Parnasavari

Imbalance Inside and Outside

Often we may think there is a division between what is going on inside of us and what appears to us as going on outside of us, but that is not the case. The inside and the outside are not as separate as we think the are. In the world, the elements are out of balance. There is fire, floods, violence, disease, and pandemics. Inside of us, the elements are out of balance. When we experience this imbalance internally, it’s out of control unnamable emotionalities. It’s the five poisons which arise from the five elements, arising out of balance all over the place. Too much of one, not enough of another and in the wrong places. So anger arises in places where there is no need for anger. Fear arises in things that are not dangerous. Jealousy arises where we wouldn’t expect it. Depression arises randomly. Desire arises for all the things we cannot do these days.

So first we may wish to deal with this imbalance inside. Because we cannot effectively deal with it outside. We cannot see clearly what we are able to do to help the world while we are rolling around in confusion. So this practice helps bring balance and clarity so that we can see what can be done in the world.

Trekcho

At the highest level, to rebalance within the mind, the method in which to practice is Trekcho. Trekcho in which all the emotions arise in their pure forms as the immaculate dance of the five Dhyani Buddhas; of the five elements in harmony and balance. Recognizing this as our own true nature. The imbalance arises in thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. Recognizing those for what they really are; the play of the Dharmakaya nature of mind; the sparkle of the clear light nature of emptiness. Seeing for ourselves the inherent and absolute balance of the unmoving immutable Trekcho which is who/what we really are. Seeing the arising of inner and outer phenomena (thoughts, feelings, and perceptions) arising in mind, as mind, never becoming other than mind, dissolving in mind. Leaving no trace in the infinite empty sky. This activity of non-activity, this natural resting of mind is the fastest and purest way of bringing all of it into balance. From a point of natural balance all doing arise spontaneously and appropriately without me needing to figure it out using thoughts.

But when we are not able to see the emptiness of inner and outer phenomena as it arises, then we simply step back and relax into a ceremony. For ceremony does the same thing, but with a bit of doing instead of non-doing.

The Mamos

In the Tibetan tradition, Mamos are considered among the main natural forces which respond to human misconduct and environmental misuse by creating obstacles and disease. In Western speak, these can be considered the forces of the natural world, personified – the eyes, ears, and sprites of Mother Earth herself. The immune system of the Earth.

And in this way, this ceremony generates great merit through the practice of generosity and making offerings to the Mamos in order to bring the world back into balance. Thus it's a way for individuals to help out with climate change; to help out with disease and pandemics, to praise the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, and to make offerings to help all beings in the six realms. In a very short time we can collectively generate a lot of merit in which we can offer to the world and all it's beings near or far away.

Parnashavari Ceremony and Meaning of Empowerment

Parnashavari is clad in medicinal plants and leaves. Her jewelry is made of nuts and seeds, forest elements such as pine cones. She is the yogini of the deep forest; the goddess of the deep forest. Identify yourself as mother nature for this tantric practice. We begin with refuge. From there we move into bodhichitta.

The very seed essence of one hundred empowerments, of all empowerments is bodhichitta. And this is how we first begin the empowerment, it's with bodhichitta. So over and over again and again bring this to mind; the essence of the empowerment is bodhichitta.

If bodhichitta is present within your mind then just naturally you should know that naturally whatever you do becomes excellent conduct.

Cultivate this wish of wanting to benefit sentient beings and then the moment this wish arises in your mind think of the form of Parnashavarī. That then is the actual deity. There is no difference between what arises and Parnashavarī. That's because bodhichitta is your buddha nature. This really is very important and this is the essence; the root of the empowerment.

Form Empowerment

Imagine that the emanation of Tara appears as at the crown of each sentient being, as many emanations as there are sentient beings. She is holding a vase in her hand and pouring down the empowerment nectar into the crowns of each sentient being and then the nectar fills up their bodies and they become purified. Focus on this visualization single pointedly.

Being thus initiated, the karmic imprints and developments accumulated with the body and all grasping at them are purified. You have received the complete form empowerment. You are now empowered to practice the generation stage of visualizing your body as Parnashavarī, the union of appearance and emptiness. As a result you will have the fortune to accomplish the Nirmanakaya.

I am golden-colored Parnashavarī, sitting on a lotus seat, my main face is yellow, the right face blue, and the left face white, my hair is bound up in a topknot, and I am full of splendor. I am the embodiment of wisdom and compassion, I dwell in the midst of masses of fire, which is burning like the fire at the end of time; with my three faces and six arms, I look terrifying and wrathful, who has one leg outstretched and the other bent. Wearing a robe of leaves, holding a bow and arrow, a battle ax, and a bundle of leaves, I, Parnashavarī, display the threatening mudra and hold a vajra, great mother, protectress of beings.

During the form empowerment of the Parnashavarī imagine that the moment Parnashavarī’s form comes to your mind instantly imagine that your body is burned away. It disappears just like a pile of wood is being burned away by fire. Imagine that your body then becomes clear and empty just like a rainbow. Visualize this over and over again, hundreds of times. Every time you visualize this you are purifying obscurations. Then once you have become habituated to it, later on it will appear to you as though you have no more physical body and that's the time when the blessings will actually enter you. When you visualize Parnashavarī clearly but empty of self nature like a rainbow within that nature disease, evil spirits, obstacles, and afflictive emotions do not exist. They have no dwelling place in a rainbow-like body. Therefore visualize it over and over again. When you practice the generation stage you should visualize again and again your body as like a rainbow body.

