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Before we begin, I want to preface that these teachings in the first division of the channels, winds, and sphere/drops are a copious amount of information. Don’t be overwhelmed! If you have ever studied medicine or anatomy, you might know just how much information there is to learn about how the body works. As well as all the years it takes to learn about anatomy and how the body works down to its tiniest parts. What is presented here is directly from the root text in its totality, and it’s an introduction to all the many parts of the body. Imagine it like an introduction to a group of people in a house. It’s important to learn each person’s name and function; likewise it’s important to learn each of the names and functions of the channels, winds, and spheres making up the temple of the Buddha, our body. So don’t feel like you need to memorize or learn all the details, but just be relaxed, open, curious, and allow yourself to be introduced to all the many wonderful parts that make up your body, mind, and what you call “you.” This introduction will lay the foundation or base that we will then build our meditative practice upon in part two.
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.
1: Presentation of the Channels / Tsa
Three subdivisions of the channels:
Essence of the Channels
Etymology of the Channels
Divisions of the Channels
The channels have eight subdivisions. The first five channels are where the primordial wisdom circulates. The second five channels are where the light (clarity of primordial wisdom) circulates. The third five channels are where the winds circulate. Four are five channels where the energy spheres circulate. Fifth are the five channels of 108 branch channels. Sixth the channels of 360 lymph channels. Seventh the 84000 leaf channels.
1: Essence of the Channels
Blood, lymph, wind, (and seminal fluid) flow through the essence of the channels.
What is meant by channels? Channels are tubes in which blood, lymph, and wind circulate.
2: Etymology of “Tsa”
Tsa means root, because it is the basis of the body, sense organs, and lifeforce and essential organs. This is why we call it tsa, or root. We can call it “channels” but it literally means “root” in Tibetan. Also it is called root because it is the source of afflictions and wisdom. Also it is the source of the increase and decrease of the body and increase and decrease of death.
3: Divisions of the Channels
In the root text we have four types of channels: root channel, branches channel, and subsidiary channels, and leaf channels. We will now go through each of them one by one.
1: Root Channels
Root channels have five parts:
The first five channels are where the primordial wisdom circulates.
The second five channels are where the light (clarity of primordial wisdom) circulates.
The third five channels are where the winds circulate.
Fourth are five channels where the blood circulates.
Fifth are five channels where the energy spheres circulate.
1: The Five Channels Where Primordial Wisdom Circulate
1) King of Channels and Four Minister Channels
First, one root channel is in the center of the heart. It is like the king of channels. Which is like a crystal transparent glass. Its length is once inch, and thickness is 1/10th of a horse tail hair. This channel is called the fundamental primordial wisdom channel which is the basis of self-arising primordial rigpa. It is where rigpa abides.
From that king of channel, come out four minister channels.
What are these four minister channels?
Channel that holds the basis of light.
Channel that is the clarifier of the five sense powers.
Channel that is the changer of the samsaric existing.
Channel that clarifies deep radiance.
All five of these are counted as one.
2-4) Three Main Trunk Channels: Center, Left and Right
On the right is the white skillful means channel.
On the left is the red wisdom channel.
In the center is the bodhicitta channel.
Some practitioners say there are five channels: right, left, front, back, and center. If you count like this, it is okay. But here we are using three channels.
5) Five channels of the Five Chakra
These five chakras are counted as one. (Crown, Throat, Heart, Naval, & Secret)
2: The Five Channels Where Light (Clarity) Circulate
From the heart channel (king of channels), four minister channels come out. The minister channel that is called the “clarifier of the sense powers” separates into five channels. These five channels are where light / clarity circulate.
What are these five channels where light circulates?
Soft white channel
Soft green channel
Soft red channel
Soft blue channel
Soft yellow channel
These are where the light circulates and penetrates the five sense doors. They clarify the sense powers. When we look we can see because of the light in the channels of the sense power.
The Soft White Channel
This channel branches from the heart channel to the minister channel and branches off to penetrate the eyes. Inside that channel is empty. Inside it white light moves. Form and color travel this path. This white light is how we connect to form and color.
The Soft Green Channel
This channel branches from the heart channel to the minister channel and branches off to penetrate the nose. Inside that channel is empty. Inside it green light moves, that is the apprehension of smells.
The Soft Red Channel
This channel branches from the heart channel to the minister channel and branches off to penetrate the tongue. Inside that channel is empty. Inside it red light moves, that is the apprehension of taste.
