Tummo

The clear luminous nature of mind is with us all of the time. It’s the nature of mind itself. It’s the foundation on which all perception takes place. Keeping this mind as the primary consciousness, keeping the clear light nature of mind as the primary awareness, moving into the sense realm, maintaining the clear luminous nature of mind as the object of awareness, realizing that all color and shape, sound and scent, taste, sensations, objects of touch, and conceptual, discursive thoughts are not fixed anywhere in time and space, but are illusory or illusive appearances that are dependent upon causes and conditions yet have no fixed abode nor specific destination. That the mind itself is without limitations that are imposed by time and space. Realizing that the clear light nature of mind is the universal mind, re-inhabit the ordinary sense realm viewing color and shape, sound, scent, taste, sense of touch, thought as all being the expressions of pure appearance. They are the manifestations of pure appearance. Pure means devoid of the taint of inherent existence, of true existence. Always, when finishing the meditation [pray]: May this meditation become the cause for myself and all other universal living beings, all of them, every single one of them, both in totality and one by one, to realize the wisdom of equanimity that knows that all living beings are equal in their quest for happiness and to be released from suffering. Through this meditation may myself and all other living beings realize the unconditional compassion that yearns to see all living beings free from suffering; and through the force of this meditation may myself and all other universal living beings realize the universal and unconditional great love that yearns to see all living beings abiding in everlasting happiness and the cause of happiness. Finally, through the force of this meditation may myself and all other universal living beings, all of them, realize the indestructible fearless joy of enlightenment, even going completely beyond birth and death, through the force of this pristine wisdom, universal truth. May this precious human existence become the door to the stages of the path all the way to Buddhahood.

Tummo Practice by Ngawang Chodak

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The inner fire meditation can be practiced when there’s a bit more time and one can work with it for awhile. It requires a fair amount of equipment with the different channels and drops. It requires setting up and takes a bit more time, while the indestructible drop is a kind of a synthesis of that meditation that takes place in the heart and it is very rapid, very quick. One thing about the inner fire, actually both meditations, is that they are physically very useful. They are good for the health as well as helping to reveal the clear luminous nature of mind as a primary awareness or primary consciousness. Inner fire in Tibetan is tummo which literally means fierce goddess. Make your body comfortable and sit in the meditation posture. It’s not absolutely necessary to sit cross-legged. One can sit in a chair. The main thing is that the back is straight. The head should not be raised up or tilted too far forward but just comfortably resting so that if one were to drop a grain of rice from the nose it would just graze the belly button. The central channel should be straight as an arrow. The hands should be resting in the lap in the gesture of meditation, the left hand first and then the right hand resting in the upturned palm of the left hand, with the thumbs touching. The thumbs are touching right around the level of the navel center. Then just relax, and the arms should not be pressed against the sides or the ribcage or too far out, but just resting naturally so that there can be the unimpeded movement of air between the inner surface of the arms and the ribcage. The eyes should not be too firmly closed or wide open, but just resting, kind of half and half. This is called the stare of concentration, and then the last thing, the tongue is pressed resting against the upper palate. This inhibits the flow of saliva so that the inside of the meditator’s mouth remains moist without having to swallow too often. First, in order to awaken the prana, see the body as being made of indestructible rainbow light . Instead of identifying with the body as the atombased flesh and blood body, think of the body as being made of pure energy, blissful, and that the whole body is conscious. Before beginning this meditation it’s always a good idea to invoke all of the enlightened beings everywhere and to invite them to come and bless the meditation by entering into [you], by absorbing the blessings of all of those enlightened beings into this rainbow body and into the central channel and the right and left channels, and the drops in the navel center and the drop in the crown center. The central channel is the size of the ring finger in diameter. It runs from the crown center to the root center. It’s white outside and red inside and also made of light. Inside you think of it as being oily; so its slick and movement inside the central channel is very easy because it’s slippery. The inner surface is slippery. Then the chakras, these focal points of nervous system energy: the crown; the throat, which is the root of the tongue; the heart, which is where you point when saying “I”; the navel, which is the pit of the stomach where you feel butterflies and also bliss; and the root center inside of the perineum, 2

