Intermediate Vase Breathing

Five subdivisions:

1. Essential point of the body posture

2. Essential point of the wind

3. Four-fold wind practice

4. Essential point of the visualization

5. Essential point of the enhancement practice of Thrulkhor

The Essential point of the enhancement practice of Thrulkhor is too large of a topic to explore in this teaching, and can be the entire focus of teachings in a future teaching.

1: Essential Point of the Body Posture

The essential point of the body posture is to apply the four chakras. 

How to apply the four chakras? First, the fire chakras at the soles of the feet and the water chakras at the top of the feet should be joined together. This means to rest one foot on top of the other foot. Second, the fire chakra at the skin of the chest and the water chakra of the knees should be joined together. This means pull the knees as close to the chest as you can. Third, the fire chakra at the palm of the hand and the water chakra of the elbow should be joined together. This means to hug the knees with the arms so the hands rest on the elbow. If you cannot reach around the knees, you can simply hug between the knees and the chest keeping your hands on the elbows. Fourth, the fire chakra of the chest and the water chakra of the chin should be joined together. This means to tuck the chin down to the chest.

Four Chakras Joined Together

1. Feet crossed, one foot on top of the other. 

2. Holding your knees, pulling your knees to the chest. 

3. Hands resting on the other elbow, hugging the knees. 

4. Chin is tucked down, making the head tilt forward and down.

2: Essential point of the Wind

Do the three special preliminary practices. 

1. The building of the protection tent within the hollow interior of the Perfection Body

2. Cleansing the poison wind within the hollow interior of the Emanation Body

3. The blessing of the channels, winds, and spheres within the hollow interior of the Reality Body

3: Four-fold Wind Practice

First, inhaling the wind like cotton. Second, wind filling up like nectar.  Third, holding the wind and forcing downward the fire-like wind of melting. Fourth, exhaling and projecting the wind like smoke. 

1: Inhaling the Wind like Cotton

With both nostrils inhale the wind long and gently without sound. The wind is drawn in like a hook drawing it in. When you cannot inhale anymore, then swallow one drop of saliva and press the wind down below the navel. The benefit of this practice is that the wind enters its own essential point of the channel and gathers all positive qualities of samsara and nirvana.

2: Wind Filling Up like Nectar

When you are holding the wind below the navel, the wind goes down through the two side channels, and tries to go up the central channel to the navel. At that time, compress and press down like a bellow below the navel. Hold the wind below the navel, and close the lower door. The benefit is that the bodhichitta sphere overflows and the heat of bliss immediately blazes.

3: Holding and Forcing Downward the Fire-like Wind of Melting

Compress down the wind as much as possible at the navel until you are unable to hold the breath. Then inhale sharply a little more. Dissolve the wind in the central channel. This means to feel the wind come up the central channel. “Fire-like wind of melting” means this wind under the navel dissolves into the central channel getting smaller and smaller like a fire pit going out. The benefit of this is that the channels will open and channel knots will be released. The experience of uncontaminated bliss and emptiness will arise.

4: Exhaling and Projecting the Wind like Smoke

When you can no longer hold and need to exhale, push out all the wind. Imagine the wind is projected up the central channel and out the top of the head as blue smoke. Focus your awareness (rigpa) below the navel. When you can no longer push out any wind – every wind and breath has been projected out – the head will tremble and shiver. Then you can inhale with sound and relax. The benefit is that all sickness and negative forces are expelled from the body and the karmic traces and obscurations become purified.

In the beginning practice in this way three times then relax. Then after a rest, continue three times. Slowly you can build up and do more in time. 

4: Essential Point of the Visualization

During the “Holding and Forcing Downward the Fire-like Wind of Melting” section of the Four-fold Wind Practice we need to visualize the A-shad fire heat’s increases one hundred times hotter. The bodhichitta sphere at the crown of the head starts to involuntarily melt. It begins to drip down on the A-shad fire. When it drips on the A-shad fire it makes a sizzling sound. When the dripping lands on the A-shad fire, the flame of the fire becomes bigger – like dripping oil on a fire. As the flames get bigger, more bodhichitta sphere drops melt and fall down on the fire. Just by the dripping down unbearable and unimaginable bliss of the body arises and the mind generates vibration. The bliss of an organism is considered a contaminated bliss –and not what we are feeling here– but the bliss from the fire is the uncontaminated bliss of the natural state of mind. Meditate that the flame of the A-shad fire grows from four fingers below the navel up to right below the navel. 

5: Essential point of the enhancement practice of Thrulkhor

There are forty Thrulkhor practices the text mentions. But this is too large of a topic to explore in this teaching, and can be the entire focus of teachings in a future teaching.

Summary

Continue to practice this Intermediate Vase Breathing until you are well trained, competent, and proficient in the practice before moving on to the Intense Mass of Fire Breathing practice. Fully develop your practice with confidence before moving on, or there will be no benefits.

When you inhale the breath, it should be slow like a strong man bending a bow. When you are filling up the wind it is like someone damming up water in a pool, slowly filling up from below the navel. Holding forcing down is like packing grain tightly into a sack. This is like pushing the wind down the central channel letting it dissolve into the central channel as the wind comes up the central channel. When projecting the breath it is like a skilled archer shooting an arrow far away. 

From the Zhang Zhung Nyengyü it says, “When you inhale there are three methods. First, when you inhale breathe in however much you can. Second, do an empty swallow. Third, press the throat back. These three are the essential points of inhaling the breath. When you exhale, first lift the torso, second, draw up the lower wind, third, focus the awareness below the navel. These three are the essential points of exhaling.”

Benefits

By this practice you enter the essential point of the five winds. The five root winds connect on their own essential point – their own energy becomes balanced. When the five root winds connect on their own essential points, then the karmic winds are purified into their own nature. From that the heat of bliss blazes and increases in body and mind. 

The strand of the dynamic energy of the knowing rigpa (understanding rigpa) becomes more powerful. This means the wisdom of the nature of the mind becomes stronger and more open. 

Do this practice of vase breathing, four sessions a day until you get the complete power of the wind of the great vase. There is no mention of a specific amount of days. Only move on to the Intense Mass of Fire Breathing practice after getting the great vase.

In the Zhang Zhung Nyengyü it says, “How to measure the great vase? Sit cross legged, inhale the wind, and hold the breath. When you are holding the breath, touch both knees, then the forehead, then snap your finger. The time it takes to do that movement is considered ‘one.’ This is because in the past there were no clocks. But these days, we can just count seconds. We don’t actually have to do the movement of the hand and snap. The measure of the small vase is to comfortably hold the breath for thirty-six snaps – or seconds. The measure of the medium vase is to comfortably hold the breath for seventy-six seconds. This should not be forcefully done. When it becomes difficult, exhale and relax. The measure of the great vase, is to hold the breath comfortably for one-hundred and eight seconds. At this time, you are ready for the final practice of Tummo, intense mass of fire breathing.

In the beginning we can practice this without doing the visualizations, but simply training in the inhale, holding the breath, and the exhale. Once we are comfortable holding the breath, we can add the visualizations. We need to practice where we are – under the small vase, medium vase, or great vase. Don’t push yourself past where you actually are. Let the time increase naturally through practice without pushing. Be careful because we all have different types of bodies, different balances of elements, different energies. We need to understand that we cannot compare ourselves to others. Others might be able to practice longer, but we need to know our own body, and practice at a level for our own unique body. Only we know our own strength and what we are comfortable with.