What Are Khandros?

Khandros (also called dakinis) are an archetype or symbol of enlightened beings who are not trapped in their intellect or their emotions but slide freely through the world inspiring others by their dance of freedom. It’s a type of energy that has nothing to do with sex or gender. Khandros are inspiringly free. The symbol of the khandro is the sky. 

So when we become a khandro, this has nothing to do with becoming a gender or sex. It’s about re-inhabiting this energy and connecting with this natural quality that is already present within us. To become the khandro means to re-inhabit the qualities of our buddha nature – to generate and keep alive all the wholesome qualities that are and always have been present in our original nature.

In order to help us connect with our original nature, we symbolically divide up our natural state into five elemental qualities. We do this so we can focus one at a time on each of the different qualities of our true nature. It’s important to remember that symbolisms are not real. We utilize symbolism to help us understand. We utilize symbolism to help us connect with the wholesome qualities of our natural state of mind. When you are connected with the natural state of mind you are transformed into the khandro. This is the deeper meaning of the internal visualization. Mind itself connects with its own self-knowing awareness.

Posture

Another thing to note is that each of the five practices below contain different sitting positions. But it’s always an option to just practice in our five-fold meditative posture. It is better to sit stable and comfortable than to try to hold a position that strains your body. So sit in accordance to what your own body will allow.

The Five-fold Posture

1. Sitting in the cross-legged position.

2. Placing the two hands below the navel with the left one positioned above the right. Reversed for women.

3. Straightening up the vertebrae of your spinal column.

4. Hold the upper arms and shoulders high and back. Bend the neck slightly at the throat.

5. The eyes are slightly open and looking down to the tip of the nose. Leave a space between the lips and the teeth about the size of a barley grain. Let the breath be natural and undisturbed.

Preliminaries

It is traditional and beneficial to begin the practice with the nine-fold purification breaths and the five trul khor exercises at the beginning of a session. 

Next, we always begin each meditation session with taking refuge, generating bodhichitta, and making an offering. We do this for each of the five elemental practices. If we are doing multiple rounds of practice in a single session, then we only do these preliminaries at the very start of a session. Likewise, at the end of a full session we dedicate the merit when we decide to end.

We do these three preliminary practices to set a context and orient our mind for why we are engaging in these practices. We can do this in a formal way, in which formal prayers can be found in the appendix. But we can also do this in a more organic and natural way unique to your own heart’s intention and aspiration. So please experiment and find what works best to connect you to your heart’s intention. 

Why do we make offerings?

We make offerings to these enlightened qualities of our own natural state of mind – buddha nature – which are symbolized by these five elemental khandros. It’s a way to show reverence to the vitality of life, and to our aspiration to become enlightened for the sake of all beings. And we offer up our own deluded body, speech, and mind. Because we aspire to take up the enlightened body, speech, and mind of all Buddhas right here and now, present in our own original nature – we no longer need our samsaric body, speech, and mind which have habitually been a source of so much suffering in our life. So we give it all away. All the problems, stresses, worries, concerns, and deep sufferings we lovingly let go of and give it away to the sky-like dancers. Sky-like dancers who are not trapped in their sufferings but slide freely through the world inspiring others by their dance of freedom. And if the thought of giving it all away is too much for now, perhaps we can simply put down all our “stuff” just for the meditation session. 

Seed Syllables

In the following practices, seed syllables will be used. At the end of this section, you can find what they look like in Tibetan script. You can imagine them in Tibetan script, as English letters, or even just as a sphere of colored light. Use whatever is more natural to you. It is better to use what comes naturally than try to force or stress over “trying to get it right.”

Choosing an Element

We can practice with a single elemental khandro during a session. Traditionally, one learns and practices the space khandro first, as space is the first element in which all the other elements come from. So it is recommended we begin training with absorbing the essence of space before moving on to learn the others. However, during a retreat, we can practice all five in individual sessions throughout the day at the recommended times listed below. These suggested times are not hard rules, but just recommended times where the practice can be most beneficial. It is better to practice when we have the time, then to not practice waiting for the “perfect time.”

