Mantra Recitations

Mantra Recitations

The Benefits of Reciting Chenrezig Mantra
Date of Advice:
July 2019
Date Posted:
March 2023

Rinpoche advised that if we recite one thousand or more Chenrezig mantras (Manis) every day, anything that touches our body, like wind or water, can purify the past negative karma of numberless sentient beings. Rinpoche also said that after reciting the mantra we can blow on containers of water and use the water for healing.

BENEFITS OF RECITING one thousand MANIS OR MORE EVERY DAY

Anything that touches you, even wind blowing over you, and then if it touches any creature it purifies them and they do not get reborn in the lower realms.

And if you go into water, such as into a river and especially into an ocean, when that water becomes one with the rest of the ocean, all those sentient beings—those like mountains or the smallest ones—touched by the water have all their past heavy karmas purified, and they get reborn in a higher realm. They will always be around buddhas and bodhisattvas until they achieve full enlightenment.

So, go as many times as you can to the beach and go into the water so that the water touches your body. This will definitely purify numberless sentient beings, the biggest ones like mountains and the smallest ones you can see only through a microscope. As much as you go inside the water—even half your body or half of half your body—of the ocean or lake or river (if you think of how the lake or river then finally goes into the ocean,) you benefit numberless sentient beings.

BLESSING WATER WITH MANIS

Fill one, two or three big containers with water. Every day when you recite the mantras, after every thousand blow over the water two, three, four or five times. It’s OK even if you only bless the water one time after one thousand mantras.

After two, three, five or seven days or even longer, throw the blessed water in the water of a river, lake or ocean. Even if you put the water in after one or two weeks or even more, it is OK. It depends on what is convenient for you.

Or, as it is blessed water, you can give it to anyone with cancer who would like to drink it for healing and purification. They need to drink it five or six times a day, starting from the early morning up to nighttime before they go to bed.

Long Chenrezig Mantra
Date of Advice:
June 2022
Date Posted:
June 2022

Rinpoche sent this message via audio after going to the dentist. Rinpoche advised the benefits of reciting the long Chenrezig mantra before the appointment.

When I was at the dentist, I had the thought that the dental hygienist put so much time and effort, so now I should use this to free living beings from suffering and cause happiness to everyone. I mentioned after the cleaning that this is what I was thinking, and Roger said she had a little tear in her eye.

Then I thought if I don’t clean well, she has more work to do (joking). But then I thought if more teeth fall out, then she will have less work.

Also, when you recite the long Chenrezig mantra before going to the dentist then it purifies even the dentist (and dental hygienist).

When we recite the long Chenrezig mantra and then we go in water, when the water touches our body and then touches any being, it purifies their very heavy negative karma collected in past lives. All that gets purified until we achieve enlightenment. Also, we are always around buddhas and bodhisattvas, so we never get reborn in the lower realms. That means it is the end of womb rebirth and egg rebirth, etc. It also creates the cause to be born in the pure land.

Therefore, [recite the long Chenrezig mantra] if someone is going to touch your body, for example, a masseur or dentist. I try to finish that mantra before I go to the dentist, so they get these benefits.

Chenrezig Mantra, Lamrim and Preliminary Practices
Date of Advice:
December 2014
Date Posted:
December 2021

In this letter to a new student, Rinpoche explained the innumerable benefits of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM and advised lamrim study and preliminary practices.

My dear, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind, long letter, which I have read. My suggestion is as far as possible every day, generally recite the Compassion Buddha, Chenrezig’s mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM and the Medicine Buddha mantra for success. This is very important as the basic practice.

By reciting OM MANI PADME HUM, the benefits are unbelievable. You can count the drops of the Pacific Ocean, but not the benefits of OM MANI PADME HUM, which are much more than that. Drops of rain can be counted, but not the benefits of OM MANI PADME HUM. The dust of the world can be counted, but not the benefits of OM MANI PADME HUM. Especially with bodhicitta, the benefits are more than the sky, purifying all the negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths and collecting extensive merit. With bodhicitta, the benefits are more than the sky.

