ṃ huṃ hūṃ hḷm h
m ā ī ū vajra-ḍākiṇyau vajra-amṛta-ghaṭair abhiṣhiñchantu māṃ svāhā. [Oṃ haṃ hāṃ hiṃ hīṃ hṛṃ hṃ huṃ hūṃ hḷm hm ā ī ū please may the Vajra Female Sky-Goers confer initiation on me with the vases of vajra ambrosia svāhā.]47OFFERING AND SUPPLICATION
The water and crown initiations are means of purifying the body; therefore, during these initiations the students face the northern, white, body-face of the principal deity Kālachakra and generate, that is, imagine, themselves as the white deity called Vajra Body.
The lama, with his right hand that has a vajra, leads the student by the left hand, and [always] facing the mandala in front, circles it to the right. At the north door the student, facing the [white] body-face [of Kālachakra], sits on the initiation seat. Mandala is offered to the lama, undifferentiable from the Vajra Body of Kālachakra, as a present for giving the initiations that cleanse the body.
Offer mandala.46
To the lama, personal deity, and Three Jewels I offer in visualization
The body, speech, mind, and resources of myself and others,
Our collections of virtue in the past, present, and future,
And the wonderful precious mandala with the masses of Samantabhadra’s offerings.
Accepting them through your compassion, please bless me into magnificence.
Idaṃ guru-ratna-maṇḍalakaṃ niryātayāmi. [I offer this jewelled mandala to the guru.]
Repeat this mantra after me:
Make supplication three times with:
Oṃ haṃ hāṃ hiṃ hīṃ hṛṃ hṃ huṃ hūṃ hḷm hm ā ī ū vajra-ḍākiṇyau vajra-amṛta-ghaṭair abhiṣhiñchantu māṃ svāhā. [Oṃ haṃ hāṃ hiṃ hīṃ hṛṃ hṃ huṃ hūṃ hḷm hm ā ī ū please may the Vajra Female Sky-Goers confer initiation on me with the vases of vajra ambrosia svāhā.]47
The ten syllables – haṃ hāṃ hiṃ hīṃ hṛṃ hṃ huṃ hūṃ hḷm hḷm – are the seed syllables of the ten vases, and the five vowels – ā ī ī 
– are the seed syllables of the five Mothers in dependence upon whom the water initiation is being given. The rest of the mantra, roughly speaking, means, “Vajra Sky-Goers, confer initiation on me with the vases of vajra ambrosia.” The same type of supplication is made at the beginning of all seven initiations with variations appropriate to the particular initiation.
INTERNAL INITIATION
Next is conferral of the internal initiation. The students are drawn into the body of the lama who is in the form of the principal deity, pass through his body into the womb of the consort, dissolve into emptiness, and then reappear generated as the deity, Vajra Body. The Wisdom Being [the actual deity] is invited, enters inside the student generated as the same deity, is bound together with that imagination, takes pleasure in this, and becomes of one taste with the student. All the male and female Conquerors and Bodhisattvas are invited and offering is made to them. The lama makes a supplication, after which the male and female Conquerors become attracted to each other and, having entered into absorption, melt into an entity of ambrosia called the mind of enlightenment. The ambrosia enters the body of the lama, who is the principal deity and passes through his body, conferring initiation on the students who are, as mentioned just above, in the form of Vajra Body deities in the womb of the consort. Then, the students emerge from the womb of the consort and are set on the initiation seat. This procedure is the same for the remaining initiations.
With the six syllables [oṃ āḥ hūṃ hoḥ haṃ kṣhaḥ] and water from the conch, [obstructors] are cleared away.
Rays of light from huṃ at the heart of the lama who is not different from the principal deity draw you in; [328] you enter his mouth, pass through the center of his body, and through the vajra path enter the Mother’s lotus and melt into a drop which turns into emptiness.
You need to reflect on two kinds of emptiness – a combination of (1) an immaculate vacuity that is the withdrawal of all old appearances and (2) the emptiness of inherent existence.
