Whirling in One Bindu of Great Bliss

In the Tibetan Buddhist view of the subtle human body we are composed of three things: channels, winds, and subtle essence. When we are feeling happy and settled, the winds flow freely through the channels and our essence element permeates the body. We are filled with light and it radiates out to everyone. On the other hand, when we feel uncomfortable, stressed, or ill at ease, the winds may become restricted in our channels and the essence element retreats. Some of our spiritual practices are devoted to purifying the channels and winds so that our essential nature radiates forth as love.

Of course, all of this is guided by the mind. The winds flow according to the state of our thoughts. If we are depressed and have negative thoughts, the flow of winds through our channels becomes restricted and the light of our essence diminishes. If we have positive beneficial thoughts, the channels become clear and our essence radiates. This is why all the great spiritual teachers who walk among us seem to have a kind of aura. Think of halos around the saints. Similarly, it is said that Buddha’s face shown like the sun. This radiance has the power to transform others without a word.

The name assigned to this subtle energy is bindu in Sanskrit (thigle in Tibetan) which means ‘drops’. This refers to the drops of energy from which we create sperm and egg, the union of which we get new life. But we can unite that same energy within ourselves because both masculine and feminine energy reside in everyone. Through deep meditation upon the union of wisdom (feminine) and compassionate skillful action (masculine), we experience the unlimited radiance of our original awareness.

In our Yeshe Tsogyal practice, this radiance is referred to as “whirling in one bindu of great bliss.” Sounds like fun, doesn’t it🌪?