1d.3) The particulars of the Sangha jewel

It is the support of association:

The external Sangha is the beings of the four classes
Of the pratyekabuddhas and the shravakas,
As well as the buddha-sons abiding on the bhumis.
The masters and the beings of the secret mantra
Are those who are maintained to be the inner Sangha.

The four classes, stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats of the Sanghas of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, along with bodhisattvas abiding on the ten bhumis are the external Sangha.

The inner Sangha is the dakinis and spontaneously arisen beings arisen from mantra with their karmas or buddha activities, the world transcending assembly gathered under the vajra, ratna, padma, karma, and tathagata families, and the vidyadhara masters dwelling on the levels of mahamudra, life-mastery, and self-existence.

In this case there are four family divisions of vidyadharas. These are the ripening, life-mastery, mahamudra, and self-existing families.

As for the first, vidyadharas of the family of ripening practice the developing and completion stages on the paths of accumulation and preparation. They have ordinary bodies, but establish their minds as the kayas of the deities. The Vast Illusion (sgyu ’phrul rgyas pa) says:

As the balance expands
The mudra is attained.
It is just the perfect form
That is untouched, but is powerful.

“Balance” here is the body.  “Expanding” is attainment of the mudra of mind.  These are also like a boiling pot and a clay stupa.

These do not attain the supreme Dharma, but when they die, they attain mahamudra in the bardo. This is because they reject the body and ripen the mind as the mandala of the deity.

The Stages of Action (las rim) says:

The yogin of one and many, when that level
That now is the subject of teachng is being attained,
Approaches and accomplishes sixty-six months,
Until the vajra body is established.

By conditions of little power and weak aspiration
Their bodies arise as conceptual residues;
However, their insight goes to Vajradhara.

If we attain the supreme Dharma, we are genuinely connected to mastery of life. The same text says:

If we are not obstructed by conditions,
We will then be joined to the vajra body.

As for mastery of life, having reached the great, supreme Dharma, by attaining the body of the vajra kaya, we are without birth and death. The path of seeing mind arises. The same text says:

Final and ultimate entry into seeing the meaning
Is accomplished by the siddhi of practicing vajra feasts.
Defiled body elements and the birth places are exhausted,
Becoming the vajra body in the family of life.

In the dharmas of seeing is transcendence of suffering.
At the Conquerors’ level, where body is not rejected,
Free from fear, they perfect the miracle of life.

The body, which is the support of supreme Dharma, remains. The Secret Essence says:

Pure births of humans or gods,
And Brahma indeed are taken,
But transformed to that special level.

Emanations and buddha qualities are phenomena of the first bhumi.  From the path of meditation from the second until the tenth bhumi, a mudra-family-holder dwells on the ninth.

There body appears as the phenomena of the mandala, and mind purified of defilements has wisdom without conceptualized characteristics. The Stages of Action says:

One’s own mind exists as mahamudra.
The body that manifests by meditation,
Possesses all the major and the minor marks,
With both the ordinary and supreme.^[1]

In the Two Enjoyments are the mudra families.
One becomes a holder of the families
Of the jewel, vajra, wheel, lotus, and sword.

In the second, third, fourth, and fifth bhumis, we are called holders of the vajra family.  This is because we destroy the defilements of our level by vajra-like realization.

In the sixth we chiefly practice the perfection of prajña. By turning the wheel of Dharma, we become holders of the wheel family.

In the seventh our arising according to the wheel of Dharma is also skillful in means, and we are of the same family.

In the eighth, attaining the empowerment of the precious wisdom of non-thought, we are holders of the precious jewel family.

In the ninth, by practice and attainment without desire, we hold the lotus family.

In the tenth, producing benefit for sentient beings through perfect buddha activity, we are of the sword family.

Holding the self-existing family is attaining buddhahood. The same text says:

By perfecting the powers of the former families,
Defilements will be purified as explained..
The three prajñas which are those of a buddha,
Bring one to the self-existing family

Some masters say that mahamudra goes from the first bhumi until the seventh.  Self-existence is said to occur in the three pure bhumis the eighth to the tenth. It seems they did not get the idea. Why? While traveling from the level of a beginner up to the level of buddhahood, we are gathering these states of the four family holders.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Siddhis.