bliss which increases as it fills with nectar. The crown center continues to produce nectar. The heart center being filled, the nectar in the central channel continues to flow downward. The bliss increases, becoming more and more powerful as it descends. The source of the nectar is in the center of the crown center. The nectar reaches the center of the navel center and touching the source of inner fire in the center of the navel center, like pouring fuel on a blaze, a powerful surge of blissful heat courses through the body from the navel center. The naval center fills with blissful nectar. The crown center continues to produce more and more nectar and it continues to fill the central channel downward from the navel center toward the root center, reaching the center of the root center and touching the center of the root center, and that center experiences great bliss as it fills with nectar. Now the five centers and the central channel are filled with the silvery white nectar of great bliss like nectar made of light. The nectar of pristine wisdom. So the five centers and the central channel are filled with the blissful nectar of pristine wisdom. The nectar spreads from the five centers, filling the entire rainbow body like inner fire was before. It fills the head, the throat, the chest, the abdomen, the sacroplexus, the shoulders, inside the arms and legs all the way to the tips of the fingers and toes in every extremity, leaving no part of the rainbow body out. Then relax, the rainbow body hovers or remains with exquisite blissful heat. The rainbow body becomes completely filled with nectar made of light. What the rainbow body experiences as blissful heat, the cognition of the mind experiences as its own clear luminous nature. Pristine wisdom is the clear luminous nature of consciousness reflecting the mere absence of inherent existence. Bare awareness, beyond words, beyond thought. What the body experiences as blissful heat, the mind is experiencing as its own pristine, clear, luminous nature. Focus the mind one pointedly in the blissful experience of clear light. Clear light nature of mind as the reflection of timeless and boundless truth. Existence has no limit, no beginning, no distinctions. It is beyond birth and death. So with the pure subtle cognition of mind itself, seal the mind with eternal wisdom and see the emptiness of inherent existence. Now for a few moments remain in the blissful experience of clear light. Relaxing, just peer into the mind, gaze intently at the mind itself like a child gazing deeply into the sky. Then without breaking the continuity of the meditation, use the clear light of the mind as the meditation object. The mind itself being clear, having no color nor shape, and the mind being luminous and pure, as it’s endowed with the power of cognition that illumines or reveals the universe and universal truth. The universe is revealed through the mind and so the mind is luminous. So moment to moment, with the mind, meditate upon the mind itself. Keep the focus directed toward the mind itself. Let go and relax. The more you let go, the more vivid the meditation becomes. 7

sacroplexus and fill the legs from the hips downward all the way to the toes. From the navel center the abdominal cavity is filled with inner fire. From the heart center the chest, solar plexus, is filled with inner fire; from the throat center the throat, neck, the shoulders, upper chest and then from the trunk of the rainbow body, inner fire fills the arms. From the crown center inner fire fills the entire head with a glowing radiant blissful heat. So the central channel and the five channel wheels, chakras, fill the whole rainbow body with the glowing radiant heat of inner fire. For a few moments focus on the whole rainbow being filled with inner fire, like a samadhi meditation. The navel center continues to produce more and more inner fire that completely devours any negativity in each of the five centers and inside of the central channel, and so for a few moments focus on inner fire becoming hotter and hotter and hotter. Using that like samadhi meditation, the hotter inner fire becomes, the more negativity it devours. So the more negativity there is, the hotter inner fire blazes because it’s food is negativity. Physical problems, emotional conflict and dualistic view, inner fire becomes hotter and hotter and hotter completely devouring the experience, and the cause of the wheel of conditioned existence, and even the most subtle obscurations, are consumed by inner fire. So inner fire completely pervades the rainbow body, the fingers and toes, the eyelids, lips, nostrils, the earlobes and every extremity of the body leaving no part of the rainbow body out. Devouring all negativity, inner fire becomes hotter and hotter. The whole rainbow body abides in a glowing radiant warmth. So for awhile keep that concentration on inner fire burning in the rainbow body and purifying all discursive thought, illnesses and hindrances. The heat of inner fire fully pervades the crown center and the silvery white drop of great bliss. Its heat is the catalyst that causes the blissful nature of the drop in the crown center to be released and become the simultaneous great bliss. It melts and as it melts it begins to flow and to run and where ever it touches it brings the experience of the simultaneous great bliss. Now the droplet of great bliss in the crown has completely melted and become fluid. The droplet brings ecstatic great bliss. The crown center is filled with the silvery white nectar of great bliss, which is synonymous with pristine wisdom. It continues to flow downward inside of the central channel, increasing in bliss as it descends and bringing great bliss wherever it touches. The source of this nectar is the core of great bliss in the center of the crown center. The nectar flows inside of the central channel coating the inner lining of the central channel and filling it, reaching the throat center and touching the center of the throat center, and the throat center experiences great bliss as it fills with nectar. The crown center continues to produce nectar in an ever-increasing abundance. From the throat center it continues to spill down inside of the central channel, flowing like warm honey inside of the central channel downward toward the heart center. Reaching the center of the heart center and touching the center of the heart center. The heart center experiences great 6

