Avalokiteshvara, or Guanyin, is often referred to as the “most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity.” Why? Because of the Bodhisattva’s unconditional, all-embracing compassion and love. Avalokiteshvara’s merciful activity will never cease until all beings are rescued from Samsara’s suffering.

• March 29 2024  Guan Yin’s Birthday! (19th day of the 2nd lunar month)
• Guan Yin’s Enlightenment Day is July 25, 2024 (on lunar calendar 19th day of the 6th Lunar Month, Lunar June).
• November 19 2024 will be Guan Yin’s Renunciation Day (19th day of the 9th lunar month)

One practice that is universal on these three special days — with merit multiplied 100 million times — is recitation of Avalokiteshvara’s Universal Gate Sutra. Recite along, here in English, the Universal Gate Sutra, a short recitation with “skies of merit”:

Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s popularity and forms eclipse any dualistic attempts to define Her/Him. Venerable Master Hsuan Hua explains why it is so difficult to define the embodiment of compassion:

“In Buddhism, he appears as a Bodhisattva; in other religions he often appears clad in white robes. In Christianity, he is the Holy Mother; he appears as the Holy Mother to teach and transform a certain category of beings … He fills empty space and pervades the Dharma Realm; he is in every place and yet not in any place. He appears according to what kind of body is needed to save each particular category of beings… Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is not necessarily male or female… These are the endless miraculous functions and inconceivable states of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.”[5]

Her most famous Dharani is the Great Compassion Heart Mantra which celebrates her 1000-armed, 11-faced form known as Great Compassion Guanyin or Avalokiteśvara-ekadaśamukha. Celebrate her special Enlightenment day by chanting along with her Great Compassion Heart Mantra for “skies of merit”:

• Feature continues below.
• For many other features on Avalokiteshvara Guan Yin see our special section>>

Bodhisattva of Hope and Compassion

Avalokiteshvara / Guanyin’s unrivaled compassionate activity in our suffering world makes her a beacon of hope in troubled times.  To demonstrate her all-inclusive compassionate nature, she appears on stage as female or male (hence the Her/His above), and countless forms: Holy Savior, compassionate Bodhisattva, active Protector, a 1000-armed miracle — and even ferocious or wrathful.

The most powerful and potent practice is Her Namo praise: Namo Guanshiyin Pusa, which means Homage to Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva:

Perhaps the most famous manifestation is 1000-armed Guanyin — the many arms symbolic of her loving, compassionate, saving activity:

No representation of Enlightenment is more loving or compassionate. No Bodhisattva is more active. The great Mahayana Vehicle — that rescue vehicle that hopes to rescue all suffering beings (not just a few) — is exemplified in Avalokiteshvara Guanyin. The two most important concepts in Mahayana Buddhism are Compassion and Wisdom — and Guanyin embraces both.

IMPORTANT RECITATION ON AVALOKITESHVARA’s SPECIAL DAYS: Heart Sutra Recitation (below in Sanskrit and English):

OR IN ENGLISH:

Reciting the Mantra of Avalokiteshvara is a powerful and protective practice. The mantra is Om Mani Padme Hum. The six syllables send out compassion to beings in the six realms, and also protect the reciter from danger and obstacles:

All-embracing love

Robert Thurman explains why Avalokiteshvara is so popular around the world: “…in a sense, Avalokiteshvara is even more than a buddha. After attaining buddhahood, he voluntarily returned to the way of a bodhisattva in order to lead all beings to buddhahood.” [1]

Symbolically, Guanyin Avalokiteshvara appears as both male and female: male representing compassion and female representing wisdom. Her power is so all-embracing and loving, that she manifests in endless ways to help us.

Guanyin Avalokeshvara does not ask for devotion, nor require it, but her all-embracing Metta and Karuna (Love and Compassion) make her among the most loved face of Enlightenment. Whoever simply looks at her loving, gentle face — even a non-Buddhist — feels instant love, warmth, and peace. Simply that. Gaze upon the loving face of any of her peaceful representations. It’s a proven method for relaxation and stress-reduction. [See this feature Avalokiteshvara Compassion Practices Enhance Treatment of Anxiety and Depression: Science>>]

Even her epitaphs are soothing and inspiring:

• Goddess of Mercy (A title given Her by Christian Jesuit missionaries in China, who responded to her loving savior nature.)
• She Who Hears the Cries of the World (More or less a translation of Her name.)
• The Lord Who Looks in Every Direction
• Bodhisattva of Compassion

So perfect is Guanyin that she also arises in the Daoist pantheon and a key figure of worship. How, then, can we define the undefinable? Venerable Hsuan Hua, in a Dharma talk, explains:

” Guanshiyin Bodhisattva already became a Buddha a long time ago, by the name of Right Dharma Brightness. He simply appears as a Bodhisattva in order to teach and transform living beings… Guanshiyin Bodhisattva uses kindness, compassion, joy, and giving to save all living beings. He saves beings from the seven difficulties, responds to two kinds of seeking, has fourteen kinds of fearlessness, speaks Dharma in nineteen ways, and has thirty-two response bodies.”

Guanyin Appears in Countless Forms

In the Lotus Sutra, Avalokiteshvara is described as the Bodhisattva who can take any form, including all Gods, Buddhas, and Heavenly Beings, or even humans or animals. Of the thirty-three manifestations of Guanyin listed in the Lotus Sutra, seven are female. From the sutra:

“The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intent: “Good man, if there are living beings in the land who need someone in the body of a Buddha in order to be saved, Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds immediately manifests himself in a Buddha body and preaches the Law for them. If they need someone in a pratyekabuddha’s body in order to be saved, immediately he manifests a pratyekabuddha’s body and preaches the Law to them. If the need a voice-hearer to be saved, immediately he becomes a voice-hearer and preaches the Law for them. If they need King Brahma to be saved, immediately he becomes King Brahma and preaches the Law for them. If they need the lord Shakra to be saved, immediately he becomes the lord Shakra and preaches the Law for them. If they need the heavenly being Freedom to be saved, immediately he becomes the heavenly being Freedom and preaches the Law for them. If they need a great general of heaven to be saved, immediately he becomes a great general of heaven and preaches the Law for them. If they need Vaishravana to be saved, immediately he becomes Vaishravana and preaches the Law for them. If they need a petty king to be saved, immediately he becomes a petty king and preaches the law for them.

Where is Guanyin?

Venerable Master Hsuan Hua explains Guanyin is in every heart, in every home. More specifically, the Venerable teacher describes where we can find the loving Bodhisattva:

“Well, then, where does he come from? He fills empty space and pervades the Dharma Realm; he is in every place and yet not in any place. He appears according to what kind of body is needed to save each particular category of beings. He manifests in whatever physical form is appropriate to speak Dharma for beings; thus his identity is flexible. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appears in the form of a Buddha to save those who are ready to become Buddhas. He appears as a Bodhisattva to save those who should become Bodhisattvas. He appears as a heavenly king to speak Dharma for beings in the heavens.”[5]

The Saviour Buddha

In the Lotus Sutra, the merits of Avalokiteshvara are described in great detail, every possible danger listed, and how the Bodhisattva can save us. It is summarized in verse:

Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, pure sage—
to those in suffering, in danger of death,
He can offer aid and support.
Endowed with all benefits,
He views living beings with compassionate eyes.
The sea of his accumulated blessings is immeasurable;
therefore you should bow your head to him!

How to Ask for Guanyin’s Help

Thich Nhat Hanh explains how to awaken the energy of Avaolokiteshvara:

“Calling the name of Avalokiteshvara is one of the ways to awaken the energy of compassion in your heart.”

In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha describes how to invoke the aid of the Compassionate Bodhisattva:

‘Hail to the Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds!’ And because they call his name, they are at once able to gain deliverance.

It’s literally that simple.

Namo Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa Chanting

Practices for Guanyin

A Devotee of Guanyin will always say prayers — and ideally make offerings  (at least water) — morning and evening. On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, the Sacred Days of Guanyin, it is auspicious to do additional mantras, prayers, and purifications.

Ideally set up a small altar at home with a photo, picture or nice statue. It is traditional to “invite” the Goddess into the statue.

Traditionally, you’d set up the statue, bow three times and ideally:

• Namo Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa (at least 3 times with bows)
• Take Refuge: “I take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha until I reach Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings” — no practice is complete without taking Refuge first, and ending with Dedicating the Merit (see below.
• Light incense and place in front of statue.
• Present other offerings such as water bowls (at least 3 or 7), fruit, flowers and tea. (For symbolism, you could always use Tie Guan Yin tea, a famous type of tea, but Red Rose or any tea is fine.)
• Invite the presence of Guan Yin: ““I sincerely invite the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva to perform miracles, and enter the sacred <statue or image> offered by me, <your full name>” [6]
• Peform at least 7 Great Compassion Mantra. You will find a chant-along video with Ani Choying below.
• Perform the Heart Sutra 7 times (it’s quite short.) You’ll find an AMAZING chant-along version with video with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and his sangha here>>
• Om Mani Padme Hum mantra as much as you can — at least 108 times. A version with Yoko Dharma in video is below.
• Prayers
• Dedicate the Merit for the benefit of all Sentient Beings: “I dedicate the merit of this practice for the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

Recite the Heart Sutra, the most famous teaching of the Great Bodhisattva, every day, and especially on Guanyin Days (below in Sanskrit — English a little further down in the feature.)

Thinking of Guanyin is Enough to Save Beings

In the Lotus Sutra, chapter 25, Buddha explains:

World-Honored One replete with wonderful features,
I now ask you once again
for what reason that Buddha’s son
is named Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds?
The honored One endowed with wonderful features
replied to Inexhaustible Intent in verse:
Listen to the actions of the Perceiver of Sounds,
how aptly he responds in various quarters.
His vast oath is deep as the ocean;
kalpas pass but it remains unfathomable.
He has attended many thousands and millions of Buddhas,
setting forth his great pure vow.
I will describe him in outline for you-
listen to his name, observe his body,
bear him in mind, not passing the time vainly,
for he can wipe out the pains of existence.
Suppose someone should conceive a wish to harm you,
should push you into a great pit of fire.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and the pit of fire will change into a pond!
If you should be cast adrift on the vast ocean,
menaced by dragons, fish and various demons,
think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and the billows and waves cannot drown you!
Suppose you are on the peak of Mount Sumeru
and someone pushes you off.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and you will hang in midair like the sun!
Suppose you are pursued by evil men
who wish to throw you down from a diamond mountain.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and they cannot harm a hair of you!
Suppose you are surrounded by evil-hearted bandits,
each brandishing a knife to wound you.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and at once all will be swayed by compassion!
Suppose you encounter trouble with the king’s law,
face punishment, about to forfeit your life.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and the executioner’s sword will be broken to bits!
Suppose you are imprisoned in cangue and lock,
hands and feet bound by fetters and chains.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and they will fall off, leaving you free!
Suppose with curses and various poisonous herbs
someone should try to injure you.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and the injury will rebound upon the originator.
Suppose you encounter evil rakshasas,
poison dragons and various demons.
Think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and then none of them will dare to harm you.
If evil beasts should encircle you,
their sharp fangs and claws inspiring terror,
think on the power of that Perceiver of sounds
and they will scamper away in boundless retreat.
If lizards, snakes, vipers, scorpions
threaten you with poison breath that sears like flame,
think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and, hearing your voice, they will flee of themselves.
If clouds should bring thunder, and lightning strike,
if hail pelts or drenching rain comes down,
think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and at that moment they will vanish away.
If living beings encounter weariness or peril,
immeasurable suffering pressing them down,
the power of the Perceiver of Sounds’ wonderful wisdom
can save them from the sufferings of the world.
He is endowed with transcendental powers
and widely practices the expedient means of wisdom.
Throughout the lands in the ten directions
there is no region where he does not manifest himself.
In many different kinds of evil circumstances,
in the realms of hell, hungry spirits or beasts,
the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death–
all these he bit by bit wipes out.
He of the true gaze, the pure gaze,
the gaze of great and encompassing wisdom,
the gaze of pity, the gaze of compassion–
constantly we implore him, constantly look up in reverence.
His pure light, free of blemish,
is a sun of wisdom dispelling all darknesses.
He can quell the wind and fire of misfortune
and everywhere bring light to the world.
The precepts from his compassionate body shake us
like thunder,
the wonder of his pitying mind is like a great cloud.
He sends down the sweet dew, the Dharma rain,
to quench the flames of earthly desires.
When law suits bring you before the officials,
when terrified in the midst of an army,
think on the power of that Perceiver of Sounds
and hatred in all its forms will be dispelled.
Wonderful sound, Perceiver of the World’s Sounds,
Brahma’s sound, the sea tide sound–
they surpass those sounds of the world;
therefore you should constantly think on them
from thought to thought never entertaining doubt!
Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, pure sage–
to those in suffering, in danger of death,
he can offer aid and support.
Endowed with all benefits,
he views living beings with compassionate eyes.
The sea of his accumulated blessings is immeasurable;
therefore you should bow your head to him!

The Heart Sutra: Most Popular Sutra

Guanyin Avalokteshvara is mentioned in more Mahayana sutras than any other Enlightened Being.

The Heart Sutra is the “single most commonly recited, copied and studied scripture in East Asian Buddhism”[1] —   Guanyin teaches the “Perfection of Wisdom”:

Form is Emptiness. Emptiness is Form

Emptiness, not to be confused with nothingness, is anchored in Buddha’s doctrine of Dependent Origination. The Heart Sutra is a profound teaching that frees us from fear and helps us understand the inter-connectedness of all beings.

Heart Sutra in English

Guanyin Avalokiteshvara is especially praised in The Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra), notably in the 25th Chapter. [See our feature Avalokiteshvara: delivering us from every danger, Chapter 25 of Lotus Sutra.]

Praise Loving Guanyin

Another way to ask for Guanshiyin’s help is simply to praise Her/His name. The various ways to praise His/Her name are:

Sanskrit

• Namo Avalokiteshvara

Various forms of Chinese (slight variants)

• Namo Gwan Yin Pu Sa
• Namo Kuanyin Pu Sa
• Namo Guan Yim
• Namo Kuan Yim
• Namo Kuan Yin

Kanon in Todaiji Mon

Other variants (Namo in all cases here is Sanskrit for simplicity)

• Namo Chenrezig  (Chenrezik Tibetan སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས)
• Namo Gwan-eum (Korean: 관세음)
• Namo Kanzeon (観世音)  or Namo Kannon (観音)  (Japanese)
• Namo Kuan Im (Thai กวนอิม)
• Namo Quán Thế Âm (Vietnamese)
• Namo to the Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds! (English)

Mantras of Avalokiteshvara

• Om Mani Padme Hum   (Universal in Sanskrit)

[For a video chant of Om Mani Padme Hum see>>] Or watch here:

Yoko Dharma chants Om Mani Padme Hum

• On aruri kya sowa ka  (Shingon)  in Japanese おん あるりきゃ そわか

Great Compassion Mantra (Dharani) in Sanskrit

Namo Ratna Trayaya

Nama Arya Jyana

Sagara Vairochana

Byuhara Jaya Tathagataya

Arahate Samyaksam Buddhaya

Namah Sarwa Tathagate Bhyayh Arahatda Bhayh

Samyaksam Buddhe Bhayh

Namah Arya Awalokite

Shoraya Bohisatwaya

Mahasatwaya

Maha Karunikaya

Tatyata Om Dhara Dhara

Dhiri Dhiri

Dhuru Dhuru

Iti Wit Je Chalee Chalee

Purachale Purachale

Kusume Kusama Wa Re

Ili Mili Chiti

Jwala Mapanaya Soha

[For video chant version of the Great Compassion Mantra, see>>]

Any Choying sings the Great Compassion Mantra

Guanyin’s Special Day

Each year, Guanyin’s compassionate activities are celebrated on the 19th day of the 6th Lunar month — traditionally the anniversary of the day Guan Shi Yin attained Buddhahood (Enlightenment.) [4]

Her sacred place is Mount Puo Tu [普陀山].

Other Sutras with Avalokiteshvara

Although the Lotus Sutra is the first and best-known sutra honoring the compassionate Buddha, there are many others, including, of course, the Heart Sutras where he teaches his realizations on Shunyata (Emptiness). Some texts which mention Avalokiteśvara include:

• Avataṃsaka Sūtra
• Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra
• Eleven-Faced Avalokitesvara Heart Dharani Sutra
• Heart Sutra (Heart Sūtra)
• Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra
• Lotus Sutra
• Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra
• Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka sūtram
• Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī Sutra
• Śūraṅgama Sūtra

Other names of Guanyin Avalokteshvara

Avalokteshvara Guanyin is called by many names in different countries:

• Cantonese: Gwun Yam or Gun Yam also written as Kwun Yam in Hong Kong or Kun Iam in Macau.
• Tibetan: Chenrézik (སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས).
• Japanese, Guanyin is pronounced Kannon (観音), occasionally Kan’on, or more formally Kanzeon (観世音, the same characters as Guanshiyin)
• Korean, Guanyin is called Gwan-eum (Korean: 관음) or Gwanse-eum (Korean: 관세음)
• Hokkien: Kuan Im (POJ: Koan-im) or Kuan Se Im (POJ: Koan-sè-im)
• Khmer: Preah Mae Kun Si Im. (ព្រះម៉ែ គង់សុីអុិម). She is also called Preah Neang Kun Si Im (ព្រះនាង[princess] គង់សុីអុិម). The word “Preah” is God/Goddess and “Mae” is Mother
• Thai: Kuan Im (กวนอิม), Phra Mae Kuan Im (พระแม่กวนอิม; Phra Mae means “goddess”) or Chao Mae Kuan Im (Thai: เจ้าแม่กวนอิม; Chao Mae usually means “madam”, but in this terms, means “goddess”).
• Burmese:  Kwan Yin Medaw, literally meaning Mother Kwan Yin (Goddess Guanyin) (ကွမ်ယင်မယ်တော်).
• Vietnamese: Quan Âm or Quan Thế Âm.
• Indonesian: is Kwan Im or Dewi Kwan Im. She is also called Mak Kwan Im “Mother Guanyin”.
• Malaysian Mandarin: GuanYin Pusa (GuanYin Bodhisattva), Guan Shi Yin Pusa (GuanYin Bodhisattva).
• Sinhala: Natha Deviyo (නාථ දෙවියෝ).
• Hmong, the name is Kab Yeeb.
• Nepali, the name is Seto Machindranath

NOTES

[1] McRae, John (2004), “Heart Sutra”, in Buswell, Jr., Robert E. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Buddhism, MacMillan

[2] Avalokteshvara feature on Britannica. https://global.britannica.com/topic/bodhisattva

[3] “Avalokiteshvara in Tibet”, Tricycle

[4] “Bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin’s Attainment of Buddhahood 觀世音菩薩成佛 – Purple Cloud”.

[5] Guanyin, Guanyin, Guanshiyin: Venerable Master Hsuan Hua http://www.cttbusa.org/dharmatalks/guanyin.htm

[6] Oriental Radio show>>

Why are Vajrasattva, Tara and Ushnisha Vijaya described as the Three Supremes or the Three Special Deities? In all lineages of Buddhism, the triad of practice represents: purifying Ignorance to attain wisdom; overcoming our fears and poisons to remove suffering; and ultimately, to triumph over death, through Enlightenment. As Dharmakaya Supreme Buddha, Vajrasattva, represents Wisdom. As Karma Mother, Green Tara is Supreme Compassionate Method and Wisdom. As the Crown of All Buddhas, Usnisha Vijaya is the Supreme Realizations overcoming Death itself.

