Vairocana - Yantra yoga: the Tibetan yoga of movement: A stainless mirror of jewels: a commentary on Vairocanas The union of the sun and moon yantra

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Chgyal Namkhai Norbu

YANTRA YOGA

The Tibetan Yoga of Movement

A STAINLESS MIRROR OF JEWELS

A Commentary on Vairocanas

The Union of the Sun and Moon Yantra

Translated from Tibetan,

edited and annotated by

Adriano Clemente

with the precious help

of the Author

Translated from Italian

into English by

Andrew Lukianowicz

Coordinated by

Laura Evangelisti

Snow Lion

Boulder

Snow Lion

An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.

4720 Walnut Street

Boulder, Colorado 80301

www.shambhala.com

2008 by Chgyal Namkhai Norbu

Cover design: Daniel Zegunis

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Before following any advice or practice suggested in this book, it is recommended that you consult your doctor as to its suitability, especially if you are pregnant or suffer from any health problems or special conditions. The publishers, the author, and the photographers cannot accept any responsibility for any injuries or damage incurred as a result of following the exercises in this book, or of using any of the therapeutic techniques described or mentioned here.

Photography by Massimo Baccetti

Illustrated by Bruno Irmici

Designed by Daniel Zegunis

IPC 447EN06 Approved by the International Publications Committee of the Dzogchen Community founded by Chgyal Namkhai Norbu

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Namkhai Norbu, 1938

[Phrul khor i zla kha sbyor gyi dgos grel dri med nor bui me lo. English]

Yantra yoga: the Tibetan yoga of movement: A stainless mirror of jewels: a commentary on Vairocanas The union of the sun and moon yantra / Chgyal Namkhai Norbu; translated from Tibetan, edited and annotated by Adriano Clemente with the precious help of the author; translated from Italian into English by Andrew Lukianowicz; coordinated by Laura Evangelisti.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

eISBN 978-1-5593-9897-8

ISBN 978-1-55939-308-9 (pbk.)

I. Vairocana, 8th cent. Phrul khor i zla kha sbyor. 2. Yantra yoga. I. Clemente, Adriano.

II. Variocana, 8th cent. Phrul khor i zla kha sbyor. English & Tibetan. III. Title.

RA 781.72.V353 N3613 2008

613.7046dc22

200802993

This book contains diacritics and special characters. If you encounter difficulty displaying these characters, please set your e-reader device to publisher defaults (if available) or to an alternate font.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Chgyal Namkhai Norbu teaching Yantra Yoga in 1971

Y ANTRA YOGA IS A SYSTEM of practice that includes physical movements, breathing exercises and methods of concentration. It can be considered the equivalent of Hahayoga within the Buddhist tradition. While there are numerous systems of Yantra or Trulkhor belonging to various tantric cycles, the only system that is currently diffused in the West is the Yantra presented in this book, which has been taught since the early 1970s by the master Chgyal Namkhai Norbu.

The origin of Yantra Yoga is probably the same as that of the Buddhist anuttaratantras or higher tantras, most of which were introduced into India beginning around the fourth century C.E. from Oiyna, a kingdom identified by many scholars as the Swat valley in present day Pakistan. The system of Yantra entitled The Union of the Sun and Moon Yantra (Phrul khor nyi zla kha sbyor) was originally transmitted by the Mahsiddha Hkra to the great master Padmasambhava, who then transmitted it to Vairocana in Tibet in the eighth century. Vairocana, the great Tibetan translator who first introduced the scriptures of the Dzogchen teaching into Tibet, wrote down the instructions contained in this Yantra Yoga text.

Although the Tengyur, the Buddhist canon of commentaries and treatises, contains numerous Yantra texts, The Union of the Sun and Moon Yantra is special in that it contains, in relation to the fundamental pryma practices, laconic descriptions of seventy-five poses which correspond to as many sanas of the Hahayoga tradition. This is interesting from the historical point of view, because our text could be regarded as the most ancient to describe such poses, inasmuch as the Hahayoga texts currently extant are of later date.

The original Tibetan text, included in this book, is part of a cycle known as The Oral Transmission of Vairocana (Vai ro snyan brgyud) that includes two other texts: The Overcoming of Obstacles and the Benefits of the Union of the Sun and Moon Yantra (Phrul khor nyi zla kha sbyor gyi phrang sel phan yon dang bcas pa), from which have been taken the descriptions of the medical benefits of each exercise found in this book, and The Root Text on Tummo (gTum The detailed commentary, A Stainless Mirror of Jewels, Commentary to the Yantra Union of the Sun and Moon (Phrul khor nyi zla kha sbyor gyi dgongs grel dri med nor bui me long), written by Chgyal Namkhai Norbu in 1976, was first published in Tibetan in 1982 by Shang Shung Edizioni, Arcidosso and subsequently in 1993 by the Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, Beijing.

In my work of translation and annotation I have greatly benefited from the precious collaboration of the author, Chgyal Namkhai Norbu, from whom I was also fortunate enough to learn directly the fundamentals of this yoga during the last course that he gave in Naples in 1976-1977. Moreover, during all the years that I was engaged in translating and preparing notes for this text, he has always patiently resolved my doubts and clarified many difficult points, both in theory and in practice. For the revision of the text and the graphic organization of the book, I wish to thank Laura Evangelisti and Fabio Andrico, the two main instructors authorized to teach Yantra Yoga by Chgyal Namkhai Norbu.

Many thanks also to Luigi Vitiello, who helped me with the sections containing the descriptions of the medical benefits; to the Tibetan doctors Thubten Phuntsok and Nyida Chenagtsang, who clarified some points concerning the medical benefits; to Lynn Sutherland and Paula Barry for their useful suggestions; to Yesan Clemente, Alberto Scarso, Oni McKinstry, Sergio Campodonico, Giuliano Casiraghi and sMan skyid who, together with Fabio Andrico and Laura Evangelisti, posed for the photographs; to Liane Graaf, Steve Landsberg, Elio Guarisco, Tiziana Gottardi, Igor Legati and all those who helped in various ways to make this book available.