Absorbing the Essence of Space

To begin, sit comfortably in the five-fold posture. If you can, sit more in the center of the room, in the middle of the space of the room. Let your spine be straight, and your body relaxed, yet alert. Close your eyes gently and take a deep, soothing breath in. Exhale slowly. Let go of any tension as you settle into the present moment.

Refuge, Bodhichitta, and Offering

Start by invoking refuge, bringing to mind the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Allow their presence to fill you with warmth and support.

Then, gently arise bodhichitta, the wish for the benefit of all beings. Feel that deep intention in your heart, like a flame that burns with compassion and wisdom, illuminating all sentient beings with love and peace.

Visualize the white khandro and chant the seed syllable A three times and make the space mudra as an offering to the white space khandro of natural awareness, Khala Dugmo.

Visualization of the Seed Syllable and White Khandro

Visualize the three channels. Now, bring your awareness to the center of your heart in the central channel. Visualize the syllable "A" in radiant crystal clear light. If that feels distant, imagine a glowing crystal clear white sphere at the heart center.

Focus your awareness on this A in your heart. The A syllable melts into light and you arise as the white khandro. Imagine that in your right hand you are holding a banner waving through clear empty space and in your left hand a white skull cup filled with red and white light essence. Your body is covered with beautiful ornaments and is in the posture of a dancer.

Gradually, imagine that you are becoming this white khandro of natural awareness. Feel her energy flowing through your body, filling you with vitality and clarity. You are her, and she is you.

The symbolism of the khandro’s skull cup is cutting all the attachments to negativities (three and five poisons). Anger is connected to our bones. Attachments are connected to our blood. Ignorance is connected to our flesh. Khandros cut the bones, blood, and flesh as symbolism for cutting our anger, attachment, and ignorance. The symbolism of the banner is that it flies like a flag through space.

Retrieving the Essence of Space

Now focus on your heart center. Visualize in the central channel at the heart is a luminous white A – the essence of awareness. The A is radiating the five pure lights – white, red, blue, green, and yellow lights. Then slowly, slowly the five-colored rays of light go out from the A shining everywhere in all directions. The lights go out collecting the essence of space. Then the radiance of the light rays come back. Bringing back with them the essence of the space element. The five colored lights go out from the A gathering the essence of space and bringing it back to a blue HUNG syllable (or blue sphere) at your crown chakra.

Then slowly, slowly from the HUNG all the energies collected melt and drip down the central channel to your heart like melted fat. Like red and white spheres dripping down and connecting with the A syllable in your heart.

Resting in the Essence of Space

Then slowly, slowly all the energy of space dissolves into the whole of your body. White light dissolves everywhere in your body. All the bones, nerves, chakras, veins, muscles. Every cell is filled with the energy of the space element. All the channels open. The whole body opens in this spaciousness. You are space! Spaciousness, ease, clarity, expansiveness, and vastness permeate every cell of your body. Feel that all obstructions, tightness, constriction, and negativities are being removed, all illnesses healed, all mental confusions and anger completely cleared. At that moment, hold your breath a little bit. Not breathing in, not breathing out. Hold the breath at the heart level. Gently, focus on the A in the heart. Leave your mind naturally on the A in your heart. Holding the heart and mind on the A.

Then breath in forcefully, wrathfully, a strong quick breath through the nose focusing on the A syllable in your heart. Continue to do this until the breath and mind are united in oneness at the heart. Once the mind and breath are united, rest in that feeling of bliss. When the mind and breath are united in the heart, this is the true essence of the space element. This is the essence of dzogchen practice as well. The essence of the mind, the nature of the mind is this. Rest in this nature of mind for as long as you can.

Next, chant the space element mantra, A, slowly three times. Then you can repeat the whole mediation again starting with refuge. When finished, dedicate the merit.

