During the Completion Stage, the transformation to Buddhahood - which is merely visualized in the Generation Stage - is actually taking place. Much of the practice revolves around controlling even the most subtle aspects of body and mind.

The Completion Stage can be practiced during or after the Generation Stage practices in the Kalachakra tradition. It is inappropriate here to explain the actual practices in detail. For example in the Jonang tradition, these can only be practiced after completing the 4 main Ngöndros (preparation Practices). The Kalachakra practices are are somewhat different from other tantric traditions, like e.g. Vajrayogini. However, a short summary of the Completion Stage practices follows (free from [5]. See also [1] and [4] for more elaborate discussions.

The Completion Stage practices can be divided in three stages of two phases each:

The first two stages are related to actualizing the Vajra Body:
1. Individual Withdrawal (Attainment of Vajrasattva): cutting off the individual vital energies in the 6 sense organs and the spheres of sensory perception. The energies of the right and left channels are directed into the central channel, which gives rise to the four night time signs, and four day time signs (somewhat similar to the appearances at death). Arisal of "body of empty form".
2. Yoga of Dhyana (Attainment of Akshobhya): essentially samadhi combining insight and shamatha. It establishes divine pride in the empty form body.

The next two stages are related to actualizing the Vajra Speech:
3. Yoga of Energy Control - Pranayama (Attainment of Amoghasiddhi): arresting the flow of energies in the right and left channel using vajra recitation and tummo. Gives rise to the four joys descending from above.
4. Yoga of Retention (Attainment of Ratnasambhava): using vase breathing to blend the main energies, the mind and the empty body at each of the chakras. Achievement of the four joys of (the drops) ascending and descending, and great bliss. These yogas result in a vivid vision of the empty form of Kalachakra with consort.

The final two stages are related to actualizing the Vajra Mind:
5. Yoga of Subsequent Mindfulness (Attainment of Amitabha): By going into union with the consort of empty form, the first drop of fluid melts and comes down to the tip of the vajra. One experiences a moment of immutable bliss when this happens with each individual drop. One by one, the 21,600 drops are stacked in this way from the tip of the jewel to the crown of the head.
6. Yoga of Samadhi (Attainment of Vairochana): bringing the white and red substances respectively to the tip of the jewel and the crown and retaining them. This causes a flash of stabilized bliss, that causes one of our 21,600 factors responsible for our coarse form to dissolve. Simultaneously, one of the 21,600 karmic energies are halted. Stacking 21,600 of white, male drops in a column from the tip of the jewel to the crown, and similarly stacking 21,600 of red, female drops in a column from the crown to the tip of the jewel causes one to achieve the state of Kalachakra. These 21,600 energies are purified, which means that they vanish.
When the 21,600 blisses are completed, one's entire body aspect is exhausted, and one manifests the rainbow state of Kalachakra and the highest goal of Buddhahood is achieved.

 

BODY OF EMPTY FORM

The Body of Empty Form is an aspect which only appears in the Kalachakra tantra. Other tantras refer to an "Illusory Body". This Illusory Body is composed from most subtle energy. The Body of Empty Form however is not physical, but an appearance of the most subtle clear-light mind that appears when the subtle energies are gathering in the central channel. By continuously meditating on the Kalachakra deity, this appearance will take the form of Kalachakra. It is often described as a reflection of the most subtle mind, like the image in a magic mirror. This Body of Empty Form is created during total meditative absorption in emptiness, whereas the Illusory Body is created after the meditation.

 

IMMUTABLE BLISS

[6]: "In the other Highest Yoga Tantras, we have the method of blissful awareness. In Kalachakra we have something called the "unchanging blissful awareness". This unchanging blissful awareness has certain characteristics that make it more stable."
{Free from [5]:} "One persists in the meditation until the mind spontaneously arises in the empty body form of Kalachakra and Consort. This causes light to emanate forth from one's pores, arousing the desire of the empty body mahamudra deities. One then practices sexual union with these mahamudra empty body deities and achieves the unchanging great bliss."
In general, three types of "mudras" or "seals" are explained (the fourth: samayamudra or commitment seal, is not applicable here):

1. Karmamudra: action seal, an actual woman.
2. Jnanamudra: wisdom seal, a mentally projected woman
3. Mahamudra: great seal, the empty bodies that actually arise from the appearances in one's own mind.

 The "dull" student needs a karmamudra first, lacking the meditation power to direct the vital substances to the tip of the jewel, and to create the "falling bliss". The "middling" student, with greater powers of meditation first uses the jnanamudra to generate a bliss that is not stable. The "sharp" students rely exclusively on the mahamudra, and they are able to experience the unchanging bliss solely through union with her. The other two types of students first need a karma or jnanamudra before they finally proceed to the mahamudra to generate the immutable bliss.

 [1]: "..on the difference between the supreme immutable bliss of Kalachakra and the innate bliss of Guhyasamaja; the first Dalai Lama argues that there could be no difference between the two because otherwise at the end of the paths of other tantras one would be required to enter the path of Kalachakra. Rather, the supreme immutable bliss of Kalachakra is given a different name.. to denote its unique mode of production, namely a different method for increasing the drops. In the Kalachakra system it is necessary to rely on a Great Empty Form Seal in order to bring about empty form bodies. The Great Seal of Empty Form is a special type of consort who in some way .. surpasses an Action Seal. .. if one did not use a Great Seal of Empty Form, the drops piling up and down in the central channel at the level of subsequent mindfulness and meditative stabilization would spread out at the channel-wheels instead of staying in the central channel."

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1]: Highest Yoga Tantra, Daniel Cozort, Snowlion 1986
[2]: The Kalachakra Tantra, Rite of Initiation. Tenzin Gyatso the Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Hopkins (Wisdom, 1985)
[3]: Taking the Kalachakra Initiation, Alexander Berzin, Snow Lion, 1997
[4]: Transcending Time, An Explanation of the Kalachakra Six-Session Guru Yoga, Gen Lamrimpa and B. Allan Wallace (Wisdom 1999)
[5]: The Practice of Kalachakra by Glen H. Mullin (Snow Lion 1991)
[6]: Introduction to Kalachakra, commentary by Dr. Alex Berzin June 28 - 30, 1985 at Institut Vajrayogini, France
[7]: Das Mandala by Martin Brauen (Dumont 1992) (Later appeared in many languages.)
[8]: The Wheel of Time Sand Mandala, by Barry Bryant, Harper Collins 1995