From within emptiness comes an oṃ [which transforms into] a lotus from which a white Vajra Body Deity is generated, with three faces – white, black and red – and six hands, holding in the three right hands a mallet, a spear, and a trident and in the left hands a white lotus with a hundred petals, a wheel, and a rosary. You are embraced by Pāṇḍarāvāsin.
Rays of light from the heart of the lama who is not different from the principal deity draw in the Wisdom-Beings who are like the meditated ones. Jaḥ hūṃ baṃ hoḥ hi. [Be summoned, enter, become fused with, be pleased, and become of the same taste.] They become of the same taste.
Light rays from the heart of the lama who is not different from the principal deity draw in all the Conquerors of the ten directions – Fathers, Mothers, Sons, and Daughters. Vajra-bhairava ākarṣhaya jaḥ. [Vajra Frightful One, summon jaḥ.]
Gandhaṃ puṣhpaṃ dhūpaṃ dīpaṃ akṣhate naividye lāsye hāsye vādye nṛtye gītye kāme pūja kuru kuru svāhā.48 [Make offering with perfume, flowers, incense, lamps, fruit, food, lower robe, smiles, music, dance, singing, and touch svāhā.]
Just as Vajradhara bestowed
Initiations, sources of good qualities,
On the Buddhas for the sake of protecting transmigrating beings,
So please also bestow such here.
Through making supplication in that way, all the Conquerors, Fathers and Mothers and so forth, become absorbed, are melted by the fire of great desire [i.e., by great bliss], and enter by way of the crown protrusion of the lama who is not different from the principal deity. Emerging from the vajrapathway, the mind of enlightenment confers initiation on yourself made into a Vajra Body Deity. You emerge from the Mother’s lotus and are set on the initiation seat.
With respect to the deities being “melted by the fire of great desire”, it is necessary to understand that bliss in this context is generated from desire but is not polluted with the faults of desire. Just as, for example, a worm generated from wood eats that wood, so the yoga generated from desire destroys desire.
These reflections on emptiness and on the usage of the attributes of the Desire Realm in the path are to be applied also to all the other initiations.
CLEANSING, PURIFICATION, AND DEIFICATION OF THE STUDENTS AND INTITATION SUBSTANCES
Next, the substance of the initiation, the water of the vases, is to be generated into a deity. The Mahāvijaya conch that is in front of me has been generated – from its transformational establishment at the time of the preparation – sometimes as the exalted mind mandala but mostly as the full mandala of exalted body, speech, and mind and thus has been blessed into magnificence. Inside the vases of the ten directions, the five male and five female Ones Gone Thus have been generated, and thus those vases have been blessed into magnificence. Water from each of the vases has been put into the Mahāvijaya conch.
The water initiation is the means of purifying the five constituents. The practitioner’s five constituents – not including the sixth constituent, pristine mind [bliss] – are the internal substances that are the bases to be purified, and the external substance is the water of the vases. The respective portions of water and internal constituents are generated as the five female Ones Gone Thus – Vajradhātvīshvarī, and so forth – who themselves are the factors of purification of the five constituents. It is important that you actively imagine what the words of the ritual say.
Then, uttering “Oṃ prajñāpāramitā huṃ hūṃ phaṭ” [the lama] takes a little water from the vases above and below, and likewise with “Oṃ lochani huṃ hūṃ phaṭ” from the west and northwest, with “Oṃ māmakī huṃ hūṃ phaṭ” from the north and northeast, with “Oṃ pāṇdarā huṃ hūṃ phaṭ” from the south and southwest, and with “Oṃ tāra huṃ hūṃ phaṭ” from the east and southeast. These are collected and mixed together in the Mahāvijaya conch which is set in front. The student and the water in the vạse are cleansed [of obstructors] with the six syllables [oṃ āḥ hūṃ hoṇ haṃ kṣhaḥ]. With:
Oṃ shūnyatā-jñāna-vajra-svabhāvātmako ’haṃ. [I have the essential nature of indivisible emptiness and wisdom,] the five constituents of the student49 and the water in the vase turn into emptiness. [329] From within emptiness the space constituent of your [the student’s] body and the upper and lower portions of water mixed with the water of the religious conch [appear as two] ā [which transform into two] vajras, from which are generated [two] green Vajradhātvīshvarīs, with three faces – green,50 red, and white – and six hands, holding in the three right hands a vajra, curved knife, and axe and in the three left hands a vajra bell, a skull, and a head of Brahmā. She is embraced by Vajrasattva.