Dedication of Merit

As you come to the end of this practice, dedicate the merit for the benefit of all beings. May the energy of space, wisdom, and compassion spread far and wide, helping all to find healing and transformation.

Rest for a moment in gratitude for the practice, knowing that through this meditation, you have purified anger and cultivated the wisdom of emptiness.

When you are ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the room. Gently open your eyes, and take a moment to appreciate the openness and inclusiveness within you.

You can use this in a quiet space and practice at your own pace, especially between 2 am and 6 am. This practice is good when feeling blocked, lost, tight, constricted, or when challenges feel too solid and impenetrable. This is a good practice for people also practicing meditations from the Great Perfection tradition or sky gazing. 

Absorbing the Essence of Fire

Begin by taking the fire posture, facing West. The feet crossed, one foot on top of the other. Holding your knees, pulling your knees to the chest. Hands resting on the other elbow, hugging the knees. Chin is tucked down, making the head tilt forward and down. Sitting in the five-point posture is also an option. Let your spine be straight, and your body relaxed, yet alert. Close your eyes gently and take a deep, soothing breath in. Exhale slowly. Let go of any tension as you settle into the present moment.

Refuge, Bodhichitta, and Offering

Start by invoking refuge, bringing to mind the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Allow their presence to fill you with warmth and support.

Then, gently arise bodhichitta, the wish for the benefit of all beings. Feel that deep intention in your heart, like a flame that burns with compassion and wisdom, illuminating all sentient beings with love and peace.

Visualize the red khandro and chant the seed syllable RAM three times and make the fire mudra as an offering to the red fire khandro, Tshang Tang Ringmo.

Visualization of the Seed Syllable and Red Khandro

Visualize the three channels. Now, bring your awareness to the center of your heart in the central channel. Visualize the syllable "MA RAM"  or simply the syllable "RAM" in radiant red light. If that feels distant, imagine a glowing red sphere at the heart center.

Focus your awareness on this RAM in your heart. The RAM syllable melts into light and you arise as the wrathful red khandro. Imagine that in your right hand you are holding a flashing bolt of lightning and in your left hand a skull cup filled with nectar of blood. Your body is covered with beautiful ornaments and is in the posture of a dancer.

Gradually, imagine that you are becoming this red khandro. Feel her energy flowing through your body, filling you with vitality and clarity. You are her, and she is you.

Retrieving the Essence of Fire

Slowly, slowly find your liver area in the body, particularly the channels of the liver that go from the heart to the liver. In this subtle channel, there are small fire khandros—powerful beings of fire energy. Each holding a small fireball sitting on a lotus and a vase filled with the essence of fire.

As you inhale, feel the subtle fire khandros moving within your liver channel. Then, as you chant the syllable "RAM" or the mantra “RAM TSANG TANG HUNG”, visualize these fire khandros gathering, and with each exhalation, they travel out through your right nostril. Picture them moving far and wide, collecting the essence of the fire in their sacred vases like bees sipping nectar.

As you continue to chant, feel the fire khandros return, entering through your left nostril, carrying all the warmth energy with them. They bring the gathered warmth back to your liver, filling the vase in your liver with the pure, nourishing fire energy.

Now, visualize the full vase in your liver—filled with the essence of fire. As the vase overflows, the nectar of this fire element flows through your central channel, nourishing every cell of your body, mind, and spirit. Imagine that through that the entire body is filled with the radiant luster of warmth.

In between the out breath and in breath, you can hold the breath comfortably as the khandros gathers the fire essences.

Feel free to repeat this process for as long as you need to be fully warmed and nourished.

Generating Warmth

At the junction of the three channels four inches under the navel, is the main location of warmth and heat in the body. Place your attention on this junction of the three channels and whether you can feel it or not imagine a very small flaming fire blazing in that junction. As the khandros bring back the radiant luster of warmth to the body, imagine this heat increasing. 

