are like a movie projector, projecting many movies simultaneously and one is
involved only with some of them. When all ‘air’ is in the central channel, dbu ma, then
5.2 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, Dzogchen master, teacher and practitioner of bcud len
N.N.: Substance (bcud) is like the essence for maintaining the body, so everything like
food and including our physical body is based in the five elements. The combination
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of the essence of the five elements is related to bcud len. There exist different types of
touch our real condition, but we possess it. It is a bit like the essence of our life. This
is connected with the five elements. Even the essence of the five elements we cannot
see or touch but we can feel how the function of our energy is. This is called the
, like a more concentrated physical level. So when we take bcud len there
is a more material aspect, but you can understand that if we are eating some food, like
lunch or dinner, there are many dishes, prepared in different ways, this is related to our
it is the essence that maintains the substance. When we do bcud len, there are many
ways of preparing bcud len pills, or drinks and food. You can see the difference between
taking normal food and a bcud len pill. For example if you feel hungry you need food or
you suffer from that lack; this is our ordinary condition. It is not sufficient to just eat a
pill that is the substance of food. If you are able to do this, then you have already made
some progress; many practitioners live long periods of time relying just on bcud len
pills.
all we need is a pill and a mere drop of water. This can help you
overcome thirst and the need for water. For eating we have a different type of pill, which
has the essence of the five elements. If it is prepared well and empowered with mantras
it can really work. Practitioners can use this and not become dependent on food.
Nyakla Pema Dudul spent a large part of his life relying on bcud len pills. First
he did bcud len, using pills but also eating food. Every day you eat less,
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combining with bcud len pills you can progress that way. Nyakla Pema Dudul did three
years of bcud len, and he arrived at the point where he was taking just
bcud len pills. He entered the level this way. There are many teachers
who did it this way, also the Dzogchen master Longchenpa, who was following the
teaching; for many months he lived, studied and practiced while doing
There are various types of bcud len. For example the bcud len of Nyala Pema
the rest of his life practising bcud len. The last few years of his life
drink water. How do we stay alive without eating or drinking? By combining bcud
len with breathing. Breathing is life, if we stop breathing there is no life. We combine
our visualisation with breathing. We understand intellectually that the five elements
have five colours. When we develop the practice more, then visualisation is sufficient.
Breathing helps you understand the bcud len of . Nyakla Paema Dudul
lived some years in the latter part of his life with bcud len. Bcud len is
very important to attain ’ja’ lus. Rainbow body means that the substance of the physical
body enters its real nature; if we do bcud len in a perfect way it becomes
a secondary cause for achieving the rainbow body. The gter ma teaching of Nyakla
Pema Dudul has three types of bcud len, which he applied for his whole life. In the end,
he attained the rainbow body and was aware he would at the time of his death. . . His
students knew this meant he would pass away and manifest the rainbow body. After
seven days, rainbows and other signs appeared in the area; they opened the tent and
Nyakla Pema Dudul had disappeared – only hair and nails remained. Everyone who
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manifests the rainbow body leaves behind nails and hair; these are impure. Manifesting
the rainbow body means that the physical body enters (into) pure nature; impure things
do not.
5.3 Dr Tenzin Sherab, physician expert in the preparation of bcud len substances
Interlocutor: In several texts I have found instances of advocating the use of human
T.S.: Sha chen (‘the great flesh’) is used for two reasons. One is brten brel
‘interdependence’; on the other hand, high protein. Brten brel means our human to
human connection is empowered. It is rigs gcig pa ‘one type’. It is also good for rlung
I: What can you tell us about the medicinal properties and the use of mantras to
T.S.: There are three aspects: rdzas, sngags, ting nge ’dzin (ingredients, mantras and
I: What is the purpose of using wrathful mantras and invoking wrathful deities?
T.S.: To be rid of black energy and to increase power. Bcud len can also help with
provocations like problems. Pills can purify and cure problems caused by
and sa bdag (earth owners). For example klu bdud 18 is a pill for clearing
problems. Dngul chu 18 is for and demon disturbances and lymph disorders
medicines are more effective. The gnad (crucial points) and rtsa rlung, the and
channels and purify them. This is not wrathful; it is pure love. This is cutting off ma rig
pa (ignorance) and the three poisons. Desire is rlung, anger is mkhris pa, ignorance is
bad kan. These three are symbolised by the three animals [rooster, snake, pig].
reserved for a few practicing yogins who lived in solitude and had to prevent and cure
T.S.: Actually bcud len has both medicinal and yogic purposes; of course in ancient
times yogins and practitioners were using it. They were practising without food
and using bcud len, for example, rdo yi bcud len and bcud len and shug pa
(juniper). For example rdo yi bcud len was sucking on stones, not even eating them.
