True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Vajravarahi
【Vajravarahi Mudra :】
Vajravarahi Mudra
Interlace the fingers of both hands inward. Extend the middle fingers with the fingertips touching. Extend and tilt the index fingers away from each other. Place thumbs side by side then lightly press the ring fingers.
Video – GM Teaching Mantra and Mudra
Bang
【Vajravarahi Seed Syllable :】
Bang
【Vajravarahi Mantra :】
「om。Duo-jie-pa-mu。 So-ha。」
「om。Duo-jie-pa-mu。 Hum-pei。So-ha。」
Vajravarahi has the body of an exquisite young girl. She has one face, two arms, three wide-open round eyes, frowning eyebrows, fangs, and a countenance that is wrathful yet smiling. She is red in color, naked, and in a dancing position. She has a willowy waist, full round breasts, and a gracefully curving figure. She wears necklaces of human bone, and her hair is adorned with human skulls embellished with flowers and bells. Red flames surround her, making her look very gorgeous.
Vajravarahi
Her right foot bends and hangs in midair. Her left foot steps on a dead body atop a sun-moon disc on a lotus flower. Her entire body radiates brilliant red light that shines everywhere. Her hair stands up straight and she wears a crown with five skulls. On one side of her head, there is a head which looks like a pig (pig belongs to ”Hai”), and therefore she is called ”Hai-mu (Varahi in Sanskrit).”
In her right hand Vajravarahi is holding up a vajra kartika. In front of her chest, her left hand holds a kapala (a skullcup made from a human skull) full of fresh blood. Inwardly on her left shoulder there is a heavenly staff majestically decorated with a vajra scepter and three human heads. The staff is also called a ”khatvanga (the three skulls representing the elimination of greed, anger and ignorance).”
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talk – Vajravarahi Background and Key Cultivation Formula】
Guru Teaching Vajravarhi Practice
Vajravarahi (Dorje Pakmo in Tibetan, Duojie Pamu or Jingang Haimu in Chinese) is the leader and the grand chief of Dakinis. From long ago, Living Buddha Lian-Sheng has been inviting Vajravarahi in his daily Dharma practice. Living Buddha Lian-Sheng’s ”Inner Fire Meditation” is the ”Vajravarahi Inner Fire Meditation.”
”Vajravarahi” is the Root Dakini and the dharma companion of Living Buddha Lian-Sheng. Vajravarahi has made a great vow, promising to be the dharma companion of all practitioners.
”Vajravarahi,” ” Nairatmya,” etc., are all deities that help Vajrayana practitioners become enlightened.
A prayer of supplication to ”Root Vajravarahi” －－ Sincerely invoke Vajravarahi. Please come and be the practitioner’s vajra teacher. Nourish the Lotus Palace and help the practitioner quickly reach enlightenment. May the practitioner have longevity to save sentient beings universally.
Dorje Pakmo, Padmasambhava and Simhamukha (Singdongma) all hold a ”khatvanga,” which is also called a heavenly staff. The three skulls on a ”khatvanga” represent greed, anger, and ignorance, as well as the Three Bodies of Dharma, Enjoyment, and Emanation. Holding the heavenly staff symbolizes ”authority.” The khatvanga is also another embodiment of Vajravarahi.
The three deities, Simhamukha, Padmasambhava, and Vajravarahi, have formidable and unlimited power. They all share the same origin. Simhamukha has great power. The master above her is Vajravarahi, whose topmost, highest ranked master is ”Prajnaparamita.” Therefore, the commander-in-chief of all Dakinis is ”Prajnaparamita.” All branch out from her.
All Dakinis and dharma companions helping all sentient beings are mostly the embodiments of Vajravarahi. Above Vajravarahi is Prajnaparamita. Thus, Vajravarahi is an emanation of Prajnaparamita and represents wisdom.
Beside Padmasambhava are Yeshe Tsogyal and Mandarava. Both are embodiments of Vajravarahi. Almost all Dakinis are the embodiments of Vajravarahi. You can say that Vajravarahi is ultimately in control of Dakinis. Vajravarahi’s fire can eliminate all bad karmic sicknesses and at the same time, increase sentient being’s fortune, love, and respect. She is also the primary deity for subjugating evil.
Vajravarahi is the ”root of emptiness and bliss.” The merits are as follows:
Complete elimination of afflictions and attainment of inherent wisdom.
The regulation and softening of one’s chi and channels that leads one to the enlightenment of non-extinction.
