The Order of Practices in the Yoga of the Illusory Body

[Bakmoon]

In Je Tsongkhapa's Practice Manual of the Six Yogas of Naropa, in the begining of his discussion of the Yoga of the Illusory Body he says:

...[T]he energies of the four elements are withdrawn, giving rise to the four inner signs, such as the mirage and so forth. After that the three "inner appearances" leading up to the experience of clear light consciousness manifest. After that has occurred, the clear light consciousness acts as the simultaneously present condition, and the life-supporting energies of the body upon which the clear light consciousness rides act as the substantial cause. This transforms the primordial bodily force into the form of a divinity, the illusory body

...

Prior to the realization of the fully characterized illusory body, you engage in the inner heat meditation in order to draw the energies into the central channel and give rise to the innate bliss. You then arouse the resolution to manifest the semblant clear light mind of utter emptiness, and by means of the energy control techniques arise in the form of a tantric deity.

And then the text goes on to discuss the blendings of the three bodies and meditation on the illusory nature of wakefulness, dreams, and the bardo.

I don't really understand how all of this fits together. What I have taken away from it so far is that one practices the yoga of inner fire to attain the four blisses and the four empties, and then one spontaneously attains the illusory body, after which one practices the yoga of the illusory body proper which is the blendings of the three bodies. It doesn't seem quite right to me, as I thought that the yoga of the illusory body was the practice used to attain the illusory body, not that the attainment of illusory body is spontaneous and comes first.

What is the order of these attainments and practices? What piece of the puzzle am I missing?

[theanarchist]

Do you want to know this for purely academic reasons or do you want to know it for practice purpose?

[Bakmoon]

Do you want to know this for purely academic reasons or do you want to know it for practice purpose?

Purely academic reasons, I promise. I'm just trying to properly understand how the various completion stage practices fit together and this is a bit of a snag for me because I don't see how inner heat practice transitions to illusory body.

I don't want detailed practice instructions, just clarification on three questions:

1) Does illusory body arise spontaneously with the attainment of the mind of clear light or by means of a specific practice, and if so, what is that practice called?

2) Does the term The Yoga of the Illusory body refer to the practice leading to the attainment of the illusory body (which was what I always thought before) or to the blendings of the three bodies?

3) What order do these things happen in? My confused reading of this text seems to indicate it goes:

Attain Clear Light mind through the Yoga of Inner Heat
Generate Illusory Body
Practice the blendings of the three bodies

[Bakmoon]

After going over the text again, I think I understand it a bit better. If I am understanding the text correctly, the illusory body that arises after the mind of clear light is attained isn't spontaneous, and it is only the semblant illusory body, engage in the three cycles of blending, and then the illusory body yoga proper which is meditating on the illusory nature of appearance, dreams, and the Bardo, and the full attainment of the illusory body is accomplished either at death or by means of a karmamudra.

Is that the correct understanding of the presentation of illusory body yoga?

[theanarchist]

You are aware that people with any kind in depth knowledge about this topic won't share it with you?

[Bakmoon]

You are aware that people with any kind in depth knowledge about this topic won't share it with you?

I'm not asking how to actually do any of these practices. That would obviously require face to face instruction from one's Guru. I'm just trying to see if I am correctly understanding what the names of these practices are or not. I don't think that kind of information is restricted.

[lorem]

http://www.tibetanbuddhistsociety.org/p ... usory-body

Might be of interest?? Don't know.

615 pgs. Add a qualified teacher and strong determination and who knows--
(Need a HYT initiation to purchase.)