The other thing is that it especially causes us to generate compassion for the sentient beings, which makes us achieve enlightenment quickly, showing compassion for even one sentient being. This is one of the main benefits of OM MANI PADME HUM. For example, my mother’s compassion is much greater than mine, even though she can’t read the texts. Every day she recited 50,000 OM MANI PADME HUM mantras, though later she couldn’t do that many.

Lama Tsongkhapa’s Middle-Length Lamrim is the text you should study. Read and study it from beginning to end three times. When you study, with an orange or pink highlighter respectfully mark the text, the things you don’t understand, like offering robes to a painting or statue of Buddha. Or buy a notebook and write down what you don’t understand and then discuss these points with students who have studied the lamrim well or with a geshe.

Regarding your deity, you can choose between Yamantaka and Heruka. Practice whichever one you have a stronger feeling for.

With much love and prayers ...

Visualization While Reciting Amitayus Long-life Mantra
Date of Advice:
February 2016
Date Posted:
January 2021

Rinpoche advised these meditations and visualizations for students reciting the Amitayus long-life mantra. This mantra is beneficial for the long life of our teachers as well as for our own good health, long life and realizations. Rinpoche also warned of the negative karma of even one second of anger toward a bodhisattva, a buddha or the guru. This advice is posted here.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Sarnath, India, 2009. Photo: Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

While reciting Amitayus mantra, do these meditations:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Visualize immortal nectar from the ten-direction Amitayus Buddhas entering His Holiness’s holy body, so his holy body is calm and clear. You can think, “May he have a stable life until samsara ends and may all his holy wishes be fulfilled.” Controlling that from the ten-direction Amitayus Buddhas, visualize immortal nectar entering the holy body and filling it up. Then recite the mantra. Do some malas with that visualization. That is most important.

Rimé practitioners. Not just Gelug, Nyingma, Sakya or Kagyu, but all the holy beings who are in the world to benefit others. Visualize immortal nectar from the ten-direction Amitayus Buddhas entering the bodies of these holy beings. Their bodies are like crystal, calm and clear, their life is sustained, they are able to live for so long and all their wishes to benefit the teachings of the Buddha and sentient beings succeed.

Sangha, those who preserve and spread the Dharma. Visualize nectar coming from the ten-direction Amitayus Buddhas, purifying the Sangha of all their defilements and prolonging their healthy life so they are able to benefit the teachings of the Buddha.

Benefactors of the Sangha and the teachings. Visualize immortal nectar completely filling their bodies, so they become calm and clear, purified of all the negative karmas and defilements collected from beginningless rebirth. Think that their health [is good] and all their wishes to benefit and serve the Sangha and the teachings of Buddha succeed.

The Chinese who control China. Visualize immortal nectar from Amitayus purifying their karma and defilements collected from beginningless rebirth. Their bodies become calm and clear, and their minds are totally changed; the negative thoughts and heresy and so forth toward His Holiness the Dalai Lama are totally changed. They have unbelievable realizations that His Holiness is Chenrezig and they have strong faith to follow exactly as His Holiness wishes. They invite His Holiness to China so that all the billions of people can receive teachings. They are able to see His Holiness’s holy face and hear teachings and enjoy the happiness of Dharma, and then spread the pure Dharma in China either independently or by following the Middle Way view, which happened in Tibet. Visualize perfect peace and happiness in Tibet. Long-life nectar enters the bodies of the Tibetan people, purifying all their defilements and negative karma, so their bodies become calm and clear, they have a healthy body and mind, all their wishes succeed in the holy Dharma and all their actions become the cause only of enlightenment. Visualize more bodhisattvas and buddhas in Tibet, even more now than before, because that’s how to spread pure Buddhism, which helps not only in this world. Think, “May Buddhadharma spread and last a long time and may sentient beings meet the Dharma and achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.” Pray that all this happens.