For normal people, this is difficult. Higher practitioners were using higher bcud len. I
studied in Bhutan in Pajuding College and we had a retreat centre above it. It was 1985
and the retreat leader was always sitting in meditative posture. At the time we didn’t
have a heater or electricity. And from his retreat hut we saw no smoke from the fire
stove. We got worried and went to see. He was sitting and staring at a shilajit (bitumen)
rock. Now we have many medicinal bcud len, like butter bcud len, the three fruits bcud
T.S.: Right now, many. Before I was making rtsa ba lnga (five roots), metog sna tshog
(various flowers). Right now it is hard to get ingredients. Now I am making one for
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Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. He has seven different recipes. I am also making dbang lag
Mandarava bcud len is especially for Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and his students.
Dbang lag is for energy; for example, now many people ask how to get energy so I
make it. With rtsa ba lnga gi bcud len my focus is to help vegetarian people, also for
youths and children because there are many vegetarian children and I am making these
as supplements.
T.S.: Really important, doing all this together makes the substance more powerful.
Rdzas, sngags, ting ’dzin, all give a blessing and make it more important. Otherwise it
would just be like fried rice. It is not just power from the ingredients.
I: Very often in bcud len texts there are breathing exercises with breath retention,
especially bum pa can. What is the relationship between breathing exercises and
T.S.: Many different breathing exercises. The Medicine Buddha said that one should
exercise so as to perspire just a little bit. People ask me how many hours they should
exercise. It is not about quantity of minutes, but depends on their humours. For people
with bad kan, I would say one hour. For mkhris pa and rlung, I’d say fifteen or thirty
minutes. It is not about time; it is about when you start to sweat. For some, sweat comes
quickly. I often recommend lung ro dgu krhugs, the nine breathing exercises, using the
are all important. How to do them depends on the place, on the environment and on
the person. If one has instructions from the teacher, one can work with rtsa rlung. Our
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bodies depend on this; the practice can help to open channels and for rlung ’khor, the
flow. If they practise properly it is very good; otherwise, there are problems with
energy and they can go crazy. So it is very important to have a proper teacher’s
instructions. In this way, the three humours are balanced, as is kidney energy and
everything you do has a good result. If one humour is misbalanced, the others suffer.
All is related to the five elements. For example, sa and chu are related to bad kan: fire
to mkhris pa: rlung with rlung: and nam ’mkha to all three. If the rtsa rlung practice is
good then the humours are balanced and our energy increases. Kumbhaka, rtsa lung,
I: Are breathing exercises often used when taking other medicines or substances (that
T.S.: Sman grub and tshe ril have different ingredients; different practices bring different
benefits. The same with precious medicines. All are different, they have medical or
spiritual benefits. For example sman grub is for black energy, sore throat, headache,
and they put sman grub in water and drink it. People carry it when travelling to avoid
misfortunes like landslides, earthquakes. So many lamas often carry sman sgrub. There
are many different sman grub (Vajrasattva, Vajrakilaya, Guru Rinpoche). There are
many different traditions and gter ma, but many of the ingredients are often similar.
Long-life pills are for when people are sick or when they have a divination and life is
I: Do certain bcud len exercises, through the potencies of the substances or the mantras
T.S.: Mantras help to increase blessing. People talk about purification of energy or
blockages; there are many types of this sgrib, black energy. Nyams sgrib, srog sgrib
and others exist. When many people gather, you can feel many different types of energy
from others. When you see good people and feel good energy you feel energised and
you have positive feelings from people. At other times, after meeting people you feel
heavy. It is not just psychological; it is a form of energy. You can eat pills or burn them
in fire to purify this energy. For example the ingredients Twenty-five and Twenty-
six are different; each medicinal herb with different powers and potencies can purify
I: What is the correlation between having balanced elements and energy channels and
meditative mental states? What is the effect on the mind of causing changes in the
energy channels?
T.S.: If out of balance, all is related to our mind. The main imbalance is rlung
imbalance, which affects the mind most. Our mind is really important and of course
also liver or stomach pain means our mind cannot concentrate. But once the organ or
stomach pain eases, then you can mentally relax. But if there are wind disorders, then
since srog ’dzin rlung is connected to mind and heart this imbalance affects our mind. In
our medicine texts we say that in our brain there are paths of wind circulation, so this is
why wind imbalance affects our mind. Snying rlung affects one a little; then if it reaches
the srog ’dzin level one really goes crazy. Snying rlung means one is more angry, can’t
sleep, can’t concentrate, has no peace, a shaky mind, tension. Breathing exercises can
help with this. Our whole body depends on rtsa and rlung. These depend on our five
elements. So we need to keep all these balanced. Rtsa rlung is a high practice and very
important.
