The Tantric story of a Princess

Once upon a time…

1 277 years ago, in Zahor on the Indian continent, there lived a princess.

Her name is Mandarava मंदारवा

She is the yogini form of a female with a fierce spirit ! erotic,ecstatic, profound,wise and peaceful. Her nature is beyond the grasp of the conceptual mind.

From an early age, she decided to renounce her royal birthright, to live according to the teachings of the Buddha. Her family and friends pleaded with her, as was quite ghastly for a woman born into royalty to denounce her royal right and father just like that. She was closed within the palace walls and had a marriage set up. However, she was very loved and her devotion to this path was so compelling, that her entire personal retinue joined her.

Even as a young lady,she quickly became highly educated. She studied literature, medicine, poetics, logic, grammar, chanting and astrology. By the time she was thirteen years of age, she became the greatest scholar. She also studied the great sutras, arts, crafts and sorcery. She acquired excellence in every science that existed in India at that time. She bought close to 800 women to the path of Buddhism, while studying under the consort of the great Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava.

Now as fate would wield it, and her spiritual legacy would have it,she and the Lotus born Guru Rinpoche united, making her his principal consort they assisted each other in spiritual practices like meditation,transmission of hidden teachings, translation of texts from Sanskrit (old language) to Tibetan, teaching as well as various other yogic practices.

With her profound spiritual practices she became revered as a female guru-deity in Tantric Buddhism, embodying the principles of wisdom and compassion, He, the master who bought Tantric Buddhism, (Vajrayana ) to Tibet

After meditating for three months in Maratika cave, they both received a clear vision of the Buddha and achieved a state of immortal pure awareness. They both became free from the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, death. They gained the ability to transcend the ordinary elements with powers.

They live happily ever after…

Mandarava, was engaged in different spiritual practices. Of which, here are some notable ones:

Meditation and Visualisation

°Deity Yoga: Involved meditating on and visualizing herself as the deity to embody the enlightened qualities of that deity. This practice aimed to transform her ordinary perception and realize her own divine nature

°Guru Yoga: Focused on deep devotion to her guru, Padmasambhava, visualizing him as a divine being and merging her mind with his enlightened mind. This practice was crucial for receiving spiritual blessings and insights.

Rituals and Tantric Practices

°Ritual Offerings: Performed offerings (pujas) to deities, spirits, and guardians to seek their blessings and remove obstacles from the spiritual path.

°Mandala Practices: Engaged in creating and meditating on mandalas, symbolic representations of the universe, to focus the mind and connect with the divine.

°Chöd Practice: This involved visualizing the cutting away of her own ego and offering her body as food to spirits, a symbolic act to cultivate fearlessness and compassion.

Breath and Energy Work

°Pranayama: Utilized breath control techniques to manipulate her prana (life force) and balance her inner energies, preparing her body and mind for deeper meditation.

°Kundalini Activation: Focused on awakening the Kundalini energy at the base of the spine and channeling it through the chakras, aiming for spiritual enlightenment and transformation.

Mantras and Sacred Sounds

°Mantra Recitation: Chanted sacred mantras to invoke the energies of specific deities and enhance spiritual vibrations.

°Sonic Meditation: Used specific sounds and vibrations in meditation to achieve altered states of consciousness and deeper spiritual awareness.

Sexual Union (Maithuna)

°Sacred Union: Practiced Maithuna with Padmasambhava, symbolizing the union of wisdom (feminine) and method (masculine). This practice was aimed at transcending ordinary dualities and experiencing the unity of all existence.

Personal Transformation and Empowerment

°Self-Purification: Engaged in various self-purification rituals to cleanse her body and mind from impurities and negative karma.

°Fasting and Austerities: Practiced fasting and physical austerities to strengthen her spiritual resolve and deepen her meditation practice.

Resources:

https://www.indica.today/long-reads/mandarava-the-enlightened-princess-who-defied-patriarchy/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Padmasambhava

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmasambhava

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mand%C4%81rav%C4%81

The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet’s Lost Paradise" by Ian Baker