This fire in the  junction of the three channels slowly increases little by little up to just below your navel. If you know the third tummo practice “Intense Mass of Fire Breathing” you can do that practice here. If not that is okay, just continue on. 

As this fire burns at the base of the central channel you can feel it’s heat burning all the negativities and obstacles in the central channel by this wisdom fire. These negativities and obstacles burn up and leave like dark incense smoke out of the top of the crown channel.

Resting in the Essence of Fire

Let go of the mantra and posture now, and simply rest in the pure essence of fire. Feel it moving freely throughout your body. Every cell is revitalized, filled with warmth and creative inspiring joy. Let the energy of the fire element settle deeply into your being.

Allow your mind to rest in this openness, free from distraction, connected to the vastness of the fire that flows through you. Let it bring peace, balance, and wisdom into every part of your experience. If you cannot do that, simply be mindfully open to your empty central channel free of any negatives and obstacles. Sit for as long as you can.

If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to the image of a crystal stupa at the center of your heart. Focus on it with single-pointed attention. Allow your mind to calm naturally, letting the stillness envelop you.

Dedication of Merit

As you come to the end of this practice, dedicate the merit for the benefit of all beings. May the energy of fire, wisdom, and compassion spread far and wide, helping all to find healing and transformation.

Rest for a moment in gratitude for the practice, knowing that through this meditation, you have purified attachment and cultivated discriminating wisdom.

When you are ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the room. Gently open your eyes, and take a moment to appreciate the warmth and joy within you.

You can use this in a quiet space and practice at your own pace, especially between 6 am and 11 am. This practice is good when feeling a lack of energy, vitality, enjoyment or enthusiasm, uninspired, or difficulty starting or completing projects. This is a good practice for people also practicing inner heat meditations such as tummo.

Absorbing the Essence of Air

Begin by sitting in the five-point posture, facing North. Let your spine be straight, and your body relaxed, yet alert. Close your eyes gently and take a deep, soothing breath in. Exhale slowly. Let go of any tension as you settle into the present moment.

Refuge, Bodhichitta, and Offering

Start by invoking refuge, bringing to mind the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Allow their presence to fill you with warmth and support.

Then, gently arise bodhichitta, the wish for the benefit of all beings. Feel that deep intention in your heart, like a flame that burns with compassion and wisdom, illuminating all sentient beings with love and peace.

Visualize the green khandro and chant the seed syllable YAM three times and make the air mudra as an offering to the green air khandro, Limun Lengyed.

Visualization of the Seed Syllable and Green Khandro

Visualize the three channels. Now, bring your awareness to the center of your heart in the central channel. Visualize the syllable "MA YAM"  མ་ཡཾ or simply the syllable "YAM" ཡཾ in radiant green light. If that feels distant, imagine a glowing green sphere at the heart center.

Focus your awareness on this YAM in your heart. The YAM syllable melts into light and you arise as the green khandro. Imagine that in your right hand you are holding a dharma wheel which blows in the wind symbolizing wind and the north direction and in your left hand a vase of the wind essence. Your body is covered with beautiful ornaments and is in the posture of a dancer.

Gradually, imagine that you are becoming this green khandro. Feel her energy flowing through your body, filling you with vitality and clarity. You are her, and she is you.

Retrieving the Essence of Wind

Slowly, slowly find your lung area in the body, particularly the channels of the lungs that go from the heart to the lungs. In this subtle channel, there are small wind khandros—powerful beings of wind energy. Each holding a small pinwheel and a vase filled with the essence of wind.

As you inhale, feel the subtle wind khandros moving within your lung channels. Then, as you chant the syllable "YANG" or the mantra “Yang-Ny Ly-Thun Hung”, visualize these wind khandros gathering, and with each exhalation, they travel out through your right nostril. Picture them moving far and wide, collecting the essence of the wind in their sacred vases like bees sipping nectar.

As you continue to chant, feel the wind khandros return, entering through your left nostril, carrying all the wind energy with them. They bring the gathered essence back to your lungs, filling the vase in your lungs with the pure, nourishing wind energy.