We can describe these three as the Three Jewels, or as the Three Supremes, or the Three Great Bodhisattvas, or as the Three Roots. All of these describe the same trinity of wisdom, compassionate method, and realizations (Enlightenment.) The Three Supremes overcome the three great obstacles: Ignorance (with Wisdom), the Poisons (with Compassionate Method) and Death itself (with Enlightened Realizations.)

Three Supremes

The Triumphant Buddha Trinity, are often known as the “Three Special Deities” or the Three Supremes: Vajrasattva, Tara, and Ushnisha Vijaya, representing the rapid path to realizations and Enlightenment. Together,  they symbolize the Three Jewels, the three aspects of practice,  which are wisdom, compassionate method and activity; and also overcoming the three major obstacles of ignorance, suffering, and death.

In the practice of the Three Supremes, we have the Wisdom of Vajrasattva, who purifies the poison of ignorance;  the Enlightened Activities of Tara, which represents overcoming the eight dangers in Samsara; and the Compassionate method of Ushnisha Vijaya, which helps us overcome the obstacle of death.

Video: Ushnisha Vijaya’s Supreme Dharani from Sutra:

This is explained in the opening praises of several of Marpa Lotsawa’s practice sadhans. For exmaple, from the Sadhana of Venerable Tara:

“Arising from the Ushnisha, Namgyalma, destroying the Lord of Death ; Tara, who liberates the fears of Samsara; Lord of All Families, Vajrasattva; I bow to the wonderful and supreme deities.”

Three Supremes of Practice

The Three Supremes, or Three Aspects, complete all three areas of Practice, which are Wisdom, Compassionate Method, and Activities. The Three Supremes represent the same thing as the Three Jewels, the Three Great Bodhisattvas and the Three Roots.

• The Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, represent, respectively, Wisdom,  Compassionate Method, and activities.
• With the Three Great Ones, the Bodhisattvas:  Manjushri represents Wisdom, Avalokiteshvara represents Compassionate methods, and Vajrapani represents the power of activities.
• With the Three Roots: Guru or Teacher represents the root of Wisdom, Yidam represents the root of Compassionate method, and Dakini represents the root of activities.
• Symbolizing the Threes in Vajrayana are the practice supports of bell, vajra and mala. Bell represents Wisdom, Vajra represents compassionate means, and mala represents activities, realizations and accomplishments.

All of these are reflections of the same Three Supremes, the same practices and wisdoms, presented in various ways to convey core truths. Regardless of how you visualize or practice the three supremes, every Buddhist practice includes an equal emphasis on Wisdom, Compassionate Method and Activity.

Video: The King of Prayers (Samantabhadra’s aspiration), for example, begins with Refuge in the Three Jewels, Roots and then the Seven Limbs (the limbs of practice) — a supreme practice in Mahayana Buddhism:

You can think of it as two, plus one, in the old metaphor of the wings of a bird. Wisdom and Compassion are the two wings, but the bird only flies when both wings flap — the activities of wisdom and compassion working together.

For example, Buddha attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. If he simply wanted to help himself, we would never have heard of his triumph. Instead, he then applied his wisdom and compassion, by teaching his disciples, which became the recorded Dharma teachings. He also shared his realizations in Enlightened Activities — teaching the Dharma in such a compelling way that the Sangha community grew and spread around the world. Without the Sangha’s activity we would never have heard of the Dharma.

For this reason, we don’t only take Refuge in Buddha. We don’t only take refuge in Dharma. We take refuge in all Three: Buddha Dharma and Sangha; or Teacher, Yidam and Dakini, or Vajrasattva, Ushnisha Vijaya and Tara, or Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani.

Wisdom without Compassion is incomplete. Wisdom and Compassion without activity is a flightless bird. We have to flap our wings with Enlightened Activities, to fly to the other shore of Enlightenment.

The Three Supremes from Marpa Lotsawa

In several lineage teachings transmitted by Marpa Lotsawa, the Three Supremes are Vajrasattva, Tara and Ushnisha Vijaya, the Three Great Buddhas. Why these three? Although all Buddhas are Conquerors, these three specifically represent conquering the three largest obstacles to realizations: overcoming ignorance; the five poisons and eight dangers; and ultimately, realizations that take us to the other shore, or Enlightenment.

Together, they represent the triad of practice: purifying our ignorance and negative karmas; overcoming our fears, the poisons and our dangers; and ultimately triumph over death when we attain Enlightenment.

Among the most beautiful of practices is the Three Special Deities practices, brought from India to Tibet by the great translator hero-teacher Marpa Lotsawa.

Marpa Lotsawa and the Three Supremes

Marpa Lotsāwa (མར་པ་ལོ་ཙཱ་བ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་བློ་གྲོས་, 1012–1097), sometimes fully known as Marpa Chökyi Lodrö  or more familiarly referred to as Marpa the Translator, was a pivotal figure in Buddhism. Renowned for bringing extensive Vajrayana teachings from India, he played a crucial role in the establishment of the Mahamudra teachings and lineages. In recognition of his significant impact, the lineage he founded, the Kagyu, is often called Marpa Kagyu.

The Lotsawas or great translators of Tibet were genuine Dharma heroes and treasures. They spent their entire lives in difficult journeys of months or years to India, through a landscape of perils. For this reason, Tara was their constant companion, protecting them as they journeyed. Their lives were epic in scope and scale, and their contribution to the Dharma is supreme.

Video: 100 syllable mantra of Vajrasatttva:

Of these, Marpa was the greatest. His most famous student was the great Milarepa. Yet it is Marpa who brought the teachings treasured in many lineages today.

Each journey over the mountain passes brought danger from the elements and bandits. He spent many months struggling to journey to India and Nepal, to learn from the greatest Mahasiddhas, including Naropa.

The scale of his grand journey was as epic as Xuanzang, the 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk who inspired the epic novel Journey to the West, and who heroically brought back 657 Buddhist texts from India to China.

Marpa traveled seven times from Tibet to India and four times to Nepal. On his third visit, Marpa went through another battle with the elements as he searched for the elusive Naropa, who was hidden in the wilderness in retreat. He was nowhere to be found, yet Marpa knew Naropa would be his main guru. With determination, trust, and devotion, Marpa finally found Naropa and received the ultimate teachings and instructions from him.

Tara’s mantra 108 times is part of any practice of the Three Supremes:

To Learn More about the Three Special Ones:

• Vajrasattva, the Supreme Purifier>>
• Tara, the Supreme Activity of all the Buddhas>>
• Ushnisha Vijaya, the Supreme overcoming Death>>

Merit Practice of the Three Special Deities

The cycle of teachings from Marpa on the Three Special Deities includes separate practices for each of the three, but all sadhanas start with the praise to all Three Special Deities. We might focus on our Yidam as a main practice, but start with the praise, prostration and offerings to the Three Special Deities. The following recitation is from the Sadhana of Venerable Tara called Udamvara Flower, a subsection of the Three Special Deities passed down from Master Marpa the Translator. Here we only recite the frontal generation together with the seven limbs of practice and visualized offerings, followed by the mantras.

In all Vajrayana practices of most Yidams we recite the 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva first, to purify. In this concise merit practice, we prostrate, make offerings, and perform the 7 limbs of practice as the King of Prayers. This is followed by Vajrasattva mantra, Tara mantra and Ushnisha Vijaya mantra. For a longer practice, you would include the 21 praises to Tara and the Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani. If you practice a Yidam, you might follow the merit practice with your self-generation practice.

“Arising from the Ushnisha, Namgyalma, destroying the Lord of Death ; Tara, who liberates the fears of Samsara; Lord of All Families, Vajrasattva; I bow to the wonderful and supreme deities.

In the Three Supremes Vajrasattva, Tara, and Usnihsa Vijaya, in the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma, and Supreme Assembly, in the Three Roots Guru, Yidam and Dakini, I take refuge until Enlightenment. By the merit of my generosity and other deeds, may I attain Buddhahood for the sake of beings.

Instantly, The entire merit field appears before me.

I prostrate with complete purity to Three Supremes, the Three Jewels and the Three Roots 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 Three Supremes, 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 the merit field, I recite the mantras of the three supremes. As I recite, I see green light going out from the hearts of the Three Supremes, blessing all beings in the entire universe, then returning and blessing my own body, speech and mind.

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

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

Om Brum Svaha Om Amtrita Ayur Da Dai 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.

Why are lunar days, such as the new moon and full moon, special in Buddhism? What are the four special practice days based on lunar phases that have extra merit for Dharma practice? Why is the New Moon on the last day of the lunar month, special for Purification practices and what are the four practices for New Moon Days that help ensure a positive, prosperous, obstacle-free month ahead? We answer these questions and more in this short video and end with a recitation of the all-important Confession and Five Buddha Vows traditional for the New Moon Day.

• Buddha Weekly’s Lunar Dharma Practice Calendar is here>>

4 Important Lunar Days Each Month: Merit Multiplied

The four important Lunar Days are often called Activity Day on the first quarter moon waxing, Supreme Merit Day on the full moon day, Reflection Day on the third quarter waning moon, and Renewal Day on the New Moon. Each of these four days have extra merit for practices, with benefits multiplied millions of times, according to Lama Zopa, quoting the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.

Buddhist calendars are always lunar. This is because Shakyamuni Buddha was born, became Enlightened and attained Parinirvana, all on Full Moon Days.

Video:

Supreme Activity Day: First Quarter Moon, 8th Day Lunar

Supreme Activity Day is on the first quarter moon, the 8th Day of the lunar month. It is called “Supreme” because merit is multiplied. All waxing moon days are otherwise considered Activity Days as well, with normal merit.

As Enlightened Activity Day, it is therefore special to Mother Tara and the Karma Buddha Family of Amoghasiddhi. Or, for example, if the activity you are practicing is medical or health, this can also be Medicine Buddha Day. As the moon grows towards a full moon, we think of the “Enlightened Activities” growing and multiplying.

Activity Day, the 8th Lunar Day, like the other three lunar Dharma days, are extra merit days. We might practice the 21 Tara Praise, or recite Tara’s Sutra or practice the Sadhanas of Tara or Medicine Buddha. We might recite the supplication mantras of each of the 21 Taras to encourage those activities of power and magnetizing, pacifying, enriching and wrathful protective activities.

Special Practices:

• Tara Day: Mother of All the Buddhas
• Amoghasiddhi, Karma Dakini and all Karma Family
• Vajrakilaya: Activity of All the Buddhas

Supreme Merit Day: Full Moon, 15th Day Lunar

The full moon on the 15th day of the lunar month is the Supreme Day of Merit each month. Shakyamuni Buddha was born, became Enlightened and attained Parinirvana on full moon days. According to Mahayana Sutra, all Buddhas in all times were also Enlightened on Full Moon Days. For this reason, this is also Amitabha Day.

On the full moon day, we usually practice Amitabha, Shakyamuni, and Medicine Buddha. If we have a Yidam practice this will normally be an important day for practicing the full Sadhana. This day is the most significant for the Padma Family and practices of Amitabha’s family, such as Kurukulla, Avalokiteshvara, or Hayagriva. This is also a high merit day, with merit multiplied by Millions.

Special Practices:

• Shakyamuni Buddha
• Amitabha Buddha
• Medicine Buddha
• Avalokiteshvara Guanyin
• All Padma Family: Kurukulla,  Hayagriva, Padma Dakini

Supreme Reflection Day: Third Quarter, 23rd Day Lunar

Reflection Day, on the third quarter on the 23rd of the lunar month, in the waning period of the moon, is Supreme Day of Reflection, a day of quiet and meditation, ideal for Mahamudra and Dzogchen practices, mindfulness practices and quiet Sutra recitation. It is also special to the Vajra Family of Akshobhya Buddha as the Buddha of Mirror-Like Wisdom.

As the main practice day in the waning period of the moon, it is Supreme Day of Reflection day for quiet and meditation, especially for Akshobhya Buddha and the Varjra Family who represent the practice of the wisdom of Mirror-Like Reflection: “Mind like a Sheet of Water” or the moon reflected in still water. This wisdom overcome the poison of Anger.

Special Practices:

• Mahamudra
• Dzogchen
• Akshobhya Buddha Family

Upavasatha Renewal Day: New Moon, 30th Day Lunar

This brings us back full lunar cycle to the all-important New Moon, or Renewal Day. This day is called Upavasat-ha and is a critical practice day in all traditions of Buddhism for renewal, vows, purification, merit and confession. The New Moon is the day we wield the irresistible power of the Four Opponent Powers.

The last day of the lunar month, or New Moon, is very auspicious and has high merit for all practices but it is especially the day for purifying all the negative karma of the previous month for a fresh start on the new month. Especially important for Mahayana Buddhists is Vajrasattva’s 100-syllable mantra, which purifies all negative karmas. New Moon practices are special to Vajrasattva, the Buddha Family of Vairochana, and the more wrathful purification practices such as Vajrapani and Vajrakilaya. See the information icon for links to beautiful chanting of these Mantras in Sanskrit, ideal for New Moon Day.

Lunar 30th Day, or the New moon, arose as a critical practice day from the ancient tradition of Upavasat-ha or the practice of renewal. The main practices are different variations of the Four Rs, or the Four Opponent Powers. The Four Rs are: Refuge; Regret; Remedy; and Refrain.

Whether you practice Vajrasattva; or Vajrapani; or Vajrakilaya; or the 35 Buddhas; or the renewal of your lay or monastic vows; or Heart Sutra recitation, the four Rs are the same in all of these renewal practices.

Special Practices:

• Vajrasattva
• 35 Confessional Buddhas
• Vajrakilaya: Vajrasattva’s Wrathful Form
• Vajrapani
• Heart Sutra and All Sutra Recitations
• Renewal of Bodhisattva and Vajra Vows
• Four Opponent Powers practices genrally.

All Practices Include Refuge, Regret, Remedy and Refrain

Every one of these practices includes Refuge in the Three Jewels or Three Roots. They all feature a form of Regretting the negative actions — in this case of the past month. They all feature a Remedy, usually a vow, a mantra or sutra recitation. And all of these practices finish with a statement or promise to Refrain in future from negative activities.

The best way to ensure you’re practicing the Four Rs is to renew your Bodhisattva vows and commitments at least on the New Moon day.

Ideally, you do this in front of your Shrine or your teacher after taking Refuge and Prostrating. This makes it a complete purification practice, and a meaningful vow of practice. If you don’t have a shrine or object of Refuge in front of you, you visualize one if you can, or just “know” that you are making your vow in front of the Three Jewels.

Recite along with us now, the Renewal of Your Bodhisattva and Commitment Vows. These are likely the words you spoke during any empowerment, although you may have spoken it in Tibetan or Sanskrit. Here, we’ll recite in English. We start with Refuge in the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

After taking Refuge we Confess all our wrong-doings for the last month. This is followed by the Bodhisattva Vows. Then, we renew our Samaya or promise to the Five Buddha Families. End by dedicating the merit, and you have a very complete purification. The vow itself is the Remedy in this case. Or, you can simply add this vow to your daily practice.

• Practice below, or download the PDF of the Renewal of Bodhisattva and Five Buddha Family Vows here>>

Renewal of Bodhisattva and Five Family Vows

Recite along with us now:

I take Refuge in the three Jewels, the Buddha the Dharma and the Sangha, until I attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

I rejoice in all virtues of holy and ordinary beings.

I will cultivate the Bodhichitta, to most effectively benefit all sentient beings.

Having generated the intention to take the Buddha’s path, I will care for all sentient beings as my guests. I offer flowers, incense, light, fragrances, food, music and the like, both those actually arranged and those mentally imagined. Supreme gathering, please accept them. Please accept my confession:

Whatever non-virtue, downfalls, and degenerations, I have accumulated since beginningless time, especially those of the Mahayana Vehicle, I confess all without exception, and promise to refrain.

I Remedy my Samaya with the Bodhisattva Vow:

I go for refuge to the Three Jewels. I confess each of my negative actions. I promise to refrain from negative actions. I rejoice in the virtues of migrating beings, and hold with my mind a Buddhas’ enlightenment.

To Buddha, Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly, I go for refuge until I am enlightened, and to accomplish the welfare of myself and others, I will generate the mind of enlightenment.

Having generated the mind of supreme enlightenment, I shall invite all living beings to be my guest, to engage in the pleasing, supreme practices of enlightenment. May I attain Buddhahood to benefit living beings.

I remedy my Samaya with New Commitments:

All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, please listen to me.

From this time forth, until the essence of enlightenment, I shall generate the unsurpassed sacred Bodhichitta, just as all the Protectors of the three times, have ensured their enlightenment.

I shall uphold firmly each of the three moral disciplines: moral restraint, accumulating virtuous Dharmas, and working for the welfare of living beings.

I renew my Samaya to great Vairochana and the Buddha Family. Please accept my commitment.

I shall uphold from today onward the vows arisen from Buddha Yoga; the unsurpassed Three Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

To great unshakable Akshobhya and Vajra Family, please accept my commitment.

I shall uphold purely the vajra, bell and mudra of the great, supreme Vajra family, and I shall uphold purely the Master commitment.

I renew my Samaya to great auspicious Ratnasambhava and Jewel Family. Please accept my commitment

I will always make the four types of gifts each day; the pleasing commitments of the great supreme Jewel family.

I renew my Samaya to Infinite Light Amitabha and the Padma Lotus Family. Please accept my commitment.

For the pure, great Lotus family, arisen from great enlightenment, I shall uphold each of the holy Dharmas, of the outer, the secret and the three vehicles.

I renew my Samaya to Supreme Fearless Amoghasiddhi and Tara and the Karma Family. Please accept my commitment:

For the great, supreme Karma family, I shall uphold purely each of the vows I am endowed with, and make as many offerings as I am able.

I shall generate the holy, unsurpassed Bodhichitta, and for the welfare of all living beings, I shall uphold all of my vows without exception.

I shall liberate those not liberated, deliver those not delivered, give breath to those breathless, and lead all beings to nirvana.

I dedicate the merit of this practice and offerings to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

We dedicate the merit of this presentation to the benefit of all sentient beings. May all beings benefit.

NEW exciting music release of Ushnisha Vijaya Long Dharani from Buddha Weekly’s team, original music, composition, vocals and recording, available on Music Streaming.

Ushnisha Vijaya’s Dharani, taught by Shakyamuni Buddha to Devaputra — who discovered he only had seven days left to live! — has a long history of extensive benefits. Learn more about this Dharani, complete with the history, translations, benefits and the entire sutra translated, see our new feature>>

BENEFITS OF DHARANI

According to the text, major applications of this dhāraṇī include:

• Destroy calamities and rescue those in difficulties
• Eliminate offenses and create good deeds
• Purify all karmic obstructions
• Increase blessings and lengthen lifespan
• Attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi
• Relieve beings in the ghost realm
• Benefit birds, animals and all crawling creatures
• Increase wisdom
• Revert the fixed karma
• Eliminate various illness
• Destroy hells
• Ensure the safety of the households, and having children to inherit the family pride
• Harmonise husbands and wives
• Be able to reborn in Sukhavati or other pure lands
• Heal sickness inflicted by pretas
• Request for rain, etc.

