Five-Deity Cakrasaṃvara

=Introduction=

Cakrasaṃvara practices derive ultimately from the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra, also called The Great Sovereign of Yoginī Tantras Called
the Glorious Cakrasaṃvara (Śrīcakrasaṃvara-nāma-mahāyoginī-tantrarājā). As the full title indicates, it is one of the most important tantras in
the Indian classification of Yoginī Tantras (along with the Hevajra Tantra),
corresponding to the Tibetan classification of mother tantras (ma rgyud)
within the broader category of highest yoga tantra. The so-called root tantra
is said to be an appendix of a mythic root text that was an enormous work
of one hundred thousand or even three hundred thousand verses, which
would make this extant tantra a tiny fraction of the original. It is therefore best known in its current form as Cakrasaṃvara Tantra: The Short One
(Laghusaṃvara). But this is compensated for by at least nine major explanatory tantras and hundreds of commentaries. The following overview from
David Gray’s introduction to the tantra provides some background:
The texts and practices associated with the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra
collectively constitute one of the most important contemporary
traditions of esoteric or tantric Buddhism, still practiced in distinct lineage traditions by Nevārī Buddhists in Nepal as well as by
Tibetan Buddhists of three of the four major schools, namely the
Sa-skya, bKa’-brgyud, and dGel-lugs. It was also evidently quite
popular in India, at least in Northern India during the late tenth
through late thirteenth centuries when the second transmission
of Buddhism to Tibet took place, as is attested by the hundreds
of texts associated with the Cakrasaṃvara tradition that were
translated into Tibetan during this time.1
In the Shangpa tradition, the practice was introduced early on by Niguma
�
310 B Five-Deit y Cakrasaṃvara
herself and received by Khyungpo Naljor. There are two texts attributed
directly to Niguma found in the Peking Tengyur: an empowerment text
called Mandala Ritual of Glorious Cakrasaṃvara and a sadhāna, Swift
Accomplishment of Glorious Cakrasaṃvara.
2
 In the colophon of the former,
the two usual unavailable sources are mentioned: Jewel Ocean Tantra, the
source of so much Shangpa material and yet never translated into Tibetan,
and Ocean of Vows Tantra.
3
 Khyungpo Naljor recorded the two Niguma
texts based on her transmissions in his biography of the completion phase
of the Five-Deity Cakrasaṃvara. According to Tāranātha, he was also initiated into that and the sixty-two-deity and thirteen-deity Cakrasaṃvara
mandalas at that time, along with many tantras and sādhanas.4
The name Cakrasaṃvara is represented in Tibetan either as Khorlo
Dompa (’khor lo sdom pa, “Binder of the Wheels”) or Khorlo Demchok
(’khor lo bde mchog, “Supreme Bliss Wheel”), popularly known simply
as Demchok. “Binder of the Wheels” refers to the process of meditation
in which the visualization of the central mandala of Cakrasaṃvara and
Vajravārāhī with the four ḍākinīs is further surrounded by three concentric wheels or mandalas representing awakened body, speech, and mind.
Cakrasaṃvara practice binds the wheels of the network of the ḍākinīs in
this triple-wheel configuration, and simultaneously controls the chakra
wheels within one’s subtle energy body. These elements can be seen clearly in
the two Niguma texts, which emphasize completion phase. Supreme Bliss,
then, expresses the experience felt as a result of those practices.
As is often the case, the ancient source texts are not the ones employed
in practice. Rather, the collection here by Tāranātha and Jamgön Kongtrul
or those by Tangtong Gyalpo are utilized. All Shangpa practices require the
serious practitioner to first receive a major empowerment, either the Five
Tantras’ Deities or Five-Deity Cakrasaṃvara. One of each was included
in the original Treasury of Precious Instructions, as well as in the series of
“Ten Permissions” by Losal Tenkyong found later in this volume. There is
a detailed discussion in Tāranātha’s commentary known as Tangdalma on
some problematic issues with the main Cakrasaṃvara empowerment, and
why the intended custom is often not maintained.5
 Nevertheless, Cakrasaṃvara remains the primary tantric deity in almost all Shangpa practice, including even the Five Tantras’ Deities, even though the texts in the previous
section describe Hevajra as the principal figure. As Tāranātha states, “The
practice of the lineage since the time of the incomparable Rinchen Tsöndru
(Khyungpo Naljor) has been to meditate on Coemergent Cakrasaṃvara.”6
�
introduction B 311
Therefore, Tāranātha was diligent in composing the necessary texts on
Cakrasaṃvara. Jamgön Kongtrul added some edits and liturgies to those
texts wherever he felt it was needed. The first brief text here provides necessary liturgies from the lineage for going for refuge, arousing the awakening mind, and consecrating the activity vase that is used throughout the
empowerment. It is not signed, so its authorship is uncertain.
Tāranātha’s short means of accomplishing the practice, Five-Deity
Cakrasaṃvara Sādhana in the Tradition of Niguma, provides the basic visualization practice. It also includes the famous eight-line Sanskrit praises to
both Cakrasaṃvara and Vajravārāhī from the original tantra that one finds
reproduced in so many of the practices. And though the sadhāna is rather
short, Tāranātha generously describes how to expand it with more liturgy.
His empowerment ritual, Five-Deity Cakrasaṃvara Mandala Ritual in the
Tradition of Niguma, is rather extensive and loaded with beautiful praises
and lineage prayers. It would be lovely to include those in one’s practice of
the sadhāna. The mandala ritual includes all the necessary parts for a full
four-part highest yoga tantra empowerment, and it draws on the sadhāna
for some of the liturgy. So once again, a talented preceptor with a good
memory or a good assistant would be required to fill in the appropriate parts
in order to confer the empowerment.
The next text, Increasing Awakened Activity, is a liturgy for a communal feast or gaṇacakra in connection with Cakrasaṃvara, either added to
the sadhāna or after the empowerment, or as a stand-alone practice. The
colophon cites no fewer than five would-be authors, with Guṇa ( Jamgön
Kongtrul) being the editor-in-chief and having the last say. It also contains
some beautiful offering liturgies and lineage supplications.
Finally, the masterpiece is Jonang Tāranātha’s Clarifying the Profound
Meaning. Many texts carry similar titles, but in this case it is actually true.
This is an extensive commentary on the sadhāna, both expanding and
expounding on all the sections as well as commenting on specific phrases.
No practitioner should attempt the practice without this. If there is one text
to study in this collection, it is this one.
The detailed outline has been extracted and added to the beginning for
convenience.