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I: Do you think bcud len practice can really bring significant changes in the physical
body? You who have been the physician of (at least) two elderly lamas (Chögyal
Namkhai Norbu and Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche) who practise bcud len, did you notice
anything different in their constitution compared to other men of a similar age that could
T.S.: Bcud len can help everyone. Of course a high practitioner who does bcud len for
months and months will really increase his energy compared to the simple level of
an average person eating it and getting power from its ingredients. High practitioners
will gain a different benefit. A normal person cannot live months on bcud len, as high
practitioners can. They know how to really use the substance. Our Tibetan medicine
practice books mention that winter time is bcud len time. Also, the new moon is a
good time to practice because of the waxing moon; it is as if the cakras and also all the
inner workings are linked with astrology. The inner things are working, so it is a good
time. This is all interconnected. Also, for precious pills, this is a good time. On Guru
I: Often bcud len texts suggest a should be used to empower substances, why?
T.S.: The itself has power. Sometimes people think they want to use a
when they see their gurus doing it. There are hundreds of pages about the qualities and
also personal connections with the . There are many different types of
in Tantrism. Some attract wealth or inner power. In Secret Mantra practitioners use a
. But we need to know how to use one correctly and to know if its quality and
5.4 Elio Guarisco, a non-Tibetan initiate and instructor in bcud len practice
Interlocutor: Could you please tell us about your practice of bcud len, where you learnt
E.G.: I first heard mention of bcud len and bcud len practice in the discourses of several
lamas for whom I acted as a translator back in the mid-seventies. I had the chance of
meeting a real practitioner of bcud len when I visited Dharamsala, in north India, in
1981. That year, in spring, I accompanied my Tibetan teacher of philosophy who was
a guest of Lama Yeshe in a retreat place located just above Mcleod Ganji. I stayed in a
small house, five minutes’ walk away from where my teacher was staying. The small
house had served as a place where my teacher himself spent several years in solitary
meditation, not far away from the residence of Ling Rinpoche, one of two tutors of His
Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. The small house, located on a terrace in the forest,
had two rooms. I was staying in one room, and in the other stayed a student of my
belonged to a class of monks called ldob ldob, or police monks, a monastic fraternity
that existed in Gelug monasteries,. The ldob ldob monks had an ambiguous status and
were generally less academic then other monks, and had an interest in sports, fighting
and other worldly matters. Once he arrived in exile in India, Geshe Champa Wangdu
underwent a radical change. From a warrior monk who took part in dishing out beatings,
he became an exceptionally gifted meditator. The monk was small and roundish, but
very quick in anything he did and totally devoid of ceremonious manners. He seemed
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like a ball in continuous and uninterrupted motion that stuck to nothing. When he was
walking to the village, the people showed considerable respect for him, but he did not
seem to care, and after having answered waving or with a courteous smile he would
not stop but go right ahead. Western people were talking a lot about him saying he had
bodhisattvas. He had received the teaching on the bcud len practice from a renowned
Gelug lama in Tibet. He was also a well-known exorcist. Geshe Champa Wangdu treated
as their tour guide. One late afternoon I went up to the mountain alone and I reached
his house when it was already dark. When I called him, I felt he was reluctant to come
out and had some difficulty in recognising me. I greeted him and asked if I could bring
the people I was guiding to pay a visit to him sometime in the next few days. I told him
that these people were interested in learning something about the bcud len practice. The
next day, in the afternoon, I went to his house with the group. The monk was in retreat
at that time; however, he explained to us the composition of the bcud len pills and the
practice of bcud len in a general way, but in a very direct fashion without any hesitation.
The people of the group were very surprised to meet such a hermit. At the end of our
meeting, the other people left and I remained alone with him. He began to speak to me,
and it took some time for me to realise that he was actually giving some personal advice.
He also gave me the text on the preparation of the flower pill bcud len. He was known to
have been successful in his practice of bcud len, although when I met him he was eating
normally. A few years later, when still relatively young, Geshe Champa Wangdu passed
away; his body remained unchanged for three days before starting to decompose. Later,
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I received detailed instructions on the bcud len linked to the practice of Mandarava and
I had the opportunity to put into practice, in a small way, the instructions on bcud len
I: You have led retreats of bcud len practice around the world, please tell us about your
experiences and insight regarding bcud len practice. Why practise and what are the
E.G.: I have led numerous retreats of long-life practice around the world, combined
with the practice of bcud len. Successful practice of bcud len will gradually lead to the
power to live without consuming any coarse food; but this is not the main aim. One of
the temporary benefits of the practice of bcud len is to detach oneself from the usual
compulsory attachment to coarse food. But detachment from food is not the primary
aim of bcud len practice either. When one reduces the quantity of coarse food, and one’s
body remains strong and healthy, one can experience more easily the subtle energy
structure of the body, a level of existence of which we are usually unaware. As a result
of this, one becomes more sensitive to hidden events both within and without the body;
the state of mind becomes crystal clear, and awareness of dreams can be awakened.