just in front of the anal opening. All of these focal points are inside of the center of the central channel. The central channel runs from the crown center to the root center straight like an arrow. It doesn’t curve like the spinal chord. It is straight. It forms the axis of the body. In the center of the navel center is a droplet of deep orange-red fire essence in the form of a droplet, like liquid fire made of light, and it’s vital, alive and conscious. It’s the distilled essence of heat, radiant heat. Feel that in the pit of the stomach or the center of the navel center. The drop of inner fire blazes in the center of the navel center and radiates heat. The droplet in the crown center is silvery white, like mercury, made of light, and its energy is the distilled essence of ecstatic bliss. The ecstatic great bliss in secret mantra is called (?)ki dewa chenpo which means the simultaneous great bliss. It’s related to the bliss of orgasmic ecstasy experienced at the height of orgasm. It’s related. The droplet in the crown is very powerful and radiant silvery white. Feel at the center of the crown center a blissful energy emanating from that droplet. From the left nostril is a white tube of light that ascends to the apex of the cranium and then bending there like the staff of a shepherd, descends exactly parallel to and almost touching the central channel, and then plugging into the central channel at the trident. From the right nostril is the red tube of light that curves also up to the apex of the cranium and also descends parallel to the central channel, exactly the same as the left channel. The right channel is red and the left channel is white, and they conjoin to the central channel four finger widths below the navel center, and that place is called the trident or trusali. The central channel is the same length as the right and left channels because it extends further down, all the way to the perineum, but it terminates at the crown center while the right and left channels begin at the nostrils and arch upward, but they terminate at the trident, four finger widths below the navel. So those channels are the same length. The point of entry into the central channel is at the trident, four finger widths below the navel. First of all, we will do the nine round breathing exercise to clean the system of channels, winds and drops. Inhale deeply from the abdomen and fill the lungs with air. Relax and exhale deeply and expel all of the air from the lungs. Block the right nostril with the right index finger and inhale through the left nostril pulling the energy all the way to the trident. Hold the breath at the trident and then block the left nostril and exhale through the right expelling all of the negativity in the right channel. Block the right and inhale through the left, holding the breath in the trident, and block the left nostril and exhale through the right, expelling all the negativity in the right channel and all the blocks in the right channel. Block the right and inhale through the left all the way to the trident. Hold the breath in the trident and now as you block the left nostril the energy crosses over at the trident and leaves from the opposite channel exhaling through the right. 3

