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Motivation: Preparation for Meditation and Recitation
The purpose of my life, why I am born a human being this time, why I have taken a human body this time, is to benefit others. The greatest benefit is to free them from sufferings and their causes and bring them to enlightenment. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment; therefore, I am going to practice meditation and recitation.

The guru deities—all the Buddha’s holy mind, the wisdom of Dharmakaya, that which is the absolute guru, bound with infinite compassion, which embraces me and my family and all living beings—manifests into White Tara, specifically to grant long life realizations. Her nature is of white light, and she is extremely youthful and beautiful. She has one face and two arms and is sitting in the vajra posture. The right hand has the palm facing outward on the knee, in the mudra of granting realizations. The left hand has three fingers pointing up, signifying Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. She is holding the stem of an upali flower. She is sitting in the vajra posture on a lotus and moon disc seat, looking at me and all sentient beings with compassionate eyes and a loving smile. She is beautifully adorned with divine dress and jewel ornaments.

Beams of nectar are emitted and enter my body and mind, as well as all other living beings equaling the vast sky. All sickness, spirit harms, negative karma, defilements, and life obstacles are purified.

Then, chant the White Tara mantra, any number you can recite:

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE MAMA AYUR PUNYE JÑANA PUSHTIM KURU YE SVAHA

Then, think you have received all of Tara’s qualities of holy body, holy speech, and holy mind—all the realizations, omniscient mind, complete compassion, perfect power, and immortal realizations.

When you stop reciting the mantras, think: “I have received all these qualities. I have received immortal realizations and all the others who do good things for others have also received immortal realizations.”

Dedication
Due to the past, present, and future merits collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by others, may the most precious, wish-fulfilling thought of enlightenment (bodhicitta) be generated in my mind, in the mind of my family members, and all sentient beings. May that which has been generated increase.

Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by me and others, which do not exist from their own side, may the “I,” which does not exist from its own side, achieve full enlightenment, which does not exist from its own side, and lead sentient beings, which do not exist from their own side, to that state, by myself alone, which does not exist from its own side.

May I have the same qualities as Lama Tsong Khapa, and benefit sentient beings equaling the limitless sky, like Lama Tsong Khapa, from this second on.

Then, either you can practice the Compassionate Buddha Roaring Sound of the Lion (Sangita) after this, with the same visualization, but leave out the part "pacifying life obstacles and achieving immortal realizations". "Immortal realizations" is contained within the realizations and "life obstacles" is contained within purifying negative karma.

Sangita
Visualize in the space in front of you Arya Avalokiteshvara Sangita. He is white with one face, two arms, and three eyes. His right hand on his knee is in the mudra of granting supreme realizations, and he leans back on his left hand, which rests behind him on the moon disc. His left leg is extended in the posture of royal ease. He is without ornaments, in the aspect of an ascetic, and wears a brahmin cord.

His hair is tied in a topknot. He wears a lower robe of red silks, and a black deer skin covers the left side of his chest. On his right side is a green trident with a white snake entwined around it, and on his left, on a lotus, is a skull-cup filled with various flowers. On a white lotus, which blooms by his ear, is a blazing sword of wisdom.

Sangita’s particular function is to heal sickness. You can chant the mantras 21 or any number of times.

OM AH HRIH SINGHANADA HUM PHAT

At the end, dedicate as follows:

Due to the past, present, and future merits collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by others, may the most precious, wishfulfilling thought of enlightenment (bodhicitta) be generated in my mind, in the minds of my family members, and all sentient beings. May that which has been generated increase.

Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by me and others, which do not exist from their own side, may the “I,” which does not exist from its own side, achieve full enlightenment, which does not exist from its own side, and lead sentient beings, which do not exist from their own side, to that state, by myself alone, which does not exist from its own side.

May I have the same qualities as Lama Tsong Khapa, and benefit sentient beings equaling the limitless sky, like Lama Tsong Khapa, from this second on.

Note: You can purchase a practice booklet for this practice from the FPMT's Foundation Store.

My very dear Harold,
Thank you very much for your kind letter, sorry for the delay in replying.

It seems best for you to pursue getting the Chittamani Tara initiation and learning about this; it is a little easier. Focus on that more, learning and practicing the meditations.

It is very good that you have been practicing Kalachakra, you are very fortunate, that means you can be reborn in Shambhala and come back as a bodhisattva warrior to protect the world in the degenerating age. According to the text it says that the army from Shambhala will ride on horses with weapons and conquer all the barbarians, then they will change in aspect and give teachings, so in that way the Dharma will last for another 100 years in this world.

Maybe you can prepare for this by taking all the violent people in this world to Shambhala pure land, to achieve enlightenment. Do you like this idea? Isn’t this a very inspiring project for you? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

So, life is short and death can happen at any time, so it is very important to practice Dharma. Thinking in this way stops you doing non-virtuous things and makes you do virtuous things; also you can get many practices done. If your mind is full of compassion for all beings then everything you do (with this thought) becomes the cause to achieve enlightenment and then you are really able to benefit sentient beings.