The wind constituent of your body and the eastern and southeastern portions of water mixed with the water of the religious conch [appear as two] ī [which transform into two] swords from which are generated [two] black Tārās with three faces – black, red, and white – and six hands, holding in the three right hands a sword, curved knife, and trident and in the three left hands a shield, skull, and white khaṭvāṅga. She is embraced by Vairochana.
The body’s fire constituent and the southern and southwestern portions of water mixed with the water of the religious conch [appear as two] [which transform into two] jewels, from which are generated [two] red Pāṇḍarā, with three faces – red, white, and black – and six hands, holding in the three right hands a triple arrow, a vajra hook, and a resounding ḍāmaru drum and in the three left hands a bow, vajra noose, and nine-faceted jewel. She is embraced by Amitābha.
The body’s water constituent and the northern and northeastern portions of water mixed with the water of the religious conch [appear as two] ū [which transform into two] lotuses from which are generated [two] white Māmakīs, with three faces – white, black, and red – and six hands, holding in the three right hands a mallet, spear, and trident and in the three left hands white lotuses with a hundred petals, mirror, and rosary. She is embraced by Ratnasambhava.
The body’s earth constituent and the western and northwestern portions of water mixed with the water of the religious conch [appear as two] ḷ which transform into [two] wheels from which are generated [two] yellow Lochanās, with three faces – yellow, white, and black – and six hands, holding in the three right hands a wheel, staff, and frightening vajra and in the left hands a conch, vajra iron chain, and a ringing bell. She is embraced by Amoghasiddhi.
At their foreheads are oṃ; at their throats āḥ; at their hearts hūṃ; and at their navels hoḥ. Light is emitted from the hūṃ at their hearts, which draws in Wisdom Beings like those meditated. Jaḥ huṃ baṃ hoḥ hi. [Be summoned, enter, become fused with, be pleased, and become of the same taste.] They become of one taste with their respective Pledge Beings.
Oṃ ā ī ū pañcha-dhātu-vishodhani svāhā. [Oṃ ā ī ū be founded in the purification of the five constituents.] The Mothers confer initiation on the deities of the initiation substance. These, respectively, are seal-impressed by Akṣhobhya, Amoghasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, Amitābha, and Vairochana.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE DEITIES BACK INTO THE INITIATION SUBSTANCE IN HEIGHTENED FORM
Then the lama makes offering to the deities.
Make offering with:
Gandhaṃ puṣhpaṃ dhūpaṃ dīpaṃ akṣhate naividye lāsye hāsye vādye nṛtye gītye kāme pūja kuru kuru svāhā. [Make offering with perfume, flowers, incense, lamps, fruit, food, lower robe, smiles, music, dance, singing, and touch svāhā.] [330]
The Father and Mother Deities become absorbed, through which the fire of great desire melts the mind of enlightenment, which becomes the fluid of the vase.
INITIATION OF THE STUDENTS THROUGH USING THE INITIATION SUBSTANCE
With respect to what deities give the actual initiation, not only are initiation deities invited and drawn in from many other lands, but also the five goddesses [called the five Mothers] who reside in the mandala perform the activities of conferring initiation.