The subtle energy structure of the body consists of channels, energy winds, and
vital essences that represent the subtle level of the coarse body, voice and mind. This
energy structure is of a nature halfway between the material and the immaterial. In that
sense, it is still influenced by food, behaviour, breathing, emotions and so forth. As one
reduces the intake of coarse food, this subtle level of the body becomes apparent and can
be used as a way to contact the extremely subtle level of ourselves that is our real nature.
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I: I seem to understand one can practise bcud len in stricter or looser ways, for example
with or without dietary restrictions and partaking of smaller or larger quantities of food.
If dietary restrictions are not the main point, then what are the main aspects of bcud len?
E.G.: Dietary restrictions are always part of bcud len practice. For ordinary people,
not well-grounded in the recognition of their real nature, the dietary restrictions are
of benefit to both the health and to the spirituality of the person. Of course the dietary
restrictions are applied according to the circumstances of one’s own life; this and
bcud len. This “immaterial” bcud len is applied by encapsulating the vital essences
of the universe within the very centre of one’s body through the practice of a special
holding of the breath known as kumbhaka. Moreover, karmic inner energy wind is the
source of the movement of thoughts, judgements and illusions that often condition
heavily our state of mind. By binding the breathing it is possible to still the emergence
of brilliant thoughts and illusions, within the very centre of our body and activate what
is known as wisdom energy wind. For this reason the bcud len of the often
unifies in itself these two aspects; absorbing the essence of the universe and stilling the
E.G.: The pills of bcud len are important in the first two kinds of bcud len practice, that
context of the highest form of bcud len, that of the But even in the forms
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of bcud len that make use of pills made with different kind of substances, the pill is only
one part of the practice which is composed of different aspects, such as the intention, the
diet, the visualisation and so forth. The main substances used in the bcud len practice are
the same that are used in the tonic preparations called sman mar in traditional Tibetan
medicine. Thus, in themselves, if unaccompanied by the other aspects of the bcud len
practice they only work as a tonic, in a way hardly different from organic supplements.
E.G.: The mantra recitation in the context of the bcud len practice is mainly intended
to empower the pills in conjunction with the appropriate visualisation for each
14 August 2014
S.T.: When you approach the practice of bcud len first of all you must have a pure
motivation and eagerness. Also, you must have total faith, not a blind one but faith
coming from your own wisdom and experience. To approach Tantra you must have a
Rilbu bcud len: you need the lama’s blessings, various flowers and substances
that are not polluted. You mix them all together and make a pill. Then you visualise the
yidam, recite mantras and blessings. Then you take the pill periodically, it could be once
Me tog bcud len: not all flowers (are suitable); use medicinal ones. You need a
knowledgeable doctor to gather the flowers. Visualise yidam, mantra, blessings. Then
Rdo bcud len: gather specific stones from rivers. Lay them on a table. Visualise
Rlung gi bcud len: one visualises that the air that we breathe and the wind
surrounding us has the same nutrition as food. Bless it, then inhale. When the sun rises,
face east and swallow as if eating food, inhaling through the mouth.
S.T.: No specific deities; it depends on one’s personal yidam. Bcud len is linked with
subtle tantras: Drolma, Jampelyang, Chenrezig bcud lens. One must be aware of the
nonexistence of self. Once I used to practise it, but now food is abundant and readily
I: If someone wants to practise bcud len how should he or she go about it?
S.T.: Learn the theory well before getting into the practice. When I first requested bcud
circumstances; for example, if I must escape the Chinese army and hide in a forest.
I: I heard about bcud len being linked with the attainment of long life – for example
there are links with Guru Rinpoche in the Nyingma school. Is one of bcud len’s goals to
S.T.: Ril bu bcud len is different; it is to not have to rely on food for years so one can
dedicate oneself completely to practice and not waste time gathering food and pleasing
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benefactors. There are eight types of dngos grub; most are for obtaining fame or minor
siddhis. The rilbu’i dngos grub is to prolong one’s life and the chi med pa’i dngos grub
is to obtain immortality.
I think the important thing in bcud len is to concentrate on one text or practice and
do it properly, rather than gathering many texts. Confusion and expectations will arise
and one will not obtain results from any one text and just try to do several in a wrong
way. With experience of bcud len one can benefit others. If you have no experience and
talk about bcud len then it will give others a wrong impression of bcud len.
If one practises bcud len in a proper way, then the results will be concrete. There is
a story of a yogi in Tibet who was tricked in the market place and was living off a sack
of sand. He lived off the sand and had no problem till he realized what he’d been eating
and died of shock. In Ladakh, some years ago, there was a big snowfall and people
were stuck and faced problems. People thought that everyone trapped by the snow had
died and they did a practice for the dead, where you mix tsam pa with other things and
burn it in the fire. This way, the dead go more easily, accompanied by the smell of food.
When the snow melted, all the people who were thought dead returned and said that
when they were trapped they had smelt the food from the practice offerings and thanks
I personally think the rlung gi bcud len is the most accessible one, as fragrances
can be used to help with the visualisation of food; it is the power of suggestion working
in the mind.
