This Vajrayogini sadhana, Illuminating Guide to the Swift Path of the Supreme Great Secret: The Mandala Ritual of the Sadhana of the Glorious Coemergent Mother Vajrayogini, was composed by the 6th Karmapa Thongwa Donden (1416-1453). It is one of the most important Vajrayogini sadhanas in the Kagyu tradition and is still widely practiced in three-year retreats around the world to this day. Thongwa Donden weaves together Vajrayogini instructions from early Kagyu masters such as Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and others into this elaborate straightforward sadhana designed for retreats and group practice. It is included in Jamgon Kongtrul's famous Treasury of the Kagyu Mantra. This, like other secret mantra materials, is traditionally studied and practiced after receiving the empowerment, reading transmission, and oral instructions.
On this sadhana, Thongwa Donden wrote:
"Free from the conceptual domains of words, thoughts, and expressions,
Beyond the extremes of birth and the rest, Prajnaparamita,
Appearing as the goddess, the great mudra of illusion,
I prostrate to the meaning of examples, the sign of Varahi.
This sadhana of fine time, together with offerings,
The stages of the rituals, including bringing students into the mandala and the rest,
These were brought together clearly, to be easy to practice.
A group of students said, "If you arrange it, it will be very meaningful."
Lungrig Mawa Sangye Gyaltshen,
Modzin Paljor Dondrub Dragpai O,
Dondrub Zangpo and others expressed interest. Again and again they insisted.
To satisfy their minds, the one named Rangjung Donden looked in the ten directions,
At the root texts, oral instructions, and practice tradition
And arranged these clearly in order.
By the merit of this,
May all wandering beings accomplish the form of the coemergent mother."
Illuminating Guide to the Swift Path of the Supreme Great Secret: The Mandala Ritual of the Sadhana of the Glorious Coemergent Vajrayogini, the 6th Karmapa Thongwa Donden (1416-1453), Buddhavisions, spiral bound, 134 pages, $40.00
