In Buddhism, all practice can be considered purification. Whether we are practicing the Eightfold Path taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, or the five transformations of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, or a Yidam meditation in personal practice, all of these are ultimately purification of the ten poisons, our skhandas, our past negative karmas. Healing is purification. Pacification is purification, Wrathful activity in the Buddhist context is purification.

When we think of purification, the image that jumps to mind is pure, white Vajrasattva.

Chanting Vajrasattva’s 100 Syallable Mantra beautifully in Sanskrit:

Vajrasattva is the Ultimate Buddha

Vajrasattva — like all Buddhist deities — defies the notion of ego. Therefore, there is no “who” and there is no “what.” It can be said that Vajrasattva, in ultimate reality is no different from any other Buddha. It can be said, in relative reality, that Vajrasattva can purify all our defilements, obscurations and obstacles.

He is also the Sambhogakaya aspect of the ultimate Buddha, by whatever name we choose to label him. Vajrasattva, is the ultimate manifestation of Buddha, the Buddha from which the Five Dhyani Buddhas, Vajrasattva as a Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara and Tara, and every Enlightened emanation. In some lineages, he is also the label used for the Dharmakaya aspect of Buddha — while other traditions the Dharmakaya label might be Vajradhara, Samantabhadra or Mahavairochana, all names for the same essence.

It can also be said that Vajrasattva is none other than ourselves, visualized as a pure Buddha. It can be said that Vajrasattva is an emanation of Akshobya — or of Vajradhara, or of Samantabhadra. All of these are true at the same time and none of them really define Vajrasattva. In many ways, he is the ultimate expression of the idea of Yidam — a personal and effective meditational deity beyond ego, self, and illusory reality.

In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrasattva’s role as the “great purifier” is top-of-mind — a necessary first step in Buddhist practice, working on the negative karmas and obstacles that obscure our Buddha Nature. It is one of the core “foundation” practices of Vajrayana. Yet, Vajrasattva practice is much more than this.

“Vajrasattva is a manifestation of Buddha Conquerer Vajradhara and his practice is one of the most powerful healing and purification techniques in Vajrayana Buddhism.” — Venerable Zasep Rinpoche

All Buddhist practices could ultimately be described by the goal “purification of the five aggregates” — through various forms of meditation and virtues (actions and thoughts.) Purification is a core concept.

[Several teaching and mantra videos below.]

Vajrasattva meditation and mantra is the best-known of the purification practices in Tibetan Buddhism — practices that psychologist Robert Preece in his book, The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra, demonstrated are based on sound psychological concepts:

“The primary obscuration to be purified is dualistic thinking and its consequences… Increasingly, our health, both physical and psychological, is affected by the environments in which we live and work. The intensity of emotional stress from work will invariably leave a residue within our nervous systems… Healing and purification visualizations are usually of light and blissful nectar washing through the body… this gradually cleanses, heals or purifies…”

Vajrasattva Mantra chanted 21 times in Sanskrit with visualization images:

When Shakyamuni Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, seeking Enlightenment, the sutras record the many things he visualized as he sat. Many of these, such as Mara’s “attack” can be seen as defilements being purified — a core practice in Buddhism. Foundation practice in Buddhism is generally thought of as the process of purifying obstacles and misconceptions and negative karmas, and generating merit. Ultimately, even generating merit is a purification practice itself.

Although all Buddhist practices can be thought of as “purifying”, Vajrayana visualization practices and mantra are particularly effective, incorporating meditation that fully engages all of Body (breath and posture), Speech (mantra), and Mind (visualization). [Full video teaching on Purification from Venerable Zasep Rinpoche below.]

Why do we describe purification practices as healing practices? Ultimately, the purification of negativities and obstacles is the most perfect of healing practices. It is said that our defilements and negative karmas are the cause of our suffering, including illness.

Vajrasattva, the great purifier

Vajrasattva is one of the earliest practices in Vajrayana Buddhism and is also central to Shingon Buddhism. Vajrasattva is a beautiful manifestation of Vajradhara (in the dKar-hGya-pa and DGel-lugs-pa schools of Vajrayana) or of Samantabadra (in the older schools and Shingon.). Vajradhara and Samatabadra are two names for the same concept — the ultimate Dharmakaya aspect of Buddha.

“According to Tantra, one of the most powerful purifications is meditations on Vajrasattva. Recite the mantra of Vajrasattva, the 100-syllable mantra. If you don’t have initiation, you can say the mantra, no problem, you can visualize Vajrasattva in front of you. [Or] Above your crown, as well.’ — H.E. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche (Video teaching below.)

Purifying mental defilements and bad karma

The five aggregates [see below] are the very things that make up the sentient being. Obstacles and incorrect perceptions of the true nature of reality prevent us from wisdom — and ultimately — Enlightenment. For this reason, it could be argued that purification in all its forms is the main and most important Buddhist practice. This can take many forms: mindful meditation, insight meditation, visualized and deity meditations, mantra — or ultimately all of these, which represent Body (mindfulness), Mind (insight and visualization) and Speech (mantra.)

Purification is the “ultimate” remedy. Psychological treatments often include elements of “confronting and purifying” negative past trauma. The principle, in Buddhist terms, is similar. Our “selves” — in fact, our very existence— is thought of in terms of aggregates. To avoid the impure obstacle of “ego-clinging” we are taught that all beings are made up of “five aggregates” – none of which contain the “I” or “self.” Each of these aggregates can collect “impurities” — which can be thought of as wrong views and illusory. Purification practice helps us meditate on those impurities, and clear the incorrect perceptions from our confused mindstreams.

Those aggregates (“Skandhas” in Sanskrit) are:

1. Form: or matter (in Sanskrit “rupa” and Tibetan “gzugs”): our material form or body
2. Sensation: or feeling (Sansktrit “vedana and Tibetan “tshor-ba”): sensory experiences
3. Perceptions: or how we comprehend and process things (Sankrit “sanna” or Tibetan “du-shes”): often these perceptions lead to labels, which are an obstacle.
4. Mental Formations: conditioning and karmic activities (good or bad) (Sanskrit “samskara” and Tibetan “du-byed”): the mental imprints and reactions that cause us to act.
5. Consciousness: awareness and discrimination (avoiding the word “self-awareness” Sanskrit “Vijnana” and Tibetan “rnam-par-shes-pa”): there are six types of consciousness.

A video teaching on purification from Venerable Zasep Rinpoche:

Who is Vajrasattva?

Perhaps, what defines Vajrasttva is the result. Vajrasattva, for many centuries, has been the “go-to” practice for Buddhists for purification practices. Since most of our progress in Buddhism relies on purification, it would be fair to say that in Vajrayana Buddhism, Vajrasattva practice is of pre-eminent importance. It is often the first deity practiced by students. In foundation practices, for Tibetan Buddhism, many schools have a requirement that the student performs 100,000 mantras of Vajrasattva; which is no small feat given the length of the mantra (which, of course, should be first committed to memory.)

What makes the practice so perfect?

We know we can rely on the Vajrasattva practice because of a lineage of masters who have used the practice for thousands of years — many of whom achieved great insights on the path. But what makes it so profoundly effective?

Vajrasattva Mantra

Vajasattva incorporates meditation of mind, body, and speech. Our mind is engaged by visualization of the beautiful deity Vajrasattva — the perfected ideal of an Enlightened being. If we practice deeper, we visualize Vajrasattva with his consort, the Wisdom mother. We visualize purifying light from Vajrasattva entering the crown of our heads and filling us. We engage body with mudra, posture (sitting position) and breath. We engage speech with the sacred Sanskrit 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva:

OM VAJRASATTVA SAMAYA MANUPALAYA

VAJRASATTVA TVENOPATISHTHA

DRIDHO ME BHAVA

SUTOSHYO ME BHAVA

SUPOSHYO ME BHAVA

ANURAKTO ME BHAVA

SARVA SIDDHIM ME PRAYACCHA

SARVA KARMA SU CHAME

CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM

HA HA HA HA HO

BHAGAVAN SARVA TATHAGATA

VAJRA MAME MUNCHA

VAJRA BHAVA MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA

AH HUM PHAT

Or, we might pronounce it in the common Tibetan pronunciation (for example, Benza instead of Vajra), if our teacher gave it to us in this form:

OM BENZA SATA SAMAYA MANU PALAYA

BENZA SATA TEY NO PA TEETA DEEDO MEY BAWA

SUTO KAYO MEY BAWA

SUPO KAYO MEY BAWA

A NU RATO MEY BAWA

SARWA SIDDI MEY PRA YA TSA

SARWA KARMA SU TSA MEY

TSEE TAM SHRI YAM KURU HUNG

HA HA HA HA HO BAGAWAN

SARWA TATAGATA BENZA MA MEY MUN TSA

BENZA BAWA MAHA SAMAYA SATA AH HUNG PEY

What does the mantra mean?

The mantra has been translated in various ways, but it is more important to focus on the meaning of the mantra. In a teaching on Vajrasattva mediation and recitation, Lati Rinpoche explained the meaning this way:

OM = syllable of the vajra body (It is spelled A-U-M, which represent the body, speech and mind of the
Buddhas.)
VAJRA = indivisible nature, the inseparability of wisdom and bliss.
SATTVA = the being who has the wisdom of inseparable bliss and emptiness.
SAMAYA MANU PALAYA = sustain me by the commitment (protect my commitment)
VAJRASATTVA TVENO PATISHTA = O Vajrasattva, may I achieve you, may I become closer to you
(cause me to be supported by you)
DRIDHO ME BHAVA = may this achievement be stabilized (remain firmly with me)
SUTOSHKYO ME BHAVA = may your nature become pleased (may you be pleased with me)
SUPOSHKYO ME BHAVA = may you make me into the nature of passion (may you be happy with me)
ANURAKTO ME BHAVA = may you make me the victor (have affection for me)
SARVA SIDDHI ME PRAYACCHA = grant me all the powerful attainments
SARVA KARMA SUCHAME = grant me all the activities (make all my actions good)
CITTTAM SHRIYAM KURU = may your glory abide within my heart (make my mind most glorious)
HUM = (represents primordial awareness)
HA HA HA HA HO = I shall delight in the powerful attainments and in all the activities (the five types of
wisdom)
BHAGAVAN SARVA TATHAGATA = calling out to all the Buddhas by name
MAME MUNCHA = do not part from me (do not abandon me)
VAJRA BHAVA = make me the one who can hold a vajra
MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA = call to Vajrasattva by saying, “O One with the great commitment.” The
significance of calling out like this is to say, “Just as I have requested, may this request be granted.”
AH = syllable of the vajra speech (shows the empty nature of all phenomena. The main function of
Buddhas’ speech is to teach that phenomena lack inherent existence.)
HUM = (blissful state of Vajrasattva’s wisdom)
PHAT = destroy all the delusions and sufferings.

The mechanics of the practice

With most Buddhist meditations there is a reason for every method. This practice is profoundly effective by virtue of its complex simplicity. The complexity of memorizing a 100-syllable mantra, then reciting it with full concentration while visualizing not only a perfect Buddha but also the mantra script and purifying light — all the while keeping our body relaxed and mindful, with perfect breathing. Yet, once mastered, it is one of the simpler practices. Complex, yet simple.

Many teachers tell their students Vajrasattva practice is all they need. After all, most lay Buddhists work day jobs and have family lives, so undertaking Vajrasattva practice is already a major — yet important — undertaking. But the main reason a teacher might say “Vajrasattva is all you need” is because it can be considered a complete and profound practice.

The Four Opponent Powers

Beyond the perfection of a practice involving all three of Body, Speech and Mind, Varjasattva practice also includes the profound “Four Opponent Powers”:

• The Power of Dependence: Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

• The Power of Regret: recalling all of our negative actions in the past motivated by ignorance, attachment or aversion.

• The Power of Remedy: the mantra and visualization and mental focus on purification.

• The Power of  Restraint: or undertaking to refrain from creating negative karma (actions) in future.

When we practice Vajrasattva, as we visualize and chant mantras, we meditate on the four opponent powers. We meditate on the importance of our refuge in the Three Jewels — our true protection. We consider all the things we regret, and we focus on (visualize) our regrets being purifying by the wondrous nectar or white light of Vajrasattva. We then make a promise to ourselves to refrain from negative karmas again — because we know this opportunity to practice Dharma in this human life is so precious.

Visualizing the Remedy

When we visualize the power of Remedy — while chanting mantras and visualizing the light and deity — we focus on the light or nectar filling our bodies. Usually, the teachers instruct us to visualize. Lati Rinpoche explained it this way, in a teaching on the Vajrasattva practice:

“According to oral instructions, visualize the bodily negativities are purged during the visualization expelling downwards, the negativities of the speech while expelling upwards, the negativities of mind while expelling spontaneously. The negativities of body, speech and mind and their imprints are expelled by doing all three of the above visualization simultaneously. If you meditate like this, then divide the 21 recitations of the mantra into groups of five each: five repetitions for expelling downward, five for expelling upward, five for expelling spontaneously and five for all three simultaneously. Recite the mantra once more to make 21. Another way is to count seven each for the first three visualizations to make 21, without doing the three visualizations simultaneously.

“There are different ways to do it. You can choose. There are many visualizations that can be done during the Vajrasattva meditation and recitation. At the end of however many mantras you recite, develop the strong conviction, “I have actually purified all negativities.” It’s important to generate this conviction because having lingering doubts about whether the negativities have actually been purified is harmful.

“If this purification practice is undertaken properly, with all the four opponents powers complete, then there is no reason why you should not be able to purify the negativities.”

For a visualization intended for meditators who do not yet have Vajrasattva empowerment, see the last section with a description by Venerable Zasep Rinpoche (or watch the embedded movie above.)

Mantra chanting of 100-syllable mantra:

Is initiation necessary?

For Vajrasattva, initiation is not necessary, as long as you do not visualize yourself as Vajrasattva. Until you find a teacher who has lineage and can offer empowerment, it is quite effective and permissible to practice Vajrasattva visualization and mantra where you visualize the deity either in front of you or on top of your head, with nectar or purifying light flowing into you.”  Venerable Zasep Rinpoche explained, “According to Tantra, one of the most powerful purifications is meditations on Vajrasattva. Recite the mantra of Vajrasattva, the 100-syllable mantra [mantra below transcript]. If you don’t have initiation, you can say the mantra, no problem, you can visualize Vajrasattva in front of you. [Or] Above your crown, as well.”

Ideally, though, empowerment not only makes the practice more profound and effective, it helps with the transformative understanding of Emptiness and ego-lessness. If we have empowerment, we can visualize ourselves as a deity  — helping us understand the true nature of reality. Intellectually, we might understand the concept of Emptiness, but that’s not the same as developing a realization derived from real, empowered practice.

Teaching on the Vajrasattva Mantra at Sravasti Abbey:

Visualization for the uninitiated

Venerable Zasep Rinpoche offers this simplified visualization (or listen to the embedded video above):

“Imagine — as you say the mantra — imagine purifying nectar coming from the heart of Vajrasattva, and the nectar enters through your your crown [of your head] and enters into your body, first purifying the body. The nectar flowing down through the body. And as if flows down it purifies all the bodily karmas: disease, sickness, unwholesome karmas of the past, unwholesome karmas of the bodies are purified. Say the mantra, lets say 21 times.
Then you do the purification again, this time purifying the speech, the speech karmas. This time, the nectar comes down from the heart of Vajrasattva dissolves into you, into your body, and slowly fills up your body, and then [you visualize] the unwholesome karmas of the speech coming out from the mouth. They are expelled. Gone. Imagine your speech karma is purified.

The third time, nectar comes down from Vajrasattva’s heart, dissolving into you directly into your heart, and then you mind is purified, mental karmas such as fear, attachment, ignorance, and confusion disappear, are dispersed. Disappeared straight from your heart. This is very powerful.

Say the mantra, the 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva, and then imagine Vajrasattva becoming smaller and smaller entering through your crown and dissolving into your heart. Imagine Vajrasattva is always with you as a personal yidam deity. This is very powerful way to purify your body, speech and mind. There are other purifications, but I think this is good enough for the beginner.”

Why is Tara so beloved among Mahayana Buddhists? Why is she simultaneously called Mother, Saviour, Friend, and Buddha? Why do many of us turn to Green Tara first, when we need help? What are the 21 forms of Tara? What are some of the stories of Tara rescuing suffering beings, as the heroine Goddess? We answer these questions and recount the histories of her heroic rescues in this presentation dedicated to the Mother of All Buddhas. We also present the mantra and a very concise Sadhana by Great Marpa, the Translator, for daily meditation.

Most Buddhists know Mother Tara — simultaneously a friend, savior, caring Bodhisattva, and enlightened being.

Tara’s Many Forms

She manifests in endless forms. She can be action-hero Green Tara who saves us from worldly harm. Or, blessed White Tara who heals and brings longevity. Or charismatic Red Tara who attracts what is helpful into our lives. Or even fierce Black Tara, who destroys all evil. Though we honor her as the Great Mother Buddha, she is, without contradiction, an intimate and treasured friend.

Tara, like any loving Mother, is ready to jump to our aid, even in mundane areas of life. She is the “practical Buddha” — the “Karma Mother” — the Buddha most active in our lives. Her Sanskrit name translates as “a star by which to navigate” — and like a star, she is always with us whenever we look for her. How can we lose our way when her radiance never fades?

“Mummy Tara”

Despite enormous respect and sacred devotion for Tara, She is often just known as “Mummy Tara” to devotees.

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron explained:

“If you put your full trust in Tara, you will receive the guidance you need and all your problems will be solved…”

Tara Rescues H.E. Garchen Rinpoche 8 Times

His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche has a special devotion to Tara. He recounts how Tara rescued him many times in his adventurous Dharma life. He credits her directly with rescuing him from eight major and several minor threats in his great life.

It was Tara who helped the great teacher survive war in 1958, starvation in 1960, near-drowning in 1963, several incidents with food poisoning, and a car accident in 2006. He tells these stories in his biography, and at teachings. He wrote:

“What is the purpose of sharing this?

I have special devotion for Tara, though all deities are the same in essence. I always hold on to my prayer wheel tightly, and I pray to Tara. I also tell others to pray to Tara. This is why I have a lot of faith in Tara.”

Song of Longing for Tara

This sentiment is expressed in the 18th-century Tibetan prayer the “Song of Longing for Tara” by Lama Lobsang Tenpey Gyaltsen:

“You are my guru, my yidam, my protector, my refuge, my food, my clothes, my possessions, and my friend. Since your divine quality is everything to me, let me spontaneously achieve all that I wish.”

• Here are all the Tara Days we celebrate in 2024 on our Dharma Calendar>>

Mother Tara is not just the rescuer. She provides us with what we need to help ourselves and others — spontaneously achieving all that we wish.

Green, White, Red, Yellow and Blue-Black Taras

Tara appears in many forms, symbolic of her countless activities on our behalf. Her most common appearances are as a beautiful Mother Goddess, sitting on a splendid lotus and moon throne, beautiful in appearance, with one foot thrust forward ready to leap to our aid.

Her main two forms are Green and White, but she also appears in every color, symbolizing her heroic activities. Green represents the Karma family mother, her main form, with green symbolizing all activities.

• All about the 21 Taras, their praises and mantras, full feature>>

She has many white aspects, representing her pacifying and purifying activities.

She has red forms symbolizing power and magnetizing activities, and yellow forms symbolizing enriching activities.

White Tara and her powerful mantra beautifully chanted in Sanskrit:

Finally, she also emanates in black and blue forms, symbolizing her energetic wrathful forms, able to overcome any evil, obstacle, negative karma, black magic, demons or any foe who is an obstacle to our enlightenment.

Her role, as the “activity aspect of all the Buddhas,” is as vast as the universe. This is why her many activity roles include rescuer, protector, and countless other activity roles associated with Karma.

This is symbolized by air and wind, the element of her Northern Buddha family. Air represents both the life-giving air in our bodies and also Dharma speech. Gelek Rinpoche taught:

“The strongest element on which we base life is air, not ground, not earth. That is because air is the basis of the nature of sound. Really, it is. That is why air is the strongest out of four elements, which are earth, water, fire, and air. Air is the very base.”

As the Wisdom Mother of the Wind or Air element she is associated with Chi, Prana and “internal wind or lung” which is the very essence of life.

In whatever form you see her, visualize her, or think of her, she is your beloved and heroic mother.

Just Call Her Name

How do we call on Her aid? Simply call Her name. How do we see Her face? Simply look up to any star (or close your eyes, or imagine her face), and She is there. How do we find comfort in Her compassion? Simply know She is with you; like any mother, She never leaves you.

How near Is Tara? Since all beings have Buddha Nature, at the ultimate level, she is already One with Us. There is an old Tibetan story about a man who complains to Tara that she “left him.” Her reply was:

“How could I ever leave who I am?

Tara Saves the Caravan: Bokar Rinpoche

Bokar Rinpoche gives an example of how close Tara is to our world.

In 1958, Rinpoche was with a caravan taking food to those in need. Everyone knew the mission was important, but they were worried about bandits, who were reported on the road. So, they prayed constantly to Tara and chanted the twenty-one Taras’ praise as they journeyed the dangerous trail with a long train of wagons. Bokar Rinpoche wrote:

“The road to Lhasa was extremely dangerous… Who could protect us better than Tara?… It was impossible for us to evade them.

“When some nomads warned us of bandits immediately ahead, we went off the path, to set up our encampment, but there were too many of us to avoid being seen.

From where we were, we could see the bandits coming, menacing and demanding ransom from other travellers on the road.

It should have been inevitable for them to see us… However, they did not see us! Certainly, we were scared, but we never ceased to pray to Tara and recite her praise… I am convinced that our safe journey was due to Tara’s blessing and kind protection.”

It’s important to remember that the Mother of all Buddhas works through all of us. She is not only the Mother of All Buddhas, but the Mother of all Beings. Why? All Beings have Buddha Nature, our innate compassion and wisdom.

Praying to Arya Tara for help doesn’t mean she’ll show up as a Green goddess, hovering in the air in front of you. Her help might come in the form of hard-working first responders. Or a kind neighbor. Or, just a stranger on the street who sees you need help; and compassion arises from their heart — the place where Tara resides.

She is, remember, the karma activity Buddha, and works through karma in our world. If we are in trouble, the first responders — or another helpful person or circumstance — will help us if it is “our karma.” Or, we’ll discover how to help ourselves, inspired by her wisdom and the calm she gives us in the face of danger.

• Don’t miss our complete section of Tara features, over 20 features and videos>>

Tara and Dharma Activity: Karma Yoga

Tara, the ideal Mother, is the Buddha most active in our world, embodying Dharma activity and Karma Yoga. Tara, the Mother, would do anything to help her children. To be near to us, she remains in our mundane world, and all the worlds and Purelands.

In the past, she nurtured and protected most of the great Mahasiddhas of India, and many of the great sages in Tibet. Alone in the wilderness, the great sages relied on her nurturing wisdom, compassion, and protective activity during long retreats. Her activity is no different for us. She is accessible and close to all practitioners. She is not a far-away Enlightened One who has passed into Nirvana.

Even the great Conqueror Shakyamuni Buddha relied on Mother Tara’s “eight great laughters” to pacify fears, doubts, and demons. It is said, in many Tantras, that “all Buddhas relied on Tara.”

Bokar Rinpoche explained how in his book Tara, The Feminine Divine:

“The night preceding his awakening, while sitting under the Bodhi tree, Shakyamuni was attacked by a horde of demons attempting to divert him from his goal. At that moment, Tara appeared, and with eight great laughters made the demons fall to the ground and stopped them from doing harm. The Buddha then placed his mind in a state of perfect meditation and, at dawn, attained awakening. After that, he uttered the Tara Tantra.”

Buddha Explains Why Tara is Mother of All Buddhas

Tara’s most common title is Mother of all the Buddhas. This enigmatic term confuses even her devoted followers.

In “Sarva-tat-hagata-matr-tara-visvakarma-bhava-tantra-nama”, Buddha explains to Manjushri why Tara is called the Mother of all the Buddhas.

Manjushri asked the Lord: “Lord, all the Buddhas of the three times are deep. How therefore did She produce them? How is She their Mother?”

And the Lord said, “That is true, Manjushri, but all the Buddhas of the three times are also unproduced and unceasing, not defiled and not immaculate, with decrease or increase, and by nature in Nirvana; that is the nature of all dharmas.”

When Manjusrhi asked Shakyamuni to clarify, the Lord said, “Manjushri, the Ultimate, is called the Universal Law, the dharmadhatu; it is a synonym with the True Goal. It is Great Compassion. Conventional nature is a synonym of samsara. The Mother who produces the buddhas of the three times is beyond this; therefore She is beyond samsara and affliction.

Thus, Manjushri, She is to be regarded as Mother.

And the Lord said: “Therefore, Manjushri, with understanding of the such-ness of dharmas should one meditate on Her. One should recite her dharani, practice earnestly, understand Her qualities and make offerings to Her.

One should receive instructions and have no doubts. One should act earnestly in the deeds, remember Her praises, and practice the rites severally.” In these words He taught Bodhisattva Manjushri, the Youthful.

Origin Stories of Tara

Even though Buddha explained how Tara is the Mother of Buddhas, this becomes confusing when we are told multiple completely different origin stories when we attend her empowerment ceremonies.

Arya Tara’s origin stories are not about her birth, since she is the unborn. They are about her many manifestations arising into a particular need or lineage. Since her vow is to help all sentient beings in all worlds, she arises in many forms and times, and has many origin stories.

Tara always existed in the Dharmadatu, the Realm of Ultimate Reality. But she arises in various aspects in various lineages to help with special needs.

The most famous origin stories are how she arose from Avalokiteshvara. In the story, Avalokiteshvara, who swore the vow of compassion to save every being suffering in Samsara despaired after saving millions from samsara, only to find the six realms filled up with more suffering beings. The task of saving beings was endless.

Martin Wilson explained one of the origin stories of Tara in his 1986 work In Praise of Tara: Songs of the Saviouress.

“What was Her origin? Avalokiteshvara, the Lord and Refuge of the Three Realms saw that however many migrating beings He removed from samsāra, they grew no fewer, and He wept so many tears they formed a great lake.

Seeing his despair, Tārā sprang from this lake of tears. An utpala arose, a blue lotus, that grew in the water of his tears. Green Tara appeared on this Lotus, ready to help him. She is tireless and swift in the aid of sentient beings. She said to Avalokiteshvara: “I shall quickly save them from samsāra, so please do not cry!”.

In another origin story, White Tara arose from the tears of one eye of Avalokiteshvara, the Compassionate One, and Green Tara from the other.

Tara’s Dharani Sutra recited in video by Buddha Weekly:

These stories aren’t about the “birth of Tara” as Tara was always the mother in the Dharmadatu. She emanated in Sambhogakaya Enjoyment Bodies to help the great Bodhisattva, moved by his Compassion.

This is why there can be different Tara origin stories in different lineages. There are countless forms and emanations of Tara as both Sambhogakayas, such as Green, White or Red Tara, but also Nirmanakaya, earthly manifestations. For example, in India, Tara’s popular emanations include wisdom Dakini Mandarva and Niguma. In Tibet, she was born as Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal.

21 Forms of Tara and Their Praise chanted beautifully in sacred Sanskrit:

21 Taras… and More…

Why so many forms? Because there are countless beings suffering in Samsara. Just as she arose in one form to help the compassionate Lord Avalokiteshvara, she arose in other forms as well.

The most famous of these are the 21 forms of Tara. There are also the 108 and 1008 Taras.

Each of these Taras appears slightly different, with different colors, poses, expressions, mantras and praises. Each of the 21 Taras has a specialized activity.

Are they all separate beings? No, they are all Tara, ultimately the same Tara who manifested to Buddha under the Bodhi Tree and to Avalokiteshvara when he shed the lake of tears. And, the same Tara who rescued Garchen Rinpoche eight times. And, the same Tara who rescued Bokar Rinpoche and the caravan from Bandits.

Tara’s Pureland: Yurlod Kurpa Turquoise Pureland

Tara appears not only in our world, but in every world, all six realms, and in every Pureland. She even has her own Pureland, for her most devoted followers. This Turquoise Pureland Yurlod Kurpa is a little different from the visualization of most Purelands.

This stunning Pureland has wild green forests, mountains, turquoise lakes, wildlife, and waterfalls rather than palaces and jeweled cities. The great teacher Delog Dawa Drolma described Tara’s pureland.

Delog Dawa Drolma was another nirmanakaya emanation of Tara. She was a teacher revered for her extraordinary powers as a lama, most famous for being a delog. A delog is one who has crossed the threshold of death and returned to tell about it. Her well-known son, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, told the story of his mother’s journey to visit Tara’s pureland, while her body lay devoid of life for 5 days:

“She lay cold, breathless, and devoid of any vital signs, while her consciousness moved freely into other realms, often escorted by the wisdom goddess White Tara. She undertook her journey as a delog according to instructions she had received from Tara in visions.”

Later, Delog Dawa Drolma, in a teaching in 1925, explained just where the Pureland is. Tara’s pureland is not other than Tara’s mind. Since we all have Tara’s Buddha Nature, this pureland is therefore found in our own heart and mind. She taught:

“Those sentient beings who actually wish to see the pure realm of Tara in their minds will rejoice in the cooling rays of pure vision in the soothing shelter of the blooming lotus of faith.”

Connecting with Tara

How do we connect to Tara? What is her practice? Like any mother, she is easily accessible. Simply call her name, or chant her short 10-syllable mantra. Or, you can accumulate merit and virtue by chanting the Praise to 21 Taras as a Dharani each day, or at least on Tara Puja Days. This ten-minute practice is very profound. To chant along, visit one of the linked 21 Taras videos at the information icons.

Tara practice is among the most beautiful and inspiring practices in Mahayana Buddhism, because she is the Buddhist enlightened Mother who truly acts for our benefit in this world.

Tara emanates in these countless forms because we have countless fears and obstacles. None of our fears are unimportant: epidemics, war, poverty, the list is endless. Fortunately, Tara is heroic and tireless! For each Tara, there is a praise, which devotees chant daily as the 21 Taras Praise or Dharani, and there are also supplicating mantras for each Tara, which requests Tara’s specific help in 21 ways. We have a video describing all 21 of the mantras, reciting them 3 times each, and explaining the benefits of each.

The simplest way to practice Tara, and bring her motherly protection into your life, is through chanting of her famous ten-syllable mantra. This mantra is

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

Beautiful chanting of Tara’s mantra for 1 hour:

This is, itself, a complete practice, if you understand the meaning of the mantra and recite with faith. According to commentary from the First Dalai Lama, the mantra can be understood this way:

• Om is Taking Refuge and praising the Body Speech and Mind of Tara.
• Tare liberates and saves us from suffering in Samsara — the suffering of the entire universe and all six dimensions.
• Tuttare liberates us from the 8 inner dangers, 8 external types of dangers and 8 supernatural dangers.
• Ture, liberates us from disease.
• Svaha, is the root of the path, and means “be it so” or “well said.”

Sadhana of Tara from Great Marpa the Translator

In the concluding session of this short presentation, we recite a Sadhana from the Great Marpa the Translator.

Great Marpa taught a cycle of Three Special Deities. These three are, of course, Arya Tara, the Mother who liberates us from fears in Samsara, together with Ushnisha Vijaya, in Tibetan Namgyalma, who liberates us from the Lord of Death, and finally, the Supreme Lord Buddha Vajrasattva, who liberates us from all negative karma. The puja begins with prostrations to the Three Supreme Deities, then the practice of Arya Tara.

If you have empowerment, you can visualize yourself as Tara in the normal way. If you do not have empowerment, you only visualize Tara in front of you. In this short version, we strictly recite the accumulating merit section with seven limbs of practice and the Praising of the 21 Taras and mantra with final requests for blessings. In a future video, we will present the full sadhana.

Ideally, after the seven limbs of practice we recite the 21 Taras Praise Dharani in Sanskrit or English linked above. If you are doing an abbreviated form, recite only the mantra.

Here begins the Sadhana, in concise form the frontal generation for accumulating merit with offerings and praises by the great translator Marpa:

Ushnisha Vijaya Namgyalma, Arising from the Ushnisha of the Buddha, destroyer of the Lord of Death.

Venerable Arya Tara, who liberates from the fears of Samsara.

Great Lord of All Families, Vajrasattva.

To the three Supreme Deities and the full assembly, I bow, pay homage, and make offerings.

In Tara, the Buddha, Dharma, and Supreme Assembly, I take refuge until Enlightenment. By the merit of my generosity and other deeds, may I attain Buddhahood for the sake of beings.

In front of me instantly arises a blazing green TAM syllable. By the light of the syllable, Venerable Tara appears in the sky, surrounded by an assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Namo Guru Arya Taraye. Namo Buddhaya. Namo Dharmaya. Namo Sanghaya.

I prostrate with complete purity to Venerable Arya Tara and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who dwell in the ten directions and three times.

I offer real and imagined flowers, incense, butter lamps, scent, food, music, and so forth. Assembly of Arya Tara, please accept it.

I confess all my faults from beginningless time until now, committed with a mind under the sway of the afflictions, such as the ten nonvirtues.

I rejoice in whatever merit has been accumulated in the three times by Hearers, Solitary Realizers, Bodhisattvas, ordinary beings, and others.

Please turn the wheel of the Dharma according to the intentions and mental dispositions of sentient beings.

Until Samsara is emptied, please do not pass into Nirvana but look with compassion upon sentient beings that are drowning in the ocean of suffering.

May whatever merit I have accumulated become the cause of Enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings.

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May they not be separated from the sublime happiness that is free from suffering. May they rest in the great equanimity that is free of the duality of attachment and aversion.

Thus one gathers the accumulations through prostrating, offering, confessing, and generating the two types of bodhichitta of the preliminaries.

Now, while holding the visualization of Tara, I recite the mantra. As I recite, I see green light going out from the Tam at Tara’s heart, blessing all beings in the entire universe, then returning and blessing my own body, speech and mind.

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha.

By the power of praising and supplicating you, wherever I and others reside may illness, obstructive spirits, poverty, and fighting be pacified, and may the Dharma and auspiciousness flourish.

Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and the Sangha, please heed me. From the great, beginningless Samsara, I and all beings have performed the virtue of cultivating generosity and ethical discipline and have rejoiced in the expression of these deeds. By the virtue practiced thus, with the mind of holy generosity, may ornaments and belongings become the host of practitioners, and for the sake of our parents, teachers, masters, and all sentient beings, may we achieve Buddhahood. By the merit arisen from this virtue, may we acquire all the perfections such as life, merit, enjoyment, a retinue, and virtuous practice, and may all obstacles be pacified without exception.

May I attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

NOTES

• * Bokar Rinpoche’s book Tara the Feminine Divine is available from Amazon >>  (affiliate link)

Vajrayogini “is the original and prototypical female Buddha of the Tantric pantheon… compassionate, all-knowing, and supremely blissful… Vajrayogini reigns supreme as the Sarvabuddhadakini, ‘Dakini Whose Essence is That of All Buddhas.’” [2]

On the other hand, Tara appears as the Divine Mother, the Female Buddha who can save sentient beings — who cares for us ferociously as our own mother would — the Saviour Buddha. Both are “action-oriented”: Green Tara with her one leg extended, ready to leap to the aid of her followers, and Vajrayogini who dances in the bliss of Shunyata, to show us the way to Enlightenment.

Most teachers and practitioners see Tara and Vajrayogini as different aspects of the same Enlightened Body, Speech and Mind — the same Ultimate Truth. The key differences are in visualized aspects, and practice emphasis. Vajrayogini, for example, embraces the important concept of “bliss.” [See section on bliss, below.]

His Holiness Sakya Trizin explains: “In order to help different types of people and situations, the Buddha takes different forms. Some yidams are in wrathful form, some yidams are in peaceful form, and some yidams are female deities, like Tara. Yidams are different forms of the Buddha.” [4]

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• For an in-depth story on Tara, please see>>
• For an in-depth story on Vajrayogini, please see>>

Different aspects of Wisdom

In explaining the differences between these aspects of Buddha, His Holiness describes Green Tara:

“Tara is more for helping develop common siddhis [someone who has attained enlightenment or a paranormal power possessed by a siddhi], for instance, to prevent disasters and to protect you from evil on the path. If you use it for your own personal benefit, that is not the right way. It is for achieving the ultimate goal and helping all beings. You need a long life and wealth and health for that. If you are involved in Tara’s blessings for that reason, that is the right idea, but it is not just for the worldly benefits. It’s like asking a great emperor to sweep the house.”

On the other hand, they are also clearly the same. His Holiness explains:

“Actually these deities are … the manifestation, of the ultimate truth. The female deities are more on the wisdom side and the male deities are more on the method [compassion] side. But the ultimate, actual transcendental knowledge of wisdom is the complete union of these two things. So they are not really separate.”

It is the Female Buddha’s role as “wisdom personified” that not only makes Her practice important but also leads to the vast diversity of symbolism between Her many aspects.

Divine Mother or Blissful Wisdom?

While most Vajrayana Buddhists categorize the different aspects of Buddha as one of four classes of Tantra — described this way, in part, to emphasize the practice emphasis — scholars tend to categorize Tara as a Mahayana practice and Vajrayogini as a Tantric practice.

His Holiness Sakya Trizin points out that Tara can be found in all four classes of Tantra, “whereas Vajrayogini is only in Anuttara Yoga Tantra, which is the highest class of Tantra. They are both, in reality, Prajna Paramita, or the ultimate transcendental wisdom, but in form they are very different. The main emphasis of Vajrayogini, of course, is only achieving enlightenment for the benefit of others.”

Tara is unique, as she was the first Mahayana deity to explicitly be titled a “Female Buddha.” Scholars, such as Miranda Shaw tend to place Tara within the broader Mahayana practices, and Vajrayogini (Vajravarahi) within the Tantric Vajrayana influence. She draws a clear line of demarcation — one scholars are more likely to do, than practitioners:

“A clear line of demarcation can be drawn in the… two classes of female deities. The female divinities featured in Mahayana practice are primarily… divine mothers and Dharani (mantra) goddesses. They are… supplicated and invoked as saviouresses who are tremendously evolved and have extraordinary powers for helping and liberating others… In Tantric tradition, the sacred female completed her ascent and attained the highest stature possible in Buddhism, namely Buddhahood….”

Serene and motherly; or ferociously compassionate?

She goes on, in a scholarly way, to compare iconographic conventions: “The iconography of Vajrayoini, and indeed all Tantric Female Buddhas differs markedly from the goddess characteristic of the Mahayana… Mahayana divine females are usually shown in a regal seated posture, modestly and sumptuously clothed in silken raiment, draped with jeweled adornments, and elaborately coifed… Their faces glow with maternal warmth and compassion, while their attributes reflect their specific ministrations and liberative activities. The noteworthy exception to this pattern is Tara, who is explicitly recognized and titled as a Buddha…”

“In contrast, Tantric Buddhas such as Vajrayogini have a more dynamic passionate persona… Their faces exhibit intense concentration and even ferocity. Their bodies are unclothed, and their hair unbound in the fashion of female ascetics and yoginis. Their bone ornaments betoken a nondualistic outlook and familiarity with the charnel ground, while their handheld attributes allude to their attainment of supreme bliss and wisdom.”

His Holiness Sakya Trizin describes the symbolism

His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, describes them with similar language: “Actually, Vajrayogini has many different forms, but the one we normally use is in between wrathful and peaceful. She is usually in the red color, with one face and two hands holding a curved knife and skull cup filled with nectar and she is adorned with bone ornaments. All these different ornaments and objects have many very deep meanings. The curved knife usually represents the fact that she cuts all defilements. The cup represents what in Sanskrit is called mahasukha, which means “the great bliss.” She is in a complete state of great bliss all the time.

“Tara usually has her right hand in what we call the “giving gesture.” She is bestowing siddhis on all beings. The left one is holding the utpala flower, which represents the many qualities of the Buddhas.” [4]

Practice differences

While Tara is famous for her many practice and meditational forms — 21 Taras, 108 Taras, White Tara, Green Tara, and her Highest Yogic aspect Chittamani Tara — Vajrayogini is equally diverse, but in a strikingly different way. She can be the consort (representing Wisdom) of many Buddhas: Chakrasamvara, Hayagriva, and many others. Tara can be found in all of the four classes of Tantra yogas, while Vajrayogini is only found in the Highest Yogic practices. Tara is famously associated with praises and supplications for aid in our daily lives and practices; Vajrayogini is, on the other hand, most notably associated with supreme practices such as the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Eleven Yogas of Vajrayogini, and, of course Tummo — all advanced practices.

• For a feature on the 21 Taras, see>>
• For a feature on the Highest Yoga Tantra Tara Chittamani Tara, see>>

Both Tara and Vajrayogini are also known for their mantras. Tara’s mantra, Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha, is chanted by millions around the world, and is well known for its effectiveness. A practice of Tara can be simply that — her mantra. Likewise, Vajrayogini is well known for the practice of her mantra — which is not published here, as it’s best to have initiation and instruction into her practice first. Vajrayogini’s practice is also considered a powerful, complete practice. This is somewhat unique amongst Highest Yoga Tantra deities. Chanting Vajrayogini’s mantra can lead to Enlightenment if chanted by a person of complete faith.

In other words, their mantras, just like their aspects, have different aspects and emphasis, but they are the same at the core. Tara, as a Buddha found in all four classes of tantra, is diverse, and can help us in many ways. Vajrayogini tends to be more focused almost on Enlightenment. Her dance transcends mundane concerns. But, she is still a mother, who loves her children, and there are countless stories of her saving and helping her followers. Her approach may be more dynamic and fierce, but she is still, in essence, the Female Buddha.

A different type of saviour

While Tara might save a man drowning in the river, Vajrayogini is seen as a saviour in a different way.

For example, there is the story of the novice monk Kusali who saw a leper woman unable to cross the Ganges river. All the other monks ignored the sick woman, afraid of contagion, but he had compassion and carried her on his back across the river. Half way accross the river, he suddenly found himself bodily dangling in the air, rising above the river. In fact, the leper woman had been Vajrayogini, and by showing compassion, She took him immediately to her Pure Land, Kechara. There are numerous stories of Vajrayogini coming to her followers, and immediately taking them to her pure land.

Miranda Shaw explains: “Vajrayogini is, first and foremost, an enlightened being. She has attained full awakening and manifests a divine body that expresses her spiritual realizations, providing a model on which others may meditate in order to attain the same goal. As an enlightened being, Vajrayogini has attained both transcendent wisdom (prajna) and supreme bliss (mahasukha)… She possesses the five transcendent insights of a Buddha and the essences of spontaneously arising bliss.” [2]

The goal of Enlightenment — and the role of Bliss

The ultimate goal of Enlightenment remains the same in all practices, Tara, Vajrayogini and others. However, the yogi or yogini who practices Vajrayogini intensely focuses on the goal of Enlightenment through the introduction of bliss to help us embrace Emptiness without nihilism.

• [For more on the role of “Bliss” in Vajrayana, see>>]

Gelek Rinpoche explained [5]:

“Emptiness is not a specialty of Vajrayana. Yidam meditation is part of Vajrayana, but is not the special quality of the Vajrayana. The special quality [that enhances the practice] really is the bliss.”

Pabongka, put it this way:

“Within that bliss, the subtle primordial mind observes the object, emptiness. This is the most difficult, very subtle point of Vajrayana, the union of bliss and void.”

The most venerable late Gelek Rimpoche explained it with a stage-play metaphor:

“Let’s say I am the Vajrayana, I am sitting on the stage. If there is no stage, I can’t sit on the stage, right? The stage of Vajrayana is bliss and void. If there is no void, you have no stage. Bliss and void are the Vajrayana stage, the Vajrayana base. All the performances that are done in Vajrayana are done on the stage of bliss and void.” [5]

The feeling of bliss overlays everything in Vajrayana practice. Even when we describe the Purelands — which many people think of as a state of mind — we often use the word “bliss” to describe it. It’s peaceful and blissful. Not just blissful, but the ultimate form of bliss — an ecstatic, perfect bliss. Not a temporary bliss, like that of an orgasm, but permanent, sustained bliss that only comes from realizations of the true nature of reality.

NOTES
[1] Buddhist Goddesses of India (Hardcover) by Miranda Shaw
[2] Ibid, Chapter 18
[3] Precious Human Rebirth
[4] Interview with His Holiness Sakya Trizin: Understanding the Tantric Tradition’s 3 Major Deities: Trike Daily
[5] Cittamani Tara Teachings Gelek Rimpoche Jewel Heart Sangha (PDF)

Tsa Lung Trul Khor is an ancient practice with a 4,000-year lineage that works with the “breath” and the energetic subtle body. With similar benefits to health as Chi Gong (Qigong) — the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Trul Khor is profound — in a spiritual sense — since subtle mind rides on the “winds” or breath.

The practices are typically thought of as the most advanced teachings — yet simplified versions of Qigong, Trul Khor and Yantra Yoga can be practiced by “everyone, independent of their views, ideals, aspirations, and capacities.” For higher practices, you certain need a qualified teacher. [2]

By working with breath, and energy — both vital aspects of most styles of meditation — these practices have the potential to “supercharge” your daily sessions. Watching the breath takes on new significance. Tantric visualizations become more intense and blissful. And, of course, the energy helps us avoid sleepy or unfocused meditations.

A Tsa Lung Trul Khor introduction by Akarpa Rinpoche (NOTE: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME WITHOUT QUALIFIED INSTRUCTION. This is for Information and Education only.)

There are easy and difficult routines, suitable for any level of student. [See some video routines below, short and long, easy, and difficult.] There are health and mundane benefits, as well as profound meditational benefits (see list below, for the more mundane benefits.)

Qigong, of course, evolved from Daoist (Taoist) ancient spiritual practices — in the same way Tsa Lung Trul Khor and Yantra Yoga evolved from Vajrayana practices. Both work with the subtle energies and mind through movement, meditation, visualization and concentration.

Today, most modern practitioners do not work with the goal of “Enlightenment,” but rather, with the more mundane health benefits in mind. Since Qigong, and Tsa Lung Trul Khor, work with the same meridians and energy body as acupuncture, the health benefits are “built-in.” Yantra Yoga is no different in this respect. There is also a Nyingma tradition of “Tibetan Qigong” as taught by Zi Sheng Wang, and many similar yogas taught by other schools. [4]

A Tsa Lung Trul Khor breathing demonstration: 

Lama Tsultrim Allione, author of Feeding Your Demons, explains the deeper practices:

“Yantra Yoga is a profound movement practice that encompasses the coordination of the breath with movement in a way that creates flexibility and harmony within the whole being. Transmitted in an authentic lineage from an ancient tantra, this practice is amazingly beneficial.”[1]

The great teacher Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche who is perhaps the best-known teacher of Yantra Yoga [5] described the practice as “one of the oldest of this kind of teaching, because it comes from Vairotsana. Vairotsana was a student of Padmasambhava. So, it is a very old, and very important… it is not only at the physical level. Yantra Yoga is very much related to movement. Movement is very much related to our energy level… mind is dependent also on energy…” [3]

[Website for International Dzogchen Community Chogyal Namkhai Norbu>>]

Profound journey— or simple exercise? Both.

Tsa Lung Trul Khor — like Daoist qigong — can be a simple exercise with immediate health benefits — as evidenced by many simple-to-practice self-help videos (including some in this story) — or it can be pursued as one of the most advanced meditations in Tibetan Buddhism. There are also significant Tibetan Yogas from the Bon Tradition.

To Dzogchen and Mahamudra practitioners, it is an advanced, penultimate practice, going beyond contrived and conceptual mind. To other Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhists, it is a superb way to energize and loosen up the body — whether you work with meridians and channels, or not — prior to a long seated session of Mahamudra or Deity Yoga, or other practices. And, for people simply in pursuit of age-friendly (i.e. all ages) vitality and stress-reduction practices — or the medical aspects of Yantra Yoga — it is a safe way to improve health, with benefits similar to Qigong.