CHANT ALONG!

namo bhagavate trailokya prativiśiṣṭāya buddhāya bhagavate

tadyathā oṃ viśodhaya viśodhaya

asamasama samanta avabhāsa spharaṇa gati gahana svabhāva viśuddhe

abhiṣiñcatu māṃ

sugata vara vacana

amṛta abhiṣeke mahāmantra pāne

āhara āhara āyuḥ sandhāraṇi

śodhaya śodhaya gagana viśuddhe

uṣṇīṣa vijaya viśuddhe

sahasraraśmi sañcodite

sarva tathāgata avalokana ṣaṭpāramitā paripūraṇi

sarva tathāgata mati daśa-bhūmi prati-ṣṭhite

sarva tathāgata hṛdaya adhiṣṭhāna adhiṣṭhita mahāmudre

vajrakāya saharaṇa viśuddhe

sarva āvaraṇa apāya durgati pariviśuddhe

pratinirvartaya āyuḥ śuddhe

samaya adhiṣṭhite maṇi maṇi mahāmaṇi

tathātā bhūta koṭi pariśuddhe

visphuṭa buddhi śuddhe

jaya jaya vijaya vijaya smara smara

sarva buddha adhiṣṭhita śuddhe

vajre vajra garbhe vajraṃ bhavatu mama śarīraṁ

sarva sattvānāṁ ca kāya pariviśuddhe

sarva gati pariśuddhe

sarva tathāgatāśca me sama āśvāsayantu

sarva tathāgata sama āśvāsa adhiṣṭhite

budhya budhya vibudhya vibudhya

bodhaya bodhaya vibodhaya vibodhaya

samanta pariśuddhe

sarva tathāgata hṛdaya adhiṣṭhāna adhiṣṭhita mahāmudre svāhā

In Devanāgarī Script:-

नमो भगवते त्रैलोक्य प्रतिविशिष्टाय बुद्धाय भगवते

तद्यथा ॐ विशोधय विशोधय

असमसम समन्त अवभास स्फरण गति गहन स्वभाव विशुद्धे

अभिषिञ्चतु मां

सुगत वर वचन

अमृत अभिषेके महामन्त्र पाने

आहर आहर आयुः सन्धारणि

शोधय शोधय गगन विशुद्धे

उष्णीष विजय विशुद्धे

सहस्ररश्मि सञ्चोदिते

सर्व तथागत अवलोकन षट्पारमिता परिपूरणि

सर्व तथागत हृदय अधिष्ठान अधिष्ठित महामुद्रे

वज्रकाय सहरण विशुद्धे

सर्व आवरण अपाय दुर्गति परिविशुद्धे

प्रतिनिर्वर्तय आयुः शुद्धे

समय अधिष्ठिते मणि मणि महामणि

तथाता भूत कोटि परिशुद्धे

विस्फुट बुद्धि शुद्धे

जय जय विजय विजय स्मर स्मर

सर्व बुद्ध अधिष्ठित शुद्धे

वज्रे वज्र गर्भे वज्रं भवतु मम शरीरं

सर्व सत्त्वानां च काय परिविशुद्धे

सर्व गति परिशुद्धे

सर्व तथागताश्च मे सम आश्वासयन्तु

सर्व तथागत सम आश्वास अधिष्ठिते

बुध्य बुध्य विबुध्य विबुध्य

बोधय बोधय विबोधय विबोधय

समन्त परिशुद्धे

सर्व तथागत हृदय अधिष्ठान अधिष्ठित महामुद्रे स्वाहा

Translation of the Sanskrit Dharani:

Namo bhagavate, trailokya prativisistaya,

Adoration to the blessed, in the triple world the most excellent,

buddhaya bhagavate! Tadyatha Om!

to the enlightened! Adoration to the blessed! Namely: Om!

Vishodhaya, vishodhaya – asama-sama,

Cleanse, cleanse – the always impartial,

samantavabhasa-spharana

being in possession of all-pervading, all-illuminating light,

gati gahana, svabhava vishuddhe abhisinchatu!

cleansed of the darkness of the five paths of existence, the pure in-himself

Mam, Sugata, vara vachana amirta abhisekai maha,

Consecrate us, Sugata, with an immortal consecration which consists of the best words,

mantra-padai! Ahara, ahara

the great true phrases! Remove disasters, remove disasters,

ayuh sam-dharani! Sodhaya, sodhaya,

holder of an eternal life! Cleanse us, cleanse us,

gagana visuddhe usnisa vijaya vishuddhe,

the as-pure-as-the-sky, as the victorious head-crown as pure,

sahashra-rasmi sam-chodite!

the inflamed with a thousand rays of light!

Sarva tathagata avalokani,

O One overseeing the thus-gone ones,

sat-paramita-paripurani!

the perfect in the six paramitas!

Sarva tathagata mati dasha-bhumi prati-sthite!

O One who has passed all ten stages of tathagata-consciousness!

Sarva tathagata hirdaya adhisthanadhisthita maha-mudre,

O One who from the heart of every tathagata the spiritual power emanating holds

maha-mudre, vujra kaya sam-hatana vishuddhe!

the great seal, whose body is as adamantine and pure as diamond!

Sarva varana apaya-durgati pari vishuddhe prati-nivartaya ayuh shuddhe!

O One who is thoroughly cleansed of all return-compelling karma!

Samaya adhisthite, mani, mani, maha mani! Tathata,

Keep your promise, jewel, jewel, great jewel! Suchness,

bhuta-koti parishuddhe visphuta buddhi shuddhe, jaya, jaya,

the absolute pinnacle of evolved purity of mind, be victorious, be victorious;

vijaya; vijaya! Smara; smara!

be ever victorious; be ever victorious! Bear in mind; bear in mind!

Sarva buddha adhisthita shuddhe!

O One who of all buddhas is the pure and appointed!

Vajri vajragarbhe, vajram bhavatu mama shariram!

Vajra-holding diamond-womb, let my body be like diamond!

Sarva sattva’am cha kaya –

O One who possesses a pure body –

pari vishuddhe sarva gati parishuddhe –

who is absolutely pure from all the paths of existence –

sarva tathagata singcha me samasvasayantu,

O One who consoles me by all the tathagatas,

sarva tathagata samasvasa adhisthite,

O One who is empowered with all the consoling power of the tathagatas,

budhiya, budhiya, vibudhiya, vibudhiya!

be enlightened, be enlightened, be ever enlightened, be ever enlightened!

Bodhaya, bodhaya, vibhodhaya,

Have them enlightened, have them enlightened, have them ever enlightened,

vibodhaya, samanta parishuddhe!

have them ever enlightened, the most pure in a thoroughgoing way!

Sarva tathagata hirdya adhisthanadhisthita

O One who from the heart of every tathagata the spiritual power emanating holds

maha-mudre, svaha!

the great seal, hail!

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

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, to fierce protector Palden Lhamo, and she is also the great Wisdom Mother Prajnaparamita. Even though we honor her as the Great Mother Buddha, she is, without contradiction, an intimate and treasured friend.

• For a wonderful “Song of Longing for Tara” which gathers all that is precious about Tara in one prayer, see below, Song of Longing For Tara.

The Vastness of Tara: Beyond Definition, Friend to Everyone

Do we really comprehend the vastness that is Tara? She is one of the most popular devotional and meditational deities, honored all around the world, practiced by all schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, many Mahayana Buddhists, Hindus, and others.

She is so popular, she is called “Mama Tara”—and She never takes Herself seriously. She’s a daily good friend, ready helper, saving hero, precious guide. She always has “time” for everyone—after all, time is relative. She is just as quick to help the prisoner in jail as the faithful practitioner, without discrimination. If Her name is called, She answers.

One important practice of Tara is the 21 Praises to Tara, here chanted in Sanskrit:

At the ultimate level, She was the “Non Manifested”, Prajna Paramita in Buddhism, but also the non-manifested Wisdom Mother in Hinduism. At the “intimate” relative level, She can emanate as a shepherd girl, ready to rescue a stranded traveler. Or She can incarnate as a Princess ready to help a nation—two simultaneously, in the case of Her more recent history in Tibet and China.

Yet, Tara goes beyond any constraints of conception, and even imagination: Parajnaparamita, wisdom Dakini Varjayogini, Female Buddha, Consort of great Amoghasiddhi Dhyani Buddha, Hindu great mother, angel to those in distress — all of these and thousands more. There are 21 famous Tara manifestations, one of which is the beloved White Tara. In Vajrayana’s higher tantras she is Chittimani Tara and also, Vajrayogini (Vajra Varahi).

It can be confusing, Her endless labels, but at the same time it defines Her perfectly. She is known by endless names, but consistently as Tara, Arya Tara, and, in Tibetan, Jetsun Drolma. She is simultaneously the spiritual child of Avalokiteshvara, born of tears of compassion, and the Mother of the very same Buddha. Mother and child of the same Enlightened Being. Simply meditating on the vastness of these concepts is, in itself, challenging and rewarding.

Her Practice Is as Simple or Complex as Tara

As with Her vast array of names, appearances and roles, Her practice can be simple or profound. She responds well to just the calling of Her name. Or a simple thought. Her ten-syllable mantra, chanted millions of times each day around the world, is associated with everything from rescues to achieving Enlightenment:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

Simplified Sadhanas for the devout include Green Tara and White Tara practices that can be practiced with or without empowerment. As a practitioner progresses, Tara meditations can become more intense, with Highest Yoga Tantra practices such as Chittamani Tara. Even the famous 21 Taras, can be practiced simply—as a daily verse—or at the ultimate level, with 21 separate sadhanas and mantras (see below). She can be practiced in the form of the great Black Dakini, Throma Nagmo, the wrathful form of Prajnaparamita—a Highest Yoga Practice (mana annut tantra). She can be practiced even without a name, just by simply imagining Her. There is, literally, a Tara, and a Tara practice, for everyone.

For those who take a special interest in Tara, highly realized teachers can initiate practitioners into more advanced meditations.

Tara in Many Forms: Guanyin, Madonna and Others

Many gurus teach that Tara manifests to everyone, not just Buddhists. To Chinese Buddhists She is Guan Yin. Many non-Buddhist spiritual seekers—who have created their own path—have adopted Tara by name. One great Dzogchen Teacher, Chogyal Namnkai Norbu, said in his lecture on the 21 Taras that when he saw a great Madonna statue in Rome he knew it was Tara.

This is typical of the openness of Buddhists and Hindus, who have complete tolerance and acceptance for other traditions. It is also in character with Tara’s all-embracing maternal compassion. The reverse is not always true—it can unintentionally offend someone to state their beloved deity is the same as your deity—but, from a Buddhist point of view, there is generally no spiritual conflict in thinking of Tara as emanations in other traditions.

Tara of All Colours: Wrathful, Peaceful and Everything In-Between

Tara can manifest in myriad—literally endless—forms, suited to the need of the practitioner. Iconographically, She can appear in any color. Famously, She is Green Tara, the savioress—and chief manifestation of Tara. She is equally known as White Tara, the Goddess of Long Life and Healing.

She can be Ugra Tara, the Black Tara who is the secret Mantra emanation—the very source of All, since sound (or frequencies) are often considered the source of manifestation in some Budhdist and Hindu beliefs.

Red Tara enjoys much love for her passionate role as the magnetizing Tara, who attracts and who helps beings with the power of positive attraction. Yellow Tara helps those struggling with poverty, or just to help provide the resources to help other sentient beings. In higher tantric practices Tara can manifest in the body mandala as simultaneous multi-coloured Taras at each of the body’s chakras.

21 Taras: Two Systems, Same Effective Results

The 21 Taras are among the most famous forms of the great Female Buddha. The praises to 21 Taras is still practiced every morning by the devout. Buddhist farmers routinely recite the praises as they work their fields. When in trouble—in need of rescuing, in prison, facing law suit, any distress—practitioners often recite either the main ten-syllable mantra, or the praise to the 21 Taras in Sanskrit, Tibetan or English (see Praise, below).

There are literally thousands of stories of personal rescues from distress—by reliable sources—at the intervention of Tara, often precipitated by the simple calling of Her name, Her mantra or Her 21 Praises.

Confusingly, yet consistently, there are two systems of 21 Taras, known by most as the Atisha system and the more intense Surya Gupta 21 Tara system. Yet, they are all “relative” manifestations or aspects of Tara, regardless. There is no contradiction. The very vastness of Her emanations defines Her. The Surya Gupta 21 Tara tradition is very rich and itense. (One of the best books on Surya Gupta tradition 21 Taras is “Tara in the Palm of Your Hand” by Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, from Wind Horse Books, available on Amazon.com>>)

In the Atisha system, the 21 Taras are visualized as the same Tara, in different colors, with slightly different facial expressions, gestures, attributes and specialities.

In the wondrous Surya Gupta system, the 21 Taras become intense meditational visualizations, with each having different faces, some fierce, some semi fierce, some peaceful, together with a wide array of arms, implements, colors, backdrops, thrones and attributes. Each of the 21 Taras in the Surya Gupta system has its own sadhana—a ritual visualization requiring empowerment—whereas the Atisha system Taras can be visualized anywhere, quickly, and honored with a lovely, but quick verse.

(For more on the 21 Taras, see the praises at the bottom of this feature.)

Tara Does What?

Although all Buddhas and enlightened beings have the same realizations, the first question from people newly introduced to Tara, or any deity, is often “What does She do?”

What does Tara Do? “Does” is a relative term. Relatively, She is wisdom in action. She is compassion in action. Tara is the penultimate combination of both wisdom and compassion. Ultimately, She is Wisdom realizing emptiness. Relatively, She is the ultimate action hero—means and method. Her names include “Swift Heroine,” which describes Her perfectly.

In Tara, Wisdom and Compassion are perfectly combined.

She is swift like the wind. Her green color is representative of the swift, active wind element, fearlessness, and imperturbable wisdom—very much a reflection of Her male consort, Amoghasiddhi. Also, without contradiction, often Tara is seen as the consort of other male Buddhas. She can also be thought of as the female aspect of Avalokitesvara (Chenrezig). She is also seen as their Mother. And, in the case of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig), His spiritual daughter. Consort, mother, daughter, all at once, is a profound and thought-provoking concept. Although this all seems contradictory, that is from a narrow, relative point of view. Ultimately, there is no contradiction. Even, at a relative level, there is no contradiction. (It is important to understand Daughter and Mother do not imply physical family relationships, in the same way that sexual union of two consorts is not physical—it represents the union of Wisdom and Compassion.)

Why is She So Adored

Who doesn’t love a mother? Whether by the name of Mom, Tara, Madonna, or Mother Earth, the mother is a universally approachable concept. Like a mother, Tara doesn’t question Her children. If we need Her help, regardless of our own blemishes, we will get Her help.

Nothing can stand before a mother’s compassion. Literally, mothers have lifted cars off of trapped children. A mother would die for her family. Tara’s love goes even beyond this level. She loves all, with equanimity.

In the famous story of Jigme, an ancient Tibetan tale, She continuously rescues wretched Jigme, time after time—even after he commits crimes and goes to jail. Endlessly, again and again, She comes to his aid. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t learn his lessons. This is motherly love, for all, without discrimination.

Tara rescues all, from the destitute to the Gods. An ancient tale, thousands of years old, tells how Tara, a Hindu goddess, rescues Lord Shiva, the God.

Practicing Tara

No special initiations or practices are needed to bring Tara into your life. Simply speak Her name. Talk to Her. She’ll listen.

In more dedicated practices, Her devotees would offer Her clean water bowls each morning. Tara doesn’t need our offerings, but our giving brings us merit—beneficial karma. Precious to Her is simple water, or any offering that does not arise from greed, killing, or any negative action. Water is “free”, so that anyone from penniless to prince can make a simple offering and enjoy Her blessings equally.

Tara’s Mantra

Harmonically tuning with universal energies of compassion and wisdom, Tara’s mantra is most effective for healing, protection, or just simply building positive karma.

The Tara mantra can be spoken anytime, while walking, driving, or when in need. Or, in more formal practice, while reciting the mantra the practitioner will visualize Her beautiful form, and say Her ten syllable mantra as often as possible:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

This is pronounced Ohm tah-ray tew-tar-ray tew-rey svah ha. In Tibetan mantric recitation, svaha may be pronounced soha.

Song of Longing for Tara

One of the simplest and most elegant — and profound — daily practices is to simply recite or chant, from the heart, this famous and most profound prayer to Tara “Song of Longing for Tara” (Dung-bo-lu-me-ma) by Lozang Tanpa Gyaltsan. This remarkable enlightened Rinpoche wrote this at the age of 18, in 1852 — and it has become one of the most treasured and chanted prayers to Tara:

From my heart I bow to Divine Mother Tara, essence of love and compassion, the most precious objects of refuge gathered into one. From now until I reach enlightenment, hook me with your great love and kindness to liberate me.

By the witness of the Three Jewels, not just from my mouth but from the depths of my innermost heart and bones, I pray to you morning and evening. Show your blissful face to me, Loving One. Grant me the nectar of your speech.

Great gurus and small gurus cheat us with their made-up teachings, selling Dharma, teaching without comprehension, not observing who is qualified and who is not, being concerned about their own happiness and the eight worldly concerns. Since I can no longer trust friends of this degenerate age, you are my principal guru. Inspire me, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think
of me.

I take refuge in you Tara; like you, no Buddha could ever deceive me. But understanding the odd character of these times, most Buddhas have gone into the bliss of nirvana. Even though they have great compassion, we have no connection. Since for me there are no other deities, you are my principal deity. Bestow realizations upon me, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.

Most Dharma protectors do not show their powers. Tired of those who invoke them, they do not act. Other protectors, lacking insight but proud of their power, may be friendly for a while but will later do me harm. Since I cannot rely on other protectors, you are my principal protector. With divine action, Wisdom Mother, essence of love, arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.

To ordinary view the names of objects are the same as their meaning. Like this, they produce afflictions and bind us to samsara. When it is time to die, unless I understand the true nature, could a wish-fulfilling gem enable me to carry even a sesame seed with me? Since I do not trust in illusions, you are my real richness. Please grant my desires, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.

I cannot rely on the non-virtuous friends for even a day. They pretend to be close to me and all the while have in mind the opposite. They are friends when they wish it and enemies when they don’t. Since I cannot trust in this kind of friend, you are my best friend. Be close to me, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.
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.

Although I am overwhelmed by my habitual, uncontrolled mind, please cut these self-centered thoughts so I will be able to give my body and my life millions of times without difficulty to each sentient being. Inspire me to be able to develop this kind of compassion to benefit all.

Empower me to cut the root of samsara, self-grasping, and to understand the pure doctrine, the most difficult middle way, free from the errors of extremes.

Inspire me to practice as a bodhisattva, turning away from what is worldly, dedicating all my virtues to teaching living beings, never for even one instant thinking of just my own happiness. Let me wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all.

Empower me to actualize as much as possible the most subtle vows and to keep them without a careless mind, thus becoming the most perfect bodhisattva.

Outwardly, let me be simple in my practice, while inwardly, actualize the depth of the diamond vehicle with the strong wish to practice the two stages. Inspire me to attain enlightenment quickly for the benefit of all.

