SADHANA PUJAS
Introduction of the seven mandalas of the Ngorpa Tradition. Prostration with reverence through three doors (body, speech, and mind) to the supreme deities who are non-dual to the Gurus. I shall write a brief account of the seven mandalas of the Ngorpa Tradition. To be presented here are three points:
a) A general presentation of the seven mandalas.
b) The presentation of the account of the seven mandalas, individually,
c) Presentation about the benefits and the qualities of the mandalas.
Firstly, this that is known as seven mandalas of the ngorpa tradition are the sadhana-puja of the 7 unsurpassable mandalas among the diverse sadhana-pujas associated with the esoteric four classes of tantras practised at the Glorious Ngor Evampa. In general, when the unsurpassable secret mantra is classified, there are three of them, the father tantra, the mother tantra and the non-dual tantra. Of these, the sadhana-pujas herein of father Guhyasamaja are two: Guhyasamaja Akshobhaya and Guhyasamaja Manjuvajra.
Mother Chakrasamvara Tantra are of two: Chakrasamvara in Luipa tradition Chakrasamvara in Krishnapa/Kannapa
Profound Non-Dual Tantras has three:
Sadhana puja based upon Hevajra root tantra Uncommon Commentary Tantra of Vajrapanjara and Common Sambuta, the Sadhana Puja of Hevajra.
These seven mandalas of unsurpassable are referred to as Seven Mandalas of Ngorpa Tradition How did these seven mandalas become the tradition of Ngorpa? The system or order of the seven mandalas initially descended upon individual mahasiddhas from Vajradhara. Gradually then these descended upon the five founding masters of the Sakyapa school in Tibet through the great translators. From then on as per the tradition founded by the Great Ngorpa Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo until now existing in an unbroken lineage of ripening and liberating as will be explained later. In the year 1456, when the great Great Ngorpa Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo passed away into nirvana, his successor Muechen Sempa Chenpo, as per the tradition of the Great Ngorpa Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo built the seven unsurpassable mandala of coloured sand and gathered the sanghas together and performed sadhana puja based on the entire seven mandalas at the anniversary of Ngorchen passing away.
From then on as per the tradition founded by the Great Ngorpa Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo until now existing in an unbroken lineage of ripening and liberating as will be explained later. In the year 1456, when the great Great Ngorpa Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo passed away into nirvana, his successor Muechen Sempa Chenpo, as per the tradition of the Great Ngorpa Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo built the seven unsurpassable mandala of coloured sand and gathered the sanghas together and performed sadhana puja based on the entire seven mandalas at the anniversary of Ngorchen passing away.From then on, the great fame of the seven mandalas of Ngorpa Tradition came to be known popularly. From then on, for a period of more than five hundred years until 1959, when time changed in Tibet, every year in the centre of the main hall of the great dharma seat of Glorious Ngor Evam is placed Hevajra Mandala, at the two corners are placed Vajrapanjara and Samta, and at two other corners are placed Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara either.
Starting on the 22nd date of the 4th Tibetan month there exists a tradition of performing together the sadhana-puja of the five mandalas. The vajra-acharya of the centre Hevajra sadhana-mandala is performed by the abbot-throne-holder of Ngor Evampa and the four corners are presided over by those who have completed the respective deities’ retreats. With the singing of the chants at a slow pace, the sacred rituals' chant intervals of the five mandalas are required to be performed in accordance with each other and not permitted to be performed as per the wishes or whims of the individual Vajra Acharya.
There exists the tradition of two sacred rituals being performed with mantras, mudras and meditation applied inseparably in group-practice-setting within one cycle time of day and night. Thus, occurred or came about the noble tradition of major sadhana-mandala of Ngorpa where all the participating monks chanting the entire prayers of the sacred ritual by memory in an atmosphere of joy, faithfulness, and happiness. The mode of the sadhana-mandala conducted is like this: the earth ritual or bhumi puja of vajrapanjara is conducted on the 22nd of the fourth month. After the completion of the earth ritual the drawing of the gray/white line on each five mandalas. The offerings are extensively set up.After that, the preparation part of the sadhana-puja begins at midnight around 12 or 1 and this gets completed by around 8am the following day. Then, on that very day, the coloured sand is applied/inserted in the respective mandalas from the corner side of the mandala. The actual sadhana-puja begins with the group-chanting starting at around 11pm at night and completes one set of pujas at around 8am the following day. Then, a break for about an hour is taken. Again, one set of pujas is completed which gets started at around 9am and finished at around 5pm. Such mode of actual sadhana-puja gets performed for six days during which three-generation stages of self, frontal and vase, extensive offerings, and praises, torma offerings performed outside the main temple and self-entrance into the mandala etc are performed as per the observable continuum of existing rituals with melodious tune etc without degeneration/failure.On the 25th date, all the five assemblages gather and collectively perform guru puja on top of performing the respective sadhana-puja in their groups as it was ongoing at other times. On the final day of the actual puja, after having completed the dissolution aspect of the request to depart, post the sacred ritual, the sanghas composed of acharya and disciples get together and perform the sacred dances of Pu-tra. After the completion of this, on the roof of the temple, torma offerings etc are made to the dharma protectors. With that the Ngorpa’s sadhana-puja for that year is well and thoroughly completed After the change of time in Tibet, in the land of the noble ones (India), at Ngor Evampa, the holy seat in Exile, the great sadhana-puja is maintained without failure. However, due to the impact of place and time, the sacred ritual aspect is performed once in 24 hours.The sacred-rituals of the sadhana-puja are, as mentioned earlier, do exist since the time of the great Mue-Chen. In the lateral times, ngor acharya ngawang lekdrub did set it up in an easy flowing manner like the stream of the four rivers descending from heaven. After the changes of time, in Ngor Evampa in the land of the noble ones, our precious guide and liberator, Guru Ngor Sharchen Luding Khenchen Jamyang Tenpei Nyima also, organised the texts in a readable version. Secondly, to present the accounts of the seven mandalas individually, The seven mandalas of the Ngorpa tradition are, as mentioned above, part of the unsurpassable tantra of the four classes of tantra. When they are classified within the tantra family, the method or generational-stage primarily presenters are father tantra, wisdom or completion stage primarily presenter are mother tantra, those that are pervaded by both, the union of two, primarily presenters are non-dual-tantra. Firstly, the father tantra also is, as mentioned in the Bindu of the Secret Moon, ‘Due to desirous attachment, hatred, and ignorance, the tantras also are three folds. To uphold the disciples who are primarily affected by desirous-attachment, the accounts of Guhyasamaja were/are taught, to uphold the disciples who are primarily affected by hatred, the accounts of the glorious yamantaka were/are taught and to uphold the disciples who are primarily affected by base ignorance, the accounts of the Vairochanna maya-drawa were/are taught. Of these, the first Guhyasamaja root tantra’s seventeenth chapter about 32 mandalas are presented.
