Entering through the three doors

 

The next stage of the special preliminary practices is called «Entering through the Three Doors». This is a series of exercises that should induce exhaustion, so to speak, and lead to a state of complete relaxation through the surrender of body, speech and mind. The main goal of these practices, called «Separation of Samsara and Nirvana», is the distinction between the natural state and the relative state of mind.

 

Training of the body

Exercising the body consists of maintaining a certain position that leads to physical exhaustion and then lowering the body to the floor in a state of total relaxation. For this purpose, the so-called Vajra Posture is adopted, that is, the body takes the form of a Vajra.
(repeat seven, fourteen or twenty-one times)

 

During the exercise, you should hold your breath and exhale with a loud HA when you release the position. While staying in this position, we visualize the body as a blue Vajra surrounded by flames.

 

Vajra-Haltung

 

Training the speech

When training the speech, the visualization of so-called seed syllables is used. Although many syllables are used, the practice of the HUM is described here as it is most fully documented.

 

HUM

 

1. The Introduction of the Seal

The Outer Seal: The syllable HUM is a seal for the unclean mind.

Sit cross-legged. Stare ahead while visualizing the mind as a blue HUM at heart level. Then send out HUM's coming out of the right nostril and filling the whole universe. Anything touched by the HUM syllables turns into a blue HUM, both externally and internally. After that you can do this with the visualization of red HUM's.

 

The inner seal:

Now the HUM's exit at a fast pace and we imagine all the HUM's returning to the heart through the left nostril and merging with each other. Our flesh and blood has become HUM syllables. The body will be filled with HUM syllables. Remain in this imagination for a while and then do this with the red HUM syllables.

 

The purpose of the seal: The aim is to perceive that the outside world and the inside lack all materiality. Certain Buddhist texts recommend practicing this for three consecutive days.

 

 

2. The practice of visions and reflections.

The HUM syllables destroy everything that appears. This practice consists of dissolving everything that arises.

To do this, visualize a HUM returning to the heart, but this time you pronounce HUM very strongly and sharply so as to visualize intense fire emitting sparks. This HUM leaves you through the right nostril and destroys everything what it touches. Then it comes back into your body through the left nostril and destroys your materiality.

 

This helps to overcome diseases and obstacles. The HUM is the union of the vision, the Prana and the mind. All differences disappear, so there is nothing left to cling to when everything is destroyed. The mind exists because it clings to objects of attachment. The subject and object of attachment are interdependent from each other. The whole space goes out.
Repeat the whole exercise three times, while repeating the HUM twenty times each time.

 

 

3. The Training

Visualize the HUM in the heart, from which appear a series of HUM's emanating from us like a snake or Mala, wrapping around a small imaginary stick an elbow's length. Continuously recite HUM as these twine around the stick. The first HUM stays on top of the stick for a fixed time and then as we recite HUM (21 x) the HUM's return to your heart again.

 

4. Entry into the path

Rhythmically chant (50 times or more in each series) HUM mentally to a heaven and an earth you consider pure and, at a certain point, utter a forceful and powerful PHET to cut off all visions and stay in this natural state.
Repeat this exercise a total of three times..

 

The goal of all these practices is, on the one hand, to exhaust the emotional and mental tendencies and, on the other hand, to come to realize the true nature of body, speech and mind. But the main result is the identification with what is called the natural state or Rigpa. In this regard, these specific practices are the main thing to realize the natural state.

 

Dzogchen primarily uses mental training methods to determine what the natural state is. In fact, all previous exercises had the function of approaching this recognition. More specifically, in order to implement what is called mental Rushan, we have to determine where thoughts and experiences are coming from, where they are, and where they are dissolving. Realizing that this experience is not on every side of the base, we rest in this state.