Live your life in this way all the time. In your break time (which means your rest time, not break from practicing Dharma), then everything becomes meaningful and you create the cause for happiness in your future lives, liberation from samsara, and enlightenment, and every day you destroy the causes of samsara: ignorance.

Try to achieve the lamrim realizations, that is the MOST important thing, by meditating on the lamrim step by step, renouncing this life’s happiness, renouncing future lives’ happiness, generating bodhicitta, and meditating on emptiness, every day. Then, on top of that, perform tantric practice.

Also, it is important in your daily life do all your actions with the motivation of bodhicitta. In this way, you use all the actions to collect merit and purify negative karma. That means when you eat, drink coffee, work, sleep, talk to people, etc. When you talk to people, talk about compassion to help others to also collect merits, in that way bringing other people little by little to enlightenment.

Try to realize renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness. Recite the Three Principles of the Path by Lama Tsong Khapa, meditating on each step of the lamrim.

It would also be very good for you to recite one evening the “King of Prayers” and then the next evening to recite “Losang Gyeltenma” by Lama Tsong Khapa.

With much love and prayers...

Begin the practice with:

Refuge and Bodhicitta Prayers:

I go for refuge until I am enlightened
To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly.
By the merits I create through practicing generosity and so forth
May I become a buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings.

The Four Immeasurables Prayer:

How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free from hatred and attachment.
May they abide in equanimity.
I myself will cause them to abide in equanimity.
Please, guru-buddha, grant me blessings to be able to do this.

How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the causes of happiness.
May they have happiness and its causes.
I myself will cause them to have happiness and its causes.
Please, guru-buddha, grant me blessings to be able to do this.

How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were free of suffering and its causes.
May they be free of suffering and its causes.
I myself will cause them to be free of suffering and its causes.
Please, guru-buddha, grant me blessings to be able to do this.

How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from the happiness of higher rebirth and liberation.
May they never be separated from these.
I myself will cause them never to be separated from these.
Please, guru-buddha, grant me blessings to be able to do this.

Generate the following motivation:

The purpose of my life is to free all sentient beings, who are the origin of all my past, present, and future happiness, from the oceans of suffering and its causes—the delusions—and lead them to the peerless happiness of full enlightenment. Therefore, I must attain enlightenment, and therefore I must recite the great mantra of the Unchangeable Wheel Essence to protect the country and to bring great peace and happiness to everyone.

The Bhagavan, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha (Destroyer Qualified Gone Beyond), told Deva Garbha that in the future, in order to protect the pure country, this land of the Buddha, established with its king and kings’ dynasty, he must recite the great mantra of the Unchangeable Wheel Essence. By the power of the words and the glory of the great mantra of the Unchangeable Wheel Essence, the entire country would be protected. Then, in future times in this land of the Buddha, all enemies will not harm the king, the kings’ dynasty, and all their virtues. They will be protected so as to never be separate from the Buddha and to be within the entourage of the Buddha.

From then on Deva Garbha, the great Perfected One, expressed the words of the great mantra of the Unchangeable Wheel Essence in order to protect the entire country.

Recitation of the Mantra:

TAYATA MUNI MORE / MUNI GHA BHE / MUNI KI LI DHA YE / MUNI ROGI BA TSA LE / MUNI HALI DE / MUNI GHA ME SHE BHA KHYE / MIRLA BHAG / KHE BHAA LA LA BHAG KHYE / SO RI KIRTA / TOR NA KIR TSA LE / BHA TAG SHA KIR TE / KU KU LA MIR LE / AVA SHYA SA RE / ER HA KI LI BHA / MUNI BHAA THABA SVAHA

The Great Perfected One, Deva Garbha, expressed and requested to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, the Destroyer Qualified Gone Beyond One, with many entourages, to please rejoice in the expression of the great mantra by men.

At that time, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha (Destroyer Qualified Gone Beyond One) said to the great Mugalyana (one of the heart disciples of the Buddha) and to the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas, Maitreya, and so forth: “A son of the race must memorize and should hold these words of the great mantra called the Unchangeable Wheel Essence offered by the Great Perfected One, Deva Garbha, in order to protect the country with the mantra.”

The Buddha explained elaborately to all the king’s race and to all the virtuous kings, “In the future, in this world, due to this cause and condition, the king’s race and the virtuous kings with their entourage and all the people living in the country will receive benefit and happiness. They will always turn the wheel of Dharma and be extremely far-famed and highly glorified. Evil views will be destroyed and the right view will be established. Beings will have the Dharma eye and will cause the Triple Gem’s existence to continue unceasingly. Limitless sentient beings minds’ will be completely ripened and devotion to the Mahayana will be strongly stabilized. Beings will abide in the meditation of the Six Perfections, cut all defilements, and will come to quickly abide beyond the limits of defilement (abide in full enlightenment).

Dedication:

May the supreme jewel bodhicitta
That has not arisen, arise and grow;
And may that which has arisen not diminish
But increase more and more.

May the loving compassionate thought of bodhicitta
be generated within the minds of everyone in Nepal and in my family.
May sickness, famine, fighting, and dispute never arise.
May harm from earth, water, fire, and wind never occur.
May we continually enjoy the peace and happiness of the holy Dharma
like the rising of the sun.