With or without the profound Mahamudra and Dzogchen aspects, the relatively easy-to-practice Yantra Yoga — at least, at the beginner level — has immense health benefits. Like Chi Gong (Qigong), it works with Chi (in Tibetan “Lung”) with similar benefits in terms of collecting universal energies, cleansing impurities, and boosting health, longevity, and energy. The movements are slow, careful, meditative — much like Tai Chi — with mundane benefits such as good health, flexibility, muscle strength, balance and control. The breath aspects are unparalleled for stress-reduction.

Like Qigong, Tsa Lung Trul Khor can be as simple as one or two exercises, or as complicated as the full 108 traditional asanas, complete with mantras, breath work (pranayana) and visualizations. It dates back thousands of years, like older roots than Qigong.

A very simple “Tibetan Buddhist Qigong” movement that almost anyone could manager, and which can be completed in six minutes, an excellent precursor to other Buddhist Meditations, here, presented by Kay Luthi, a student of Vajrayana Master Zi Sheng Wang:

Practicing simplified Tsa Lung Trul Khor — or Daoist Qigong — are beneficial as “workouts” leading to advanced practices such as the Six Yogas of Naropa, and Mahamudra, or Dzogchen practices.

The eight movements of Yantra Yoga

The “eight movements of Yantra Yoga” as taught by the great teacher Namkhai Norbu, could benefit anybody (a one hour video, with introduction by the teacher, and a full routine demonstrated from the Shang Shung Institute — although as demonstrated, this requires flexibility:

Daoist Qigong — easier to find routines and teachers

It may be easier to find a teacher or online routine that resonates with your level of ability from Taoist lineage. Many meditators can find local Chi Gong (Qigong) classes, or can simply watch and learn from simple online videos. This is certainly highly beneficial to any meditative practice, Buddhist or otherwise. Increasing flexibility, energy, chi and concentration are all benefits of Qigong. A simplified Qigong 3-movement session — for example, the one below — is highly beneficial before a long seated meditation of any Buddhist tradition.

Note: as always, seek medical or health professional advice if you have any health conditions before engaging in a new physical practice. There are also specific versions of most routines for physically limiting conditions such as arthritis, such as seated Qigong. (See below.)

Wei Chi — protection practice

One helpful practice for anyone engaging in Deity Yogas or advanced Tantric Buddhism might be a short introductory Wei Chi routine.

Although it’s Chi Gong, the principles are universal. It works on building your “protective energy” for mind-protection — that bubble of Chi energy that can protect you. Here’s a helpful and easy-to-lear routine from Nick Loffree:

Qigong starter routines

A really great starter routine, or for someone less mobile —either with health restrictions, such as arthritis — might benefit from the short and very simple, clear, elegant videos of Jeffrey Chand — all of his videos are great and approachable — for example, this ten-minute video:

For example, this less-traditional westernized Qigong for Beginners video from the energetic Nick Loffree is a great twenty-minute warm up to meditation and should enhance chi and energy levels:

Full one-hour Qigong

Or, if you’re ambitious, here’s an easygoing, but long 1 hour Qi Gong class from the Qi Gong Chi School:

For someone with mobility limitations

For someone with knee or mobility issues, routines can be adapted to sitting in a chair; for example, this routine by Jeffrey Chand:

Source and Lineage

The lineage of the traditional Yantra Yoga teaching spans 4,000 years, predating Buddhism itself. Dzogchen Yoga or Trul-Khor is the system which came down unbroken through oral transmission from Zhang-Zhung Nyen Gyu lineages. The eminent Dzogchen teacher, Namkhai Norbu was, perhaps, the biggest western proponent of what he preferred to call Yantra Yoga (the Sanskrit term.) Of course, it derives from Vayu breath work and yogas of the early Indian Mahasiddas. Like all yogas, the roots are ancient, predating Buddhism. Likewise, Qigong in China has ancient lineage in Taoist traditions.

The more “westernized” Tibetan Qigong may have a shorter unbroken lineage, but is quite approachable for a western student. According to the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance, the physical benefits of Tibetan Buddhist Qigong:

Benefits to the Physical Body

1. 

   Adjusts & balances the immune system

2. Clears meridians
3. Circulates and balances nutrients and minerals
4. Purifies and expels toxins
5. Increases strength and flexibility
6. Corrects metabolism
7. Improves blood circulation and heart function
8. Prolongs life
9. Restores youthful vitality
10. Boosts energy levels and stamina
11. Balances blood pressure
12. Adjusts and improves the functioning of all organ, systems

Benefits to the Mind

1. 

   Promotes relaxation to reduce stress

2. Enhances intellectual power and concentration
3. Increases creativity
4. Diminishes disturbing emotions
5. Achieves and maintains inner peace
6. Improves meditation
7. Strengthens self-discipline
8. Promotes happiness & a positive outlook on life
9. Awakens compassion
10. Opens the mind to higher realms of consciousness and wisdom
11. Elevates and strengthens the quality of one’s virtue
12. Brings out unexpressed potential & supernormal abilities
13. Elevates spirituality

An important source text for Trul Khor is:

Tibetan: འཕྲུལ་འཁོར་ཉི་ཟླ་ཁ་སྦྱོར་གྱི་དགོངས་འགྲེལ་དྲི་མེད་ནོར་བུའི་མེ་ལོང, Wylie: ‘phrul ‘khor nyi zla kha sbyor gyi dgongs ‘grel dri med nor bu’i me long

NOTES

[1] Review for Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s book Tibetan Yoga of Movement: The Art and Practice of Yantra Yoga
[2] New York Journal of Books review of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s book Tibetan Yoga of Movement: The Art and Practice of Yantra Yoga
[3] From an interview (video) with BuddhaDoor.
[4] Tibetan Qigong by Master Zi Sheng Wang
[5] Yantra Yoga website from the Dzogchen tradition of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.

Avalokitesvara is the metaphorical rock star of the Bodhisattvas. “Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, is one of the most important and popular Buddhist deities,” writes Karen Andres in Tibetan Contemplative Traditions. [1] “Avalokitesvara is the personification of compassion… Even the Buddhas cannot estimate Avalokitesvara’s merit. It is said that just thinking of him garners more merit than honoring a thousand Buddhas.”

Now, aside from his sheer popularity, some scientists and scholars believe the practices of Buddhist compassion, and particularly of Avalokitesvara, may help in clinical work with depression and trauma.

• Related Story: “Putting Compassion on the Scientific Map”: Compassion Boosts Happiness/Health; and Research Indicates That Practicing Buddhists Are Happier than Average.” [ Story here>>]

Two Wings of a Bird: Compassion and Wisdom

“Buddhist traditions see wisdom and Compassion as interrelated—two wings of a bird,” writes Christer Germer and Ronald Siegel in an unlikely source—a psychotherapy-medical text. [3] In the book, various scholars, scientists and clinicians describe how Buddhist compassionate practices can “enhance the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, suicidal behaviour, couple conflict and parenting stress.”

In other words, the practice of Compassion and Wisdom can change lives. Nor is this a lightweight study on this topic. One reviewer, a PhD at the University or Kentucky reviewed this illuminating book:

“This book examines the nature of wisdom and compassion in psychotherapy from every conceivable perspective. Buddhist psychology, neurobiological foundations, psychological research, and clinical applications all receive thoughtful and comprehensive treatment. Clinicians, scholars, teachers, and students

interested in the alleviation of human suffering will appreciate this volume, especially its emphasis on the cultivation of mindfulness and loving-kindness skills as paths toward the wisdom and compassion that are so essential to effective psychotherapy.”–Ruth A. Baer, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky.

In the foreword, the Dalai Lama was equally enthusiastic:

“I am very happy to see that ancient teachings and practices from the Buddhist tradition can be of benefit today when they are employed by Western scientists and therapists. In today’s world, many people turn to psychotherapy to understand what is making them unhappy, and to discover how to live a more meaningful life. I believe that as they come to understand compassion and wisdom more deeply, psychotherapists will be better able to help their patients and so contribute to greater peace and happiness in the world.”

Compassion Flowing into the Self

In Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy, an entire section on clinical applications is dedicated to visualizing compassionate Buddha images (normally Avalokitesvara). It is noted that the visualization should be of a compassionate figure “who embodies the qualities of unconditional acceptance, quiet strength and wisdom… beyond human fallibility.” The example they used was Avalokitesvara or Guanyin (the female Chinese form). [3, page 262]

Compassion is One of the Defining Practices

Putting aside clinical benefits in medicine and psychotherapy, compassion is one of the defining practices of Buddhism (see Karaniya Metta Sutta at the end of this feature.) All schools of Buddhism emphasize compassion, although “in Mahayana traditions from India, practitioners train extensively in meditations of compassion to empower their minds to realize nonconceptual wisdom, and as nonconceptual wisdom emerges, it is harnessed to strengthen compassion.” This famous Buddhist tradition is idealized and perfected in the living essence of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara.

Avalokitesvara, the Top-of-Mind Bodhisattva

For most people, if you asked them to name only one Bodhisattva, the majority would inevitably identify Avalokitesvara (Chenrezig). The great Bodhisattva is the metaphorical rock star of the Buddhist world because he literally embodies Compassion (with a capital “C”). His popularity is easy to understand in the context of his unlimited, unending compassion.

“Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of infinite compassion and mercy, is possibly the most popular of all Buddhist deities, beloved throughout the Buddhist world. He supremely exemplifies the bodhisattva,” write the Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. [2]

Avalokitesvara Synonymous with Compassion

For Mahayana Buddhists, one name is virtually synonymous with the practice of compassion: “Avalokitesvara could be described as the quintessential Bodhisattva, for he is the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and compassion is the distinguishing mark of the Bodhisattva,” writes Vessantara in his book, A Guide to the Bodhisattvas.[4] Perhaps the most beloved meditation deity amongst Mahayana Buddhists, Avalokitesvara (pronounced Avah-low-key-tesh-vah-ra) is also known as Guan Yin (Kuan Shi Yin) in China, Kanon in Japan, Chenrezig in Tibet, Natha in Sri Lanka, Lokanat in Burma, Lokesvara in Thailand, and by many other names. There are at least 108 forms of Avalokitesvara.

“Avalokitesvara is the figure who embodies this compassion raised the highest power,” Vessantara continues. “As the family protector, the chief Bodhisattva of the Lotus family, he represents the active manifestation in the world of the boundless love and compassion of Buddha Amitabha.”

For many people, who first get to know Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokitesvara is often the first meditation they practice. His mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, is often the first mantra people think of. In meditating on the Lord of Compassion, we meditate directly on the nature and importance of compassion.

It’s important to understand that Avalokitesvara’s compassion is equally the nature of Wisdom. It is compassionate Avaolokitesvara who expounds in that most important Mahayana Sutra, the Heart Sutra:

“Avalokiteshvara

while practicing deeply with

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,

suddenly discovered that

all of the five Skandhas are equally empty,

and with this realisation

he overcame all Ill-being.”

[Full Heart Sutra in End Thoughts]

Famous Mantras

Om Mani Padme Hum is one of the best known mantras, chanted daily by millions around the world. This famous mantra is also simply called “the six-syllable mantra.” In Shinon Buddhism his mantra is On Arurikya Sowaka.

Another important mantra of Avalokitesvara is the Mahakaruna Dharani, the Great Compassion mantra in 82-syllables, which is a treasured mantra chanted in different languages.

Avalokitesvara’s six qualities, which are said to break the hindrances in the six realms of existence are:

1. Great compassion
2. Great loving-kindness (metta)
3. Universal light
4. Leader of all humans and devas
5. Courage of a lion
6. Omniscience.

Avalokitesvara, Like Tara, Considered a Savior         

Nearly as popular as Avalokitesvara is Tara, who is the embodiment of the activity of compassion, and who manifested—in one lovely origin story—from his tears. In fact, most of the activities we now tend equate to Tara, are also performed by Avaolokitesvara. Or, we can think of Avalokitesvara as the “dynamic duo super heroes” of Compassion.

“As compassionate action is Avalokitesvara’s essence, he is supremely helpful,” writes Karen Andrews in Tibetan Contemplative Traditions. “He can assume any form in order to help sentient beings, and there are descriptions of him appearing as buddhas, brahmanic gods, humans, and animals. In all these forms he does wonderful things to help alleviate the suffering of beings and bring them towards enlightenment. He rescues his followers from fires, from drowning, from bandits, from murder, from prisons. He gives children to female followers who want children. He helps release beings from the three mental poisons of passion, hatred, and delusion. He helpful both on the physical, worldly plain, and on a more psychological or spiritual level.” [1]

Avalokitesvara Embodies Light

All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are typically visualized during sadhanas as beautiful “bodies of light”, glowing and radiant and often emanating rays of healing or protective or wisdom light. Avalokitesvara, even more so embodies the true, ultimate nature of this compassionate light. This connection is emphasized in his own origin story, as “a ray of light which emanated from Amitabha Buddha.” [1]

Even today, when there are power failures in urban centres, the fear of the dark rises up unconciouslessly for most people. Walking down a dark alley automatically generates a rise in heart rate, a feeling of imminent danger. It’s the “prey” instinct.

In this context, it is natural that Avalokitesvara would be characterized as light. Light brings safety, comfort, nourishes plants, gives us growth, heat and prosperity.

“Avalokitesvara is a luminous being of light, and is repeatedly described as radiating light which shines over all sentient beings and over all corners of the universe, explains Karen Andrews. [1] “Similarly, he sees everything and everyone in all corners of the universe, a fact that is emphasized by his name.” The root meaning of Avaloki is “to see all, to see, to be seen.” Vara means lord.

His ability to be everywhere in the nature of light, allows him to instantly manifest compassionate activity. 

Sutra References to the Compassionate Bodhisattva

Avalokitesvara is a prominent and key character in many sutras, including, importantly, the Prajnaparamita Hrdaya, or Heart Sutra. It is He who expounds the Perfection of Wisdom in its most concise and profound way: “Form is emptiness and emptiness is form; emptiness does not differ from form, form does not differ from emptiness, whatever is emptiness, that is form…”

One of the earliest sutras translated in to Tibetan, the Karanda Vyuha Sutra, is focused on Avalokiesvara, and his mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. He is found in the following Sutras:

• Saddharma Pandarikia (Lotus Sutra)
• Karandavyuha Sutra
• Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra (Heart Sutra)
• Avaolokitesvara Ekadasamukha Dharani Sutra
• Cundi Dharani Sutra   (18-armed Avalokitesvara)

Popularity of Compassion

In China, Avalokitesvara (known there as Guan Yin or Kuanyin) is, perhaps, by the numbers, the most popular deity in all of Asia. In Tibet, devotion to Chenrezig is so deep that he is considered to be the guardian of the whole country. The Dalai Lama is considered to be one of his many incarnations. “A Tibetan,” Vesantara explains in A Guide to Bodhisattvas, “upon meeting His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], feels himself to be in the presence of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.”

In keeping with the relative nature of form, as expressed in the Heart Sutra, Avalokitesvara can appear in countless forms: male, female, and wrathful. In most of China and Japan Guanyin manifests clearly as a female deity. In Tantric Buddhism he appears in many fierce and wrathful forms, notably Sita Mahakala (White Mahakala).

1000-Armed Chenrezig

The most “famous” form of Avalokitesvara is his 1000-armed form, symbolic of his vast compassion, so immense that he needs a 1000 arms to reach out and care for sentient beings (symbolic of unlimited compassion). His visualization is very powerful, as streams of healing and compassionate light flow from the thousand arms, reaching out to all sentient beings everywhere—in every world and realm.

He is “one of the most extraordinary figures in the whole field of Buddhist meditation practice,” writes Vessantara. “The form we see emerging from the blue sky of sunyata is brilliant white, standing erect on a white lotus and a moon mat, and holding to his heart the wish-fulfilling gem of the Bodhicitta. As we look, we see that the figure is surrounded by a vast aura of what appears to be white light. Looking more closely, however, it dawns on us that we are really gazing at a figure with a great many arms which form a tremendous white circle as they stretch out in all directions.”

Importantly, Vessantara adds, “Each of the arms is reaching out to help suffering beings, and from the palm of each hand a beautiful eye gazes down compassionately.”

Although we visualize 1000 arms, we really mean unlimited caring arms reaching out to sentient beings. He also has eleven heads, various forms and colors that symbolize he can manifest in endless forms to suit our needs. There is even a wrathful face at the top, surmounted only by the serenity of his spiritual guru Amitabha Buddha, symbolizing the totality of his compassionate actions, and hinting at his many forms.

The Vow of Avalokitesvara

The 1000 arms, and the many other forms of Chenrezig all came about because of a great vow the Compassionate Buddha made to deliver all beings from suffering. The origin of the arms and heads is explained in an origin story. Avalokitesvara strived for aeons to free sentient beings from suffering. After aeons of freeing sentient beings, he found the realms were still full of endless suffering. His compassion was so great that his peaceful form was symbolically torn apart, transforming into thousands of arms and many heads and eyes.

In another symbolic story, his tears spontaneously gave rise to Tara, the Mother of Compassionate Action. Together with their spiritual guru Buddha Amitabha, they work tirelessly to benefit all beings.

Practicing Avalokitesvara: Universally Approachable          

Kindness is by nature, approachable. Avalokitesvara’s compassion is available to anyone who suffers, even those who are not his followers. It is said that Avalokitesvara cares for all equally, and that he can manifest instantly to anyone in a form they can understand. This may be in the form of an inspirational thought, or as a vivid dream. Or, as a nagging worry in your mind warning you to “turn around it’s not safe.” Or, as a neighbor who sees your house on fire and calls emergency. Or, literally as anything, anywhere, anytime.

Meditating on, or visualizing Avalokitesvara can bring compassion into your life: compassion for others, but equally, compassion for you from others. No special empowerment is required to visualize and meditate on this spectacular being, although it is always useful to obtain meditational instructions from someone who as “realized” the practice. This is normally a qualified teacher, or guru.

In Tibetan Buddhism, empowerment or initiation is often offered “to one and all.” The entirely benign and wondrous loving energy of Avalokesvara carries no risk, even in Tantric practice. Since it is often available, meditators truly interested in bringing the power of compassion into their practice and lives — and, after all, compassion is one of the “two wings of Buddhism” — are encouraged to seek out empowerment from a qualified guru with a proven lineage. (For example, this Tuesday is a rare opportunity to take initiation from the most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche if you’re near Toronto>>)

Preparations to Practice

In absence of instructions from a qualified teacher, here is one of the simpler, visualized meditations (sadhana) — a nice visualization only loosely based on formal Tibetan sadhanas.

Note: The visualization of Chenrezig is “in front” of you, and very basic, thus not requiring empowerment. Someone who is initiated might visualize themselves as Chenrezig, or other variations as instructed by their qualified teacher.

It is helpful to undertake some preliminaries to set your frame of mind, and to build a little merit. This would normally include:

• Taking of Refuge in the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha
• The Four Immeasurables prayer to establish Bodhichitta
• Some kind of offering, either a stick of incense, a candle, fruit offerings or mentally transformed (imagined) offerings you visualize. (NOTE: it is NOT appropriate to offer meats to the Lord of Compassion, who values all life.)
• It is helpful to recite the Seven Limbs as well, as within that prayer is contained the “entire path.”
• At this point you would begin your visualization and meditation, usually accompanied by mantra recitation. Some people recite the visualization, then close their eyes and imagine it while reciting the mantras. Other people mentally note the visualization, then half close their eyes and visualize. Some people I know even record the guided visualization and allow it to play while they meditate.
• It’s important at the end to “dedicate the merit from the meditation to the benefit of all sentient beings.

Preliminaries

Refuge

Until I reach enlightenment I take refuge in the Three Jewels: The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. By the virtues of practicing generosities and other perfections, may I attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Four Immeasurables

(Note: some people substitute “they” for “we” but usually we are instructed that we must also have compassion on ourselves. We covers both others and ourselves.)

May all beings have happiness and its causes.

May we never have suffering nor its causes,

May we constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow,

May we dwell in equal love for both near or far.

Offerings

I like to place out seven bowls of clean water, symbolic of purity and compasion as an offering. Otherwise, mentally visualize offerings at the feet of Chenrezig (Avalokitesvara).

Seven Limbs

I prostrate in faith with body, speech and mind;

I make each and every offering, both those actually performed and those mentally transformed;

I declare every non virtuous act since beginningless time;

I rejoice in the virtues of all Holy and Ordinary beings;

Please, Avalokitesvara, remain as our guide through samasara;

Please turn the wheel of Dharma for all sentient beings;

I dedicate my own virtues to cultivate Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Visualization and Meditation

This is a visualization of the four-armed Avalokitesvara. Try to visualize as realistically and three dimensionally as possible. However, the deity is always visualized as “the nature of light”.

NOTE: If you have trouble visualizing, just “know” that he is there as described—and see as much as you can, even if it’s only a fleeting glimpse. If all you can see is a glow of white light, this is already a glimpse of the Bodhisattva of Infinite Light. Feel his presence rather than see him if you are not yet able to vividly visualize.

Here, the visualization is written in the first person. If you are pre-recording and playing back, or doing group practice out loud, you could change the “I” to “you.” You can read aloud, or silently, then visualize:

I am floating in an area with nothing but a vast blue sky, spanning all directions, unnaturally clear and vibrant and radiant. Intuitively, I feel this is symbolic of the emptiness of self-nature.

I enjoy the blue sky, allowing my non-senses to reach out to infinity—vast, unending, and horizonless. It is comforting in this non-place— empty of self nature. In this empty, serene sky we can let go of the nightmare of samsara and suffering, for here there is nothing fixed or limited, and nothing to grasp.

Then, in the nature of numinous light, and area in front of me glows brighter and brighter, but it doesn’t hurt to stare at it. The light begins to take form, and I see that it is a stunningly beautiful lotus flower, absolutely perfect in every way, pure white and glowing with unnaturally beautiful light. I can see, as I adjust to the new image, a glowing circular area of white, that seems as luminous and wondrous as an autumn moon. The glow of the moon intensifies again, and in the bright light I see the shape of an even brighter form. This blossoms into the shape of a perfectly-shaped man — a being so beautiful I feel instant and radiant joy.

I know that this is Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion. His body resolves, sharper and sharper, the glow fading to reveal a splendid being made entirely of brilliant white light, different shades of white that define a beautiful youthful man, ageless rather than young, of perfect appearance. He has long tresses of blue black hair that cascade over his wide shoulders, although even this glows with light. He has four arms which only add to his appearance of perfection. Brilliant jewels and silks adorn his perfect body.

His two inner hands are clasped near his heart, grasping a astonishing jewel, vast and glowing with it’s own light. I know this is the wish-fulfilling gem. The outer left hand holds a perfect lotus, an achingly beautiful blossom. His outer right hand holds a glowing white crystal mala.

Light is all around the Bodhisattva, beautiful light that heals and reassures everyone it reaches. Nowhere in the universe is out of range of this wondrous light.

Most captivating of all are his eyes. I have never seen more caring eyes. They are eyes that laugh and cry at the same time. His smile is as radiant as the sun.

Then, over his head, I see another figure. A glowing red Buddha. I know this is Amitabha, his spiritual guru-father, the Buddha of Infinite Light. His light is warmer, like a setting sun, but in the nature of boundless love.

As I penetrate the light, at Avalokitesvara’s heart, I see a hotly glowing red light, the red of his father Amitabha. On a lotus and moon throne, is a syllable. A single syllable, representing the essence of Avalokitesvara. This bija mantra is also glowing from Amitabha’s heart. It’s penetrating ruby light shoots out in gentle rays in all directions. Around this seed syllable I can see more letters. It is the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, each syllable of a different colour, representing the six realms.

Comforting light rays project out from his heart, from the shining syllables and bija letter, and penetrate to all of the six realms. Nothing can escape this compassionate light. I can hear a sound. Om Mani Padme Hum, over an dover. I begin to chant along.

The light and the sound go out to every sentient being in all the universes. The light warms me, empties me of tensions and feelings of negativity. I feel lighter. I know instinctively that all my past negative karma has been extinguished by this nectar light. I am filled with a blissful feeling.

Ending the Meditation

You should hold this meditation in bliss and visualize the cleansing light blessing all beings continuously. Allow your mind to stay in this place free of suffering, free of attachment, free of samsara.

When you are ready to end your meditation, you can visualize making another offering to Avalokitesvara. Most people absorb Avalokitesvara back into themselves. Since this visualization was the nature of your own mind, this peaceful being stays with you, a reassuring, calming, loving, compassionate presence.

End Thoughts: The Heart Sutra

This is my favorite translation of the Heart Sutra, by the most Emminent Thich Nhat Hanh:

Avalokiteshvara

while practicing deeply with

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,

suddenly discovered that

all of the five Skandhas are equally empty,

and with this realisation

he overcame all Ill-being.

“Listen Sariputra,

this Body itself is Emptiness

and Emptiness itself is this Body.

This Body is not other than Emptiness

and Emptiness is not other than this Body.

The same is true of Feelings,

Perceptions, Mental Formations,

and Consciousness.

“Listen Sariputra,

all phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness;

their true nature is the nature of

no Birth no Death,

no Being no Non-being,

no Defilement no Purity,

no Increasing no Decreasing.

“That is why in Emptiness,

Body, Feelings, Perceptions,

Mental Formations and Consciousness

are not separate self entities.

The Eighteen Realms of Phenomena

which are the six Sense Organs,

the six Sense Objects,

and the six Consciousnesses

are also not separate self entities.

The Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising

and their Extinction

are also not separate self entities.

Ill-being, the Causes of Ill-being,

the End of Ill-being, the Path,

insight and attainment,

are also not separate self entities.

Whoever can see this

no longer needs anything to attain.

Bodhisattvas who practice

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

see no more obstacles in their mind,

and because there

are no more obstacles in their mind,

they can overcome all fear,

destroy all wrong perceptions

and realize Perfect Nirvana.

“All Buddhas in the past, present and future

by practicing

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

are all capable of attaining

Authentic and Perfect Enlightenment.

“Therefore Sariputra,

it should be known that

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

is a Great Mantra,

the most illuminating mantra,

the highest mantra,

a mantra beyond compare,

the True Wisdom that has the power

to put an end to all kinds of suffering.

Therefore let us proclaim

a mantra to praise

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!”

 

End Thoughts: Compassion is Universal

One of the early Pali Sutta’s, the Karaniya Metta Sutta, expounds concisely on the Buddha Shakyamuni’s words on Loving-Kindness (Metta)—thoughts which are universal to all schools of Buddhism (and to many non-Buddhists):

This is what should be done

By one who is skilled in goodness,

And who knows the path of peace:

Let them be able and upright,

Straightforward and gentle in speech,

Humble and not conceited,

Contented and easily satisfied,

Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.

Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,

Not proud or demanding in nature.

Let them not do the slightest thing

That the wise would later reprove.

Wishing: In gladness and in safety,

May all beings be at ease.

Whatever living beings there may be;

Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,

The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,

The seen and the unseen,

Those living near and far away,

Those born and to-be-born —

May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,

Or despise any being in any state.

Let none through anger or ill-will

Wish harm upon another.

Even as a mother protects with her life

Her child, her only child,

So with a boundless heart

Should one cherish all living beings;

Radiating kindness over the entire world:

Spreading upwards to the skies,

And downwards to the depths;

Outwards and unbounded,

Freed from hatred and ill-will.

Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down

Free from drowsiness,

One should sustain this recollection.

This is said to be the sublime abiding.

By not holding to fixed views,

The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,

Being freed from all sense desires,

Is not born again into this world.

NOTES

[1] Avalokitesvara and the Tibetan Contemplation of Compassion, Karen M. Andrews, May 1993

[2] Avalokiteshvara, Encyclopedia Britannica

[3]Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy: Deepening Mindfulness in Clinical Practice, Christopher K. Germer and Ronald D. Siegel (Guilford Publications)

[4] A Guide to the Bodhisattvas (Meeting the Buddhas) by Vedssantara (Windhorse Publications)

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Milarepa’s history is an epic story of grand scope — the essence and beauty of his story remain undiminished by time. With themes of evil and redemption, perseverance, and doing what’s right, Milarepa’s story grips both devout Buddhist and casual readers alike.

Milarepa (Mi la ras pa in Wylie) was an incredibly wise Tibetan yogi, master, and poet who reached enlightenment in his lifetime. Widely considered to be the founder of the Kagyü school of Tibetan Buddhism. His life story is among the most commonly known and shared narratives in Tibetan culture, not only for its Buddhist profundity but for how interesting, moving, and glorious it is as well.

Yet before he found Enlightenment and repute as the great Sage, his story was one of ordeal, hardship, revenge, sorcery — and ultimately redemption, Bodhichitta, and Wisdom.

Friday, February 23, 2024 is the day we celebrate the Anniversary of Milarepa!

The history that came before Milarepa

The dates of the birth and death of Milarepa are notoriously difficult to pinpoint. Milarepa’s most famous biographer, Tsangnyön Heruka (gtsang smyon heruka) said that Milarepa was born in a water dragon year and passed in a wood hare year so his time on Earth was from 1052-1135, but other sources push back the dates by one 12-year cycle to 1040-1123. Whenever exactly he was born or died, Milarepa definitely lived in the eleventh and early-twelfth centuries.

In ancient as well as present times, life high up on the Tibetan plateau could never be described as easy; one had to do whatever they could to earn a living and survive. One of Milarepa’s early ancestors was a Nyingma tantric practitioner whose name was Jose (jo sras). He was famous for his exorcism rites and had a sizeable fortune and name for himself. Once, Jose encountered a particularly powerful and fierce spirit, but managed to defeat it. 
In its defeat the demon cried out, “mila, mila (mi la, mi la)!”, which is an admission of defeat and submission.

As a badge of honor and might, Jose took this submission as his new clan title; and so all of his descendants came to be known by the name “Mila”. He went on to have children and grandchildren. One of his grandchildren, Mila Dorje Sengge (mi la rdo rje seng ge) had a penchant for gambling and ended up losing his family’s fortune.

They were forced to find a new life elsewhere, eventually settling in Kyangatsa (skya rnga rtsa), a village close to the modern-day Nepalese border. They managed to regain some wealth through trading, and eventually Dorje Sengge married and had a son, Mila Sherab Gyeltsen (shes rab rgyal mtshan), who in turn also married (a woman named Nyangtsa Kargyen [myang rtsa dkar rgyan]) and had a son who would go on to become Milarepa.

When Sherab Gyeltsen heard of the birth of his child, he was delighted to hear it was a boy and so named him Töpah Gah, which means literally “delightful to hear”. The boy went on to display a beautiful and pleasing voice, and so lived up to his name.

Difficult times, difficult choices

When Töpah Gah turned seven, his father came down with an illness that proved to be fatal. Sherab entrusted his estate including his wife, children, and all his wealth and belongings, to his brother and his brother’s wife, but only until Töpah Gah became an adult, at which time they would all go to him.

The uncle and aunt however, decided they would simply take everything for themselves and keep it, without taking care of Töpah Gah and his family. In some accounts, this wasn’t entirely wrong as local marriage customs did dictate that the estate should have rightfully stayed with the brother of the deceased.

Whatever the case, the actions of the uncle and aunt left Sherab’s wife and children poor. With nothing to their name, Töpah Gah, his mother, and his sister were forced to work as servants for his uncle and aunt. Töpah Gah himself wrote about this part of his life as follows:

“Our food was food for dogs, our work was work for donkeys… Forced to toil without rest, our limbs became cracked and raw. With only poor food and clothing, we became pale and emaciated.” [1]

When Töpah Gah came of age, his mother Nyangtsa Kargyen pleaded to her dead husband’s brother and wife to honor his last wishes and give her family what was rightfully theirs. Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

In hysterics, grief, and desperation, she sent Töpah Gah to train in the dark arts so that he might take revenge upon their greedy relatives. In some versions of the story, Töpah Gah pleaded with her not to make him go, hesitated and dissented. She remained adamant that this was the only way forward.

Whatever the case, Töpah Gah did leave, learning black magic under Nubchung Yonten Gyatso (gnubs chung yon tan rgya mtsho), and he did kill his aunt and uncle – however, he also murdered the 35 people who were attending a wedding feast at their house.

When the other villagers threatened to reprise him for his actions, Töpah Gah’s mother insisted he conjure up a hailstorm to destroy their crops and shut them up. He may have accomplished what he set out to do, but in doing so also destroyed much of the surrounding countryside.

It was quiet after that. The villagers realized what a great and terrible sorcerer the once quiet, gentle, and golden-voiced boy had become.

But as Töpah Gah beheld the place he called home and the people that he grew up with, he realized the extent of his wrongdoing and the stain that he had put upon the world. He wrote:

“During the day I forgot to eat. If I went out, I wanted to stay in. If I stayed in, I wanted to go out. At night I was so filled with world-weariness and renunciation that I was unable to sleep.” [2]

The path out of darkness

Töpah Gah came to be certain that the Buddhist path was his only way out of the deep suffering he was experiencing, so he set out to find a master to teach him. The first guru he met decided that Töpah Gah was far too complex and troubled, and so would prove too difficult a student for him. No, who this boy needed was Marpa the Translator, and so Töpah Gah set out to find Marpa.

Marpa Chokyi Lodro (mar pa chos kyi blo gros) was a great translator who lived in Lhodrak (lho brag) in Southern Tibet, and was famous for his fierce temper.

Töpah Gah reached Lhodrak after some time and met a plowman standing in his field. This was actually Marpa, who had a vision that Töpah Gah would become his most fervent and outstanding disciple and therefore wanted to meet him in a disguise first.

Marpa didn’t immediately teach Töpah Gah anything, instead showering him with relentless verbal and even physical abuse. Töpah Gah was subjected to a number of ordeals and trials, one of which had him construct a massive stone tower, only to tear it down and start over – three times. However, when he built the tower for a fourth time he did not have to tear it down, and that tower of stones that Töpah Gah built still stands in the center of Sekhar Gutok Monastery today.

The training that Marpa gave Töpah Gah pushed him to his utmost emotional and physical limits. Whenever Töpah Gah asked for dharmic teachings, his teacher would berate and often even beat him.

In time, but only when Töpah Gah’s desperation had reached its absolute peak, Marpa revealed to Töpah Gah that Marpa’s own master, the great Indian master Nāropa, had prophesied Töpah Gah’s coming to him. He also told Töpah Gah that these trials and hardships were a means of penance for Töpah Gah’s terrible actions and sins.

Years of solitude and meditation

After this, Marpa began teaching Töpah Gah more formally. He started with the lay and bodhisattva vows, and gave Töpah Gah the name Dorje Gyeltsen (rdo rje rgyal mtshan). Dorje Gyeltsen received many tantric instructions that Marpa himself learned in India, and was thereafter commanded to spend the rest of his life meditating in solitary mountain retreats.

Dorje Gyeltsen wanted terribly to do so, but not before returning to his homeland for a short time. After so many years he longed to see his mother again, but when he arrived he found his house in ruins and his mother … dead.

A translation of The Life of Milarepa (by Shambhala Publications, 1977) reads:

“Then I walked across the doorstep and found a heap of rags caked with dirt over which many weeds had grown. When I gathered them up, a number of human bones, bleached white, slipped out. When I realized they were the bones of my mother, I was so overcome with grief that I could hardly stand it. I could not think, I could not speak, and an overwhelming sense of longing and sadness swept over me… But at that moment I remembered my lama’s oral instructions. I then blended my mother’s consciousness with my mind and the wisdom mind of the Kagyu lamas… I saw the true possibility of liberating both my mother and my father from life’s round.” [3]

At this point, Dorje Gyeltsen realized the impermanence of life. It was a profound realization that impacted him deeply, and it served as the final push he needed to begin his mountainous retreats.

The most famous of his retreats is one called Drakar Taso (brag dkar rta so), where he stayed for many years eating nothing but wild nettles. He was there for so long that his clothes turned to tattered rags and his bones stuck out of his skin. It’s said that because he ate only wild nettles, his skin turned green. During this time, some starving hunters stumbled upon him and thought him a ghost, until he spoke to them and taught them about happiness.

It was this period of meditation that gave Dorje Gyeltsen the name we all know him by: Milarepa, meaning Mila the cotton-clad, due to the rags he wore.

Milarepa wrote many poems and songs that remain great treasures of Tibetan literature during his retreats and meditative periods. Milarepa mastered the Mahamudra teachings and obtained great enlightenment. He never actively sought out students; instead, students found him and he sang and taught them many great wisdoms.

The poems and songs of Milarepa

The sutras, a genre of ancient Indian texts found not just in Buddhism but Hinduism and Jainism as well, tell of how the disciples of the Buddha would sometimes come up with verses spontaneously during his lessons.

A number of Buddhist traditions have emulated this but perhaps none more particularly than the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition.

The spontaneous creation of these devotional songs is called nyams mgur in Tibetan.
These songs are modelled after those of Indian tantric practitioners, who wrote songs in the sixth-century songs known as mahasiddhas. The nyams mgur describe both the secret practices of Vajrayana as well as realizations by means of both complex symbolism and allegories.

Tibetan translators such as Milarepa’s master Marpa himself (hence his title, the great translator) brought this custom of composing nyams mgur back to Tibet, among other tantric teachings.

Milarepa is well-known as The Singing Sage. A combination of factors, such as his master Marpa being one of the greatest

Tibetan translators and inheriting the lineage of tantric practices originating in India, combined to make Milarepa a prolific composer of these nyams mgur. His talent, wisdom, golden voice, honesty and humility attracted crowds of people to listen to his musical teachings.

Tsangnyön Heruka was the one responsible for the compilation and arrangement of Milarepa’s most well-known songs four hundred years after he had passed away.

Garma C.C. Chang translated this book, in English called The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, in 1999. It serves as a biography of Milarepa’s life, a collection of gripping fairy tales and Tibetan folklore, and an insight into Tibetan Buddhism.
A newer translation of the book was published in 2017, by Christopher Stagg.

A song about the decision to live in solitude

When Milarepa visited his homeland before his mountainous retreats, he had never thought to find his mother dead. This excerpt of one of his earliest songs shows the depth of his grief, the poignancy of the situation, and the realization that his life had changed forever.

This was a truly pivotal moment in Milarepa’s life. We see him reconcile the life he once knew with the life he now leads as well as the life he will lead in the future. It is worded simply enough, and yet the extent of his emotions is felt astoundingly.

I bow down at the feet of most excellent Marpa.
Bless this beggar to turn from clinging to things.

Alas. Alas. Ay me. Ay me. How sad.
People invested in things of life’s round—
I reflect and reflect and again and again I despair.
They engage and engage and stir up from their depths so much torment.
They whirl and they whirl and are cast in the depths of life’s round.

Those dragged on by karma, afflicted with anguish like this—
What to do? What to do? There’s no cure but the dharma.
Lord Akṣobhya in essence, Vajradhara,
Bless this beggar to stay in mountain retreat.

In the town of impermanence and illusion
A restless visitor to these ruins is afflicted with anguish.
In the environs of Gungtang, a wondrous landscape,
Grasslands that fed yaks, sheep, cattle, and goats
Are nowadays taken over by harmful spirits.
These too are examples of impermanence and illusion,
Examples that call me, a yogin, to practice.

This home of four pillars and eight beams
Nowadays resembles a lion’s upper jaw.
The manor of four corners, four walls, and a roof, making nine
These too are examples of impermanence and illusion,
Examples that call me, a yogin, to practice.

This fertile field Orma Triangle
Nowadays is a tangle of weeds.
My cousins and family relations
Nowadays rise up as an army of foes.
These too are examples of impermanence and illusion,
Examples that call me, a yogin, to practice.
My good father Mila Shergyal
Nowadays, of him no trace remains.
My mother Nyangtsa Kargyen
Nowadays is a pile of bare bones.
These too are examples of impermanence and illusion,
Examples that call me, a yogin, to practice.

My family priest Konchok Lhabüm
Nowadays works as a servant.
The sacred text Ratnakūṭa
Nowadays serves as a nest for vermin and birds.
These too are examples of impermanence and illusion,
Examples that call me, a yogin, to practice.

My neighboring uncle Yungyal
Nowadays lives among hostile enemies.
My sister Peta Gonkyi
Has vanished without leaving a trace.
These too are examples of impermanence and illusion,
Examples that call me, a yogin, to practice.

Lord Akṣobhya in essence, compassionate one,
Bless this beggar to stay in mountain retreat. [4]

The end of Milarepa’s time in this world

Milarepa’s life changed completely and forever when he left his homeland to retreat to the mountains; he achieved his goal of enlightenment and perfect realization. He went on to win not only the admiration of almost all the people in his land, but their love and faith as well.

However, it was not to last. There were some dharma teachers who were jealous of Milarepa. They saw how people thronged to him and wanted the popularity and adoration that he received for themselves.

One of these teachers, Geshe Tsakpuwa (rtsag phu ba) posed as Milarepa’s student so that he could get close enough to kill him. He conspired to give his master poisoned curds. It is believed that Milarepa knew of this plot all along, but went with it anyway as he felt that it was time for him to pass away at his age (about 84).

There are accounts of Milarepa’s funeral which include many miracles, such as goddesses appearing to carry away his relics, leaving behind only a lump of rock sugar, a knife, some flint steel, a piece of his robe – and of course, his hundred thousand songs.

The sorcerer who became one of the greatest yogins of all time

Milarepa was a boy that grew up in relative wealth and comfort, and then lost everything at a young age. His father’s death didn’t just bring grieving for a lost parent, but it plunged his world into the kind of instability, pain, and suffering that no one should ever have to go through.

He made bad choices and did incredibly bad things. And yet, he changed his ways. He sought out help and did whatever it took to pay for his sins and become a good person again. He went on to not only become beloved by nearly all who came across him but he became a saint as well and continues to inspire, teach, and lead long after his passing.

Milarepa was just a human. His story teaches us that anguish and struggle can come our way, but that with resolve comes triumph. He was nothing but a man who realized his own natural, pre-existing higher self and his untapped wisdom, and who learned how to treat himself and others with compassion.

The Singing Sage invites every ordinary person to recognize their higher selves as well. If even he, a murderer and sorcerer could become a saint by regretting, repenting and creating vast merit  – we can as well.

50 (Plus) Favorite Milarepa Songs out of the 1000 Songs

Sources

[1] [2] [3]

Who Was Milarepa?

[4]
https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Milarepa/3178

[5] http://www.yogichen.org/cw/cw32/bk087.html

Other sources

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Milarepa
https://www.learnreligions.com/the-story-of-milarepa-450200
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_realization

Sweeping away the obstacles, bad karma, bad luck and negativities of the old year, going into a new year with a purified “clean slate”, is an important lunar New Year practice in Buddhism. (This Year Losar falls on Feb 10. Purification practices ideally should be performed Feb 3-9.)

It’s also an important practice before formal retreats, important ventures and dedications, or any important “launch” of something new. Or, just anytime. It is critical to purify negative karma endlessly, since our lives are impermanent.

Vajrasattva practice is certainly the most popular purification and renewal process for “year-end.” Prior to Losar or Lunar New Year, it is important to do a de-clutter and cleanse. Starting off the New Year with blessings and offerings to the Three Jewels is important, but first, we try to purify the stains from the previous year.

Vajrasattva, which combines all the principles of karmic purification, is the ultimate Buddhist practice for clearing obstacles, negativities, curses, evil intentions of others, and our own internal demons. Simply reciting his 100-syllable mantra while visualizing white cleansing light filling our bodies — when combined with the four powers of Refuge or dependence on the Three Jewels, Regret and of our past negative actions, the Remedy of the mantra and visualization, and the intention to Refrain in future.

These are called the four Rs in short:

• Refuge (or Rely, if you prefer)
• Regret
• Remedy
• Refrain.

By setting our minds and intentions to the remedies at the end of the year, we start the new year off fresh and clean, ready to accumulate Dharma merit through virtuous practices, giving, and compassion.

Related

• For a feature on the different “New Years” in different traditions, see>>

Beautiful Chanting of Vajrasattva’s 100-Syllable Mantra in Sacred Sanskrit:

Understanding the Significance of Lunar Year End in Buddhism

Being attuned to the cyclical flow of time, Tibetan Buddhists attach profound significance to the end of the lunar year. It is seen not just as a temporal conclusion but as a pivotal period of purification, preparation, and transition — to be followed by renewal and new, pure beginnings in the new year.

The end of the lunar year, seen as a symbolic dissolution of the old, allows individuals to cleanse their spiritual slate of negative karma accumulated over the year. But, this is more than “cleaning the slate” for an individual. In Buddhist belief, groups, social groups, countries, and worlds all have their own accumulative karma. This manifests as turmoil, war, epidemic, strife, poverty, environmental instability and other ways. The goal of our practice is always to benefit all sentient beings, not just ourselves. We set out to do our part in deploying the four Rs for our wider group of regions, countries, cultures. We collectively take Refuge in the Three Jewels, regret our actions as a group, agree to remedy our bad behaviors, and Refrain from them in the future.

Vajrasattva’s 100-Syllable Purifying Mantra in Sanskrit (see video below for pronunciation and chanting!)

Oṃ Vajrasattva
samayam anupālaya
Vajrasattva tvenopatiṣṭha
dṛḍho me bhava
sutoṣyo me bhava
supoṣyo me bhava
anurakto me bhava
sarva siddhiṃ me prayaccha
sarva karma sucha me
chittaṃ śreyaḥ kuru hūṃ
ha ha ha ha ho
ḥbhagavan
sarva tathāgata vajra
mā me muñcha
vajrī bhava
mahā samaya sattva āḥ

Purifying Practices is the Main Symbolic Activity

In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this is done primarily through a series of purifying practices and rituals which aim to clear emotional, mental, and spiritual obstacles. As a group we do temple or town-wide practices. As an individual we might practice alone, or join purication mantras and chanting online for live events, or even pre-recorded events.

These preparations before the Lunar New Year, known as ‘Losar’, target the resolution of negative patterns, attitudes, and actions. This aids in fostering a conducive environment for spiritual growth in the upcoming year. Central to this process is the usage of purification practices, which the Vajrasattva practice epitomizes.

The Vajrasattva practice, a well-respected purification ritual in the Vajrayana tradition, utilizes visualization, mantra recitation, and meditation to clear karmic imprints. It’s recommended that committed practitioners engage in such rituals with sincere intent, helping to expunge not only the root of negative karma, but its prospective recurrence.¹

Additional activities incorporated during this time include making and consuming special foods, lighting butter lamps, and offering donations to monks or spiritual centers. These deeds are believed to generate positive karma and set a positive foundation for the approaching lunar year.²

Therefore, the advent of Losar in Tibetan Buddhism is not just about welcoming the new, but also addressing and clearing the old effectively. The process of renewal involves sincere introspection, purging harmful patterns, and setting intentions for the path ahead, fostering a holistic transition into the new year.

Vajrasattva Practice: Purification before the Lunar New Year

Even if Vajrasattva is not your Yidam, he is always the main go-to purification practice. Before starting anything new — even mundane things, such as projects at work, or moving to a new home — it is traditional to purify the old before taking on the new.

• For an in-deth feature on Vajrasattva practice see>>

In the case of the New Year, that’s the entire year. For samaller projects and ambitions, the same principle applies: Refuge (or Rely), Regret, Remedy, Refrain.

Refuge

This practice is ultimately simple. First, as with any Buddhist practice, we take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, the Three Jewels. This can be as simple as:

I take Refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha until I reach Enlightenment.

Usually, you state your refuge three times to set your intention clearly.

It is best to make offerings, even if they just mental offerings, to signify sincerity, but also to generate merit. The act of giving at any time of the year, is aupsicious and good karma. If you’d like your year end purification to be symbolized by a real action, rather than a visualized offering, this is the time of year to make extra donations to your favorite Dharma charity or other types of compassionate activity or charity. If you cannot donate money, you donate time. The idea is to make offerings in the spirit of your Dharma practice.

