Table Of ContentSeries ofTeachings
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This publication is intended for those who have already received the
transmission from the Master of the practices it contains.
We strongly urge you not to circulate it outside that group of people and to
treat it with the utmost respect.
Cover drawing Paolo Fassoli and Fulvio Ferrari
IPC- 0 13EN99-Approved by the International Publications Committee
of the Dzogchen Community founded by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu
© 1999 Shang Shung Edizioni
Associazione Culturale Comunita Dzogchen
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Tel: 0564966039
E-mail: [email protected]
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CHOGYALNAMKHAlNORBU
THE PRACTICE OF LONG LIFE
OF THE IMMORTAL DAKIN!
MANDARAVA
Translated from Tibetan and edited by Jacobe/la Gaetani
(with the collaboration ofTsultrim Allione
for the translation from the Italian version)
Shang Shung Edizioni
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· NOTICE
In general Tibetan names and terms are in phonetic translit
eration in the text and in the Wylie transliteration in brackets
and in the notes. The corre pondence between the two translit
erations can be found in the index of Tibetan terms.
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INTRODUCTION
by Jacobe! Ia Gaetani
In April 1984 I took part in a pilgrimage guided by Chogyal
Namkhai Norbu to the sacred cave ofMaratika in Nepal. Dur
ing this period I was fortunate enough to be witness to the dis
covery of a Mind Treasure, which was revealed through a se
ries ofareams to the master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu himself.
The revealed text, entitled, The Sphere of the Life Essence of
the Vajra, contains the practice for the realization of long life
that is achieved by meditation on the five immortal Dakinis,
the principal one being Mandarava, the Mother of Life.
Mandarava was a ninth century Indian princess, daughter of
the king of Zahor, a place identified with the modern city of
Mandi in the Himachal Pradesh area1 She was the consort of
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Guru Padmasambhava, the great Tibetan Tantric master. They
practiced together in the cave ofMaratika and both, at the same
moment, realized immortality. Mandarava is the Nirmanakaya
· emanation2 of the Jftana (or Wisdom) Dakini, the goddess of
immortality. She appears in the text in the Sambhogakaya form
as Chanda! i, goddess of internal heat. In the Dharmakaya form,
she is known as Samantabhadri, a manifestation beyond form
or name.
In the Tibetan tradition, teachings related to practices oflong
life are varied and widespread. Many Tibetan people attend
long life initiations simply to receive a blessing which can help
to reduce their everyday problems, improve their health and
reinforce their energy. Others, instead, actively practice the rite
See Biography p. 75
2 See note 18.
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or sadhana3 connected to· a specific initiation, such as that of
White Tara or Amitayus. Those who decide to dedicate their
life to practice, often begin by carrying out a retreat for pro
moting longevity. This usually involves reciting the mantras of
the related deity a specific number oftimes to ensure that their
life will be free of obstacles, such as mundane worries and ill
ness. Long life practice is also essentially connected to the power
to enhance one's prosperity and fertility. However, tlw real or
most profound reason to seek to extend one's life span is to
gain more time to attain realization. Complete realization, which
is beyond any concept of time or birth and death, is the only
true immortality.
In the Tibetan tradition, human life is connected to three
principles or aspects: sog, tse and Ia.
Sog, the vital energy, is the force which sustains the life of
all living beings and ceases at the moment of death. This life
force is constantly renewed via the subtle energy of lung (San
skrit prana) which is absorbed through the breath. Sog is be
lieved to reside in the heart.
Tse represents the potentiality of life and is connected to the
consciousness of a human being. lt is said that, at birth, the
length of a person's life is already established.
La is the protective force or energy of a person. Within the
Tibetan folk tradition, it is explained that the Ia of a person can
have its dwelling place in a certain external object, such as in a
lake or in a mountain.
All these three aspects of an individual's energy can be dam
aged or weakened in the natural course of life, or may be at
tacked by evil entities. According to ancient Tibetan beliefs,
for example, it is possible for the Ia to be stolen, to wander, or
to be damaged, thus diminishing the protective energy ofthe
3 Sadhana: a cycle of meditation practice and yoga that has a deity (yi
dam, dakini) as a central reference point.
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person with whom it is associated. If, during life, the Ia is sto
len or lost, it is believed that a person cannot survive very long
without it. In thi case, only an experienced Lama may be able
to find and retrieve the Ia and reconnect it to the sick person
with a ritual known as Lagug or The Calling Back oft he La. In
addition, if at the moment of death the funerary rites are not
correctly performed, the Ia can remain and disturb the living or
can be stolen by evil spirits, thus preventing the deceased from
reaching their destination.
Through long life practice, such dangers can be avert(1d and
overcome. In one especially powerful practice, the vital essence
of the five elements is recalled and reabsorbed into oneself in
the form of a five coloured sphere or thigle, symbolizing the
unlimited potentiality ofthe individual. In this way, the three
principles of vitality are re- tabilized and their energy is rein
forced. The length of an individual's life, established at birth,
can also be lengthened for seven years by the realization gained
through long life practice. Another traditional Tibetan custom
for distancing the danger of death is the practice known as
Ransoming One's Life from Death or Chilu ('chi bslu), a ritual
connected to the various forms of long life deities such as
Am itayus and White Tara.
The Tibetan folk tradition also contains methods for saving
the life of a person who is on the point of dying. For example,
it is thought that if the family of someone who is gravely ill,
frees a number of animals which are destined to be slaugh
tered, which is equal to the number of years the sick person has
lived, then the dying person's life will be extended. Such be
liefs are very closely rooted in the fundamental Tibetan Bud
dhist principle of not killing or harming any living being. In
fact, it is believed that the length of our life is determined by
the positive energy or karma accumulated in previous lives.
Thus, saving the life of an animal destined to die, accumulates
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positive energy that reinforces one's own vital force. Another
notable custom is that of the 'golden bridge', in which the fam
ily of the sick per on has a stone carved with the mantra oflong
life which is then put in a stream or river, so that the water runs
over it continually.4
The Sphere of the Life f!ssence of the Vajra or The Long
Life Practice oft he Immortal Dakini is a text belonging to both
the category ofg ongter, or Mind Treasure, and that of tagnang,
or Pure Vision. A Mind Treasure is a teaching transmitted from
the mind of an enlightened being and hidden in the conscious
ness of a tert6n, or treasure di coverer. It is subsequently re
vealed at an appropriate time and place. In the colophon of the
above text one reads:
This practice of long life, The Sphere of the Vital Essence
ofthe Vajra,
OfVajra Mandarava, Mother of Life,
Heart essence of hundreds of thousands of Dakin is,
Was given into the custody of the Maroon Coloured Queen.
When the propitious time ~rrives, the One Eyed Queen
Will entrust this teaching to a Master.
She will then allow the door of this Mind Treasure to be
opened.
Thus hundreds ofthousands of fortunate individuals,
Both male and female,
Will obtain the immortal Vajra body,
And as many sentient beings as grains of sand wi II be con
ducted to
The pure dimension Khachod.5
4 See Namkhai Norbu, 11/ibro tibetano dei morti, Newton Compton, Rom a
1983.
5 Khachod (mkha · spyod): Khechara, the pure dimension ofYajrayogini.
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