Vajrasattva Purification

Longchen Nyingtik Ngondrö

The Nectar Flows

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Purification Reveals Our True Nature
from the Hevajra Tantra
‘Sentient beings are buddhas, but they are
temporarily obscured. Once their obscurations
are removed, they are Buddha indeed’

‘All beings are Buddhas,

But this is concealed by adventitious stains.
When their stains are purified, their buddhood is
revealed.’
Alternate translation: KLS pg 10
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• Vajrasattva embodies all the healing powers of
all the buddhas.
• He is the embodiment of the purity and power of
enlightened energy.
• He is inseparable from our own teacher
• Ultimately, he is no other than our true nature.
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I take refuge in you and pray—
purify all our negative actions!
With the deepest regret I
acknowledge them all and ask
your forgiveness:
From now on—even if my life is at
stake—I shall refrain from
indulging in them again.
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 The Four Powers
The practice of Vajrasattva is to effect the purification of our negative
karma using the four powers.
1. The power of support: the outer power of support
(meditation on the teacher as Vajrasattva) Essence is Faith
The inner power of support: (taking refuge, arousing
bodhichitta and developing supreme compassion)
2. The power of regret: the feeling of remorse for all the
negative actions done in the past Essence is remorse
3. The power of resolve: to remember the faults committed and
to resolve never to commit them again from this very day on,
even at the cost of your life. Essence is the vow not to
commit negative acts in the future.
4. The power of action: first part of the first nectar flow outer,
inner and secret purification
The power of action: the second part of the first nectar flow
restoring our energy and immune system
The power of action: the second nectar flow receiving the
four empowerments Essence is to develop a real wish to
practice the dharma 5
Ah!
I am in my ordinary form: above my head
On a white lotus, in the center of a moon-
disc seat
Is hung, which becomes the Lama
Vajrasattva
Brilliant white, with complete
sambhogakaya adornments,
Holding vajra and bell, and embracing the
consort Vajratopa.
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Suspended in space an arrow’s length above your head,
visualize an open white lotus with a thousand petals,
and upon it the disc of a full moon.
Upon this lunar disc, visualize a brilliant white syllable
hūm.
In an instant, the hūm is transformed into your
glorious root teacher, that incomparable mine of
compassion who in essence is the nature of all the
Buddhas of past, present and future in one.
He appears in the form of the sambhogakāya Buddha,
Vajrasattva. (KLS pg 267)

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White 1000-petalled lotus—represents the power of transmutation
Full moon—represents cooling compassion, it is perfectly smooth
HUNG—represents the wisdom mind of all the buddhas (the nucleus, the
seed, the DNA) , in this case, of Vajrasattva. (SR)

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I take refuge in you and pray—purify
all our negative actions!
With the deepest regret I acknowledge
them all and ask your forgiveness:
From now on—even if my life is at
stake—I shall refrain from indulging
in them again.

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Vajrasattva Purification
The First Nectar Flow

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 Vajasattva Yabyum

Union of the deities symbolizes union of the relative & absolute

(emptiness and form)—appearances are united with the truth; of the
great emptiness and cognizance/clear light; of emptiness and bliss.
(SR) 11
• Above your head is a magnificent white lotus, it’s stem
coming down into the crown of your head.
• Upon this lotus, in the centre of a moon disc-seat, is a
white syllable HUNG, which melts into light and
transforms into Lama Vajrasattva.
• He is brilliant white, like a snow peak lit up by the
brilliance of one hundred thousand suns.
• His legs are crossed in the vajra-posture. His right hand
holds a vajra at his heart, and his left holds a bell
against his hip. And he is adorned with all of the
ornaments of a Sambhogakaya Buddha.
• He is embracing the consort. Visualize their bodies
appearing vividly and distinctly, yet lacking any true
reality. They are just like the reflections of the moon in
water.
• The visualization is not flat like a painting and it isn’t
solid like a statue. Nor is it made of flesh or blood: it is
a body of light and it is imbued with wisdom.
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In your heart upon a full moon
Is the letter HUNG, encircled by the mantra.
Reciting the mantra invokes your wisdom mind, and
From the point of union of the blissful play of yab-yum
A cloud of bodhichitta nectar
Flows down like a shining stream of milk. Through this,
For me and all sentient beings of the three worlds
May our negative karma and destructive emotions—the
causes of suffering—
Illnesses, harmful influences, negative actions and
obscurations, along with
Wrong doing, downfalls, and blockages due to breakages of
samaya,
Be purified, till not a single one remains!

