From
this page, you can download the first four of the five chapters of the Vajra Sunshiner of Lama Mipham
as translated by Rime Lodro Waldo, PhD. From his original text I have removed
the untranslated Tibetan verses, folio numbers and so forth for easier reading.
The specialist can refer back to the original documents by Rime Lodro to check on the Tibetan.
I have also significantly modified his prose giving preference to the English
translation and placing the Tibetan in parentheses, again for easier reading.
I have also added explanatory footnotes and endnotes where I felt they were indicated.
As
for the verses of the Kalachakra Tantra, I have used the following:
Chapter
One: John Newman's unpublished doctoral dissertation The
Outer Wheel of Time: Vajrayana Buddhist Cosmology in the Kalacakra Tantra.
Chapter Two: Vesna Wallace's unpublished doctoral dissertation The
Inner Kalacakratantra: A Buddhist View of the Individual.
Chapter Three:
Jensine Andresen's unpublished doctoral dissertation Kalachakra:
Textual and Ritual Perspectives.
Chapter Four: A translation of
the Fourth Chapter of the Kalachakra Tantra by Vesna Wallace is awaiting publication
and is unavailable to be included with this commentary. However I have placed
her translation of verses from the Fourth Chapter that are present in her published
book The Inner Kalacakratantra.
Chapter Five: James Hartzell's unpublished
doctoral dissertation Tantric Yoga:
A Study of the Vedic Precursors, Historic Evolution, Literatures, Cultures, Doctrines
and Practices of the 11th Century Kasmiri Saivite and Buddhist Unexcelled Tantric
Yogas. Please note that this part does not contain Mipham's commentary, as the translation by Rime Lodro Waldo PhD was not available at the time.
I made some changes in these texts mainly so that
there would be consistency in the terms used to translate certain words. The word
jñana is an example in that it was variously translated as gnosis, intuition
and knowledge. In its aspect meaning knowledge of the ultimate, I left it untranslated
as simply jñana and where it meant knowledge in general, it is translated
as knowledge.
I have also included appendices of appropriate material for
each chapter. Finally, I have included the Sanskrit diacritic fonts. Please refer
to the Sanskrit Fonts Page for installation
of the fonts that I used in making this document onto your PC or Mac.
This
is very much a work in progress with a definitive edition many years away, but
this initial attempt provides serious students with a unique opportunity for study.
I hope that I have not introduced too many new errors and I take full responsibility
for them. If you do find an error, I would appreciate hearing about it.
While
the material contained here is available for any interested and motivated reader
to obtain, please keep these materials away from persons who have not taken
the Kalachakra Initiation from a qualified guru. Also please do not attempt
to practice anything mentioned in these texts without the personal guidance of
a qualified guru.
| I would like to thank my family
for all of the time I put in on "the project." As all blessings and
realization flow from the teacher, I would especially like to dedicate this project
to the memory of my late root lama Geshe Wangyal. Bakshi (Mongolian for rinpoche)
established my feet firmly on the path and through his blessings I have come to
meet and know His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well all my dear Dharma brothers
and sisters. May all be so fortunate to meet with such a teacher.
Phillip Lecso
Sept. 19, 2003 |
Guide to Latest Revisions (6/2004 and 1/2005)
The current revisions have been over a year in the making. Every time
I thought that I was finished, I found some other major change to be
made. This time I have also looked into the content and agreement between
chapters and the sadhana written by Lama Mipham. This is especially
important in the case of the sadhana as Lama Mipham often refers the
reader to the sadhana for details of what is briefly presented in the
commentary on the chapters. Though this will not be finished in my lifetime,
I feel I have taken this as far as my abilities can go.
Also Rime Lodro Waldo transcribed the Sanskrit vowels and consonants
in their “Tibetanized” form, such as WA for VA, DZA for
JA and so forth. I have changed these back to the literal Sanskrit diacritic
transcription.
I have corrected the page numbers for the guide to the topics according
to Pundarika at the beginning of each chapter. Finally, I have continued
to remove as many abbreviations and numerals as I can to preserve the
integrity of the language.
Chapter One: Second Revision. First, I have re-edited
the entire document, especially the section on astrology, adding some
additional endnotes and identifying some key terms. The only major addition
of new material from Khedrup Norsang Gyatso’s Ornament of Stainless
Light.
Chapter Two: Second Revision. First, I have re-edited
the entire document, correcting mistakes and hopefully improving its
clarity and ease of reading. I have added some additional identification
in Western scientific names of various plant and animal materials that
were previously unidentified. I have also added commentary from the
GBh to verse 108. There is now a sixth appendix describing the circulation
of the winds in the navel chakra
Chapter Three: Fourth Revision. Again, I have re-edited
the entire document and moreover made a new translation of the Third
Chapter root text. I have added some additional material from the Chakrasamvara
tradition concerning construction of the mandala. There is also a new
appendix giving an outline of the mandala rituals based on Abhyakaragupta’s
Vajravali as well as a summation of the information given on the thirty-six
families of yoginis for the ganachakra. Two verses and commentary from
Martin Boord’s book on Vajrakila practices have been added (Verses
12, 27 and 35). Finally, I have further identified some of the plants
and animals mentioned in the text in Western scientific nomenclature.
Chapter Four: First Revision. Again, I have re-edited
the entire document, correcting mistakes and hopefully improving its
clarity and ease of reading. There is very little agreement between
the seed syllables used in Chapters Three, Four and for the sadhana.
Relying on multiple sources (mainly Ed Henning’s “Deities
of the Kalachakra Mandala,” Brauen’s The Mandala and Thurman’s
“Long Kalachakra Sadhana”), I have made the most consistent
and logical choices, using them across all three texts. I have added
additional material, verses and commentary from the Sadangayoga and
the GBh (Verses 113 – 120). Finally, I have added some verses
and commentary from Martin Boord’s book on Vajrakila practices
(Verses 139 & 153). Finally, some plants have been identified in
Western scientific nomenclature.
Chapter Five: First Revision. The main text has some
minor changes. The major changes are to Appendix II where I have added
verses and commentary from the Sadangayoga and the GBh (Verses 98, 101-107,
115 -116, 119, 121,122, 127, 160 and 162 -163)
Sadhana: I have made major changes to the text by
making the seed syllables consistent and logical. A major difficulty
lies with the Desire and Aversion Ladies of the Speech and Body Mandalas.
There is a scarcity of material available on them and I relied heavily
on Ed Henning’s “The Deities of the Kalachakra Mandala.”
I have placed an alternative arrangement for them as an appendix. Also
I have gone through the text making major changes in the text itself
comparing it to the Vajra Sunshiner commentary as well as other sadhanas,
especially Robert Thurman’s translation.
Given my deteriorating health, I do not think that I will be adding
much new material to these works. It is my hope that the members of
the IKN continue to add to this work in the future and that some day
this will be a completed document. I would also like to personally thank
Victoria Steiner, PhD. for all of her assistance in obtaining books
through the Ohio Inter-Link system of colleges and universities. Without
her assistance much of this material would not have been added.
Finally I dedicate the merit of this to my late parents and to all
of the holders of the Kalachakra lineage. May they live long and spread
the teachings of the Kalachakra throughout this three-fold world system.
Phillip Lecso
----
Since the above text and below versions were written, we have discovered a later, considerably improved version of the Vajra Sunshiner by Rime Lodro PhD, which is now available for download.
Rudy Harderwijk