Now, visualize the full vase in your lungs—filled with the essence of wind. As the vase overflows, the nectar of this wind element flows through your central channel, nourishing every cell of your body, mind, and spirit.

Feel free to repeat this process for as long as you need to be fully nourished.

Resting in the Essence of Wind

Let go of the mantra and posture now, and simply rest in the pure essence of wind. Feel it moving freely throughout your body. Every cell is revitalized, filled with lightness and freshness. Let the energy of the wind element settle deeply into your being.

Allow your mind to rest in this openness, free from distraction, connected to the vastness of the wind that flows through you. Let it bring peace, balance, and wisdom into every part of your experience.  If you cannot do that, simply be mindfully open to your empty central channel free of any negatives and obstacles. Sit for as long as you can.

If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to the image of a crystal stupa at the center of your heart. Focus on it with single-pointed attention. Allow your mind to calm naturally, letting the silence envelop you.

Dedication of Merit

As you come to the end of this practice, dedicate the merit for the benefit of all beings. May the energy of wind, wisdom, and compassion spread far and wide, helping all to find healing and transformation.

Rest for a moment in gratitude for the practice, knowing that through this meditation, you have purified pride and cultivated the wisdom of equanimity. 

When you are ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the room. Gently open your eyes, and take a moment to appreciate the lightness and freshness within you.

You can use this in a quiet space and practice at your own pace, especially between 4 pm and 9 pm. This practice is good when feeling stuck, lacking flow, not progressing or expanding, or relationships not deepening. This is a good practice for people also practicing mindfulness of the breath, phowa, or the trul khor exercises.

Absorbing the Essence of Water

Begin by sitting on your knees in seiza with your butt sitting on the heels of your feet, facing South. Sitting in the five-point posture is also an option. Let your spine be straight, and your body relaxed, yet alert. Close your eyes gently and take a deep, soothing breath in. Exhale slowly. Let go of any tension as you settle into the present moment.

Refuge, Bodhichitta, and Offering

Start by invoking refuge, bringing to mind the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Allow their presence to fill you with warmth and support.

Then, gently arise bodhichitta, the wish for the benefit of all beings. Feel that deep intention in your heart, like a flame that burns with compassion and wisdom, illuminating all sentient beings with love and peace.

Visualize the blue khandro and chant the seed syllable MANG three times and make the water mudra as an offering to the blue water khandro, Ting Nam Tumo.

Visualization of the Seed Syllable and Blue Khandro

Visualize the three channels. Now, bring your awareness to the center of your heart in the central channel. Visualize the syllable "MANG TING" or simply the syllable "MANG"  in radiant blue light. If that feels distant, imagine a glowing blue sphere at the heart center.

Focus your awareness on this MANG in your heart. The MANG syllable melts into light and you arise as the blue khandro. Imagine that in your right hand you are holding a crocodile banner and in your left hand a vase of water essence. Your body is covered with beautiful ornaments and is in the posture of a dancer.

Gradually, imagine that you are becoming this blue khandro. Feel her energy flowing through your body, filling you with vitality and clarity. You are her, and she is you.

Retrieving the Essence of Water

Slowly, slowly find your kidney area in the body, particularly the channels of the kidneys that go from the heart to the kidneys. In this subtle channel, there are small water khandros—powerful beings of water energy. Each holding a small wish-fulfilling jewel and a vase filled with the essence of water.

As you inhale, feel the subtle water khandros moving within your kidney channels. Then, as you chant the syllable "MANG" or the mantra “MANG TANGRA HUNG”, visualize these water khandros gathering, and with each exhalation, they travel out through your right nostril. Picture them moving far and wide, collecting the essence of the water in their sacred vases like bees sipping nectar.

As you continue to chant, feel the water khandros return, entering through your left nostril, carrying all the water energy with them. They bring the gathered essence back to your kidneys, filling the vase in your kidneys with the pure, nourishing water energy.

