Mantras to Benefit Dead Insects

Mantras to Benefit Dead Insects

Date Posted:
October 2012

Advice on what to do with the dead insects that we find in the house, especially those that collect on the windowsills.

The insects can be gathered together and put into a container, then at the very least, recite OM MANI PADME HUM and blow on them. This mantra alone has incredible benefit. By reciting this mantra and blowing on the dead bodies of the insects, their negative karmic obscurations are purified, even though the consciousness has already left the body.

If you have more time, you can also recite the five great mantras for liberating sentient beings from the lower realms.

  • Mantra of Kunrig
  • Mantra of Buddha Mitukpa
  • Mantra of Namgyalma
  • Stainless Pinnacle heart mantra
  • Wish-granting Wheel mantra

Then blow on the insects.

You should also purify the insect’s negative karma by pouring blessed water over them. Use water blessed by Rinpoche himself, if you have it. Otherwise bless the water yourself by reciting mantras and then blowing on the water. Recite the mantras mentioned above, but in general, you can also keep a container of water and in your daily practice when you recite OM MANI PADME HUM and Vajrasattva mantra etc, after reciting the mantras just blow on the water to bless it.

Then make this prayer: May this water purify all the negative karmic obscurations of every sentient being that it touches.

In order to purify the insects with blessed water, either generate yourself as Thousand-arm Chenrezig or visualize Thousand-arm Chenrezig in front of you. As you pour water over the insects, visualize streams of nectar flowing from your hand, or from the hands of the Thousand-arm Chenrezig in front of you, purifying all the insects’ delusions and negative karma created from beginningless time.

Note: Rinpoche was then asked if there is still benefit to the insects if the person reciting the mantras has no realizations and is just an ordinary being.

Rinpoche: It doesn’t matter whether the person reciting the mantra has realizations or not. Even if the person has no realizations, it still benefits the insect or animal, because the benefit comes from the power of the mantra.