Gyulu

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Gyulü or Yoga^[1] of the Illusory Body is a powerful spiritual modality and psychological practice and technique. Gyulu or Gyuma (T:sgyu-lus or sgyuma; S:māyākāyā^[2]) comprises one of the Six Yogas. There are many versions and variations of this discipline, but like all tantric sadhana they have the triunic "outer", "inner" and "secret" upaya.^[3]

Keown, et. al. (2003) identify that the Gyulü, the "illusory body" is cognate with the "subtle body", and state that it is endowed with the Six Perfections (ṣad-pāramitā).^[4]

Contents 1 Gyulu: an outer sadhana 2 See also 3 Notes 4 References

[edit] Gyulu: an outer sadhana

Through studying their reflection in the mirror^[5], the practitioner visualizes images of their own nondual bodymind. This is a practice in resolving duality into the mystery of nonduality. Gyulu is essentially a type of thoughtform practice, where the aspirant works towards realising the inherently illusory, empty or void nature (shunyata) of samsara and the realm of duality.

The practitioner projects their imaginal self onto the mirror-image and identifying this with the sambhogakaya form of their Yidam, and thereby linking their mindstream and consciousness with that of the tutelary deity or yidam. Though a mystery, this association yields the mutual attribution and iteration of the inherent primordial essence-qualities of both the practitioner and the yidam.^[6] For a practitioner engaged in this practice, their mundane samsaric duality resolves into the mystery of primordial nonduality or nirvana whilst in body. The fruit of the practice is when the sadhaka views the inherent buddhahood in all phenomena and beings.^[7] When they embody the nirmanakaya, the World, the Universe, all sentient beings are realized for the Mysterium Magnum, the rainbow gankyil, mandala and bindu that is their inherent primordial essence-quality.

[edit] See also

• Jean Houston
• Looking glass self
• Magic Mirror
• Reality hacking
• Skull (symbolism)
• Thoughtform
• Transpersonal psychology
• Vanitas

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Yoga is best rendered in English as communion in its complete etymon, denotation and connotation.
2. ^ A conjunction of Mahamaya (with the semantic field: thoughtform, simulacrum, phantasmagoria, illusion, dream) and kaya (with the semantic field: body, corpus, field, dimension, plane).
3. ^ According to the seventh tantric precept of Vajrayana, only the outer sadhana may be described, and even with this outer sadhana, no actual technique may be transmitted without ascertaining the integrity and propensity of the recipient.
4. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.270. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
5. ^ The mirror is a divine 'symbolic attribute' (Tibetan: phyag mtshan) and potent polysemic symbol. In the Himalayan tradition it is called a melong.
6. ^ As per Friedrich Nietzsche: "When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you." Source: [1] (accessed: November 2, 2007)
7. ^ There is nothing which is non-sentient at some time.

[edit] References

• Müller-Ebeling, Claudia and Christian Rätsch and Surendra Bahadur Shahi (2002). Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas. Transl. by Annabel Lee. Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions International.
• Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860560-9