Now, visualize the full vase in your kidneys—filled with the essence of water. As the vase overflows, the nectar of this water element flows through your central channel, nourishing every cell of your body, mind, and spirit. Imagine that through that the entire body is filled with the essence of Water like a skin-sack filled with yoghurt.

Feel free to repeat this process for as long as you need to be fully nourished.

Resting in the Essence of Water

Let go of the mantra and posture now, and simply rest in the pure essence of water. Feel it moving freely throughout your body. Every cell is revitalized, filled with comfort and peacefulness. Let the energy of the water element settle deeply into your being.

Allow your mind to rest in this openness, free from distraction, connected to the vastness of the water that flows through you. Let it bring peace, balance, and wisdom into every part of your experience.  If you cannot do that, simply be mindfully open to your empty central channel free of any negatives and obstacles. Sit for as long as you can.

If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to the image of a crystal stupa at the center of your heart. Focus on it with single-pointed attention. Allow your mind to calm naturally, letting the peacefulness envelop you.

Dedication of Merit

As you come to the end of this practice, dedicate the merit for the benefit of all beings. May the energy of water, wisdom, and compassion spread far and wide, helping all to find healing and transformation.

Rest for a moment in gratitude for the practice, knowing that through this meditation, you have purified jealousy and cultivated all-accomplishing wisdom.

When you are ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the room. Gently open your eyes, and take a moment to appreciate the peacefulness and ease within you.

You can use this in a quiet space and practice at your own pace, especially between 11 am and 4 pm. This practice is good when feeling a lack of well-being, feeling out of tune, and feeling like something is “off.” This is a good practice for people also practicing guru yoga, tonglen, or meditations of loving kindness & compassion for all beings.

Absorbing the Essence of Earth

Begin by sitting in the elephant posture on your knees and elbows, with your chin resting in your cupped hands, facing East. Alternatively, you can sit on the ground like an elephant with your knees raised and your feet touching the ground. Your hands are held loosely in front of your body with the left hand on top of the right. Sitting in the five-point posture is also an option. Let your spine be straight, and your body relaxed, yet alert. Close your eyes gently and take a deep, soothing breath in. Exhale slowly. Let go of any tension as you settle into the present moment.

Refuge, Bodhichitta, and Offering

Start by invoking refuge, bringing to mind the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Allow their presence to fill you with warmth and support.

Then, gently arise bodhichitta, the wish for the benefit of all beings. Feel that deep intention in your heart, like a flame that burns with compassion and wisdom, illuminating all sentient beings with love and peace.

Visualize the yellow khandro and chant the seed syllable KHANG three times and make the earth mudra as an offering to the yellow earth khandro, Nele Saten.

Visualization of the Seed Syllable and Yellow Khandro

Visualize the three channels. Now, bring your awareness to the center of your heart in the central channel. Visualize the syllable "KHANG DRUM" or simply the syllable "KHANG"  in radiant yellow light. If that feels distant, imagine a glowing yellow sphere at the heart center.

Focus your awareness on this KHANG in your heart. The KHANG syllable melts into light and you arise as the yellow khandro. Imagine that in your right hand you are holding a yungdrung a symbol of unchanging indestructibility and in your left hand a vase of the earth essence. Your body is covered with beautiful ornaments and is in the posture of a dancer.

Gradually, imagine that you are becoming this yellow khandro. Feel her energy flowing through your body, filling you with vitality and clarity. You are her, and she is you.

Retrieving the Essence of Earth

Slowly, slowly find your spleen area in the body, particularly the channels of the spleen that go from the heart to the spleen. In this subtle channel, there are small earth khandros—powerful beings of earth energy. Each holding a small jewel and a vase filled with the essence of earth.