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N.C.: In Tibetan medicine bcud len is used for two different reasons. For the prevention
of illness or for anti-ageing. Some doctors practise or use bcud len pills a lot and some
use it less.
I: Traditionally was it mainstream or reserved for the few practising yogins who lived in
N.C.: There are two types of bcud len, spiritual and medical. The spiritual is only for
yogins, but the medical one is for everyone, for the prevention of illnesses and anti-
aging. At times, yogins would take bcud len recipes and medicines while doing spiritual
retreats, so this would be like a healing retreat as well. In spiritual bcud len one aims
for spiritual development and enlightenment; however, obstacles can manifest on the
way. So the main aim of spiritual bcud len is enlightenment, but if one gets sick on the
way there are remedies suggested for the yogin in retreat. These medical recipes are like
I: As a widely known Tibetan doctor, how much practice of bcud len do you see
N.C.: In recent years, I have really focused on bcud len. I am teaching and guiding
groups with medical bcud len. I think, in our time, prevention and anti-aging are very
N.C.: To prevent acute and chronic illness and stay fit and young. The goal of spiritual
bcud len can be seen in two ways; a relative aspect and an absolute goal. Also, the
relative aspect can be subdivided. For example, to avoid starving, Longchenpa and other
great masters did bcud len to replace food. Also bcud len as a healing practice, it affects
the body and then the mind; for example if we have less mkhris pa we have less anger.
The ultimate goals are the ultimate higher spiritual transformation, including rainbow
transformation and rainbow body and cutting attachment to solid food in a very strong
way.
I: Would you say bcud len is more important for physical well-being or for spiritual
advancement?
N.C.: Yes, it is good for physical health and very beneficial for spiritual people as well,
I: In bcud len practice how important is the actual substance? Is it more the power
and kumbhaka that sparks the effect of the practice? Without the empowerment,
visualisation, mantras and so on, how much medicinal efficacy would the essences
have?
N.C.: I would say substances are most important among things. First the power of
Substances have a power through taste. The six tastes each have an effect on
physical bodies. The eight potencies (including light, heavy, hot, cold) and seventeen
qualities are the ways herbs have an effect on us. The three humours, rlung, mkhris pa
and bad kan, have twenty characteristics. This is the substance way.
Then comes the power of mantra; it functions through vibrations; mantras work
through the meaning, the deity blessings. Mantra is like a pure vibration and our energy
is also a vibration.
The mental part is the power of visualisation. The mind is engaged with a subtle
wind energy. When you are using your mind energy it is like the horse, the mind is like
the horse rider, if you master these it has an effect on the body.
aspect. We use our mind because it is our human condition, we do these practices and
visualisations to train our mind but it is said that when one is advanced in meditation
do these visualisations because they match how we think. Why do we visualize inviting
Buddha? He doesn’t need offering bowls, and so forth, so this is just reflecting how we
think. For example we offer rakta in a , which is the solar energy and also we
offer sman, which is like the lunar offering. These are the solar and lunar aspects. These
are very important; where is our life coming from? Oxygen. The sun creates oxygen
through plants, so we consider it essential. Our essence comes from sun and moon, so
I: Some substances are considered very auspicious – how important is actual substance?
N.C.: Generally speaking 70% of power comes from substances, 20% from mantras,
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10% from mind. But if we talk about , if we use rlung bcud len, we are using
kumbhaka or bar rlung, then it is different. Let us say 70% is working on rlung. Later,
I: How beneficial do you think it would be to take bcud len substances/pills for someone
who is not practising the meditation or breathing exercises associated with the practice?
N.C.: Medical bcud len is for nonpractitioners; so they just take the bcud len pills like
other normal pills, but the Vajrayana one should not be taken by nonpractitioners. These
are designed for practitioners; it is like food for yogins. If you want to help with pure
intention, compassion, it could be okay, but texts do not say to distribute the pills.
N.C.: Because it has six tastes, eight types of powers and seventeen qualities. The
Medicine Buddha holds it. It is called the king of medicines; Yuthok is holding it.
I: Very often, in bcud len texts, there are breathing exercises with breath retention. What
N.C.: You are talking only about the spiritual ones; the medical ones are not like that.
Spiritually, we talk about body, speech and mind. Mentally, we use meditation; bodily,
we use posture. To work with energy and speech, kumbhaka is the best; we work on the
are to transform a body into a healthy body. Bcud len is a transformation from a sick to a
healthy body, and from a healthy body to a very vital body or even rainbow body. I think
bcud len is essential for the rainbow body. Kumba can is essential to transform one’s
energy. Mentally you do transformation into deities. Also, for speech we chant mantras.