Regret

Now, for the remaining Rs: Regret, Remedy, and Refrain.

Meditate for a moment on what you regret. What, over the last year, do you regret the most. Especially focus not on guilt, which is not the point, but on recognizing it was negative so that you can move on to remedy and refrain. After you’ve meditated (short or long) on your shortcomings over the last year, you move on to remedy.

Remedy

Remedy in meditation takes symbolic and tangible forms. With most Buddhist practices it is important to involve the Body, Speech and Mind. You are here in Body, and you visualize the “body” of Vajrasattva. Speech is the mantra, which is more than a collection of sounds. It’s a centuries-proven method of focusing the mind on purification. You invoke the help of Vajrasattva and supplicate purification. The sound of the mantra is sound.

Your visualization is light. You visualize Vajrasattva as clearly as you can in front of you (or in whatever method was taught by your teacher.) Purifying white light, peaceful, pacifying light emits from the heart of Vajrasattva and enters the crown of your head. The light floods down from your crown chakra at the top of your head, from chakra to chakra until your entire body is fight with purifying radiance. The light is so intense and warm and comforting.

Mind is your regret and your refrain promise. No one is going to police you, but yourself. Your mind is the the karma police. Set your mind on your regret and your promise to refrain from the negative conduct in future.

Keep reciting over and over, until you everything but the sound of the mantra and your visualization fades away. You focus only on Vajrasattva and the sound of the mantra.

Refrain and the Eight Rights

Now, with the New Year, this year starting February 10, 2024, work on the Refrain aspects. The main teachings of Buddha, the Eightfold Path, is a conduct practice. He taught in terms of the the Eight Rights (Buddha didn’t teach “don’t do this” he taught “do this”) Specifically, he taught, at Deer Park in his first teaching:

“This is the noble eightfold way, namely, right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right attention, right concentration, and right meditation.” — Shakyamuni Buddha at Deerpark

Refraining is as simple — or not so simple as — following Buddha’s teaching on conduct: the Eightfold Path.

Of course, we all slip. Ideally, rather than wait until the end of your next year, you can remember to do a short, daily Vajrasattva session to purify as you go forward. Why take so much baggage into a lucky New Year?

Key Practices in the Last Week of the Lunar Year in Buddhism

Aside from Purification practices, what else is customer before the Lunar New Year?

Before Tibetan New Year, or Loosar, arrives it’s important to prepare! To mark the end of the old year and beginning of the new one, it is important to clean the home and create a relaxed environment. Shopping for food, clothes and traditional decor also sets tibetan households into a festive spirit.

Families often buy special cuisine like momos or sel roti for celebration treats! People decorate their yards with colorful prayer flags and hang garlands made from wildflowers. On New Year’s Eve there is even more hustle as family members finish (or start!) preparations for big feasts and gatherings. With good tidings and wishes of joy by candlelight, it’s time to count down until Tibetan New Year though we are never done with preparing… Losar is made up of fifteen days of celebrations after all!

 

Happy Losar 2024 on Feb 10 this year!

15 Days Before New Year

Preparing for the actual day is often more involved than the celebrations! (For preparations, see below.)

Running up to New Year, Tibetan Buddhists especially, undertake purification practices, especially Vajrasattva and other practices in the last 5 days of the old year — that help us remove obstacles, negative karmas, and situations going into the New Year.

Traditionally, celebrants will prepare for Losar by

• Cleaning their houses (sweeping away the misfortunes of the previous year) — before New Year. It is not considered lucky to sweep for the first few days of the actual New Year as you might (sweep away the new good luck.)
• Buddhist monasteries and gompas will perform rituals on this last day, the famous mask dances, which symbolically drive away the negative forces of the old year.
• Traditionally, a person should not clean their house for the first few days of Losar to symbolically preserve the luck.
• Serious Buddhists might spend the last five or more days on purification practices such as Vajrasattva and Vajrakilaya. There will often be protector pujas, for example to Palden Lhamo, the great protectress of Tibet and the Dalai Lama. [More about Palden Lhamo here>>]
• In monasteries and traditional Tibetan Buddhist areas, Cham Dance is typically performed during Losar — a special Buddhist ritual dance that is performed in order to drive away evil spirits. See our feature on Cham Dance>>

What are some of the traditions associated with LOSAR, and how can you participate even if you’re not Tibetan Buddhist yourself?

If you’re feeling a bit left out when it comes to celebrating traditional Tibetan Buddhist festivities, then Losar is the perfect celebration to get involved in!

Everyone can participate in this exciting event. It’s the traditional New Year for Tibetans and marks the beginning of their new year. It also marks 15 sacred days — but even if you’re not Buddhist, you can enjoy the festivities which range from traditional ceremonies to feasting to music, concerts and dance celebrations. If you have an opportunity to watch a traditional Cham Dance, don’t miss it!

Many celebrants share food with their friends and family or indulge in the ceremonial tsampa, an average dish of roasted barley flour mixed with butter and tea.

Astronomical observations act as a common tradition throughout LOSAR as well, which involve looking at the first sunrise, and often checking out your lunar horoscope for the year ahead.

Tashi Delek! “Auspicious Wishes!”

Other traditions include exchanging gifts and wishing loved ones good luck during this time, offering khatas to older relatives, phoning all your family and friends even if you can’t see them to wish them well, with a hearty “Tashi Delek” (བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས) — which can translate as “auspicious wishes.”

What are some of the best ways to celebrate LOSAR 2023, whether you’re in Tibet or elsewhere in the world?

Celebrating Losar 2023 can be a blast, no matter where you are in the world! Think of Losar 2023 as an occasion to celebrate friendships and come together as one no matter which corner of the world you reside in!

On New Year’s Day, people usually wake up early and take a bath before donning new clothes. Afterward, they traditionally place offerings of dough called Torma on the family shrines to begin their annual praying ceremony. The creative designs created from this special pastry make for an exciting experience!

Usually, the family will come together to enjoy a celebration dinner, offering presents and tokens of appreciation. In Tibetan households, Kapse cake and Chang alcoholic drink are customary items served during this meal.

Traditionally, everything should be symbolically new — new clothes, new food (no leftovers!), new enthusiasm for the year ahead.

On the second day of Gutor, a multitude of religious rituals take place — the first day of the year is mostly family, the second day is for Dharma practice and to honor the Sangha. People are encouraged to honor and respect their teachers, Rinpoches, guides, and the monk and nun community by making donations to local monasteries, Dharma centers are other groups that help propagate Dharma.

LOSAR Shrine Offerings

If you have a shrine, replace all offerings with fresh and elaborate new offerings.

The most iconic culinary item featured during Losar is the scrumptious New Year deep-fried cookies known as khapse — which make ideal shrine offerings as well! For offering, you will usually find piles of different types of khapse and often multi-colored candies. To make a stunning display for their shrines, we often adorn them with an abundance of cookies, candies, fresh fruit, and dried fruits to create aesthetically pleasing arrangements that are teeming with freshness.

All the “sensory” offerings should be as elaborate and fresh as possible to signify your generous offerings and help bring in an auspicious year, especially

• tea
• flowers
• beautiful objects
• sounds (try looping some celebratory music or mantras on a player)
• light — plenty of bright lights and cheeriness
• khatas (white scarves) which can be placed around statues or other objects on your shrine.
• seven (or eight) bowls of water to symbolize the sensory offerings (or, ideally, multiple rows of water bowls!) Waters represent purity and blessings.

Seven (or eight) bowls of water represent the seven sensory offerings (or eight if you include “sound”) which reflect how we welcome guests to a dinner:

• Argam: water for drinking
• Padyam: water for washing
• Pushpe: flowers
• Dhupe: scents or incense
• Aloke (or Dipe): lights or butter lamps
• Ghande: scented water or perfume
• Naividya: food
• Shabda: sound (this one is isn’t always a bowl, since we make sounds when we pray, celebrate and recite mantras.

The ultimate offering is your own Dharma practice and activities.

Frequently referred to as Chintachakra White Wish-Granting Wheel Tara or simply White Tara, this embodiment of sublime enlightenment beautifully encapsulates all five key activities and wisdoms of the Buddha Families: pacifying, magnetizing, enriching and wrathful actions, plus all-activities of protection – blending in her practice as a comprehensive activity practice.

With other Taras, or other practices, we typically focus on one activity. For example, with a Red Tara we might meditate on magnetizing. For Yellow Tara, we emphasize enriching. Black Taras bring their wrath. With other White Taras, several of which appear in the 21 Taras, for example, we expect Pacifying activities. But, with White Chintachakra Wish-Granting Tara, we practice all of the activities.

The Wish-Granting Wheel Tara

Chintachakra White Wish-Granting Wheel Tara, unique among the other White Taras found in the 21 Taras, is a combination of all the activities. Imagine white light exiting a prism and separating into the primary colors. White Tara does this.

She is the prism, and as we practice her meditation, and her mantra, we rays of colored lights emitting from her prism — not just white, but altogether a prism of six lights:

• First is white, purifying light and intention.
• Then yellow enriching light and intention.
• Third, red magnetizing light and intention.
• Fourth is bright sky blue fierce and wrathful light and intention.
• Fifth is pervasive green light, the light of Mother Samaya Tara, which is the synthesis of infinite activities.
• Last, a startling magenta purple light (some translations call it brown), surrounds us in an impenetrable field of protection.

This is the stunning Wheel of Wish-Granting Tara, the shining light of unlimited powerful activities.

The Fusion of All Buddha Families: The Uniqueness of Chintachakra White Tara

Supreme Chintachakra White Tara encompasses a very unique blend of visualizations. After our initial preliminary practices of Taking Refuge, Purification and Making Offerings, and our initial mantra chanting, we then, one by one,  visualize all of the activities of the Buddha Families as emanated rays of lights of different colors (along with one additional protective color). As we do, we visualize her activities blessing all the realms and all sentient beings.

Even though she is a “so-called” White Pacifying Tara, her distinct meditation fuses all the Buddha families – the five categories that represent the different aspects of the enlightened mind. We consciously meditate on each of the activities of each of the Buddha families in the nature of blessings of empowered light

White Tara is really an All-Tara All-Colour Tara

In some Buddhist practices you hear the term “Rainbow” — referring to a number of things, but in terms of deity colors often meaning the combination of all activities and colors. For example, the Rainbow Padmasambhava. White Chintachakra is actually a White Tara, but this is the prism before it breaks into a rainbow of lights. As we chant her mantra, the prism sends out powerful laser-precise beams of all colors, to perform all the activities. White Tara, in essence, is also a Rainbow Tara, at least in this context.

This embodiment of collective activities transforms White Tara into a comprehensive Buddhist practice. As a practitioner, you engage with all forms of enlightened action, encapsulated in one deity.

This is not just the five activities, but the five wisdoms, as Tara is a Wisdom Mother. Even though we visualize White Tara as White, we see rainbows of colors emitting from her heart. So as we visualize the various colors of light, we also meditate on the wisdom of each Buddha Family:

• First is the White Buddha Family, the light of White Tara, which sends out pacifying activities, pacifying illness, dons and obstacles. This activity helps us overcome the poisons of ignorance and delusion as we meditate on the Wisdom of the Dharma essence, the Perfection of Wisdom.
• Second is the Yellow Gold light of Yellow Tara, the activities of enriching, which overcomes the obstacles of poverty and lack of bounty both in riches and in life-force. This overcomes the poisons of pride and greed with the wisdom of equanimity.
• Third is the Red Light of Red Tara, the activities of enchanting and magnetizing, which overcomes the obstacles of lust and clinging. This overcomes the poison of attachment with the Wisdom of Discernment.
• Fourth is the Blue Light of Black or Blue Tara (they are the same, the color of “space”) , the activities of wrath and power that destroy or nulify agression. This overcomes the poisons of aversion and hate with the Wisdom of Reflection.
• Fifth is the Green Light of Green Samaya Tara, the collective activities of all the Buddha Families in their most “windy” active form. Green Tara is the hurricane of activities, the Super Hero who flies to the aid of people. Her green light emits now from Mother White Tara in this practice, completing all the activities, and overcoming all dangers. This light is supresses the poisons of envy and jealousy and becomes the Wisdom of Perfect Practice.
• Last is the Magenta Purple Light which becomes a “tent of protection” around the practitioner.

While visualizing the different colors of lights as described in your Sadhana (or in the guided meditation below), you chant the White Tara mantra. Here is a 2 hour mantra chanting session:

Through her embodiment of multifaceted activities and the incorporation of these elements in sadhana meditation, Chintachakra White Tara practice sets itself  apart from other practices. While there are other practices that visualize all five activities on the inner body  — in Body Mandala practices — White Chintachakra Tara’s meditation visualizes the activity lights emiting outwards to all sentient beings, engaging in benefiting activities for all beings.

Deciphering the Symbolism of Supreme White Tara’s Seven Eyes

When we envision Supreme White Tara, one of the most striking features is her seven eyes. But what do these eyes mean? In Buddhist symbology, each eye of White Tara is representative of her omnipresent compassion and vigilance in protecting living beings from physical and spiritual harm. They symbolize her ability to see suffering in all realms of existence and her willingness to provide help wherever it’s needed.

Going beyond the basic symbolism of eyes, Tara’s Seven eyes carry special signficance, as explained by Robert Beer:

 “She is adorned with seven bow-shaped eyes, with her three facial eyes representing the perfection of her body, speech and mind, and the four eyes in her palms and soles symbolizing the “Four Immeasurables” of her loving kindness, boundless compassion, sympathetic joy, and perfect equanimity.”

In details, Supreme White Tara has one eye on her forehead, one on each palm of her hands, one on each sole of her feet, and the traditional two on the face. These eyes reflect her omniscient view. The eye on her forehead indicates her ability to see the divine truth, while the eyes on her palms and soles represent her ability to help beings in the human all the realms of existence. They are also symbolic of her attentiveness to those who faithfully practice her teachings and of her readiness to respond to their prayers.

This understanding of White Tara’s seven eyes can be traced back to sutras and commentaries in the Buddhist canon such as The Saddharma Pundarika Sutra, The Sutra of Golden Light and Jetsun Taranatha’s “The Origin of the Tara Tantra.”

By understanding the symbolism of White Tara’s seven eyes, practitioners can deepen their connection with her and cultivate an increased appreciation for her boundless compassion. They can recognize White Tara’s dedication to alleviating suffering in all realms of existence and feel comforted knowing that, like a mother for her children, White Tara is always keeping a watchful eye over them.

In essence, the seven eyes of Supreme White Tara are not just physical features; they are potent symbols of her divine qualities of omniscience, compassion, and vigilance. They serve as reminders of her transformative teachings, her loving-kindness, and her ceaseless commitment to the welfare of all sentient beings.

Chintatakra White Tara’s Other Symbols

Robert Beer, the expert on Buddhist deity symbolism desscribes the rest of her attributes and symbols:

“White Tara sits in vajra-posture upon a white moon disc on the golden centre or sun-disc of an immaculate pinkish-white lotus. She is beautiful, peaceful, graceful and youthful like a sixteen-year-old, with full breasts, a narrow waist, and a sweetly smiling face. Her complexion is radiant and white like a full autumnal moon. In this composition the aureole disc of a full autumnal moon forms both her aura and her backrest, which is encircled by rainbows and radiates beams of pure light throughout the ten directions. ..With her lowered right hand she makes the open-palmed boon-granting varada-mudra of supreme generosity. And with her left hand she makes the abhaya-mudra of protection or giving refuge, as she holds the stem of an immaculate bluish-white utpala lotus blossom in front of her heart. This lotus blossoms at the level of her ear and bears a fruit, an open blossom and a bud, representing the Buddhas of the three times – past, present, and future.

She wears the five divine silk garments and eight jeweled ornaments of a sambhogakaya goddess, with these being her golden tiara; earrings; bracelets, armlets and anklets; and short, medium and long necklaces. Half of her long sapphire-black hair is bound up into a topknot, while the other half hangs freely behind her back. Her golden tiara is adorned with little flowers and five jewels, and from the crown of her head emerge two entwining rainbows that embrace the halo-like sphere or tigle of rainbow light that encircles the form of red Amitabha Buddha, the “Lord of the Padma or Lotus Family” to which White Tara belongs. Amitabha wears the three orange-red robes of an ordained bhikshu or Buddhist monk, and with his two hands joined upon his lap in the dhyana-mudra of meditative equipoise he holds his nectar-filled blue alms-bowl.

In front of Tara’s lotus-seat is a convoluted lotus leaf bearing the five sensory objects of a golden mirror (sight), a pair of cymbals (sound), a conch full of perfume (smell), fruits (taste), and a red silk cloth (touch). On either side of these are two stacks of precious jewels, along with the “seven precious insignia of the chakravartin or universal monarch” – white tusks (elephant); rhinoceros horn (horse); triple-eyed gem (jewel); crossed white lozenges (general) on the left. And coral (wheel); square earrings (minister); round earrings (queen), and tusks on the right. A fruit-laden tree, rainbow, water and clouds appear in the background landscape.”

“White Tara practice for compassion, long life and peace is an equally widespread Tara practice in Tibet and the Himalaya region,” wrote Venerable Zasep Rinpoche in his new book Tara at your Lotus Heart, a sequel to his popular Tara in the Palm of Your Hand.

 

White Tara and Yanfen

A recent, typical anecdote of White Tara’s activity — typical, because you’ll find thousands of these true stories — is a recent Facebook post by Amrita Nadi.

Amrita Nadi posted, with a picture of Yanfen and Garchen Rinpoche:

“There is a story behind this picture that HE Garchen Rinpoche wanted shared with everyone.

Yanfen, the lady in the photo was very ill 28 years ago and her doctor told her and her family that they should prepare for her death. She came to see Rinpoche and Rinpoche instructed her to visualize White Tara and do her mantra everyday.

She is shown here greeting Rinpoche on his recent trip to Tibet at age 88. HE Garchen Rinpoche told Yanfen that she should share this story so that people understand the result of White Tara practice and if you supplicate White Tara she will help and protect you.

Om Tare Tutare Mama Ayu Punya Jhana Puktrim Kuru Svaha!”

Tara as the Mother of All Buddhas

Tara is often called the Mother of all the Buddhas. She represents the wisdom of the Buddhas. It is wisdom that is the mother of Enlightenment.

Venerable Zasep Rinpoche explains: “Prajnaparamita or Mahamata, the great mother, manifested as Tara; almost all female deities are emanations of Tara, the most beloved and best known of them. Emanations of Tara include the powerful female deities, Vajrayogini, Kurukulla, Sarasvati, Machig Labdron, and Palden Lhamo.”

The Power of Tara

In his new book, Tara At Your Lotus Heart, Zasep Rinpoche, describes many of his own experiences with Tara throughout his life:

“I myself have had many experiences of the power of Tara, starting from when I was a boy in Tibet. When I was six or so, my grandmother and I, along with an attendant, were riding on a mountain path. Suddenly we came across a mother bear with three cubs. She turned on us as if to attack. My grandmother quickly recited Tara’s mantra. Instantly the bear turned her back on us and ambled off, following her three cubs, which were wandering away. Just to be on the safe side, my grandmother continued reciting Tara’s mantras all afternoon.”

The practice of White Tara is widespread among Tibetans and Himalayan Buddhists. White Tara is also known as Sitala (“the cool one”), due to her power to heal fevers. White Tara is perhaps the most popular Tara among Western practitioners.

White Tara for Healing

“White Tara is particularly associated with healing, protecting and stabilizing your life-force.” Gelek Rimpoche

White Tara is as much the “swift heroine” as Green Tara—since they’re both aspects of Tara, who is known as the “swift savior.”

How fast is she?

In Tibet, there’s a saying, “For protection, call on your protector if you have time—but call on Tara if you have no time.”

A prayer from the fifth Dalai Lama puts it this way: “Merely by remembering Her feet one is protected.”

Is White Tara the Same as Tara?

“The main characteristic of Arya Tara— Noble Tara— is that she is a Buddha who in earlier times promised to always be born in the pure form of a female body in order to help living beings reach enlightenment. There are many outer and inner impediments that practitioners encounter, so Arya Tara manifests in order to eliminate hindrances and obstacles one runs in to while on the path to liberation from suffering.”

—Venerable Chöje Lama Phuntsok

White Tara is one of the main 21 manifestations of Arya Tara—which means, yes, She is Tara. In Venerable Choje Lama Phuntsok’s words: [White] “Tara protects disciples from one of the main outer hindrances, which is death – she helps practitioners live a long life.”

There’s an old unattributed Buddhist saying—which is my way of demonstrating why White Tara is for healing practice:

“Good Health is the simply the slowest way for a human to die.”— Unknown

Explaining from the point of view of the Kagyu lineage, Venerable Lama Phuntsok said: ” …White Arya Tara, from among the 21 Taras, frees practitioners from untimely death. It is truly possible to extend the span of one’s life by practicing White Tara and this will be very beneficial for one’s Dharma practice.”

Short 30 minute White Tara teaching and guided visualization with animated graphics and beautiful images of White Tara, taught by Venerable Zasep Rinpoche:

How Does Tara Heal?

Again, drawing on the teachings of Venerable Lama Phuntsok, White Tara overcomes the impediment to long life and long Dharma practice: “All problems—sufferings, sicknesses, and diseases arise from thoughts that are based upon attachment, aversion, and ignorance as to the way things really are. It is said again and again that the worst obstacle is the third—concepts and thoughts. We continually think that we want to be happy and be free from suffering; we therefore never stop wanting more and more and as a result increase our attachment and aversion.”

Buddhism teaches that “we are the creators of our own suffering,” said Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche at a recent Lojong Seven-Point Mind Training retreat at Gaden Choling Toronto. “Everything depends on mind.”

From this point of view, all of our problems, including health issues, arise from our mind and concepts. Tara helps us to overcome the obstacles of mind and body. At a relative level, Tara rescues from disease, illness and apparently “external” health factors. At an ultimate level, Tara protects our mind, preventing the rising of attachments, aversion and ignorance.

Famously, Tara protects from the eight fears—fear of fire, lions elephants, snakes, imprisonment, floods, demons, robbers—but these eight fears are also “metaphors” for the cause of our obstacles leading to suffering. The fifth great Dalai Lama wrote a magnificent praise for Green Tara where he illustrated the metaphors of the eight great internal fears: anger (fire), pride (lions), ignorance (elephants), snakes (envy), imprisonment (avarice), floods (attachment), demons (doubt) and robbers (wrong views.)

Practicing White Tara

Sita Tara rescues all, and requires no special permissions or initiations to practice at a basic level. Advanced practices, some sadhanas and advanced healing certainly require a teacher’s guidance and permission, but the meditations and practices I’m discussing here are for anyone.

Meditating on Sita Tara is a good place to start. If you have time, take a half hour and meditate along with Gelek Rimpoche of Jewel Heart—a well-known and highly realized teacher of the Gelugpa tradition.

Gelek Rimpoche of Jewel Heart “White Tara Guided Meditation”:

Mantra and Meditation

Mantra is very effective for protection and healing both. Simply repeating the mantra with focus is enough to bring healing. Visualizing Tara’s blessings entering into your body as purifying light, purging illness and pushing out negativities as black smoke or sludge, is even more affirming, strengthening the blessing.

According to the FPMT Education Department, “This meditation can be done on behalf of oneself or others. It is frequently done to remove the obstacles to our gurus’ long lives and health. If one has experienced many health problems, accidents, depression, or a loss of “lust for life,” the practice of White Tara can be especially powerful.”

Tara Mantra

Tara’s mantra, chanted by millions daily around the world connects with Tara, including the White aspect—since all Tara’s are ultimately one:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

Pronounced Aum Tah-ray Tew-tah-ray Tew-ray Svah-ha. Svaha is sometimes pronounced Soha in Tibetan traditions.

The root Tara mantra (above) is as effective as the more specialized White Tara mantra (see White Tara Mantra below)—which adds more specific requests and intentions.

Mantras were given by the Buddhas via Sutra or transmission of lineage, and carry great cumulative, power. Mantra literally can translate as “mind protection.” Since the mind affects health, a Sanskrit mantra dedicated specifically to healing is very effective.

The meaning of the mantra is explained in numerous ways by many great teachers, all of which are complimentary and correct. Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught [2]:

• “TARE shows that Mother Tara liberates living beings from samsara”
• “TUTTARE liberates you from the eight fears related to the external dangers from fire, water, air, earth and also from such things as thieves and dangerous animals. However the main dangers come from ignorance, attachment, anger, pride, jealousy, miserliness, doubt and wrong views.”
• “TURE liberates you from disease”—so Green Tara is equally the Healer as White.

One reason Tara’s mantra is especially meaningful is that it contains within it the entire teachings on the Four Noble Truths. See our previous stories on Tara in Buddha Weekly for more on this:

• Limitless Tara, Beyond the Green
• Mama Buddha Tara: Compassionate Action

Here is one of the most beautiful sung versions of Tara’s mantra by the Internationally famous Ani Choying Dolma at the Rigpa Center Berlin:

Lung or Empowerment

Although Tara mantras can be practiced by anyone—they are more effective when transmitted by a teacher. If you are in need of healing, it would be ideal to seek out a qualified lineage teacher and ask for either lung or initiation. Lung is, broadly speaking, transmission of the mantra itself (or permission to use the mantra), whereas initiation (also known as empowerment) can involve complete deity practice and commitments.

According to the highly realized teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the FPMT, “empowerment of Tara is needed to practice [Tara’s] sadhana in full. However, one can do this practice without such an empowerment as long as one does not generate oneself as the deity. If one does not have the empowerment, one can do the self-generation practice at the crown of one’s head.” Basically, visualize Tara and meditate on her, and receive blessings from her, but do not absorb or merge with Tara—a more advance practice.

With or without empowerment, all mantras carry the blessings of the deity—connecting us with our inner Buddha or Tara (Buddhanature). Mantas are quite powerful in meditation and active healing. If empowerment or lung is impossible, the mantras are less powerful, but still effective. I chanted Tara’s mantra for eight years before a teacher came into my life to guide me and empower my practice of Tara. I believe, in some ways, chanting the mantra for those years created the conditions for me to find my teacher.

Anyone can chant Tara’s mantra. The visualizations and certain other practices are different if you receive teachings from a qualified teacher. In Tibet, some of the first words children learn to speak are mantras, particularly “Om Mani Padme Hum” and “Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha.”

White Tara Mantra

White Tara mantra is Tara’s root mantra, but energized with additional intentions and “words of power.” After Om Tare Tuttare Ture—and before the final Svaha—the mantra adds “Mama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha, thus becoming:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha

Pronounced: oṃ tā re tu ttā re tu re ma ma ā yuḥ pu ṇya jñā na pu ṣṭiṃ ku ru svā hā

In Tibetan pronunciation this might sound like:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayur Puney Gyana Puntin Kuru Soha

The three extra words do have multiple meanings, but are generally translated as:

• Mama — “mine” or “I would like to possess these qualities”
• Ayuh —”long life” — for which White Tara is famous
• Punya ­— “merit” — to live ethically
• Jnana — “wisdom”
• Pushtim — “increase”

When added to the root Tara Mantra, the mantra is basically drawing on Tara’s power to increase my long life, merit and wisdom and blessings.

For main healing practice, normally the mantra is recited with visualizations of Tara, however singing or chanting is a very beautiful and effective way to receive the blessings.

Here’s one of the most beautiful “chanted” versions.

Versatility of the White Tara Mantra

Healing and helping others is something we all should all wish to accomplish. Aside from the selfish goal of increasing our own merit and good karma, we engage our compassion as humans and Buddhists when we think of others.

The White Tara mantra can be modified from a “personal” affirmation to one targeted at someone else. “Mama” in the mantra means “mine”, or “I” or “me” meant for self healing. Simply replacing “Mama” with the name of another person sends Tara’s healing power and blessings to someone else.

For instance, if we wanted to practice White Tara for the long life of my teacher or parents, we would substitute Mama:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture [person’s name] Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha

Wishing your teacher long life would become

Om Tare Tuttare Ture [Your teacher’s name] Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha

Wishing the Dalai Lama long life would become

Om Tare Tuttare Ture His Holiness the Dalai Lama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha

There are also forms of White Tara’s mantra for subduing or pacifying, with somewhat different wording, meant for subjugating fevers, viruses, evil spirits and so on, but those are more advanced practices that should be guided by a teacher. Fevers, evil spirits and viruses are equally subdued by the main White Tara mantra, or even the root mantra of Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha.

More Advanced White Tara Healing

Tibetan medicine often makes use of “mantra-blessed water or medicines.” At a basic level, after performing a twenty or thirty minute mantra recitation-meditation, preferably visualizing Tara, blow on your medicine or a glass of water and visualize the mantra’s “power of Tara’s speech” as light coming from your mouth and being absorbed. Then, consume the medicine.

In more intense practices, or when the medicine is for someone else, you can place a week’s supply of medicine on a table or shrine dedicated to Tara with Her Image, some water bowl offerings, perhaps Her mantra written out, and other meaningful objects. Chant the mantra for a week, then use/dispense the blessed medicine.

Finally, mantra’s fullest ripening comes from full performance of a sadhana. These are passed down through the centuries by direct transmission of teacher to teacher, right back to the Buddha or Enlightened Being. These normally require a teacher’s transmission, lung or empowerment. Some sadhanas, such as White Tara’s sadhana written by the fifth Great Dalai Lama can be performed by anyone, provided the uninitiated do not generate themselves as the deity. In other words, substitute simple visualization for generation of oneself as Tara.

White Tara’s Visualization

Visualizing Tara is an important part of mantra recitation when possible. Although the mantra can be recited while walking, cooking, etc, when engaging in a highly focused healing practice, sitting with eyes closed (or half closed) in meditation is best.

“Visualization isn’t the best translation for what we do,” explained Venerable Jigme in her talk during a White Tara Retreat (see video below). “We’re actually working with our imagination. Visualization implies that we’re working with a visual image, and then using our eyes. So, we’re working with our imagination… not only are we working with imagined sights, but we’re working with imagined touch and smells and sounds, physical sensations and feelings.”

“We use our imaginations in a very practical manner to develop the potential we all have to transform ourselves,” Venerable Jigme continued. “So, it’s quite an important piece of our practice! It’s a very creative process.”

Tara’s Image

When you have a teacher’s guidance—the visualization would be as he or she instructs. There are generation practices associated with some initiations, but none of that should be contemplated without a teacher.

For someone without a teacher’s guidance, a basic visualization of Tara in front of you—generally involving healing white light flowing from Tara into you or the person being healed—is simplest. Sometimes you visualize Tara on top of your head, arising from your crown chakra sitting on a lotus throne with 1000 petals.

You can make the visualization simple or complex. More complex and detailed visualizations engage the mind to a higher level, and tend to be more effective for that reason. Visualize what you can of the following details.

White Tara is shining white, the nature of light, a glowing beacon of healing, vitality and perfection. We wouldn’t think of Tara as flesh and bone, but as glorious, spectacular, awe-inspiring (and at the same time) soothing light. Sometimes, what is meant by “body of light” is “uncontaminated body.”

In the same way Tara is visualized uncontaminated and spectacular, we should see Her arrayed in gorgeous silks and shining jewels like stars. Tara, Her name, literally translates as “star.” The beautiful ornaments are not meant to show attachment, but are symbolic of Her transcendence. On the crown of Her head is a crown of five sides representing the five Dhyani Buddhas and on top of Her hair knot is Amitayas Buddha, the Buddha of Long Life. Amitayus is the Long Life emanation of Amitabha. With other Taras we visualize Amitabha as her hair ornament. Amitabha and Amitayus are the same Buddha, different manifestations (similar to Green and White Tara). Amitayas and Amitabha are both red in colour.

We visualize Tara sitting on a thousand-petal white lotus. She is sitting in a position of meditative equipoise in the vajra (full lotus) position. The glorious lotus signifies renunciation, the spontaneous wish to be free from samsara, or cyclic existence. From Geshe Wangdu’s White Tara Commentary: ” So the manner in which the lotus signifies renunciation is that, even though the lotus itself was born out of a pond, what we call a swamp, or a muddy pond, even though it grows out of that, when it blooms on top of the water, there’s not even a bit of mud on its’ petals, and it is free of the mud itself. That is how it resembles renunciation.”

The Lotus and Moon Disc

On the lotus is a moon-disc, representing all-important bodhicitta, and the wish to achieve enlightenment. The deity sits on both a lotus and moon-disc, indicating Tara has achieved enlightenment through renunciation and bodhicitta.

Beautiful Tara Herself has one face, two arms, but—importantly—seven eyes. An eye appears on each of Her hand palms, Her feet and three on Her face (two “regular” eyes and the wisdom eye on the forehead chakra). The eyes represent how the Mother of the Buddhas sees all our suffering.

Seven Eyes of White Tara

Very strikingly, the position of the seven eyes create the shape of the sankrit letter TAM which is Tara’s mantra when you connect the eyes with lines), according to Visible Mantra[3]. Also, they symbolize the special relationship between the five “extra” eyes of White Tara and the five Dhyani Buddhas: Akshobya, Amitabha, Amoghisiddhi, Vairochana and Ratnasambhava.

The right hand of Tara is in the “mudra” (hand gesture representing) Supreme Generosity—the mudra that signifies Tara is ready and willing to grant us the state of Enlightenment.

The left hand of Tara holds a white lotus flower or uptala. Uptala is really a different flower from the lotus, but most people are content with visualizing a lotus. The uptala stems out in three branches, each with a different flower, one in full bloom, one about to open, one just a bud. These represent the Buddhas of the three times: past, present and future.

In advanced visualizations, we’d see a white syllable TAM—Tara’s seed syllable mantra. If you don’t know what that is, it’s best to wait for a teacher. The Tam is normally at her heart. Often, visualizations would—as with other Buddhas—visualize shining seed syllables OM, AH and HUM at her crown, throat and heart respectively. These represent the Holy body (OM), speech (AH) and mind (HUM) of Tara Buddha.

Healing Light Visualization

You might visualize (imagine) white healing light flowing from Tara into your crown chakra (top of your head) or heart chakra, or all of your chakras. The energy fills you as you chant the mantra, displacing negativities, bad karma, disease and other impurities—often visualized as black smoke or sludge dispelled violently from your body. For advanced practices, your teacher would guide your visualization, but for simple practices, the healing light is a safe, effective image.

As a final note, try to imagine Tara as a real, three dimensional being of light, who can move, speak, gesture, transmit—Tara is above all “activity” of the Buddhas and definitely not a static two-dimensional picture.

For a better description on how to visualize during Tara Deity Practice, please refer to Venerable Jigme (Sravasti Abbey’s” teaching video, part of a White Tara retreat (7 minute video):

Simple White Tara Practice

A simple daily practice, or a practice that you could use when you are ill, would normally include some basic fundamentals, such as going for refuge. Many teachers say that Refuge is the first healing. When you take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, that refuge will help you in all your difficulties, including illness. To the practice of refuge, you might add a simple offering of water bowls, in front of an image of White Tara. Basically, a simple practice, not requiring empowerments, would be:

1. Take refuge and dedicate.
2. The four immeasurables: This prayer affirms your wishes that all beings not suffer and be happy—important to generate loving kindness and Bodhicitta.
3. Make an offering (for example, a water bowl offering—see our article “Buddhist Water Bowl Offerings as an Antidote to Attachment”)
4. Preferably recite the Seven Limbs practice (seven short lines that contain the essence of good practice).
5. Visualize Tara as described above or as indicated by your teacher. Normally you visualize Tara in front of you when you do not have teacher instructions.
6. Recite the mantra (either Tara’s root mantra, or the full White Tara mantra, optionally with the name of the person who is ill replacing “mama” in the mantra. As you recite, visualize white healing light and energy transmitting from Tara to you or the person. In advanced visualizations this might emit from Tara’s heart chakra and absorb into your heart chakra, or as advised by your teacher.
7. Affirmation prayers (optional)
8. Dedicate the merit. (This is generally very important).

Typical Refuge Prayer (normally 3 times)

I go for refuge until I am enlightened.

To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly.

By my practice of giving and other perfections,

May I become a buddha to benefit all sentient beings.

Four Immeasurables

May all beings have happiness and its causes,

May they never have suffering or its causes.

May they constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow;

May they dwell in equal love for both near and far.

Offering

You can visualize mental offerings if you don’t have bowls of water. Buddhas do not need your offering. You are generating merit by this practice.

Seven Limbs

To You Venerable Tara, with my body, speech and mind, I respectfully prostrate.

I offer flowers, incense, butter lamps, perfume, food, music and a vast collection of offerings, both actually set out and emanated through wisdom and imagination.

I declare all my non-virtuous acts since beginningless time.

I rejoice in the virtuous merit accumulated by Holy and ordinary beings.

I request You turn the wheel of Dharma.

I beseech You to remain until samsara ends. Please, with your boundless compassion, look upon all beings drowning in the ocean of suffering.

May whatever merit I have accumulated be transformed into the cause for Enlightenment so that I may help all sentient beings.

Mantra and Visualization

Visualize Tara and healing energy and recite one of the mantras:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

or

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha

or, if healing or doing long life practice for another person such as your teacher, substitute person’s name for “Mama”

Om Tare Tuttare Ture PERSON’S NAME Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha

Dedication

By this merit may I quickly reach

The enlightened state,

So that I may lead all living beings without exception

To the same Enlightenment.

A Praise to White Tara by the First Dalai Lama

Another healing practice is to recite sutras or texts, or to pray to Tara daily. The First Dalai Lama Gyalwa Gendun Drub’s “A Praise of White Tara” is especially powerful—written centuries ago:

Homage to the Female Buddha beautiful with youth

Who sits on seats of white lotus and moon in nature

Spreading with stainless compassion and knowledge,

Who captures the radiance of snow mountains.

Homage to the Youthful One with budding breasts,

Who has one face and two arms, sits in the vajra posture,

Is bold with grace and calm, has a full moon as backrest

And is filled with great bliss.

Homage to the Ultimately Generous One whose right hand,

Showing the mudra Supreme Giving

Easily releases boundless karmas of peace, increase, power and wrath

As well as the eight siddhis and even supreme Buddhahood.

Homage to the Spiritual Mother who gives birth to Buddhas

Past, present and future; whose left hand

Supporting a blue lotus, grants protection

From lions, elephants, fires and all eight terrors.

Homage to the Refuge of the World, who has eyes

In hands and feet gazing at the four doors of freedom

And who leads all living creatures

Toward the isle of blissful liberation.

Homage to she whose face unites

The beauty of a million autumn moons,

Whose wide eyes gaze with compassion

Whose Joyous mouth smiles equally on all.

Homage to she with head adorned by Amitayus, boundless Life,

The mere thought of whom grants life and wisdom,

Whose hand, in the contemplative mudra,

Hold a vase filled with ambrosia of immortality.

Homage to the All-Beautified One whose crown

Steals the light of sun and moon,

Whose sapphire hair is half knotted on top

And half falling freely over her shoulders.

Homage to the Majestic One of precious ornament blazing,

Whose crown, earrings, necklaces, arm-bands,

Bracelets, anklets and belt so elegantly arranged

Surpass the ornaments of men and gods.

Homage to she of celestial raiment,

Whose shoulder-sash and skirt

Hug her body like rainbows

Hug the crystal mountains.

Homage to the goddess before whose lotus feet

Vishnu, Indra, Shiva, Brahma, the antigods, spirits,

Men, semi-humans and all the world

Submit themselves in devotion.

Merely by reciting your mantra,

Those who make offerings at your lotus feet

Gain immortality, wisdom and merit

And attain all desired siddhis; to you I bow down.

The knowledge, compassion and perfect actions of all Buddhas

Appear in the form of the beautiful goddess

I take refuge in you and offer you my prayers;

Pray eliminate all my obstacles and fulfill all my aims.

Quickly release your perfect action of peace,

Calming all interferences to my practices for enlightenment;

Interferences such as the eight terrors,

Sickness, demons and other harmful agents, inner and outer.

Quickly release your perfect action of increase which multiplies

All good qualities, such as life, merit, unapprehending compassion,

The stainless wisdoms of learning, contemplation and meditation,

And the three higher trainings.

Quickly release your perfect action of power,

Which causes gods, men and spirits

To humbly bow before you

And which fulfils all wishes of the mind.

Quickly release your perfect action of wrath,

Which with punishments befitting the evils done

Destroys demons, interferences and hindrances

Hateful opposing Buddhadharma and its holders.

Pray, bestow quick and easy attainment of siddhis

Such as the magic sword, mystic eye-medicine, fast-walking,

The food pill and the precious vase,

And even mahamudra, the highest siddhi.

In brief, from now until enlightenment

I respectfully make offerings at your lotus feet

I need seek no other refuge

Out of compassion gaze upon me and quickly grant protection.

By the meritorious energy of this practice

May the transcended, perfect Tara

Look upon me forever with pleasure

And never leave me, even for a moment.

May all sentient beings after death take rebirth

Before Amitayus in Sukavati, Land of Pure Joy,

May they live in the ways of the great Bodhisattvas

And come to equal Avalokiteshvara, Lord of Compassion.

May I realise the oceans of Sutras and Tantras

To be able to pass them on to others;

And until samsara be emptied may I strive

To uphold the victory banner of practicing exactly as taught.

Mantra: OM TAREE TU-TAREE TUREE MAMA AYU-PUNYE-JANA PUTIM KURU SOHA

The Colophon: This praise of exalted White Tara, supreme mother of all Buddhas, was written by the monk Gyalwa Gendun Drub while he was residing in the Hermitage of Great Awakening at the Tegchen Potreng.

NOTES
[1] Presented at the Kamalashila Institute in Germany, 2005 https://www.rinpoche.com/teachings/whitetara.htm

[2] Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche speaking at Nepal, May 1987. https://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=357

[3] White Tara, Tam and the Mandala, Visible Mantra https://www.visiblemantra.org/whitetara-mandala.html

Does it seem counterintuitive that one of the treasured Buddhist practices is focused on wealth generation? Considering the Buddhist teachings on renunciation, it may seem surprising that not only did Shakyamuni Buddha teach lay disciples about the wise handling of money, but he also offered “prosperity practices” such as Jambhala ( जम्भला Dzambala, Zambhala). In the Vyagghapajja Sutta Buddha taught four methods for lay disciples:

“The accomplishment of persistent effort (utthana-sampada), the accomplishment of watchfulness (arakkha-sampada), good friendship (kalyanamittata) and balanced livelihood (sama-jivikata).”

Note: Jambhala is the best transliteration of the Sanskrit, although often it is transliterated as Dzambala, Zambhala, or other variations. The Sanskrit seed letter, though is Ja and the proper transliteraiton would be Jambhala. Other forms of Jambhala, [Devanagari/Hindi] जम्भला, [Bengali] জম্ভলা, [Gujarati] જમ્ભલા, [Kannada] ಜಮ್ಭಲಾ, [Malayalam] ജമ്ഭലാ, [Telugu] జమ్భలా 

Buddha Weekly Documentary Video on Yellow Jambhala — INCLUDING How to do a WATER OFFERING:

Wealth is Not a Negative and has Positive Uses

Why? One of the methods of Buddhism is to release our attachments and cravings. How do these four teachings, especially sama jivikata, or “balanced livelihood”, and practicing for prosperity complement this teaching? ‘ In an earlier feature, we cited Buddha speaking in the Adiya Sutta:

‘My wealth has been enjoyed,
my dependents supported,
protected from calamities by me.
I have given supreme offerings
and performed the five oblations.
I have provided for the virtuous,
the restrained,
followers of the holy life.
For whatever aim a wise householder
would desire wealth,
that aim I have attained.

What is the purpose of Wealth?

Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche often teaches on Bodhichitta and an altruistic mind. In his wonderful book  Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions, he wrote[1]:

“Whenever one has the intention to benefit others, one will naturally guard ethical discipline… Whenever altruistic mind is present, one will practice generosity, which becomes the cause of attaining wealth and resources. When one has the altruistic mind, one will spontaneously cultivate patience, which frees one from hunger, poverty, and the like. Thus, the first three perfections — generosity, ethical discipline, and patience — are the natural qualities of loving-kindness.”

Balanced Livliehood and Prosperity

To practice generosity and compassion with stability, lay practitioners need sufficient resources. In fact, Buddha provided practices such as Jambala (Jambala) to ensure we are comfortably resourced so that we can practice without other obstacles, and so that we can help others through generosity.

This divine method, steeped in the tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism, takes a unique approach to ensuring financial stability. It’s not just about material wealth – it’s also the key to awakening generosity, love, and the noble goal of Bodhichitta within us.

Poverty itself can make practice difficult. It is difficult enough to find birth in the precious human realm, our opportunity to practice the Dharma, without adding to suffering with the burden of poverty. One of the great perfections of practice is generosity—helping all sentient beings. Instead of thinking of wealth as selfish (or feeling guilt about its accumulation), we should instead consider the Buddhist concept that wealth can be a virtuous means to help others.

Jambhala, Enlightened Deity of Bodhichitta Prosperity

Jambhala (Dzambhala, Zambala) the Enlightened Deity of Fortune and Wealth, operates on the principle of Bodhichitta Prosperity – before we can give, we must be stable and secure ourselves.  Bodhichitta means “awakening mind” and as His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche explained in teachings on Bodhichitta,  This practice creates financial stability, laying a strong foundation for generosity. It’s an understanding that resonates with our everyday life experiences: when our own needs are satisfied, it’s easier to reach out, share, and give to others.

The quickest way to receive blessings and create merit is to practice generosity. First, stabilize your own situation, just like safety instructions on an airplane tell you to secure your own mask before helping others. Then, as your own fortunes solidify, allow your practice to naturally evolve into a practice of offering and giving.

By fostering a sense of financial security within ourselves first, the Jambhala prosperity practice creates the mental space necessary for practices associated with kindness and giving. We are freed from the preoccupations and stress that come with financial insecurity and can focus our energies on cultivating love and compassion for others.

Wealth as a Method to Enlightened Mind

More than just a technique for financial wealth, this practice is essentially a tool paving the way towards Bodhichitta, a spontaneous wish to attain enlightenment motivated by great compassion for all sentient beings. When we are secure and stable, our hearts open up naturally, and we become receptive to the higher truths of life – this is when true Bodhichitta begins to blossom.

In conclusion, whether you seek financial stability or wish to unlock the gates of generosity and Bodhichitta within you, the Jambhala Prosperity Practice presents a profound path of transformation, blending the material and spiritual aspects of life in a unique, enlightening way.

Meet Jambhala: The Enlightened Deity of Fortune and Wealth

“Jam” means “Deity or gathering”. “Bhah” means “gold or wealth”. “La” means “to honor”. “Dzambhala” means “Precious Golden Deity, who gathers or brings the wealth of spirituality or Dharma and material security or accomplishment to our lives”. Wealth also includes auspicious conditions, such as health, attracting helpful people and other aspects of overall “good fortune.” [2]

Jambhala is often transliterated as Dzambala, Zambala, Zambhala or Jambala — although to help with pronunciation Jambhala is the closest. In the original Sanksrit, the character is ja or ज. Yellow Jambhala is usually the center of the mandala of five Jambhalas, and is the most popular as a standalone practice. He is a member of Ratnamasambhava’s Jewel Buddha Family in the South of the Dhyani Buddha Mandala, the golden or yellow Ratna Buddha Family.

