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Tummo is a breathing practice central to tantra practice and very helpful for Dzogchen practitioners to achieve enlightenment in this lifetime, according to Shardza Rinpoche, an accomplished Dzogchen master of the 20th century.
The root text of Tummo was written and taught by Sangchok Tharthuk Gyalpo and comes from the Mother Tantra teachings with later commentaries by Gyalshen Milu Samlek.
Tummo is a practice to clear the negative emotions of this life and the karmic traces of past lives. It increases physical health and mental wellbeing. Many people have reported improvements in heart and lung health, enhanced concentration and memory and an overall calm and peaceful mind.
The meaning of Tummo is “inner fire” and the practice is to generate and direct this heat or warmth within the body. The Tummo practice also works with the Tsa (channels), the Lung (wind or breathing) and the Tigles (light drops of consciousness) inside the channels. Through visualizing a red hot needle of iron at the junction of the three channels all of the negativities are incinerated and purified, allowing for the unification of inner wind and the mind.
Flames of Primordial Wisdom
Teachings from
The Instructions for Practicing Meditation of Standard Inner Fire Practice,
to Generate a Forest Fire of Primordial Wisdom
by Shardza Rinpoche.
In general, the techniques of Tummo practice help us to understand in a deeper way the relationships between the body and mind and the capacities of our minds. It helps us to respond to stress in a healthier way and enhances our immune system. It also helps us to improve channels, winds, and spheres in our body, which enables us to regulate the functioning of the body’s organs and clear the channels. Regular inhalation and exhalation of Tummo has many benefits, such as increasing physical stability and strength, reducing the risk of injury and muscle cramps, and so on.
In particular, by relying on the practice of Tummo and penetrating the vital points of the channels, winds and drops, the bliss-warmth of wisdom that is naturally present in oneself naturally blazes.
Whatever meditation practice you do in dependence upon the practice of Tummo, the obstacles to meditation such as dullness and agitation will naturally be eliminated, your awareness will be clear and lucid, and your mind will be very stable. Therefore, the power of your practice will be very great. Also, at all times, the mind is free from the influence of improper thoughts, fear, and mental illness, and the mind is peaceful and at ease.
The five internal organs, the heart, lungs, liver, and spleen are restored to their normal functions. It restores the digestive heat, improves digestion, increases the immune system, and prevents all infectious diseases such as a cold.
Furthermore, all outer, inner, and secret obstacles and harms can be liberated by the force of the wisdom fire of inner fire, and so forth. All the happiness of this life and the next life comes down to this vital point.
Tummo helps to be healthy and also happy, but this is not the ultimate purpose. The ultimate purpose of Tummo is to realize the bliss and emptiness (Nature state of Mind) in union. When you experience this (realize this) that is the real Tummo state. Sitting the ice and cold is not what this is about.
If we come to understand the teachings of the tsa, lung, and tigle, then we will understand what Tummo really means. The main point, this has nothing to do with physical heat. This “heat” is the energy of the primordial wisdom. Which we use through the body, and try to feel that energy. Tummo really means “Primordial Wisdom Energy.” And we generate this energy through our concentration, not through material/physical sources. The Tummo teaching is about the dynamic energy of the nature state of mind.
The Division of the Channels, Winds, and Spheres/Drops
When we learn all the many channels, winds, and spheres that make up our body, we should view it like we are looking at a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, with all the ornaments, lights, and ribbons. There is so much to take in. So many lights, sparkles, colors and shapes. But we don’t have to count, label, and figure them all out. We can just appreciate the full spectrum, the full array of the wonder that makes up a Christmas tree, or our own body and mind. So we can allow our imagination to play with all of these elements.
Preliminary Practices
There are many meditations, each with many practices. Be aware that these practices can take years to train and develop. The presentation of the practices here are like packing a bag before a long journey. Many of the meditations and practices might not be useful today, but as we travel this path over the course of our lives, they may be useful later on. So don’t be overwhelmed by them. Slowly, slowly, little-by-little, we will practice and transform.
Preliminary Training on the Path of the Channels
These three trainings of the syllables, spheres, and winds are like making irrigation channels for water to enter the farmer’s fields before it is watered. That is why these trainings are important.
The benefit of these three trainings are that all gross and subtle level conceptual thoughts are stopped and the mind functions properly without diffusion. The mind does not move away from its object of visualization. You need to train in this way, and when you become an expert in this practice the main practice of Tummo can be practiced properly.
These are the secret methods of practice to reduce our suffering and realize happiness. It is not easy to understand. Nor do we need to fully understand it before we practice. But through practice we can come to understand. If you wait for understanding to practice, you might be waiting a very long time.
Specific Preliminary Practices
These are the foundation of the tummo practice. We generate energy through our concentration, not through material/physical sources. Tummo is about the dynamic energy of the natural state of mind. Slowly, slowly, little-by-little, we will practice and transform.
Main Practices
Gentle basket breathing, intermediate vase breathing, intense mass of fire breathing are the three main practices of tummo.
It is important to understand the mind – the nature of the mind; the characteristics of the mind; the identity of the mind; the subdivisions of the mind; path of the mind; where the mind abides; how mind connects with objects; and how objects are connected to mind – all of these are very important. If we know the net of samsara, then we know how to be free from this net of suffering.
If you feel that this practice does not make a lot of sense, that is the perfect way for understanding the teachings – it does not make sense. Leave trying to make sense of things for your mundane samsaric activities. For Tantra and Dzogchen, abide in “it doesn’t make sense.” When you abide in “it doesn’t make sense” then you will receive benefits. When the practice makes sense to you, then you are simply using your conceptual thinking – which is deluded by samsaric delusion.
Just try the practice. Don’t feel “I want to do perfect every time.” We all think that. But reality doesn’t go that way. There is no way of perfection. We practice by falling down and getting back up. We fall down, and we get back up. This is how we practice. Just listen to the teachings, and try the best we can. After practice, pray and feel, “I did the best I could.” Pray to the tummo khandro “Please bless and guide me. I fall down, but I will continue to get back up.”
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