392
Doing kumbhaka is like chanting mantras. The most powerful way to chant mantras is
Kumbhaka is transforming karmic wind into wisdom wind. It means that it can
transform you from mortal to immortal, an energy transformer. We have roughly 72,000
channels. When we do kumbhaka ,all these 72,000 channels flow into the central
channel where we have only wisdom wind. If we send all karmic wind into the central
churning, exhalation: we believe this is Saraha’s kumbhaka. Other bum pa can focus
on the heart and throat and elsewhere. This bum pa can generates lots of heat. There is
also bum pa can happening in other chakras. When you have a lot of strong visualisation
and mantra chanting I’d say it’s more related to a development stage. More towards the
When karmic wind enters into the central channel there are ten signs; bzhugs
retreat is designed for this; this is designed mathematically. In this system it is said that
we could live 100 years and that we need to extract . If you hold and churn,
N.C.: Breath is energy; to work with energy is the basis for balance of body and mind.
393
I: What is the relationship between balanced energy – the three humours and the mental
state?
N.C.: In Tibetan medicine we talk about two things, typology and pathology. Typology
We have rlung, mkhris pa, bad kan, attachment, anger and ignorance respectively,
connected with our emotions. Some medicines can help using specific herbs, minerals,
metals, and animal parts. When the three humours are balanced we reduce the mental
poisons. The sutras say to reduce the causes of the three poisons, the tantras say to
I: What is the correlation between the energy channels and meditative mental states?
N.C.: Channels are like roads, energy is like the car and mind is the person driving.
I: Do you think bcud len practice can bring altered states of consciousness?
N.C.: Spiritual ones, yes. Medical ones are for a calm and clear mind, balanced energy.
N.C.: Yes, Karma Mudra bcud len. According to Bzhad pa’i dorje, eating sperm is
revitalizing. Most Karma Mudra texts say not to lose sperm, but there are three or four
cases where it is okay: during empowerment, if making a medical substance, for having
kids, for making offerings. In Bzhad pa’i rdo rje’s text you can lose it but then you eat it
again and it is recycled. In Nyi zla bcud len [the male and female fluid mixed together],
you are eating the essence of sun and moon. Everything is recycled so it is as if you do
not lose it, and you experience an anti-aging body transformation. In the Atiyoga style
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of Karma Mudra, you don’t lose it because the bliss is integrated into rigpa. This was
I.G.: The process of the revelation of the text entitled The Sphere of the Life Essence of
, by Chögyal
Namkhai Norbu, took place during a journey and retreat in the holy cave of Maratika
in Nepal. Before going to Maratika, Rinpoche was invited by Lama Tandzin and his
son Tsultrim to give teachings at Thar gling dgon pa (Tholu Gonpa), their small family
monastery, in the region of Solukhumbu in East Nepal. From Lamidanda, the nearest
airport, it took four full days walking to reach the monastery. As he was approaching the
valley that he knew from a previous dream. The dream was connected to Tara. In fact,
before leaving Nepal, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu gave Tsultrim a statue of Tara to be kept
in the temple.
In Tolu dgon pa, while giving Byang chub rdo rje’s teaching called Bla ma zab
don, and later on the way to Maratika, he had a series of dreams foretelling the opening
morning at breakfast he told me and his sisters about these dreams, which are narrated
in the text I translated called a Bouquet of Lotus Flowers. So, in a way, we were not
taken by surprise when later, in Maratika, Rinpoche gave us the copy book with the
395
Mandarava dgongs gter to guard. Rinpoche didn’t ask us to do any special practice,
but we were all attending his teachings, firstly, as I mentioned, Bla ma zab don at Tolu
Nyagla Padma Dundul. The actual bcud len practice was discovered by Rinpoche a year
later in Conway, also in a dream. On that occasion I was present when, in the morning at
breakfast, he started to write down on a napkin the bcud len text called The Practice of
I think that the bcud len practice is fundamental in the Mandarava teaching
there is the section called Man ngag srog thig where one absorbs the vital essence
the Essence of the Dakini of Immortality mentions the seven elixirs that are necessary
for the realisation of the body of light. Therefore it is complimentary to the main text.
Translating , which
practice has been, for me, a way to deepen my understanding of the practice, and it
has been very important. From my experience, also having been in Maratika recently,
I would agree that the long-life practice of Mandarava and its bcud len reinforces and
balances one’s elements, increases one’s clarity, and protects one’s vital energy.
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
The texts analysed here, most of which were previously untranslated, are by no means a
complete collection of writings in the tradition, but represent an early attempt to gather
and analyse some scattered and unexamined evidence of an important aspect of Tibet’s
the Tibetan bcud len tradition. This reflected the preoccupation of Tibetan scholars,
notably Samten Karmay, Yang Ga and Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, with establishing an
indigenous cultural and historical identity. This would include a medical tradition that
was not derived completely, or almost so, from India, as most historians long believed.