Divine Wisdom Mother Tara, you know everything about my life — my ups and downs, my good and bad. Think lovingly of me, my only mother.

I give myself and all who trust in me to you, Divine Wisdom Mother Tara. Being completely open to you, let us be born in the highest pure land. Set me there quickly with no births in between.

May the hook of your compassion and your skillful means transform my mind into Dharma and transform the minds of all beings, whoever they are. They have all been my mother, the mother of one unable to follow the Conqueror’s teachings.

By reciting this prayer three times a day and by remembering the Divine Wisdom Mother Tara, may I and all beings who are connected to me reach whatever pure land we wish.

May the Three Jewels and especially the Divine Wisdom Mother, whose essence is compassion, hold me dear until I reach enlightenment. May I quickly conquer the four negative forces.”

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha!

Tara Visualization

The next step in visualization of Tara would be formal Vajrayana meditation—which actively uses our minds on a near epic scale, and has been proven to enhance intelligence and concentration. Research has proven the cognitive benefits of Vajrayana visualization. (Please see our feature: Science: Research Proves Vajrayana Meditation Techniques Improve Cognitive Performance.)

To benefit from visualization, while chanting the mantras, build more and more complex visualizations, beginning with Tara’s elegant beauty and important attributes, and progressively increasing the image in detail. The easiest approach is to study an image of Tara, preferably an ironically correct one—since very aspect of the visualization means something.

Your teacher, may give you a proper meditation, but if you have not yet formalized your practice you can think in these terms: Tara is a beautiful young deity, youthful, perhaps sixteen visually—certainly youthful and timeless—of emerald color. Her right hand is in the gesture of supreme generosity, hand open to give blessings, with thumb and index touching and the other three fingers outstretched. The touching fingers represent the union of Wisdom and Compassion. The three remaining fingers represent the three jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. In this hand She lightly holds the stem of an uptala flower, a blue Lotus.

Her left hand is at her heart, in the gesture of bestowing refuge in the three jewels. This mudra (hand gesture) also incorporates the gesture of protection, of fearlessness. This time Her thumb and ring finger are connecting in the Wisdom-Compassion loop. She is saying, “come, I’ll protect you.” In this hand, too, is the stem of an uptala flower. There are three blooms, one open, one half open, one just about to open, representing the Buddhas of the past, present and future.

She is adorned in the most precious ornaments, and seated in an aura of spectacular light. On Her head is a five-sided crown, depicting the five Dhani Buddhas. Above that, are ornaments, rainbow lights, wish-fulfilling gems. And surmounting all, is Her own Guru, Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, glowing red.

Her legs are Her most significant attributes. One is drawn in, showing her mastery and enlightenment. Her other is outstretched, in a gesture that appears to indicate She’s ready to leap up to our aid. She sits on a moon cushion, which arises on top of a Lotus.

In more advanced visualizations, at Her heart is her precious seed syllable, TAM (see below), radiating green light, sending out blessing energy to all beings in the universe.

As you build the visualization or try to mentally maintain it, it is helpful to chant, recite or even sing the Tara mantra:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

Basic Practice Without Empowerment

Tara can be practiced by anyone, any time. She is all-inclusive. Although empowerments and initiations help advance our progress with Tara, none is required.

A good basic daily practice, if you are not yet being instructed by a qualified teacher, would normally include:

• Taking refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha (Enlightened one), Dharma (Enlightened teachings) and Sangha (the community supporting the Enlightened)
• An offering: water bowls, or just a mentally visualized offering, or more elaborate if preferred (provided physical offerings do not derive from theft, greed, or any negativitiy)
• Four immeasurables: wishes for all beings to be happy, not to suffer and dwell in equanimity
• Seven-limb practice: a seven limb prayer that re-affirms a good practice of praise, offering, declaration of non-virtues, request for Tara to remain as your teacher, request that Tara teach the Dharma, and a dedication of the merit to the cause for enlightenment.

These basic practices, together, take five minutes, to which you might add the above visualization and mantra practices.

Here are some basic words/thoughts that frame the above practice:

Refuge

Until I reach enlightenment, I take refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddhas, the Dharma and the Sangha. By the merit of practicing generosity and other perfections, may I attain Enlightement in order to benefit all beings.

Offerings

Mentally visualize seven or eight bowls of water. Or, actually fill up seven or eight bowls of water and offer them mentally. You can supplement the blessing by reciting Tara’s mantra, or, alternately, “Om Ah Hum”. For a more elaborate offering, you could add the meditation in our feature, “Water Bowl Offerings as an Antidote to Attachment”, where the bowls are visualized as the eight traditional sense offerings: water for drinking, water for washing, flowers for the eye senses, incense for the smell sense, butter lamps for illumination, perfume, food for the taste sense, and music for the sound sense. More here>>

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.

Seven Limbs

To You Venerable Arya 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.

21 Praises

Around the world, many people begin and end their day with Tara’s twenty-one praises. This practice has been credited with many benefits, including protection from harm, prosperity, and swift progress on the path of enlightenment.

It can be beneficial to chant this in the world’s oldest known language—Sanskrit. The nuances of this practice, the originating sounds, is similar to mantra practice. In Sanskrit:

Om namah spukasam namah Taraye mi Tara

1 Namas Tare Ture vire

kshanair dyuti nibhekshane

trailokya nat ha vaktrabja

vikasat kesharobhave

 

2 Namah shata sharac chandra

sampurna patalanane

Tara sahasra nikara

prahasat kira noj jvale

 

3 Namah kanaka nilabja

pani padma vibhu shite

dana virya tapah shanti

titik sha dhyana gochare

 

4 Namas tat hagatosh nisha

vijayananta charini

ashesha paramita prapta

jina putra nishevite

 

5 Namas Tuttara Hum kara

puritasha dig antare

sapta loka kramakranti

asheshak arshanak shame

 

6 Namah shakranala Brahma

marud vishvesh varachite

bhuta vetala gand harva

gana yaksha puras krte

 

7 Namas trad iti phat kara

para yantra pramardani

praty alid ha pada nyase

shik hi jvalakulek shane

 

8 Namas Ture maha ghore

mara vira vinashani

bhrku ti krta vaktrabja

sarva shatrum nishudani

 

9 Namas tri ratna mudranka

hrdyanguli vibhushite

bhu shitashesha dik chakra

nikara sva Karakule

 

10 Namah pramudita topa

muku ta kshipta malini

hasat prahasat Tuttare

mara loka vashamkari

 

11 Namah samanta bhu pala

patalakarshana kshame

chalat bhrku ti hum kara

sarvapada vimoch ani

 

12 Namah shikhanda kandendu

muku tabha ranojjvale

Amitabha jata bhara

bhasvare kirana dhruve

 

13 Namah kalpanta hutabhug

jvala malan Tara sthite

alidha muditabandha

ripu chakra vinashani

 

14 Namah kara talaghata

charana hata bhu tale

bhrkuti krta Hum kara

sapta patala bhedini

 

15 Namah shive shubhe shante

shanta nirvana gochare

svaha pranava samyukte

maha papaka na shani

 

16 Namah pramudi tabandha

ripu gatra vabhedini

dashakshara pada nyashe

vidya Hum kara dipite

 

17 Namas Ture pada ghata

Hum karakara bijite

meru mandara kailasa

bhuvana traya chalini

 

18 Namah sura sarakara

harinika karast hite

Tara dvir ukta Phat kara

ashesha visha nashani

 

19 Namah sura ganadh yaksha

sura kimnara sevite

abandha mudita bhoga

kali duhs vapna nashani

 

20 Namah chandrarka sampurna

nayana dyuti bhas vare

hara dvir ukta Tuttare

vishama jvara nashani

 

21 Namas tri tattva vinyasa

shiva shakti saman vite

graha vetala yakshaugha

nashani pravare Ture

 

21 Praises to Tara in English

The praises do lose some of the “mystery” and intensity and sheer sound-power in English, but the intention and praise is maintained. Many people chant the praise in English:

1 Homage to you, Tara, the swift heroine,

Whose eyes are like an instant flash of lightning,

Whose water-born face arises from the blooming lotus

Of Avalokiteshvara, protector of the three worlds.

 

2 Homage to you, Tara, whose face is like

One hundred full autumn moons gathered together,

Blazing with the expanding light

Of a thousand stars assembled.

 

3 Homage to you, Tara, born from a golden-blue lotus,

Whose hands are beautifully adorned with lotus flowers,

You who are the embodiment of giving, joyous effort, asceticism,

Pacification, patience, concentration, and all objects of practice.

 

4 Homage to you, Tara, the crown pinnacle of those thus gone,

Whose deeds overcome infinite evils,

Who have attained transcendent perfections without exception,

And upon whom the sons of the Victorious Ones rely.

 

5 Homage to you, Tara, who with the letters TUTTARA and HUM

Fill the (realms of) desire, direction, and space,

Whose feet trample on the seven worlds,

And who are able to draw all beings to you.

 

6 Homage to you, Tara, venerated by Indra,

Agni, Brahma, Vayu, and Ishvara,

And praised by the assembly of spirits,

raised corpses,
Gandharvas, and all yakshas.

 

7 Homage to you, Tara, whose TRAT and PHAT

Destroy entirely the magical wheels of others.

With your right leg bent and left outstretched and pressing,

You burn intensely within a whirl of fire.

 

8 Homage to you, Tara, the great fearful one,

Whose letter TURE destroys the mighty demons completely,

Who with a wrathful expression on your water-born face

Slay all enemies without an exception.

 

9 Homage to you, Tara, whose fingers adorn your heart

With the gesture of the sublime precious three;

Adorned with a wheel striking all directions without exception

With the totality of your own rays of light.

 

10 Homage to you, Tara, whose radiant crown ornament,

Joyful and magnificent, extends a garland of light,

And who, by your laughter of TUTTARA,

Conquer the demons and all of the worlds.

 

11 Homage to you, Tara, who are able to invoke

The entire assembly of local protectors,

Whose wrathful expression fiercely shakes,

Rescuing the impoverished through the letter HUM.

 

12 Homage to you, Tara, whose crown is adorned

With the crescent moon, wearing ornaments exceedingly bright;

From your hair knot the buddha Amitabha

Radiates eternally with great beams of light.

 

13 Homage to you, Tara, who dwell within a blazing garland

That resembles the fire at the end of this world age;

Surrounded by joy, you sit with your right leg extended

And left withdrawn, completely destroying all the masses of enemies.

 

14 Homage to you, Tara, with hand on the ground by your side,

Pressing your heel and stamping your foot on the earth;

With a wrathful glance from your eyes you subdue

All seven levels through the syllable HUM.

 

15 Homage to you, Tara, O happy, virtuous, and peaceful one,

The very object of practice, passed beyond sorrow.

You are perfectly endowed with SOHA and OM,

Overcoming completely all the great evils.

 

16 Homage to you, Tara, surrounded by the joyous ones,

You completely subdue the bodies of all enemies;

Your speech is adorned with the ten syllables,

And you rescue all through the knowledge-letter HUM.

 

17 Homage to you, Tara, stamping your feet and proclaiming TURE.

Your seed-syllable itself in the aspect of HUM

Causes Meru, Mandhara, and the Vindhya mountains

And all the three worlds to tremble and shake.

 

18 Homage to you, Tara, who hold in your hand

The hare-marked moon like the celestial ocean.

By uttering TARA twice and the letter PHAT

You dispel all poisons without an exception.

 

19 Homage to you, Tara, upon whom the kings of the assembled gods,

The gods themselves, and all kinnaras rely;

Whose magnificent armor gives joy to all,

You who dispel all disputes and bad dreams.

 

20 Homage to you, Tara, whose two eyes – the sun and the moon –

Radiate an excellent, illuminating light;

By uttering HARA twice and TUTTARA,

You dispel all violent epidemic disease.

 

21 Homage to you, Tara, adorned by the three suchnesses,

Perfectly endowed with the power of serenity,

You who destroy the host of evil spirits, raised corpses, and yakshas,

O TURE, most excellent and sublime!

 

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Why is Tara so beloved among Mahayana Buddhists? Why do we turn to Green Tara first, when we need help? Even an advanced yogi who practices a profound Yidam is likely to call out to Tara first in times of need, stress, or fear. It is easy to understand why. Why are the 21 forms of Tara?

Tara, like any 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? At the same time, Tara is all we ever need even in our highest yoga practices.

White Tara’s beautiful life-affirming mantra helps enrich your health, life and practice:

This sentiment, this “nearness of Tara” — Tara as a mother, friend, protector, even highest yoga practice — is expressed in the Tibetan prayer by Lama Lobsang Tenpey Gyaltsen [2]:

“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.”

Tara’s short Sutra transmitting her powerful Dharani, as taught by Tara herself in front of Shakyamuni Buddha, recited here with an introductory commentary: 

How does Tara help?

Tara, as the savior Buddha leaps to the aid of anyone who seeks Her help, literally embodying “Karma” or activity.

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), She is there. How do we find comfort in Her compassion? Simply know She is with you; like any mother, She never leaves you. She is the Mother, simultaneously the Wisdom of all the Buddhas, and their Compassionate Activity. The Tara Principle is all three: Wisdom, Compassion, Activity. What types of activity? All activities, from mundane to the highest Mahamudra or Dzogchen.

Calling Tara for help can be as simple as calling her name, or, ideally, chanting her mantra. Chant along with the Buddha Weekly band, the mantra of Karma Mother Tara:

How near Is Tara? Since all beings have Buddha Nature, at the ultimate level she is One with Us. There is an old Tibetan story about a man who complains to Tara that she “left him.” Her reply [3]:

“How could I ever leave who I am?”

Symbolizing and embodying this concept is Tara deity practice, where we visualize Tara in our own hearts. The heart is the location of “mind” in Tibetan Buddhism.

Tara the Karma Mother accessible to all

Tara embodies the practicality of action: wisdom and compassion in action. Dharma activity is as important as Dharma study — perhaps more so. The eightfold path, and most Dharma teachings, are about our karmic activities in our mundane lives. Understanding daily life to be a Dharma practice is critical to success for a Dharma practitioner.

Tara appears in 21 forms to show her helping Dharma activities manifest everywhere. The 21 Taras are all Tara, but she appears in different forms to express the red activities of magnetizing, the white activities of pacifying, the yellow activities of enriching and the blue or black activities of energetic enlightened wrath. One key practice of Tara is to praise her with her 21 praises daily. In Sanskrit it is profoundly beautiful, although you can chant in Tibetan, Chinese, English or any language. Here we chant in English:

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.

Tara 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. We might think of other Buddhas as we would a metaphorical Wise King, or some as Compassionate, loving Bodhisattva — but Tara is different.

Tara, Mother of all Yogas

So, how does Tara, as the “Mother of all Buddhas” stand apart? She represents the “Activity of Wisdom and Compassion.” She is the Mother of All Buddhas — and also, therefore, the Mother of all Yogas — a Sanskrit term connoting the different practices:

• Jnana Yoga: Yoga of Knowledge of Wisdom
• Karuna Yoga: Yoga of Compassion
• Karma Yoga: Yoga of Activities

Enlightenment is a transformative process involving all three. Although we all have Buddha Nature, to reveal it, to attain full Enlightenment requires the three Yogas: Wisdom, Compassion and Activity.

The activities of Wisdom and Compassion — all three equally —  lead ultimately to realizations and Enlightenment. For this reason, Tara, the “activity” principle of both wisdom and compassion, is considered the Mother of All Buddhas. She embodies all three in a very literal sense. She is also a Savior — a hero who jumps to the aid of all who call her name — literally activity.

Shakyamuni Buddha Relied on Tara

Even the great Conqueror Shakyamuni Buddha relied on Mother Tara’s “eight great laughters” to pacify fears, doubts, and demons. Tara is known as the Mother of All Buddhas because it is through Her Wisdom that all beings can attain Enlightenment. Traditionally, the Enlightened female represents “wisdom,” while the Enlighted male represents “compassion.” It is said, in many Tantras, that “all Buddhas relied on Tara.” [For more on Tara’s Eight Great Laughters, see the feature>>]

“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.” — the great teacher Bokar Rinpoche, Tara The Feminine Divine

All levels of practice

Tara is also well-known as the “only deity practice anyone needs.” Whether we need a mundane protector, or a supermundane meditational path, Tara has countless forms, lineages and teachings for all needs and levels. At the mundane level, simply call her name to help save you from danger. On the other extreme, Tara’s Highest Yoga Practices are total paths including Generation Stage, Completion Stage, and even Body Mandala (inner body practices.)

During Chittamani Retreat teachings H.E. 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.”

Tara’s Mantra for all

She also appeals to all needs and levels of practice. The Dalai Lama strongly recommended Tara’s mantra for help in this time of Pandemic. [Listen to the Dalai Lama chanting the Tara mantra below, or chant along.]

No initiation is needed to chant her mantra — even the most casual of admirers can benefit from her practice:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha

Tara practice links:

• For a full story on Green Tara, including her 21 Praises, see>>
• For stories of Tara the Rescuer>>
• Tara’s Eight Laughters to Overcome Eight Dangers>>
• A complete section of features on Buddha Weekly>>
• Guided video meditation for Green Tara>>
• 21 Taras book excerpt from Tara in the Palm of Your Hand by H.E. Zasep Rinpoche>>
• White Tara for Healing and Long Life meditational video>>
• Tara in the Palm of Your Hand  book on Amazon>>

Tara: “transformation through activity”

“Transformation through activity” is another way to think of Tara. Tara, as a meditational and devotional deity is unique in that she combines Wisdom and Activity.

In Mahayana Buddhism — the Great Vehicle — we all aspire for the same end results: “Enlightenment for the sake of all beings.”

Lama Zangmo explains[1]:

“So anybody who approaches their spiritual path with the Tara principle, whoever we are, if we approach our practice with that atmosphere, with that principle of wanting to become Tara, because we have the potential, because we have the buddha nature, this is the way we enter the mandala of Tara’s activity. If our inspiration, commitment and courage are very strong, if we are focusing our attention wholeheartedly on this kind of action, then we become that type of being, gradually we increase those qualities.”

The Tara Principle: Wisdom, Compassion and Activity

The Tara Principle — wisdom, compassion, and activity in our world and in our lives — is what connects us to our potential for Enlightenment, our Buddha Nature in a practical way. The Tara Principle acknowledges that wisdom or compassion without activity in our daily lives is only theoretical. Tara is all about practical activity. It is through activity we can create practical, tangible results and realizations.

Her name, translated as “a star by which to navigate” already suggests Her boundless wisdom and compassion activity. Navigation is an activity that can prevent us from becoming lost (metaphorically: wisdom) and save us from harm (metaphorically: compassion.)

[Note: we capitalize Her and She in this feature to connote Her lofty status as Wisdom Mother.]