Discovering the Five Wealth Jambhalas: Unique Practices and Mantras

Meet the Five Jambhalas, deities originating from diverse teaching lineages who collectively form a mandala of bodhichitta prosperity, or enlightened mind wealth. These deities, each with their unique form and mantra, are bound by their common pursuit – to eliminate poverty and create financial security. They emanate from four of the Buddha Families, with the fifth arising from Avaolokiteshvara. All activite different methods of auspicious activity. All specialize in bringing auspiciousness for the benefit of sentient beings, but with a focus on different activities:

• Yellow Jambhala, of the Ratna Jewel Family, attracts auspicious circumstances
• White Jambhala, of Buddha Family, and an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, pacifies obstacles to auspiciousness
• Green Jambhala of the Karma Family, activates all activities of wealth and prosperity
• Red Jambhala of the Padma Family, magnetizes good fortune and helpful people
• Black Jambhala, of the Vajra Family, takes the most ferocious approach, bringing power and fierceness to the activities of prosperity.

At the center of any mandala involving multiple Dzambhalas is a form of Yellow Jambhala known as Namtoshe in Tibetan and Vaisravana in Sanskrit.  He is normally yellow, riding on a splendid snow lion, and carries a magnificent parasol in one hand and the jewel-vomiting mongoose in the other.

Yellow Jambhala and Namtoshe are the most popular and widely practiced, as he has power over our prosperity in all six realms. Originating from Ratnasambhava, the Buddha of Giving, he is portrayed as a robust deity, yellow in color, holding a mongoose in his left hand which spews endless jewels. His practice and mantras assist in enhancing wealth and overcoming financial obstacles.

Nearly as popular is White Jambhala, a powerful Enlightened deity emanating from Avalokiteshvara. He is especially favored by monks. Unlike his yellow counterpart, the white Dzambhala rides a dragon, a symbol of auspiciousness. Known to bless his devotees with physical and mental wellness, he also aids in increasing wealth by pacifying the causes of poverty and obstacles to success.

Green Jambhala is recognized as an emanation of Buddha Amoghasiddhi and is often, but not always, depicted with his co-equal Wisdom counterpart.  In a vibrant green hue, this Dzambhala sits on a moon throne, and is credited with the power to prevent disasters and bring wealth and success through the windy activity of the karma family.

Red Jambhala, an emanation of Amitabha Buddha, is said to help people overcome financial struggles, assisting them in finding their fortune and wealth by attracting the circumstances and helpful people needed to succeed. Red in color, he is usallly yabyum with his co-equal wisdom goddess,  often depicted holding a mongoose, the source of jewels, symbolizing the treasury of wealth he provides.

Finally, when all other types of activity are not enough, Black Dzambhala, an emanation of Akshobhya Buddha, is believed to be the most powerful among the Dzambhala family due to his wrathful, fast activities and powers. Portrayed as a deity in wrathful form, he powerfully creates the circumstances for wealth, luck, and prosperity, while safeguarding his devotees from harm and financial instability.

Although not originally taught as a “group practice”, with each Dzambhala arising from various lineages, in the last few hundred years, the practices have combined, bringing all five into a collective mandala. Whether practiced individually, to focus on one energy, or as a mandala of five Dzambhalas, they are considered a very effective method of bringing the circumstances for Bodhichitta and Compassion into our practices through prosperity and auspiciousness for the benefit of all.

Texts and Lineages

The various Jambhalas arise from different Sutra, Tantra and lineage teachings.

Yellow Dzambhala: Auspicious Jewel

The Yellow Dzambhala, known as an auspicious jewel, is said to be the manifestation of Buddha Ratnasambhava Himself. Seated on a lotus, sun, and moon disk, he is often portrayed in a richly ornamented yellow color symbolizing the earth and fertility. Yellow Dzambhala is shown holding a mongoose in his left hand, which is often seen ejecting jewels, representing his power to grant material benefits and wealth.

Vaisravana is an elaborate form of Yellow Dzambhala, distinguished by his Snow Lion mount and a magnificent auspicious parosol.

Unique Attributes and Practice

Unlike other Dzambhalas, Yellow Dzambhala is often seen sitting atop a treasure, further emphasizing his association with wealth and prosperity. The practice associated with Yellow Dzambhala involves visualizing him as a fully enlightened Buddha, radiating yellow light, and reciting his mantra. This practice is known for creating a positive potential for wealth and abundance, in addition to promoting generosity and encouraging a spirit of sharing.

His main practice is offerings and mantras. The more elaborate and very powerful water offering is special to all forms of Dzambhala. This tradition arises from Maha Prajna-Paramita Sutra. At one time Shakyamuni Buddha, while teaching, was attacked by jealous Devadatta, intent on murder. He threw giant rocks at Buddha, intending to kill him.

All five forms of Dzambhala manifested instantly, surrounding him and protecting him. Yellow Dzambhala and White Dzambhala were struck on the head and Black Dzambhala on his stomach, saving Buddha from injury.

In an act of profound blessing, Buddha extended his hand towards Zambhala, releasing a sublime nectar imbued with wisdom, compassion, and love. Upon contact, this heavenly elixir healed Zambhala’s head and stomach, leading them into a state of profound bliss and tranquility. Not only did this purify the Zambhalas, cleansing them of any impurities and obstructions, but it also tended to their wounds. Overwhelmed with gratitude for this gift, Zambhala bowed deeply before Buddha in heartfelt thanks.

Sakyamuni Buddha said to him, “As I have healed you and I poured this holy nectar onto you, in the future any one of my students or student’s students who invokes your power and pours water onto your head – bestow on them wealth, give them the two types of wealth, material wealth and spiritual wealth, more importantly spiritual wealth.” After that, Jambhala folded his hands and said, “I will do as you have said and I promise that I will do that.”

Correlation with Buddha Ratnasambhava

The Yellow Dzambhala is believed to be closely associated with Buddha Ratnasambhava, one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas. This strong alignment is indicative of the primary spiritual quality that Yellow Dzambhala promotes: the complete fulfillment of spiritual and material needs, as both are considered essential for the path towards enlightenment.

Mantra Energy of the Yellow Dzambhala

To tap the energy of the Yellow Dzambhala, we commonly chant his mantra. His mantra brings the powerful blessings of Yellow Dzambhala, eliminating hindrances to wealth and attracting fortunate circumstances. In addition, offerings such as water, incense, and gemstones are frequently made to honor the deity  and create auspicious merit.

Despite being primarily associated with material wealth, Yellow Dzambhala also symbolizes the wealth of wisdom and compassion. Yellow Dzambhala helps bring good fortune to practitioners for stability of practice and to facilitate generosity. The wealth is not just material, but spiritual wealth, the precious jewel of compassionate Dharma practice.

Mantra

His mantra is

Om Jambhala Jalendraye Svaha

This mantra is often transliterated differently in Tibetan or Napalese versions (although the above transliteration is closest to the intended Sanskrit pronunciation) as :

Om Dzambhala Dzalen Traye Svaha

or

Om Zambala Zalendhraye Soha

• Om – represents the Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddhas. Om is deriviative of AUM, where A is Enlightened Body, U is Enlightened Speech and M is Enlightened Mind. With Om, we are praising the Body, Speech and Mind of Dzambalah.
• Jambhala – this syllable is the name of Yellow Dzambhala, which translates as ”Precious Wealth Deity” and in a mantra, his name draws him near, invoking him. Dzam means “deity.” Bhah means wealth or gold. La means “to honor”
• Ja len dra ye – this  assembly of syllables contextual means various things, in the context of Yellow Dzambla practice  it can be thought of as: “deity (Ja) free me from that which obstructs me.” This could represent the manifestation of physical, such as affluence, wealth and means, and emotional, or mental hindrances that are hindering the path to enlightenment
• Svaha – this syllable translates as “well spoken” and contextually in an activity mantra such as this also means “let it be so” or “please manifest it so.”

AN 8.54 PTS: A iv 281 Dighajanu (Vyagghapajja) 

Sutta: Conditions of Welfare

translated from the Pali by Narada Thera [3]

Thus have I heard. Once the Exalted One was dwelling amongst the Koliyans, in their market town named Kakkarapatta. Then Dighajanu, a Koliyan, approached the Exalted One, respectfully saluted Him and sat on one side. Thus seated, he addressed the Exalted One as follows:
“We, Lord, are laymen who enjoy worldly pleasure. We lead a life encumbered by wife and children. We use sandalwood of Kasi. We deck ourselves with garlands, perfume and unguents. We use gold and silver. To those like us, O Lord, let the Exalted One preach the Dhamma, teach those things that lead to weal and happiness in this life and to weal and happiness in future life.”
Conditions of Worldly Progress
“Four conditions, Vyagghapajja, conduce to a householder’s weal and happiness in this very life. Which four?
“The accomplishment of persistent effort (utthana-sampada), the accomplishment of watchfulness (arakkha-sampada), good friendship (kalyanamittata) and balanced livelihood (sama-jivikata).
“What is the accomplishment of persistent effort?
“Herein, Vyagghapajja, by whatsoever activity a householder earns his living, whether by farming, by trading, by rearing cattle, by archery, by service under the king, or by any other kind of craft — at that he becomes skillful and is not lazy. He is endowed with the power of discernment as to the proper ways and means; he is able to carry out and allocate (duties). This is called the accomplishment of persistent effort.
“What is the accomplishment of watchfulness?
“Herein, Vyagghapajja, whatsoever wealth a householder is in possession of, obtained by dint of effort, collected by strength of arm, by the sweat of his brow, justly acquired by right means — such he husbands well by guarding and watching so that kings would not seize it, thieves would not steal it, fire would not burn it, water would not carry it away, nor ill-disposed heirs remove it. This is the accomplishment of watchfulness.
“What is good friendship?
“Herein, Vyagghapajja, in whatsoever village or market town a householder dwells, he associates, converses, engages in discussions with householders or householders’ sons, whether young and highly cultured or old and highly cultured, full of faith (saddha), full of virtue (sila), full of charity (caga), full of wisdom (pañña). He acts in accordance with the faith of the faithful, with the virtue of the virtuous, with the charity of the charitable, with the wisdom of the wise. This is called good friendship.
“What is balanced livelihood?
“Herein, Vyagghapajja, a householder knowing his income and expenses leads a balanced life, neither extravagant nor miserly, knowing that thus his income will stand in excess of his expenses, but not his expenses in excess of his income.
“Just as the goldsmith, or an apprentice of his, knows, on holding up a balance, that by so much it has dipped down, by so much it has tilted up; even so a householder, knowing his income and expenses leads a balanced life, neither extravagant nor miserly, knowing that thus his income will stand in excess of his expenses, but not his expenses in excess of his income.
“If, Vyagghapajja, a householder with little income were to lead an extravagant life, there would be those who say — ‘This person enjoys his property like one who eats wood-apple.’ If, Vyagghapajja, a householder with a large income were to lead a wretched life, there would be those who say — ‘This person will die like a starveling.’
“The wealth thus amassed, Vyagghapajja, has four sources of destruction:
“(i) Debauchery, (ii) drunkenness, (iii) gambling, (iv) friendship, companionship and intimacy with evil-doers.å
“Just as in the case of a great tank with four inlets and outlets, if a man should close the inlets and open the outlets and there should be no adequate rainfall, decrease of water is to be expected in that tank, and not an increase; even so there are four sources for the destruction of amassed wealth — debauchery, drunkenness, gambling, and friendship, companionship and intimacy with evil-doers.
“There are four sources for the increase of amassed wealth: (i) abstinence from debauchery, (ii) abstinence from drunkenness, (iii) non-indulgence in gambling, (iv) friendship, companionship and intimacy with the good.
“Just as in the case of a great tank with four inlets and four outlets, if a person were to open the inlets and close the outlets, and there should also be adequate rainfall, an increase in water is certainly to be expected in that tank and not a decrease, even so these four conditions are the sources of increase of amassed wealth.
“These four conditions, Vyagghapajja, are conducive to a householder’s weal and happiness in this very life.
Conditions of Spiritual Progress
“Four conditions, Vyagghapajja, conduce to a householder’s weal and happiness in his future life. Which four?
“The accomplishment of faith (saddha-sampada), the accomplishment of virtue (sila-sampada), the accomplishment of charity (caga-sampada) and the accomplishment of wisdom (pañña-sampada).
“What is the accomplishment of faith?
“Herein a householder is possessed of faith, he believes in the Enlightenment of the Perfect One (Tathagata): Thus, indeed, is that Blessed One: he is the pure one, fully enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, well-gone, the knower of worlds, the incomparable leader of men to be tamed, the teacher of gods and men, all-knowing and blessed. This is called the accomplishment of faith.
“What is the accomplishment of virtue?
“Herein a householder abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and from intoxicants that cause infatuation and heedlessness. This is called the accomplishment of virtue.
“What is the accomplishment of charity?
“Herein a householder dwells at home with heart free from the stain of avarice, devoted to charity, open-handed, delighting in generosity, attending to the needy, delighting in the distribution of alms. This is called the accomplishment of charity.
“What is the accomplishment of wisdom?
“Herein a householder is wise: he is endowed with wisdom that understands the arising and cessation (of the five aggregates of existence); he is possessed of the noble penetrating insight that leads to the destruction of suffering. This is called the accomplishment of wisdom.
“These four conditions, Vyagghapajja, conduce to a householder’s weal and happiness in his future life.”
Energetic and heedful in his tasks, Wisely administering his wealth, He lives a balanced life, Protecting what he has amassed. Endowed with faith and virtue too, Generous he is and free from avarice; He ever works to clear the path That leads to weal in future life. Thus to the layman full of faith, By him, so truly named ‘Enlightened,’ These eight conditions have been told Which now and after lead to bliss.

The Jewel Family: Exploring the Connection to Ratnasambhava

Yellow Jambhala manifests as the generousity and abundance aspect of Buddha Ratnasambhava, who is the Buddha of the illustrious Jewel Family. His practices help us in two ways:

• Stability in our life conditions allows us to practice Dharma. We practice Dharma with the ultimate goal of benefiting all sentient beings, including ourselves
• Stability encourages generosity and the urge to help others and to support the spread of Buddha Dharma. Generosity, in turn, is the opponent of Greed (Sanskrit Raga), one of Three “poisons” in Buddhism

In Buddhism, the terms ‘three poisons‘ (Sanskrit: triviṣa; Tibetan: dug gsum) or the ‘three unwholesome roots’ (Sanskrit: akuśala-mūla; Pāli: akusala-mūla) refer to the root kleshas, the origin of human misery. These three are: Moha (representing delusion or confusion), Raga (symbolizing sensual attachment or greed), and Dvesha (indicating aversion or hatred).

Ratnasambhava, the transcendental Buddha who symbolizes richness and fruitfulness,  is the Buddha of the Earth element, and is closest to our reality. His profound influence on Jambhala is evident in the wealth deity’s commitment to aiding all sentient beings in cultivating an abundant mindset.

Generosity opposes Greed

Generosity fundamentally opposes greed, serving as a mirror reflecting the damaging effects of our attachment to material possessions.  Generosity arises from our own stability and resources . By embracing Jambhala’s teachings and following his practice, we are shown a practical way to enjoy a stable life, conducive to Dharma practice.

The visualization of Yellow Jambhala, represented holding a jewel-spewing mongoose in one hand, and a fruit in another, is a symbolic expression of Ratnasambhava’s attribute of abundance and a reminder of the importance of generosity. When engaged in Jambhala’s practice, practitioners are encouraged to focus on this imagery and contemplate its deeper symbolism, while striving to embody the qualities represented.

By invoking Yellow Jambhala, an aspect of Buddha Ratnasambhava, we are given powerful tools to overcome our own greed. We are nudged gently, yet firmly towards celebrating abundance not as an end, but as a means to contribute generously to the welfare of all.

Resources
– Berzin, Alexander. “The Five Buddha-Families and Five Dhyani Buddhas.” Study Buddhism, Berzin Archives, studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/vajrayana/tantra-advanced/the-five-buddha-families-and-five-dhyani-buddhas.
– Rinpoche, Pabongka. Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment. Wisdom Publications, 2006.

Images

1. Vajayana Print https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/818543476/namtoshe-with-five-jambala-thangka-high
2. Vajrayana Print https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/831887771/namtoshe-with-five-jambala-thangka-high
3. Tangka Nepal on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1295120592/5-dzambalas-with-ratnasambhava-at-top-in
4. Vajrayana Print Jambala https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/820353410/jambala-god-of-wealth-kubera-tibetan
5. Tangka Nepal: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1132633951/jambala-thanka-in-tibetan-buddhist-art-l

Citations

[1] Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions 

by Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche

• Snow Lion (February 8, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 504 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1611809053
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1611809053

[2] Gyalten Sogdzin Rinpoche source: https://soundcloud.com/user-694826757/yellow-jambhala-mantra-sanskrit

[3] “Dighajanu (Vyagghapajja) Sutta: Conditions of Welfare” (AN 8.54), translated from the Pali by Narada Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.054.nara.html .

Sadhanas are not just sacred Dharma texts, held up as venerable sacred texts — in Vajrayana they are (metaphorically) the recipes to successful Buddhist realizations.

As with a chef in the kitchen, you don’t have to use the recipe — but it ensures a good result. The spectacular result, as with fine cuisine, is due to a preceding lineage of accomplished practitioners (metaphor: teaching chefs), unbroken teaching lineage going back to the source of wisdom, the Buddha.

What is a Sadhana?

“There will be an abbreviated one; there will be a full one; sometimes there’s a medium level as well. And my teacher Serkong Rinpoche said that the abbreviated forms, the short forms, are for advanced practitioners. It’s the long, full forms that are for the beginners.” [1]

The three secrets of Tantric Sadhana

“…the three “secrets”, characterise sadhanas, and not only sadhanas, but all Buddhist practices:

1. In the beginning, or during the preparation phase, there is the secret of Bodhicitta

2. In the middle, that is the real practice, there is the secret of Selflessness

3. In the end, there is the secret of Dedication.”[3]

Then, in the middle, we focus on practice without selfishness — with no attachments and “with a view of Shunyata.” To do this, we have to “purify” obscurations, develop merit (through the six paramitas or givings). We also generate ourselves (or pretend to) as the Enlightened Deity as a method to remove those attachments and develop wisdom. Ven. Khempo Ringu elaborates:

“Through the practice of sadhanas, we forcefully turn ourselves into a deity, and we exercise or train to see ourselves, our body, speech and mind, as the body, speech and mind of the Buddhas, even though we have not actually reached that stage. This is what is meant by exercising at the result level, which is why Tantrayana is sometimes called the Yana of Results.”

The secret of Sadhanas

The unifying factor of all Sadhanas: motivation

“Motivation at the beginning, and dedication at the end. According to Kadam tradition and Gelug tradition, in the Lamrim teachings, mentioned it is very important to have right motivation in the beginning — the beginning of your practice.

Let’s say you sit down to meditate, or do sadhana practice — whatever practice you do — you must, and should, begin with right motivation, pure motivation. That makes a big difference for your practice.

“For instance, when you generate Bodhichitta motivation, pure motivation, you say, from your heart, “I would like to do this practice, meditation session, or sadhana practice, or mantra recitation, for the benefit of all sentient beings. Enlightenment for all sentient beings. May I become Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings, as soon as possible. For that reason, I am going to do Samatha Vipassana meditation, or I would like to do sadhana — say, sadhana of Tara, or sadhana of Avalokiteshvara.”

Preliminary practices included

• Prostrations and Taking Refuge
• Bodhichitta Vow and Four Immeasurables
• Vajrasattva Mantra
• Mandala Offering
• Guru Yoga
• Sensory Offerings.

Most complete Sadhanas include all of these, and other preliminaries.

The ingredients of Sadhana

• Refuge: taking Refuge in Guru and the Three Jewels: Buddha Dharma and Sangha
• Generating Bodhichitta (and often meditating on the Four Immeasurable)
• Seven-Limb Practice (all Sadhanas have either a simple or highly detailed version of this)
  • Bodhichitta motivation
  • Prostration
  • Offerings
  • Admitting our mistakes and requesting Forbearance (confession/purification)
  • Rejoicing
  • Requesting teachings
  • Requesting our teacher remain with us
• Generating as deity: Vajrayana is unique in Buddhism; it adds “Generation as a deity” or “visualization” to other forms of meditation (such as breath or mindfulness); specifically, visualization of becoming the Enlightened Being. Although we’re only practicing (or play-acting the Enlightened role) — it is vital role-playing; similar to an actor rehearsing the script, or a chef praticing with ingredients. Importantly, the Sadhana will fully describe in elaborate detail, exactly what to visualize.
• Mantra recitation: introduces sacred sound to the recipe — this is one of the “secret sauces” of Vajrayana
• Dedication of the merit (considered indispensable in Buddhist Practice).

The goal: a shortcut to Enlightenment

“When Lama Tsongkhapa asked Manjushri: “What is the quick way to achieve enlightenment?” Manjushri advised Lama Tsongkhapa to attempt all these together: purifying the obstacles to attainment (Vajrasattva practice is what is normally mentioned in texts, but it includes Confession of Downfalls with recitation of the Thirty-five Buddhas’ names and so forth); collect the necessary condition of merit (offering mandalas is what is usually mentioned); second (since the previous two are counted together), make one-pointed request to the guru to receive blessings; and third, train your mind in the actual body of the practice, the stages of the path to enlightenment. This is the answer Manjushri gave to Lama Tsongkhapa’s question.” [2]

Purposes of the steps

• Purifying negative karma (confession)
• Generating merit (through offerings and so on)
• Developing compassion (Bodhichitta practices)
• Developing wisdom and insights
• Overcoming incorrect perceptions of the nature of reality.

• Delusion (Sanskrit: moha, Tibetan gti mug, English: confusion, ignorance)
• Attachment (Sanskrit raga; Tibetan ‘dod chags; English desire, sensuality, greed)
• Aversion (Sanskrit dvesa, Tibetan zhe sdang; English hatred)

Ingredients of more advanced practices

“Now the structure of a sadhana is – the full sadhanas – is that it starts with a lineage practice. So you visualize the whole lineage going back to the Buddha, in whatever form the Buddha might have appeared in for giving the practice. Whether it’s Vajradhara, whether it’s Samantabhadra, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. It will be different in each practice. And then you imagine the whole line of lineage masters going all the way down to your present master, the one that you receive the empowerment from, and you recite a verse for each one of them; or it can be a verse that includes a few of them.” [2]

Eleven Yogas of Vajrayogini

• Yoga of Sleep
• Yoga of Arising
• Yoga of Experiencing Nectar
• Yoga of the Immeasurables
• Yoga of the Guru
• Yoga of Generation
• Yoga of Purifying and Blessing All Living Beings
• Yoga of Receiving blessings from the Enlightened Ones
• Yoga of Verbal and Mental Recitation of the Mantra
• Yoga of Inconceivability
• Yoga of Daily Activities

Special ingredients

The habit of Sadhana is about results, not boredom

But, why do we have to “speak it?”

Why do I have to visualize it that way?

No editing, please

The long and short of Sadhana

NOTES

The Bell and Dorje are virtually synonymous with advanced Vajrayana tantric practice — together with the ubiquitous mala. Advanced practitioners also always have a one-handed Dhamaru drum representing blissful activity and wisdom. A Tibetan practitioner is rarely separated from these powerful meditational and ritual symbols—just as the Bell and Dorje should never be separated from each other. Even non-Buddhists might recognize the symbolism immediately—among the most widely recognized symbols used in Buddhism. (See video below for “How to use the Vajra and Bell”.)

Why does the Bell and Dorje hold such a prominent place in Buddhist practice? What is so special about these seemingly simple—yet endlessly profound—ritual implements? They represent the two aspects of Vajrayana Buddhist practice — wisdom and compassionate activity. The sound of the bell — always held in the left hand of wisdom — is symbolic of the wisdom understanding shunyata, or Emptiness.  The vajra (or dorje) meanwhile, held in the right hand, represent compassionate means and activities. The symbolism only starts there. In essence, nearly every symbol and aspect of practice is contained in these two symbols — which is why they must never be seperated. In the same way wisdom is inseparable from compassion, we symbolically show this by always keeping bell and dorje (vajra) together. (In the case of holding them, they are connected by our touch, with bell in left hand and vajra in right.) The symbolism of th bell and vajra is extensive:

The Ghanta and Vajra, Bell and Dorje, represent multiple concepts (this list, compiled from various sources):

• Indivisible Emptiness (Bell) and Form (Dorje)
• Wisdom realizing emptiness (Bell) and Compassionate Action (Dorje)
• Personal meditation Yidam deity (the Dorje), and your deity’s mandala (the Bell).
• The six perfections: the Perfection of Wisdom (Bell) and the five perfections of generosity, morality, patience, perseverance, concentration (the five prongs of the Dorje)
• The path to Enlightenment: Wisdom (Bell) and Compassion (Dorje)
• Bell and Dorje together symbolize the penetrating wisdom and compassion of the Heart Sutra.
• Wisdom (Bell) and Means (Dorje)
• Sounds of Emptiness—sacred music and mantras—from the Bell and the forms of Enlightenment from the Dorje, including manifested Buddhas (five prongs representing five Wisdom Buddhas)
• Bell representing Dharmakaya Truth Body and Dorje representing both the Sambhogakaya Enjoyment Body and Nirmanakaya Transformation Body
• Great Mind (Bell) and Great Realization and Purity (Dorje)

A Treasury of Teachings of Buddha Symbolized

Literally, each time we meditate with the Bell and Dorje we are engaging with a symbolic compendium of teachings of the Buddha. At the highest level, the very face of Wisdom—Pranjna Paramita—appears on the handle of the Bell.

In our hands, the Dorje is Yidam: compassion and method—representing the five male perfections; the Bell is Mandala: the entire wisdom Mandala and representing the female perfection of wisdom.

We cradle in our hands the deity, and the entire mandala of the deity, embodied in the subtleties of the symbols, or the entire universe itself—wonderful offerings for our practice. We touch the five Dhyani Buddhas and their wondrous wisdom consorts. We also directly connect to the eight great bodhisattvas and their consorts. The eight auspicious symbols, the lotus throne, the moon disc, and a complex array of symbols perfectly adorn these small, vital implements. And, importantly, we generate the emptiness of sound, a sound that reaches out to our inner Buddha with the sound of Wisdom, and calls on the deities.

Hand Mudras: How to use the Vajra and Bell: This is a video featuring Ven. Thupten Donyo of the Gyuto Vajrayana Center of San Jose. In the class, Ven Donyo teaches you how to use the Vajra and Bell with your offering mantras.

Wisdom and Compassion, the Path to Enlightenment

At the purest and simplest level of understanding, some teachings indicate the Bell (Ghanta in Sankrit) represents the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajna Paramita, in Sanskrit)—wisdom, which directly realizes emptiness.

The Dorje, (or Vajra in Sanskrit), the bell’s inseparable companion, represents compassion, form and means (or method).

Simply put, they are inseparable symbols, because together they represent indivisible emptiness and form. Or, put another way, wisdom and compassion. In Mahayana Buddhism, both wisdom and compassion—together—are the path to Enlightenment.

The imagery, however, of these near ubiquitous ritual implements, is as vast as the discerning mind cares to penetrate.

Perfection of Wisdom

At the highest level, the Bell and Dorje together symbolize the penetrating wisdom and compassion of that most important of Sutras—the Heart Sutra.

“Form is empty. Emptiness is form,” proclaims Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. If the Dorje is form, the Bell is emptiness. Put another way, compassion and wisdom, the path to enlightenment.

As symbols and ritual implements, they are inseparable from the practitioner, in the same way form and emptiness are inseparable in the sutras. Traditionally, the Bell and Dorje must never be separated from each other, either placed together in a place of respect, or held simultaneously by the practitioner, Bell in left hand (wisdom hand), Dorje in right (method hand). But—always together. Thought of another way, the Bell is the Feminine principle (wisdom) and the Dorje is the Male principle (compassion).

In the same way that the entire Heart Sutra can be represented by the great Perfection of Wisdom mantra—Gate Gate Paragate Para Samghate Bodhi Svaha—so, too, does the Bell and Vajra physically represent form and emptiness, compassion and wisdom.

Literally, the sound the Bell generates “proclaims the sound of emptiness.” The Bell also represents speech, sound and sacred mantras. Sound, as a metaphor for wisdom, suggests emptiness. In ancient belief, the relative universe arouse from a sound.

The Six Perfections

The five prongs on the classical five-pronged Dorje is said to represent the five “male” perfections (male=method) of:

• generosity
• morality
• patience
• perseverance
• concentration

The mouth of the bell, the open dome that generates the sound of emptiness, represents the sixth —and “female”—perfection of wisdom.

An Entire Universe in One Bell

The wonder of the Bell is the entire Deity Mandala contained within—and without. Contained is really the wrong word, since we’re talking about emptiness (wisdom)—but it’s the easiest way to describe symbols.

Literally, the entire relative universe—or in particular practices—the mandala of the Deity, is represented on the extraordinary Bell. Any serious practitioner will immediately recognize the symbols as the mandala of the deity.

Here are some of the many symbols found on traditional Bells (Ghantas). Please refer to the inset photo with labels pointing to typical position symbol will be found:

1. Disc of Space: the outer rim of the bell represents the outer disc of space.

2. Necklace of Light: as the bell tapers in in mandala shape, the first ring of malas or rosaries (pearls or conch) represent the outer protection circle of the Necklace of Light—protecting the mandala from conflagration (the poison of aggression), earthquakes (the poison of ignorance), and floods (poison of desire).

3. Vajra Fence: the second protective circle of the mandala as 32 or 65 upright Dorjes (Vajras).

4. Lotus Womb: the upper level of pearls or malas (surmounting the Vajras) is the third protective circle.

5. Earth Disk: above the Lotus Womb is an open, unadorned area, representing the disk of earth.

6. Eight Great Bodhisattvas: wrapped in a wondrous arcs and loops of jewels and pearls are the emblems of the eight great Bodhisattvas:

• Wheel (east or front)
• Uptala lotus (south east)
• Wish Fulfilling Jewel or Ratna (south)
• Wheel (south west)
• Lotus (west)
• Vajra (north west)
• Wisdom sword (north)
• Lotus (northeast)

7. Eight Faces of Glory: above the Bodhisattvas are eight faces of glory, and hanging from their fierce mouths are strings of pearls and jewels. These kirtimukha faces represent the eight makara heads of the immense Vishva Vajra (double Dorjes crossed) that supports the central mandala palace. In Chod practice, the eight faces also represent the eight great charnel grounds or cemeteries.

8. Offering Goddess Platform: the two rows of pearls above the eight faces represent the decorations of the offering goddess platform and walls.

9. Vajra Platform: The horizontal Vajras above the Goddess Platform represent the eight or sixteen emptiness’s and also the indestructible Vajra Platform, the material of the mandala’s central dais.

10. Eight-Petal Lotus: On the upper area of the bell is the lotus of the mandala’s central dais . On each petal is a seed syllable. The four cardinal syllables around the Lotus represent the Four Mothers, the consorts of the four directional Buddhas:

• Mother Tara (Tam)
• Mother Locana (Lam)
• Mother Mamaki (Mam)
• Mother Pandara (Pam)

11. Eight Male Bodhisattvas: Each petal of the Lotus represents the eight great male Bodhisattvas

• Kshitigarbha (East petal — east, the front petal of the lotus)
• Maitreya (southeast)
• Akashagarba (south)
• Samantabhadra (southwest)
• Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) (west)
• Manjugosha (northwest)
• Vajrapani (north)
• Sarva-nivarana-vishkambhim (northeast)

12. Eight Offering Goddesses: represented by the eight seed syllables (seed syllable English transliteration in brackets) between each petal of the Lotus:

• Lasya (Tam) offering beauty (east or front)
• Pushpa (Mam) offering flowers (southeast)
• Mala (Lam) offering garlands (south)
• Dhupa (Pam) offering incense (southwest)
• Gita (Mam) offering song (west)
• Aloka (Tam) offering light (northwest)
• Nritya (Pam) offering dance (north)
• Gandha (Bhrum) offering perfume (northeast)

13. Inside the lotus, surrounding the stem of the bell, is a smaller lotus of 24 or sometimes 32 spokes, representing the lotus-throne of the mandala’s central deity—you can visualize either Prajna Paramita, the face of the Perfection of Wisdom who adorns the bell, or the mandala of your Yidam deity.

14. At the base of the handle, and under the crowning vajra (which always tops the bell), are six more rings, representing the six perfections of the Prajna Paramita.

15. Between the three top rings and the three bottom rings is a square or round base, representing the longevity vase of nectar.

16. Above the vase, is the very face of wisdom, the ultimate wisdom Mother Pajna Paramita, wearing a five-wisdom jeweled crown and with her hair bound, representing the binding of all diverse views into a single non-dual reality.

17. Above the Goddess is the lotus base of the vajra crown. The vajra crown is the very embodiment of the Five Wisdom Buddhas: Akshobya, Amitabha, Amoghisiddhi, Vairochana, and Ratnasambhava.

Note: Some bells have a finger-whole, for the ring finger, replacing the longevity vase and sometimes the face of Prajn Paramita. This represents emptiness.

Symbolism of Prongs on Vajra or Dorje

Always held in the right hand, and never separated from the bell, is the Vajra or Dorje.

The main elements of a vajra include equal numbers of prongs on both ends, connected through a sphere or globe representing the sphere of actual reality (emptiness). The prongs (twin reflected vajras) are usually on lotus thrones, because the prongs themselves most often signify the five Wisdom Buddhas on one end and their five Mother consorts on the other. The prongs include the central prong (four for the directions of west, north, east, west and the center). For other symbolism, related to the number of prongs, see “Many variations on the Vajra.)

At another level of symbolism, the two reflected ends of the vajra represent samsara and nirvana, connected by the actual reality of emptiness (sphere).

At yet another level of symbolism, the vajra in total represents the activity and compassion of the yidam, where the bell represented the yidam’s mandala.

Still another level maps the shape of the vajra to the map of the subtle body, with intersections representing nadis and chakras, and the perimeter lines mapping to the three main channels (see illustration.)

The center globe or hub represents dharmata (in Tibetan chos nyid) which is the sphere of actual reality—in other words emptiness. Whether inscribed, or visualized, the sphere contains the seed syllable (bija) of the syllable Hum.

Hum symbolism

The dharmata containing the Hum represents the three sounds symbolizing the groundlessness of all dharmas (subjective truths). These are H (Hetu) for freedom from causation (karma and samsara), U (Uha) ror freedom from conception, and M for freedom from transformation.

The closed prongs represent the perfection of the yidam’s method or skillful means (upaya in Sanskrit, thabs in Tibetan).

On both sides of the central sphere, are equal-numbered prongs (vajras) on thrones of lotus. The prongs themselves are normally square if viewed as a cross-section, rather than round, with the tips themselves coming to a point, like a jewel (or a pyramid).

Sometimes, the central prongs represent the subtle body (microcosm of the sentient being) while the four prongs surrounding represent the four directions and the four faces of Mount Meru (the symbolic center of the universe)—which together represent the universe (macrocosm).

Sometimes, on detailed vajras, we see four mouths of makaras (Sanskrit word, describing a sea dragon, a hybrid of a giant crocodile and fish) rising from the moon disc, from which the four surrounding prongs emerge—symbolizing the four immeasurables, the four doors to liberation, the four joys, the four directions and the four purified elements of fire, earth, air and water. Other vajras might have the prongs emanating from extended lotus petals.

The Lotus Thrones

The eight-petals of the lotus thrones, represent the eight great male Bodhisattvas and the eight great goddesses or female Bodhisattvas. The sixteen petals also represent the sixteen kinds of emptiness identified in the sutras.

On top of the lotus are circular flattened moon discs Above the lotus bases are three rings of pearls. The three rings on both ends, totaling six, represent the six perfections: generosity, morality, patience, energy, concentration and wisdom.

The Upper and Lower Prongs on Five-Pronged Vajra

Although an equal reflection, the exact duplicate of the five prongs on top and bottom (although technically, either can be top or bottom, depending on how it is held) represent manifold pairings of concepts:

• Upper—Five Wisdom Buddhas (Dhyani Buddhas); Lower—Five Mothers or Consorts
• Upper—five sensory perceptions; Lower—five sense organs
• Collectively: the ten directions, the ten perfections and the ten stages (grounds) of the Bodhisattva path.

The Upper and Lower Prongs on Nine Pronged Vajra

On the nine-pronged vajra (axis plus eight curving outer prongs on each end), the nine prongs represent:

• Four cardinal and four inter-cardinal directions on each end (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)
• Eight consciousness’s
• Buddha’s Eightfold Path
• Vajradhara surrounded by the eight great Bodhisattvas
• Mandala of the center and the eight directions.

Many Variations on the Vajra

There are many different types of Vajra. They basically fall into two broad categories. Those with “closed prongs” are suitable for all practices, while the “open prongs” are only meant for specialized practices, given out by a qualified teacher, and generally wrathful.

1. Single Pronged Vajra
2. Three Pronged Vajra: represents the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), and sometimes the three kayas (three bodies of a Buddha: Dharmakaya, Samboghakaya, and Nirmanakaya). It also symbolizes the overcoming of the three poisons of desire, aversion and ignorance and furthermore, control of the three times, past, present and future. It also symbolizes the three realms (below, upon and above). Finally, it represents the three main channels (nadi) of the subtle body.
3. Five Pronged Vajra with closed tines (typically for Sarma traditions: Gelug, Sakya, Kagyu and Jonang): see main description above.
4. Five Pronged Vajra with open tines (wrathful version)
5. Seven Prong Vajra
6. Nine Pronged Vajra (typically only Nyimgma Tradition and Himalayan Buddhism)
7. Twelve Pronged Vajra (vishvavajra), a crossed vajra or double vajra.
8. Twenty Pronged Vajra (vishvavajra), a crossed vajra or double vajra.

Vajrayogini has been called the “Buddha for our times.” Many of the great Mahasiddhas, such as Naropa, attained realizations through her practice. There’s an old Tibetan saying: “Practicing any Buddha is practicing all Buddhas.” The great Atisha, when he first came to Tibet, was horrified to find Tibetans practicing many deities at once. He admonished them that they only have to practice one. The Enlightened qualities of one Buddha — including Vajrayogini — are no different from the qualities of another Buddha, even if we sometimes say, Tara, who specializes in “protection” and “Medicine Buddha” in medicine. So, why is Vajrayogini “the Buddha for our times?”

Video Documentary: 10 Benefits of Vajrayoini Practice

The great Lama Yeshe said, “The Vajrayogini yoga method is extremely powerful. It is just what we need in these degenerate times, with our delusions running rampant and our minds grasping at concretized sense pleasures. Therefore, a method such as this, which has the wisdom to transform delusions, is of the utmost need, especially as it has the profound property of becoming more powerful as delusions become stronger.”

Of all the Vajrayana meditative deities, Vajrayogini is credited with being the one practice for our busy, hectic, terrifying times which can lead us, in one lifetime, to Enlightenment. (See the full “teaching” video with Garchen Rinpoche on Vajrayogini, embedded below.)

Note: some nudity in the thangkas.

[NOTE: Vajrayogini’s actual practice requires empowerment, initiation, and instruction from a qualified teacher. This feature is simply to inform on the benefits of the practice.]

Feature by Josephine Nolan,

Contributing Editor

The Buddha for our time?

Simply put, Her visualization, Her appearance, Her mantra, Her sadhana, are all designed to counter our modern obstacles — especially the obstacles of our degenerate times. In our modern age, when we have no time, when life is always in the way of practice, when we struggle with many fears — terrorism, global warming, wars, paying the bills, healing our sickness — these are all the reasons to consider Her practice. Vajrayogini manifests in her fiery red, passionate, stunning beautiful and energetic form. Fast action. Fast practice. An appearance that is instantly modern and relatable.

Vajrayogini is not superior to any other Buddha. They are all perfect. They are all Oneness. But, She specifically manifests for these times — She is at once more intimate, closer to us, and more relatable than, for example, a serene peaceful Buddha. The serene, peaceful Buddha conjures the feeling of six years of renunciation under a tree meditating. In today’s world, how can anyone contemplate such a commitment?

In violent, fast-paced times, we sometimes can more easily relate to the ferocious energy of the Dakini Queen, who delivers realizations in a dervish of dancing energy, blissful realization and sudden glimpses of Shunyata.

Video 2018 teaching from Garchen Rinpoche on Vajrayogini:

Is Vajrayogini real or a symbol?

It is fashionable in the west to embrace deities, but to rationalize them as symbols, psychological constructs, or meditational visions designed to help us overcome “ordinary appearances.” While all of this is true, it is also true, relatively speaking, that Vajrayogini, and other deities, exist as described here by His Holiness Sakya Trizin:

“In Buddhist tradition, we have two truths: the relative truth and absolute truth. In absolute truth, there’s no deity. There’s nothing. It’s inexpressible. In other words, it is something that is completely beyond our present way of thinking and being. But relatively, we have everything existing. We have “I,” and “you,” and all this. Empty it is, also. All these deities are different, with different categories. Some deities are called yidams, some deities are called dharmapalas. It is not just an idea that we have created. They are all truly like this. They protect you and they bless you, they help you…” [5]

NOTE: Although the practices themselves are secret, discussing the benefits of practice is not. Vajrayana deity practices are widely available online, however just because they are available does not mean they should be practised without authorization or empowerment from a qualified teacher. However, any student, for example, in a temple, can make offerings and praise Vajrayogini.

An “easy” Higher Yoga practice?

Although Vajrayogini is a Highest Yoga Tantra practice, her meditation is relatively simple. Visualizing her is easy — she’s simply so stunningly beautiful it’s hard not to think of her appearance. She is also profoundly accomplished in every way:

“Vajrayogini/Vajravarahi ranks first and most important among the dakinis. She is the “Sarva-buddha-dakini” the Dakini Who is the Essence of all Buddhas.” [1]

Vajrayogini practice has led to the Enlightenment of many great masters. “Of the 84 Mahasiddhas of ancient India, many gained their attainments through the practices of Heruka Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini” [3] Traditionally, this is because the Chakrasamvara Vajrayogini mandala actually still exists in our physical world — most mandalas are absorbed back into emptiness at the end of meditations. This makes Her practice ideal for these chaotic times.

Above all, she is relatively “easy” from a visualization point of view. She is among the most vivid in imagery, yet the easiest to imagine.

His Holiness the Sakya Trizin explains: “Vajrayogini has many different forms, but the one we normally use is in between wrathful and peaceful. She is usually in the red color, with one face and two hands holding a curved knife and skull cup filled with nectar and she is adorned with bone ornaments. All these different ornaments and objects have many very deep meanings. The curved knife usually represents the fact that she cuts all defilements. The cup represents what in Sanskrit is called mahasukha, which means “the great bliss.” She is in a complete state of great bliss all the time.”

Spiritual benefits: countless

Although there are mundane benefits as well (see below), Her practice is especially known for higher spiritual attainments:

“She is the Anuttarayoga Tantra and as Istadevi (the only and the first Deity) and Her practice includes methods for preventing ordinary death, intermediate state (bardo) and rebirth (by transforming them into the paths to enlightenment), and for transforming all mundane daily experiences into spiritual paths.” [4]

Vajrayogini’s practice is the path to understanding Shunyata (Emptiness) and Clear Light — the luminosity of the nature of mind.

 [NOTE: Vajrayogini’s actual practice requires empowerment, initiation, and instruction from a qualified teacher. This feature is simply to inform on the benefits of the practice.]

Ten benefits of practice according to root Tantra

The source Tantra, in the Condensed Root Tantra of Heruka, explains there are ten key spiritual benefits to practice, many not available from other practices:

1. Easy to practice: although a Highest Yoga Tantra practice, the visualitions of the mandala are “relatively” easy, the sadhanas are “relatively” short and the mantra is “relatively” easy. Relatively being the key word.
2. Ideal for this “degenerate” age: Unlike other practices, Vajrayogini brings fast benefits, since Heruka and Her mandalas are closer to us than other deities.
3. Vajrayogini’s mantra is supreme for attainments. Although somewhat long, it is easy to memorize. It is said that Vajrayogi’s mantra alone is all a practitioner would ever need, provided they have faith.
4. Powerful blessings: not just blessings, but quick blessings.
5. Can accomplish all attainments: many of the great Mahasiddas accomplished Enlightenment and other realizations from Her practice.
6. Can practice both generation and completion stage together: if you don’t know what this means, teacher guidance is best.
7. Overcomes attachments: Vajrayogini’s sensuous nature and red colour signify she is suitable for overcome desires and cutting attachments (hence, her flaying knife!)
8. Although a short practice, Vajrayogini’s practice contains the essence of ALL practices.

There are also two relatively more secret (due to complexity) benefits; in other words benefits that aren’t easily understood unless you are already a practitioner. We won’t explain them here, since they are too profound as topics to cover here, but we list them for reference:

• Uncommon Yoga of Inconceivability
• Special body mandala practice

11 Yogas — “preventing ordinary appearances”

His Holiness Sakya Trizin explains

“The main method that is used in Vajrayana is to stop seeing things as ordinary. So you should see all these things as transcendental wisdom and oneself in the form of a deity, and all sounds as mantra, and every thought that comes as transcendental knowledge. Although at the moment you are just visualizing, you are just imagining, gradually your attachment to the ordinary vision loosens and you strengthen your path in the Vajrayana tradition.” [5]

, in summary why Vajrayogini practice epitomizes Vajrayana:

This is especially emphasized in daily Vajrayogini practice through a beautiful, elegant, complete and precise 11 Yogas, beginning with “Sleeping Yoga” and “Waking Yoga” and “Tasting the Nectar Yoga” right through the entire day. From sleep, to first taste of nectar in the morning, to going through our daily lives, we attempt to maintain the visualization of our form as Vajrayogini, our speech as Her mantra, and the world around us as Her Mandala. Of course, most practitioners struggle with these advanced Yogic methods, but the effect is profound. Known as the 11 Yogas of Vajrayogini, they are descsribed precisely, in a manner which describes each step (Here, we only use the topical Yoga names, the method can only be taught by your Guru):

1. Sleeping Yoga: Sleeping while maintaining the visualization of Vajrayogini
2. Rising Yoga: Waking, still in the form of Vajrayogini
3. Experiencing Nectar Yoga: tasting the nectar after rising
4. The Yoga of the Immeasurables
5. The Yoga of the Guru
6. The Yoga of Self-Generation
7. The Yoga of Purifying Migrators
8. The Yoga of Being Blessed by the Heroes and Heroines including a special Body Mandala
9. Yoga of Verbal and Mental Recitation of the Holy Mantra
10. The Yoga of Inconcievability
11. The Yoga of Daily Activities

The entire practice involves every moment of the pracitioner’s day — and is the ultimate, complete practice.

Cognitive benefits

Vajrayana Buddhists rely on symbols and visualization, activating mind, body and speech simultaneously with visualization (mind), mudra (body) and mantra or ritual (speech) respectively. Science has proven the relationship between Vajrayana meditation and cognitive benefits due to this massive activation of brain matter (See our story “Research Proves Vajrayana Meditation Improve Cognitive Performance and Promising for Brain Disorders>>)

The visual symbols, often including wrathful deities with fangs, animal heads, and the naked feminine, is usually misunderstood — which is why practices are normally secret.  The astonishingly beautiful and naked Vajrayogini, especially in sexual union, probably provokes the deepest misunderstanding.

NOTE: Although the practices themselves are secret, discussing them is not. Vajrayana deity practices are widely available online, however just because they are available does not mean they should be practised without authorization or empowerment from a qualified teacher. However, any student, for example, in a temple, can make offerings and praise Vajrayogini.

 [NOTE: Vajrayogini’s actual practice requires empowerment, initiation and instruction from a qualified teacher. This feature is simply to inform on the benefits of practice.]