Yang Ga’s evidence of the existence of considerable Tibetan medical knowledge prior to
the arrival of the Rgyud bzhi in Tibet enabled him to affirm that only a relatively small
portion of that work came directly from India. The relatively sparse documentation
on the practice of bcud len and the complications of establishing authorship allow us
less certainty on its origins. A consensus is now forming that the so called three rivers
influencing Tibet’s medical history (the Indian, Chinese and Galenic contributions)
merged with the native Bon knowledge to create a ‘melange’, in Yoeli-Tlalim’s term.
This does not, however, make continuing enquiry into its influences redundant. While
India may have been the source of and provided the model for many texts, this does not
mean that a distinct form of essence extraction has not evolved on the Tibetan plateau.
In the texts collected here, the Indian imprint on the framework of the practices
discussed in the observations that follow Chapter 3, are the deities invoked or visualised
398
in the practices that reflect Indian influence. References abound to such figures as
and
of origin of practices in at least one instance. Many of the teachings and lineages are
said to derive from Padmasambhava. It has been pointed out that the Rgyud bzhi itself
contains bcud len instructions that Emmerick showed were translated word by word
from Sanskrit. Many ingredients found in recipes, such as utpala and arura, also are
thought to derive from India. The fasting retreats were a possible influence
on the development of bcud len, while many of the exercises to master the subtle body
very probably had Indian counterparts: the Tibetan term bum pa can is a translation of
the Sanskrit kumbhaka. Several rituals described in this collection to empower nectars
practices.
Carla Nappi points out, our notions of ‘Chinese-ness’ remain somewhat naïve; reflecting
a tendency to overlook changing boundaries with Tibet, regional variations and distinct
contacts between China and India and China and Tibet, long before the twelfth
century when the Rgyud bzhi is believed to have appeared in Tibet, but unravelling the
reciprocal influences at play is a task that will probably require extensive collaboration
between Chinese, Indian and Tibetan experts. The early Daoist sexual exercises predated
and may have influenced Indian practices, as Geoffrey Samuel has suggested, but
The second question that I posed at the outset regarded the parameters of the study
and what might legitimately be termed bcud len practice. The search for an answer has
helped to identify salient features that evolved in Tibet and thus helps to clarify the
extent to which the practices may be regarded as Tibetan in nature. It would appear that
while Tibetan longevity practices stemmed from Indian tantric traditions, indigenous
features soon were incorporated to form the basis of a ‘Tibetan’ set of teachings. The use
of bcud len and perhaps pills are the most common association with bcud len practice.
indicate broth or paste as alternative ways of ingesting the substances. The inclusion of
highly specific ingredients in making pills and nectars (such as certain plants only found
in the Himalayan region and yak meat) also suggests that Tibetan makers of compounds
developed their art into a distinctive one. However pill making and ingesting is but one
Since bcud len is fundamentally ‘essence extraction’, the practices found in the
texts suggest the need for a broader definition than has often been applied. From the
evidence, the attempts to extract essence include not only the ingestion of medicinal
compounds, but the use of breathing techniques to refine and master the workings of
the subtle body, phrul ’khor exercises, preliminary rituals and invocations, sexual union
The third research question regarded the respective potencies of the ingredients
ritual. The texts I have analysed and translated show a significant diversity in the
substances. This suggests that even in practices with the most fundamental medical
aims, such as relieving stomach problems, the efficacy of the substance taken was also
has three aspects: ingredients, mantras and meditation. He indicates the metaphysical
powers of bcud len by stating that pills can play a part in purification and clearing
problems created by the n gas. Similarly, on the question of the intended beneficiaries
of bcud len, Dr Nida Chenagtsang stresses that its practices are not restricted to the
medical realm. From this compendium we can detect a fusing of pragmatic medical
and spiritual aims which often complemented each other within the same text. Medical
references provide insights into common preoccupations of the time. At the end of
several texts, the earliest example being Text 4, recipes to overcome illnesses that may
arise in the practitioners are listed extensively and said to offer solutions to ailments
ranging from blood pressure, nerve-related illness, sinus blockage, and constipation
were a major problem for solitary meditators). The presence of such lists alongside
instructions on meditation suggest that certain texts may have been intended for hermits,
far from doctors, needing self-medication. However not only yogins are interested in
the empowered substances and sman sgrub public gatherings continue to attract large
the non-elitist nature of the long life aspect of pill practice, which is not restricted to
initiated practitioners.
401
and particularly to their power through taste, than he does to the power of mind (20%)
makes the point that while pills eaten or burned in fire may have the capacity to purify
and dispel negativity, their potency depends greatly on a belief in the deities.
there exist forms of the practice that do not require the ingestion of substances, and
researchers should not feel bound to limit their investigation to pill making and the more
accessible medical usages. The texts themselves and the comments of the contemporary
for sustenance.
