Eva Natanya, 01 May 2020
Today’s session is a prelude to Guru Yoga, which will be our next preliminary practice (we will receive the teachings on Chöd until the end of the retreat).
But first, Eva (Yangchen) explains the hand mudra and symbolism for mandala offering, and what can be done with the physical mandala after concluding the practice. Then she comments a little further on the ‘wet and flowing’ example of last session, that which appears differently to different perceptions, as an analogy to the Buddhist cosmology /modern cosmology descriptions of the Universe. Yangchen proceeds by commenting on the inversion of the order (Vajrasattva- mandala offering) in the shorter recitation versus the other texts. In any case, coming into the next practice from Vajrasattva or mandala offering, we have dissolved all appearances into emptiness, and arrive in a pure realm, ready for the Guru Yoga.
She goes then to our arriving in the pure land, and the form in which we arrive there, that of Yeshe Tsogyal as Vajrayogini. This connection to the pure land and a pure being is highly auspicious, which makes this Guru Yoga the most profound among profound crucial points, as described by Düdjom Lingpa. She elaborates on how we are receiving the empowerment from Guru Rinpoche, and on the basis of what is that a qualified teacher is replaced by the presence of Padmasambhava on this particular practice. Yangchen also explains that it is the devotion and surrender to the blessings that can enable the whole transformation of stage of generation and completion to take place, without elaboration; letting dharmakāya ‘do the work'.
Next, Eva goes on to the description of our emergence as Yeshe Tsogyal in a celestial palace. She comments on what is our form as the perfect student of Padmasambhava symbolizing, and on what is the feminine energy representing here. Further, she explains that Vajrayogini is appearing as the womb of all buddhas, which is emptyness. The point of all of this is to be a good vessel for the empowerments, so we see ourselves as a pure symbol of transcendent wisdom.
At the end Yangchen summarizes the three lineages of these revelations. She reminds us that, no matter how many beings are in between the origin and ourselves, we are always receiving the full power of the teachings, as nothing stops Samantabhadra to appear as our Guru. She concludes by reading a prayer by Mipham Rinpoche to Yeshe Tsogyal.
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