Various Deity Practices

Various Deity Practices

Explaining Dharma Protectors
Date of Advice:
March 2021
Date Posted:
April 2021

Rinpoche gave this advice about the three Dharma protectors, Mahakala, Kalarupa and Vaishravana, to students of the FPMT affiliates in Mexico. Recorded at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in March 2021.

Puja at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa with Zong Rinpoche, Italy, 1978.

There are three protectors of the lamrim, the three capable beings: Mahakala (Tib: Nagpo Chenpo), Kalarupa (Dharmaraja; Tib: Chögyal), and Vaishravana (Tib: Namthösé). Vaishravana is riding on a snow lion, with big eyes and carrying a mongoose.

These three protectors are Dharma protectors of the three capable beings, [as explained in] the lamrim. The protector for lower capable beings is Kalarupa; the middle capable beings’ protector is Vaishravana; and the higher capable beings’ protector is Mahakala, Six-arm Mahakala.

And also the protector of the three capable beings is lamrim, which is the essence of the whole entire Dharma that the Buddha has taught, all 84,000 teachings. So that’s the basic teaching. And these three are Dharma protectors. There are three Dharma protectors of the three principal aspects of the path: Kalarupa is emptiness; Vaishravana is renunciation; and Mahakala is bodhicitta.

The basic path is to be free from samsara, from the oceans of samsaric suffering from which we haven’t been free from beginningless rebirth. The way to get out of samsara, the basic path is the three higher trainings: the higher training of morality; the higher training of meditation, shamatha; and the higher training of wisdom. We need to actualize these three, we need to practice, otherwise we can’t get out of samsara, we can’t be free from the oceans of samsaric suffering which we have been experiencing from beginningless rebirth.

People in the world [praise] shamatha, only shamatha, [they want to] achieve shamatha, but without thinking about morality at all, without thinking of the base. We have to have a foundation if we’re building a house, so without thinking about that and just building a house, it’s like we build a house in the sky, sort of like that. So, thinking “I want to do shamatha,” without thinking about the need for the basis, morality, many people do like that. No, no, no. We have to have pure morality; we have to have not just morality, but pure morality in order to have shamatha realization.

There’s actual, fully characteristic shamatha realization; and there’s similar shamatha realization, which is not fully characterized shamatha, but is similar to that. Then after that, the higher training of wisdom, so meditating, doing analytical meditation unified with shamatha.

This is very, very, very important in Buddhism, to be free from samsara—wow, wow, wow, wow—to stop rebirth, the suffering of rebirth completely, the cause which is karma, delusions, [we completely stop that.] Then by stopping that, we stop old age. By stopping that completely, then old age is completely stopped, so all those undesirable things. Then completely stop death. You have to know, the world has to know that, you can stop it! You don’t have to experience that, you can stop it!

That means we have to study; in Buddhism we have to study. In other religions there’s no study. They don’t talk about or study how to stop rebirth. We have to study in order to not get sickness, not get old age, not get death. When we’re in the shop buying things, food or clothing or whatever, we have to analyze: there are many materials and we have to check the size and quantity, we have to analyze, then we buy.  So it’s like that. The reason is not because we’re Buddhist, or practicing Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. When we go shopping, we have to use our logic.

Of course, the best, the most important thing in life, is not to do with this life; it is to do with the next life. All the future lives, hundred, thousand, billion, and to be free from samsara, it’s all connected with and it all depends on what we do in this life. So how we live this life, if we practice Dharma, if we practice renunciation, and especially emptiness, and especially bodhicitta, wow, it’s like the sun shining in the world. There is only one sun shining in the world which gives happiness to the animals, to all kinds of animals and human beings. Can you imagine? Bodhicitta is like that. So, depending on how we live this life, that affects all the future lives, a billion, zillion [ future lives], and if we’re free from samsara.

Therefore, the higher training of morality, with its Dharma protector, Vaishravana. Then, meditation, shamatha, the protector of meditation is Mahakala. Then, emptiness, the higher training of wisdom, that’s Kalarupa. The three are like this.

These three protectors are a common thing when we practice the Mahayana teaching and tantra, Vajrayana—Mahayana sutra and Mahayana tantra. On the basis of Mahayana sutra practice, we then practice Mahayana tantra, so then we practice all three, it’s all related like that. Because of what they mean, we understand that’s what we need to achieve, so the three protectors come together like that.

And then of course each monastery or nunnery has a specific protector, so still like that.

The way to practice is that the protector, or deity, and the guru, all three, are one.  For the guru you can think of His Holiness, as most of you have received teachings from His Holiness.

Thank you very much. I thank everyone very much for all your effort, your dedication, for holy Dharma, to help free sentient beings from the lower realms, from samsara, from lower nirvana, and bring them to enlightenment.