Activating 280 million neurons

In seeing an image of some Enlightened deities, non-practitioners often see sex and demons — where there is actually nothing more than visual language that activates massive frontal volumes of brain matter:

“The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter.” — Science Direct [2]

In addition, visualization may active the visual cortex of our brains — over 280 million neurons. (For more on Vajrayana visualization, see our earlier story>>)

Interestingly, there is a visual cortex in both hemispheres of the brain, right and left. In scientific studies, visualization of Vajrayana deities in this way, has proven to be effective for growing cognitive abilities, and even beneficial for people with dementia. (Please see our earlier story: Peer-reviewed studies prove daily meditation increases cognitive function>>)

Wisdom and compassion united

H.H. Sakya Trizin explains the symbolism of wisdom and method:

“Actually these deities are the symbol, or the manifestation, of the ultimate truth. The female deities are more on the wisdom side and the male deities are more on the method [compassion] side. But the ultimate, actual transcendental knowledge of wisdom is the complete union of these two things. So they are not really separate. And this great Dharmadatu, or transcendental wisdom, is actually with everyone, within every sentient being. But we haven’t realized this, so we are thinking in an ordinary way about everything that we see, everything we do. Therefore we cling to this present scene that we have.” [5]

In Higher Tantra the two symbols, male and female, wisdom and compassion, are never separated. Even in Vajrayogini’s case — although she may appear alone — she always carries a Katangha staff on her shoulder. This is the symbolic form of the male deity. In the inset picture, she is in union with Chakrasamvara, but in solitary poses she might have the Katangha to represent the male deity.

In broad strokes, the symbolism divides (and yet is never divided) into two themes: capital-C Compassion (symbolized in male Enlightened Buddhas) and capital-W Wisdom (symbolized by female Enlightened Dakinis.) The combination of the two, visualized as the union of the male (compassion) and female (wisdom), brings a bliss and intensity to daily meditations — the faster-path to helping us understand Shunyata (Emptiness) and Clear Light.

The Dakini is often said to be the “bringer of bliss and wisdom.” Vajrayogini, the Queen of the Dakinis, is the best known of the Enlightened Feminine — after, perhaps, Venerable Tara. Vajrayogini is none other than an emanation of Tara (or vice versa, it doesn’t matter.)

Psychology of Dakinis

Noted psychologist, Rob Preece, in The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra, describes the power of Dakini symbols:

“As an archetypal symbol of the feminine, the dakini brings fiery wildness and deep instinctuality of feminine… As an aspect of Anima, she is at the heart of our relationship life. The Dakini is known as a messenger, a bringer of profound intuitions, and insight into the deepest aspects of the psyche.”

He goes on to describe Vajrayogini as the “most potent validation of this quality.”

“Her fiery red, dancing form reflects a quality similar to the flamenco dancer — proud, undaunted, powerful and erotic. She carries a curved knife to cut through the ignorance and stupidity she encounters, and, holding a skullcup of blood, she drinks a blissful nectar of the essence of her feminine power. Across her shoulder is a staff, called a khatvanga, symbolizing her integration of the masculine. She is adorned with bone ornaments and a crown of skulls and around her neck she wears a necklace of skulls.”

“She is the dance or play of emptiness, like the play of light rippling on the surface of water. Her appearance is manifest, yet illusory.”

Vajrayogini, dancing wisdom

In a recent story honoring Dakini Day, we described the feminine wisdom deities this way (story here>>):

“Dakinis are portrayed as elusive, playful and often fierce and naked to symbolically convey how elusive true Wisdom encompassing “Emptiness” can be.”

But why is Vajrayogini not only naked, but so exquisitely (almost distractingly) beautiful? Not just beautiful, but sexual, unabashed, carefree, youthful, and passion-inspiring.

It’s a difficult concept to describe. Basically, in Vajrayana, the deities appear in a form that aligns with obstacles we are trying to overcome. Vajrayogini is so desirous, that she almost appears to challenge us to overcome our silly craving for sensual pleasures. “See, there’s nothing special about being naked and dancing around,” she almost seems to say.

Of course, the message is not so superficial. Her nudity expresses how we must shed not only our cravings but our pre-conceived notions of how things are — if we are to understand the true nature of the universe, which is Emptiness (Shunyata.)

Vajryogini’s Appearance

Vajrayogini is not always red. In union with Hayagriva, she is blue. She is not always in union — in fact Vajrayogini visualized solitary is her most popular form, and a significant Highest Yoga Practice — sometimes she is alone and dancing with a Katvanga (which represents her consort). Often, as Vajravarahi, she is seen with a sow’s head (pig) sprouting from her wild hair — symbolic of overcoming ignorance.

“Although there are a number of visual representations of Vajrayogini, certain attributes are common to all: She is mostly shown as young, naked, and standing in a desirous or dancing posture. She holds a blood-filled skull-cup in one hand and a curved knife (Kartika or dri-gug) in the other. Often she wears a garland of human skulls or severed heads; has a khatvanga staff leaning against her shoulder; her usually wild hair flowing down her neck and back; her face in a semi-wrathful expression. Her radiant red body is ablaze with the heat of yogic fire and surrounded by the flames of wisdom.” [1]

Practicing Vajrayogini

Although Vajrayogini is a Highest Yoga Tantra, requiring both permission and empowerment, anyone can honor, pray to, or meditate on her as an “external deity.” It is not permitted to visualize the self as Vajrayogini without initiation, and probably not to chant the mantra, but one can come closer to Vajrayogini’s enlightened qualities through praise, offerings and prayers without empowerments.

Unlike other meditations, however, the very energetic nature of Vajrayogini’s meditation — designed as it is to cope with the high pace of our “degenerate times” — requires some guidance. The best path to Vajrayogini is through a qualified teacher, with proven lineage.

 [NOTE: Vajrayogini’s actual practice requires empowerment, initiation and instruction from a qualified teacher. This feature is simply to inform on the benefits of practice.]

NOTES

[1] Vajrayogini.com 

[2] “The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter.” Science Direct

[3] “Vajrayogini” page of Dechen Choekhor Mahaviraha

[4] “Vajrayogini” 

[5] Interview with HH. Sakya Trizin on Tricycle.

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“Tara is the mother of all the Buddhas; when you practice Tara you become closer to Tara; you feel her motherly love. If Tara is good enough to be the mother of all the Buddhas, then she can certainly become a great mother to you, taking you into her loving care.” — Venerable Zasep Rinpoche

Green Tara Buddha is almost certainly one of the most popular Yidams in Vajrayana Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism especially, Green Tara is accessible to all, Mother of all the Buddhas, and virtually a “universal” symbol of Active Compassionate Wisdom. Green Tara, who is also a Savior Goddess, is as accessible to the prisoner in jail as to the most benevolent of monks — she is Universal and open to all. With her right leg outstretched, ready to leap to our aid, she is among the most approachable of Buddhist deities.

Green Tara as Chittamani Tara, her highest form of practice. Detail from a 21 Taras Thangka by Angeli Lhadripa Shkonda.

Many people don’t realize Tara has a “Highest Yoga Tantra” aspect called Chittamani Tara (translates as “Mind Jewel Tara”) — a profound “two stages” practice.

She manifests in so many ways because each of us is different. Each of us is a “world unto ourselves.” Each of us has different needs. Some of us need a Tara who is our friend. Others need a mother. Some need a ferocious mother, ready to defend us from all harm. Some of us need a “kick ass” protective Charlie’s Angel-like enforcer. And, some of us, need the guidance only available from the Highest Yoga Tantra aspects of deity practice. In the case of Tara, this is Cittamani Tara (pronounced Chittamani Tara) — the main practice of many Gelug lineage great teachers.

Everyone loves Tara!

Everyone loves Tara! Venerable Zasep Rinpoche explains, in his forthcoming book, Tara at Your Lotus Heart,

“Tara is the mother of all the Buddhas; when you practice Tara you become closer to Tara; you feel her motherly love. If Tara is good enough to be the mother of all the Buddhas, then she can certainly become a great mother to you, taking you into her loving care.”

Her loving care can be as simple as motherly protection — for which she is famous — or at this level, at the Chittamani Tara level, her motherly arms can carry us right to ultimate Enlightenment.

What’s Different with Cittamani Tara?

The mantra and overall appearance of Tara is green Tara — apart from two flowers versus one. So, what are the differences?

As this is a practice of Highest Yoga Meditation, most of the details are not revealed publically — although as a Mother Tara practice, it is a very supportive, nurturing, protective and wonderful practice (in the author’s experience.) The key practice differences are in the visualization, and mostly in the practices —  especially in three key areas (without revealing secrets):

• Body mandala — a wonderful, nurturing, compassionate and healing visualization, visualizing Taras as part of your internal body. (The net effect is quite healing and peaceful)
• Uncommon Guru Yoga — uncommon in the best possible way (an easy and affirming visualization!)
• The protectors of this mandala are all Taras — the 21 Taras! plus two other aspects of Tara. There’s no elaborate visualization, and we stay warmly in the embrace of protect Mother Tara.

There are, of course, other differences, relating to profound practices — for example, a Phowa practice that is uniquely comforting.

Which Tara is Which?

Tara is Tara. Whether Chittamani Tara (Cittamani), Green Tara, Khaidira Tara, White Tara, Red Tara, Black Tara, Yellow Tara, Blue Tara, 21 Taras, 108 Taras — these are all aspects of the glorious Mother of all the Buddhas, Tara. The distinguishing aspect is the practice  — Chittamani Tara is an advanced meditation, requiring instruction — while Green Tara’s arms are wide open to all. White Tara may specialize in “long life” — to remove the obstacles of negative health — but she is still Tara. The 21 Taras represent her many activities on our behalf, saving us from obstacles as the savior heroine — but they are Tara; and there are three full systems of 21 Taras, each with different appearances and mantras! (But they, too, are Tara!)

• For a feature on Green Tara, the protector, the savior, see>>
• For a feature on White Tara, the healer, see>> 
• For a feature on the 21 Taras according to Surya Gupta lineage (the most exotic, since all Taras have different appearances!), see>>
• For a feature on the 21 Taras according to the Aisha lineage, see>>

The different forms have different practices and instructions, and appearance also slightly vary. Chittamani Tara’s main distinguishing characteristic is that she holds two blue, fully blooming Uptala Flowers (nicknamed night-lotus) — rather than one. Some Taras have different colors of lotus or their bodies of light are a different color.

Below are two details from stunning images by the same artist — Jampay Dorje (Ben Christian, see our interview with this amazing artist here.>>) or his amazing bylined article “Meet Green Tara face-to-face” on Buddha Weekly on how to visualize Tara>>

We create our own worlds and our own Taras

The reason, in part, was explained by the very wise Gelek Rimpoche:

“We are our own creator. On the other hand, we all carry our own world — absolutely. The way I try to picture that is like we come along with our world into this collective world and “plug in.”

That way, we become part of the collective world and each other’s worlds. Then, at the end [i.e. death] I unplug and take my world somewhere else… So, truly speaking, we are our own masters, our own creators. There is no doubt about this. There is no question.

You are your own creator. You created yourself. Not as an individual being, but you created your existence, your functioning, your future, your everything. I did the same and likewise each and every one of us created our own world… everybody creates their own future.”

He explained this in an extensive teaching retreat on Chittamani (Cittamani) Tara, to explain why Tara is visualized so many ways. She is One Tara — just as all the Buddhas are One — but at the same time she has different forms, suitable to our own, individual worlds — to help us in the worlds “we have created.”

Gelek Rimpoche goes on, later in the talk, to say,

“Each and every one of us creates our own mandala… By the time you become Cittamani Tara, you will have your own Cittamani Tara pure land. The formula of how you do that is repeatable. And that is what we are trying to do with our practice, creating our own pure being and environment.”

Tara is Accessible to All

There is no question Tara is among the most beloved of Buddhist Enlightened deities. Yet, many Tara practitioners wonder why there are so many Taras: 21 Taras, 108 Taras, 1008 Taras — and more. Peaceful Taras. Motherly Taras. Green, White, Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, Gold, Orange Taras. And Taras in all four of the levels of Yogas from Kriya through to Highest Yoga Tantra. And, why do we even need a Higher Yoga Tara? What’s so special about her? Yes, she is famous as a protector, who rescues beings from trouble — but is she more than this?

There is a saying in Tibet, “All men are Chenrezig, and all women are Tara.” This isn’t a light turn of phrase. The Oneness of phenomenon is expressed in this phrase, together with many other profound concepts.

During Chittamani Retreat teachings Venerable Zasep Rinpoche explained the concept of Tara teaching universally to all levels of student:

“Tara is everywhere. Tara is in the pure lands. Tara is here also. Why is Tara in the pure lands? Tara is in the pure lands to teach to the Bodhisattvas, the highly realized beings… Then, Tara comes down to us, many aspects of Tara — 21 Taras and so on — and there are other aspects of Tara, like Vajrayogini, Palden Lhamo, and so on and so on. Tara comes to us as deities, as Dharma protectors — so Tara is here, now.” [1]

• For a full story on Green Tara, including her 21 Praises, see>>
• For stories of Tara the Rescuer>>
• Guided video meditation for Green Tara>>
• 21 Taras book excerpt from Tara in the Palm of Your Hand by H.E. Zasep Rinpoche>>
• Tara in the Palm of Your Hand book on Amazon>>  (Affiliate link)

Tara for all levels of practice

She also appeals to all needs and levels of practice. No initiation is needed to chant her mantra — even the most casual of admirers can benefit from her practice:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha

Yet Tara also has the Highest Yoga Tantra aspect known as Chittamani Tara (sometimes spelled Cittamani, but pronounced ‘ch’.) Visually, aside from two blue uptala (night lotus) flowers in full bloom, she appears to be Green Tara. (Green Tara typically has one fully open uptala in left hand (also called blue night lotus) flower  — and, in some visualizations, one which is “about to open”. Cittamani Tara has two fully open blue uptala flowers. (Sometimes, as in Khadiravani Tara — Tara of the Khadira Forest — she also has two uptala flowers.) She is described as:

“Chittamani Tara, the transcendental deity of emerald colour, with her right hand in the gesture of supreme generosity, and her left, at her heart, in the gesture of bestowing refuge in the three jewels. Each hand holds the stem of an utpala flower. She is beautifully adorned with silks and precious ornaments, seated in the centre of an aura of light with right leg extended and left drawn in. In her heart a green TAM radiates light.”

All Taras are one — even though some of the 21 Taras have multiple arms, attributes, gestures, and colours. Gelek Rimpoche, in his “Cittamani Tara Extensive Commentary,” said:

“I want you to remember the two legs of the Vajrayana, the relative and the absolute. Whether white, green, yellow, red, dark blue or multicolored, all Taras are Tara, yet each different manifestation does have some particular responsibilities, some special thing. In absolute reality, however, they are all one Tara: the activities of the enlightened beings… In that way Tara is said to be the total activity of the enlightened beings. Their activities have become a being, and that being pops up as the physical form of Tara. In the same way Avalokitesvara is the compassion of all enlightened beings and Manjushri is their wisdom. ” [2]

Tara’s forms are endless. Where there is a need, there is her emanation. Gelek Rinpoche continues:

“To make a long story short, by about this time Tara manifested so many manifestations everywhere, particularly the Twenty-One Taras and the One hundred thousand Taras. The Twenty-One Tara manifestation is very meaningful. When Tara came out of Avalokitesvara’s heart as a helper, a handy-person to all the Buddhas, this handy-person then created another handy-person, who again created another handyperson. All these big manifestations came about at that moment, particularly the White Tara for longevity. Also Rigjema, used for power. Then there is Yangchenma, who is Saraswati in Sanskrit. She is special for literature and language. All these are manifestations of Tara. Even the wrathful protector, Palden Lhamo, is a manifestation of Tara. In that case she is not a yidam but a protector. Palden Lhamo also manifested at that time.”

Chittamani Tara Highest Tantra emanation

Chittamani Tara is a Highest Yoga Tantra practice (maha anu yoga) of Tara. This does not mean She is a “higher deity” — the Boss Tara. She is still Tara. Tara is always Tara. The Enlightened Mind has no limitations in terms of form. Here, with Chittamani Tara, the form is similar to regular Green Tara — the main difference is only in the practice, and the twin blue uptala flowers visualized (instead of the single with Green Tara). There are 21 Taras, and 108 Taras for a reason — there are that many ways to practice, and more. There are even other Higher Tantric forms of Tara, including Vajrayogini.

Yet, Chittamani Tara is the “Highest Yoga” Tara from the point of view of Tantric practice as Green Tara. (Not to be confused with Cintamani Tara “Wish-fulfilling” golden Tara.)

Gelek Rimpoche quotes the root text: ” In the root text Tara herself says,

‘According to your wish I will explain how to practice the Tara tantra in the system of maha anu yoga tantra’. Although normally Tara belongs to kriya tantra, this tantra is made into maha anu yoga by Tara herself. And of course, in this particular case, there are many continuing activities through teachings, initiations, and oral transmissions.” [2] Here, Tara was speaking to the great Gelugpa Yogi Takpuwa Dorje Chang.

Cittamani Tara was revealed by Tara herself, to the great Takpu dorje Chang. Gelek Rimpoche said,

I would like to emphasize that Tara herself gave this teaching in the form of Maha Anu Yoga Tantra with the two stages and all kinds of other activities — like a mother teaching her own son. The raw words of Tara with her worm breath — that is what Cittamani is.

Maha Anu Yoga Tantra

All schools of Tantric Buddhism have forms of higher yogic practices. In the newer schools (such as Gelug) the highest tantras are Annuttaratantra (or Maha Anu Yoga) — which is associated also with Mahamudra. Highest Yoga Deity Practices in Gelugpa include:

• Guhyasamaja
• Yamantaka
• Hevajra Tantra
• Chakrasamvara Tantra (Wheel of Great Bliss)
• Vajrayogini (part of the Chakrasamvara Tantra)
• Kalachakra Tantra (Wheel of Time)
• Chittamani Tara

What is Highest Yoga Tantra? Maha Anu Yoga includes both development and completion practices, and are a “full path” to enlightenment, meant for senior practitioners — and only given by permission and empowerment. Translated Annuttarayoga means “Unexcelled Union Continuity.” These practices include subtle body yogas, with a much more involved practice aiming at complete personal transformation and realizations. They also carry a heavier commitment. It is assumed that anyone taking on Highest Yoga Tantric practices is very experienced and focused on serious progress on the path to realizations.

Source of the Chittamani teaching

Tara Herself gave the practice of Chittamani Tara to Mahasiddha Takpuwa Dorje Chang. The practice is the best known of the rarely taught “13 initiations from the Clear Vision of Gelugpa Yogi Takpuwa Dorje Chang” in the 19th century. Is this the same Tara we know and love? Yes, she’s still Green Tara, albeit a Tara who gifted us with a complete Highest Yoga Tantra practice cycle.

Chittamani Tara is a main practice of many of history’s great Gelug teachers, including Pabongkha Rinpoche (who wrote the most authoritative and widely-respected commentary: see inset photo), H.H. Trijang Rinpoche (tutor of the current Dalai Lama), and H.H. Zong Rinpoche. Today, relatively few Lamas transmit the precious empowerments and teachings.

For serious practitioners, who adore Green Tara, Chittamani Tara is a much sought-after teaching and practice — although the practice commitment is at a higher level in terms of time and sincerity. As a Highest Yoga Tantra practice, it includes all stages of practice: Development and Completion. It includes a unique and profound “body mandala.”

It is not acceptable to practice Chittamani Tara practice, despite her otherwise famous accessibility to all, without permission, teaching and empowerment of a qualified Guru of lineage. This is because the practices should not be attempted by those who have not received teachings.

For those not yet ready for Higher Yogic practices, Green Tara is ready in many other forms — especially 21 Taras. Chanting the 21 Praise of Tara daily is for everyone — and helps bring Her energy and blessings into your life.

• For a full story on Green Tara, including her 21 Praises, see>>
• For stories of Tara the Rescuer>>
• Guided video meditation for Green Tara>>

NOTES

[1] Cittamani Tara 2011, Nelson Gaden for the West retreat with H.E. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

[2] Cittamani Tara Extensive Commentary, Gelek Rimpoche of Jewel Heart

* Amazon affiliate link. Or just visit Amazon and search title, Tara in the Palm of Your Hand.

One of the most wonderful teachings of Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born, Guru Rinpoche was written down by the Lady Tsogyal — from a request she made just as the master was about to leave — and she, herself, was worried about death. Although she was a accomplished Dakini, she requested:

“This old woman has no confidence about the time of death. So I beseech you to kindly give me an instruction condensing all teachings into one, which is concise and easy to practice.”

Out of his bountiful kindness and love, Guru Rinpoche taught her, delivering one of the most wonderful and concise oral teaching, now known as:

The Refined Essence of Oral Instructions

Although this teaching is a concise teaching focused on “the time of death” and therefore clearly for advanced students — particularly with its focus on the true nature of reality, of emptiness, of the disolution and death process and completion — the teaching itself is resoundingly inspirational. We can imagine Lady Tosgyal, about to be separated from her beloved teacher — having been with her master since the age of eight — having doubts, and then, the serene Guru emphasizing the essence of practice.

Lady Tsogyal’s Plea

This  oral teaching, and the Lady’s hearfelt plea, resonates with both beginning and senior Tibetan Buddhist students: if the great Lady can have doubts — despite years of accomplishments — then we need not feel embarrrassed to ask questions of our teachers at all stages of our learning. We need not feel bad about going back to our notes and videos of past retreats; we should not worry if our question seems too basic.

The Lotus Born, kindly instructing even the most accomplished Lady in the basics, is an example for us all. In Tibetan Buddhism, teachers always invite questions.

When the great master was about to leave Tibet, the Lady implored:

“Oh, Great Master! You are leaving to tame the rakshas. I am left behind here in Tibet. Although I have served you for a long time, master, this old woman has no confidence about the time of death. So I beseech you to kindly give me an instruction condensing all teachings into one, which is concise and easy to practice.”

Although every teaching of Padmasambhava, the second Buddha, the Lotus Born is precious, this concise teaching is a wonderful “refresher” for all devoted practitioners.

Guru Rinpoche’s Concise Instructions

The great master replied: “Devoted one with a faithful and virtuous mind, listen to me. Although there are many profound key points of body, rest free and relaxed as you feel comfortable. Everything is included in simply that.

Although there are many key points of speech such as breath control and mantra recitation, stop speaking and rest like a mute. Everything is included in simply that. Although there are many key points of mind such as concentrating, relaxing, projecting, dissolving, and focusing inward, everything is included in simply letting it rest in its natural state, free and easy, without fabrication.

The mind doesn’t remain quietly in that state. If one wonders, Is it nothing?, like haze in the heat of the sun, it still shimmers and flashes forth. But if one wonders, Is it something? it has no color or shape to identify it but is utterly empty and completely awake—that is the nature of your mind.

Having recognized it as such, to become certain about it, that is the view. To remain undistracted in the state of stillness, without fabrication or fixation, that is the meditation. In that state, to be free from clinging or attachment, accepting or rejecting, hope or fear, toward any of the experiences of the six senses, that is the action.

Whatever doubt or hesitation occurs, supplicate your master. Don’t remain in places of ordinary people; practice in seclusion. Give up your clinging to whatever you are most attached to as well as to whomever you have the strongest bond with in this life, and practice. Like that, although your body remains in human form, your mind is equal to the buddhas’.

At the time of dying, you should practice as follows. By earth dissolving in water, the body becomes heavy and cannot support itself. By water dissolving in fire, the mouth and nose dry up. By fire dissolving in wind, body heat disappears. By wind dissolving in consciousness, one cannot but exhale with a rattle and inhale with a gasp.

At that time, the feelings of being pressed down by a huge mountain, being trapped within darkness, or being dropped into the expanse of space occur. All these experiences are accompanied by thunderous and ringing sounds. The whole sky will be vividly bright like an unfurled brocade.

Moreover, the natural forms of your mind, the peaceful, wrathful, semiwrathful deities, and the ones with various heads fill the sky, within a dome of rainbow lights. Brandishing weapons, they will utter “Beat! beat!” “Kill! kill!” “Hung! Hung!” “Phat! phat!” and other fierce sounds. In addition, there will be light like a hundred thousand suns shining at once.

At this time, your innate deity will remind you of awareness, saying, Don’t be distracted! Don’t be distracted! Your innate demon will disturb all your experiences, make them collapse, and utter sharp and fierce sounds and confuse you.

At this point, know this: The feeling of being pressed down is not that of being pressed by a mountain. It is your own elements dissolving. Don’t be afraid of that! The feeling of being trapped within darkness is not a darkness. It is your five sense faculties dissolving. The feeling of being dropped into the expanse of space is not being dropped. It is your mind without support because your body and mind have separated and your breathing has stopped.

All experiences of rainbow lights are the natural manifestations of your mind. All the peaceful and wrathful forms are the natural forms of your mind. All sounds are your own sounds. All lights are your own lights. Have no doubt about that. If you do feel doubt, you will be thrown into samsara. Having resolved this to be self-display, if you rest wide awake in luminous emptiness, then simply in that you will attain the three kayas and become enlightened. Even if you are cast into samsara, you won’t go there.

The innate deity is your present taking hold of your mind with undistracted mindfulness. From this moment, it is very important to be without any hope and fear, clinging and fixation, toward the objects of your six sense faculties as well as toward fascination, happiness, and sorrow. From now on, if you attain stability, you will be able to assume your natural state in the bardo and become enlightened. Therefore, the most vital point is to sustain your practice undistractedly from this very moment.

The innate demon is your present tendency for ignorance, your doubt and hesitation. At that time, whatever fearful phenomena appear such as sounds, colors, and lights, don’t be fascinated, don’t doubt, and don’t be afraid. If you fall into doubt for even a moment, you will wander in samsara, so gain complete stability.

At this point, the womb entrances appear as celestial palaces. Don’t be attracted to them. Be certain of that! Be free from hope and fear! I swear there is no doubt that you will then become enlightened without taking further rebirths.

At that time, it is not that one is helped by a buddha. Your own awareness is primordially enlightened. It is not that one is harmed by the hells. Fixation being naturally purified, fear of samsara and hope for nirvana are cut from the root.

Becoming enlightened can be compared to water cleared of sediments, gold cleansed of impurities, or the sky cleared of clouds.

Having attained spacelike dharmakaya for the benefit of oneself, you will accomplish the benefit of sentient beings as far as space pervades. Having attained sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya for the welfare of others, you will benefit sentient beings as far as your mind pervades phenomena.

If this instruction is given three times to even a great sinner such as one who has killed his own father and mother, he will not fall into samsara even if thrown there. There is no doubt about becoming enlightened.

Even if you have many other profound teachings, without an instruction like this, you remain far away. Since you don’t know where you may wander next, practice this with perseverance.

You should give this oral instruction to recipients who have great faith, strong diligence, and are intelligent, who always remember their teacher, who have confidence in the oral instructions, who exert themselves in the practice, who are stable-minded and able to give up concerns for this world. Give them this with the master’s seal of entrustment, the yidam’s seal of secrecy, and the dakini’s seal of entrustment.

Although I, Padmakara, have followed many masters for three thousand six hundred years, have requested instructions, received teachings, studied and taught, meditated and practiced, I have not found any teaching more profound than this.

I am going to tame the rakshas. You should practice like this. Mother, you will become enlightened in the celestial realm. Therefore persevere in this instruction.”

Having spoken, Guru Rinpoche mounted the rays of the sun and departed for the land of the rakshas. Following that, Lady Tsogyal attained liberation. She committed this teaching to writing and concealed it as a profound treasure. She made this aspiration: In the future, may it be given to Guru Dorje Lingpa. May it then benefit many beings. This completes the Sacred Refined Essence Instruction, the reply to questions on self-liberation at the moment of death and in the bardo.

SAMAYA. SEAL, SEAL, SEAL.

Other features on Guru Rinpoche

• Special Feature: The Quantum Buddha Guru Rinpoche: the Second Buddha who turned the Vajrayana Wheel of Dharma: extensive commentary on mantras and practice
• Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born: “giving up idling and laziness” the importance of practicing incessantly and the path to self-discipline ; as recorded by Lady Tsogyal
• The tens of Padmasambhava: ten foundations of secret mantra; ten faults of being unsuccessful in Dharma practice; ten key points for practicing. Guru Rinpoche teaches Lady Tsogyal
• Padmasambhava: The Eight Great Qualities of Taking Refuge; Taking Refuge in the Three Precious Jewels, the Defining Practice of Buddhism, and How it Can Rescue Us From All Dangers.

NOTES

[1]  From Dakini Teachings by Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche.  (p. 153). Rangjung Yeshe Publications. Kindle Edition.

“When I have attained Buddhahood, if those beings who are in the ten quarters should believe in me with serene thoughts, and should wish to be born in my country, and should have, say, ten times thought of me (or repeated my name) – if they should not be born there, may I not obtain the perfect knowledge; – barring only those who have committed the five heinous crimes, and those who have spoken ill of the good Dharma.”

— Amitabha Sutra

“Namo Amitabha” is a praise chanted in different forms by millions — as a complete practice in itself. He is best known as the Buddha of Compassion. Sometimes he is called the “Buddha of infinite merits” and also “Buddha of Infinite Light.” Amitabha fulfils the “savior” role amongst the Buddhas (together with his spiritual children Avaolokiteshvara and Tara) — this because of his “great vow” in 48 points (see sutra below.) His actual name praise is, in full: “Om Namo Amitabhaya Buddhaya” in Sanskrit. (In Japanese, Namu Amida Butsu)

It is this role, as savior, and the simplicity of his vow and practice that empowers Pure Land practitioners. Pure Land Buddhism takes full refuge in Buddha Amitabha, and a primary practice is to praise his name. Some traditions, such as Jodo-shinshu have Amitabha as the sole deity. Yet, Amitabha is a major aspect of all traditions of Mahayana, loved by millions because of his vow and his limitless compassion.

One of his popular labels is is just “Western Buddha.” Amitabha is the warmth of the western red, setting sun — his name literally means “infinite light” — and he is the refuge of many millions of Buddhists. Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni) is also associated with the west; some scholars directly relate Shakyamuni to Amitabha. [Note: the full shorter verison of the Amitabha Sutra is at the end of this feature.]

Amitabha: merits so vast, all can benefit

Not only is he practiced by nearly all Mahayana Buddhists, he is the most approachable Buddha for a new Buddhist to practice. In this life, we are conditioned to respond in kind to love and compassion — and Amitabha is the highest form of both. This is why his practitioners tend to display so much love and compassion and faith in Amitabha. Who doesn’t welcome compassion and love in their lives? Other Buddha forms might represent “wisdom” or “healing” or “protection”, but Amitabha is best known as “compassion” and “love.” Of course, Amitabha stands for wisdom, heals and protects — and other Buddhas are equally compassionate — but his “label” is defined by compassion. This was established in his great sutra vows.

His practice is easy and welcoming, and his merits are so vast that all beings can benefit. Everyone can identify with his role as the embodiment of “compassionate love.”

He is synonymous with Pure Land Buddhism, because, through his efforts (practice of eons) he created this happy pure land called Sukhavati (literally

meaning “possessing happiness.”) Because of his meritorious vow, anyone who calls out his name will be reborn into this happy paradise. In modern context, many people think of the pure land as a “mind state” — the peaceful mind of a realized being — rather than as a remote place.

The vow he made, in front of his own Guru (before he was Enlightened) — according to the Larger Sukhavati Vyuha Sutra — was:

“When I have attained Buddhahood, if those beings who are in the ten quarters should believe in me with serene thoughts, and should wish to be born in my country, and should have, say, ten times thought of me (or repeated my name) – if they should not be born there, may I not obtain the perfect knowledge; – barring only those who have committed the five heinous crimes, and those who have spoken ill of the good Dharma.”

The five heinous crimes that would exclude one from Amitabha’s pureland Sukhavati are:

1. Intenionally killing one’s own father.
2. Intentionally killing one’s own mother.
3. Killing an Arhat or Bodhisattva.
4. Shedding the blood of a Buddha.
5. Creating a schism within the Sangha (the community of Buddhists).

Otherwise, the practice of calling out Amitabha Buddha’s name at least ten times (especially when dying) is a practice that helps lift our minds to the pure land of Sukhavati.

Amitabha, Lord of the Lotus Family

Amitabha (aka Amita, Amida, Amitayus) is Lord of the Lotus Family and the Sukhavati Pure Land — which literally can mean “happy land”. He is probably the best known of the Enlightened manifestations in Mahayana — aside from Shakyamuni Buddha himself. Amitabha is the primary Buddha in many Pure Land Buddhism schools, and is very important in Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism. Second only to Amitabha in popularity would be his spiritual son in the Lotus (Padma) family, Avalokiteshvara (or Guan Yin, Kuanyin, Kannon).

The Lotus (Padma in Sanskrit)  family is associated with: west, red, magnetizing, lotus, the “wisdom of discernment”, overcoming the poison of desire and the skanda of perception, Dharma and speech, and fire.

The deities of the Padma family (also known as “magnetizing deities), under Amitabha’s gentle care are (with links to more detailed stories):

• Amitayus (a form of Amitabha) “Infinite life” and long life instead of “infinite light”
• Pandaravasini (Amitabha’s precious wisdom consort)
• Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig, Kuanyin, Guan Yin, Kannon) (More details on Avalokiteshvara here>>)
• White Tara (More details on White Tara here>>)
• Manjushri (the Buddha of Wisdom) is normally associated with Padma family
• Heruka Hayagriva (heroic or wrathful form of Amitabha) (More details on wrathful Hayagriva here>>)
• Vajrayayogini / Guhyajnana, the Secret Wisdom Deity (More details on Vajrayogini here>>)
• Vajradharma (a highest yoga Tantra deity representing Enlightened Speech)
• Padmasambhava (according to Tantra, he is an emanation of Amitabha and Avalokiteshvara) (See this story with teachings from the Lotus Born>>)
• Vajravarahi (Red Dakini queen)
• Kurukulla (sometimes spelled Kurukulle): an enlightened form of discerning wisdom, a fierce form of Tara
• Green Tara (She is actually part of Amoghisiddi’s Karma (action) family as consort, but she is an aspect/emanation of Avaolokiteshvara and her teacher is Amitabha, making her a member of “both” families: Padma and Karma). (More details on Green Tara here>>)

Most of the red deities in Tantra are “magnetizing” deities and would be considered, at least, connected to the Padma Lotus family of Amitabha. For example, the practice of the Great Cloud of Blessings composed by Jamgön Mipham Gyatso in 1879 supplicates and honours most of the Buddhas listed above, specifically: Dharmakaya Amitabha, Vajradharma, Avalokiteshvara, Padmasambhava, Heruka Hayagriva, Guhyajnana (Vajrayogini), Vajravarahi, Mahadeva, and Kurukulla.

What’s in a name?: compassion and Dharma

Although all Buddhas have the same realizations and essence, the Padma family — the Lotus deities of the west — represent the speech and Dharma, and also the compassion of all the Buddhas. Of the three jewels — Buddha, Dharma and Sangha — the sutras indicate Dharma is the most important. The teachings help us progress on the Bodhisattva’s compassionate path to Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

Because of Amitabha’s infinite merits and compassion, simply calling out his name is enough to draw his infinite life. Repeated recitation of his name praise (known as nianfo in Chinese and nembutsu in Japanese) — or his mantras — can help his devotee be reborn in Sukhavati Pure Land. In different languages, these name praises (Romanized) are:

• Namo Amitabhaya Buddhaya (pronounced Ah-me-tah-byah-ya) in Sanskrit
• Namo Emituofo in Mandarin Chinese
• Namo Amituofo in Cantonese Chinese
• Namu Amida Butsu in Japanese (in Jodo Shinzu, sometimes Na man da bu)
• Namu Amita Bul in Korean

Why do some schools consider the name praise repetition a complete practice (aside from sutra instructions)? To get to the essence of why requires a full discussion of Emptiness and Dependent Origination and labels, which is fundamental Mahayana Buddhist understanding. For simplicity, until we Enlightenment, labels define qualities and have significant power (imprints) on our minds. If we label a car a Toyota, it becomes a Toyota; otherwise it is just a few thousand auto parts.

Calling out Amitabha’s name is to identify with and call out for the blessings of what that label signifies — Compassion, Infinite Merit, Virtue, Infinite Light, Dharma, Happiness in Sukhavati, Long life, and so on. But, not just “small c” compassion; Amitabha literally IS the Compassion of all the Buddhas — in essence, the compassion of the universe. We are connecting with universal Compassion, Happiness, and so on, not just a little one-on-one compassion.

What’s in an appearance?

Amitabha’s appearance, as we visualize him, reveals 84,000 auspicious marks and virtues — symbolic of his infinite virtues. He is among the most recognizable, similar to Shakyamuni in many aspects. He appears as a monk (in his main form) with huis hands in the meditation mudra: thumbs touching, fingers laid on top of each other. (Shakyamuni Buddha is normally similar, but normally shown with the “earth touching mudra”.)

In Vajrayana, or Tibetan Buddhism, Amitabha’s relationship with speech (Dharma), the west, and compassion are symbolized by the colour red. We would visualize this as a “body of red light” — not of flesh and bone. He can be visualized with or without his Wisdom Consort Pandaravasini. He is often visualized with hit two main disciples: Avalokiteshvara to the right (Buddha of Compassion) and Vajrapani to the left (Buddha of Power). The Panchen Lamas and the Shamarpas are considered to be emanations of Amitabha, in the same way the Dalai Lama is considered to be an emanation of Avalokiteshvara.

Why Western Buddha?

Direction is typically a symbol, since Buddha’s do not exist singularly in a specific direction or place. As a symbol, Amitabha is associated with the West in all traditions. This is because his pure land is symbolically placed in the West — the land of happiness (Western Pureland named Sukhavati). Ancient tradition associated the passing of life into the west. Traditionally, when we die, if we practiced Amitabha, we would, depending on our karma, be born into this happy Western Pureland to continue our practice and receive teachings — or, we would be reborn. Also significant are the red colour of the western setting sun and other factors.

Mantra of Amitabha

His mantra is particularly effective — and those of any Lotus family deity — because they literally embody the “speech of all the Buddhas.” No initiation or empowerment or permission is needed to chant or benefit from this all-encompassing compassionate Buddha.

Beautiful chanting of Om Ami Dewa Hrih, the mantra of Amitabha:

His simple is often the first one given by Buddhist teachers. His main mantra, in Sanskrit, is:

Om Amitabha Hrih

Pronounced: Ohm Ah-me-tah-bah Hree  (with the H “aspirated”)

In Tibetan this is often modified as:

Om Ami Deva Hrih

or

Om Ami Dewa Hrih

In Shingon Buddhism, the mantra is often chanted as:

On amirita teizei kara un

Also, the name praises, listed above, are mantric in nature, and can be chanted repetitively to invite the merit of Amitabha into your life.

Practicing Amitabha

Although the name praise alone is a complete practice, if you wish to seriously engage in meditating on this meritorious and compassionate Buddha, a simple practice would include the necessary elements of Mahayana practice:

• Refuge, stated out loud, such as: “I take refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha”
• Bodhichitta aspiration, such as “I will attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.”
• (Optionally) the Four Immeasurables: “ May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering. May they never be disassociated from the supreme happiness which is without suffering. May they remain in the boundless equanimity, free from both attachment to close ones and rejection of others.”
• Offering (not necessarily physical — your practice is an offering: or a simple candle, or bowl of water) (For more elaborate offerings see our story on Water Bowl offerings>> https://buddhaweekly.com/buddhist-water-bowl-offerings-as-an-antidote-to-attachment/
• Visualize the Buddha as described above (or as given by your teacher) normally as a monk, seated in meditation, a body of red light.
• Chant the mantra (108 times is traditional)
• Dedicate the merit: “I dedicate the merit of this practice to the cause for enlightenment for all beings.” (For a video on why “dedicating merit” is critical, see>>)

There are also very advanced practices, such as Powa, and Amitayus long-life practices, which do require guidance of a teacher and initiation.

Dhyani Buddhas

In the cosmic world of deities, there are five Dhyani Buddhas, heading up five Buddha families (we’ve covered this in separate stories). The colour of the Buddhas is significant: white (body), red (speech), blue (mind), green (action or karma) — Amitabha and his family are red. Amitabha known as the Buddha of Discriminating Awareness Wisdoms. Amitabha is always associated with the west in all schools, although some of the other Dhyani Buddhas transpose from school-to-school based on symbolism and teachings. The five Dhyani Buddhas are:

• Vairochana
• Amitabha
• Akshobhya
• Amoghisiddhi
• Ratnasambhava

Meanwhile, in the more intensely visualized Vajrayana schools, Amitabha has countless manifestations, peaceful and wrathful. All of the “red” deities (the symbolic colour of the Lotus/Padma family) could be thought of as manifestations or emanations of Amitabha, including: Amitayas (Buddha of Infinite Life), Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) and all his emanations, Hayagriva (the most wrathful manifestation) and countless others. All of these emanations represent the compassion of the Lotus family, and also the Speech of the Buddhas (Dharma).

Sutra teachings

There are many sutras that mention Amitabha, and three canonical Mahayana sutras that focus on his doctrines and practice:

• Infinite Life Sutra
• Amitabha Sutra (short version in full below)
• Amitayurdhyana Sutra

Video animation of Buddha speaking the Amitabha Sutra with subtitles in English:

Amitabha Sutra

The smaller Sukhavati-Vyuha

1. Thus have I heard: Once the Buddha was dwelling in the Anathapindada Garden of Jetavana in the country of Shravasti together with a large company of Bhikshus of twelve hundred and fifty members. They were all great Arhats, well known among people, (to wit): Shariputra the elder, Mahamaudgalyayana, Mahakashyapa, Mahakatyayana, Mahakaushthila, Revata, Shuddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ananda, Rahula, Gavampati, Pindola-Bharadvaja, Kalodayin, Mahakapphina, Vakkula, Aniruddha, etc., all great Shravakas [lit. disciples]; and with many Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, (such as), Manjushri, Prince of the Lord of Truth, Bodhisattva Ajita, Bodhisattva Gandhahastin, Bodhisattva Nityodyukta, etc., all great Bodhisattvas; and also with a large company of innumerable devas, (such as) Shakrodevanam-Indra, etc.
2. Then the Buddha addressed Shariputra, the elder, and said, ‘Beyond a hundred thousand kotis of Buddha-lands westwards from here, there is a world named Sukhavati. In that world there is a Buddha, Amita(-ayus) by name, now dwelling and preaching the law. Shariputra, why is that country named Sukhavati? The living beings in that country have no pains, but receive pleasures only. Therefore, it is called Sukhavati.
3. ‘Again, Shariputra, in the land Sukhavati (there are) seven rows of balustrades, seven rows of fine nets, and seven rows of arrayed trees; they are all of four gems and surround and enclose (the land). For this reason the land is called Sukhavati.
4. ‘Again, Shariputra, in the land Sukhavati there are lakes of the seven gems, in which is filled water with the eight meritorious qualities. The lake-bases are strewn with golden sand, and the stairs of the four sides are made of gold, silver, beryl, and crystal. On land there are stories and galleries adorned with gold, silver, beryl, crystal, white coral, red pearl and diamond [lit. agate]. The lotus-flowers in the lakes, large as chariot wheels, are blue-colored with blue splendor, yellow-colored with yellow splendor, red-colored with red splendor, white-colored with white splendor, and (they are all) the most exquisite and purely fragrant. Shariputra, the land Sukhavati is arrayed with such good qualities and adornments.

5. ‘Again, Shariputra, in that Buddha-land there are heavenly musical instruments always played on; gold is spread on the ground; and six times every day and night it showers Mandarava blossoms. Usually in the serene morning lit. dawn] all of those who live in that land fill their plates with those wonderful blossoms, and (go to) make offering to a hundred thousand kotis of Buddhas of other regions; and at the time of the meal they come back to their own country, and take their meal and have a walk. Shariputra, the Sukhavati land is arrayed with such good qualities and adornments.
6. ‘And again, Shariputra, in that country there are always various wonderful birds of different colors, — swan, peacock, parrot, Chari, Kalavinka and the bird of double-heads [lit. double-lives]. Six times every day and night all those birds sing in melodious tune, and that tune proclaims the Five Virtues [lit. organs], the Five powers, the Seven Bodhi-paths, the Eight Noble Truths, and other laws of the kind. The living beings in that land, having heard that singing, all invoke the Buddha, invoke the Dharma, and invoke the Sangha. Shariputra, you should not think that these birds are in fact born as punishment for sin. What is the reason? (Because), in that Buddha-land there exist not the Three Evil Realms. Shariputra, in that Buddha-land there are not (to be heard) even the names of the Three Evil Realms. How could there be the realms themselves! All those birds are what Buddha Amitayus miraculously created with the desire to let them spread the voice of the Law. Shariputra, (when) in that Buddha-land a gentle breeze happens to blow, the precious trees in rows and the begemmed nets emit a delicate enrapturing tune, and it is just as if a hundred thousand musical instruments played at the same time. Everybody who hears that music naturally conceives the thought to invoke the Buddha, to invoke the Dharma, and to invoke the Sangha. Shariputra, that Buddha-land is arrayed with such good qualities and adornments.
7. ‘Shariputra, what do you think in your mind, for what reason that Buddha is called Amita(-abha)? Shariputra, the light of that Buddha is boundless and shining without impediments all over the countries of the ten quarters. Therefore he is called Amita(-abha). Again, Shariputra, the life of that Buddha and of his people is endless and boundless in Asamkhya-kalpas, so he is named Amita(-ayus). Shariputra, since Buddha Amitayus attained Buddhahood, (it has passed) now ten Kalpas. Again, Shariputra, that Buddha has numerous Shravakas or disciples, who are all Arhats and whose number cannot be known by (ordinary) calculation. (The number of) Bodhisattvas (cannot be known) also. Shariputra, that Buddha-land is arrayed with such good qualities and adornments.
8. ‘Again, Shariputra, the beings born in the land Sukhavati are all Avinivartaniya. Among them is a multitude of beings bound to one birth only; and their number, being extremely large, cannot be expressed by (ordinary) calculation. Only can it be mentioned in boundless Asamkhya-kalpas. Shariputra, the sentient beings who hear (this account) ought to put up their prayer that they may be born into that country; for they will be able to be in the same place together with those noble personages. Shariputra, by means of small good works [lit. roots] or virtues no one can be born in that country.
9. ‘Shariputra, if there be a good man or a good woman, who, on hearing of Buddha Amitayus, keeps his name (in mind) with thoughts undisturbed for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, or seven days, that person, when about to die, (will see) Amitayus Buddha accompanied by his holy host appear before him; and immediately after his death, he with his mind undisturbed can be born into the Sukhavati land of Buddha Amitayus. Shariputra, as I witness this benefit, I say these words; Every being who listens to this preaching ought to offer up prayer with the desire to be born into that country.
10. ‘Shariputra, as I now glorify the inconceivable excellences of Amitayus Buddha, there are also in the Eastern quarters Buddha Akshobhya, Buddha Merudhvaja, Buddha Mahameru, Buddha Meruprabhasa, Buddha Manjughosha, and Buddhas as many as the sands of the River Ganga, each of whom, in his own country stretching out his long broad tongue that covers three thousand greater worlds completely, proclaims these truthful words; All you sentient beings believe in this Sutra, which is approved and protected by all the Buddhas, and in which are glorified the inconceivable excellences (of Buddha Amitayus).
11. ‘Shariputra, in the Southern worlds there are Buddha Candrasuryapradipa, Buddha Yacahprabha, Buddha Maharciskandha, Buddha Merupradipa, Buddha Anantavirya, and Buddhas as many as the sands of the River Ganga, each of whom, in his own country stretching out his long broad tongue that covers three thousand greater worlds completely, proclaims these truthful words: All you sentient beings believe in this Sutra, which is approved and protected by all the Buddhas, and in which are glorified the inconceivable excellences (of Buddha Amitayus).
12. ‘Shariputra, in the Western worlds there are Buddha Amitayus, Buddha Amitalakshana, Buddha Amitadhvaja, Buddha Mahaprabha, Buddha Mahanirbhasa, Buddha Ratnala kshana, Buddha Shuddharashmiprabha, and Buddhas as many as the sands of the River Ganga, each of whom, in his own country stretching out his long broad tongue that covers three thousand greater worlds completely, proclaims these truthful words: All you sentient beings believe in this Sutra, which is approved and protected by all the Buddhas, and in which are glorified the inconceivable excellences (of Buddha Amitayus).
13. ‘Shariputra, in the Northern worlds there are Buddha Arciskandha, Buddha Vaishvanaranirghosha, Buddha Dushpradharsha, Buddha Adityasambhava, Buddha Jaliniprabha, and Buddhas as many as the sands of the River Ganga, each of whom, in his own country stretching out his long broad tongue that covers three thousand greater worlds completely, proclaims these truthful words: All you sentient beings believe in this Sutra, which is approved and protected by all the Buddhas, and in which are glorified the inconceivable excellences (of Buddha Amitayus).
14. ‘Shariputra, in the Nadir worlds there are Buddha Simha, Buddha Yacas, Buddha Yashaprabhava, Buddha Dharma, Buddha Dharmadhvaja, Buddha Dharmadhara, and Buddhas as many as the sands of the River Ganga, each of whom, in his own country stretching out his long broad tongue that covers three thousand greater worlds completely, proclaims these truthful words: All you sentient beings believe in this Sutra, which is approved and protected by all the Buddhas, and in which are glorified the inconceivable excellences (of Buddha Amitayus).
15. ‘Shariputra, in the Zenith words there are Buddha Brahmaghosha, Buddha Nakshatraraja, Buddha Gandhottama, Buddha Gandhaprabhasa, Buddha Maharciskandha, Buddha Ratnakusumasampushpitagatra, Buddha Salendraraja, Buddha Ratnotpalashri, Buddha Sarvarthadarsha, Buddha Sumerukalpa, and Buddhas as many as the sands of the River Ganges^1, each of whom, in his own country stretching out his long broad tongue that covers three thousand greater worlds completely, proclaims these truthful words: All you sentient beings believe in this Sutra, which is approved and protected by all the Buddhas, and in which are glorified the inconceivable excellences (of Buddha Amitayus).
16. ‘Shariputra, what do you think in your mind, why it is called the Sutra approved and protected by all the Buddhas? Shariputra, if there be a good man or a good woman who listens to those Buddhas’ invocation of the name (of Buddha Amitayus) and the name of this Sutra, that good man or woman will be protected by all the Buddhas and never fail to attain Anuttara-samyaksambodhi. For this reason, Shariputra, all of you should believe in my words and in what all the Buddhas proclaim. Shariputra, if there are men who have already made, are now making, or shall make, prayer with the desire to be born in the land of Buddha Amitayus, they never fail to attain Anuttara-samyaksambodhi, and have been born, are now being born, or shall be born in that country. Therefore, Shariputra, a good man or good woman who has the faith ought to offer up prayers to be born in that land.
17. ‘Shariputra, as I am now praising the inconceivable excellences of those Buddhas, so all those Buddhas are magnifying the inconceivable excellences of myself, saying these words: Shakyamuni, the Buddha, has successfully achieved a rare thing of extreme difficulty; he has attained Anuttara-samyaksambodhi in the Saha world in the evil period of five corruptions — Corruption of Kalpa, Corruption of Belief, Corruption of Passions, Corruption of Living Beings, and Corruption of Life; and for the sake of all the sentient beings he is preaching the Law which is not easy to accept. Shariputra, you must see that in the midst of this evil world of five corruptions I have achieved this difficult thing of attaining Anuttara-samyaksambodhi, and for the benefit of all the beings I am preaching the Law which is difficult to be accepted. This is how it is esteemed as (a thing of) extreme difficulty.’

