TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)3 Visualization of smashing the gates of hell (in the guise of Titsang;
Sanskrit, K~itigarba) and the invitation of ghosts and spirits from the
various gatis (realms of existence).^56 Making the Vajra-fist the adept
advances visualizing the opening of hell and chanting the hell-smashing
spell. A fiery light streams from the mudra, and from his mouth there comes
a fiery brilliance. The adept visualizes a red Hrl/:t shining with a red bril-
liance on the lunar disk in his heart. The three lights together illuminate the
A vici hell. As the adept chants the mantra three times, all of the locks on the
gates of hell loosen and open, and everyone with crimes comes out. (He
may then proceed to the other five gatis.) He recalls the vows of Ti-tsang
not to attain Buddhahood until hell has been emptied, and he invites the
beings to come to this dharma assembly. Moving to the next gati he makes
the mudra of summoning the pretas and chants the appropriate mantra.
Visualizing himself as Kuan-tzu-tzai, the adept sees a red Hrl/:t on the lunar
disk in his heart and its light illuminates these sinful beings. The adept thus
traces the descent of Avalokitdvara through the various gatis, moving on
the altar from the east gate to the south gate (hells), to the southwest gate
(pretas), to the west gate (animals), to the northwest (humans), to the north
(asuras), and finally to the east (devas).^57
4 Summoning, fixing, and elimination of obstructions and bad karma. This
sequence of meditations and ritual actions is aimed at alleviating the karmic
effects of past deeds for the now assembled beings of the cosmos. The
crimes are "summoned" or evoked in a process in which a brilliant white
hook produced of a white Hrl/:t syllable amasses the crimes of beings in the
three lower gatis into a black mist which takes the shape of various demons.
The crimes are then "destroyed" in a meditation involving a four-faced
version of Avalokitesvara through the light of a black Hrl/:1. Referring to the
Sarvatathagatatattvasal!lgraha, the text says one takes on the body of
Trilokyavijaya. This technique eliminates karma which has not yet been
"fixed." The karma is then "fixed" and "extinguished."^58
5 Feeding the ghosts with "Sweet Dew"-Bodhicitta. This sequence has two
parts. First the adept makes the mudra and recites the mantra of the Tatha-
gata of Wonderful Body Who Distributes Sweet Dew (Kanlu; Sanskrit,
amrta, bodhicitta). The visualization involves a Vam syllable indicative of
Mahavairocana of the Vajradhatu mal')-(iala and the imagery of Prajfia-
wisdom sweet dew water falling like refreshing rain on all the assembled
beings. In the second part of the sequence the adept makes the mudra of
"opening the throats" and the mudra of the Tathagata of Expansive Spirit.
Visualizing a white A syllable indicative of Mahavairocana of the
Garbhakosadhatu mal')-qala, in his left hand, the adept opens his hand like
an opening lotus blossom. So too, the throats of the assembled beings are
visualized as opening. 59
6 Recitation of the names of the seven Tathagatas. The Buddhas are: Precious
Conquerer (Pao-sheng ju-lai, identified with Ratnasambhava); Bestower of