sadhana

According to the Tibetan numbers in the left margin, this manuscript consists of folios 3-11 of the text. Folios 1-2 are found in the Pelliot collection under the shelfmark353. The combined 11 folios are the complete text. Note that in this entry the folios ofIOL Tib J 507are referred to as 1 through 9, although according to the Tibetan numbering of the complete manuscript, they are folios 3 through 11.

The title on the first folio of353introduces the text as an explication of the "naturalmaṇḍala " (rang bzhin gyi dkyil 'khor), which is a member of the set of threemaṇḍalas discussed in theMahāyogatreatise,3372-3. In fact, the text seems to describe twomaṇḍalas. The introduction goes on to state that the teaching on themaṇḍalais taken from "the tantras of the secret mantra and thesūtras 288of the great perfection " (gsang ba'i sngags tan trardzogs pa chen po'I mdo ).

Thesādhanaopens with a section on the way in which thedharmakāyapervades all beings (and here one may detect some affinity with early Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) literature), followed by a section on compassion, which is followed by a self- visualization as a wisdom being (ye shes sems dpa'). This seems to be following the threesamādhistructure found in manyMahāyoga sādhanas.

The description of the firstmaṇḍalabegins on the third folio of the text, which is the first folio of the presentIOL Tib J 507. At each of the five directions, avajrais visualized: a mile-long hundred spokedvajrain the centre, a nine-spokedvajrain the east, a five-spokedvajrain the south, a one-spokedvajrain the west and a three-spokedvajrain the north. The other four deities of the five families appear next to thevajras. Then the consort, described as a female wisdom being (ye shes sems ma), appears and summons further goddesses, includingEkajāti. The latter extols the virtues of herself and the female wisdom being. This leads in to the section on the visualization of the secondmaṇḍala((6r.8). Themaṇḍalais a concentric series of lotuses and a wheel of 32 spokes, with the female wisdom being at the centre. Themaṇḍalais populated by over a hundred female deities; the exact number is difficult to determine, though it may be 108.Ekajātiis said to pervade the entiremaṇḍala. The text closes with a speech from the lord of themaṇḍala, who refers to thismaṇḍalaas "the great lotusmaṇḍala " (9r.4 pad mo'i dkyil 'khor ched po). He also calls themaṇḍalaset out earlier in the text "the joyful expansemaṇḍala " (9v.1 dga' byed dbyings rab kyI dkyil 'khor).

Another lotusmaṇḍalaappears inIOL Tib J 318, which has been linked with theSarvadurgatipariśodhana-tantra.

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