The Buddha having preached this Sutra, Shariputra and Bhikshus, and Devas, men, Asuras, etc., of all the worlds, who have listened to the Buddha’s preaching, believed and accepted with joy, made worship, and went away.

The goal is to overcome the persistent need of beings to conceptualize and personalize. Often, in the teachings — notably in the Heart Sutra — we are taught the concept of Buddhist “emptiness.” Emptiness is not a nihilistic concept. Empty refers to “empty of concepts” or “empty of ego.” In the Heart Sutra, one translation of one of the profound paragraphs is:

“Form is emptiness; emptiness is form. Emptiness is not other than form. Form is also not other than Emptiness. Likewise, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors and consciousness are empty.”[1]

Sometimes, the word “emptiness” is qualified as “empty of inherent existence,” reflecting Buddha’s teaching on Dependent Arising and clarifying Emptiness’s meaning.

• For a feature on Dependent Arising, including a Sutta discourse, see>>
• For a commentary on Heart Sutra based on Lama Tsongkhapa’s commentary (video teaching by Venerable Zasep Rinpoche) see>>
• For a commentary on Heart Sutra, from Jason Espada, with Sutra translation for Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, see>>
• For the complete Heart Sutra translation, see>>

Buddha transcends mind, speech and body

Buddha is not a being; rather, “Buddha” is a state or concept. A being implies a discrete entity and ego. Buddha transcends body, speech, and mind, and therefore is not an individual (or a multiplicity of individuals.). Buddha is a state.

Since, in Mahayana Buddhist understanding, all beings have Buddha Nature — for now, temporarily obscured by concepts, obscurations, and obstacles — all beings are potentially Buddha. To help us overcome concepts, instead of the zen approach of “facing the wall,” in Vajrayana, we generate vast, unlimited conceptual mandalas — which we then break down into Emptiness. In doing this, we teach our conceptual, imaginative minds that if you remove ego and concept, we are all Oneness.

The smorgasbord of food metaphor simply illustrates that food may appear in many shapes and tastes — but it is, in essence, food. Like food, Dharma can be presented in different forms, tastes, and smells — or with every form, taste, smell and concept in the vast feast of Vajrayana buffet — all you can eat, and every taste.

His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche often uses the metaphor of ice and water. Ice in a glacier or on a mountain top, if it melts, ultimately becomes part of the vast ocean of water. When we “melt” our ego’s hold, we realize we are all One-ness.

The smorgasbord of Vajrayana — skillful means

Why did Shakyamuni Buddha teach in so many ways? Unlike some spiritual paths, with one prescribed text or scripture, there are hundreds (by some accounts, 80,000) Sutta teachings of the Buddha. Why did he teach some people that ethical conduct and virtue as the main path, while to others he taught the Bodhisattva path of compassion, and to other audiences, he taught the sometimes exotic and transcendent tantra methods (tantra just means union of method/compassion with wisdom) that appear vastly complicated?

He taught differently to people of different preferences and conceptual views. The path of conduct and virtue — the ethical path of the earliest Pali Suttas — are for those who currently need to modify the negative karmic imprints of the poisons: hate or anger, jealousy, attachment and clinging.

The path of the Bodhisattva is for those ready to embrace all beings with equanimity and compassion.

The path of Vajrayana is for those whose focus should be on incorrect views and conceptualization. All paths have the same goal and focus on the teachings of the great victor, Shakyamuni Buddha — but each focuses uniquely. And, like our smorgasbord metaphor, there are more than three types of food. The nuances of Dharma teachings are as vast as the endless field of deities and mandalas. Each and every deity is not other than Buddha.

Mission focus: working on the poisons

This concept of a vast multiverse of Buddhas — literally millions of Buddhas — is expressed in the Mahayana Sutra, the Mahavairocana Sutra. In this Sutra it is explained that time and the multiverse are limitless, and that Shakyamuni Buddha was born not only on earth, to bring the Dharma, but also 1,000 times in 1,000 different universes (not just planets, but entire Universes). Long before science postulated a “multiverse” — Buddha taught experientially on the nature of limitless time and space. [4.] In this sutra, the great Vajrapani asks questions of Vairocana Buddha. This Sutra is unique; it names all the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas and gives their individual mantras. [For a feature on this sutra, with an excerpt of Chapter IV containing this treasury of mantras, see>>]

Synopsizing the 300-page Sutra is Vairochana’s concise reply to Vajrapani’s question on how he achieved Enlightenment:

“The bodhi-mind (bodhicitta) is its cause, compassion (karuṇā) is its root, and expedient means (upāya) is its culmination.”

“Expedient means, “are the focus of Vajrayana.  specific methods to help us progress — to help us remove our various obscurations — we might focus on one visualized aspect of Buddha. We can synopsize these within the Five Buddha “families”

“The Five Buddhas represent the transmutation of the five delusions or poisons (ignorance, desire, aversion, jealousy and pride), into the five transcendent wisdoms (all-pervading, discriminating, mirror-like, all-accomplishing, and equanimous).” [5]

• Akshobhya  and his entire family or mandala — the “immovable, changeless Buddha” — helps us overcome the disturbing emotion of anger
• Ratnasambhava and his entire family or mandala purifies pride
• Amitabha and his entire family or mandala  purifies desire and attachments — which is fundamental to progress in Buddhist practice
• Amoghasiddhi (Amogasiddha) and his entire family or mandala (most famously, Green Tara or wrathful Vajrakilaya — both considered “activity of all the Buddhas), purifies jealousy.
  
• Vairochana purifies ignorance

• For a two-part feature on the Five Dhyani Buddhas (mentioned above), see part 1 Quantum Physics and the Five Dhyani Buddhas>>
• See part 2 Mind Map of the Five Dhyani Buddhas>>
• For a section on Tara, the activity wisdom of all the Buddhas, wee>>
• For a feature on Vajrakilaya, the wrathful activity of all the Buddhas, see>>

Peaceful, wrathful, enchanting, attracting or heroic

For this reason, Chenrezig can appear peaceful and meditative and serene; and equally he can appear wrathful with multiple ferocious faces, a hundred arms; and equally in thousands of other forms. These are symbolized by the metaphor of color:

• Peaceful, and the skillful means of Buddha’s body — white, for example: Vairochana, Vajrasattva, White Tara, White Chenrezig
• Wrathful, and the skillful means of Buddha’s mind— blue or black (blue and black connote emptiness or spaciousness), for example: Vajrakilaya (blue), Yamantaka (blue), Black Mahakala (black)
• Enchanting or magnetizing and the skillful means of Buddha’s speech or Dharma — red, for example: Vajrayogini, Hayagriva, Kurukulle
• Attracting or the skillful means of Buddha’s generosity — yellow or gold, for example: Ratnasambhava, Yellow Tara, Yellow Dzambala (Jambala)
• Heroic or the skillful means of Buddha’s activities — green (which is, by tradition, the blend of all colors), for example: Amoghisiddhi Buddha or his equal and consort Green Tara

Each of these can “cross over” silnce Tara can appear peaceful and meditative and serene as White Tara; and equally as wrathful black, seductive red, golden yellow, and in countless heroic forms. Tara and Chenrezig, and all of the Buddhas are not other than One Enlightened Mind, emanating in the most suitable way to teach sentient beings.

Vajrayana Buddhism is also unique in its focus on all five (plus) senses and particularly on the error of incorrect view and illusory appearances. This, too, is the buffet, with a sumptuous feast in every color, taste, smell — all with beautiful mantras playing as we feast.

A Feast of Offerings — an Endless Field of Purelands

One of the magnificent practices of Vajrayana is the twice monthly Tsog feast, we name, and remember, and make offerings to all of the Buddhas, helping us recall the vast multiverse of Purelands. These offerings also state the “blessings” of each of the Buddha forms and their Purelands. For example, in Vajrasattva’s Pureland of Manifest Joy there is no hate. This “Feast of Offering”  is both an offering and a teaching, naming each of the Buddhas, their Pureland, and their special focus.

In The Feast of Offering, a Tsog and Smoke Offering, a lengthy Sadhana describes many of the Buddhas and their particular pure lands, starting with the most famous of all, Sukhavati (The Purelands and the names of the Buddhas are not in bold in the original text, this is editorial highlighting. Sukhavati is mentioned twice because Amitayus and Amitabha are both emanations of the same being) :

“In the pure land of Sukhāvati, even the name of sorrow is unknown. It is the fortune of perfect happiness, Grant me the siddhi of long life and regard me with compassion, Amitāyus

In the pure land of Poṭala, even the names of the afflictions, the five poisons, do not exist. It is the fortune of perfect compassion. Grant me the supreme siddhi and regard me with love, Chenrezig.

In the pure land of Lotus Light, even the names of suffering and samsara do not exist. It is the fortune of the vidyādharas’ immortal life. Bestow the siddhi of the sky-faring rainbow body and grant blessings, Padmasambhava.

In the pure land of Manifest Joy, even the name of delusional hate does not exist. It is the fortune of perfect joy and bliss. Bestow the siddhi of mirror-like wisdom and grant blessings, Vajrasattva.

In the pure land Glory-Endowed, even the name of delusional pride does not exist. It is the fortune of perfect splendor. Bestow the siddhi of equanimity wisdom and grant blessings, Ratnasaṃbhava.

In the pure land of Sukhāvati, even the name of delusional desire does not exist. It is the fortune of perfect happiness. Bestow the siddhi of discriminating wisdom and grant blessings, Amitābha.

In the pure land of Fulfilled Activity, even the names of self-grasping and jealousy do not exist. It is the fortune of perfect buddha activities. Bestow the siddhi of all-accomplishing wisdom and grant blessings, Amoghasiddhi.

In the dharmadhātu sphere of Akaniṣṭha even the name of delusional ignorance does not exist. It is the fortune endowed with five perfections. Bestow the siddhi of dharmadhātu wisdom and grant blessings, Vairochana.

Bestow the fortune of the vital essences of the five great mothers – the five pure elements – and the fortune of longevity. In the emanated realm of Uddiyāna, dwell Yeshe Tsogyal and the assembly of dakinis.”

As we make meritorious offerings, we also recall all of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, their Siddhis and blessings and Purelands — regardless of which Yidam we focus on in daily practice. The Tsog feast is none other than a multi Pureland and mandala tour.

The Totality of Vajrayana

While Vajrayana is a total path, containing all of the other paths, including ethical and conduct, Bodhichitta and Compassion, and the universal nature of Emptiness or Shunyata. The particular focus on Vajrayana, however, is on the at the same time embracing and dissecting the true nature of “appearances” — which can include visual, audio, and other senses.

In a teaching on Vajrakilaya, Garchen Rinpoche explains why:

“It is best is one has no thought at all of self verus other or inside versus outside.”[2]

Visualization — a Major Focus of Vajrayana

One defining practice characterization of Vajrayana is visualization. Another is mantra, which is the audible form of visualization. By embracing the relative reality of countlesss Buddhas and Bodhisattvas — as many Enlightened Beings as there are cells in the body or stars in the sky — we affirm the universal Buddha nature of all sentient beings. At the same time, Vajrayana teaches, through experiential methods — rather than verbal-only teachings — that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are of one, Universal nature.

When, in Vajrayana, we say “all men are Chenrezig” and all women are “Tara” we are pointing to that core truth. While there are countless sentient beings, our core nature is One. We all have Buddha Nature. Until we develop realizations, though, we continue to illusory concept of individual ego. We see Chenrezig as the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and Vajrakilaya as the wrathful emanation of Vajrasattva, and Tara as the Mother of the Buddhas — while at the same time we accept the concept that all of these are of One Nature, in essence, One. Tara expresses as countless Dakinis, and as the consort of all Buddhas. Chenrezig expresses as wrathful Mahakala, Hayagriva, and countless forms. Yet, both, ultimately, are of one nature with Vajradhara or Samantabadhra, who are of one nature with Shakyamuni Buddha.

Boggling the mind is the intention?

While it can boggle the mind, that’s the intention. Ego and words are what manifest individuality. When we name a baby, he or she becomes a discrete being. Yet, that baby’s name is given to him or her, along with some preconcieved notions of conduct, ethics, language and so on — which reinforce individuality. The unfortunate side effects are the three, five or ten poisons, synopsized considely as Anger and Hatred, Attachment and Clinging (and its opposite aversion), and Incorrect View.

Ultimately, incorrect view is the source of most of the rest of the poisons. We are taught attachment and clinging and aversion by our parents. Our parents gave us a name, and taught us “I” and “me.” We discovered that crying brought us food when we were hungry, or love and kisses when we were lonely. We learned aversion when we filled our diaper or skinned our knee. We learn to be jealous when we compare ourselves to others we perceive as “them” or “you.” All of this began with the name we are given as a child — something our parents thought about for months before we’re even born. We soon learn that name even defines us. Names go in and out of fashion: which we learn in school when we are teased.

None of these concepts should be taken to mean that our parents and teachers were wrong. Without some concept of ego, and self-preservation, we wouldn’t last long in an unkind samsaric world.

What Vajrayana, however, teaches us — when we are mature enough — is that there is a way to accept both the relative “me” and “you” and the ultimate “we are all one.”

This begins with Vajrayana’s vast multiverse of mandalas of countless deities. Why so many? Because there are so many of us — all with different issues, different dominating poison views.

The Enlightened Body, Speech and Mind of Buddha emanate in every conceivable form to teach us how to focus on our particular needs.

NOTES

[1] Heart Sutra (with the full Sutta translated)>>

[2] Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions, His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche. Available in any bookstore, for reference, on Amazon>>

[3] From the English translation (of a very small section, “Summoning Good Fortune on page 63”) of A Rainfall of Benefit and Happiness from the Garchen Institute>> 

[4] Full name of the Sutra: Mahāvairocanābhisaṃbodhivikurvitādhiṣṭhāna-vaipulyasūtrendrarāja-nāma-dharmaparyāya

[5] Source: What Does Quantum Physics Have to do with the Five Buddhas — Vairochana, Amitabha, Akshobya, Ratnasambhava, and Amoghasiddhi? >>

The Psychology of Tantra — It brings practice into everyday living

Psychologist Rob Preece describes the benefits and uniqueness of Tantric methods:

“Tantra is the unfolding of a creative process, which occurs moment by moment in the act of manifestation and transformation. In this sense, we continually experience the process of creative transformation in every aspect of our lives.

When the process unfolds naturally, as an expression of our true nature, we experience a flow of vitality in all we do. But when this process becomes stuck or blocked, we experience varying degrees of dis-ease and suffering… Each of us has the innate potential to awaken fully, and to give individual expression to our true nature in our lives. This potential is the seed of our Buddha nature, which, once awakened and allowed to manifest, can creatively enrich our lives. [9]

Tantra is creative and transformative

Tantra, then, is both a creative art and experience — we develop our imaginations, and “role play” almost like actors — but also a transformative, psychologically-grounded method. (If properly guided by a teacher.) But, before getting into what Tantra is, it’s important to wrestle with this incorrect persona of “Tantra” as “sexual.” Where sex is involved, it’s in the context of either symbolism, or tranformative process of an ordinary samsaric craving.

It’s important to separate the metaphor from the literal — a perspective issue in Western thinking according to Robin Kornman:

“The problem Westerners have in reading Buddhist tantra is that they cannot tell allegory from literal speech. In the nineteenth century, the West discovered the existence of Hindu and Buddhist tantra—paths that like Western alchemy emphasize transmutation of the ordinary into the spiritual. Tantric iconography includes representations of fornicating deities, usually with multiple heads and limbs (although strangely enough, their sexual organs are always true to life), and it was perhaps for this reason that Western scholars thought tantra had something to do with sex.”

Tantra is about transformation, rather than suppression

Tantric methods are about “transformation” rather than subjugation of those very things that trap us in Samsaric suffering. Joy, bliss, anger, greed, fear, and sex can all become attachments, even addictions. [Aha! There is sex!] Suppressing our cravings doesn’t work for everyone — which tends to be where Tantra steps in. By recognizing Samsara and Nirvana are inseparable, we find we can transform the negative emotions. It is this aspect of transformation, versus suppression, that has led many psycho-therapists to study and use some tantric methods.

The great Lama Yeshe described Tantra this way:

“The same desirous energy that ordinarily propels us from one unsatisfactory situation is transmuted, through the alchemy of tantra, into a transcendental experience of bliss and wisdom. The practioner focuses the penetrating brilliance of this blissful wisdom so that it cuts like a laser beam through all false projections of this and that and pierces the very heart of reality.” [8]

Again, quoting from Robin Kornman’s excellent article:

“Of course, one can make a big deal out of sex by giving it special attention. There are special tantric yogas which can transmute the mundane act of fornication into a meditation practice, but of course, everything can be transmuted that way. There are contemplative approaches to eating, to walking, to calligraphy, to, in fact, everything. There is a yogic way of taking a nap and a yogic way of decorating a room. Anything can be turned into a yogic exercise if it is given special attention. Dogen Zenji’s Shobogenzo even lays down regulations for dental hygiene.”

Renunciation and Transformation

Buddhist monks renounce sex — but they also renounce all ordinary activities. It’s not about sex, it’s about attachments, including food, money, power, fashionable clothes. They might eat one meal a day, given to them by lay people, following the example of the Bikkhus. However, it is important to understand that in Buddhism, sex is not seen as evil, but, simply as a normal craving to be overcome with discipline, concentration and meditation. Or, in the case of Tantra, with transormative meditation.

The Lay (non-monastic) Tantric Buddhist embraces ordinary activities as the path. Instead of “overcoming” cravings for pleasure, or trying to calm our anger, Tantra transforms them. The classic Tantra example is transforming Anger into the energy to practice. In a wonderful teaching “Wheel of Sharp Weapons” by Gelek Rimpoche, her explained:

“Mother beings and innocent beings are not fit to be the object of hatred or anger at all. On the other hand, negative emotions that are creating suffering, in particular the imposter ego, is fit to be the object of your hatred or anger.”

In other words, we transform our fury and hatred towards an object that can virtuously benefit from that directed power — in this case our own ego. Rimpoche adds, “When you use your hatred, etc. on the right object, the recognized enemy, even though you will not get rid of anger and hatred completely, doing that is transforming anger-hatred into the path. Using anger-hatred on the negativities is using anger-hatred as the path, while using it against living beings is negativity.”

Tantra everyday examples of transformation

Tantra practice is not really about the one hour in front of your shrine at night, generating Bodhichitta with your Yidam’s Sadhana. It is about carrying the Buddha Dharma into every moment of every day life. This is why in Higher Yogic Practices we have Yogas that take us through the entire 24-hour cycle of daily Samsara:

• Sleeping Yoga [For a related story on Dreaming Yoga, see>>]
• Rising or Awakening Yoga
• Tasting Nectar Yoga (When eating a meal)
• Generating as Yidam and other practices
• Everyday Activities as Yoga: where we try to subtly visualize ourselves as Enlightened Deities throughout the day, as the Tantric texts say: “All sounds are Mantras, all beings are Buddhas…”

Certainly, we aren’t really manifesting as a six-armed Hayagriva througout the day, except in our own mindstreams. Yet, that awareness — in the same way as mindfulness (only, perhaps, more actively) keeps us aware of our Buddha Nature in those times when we need to transform a craving or anger or hate.

• For a full feature on Yamantaka, see>>

What do we mean? Everyday life examples — which is where we practice actually Tantra — might be:

• An angry “boss” at work might redirect his anger, remembering his meditations on Yamantaka (representing the transformation of anger) — and feel his anger transform into energy to meet the deadline. He will not to vent on his team members, but rather turn that furious energy into the power to make the deadline.
• A lazy person might meditate on the wrathful energy of Hayagriva to inspire renewed motivation. He might turn his anger on himself — incinerating the laziness with the flames of enthusiasm to practice.
• A person having lustful thoughts and considering an affair might transform these dangerous cravings with Vajrayogini practices. The Yogas of Vajrayogini are particularly effective in daily life.
• A fearful person, incapacitated by fears, can find strength in Tara and Prajnaparamita — and the solice of Emptiness.

These are skilled practices, taking years of training and guidance by a teacher, but they are very effective.

• For a full feature story on wrathful deity practices, a part of Tantra, see>>

Tantra: “Every ride in the amusement park”

It is the non-duality of Samsara and Nirvana that empowers Tantra and Zen both — in different ways. Sasha Manu explains: “the journey of a Tantrika is a transformative process of experiencing the realm of duality in its fullest, and then transcending it. Whereas the Zen journey immediately attacks the misconceptions of Samsara and aims to quickly transcend all forms of dualistic thinking. Zen is taught from the perspective of Nirvana, teachings are predicated on Buddhahood being inherent within us. While Tantra is taught from within Samsara, with mastery of the phenomenal world leading to transcendence of it. This leads to the Tantric path being gradual and immersive, while Zen is simple and direct.” [6]

He also uses a humorous anecdote:

“A Zen pupil walks directly from the entrance of an amusement park to the exit, while the Tantrika goes on every ride before exiting.”

The problem is, not everyone can absorb the full experience by going directly to the exit — which is where Tantra excels. For those of us drowning in an ocean of passions and sensory thrills, Tantra can be the path that transforms the “thrill rides” into Wisdom.

The Tantric enhancement: Unity of Samsara and Nirvana

The best “concise” description, explaining the difference between Tantra and Mahayana generally — seems to be from an introduction to scholar Edward Conze’s Buddhist Texts Through the Ages explaining that

Tantrists hold “their conviction that the truth was but a matter of inner realization, and that this was not to be found by fleeing from a world of which man is essentially part, but by comprehending it in its true condition and by continuing to live in it. This is what is meant [in the Tantras] by the unity of Samsara and Nirvana, which was for them the limit of perfection.” [5]

This is also expressed in the tantric expressions of “unity of Wisdom and Compassion” — as symbolized in the ultimate Tantric symbols of Bell and Dorje (Ghanta and Vajra). Unity and matrix is a core aspect of the meaning of Tantra (and the bell / Dorje):

• Unity of Nirvana and Samsara
• Indivisible Emptiness and Form
• The inseparability of Wisdom and Compassion
• Wisdom and Means joined
• Six perfections of Wisdom (bell) and the five perfections of Means (five-spoked Dorje: generosity, morality, patience, perseverance, concentration.
• For more on the Bell and Dorje symbolism, see this full feature>>

The entire tapestry of life in Buddhist Tantra: analogous to martial arts

A key element of Buddhist Tantra is practice. Another key element is the Guru. In this way, Tantra is directly analogous to martial arts: to excel in martial arts requires a teacher of known lineage and skills; and endless practice. In Tantra, the Guru is central, certainly, since to walk the path we must understand the path. Then, begins the long journey. One eminent teacher of Vajrayana, H.E. Zasep Rinpoche, joked about the endless practice and repetition in Vajrayana: “The Buddhas must be deaf.”

• Clearly, then, practice in our daily lives is Tantra, especially:
• Visualizing ourselves as Enlightened in our daily lives as a practice
• Chanting mantras as verbal real-life practice
• Daily “dissolving” of self into emptiness, and building back up into the mandala (Generation practice)

Over time, we begin to understand that Samsara and Nirvana are one, that what we are seeking is not separated from our daily lives. This also leads to an understanding, as explained by Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche that

Vajrayana is “an advanced skilful method that enables practitioners to become free of clinging to false notions and beliefs regarding inherent existence of appearances and experiences and therefore of an individual self.”

• See our feature on Dharma in Motion: Dharma and the martial arts>>

Tantra is esoteric rather than exotic: and very upliftingly positive

Tantra requires a teacher to avoid misunderstandings, but it is above all irresistibly blissful and wondrous. Instead of seeing Emptiness — not to be confused with Nihilism — through the lens of intellect or stillness, in Tantra see through the lens of “Expansiveness” and “Bliss — and, the participant is very engaged and active. Instead of trying to “empty our mind” or trying to remain permanently “mindful” we engage the mind in visualization. Today, sports coaches, psychotherapists and business leaders use visualization techniques, in much the same way as Tantra — except they visualize mundane aspirations.

Although Tantric Buddhists do engage in traditional Samatha and Vipassana meditation, the key point of difference in Tantra is the aspirational visualization guided by a teacher, incorporating the motivational power of “bliss.”

Unlike the sports coach, who teaches us to visualize the end goal of winning, in Tantra, we visualize ourselves as we would like to be — as future Buddhas. For these reasons, Tantra is irrepressibly cheerful in outlook because we undertake blissful visualizations. We see ourselves in a state of happy realization; no, we’re not there, yet, but we never stop trying. It’s like a dress-rehearsal for Enlightenment. Instead of analyzing concepts such as Emptiness, Bliss, Clear Light, or trying to achieve realizations through one-pointed focus or mindfulness, Tantrics engage in visualization and well-established rituals, dress-rehearsals of a script, based on methods established by a long-lineage of accomplished teachers.

Real life and Buddha Nature — Tantra embraces both

Key to Tantra, as with Mahayana, is the concept that all beings, from ants to humans, have Buddha Nature. This directly relates to the idea of Samsara and Nirvana as one. You don’t look for enlightenment in denial — but in understanding the true nature of reality.

Although sex is a part of living and Samsara — and therefore appears in Tantra — for example in the concept of consorts representing, again, wisdom and means — it is not what Tantra is about. It’s part of what life is about, certainly, and therefore also a part of Tantra. Which brings us back to that sensationalist, Pierre Bernard.

Sensationalist Bernard misrepresented Tantra

Although the sensationalist Pierre Bernard (1875-1955) is credited with popularizing non-Buddhist Tantra in North America, he is also the main reason it is erroneously associated with sex, and other misunderstandings. He was notorious, charged with kidnapping teenage girls, and making sex a focus of his version of tantra. [More on him later, if you’re curious.]

Removing the sex from Tantra?

If removing the sex from Tantra makes it less alluring, it shouldn’t, since Tantra includes “all the rides,” including sex, and weaves “copious” methods designed to lead to “Liberation.” [The word Tan-Tra means Copious (Tan) and Liberation (Tra.) ] And, as explained, these “copious” methods embrace all of Samsara and Nirvana. The aim is transformation. A skilled practitioner can transform sexual attachments, addiction to joy, afflictions of anger, or any other attachment with Tantra.

Yes, there are sexual images in Buddhist thangkas. Again, quoting Robin Kornman:

“The sexual thangkas are just as allegorical as the thangkas that show wrathful deities sacrificing live animals and eating human flesh. If these things were even 1% literal, Buddhism would be a religion of enraged, horny maniacs.”

Tantra are ancient methods — not a single spiritual path limited to the Vedas, Hinduism or Buddhism — and while it may be exotic, it has nothing to do with sexual positions. It’s also not a “religion” or specific spiritual path, but rather a collection of methods — revolving around visualization, mantras and guru training and initiation. Tantra predates Buddha, going back to the Vedic era texts, including the Atharvaveda and Brahmanas. [1] The legendary root of it all was Shiva, the Adiyogi (not referring here to the god), the “first yogi” from 15,000 years ago. [2]

In Buddhism, Tantra is normally associated with the more advanced practices of Vajrayana or Zen. (Not all Vajrayana Buddhists or Zen Buddhists practice Tantra, any more than all Buddhist practice one form of meditation, such as Samatha.) Again, they are a collection of methods, taught by Guru, and normally including visualization and mantra, and a transformation of desires or emotions.

These practices trace through the ancient Mimamsa; later, broader Hinduism, Vajrayana and Zen Buddhism (both), and Daoism. Bernard, unfortunately, made it a “new age” sex thing, trivializing an important spiritual method.

Buddhist and Hindu Tantra

In legend, the great Lord Shiva “does not give any philosophical explanations, but instead gives very direct instructions on the methods to liberation. Siva Sutras and Vighyana Bhairava Tantra are popular texts that contain specific techniques to liberate the embodied soul from the limitations of the body and mind and experience his true blissful nature.” [2] Likewise, in Tantric Buddhism, the methods are pointed out by a Guru, explored by the individual Yogi, and focus on experiencing the “clear light of bliss.” Bliss is a central focus of Tantra — together with “direct pointing out by a Guru” — and herein may have been the initial confusion of Bernard. Sex, and bliss are not the same thing.

Why are Buddhist and Hindu Tantras similar? Even the visualizations and deities imagined — at first — seem similar. Of course, Buddhism developed from ancient Vedic philosophies. The words Dharma, Karma, Yoga, Tantra, Metta, Bodhichitta — these all pre-date Buddhism. Buddhism has a special focus, the goal of Enlightenment as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, but it has roots in ancient Vedic religion. The methods may be similar, although the end goal is different. It should not surprise anyone that “seated meditation” and “Tantra” — often associated with Buddhism — are methods that pre-date the Buddha.

Then, what is Tantra?

Just as it is nearly impossible to properly define Zen, Tantra proves just as elusive. The English translation of the two syllables “Tan-Tra” is most commonly given as “Copious” (Tan) and Liberation (Tra.) It is certainly associated with understanding the true nature of reality (Tattva). Another definition of Tantra, a literal translation, can be “loom, warp, weave.” [1] This can refer to the “weaving” of different teachings and traditions together as a practice.

It could be said, that meditation is practiced by all spiritual paths in one way or another. Likewise, there are Tantric practices in many spiritual paths. The methods are similar, the destination is different.

Vajrayana Buddhism teaches, among other methods, Tantric methods, with that important goal of “Purifying one’s impure perception of all appearances and experiences,” according to His Eminence Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche the Third. Zen Buddhism also incorporates many Tantric methods.

The Omnipotent Oom — Bernard a.k.a. Perry Baker

Terms such as “Tantrism” — just like the misleading term “Lamaism” — are Western inventions of early scholars who did not understand the profound Tantras. Likewise, the association with “sex” is the invention or exaggeration of a controversial early American non-Buddhist “Yogi” who named himself Pierre Bernard (born Perry Baker, or Peter Coon, he kept his history secret) who dabbled in occultism, mysticism, business, and called himself “Oom the Magnificent” — sometimes “The Omnipotent Oom.” His teacher was Sylvais Hamati, who taught him hatha yoga. Bernard, the sensationalist, became famous when he invited surgeons to push needles through is cheek, lip and nostril, apparently without feeling pain. At one point he was charged in 1910, with kidnapping two teenage girls, Zella Hoppa and Gertrude Leo. He is credited with associating sex with tantra, a sensationalist spin that stuck. [3]

Historian of religion Robert C. Fuller has commented that Bernard’s “sexual teachings generated such scandal that he was eventually forced to discontinue his public promulgation of Tantrism. By this time, Bernard had succeeded in making lasting contributions to the history of American alternative spirituality.” [4]

According to scholar Andre Padoux, author of The Heart of the Yogini, “Tantrism” is a Western term and notion, not a category that is used by the so-called “Tantrists” themselves. [5]

Defining Characteristics of Tantra

Again according to Padoux, there is no consensus on what constitutes Tantra, but there are some defining characteristics — whether Buddhist or non-Buddhist:

• Visualization of self as deities as a method to “overcome” the illusion of ordinary perceptions
• Mantras are central as a focus (hence, the term Mantrayana in Buddhism)
• Requires teaching and initiation, since the methods are easily misunderstood (for example, the incorrect association of Tantra with exotic sex methods.)

To this rather dry, scholarly definition, we would add Tantra practices transformation in everyday Samsaric life, recognizing all beings are Buddhas, and Samsara and Nirvana are non-dual.

NOTES
[1] Sir Monier Monier-Williams; Ernst Leumann; Carl Cappeller (2002). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages. Motilal Banarsidass (Reprint of Oxford University Press 1899 version). p. 436. ISBN 978-81-208-3105-6.
[2] Tribute to the Ancient Yogi Shiva, The Yogic Way of Life
[3] About Pierre Bernard “Oom the Magnificent”
[4] The Life and Works of Theos Bernard
[5] Buddhist Texts Through the Ages, by Edward Conze, Introduction: Philosophical Library/Open Road
Release Date: December 2, 2014
Imprint: Philosophical Library/Open Road
ISBN: 9781497675834
Language: English
[6] There and Back Again: The Unity of Samsara and Nirvana in Tantric and Zen Buddhism by Sasha Manu
[7] Sex and Buddhism, Robin Kornman

[8] “Introduction to Tantra: A Vision of Totality” [1987], p. 37, Lama Yeshe

[9] Rob Preece. The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra (Kindle Locations 79-81). Kindle Edition.

Why is Kalachakra practice recommended by great Buddhist teachers such as the Dalai Lama in these difficult times?
Why is Kalachakra considered to be the highest yoga meditational form of Shakyamuni Buddha?
How can Kalachakra meditation help to relieve our suffering?

In this time, when wars and disease and economic turmoil arise again in Samsara, Kalachakra is among the most important practices in Vajrayana Buddhism, to help us overcome our many obstacles.

This practice represents none other than the Highest Yoga Practice of the glorious conqueror Shakyamuni Buddha.

Buddha taught with skillful means

Buddha taught in different ways for a multitude of suffering beings.

In a display of this wonderful Enlightened skill, at the same time Buddha taught skillfully on our “plane of existence” — offering teachings in different ways to different followers, as best suited them — he taught in all planes of existence (time and space being relative and unlimited, after all.) The teachings of the Kalachakra Tantra are his highest teachings, although to achieve profound benefits requires training and a qualified teacher.

Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche explains:

“Kalachakra deity is an emanation of Buddha Shakyamuni.
He is the opponent of the age of degeneration, Kali Yuga.
Kalachakra revolves around the concept of time (kala) and cycle or wheels.
Kalachakra, in Tibetan Dhukor, means wheel of time, wheel of Samsara turning, wheel of sharp weapons turning, wheel of wars turning and wheel of suffering turning.
At this time, it is important to turn the wheel of holy Dharma.
It is time to practice Kalachakra Tantra.”

Kalachakra events and His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Kalachakra practice is well known worldwide due to the major teaching events of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as the famous sand mandalas and the popularized Kalachakra symbol seen in art and jewelry.

Despite this level of public awareness, it is one of the least well-understood of practices.

This is not surprising, given the layers of profundity built into the teachings.

Outer, Inner and Secret Kalacharka

Not only is there “outer, inner and secret” Kalachakra teachings, but it can literally take a lifetime to begin to understand them.

Outer Kalachakra relates to outer phenemon, noteably the 10 planets — which you can read as the entire Universe. This relates directly to the Kalachakra tenfold symbol (see below.)

Inner Kalachakra relates to the inner body — channels and chakras and the complex teachings of the inner world (which definitely requires instruction for meditation.) This also relates to the Kalachakra tenfold symbol (see below.)

Secret Kalachakra embodies the ultimate teachings.

Kalachakra Sahaja Heruka literally translates in English as the Wheel of Time Hero. Kalachakra is one of the most important deities in Vajrayana Buddhism — one that represents the highest form of the Buddha, and a practice that can help us overcome our obstacles.

Kalachakra’s teachings are profound and inspirational, representing a deep understanding of Samsara (the cycle of birth and death) and Nirvana (enlightenment). Kalachakra embodies both these aspects — samsara being represented by his outer body, while nirvana symbolized through his inner body.

Vajrayana — the importance of visualization

In Vajrayana Buddhism, image perception is an important aspect of meditation. Visualization instantly triggers response in our minds, in the same way as an image in a news story can convey more than simple words. Visualization is a unique aspect of Vajrayana meditation, usually combined with sound in the form of mantras. In some ways, Kalachakra represents the idealized amalgam of all visualized Enlightened Buddha aspects in Vajrayana.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the symbolized image of union and embrace is represented by the Yab Yum — or the Enlightened symbolic embrace of compassion and wisdom.

What does Yab Yum really represent?

Rather than representing two Enlightened Beings in an embrace, the Yab Yum represents balance, completeness, and the union of the polarities.

Kalach

This is in some ways very similar in concept to Daoist Yang Yin. Traditionally Yab, or the male aspect, represents Compassion and Skillful Means while the Yum, or female aspect represents Wisdom. These are considered to be aspects of one being, Kalachakra.

Kalachakra YabYum — even though visualized as male and female — are in essence one.

Just as we, ourselves, are one with Kalachakra.

There is no separation ultimately.

Two-armed Kalachakra Sahaja

The appearance of two-armed Kalachakra Sahaja, as described by the 19th-century teacher Jamyang Wangpo is to be visualized in a specific way:

Kalachakra Sahaja… with a body blue in color, one face, two hands holding a vajra and bell, embracing the Mother.
The left leg is white and bent pressing on white Ishvara and the right red and extended on the heart of the King of Desire.
The hair is in a top-knot and a wishing gem and crescent moon adorn the head; [adorned with] vajra ornaments and wearing a lower garment of tiger skin.
For each hand the thumb is yellow, forefinger white, middle finger red, ring-finger black, little finger green.
For the garland of joints, the first is black, second red, and third white; with Vajrasattva as a crown; and standing in the middle of a five coloured mountain of fire.
Embracing Visvamata, yellow in colour.
[She has] one face, two hands, three eyes, holding a curved knife and skullcup; embracing the Father with the right leg bent, left extended.

The most famous of the Kalachakra Tenfold Powerful One

The Kalachakra Seed Syllable (rnam bcu dbang ldan) or Tenfold Powerful One is one of the most iconic representations of both the entire Tibetan Tantric tradition, and particularly within its own system; a spectacular combination that starts with an ornamental ring of fire, followed by seven individual syllables in the center symbol. Subsequently crowned with a crescent moon, disc and curved shape to form ten pieces together – this powerful image serves as an awe-inspiring reminder for all who view it.

“Surrounding the main symbol is a kind of frame made of flames, which corresponds to the outermost “Circle of Wisdom” of the mandala.On the left and right of the actual Tenfold Powerful symbol are the Lantsa characters for E and VAM, representing the union of respectively emptiness (E) and bliss (VAM).

The individual syllables are represented in a in a stylized version of Sanskrit Lantsa (or Ranjana) characters. (Lantsa is an Indian Buddhist script, probably of late Pala origin, derived from Sanskrit, although certain scholars date it as late as the seventeenth century. It was used in Nepal until recent history. It is specifically used for mantra syllables and the titles of sacred texts.)

The symbol usually stands on a lotus (which also symbolizes the heart chakra) and three or four discs, like the Kalachakra deity: a white moon disc, a red sun disc, a black/blue Rahu disc and a yellow Kalagni disc. (The Rahu and Kalagni discs are often combined into one black Rahu disc.)” [2]

— from The Tenfold Powerful One, mostly derived from Ven. Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche’s teachings Bodhgya 1990

The symbol also embodies.

• Aspects of the Outer Kalachakara, like the elements and the ten planets
• Aspects of the Inner Kalachakra, like channels and chakras
• Aspects of the 10 powers, 10 forces, and 10 perfections (paramitas).

Kalachakra’s teachings are especially powerful for anyone seeking to tap into the power of their own inner potential, and ultimately reach enlightenment. Kalachakra’s symbol is a true representation of what lies at the heart of Kalachakra Tantra: unity with all-encompassing compassion and wisdom.

Through visualizing Kalachakra’s symbol, we can come to embody Kalachakra’s teachings in our everyday lives. Kalachakra’s symbol is a potent reminder of the power of meditation and how it can help us on our journey towards ultimate liberation from all suffering.

Transcending challenges with practice, principles, and devotion

This powerful Enlightened deity reminds us that with proper practice and devotion, we can transcend whatever challenges may come our way—and living according to Kalachakra’s principles helps us to create a path towards freedom from all suffering.

Kalachakra offers an inspiring vision for the world — a way to break free from the suffering of our age and achieve lasting peace, harmony, and joy.

Kalachakra is also part of profound logic or wisdom built into Kalachakra Tantra teachings, which are about understanding reality at its deepest levels.

Kalachakra can be seen not only as a deity, but also as a powerful symbol for transformation, offering us guidance in times of struggle.

Kalachakra’s teachings can help us on our journey towards ultimate enlightenment—the highest level of realization. Kalachakra’s profound teachings provide us with vital tools for navigating even the most difficult times in life. He helps us to understand and transcend our challenges while developing an unshakeable faith in the power of our own potential.

Kalachakra’s teachings are powerful for anyone seeking to create a better future for themselves and others.
Kalachakra offers us a path to become our best selves, with the ultimate goal of enlightenment — an end to all suffering and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

May we all find inspiration in Kalachakra’s teachings and make his profound wisdom part of our lives.

NOTES and CITATIONS

[1] Himalayan art feature “Kalachakra (Buddhist Deity) – Sahaja (1 face, 2 hands)

[2] From Tenfold Powerful One

“Manjushri is the father and mother of the Bodhissatvas, and their spiritual child.” [3]

Manjushri’s numerous faces, personas, and complexities only hint at the completeness of Buddha Manjushri  — father, mother and child at the same time!  We see Manjushri, the “child” Bodhisattva, sitting at the side of Shakyamuni in the Sutras, asking profound questions. [Child here means “Bodhisattva” or spiritual child of the Buddha.] At the same time, we meditate on the fully enlightened Buddha Manjushri, the perfect representation of Wisdom. As Orange Manjushri, his best-known form, we see “youthful” Manjushri. As Black Manjushri, the healer. As Yamantaka the ferocious, unbeatable foe of death! No Buddha has as many emanations and faces as Noble Manjushri.

Whit

Special Manjushri Event: Empowerment of White Manjushri!

Note: A short daily Orange Manjushri Sadhana from the fifth Dalai Lama is at the end of this feature. This practice is open to anyone as praise and meditation (assuming you visualize Manjushri in front of you.)

Mother and Father and Child Manjushri?

Since Wisdom — specifically the Enlightened understanding of Shunyata — is the Mother of Buddhas, Manjushri the Buddha of Wisdom is Mother. Why is Wisdom the Mother? Without Wisdom, no Buddha can be Enlightened.

Buddha Enlightenment is born from two “equal wings”: Wisdom and Compassion. Wisdom is Mother. Compassion is Father. Since Manjushri embodies both, he is both Father and Mother.

Of course, all Buddhas embody both — but Manjushri’s forms and appearance focus on both at the same time in terms of visual symbolism:

• In his right hand the Prajna Kudga, the flaming sword of wisdom — which represents the activity of “cutting through delusions” — compassionate action, and therefore “Father”

• In his left hand he holds the stem of a Lotus, upon which is the Prajnaparamita sutra. Prajnaparamita is Mother, which he fully embodies

• He manifests also as a youthful Bodhisattva — the “child” of the Buddhas.

Glorious youthful Manjushri, with his iconic sword of active wisdom, is just one of his many forms of wisdom. To fulfill this mission, as teacher, guide and protector, Manjushri manifests with many faces. Traditionally, in Mahayana Buddhism, each Buddha manifests in up to “eleven forms, expressions of “skillful means” — and each deity form is profound and popular for different reasons. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Manjushri, the Buddha who embodies Father, Mother, Bodhisattva Child, peaceful, wrathful, and even beastly. Why so many faces? Manjushri’s mission of “Compassionate Wisdom” demands “skillful means.”

Peaceful, Wrathful, Semi-wrathful, Animal Aspect, and more

People who do not understand the profound “method” of deity visualization may think of the many forms of Buddha as superstitious. They are, in fact, deeply profound, incorporating universal archetypal symbolism and visual triggers to our own innate wisdom process.

Why would Manjushri manifest with an “animal head? His “Highest Form” Yamantaka has nine heads, one of which is a Buffalo head. Why do we sometimes meditate on a ferocious Black Manjushri? Why is Manjushri sometimes a youthful sixteen-year-old holding a flaming Wisdom Sword (“Prajna Kudga”) and the Prajnaparamita Sutra? In between those extremes is semi-fierce Black Manjushri.

Dharma as Medicine, Buddha forms as Doctors

The great teachers often present Dharma as analogous to medicine — Dharma as medicine, Buddha as “doctor” and Sangha as “supporting care givers.” Manjushri practice is Dharma (medicine), his forms are “doctors” — some forms are specialists, such as surgeons, other viral experts — and his Entourage are the “supporting Sangha.”

