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An Ambrosia Ocean of Sublime Explanations:

A Clearly Compiled Commentary Based upon the Close Lineage of Chd

Composed by one of the terton Heruka Dudjom Lingpas disciples who attainedrainbow body, Pema Lungtog Gyatso, and is a word-by-word commentary on the

tertons own chd revelation known as

Heart Essence of Saraha

Rough draft translation by Light of Berotsana

Lama Chnam and Sangye Khandro.

This excerpt is drawn from the refuge section in the commentary.

Then surrounding oneself, imagine an assembly that includes ones parents,

enemies, gods, demons, with all sentient beings as well. Consider that all of them

are single-pointedly going for refuge with faith and devotion. To expand upon this,

according to the tradition of chd, the principal objects for refuge and the

cultivation of bodhichitta involve eight groups of sentient beings. They are ones

enemies, meaning those who have aversion toward oneself; harm-doing

obstructing forces; obstacle-creators who bring about certain circumstances;

karmic demonic forces; bodily demonic forces; demonic forces of the frightening

placestotaling six demonic forces. The remaining two are ones parents.

[For the first] those who physically abuse oneself, steal possessions, threaten,

slander, and the like; who have bad intentions, such as humans, are the enemies

who harbor aversion toward oneself. [Second are] those who display magical feats,

such as causing one to see visions and unusual phenomena, and who stir up fear

and terror causing ones hair to stand on end are the formless god-demons who are

included here as taught. Those demonic forces who bring illness and negativity toones body and mind and who steal ones life force and wealth bringing torment

and despair are the harm-doing demonic forces.

All those who attempt to obstruct ones body, life essence, authentic presence,

reputation, merit, ability to accomplish liberation, and so forthboth temporarily

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and ultimatelyno matter what activities are engaged in, whether great or small,

are the obstacle creators who bring about certain circumstances.

Connate dimmed awareness or self-fixation on the so-called me, or whatever

name is applied, grants no opportunity for liberation and is the root of all

negativity. From that, confused habits emerge; and due to the strength andsolidification of that, the classes of demonic forces who have been engaged only in

the negative deeds of distracting ones mind from beginningless lifetimes until now

come about. That is called the demon that accompanies oneself referred to here

as the karmic demonic force.

Once ones bardo consciousness called a gandharva enters the mothers womb,

until the entire body develops, and while the flesh, bones, and skin self-destruct at

deathduring this entire process, one thinks, I am the owner of this corporeal

form made of flesh and blood. This unruly nonhuman entity is the demonic forceof the body.

The outer appearances of the universe are the combination of the five elements

comprising the array of realms in this world, such as the four continents and Mt.

Meru. Each individual country, their mountains, valleys, forests, charnel grounds,

rivers, oceans, and temples, stupas, including dwelling places, and generally those

who abide there who bring both well-being and harm and specifically the keepers

of those landsthese god-demons are all referred to as the demonic forces of the

places. These are the three inner demonic forces along with the outer [three] to

total six.

Then those who have given one this lifes body and who have shown great

kindness are ones parents, totaling eight.