Guide to Dakini Land is the first complete explanation in English of the Tantric practice of Vajrayogini, the female Buddha of wisdom.
Geshe Kelsang provides detailed instructions on the eleven yogas of generation stage, which are special methods for transforming all our daily activities into a blissful spiritual path; and he also explains with great clarity the essential completion stage practices of Vajrayogini, which lead to full enlightenment.
Included are all the sadhanas of Vajrayogini, advice on how to do a Tantric retreat, and a wealth of additional material that will be indispensable to anyone wishing to rely upon Buddha Vajrayogini.
'A joy to read. . . Geshe Kelsang has truly brought a blessing into our lives' - TIBET JOURNAL
Excerpt from this book:
A General Explanation of the Body Mandala Practice
A body mandala is so called because the original substance that transforms into a body mandala is part of the body of a self-generation. This is similar to calling a vase a golden vase because the substance of the vase is gold.
A body mandala is defined as the transformation of any part of the body of a self-generation into a Deity. Merely visualizing Deities marked on the body, as in the practice of Yamantaka, is not a body mandala practice. Moreover, when we generate ourself as Vajrayogini our body is not a body mandala because its substantial cause is not a part of our body. During the practice of bringing death into the path we mentally dissolve our ordinary body into emptiness, and from emptiness we arise in the form of the letter BAM, which is the nature of our own mind. This BAM then transforms into the body of Vajrayogini. Since the substantial cause of the body of the self-generation is our mind, the body of the self-generation cannot be a body mandala. It is only when a part of the body of the self-generation transforms into a Deity that it becomes a body mandala. This is not easy to understand at first and there are different interpretations in various texts as to what is and what is not a body mandala.
Recognizing its superiority over the body mandala practices of other Deities, many highly realized practitioners have praised the profound body mandala practice of Vajrayogini. It is an especially powerful method for blessing our channels, drops, and winds. Through such blessings our inner winds will gather and dissolve within the central channel at our heart, and this will cause us to experience the clear light of bliss, the actual quick path leading to Buddhahood. Je Tsongkhapa said that the attainment of spontaneous great bliss depends upon the channels and drops being blessed by Heroes and Heroines. Meditating on the body mandala enables us to receive these blessings. When we visualize our channels and drops in the aspect of Heroines, the Heroines of the twenty-four holy places actually enter into our channels and drops and bless them. This helps us to develop great bliss.