21 Taras: 21 activities

Why are there so many Taras? Not just 1, 8, 21, 157 — there are many manifestations of the beloved Enlightened Goddess? Why? Because she embodies all activities, and some practices identify each activity with a Tara. Dzongsar Rinpoche, in teaching “The Deity Principle,” explains[4]:

Tara’s best-known practice is the 21 Taras Praise, chanted daily around the world by millions of Buddhists. [For the entire 21 praises, see the end of this feature, or our previous in-depth series of three features on the 21 Taras, starting in this feature>>]

Each Tara represents a different “activity.” For example:

• The 20th Tara, Healing Parnashavari, is recommended as a practice by many teachers during the Covid-19 Pandemic — her specific activity is rescuing from epidemics and sickness. [For a feature on Healing Parnashavari, see>>]
• For “long life” activity, we think of White Tara. [See this feature on White Tara for in-depth practices and coverage>>]

Tara appears everywhere in our world — and even our inner world — as deities enthroned in our subtle inner bodies. In one practice, a Body Mandala of 157 Taras is enthroned at the chakras. (Body Mandala practice requires instruction, we mention it here as an example of the closeness of Tara’s activity.)

Tara, the Karma of all the Buddhas

Tara is the Enlightened Being who is most active and visible in our mundane world, even helping beings in ordinary activities. It is for this reason, Green Tara — who represents the Karma of All the Buddhas — is among the most beloved of deities. To practice Tara alone, is to practice all Buddhas. The well-known Tara practitioner Lama Lobsang Tenpey Gyaltsen (1852), who composed the beloved “Song of Longing for Tara, the Infallible” expressed this sentiment beautifully in his verse (translated to English by Lama Yeshe):

“I take refuge in you Tara; like you, no Buddha could ever deceive me. But understanding the odd character of these times, most Buddhas have gone into the bliss of nirvana. Even though they have great compassion, we have no connection. Since for me there are no other deities, you are my principal deity. Bestow realizations upon me, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.” [Full Song of Longing at bottom of this feature, or see this commentary feature>>]

“No other deities” doesn’t imply exclusivity. It tells us that in our world, Tara is the most active. All Bodhisattvas put aside their ultimate Nirvana to help sentient beings, but Tara represents the most active form of this compassion and wisdom in our world.

What is Tara’s Activity?

Tara’s activity is the Eightfold Path. How does Green Tara save us? Through right conduct, right resolve, right effort, right speech. Famously, she protects from the eight great fears. These eight great fears are both “tangible” dangers in our mundane lives, as well as eight practice “fears” we all face in meditation and Dharma practice.

There are countless stories of her savior-rescuer-hero activities, but you don’t have to necessarily attribute her aid to supernatural miracles. She also helps us by helping us understand and live right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi. [For stories of her many rescues from harm, see our previous feature>>]

Tara describes for us her activities in her Sutra, The Sutra of Tara Who Protects from the Eight Fears (Skt. tārā ṣṭaghoratāraṇī sūtra, Tib. སྒྲོལ་མ་འཇིགས་པ་བརྒྱད་འཇིགས་པ་བརྒྱད་ལས་སྐྱོབ་པའི་མདོ་, drolma jikpa gyé jikpa gyé lé kyobpé do, Wyl. sgrol ma ‘jigs pa brgyad las skyob pa’i mdo)

• [To read the full Sutra in English, see>>]

The eight dangers, in the opening of the Tara Sutra are:

“Protector from the eight dangers – Lions, elephants and fire,Serpents, robbers, water, plagues and demons [pisacas] – homage to You!”

These fears can certainly be taken as literal since protection is vital to our lives — and therefore our practice and our Mahayana mission — but they have a second layer of meaning. Lions can generally mean a wild animal. But it also means “pride.” Our own pride is the cause of many of our obstacles, the root of our ego issues. In commentaries, notably from the First Dalai Lama, the eight fears conquered by Tara are aligned with our internal obstacles:

• Lions represent “pride”
• Elephants stand for “ignorance”
• Fire is “anger” — one of the greatest obstacles to Dharma practice
• Serpents are “envy”
• Robbers are “wrong views” — the rob us of the opportunity to attain Enlightenment
• Water (often described as Floods) is “attachment”
• Plagues (disease) — in some Tantras it’s prison, but in the root Sutra it’s Plague or Epidemic — which stands for “avarice.”
• Demons (pisacas) [2] which is aligned with “doubt.”

Tara embodies all the activity of wisdom and compassion

All Buddhas embody Wisdom and Compassion, and many might suggest an activity, but Tara equally represents all three. Tara’s principle suggests that study and wisdom alone are not sufficient. Through Her example, we understand that compassion and wisdom are embodied through activity.

In the Diamond Sutra, Buddha reminded us: ” Subhuti, equally incalculable is the merit of the Bodhisattva who practices charity without any attachment to appearances.” Practicing charity includes all three: activity of charity, compassionate giving, and the Wisdom of Emptiness.

Eightfold Path

Buddha’s first teaching on the Eightfold Path focused on all three: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi. Right view, speech, conduct, livelihood and effort all strongly suggest activities — but, in fact all eight are activities. Staying in the present moment, mindfulness is an activity designed to help us develop insight (wisdom) and compassion.

All Buddhas are One, and all Buddhist practices involve both Wisdom and Compassion equally — the “two wings of Enlightenment.” All practices and teachings also involve various activities (the word Practice is another word for activity), but Tara embodies karma.

The Great Dharani of the Sutra of Tara

This Dharani from Tara’s Sutra is widely used in Buddhist practice:

OM NAMO ARYA-AVALOKITESVARAYA

BODHISATTVA

MAHASATTVA

MAHA- KARUNIKAYA

TADYATHA OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SARVA-DUSTAN

PRADUSTAN MAMA KRTE

DZAMBHAYA

STAMBHAYA

MOHAYA

BANDHAYA

HUM HUM HUM

PHAT PHAT PHAT SVAHA

MAMA ARYAVALOKABHAYA NARA

BODHISATTVA MAHASATTVANI

ADHISTHANA

ADHISTHITE MAMA SARVA-KARMA-AVARANA- SVAHBAVA

SUDDHE VISUDDHE

SHODHYAYA VISHODHAYA HUM PHAT SVAHA

A Song of Longing for Tara, the Infallible

By Lama Lobsang Tenpey Gyaltsen (1852)
Translated by Lama Thubten Yeshe

From my heart I bow to Divine Mother Tara, essence of love and compassion, the most precious objects of refuge gathered into one. From now until I reach enlightenment, hook me with your great love and kindness to liberate me.

By the witness of the Three Jewels, not just from my mouth but from the depths of my innermost heart and bones, I pray to you morning and evening. Show your blissful face to me, Loving One. Grant me the nectar of your speech.

Great gurus and small gurus cheat us with their made-up teachings, selling Dharma, teaching without comprehension, not observing who is qualified and who is not, being concerned about their own happiness and the eight worldly concerns. Since I can no longer trust friends of this degenerate age, you are my principal guru. Inspire me, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think
of me.

I take refuge in you Tara; like you, no Buddha could ever deceive me. But understanding the odd character of these times, most Buddhas have gone into the bliss of nirvana. Even though they have great compassion, we have no connection. Since for me there are no other deities, you are my principal deity. Bestow realizations upon me, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.

Most Dharma protectors do not show their powers. Tired of those who invoke them, they do not act. Other protectors, lacking insight but proud of their power, may be friendly for a while but will later do me harm. Since I cannot rely on other protectors, you are my principal protector. With divine action, Wisdom Mother, essence of love, arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.

To ordinary view the names of objects are the same as their meaning. Like this, they produce afflictions and bind us to samsara. When it is time to die, unless I understand the true nature, could a wish-fulfilling gem enable me to carry even a sesame seed with me? Since I do not trust in illusions, you are my real richness. Please grant my desires, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.

I cannot rely on the non-virtuous friends for even a day. They pretend to be close to me and all the while have in mind the opposite. They are friends when they wish it and enemies when they don’t. Since I cannot trust in this kind of friend, you are my best friend. Be close to me, Divine Mother, essence of love. Arouse the great power of your compassion and think of me.

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.

Although I am overwhelmed by my habitual, uncontrolled mind, please cut these self-centered thoughts so I will be able to give my body and my life millions of times without difficulty to each sentient being. Inspire me to be able to develop this kind of compassion to benefit all.

Empower me to cut the root of samsara, self-grasping, and to understand the pure doctrine, the most difficult middle way, free from the errors of extremes.

Inspire me to practice as a bodhisattva, turning away from what is worldly, dedicating all my virtues to teaching living beings, never for even one instant thinking of just my own happiness. Let me wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all.

Empower me to actualize as much as possible the most subtle vows and to keep them without a careless mind, thus becoming the most perfect bodhisattva.

Outwardly, let me be simple in my practice, while inwardly, actualize the depth of the diamond vehicle with the strong wish to practice the two stages. Inspire me to attain enlightenment quickly for the benefit of all.

Divine Wisdom Mother Tara, you know everything about my life — my ups and downs, my good and bad. Think lovingly of me, my only mother.

I give myself and all who trust in me to you, Divine Wisdom Mother Tara. Being completely open to you, let us be born in the highest pure land. Set me there quickly with no births in between.

May the hook of your compassion and your skillful means transform my mind into Dharma and transform the minds of all beings, whoever they are. They have all been my mother, the mother of one unable to follow the Conqueror’s teachings.

By reciting this prayer three times a day and by remembering the Divine Wisdom Mother Tara, may I and all beings who are connected to me reach whatever pure land we wish.

May the Three Jewels and especially the Divine Wisdom Mother, whose essence is compassion, hold me dear until I reach enlightenment. May I quickly conquer the four negative forces.

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha!

NOTES

[1] Benefits of Green Tara Practice, Lama Zangmo, Kagyu Samye Ling 2004>>

[2] Full Song of Longing >>

[3] Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha website>>

[4] The Deity Principle and the Age of Tara, Dzongsar Rinpoche>>

Why is the Karma family, and especially Amoghasiddhi or Green Tara, an important practice in modern-times? Why is the entire family considered “success-oriented” in inspirational modern language? Why is he, and his Mother Wisdom partner Tara, green in color? What are his praises, practices and mantras? Why is he associated with “Chi” or prana and wind in the body? We answer these questions, and more, in this presentation.

 Synonymous with Success

Amoghasiddhi’s name literally means Infallable Success or Accomplishment. Amogha means infallable and Siddhi means Accomplishment. Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche describes Amoghasiddhi this way:

“Among the victorious ones of the five families, Amoghasiddhi is the lord of the family of enlightened activities.” [3]

This is highlighted especially each time we renew our Bodhisattva Vows, when we state the Karma vow verse:

“For the great, supreme Karma family, I shall uphold purely each of vows I am endowed with, and make as many offerings as I am able.”

For this reason, the Karma family of Amoghasiddhi family of Bodhisattva realization, where Bodhisattva activities are the main practice. Since Amoghasiddhi and the karma family are all about Enlightened activity, such as right conduct, holding vows and promises, benefiting others, and making offerings these are considered the highest and best practices of the Karma family of Amoghasiddhi and Mother Tara. In other words, the Dharma student who volunteers at a Dharma center or for any Dharma activity is by definition practicing the activity of Amoghasiddhi’s Karma family.

Fearless Amoghasiddhi

Amoghasiddhi also embodies the virtues of “dauntlessness” and “fearlessness.”  For this reason his family mudra is Abhaya, or the fearlessness mudra.

In the precious Shurangama Dharani, from the Sutra of the same name, the fifth section is devoted to the power of the Karma family. In line 373 Venerable Master Hsuan Hua translates as:

A canopy of incense pervades the entire great void.
Everywhere permeating the Dharma-nature of all sentient beings.
Superior strength enables us to hold the pure moral precepts.
The host of the Northern Karma Division is fair and just.

7 Limbs of Practice and the Karma Family

The practice of the seven limbs is the most important of practice for Amoghasiddhi, Tara or their wrathful aspect of Vajrakilaya Father and Mother. Each of the limbs corresponds to one of the Buddha Families, but the Bodhichitta Intention and the Dedication of Merit are considered the most important of these. Why? It is through this motivation to benefit others that we are Mahayana Buddhists, dedicated to the Bodhisattva mission.

The seventh limb is “Dedicating the merit of all devotion, offerings and practice” to the benefit of all sentient beings. This purifies the poison of jealousy.

The poison of jealousy is the specific domain of Amoghasiddhi, Tara and the Karma family. All activities, including the seven limbs prayer, are karma activities. This is Amoghasiddhi in action. This is why the name Amoghasiddhi is translated as “meaningful accomplishment.” It is meaningful accomplishment that defines the actions of a Bodhisattva hero.

For those who aspire to Amoghasiddhi, Green Tara, or Vajrakilaya practices, the 7 limbs of practice are the main practice, and dedicating the merit to the benefit of others is the most important principle.

“Whatever is meaningful is accomplished”

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche in his book The Five Buddha Families and Eight Consciousnesses describes in full Amoghasiddhi’s realizations:

“Buddha Amoghasiddhi is the realization of all -accomplishing wisdom. The Tibetan name for Buddha Amoghasiddhi is Sangye Donyodrupa. The word donyod means “meaningful” and the word trubpa means “accomplishment”.

So Buddha Ammogasiddhi means “whatever is meaningful and fruitful is accomplished. “ He is also the complete purification of jealousy, which is a hindrance for both material and spiritual success. His activity is perfect accomplishment and fulfillment of meaningful aims. Furthermore, his activity removes ordinary daily hindrances such as illness and obstacles. This is why Amoghasiddhi’s activity is meaningful accomplishment.”

Amoghasiddhi and Green Tara and their wrathful emanation Vajrakilaya Father and Mother also heroically represent fearlessness and protection in Buddhism. One of his best known title is the Buddha of Fearlessness. Likewise his co-equal Wisdom Mother Tara is famous as the hero and protector. For this reason, Amoghasiddhi’s sacred mount is a Garuda, who feeds on delusions and poisons and can only be ridden by a fearless rider. Another sacred creature is the Kinnara, who is half man or woman, half bird, who watch over humans in times of danger.

Karma Prasiddhi Pureland

Every Buddha family has a Pureland, the pristine mind-essence of the Buddha. This is the place we can aspire to be born in our next lives to receive direct instruction from the Buddha. Unlike other Purelands, Amoghasiddha and Tara’s pureland is a Turquoise Green wildland, a pristine and beautiful forest.

Vessantara, in his excellent book A Guide to the Buddhas, described an imagined, visualized encounter with Amoghasiddhi in his Pureland, which is called Karma Prasiddhi or Prakuta, and which also emphasizes the degree of “Fearlessness” we can develop as someone who practices Amoghasiddi. Vesantara wrote:

“After the last delicate rays of the setting sun have tinted the sky, night falls. You make your final journey, completing your circuit of the mandala, into the north, a country of green pine forests.

It is dark as you walk between the huge trees. In the forest you can hear rustlings and cries. It would be easy to become afraid, and turn back, but if you were to do so you would never meet Amoghasiddhi, the Buddha of the northern realm, whose name means ‘unobstructed success’.

You walk for hours, with the whispering wings of owls overhead. Finally, at midnight, you emerge from the forest into a clearing. Ahead of you is a palace made entirely of jade and emerald. It towers into the air, vertical, a mass of roofs and pinnacles.

You go forward eagerly, then stop. There is a gate to the palace, yes. It is in the shape of a great bow, string uppermost. However, the gate is set high up in the smooth wall. Only an eagle could enter such a gate. As you stand, not knowing what to do, you hear a great commotion from within the palace: rhythmic crashings.

Suddenly the bow-shaped gate lifts high and … a chariot, drawn by two strange figures. At first they look like eagles, with wings and talons. Then you see that their hands and torsos are human. In their hands they each hold a huge pair of cymbals, which they clash together as they fly.

On the chariot, seated on a green lotus seat, is a dark green Buddha, clad in scarlet robes. The light from his body transforms the midnight scene so that everything is radiant and clear. His right hand is raised in a powerful gesture, which seems to banish the darkness and fears of the night.

In his left hand sits a mysterious [Vishvavajra]: two diamond thunderbolts crossed and fused together . He hurtles effortlessly above you. As he does so, the huge pines are transformed into a forest of jewel trees. Has the green Buddha ridden out of his palace, or into it? Can you have been in his Pure Land all along, without realizing it?” [5]

Fearlessness and Protection

Their mudra is Abhaya, the mudra of fearlessness, as we saw in Vesantara’s visualization, usually the right hand held up with five fingers outreached as if to say “stop.”

This is the same gesture that Shakyamuni used to calm the anger of the charging elephant, holding up his hand calmly in a “stop” gesture. We also saw in Vesantara’s visualization, his sacred mount, the powerful Kinnara. This is more than just a sacred animal. Lama Govinda explains:

“This Inner Way leads into the mystery of Amoghasiddhi: in which the inner and the outer world, the visible and the invisible, are united; and in which the spiritual takes bodily shape, and the body becomes an exponent of the spirit. For Amoghasiddhi is the lord of the great transformation, whose vehicle is the winged man, the man in transition towards a new dimension of consciousness.” [6]

The winged man/bird is a Kinnara, the adversary of nagas and poisons. Garudas are also sacred to the north and the Karma family, and are the antagonists of the poisons that afflict us.

Amoghasiddhi as Hero-Savior

In many ways, the practice of Amoghasiddhi and Green Tara is the most practical and important of the five Dhyani Buddha Families.  This is because Amogahsiddhi and Tara represent practical activity. They are also “known as the savior Buddhas.”

What enables practical activity is fearlessness and also the element of air. Wind, or air, is, in Buddhist terms, the essence of lifeforce. Both are the domains of the Karma family of Amoghasiddhi and Green Tara, the windy Buddhas of the North.

Not only does Amoghasiddhi represent savior activities in our lives, he — and his co-equal Wisdom Buddha Green Tara — also embody Air or Wind in our bodies, also known as Chi, or Prana, making them a vital life essence practice for most of us. We work with Chi or Prana through meditation, which is symbolized by Amoghasiddhi’s left hand in the mudra of meditative equipoise on his lap, the hand turned upwards receptively.

Often the left hand holds his powerful symbol the double vajra or Vishvavajra. Meditation, symbolized by the meditative mudra of his left hand, is a very profound method for strengthening our Chi or prana in our bodies. One of the many meanings of his double vajra symbol, sometimes seen in this hand, is also a symbol of the unification of the outer and inner body, outer cosmos, and inner chakras. It also represents the five Buddha families, with center and the five spokes.

Amoghasiddhi and Tara’s Karma family element is wind, including the winds in the body, also known as Chi or Prana or Lung. These are the very essence of life. Breath is life, and as long as we are in samsaric realms, wind sustains us. For this reason, many higher yogic practices of Amoghasiddhi or Tara involve inner body meditations on chi, wind and what is called the body mandala, where we visualize Amoghasiddhi or Tara at our various chakras.

Wisdom, Poison and Symbolism

The Wisdom of Amoghasiddhi’s Karma family is “All-Accomplishing Wisdom” which is the remedy for the poisons of envy and jealousy. The Karma family is literally the compassionate and wisdom activities of all Buddha Families as action. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche describes it this way:

“All-accomplishing action is the completion of all that needs to be done. Positive passion is their power and what destroys negativity. It is the opposite of jealousy and paranoia.”

Jealousy and envy are the cause of nearly every other poison. Envy is the cause of wars on neighbors. Envy makes us angry when we can’t have what we think we want. Envy leads to attachment and clinging to our perceived treasures. Envy and jealousy is the antagonist of love and trust. Greed arises from envying what others have.

Amoghasiddhi’s fearless All-Accomplishing Wisdom overcomes this poison before it degenerates into even more potent poisons like anger and hate. It is only possible through the cultivation of fearlessness. We can overcome envy, or any poison, if we fearlessly admit it’s an issue and pursue positive actions to prevent it.