Thank you very much. 

False Accusations
Date of Advice:
January 2016
Date Posted:
June 2018

A mentally ill person was sending emails falsely accusing a Dharma teacher of misconduct. Students asked what could be done to help this person. Rinpoche advised the following practice.

Recite The Dharani of Glorious Vajra Claws (Dorje Dermo) ten times.

 

Chöd Initiation
Date of Advice:
May 2014
Date Posted:
December 2016

A student asked if an initiation was needed in order to do chöd practice. Rinpoche wrote this card with advice about chöd.

My very dear one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter.

Yes, you need chöd initiation to do the practice and before receiving chöd initiation you need to have a Highest Yoga Tantra initiation, such as Yamantaka, Heruka or Guhyasamaja. There is also the deity Troma Nakmo, a very common one in Nyingma and Gelug. In Gelug, the deity is Machig Labdron.

Chöd is very good, quick way of the hero, a brave way to remove the self-cherishing thought and dedicate the I and the body for sentient beings. It is a very heroic, brave way to do that on the basis of cherishing sentient beings. This brave, heroic way calls spirits and they create violence and fear. These emotions arise and at that time you recognize the false I, what has to be realized as empty, as it is empty from beginningless rebirths, it has been empty, it never existed.

This is a quick way to recognize that the object never existed. This is a quick way to recognize the object to be refuted, the false I. First examine the false aggregates to be refuted, the false I. First examine the false aggregates, false phenomena, false hell, false suffering and false happiness, as these have been empty from the beginning.

This is a great practice of charity and it’s also heroic. Dedicate not only I, the aggregates, everything, but also your body as nectar to sentient beings, particularly as red distribution, flesh, the body, everything. Dedicate this to the spirits and to those who have so much desire, anger and so on. Doing chöd cuts the emotional problems, the eight worldly dharmas, it cuts those, so it is very good.

Thank you very much for studying the Basic Program.

With much love and prayers…

Chenrezig Meditation and Mantra
Date of Advice:
May 2014
Date Posted:
March 2016

Rinpoche gave a photo of Chenrezig [Skt: Avalokiteshvara] to a waitress he met at a restaurant in Darjeeling, India. Later, he sent her this advice, which includes an explanation of the visualization, the numberless benefits of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM and how to dedicate the merits.

My very dear one,
I hope you are well. I should have written to you before. I am very, very sorry that I didn’t get to write to you to explain what I promised for a long time, even though I did remember from time to time what I promised to send to you.

Regarding the meditation of Chenrezig, the Compassion Buddha, reciting OM MANI PADME HUM is very important. It is one of the most important things in life. Even the mosquitoes, even the leeches, even the ants, since they want happiness and don’t want suffering, even they need to recite OM MANI PADME HUM, but they can’t because they don’t have a human body which would allow them to do so. And they don’t have a human mind therefore they can’t think much or too deeply, as they are animals.

Reciting this mantra purifies negative karmas and obscurations collected from beginningless rebirth and you also collect extensive merits. For example, by reciting OM MANI PADME HUM, each drop of water in the Pacific Ocean can be counted but the benefits of OM MANI PADME HUM cannot be counted. The benefits are numberless and cannot be counted even by the buddhas. The number of dust particles of the earth can be counted, but the benefits of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM cannot be counted. The number of blades of grass on the earth can be counted, but the benefits of OM MANI PADME HUM cannot be counted. Every sand grain of the oceans can be counted, but the benefits of OM MANI PADME HUM cannot be counted.

Especially if you recite OM MANI PADME HUM with bodhicitta, the precious thought of enlightenment, to free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to the peerless happiness, the state of omniscient mind, and then for oneself to achieve the peerless happiness, the state of omniscient mind. This is the precious thought called bodhicitta. If you recite OM MANI PADME HUM with that motivation then no question there is far greater merit, unbelievable, most unbelievable. It is so great. If it was materialized the merit would be greater than the sky, even if you recite the mantra only one time with bodhicitta.

You can see that this makes it a quick way to actualize the path to buddhahood, the state of omniscient mind and particular to develop compassion for the numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless suras, numberless asuras and numberless intermediate state beings. Then to generate bodhicitta, to free them from the oceans of samsaric suffering, to free everybody and bring them to the peerless happiness, the total elimination of obscurations and completion of all the realizations.

I gave you a picture of Chenrezig, but please don’t think it’s just a picture. Think it is the actual living Chenrezig, huge as a snow mountain or like Mount Everest. Think it is actually living, the formation of light, not just material but the actual living compassion of numberless buddhas. This is the manifestation of numberless buddhas’ omniscient mind—the perfect understanding and perfect power to be able to do perfect works for all the sentient beings, including you.

