Monthly Archives: August 2016

Yoga of the Manomayakāya

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Vajragoni

Lankavatarian Foundations

All beings are likened to forms originated in an illusion or a dream; since there is no self, others, or both, there is no arising of them. When practitioners penetrate “nothing but self-mind,” and thus realize the non-being of external beings, they therefore realize the non-arising of discriminatory faculties… read more

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Luminous Twilight

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Vajragoni

The Notes from the Iron Stupa series made reference to what is described as the Twilight Language:

The Twilight Language (saṃdhyā-bhāṣā) is the Transcendent Expedient through which Gnostic-truths are fashioned and revealed. Through the utilization of mythic-motifs, mantras and mudras, mandalas and chakras, Mind-made journeys into Higher Tathatic–Realms of consciousness are made possible. read more

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A Triangular Affair

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Vajragoni


Tereza Ferraz

According to Judith Simmer-Brown the “Secret Ḍākiṇī”, which is akin to the “Mother Prajñāāramitā (typical of the Unborn Space of the Primordial Mind) in Vajrayāna practice”, is represented by “crossed-triangles”, or the “Source” of phenomena, chöjung: read more

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Is Feminism Contra-Spiritual?

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Vajragoni

In Dakini’s Warm Breath Judith Simmer-Brown boldly asserts, “Women’s and men’s liberation movements have remained primarily in a political or oppositional mode that has insidiously promoted the disempowerment of both men and women. While various forms of feminism have attempted to address this, their methods have often promoted a merely political vision incapable of healing the whole wound.” (ibid, pg. 6) I concur with her assessment. She also highlights a psychophysical component, in particular concerning Carl Jung’s use of symbols and archetypes. read more

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Ḍākiṇī: Dark Mistress of the Unborn

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Vajragoni

In her monumental work, Dakini’s Warm Breath, Judith Simmer Brown describes the nature of the Ḍākiṇī as, “In this her most essential aspect, she is called the formless wisdom nature of the mind itself. On an inner, ritual level, she is a meditational deity, visualized as the personification of qualities of buddhahood. On an outer, subtle-body level, she is the energetic network of the embodied mind in the subtle channels and vital breath of tantric yoga. She is also spoken of as a living woman: she may be a guru on a brocaded throne or a yogini meditating in a remote cave, a powerful teacher of meditation or a guru’s consort teaching directly through her life example. Finally, all women are seen as some kind of dakini manifestation.” (ibid, pg.9) Brown’s marvelous work will be utilized as the primary reference for this series. read more

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Terma: A Mind Film by Vajragoni

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Vajragoni

Readers of this blog over the years may have discerned that the posts are cyclical in nature. When the blog-season resumes in August, the subject-matter relates to elements of my own spirituality that explores the deeper regions of the Unborn. After the summer the blog maintains its continuity with sutra and related commentaries. The film presented here depicts the spiritual-practice of Terma, or the discovery of hidden Bodhi-treasures. The opening “Drone-Sequence” was filmed in the Schoharie-Mountain region of upstate-NY. Its location was first observed by me back in 2005 while riding back home from Woodstock with some friends. We were traveling on a lonely country route when suddenly a vast vista appeared of what resembled an ancient and primordial-pool with a glorious mountainous backdrop. The setting is most unique. It was chosen for the film to illustrate the primordial-import of the spiritual mysteries that are woven throughout the cinematic showcase. Most of the action appears in an ancient cemetery, chosen to highlight the spiritual ambiance of Chöd, meaning cutting-through all the barriers to Self-Realization as well as empowering the yogin to sustain a primordial appearance that is free from all fear. The young woman in the film is Tarynia, representative of a Ḍākiṇī—in this instance the bearer and revealer of the spiritual treasures (Dharma-Tools) that are blessed by the Yogin-Bodhi Shaman. A series on Ḍākiṇī and its vast spiritual-import will be forthcoming soon. Enjoy! read more

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