The fearless mind can accomplish anything, for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Fearlessness and Clarity

Amoghasiddhi’s fearlessness allows us to contemplate with clarity, not afraid of what might be revealed.

 His main symbol is the Double Vajra, or Vishva Vajra held in his left hand, a symbol of fearlessness and protection, and also the symbol of the mandala of the Five Buddhas. Amoghasiddhi and Tara’s karma family are best known as the “activity of all the Buddhas” and their activity manifests in the mandala of every Buddha. The VisvaVajra, appearing as two vajras crossed represents the five  directions of the mandala, and his activity in all the cosmos.

This symbol represents perfect foundation, perfect practice, perfect activity. For this reason, when teachers visit, or when we sit ourselves for retreat, we often sit on a symbolic Double Vajra symbol or Vishvavajra, just like Amoghasiddhi’s throne. Often this is a cushion with the double vajra symbol, or just a piece of paper with the image underneath our cushion. This represents our aspiration to practice with perfect activity and with fearlessness. [2]

The other symbol of the Karma family is the sword, which cuts through ignorance and obstacles, and represents fearlessness.

Color Green Symbolizes All Activities

His color is green, the color associated with nature and our samsaric world and the breath of life, or wind. When we think of living things, we think of green for growth and activity.

The Karma family is all about all-accomplishing activities in our world, represented by green nature. Green, in Tibetan Buddhism, also symbolically represents the combining of all colors.

Not all of the members of his family are green, although many are, such as Tara, Vishvapani Bodhisattva, Green Jambhala, Green Vasudhara, and many others. The wrathful heruka of the family is Karma Heruka Vajrakilaya.

Wrathful Windy Activity: Vajrakilaya

Vajrakilaya, who is the most wrathful activity of all the Buddhas, is often called the Karma Heruka, meaning Activity Hero, the wrathful form of Amoghasiddhi’s activity. He is an emanation of the Karma family of Amoghasiddhi. This was explained by Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche in a Q & A teaching on Vajrakilaya:

“In terms of the activities of the five Buddha families, their wrathful enlightened activity is mainly assigned to Amoghasiddhi. So Amoghasiddi is the crown ornament [of Vajrakilaya], while the garuda is more of an outer ornament. There is probably also a deeper meaning to the garuda, but here it is Amoghasiddhi, who represents the wrathful enlightened activity.”

Garchen Rinpoche also explained that Amoghasiddhi was the chief of the Activity mandala, in his his superb book Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions:

“Amoghasiddhi, lord of the Karma family… is the chief of this mandala. Among body, speech, mind, attributes, and activities, the accomplishment of enlightened activities is the Karma heruka’s principal purpose.” [4]

Both Amoghasiddhi and Karma are Not Subtle

The profound importance of karma in Buddhism is not subtle. It’s no less than the tempest of practice, and the inspiring practices of Amoghasiddhi Buddha and Green Tara. This is why Amoghasiddhi and Tara are associated with the element of wind.

If we seek peace from the storm of suffering, we can control the outcomes. Like global warming and other negative karmic actions, the damage is reversible, even if it might take considerable effort.

Shakyamuni Buddha taught the irresistible power of karma, in numerous Sutras, starting with the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path and the Ten Perfections of Practice, and winding through every Sutra teaching. He also gave us the remedies. To inspire the warm, nourishing winds, we rely on the Ten Perfections. To avoid the unimaginable suffering of negative karma is likewise in our control.

The Root of Negative Karma: Envy

It’s fair to say that all the poisons of Buddhism contribute to negative karma, but it is envy that inspires many of the others: anger, attachment, pride, and even delusion. We get angry because we envy what others have. We have pride in our own achievements but still want more. We become deluded, modeling our ideals of success after other people. These are forms of envy.

The remedy for the poison of envy and jealousy are Karma-family practice — or right conduct and action. These are the practices of Amoghasiddhi Buddha, or Mother Tara, or any of the Karma family.

According to Beer’s “The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols” (2003), Amoghasiddhi reigns over the Northern direction and the Father Buddha of the Karma family of deities.

“Amoghasiddhi, the All-accomplishing Wisdom Buddha, is linked with the purging of the poison of jealousy and envy, transforming these negative emotions into the wisdom of accomplishment and enlightened activity.” Beer, 2003

When someone asks, “How do I aspire to rebirth in Amoghasiddhi’s Pureland?” the answer is simple. Practice the Ten Perfections to the best of your ability, dedicating the merit for the benefit of all sentient beings. Since Amoghasiddhi’s practice is positive Enlightened Activities, the Ten Perfections become the most important.

The ten Perfections are giving and generosity, moral integrity, renouncing negative behavior, profound understanding and insight, right effort, forbearance, truthfulness, resolve, loving-kindness, and equanimity. They represent the path to complete Enlightenment, often referred to as ‘Buddhahood’, and are central to anyone seeking to follow the karma path of Amoghasiddhi.

Thich Nhat Hanh, in his book “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching” (1999), elucidates these ten perfections beautifully.

“The ten perfections provide us with the most wholesome ways to respond to any situation. They are the ten kinds of virtuous action that lead us to the ultimate goal of full enlightenment.” Thich Nhat Hanh, 1999

Connecting with Amoghasiddhi

Connecting with Amoghasiddhi, as with all Enlightened Buddha is as simple as thinking of him, Taking Refuge, and praising his name or chanting his mantra. This connects you to the fearlessness and unfailing accomplishment karma of Amoghasiddhi. Later in this presentation, we demonstrate a short practice meditation. But, anytime you want to connect to his unfailing activity, simply think of him and chant his name praise.

His Namo praise is

Namo Amoghasiddhi Buddhaya

His mantra is

Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum

His seed syllable or bija is AH, which is, in Sanskrit. Ah is a foundational sound in Buddhism, together with Om and Hum. The three syllables Om Ah Hum are considered a mantra, with all three syllables present in most other mantras, and represent the body, speech and mind of Buddha. Ah is Amoghasiddhi’s sacred syllable.

A Practice of Amoghasiddhi

Here is a simple practice for Amoghasiddhi which is a frontal visualization, not requiring empowerment. It is always best to receive instruction and transmission when possible, however the wholesome practice or Pujas of any of the Five Dhyani Buddhas does not require permission.

Take Refuge

Start by Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels. This is followed by the Bodhichichitta intention, stated outloud, to benefit all sentient beings. Visualize Amoghasiddhi, or Amoghasiddhi with Green Tara, in front of you with as vivid a mental picture as you can. It can help to have a picture or statue on a higher table or altar — higher than your seat — with offerings in front of the image. These can be offerings of water, incense, flowers, fruit, or any vegetarian offerings.

Offerings

As the karma Buddha, it is best to offer vegetarian to ensure your offerings have the best karmic potential.

Purification and 7 Limbs of Practice

It is best to confess your downfalls in karmic activity, now and in the past, and promise to refrain. Think of your activities through the day, especially negative ones that might imprint negative karma, and vow to yourself to refrain from such negativity in future.

If you have time, it can be helpful to chant and meditate on Vajrasattva mantra, or chant the King of Prayers with a devoted heart. Look for other presentations on Buddha Weekly for both of these practices. Otherwise, ideally, with a devoted heart, state the seven limbs if you have time. These are:

1. Prostration and devotion, which purifies the poison of our arrogance.
2. Offerings to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas without exception which purifies the poison of greed.
3. Confession of Negativity and past faults, which purifies the poison of anger.
4. Rejoicing the virtue of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, which purifies the poison of wrong views.
5. Requesting the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas continue to turn the wheel of Dharma and teachings, which purifies the poison of doubt.
6. Requesting the Bodhisattvas not pass into Nirvana, asking they remain in Samsara to save all beings from suffering, which purifies the poison of ignorance.
7. Dedicating the merit of all devotion, offerings and practice to the benefit of all sentient beings, which purifies the poison of jealousy.

Visualize Amoghasiddhi and Field of Merit

With a stable image in your mind of Amoghasiddhi, chant his namo praise and mantras.

Ideally, as you chant, visualize green light emitting from his seed syllable AH at his heart and entering your heart, filling you with his karma-purifying light and his chi or life-force. A better visualization is to imagine the green light going out to the entire universe, reaching the farthest reaches of space, and then returning instantly to be absorbed into your heart.

When you have finished your empowering meditation, you dedicate the merit to the cause of Enlightenment to benefit all sentient beings.

Amoghasiddhi Short Practice

Here is a short Amoghasiddhi Practice. If you do not have Amoghasiddhi or Green Tara empowerments (either qualifies you to practice self generation), you would visualize the merit field of Amoghasiddhi and Tara in front of you as described below.

This is in English for this presentation, except for Refuge and Bodhichitta which are in Sanskrit and English and the mantras.

For the 7 Limb Practice, which includes offerings, confession, and dedication in Sanskrit, the best practice is Samantabadhra’s King of Prayers, although here we have a very short Seven Limb practice with the Four Immeasurables. See our linked video to the King of Prayers chanted in Sanskrit.

The Puja says to start by visualizing the AH syllable in front of you in the North. Even if you are facing west or south, you mentally visualize that you are facing north. The syllable and light is normally green, the color of activity, and blending of all colors.

Taking Refuge

namo amoghasiddhi buddhaya

namo buddhaya guruve

namo dharmaya tayine

namo samghaya mahate

tribhyopi satatam namah

Homage to Amoghasiddhi Buddha

Homage to the Buddha, the Teacher

Homage to the Dharma, the Protector

Homage to the Great Sangha

To all of these I continually offer homage.

Seven Limbs Including the Four Immeasurables

I go for refuge on this enlightening path

To Amoghasiddhi, the Buddhas, the Dharma and the Highest Assembly.

I declare every nonvirtuous act since beginningless time.

I rejoice in all virtues of holy and ordinary beings.

I will cultivate the Bodhichitta, to most effectively benefit all sentient beings.

Having generated the intention to take the Buddha’s path

I will care for all sentient beings as my guests.

I offer flowers, incense, light, fragrances, food, music and the like, both those actually arranged and those mentally imagined. Supreme gathering, please accept them.

For the great, supreme Karma family, I shall uphold purely each of vows I am endowed with, and make as many offering as I am able.

I will practice the ten perfections and overcome all obstacles.

And cultivate the Bodhichitta.

I wish that all beings may 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 and far.

Please remain in Samsara and turn the Wheel of the Dharma of the greater and lesser vehicles, to benefit all sentient beings!

Visualize the Merit Field

Appearances and existence, all phenomena of samsara and nirvana are empty by nature. Realizing this, within that state of emptiness, I visualize a glowing, illuminated Green AH syllable sitting on a shining lotus throne.

Green Light,  the activity of all the Buddhas, emanates from the AH syllable, going out as an offering to all the Enlightened Beings, and purifying the karma of all sentient beings in the universe, blessing them. The lights return and the AH syllable transforms into glorious Amoghasiddhi, Green in Color, seated upon a lotus and moon.

I see luminous Amoghasiddhi Buddha, the nature of light, peaceful and loving, the very essence of Bodhichitta activity. He is seated in the lotus posture, with his right hand up in the gesture of Fearlessless, the Mudra of Abhaya. His left hand is on his lap in the gesture of meditative equipoise, and holding an upright Vishva Vajra, a double dorje.

At his heart is a green AH syllable. From this syllable, once again lights go out to al of the universe, first out to his green Pureland, then to every Pureland of every Buddha and finally to all beings in Samsaric worlds in every dimension and universe. The sacred light of Amoghasiddhi’s blessings is an offering to all the Enlightened ones, and blesses all beings of Samsara.

Mantra

Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum

Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum

Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum.

Finishing and Dedication

Hold the visualization as long as you can while chanting the mantra. Finish by visualizing Amoghasiddha and the merit field dissolving into green light, and then absorbing in into your heart chakra, blessing you and staying with you at all times, protecting you from all harm. Know that you are protected by Amoghasiddhi and Tara at all times.

Then, finish with a dedication of merit. Because this is the karma family, who are responsible for all Bodhisattva Activity benefiting all beings, the dedication of merit is the most important practice.

It can be as simple as:

I dedicate the merit of this practice and offerings to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

We dedicate the merit of this presentation to the benefit of all sentient beings.

NOTES

[1] Amoghasiddhi, the Five Buddhas, The Zen Gateway  https://www.thezengateway.com/teachings/the-five-wisdom-buddhas-amogasiddhi

[2] Amoghasiddhi http://cubuddhism.pbworks.com/w/page/24878050/Amoghasiddhi

[3] Garchen Rinpoche, Kyabje. Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions (p. 177). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.

[4] Garchen Rinpoche, Kyabje. Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions (pp. 153-154). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.

[5] Vessantara. A Guide to the Buddhas (Meeting the Buddhas Book 1) (pp. 111-112). Windhorse Publications. Kindle Edition.

[6] Vessantara. A Guide to the Buddhas (Meeting the Buddhas Book 1) (p. 114). Windhorse Publications. Kindle Edition.

Reciting the Sutra of the Noble Vasudhara Dharini is a treasured practice in Mahayana  Buddhism.

The goal of stable livelihood for the lay Buddhist is a noble one, enabling Buddhists to support the dedicated monastic community, and providing stability in life that gives the practitioner the ability to help others. In The Sutra of the Noble Vasudhara Dharani, Buddha teaches the perfection of the Vasudhara Dharani and her mantras as a method to a stable and prosperous livelihood for the Buddhist householder.

Golden Vasudhara Tara is not about greedily asking for more, and more, but rather about attaining more so that we can give and give. The poison of greed is overcome by generosity — which is only possible if we have a stable livelihood.

• For a feature about “Stream of Gems” Vasudhara, see our feature>>
• For a video about Vasudahara (with four of her mantras) and her practice, see>>
• For a Video of beautiful chanting of Vasudhara as Yellow Tara, see>>

Recite this Sutra often in your own language and the Dharani — preferrably in Sanskrit — and if you have particular needs, Shakyamuni Buddha probably answered most of your practice questions in this Sutra

Here Begins the Noble Vasudhara Dharani Sutra.

This translation is from Lotsawa House.

The Noble Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī

from the Words of the Buddha

རྒྱ་གར་སྐད་དུ། ཨཱཪྻ་བ་སུ་དྷཱ་རཱ་ནཱ་མ་དྷཱ་ར་ཎཱི།

gyagar ké du arya vasudhara nama dhara ni

In the language of India:

Ārya Vasudhārā-nāma-dhāraṇī

བོད་སྐད་དུ། འཕགས་པ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

སངས་རྒྱས་དང༌བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ། །

sangye dang changchub sempa tamché la chaktsal lo

Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

འདི་སྐད་བདག་གིས་ཐོས་པ་དུས་གཅིག་ན། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀཽ་ཤཱམྦཱི་ན་ཚེར་མ་ཅན་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་ནགས་ཆེན་པོ་ན། དགེ་སློང་ལྔ་བརྒྱ་ཙམ་གྱི་དགེ་སློང་གི་དགེ་འདུན་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཡོན་ཏན་ཐམས་ཅད་དང་ལྡན་པ་རབ་ཏུ་མང་པོ་དང་ཐབས་ཅིག་ཏུ་བཞུགས་ཏེ།

diké dak gi töpa dü chik na chomdendé kaushambi na tserma chen zhejawé nak chenpo na gelong ngabgya tsam gyi gelong gi gendün chenpo dang changchub sempa sempa chenpo sangye kyi yönten tamché dang denpa rabtu mangpo dang tab chik tu zhuk té

Thus I have heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling near Kauśāmbī in the great forest called Kaṇṭaka, together with a great assembly of about five hundred monks and a vast assembly of bodhisattva mahāsattvas who had all the qualities of the buddhas.

དེའི་ཚེ་ཀཽ་ཤཱམྦཱིའི་གྲོང་ཁྱེར་ཆེན་པོ་ན། ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ། དབང་པོ་ཉེ་བར་ཞི་བ། ཡིད་ཉེ་བར་ཞི་བ། བུ་ཕོ་དང། བུ་མོ་མང་བ། བཟའ་མི་མང་པོ་དང་ལྡན་པ། དད་ཅིང་ཆེར་དད་པ་ཞིག་གནས་པ་དེ།

dé tsé kaushambi drongkhyer chenpo na khyimdak dawa zangpo zhejawa wangpo nyewar zhiwa yi nyewar zhiwa bu po dang bumo mangwa zami mangpo dang denpa dé ching cher depa zhik nepa dé

At that time there lived in the great city of Kauśāmbī a householder by the name of Sucandra whose senses were composed and whose mind was at ease. He had many faithful and devoted sons and daughters as well as dependents.

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ག་ལ་བ་དེར་སོང་སྟེ་ཕྱིན་ནས། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཞབས་ལ་མགོ་བོས་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ཏེ། ལན་འབུམ་ཕྲག་དུ་མར་བསྐོར་བ་བྱས་ནས་ཕྱོགས་གཅིག་ཏུ་འདུག་གོ །

chomdendé gala ba der song té chin né chomdendé kyi zhab lago bö chaktsal té len bumtrak dumar korwa jé né chok chik tu duk go

Sucandra approached the Blessed One, paid his respect by touching his head to the feet of the Blessed One, and circumambulated the Blessed One many hundred thousands of times.

ཕྱོགས་གཅིག་ཏུ་འདུག་ནས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

chok chik tu duk né khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Finally, he sat down to one side. While seated there, Sucandra the householder said the following to the Blessed One:

གལ་ཏེ་ཞུས་ནས་ཞུ་བ་ལུང་བསྟན་པའི་སླད་དུ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་བདག་ལ་སྐབས་ཕྱེ་ན། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ་ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས་ལ་བདག་ཕྱོགས་འགའ་ཞིག་ཞུ་ལགས་སོ། །

galté zhü né zhuwa lungtenpé ledu chomdendé kyi dak la kab ché na chomdendé dezhin shekpa drachompa yangdakpar dzokpé sangye la dak chok gazhik zhu lak so

“I would like to ask the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the complete and perfect Buddha a question, in case the Blessed One could afford the time to answer it.”

དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་བ་དང༌། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏོ། །

deké ché solwa dang chomdendé kyi khyimdak dawa zangpo la diké ché katsal to

The Blessed One then replied to Sucandra the householder as follows:

ཁྱིམ་བདག ཁྱོད་ཅི་དང་ཅི་འདོད་པ་དྲིས་ཤིག་དང༌། ཁྱོད་ཀྱིས་ཇི་ལྟར་དྲིས་པའི་དྲི་བ་ལུང་བསྟན་པས་ངས་ཁྱོད་ཀྱི་སེམས་རངས་པར་བྱའོ། །

khyimdak khyö chi dang chi döpa dri shik dang khyö kyi jitar dripé driwa lungtenpé ngé khyö kyi sem rangpar ja o

“Householder, please ask whatever you wish. I shall answer your question and so put your concerns to rest.”

དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ་དང༌། ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་ལེགས་སོ་ཞེས་གསོལ་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ལྟར་ཉན་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

deké ché katsal pa dang khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé la lek so zhé sol té chomdendé kyi tar nyen né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

To these words of the Blessed One Sucandra the householder responded, “Very well, Blessed One,” and asked the Blessed One the following:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུའམ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་མོ་དབུལ་པོར་གྱུར་པ་ལས་ཇི་ལྟར་དབུལ་བ་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་ཞིང༌། བྲོ་ནད་ཀྱིས་ཐེབས་ན་ཡང་བྲོ་ནད་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་པ་ལགས།

chomdendé rik kyi bu am rik kyi bumo ulpor gyurpa lé jitar ulwa machipar gyur zhing dro né kyi teb na yang dro né machipar gyurpa lak

“Blessed One, how can a son or daughter of noble family who suffers from poverty free themselves from their poverty? Likewise, if they suffer from disease, how can they free themselves from their disease?”

དེ་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་མཁྱེན་བཞིན་དུ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏོ། །

dené chomdendé kyi khyen zhindu khyimdak dawa zangpo la diké ché katsal to

The Blessed One then understood, and he said to Sucandra the householder:

ཁྱིམ་བདག ཁྱོད་ཅིའི་ཕྱིར་དབུལ་པོའི་དོན་དུ་འདྲི། དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ་དང༌།

khyimdak khyö chi chir ulpö döndu dri deké ché katsal pa dang

“Householder, why do you ask me about poverty?”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

chomdendé la khyimdak dawa zangpö diké ché sol to

Sucandra the householder replied to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། བདག་ནི་དབུལ་བ་མང་བ་དང༌། གསོ་བ་མང་བ་དང༌། བུ་ཕོ་དང་བུ་མོ་མང་བ། བཟའ་མི་མང་པོ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ལགས་ཏེ། དེའི་སླད་དུ། གང་གིས་སེམས་ཅན་དབུལ་པོ་རྣམས་ཀྱི་དབུལ་བ་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། བྲོ་ནད་ཀྱིས་ཐེབས་པ་རྣམས་བྲོ་ནད་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་དང༌། མཛོད་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་མང་པོ་དང་ལྡན་པར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། སྡུག་པ་དང༌། ཡིད་དུ་མཆིས་པ་དང༌། མཐོང་ན་ཡིད་དུ་འཐད་པ་དང༌། དབང་ཕྱུག་ཏུ་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། སྦྱིན་བདག་མཛོད་པས་མི་འཚལ་ཞིང༌། དབྱིག་དང༌། གསེར་དང༌། ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུའི་མཛོད་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་དང༌། ནོར་བུ་དང༌། མུ་ཏིག་དང༌། རྡོ་རྗེ་དང༌། བཻ་ཌཱུཪྻ་དང༌། དུང་དང༌། མན་ཤེལ་དང༌། བྱི་རུ་དང༌། ས་ལེ་སྦྲམ་དང༌། དབུལ་བས་མ་འཚལ་ཅིང་འབྱོར་བར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། ཁྱིམ་གྱི་བུ་སྨད་དང༌། བཟའ་མི་རྣམས་བརྟན་པར་འགྱུར་བའི་ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྣམ་གྲངས་དེ་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ལེགས་པར་བཤད་དུ་གསོལ།

chomdendé dak ni ulwa mangwa dang sowa mangwa dang bu po dang bumo mangwa zami mangpo dang denpa lak té dé ledu gang gi semchen ulpo nam kyi ulwa machipar gyurwa dang dro né kyi tebpa nam dro né machipar gyurwa dang nor dang dru dang dzö dang bangdzö mangpo dang denpar gyurwa dang dukpa dang yi duchi pa dang tong na yi du tepa dang wangchuk tu gyurwa dang jindak dzöpé mi tsal zhing yik dang ser dang nor dang drü dzö dang bangdzö nam dang norbu dang mutik dang dorjé dang baidurya dang dung dang men shel dang jiru dang salé dram dang ulwé ma tsal ching jorwar gyurwa dang khyim gyi bu mé dang zami nam tenpar gyurwé chö kyi namdrang dé chomdendé kyi lekpar shé du sol

“Blessed One, although I am very poor, I have to take care of many sons, daughters and dependents. Therefore, I would like to request the Blessed One for a Dharma teaching that makes the poor wealthy and restores the ill to good health, that grants us wealth and grain and treasures and vaults of treasure, that makes us pleasant, charming, beautiful and lordly, that attracts patrons without needing to ask, and that grants jewels, gold, riches, stores of grain, and vaults of treasure, as well as gems, pearls, diamonds, lapis lazuli, conch shells, crystals, coral, gold and silver without needing to search or beg, and that renders one’s partner and dependents stable and secure.”

དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་བ་དང༌། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏོ། །

deké ché solwa dang chomdendé kyi khyimdak dawa zangpo la diké ché katsal to

This being said, the Blessed One replied then to the householder Sucandra:

ཁྱིམ་བདག འདས་པའི་དུས་བསྐལ་བ་གྲངས་མེད་པ་འདས་པར་གྱུར་པ་དེའི་ཚེ་དེའི་དུས་ན། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ་ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས་རིག་པ་དང་ཞབས་སུ་ལྡན་པ། བདེ་བར་གཤེགས་པ། འཇིག་རྟེན་མཁྱེན་པ། སྐྱེས་བུ་འདུལ་བའི་ཁ་ལོ་སྒྱུར་བ། བླ་ན་མེད་པ། ལྷ་དང་མི་རྣམས་ཀྱི་སྟོན་པ། སངས་རྒྱས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་རྒྱ་མཚོའི་དབྱངས་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་འཇིག་རྟེན་དུ་བྱུང་སྟེ།

khyimdak depé dü kalwa drangmepa depar gyurpa dé tsé dé dü na chomdendé dezhin shekpa drachompa yangdakpar dzokpé sangye rigpa dang zhab su denpa dewar shekpa jikten khyenpa kyebu dulwé khalo gyurwa lanamepa lha dang mi nam kyi tönpa sangye chomdendé dorjé chang gyatsö yang zhejawa jikten du jung té

“Householder, once upon a time, incalculable eons ago, the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the complete and perfect Buddha, dwelled in the world with perfect knowledge and with virtuous conduct. This sugata, the knower of worlds, the leader for those to be tamed, the unsurpassed teacher of gods and men, the Blessed Buddha, was named Vajradhara-sāgaranirghoṣa.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། ངས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དེ་ལས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས་འདི་ཐོས་ཏེ། བཟུང་ཞིང་བཅངས་བཀླགས། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བྱས། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བྱས་ཤིང༌། གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་ཏེ།

rik kyi bu ngé dezhin shekpa dé lé nor gyi gyün chejawé zung di tö té zung zhing chang lak kün chubpar jé jesu yirangwar jé shing zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu ten té

O noble son, it is from this tathāgata that I heard and retained the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī. I kept it, recited it, comprehended it, rejoiced in it, and taught it extensively to others.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། ད་ཡང་ངས་དེ་བཤད་པར་བྱའོ། །

rik kyi bu da yang ngé dé shepar ja o

O noble son, I shall now share it with you.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། གཟུངས་འདིའི་མཐུས་མི་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །མི་མ་ཡིན་པ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །གནོད་སྦྱིན་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །སྲིན་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ཡི་དྭགས་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ཤ་ཟ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །འབྱུང་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །གྲུལ་བུམ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །བརྗེད་བྱེད་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །གནོན་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ལུས་སྲུལ་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ལྷ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ལྷ་མ་ཡིན་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ཟས་སུ་མི་གཙང་བ་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་གཅིན་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང་། ཟས་སུ་ཁྲག་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་ཤ་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་རྣག་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་ཞག་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་རྐང་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་ངར་སྣབས་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་གཏོར་ཁུང་ནས་འབབ་པ་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་དབུགས་རྔུབ་པ་རྣམས་དང༌། འབྱུང་བ་ཟ་བའི་བར་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་འཚེ་བར་མི་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu zung di tü mi nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do mi mayinpa nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do nöjin nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do sinpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do yidak nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do shaza nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do jungpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do drulbum nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do jé jé nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do nönpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do lü sulpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do lha nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do lha mayin nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do zé su mi tsangwa zawa nam dang zé su chin tungwa nam dang zé su traktung ba nam dang zé su shaza ba nam dang zé su nak tungwa nam dang zé su zhak zawa nam dang zé su kang zawa nam dang zé su ngarnab zawa nam dang zé su tor khung né babpa tungwa nam dang zé su uk ngubpa nam dang jungwa zawé bar nam nampar tsewar mingyur ro

O noble son, through the power of this dhāraṇī no human will ever harm you. No yakṣa will ever harm you. No rākṣasa will ever harm you. No preta will ever harm you. No piśāca will ever harm you. No bhūta will ever harm you. No kumbhāṇḍa will ever harm you. No apasmāra will ever harm you. No ostāraka will ever harm you. No kaṭapūtana will ever harm you. No deva will ever harm you. No asura will ever harm you. No demons, whether they feed on feces, urine, blood, flesh, pus, grease, marrow, snot, effluent, or breath, nor spirits who are able to possess you, will ever harm you!

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་རིགས་ཀྱི་བུའམ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་མོ་གང་གི་ཁྱིམ་ན་ཡོད་དམ། སྙིང་ལ་ཡོད་དམ། ལག་ན་ཡོད་དམ། གླེགས་བམ་དུ་ཆུད་དམ། ཐོས་པར་གྱུར་ཏམ། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བྱས་སམ། བཀླགས་སམ། བཟུང་ངམ། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བྱས་སམ། གཞན་དག་ལ་རྒྱ་ཆེར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་པའི་རིགས་ཀྱི་བུའམ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་མོ་དེ་ལ་ཡུན་རིང་པོའི་དོན་དང༌། ཕན་པ་དང༌། དགེ་བ་དང༌། གྲུབ་པ་དང༌། བདེ་བ་དང༌། ལོ་ལེགས་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu nor gyi gyün gyi zung di rik kyi bu am rik kyi bumo gang gi khyim na yö dam nying la yö dam lak na yö dam lekbam du chü dam töpar gyur tam kün chubpar jé sam lak sam zung ngam jesu yirangwar jé sam zhendak la gyacher rabtu tenpé rik kyi bu am rik kyi bumo dé la yünringpö dön dang penpa dang gewa dang drubpa dang dewa dang lo lekwar gyur ro

O noble son, the son or daughter of noble family who takes the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī and places it in their home, takes it to heart, holds it in their hands, renders it in text, listens to it, comprehends it, reads it, memorizes it, rejoices in it, and extensively teaches it to others, will enjoy lasting benefits, welfare, goodness, advantages, pleasures, and good harvests.

སུ་ཞིག་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་རྣམས་ལ་མཆོད་པ་བྱས་ཏེ། ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་ནམ་ཕྱེད་ན་ལན་གཉིས་སམ། ལན་གསུམ་མམ། ལན་བཞི་བཏོན་ན། དེའི་ལྷ་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་བསྟན་པ་ལ་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཆོས་གདགས་པ་བྱས་པས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། དགེ་འདུན་གདགས་པ་བྱས་པས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཆོས་སྨྲ་བ་ལ་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ལྷག་པའི་བསམ་པས་བདག་ཉིད་འོངས་ཏེ། འབྲུའི་ཆར་འབེབས་སོ། །

su zhik dezhin shekpa nam la chöpa jé té nor gyi gyün gyi zung di nam ché na len nyi sam len sum mam len zhi tön na dé lha yi rang té dezhin shekpé tenpa la gawa dang chö dakpa jepé gawa dang gendün dakpa jepé gawa dang chöma bala gawa dang lhakpé sampé daknyi ong té drü charbeb so

Whoever worships the tathāgatas and then at midnight recites the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī two, three or four times will cause the deities to rejoice. They will bring delight through the teachings of the Tathāgata, and through contributing to the promulgation of the Dharma and development of the Saṅgha, and bring delight to those who teach the Dharma. Noble thoughts will come to them and a rain of grains will shower down upon them.

Dharani

ན་མོ་བཛྲ་དྷ་ར་སཱ་ག་ར་ནིརྒྷོ་ཥཱ་ཡ། ཏ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏཱ་ཡ།

namo benza dhara sagara nirghoshaya tathagataya |

namo vajradhara-sāgara-nirghoṣāya tathāgatāya |

ཏདྱ་ཐཱ། ཨོཾ་སུ་རཱུ་བེ། བྷ་དྲེ། བྷ་དྲ་བ་ཏི། ཨཾ་ག་ལེ། མཾ་ག་ལེ། མཾ་ག་ལ་བ་ཏི། ཨ་ལེ། ཨ་ཙ་ལེ། ཨ་ཙ་ལ་བ་ལེ། ཨུདྒྷ་ཏི་ནི། ཨུད་བྷེ་དི་ནི། ཤ་སྱ་བ་ཏི། དྷ་ན་བ་ཏི། དྷཱ་ནྱ་བ་ཏི། ཤྲཱི་མ་ཏི། པྲ་བྷ་བ་ཏི། ཨ་མ་ལེ། བི་མ་ལེ། ནི་རྨ་ལེ། རུ་རུ་མེ། སུ་རཱུ་པེ། སུ་རཱུ་པ་བི་མ་ལེ། བི་མ་ལེ། ཙ་ལེ། ཨ་རྩ་ན་སྟེ། ཨ་ཏ་ན་སྟེ། བི་ཏ་ན་སྟེ། བི་ཤྭ་ཀེ་ཤི། བི་ཤྭ་ནི་ཤི། ཨཾ་ཀུ་རེ། མཾ་ཀུ་རེ། པྲ་བཾ་ཀུ་རེ། བི་ར་མེ། བི་དྷ་མེ། རི་རི་མེ། དི་དི་མེ། དུ་དུ་མེ། ཁ་ཁ་མེ། ཏ་ཏ་རེ། ཏ་ར་ཏ་ར། ཏཱ་ར་ཏཱ་ར། བཛྲེ་བཛྲེ་བཛྲོ་པ་མེ། ཊ་ཀེ་ཊ་ཀེ། ཋ་ཀེ་ཋ་ཀེ། ཨུཀྐེ་བུཀྐེ། ཐ་ཀེ་ཐ་ར་ཀེ། ཨ་བརྟ་ནི། བ་ར་ཤ་ནི། ཥ་ད་ནི་བཛྲ་དྷ་ར་སཱ་ག་ར་ནིརྒྷོ་ཥཱན། ཏ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། སྨ་ར་སྨ་ར། སརྦ་ཏ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏ་ས་ཏྱ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། དྷརྨ་སཏྱ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། སཾ་གྷ་ས་ཏྱ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། ད་ཏ་ད་ཏ། པཱུ་ར་པཱུ་ར། པཱུ་ར་ཡ་པཱུ་ར་ཡ། པཱུ་ར་ཎི། བྷ་ར་བྷ་ར་ཎི། ཨ་མ་ལེ། སུ་མཾ་ག་ལེ། ཤཱནྟ་མ་ཏི། ཤུ་བྷ་མ་ཏི། མཾ་ག་ལ་བྷ་ནི། མ་ཧཱ་མ་ཏི། བྷ་དྲ་བ་ཏི། པྲ་བྷཱ་བ་ཏི། སུ་ཙནྡྲ་མ་ཏི། ཨཱ་གཙྪ། ཨཱ་གཙྪ། ས་མ་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨཱ་བ་ར་ཎི་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། པྲ་བྷ་བ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། དཱི་དི་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། ཏེ་ཛོ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། བི་ཛ་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། ཧྲྀ་ད་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། སརྦ་སཏྭ་བི་ན་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ།

teyata | om surubé bhadré bhadra bati amgalé mamga é mamgala bati alé atsalé atsala balé udghatini udbhédini shasya bati dhana bati dhanya bati shri mati trabha bati amalé bimalé nimalé rurumé surupé surupa bimalé bimalé tsalé atsanasté atanasté bitanaté bishokeshi bishonishi amkuré mamkuré trabamkuré biramé bidhamé ririmé didimé dudumé khakhamé tataré tara tara tara tara badzré badzré badzropamé také také thaké thaké ukké bukké thaké tharaké abartani barashani shadani benzadhara sagara nirghosham tathagatam anusmara smara smara sarva tathagata satyam anusmara dharma satyam anusmara sangha satyam anusmara data data pura pura puraya puraya purani bhara bharani amalé sumamgalé shanta mati shubha mati mamgala bhani maha mati bhadra bati trabha bati sutsandra mati agatsa gatsa samayam anusmara soha | awaranim anusmara soha | trabhawam anusmara soha | didim anusmara soha tédzom anusmara soha | bidzayam anusmara soha | hridayam anusmara soha sarva sato binayam anusmara soha |

tadyathā | oṃ surūpe bhadre bhadravati aṅgale maṅgale maṅgalavati ale acale acala-bale udghātini udbhedini śasyavati dhanavati dhānyavati śrīmati prabhavati amale vimale nirmale rurume surūpe surūpavimale vimale cale arcanaste atanaste vitanaste viśvakeśi viśvaniśi aṅkure maṅkure prabhaṅkure virame vidhame ririme dhidhime dhudhume khakhame tatare tara tara tāra tāra vajre vajre vajropame ṭake ṭake ṭhake ṭhake ukke bukke ṭhake ṭharake āvartani varṣaṇi nishpādani vajradhāra-sāgara-nirghoṣaṃ tathāgataṃ anusmara smara smara sarva-tathāgata-satyam-anusmara dharma-satyam-anusmara saṅgha-satyam-anusmara data data pūra pūra pūraya pūraya pūraṇi bhara bharaṇi amale sumaṅgale śāntamati śubhamati maṅgalabhaṇi mahāmati bhadravati prabhavati sucandramati āgacchāgaccha samayam-anusmara svāhā | avaraṇim-anusmara svāhā | prabhavam-anusmara svāhā | dīdim-anusmara svāhā | tejom-anusmara svāhā | vijayam-anusmara svāhā | hṛdayam-anusmara svāhā | sarva-sattva-vijayam-anusmara svāhā |

ཨོཾ་བཱ་སུ་དྷཱ་རེ་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨོཾ་བཱ་སུ་ཤྲཱི་ཡེ་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨོཾ་ཤྰྲི་བ་སུ་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨོཾ་བ་སུ་སྭཱཧཱ།

om basudharé soha | om basushriyé soha | om shribasu soha | om basu soha |

oṃ vasudhāre svāhā | oṃ vasuśriye svāhā | oṃ śrīvasu svāhā | oṃ vasu svāhā ||

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། འདི་ནི་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས་ཏེ། གཟུངས་སྔགས་འདིའི་མཐུས་མུ་གེ་དང༌། ནད་དང༌། འཆི་ངས་འབྱུང་བར་མི་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu di ni nor gyi gyün chejawé zung té zung ngak di tü mugé dang né dang chi ngé jungwar mingyur ro

Noble son, this is the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī. Famine, diseases, and untimely death will be averted through the power of this dhāraṇī-mantra.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། སུ་ཞིག་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ་ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས་རྣམས་ལ་མཆོད་པ་བྱས་ཏེ། ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་ཀྱི་གསང་སྔགས་ཀྱི་ཚིག་འདི་དག་ནུབ་གཅིག་བཏོན་ན། དེ་ནས་དངོས་གྲུབ་ཏུ་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu su zhik dezhin shekpa drachompa yangdakpar dzokpé sangye nam la chöpa jé té nor gyi gyün gyi zung kyi sang ngak kyi tsik didak nub chik tön na dené ngödrub tu gyur ro

Noble son, whoever worships the tathāgatas, the arhats, the complete and perfect buddhas, and recites the words of this secret mantra, the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī, while facing the west will reach accomplishment.