I am hoping to soon make a book of Chenrezig meditations with a different Chenrezig prayer to read each day and then recitation of OM MANI PADME HUM. I have a book called Teachings from the Mani Retreat, so read this if you can. 

Meanwhile if you are going to recite only one mala of OM MANI PADME HUM, then visualize Chenrezig out of great compassion sending beams to you, like rays of the sun. When the beams are received by you, your mind becomes unbelievably blissful and peaceful. You experience this, then your body becomes totally white, like the nature of light. You are totally purified of all negative karmas and obscurations collected from beginningless rebirths, and all the sickness and spirit harms of this life are purified. Chenrezig also sends beams to all the sentient beings—numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless suras, numberless asuras and numberless intermediate state beings—from whom you receive all your beginningless past happiness, and all the collections of goodness. You receive all the past, present and future life collections of goodness from them, as well as ultimate happiness, liberation from the oceans of samsaric sufferings. Think that they are totally purified.

Recite OM MANI PADME HUM with the mala I gave you, one-pointedly looking at Chenrezig. Try not to be distracted or to think of anything else during that time, as much as possible.

If you have received the Chenrezig Great Initiation (this is a two-day initiation) then for the first mala mainly think you are purifying yourself. Then you become Chenrezig, the formation of light, having Chenrezig’s holy body with all the qualities, and with the perfect omniscient mind, with perfect power, infinite compassion for sentient beings and perfect power to guide sentient beings. Send light from your heart—from the syllable HRIH and the mantra garland—to numberless sentient beings. They are purified and they all become Chenrezig. While you are doing that, recite OM MANI PADME HUM. For the second mala of mantras you visualize yourself as Chenrezig and all sentient beings as Chenrezig, enlightened.

If you have not received Chenrezig Great Initiation, then you can’t visualize yourself as Chenrezig. Instead mainly think you are purifying yourself and at the same time all sentient beings are purified. For the next mala, you mainly think you are receiving all the qualities of Chenrezig, and at the end sentient beings receive all the qualities of Chenrezig. You can do like that, but if you want to recite more mantras, for example five malas, then for half think you are purifying yourself and sentient beings and then for the next five malas yourself and sentient beings are being purified. The next ten malas think all the qualities of Chenrezig are received by yourself and all sentient beings. Mainly concentrate on sentient beings being purified and then receiving all the qualities. If you haven’t received the great initiation, then do like this.

If you want to think of people who are sick, who have died or who are dying and want to do a prayer for them, then visualize beams emitted from Chenrezig and purifying that person. That helps those people who are sick, dead or dying so much. Also you can think of your loved ones and especially your enemies, the people who hate you.

At the end dedicate like this:

Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me, all the three times' merits collected by numberless sentient beings and by numberless buddhas, may bodhicitta, the precious thought of enlightenment, be generated in the heart of the six realm sentient beings—the numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless suras, numberless asuras and numberless intermediate state beings, and especially every living being in this world, including my family and myself, without delaying even a second. May the bodhicitta which has already been generated in myself and others be increased.

Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by me, and all the three times' merits collected by numberless sentient beings and numberless buddhas, may I become Chenrezig as quickly as possible and bring all the sentient beings into Chenrezig’s peerless happiness, the state of omniscient mind, by myself alone.

Then you can dedicate the merits to not harm others and also for any positive wishes and successes to benefit sentient beings and the teachings of the Buddha.

Thank you very, very much and I hope to see you again.

If you want to hear teachings and practice meditation, then please go to our center in Bangalore. It is very good to participate and join in. They will be very happy. You can contact the director. She is very good, very dedicated to benefitting sentient beings and the teachings of Buddha and dedicated to my wishes being successful.

Thank you very much.

With much love and prayers...

Chenrezig Practices
Date Posted:
November 2012

Rinpoche gave the following practice advice to a nun.

First recite one of the various Chenrezig prayers:

  • Prayer of Chenrezig by Songtsem Gampo
  • Prayer to the Six-Syllable Great Compassionate One
  • Request to the Supreme Compassionate One

There is also a Chenrezig meditation text.

Begin your session with one of these prayers, then recite the longest Chenrezig dharani three times. [If you would like to listen to Rinpoche chanting this dharani, you can find links to the audio recording in the FPMT Catalogue.]

Then do one mala of the long mantra, as in the nyung-nä text.

Then do ten malas of OM MANI PADME HUM. During the first five malas concentrate on purifying yourself; you then become Chenrezig and with the last five malas you concentrate on purifying others. At the end of each mala, think that all sentient beings have become Chenrezig.

After your mantras do the requesting prayer from the nyung-nä:

(Kneel down on your right knee and) request your desired goals by repeating the following with great fervor:

O Arya Avalokiteshvara, treasure of compassion
Together with your retinue, please pay attention to me.
Please quickly free me and all mother and father sentient
Beings of the six realms from the ocean of cyclic existence.
Please enable the profound and extensive peerless
Bodhicitta to quickly grow in our mindstreams.

