Taranata’s Six Doctrines of Niguma !

Session One: Refuge

In general, for taking refuge, a master should teach whatever form of refuge, extensive
or brief, is appropriate to the disciples’ understanding. In this case, although we have a
practice of giving a four-fold refuge visualization consistent with general Buddhist customs,
we teach it to those who enjoy elaborate meditations. While there is nothing wrong in that,
these doctrines’ special practice of profound meaning is a refuge visualization where all
[objects of refuge] are united in one, a practice replete with blessings and whose oral
transmission continues without interruption. Therefore, [the lineage masters] use it for their
daily experiential cultivation.
For the practice of refuge, in a secluded place on a comfortable seat, assume the general
posture for meditation practice, allow the mind to settle in a natural state, and begin to
examine yourself and all others. Think, “Oh! All sentient beings and I have to endlessly
experience the wheel of life’s unbearable sufferings. How awful! What can I do about this?”
Since you need a refuge that can definitely protect you from this suffering, there is no such
place of refuge other than the Three Jewels united in a single form—the holy, qualified
spiritual master. Think, “By all means, I must take refuge only in my root spiritual master!”
Imagine that the region and building where you sit are a true pure land. In the sky
before you, on the seat of a lion-supported throne, a lotus, and the flat discs of sun and moon,
sits your kind root spiritual master in his actual form, brilliantly radiant with lustrous light; he
smiles, pleased with you. He epitomizes all buddhas, all teachings, all spiritual communities,
all living and [past] lineage masters, the infinite numbers of peaceful and wrathful deities, all
dakinis, protectors, and guardians of the doctrine. Think, “Whatever happens, kind root
spiritual master, consider me!”
Then surround yourself, close by and in all directions, with all sentient beings of the
three realms, principally your parents in this life, hostile enemies and obstructors, and local
deities of the region where you live. Imagine that you take refuge together with them, reciting,

With my mothers, all sentient beings whose numbers fill the bounds of space,
I take refuge in the union of all refuges, my precious spiritual master.

Recite this as many times as you can. Think, “In the past, all sentient beings and I have lived in
fear of the wheel of life’s myriad sufferings. Now we ask you for refuge. In you, trustworthy
refuge, we place our entire confidence: we have no other hope, refuge, or protector! In your
great compassion, give us refuge, we beseech you!” Maintain this intense feeling [while
reciting the refuge prayer].
At the end of the session, your devotion and respect toward the spiritual master, your
place of refuge, causes him to fill with light, melt, and dissolve into you: imagine that the
spiritual master is inseparable with your mind, and settle in evenness in that state for a short
while.
If this marks the beginning of an interlude between sessions, dedicate the virtue of your
practice to the attainment of awakening.
 Taranata’s Six Doctrines of Niguma !6

This concludes the first session.

 Taranata’s Six Doctrines of Niguma !7

Session Two: Development of the Mind of Awakening

Begin by taking refuge as explained above, then again consider yourself and others, the
vessel of the universe and the beings within, sentient beings whose numbers fill the bounds of
space. Think, “Oh! Wherever this space reaches, sentient beings fill it. Each without exception
has been my father, my mother, my friend, and not just once! They have been my parents, etc.,
during infinite lifetimes. Happiness is what they wish for, yet suffering is their only
experience: how terribly sad! Therefore, I must relieve their suffering and secure them in true
happiness. Ultimately, once I have purified their two obscurations and related habitual
patterns, I must establish them in the state of complete enlightenment. There is no other way
for me to do this: I must attain the state of enlightenment! Since meditation on the sacred
Teachings’ meaning produces enlightenment, I will now meditate on the consummate
profound path, the deep Six Doctrines.” Verbally, recite the following:

For the sake of sentient beings whose numbers equal the bounds of space,
I will cultivate the experience of Niguma’s Six Doctrines’ profound path
To attain the state of omniscience, complete enlightenment.

Reflect on these words’ meaning: recite them slowly and very carefully.
Spend the main part of the session repeatedly meditating on cultivating this experience
alone. At each session’s conclusion, dedicate the virtue of this practice to the attainment of
awakening.
This concludes the second session.

Session Three: The Purifying Ah of Inner Space

The special preliminary practice is divided under three headings:

1. The Purifying Ah of Inner Space

2. The Inner Space that Dispels Sickness and Demons
3. The Special Three Signs of Inner Space.

The first is the main visualization. Begin by repeating seven times each the verses for
taking refuge and developing the mind of awakening as explained before. Then imagine
clearly that at the crown of your head, your spiritual master in his actual form sits on a full
four-level throne, or on any suitable throne. Then, with intense feelings of respect and
devotion, recite the following:

Precious spiritual master,

Epitome of all buddhas of the three times,
 Taranata’s Six Doctrines of Niguma !8

For the sake of all sentient beings,

Pacify all my sicknesses and demons,
Purify all my negative acts and obscurations,
Have special meditative states arise in my mind.