Speech Empowerment

Mantra: OM PISHATSI PARNA SHAVARI SARVA MĀRI PRASHA MANI HŪNG

Next, imagine that from the vajra master’s heart the mantra garland emanates, PAM, the seed syllable of Parnashavarī. However, it is also okay if you visualize Green Tara’s TAM syllable. The mantra garland circles around the seed syllable. Visualize that the mantra continuously circles around the PAM at your heart. The first thing that emerges from it is a form of light from the mouth of the vajra master. This light showers down like rain falling down in the form of mantra syllables. As you repeat the mantra imagine that now you have received the mantra garland which begins to circle around the PAM syllable at your heart. It's important to continuously visualize and meditate on the mantra circling.

The visualization of Parnashavarī's form is what purifies the karmic imprints of the body. The sound of the Parnashavarīs mantra purifies the karmic imprints of the speech; our fixation and grasping at sound and speech. It is because of our body and speech that we develop many thoughts of attachment and aversion. This endless chain of thoughts is what places these karmic imprints into our mind. Through receiving the empowerment we are purifying all of these previously accumulated negativities and also preventing them from arising in the future. This is why it is important to continuously visualize Parnashavarī and recite Parnashavarī’s mantra. In this way all previously accumulated negativities are purified and are prevented from arising in the future. This is the important point.

Being thus initiated, the karmic imprints and defilements accumulated with the speech, and all grasping at them are purified, you have received the complete speech empowerment and are now empowered to recite Parnashavarī's secret mantra the union of sound and emptiness. As a result you will have the fortune to accomplish the Sambhogakaya.

Mind Empowerment

In order to purify the obscurations of the mind, meditate on the syllable HUNG. Even though all the deities have their own seed syllable the HUNG syllable is the life force of all the deities. Focus on the HUNG single pointedly until it becomes indivisible from your own mindfulness. If you are able to sustain such mindfulness then the karmic imprints of body, speech, and mind all become purified. Your body then you become just like a crystal vase that is filled with pure water. If the crystal vase is pure inside and you fill it with pure water then even if the outside of the vase becomes a little bit stained the stains cannot directly connect to the water. If you do not separate from mindfulness your mind cannot become obscured. The Buddha gave many skillful means to to purify these observations. One of them is to visualize the HUNG syllable. Whenever a thought arises in the mind instantly think of HUNG and the HUNG then completely disperses all thoughts. Then there is no thought. The mind is completely empty and there are no obscurations. Obscurations can easily arise and cloud the mind. But just as easy we can clear them away and purify them with HUNG.

The essence of all empowerments, Milarepa had said, that the outer empowerment is when the empowerment vase is placed onto your crown. The inner empowerment is when you visualize your body in the form of Parnashavarī. This is when you imagine Parnashavarī you actually become Parnashavarī. It is this thought in the mind that changes us. You see yourself as Parnashavarī. When you think “I, me, mine” then you place the imprint of “I, me, mine” in the mind, and that is what you perceive. When you think of Parnashavarī, as Parnashavarī, none other than Parnashavarī, all that appears is Parnashavarī; that purifies this karmic imprint of grasping at the self, the “I, me, mine” and this is what Milarepa has said is the ultimate empowerment. When you recognize who you actually are. The true ultimate nature of the mind in it’s natural state. All of this ceremony and practice is all for that sake. The entire empowerment and all practice is just in order to realize the true nature of your mind. Tilopa has said without a single thought, look decisively at the ultimate nature. Think about no-thing and look at your mind. Then just naturally thinking stops. Then there are no thoughts in your mind. When there are no thoughts in your mind the mind becomes like empty space. We always continue to look at the mind in this way. Always be looking at your mind and then when you look at the mind there is nothing there like space. When you decide upon that again and again with certainty; that is the view of mahamudra. Which is buddha nature. The Buddha said that all beings are Buddhas. So the basis of their mind, their fundamental nature, is Buddha. Thoughts only appear momentarily. So look at your mind right now and in a very direct way without a single thought decisively and directly look at your mind don't give it any name, no concepts, no labels, just look directly at the mind.

Thus being initiated the karmic imprints and defilements accumulated within the mind and all grasping at them are purified and you have received the complete mind empowerment. You are now empowered to meditate on the nature of Parnashavarī’s mind; the union of clarity and emptiness. As a result you will have the fortune to accomplish the Dharmakaya.

Samaya

In order to stabilize these blessings we should guard the samaya, which is the life force of the empowerment. To do this first we need to cultivate love, compassion, and patience. For us ordinary beings this is most important. Love and compassion are like milk. Patience is like the vessel that you pour the milk into. The vessel has to be a golden vessel. A golden vessel cannot break easily and it cannot become damaged easily. To summarize our samaya is bodhichitta. That's most important. Bodhichitta is the cause of attaining enlightenment. Bodhichitta is the heart of all the Buddhas of the three times. Bodhichitta is our life force. It is what is most important. To help with this, please practice reading and reciting the Seven Verses of Supplication to the Protectress Tara. This prayer will help us understand that Tara is always with us.