Light rays from the heart of the lama who is not different from the principal deity draw in the initiation deities – Father and Mother Conquerors, Sons, and Daughters – filling the expanse of space. Vajra-bhairava ākarṣhaya jaḥ. [Vajra Frightful One, summon, jaḥ.]
Make offering with:
Gandhaṃ puṣhpaṃ dhūpaṃ dīpaṃ akṣhate naividye lāsye hāsye vādye nṛtye gītye kāme pūja kuru kuru svāhā. [Make offering with perfume, flowers, incense, lamps, fruit, food, lower robe, smiles, music, dance, singing, and touch svāhā.]
Make a supplication:
Just as Vajradhara bestowed
Initiations, sources of good qualities,
On the Buddhas for the sake of protecting transmigrating beings,
So please also bestow such here.
Then:
The Conquerors in space – Fathers and Mothers – make the intention to confer initiation. The Bodhisattvas make expressions of auspiciousness. Rūpavajrā and so forth make offering, and a rain of flowers and so forth descend. Male and Female Wrathful Ones expel obstructors. The Mothers residing in the mandala that has been achieved [are about to] confer initiation with white vases held slightly slanted with their hands and filled with the ambrosia of the mind of enlightenment.51
Then, auspiciousness is expressed with a stanza:
Through an auspiciousness dwelling in the hearts of all the sentient,
The essence of all [Buddhas], the supreme lord of all lineages,
Progenitor of all the sentient [Buddhas], the great bliss,
May you have today auspiciousness at the supreme conferral of initiation.
To understand Mantra well, it is helpful to understand the meaning of this stanza: Something auspicious resides in the essence of all beings. This can be explained in terms of the clear light as object – the emptiness of inherent existence – and in terms of the clear light as subject – consciousness. In terms of the clear light as object, the reality of the mind – its emptiness of inherent existence – which resides in, or pervades, the heart of all consciousness is the nature of all the stable and moving phenomena of cyclic existence and of nirvana, the mode of subsistence of all pure and impure phenomena and thus the essence of all.
The great bliss consciousness that is of the same undifferentiable entity as the reality of emptiness appears as the deity, Akṣhobhya, whose lineage is supreme among the five lineages. Among the five mental and physical aggregates that are the basis being purified, the aggregate of consciousness is the chief, the others being secondary; thus, among the five Conqueror lineages Akṣhobhya is chief since he is associated with purifying the aggregate of consciousness. The exalted wisdom of undifferentiable bliss and the emptiness of inherent existence of the mind – which has become devoid of obstructions – is the definitive Akṣhobhya, the definitive Kālachakra.
Since this great bliss consciousness is that generating all pure sentient beings – Buddhas, Ones Gone to Bliss – it is the progenitor of all the sentient, the basis of emanation or progenitor of all pure sentient beings and their environments. Furthermore, its appearance as a deity with a face, arms, and so forth is Akṣhobhya, or Kālachakra, who is the supreme, the lord, of all of the other Buddha lineages. Today, an auspiciousness has been created through generating such a great bliss consciousness in your continuum.
Then, in terms of the clear light as subject, the essential auspiciousness is the fundamental innate mind of clear light which we have had since beginningless time. It also is called the Buddha nature. The Kālachakra Tantra speaks of this essence when it says, “Sentient beings are Buddhas; other great Buddhas do not exist in the worldly realms.” Similarly, the Hevajra Tantra says:
Sentient beings are just Buddhas,
But they are defiled by adventitious stains.
When those are removed, they are Buddhas.
Likewise, the Vajrapañjara Tantra, an explanatory tantra [of the Hevajra cycle], says:
Aside from the precious mind
There are no Buddhas, there are no sentient beings.
Just as the entity of even dirty water is not polluted by filth, so the nature of the fundamental innate mind of clear light is not polluted by defilements. Thus, the mind of clear light of an impure sentient being is not polluted by the afflictions; it is the Buddha nature, which is the “substance” that is transformed into a Buddha’s Wisdom Truth Body. Hence, Buddhahood is not to be sought from the outside. Since this is the case, as long as you do not understand that the fundamental innate mind of clear light is your nature, you are a sentient being, and when you have final understanding that it is your nature, you are a Buddha.
