..續本文上一頁 that adorn the sacred abode of a yidam do not lead to suffering and pain, rather they remain a source of true happiness and joy.

　　Inside the buddha palace, the yidams are seated on their respective throne, one throne held by a lion that symbolizes the most powerful type of fearlessness. There are four kinds of fearlessness that relate to oneself and others: (1) teaching that one abides in enlightenment within all phenomena, (2) teaching the path, (3) teaching cessation, and (4) being beyond dispute.

　　In order to manifest the pure centre within one”s mind that is not dissociated from the pure realm, one meditates that a sun-disc lies on the throne. On top of the sun-disc lies a moon-disc. As long as one”s cognition is impure, one merely thinks that both sun and moon have the power to dispel darkness during the day and, respectively, during the night. In the natural purity of one”s own mind, though, both discs symbolize freedom from the darkness of ignorance. The sun-disc stands for pure means of compassion, and the moon-disc stands for pure wisdom of shunyata, emptiness.

　　We discussed that while the mind is impure, exterior appearances seem to manifest three aspects: (1) one”s environment, (2) objects, and (3) one”s own body. The meditation practice of visualizing the offerings that surround the inner palace, the palace walls, the palace gates, thrones, as well as the sun and moon discs purifies the objects that are perceived by any of the first consciousnesses.

　　Visualizing the yidam that has three aspects is the practice to purify one”s own body. The three aspects are: (1) the symbolical yidam, (2) the sign yidam, and (3) the manifest yidam.

　　Inviting the Yidam”s Wisdom - the Ye-shes-pa

　　We saw that meditating the rings that encircle a mandala transforms impure apprehension of one”s environment; meditating the outer structure and inner palace of the buddhas and residence of the yidams transforms cognition of the objects perceived by the five sensory faculties. Meditating the yidam transforms one”s own body. How do we practice the last

　　After having given rise in one”s imagination to the entire realm of the mandala and the yidams in the pure palace, a practitioner now imagines that the yidam”s pure form radiates light out to invite the jnanas (ye-she-pa in Tibetan).14 The practice of inviting the ye-she-pa to enter the mandala and unite with the yidam serves two purposes: (1) one immediately receives the blessings of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and, furthermore, (2) one develops and increases one”s inner potential by realizing and manifesting jnana in its manifold forms. Through prayer and joyful endeavour that is sustained by devotion, one”s innate wisdom can unfold and blossom, growing more brilliant and sparkling through realizing wisdom as it is.

　　I will end my instructions for now. You are welcome to ask questions.

　　Questions

　　Student: Is there a similar mandala for Milarepa meditation practice

　　Thrangu Rinpoche: I have given a general description of yidam practice. For instance, Guru Yoga or Dorje Sempa meditations are simplified practices in which no mandala is needed. In these meditation practices, it is not necessary to visualize a mandala with surroundings and palace; rather, one only imagines the deity in space and many offerings flowing to them.

　　Student: Mandalas are phases of meditation practice. Are there other mandalas that appear spontaneously as signs of realization

　　 And do they appear differently than the one you described

　　Rinpoche: Through proficiency in apprehending purely and through having purified and transformed one”s inhibitions and karmic tendencies into jnana, ye-shes, then the mandala manifests exactly as I described it, because mandalas are the pure realm of a yidam, which is the i…

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