Recite this prayer fervently at length. At the end, the spiritual master melts into light and
dissolves into you. The visualization to this point constitutes the preliminary contemplative
practice of the spiritual master necessary to this meditation.
When the light enters through the crown of the head and dissolves, the brain, which has
the nature of stupidity, vanishes and is thus purified—it is said that the conch structure, your
skull, becomes like a celestial palace. This statement’s actual meaning is that your body
remains in its ordinary form with its present solid substance. Nevertheless, think that from the
neck up (in its common shape and appearance), not only has your body relinquished its inner
flesh, blood, and bone, the outer skin's faint outline has become extremely fine, like a water-
bubble, white in color. Within the head stands a white, triangular “source of phenomena,”
empty, luminous and clear, like a crystal vessel. Its point is narrow and turns downward,
reaching the level of the throat. Its opening is wide and turned upward. Of its three corners,
one faces the forehead; the other two reach just above the right and left ears, just touching the
skin’s inner surface.
Right in the center of the source of phenomena, not tilting toward the right, left, front,
or back, stands the union of your mind and the spiritual master, free from formulation, the
symbol of non-arising—a white letter Ah. It is luminous, clear, made of light, and radiates very
brilliant white light. It is said that you meditate that the source of phenomena’s rim and the
letter Ah’s throat, where the upper strokes are made, are at the same height. Whatever the case,
you meditate that the top of the letter Ah definitely rises above the source of phenomena’s rim.
To begin, fix the attention firmly on that clear image as described, then allow the mind
to remain balanced between tightness and relaxation as you focus the mind on the letter Ah
and the source of phenomena. Follow this with recitation of the short sound “Ah”, whispered
in recitation twenty-one times. This induces from the Ah a thick flow of nectar—white,
luminous, radiant, and strongly flowing. It descended, instantly filled the source of
phenomena, and then overflowed from all sides. It rushed forcefully into the center of the
body, within and without. Think that it expelled negative acts and obscurations accumulated
from time immemorial within the wheel of life, as well as all circumstantial adverse conditions,
sicknesses, demons, obstacles, use of undeserved offerings, sale of sacred images,
contraventions and mistakes in tantric commitments, etc.
Negative acts and obscurations have no material color; nevertheless, to make the
visualization more vivid, and because of the special power of many interdependent
connections, negative acts, obscurations, etc., are all imagined in the form of liquid smoke or
liquid coal. Dense streams of these negative forces, which cannot fit within the body, left
through the body’s nine orifices; medium streams, through the finger-nails’ and toe-nails’
edges; and fine streams through the hair-tips and from the pores. Think that the streams flow
outward, winding darkly. At whatever point the clear and luminous nectar reached,
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sicknesses, demons, negative acts, and obscurations had no power to remain: they were
expelled from top to bottom, and from the body’s center to its extremities. Further, all impure
substances, such as the body’s flesh, blood, and bones, seemed to melt and were purified,
vanishing with the negative acts and obscurations. This process washed the body’s interior.
Further, nectar flowed out from hair roots to wash your body’s exterior as well. The body
becomes white, clear, and luminous; the skin just a faint outline, like a fine crystal vessel.
Think that the body’s interior is filled with clear and luminous nectar, or made of white
rainbow light. Think that the sicknesses, demons, negative acts, and obscurations that were
expelled descended as a black cloud far under the ground, and eventually disappeared. After
having meditated continually and with disciplined focus on these visualizations, settle in
release for a moment, to relax.
The above constitutes one visualization.
The contemplative practice of the spiritual master done at the beginning of the session
is sufficient; during the session, it is unnecessary to repeat it, whereas you meditate repeatedly
upon the main visualization. For instance, during a single session, the visualization can be
done one hundred times; if you do four, five, or six such sessions [daily], signs of purification
will come quickly in the course of one week, etc. Taking this as an example, according to your
degree of energetic application—best, intermediate, or average—the signs of accomplishment
will arise quickly or slowly.
When you think that your negative acts and obscurations are purified, it is said that if
you meditate that your body is unimpeded, like a rainbow, experiences of clarity will arise and
your awareness will be lucid; if you meditate that the body is filled with nectar, the body’s
well-being will be excellent; and if you meditate that the body is like a pure crystal ball, clear
appearance will arise in dreams.
This concludes the third session.