In previous features, we’ve used the analogy of the parent to describe wrathful deities; in the same way a father might take on the “persona” of “kind” or “sympathetic” or “fierce” parent, depending on the needs of a child, Manjushri — and all Buddha’s — manifest in various forms to teach or guide us. Which father would you rather have at your side if you are bullied at school? Probably the fierce and protective father. When you are struggling great tragedy? Probably the kindly, hand-holding father. [For more on this, see this feature on Wrathful deities>>]

Doctor, Specialist and Surgeon

In other words, if you grouped the Buddha “emanation” forms by wrathfulness and compared to “doctor” function you might see this analogy:

• Peaceful form of Manjushri — Family Doctor
• Semi-wrathful form of Manjushri, such as Black Manjushri— surgeon or specialist
• Wrathful form of Manjushri, such as Yamantaka — Specialist surgeon (neurosurgery, for example.)

In the more common metaphor of “father” personality:

• Peaceful form of Manjushri — kindly father who listens to your problems
• Semi-wrathful form of Manjushri — father ready to defend or discipline his child (for their own good.)
• Wrathful form of Manjushri — the enraged protective father who would do anything to protect his child — in the case of the “Vajra Terrifier” Yamantaka, he protects from death.

Mantra as Medicine

Since Manjushri encompasses Mother, Father and Child aspects, his core mantra is likewise all-encompassing. If Manjushri can be thought of as Doctor, his mantra is the medicine:

Om A Ra Pa Cha Na Dhi

Om starts all mantras, and Dhi is Manjushri’s “seed syllable.” For this reason his mantra is often called the ARAPACHANA mantra. Its effect on mind and body has actually been studied. Here is a full feature on a Cognitive Study of ARAPACHANA by Dr. Deepika Chamoli Shahi, PhD>>

Manjushri’s powerful mantra is open to anyone to chant:

Why is Black Manjushri associated with healing?

Black and wrathful symbolize ferocious energy. While we may wish for a “peaceful” state of mind when contemplating mindfulness or Dharma, when we have need of healing it is more important to “activate” mind-over-body. Contemplating and visualizing Black Manjushri — in front of you if you don’t have initiation — and chanting his mantra is a famous healing practice. While it certainly does NOT replace advice from your physician, there is no doubt that — with faith — Black Manjushri’s healing energy can be helpful. Hundreds of lineage teachers through many generations have relied on the practice. For a story on Black Manjushri, see>>

Black Manjushri’s Mantra is acceptable to chant without empowerment as long as you visualize the Buddha in front of you:

The mantra is:

OM PRASO CHUSO DURTASO DURMISO NYING GOLA CHO KALA DZA KAM SHAM TRAM BHE PHET SOHA

It is also helpful to chant Manjushri’s mantra:

Om Ah Rah Pah Chah Na Dih

Black Manjushri for healing: a guided visualization:

Five key forms of any Buddha

People new to Mahayana Buddhism often wonder at Sutra references such as “hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands to the West, there is a world called Ultimate Bliss.” [1]

References to millions of Buddhas or Purelands are reasonable, given that the Universe is Infinite — and if you understand that all sentient beings have “Buddha Nature.” [For a feature on Buddha Nature, see>>]

Colour is often used to symbolize the five key aspects that focus on the five poisons (skandhas): White, Blue, Red, Yellow (Gold), and Green. There is also “Black” for wrathful forms. For example, there are white, yellow, or orange and black Manjushris.

How we meditate on a Buddha varies. Not only do we have the many Buddhas — Manjushri, Shakyamuni (who manifested in our time), Amitabha, Tara, Avalokiteshvara, Vajrasattva — each of these Buddhas emanate in numerous forms.

These key forms then can manifest with different levels of “energy” or “activity” (wrathfulness) or archetype (such as kingly, monastic.)

Emanations as layers?

You can think of these aspects of emanations of Buddhas as layers of symbolism. For example, in the advanced practice of Vajrabhairava (Yamantaka), the serious practitioner visualizes Yamantaka’s external form — which is vastly complicated, with nine faces, 34 arms, and 16 legs. But, at his heart, Yamantaka has youthful Manjushri. Then, at Manjushri’s heart, we visualize the seed syllable HUM. These “layers” are another way to understand the deities — who are none other than your own Buddha Nature manifesting outwardly.

It starts with the seed syllable Hum (then, sometimes, from Hum, a further emanation to the seed syllable Dhi) — seed syllables are the first emanation from the Emptiness or Oneness of Shunyata. From the seed syllable, we manifest outward to Manjushri in his youthful, popular form, then further outward to two-armed, one faced Yamantaka — and finally to the great Vajra Terrifier Yamantaka with nine faces, 34 arms, and 16 legs. [This is over-simplified, of course! The actual description in the Sadhana is many pages long!]

An all-encompassing practice: Yamantaka

Yamantaka practice — celebrating the most ferocious aspect of Manjushri — in particular, includes every form of sadhana practice:

• Refuge and Bodhichitta
• Lineage Guru Yoga
• Vows
• Complete Lama Tsongkhapa practice: “The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land” (Gaden Lha Gyai Ma)
• Seven Limb Practice
• Complete Vajrasattva practice — not just the mantra, but a complete purification sadhana
• Outer and inner mandala offerings
• Inner Offerings (multiple)
• Outer Sense Offerings (multiple offerings)
• Common Protection Wheel
• Uncommon Protection Wheel
• Three Kaya Practice: transforming ordinary death into Dharmakaya; transforming the intermediate (Bhardo) state into the Sambogakkaya; transforming rebirth into the Nirmanakaya
• Preliminary and Concluding Torma offerings
• Complete practice of the entire mandala, including the wrathful protectors
• Blessing of all the organs and senses — a form of Body Mandala
• Empowerment and initiation
• Consecrating the mala
• Mantra recitations, including Manjushri’s core mantra OM A RA PA TZA NA DHI, the great Root Mantra Dharani, the Action Mantra and Essence Mantras
• Generation of Karmayama and other wrathful members of the great mandala and Torma offerings — and the request for actions and activities to benefit all beings
• Extensive praises
• The Yoga of Daily Activities

There is no practice missing here.

For more on Yamantaka practice — which, of course, requires permission and initiation — see our earlier feature>> “Angry Wisdom: Yamantaka, the Destroyer off Death…”

Eleven iconic forms — to tap our visual imagination

If you look at the different styles of meditation, various Buddhas emanate as remedies (medicine) for the Five Poisons — hence the Five Buddha Families. [For more on the Five Buddha families, see>>] Then, each of these Five Buddhas — who can be considered emanations of Shakyamuni — manifest in various forms, which tend to fall into the “eleven iconic aspects” — here presented in the order of “peaceful” to “wrathful”:

1 – Buddha appearance
2 – Monastic appearance
3 – Lay figure appearance
4 – Elder appearance
5 – Mahasiddha appearance
6 – Kingly appearance
7 – Peaceful Deva or Bodhisattva appearance
8 – Semi-wrathful
9 – Warrior appearance
10 – Wrathful or “Angry” appearance
11 – Animal-headed (or featured) deities

You could simplify this list down by the “energy” level aspect to Peaceful, Semi-Wrathful, Wrathful. For example, under various types of “wrathful energy,” you might have “Warrior”, “Angry” or “Animal Headed.”

Many forms of Manjushri

There are countless forms from sutra and tantra, including Manjushri the Bodhisattva who appears often in the teaching sutras, Manjushri the Peaceful Buddha, various semi-wrathful forms, and — without contradiction — the most wrathful form of any meditation deity — Vajrabhairva, the Vajra Terrifier. There are also some lesser-known aspects. (See photos in this feature for some images).

Manjushri-Ghosha (Tibetan: jam pal yang)

The Glorious One with a Melodious Voice, the Bodhisattva we see as the heart-son of the Buddha Shakyamuni in sutra.

“Possessing a youthful body and fully extending wisdoms lamp, you clear away the darkness of the three worlds; to you, Manjushri, I bow.” from a Sakya liturgical verse.

This emanation is described as: “youthful in appearance, orange in colour like the rising sun, the right hand loosely extended across the knee holds the stem of a blue utpala flower blossoming above the shoulder supporting a blue upright sword of wisdom giving forth licks of flame from the tip. Cradled to the heart with the left hand is a folio text of the Prajnaparamita sutra. At the top of the head beneath a gemstone blazing with orange fire the blue hair is piled in a topknot, some falling loose across the shoulders, tied with golden flowers. A thin areola, reddish and ethereal, surrounds the head. Lightly adorned with gold earrings and a choker necklace, he wears a blue-green scarf and a lower garment with even-folds of red and pink covering the legs. In a relaxed posture of royal ease atop a large pink lotus blossom with lush green foliage rising on thin stems from a pond of blue rippling water below, he sits against an open background and vast clear sky.” [4]

Namasangiti four-armed Manjushri

From Himilayan Art:
“In a peaceful manner, yellow in colour, with one face and four hands Manjushri holds in the first right a blue sword of wisdom wrapped with licks of flame and in the left held to the heart the stem of a pink utpala flower blossoming at the left ear supporting the Prajnaparamita text. In the lower two hands are an arrow and a bow. Adorned with fine ornaments of gold and jewels as a crown, earrings, necklaces and bracelets he is draped in a variety of scarves, silks and a lower garment of rainbow colours. Seated atop a moon and multi-coloured lotus seat he emanates a pale yellow nimbus of fine light rays and a green areola completely enclosed by dark green leaves and lotus blossoms.
In front, from a dark blue pool with water fowl sporting rises a pink lotus as a foundation for an array of rich offerings of a golden Dharma Wheel, wishing jewels, auspicious emblems, vases and delicious foods offered to the noble Manjushri.”

A Meditation On Orange Manjushri

by the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682)

NAMO GURUJA VAGIH SHARAHYA
I make humble obeisance to you, great Tsongkhapa, Personification of Manjushri in human form with all the marks and signs of perfection.
Your magnificent attainments were nurtured in the matrix of motherly method and wisdom combined
Of which the vibrant syllable DHI is an embodiment.

Sipping the nectars of the profound teachings, Directly from Manjushri’s masterly eloquence, You realized the heart of wisdom.
 Inspired by your example, I will now set out a description of the steps for actualization Of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, In accord with your realization.

Begin the session with the general preliminaries of taking refuge and generating the altruistic thought of enlightenment. Then con- template the four immeasurable thoughts of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhichitta

I go for refuge until I am enlightened
To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly.
By my practice of giving and other perfections,
May I become a buddha to benefit all sentient beings. (3x)

The Four Immeasurables

May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all sentient beings be inseparable from the happiness that is free from suffering.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from desire for friends and hatred for enemies.1
Recite the SVABHAVA mantra to purify perception in emptiness and then proceed:
OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMAH SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM

Visualization

At my heart is my mind in the shape of an egg, its point upwards. Inside the egg, on a full moon disc, is an orange letter DHI, from which an infinite amount of light emits. It fills the whole of my body, purifying all my negativities and removing all my obscura- tions accumulated since beginingless time. The light rays leave through my pores and become offerings to the buddhas and bo- dhisattvas, thereby delighting them. This causes the blessings of the body, speech, and mind of these holy beings to dissolve into light that destroys the darkness of ignorance of all sentient be- ings, thus placing them in wisdom’s illumination.

The rays then recollect into the syllable DHI. It transforms into light, my ordinary perception and my clinging thereto vanish, and I emerge as Venerable Manjushri, orange in color, with one face and two arms. My right hand brandishes a sword of wisdom in the space above me. At my heart between the thumb and ring finger of my left hand, I hold the stem of an utpala lotus. Upon its petals in full bloom, by my left ear, rests a volume of the Perfec- tion of Wisdom Sutra.

I sit in full lotus posture and am adorned with precious ornaments for my head, ears, throat, and shoulders, as well as bracelets and anklets. Draped in a flowing mantle and skirt of exquisite silks, my hair is tied up in five knots and coils counter-clockwise. Bearing an entrancing and serene smile, I sit amidst a mass of light radiat- ing from my body. The letter OM marks the crown of my head, AH my throat and HUM my heart.

HUM emits rays of light that invite the wisdom beings from the inconceivable mansion of their own pure lands. They resemble Manjushri as described above and are surrounded by hosts of buddhas and bodhisattvas.

JAH HUM BAM HOH

They absorb into me and thus we become one.

Offerings and Praise

One then makes offerings and praise.
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA ARGHAM PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (water for the face)
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA PADYAM PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (water for the feet)
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA PUSHPE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (flowers)
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA DHUPE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (incense)
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA ALOKE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (lights/lamps)
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA GANDHE PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (scented water or perfume)
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA NAIVIDYA PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (food)
OM ARYA VAGIH SHARA SAPARIVARA SHAPTA PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA (music)

Praise

I make obeisance to your youthful form, O Manjushri. Like that of a dynamic and graceful sixteen year old, You repose upon the full moon as your cushion
At the center of an expansive, milk-white lotus.

I make obeisance to your speech, O mighty fulfiller of wishes, So mellifluent to the minds of countless sentient beings,
A lucent euphony to accord with each listener’s capacity,
Its multiplicity embellishing the hearing of all unfortunate ones.

O Manjushri, I make obeisance to your mind
Wherein is illuminated the entire tapestry of the myriad objects
of knowledge.
It is a tranquil ocean of unfathomable profundity
Of immeasurable breadth, boundless like space itself.

Mantra Recitation

At my heart upon a moon disc is an orange syllable DHI. Encircling it at the disc’s periphery stands the rosary-like mantra of:

OM AH RA PA CHA NA DHI

All the syllables radiate light, which gathers both the wisdoms of exposition, dialectics and composition and the wisdoms of hear- ing, contemplation and meditation, which are possessed by the buddhas, bodhisattvas, sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, and the wise and learned masters of all the Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions.

One contemplates the fusion of such wisdom within one’s mindstream and recites the mantra accordingly. See pages 9-11 for a more elaborate explanation and practice of receiving the seven types of wisdom.

Conclude the session with the hundred-syllable Vajrasat- tva mantra to purify excesses, omissions and mistakes. Then end with some prayers and auspicious verses.

OM VAJRASATTVA SAMAYA MANU PALAYA / VAJRASATTVA TVENO PATISHTA / DRIDHO MAY BHAVA / SUTOSHYO ME BHAVA / SUPOSHYO ME BHAVA / ANURAKTO ME BHAVA / SARVA SIDDHIM ME PRAYACHHA / SARVA KARMA SU CHAME / CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA HO / BHAGAVAN / SARVA TATHAGATA / VAJRA MAME MUNCHA / VAJRA BHAVA MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA / AH HUM PHAT

Dedication

By virtue of this practice may I quickly
Accomplish the powerful attainments of Manjushri; And then may I lead all beings without exception To that supreme state.

[5]

NOTES
[1] Amitabha Sutra
[2] 11 Iconic Forms of Buddhas
[3] Chanting the Names of Mañjuśrī: The Mañjuśrī-nāma-saṃgīti
[4] Manjushri gosha page on Himilayan art
[5] Orange Manjushri Sadhana by the Fifth Dalai Lama, translated by FPMT.

From one of the tea-offerings to glorious Black Mahakala:

“You come from your tree…
You, the Great Black One, the Great Crow.
Glorious Six-Armed One, homage and praise to you!
Sternly protect the doctrine of the Buddha!” [1]

“Mahākāla is the most commonly invoked of all Dharma protectors, and is important to all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibetan he is often known simply as ‘the Lord’,” writes Vessantara. [5]

But why crows, dogs, wolves and horses? Crows, black dogs, black wolves, black horses and the “Men in Black” are recurring themes in many Tibetan Buddhist legends of Mahakala. Mahakala is so well loved as a Protector that he is often simply called “The Great Black” and “The Lord.” If you have a “dream” of a crow, black horse or black wolf it is said that Mahakala visited you.

Mahakala, crows and the Dalai Lama

Black six-armed Mahakala is a manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, and among the most important of deities in Vajrayana Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is also an emanation of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig). In an interview, the Dalai Lama told the story of the two crows in his own life (on his official website):

“Another thing I didn’t mention in my autobiography is that after my birth, a pair of crows came to roost on the roof of our house. They would arrive each morning, stay for while and then leave. This is of particular interest as similar incidents occurred at the birth of the First, Seventh, Eighth and Twelfth Dalai Lamas. After their births, a pair of crows came and remained. In my own case, in the beginning, nobody paid attention to this. Recently, however, perhaps three years ago, I was talking with my mother, and she recalled it. She had noticed them come in the morning; depart after a time, and then the next morning, come again.

“Now, the evening after the birth of the First Dalai Lama, bandits broke into the family’s house. The parents ran away and left the child. The next day when they returned and wondered what had happened to their son, they found the baby in a corner of the house. A crow stood before him, protecting him.

“Later on, when the First Dalai Lama grew up and developed in his spiritual practice, he made direct contact during meditation with the protective deity, Mahakala.

At this time, Mahakala said to him, Somebody like you who is upholding the Buddhist teaching needs a protector like me. Right on the day of your birth, I helped you.

“So we can see, there is definitely a connection between Mahakala, the crows, and the Dalai Lamas.” [4]

Dhe-Tsang Monastery: crows and men in black

In the beautiful story of the founding of Dhe-Tsang monastery, the great protector Black Mahakala personally guided Je Tsongkhapa’s great disciple Ngawang Drakpa — appearing as a black crow.

The monastery, built in the year 1414, owed its existence to the coming of a great black crow. Later, another crow carried a powerful sadhana from Lama Tsongkhapa to his disciple to help subdue the demons and black magic troubling the area. Then, came the “Men in Black” who mysteriously appeared, and who later transformed into three statues — one of Six-Armed Mahakala, one of Four-Armed Mahakala, and one of White Mahakala.

We can see these stories as symbolic, literal or magical, but they immediately give us a sense of power and importance of Mahakala. Whether as a potent psychological archetype or as an Enlightened Deity active in the world, Mahakala — the fierce aspect of Chenrezig or Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of Compassion — the symbolism of the history is profound. Whether Mahakala’s activity is all in “your head”, or actually active in the relative world (Desire Realm), there can be no doubt (to a Vajrayana Buddhist) that Black Mahakala’s power is irresistible. Even today, in some monasteries, the monks put aside a portion of food for “the black man” Mahakala. In Mahakala Tangkhas, you often see the black man in the foreground.

There can be no doubt that all of these manifestations in the stories — the crows and the three men in black (or three black men, depending on the translation) — are none other than emanations of The Great Black One, Mahakala.

First, comes the Crow

In the wondrous tale of Dhe Tsang Monastery, Mahakala manifests as both crows and the three men in black (or black men, depending on the translation). From a wonderful article by Nitin Kumar [3]:

“The Dhe-Tsang monastery, built in 1414 by a close disciple of Je Tsongkhapa is situated in the Gyalrong district of eastern Tibet. When its founder, Ngawang Drakpa, came to the region intending to build a monastery there, he realized that the place was special but couldn’t decide on the best location to build the Hermitage.

At that very moment, a huge crow swooped down on him, picked off his scarf, and flew away with it. The monk hastened to follow the crow. Eventually, the garment was found hanging from the branches of a Juniper tree. Here it is relevant to observe that the crow is visualized in Tibetan Buddhism as an incarnation of Mahakala, whose name literally means the ‘Great Black One.’

Taking this occurrence to be an auspicious omen, Ngawang decided to build the monastery around the tree, which would itself serve as a natural pillar of the prayer hall.”

This was only the beginning of this tale of wonders. Later, when demons and black magic caused the monastery construction to collapse — whatever was built each day, would crumble that night — Ngawang Drakpa again relied on the great Lama Tsongkhapa’s advice — and the crow emanation of Black Mahakala.

As he was considering what to do, the crow appeared again. “Much relieved by its presence, the venerable monk wrote a letter to his guru Tsongkhapa in Lhasa, asking for help. The master in response to his pupil’s plea then composed a practice brimming with spiritual potency and gave it the name: ‘The Solitary Hero Vajra Bhairava Sadhana.’ He gave it to the crow to deliver it to Ngawang Drakpa. When the latter received the manual, he performed the practice immediately…” All negative influences were subdued. [3]

Then, the Men in Black (or the Black Men)

From then on, construction went smoothly. Venerable Ngawang Drakpa sought out the best possible sculptors to create the statues for the monastery, and especially the great protector Mahakala. Again, quoting the feature by Nitin Kumar:

“When the major part of construction was completed, the lama began to look for master sculptors who could create spiritually charged images for the retreat. One day, three black men came to the monastery and stayed there for some time. They later revealed that they were sculptors from India. Delighted on hearing this, Ngawang Drakpa eagerly sought their services in building the required deity statues. Of the three men from India, only one agreed to stay on and help. As per his promise, the sculptor created all the statues requested except that of Mahakala, which alas, was only half-finished when the day of inauguration arrived.

The celebrations for the occasion consisted of various ritual dance performances. At the end of the program, the Indian sculptor declared that he too wished to perform a dance for the contemplation of the audience and proceeded to enthrall them with an exceptionally energetic performance wearing a swirling costume and a large wrathful mask, leaving the viewers in raptures. Towards the conclusion of the dance, his physical form suddenly started to shrink until finally only the giant mask remained on the ground and there was no trace of the body of the dancer. Taken aback by the bizarre turn of events, the monks rushed to the chamber where the half-finished statue of Mahakala lay. To their utter surprise, the statue was complete. The sculptor had merged with his creation, granting it an unparalleled spiritual potency.

The story does not end here, however. Later they were informed that the two companions of the Indian sculptor, who had declined to stay on, had each made a Mahakala statue at two different monasteries and had likewise mysteriously disappeared into their respective creations. It was not long before the perceptive adepts realized that these sculptors were none other than the great god Mahakala in his various manifestations, incarnating himself as the savior and protector of monasteries. Thus at Ngawang’s hermitage he was the Six-Armed Mahakala and had created a sculpture of himself with half-a-dozen hands. In a similar manner the other two had created icons of the Four-Armed and the White Mahakala respectively. Collectively, they were named the three Mahakala brothers and became vastly popular all over Tibet.”

Crow in different traditions

In Tibet — and most cultural traditions not influenced by the story of Noah (where the crow failed his mission — the crow is considered highly auspicious. In Tibet crow is associated with Mahakala; in Europe with Odin; in North American native spirituality, Raven is an important entity and Crow is sometimes the totem of the Great Spirit; in Hinduism, crow is associated with Shiva.

The crow and the Dalai Lamas

The crow also features in both the stories of the first — and the current — Dalai Lamas.

“When the home of the baby who was to become known as the First Dalai Lama Gedun Drupa Chokey Geundun (or, Kundun which means “the presence”  ) was set upon by raiders, the family had to flee leaving behind the little child. When they returned the following morning, they found the baby guarded by a pair of crows. To this day, crows figure among the symbols of his rank.

In Kundun (Martin Scorsese, 1997) the film made of the first 25 years of the current (14th) Dalai Lama’s life based upon a series of interviews conducted by Martha Mathison, Reting the Regent tells how on the morning following the birth, the mother noticed a pair of crows outside.” — Raven and Crow Khandro.net

Why Mahakala appears as a wrathful deity

Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche explains:

“It is not because there is something ferocious about Mahakala or that he is aggressive. Mahakala is none other than the inseparability of compassion and loving-kindness. In the view of ultimate wisdom, there is no separation between the Awakened Mind of Buddha and that of Mahakala. Mahakala is a manifestation of the awakened mind.

Appearing in very majestic form, splendid yet frightening, Mahakala stands in the midst of a mountain of flames to symbolize that no enemy can stand this appearance aspect; the sharp chopper, which he holds aloft in one hand, symbolizes the cutting through of negative patterns, aggression, hatred, ignorance–any of the five poisons. No neurosis or negativity can tolerate this very majestic form; the frightening form symbolizes Mahakala as totally devoid of fear or hesitation in his spontaneous yet consistent work toward the benefit and liberation of all beings.

Mahakala is seen standing on the corpse of two human bodies, thus symbolizing the death of negativities and the complete uprooting of negative patterns to such a point that, like a dead body, they will not come to life. It is very important that we know these symbols of Mahakala because many times we have mistaken notions that he may be a clinging spirit or harmful, evil being, perhaps even the Lord of Death ready to devour and attack. One would find great difficulty in relating to the various symbols without understanding that our awakened compassion is the essential quality of the being of Mahakala. Mahakala has never been known to harm one being, even in the slightest manner, because he is constantly benefiting beings through the continuous play of the enlightened mind.” [2]

Vessantara’s story of Chenrezig’s transformation

In his wonderful book “A Guide to the Deities of Tantra” author and teacher Vessantara gives a lovely prose visualization to help explain the transformation of peaceful to wrathful [5]:

“Avalokiteśvara, the Lord of Compassion, gazes out across the world, his white radiance soothing the sufferings of living beings. With one pair of hands he clasps to his heart the wish-fulfilling gem of his vow to eradicate the world’s pain. In his upper left hand he holds the lotus of spiritual receptivity, the desire to leave the mud of saṃsāra and reach up towards the sun of true happiness.

Above his head we sense the oceanic love of Amitābha, his spiritual father. In Avalokiteśvara’s heart the mantra oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ rotates ceaselessly, pouring its light into the six realms of suffering. In his upper right hand we see his crystal mālā turning. With each bead another being’s sufferings are extinguished. We watch the dancing reflections in the crystal beads, follow their steady rhythm as aeons pass.

Still the beads flow through the milk-white fingers. The pace is steady, smooth, ceaseless. And yet … there is still so much agony, pain, and frustration mirrored in those patient eyes. Hearts which hear the call of the mantra and long to respond are chained by dark forces, restrained by fear, bewildered by confusion, so that they do not know whence the sound comes or how to follow it.

The sapphire eyes cloud with a gathering storm of spiritual impatience. They steal a glance at the steady, but too slow, circling of the crystal beads to their right. They look once more, hard, at the plague forces of ignorance, the jailers of hatred, the ransomers of craving who hold so many beings in their clutches.

The crystal beads begin to change shape. They lose their sparkling reflections for a sun-bleached white. They become a death’s head garland, a rosary of skulls. The delicate white hand grows darker, its light changing from white to deep blue, like an eclipse of the sun.

The powerful hand’s first and last fingers stab the air in a menacing gesture. Around it roars a corona of flames. With a world-shaking cry the figure, now blue-black, starts to its feet. The wish-fulfilling jewel transforms into a vajra-chopper and a skull cup dripping with red nectar. The soft lotus transforms into a trident with a death’s head.

From the huge, overpowering blue-black body another arm thrusts out, rattling a skull drum. To the left a further first uncoils a noose. The giant figure pounds forward, wild hair streaming upward, tied round with snakes. The massive body, nearly naked, girt only with a tiger-skin, wears skulls – pretty, staring skulls – as jewels. Snake-enwreathed, fang-mouthed, three eyes glaring bloodshot from an awesome face, he marches onward bellowing challenge…”

[Read on in Vessantara’s amazing book: A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra.]

Symbolism of popular Six-Armed Black Mahakala

Black six-armed Mahakala is a manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. Although he appears wrathful, this is a symbolic appearance that conveys his power to overcome negativities, obstacles and provide conducive conditions for practice. In brief, the complex attributes of six-armed Mahakala are symbolic of:

• Midnight blue or black symbolizes changeless Dharmakaya (all colours absorb into black.)
• Three eyes convey that he sees the past, present and future.
• The five-skull crown: transformation of the five poisons of anger, desire, ignorance, jealousy and pride — into the five wisdoms.
• Six arms represent the attainment of the six perfections: generosity, patience, morality, diligence, meditation, and wisdom.
• Rosary of skulls symbolize continuous activity on behalf of all sentient beings.
• Damaru hand drum represents the sound of emptiness
• The skullcup filled with blood symbolizes either/ both the subjugation of the maras (evil), or the transformation to the pristine nectar of wisdom.
• The kartika or curved ritual knife stands for “cutting attachments” and clinging to “ego.”
• The trident staff shows his power over the three kayas.
• The lasso binds those who break their vows.
• He stands on an elephant-headed deity, symbolizing the overcoming of obstacles (elephants represent pride) and also overcoming obtacles subconscious thoughts
• He stands on a sun disc, symbolizing illumination from ignorance.
• The lotus throne represents purity and the Lotus Family (Chenrezig and Amitabha are Lotus Family.)
• The tiger skin represents the purification of desire.
• The elephant skin stands for purification of pride.
• Snakes represent the purification of anger.

Praise to Black Mahakala

(Normally for a Tea Offering)

HUM!

NYUR-DZÄ CHÄN-RÄ-ZIk-LA CH’AK TS’ÄL-LO
ZHAP-DUP-D’ANG-CHÄ VINAYAKA NÄN
NAK-PO CH’EN-PO TAK-G’I SHAM-T’AP CHÄN
CH’AK-Dr’UK DrÜL-GY’I GYÄN-GY’I NAM-PAR GYÄN

Quick-acting Avalokita, homage to you!
Wearing anklets, you trample Ganesa.
Mahakala, you wear a tiger-skin loincloth
Fully adorned with snake-ornaments on your six arms.

2. YÄ-PA Dr’I-G’UK B’AR-WA Tr’ENG-WA DZIN
T’A-MA DAMARU-NI Dr’AK-TU Tr’ÖL
YÖN-PA T’Ö-PA D’ANG-NI DUNG TSE-SUM
D’E-ZHIN ZHAk-PA ZUNG-NÄ CH’ING-WAR J’E

The (first) right holds a triku (chopping-knife), the middle a mala,
The last plays violently a damaru;
The left hold a skull-cup, and a three-pronged lance,
And likewise a noose, which serves for tying up.

3. Dr’AK-PÖi ZHÄL-NI CH’E-WA NAM-PAR TSIk
CHÄN-SUM Dr’AK-PO U’TrA GY’EN-D’U BAR
TrÄL-WAR SINDHURA-YI LEk-PAR J’Uk
CHI-WOR MI-KYÖ GYÄL-PÖi GYÄ-TAP TÄN

Your wrathful mouth completely bares its fangs
Your three eyes are fierce. The hair of your head blazes upward.
Your forehead is properly anointed with red lead.
On your crown, Aksobhya’s royal presence is fixed.

4. Tr’AK-DZAK MI-GO NGA-CHÜi DO-SHÄL CHÄN
RIN-CH’EN T’Ö-KAM NGA-YI U-LA GYÄN
SHING-LÄ J’ÖN-NÄ TOR-MA LEN-DZÄ-PÄi
PÄL-DÄN CH’AK-Dr’UK-PA-LA CH’AK-TS’ÄL TÖ

You wear a great necklace of fifty men ‘s heads, dripping blood.
On your crown, you’re adorned with five dry, jeweled skulls.
You come from your tree and accept our torma offering,
Glorious Six-Armed – homage and praise to you!

5. SANG-GYÄ TÄN-PA NYÄN-PO SUNG-WA-D’ANG
KÖN-CH’OK U-P’ANG NYÄN-PO TÖ-PA-D’ANG
DAK-CHAK PÖN-LOP K’OR-D’ANG CHÄ-NAM-KYI
KYEN-NGÄN B’AR-CH’Ä T’AM-CHÄ ZHI-WA-D’ANG
CHI-DÖ NGÖ-Dr’UP NYUR-D’U TSÄL-D’U SÖL!

Sternly protect the Doctrine of the Buddha!
Sternly praise the height of power of the Jewels!
For us – teachers, disciples and entourage –
Please quell all bad conditions and obstructions,
And grant us quickly whatever siddhis we wish!

NOTES
[1] One verse from the “Tea offering praise” to Black Mahakala.
[2] From a teaching given by the Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche on February 2, 1981 at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra; translated by Ngodrup Burkhar and edited by Agnes M. Ruch.
[3] “The Many Forms of Mahakala Protector of Buddhist Monesteries” Exotic India by Nitin Kumar
[4] Questions and Answers with the Dalai Lama.

[5] Vessantara. A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra (Meeting the Buddhas) . Windhorse Publications. Kindle Edition.

“In my teaching I emphasize that Enlightenment is found in the body. This draws on Dzogchen, where you are told that when you put your awareness in the body in the right way, you encounter your awakened state. I also point out that through meditation we realize that awareness is not located in the head, it is in the whole body.” Reginald Ray, Tibetan Scholar and Meditation Teacher [1]

The “whole body” referred to by Reginald Ray includes both the coarse body and the subtle body. In Tantric Buddhism, the understanding of the subtle body is essential: chakras and channels.

Note: Seek the advice and permission of a teacher to engage in actual Tantric practices. This feature is only a general information story. Practice requires full instruction.

In Tantric Buddhism, subtle body is important

In Tantric Buddhism we recognize more than one body for humans, including — as explained by H.E. Zasep Rinpoche in a Medicine Buddha retreat — “coarse body… our organs, lung, and heart, this is our coarse body. Then, there is subtle body. According to Tantra, we talk about chakras, and we have energy channels, the subtle body.” [4]

Healing practices in Vajrayana inevitably involve subtle body. Centuries of successful healing Tibetan and Chinese medicine and various Tantric healing methods certainly present convincing anecdotal support for its effectiveness.

Six Dharmas (Yogas) of Naropa

Understanding the subtle body is also critical to practicing certain generation and completion stage yogic practices, including “deity yoga” and “tummo, and certainly the higher tantric practices and completion practices. Even the most basic of understandings of “subtle body” is helpful to all Tantric Buddhist meditations.

The Six Dharmas of Naropa (usually mistranslated as the Six Yogas of Naropa; and probably earlier known as the Six Dharmas of Tilopa)  is a pre-eminent set of practices that requires an understanding of the subtle body. [See the great Lama Yeshe speaking on the video on the Six Yogas of Naropa below.] The Six Dharmas include three practices that are considered “Completion Stage” practices (and Tummo, which can also be considered a completion practice):

• gyulü (Tibetan: སྒྱུ་ལུས, Wylie: sgyu lus S: māyākāyā) – the yoga of the illusory body.
• ösel (Tibetan: འོད་གསལ་, Wylie: od gsal, S: prabhāsvara) – the yoga of the clear light or radiant light.
• tummo (Tibetan: གཏུམ་མོ་, Wylie: gtum mo S: caṇḍālī) – the yoga of inner heat. [For a story on Tummo, see.>>] (Note: Tummo can also be thought of as a completion stage practice, because of its emphasis on inner body and chakra.)

Completion Stage Practices

• milam (Tibetan: རྨི་ལམ་, Wylie: rmi lam, S: svapnadarśana) – the yoga of the dream state. [For a story on Milam dream yoga, see>>]
• bardo (Tibetan: བར་དོ, Wylie: bar do, S: antarābhava) – the yoga of the intermediate state.
• phowa or powa (Tibetan: འཕོ་བ་, Wylie: pho ba, S: saṃkrānti) – the yoga of the transference of consciousness to a Pureland. [For a story on Phowa with video guided meditation, see>>]

The Six Dharmas of Naropa (Six Yogas) should not be confused with the Six Exercises of Naropa. The Six Exercises are “warm ups” to the practices (and beneficial to both gross body and subtle body) and they include:

• Filling like a Vase – a breathing technique (often called Vase Breathing.)
• Circling like a Wheel – rolling the solar plexus
• Hooking like a Hook – snapping the elbow into the chest
• Showing the Mudrā of Vajra Binding – moving the mudrā from the crown downwards
• Straightening like an Arrow – hands and knees on the floor with the spine straight; heaving like a dog
• Shaking the Head and Entire Body – pulling the fingers, followed by massaging the two hands.

Lama Yeshe on the Six Yogas of Naropa:

What proof is there that subtle bodies exist?

None, is the short answer, at least concerning pure science. Anecdotally, there is some substantial support for the subtle body, such as studies of Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture — which focuses on subtle body meridians and acupoints, are considered by many to be proof of chakras, meridians and their connection throughout the subtle body. Acupuncture’s ability to suppress pain during significant surgery has been well-demonstrated. Other than anecdotal support, we cannot prove or disprove the subtle body — any more than we can scientifically prove life after death or rebirth. It’s just too subtle to measure with instruments.

Ultimately, though, the proof is irrelevant. Firstly, because we’re doing visualization practice, and working with “mind” — which in turn can influence body regardless of objective proof of chakras. Secondly, because of the “observer” factor in Quantum Physics. Quantum “guru” Niels Bohr said in 1920: “Observations not only disturb what has to be measured, they produce it… We compel a quantum particle to assume a definite position.” In other words, as explained by physicist Pascual Jordan: “we produce the results of measurements.”

This conclusion tosses out notions of objective reality, independent of the observer — and it definitely aligns with one of the main tactical purposes of Vajrayana Buddhism: seeing things as they are (Sanskrit yatha-bhutam darshanam)[3] With this in mind, if we meditate and visualize subtle body and chakras — especially, if we reach the level of a Yogi or Yogini — our visualizations become inseparable from our “eye” observations — which “disturb what has to be measured.” [For more on this notion, see “If this exists, that exists.“] [Okay, it’s not that simple, but this isn’t a feature on Emptiness. For a story on Emptiness, please see..]

Most teachers, such as H.E. Zasep Rinpoche, also point to the long history of accomplishments of Tibetan Yogis and Yoginis. In speaking on healing and health in a Medicine Buddha retreat, he talked about both the effectiveness of Acupuncture and the long history of Gurus and teachers who have used subtle energy practices to attain realizations, and even “longevity.” It is difficult to brush aside centuries of lineage experience.

Four, five, seven or ten chakras

Although in Tibetan Buddhist (Tantra) practice there can be four, five, seven or ten chakras, we mainly speak of five critical chakras of the “subtle body.” These are the focus of Trantric Buddhist meditational practice. Three of these are consistent in all methods (whether you use four, five, seven or ten chakras) — while the remaining chakras tend to appear in higher yogic practices, such as Tummo and Completion Stage practices. In other Indian Tantric meditation there are usually seven chakras — such as seen in Kundalini practice (Note: Kundalini is not a Buddhist Tantric practice; in Tantric Buddhism, the methods are different (as are the chakras); techniques such as Tummo are better known.)

H.E. Zasep Rinpoche, in discussing the importance of the subtle body in healing, explains the five chakras and three channels:

“We have crown chakra, we have throat chakra, heart chakra, navel chakra and secret chakra. Five main chakras. Chakra is a Sanskrit world that means ‘energy wheel’… These chakras all have different names. Crown chakra is called the ‘chakra of divine bliss.’ Throat chakra is the ‘chakra of enjoyment.’ Heart chakra is the ‘chakra of Dharma’ — or understanding. Navel chakra is the ‘chakra of manifestation’ or emanation. The secret chakra is the ‘chakra of holding bliss.'”

Due to confusion with “new age” chakras — which are typically seven, and based on Indian yoga — most Vajrayana teachers don’t touch on Chakras until students are advanced.

Teacher Reginald Ray explains:

“I don’t talk about chakras specifically until people become Vajrayana students – because of the New Age connotations – but things come up in their experience that correspond to what we think of as the chakras.”

The most important are notably the three universal chakras of crown, throat and heart. When we prostrate to the Buddha, we touch each of these chakras as we bow; some people touch all five chakras when they prostrate. The navel chakra is also common to all chakra systems in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism: four, five, seven or ten, but may not be emphasized in devotional practices. The secret chakra tends to be limited to Higher Yogic practices, and the remaining two or five (depending on system) are highly specialized practices.

They are the junction points for the three main channels (central, left and right), ultimately connecting the 72,000 nadis (channels) which carry vital La (“life force” in English, Prana in Sanskrit, Chi, in Chinese) to every cell of the body.

[For an in-depth story on Body Mandalas and “riding the winds of the inner body” see>>]

Why is subtle body important?

Reginald Ray said:

“According to tantra, Enlightenment is fundamentally and originally present in the body. By putting one’s awareness in the body you find that the further down you go the more primordial, unconditioned and unmanifest is the energy you encounter. The chakras begin at the perineum, which is the most primordial level of awareness, and as you go upwards they are more connected with expression. At the navel there is a sense of the earth, stability and equanimity; at the heart is a feeling of warmth and compassion; the throat is about communication, expression and connection; and the head is less a conceptual centre than a place where the energy reaches a crescendo. So the different chakras have very different feels.”

At a more pragmatic and fundamental level, subtle body is essential for healing, such as Medicine Buddha meditation or La Gug. For higher practices, subtle body is tied to completion practices and a key to Enlightenment or realizations. Also, the chakras and even the number of spokes or petals in each chakra are critical to visualizing the “body mandala” — a higher-tantra practice. Famously, it is the key to Tummo practice — generating the inner furnace.

Some practices focus on only one chakra — for example, visualizing the seed syllable of Buddha at one’s heart — and others emphasize three, notably crown, throat and heart (for example, when prostrating). Most, but not all Tantric Buddhist Practice emphasize the five chakras of head, throat, heart, navel, and secret; or, at least the four of crown, throat, heart, navel.

The first three are important, as they symbolize the activities of the Buddhas, and ourselves: body, speech and mind:

• Crown: Body — also, “waking” activity
• Speech: Speech — also, “dreaming” activity;
• Heart: Mind — also “sleeping” activity. Note: in Tantra, “mind,” not to be confused with ‘brain,’ is always associated with the heart, not the head.

Empowerment and training

Working with the energies of the subtle body should be guided by a teacher. Teacher Reginald Ray explains:

“You can talk about them in general, but Tibetan tradition maintains it is better not to expose untrained people to the actual techniques, because they can mess you up when attempted without the proper training. They are ways of contacting the energy domains the chakras represent in a much more naked way than humans normally experience. As human beings we never really understand directly the energy of love or expression, or whatever. Our experience of them is filtered through a highly developed process of ego: desires, aims and so on. Sexuality is the one energy that can break through, which is why people are so obsessed with it. It is the one aspect of their life where they have to let go.”

In working with the chakras we remove the coverings of our energy system and meet our energy much more directly. When ego templates are stripped away we are left, for example, with the spontaneous outpouring of love for other people. The reason we work with chakras in Tibetan Buddhism is to actualise the Bodhisattva Vow of saving all beings. We have to realise the great compassion of the Buddha, where there is no impediment between the natural compassion of the energetic body and other people.

The “bodies” of the Buddhas

Without getting into specifics of a practice — which requires a teacher and empowerment — other vital differences with Indian Tantra include the associations of three of the chakras with the “bodies” of the Buddhas:

• Throat: Sambhogakaya, Body of Enjoyment (sometimes “Bliss Body” — which is why it is called the “Enjoyment Chakra.” This is the manifestation of an Enlightened Being as the “object of devotion” or the Body of a Buddha as it appears in the Pure Lands.
• Heart: Dharmakaya, Body of Essence (sometimes ‘Truth Body’ or ‘Unmanifested Body’) — “Dharma Chakra”: this is why, for example, the unmanifested ‘seed syllable’ of the deity is visualized at the Heart Chakra. (Dharmakaya also is associated with our own Buddha Nature, and also with Emptiness.)
• Navel: Nimanakaya, Body of Transformation (sometimes ‘Body of Manifestation’) — “Manifestation Chakra” (For example Shakyamuni Buddha as a human emanation, or ourselves as physical beings.)

What do the bodies mean? In the doctrine of Trikaya, Buddhas can manifest in different “modes of being” depending on the understanding of the student. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha manifested as Nirmanakaya, the Body of Manifestation.

The two drops — advanced Tantra

H.E. Zasep Rinpoche explains the importance of “drops” in his teaching on Medicine Buddha:

“Then we have in Tantra, what we call ‘drops.’ Like a drop of water. In Chinese Medicine, they have Yin and Yang, female and male, which must be in balance. Here [in Tantra] we have the drops, we call “essence.” It’s like the “sperm” and the “egg” — the white and red. The white is the “sperm,” and the red is the “egg” — male and female. So, we all have this essence… We call it white bodhicitta and red bodhicitta. Essence.”

Again, without getting into practice details, which require empowerment and instruction from a qualified teacher of lineage, two of the chakras are also associated with the all-important red and white drops. These drops are crucial and fundamental to working with Tantric Buddhism’s understanding of the subtle body as a method for transformation, realizations and, ultimately, Enlightenment. Without going into secret detail, the red drop is visualized in the navel and the white subtle drop in the crown (head) chakra. It is through working with these drops, and the various winds (La) and channels that one can attain realizations of bliss and emptiness — also thought of as compassion (male) and wisdom (female.)

One of the beginning practices for “inner” tantra is the famous “nine breathing exercises of Naropa. Drupon Sangye Nine Breathing Exercises of Naropa:

Visualizing the chakras

Taking instruction from a qualified teacher is essential. The attributes of the chakras can vary, depending on the tantra practiced. Also, it’s easy to be confused with either Indian Tantra, or with very pervasive “new age” chakra symbolism and imagery. Forget most of the images you see online for chakras and inner bodies, as these are 99% based on Indian yogas or new age practices.

In Buddhist Tantra, for example, the spokes of the wheel (or, alternately, petals of the flower) are entirely different — and these are important, as each spoke or petal represents a flow of energy into channels throughout the subtle body:

• 32 spokes or petals at the crown chakra (head)
• 16 spokes or petals at the throat chakra
• Eight spokes or petals at the heart chakra
• 64 spokes or petals at the navel chakra.

Correspondences of the Five Chakras

The five chakras are, in English: crown (top of the head, or just above the crown), throat, heart, navel and secret (the sex organ). There are numerous important correspondences for each — which require a teacher’s explanation — but the always-present chakras include Body (crown), Speech (throat) and Mind (heart); these relate to the Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddha. To summarize some of the correspondences:

• Crown chakra: Mahsukha chakra • 32 spokes or petals • white drop • activity of body • waking • wrathful deities
• Throat chakra: Sambhoga chakra • 16 spokes or petals • Sambhogakaya enjoyment body • activity of speech • dreaming • wisdom deities • fire element
• Heart chakra: Dharma chakra • eight spokes or petals • Dharmakaya • activity of mind • sleeping • peaceful deities • space element
• Navel chakra: Nirmana chakra • 64 spokes or petals • red drop • Nirmanakaya or manifested body • activity of manifestation • physical manifestations (such as Shakyamuni Buddha) • earth element

All tantric practices, even the basic ones, include visualization of at least these three chakras. The remaining two, navel and secret, are always there, but may not be visualized actively in more basic practice. They are critical, however, to higher tantra, tummo, the Six Yogas of Naropa, and Completion Practices — all of which are higher practices requiring initiation and teachers.

The colours and correspondences assigned to the chakras varies by individual Tantra. When practicing a Higher Tantra, the student should focus on the correspondences of that tantra instruction.

Sometimes — but not universally — the five Dhayani Buddhas are associated with the five chakras (and this varies somewhat on the tantra practiced and also the school):

• Crown (white): Body, Dhyani Buddha Vairochana or Vajrasattva
• Throat (red): Speech, Dhyani Buddha Amitabha, and Padma Family (includes Chenrezig, Hayagriva and so on)
• Heart (blue): Mind, Dhyani Buddha Akshobya, but also including Medicine Buddha, etc.
• Navel (yellow): Tummo Fire, Dhyani Buddha Ratnasmbhava and Jewel Family — i.e. associating Ratnsasmbhava with manifestation and earth.
• Secret (green): Wind Action, Dhyani Buddha Amoghisiddi and the Double Vajra Family including Green Tara.

[For an in-depth story on Body Mandalas and “riding the winds of the inner body” see>>]

Correspondences change based on practice

These assignments are over-arching, but they change, just as do mandalas in meditation, depending on the Enlightened Deity practice. Usually, for instance, in a mandala, the meditational deity is always in the centre. So, for example, if Amitabha is normally in the “west” of the Mandala of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, he is visualized in the centre during his meditational practice. Likewise, a practice on Amitabha may visualize Amitabha’s seed syllable at the Heart Chakra. Mandalas and correspondences change with practices. Always be guided by your teacher and your practice.

As you can see, understanding subtle body is not as simple as memorizing five chakras. The inner body has a main central channel, two side channels (all of which meet at the five chakras) — but these are, in turn, connected to numerous meridians and 72,000 nadis throughout the body.

Completion practice, especially, uses all five chakras very actively, as a method to attain Enlightenment, but requires a teacher and initiation.

