*9.2.6. Worshiping D. ak¯ arn ¯ . ava, d. akin ¯ ¯ıs, and Teachers*

de nas me tog dang bcas pa'i thal mo sbyar la/ **(D 2v5)**

Subsequently, with folded hands [in which he] holds a flower, [he recites this]:

/dpal ldan rdo rje mkha' 'gro ni/ /mkha' 'gro ma yi 'khor los sgyur/1203 /ye shes lnga dang sku gsum ste/ /'gro ba skyob la phyag 'tshal lo// /ji snyed rdo rje mkha' 'gro ma/ /rnam par rtog pa'i 'ching gcod cing/ /'jig rten bya ba rab 'jug ma/ /de snyed rnams la rtag phyag 'tshal// /srid pa'i **(D 2v6)** rgya mtshor yongs bying ba/ /yang dag yongs su sgrol mkhas pa'i/1204

/bla ma dam pa'i drin gang gis/ /bdag la ye shes 'di skyed 'dud//1205

1201 bdag gis ] D; bdag gi P.

1202 The six heroes' armor mantras are (1) *om. ha* (Vajrasattva's armor mantra), (2) *namah. hi* (Vairocana's), (3) *svah¯ a hu ¯* (Padmanarte´svara's), (4) *vaus. at. he* (Heruka's), (5) *hu¯m. hu¯m. ho* (Vajrasurya's), and (6) ¯ *phat. ham.* (Parama´¯sva's). The body parts that he touches seem to be (1) the heart, (2) the head, (3) the top of the head, (4) the shoulders, (5) the eyes, and (6) all limbs of the body (or some body part that represents all limbs of the body). Generally, these are the body parts where a practitioner visualizes the six heroes' armor mantras.

1203 mkha' 'gro ma yi ] D; mkha' 'gro ma'i P ♦ 'khor los ] D; 'khor lo P.

1204 yang dag ] D; gang dag P.

1205 skyed ] D; bskyed P.

"I bow to glorious *D. ak¯ ar¯ n. ava*, [who] turns the wheel of d. akin ¯ ¯ıs, [who is complete with] the fivefold gnosis and the triple body, [and who] protects the world. I bow to all adamantine d. akin ¯ ¯ıs who engage in worldly tasks cutting off the binding of conceptual discrimination. I bow [to the teachers] to let this gnosis arise in me thanks to the kindness of the best teachers, [who are] capable of saving correctly and perfectly [those who] have completely sunk in the ocean of transmigratory existence."

ces bya bas mkha' 'gro dang/ mkha' 'gro ma rnams dang/ dge ba'i bshes gnyen rnams yid kyis gsal bar byas la/ me tog gtor zhing **(D 2v7)** phyag bya'o//1206

With this [recitation], he should visualize in [his] mind the d. aka ( ¯ *D. ak¯ ar¯ n. ava*), d. akin ¯ ¯ıs, and good friends (teachers), offer flowers, and pay homage [to them].

de nas cho ga nas bshad pa bzhin du bcom ldan 'das 'khor dang bcas pa la gtor ma dbul bar bya'o//

Thereafter, in accordance with what has been incorporated in the ritual manual, he should make a *bali* offering to the Blessed One, [who is] accompanied by the retainer [deities].