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Machik’s Complete Explanation
5. The evidence of success that disease has been expelled from the body.31 Evidence of Success That Gods and Demons Are Controlled “Gods and demons have been controlled [when you experience that] the valor of those apparitional beings is broken and falls to yourself, so you are honored with faith and devotion. They offer respect and excellent service. Becoming peaceful and gentle, they listen attentively to the Dharma. With affection and yearning they obey any directive that you give. They joyfully accomplish all the deeds that you commission. Until buddhahood is attained, they will remain as your attendants and promise to obey like your slaves. As for yourself, once you have become a Dharma sovereign, you will explain the Dharma to many human beings. As you yourself become a lord of humans, you gain dominion over all the people. Being in control, you will come to govern the whole world. “Furthermore, [you might experience that] rivers or oceans become totally disrupted and waves roll and swell, but then again calm down and become tranquil. Even if you are submerged under the water, you will have no trepidation. That is gaining freedom over rivers and oceans. Volcanoes blaze with swirling fire and crackling sounds, and then again become gentle. Even if you leap in, you have no trepidation. That is freedom over fire. Even when thrown over the precipices of steep cliffs and great ravines, you have no trepidation but would be quite prepared to jump in again—that is freedom over those precipices. Great windstorms gust fiercely, covering all the sky, space, and ground, and in the end are calmed and cleared up. The sky and ground become radiant and extremely pure with a power of clarity. By that force, you experience joy and mental clarity. The power of brilliant awareness is greatly enhanced, and you attain the power over the bannered ones.32 In debates with others you prevail and indoctrinate your opponents. In war disputes you are victorious and your adversaries become your attendants. You avert great, agitated hailstorms and avert and tame wild places. You ride and train vicious predators, tame wild yaks and scary elephants as pack animals, and tame unbroken, wild horses and mules. You control these and boundless other such hosts of beings. “All this will arise as visionary experience or in particular occur clearly in dreams. These are the evidence of success that the gods and demons have been controlled.