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Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra

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The nectar itself is called ‘the nectar of compassion,’ ‘a cloud of nectar, the
nature of which is bodhichitta.’ (SR) 15
 Main Aspects of Purification
of The Nectar Flows

Cleansing
Purifies Outer, Inner & Secret Negative Karma
Satisfies Karmic Debtors

Spiritual Healing &

Healing & Restoring Receiving
The Four Empowerments

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 Three Methods of the Nectar Flows

Vajrasattva Purification
The Nectar Flows

Method 1 Method 2 Method 3

The First Flow has 2 parts The First Flow has 1 part The First Flow has 1 part
The Second has 1 part The Second has 2 parts The Second has 1 part

The main point is that the ground beneath closes up after cleansing, and
before healing and restoration. If cleansing and restoration are combined,
(Method 3), then the ground closes up after both are completed.
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In Vajrasattva’s heart, upon a full moon, is the letter HUNG, encircled
by the letters of the hundred syllable mantra mala. Reciting the
hundred syllables of the mantra causes rays of light to emanate
from the mantra mala, invoking his wisdom mind. From the point
of union of the bliss-emptiness play of yab-yum, a cloud of nectar,
the nature of which is bodhichitta, flows down like a stream of milk
(or camphor) and enters my body through the top of my head and
the heads of all sentient beings of the three worlds. Through this,
my past negative karma and more immediate destructive
emotions—the causes of suffering—are purified.
All illnesses are expelled through the pores of the skin and the two
lower orifices of your body, in the form of pus and blood. All
harmful influences (dön) are expelled in the form of creatures such
as spiders, scorpions and snakes. All negative actions and
obscurations are expelled in the form of black liquid, smoke and
soot. The ground beneath you opens up to reveal Yama, the Lord of
Death, surrounded by his entourage, the controllers of karmic debts.
All the impurities flow into their open mouths. They are satisfied.
All your karmic debts are repaid and untimely death is averted.
Yama turns away and the earth closes up again.
Chökyi Drakpa’s Commentary, pg. 177 from A Guide to the Practice of Ngöndro.
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Yama Lord of Death

The Dharmachakra
The Wheel of Life
As these obscurations flow out of your body,
the earth below you opens, down to seven
levels below the surface. There, in the form
of a red bull with mouth gaping open, is
Yama, the Lord of Death. The dirty liquid
enters his mouth, and, as he swallows, it
turns into nectar. Now all your karmic debts,
your past actions, have been totally purified
and transformed into wisdom.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: Excellent Path To Enlightenment

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The earth beneath you opens up and in the
depths appears Death, personification of your
past actions, surrounded by all the male and
female beings to whom you owe karmic debts
and all those who seek to venge themselves on
your flesh. While you recite the hundred
syllable mantra, visualize all those impurities
pouring down into their open mouths and
into the hands and arms they raise
expectantly toward you.

At the end, imagine that Death, the

embodiment of past actions, and all the others
below the earth―every kind of karmic
creditor and all those who seek vengeance on
your flesh―are appeased and satisfied. Past
scores have been settled, debts have been
repaid and vengeance has been appeased. You
are cleansed of all past negative actions and
obscurations. Death closes his mouth and
hands and lowers his arms.
(KLS pgs 279-270)

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Vajrasattva Purification
The Second Nectar Flow