As you inhale, feel the subtle earth khandros moving within your spleen channel. Then, as you chant the syllable "MANG" or the mantra “MANG TANGRA HUNG”, visualize these earth khandros gathering, and with each exhalation, they travel out through your right nostril. Picture them moving far and wide, collecting the essence of the earth in their sacred vases like bees sipping nectar. Gathering the radiant nectar & herbs of the earth.

As you continue to chant, feel the earth khandros return, entering through your left nostril, carrying all the earth energy with them. They bring the gathered essence back to your spleen, filling the vase in your spleen with the pure, nourishing earth energy.

Now, visualize the full vase in your spleen—filled with the essence of earth. As the vase overflows, the nectar of this earth element flows through your central channel, nourishing every cell of your body, mind, and spirit. Imagine that through that the entire body is filled with the essence of earth like a skin-sack filled with yoghurt. Feel free to repeat this process for as long as you need to be fully nourished.

Resting in the Essence of Earth

Let go of the mantra and posture now, and simply rest in the pure essence of earth. Feel it moving freely throughout your body. Every cell is revitalized, filled with stability and groundedness. Let the energy of the earth element settle deeply into your being.

Allow your mind to rest in this openness, free from distraction, connected to the vastness of the earth that flows through you. Let it bring peace, balance, and wisdom into every part of your experience.  If you cannot do that, simply be mindfully open to your empty central channel free of any negatives and obstacles. Sit for as long as you can.

If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to the image of a crystal stupa at the center of your heart. Focus on it with single-pointed attention. Allow your mind to calm naturally, letting the stillness envelop you.

Dedication of Merit

As you come to the end of this practice, dedicate the merit for the benefit of all beings. May the energy of earth, wisdom, and compassion spread far and wide, helping all to find healing and transformation.

Rest for a moment in gratitude for the practice, knowing that through this meditation, you have purified ignorance and cultivated mirror-like wisdom.

When you are ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the room. Gently open your eyes, and take a moment to appreciate the groundness and connectedness within you.

You can use this in a quiet space and practice at your own pace, especially between 9 pm and 2 am. This practice is good when feeling ungrounded, unstable, dissatisfied, disconnected, spacy, agitated, and restless. This is a good practice for people also practicing calm abiding meditation, single pointed concentration, or mindfulness of an object like the body & breath.

Results of Practice

The root text details the results or fruit through training in the five khandro practices listed above. We can allow ourselves to be inspired by these fruits. And we can also mindfully reflect on our own actions of body, speech, and mind, our own well-being, our relationships with ourselves, with others, and with the world to see how the fruits of these practices may be unfolding in our lives. Through diligent study and practice, may the fruits of awakening ripen in each of us.

From the root text:

Fire: Through the accumulation of Fire essence, one gains a long life, and extensive merit. One’s tigle become abundant, the mouth of the central channel is opened, and wisdom increases. Ultimately, having gained power over the wind of Fire, delusion is cut. That is the system of extracting Fire essence.

Wind: Through training in this way: your life is extended; your radiant luster is increased; you accumulate food and wealth; you can run quickly; you have great power; and, you will not sink in the water. Through gaining power over Wind, deluded appearances do not arise.

Water: Through training like this: your life becomes long; your radiant luster increases; you can drink a lot; and you gain power over sentient beings. Having gained power over the wind of Water [element], kidney diseases, and the diseases of dropsy and phlegm will not occur.

Earth: Through mastery of the wind of Earth, diseases of the three humors of wind, bile, and phlegm, will not arise. When Earth essence is absorbed, deluded experiences are cut.

Space: Through sustaining this practice, wind-and-mind are absorbed in the central channel. Through the increase of tigle, your radiant luster is increased. Through gaining power over the wind of Space, deluded appearances are cut and naturally purified. Through the increase in tigle, life and merit are made more abundant.

Practice sessions: It is best to practice for 21 days. The second-best option is to practice for 14 days. At least seven days are necessary. Our place of practice must be quiet and undisturbed. It is best if we observe silence. Practice until you get signs of progress. After you receive signs you should do the practice at least once a day.