NOTES
[1] Dharmalife
[2] Reginald Ray teaches at Naropa University and the Dharma Ocean Foundation. (dharmaocean.org). He is the author of The Secret of the Vajra World: the tantric Buddhism of Tibet and In the Presence of Masters

[3] “The strange link between the human mind and quantum physics” BBC

[4] Quotes from H.E. Zasep Rinpoche from the Medicine Buddha Weekend Retreat video series>>

Death itself is conquered by this towering, wrathful deity, Yamantaka. Conquering death, and the cycle of samsaric suffering, is at the very heart of Buddhism. As the “death destroyer” Yamantaka symbolizes this aspiration, and his meditational deity practice is designed to achieve that goal.

No deity is more misunderstood than the buffalo-headed deity Vajrabhairava. Wrathful barely begins to describe Yamantaka. Yet, he is none other than the great Bodhisattva of wisdom, Manjushri, in his most terrible and powerful form. How should we relate to such terrible aspects of Enlightenment? Why is Yamantaka considered a Highest Yoga Practice? In what way can he “destroy death?” We try to answer these questions, and more, in this special feature.

“When the tantric wrathful deity is understood and related to skillfully, it has the necessary qualities to be a catalyst of transformation. One deity that embodies the power to transform the destructive, aggressive aspect of the Shadow is Yamantaka. Vajrabhairava, as he is also called is practiced to overcome emotional and karmic obstacles, in particular the violence of anger and hatred.” — The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra, Rob Preece

[See “Different forms of Yamantaka” section below.]

Shakyamuni as Vajrabhairava, Foe-Destroyer

There are Tantras describing the manifestation of Buddha as  Vajrahairava, the Foe-Destroyer. Foe Destroyer means the opponent of the Maras (representing temptations, attachments, and fear of death.) In some Tantra accounts, it is written that Shakyamuni himself — as he sat under the Bodhi tree enduring the attack of demonic Mara the tempter and Yama (death) — manifested as Vajrabhairava to “terrify and subdue” Mara / Yama. (Yama and Mara are often confounded.) Yamantaka means “death opponent” or opponent of death.

In Sutra, Shakyamuni faced the hoards and temptations of Mara, subduing them mentally, transforming them, and ultimately attaining Enlightenment. In Tantra, this mental process transforms into visualized or manifested forms. Shakyamuni manifested mentally as the Vajra Terrifier (Vajrabhairava) — not only conquering the four Maras (including the fourth: death), thus becoming the Conqueror — but also demonstrating the ultimate Tantra practice. In Tantra, the mental processes go beyond simple meditation and thought — incorporating visualized imagery (deity generation) and sound (mantra) and transformation (yoga.)

“Mara”, meaning the destroyer or tempter” was the demonic ‘evil one’ who attempted to obstruct Buddha’s enlightenment under the bodhi tree… They are also depicted in the form of Brahma (Skandha Mara), Yaksha (Klesha Mara), Yama… Iconographically, the four maras may be depicted as being crushed under the feet of…. Vajrabhairava. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the armies of Mara represent all of the mental and emotional delusions that arise as “demonic enemies or fiends.” [1]

The Four Maras to be overcome

The four Maras to be overcome (according to both Sutra and Tantra) are:

1. the mara of the aggregates (Skt. skandhamāra; Tib. ཕུང་པོའི་བདུད་, Wyl. phung po’i bdud), which symbolizes our clinging to forms, perceptions, and mental states as ‘real’;
2. the mara of the destructive emotions (Skt. kleśamāra; Tib. ཉོན་མོངས་ཀྱི་བདུད་, Wyl. nyon mongs kyi bdud), which symbolizes our addiction to habitual patterns of negative emotion;
3. the mara of the Lord of Death (Skt. mṛtyumāra; Tib. འཆི་བདག་གི་བདུད་, Wyl. ‘chi bdag gi bdud), which symbolizes both death itself, which cuts short our precious human birth, and also our fear of change, impermanence, and death; and
4. the mara of the sons of the gods (Skt. devaputramāra; Tib. ལྷའི་བུའི་བདུད་, Wyl. lha’i bu’i bdud), which symbolizes our craving for pleasure, convenience, and ‘peace’. [3]

Yamantaka’s “infamous” notoriety

Yamantaka is, perhaps, most famous in the West because of the intricate and elaborate sand mandalas of Yamantaka:

It is said that when President Nixon was considering aid for Tibet, he saw an image of Yamantaka, complete with horns, and judged that the Tibetan people were primitive demon-worshipers. Of course, modern understanding of the symbolism makes it clear that Yamantaka is a wrathful but compassionate Yidam, whose terrible power is turned against the obstacles to our practice, especially anger, hate, and death.

Also, adding to Yamantaka’s “infamous” notoriety — or misunderstood reputation — is the sometimes violent story of the Ra Lotsawa, the “sorcerous”  RaLo who vanquished rival teachers with Vajrabhairava “magic.” [We’ll cover RaLo in an upcoming feature. Suffice it to say, his stories have to be understood in context and are largely metaphorical.]

Despite all of the infamy, Yamantaka is a most profound Highest Yoga practice, as explained by Venerable Zasep Rinpoche: “Yamantaka practice contains every practice you need.” Yamantaka practice in the Gelug tradition incorporates “everything”: Generation and Completion practice, Father and Mother Tantra, Vajrasattva purification practice, Guru Yoga, Protection Wheel, Uncommon Protection Wheel, and even Body Mandala.

“Lama Tsongkhapa said, Yamantaka is the most powerful practice in terms of transforming the mind and purification, ” explained H.E. Zasep Rinpoche during teachings at Nelson B.C. on Yamantaka. “It is a very powerful and important practice in this degeneration age.”

NOTE: Yamantaka practice is a Highest Yoga Tantric practice and REQUIRES initiation to practice as a Yidam.

Not only is Yamantaka the most ferocious of the Tibetan meditational deities, everything about him is fierce and almost deliberately “over the top” in scope and scale:

• His name “Bhairava” means “terrifier.”
• In his name, Yamantaka, contains the name “Yama”, the Lord of Death — although when combined with “antaka” it actually means the “Destroyer of Death”
• He is visualized in an underworld, a charnel ground filled with demons, spirits, cannibals — but all of whom he brings under his power
• He is the “horned” god, and many Westerners see a resemblance to Satan’s horns.
• He is brimming with invulnerable life-force, symbolized through his potently erect penis. (The erect phallus represents “ever-expanding great bliss” which is necessary to many Higher Yogic practices.)
• His “shock and awe” imagery is meant to convey unshakable power that cannot be resisted.
• He has many arms, legs and faces (depending on which form), his arms holding many weapons, ripe with symbolism. The wrathful faces, to a non-practitioner, can appear “demonic.”
• He stamps on bodies — not as a killer, but as a force that brings all things under his control.
• He is surrounded by flames — but not hell-flames; these are the flames of wisdom — for he is none other than the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri, in his wrathful form.

Totality: the faces of compassion, wisdom, and activity

Wrathful barely begins to describe Yamantaka. In his Highest Yoga Tantra form as Solitary Vajrabhairava, he has nine heads (the central one being a “buffalo”), all with three eyes, fangs, and ferocious expressions:

• The nine faces represent the nine “scriptural categories” — which is explained in commentary to initiates.
• The two horns represent “the two levels of truth” — relative and ultimate.
• The thirty-four arms (together with body, speech and mind) represent the thirty-seven limbs of Enlightenment.
• The sixteen legs represent the sixteen types of emptiness.

In this astonishing form, he has thirty-four hands, each with symbolic weapons, and sixteen legs. He can also appear in union with his consort Vajravetali. He can also appear with two or six-arms. He is normally blue-black, symbolic of many things, among them wrathful activity.

The top head is Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom. The middle face, below Manjushri, and above the ferocious buffalo, is the face of red Hayagriva — the ferocious form of Amitabha or Chenrezig Buddhas of Compassion. These many faces describe the completeness of Yamantaka practice: Manjushri for wisdom, Hayagriva for compassion, the wrathful Buffalo head for Activity (Wisdom, Compassion and Activity together represent a total practice). Surrounding these heads are six more faces: red, yellow and green to the right and grey, white and black, to the right — again associated with vast layers of symbolism.

To the uninitiated, seeing his ferocious image for the first time — just imagine, for example, the early Christian missionaries arriving in Tibet and seeing a near-demonic deity in the temples — he seems frightening, the stuff of nightmares. This is, as it should be. Yamantaka (Vajrabhairava in Sanskrit) is meant to be so fearsome that even the demons — whether you view them as metaphorical inner demons or external entities — tuck tail and run. Even Yama bows down (the ancient equivalent of Satan or Hades).

Ultimately, death itself is conquered by this towering, wrathful deity, Yamantaka. Conquering death, and the cycle of samsaric suffering, is at the very heart of Buddhism. As the “death destroyer” Yamantaka symbolizes this aspiration, and his meditational deity practice is designed to achieve that goal.

Yamantaka — overcoming anger and hatred

Yamantaka’s ultimate mission is “destroyer of death” (see below)— in the same way, for example, Medicine Buddha’s main mission is “healing” — but, as with all manifestations of the Enlightened, Yamantaka embodies all of the qualities of a Buddha. He does, however, have other well-known “specialties.” His practice is famous for overcoming “emotional and karmic obstacles, in particular the violence of anger and hatred.”

Dr. Alexander Berzin explains: “What is it that is going to prevent us from attaining that state of a Buddha? Our own confusion, our own laziness, our own bad temper and anger, our own attachments. This is the real enemy – it’s all these disturbing emotions and negative attitudes in our own minds. So we really need some very, very strong force not to just give in and let ourselves be ruled by this confusion.”

He continues: “We need a combination of compassion – we want to help others – and force and strength that “I’m not going to let all this junk that’s going on in my mind prevent me from being able to help others,” like laziness: “I don’t feel like doing it. I don’t feel like going and helping somebody.” You have to cut through that.”

Destroying death?

How does Vajrabhairava “destroy” death? By helping us to understand the true nature of reality.

Dr. Alexander Berzin explains why an assertive Yidam, such as Yamantaka, can help us break through: “In order to overcome that confusion and laziness, we need the full understanding of reality – in Buddhist terms, voidness – that things don’t exist in the impossible ways that our minds project. So with understanding, we want to cut through these grosser levels with all the confusion – with a lot of strength – and get down to the subtlest level.

As a Highest Yoga Tantra practice it includes generation and completion stage practices, which are the ultimate meditational practices for helping us see reality as it truly is. The assertive and complex imagery of the “destroyer of death” requires us to really concentrate on the task of “creating” (generating) the visualization. Where softer, gentler meditational deities might allow us to relax and coast, Yamantaka’s sheer ferocious complexity demands full attention. Then, just as we master this awesome and frightening imagery — suddenly, we are guided to deconstruct our hard work, to dissolve away the intensely real visualization.

In what way can this possibly “destroy death”? It has nothing to do with immortality or staying young forever. Destroying death means to understand that we are already Empty of inherent existence, that our egos are a construct. When the ego is stripped away, we are no more than part of the whole — but that, in itself, is an amazing truth and joy. And, that whole that we are a part of, Shunyata, is eternal and timeless. Understanding this concept is a deep and vast topic, not explainable in a book or a simple feature article. This is why we have great teachers to guide us. [For a story on Shunyata, or Emptiness, see>>]

We destroy death, in this case, by deconstructing the ego, the bringer of our pain and suffering. It is the ego’s clinging to pleasure and aversion to pain that causes our suffering. The moment our parents put a label on us (as children) — we became that label. The ego naturally followed. In its extreme form, the narcissistic personality, the ego is everything. In its subtlest form, that of a humble monk who has renounced most of the pleasures of so-called reality, the ego is very unimportant. Compassion for others takes precedence, taking us yet another step towards Enlightenment.

Highest Yoga Tantra  — understanding Emptiness, overcoming death

Alexander Berzin explains the Highest Yoga Tantra, such as Yamantaka practice, and how it helps us understand Emptiness (Voidness) and, with practice, ultimately overcome death, for the benefit of all beings:

“Now, normally we get down to that subtlest level when we die. During that period of death – what’s called the clear light of death – before the Bardo (the in-between state) and rebirth, we are just experiencing that clear-light level. (Pardon the dualistic way of saying that – that we are experiencing it, as if there’s a separate me. There’s no separate me experiencing it.) In other words, our mental activity during that short period of death is just this subtlest, subtlest level. I think that’s a clearer way of saying it.

“But normally when we experience death, we’re totally unaware of what’s going on – we don’t recognize the potentials and abilities of that subtlest level of mind. We have all these habits of our confusion – all these habits of compulsive behavior based on confusion and disturbing emotions – and because of the momentum of so many lifetimes of being under the influence of these habits, what happens? New rebirth – samsaric rebirth – with another cluster or configuration of these habits being activated and generating the next samsaric life filled with the same types of compulsive behavior and confusion. That’s our ordinary type of death.

“So what we want to do is to be able to overcome that kind of death and instead be able, in our meditation, to get to that subtlest level of mental activity. And we’ve used great force to get down there. But now it’s with a totally calm understanding of reality that we can apply in meditation at this time of clear light in order to be able to get:

• That clear-light state to have the understanding of voidness or reality
• The subtlest energy of it to transform and appear in the form of a Buddha.

“If we do this often enough and strongly enough, we’re able to stay like that forever. So this is basically the tantra path of the highest class of tantra.”

Of course, as a Highest Yoga Tantra practice, Yamantaka requires huge dedication and commitment. It comes with practice commitments, Tantric commitments and Guru commitments. It’s not for dabblers. It takes daily practice for years to master — and it always requires a teacher, to answer those tough questions that will inevitably arise.

The benefits of Vajrabhairava practice

Yamantaka (Vajrabhairava) is treasured in the Gelug tradition because the great sage, Lama Tsongkhapa, himself an emanation of Manjushri, recommended the practice as “most important.”

Yamantaka is treasured, in part, because it’s a “container practice.” You can wrap other practices around Yamantaka practice. For instance, if you invite protectors, you first visualize yourself as Yamantaka. It incorporates Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara practices. Yamantaka practice incorporates both Father and Mother tantra. Father tantra is the practice of the “illusory body” and Mother tantra is the practice of “clear light.”

Dr. Alexander Berzin explains: “You remember I said that Vajrabhairava is the container within which you combine Guhyasamaja practices and Chakrasamvara practices in the Gelugpa way of practicing? He has thirty-four arms, right? The second of the five special features is that in two of his hands he holds intestines and a triangular fire stove. This represents two types of practices in Guhyasamaja: illusory body and clear light. So that means that he incorporates the Guhyasamaja type of practices.”

The main feature of Yamantaka practice is “overcoming the obstacles” or “defeating the maras.” How does Yamantaka overcome the four Maras? Dr. Berzin explains:

• The mara of death: by understanding, with the clear-light mind, emptiness, you come close to experiencing death, without dying. As you understand the illusory nature of reality, and the reason for our suffering, you come closer to escaping samsara.
• The mara of disturbing emotions: anger to fight anger, wrath to fight wrath, using the psychology of wrathful deities to suppress the mara of disturbing emotions.
• The mara of aggregates: Once we learn how to transform the clear light of death into the Wisdom of Emptiness, the aggregates of samsara can no longer affect us.
• The mara of the sons of gods: With the Wisdom of Emptiness we overcome doubt and incorrect views.

Father-Mother Combined?

Gelek Rimpoche explains: “Yamantaka basically falls into the father tantra category, Heruka/Vajrayogini into the mother tantra. Heruka is known as the ‘jewel tip’. If you have the mandala you put the important jewel on the roof top and the queen of England does so with the crown jewels. In that sense Heruka male and female is the outstanding mother tantra, and likewise, in the Gelugpa tradition, the Guhyasamaja tantra is considered the outstanding father tantra.”

Even though it is considered primarily “Father Tantra”, the symbolism and attributes and practice do incorporate elements of Mother Tantra. Since Yamantaka is the wrathful aspect of Manjushri, this shouldn’t be too surprising. Usually, Highest Yoga practices are either Father practice — emphasizing “illusory body”, compassion and “blissful awareness” — or Mother Tantra — emphasizing “illusory mind” (rather than body) clear light (or brilliance) and wisdom. Heruka Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini practices, for example, are Mother Tantra primarily; Guhyasamāja is the classic example of Father Tantra. [See symbolism of implements below.]

Yamantaka has elements of both Father and Mother Tantra — although his practice is generally considered Father Tantra — as indicated by the symbolism of their visualized implements: the Khatvanga (Mother Tantra and suggestive of Tummo practice, see below) and Yamantaka specifically carries the triangular stove and intestines, standing for illusion body and Father Tantra practice.

Gelek Rimpoche: “The method of developing the illusion body. If you look at Yamantaka’s hand implements, out of his thirty-four hands, one is holding the intestines of a human being and another one is holding a stove. He is not going to make a barbecue, but stove and intestines symbolize something … Human intestines is a sign of the illusion body. So showing that, is telling: ‘I also carry the quality of Guhyasamaja – developing the illusion body’. So the second quality is that the Yamantaka practice has the whole complete method of developing the illusion body.”

Illusion body is associated with “Father Tantra” by definition. However, Gelek Rimpoche explains the “Mother Tantra” aspects as well:

“Again, if you look at Yamantaka’s hand implements, you see he carries a khatanga. What is a khatanga? There are different kinds of these sticks they carry around. One is the trident [tib. katvang tse sum], normally known in the west, then there is the one with the single pole, and the mother tantra deities carry a khatanga which has a vajra on the top and then [three] skulls. The khatanga normally is the exclusive sign of the mother tantra, but Yamantaka carries a khatanga, too. That gives you another message: just like the Heruka or Hevajra tantras have a method of developing the psychic heat power [tib. tummo], burning and melting the source of joy from the head, Yamantaka has that too.”

Symbolism of Yamantaka

Yamantaka carries many implements, which are the most direct symbols of his practice, benefits and completeness — and it is here we have suggestions of the blend of Father and Mother Tantra. From Gelek Rimpoche’s “Solitary Yamantaka Teachings” the symbolism is defined as:

Right side (his right):

“First right hand: skin of an elephant – victory
over narrow-mindedness

“Remaining right hands:
I . curved knife (in front!) – cutting through ignorance
2. dart – piercing conception of subject and object
3. pestle – destroying degenerated mindfulness
4. fish knife – cutting off cyclic existence
5. harpoon – destroying the faults of body, speech, mind
6. ax – cutting imprints of obscurations of sentient beings
7 spear – piercing wrong views
8. arrow – transfixing pain of preconception
9. hook – keeps spirits and demons away
10. skull-headed club – destroying the obstacles of karma
11. Katanga – transforming into nature of great practice too – tummo)
12. rimless wheel – turning the wheel of Dharma
13. five-point vajra – being in the nature of the five wisdoms
14. vajra-hammer – destroying avarice
15. sword – bestowing the eight siddhis
16. hand-drum – invoking the buddhas

“Under the right feet: eight siddhis
1. human – pill
2. buffalo -eye lotion
3. bullock – underground movement
4. donkey – sword
5. camel – flying in space
6. dog – becoming invisible
7. sheep – immortality
8. fox – the destruction of sickness

NOW, the LEFT (his left):

First left hand: skin of an elephant – victory over narrow-mindedness

Remaining left hands
1. skull-cup filled with blood (in front!) restoring degenerated commitments
2. head of Brahma – working with great compassion
3. shield – victory over the 4 maras
4. leg – practitioner proceeding to enlightenment
5. lasso – enveloping the mental continuum with pure wisdom
6. bow – victory over the 3 worlds entrails -possibility of developing illusion body (YT holds method of father tantra)

7. intestine – represents the “illusion body” according to Gelek Rimpoche: “shows that within this practice are included all the teachings from Sangwa dupa which focuses on the illusion body” [1]8. bell – sound of Prajnaparamita
9. hand – performing the four activities
10. cotton shroud – eliminating the veil of obstacles to wisdom
11. man impaled on a stick – directly realizing emptiness by penetrating all things through voidness (YT practice not easy, but forcefully
you get through.)
12. brazier (stove) – possibility of developing clear light (YT practitioners — a quicker chance to develop wisdom) 
13. scalp – mental continuum being filled with compassion
14 threatening mudra – threatening the demons: ‘You should give priority of bestowing Siddhihood on my practitioners’.
15. trident with flags – understanding the emptiness of the three doors as being one entity
16. fan – indicates that all things are like illusions

Under the left feet: eight powers
1. vulture – power of body
2. owl – power of speech
3. crow – power of mind
4. parrot – power of miracles
5. hawk – power of going anywhere
6. kite – power of abode
7. mynah bird – power of wish-fulfillment
8. swan – qualities (be of use for others)

The legend of Yamantaka — a story of anger and death

Legend and myth are the languages of the subconscious, according to various schools of psychology. The legend of Yamantaka is no different. It’s essence, of course, is that Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom, took on a form more terrible than Yama himself — Yama being the personification of death — and prevented Yama from decimating Tibet. At that level, the symbolism is clear.

Deeper into the legend you gain a lot more in terms of mysterious symbolism and messaging. The story is told of a monk, a hermit really, who was in his fiftieth year of isolated meditation in a cave in the mountains. Just as he was about to achieve a profound insight, two thieves burst into his cave, with a stolen Water Buffalo. Despite the monk’s pleas to stop — just for a few minutes until he finished his meditation — the thieves beheaded the poor buffalo. Then, out of spite, the two thieves also beheaded the monk.

The monk, who had attained great siddhis, became suddenly very angry and, using his great powers, arose bodily with the head of the bull in place of his own. He killed the two thieves, then — even more furious, now, that his bloodlust had risen — he went on a killing rampage all over Tibet, as Yama, the personification of Death.

Alexander Berzin, from a lecture on Yamantaka, finishes the story: “So the people of Tibet were afraid for their lives, and they prayed to Manjushri to listen to them. And Manjushri transformed himself into Yamantaka, looking very similar to Yama but ten times more powerful and horrible, and Manjushri as Yamantaka then defeated Yama and made him into a protector for Buddhism.

“So what do we learn from this story? It’s very interesting. Don’t just look at these things as little fairy tales to tell children. There’s this whole thing that you get in the study of mythology – to see what are the lessons behind the mythology, and is there a deeper psychological thing that is going on, and so on. You get that in Jungian psychology, for example.

Of course, there’s anger and hate, to be tamed by our practice. Anger and hate arise from ego and clinging. The monk was so attached to his achievement, his anger could not be stopped — except by the wisdom of Manjushri. The Buddha of Wisdom used fierce appearance to fight fierce appearance, manifesting as Yama with a water buffalo bullhead, only many times more ferocious. All to say, in Yamantaka practice, we can overcome anger — and, ultimately, death — by understanding appearances are deceptive, attachment is the root of samsara, and escape lies in Emptiness.

Different forms of Yamantaka

There are three very popular forms of Yamantaka, all of which have a main “buffalo head” with Manjushri head on top (on the crown) except for Black Yamari and Red Yamari, who have no buffalo head:

1. Vajrabhairava with 9 heads, 34 arms, 16 legs: this form can appear in any of three mandalas: solitary (single-deity), 49-deity mandala and 13-deity mandala
2. Vajrabhairava with 6 heads, 6 arms, 6 legs (found in the Kalachakra text).
3. Vajrabhairava with 4 heads, 8 arms, 4 legs.

Yamantaka himself has many forms, some solitary, some in union with consort, and all requiring empowerment from a lineage teacher:

• 5-Deity Rakta Yamari (Virupa)
• 13-Deity Rakta Yamari (Shridhara)
• 13-Deity Manjushri Krishna Yamari (Rwa Lotsawa)
• 21-Deity Sanmukha Manjushri Yamari (Rwa Lotsawa)
• Vajrabhairava w/ 8 Vetalas (“ghouls”) and 32 Ayudhas (ritual objects) (Rwa Lotsawa/Ngor)
• Vajrabhairava w/ 8 Vetalas and 32 Ayudhas (Mal Lotsawa)
• 13-Deity Vajrabhairava (Rwa Lotsawa/Tsongkhapa/Gelug)
• 17-Deity Vajrabhairava  (Kyo Lotsawa)
• 49-Deity Vajrabhairava (Chang Lodru Sherab Lama; zhang lcog-gru shes-rab bla-ma)
• Ekantanayaka (Ekavira) Vajrabhairava w/ 32 Ayudhas (Buton)
• Ekantanayaka (Ekavira) Vajrabhairava (Rwa Lotsawa/Tsongkhapa/Gelug) [Source: Yamantaka.com]

Leisure and fortune are hard to find, and death strikes quickly,
Actions and their effects do not deceive, and there’s no happiness in saṃsāra.

I take refuge in the Three Jewels, the sources of protection,
And generate love, compassion, and the mind of bodhicitta.

In this particular song, the Song of Practice, the great Shabkar explains the entire Vajrayana path, from beginning to the end: Refuge to offerings, to praise of the lineage Guru, to keeping the Buddha always in mind, to Emptiness, to generation of the deity and the profound true nature of deity, to completion practice and meditation on the channels, to conduct in life, to dedication of merit.

Nothing, not one single element of Vajrayana practice is missed. Reading these words, is like sitting at the feet of the great master Shakbar.

A Short Song of Practice

by Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol

Namo Guru Mañjughoṣaya!

Dharmakāya Samantabhadra, sambhogakāya Vajradhara,
Supreme nirmāṇakāya, Lord of Sages, and the rest—
Along with those who turn the Dharma-wheel for all,
My teachers, direct and indirect—before you all, I prostrate.

Although I have nothing new to say, which hasn’t been said before
By the victorious buddhas and their spiritual offspring,
The learned and accomplished masters of India and Tibet,
I shall sing a little on what they have taught, so listen well!

Leisure and fortune are hard to find, and death strikes quickly,
Actions and their effects do not deceive, and there’s no happiness in saṃsāra.

I take refuge in the Three Jewels, the sources of protection,
And generate love, compassion, and the mind of bodhicitta.

Nectar cascades from Vajrasattva, seated upon my crown,
To purify my illnesses, demons, harmful influences, and obscurations.

I offer my body, my estate, and whatever virtues I have amassed to the deities:
Kindly accept them and bestow your blessings and accomplishment.

Root Guru, who is the embodiment of all sources of refuge,
I supplicate you: bless me, I pray!

Imagine and continually recall the Buddha,
Appearing very clearly in the space in front of you.

The nature of mind is like space, primordially empty;
Rest in this empty cognizance without the slightest grasping.

All that appears within the sky of mind is like a rainbow;
Understand the unity of appearance and emptiness to be illusory.

Meditate upon your physical body as the form of the deity—appearing yet empty;
And your speech as the mantra to be recited—audible yet empty.

Clearly visualize A and HAṂ within the three channels and the chakras,
And increase the blissful warmth by holding the vase-breath.

From time to time, be diligent in purifying the different realms,

To conclude, seal your practice with prayers of dedication and aspiration.

If you are able to give up life’s distraction and practice in isolation
The leisure and fortune you have won will be made truly meaningful.

May this merit cause all my fortunate disciples
To practise the Dharma wholeheartedly.

From the Heruka Root Tantra:

Quickly attempt to make offerings
Every waxing and waning of each month do tsog.

NOTE: Tsog Dates for 2022 below in table.

Tsog Purpose

The Heruka Root Tantra explains the purpose of Tsog offering, which is to remove obstacles and hardships:

The waxing and waning of each month
If good tsog is offered
Then one has no hardships, no difficulties
And one goes to the pure land of Tharpo Kachoe

Tsog Offering — What it means

H.E. Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the higher meaning of Tsog offerings:

“The very highest meaning of tsog is to join method and wisdom. The real meaning of experiencing tsog is the transcendental wisdom, non dual great bliss – the wisdom of emptiness, the non-duality of that, and uniting these two. That is the very essence of tsog. It is the offering of that experience, oneself experiencing it, the male and female heroes and heroines, of which the essence is the guru deity, and oneself also experiencing that, as the guru deity. The real meaning of tsog is integrating method and wisdom, the transcendental wisdom, non-dual bliss and voidness (this is the secret meaning).” [1]

Tsog is nearly always at night time. From the Heruka Root Tantra it is explained — night is symbolically when Dakas and Dakinis are more active:

Offering extensive food and drink
Always do at night time – why?
Because it is admired to do at nighttime
Always wander at nighttime and always gather at nighttime.

As always, with Buddhist offerings, the offerings are not “needed” by self-aware deities or Buddhas. The Enlightened have no need of sensory offerings. In general, offerings are an opportunity for us to earn merit to help overcome our negative karmas and attachments. The act of offering, or generosity, is also the “cure” for the grasping, attached mind. And, then there’s Tsog, which is precious especially to the Enlightened Dakinis and Dakas. [For a story on Dakinis and a previous story on Tsog, see>>]

In some practices, the Lunar 10th is often called the “Feast of Heroes” (Feast of Dakas) — and is often a celebration of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) — and the 25th is the “Feast of Heroines” (Feast of Dakinis.) In others, there is no distinction, so both days are called the “Feast of Dakas and Dakinis” or “Feast of Yogis and Yoginis” (Feast of Heroes and Heroines.)

Pandit Ratna Raksherita explained:

Those doing the activities of the heroes, it is called the feast of the heroes,
Similarly, those doing the activities of yoginis, it is called the feast of the heroines,
Those whose minds are enriched with control of the circle
Of the integrated method and wisdom,
That is called the circle of unification.

Tsog is special

Everything about Tsog is special. We might have tangible, sensory offerings in front of us, but they are “converted” in our minds and by our karmic actions, mantras, visualizations and practices into sacred, special, blissful NECTAR.

H.E. Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the higher meaning and purpose of Tsog:

The meaning of nectar is not just some special taste, like honey. In Tibetan, the word is du-tsi.Du is mara, tsi is medicine. So here, du is ordinary appearance and ordinary concepts, delusions, negative imprints and defilements. Tsi means medicine —the ultimate medicine is the transcendental wisdom of non-dual bliss and voidness, which is like an atom bomb to cut through those delusions, which are the maras.

One has to think of the meaning of nectar, du-tsi, the transcendental wisdom of non-dual bliss and voidness. By taking that nectar, you generate that experience within you. If you don’t have the actual experience of that, then you visualize it. That blesses the mind, body, and the chakras, the winds and drops. It becomes a preparation to achieve the path, the Highest Tantra accomplishing path of the illusory body and clear light, and it enables you to achieve the resultant Dharmakaya and Rupakaya. Then, one is able to offer perfect works for sentient beings, without the slightest mistake, until everyone, every single sentient being, is brought to enlightenment.

Actual method

For the actual method, this must be guided/taught by a qualified teacher. Normally, you attend as a group, to the Gompa, temple or monastery. If you cannot, or if you are remote, you can do this on your own. There is a ceremony for those empowered to perform Tsog.

It is IMPORTANT to never place the offerings on the ground, even at the end when offering to the protectors. Normally, Tsog is offered to the Dakas and Dakinis, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Gurus and the Enlightened Protectors. Then, the offering is re-blessed as nectar for the protectors sworn to protect the Dharma and offered outside. Often, a paper plate is used, to prevent the offering from being “tossed” on the ground — which is considered inauspicious, or even a downfall.

All Tsog (Tsok) Dates on Western calendar 2022

NOTES

[1] Source Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive: “Tsog Offering Practice“

What was Guru Rinpoche’s advice to his beloved consort disciple Lady Tsogyal on how to achieve enlightenment in this very lifetime? Seclusion, discipline, hard work, and the guru are among the most important. What advice would he have for us today, in this age of smart phones?

Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche, the Enlightened Padmakara, once taught Lady Tsogyal how to practice perfectly with self-discipline — basically, the message: I can’t do it for you. In the teaching, “The Crystal Garland of Faultless Practice”, the great and perfect Buddha taught the importance of overcoming laziness and “practicing incessantly” and — preferably — in seclusion during sessions.

“If you wish to attain enlightenment within one lifetime but do not enter the path of self-discipline, the practice will not be taken to heart. It is therefore essential to engage in self-discipline.” Guru Rinpoche [1]

The teaching to the Lady Tsogyal, delivered at the hermitage Pearl Crystal of Pamagong, also stressed the importance of meditations in seclusion — away from distractions. Today that would mean a closed door and a turned-off cell phone. A handy meditation cave would be nice, too.

Other features on Guru Rinpoche

• Special Feature: The Quantum Buddha Guru Rinpoche: the Second Buddha who turned the Vajrayana Wheel of Dharma: extensive commentary on mantras and practice
• Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born: “giving up idling and laziness” the importance of practicing incessantly and the path to self-discipline ; as recorded by Lady Tsogyal
• The tens of Padmasambhava: ten foundations of secret mantra; ten faults of being unsuccessful in Dharma practice; ten key points for practicing. Guru Rinpoche teaches Lady Tsogyal
• Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche’s condensed “all teachings into one — which is concise and easy to practice”at the time of death: as requested by Lady Tsogyal
• Padmasambhava: The Eight Great Qualities of Taking Refuge; Taking Refuge in the Three Precious Jewels, the Defining Practice of Buddhism, and How it Can Rescue Us From All Dangers.

To begin the teaching — classically, the student always asks the teacher for the teaching — the Lady Tsogyal asked Guru Rinpoche: “How does one enter the path of self-discipline?”

No success for the lazy and pretentious

The great master replied, ” When first practicing the Dharma, if you do not practice with self-discipline but are indolent, lazy, and pretentious, you will have no success.” Among other things, he strongly discouraged the daytime nap: “Do not sleep during the daytime. This will bring numerous defects so give it up by all means.

“In general, if you desire happiness, carry through with your Dharma practice, undertaking self-discipline and accepting unpleasant conditions. Divide your days and nights into parts and practice in measured sessions. Your happiness will then be long-lasting. Keep that in mind!”

In answer to a follow up question from the Lady, he answers: “give up idling. Engage instead in Dharma activities such as making offerings to the master and the Precious Ones, making supplications and presenting tormas to the yidam, dakinis, and Dharma protectors.”

“No useless chatter”

In this day of social media, his advice to avoid “useless chatter” will likely not resonate, although clearly for someone in retreat it’s a must:

“Of all the distractions, the greatest is useless chatter. Consequently, unconnected empty talk is fatal to spiritual practice.”

Of course, in today’s culture, this would mean turning off the cell phone and computer when doing  daily practice — even if you are not in retreat — and letting the family know not to disturb during your meditations.

Practice purification and offering “incessantly”

Even the most advanced of practitioners can never submit to laziness and give up the basics of daily purification and offerings. He advises:

“You should do what is called “taking Dharma activities as one’s path.” That is, you should transform into an unconditioned path the Dharma activities of meditation, making offerings, circum-ambulation, making tsa-tsa and tormas, reading aloud, chanting, copying texts, and so forth. Perform these activities incessantly. Through clinging, tiredness, and so forth, you do not accomplish the main objective.”

Importance of mantra recitation

When not in retreat, he stressed that during practice-time itself, silence from non-Dharma chatter is imperative, and advised the minimum sessions of mantra

recitations to keep uninterrupted from daily chatter: “When doing recitations, designate each of the three or four parts of the day a session, and vow to recite both day and night, at best one thousand, at the second best five hundred, or at least one hundred and eight recitations. Until completing that number, keep silence and do not interrupt your recitation with ordinary talk. In this way no obstacles will arise.”

Guru Rinpoche advises “do not allow your lips to be idle but continuously gather even single syllables of mantra. This is most important. Then at some point there will be accomplishment.”

If you do not have any other mantra, or as an appendix to your mantras, the great teacher recommends OM AH HUNG: “Of all types of recitation, recite the three syllables, OM AH HUNG, which are the essence of body, speech, and mind of all the sugatas. They are the most profound and all-inclusive. Therefore it brings great blessings to pledge to recite them or to append them at the head of all other mantra recitations.”

Bringing practice into daily life

To help avoid excuses, laziness and to further progress in understanding, Guru Rinpoche explains the importance of making daily life a Dharma activity:

“If you cannot mingle the Dharma with daily life activities, you will be fettered by the meditation session.”

When the Lady Tsogyal asked for clarity, he answered: “The dharmata devoid of constructs that you experience in your being while resting evenly in meditation should be put into practice in every situation during postmeditation; whether walking, moving around, lying down, or sitting. By never separating from this Dharma practice no matter what daily activity you perform, you will always remain in the state of dharmata. Thus your meditation will transcend sessions. In general, the meditator who imprisons his body and mind without applying the vital points of meditation is fettered by a chain. Keep that in mind!”

Importance of solitary time and retreat

To progress on the path, it is important to take some time for solitary retreat as well. Most Vajrayana teachers today advise at least one major retreat before we die, and ideally one retreat a year for serious practitioners — even if they are home retreats.

Guru Rinpoche explains, during retreat in particular: ” In general, much talk that is not Dharma practice or concerning Dharma is meaningless. There is no need for that. If you do not strive toward unexcelled enlightenment with your voice engaged in reciting and chanting after stopping ordinary talk, you are anyway like a mute. Keep that in mind!”

This is why, the master explained, the successful student who develops realizations seek out seclusion. For those who can, he recommends ” go to a retreat place such as a charnel ground, a highland area, a snow mountain, a remote hermitage, the dwelling place of a siddha, or a forest in auspicious months such as the seasons of summer and autumn, or on auspicious days such as the eighth day or the new and full moon days.”

He explains the normal methods of creating a retreat space, such as sweeping, making the seat, preparing a mandala and offerings and a shrine with “representations of enlightened body, speech and mind.” This is followed by preventing tormas.

“Giving up idling”

The point of retreat is, perhaps, more valid today than ever. In a private, alone-time retreat space, you give up the excuses to be lazy, to put off practice, and all the distractions of samsara.

“In the daytime you should train in regarding your perceptions as being dreams. That is to say, rest naturally and relaxed without correcting what appears. Leave your experience spontaneously free and open. Rest wide awake and without fixation. During evening time you should take awareness as the path. That is to say, heighten awareness at the close of day and rest alertly and wakefully without falling subject to drowsiness and stupor. At midnight mingle the state of deep sleep with dharmata and sleep in the state of nonthought. Apply the strong determination of thinking, I will recognize my dreams to be dreams! Through that you will be able to remember dharmata while dreaming and be liberated from elation or nightmare. At morning time you should take dharmata as path. That is to say, when you awake from sleep and your body feels at ease, bring dharmata to mind and practice this self-existing mindfulness without fixating, meditating, or slipping away into drowsiness. Do not give in to indulging in sloth and indolence, but practice wide awake while keeping the right measure of self-discipline.”

NOTES

[1] Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche. Dakini Teachings (p. 138). Rangjung Yeshe Publications. Kindle Edition.

I. The Skillful Means of the Mahayana

The Stages of the Path teachings [Note 1] cover the entire range of Buddhist teachings, from refuge, to teachings on liberation, to the Mahayana motivation and Wisdom. They conclude with reference to the Vajrayana, the ‘lightning’ or ‘diamond thunderbolt’ vehicle. We may wonder, if we have a compassionate motivation and right view, why we would need anything more. The answer that is offered is that Tantra is faster. It’s out of a sense of urgency that we would seek out and make use of these methods.

The wonderful teacher, Lama Lodro Rinpoche, always emphasizes in his commentaries on different practices that the Vajrayana are the skillful means of the Mahayana, and should not be considered apart from them.

Alexander Berzin writes that ‘Tantra is the method for putting all of the sutra practices together in an extremely efficient, holistic manner.’ [2]

And Beda Fredi said, ‘Mahayana is the philosophy, and Vajrayana is the practice.’ [3]

If we understand the view, and the powerful motivation of someone who wants to help others through awakening, then these prayers and practices make complete sense. They come naturally.

II. Sacred Outlook

Part of accessing these teachings, I know, involves a change in world view, from ordinary perception to what is called Sacred Outlook, or Pure Perception. [4] If Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are unknown to a person, and if they have a mundane view of themselves, and cling to that, then there’s not much of an entry point, but when we have some openness and faith, our experience changes, we begin to see the divine nature of this world, of ourselves and all others.

These methods work just as the traditions say they do. They help us to awaken greater wisdom and compassion, and the ability to help others.

III. Prerequisites – the foundations for practicing Buddhist Tantra

Traditionally, in Sutrayana it’s said that there are different levels of motivation for those who want to get the most out of Buddhism. They are – aiming for higher rebirth, for liberation from samsara, and for enlightenment. Specifically then in the Vajrayana, renunciation, bodhicitta and right view are the basis for practice.

All of these are based on ethical living. Without one of these moving our mind and activity, our usual ego motivations are a cause of eventual suffering for ourselves and others.

This is why the renunciation of samsara, otherwise known as aiming for freedom, has been emphasized by compassionate teachers in general, but especially before taking up these methods.

Their reason is simply that if we only follow what our ego wants, and are not abandoning the common eight worldly dharmas, we’re just making trouble for ourselves, and in fact these techniques can make things even worse for us.

It’s been this way since the beginnings of ritual and people accessing forces beyond their usual sense of self – such methods have always been open to misinterpretation and misuse, but then they are not Buddhist practice.

It’s really tragic that by far the most common association with tantra these days is with the manipulation of sexual energies. I can’t speak to the traditions that teach this, except to refer to what Lama Yeshe says in his classic book, Introduction to Tantra, that

‘We may feel that since tantra is advertised as a way of utilizing desire, all we have to do is indulge our uncontrolled appetites or increase the number of desires we already have and we will be following the path of a true practitioner. Some people do have this attitude, but it is completely mistaken. We should never forget that if wallowing in desire were the same as practicing tantra, we would all be highly evolved tantric yogis and yoginis by now!’ [5]

The Vajrayana introduces us to levels of being and to a world view that are completely beyond our ordinary conceptions, and to our innate capacities. This is radically different from anything we may undertake from our ego’s perspective.

IV. Self Power and Other Power [6]

Even before we get to Vajrayana methods, in the Zen and Pure Land schools of Buddhism, the question of relying either on oneself, or on Another for spiritual development was worked with, and for some with receptivity, a way of combining the two has been taught. They say that we can do our own work on ourselves, greatly aided and inspired by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the saints and our own teachers. This is especially true when we practice Tantra, also known as Mantrayana.

V. Beyond Binary Thinking

The most common questions when it comes to the divine in the Vajrayana is whether these Bodhisattvas are within us, or outside, and whether they are our own true nature, or independent of us. Such binary thinking – to say – if it is this way, it can’t be that, and if it is that way, it can’t be this – in my view doesn’t apply when it comes to the activity of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. From what I can tell, all the ways of receiving their benefit are true, without any contradiction. [7]

VI. All this becomes more clear in the practice.

I would say that all of the Buddhist teachings are what they call ‘self- revealing’. Without practicing, we may think we understand them, or speculate that something is or is not valid, but when we meditate and contemplate, pray and recite mantra, the results are self evident, both simpler and richer than anything we may have ever thought about them. The proof comes from the practice itself, and not otherwise.

VII. The characteristics of Buddhist Tantra

The Vajrayana is taught as ‘having few hardships, many methods, and for those with sharp faculties’. [8] When I think of all that people have accomplished using these methods, to heal and support people’s freedom from samsaric sufferings, I’m amazed, and filled with gratitude.

We are all so different, and there are different methods to meet our own needs and temperament. For some, at times Tara or Quan Yin is most accessible, comforting and inspiring; for others, Manjushri, or the Healing Buddha; Vajrasattva practice is one of the profound means of purification, and Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig can help us in wonderful ways, throughout all of our lives.

VIII. Elements joined together

The Vajrayana makes use of:

• the power of love and compassion

  

• the power of liberating insight
• the power of devotion
• the power of concentration – samadhi
• the power of the imagination, visualizing Pure Lands, and Buddhas
• the power of sacred speech, prayer and mantra
• and, the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, saints and sages, our lineage, and our teachers.

These are found in other ways of practicing, but in Buddhist Tantra they are joined together.

IX. Empowerment

In addition, in the Vajrayana, we connect with a practice through rituals that are called initiations. The word tantra means thread, and refers to this transmission of enlightened energy, as well as to the continuum of our original nature. [9]

I asked my teacher early on if a person could do a purification practice such as that of Vajrasattva without an initiation, and he said yes, but that it would help to have one, and I have found what he said to be true. Initiations are also called ‘the ripening empowerments’.

X. In times such as these

It’s taught that in times of great need that Vajrayana practice is especially powerful.10 I can also attest to this being true. It really does feel this way to me now.

We are living in what they call a time of the degeneration, characterized by more wars, famine, threats to the environment and natural disasters; more addictions, loneliness and isolation; new and seemingly intractable diseases; more wrong views and deeply ignorant people, and an overall increase in disturbing emotions.

In times such as these we are very much in need of powerful methods to heal, purify, strengthen, nourish, protect, and benefit ourselves and our loved ones, and communities. For those with an affinity to these teachings, the tantras offer just such methods.

I praise all the healing and comfort people have received, all the light that’s dawned,

and all the freedom that’s been secured through these methods

May these increase more and more

I praise all the illuminating and liberating Activities of the all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

May we all receive their blessings

Notes

1. See An Introduction to the Stages of the Path Teachings

2. What is Tantra?, by Dr. Alexander Berzin

3. See The Revolutionary Life of Freda Bedi: British Feminist, Indian Nationalist, Buddhist Nun

4. See Sacred Outlook: Going Beyond Ordinary Perception in Modern Culture and American Buddhism, by Jason Espada, in Buddhaweekly

5. Introduction to Tantra, by Lama Yeshe

6. Self Power and Other Power, by Thich Thien-An, from Zen Philosophy, Zen Practice

7. See: An Introduction to the Bodhisattva-Divinity Tara, from A Belief in the Miraculous – Buddhism, Magic, and a Sense of the Sacred, by Jason Espada

8. Repeating the Words of the Buddha, by Tulku Urgyen

9. See: What Happens During An Initiation, from Chenrezig, Lord of Love, by Bokar Rinpoche, and Transmission Through Empowerment, from Introduction to Tantra, by Lama Yeshe

10. Heart Advice for Practicing the Dharma in Daily Life

 

Jason Espada is a writer and classical musician living in San Francisco; a steward of his father’s photography, and the founder of abuddhistlibrary.com.Over the years, he’s made a number of recordings of Buddhist teachings. These days his focus is on the natural connection between spirituality and social action. His new website is jasonespada.com.

He is not only important in Mahayana sutra, but appears in early Pali Sutta — Ambattha Sutta (“Pride Humbled”)[1]— mighty Vajrapani, the Protector of Gotama Buddha Himself, humbled a prideful Brahmin:

“And at that moment Vajrapani holding up a huge iron club, flaming, ablaze and glowing, up in the sky just above Ambattha was thinking, “If this young man does not answer a proper question put to him by the Blessed Lord by the third time of asking, I’ll split his head into seven pieces!” The Lord saw Vajrapani, and so did Ambattha. And at the sight, Ambattha was terrified and unnerved, his hairs stood on end, and he sought protection, shelter, and safety from the Lord. Crouching down close to the Lord.”

Indestructible Hand of Buddha

This ancient teaching [full Sutta at the end of this feature] predates Mahayana Sutra. In the Mahayana Sutras, Vajrapani  becomes even more prominent as the veritable “indestructible hand of the Buddha.” Vajrapani — which can translate as “Indestructible Hand” —  is one of the three great Bodhisattvas, each of them representing the three important qualities of Enlightenment:

• Vajrapani is the “indestructible power of the Buddha” — helping us overcome the delusions, poisons and attachments that prevent our progress
• Avalokiteshvara is the “compassion of the Buddha” — helping us overcome ego and clinging, understanding our “Oneness” with all beings
• Manjushri is the “wisdom of the Buddha” — helping us discern truth, and overcome the illusions that keep us trapped.

All three are equals; all are needed on the path to Enlightenment. We must balance compassion, wisdom and the power (i.e. discipline, etc.) to overcome the poisons.