Subjugating all evils and enemies in the ten dharma realms.
What we call ”Dorje” (Duojie or Jingang in Chinese) is ”Vajra,” ”Pakmo,” (Pamu or Haimu in Chinese) is what we call ”Varahi.” The following mantra is categorized as a ”Named Mantra:” ”om, duo-jie-pa-mu, hum-pei, so-ha.” It means to strengthen and to fully utilize her power. ”Hum-pei” is having her make full use of her power, and ”so-ha” is accomplishment.
”Dorje Pakmo” is ”Vajravarahi,” which means ”Vajravarahi arising within the universe, please use your power to bring all things to perfect completion.”
Vajravarahi manifests within the fire of the ”Ah” syllable. She has multiple depictions. Her primary depiction is mostly red with one arm holding a khatvanga. The three skulls on the khatvanga represent greed, anger, and ignorance. One of her hands holds a kartika while the other hand holds a kapala. Her typical pose has one leg suspended while standing with the other leg on a female corpse atop a sun-moon disc on a lotus flower. ”Bang” is her seed syllable. It means ”lotus flower.” Vajravarahi emerges from the ”Bang” syllable.
The most important dharma of ”Vajravarahi” is the ”Vajravarahi Inner Fire Meditation.” Vajravarahi represents inner fire and the short ”ah” syllable. Her posture is as follows: She bends and raises her right leg while her left leg stands on a lotus seat. She stands on the ”Triangle Palace (Dharma Generating Palace)” located in the practitioner’s ”dan tian.” The short ”ah” syllable transforms into Vajravarahi, who then ignites the inner fire of the practitioner. Through the dharma power of Vajravarahi redness, heat, and light are produced. The inner fire ignited by Vajravarahi opens up the central channel in the center of the practitioner’s body. This is ”Vajravarahi Inner Fire Meditation.” She belongs to ”Mother Tantra.” In Tripitaka, ”Father Tantra” scriptures belong to ”expedient means. ” ”Mother Tantra” scriptures belong to ”wisdom.” Thus, ”Vajravarahi” represents the ”Mother Tantra.”
【Vajravarahi Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】
Vajravarahi
She is the principal deity of the Inner Fire Practice. Besides this, she is also the principal deity of the Light Drops and the Qi and Channel Practices. All Vajrayana practitioners receiving the second level of empowerment must have her appear in the Navel Chakra. She is the main principal deity who helps practitioners ignite their inner fire. Without the help of Vajravarahi, one cannot start the inner fire. The fire burns one’s hormones, the light drops in the body, and transports them throughout one’s entire body. When the light drops, the hormones, continue increasing along with one’s vigorous inner fire, one’s body becomes immensely brilliant. Manifesting brilliant lights is the main part of one’s cultivation. Burning Qi transforms into inner fire that in turn burns the light drops. The light drops throughout body increase continuously, as does the rising of the inner fire. Flames from the entire burn become bright rays which radiate through the pores. It eventually transforms into effervescent lights called the rainbow light transformation of the Great Perfection Dharma. It transforms into brilliant radiance. Vajravarahi is the director of all these transformations hence is considered a very significant deity.
With inner fire, Vajravarahi is able to purify one’s chakras, including the five or the seven chakras, as well as one’s light drops. Vajrayana Buddhism mentions that when Vajravarahi has purified one’s ”chi,” one will transform into the Emanation Body; when she purifies the central channel that is equivalent to purifying one’s Enjoyment Body; when she purifies one’s light drops one will transform into the Dharma Body. Vajravarahi is capable of purifying the Trikaya: Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya.
Vajravarahi is the yogini of all Vajrayana practitioners and the principal deity for the practices of central channel, inner fire, light drops, non-leakage, etc..
”Vajrvarahi’s 27 Fist Positions,” ”Vajra Fist of 108 Positions” are the methods to guide one’s chi. The key point is to help the circulation of chi, which will be guided by a practitioner’s actual practices of the non-leakage, inner fire and light drops. For this reason, Dorje Pakmo is extremely important.
Hence, this deity, Vajravarahi, is the grand principal deity of all Vajrayana yogis who cultivate the practice of inner fire.
Many Dakinis emanate from Vajravarahi, therefore, on the path of cultivation, Vajravarahi is an extremely important deity. Whether one cultivates internal or external practices, Vajravarahi can be one’s principal deity. It is not just the Nyingma School, but all schools highly respect and venerate Vajravarahi.