Six Yogas Synopsis

A Synopsis of the Six Dharmas of the Perfection Stage

by Patrul Rinpoche

The six dharmas are as follows.

1. Inner Heat (Tummo)

Inner heat (tummo), the root of the path, is threefold: the inner heat of practice, the inner heat of experience, and the supreme inner heat.

1. Inner Heat of Practice

The first—the inner heat of practice—has three aspects: the posture, which is the key point of the body; gentle and forceful breathing, which is the key point of the winds; and the visualization, which is the key point of the mind.

2. Inner Heat of Experience

For the middle one—the inner heat of experience—as the elements converge, there are three occasions: first, the time of warmth, or of pain; second, the time of bliss; and third, the time of freedom from discursive thought. There are also the five signs—smoke, mirage, fireflies, a lamp or the light of dawn, and a cloudless sky—together with a further five: a blaze, the moon, the sun, Rāhu, and lightning, which are light, and yellow, white, blue, and red light. Thus the ten signs of experience arise in full.

3. Supreme Inner Heat

As for the supreme inner heat: once the knots of the central channel are untied, one attains the supreme accomplishment of mahāmudrā.

2. Illusory Body

The illusory body, the foundation of the path, is threefold: the impure illusory body, the pure illusory body, and the hidden illusory body of wind-mind. For the middle one, there are two: the yoga of natural forms and the yoga of created forms.

3. Dream Yoga

Dream yoga, the gauge of progress on the path, is fourfold: recognizing dreams, purifying them, training in illusion, and resting the mind in suchness.

4. Luminosity

Luminosity, the heart of the path, is threefold: ground luminosity, path luminosity, and fruition luminosity. The first has three occasions: sleep, meditative absorption, and death. The middle comprises subtle luminosity, dense luminosity, and experiential luminosity. The last is the single, supreme, unchanging luminosity.

5. Bardo

Intermediate state (bardo), the harbinger of the path, is threefold: the first is bringing the luminosity of the initial intermediate state onto the path as the dharmakāya; the second is bringing union onto the path as the saṃbhogakāya; and the third is bringing rebirth onto the path as the nirmāṇakāya.

6. Transference (Phowa)

The practice of transference (phowa), which provides confident assurance while one is on the path, is threefold: transference through prior training, forceful transference, and transference by means of the body’s key points.

Let it be virtuous! Let it be virtuous!

So spoke Patrul Rinpoche.

| Translated by Han Kop for the Longchen Nyingtik Project, 2026.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po. "rdzogs rim chos drug bsdus don" in gsung ʼbum o rgyan ʼjigs med chos kyi dbang po, Par gzhi gnyas pa par thengs gnyis pa, 8 vols. Khreng tuʼu: Si khron dpe skrun tshogs pa si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2009. (BDRC W1PD107142). Vol. 6: 203–204.

Secondary Sources

Jamgön Kongtrul. Treasury of Knowledge, Book Eight, Part Four: Esoteric Instructions. Trans. Kalu Rinpoché Translation Group. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2008.

Jigme Lingpa & Kangyur Rinpoche. Treasury of Precious Qualities: Book Two: Vajrayana and the Great Perfection. Translated by Padmakara Translation Group. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications, 2013.

Version: 1.0–20260619