Please quickly cleanse our delusions and actions accumulated
Since beginningless time, with the water of compassion
And, with your compassionate hand, lead me
And all migrators to the blissful pure land.
May Amitabha and Avalokiteshvara act
As our spiritual friends in all lifetimes,
Show us the excellent unmistaken path, and
Quickly place us in the state of buddhahood.

Then dedicate with:

Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me and all sentient beings, may bodhicitta be generated in the hearts of all the six realm sentient beings, especially in the hearts of the sentient beings in this world and especially in the hearts of the FPMT students, myself and my family members without delay for even a second. May the bodhicitta which has already been generated in the hearts of others be developed more and more.

Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me and all sentient beings, in all our lifetimes may Lama Tsongkhapa be my direct Mahayana guru and may I never be separate from the pure path admired by all the buddhas. May I be able to meet Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching, which is to live in pure morality and develop the brave heart doing the extensive deeds for sentient beings and generate the yoga of the two stages whose essence is the transcendental wisdom of non-dual bliss and voidness.

In all my lifetimes may I be like Lama Tsongkhapa, who offered extensive benefit to sentient beings and the teachings of Buddha. May I become like you, the glorified Guru. Whatever your body, your entourage, whatever your holy name and pure land, may I become only like that. Without effort and zeal may my wishes be auspicious and may they be fulfilled like a wish-granting jewel or a wish-granting tree to fulfill sentient beings' wishes and hopes.

Due to the three time merits of myself, sentient beings and buddhas, which exist in mere name but are totally empty from their own side, may the I, which exists but is totally empty from its own side, achieve the full enlightenment of Chenrezig, which exists but is totally empty from its own side, and lead all sentient beings, who exist but are totally empty from their own side, to Chenrezig’s full enlightenment, which exists but is totally empty from its own side, by myself alone, which exists but is totally empty from its own side.

Then dedicate with:

JANG CHHUB SEM CHHOG RIN PO CHHE
MA KYE PA NAM KYE GYUR CHIG
KYE PA NYAM PA ME PA YI
GONG NÄ GONG DU PHEL WAR SHOG

May the precious supreme bodhicitta
Not yet born arise.
May that arisen not decline,
But increase more and more.

JAM PÄL PA WÖ JI TAR KHYEN PA DANG
KÜN TU ZANG PO DE YANG DE ZHIN TE
DE DAG KÜN GYI JE SU DAG LOB CHHIR
GE WA DI DAG THAM CHÄ RAB TU NGO

I fully dedicate all these virtues
To be able to train just like
The hero Manjushri, who knows reality,
And just like Samantabhadra as well.

At the end of the last session of the day also do His Holiness’ long-life prayer and the Prayer that Spontaneously Fulfills all Wishes:

GANG RII RA WÄ KOR WÄI ZHING KHAM DIR
PHÄN DANG DE WA MA LÜ JUNG WÄI NÄ
CHÄN RÄ ZIG WANG TÄN DZIN GYA TSHO YI
ZHAB PÄ SI THÄI BAR DU TÄN GYUR CHIG

In the land encircled by snow mountains
You are the source of all happiness and good.
All-powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,
Please remain until samsara ends.

TONG NYI NYING JE ZUNG DU JUG PÄI LAM
CHHE CHHER SÄL DZÄ GANG CHÄN TÄN DRÖI GÖN
CHHAG NA PÄ MO TÄN DZIN GYA TSHO LA
SÖL WA DEB SO ZHE DÖN LHÜN DRUB SHOG

Savior of the Land of Snows teachings and transmigratory beings,
Who extensively clarifies the path that unifies emptiness and compassion,
To the Lotus Holder, Tenzin Gyatso, I beseech.
May all your holy wishes be spontaneously fulfilled.

It is also good to do the Medicine Buddha sadhana.

[Find links to the prayers and practices mentioned in this advice in the FPMT Catalogue.]

Dorje Khadro
Date Posted:
September 2012

Rinpoche gave the following advice to a student doing Dorje Khadro practice.

If you have so many practices to do, get a statue of Dorje Khadro, then you don’t have to visualize the deity—you can just look at the statue.

This is a very powerful purification practice and you collect numberless merit. Using a statue, you can do the practice very quickly; it makes it very easy. You don’t have to visualize the deity, so it doesn’t become an effort; it becomes very easy.

The statue can be ordered from Nepal. You can ask the monk you know at Kopan Monastery. You can also do this practice if you are staying in different places.

Note: The Dorje Khadro sadhana and a commentary on the practice by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche are published on the LYWA website. See the FPMT Catalogue to find links to Dorje Khadro practices.

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