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O protector! In my ignorance and delusion
I have gone against and corrupted my samaya.
Lama protector, be my refuge!
Chief of all the mandalas, vajra holder,
Embodiment of great compassion:
Chief of all living beings, in you I take refuge!
I confess all my impairments of the root and
branch samayas of the body, speech and mind.
I implore you: let my negative actions,
obscurations, wrong doing and downfalls—all
my flaws—be completely cleansed and purified!
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At these words of mine, Vajrasattva is
pleased and smiling, says, “Son/daughter
of an enlightened family, your negative
actions, obscurations, wrong-doing, and
downfalls are all purified”.
Granting his forgiveness, he melts into light
and dissolves into me.
Through this, I too become Vajrasattva,
appearing yet empty, like a reflection in a
mirror.
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• As you recite the 100 syllable mantra,
visualize the second flow of nectar
coming in through the crown of your
head and filling every cell of your
body down to your fingers and your
toes, restoring health and vitality.
• Consider that through this, your body
is completely healed and appears like
a crystal vase filled with milk.
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• The second nectar flow is for
spiritual healing
• As you recite the 100-syllable mantra
shining white bodhichitta nectar fills
the central channel and the chakras
at the crown of your head, at your
throat, at your heart and at your
navel.
• Through this practice all breakages of
the vows and samayas are restored.
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Vajrasattva Purification
The Six Syllable Mantra
&
The Dissolution

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Granting his forgiveness, he melts into light and
dissolves into me.
Through this, I too become Vajrasattva, appearing
yet empty, like a reflection in a mirror.
At my heart is HUNG, around which are the four
brilliantly radiant syllables:
OM, VAJRA, SA TVA emanate rays of light.
Whereby the three worlds—the whole universe of
the environment and beings within it—attain
enlightenment all together as the buddha fields
and buddhas of the five families of Vajrasattva.

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Six Syllable Mantra

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Tibetan syllable Hung

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Then visualize that from your whole body and
from the syllables of the mantra, boundless rays of
light emanate, filling the whole universe around
you. The universe is now no longer an ordinary,
impure place, but the perfect Buddhafield of
Vajrasattva, the Buddhafield of Pure Joy. The
sentient beings in it are also no longer ordinary:
all the males have the form and nature of
Vajrasattva, and all the females the form and
nature of Vajratöpa, his wisdom consort. To the
east all beings become white Vajrasattvas and
Vajratöpas of the Vajra or Diamond family; to the
south they become yellow Vajrasattvas and
Vajratöpas of the Ratna or Jewel family; to the
west; they become red Vajrasattvas and
Vajratöpas of the Padma or Lotus family; to the
north they become green Vajrasattvas and
Vajratöpas of the Karma or Action family; and in
the center, they become blue Vajrasattvas and
Vajratöpas of the Tathagata or Buddha family. All
these beings are continuously reciting the hundred-
syllable mantra, the sound of which fills the whole
of space.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche:
Excellent Path To Enlightenment 31
 Dissolution
• At the end of the practice the outer environment
dissolves into the bodies of the Vajrasattvas
within it.
• All their bodies dissolve into you.
• You melt into light, which is absorbed into the
mantra mala.
• The mantra mala dissolves into the HUNG.
• The HUNG then gradually dissolves and you
rest in the state of shunyata.

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Through the positivity and merit of this,
may I swiftly
Attain the realization of Vajrasattva, and
thereby
Every single sentient being
Reach his state of perfection too.

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 Conclusion
• Visualizing oneself in the presence of all the
Buddhas and bodhisattvas, dedicate the merit,
together with all the merit accumulated from
positive actions in the past, present and future.
• Dedicate completely free of any notion of something
to dedicate, someone dedicating and even the act of
dedicating—or emulate the Buddhas and
bodhisattvas, thinking: “In the same way as all the
Buddhas and bodhisattvas made a completely pure
dedication, free of the dualistic concepts of subject,
object and action—so, in the same way, I dedicate
the merits.”
• Recite the Dedication and Long Life Prayers
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 Resources
• Sogyal Rinpoche: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
• Patrul Rinpoche: Kunzang Lama’I Shelung and the Brief Guide
to the Stages of Visualization for the Longchen Nyingtik Ngondro
(Mikrin Düpa or Zur Gyen
• Chöki Drakpa’s Commentary on the Longchen Nyingtik
Ngondro: A Torch for the Path to Omniscience.
• Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo’s Notes on the Longchen
Nyingtik Ngondro: Illuminating the Excellent Path to
Omniscience.
• Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche’s written works which include
advice on the practice of ngöndro, including: The Excellent
Path To Enlightenment.
• Rigpa Shedra Wiki: www.rigpawiki.org/
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Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra Carving
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