Dolgyal practitioners. Visualize immortal nectar going inside their bodies, so they are purified, their bodies become calm and clear, and they are free from heresy and a negative mind toward His Holiness. Some of them have received teachings and initiations from His Holiness, like the Kalachakra, so they have His Holiness as their guru already. [Read advice about the karma of getting angry with the guru here.] Think the immortal nectar enters their bodies, purifying all the defilements and negative karma, their bodies become clear, their negative mind is totally changed, all the heresy to His Holiness is gone and they have unbelievable strong faith and realizations, that [he is] Chenrezig. Think that they have faith to follow His Holiness exactly, and they have meaningful long life.

FPMT: all the staff, all the students, all the benefactors and all the volunteers. Think immortal nectar is received, purifying all their defilements and negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths, so their body and mind becomes calm and clear. They receive immortal life, all their wishes succeed according to the holy Dharma and all their actions of the body become only the cause of enlightenment. Think they receive all the realizations, of guru devotion, renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness and tantra realizations, so they have meaningful long life. Do this visualization and recite the mantra.

All those who rely upon me, whom I promised to pray for, whose names have been given to me. Visualize immortal nectar from Amitayus Buddha is received by them, purifying all their defilements and negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths, so their body and mind becomes calm and clear. They receive immortal life and all their wishes succeed according to the holy Dharma and all their actions of body become only the cause of enlightenment. Think they receive all the realizations—guru devotion, renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness and tantra realizations, so they have a meaningful long life. Do this visualization and recite the mantra.

All the Sangha in FPMT, here in Nepal and in all the countries. Visualize that immortal nectar from Buddha Amitayus enters their bodies, so the whole body is purified of all the defilements and negative karma, it becomes calm and clear, all their wishes succeed according to Dharma and all their actions become only the cause of enlightenment. Think they actualize correctly following the virtuous friend, renunciation, bodhicitta, right view and particularly tantra realizations. They have an outwardly pacified manner, with conduct as a hearer-listener, and are inwardly extremely subdued, having the mind with bodhicitta and secretly developing the bliss, experiencing the great bliss nondual with emptiness. Think they actualize Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching and they become like that.

Recite Amitabha’s Name Every Day
Date of Advice:
September 2016
Date Posted:
February 2018

This sign was placed in front of the large Amitabha statue at Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, a retreat center in Washington State, USA.

If you recite Amitabha's name every day, when you die you will go to the blissful realm of Amitabha like a rocket, without any obstacle.

Prayer:

I prostrate to the Tathagata Infinite Light Buddha.
I prostrate to the Suchness Savior Limitless Light.

Mantra:   
OM AMI DEWA HRIH

If possible, recite this 108 times daily, then dedicate:

May I be born in the Western blissful realm.

The Benefits of Reciting OM MANI PADME HUM
Date of Advice:
September 2015
Date Posted:
October 2017

Rinpoche sent this advice to a student about the amazing merit of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM, the mantra of Chenrezig [Skt: Avalokiteshvara].

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
How are you?

Please do this daily practice, The Method to Transform a Suffering Life into Happiness (Including Enlightenment). That would be very good. I am requesting this, and you can relate it to your day-to-day life. Try to live with this motivation, bodhicitta. This is the best life, the happiest life which is most beneficial for all sentient beings, and by the way it brings you happiness. This would be extremely, extremely good.

If you can, recite OM MANI PADME HUM mantra. It purifies all the defilements collected from beginningless rebirth; it is unbelievable purification. It even purifies the karma of a fully ordained monk who has broken the four root vows: killing a human being, having sexual intercourse, telling lies about realizations and stealing. Having broken these four root vows creates the karma to be reborn in the hell realms, however, just reciting OM MANI PADME HUM purifies that negative karma. It is unbelievably powerful, unbelievably powerful, and we collect unbelievable merits, even if we recite the mantra without the motivation of bodhicitta.

By reciting OM MANI PADME HUM we collect more merit than the number of drops of water in the ocean; more than the number of snowflakes in a snowfall; more than the number of drops of water in rainfall; more than the number of sand grains in the Pacific Ocean. If we do it with bodhicitta then it creates the cause of happiness up to enlightenment and we are able to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment by purifying our negative karma and collecting more than skies of merit.