Moreover, the Hevajra Tantra says:
Buddhas are not to be found elsewhere
In any of the realms of the world.
Just sentient beings are just complete Buddhas.
Buddhas are not demonstrable elsewhere.
This is called “cyclic existence”;
This is just nirvana.
Due to obscuration, it has the form of cyclic existence;
Without obscuration, cyclic existence is just pure.
The one fundamental innate mind of clear light is called cyclic existence and is called nirvana. Then, what kind of state is called cyclic existence? What kind of state is called nirvana? The difference depends upon whether you have obscuration about your own nature or not.
The fundamental innate mind of clear light abides in or pervades the heart of all sentient beings. It also is the final essence and creator of all environments and beings, the basis of emanation of all of cyclic existence and nirvana. For, all phenomena – environments and beings – are the sport or artifice of the fundamental innate mind of clear light, called the basis of all. It is the basis of emanation of all five Conqueror lineages and thus “the supreme lord of all lineages” since the fundamental innate mind of clear light is divided into the five exalted wisdoms from which the five Conqueror lineages appear. It also is the “progenitor of all the sentient” in that it is what produces all pure and impure sentience, the final basis of designation of all persons.
“Great bliss” has two connotations. One meaning refers to a blissful consciousness that arises through the force of the melting of the essential constituent at the time of the path, and the other refers, in the basic state, to the mind of clear light which, because it has a nature of non-conceptuality, is free from the pollution of conceptuality.
With this as background, you can put together the particular explanations in the Kālachakra Tantra, the Guhyasamāja Tantra, the Hevajra Tantra, and the Chakrasaṃvara Tantra as well as the systems based on these tantras – the great seal (phyag rgya chen po, mahāmudrā) as taught in the 
a-gyu-
a order, the view of the undifferentiability of cyclic existence and nirvana in terms of the causal continuum of the basis-of-all that is a union of manifestation and emptiness as found in the 
a-
ya-a order, the Ge-luk-a presentation of the fundamental innate mind of clear light according to the Guhyasamāja system, and the great completeness of the 
ying-ma order in which all appearances of environments and beings are decisively settled as the artifice, or self-effulgence, of basic mind from within the division of mind (sems) and basic mind (rig pa) – everything not passing beyond the sport of this basic mind. All of these practices come down to the same final thought. With understanding and analysis of many texts of the Middle Way School and of Highest Yoga Mantra, all of these are seen as coming together in the same basic thought. However, if you are not familiar with these texts, you might think that these systems are radically different just from seeing and being amazed at their different vocabulary.52
The mind of clear light is present right now in our mental continuum. At the point of the conferral of the water initiation, you taste the water, an external substance, and similarly perform the internal imaginations. Through these, for the time being, conceptuality stops, and a non-conceptual awareness is generated. Even if you are not able actually to do this, you should mimic the state in imagination.
Stopping distraction to the outside, develop whatever understanding you can of the mere luminous and knowing nature of the mind and, even more, of subtler consciousness, and then within that state become mindful of the reality of the mind, its emptiness of inherent existence. Still, when we contemplate the reality of the mind, even though it is necessary to induce ascertainment of the emptiness of inherent existence, experience of the mind – the factor of luminosity and knowing – which ascertains the emptiness of inherent existence dawns. Therefore, it probably is the case that in meditative equipoise one is set in equipoise on the mere factor of luminosity and knowing [and not just on the emptiness of inherent existence].
Today you have been initiated into generating this fundamental innate mind of clear light as an entity of immutable bliss of undifferentiable method and wisdom in the sense that this has been generated in your continuum. This is what you are to think; this is the auspiciousness. You should listen to the stanza within reflecting on this meaning.
