Thig-le: Rainbow Spheres of Light

When all tensions and obscurations have been released, then the inherent energy of the Natural State manifests spontaneously in the space before one as tiny rainbow spheres of light (thig-le), awareness chains (rig-pa���i lu-gu rgyud), and other phenomena. These evolve and develop by way of the four stages of vision (snang-ba bzhi) until the state of the consummation of Reality (bon-nyid zad-pa) is attained. At that moment, there exists the possibility of realizing liberation as a Rainbow Body of light ('ja' lus) without having to undergo any more the process of death and rebirth. Guiding instructions are given to the student for the preliminary Rushan practices and for Thegchod practice, and later, once a firm foundation in contemplation has been established, for the practices of vision with sunlight (thod-rgal) and with total darkness (mun-mtshams).