Session Four: The Inner Space that Dispels Sickness and Demons

This has two parts: dispelling sickness and dispelling demons. Although each has a
number of separate parts and each constitutes a minor visualization, they are just ways to
apply the Purifying Ah of Inner Space. Therefore, they must be counted together as a single
major visualization.
In the case of sicknesses of heat, the stream of nectar from the Ah flows white, endowed
with both a cooling touch and potency. It descends to the location of the fever in the upper part
of the body or wherever heat is felt. At such locations, think that a hole opens; from it, the
entire fever is gradually expelled in a red color. Likewise, in the case of sicknesses of cold, a
stream of nectar flows red, endowed with both a warming touch and potency. It descends to
the location of coldness in the lower part of the body or wherever cold is felt. At such locations,
think that a hole opens; from it, the entire sickness is gradually expelled in a white color. In the
case of sicknesses of circulating energy, nectar flows with a golden color, like melted butter,
and is nutritious. From the whole body, or from the lower two gates, or from a hole that
 Taranata’s Six Doctrines of Niguma !10

appears wherever the sickness is located, the sickness gradually leaves in a blue or black color.
Or you can think that the illness leaves in the form of swirling, descending agitated circulating
energy or smoke. In the case of heart circulating energy, think that a hole forms at that level
and that the sickness leaves from it. Any other sicknesses follow these patterns.
Further, having meditated on the basic visualization of the Purifying Ah of Inner Space,
think that from the Ah nectar in the form of wrathful deities falls like a fierce hailstorm. The
infinite numbers of small wrathful deities fill the body with no spaces between them; they
emanate tongues of fire that blaze downward and in every direction. Nectar of molten bronze
also flows. The sound of the deities’ mantras causes terror, they strike with their weapons, and
their mountains of fire burns; demons are helplessly chased outside the body in the form of
various living things, and are destroyed without any remainder by wrathful deities.
Wrathful deities needed as antidotes to specific demons are described below under the
heading Taming as Appropriate [Session 30]. Since the three diffusions [from the Ah]—wrathful
deities, fire, and molten bronze—cannot be done at the same time, visualize them
consecutively.
This concludes the fourth session.
 Taranata’s Six Doctrines of Niguma !11

Session Five: The Special Three Signs of Inner Space

The best signs that meditation on the Purifying Ah of Inner Space has purified negative
acts and obscurations are those that arise materially: by meditating on this alone, your body
will become light when rising, your consciousness lucid, your character gentle, and your
attitude changed. Obscuring emotions, such as desire and anger, diminish, and such qualities
as faith, compassion, and transcendent knowledge increase by themselves.
The intermediate signs of purification arise as meditative experiences during waking
life’s appearances of delusion: washing, flying in the sky, wearing white clothes, etc. Ordinary
signs of purification have occurred when [these same signs] arise in vivid dreams:
The best sign of sickness having left by meditation on the curative inner space is the
actual cleansing of the sickness. The middle, in meditative experience, and the least, in dreams,
is diarrhea and vomiting, or for pus or blood to be expelled from the body, etc.
The best sign of purification of dispelling demons through meditation on the curative
inner space is the actual full pacification of their affliction, for your body and mind to be
joyous and at ease, and for you to have a positive outlook. The middle, in meditative
experience, and the least, in dreams, is to overcome a malicious animal, to overcome your
enemies, or for animals to leave your body.
Thus, there are three signs: purification of negative acts and obscurations, dispelling
disease, and dispelling demons. Each is divided into actual signs, meditative experience, and
dreams, a total of nine kinds of signs.
In relation to these, do not first hope for the signs: you must stay steadfast without
expectation. If a sign appears, it is a mistake to become attached to it, to be conceited about it,
or to regard it with joy or dismay. Abandon hope or fear with the thought, “This is only the
unhindered arising of the appearance of interdependent causation. Ultimately, it has no
intrinsic existence, like a magical display.” By having settled yourself in this manner, later
obstacles will not arise and you will have success.
When manifest signs have appeared, that is enough in itself. During meditative
experience in the waking state, if vivid appearances have arisen, a single occurrence can be
considered a sign [of purification]. If they only arise in dreams, it is not certain [that the
appearance can be considered a sign]: if the dream was very vivid, occurred many times, and
on awaking, the mind became glowing and very powerful, it can be considered a sign.
An extensive outline of signs can be found in the older texts.
Although there is nothing here that constitutes a visualization for a session of
meditation, the integration of signs as the path is itself a separate subject.
This concludes the fifth session.