Now leaving the left nostril blocked, inhale through the right and hold the breath in the trident. Block the right nostril and exhale through the left, expelling all of the negativity and blockages in the left channel. Block the left and inhale through the right. Hold the breath at the trident, and then hold the right nostril and exhale through the left channel expelling all of the negativity in the left channel and make the left channel completely clean and clear inside. Then block the left and inhale through the right all the way to the trident, four finger widths below the navel. Hold the breath at the trident and then block the right nostril and exhale through the left, cleaning the left channel. Now without blocking either nostril, breath in through both, pulling the energy all the way into the trident and holding the breath at the trident. Now as you relax and exhale evenly, feel that the current enters into the central channel from the right and left channels and cleans the inside of the central channel. Inhale through both and then hold the breath at the trident, relax, and as you exhale, the current rushes into the central channel and makes it completely clean and clear and blissful inside. The third time, inhale through both, holding the breath at the trident, and then relax and exhale. The prana rushes into central channel and it is made very radiant and clear and blissful inside. [Now we will ignite the droplet of inner fire in the navel center using the vase breathing meditation.] Again, inhale, swallow and feel that the saliva descends down the central channel to the droplet of inner fire at the navel center and completely wakes it up and makes it very ferocious and powerful. Relax and exhale. Then inhale, press the diaphragm down and retract the muscles of the pelvic floor upwards, pulling the energy of the lower chakra up and making a compression around inner fire in the center of the navel center causing it to become hotter and hotter. Relax and exhale, and heat vapor ascends upwards inside of the central channel, warming its inner surface. Inhale through both, make the vase breathing meditation by pressing the diaphragm down, pulling the muscles of the pelvic floor upwards and making a compression around inner fire, which, moment to moment, becomes hotter and hotter due to compression. Relax and exhale, and heat ascends inside the central channel. Inhale, make the vase breathing meditation by pressing the diaphragm downward and drawing the muscles of the pelvic floor upwards but not pressing too hard. In the pit of the stomach, inner fire gets hotter and hotter in the navel center from the compression around the droplet. Relax and exhale, and the heat ascends inside of the central channel making it warm and blissful. Inhale, make the vase breathing meditation and as you do, inner fire under pressure becomes hotter and hotter and hotter. Relax and exhale and heat ascends inside of the central channel. Inhale, vase breathing meditation; inner fire getting hotter and hotter. Relax and exhale and inner fire increases in heat. Last time inhale, vase breathing meditation and a powerful radiant heat from the center of the navel center becomes hotter and hotter and more and more powerful. 4

Now, no longer focusing on breathing anymore, focus all of your concentration on being that drop of the indestructible fire in the center of the navel center. Feel that its undulating and growing in fierceness and heat. It’s fully conscious and very powerful like many suns compressed into one small drop. Being fully ignited and blazing it flows into a small orb like the sun and begins to expand from the pit of the stomach till a glowing radiant heat that warms the entire inner surface of the rainbow body. Inner fire begins to grow and as it grows, it gets hotter and hotter. It fills the navel center with a blissful, radiant heat. Now that the navel center is filled, the core of inner fire, like the core of the sun, produces more and more radiant heat, and more and more inner fire begins to fill the central channel, having filled the navel center it fills the central channel downwards towards the root center and upwards towards the heart center, and the source is the inner fire in the center of the navel center. So it fills the inside of the central channel with a blissful and radiant heat. Inner fire reaches simultaneously the center of the heart center and the center of the root center, and as the blazes of inner fire reach each and touch each of these centers, feel an ecstatic and blissful heat fill that center as it fills with inner fire. Now feel that the root center, the navel center and the heart center and the central channel connecting them are completely filled with inner fire experiencing a blissful and radiant warmth. The navel center continuing to produce inner fire which fills the central channel. Inner fire rising in the central channel from the heart center toward the throat center, bringing a radiant and glowing and blissful warmth wherever it touches. Reaching the center of the throat center and touching the center of the throat center, the throat center experiences a radiant and blissful heat as it fills with inner fire. The navel center continues to produce more and more inner fire. It rises inside the central channel like mercury rising inside a thermometer. The heat increases as it ascends from the throat center into the crown center in the center of the head. Inner fire touches the droplet of great bliss in the crown and when it touches that droplet, a surge of great bliss courses through the body from the crown center, all the way to the tips of the toes. Then the blazes of inner fire envelop the droplet of great bliss like flower petals of fire envelope the stamen, and the rest of the crown center fills with inner fire. Now the five chakras are completely filled with glowing radiant heat and the central channel is completely pervaded by a ferocious and blissful heat of inner fire continuously getting hotter and hotter and hotter, making the rainbow body warmer and warmer and warmer. Feeling more and more radiant, a glowing radiant heat throughout the rainbow body. Then from the five centers, inner fire is distributed throughout the whole rainbow body, through thousands and thousands of nerves that are like conduits for inner fire. So from the root center inner fire begins to pervade the 5