Whoever recites the Chenrezig mantra—long, middle and short—when we go in the ocean or wash with water, like in a river, then all the water that touches us, if that water then touches any creature, any sentient being—animals, fish, whales, snakes, even insects we can’t see with our eye, only with a machine, all those living beings—it is then the last rebirth that they will have from womb, egg, heat and moisture. They won’t have to experience that again and they will be reborn in a pure land. Like that, it’s a way to free numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering. Not only to free them from the lower realms but to go up to enlightenment, and in their future lives to be born in a pure land.

By reciting the Mani mantra one thousand times, any wind that touches our body and then goes away and touches other insects or people, that wind is able to purify the negative karma collected from beginningless rebirth. It gets purified and they don’t get reborn in the lower realms; they get reborn in a pure land instead. It’s unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable. This means all the water in the oceans, not just the ocean at Aptos, but all the oceans and even the deepest, deepest oceans where people have not yet been.

Also, if we stand on a hill or tower so that many people can see us—if one thousand or ten thousand or a billion people look at us—then they all get purified and they don’t get reborn in the lower realms. The benefit they get is unbelievable.

It’s the same when other sentient beings touch us—they get purified.

One time at Land of Calm Abiding there were lots of flies that landed on me while I was reciting a text to some horses. This was to purify the horses and to leave positive imprints. A lot of flies landed on my head, so I tried to think that they would get benefit as I had recited many Mani mantras. I tried to think that they would get purified due to the benefits of the Mani mantra. It is unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable; it brings great success and unbelievable merits. 

This is what brings happiness in our life and it’s a way to create unbelievable merits and to benefit sentient beings. Generating great compassion for all sentient beings is a quick way to achieve enlightenment. Without compassion there is no enlightenment, therefore this is a quick way to achieve enlightenment. How quickly we achieve enlightenment depends on how deep our compassion is, so it all depends on our compassion. This is why Maitreya Buddha became a bodhisattva, but Guru Shakyamuni Buddha became a buddha first.

In the past life of Shakyamuni Buddha, when he was a bodhisattva, in Namo Buddha, in Nepal, he was walking with the bodhisattva Maitreya and they saw a starving mother tiger with her four cubs. Guru Shakyamuni, who was a bodhisattva at that time, saw this and generated bodhicitta. Later he came back to offer his body to the starving tiger and her cubs, but the tiger was very weak and she could not even eat him, so he took a blade of grass and cut his own neck so the blood would flow out for the tiger and her cubs. This was due to Guru Shakyamuni’s bodhicitta, which was very strong, and that is why he became a buddha before Maitreya Buddha. The five tigers became the first five disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha when he first turned the wheel of Dharma, after attaining enlightenment.

Therefore, generating compassion and bodhicitta is the quickest way to achieve enlightenment. By realizing this, it is so incredible. Of course, this is the cause of all success, including all temporary success and liberation from the oceans of samsaric sufferings, and all temporary happiness up to enlightenment. By developing compassion for all sentient beings our life becomes very beneficial, amazing, amazing.

Also if you can, recite the Medicine Buddha mantra, recite the seven Medicine Buddhas mantra. Recite each name mantra for success. People think this practice is only for healing, but it is for all the success including enlightenment. How it helps is unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, for all the success, temporary and ultimate—ultimate freedom, liberation from the oceans of samsaric sufferings for ourselves and for all sentient beings, and full enlightenment—and then to bring all others to full enlightenment, so it brings all the success. It is amazing, amazing, unbelievable. While there is a method, if we don’t do what the Buddha taught then there is so much suffering, therefore we must do it while we can.

Thank you very much. If you have any questions you can contact me. This is best way to take care of your life. Other than that, live your life with a good heart as much as possible. When you are eating, walking or doing your job, do it for the benefit of all sentient beings as much as possible.

With much love and prayers ...

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