The Vajra Worker raises up the vase. Auspiciousness is expressed with:
Through an auspiciousness dwelling in the hearts of all the sentient,
The essence of all, the supreme lord of all lineages,
Progenitor of all the sentient, the great bliss,
May you have today auspiciousness at the supreme conferral of initiation.
Then, there are three stanzas by Nāgārjuna that express auspiciousness by way of speaking about the qualities of the Three Jewels – Buddha, his doctrine, and the spiritual community.
Through the Buddha possessing perfection like a gold mountain,
Protector of the three worlds who has abandoned the three defilements, [331]
With a face like the broad petals of a lotus,
May you have today the auspiciousness of pacification.
A Buddha’s qualities of exalted body adorned with marks and beauties are like a gold mountain. A Buddha is a protector of the worlds below, above, and on the ground through teaching how beings of the three transient worlds can achieve their temporary and final aims. In terms of mental qualities, a Buddha has abandoned all obstructions – those to liberation, to omniscience, and to meditative equipoise. In terms of verbal qualities, a Buddha’s mouth radiates teaching like the petals of a marvelous lotus.
Through the highest supreme unwavering teaching set forth by him,
Renowned in the three worlds, worshipped by gods and humans,
Most excellent of doctrine, pacifying all beings,
May you have today the auspiciousness of pacification.
The teaching set forth by such a Buddha who has removed all faults and is endowed with all good attributes is comprised of the verbal and realizational excellent doctrine. Since, in dependence upon unerring advice to trainees on what to adopt and what to discard, their temporary and final aims can be achieved, his teaching is supreme. Being without contradiction or taint and not subject to unbiased dispute, his teaching is unwavering.
In another way, “highest supreme” can be taken as true paths from among the four noble truths – the wisdom directly realizing the meaning of suchness, emptiness, and thereby acting as a direct antidote to the obstructions that are to be abandoned due to which it is “highest” and “supreme”. The true cessation that is a state of having separated forever from any level of those objects of abandonment due to its having been extinguished in the sphere of reality is gained at the time of the path of release and is such that it will never be produced again, due to which it is “unwavering”. Such doctrine is the excellent means for achieving temporary and final aims; it is renowned and worshipped by gods and humans in that it is put to use by them, bringing them the peace of temporary and final happiness.
Through the excellent spiritual community, rich with the auspiciousness of having heard the doctrine,
Place of worship by humans, gods, and demi-gods,
Highest supreme of assemblies, knowing conscience, and the foundation of glory,
May you have today the auspiciousness of pacification.
The excellent spiritual community is comprised by those who, practicing such doctrine, have attained realization of true paths and true cessations in their continuums. Since they not only have these qualities of practical realization but also are skilled in developing and increasing such realizations in others, they are said to have heard much doctrine in that they are ready and capable to communicate it. They are able not only to practice the doctrine but also to explain it to others. In that they are the supreme of groups, they are revered by beings; they are the “foundation of glory” in that they are an excellent field for beings to accumulate merit.
When doing self-entry, a rain of flowers falls on oneself, and when initiation is conferred on a student, a rain of flowers falls on the student. It is a great mistake [to think that] the flowers fall on the vase.
When I recite the following stanza and mantra, imagine that as I make the gesture of touching the conch with water in it to your five places – crown protrusion, shoulders, upper arms, thighs, and hips – such is actually done and you attain the water initiation. Think that the entity of the water initiation – a special non-conceptual exalted wisdom of bliss and emptiness – is generated in your continuum. The conferral of initiation is called a “great vajra” because the entity of the initiation that is generated in the student’s continuum – the exalted wisdom of undifferentiable bliss and emptiness – is capable, like a vajra or diamond, of overcoming objects of abandonment and is such that those defilements cannot affect or pierce it. It is fit to be revered by beings of the Desire, Form, and Formless Realms.
Then, the master, with right leg outstretched, says:
I will give the great vajra conferral of initiation,
Revered by those of the three realms,
Arisen from the source of the three
Secrecies of all the Buddhas.