Another research question at the outset concerned the contribution to and the
difficult to establish authorship of some teachings and prior to stating which school
has the greatest number of bcud len practices further research into the Bon tradition
of bcud len would be necessary. The evidence of this compendium suggests several
len
could be regarded as one of bcud len’s salient characteristics. Bcud len was never
institutionalised, but both the text colophons and contemporary authorities confirm that
it has been practised in other schools. Jamyang Khyentse Norbu speaks of bcud len as
402
mostly associated with the Rnying ma and Chögyal Namkhai Norbu reminds us that
the Dzogchen masters Klong chen pa and Nyag bla pad ma bdud ’dul were advanced
bcud len practitioners. The translator Elio Guarisco recalls meeting an active bcud len
as discussed in Chapter 3. These deities however were not strictly associated with one
school of Buddhism and their inclusion in one school’s set of practices by no means
indicates exclusive use. The universal appeal of certain deities is clear; for example,
A further question at the start of this project concerned the present vitality of
the bcud len tradition. Gerke’s recent fieldwork findings have demonstrated a wide
interest in Tibetan holistic healing. She has recounted the development of a significant
My own conversations on bcud len with doctors in Nepal and with lamas and
medical practitioners in the West confirm the growing appeal of bcud len. Mandarava
bcud len practice as taught by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu is now regularly practised by
rejuvenation across the world and Dr Sherab is producing several bcud len formulae for
export. The increasing interest in both medical and spiritual forms of bcud len suggests
Given the multifaceted nature of the tradition, the question of whether bcud
Academic discourse has by now created more nuanced enquiries and simplistic divisions
are no longer acceptable. As historians search for ever more refined interpretations,
The present study, for all its limitations, suggests possible avenues for future
research. To help identify more Tibetan elements in bcud len, further investigation
of Bon rituals and the sources of phrul ’khor practices will undoubtedly enhance our
understanding of Tibetan features in the practices and rituals. The work of Chinese
scholars on cultural interaction with Tibet may well produce interesting evidence of
connections between subtle body practices and similarities in the quest for longevity or
even immortality. Ideally, interdisciplinary teamwork will be the trend in future research
as too few individuals are equipped with sufficient linguistic and medical knowledge.
Knowing the very high percentage of gter mas amongst the bcud len texts, we may well
The wide range of techniques and benefits of bcud len practice thus appeal to all,
from the Tantric meditator or the celibate monk, to the sick or infirm or simply the lay
man or woman seeking an amelioration of health and life force. Whether the tangible
benefits of the whole spectrum of practices can be tested in a Western medical context,
as phrul ’khor has been in Alejandro Chaouls’s project, remains to be seen. I have heard
bcud len both touted both as a possible cure for obesity and indicated as the most rapid
path to the attainment of the rainbow body. It is clear therefore that a comprehensive
definition of the practice is called for. In my reading of this collection of texts, bcud len
is best thought of as a set of practices of composite origins with a strong early Indian
imprint that may include the ingestion of substances empowered by ritual and subtle
body exercises; these may include yogic respiratory exercises working with ,
404
visualisations, mantra recitation and union with a consort. The purported benefits of the
practice can range from the riddance of wrinkles to the supreme attainment of ’ja lus,
limited as they are, can help draw attention to these long ignored treatises that are
important in both broadening and refining our understanding of Tibet’s unique heritage
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Glossary
The difficulties of identifying plants and substances, and the necessity of working alongside a
local doctor, have been discussed in Chapter 3. The terms listed below were selected from what
appeared to be the most reliable sources, these include:
Goldstein (2001), Kletter and Kriechbaum (2001), Ploberger (2012), Pasang Yonten Arya (1998),
Zangyao zhi [Bod sman gyi rnam bshad] (1996), the Rangjung Yeshi Dharma Dictionary http://
rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/Main_Page
and the website http://crossasia.org/en/service/lab/tibetanterms.html
Key:
Goldstein (G)
Kletter and Kreichbaum (KK)
Pasang Yonten Arya (PY)
Parfionovitch et al. (PA)
Ploberger (P)
Rangjung Yeshi (RY)
Zangyao zhi (Z)
Dgav bavi rdo rje (DG)
I do not dare claim that this list of terms is definitive and substances identification could certainly
benefit from further discussion with botanists and em chi.
423
tshan chung pa Rhodiola dumulosa (Franch.) according to Dr. Tenzin Sherab refers
S.H. Fu to sro lo dmar po
tshan chung pa Rhodiola dumulosa (Franch.) sub term for sro lo, varieties of
S.H. Fu flowers include 'dre tshan (demon
(DG) flower) and lha tshan (god's flower).
See text 21.
tshe chang long life alcohol
tshil chen human fat' stone, type of
calcite
tsi tra'i khu bas Capiscum annuum (P)
ug chos Incarvillea compacta maxim
(RY)
ut pa la Meconopsis sp. (P) blue lotus flowers similar to those of tsher
sngon (KK 2001:311)