The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

INTRINSIC RADIANCE 2812. Union—The DeitiesIf you are unable to recognize this as the spontaneous displayof Rigpa, the simple rays and colors then begin to integrateand coalesce into points or balls of light of differentsizes, called tiklé. Within them the "mandalas of the peacefuland wrathful deities" appear, as enormous spherical concentrationsof light seeming to occupy the whole of space.This is the second phase, known as "luminosity dissolvinginto union," where the luminosity manifests in the form ofbuddhas or deities of various size, color, and form, holding differentattributes. The brilliant light they emanate is blindingand dazzling, the sound is tremendous, like the roaring of athousand thunderclaps, and the rays and beams of light arelike lasers, piercing everything.These are the "forty-two peaceful and fifty-eight wrathfuldeities" depicted in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. They unfoldover a certain period of "days," taking on their own characteristicmandala pattern of five-fold clusters. This is a vision thatfills the whole of your perception with such intensity that ifyou are unable to recognize it for what it is, it appears terrifyingand threatening. Sheer fear and blind panic can consumeyou, and you faint.From yourself and from the deities, very fine shafts of lightstream out, joining your heart with theirs. Countless luminousspheres appear in their rays, which increase and then "roll up,"as the deities all dissolve into you.3. WisdomIf again you fail to recognize and gain stability, the nextphase unfolds, called "union dissolving into wisdom."Another fine shaft of light springs out from your heart andan enormous vision unfolds from it; however, every detailremains distinct and precise. This is the display of the variousaspects of wisdom, which appear together in a show of unfurledcarpets of light and resplendent spherical luminous tiklés:First, on a carpet of deep blue light appear shimmeringtiklés of sapphire blue, in patterns of five. Above that, on acarpet of white light, appear radiant tiklés, white like crystal.Above, on a carpet of yellow light, appear golden tiklés, andupon that a carpet of red light supports ruby red tiklés. Theyare crowned by a radiant sphere like an outspread canopymade of peacock feathers.This brilliant display of light is the manifestation of the fivewisdoms: wisdom of all-encompassing space, mirror-like