forcefully on the vital energies from below. These strike the AH-stroke syllable at the navel chakra, which then rises and strikes the HUM at the heart. This rises and strikes the KSHA at the crown. Then the process is reversed: the HUM comes back down to the heart chakra; and the AH comes back down to the navel chakra. Here sometimes it is said that the AH-stroke syllable dissolves into HUM [and that into the KSHA] during the upward movement. The approach as described above is more effective. One should apply oneself to this training until the signs of accomplishment manifest, such as a small blister appearing on the crown of the head, a sensation of itching, and so forth. This phowa practice "opens the death passage" so that at "the time of actual application" (i.e. death), it will be ready. Tsongkhapa further notes that if one has not trained in inner heat, this practice will not be effective. At the time of actual application, one takes refuge, arouses bodhicitta, visualizes oneself as the deity and visualizes the guru in front of one's crown, offering prayers to them. Then,one turns one's concentration to the three mantric syllables: the red AH-stroke at the navel chakra; blue HUM at the heart chakra; and white KSHA at the crown. The energies are forcefully drawn up from below, causing the AH-stroke syllable to rise up the central chan-nel from the navel chakra and melt into the HUM at the heart chakra. One recites the mantra AH HIK several times. The HUM syllable moves up. One recites the mantra AH HIK twenty times, and it continues up to the throat chakra. One turns the attention to the syllable KSHA at the mouth of the Brahma aperture, silhouetted against a background of pure white sky-like light, like an object in a roof window. One recites AH HIK forcefully five times, and the syllable HUM shoots out the Brahma aperture and melts into the heart of the guru inseparable from one's mandala deity. Rest awareness there in the state beyond conceptuality.Tsongkhapa also discusses how to transfer one's consciousness into a Buddha's pure land. This is done by using one's meditative samadhi power to prevent the consciousness from exiting by any of the eight gates, and to project out of the ninth, the "golden gate". The eight gates are: mouth, navel, sexual organ, anus, "treasury' (forehead aperture), nose,