Oṃ ā ī ū pañcha-dhātu-vishodhani svāhā. [Oṃ ā ī ū be founded in the purification of the five constituents.]
With the water touch the five places – crown protrusion, right and left shoulders, upper arms, thighs, and hips – and having sprinkled a little, [have the student] drink a little and also wash, conferring initiation.
Imagine that, as mentioned earlier, a non-conceptual awareness is generated through the coming together of external and internal conditions, and through this, great bliss is generated in your continuum. The great bliss consciousness ascertains the emptiness of inherent existence, and, thereby, a special exalted wisdom of undifferentiable bliss and emptiness is generated.
According to the uncommon mode of procedure of the Kālachakra Tantra, you should imagine that when conceptuality ceases and then there is a thick state of non-conceptuality, appearances of empty forms are naturally generated, the first being an appearance like smoke. Gradually, the empty forms become more and more subtle to the point where finally a Buddha’s Complete Enjoyment Body dawns.
Now, except for the constituent of pristine mind [bliss], the remaining five constituents of your own body – earth, water, fire, wind, and space – transform in aspect into the five goddesses called the five Mothers while in entity being the five constituents. At your crown protrusion is the entity of the space constituent of your body, transformed into the aspect of a green Vajradhātvīshvarī. At your forehead is the entity of the wind constituent, transformed into the aspect of Tārā. At your throat is the entity of the fire constituent, transformed into the aspect of Pāṇḍarā. At your heart is the entity of the water constituent, transformed into the aspect of Māmakī. At your naval is the entity of the earth constituent, transformed into the aspect of Lochanā.
Through sprinkling and washing in that way, sufferings and defilements are purified; through drinking it, great bliss is experienced. The five constituents of the body become the five Mothers.
Light rays from them draw in doubles from the five Mothers in the mandala; these dissolve into the five Mothers visualized at those respective places in your body. Also, think that the initiation deities are drawn in and dissolve into them.
Light rays from them draw in the five Mothers of the mandala in the manner of a second butter lamp separating off from the first. The five Mothers dissolve into the five Mothers of your own body. Also, all the deities of initiation are summoned and dissolve into your own five constituents, clarified as the five Mothers.
Make offering with:
Gandhaṃ puṣhpaṃ dhūpaṃ dīpaṃ akṣhate naividye lāsye hāsye vādye nṛtye gītye kāme pūja kuru kuru svāhā. [Make offering with perfume, flowers, incense, lamps, fruit, food, lower robe, smiles, music, dance, singing, and touch svāhā.]
MEANING OF THE INITIATION
Then, express the meaning of the initiation and its purification: [332]
Corresponding to a mother’s washing her just born child, this cleanses defilements of the five constituents. It authorizes you to achieve feats and activities dependent upon the five Mothers. It sets potencies for [achieving] the five Mothers in your continuum and causes you to have the capacity to attain the first ground as its fruit.
The seven initiations in the pattern of childhood, which are means of ripening the mental continuum for the practice of the stage of generation, establish potencies for achieving the first seven Bodhisattva grounds. Nevertheless, a Bodhisattva ground is actually achieved only during the stage of completion.
In the Great Vehicle, the attainment of the first Bodhisattva ground is simultaneous with attaining the path of a Superior ('phags pa, āryan). Thus, the correspondence of the stage of generation with the first seven grounds is from the point of view that when the stage of generation is finished, the collection of merit that has been achieved is equal to that of a seventh ground Bodhisattva of the Perfection Vehicle. Since even a first ground Bodhisattva has realized emptiness directly, a practitioner of Highest Yoga Mantra who has finished the stage of generation is lesser in that respect, but from the viewpoint of having accumulated the collections of merit, such a Mantrika is equal to a seventh grounder.
In this way, the seven initiations in the pattern of childhood are teamed with the seven Bodhisattva grounds, the water initiation having established potencies for attaining the first ground.