The Soft Blue Channel
This channel branches from the heart channel to the minister channel and branches off to penetrate the ear. Inside that channel is empty. Inside it blue light moves, that is the apprehension of sound.
The Soft Yellow Channel
This channel branches from the heart channel to the minister channel and branches off to penetrate the body. Inside that channel is empty. Inside it yellow light moves, that is the apprehension of touch sensation.
This light is not visible light that the eyes see. We cannot hear, taste, or touch visible light. This light is how we connect to the objects of the five senses. The color is symbolic essence not a material color. It is the essence of primordial wisdom.
From the heart channel, the minister channel, whose name is “clarifier of the sense power”, then separates into five different sense channels, which performs the function of entering the faculties of the five senses.
3: The Five Channels Where Wind Circulate
From the heart channel (king of channels), four minister channels come out. The minister channel that is called the changing of the existing of samsara separates into five channels. These five channels penetrate the five organs, lung, heart, spleen, kidney, and heart. From those organs they also connect with the head and four limbs.
4: The Five Channels Where Blood Circulate
From the heart channel (king of channels), four minister channels come out. The minister channel that is called the Clarify deep radiance separates into five channels. These five channels are:
Triple Condensed (entwined) Heart Generator Channel
Immaculate Lung Generator Channel
Nine-point Liver Generator Channel
Big Corse Thick Kidney Generator Channel
Sprout Spleen Generator Channel
From those organs they also connect with the head and four limbs.
5: The Five Channels Where Energy Spheres Circulate
From the heart channel (king of channels), four minister channels come out. The minister channel that is called the holding the basis of light separates into three regions of the body: upper, lower, and middle. In which there are five channels.
First, one channel connects to the naval, this acts as the supporting basis of existing (of the body). This is why the naval is considered the center of the body, it is where the body begins.
Second, one channel connects at the heart, this acts as sustaining thinking. This is called the lamp that sustains thinking.
Third, one channel connects to the throat, this acts as making speech.
Fourth, one channel connects to the crown of the head and functions as the path of entering enlightenment.
Fifth, one channel connects to the secret place that produces the conditions of animating reproductive seeds.
2: Branch Channels
There are 108 branch channels.
32 channels in the brain that are called silk ribbon channels. Here winds move in those channels.
32 channels in the chest that are called “hold the magical sphere at the chest.” Here wind and blood mix together.
32 channels in the four limbs that are called “pulling the tent ropes.”
6 hidden channels that branch from the king of the main channel and the queen of the life channel.
6 “directly move channels” which branch from the king of the main channel and the queen of the life channel.
Together they total 108.
The Queen of Life Channel
The king channel is the basis channel. The Queen Channel is the life channel. The king channel is called the basis channel because all channels connect to it. Like the backbone is the basis for all the bones.
3: Subsidiary Limb Channels
There are 360 total subsidiary limb channels.
120 channels that reveal the outer identity of the darkness.
120 channels that lead through the center of the bones.
120 channels that hold the individual essential inner organs.
Totaling 360 subsidiary limb channels.
4: The 84,000 Leaf Channels
21,000 channels of the pulsing of the winds.
21,000 channels related with the bile.
21,000 channels related to the phlegm.
21,000 channels related to the blood.
21,000 x 4 totals 84,000 channels.
From these 84,000 leaf channels, there are the branch channels.
103,000 minor channels of the skin.
103,000 minor channels of the flesh ornament.
103,000 minor channels of the bones.
103,000 minor channels of the circulation of blood.
103,000 minor channels of the inner organs.
103,000 minor channels that draw the five sense organs and four limbs.
618000 total branches channel.
In the mother tantra it says, “The major channels are like big ropes, the manor channels are like straight colored thread, the subtle channels are like a connected network.”
All good qualities arise from these channels.
In the mother tantra it says, “If the five light channels are blocked, then one becomes stupid. If the five sense channels are paralyzed then one becomes mute. If the wind channels are filled with bile, then one becomes faint (unconsciousness). If the channels are filled with blood, one will go to sleep. If wind is activated in the lifeforce channel, one becomes crazy. If the primordial wisdom channel is blocked, one cannot realize the ultimate truth of nature.”
Just like when working in a group with many people, it’s important to know each person’s name and function; likewise it’s important to know each of the name and functions of the channels making up the temple of the Buddha, our body.
This completes the teachings on the channels from the Mother Tantra Tummo teachings.
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