May all the father and mother sentient beings have happiness.
May all the lower realms become empty forever.
May all the bodhisattvas, whoever or wherever they are,
May all their prayers be actualized immediately.

Through the merits of these virtuous actions
May I quickly attain the state of a guru-buddha
And lead all living beings, without exception,
Into that enlightened state.

Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra, too,
Realized things as they are,
I, too, dedicate all these merits in the best way,
That I may follow their perfect example.

My very dear Nanette,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. It is true we haven’t met for a long time. Yes, I remember that you took care of Lama Yeshe, that you were one of the nurses. Thank you very much for all the help you have given in the past.

There is no problem regarding the sash. You can use it to help others whenever you feel that is useful – that is completely OK.

I am living with my friend diabetes; it has not become very bad. I was going to go to New York to receive His Holiness’s teachings, but then I started receiving unbelievable teachings on the Tantric Grounds and Paths from Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche at Vajrapani Center. People are so amazed by the teachings, their minds are being blown away, and people are enjoying it so much. So, then I changed my plans to stay and complete these teachings and also to receive private teachings and rare oral transmissions from Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche.

Regarding your question on how to make your Vajrayogini practice more in-depth, what you need is guru devotion, renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness. The more lamrim you practice, the more profound your Vajrayogini practice will become and through this it becomes the quickest path to enlightenment. It is very important for you to practice Vajrayogini with renunciation, bodhicitta, right view, method, and wisdom.

Also, you should study the various commentaries on Vajrayogini and every day do some meditation on the lamrim and read the lamrim. If you haven’t read Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, that may be easier for you to read. You should study it from the beginning to the end, also Lama Tsong Khapa’s Lam-rim Chen-mo. Maybe the part on emptiness is too elaborate for you, but you can still read it, even if you don’t understand it. It still leaves very positive imprints on your mind, and sooner or later, from the imprints, you can realize emptiness by eliminating all the defilements and negative imprints. When you achieve enlightenment you will be able to do perfect work for sentient beings.

After you have read these lamrim books, you should start from the beginning again, read a little every day, with mindfulness, and relate it to your own life. In this way, it becomes meditation. Also, you can study the different Vajrayogini commentaries a little every day and practice the meditations.

In case you are not doing this already, you should recite one lamrim prayer every day. If you are not already reciting one, then when you do your six session guru yoga you can insert a lamrim prayer in it, before the guru absorbs into you. If you are doing Lama Tsong Khapa guru yoga, then it has a lamrim prayer in it. Reciting a lamrim prayer every day prepares your mind, planting seeds in your mental continuum to achieve the whole path to enlightenment. Read the lamrim prayers mindfully and relate them to your own life. This is the very very best, this is what makes your life meaningful, and is better than even reciting 100 million “Om Mani Padme Hung’s.” Then, also you should do purification practice in the evening, recite 21 long Vajrasattva mantras, with the four powers, or 28 short mantras. Or you can recite 21 long mantras and the rest short mantras.

Please continue to make your life most beneficial with bodhicitta and wisdom.
With much love and prayers...

Short Prayer of Padmasambhava

Hung! At the border of the North-west Orgyen country
On the trunk of the lotus stem
The wonderful sublime attainment is found.
It is known as originator from the lotus surrounded by circles of so many skygoers.
For me to be able to follow you and to become you
Please descend here in order to bless me for that.

Precious guru, the three time buddhas,
The great bliss, the originator of all realizations,
Eliminating obstacles, in the act of wrathful actions subduing the maras,
I request, please grant common and sublime realizations.
Please bless to pacify the outer, inner, and secret obstacles,
And may all my wishes succeed immediately.

OM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM

OM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA THOD THRENG TSÄL VAJRA SAMAYA JAH SIDDHI PHALA HUM AH

Generate strong faith that Padmasambhava is right in front of you, or on your crown. Think that Padmasambhava's omniscient mind can see you, understand your request, and think that there is no place that Padmasambhava's holy body, speech, and mind does not cover. Think that Padmasambhava, radiant, glorious, magnificent one, looks at you with a compassionate smile and loving eyes.

This short prayer combines both prayers of Padmasambhava (Illuminating the Obstacles and Accomplishing the Wishes).

If a person has a lot of superstition or paranoia, then manifest in the wrathful aspect of Black Manjushri, whose appearance is similar to Vajrapani, standing with his right leg bent and left leg stretched out. His hair is raised up and he is wearing a tiger skin. His left hand at his heart is holding a lotus, on which rests the Prajñaparamita text.

At dawn, before opening the door of the house, face to the east. Keep your back straight and breathe in from the right nostril and out from the left.

Visualizing yourself as a deity, meditate that the guru in the form of Wrathful Black Manjushri is above your crown and recite the mantra:

OM TRA SÖ CHU SÖ TUR TA SÖ TUR MI SÖ NYING GO LA CHÖ KHA LA JAH KAM SHAM TRAM BÄ PHAT SVAHA
(1000 or 21 times)

The best time to recite this mantra is early in the morning.

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Tara the Liberator