རྒྱས་པའི་དོན་དུ་བདག་གི་ཁྱིམ་མམ། གཞན་གྱི་ཁྱིམ་མམ། གནས་གཙང་མའི་བང་མཛོད་དམ། གནས་གང་ཡང་རུང་བར་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག་དང༌། སངས་རྒྱས་དང༌། བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཐམས་ཅད་དང༌། གསང་སྔགས་ཀྱི་ལྷའི་ཕྱིར་ཙནྡན་གྱིས་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་གྲུ་བཞིར་བྱས་ཏེ། ནུབ་གཅིག་བཏོན་ན། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། དེའི་ཁྱིམ་ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་དང༌། གསེར་དང༌། དངུལ་དང༌། ཡོ་བྱད་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་རྒྱུན་མི་ཆེན་པོའི་ཚད་ཙམ་གྱིས་གང་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །འཇིགས་པ་དང་གནོད་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱང་མེད་པར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

gyepé döndu dak gi khyim mam zhen gyi khyim mam netsangmé bangdzö dam né gangyang rungwar dezhin shekpa chenrezik wangchuk dang sangye dang changchub sempa tamché dang sang ngak kyi lhé chir tsenden gyi kyilkhor dru zhir jé té nub chik tön na rik kyi bu dé khyim nor dang dru dang ser dang ngul dang yojé tamché kyi gyün mi chenpö tsé tsam gyi gangwar gyur ro jikpa dang nöpa tamché kyang mepar gyur ro

To explain this in more detail: Arrange a maṇḍala in a suitable place—such as your own house, another person’s house, a clean place, or a storehouse—using sandalwood for the Tathāgata, Lord Avalokiteśvara, and all the buddhas and bodhisattvas and secret mantra deities, and recite the dhāraṇī while facing the west. Noble son, the person’s house will soon be completely filled with a stream of jewels, grain, gold, silver, and all necessities, and all danger and harm will be brought to an end.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། དེའི་ཕྱིར་ཁྱོད་རབ་ཏུ་བསྒྲིམས་ལ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་ཟུངས་ཤིག །ཆོངས་ཤིག །ལྷོགས་ཤིག །སྟོན་ཅིག །གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་སྟོན་ཅིག་དང༌། དེས་ཁྱོད་ཀྱི་ཡུན་རིང་པོའི་དོན་དང༌། ཕན་པ་དང༌། བདེ་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu dé chir khyö rabtu drim la nor gyi gyün gyi zung di zung shik chong shik lhok shik tön chik zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tön chik dang dé khyö kyi yünringpö dön dang penpa dang dewar gyur ro

Noble son, therefore, hold the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī dear. Retain it! Memorize it! Recite it! Teach it! Explain it to others as well! This will lead to your lasting benefit, welfare and happiness.”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། ལེགས་སོ་ཞེས་གསོལ་ཏེ།

chomdendé lek so zhé sol té

“Very well, Blessed One!” said the householder Sucandra upon receiving the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī from the Blessed One.

ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་ཐོས་ནས་ཚིམ་ཞིང་དགའ་ལ་མགུ་ཞིང་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ། རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་ནས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཞབས་ལ་མགོ་བོས་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé lé nor gyi gyün gyi zung di tö né tsim zhing ga la gu zhing yi rang té rabtu ga né gawa dang yi dewa kyé té chomdendé kyi zhab lago bö chaktsal né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Pleased, glad, joyful, delighted, happy, satisfied and joyous was Sucandra as he paid homage by touching the feet of the Blessed One to his head. He then said to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། བདག་གིས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བགྱི་བ་བླངས་ལགས། གཟུངས་སུ་ཟིན་ལགས། བཟུང་ལགས། བཀླགས་ལགས། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བགྱིས་ལགས། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བགྱིས་ལགས་སོ། །གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་པར་བགྱིས་ལགས་སོ། །

chomdendé dak gi nor gyi gyün ché gyiwa lang lak zung su zin lak zung lak lak lak kün chubpar gyi lak jesu yirangwar gyi lak so zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tenpar gyi lak so

“Blessed One, now that I have received the ritual for Vasudhārā, I will keep this dhāraṇī in mind; I will memorize it; I will recite it; I will master it; I will delight in it; and I will explain it in detail to others as well!”

དེའི་སྐད་ཅིག་ཙམ་ལ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོའི་བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བར་གྱུར་ཏོ། །

dé kechik tsam la khyimdak dawa zangpö bangdzö nam yongsu gangwar gyur to

At that very moment, Sucandra the householder’s storehouses became completely full.

དེ་ནས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་ལན་འབུམ་ཕྲག་དུ་མར་བསྐོར་བ་བྱས་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཞབས་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ནས། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཐད་ནས་སོང་ངོ༌། །

dené khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé la len bumtrak dumar korwa jé té chomdendé kyi zhab la chaktsal né chomdendé kyi té né song ngo

Sucandra the householder circumambulated the Blessed One many hundreds of thousands of times, and after touching his head to the feet of Blessed One, he left his presence.

དེ་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་ལ་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ།

dené chomdendé kyi tsé dang denpa küngawo la katsal pa

The Blessed One then spoke to venerable Ānanda:

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། ཁྱོད་སོང་ལ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོའི་ཁྱིམ་ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུས་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པ་དང༌། མཛོད་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བ་རྣམས་ལ་ལྟོས།

küngawo khyö song la khyimdak dawa zangpö khyim nor dang drü yongsu gangwa pünsum tsokpa dang dzö chenpo dang bangdzö yongsu gangwa nam la tö

“Ānanda, go to Sucandra the householder, the one whose home is abundantly filled with all kinds of riches and grains and whose massive treasury and storehouses are replete with all one could require.”

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ལྟར་མཉན་ནས་ཀཽ་ཤཱམྦཱིའི་གྲོང་ཁྱེར་ཆེན་པོ་ག་ལ་བ་དང༌། ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོའི་ཁྱིམ་ག་ལ་བ་དེར་སོང་སྟེ་ཕྱིན་ནས་ནང་དུ་ཞུགས་པ་དང༌། ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུས་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པ་དང༌། རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པ་དང༌། ཡོ་བྱད་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་མཛོད་པ་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་ཀྱང་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བར་མཐོང་ངོ༌། །མཐོང་ནས་ཀྱང་ཚིམ་ཞིང་དགའ་ལ་མགུ་ཞིང་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་ནས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ཏེ་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ག་ལ་བ་དེར་སོང་ངོ༌། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawö chomdendé kyi tar nyen né kaushambi drongkhyer chenpo gala ba dang khyimdak dawa zangpö khyim gala ba der song té chin né nang du zhukpa dang nor dang drü yongsu gangwa pünsum tsokpa dang rinpoche pünsum tsokpa dang yojé tamché kyi dzöpa chenpo dang bangdzö nam kyang yongsu gangwar tong ngo tong né kyang tsim zhing ga la gu zhing yi rang té rabtu ga né gawa dang yi dewa kyé té chomdendé gala ba der song ngo

At these words of the Blessed One, venerable Ānanda went to the great city of Kauśāmbī where Sucandra’s house was located. Upon reaching the house he entered, and he saw that it was filled with an abundance of riches and grains. Precious gems were abundant, and there was a massive storehouse of all kinds of goods. The treasuries likewise were completely full! Pleased, glad, joyful, delighted, happy, satisfied and joyous upon seeing this, he returned to the Blessed One.

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་ཡ་མཚན་དུ་འཛིན་ཅིང་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawo yatsen du dzin ching gawa dang yi dewa kyé né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, and, in his amazement, happiness and joy, he said this to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། གང་གིས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ནོར་མང་ཞིང་མཛོད་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་ཀྱང་ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པའི་རྒྱུ་གང་ལགས། རྐྱེན་གང་ལགས།

chomdendé gang gi khyimdak dawa zangpo nor mang zhing dzö chenpo dang bangdzö nam kyang nor dang dru pünsum tsokpé gyu gang lak kyen gang lak

“Blessed One, why does Sucandra the householder have so much wealth? What is the cause and what are the circumstances for his treasury and storehouses to be replete with riches and grains?”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ།

chomdendé kyi katsal pa

The Blessed One replied:

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་དད་ཅིང་མཆོག་ཏུ་དད་ཅིང་དགེ་བའི་བསམ་པ་ཅན་དེས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་བཟུང་ཞིང་རབ་ཏུ་བཏོན་ཏེ། བླངས་ཤིང། བཀླགས། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བྱས། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བྱས་ཤིང༌། གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་པའི་ཕྱིར་རོ། །

küngawo rik kyi bu khyimdak dawa zangpo dé ching chok tu dé ching gewé sampachen dé nor gyi gyün gyi zung di zung zhing rabtu tön té lang shing lak kün chubpar jé jesu yirangwar jé shing zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tenpé chir ro

“Ānanda, it is because the noble son Sucandra the householder has received and chanted the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī with devotion, great faith, and pure motivation. He kept it, recited it, mastered it, delighted in it, and expounded it in detail to others as well.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། དེའི་ཕྱིར་ཁྱོད་ཀྱིས་ཀྱང་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུང་འདི་ལོངས་ཤིག །ཆོངས་ཤིག །ལྷོགས་ཤིག །སྟོན་ཅིག །ཟུངས་ཤིག །ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་གྱིས་ཤིག །གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་སྟོན་ཅིག་དང༌། དེ་ནི་སྐྱེ་བོ་མང་པོ་ལ་ཕན་པ་དང༌། སྐྱེ་བོ་མང་པོ་ལ་བདེ་བ་དང༌། འཇིག་རྟེན་ལ་སྙིང་བརྩེ་བ་དང༌། སྐྱེ་བོ་ཕལ་པོ་ཆེ་དང༌། ལྷ་དང༌། མི་རྣམས་ཀྱི་དོན་དང༌། ཕན་པ་དང༌། བདེ་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

küngawo dé chir khyö kyi kyang nor gyi gyün gyi zung di long shik chong shik lhok shik tön chik zung shik kün chubpar gyi shik zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tön chik dang dé ni kyewo mangpo la penpa dang kyewo mangpo la dewa dang jikten la nying tsewa dang kyewo palpo ché dang lha dang mi nam kyi dön dang penpa dang dewar gyur ro

Ānanda, therefore, you too should receive the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī, keep it in mind, recite it, teach it, memorize it, master it, and explain it to others in detail. This will benefit many individuals. It will bring them happiness. It will bring love and compassion to the world, and it will bring benefit and happiness to hosts of beings, gods and humans alike.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། སུ་ཞིག་རིག་སྔགས་འདི་ལས་གཞན་དུ་སྨྲ་བ་ནི། ལྷ་དང་བཅས་པ་དང༌། བདུད་དང་བཅས་པ་དང༌། ཚངས་པ་དང་བཅས་པ་དང༌། དགེ་སྦྱོང་དང་བྲམ་ཟེར་བཅས་པ་དང༌། ལྷ་དང། མི་དང། ལྷ་མ་ཡིན་དུ་བཅས་པའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་ན་ངས་མ་མཐོང་ངོ༌། །ལན་གཉིས་སུ་བཏོན་ཏམ། ལན་གསུམ་དུ་བཏོན་ཀྱང་འགལ་བར་བྱེད་པ་དེ་ནི། གནས་མེད་དོ། །

küngawo su zhik rik ngak di lé zhendu mawa ni lha dang chepa dang dü dang chepa dang tsangpa dang chepa dang gejong dang dramzer chepa dang lha dang mi dang lha mayin du chepé jikten na ngé ma tong ngo len nyi su tön tam len sum du tön kyang galwar jepa dé ni nemé do

Ānanda, I do not see anyone in worlds of gods, māras, brahmas, humans, or asuras, who would say otherwise about this vidyā-mantra. It is impossible not to receive the mantra’s benefits having recited it two or three times.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། གཟུངས་ཀྱི་གསང་སྔགས་ཀྱི་ཚིག་འདི་དག་ནི་མི་ཕྱེད་པ་ཡིན་ནོ། །

küngawo zung kyi sang ngak kyi tsik didak ni michepa yin no

Ānanda, the secret mantra words of this dhāraṇī are indestructible.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། འདི་དག་ནི་སེམས་ཅན་དགེ་བའི་རྩ་བ་ཟད་པ་རྣམས་ཀྱི་རྣ་ལམ་དུ་གྲགས་པར་མི་འགྱུར་ན། གླེགས་བམ་ལ་ཡི་གེར་འབྲི་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་ལ་གཟུང་བ་ལྟ་ཅི་སྨོས།

küngawo didak ni semchen gewé tsawa zepa nam kyi nalam du drakpar mingyur na lekbam la yiger driwa dang yi la zungwa tachi mö

Ānanda, it is clear that these words, when heard, will benefit² even those whose roots of virtue have been exhausted. Thus, there is no need to mention the benefits of writing them down in a book or memorizing them.

དེ་ཅིའི་ཕྱིར་ཞེ་ན། འདི་ནི་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏེ། གཟུངས་སྔགས་འདི་ནི་སེམས་ཅན་དབུལ་པོ་དང༌། ནད་སྣ་ཚོགས་ཀྱིས་གཟིར་བ་དང༌། འཇིགས་པ་དང༌། སེམས་ཅན་སྡང་བས་གནོད་པར་བྱས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་དོན་དུ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱིས་གསུངས་པ་དང༌། བཤད་པ་དང༌། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བ་དང༌། རབ་ཏུ་ཕྱེ་བ་དང༌། བསྔགས་པ་དང༌། བཀྲོལ་བ་དང༌། གསལ་བར་མཛད་པ་དང༌། བསྐྱེད་པ་དང༌། བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབས་པ་དང༌། ཆོས་ཀྱི་ཕྱག་རྒྱས་བཏབ་པ་དང༌། བསྟོད་པ་དང༌། སྙན་པར་བརྗོད་པ་དང༌། གོ་བར་མཛད་པ་དང༌། བསྙད་པའི་ཕྱིར་རོ། །

dé chi chir zhé na di ni dezhin shekpa tamché kyi katsal té zung ngak di ni semchen ulpo dang né natsok kyi zirwa dang jikpa dang semchen dangwé nöpar jepa tamché kyi döndu dezhin shekpa tamché kyi sungpa dang shepa dang jesu yirangwa dang rabtu chewa dang ngakpa dang trolwa dang salwar dzepa dang kyepa dang jin gyi labpa dang chö kyi chakgyé tabpa dang töpa dang nyenpar jöpa dang gowar dzepa dang nyepé chir ro

Why is this the case? It is because this dhāraṇī has been taught by all the tathāgatas. This dhāraṇī-mantra has been spoken, explained, honored, revealed, praised, unraveled, clarified, expounded, blessed, validated by the dharma seal, commended, sung, declared, and told by all the tathāgatas for the welfare of all sentient beings who live in poverty, suffer from diseases, live in fear, or are harmed by the wicked.

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་སྟན་ལས་ལངས་ཏེ་དེའི་ཚེ་ཐལ་མོ་སྦྱར་ནས་ཆེད་དུ་བརྗོད་པ་འདི་ཆེད་དུ་བརྗོད་ཅིང་ཚིགས་སུ་བཅད་པ་འདི་དག་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawo ten lé lang té dé tsé talmo jar né chedu jöpa di chedu jö ching tsik su chepa didak sol to

Venerable Ānanda then rose from his seat and with his hands folded, he uttered this praise in verse:

སངས་རྒྱས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་སྟེ། །

sangye chomden sam gyi mi khyab té

“Inconceivable is the Blessed Buddha.

སངས་རྒྱས་ཆོས་ཀྱང་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་ལགས། །

sangye chö kyang sam gyi mi khyab lak

Inconceivable too is the Buddha’s Dharma.

བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་པ་ལ་དད་རྣམས་ཀྱི། །

sam gyi mi khyabpa la dé nam kyi

For those with faith in the inconceivable,

རྣམ་པར་སྨིན་པའང་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་ལགས། །

nampar minpa ang sam gyi mi khyab lak

Inconceivable too will be their results.

ཞི་བ་ཅི་ཡང་མཁྱེན་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་མཁྱེན། །

zhiwa chiyang khyenpa tamché khyen

Tranquil knower of everything and all,

ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་རྒ་ཤི་མི་མངའ་བ། །

chö kyi gyalpo gashi mi ngawa

Dharma King free of aging and death,

ཡེ་ཤེས་ཕ་རོལ་བགྲོད་པར་བྱོན་གྱུར་པ། །

yeshe parol dröpar jön gyurpa

The one who’s arrived at wisdom’s far shore,

སངས་རྒྱས་དཔའ་པོ་ཁྱོད་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ། །

sangye papo khyö la chaktsal lo

Buddha the Hero, to you I pay homage!”

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་ཚིམ་ཞིང་དགའ་ལ་མགུ་ཞིང་ཡིད་རངས་ནས་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་སྟེ། དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawo tsim zhing ga la gu zhing yi rang né rabtu ga té gawa dang yi dewa kyé né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Venerable Ānanda was satisfied and joyful, gladden and overjoyed. In his joy and happiness, he said to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྣམ་གྲངས་འདིའི་མིང་ཅི་ལགས། འདི་ཇི་ལྟར་གཟུང་བར་བགྱི།

chomdendé chö kyi namdrang di ming chi lak di jitar zungwar gyi

“Blessed One, what is the name of this form of Dharma? How shall I remember it?”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ།

chomdendé kyi katsal pa

The Blessed One replied:

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། འདི་ནི་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་ཞུས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བར་ཟུངས་ཤིག །ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་དང༌། རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་གཏེར་ཞེས་བྱ་བར་ཡང་ཟུངས་ཤིག །དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱིས་བསྔགས་པ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་ཞེས་བྱ་བར་ཡང་ཟུངས་ཤིག །

küngawo di ni khyimdak dawa zangpö zhüpa zhejawar zung shik nor dang dru dang rinpoche tamché kyi ter zhejawar yang zung shik dezhin shekpa tamché kyi ngakpa nor gyi gyün gyi zung zhejawar yang zung shik

“Ānanda, remember this teaching as ‘The Question of Sucandra the Householder.’ Remember it as ‘The Treasury of Wealth and Grain and All That is Precious.’ Remember it as ‘The Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī Praised by All the Tathāgatas.’”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ནས། ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་དང༌། དགེ་སློང་དེ་དག་དང༌། བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་དེ་དག་དང༌། ཐམས་ཅད་དང་ལྡན་པའི་འཁོར་དེ་དག་དང༌། ལྷ་དང༌། མི་དང༌། ལྷ་མ་ཡིན་དང༌། དྲི་ཟར་བཅས་པའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་གསུངས་པ་ལ་མངོན་པར་བསྟོད་དོ།། །།

chomdendé kyi deké ché katsal né tsé dang denpa küngawo dang gelong dedak dang changchub sempa dedak dang tamché dang denpé khor dedak dang lha dang mi dang lha mayin dang drizar chepé jikten yi rang té chomdendé kyi sungpa la ngönpar tö do

When the Blessed One had said this, Venerable Ānanda, the monks and bodhisattva mahāsattvas, together with the whole assembly and the world of gods, human beings, asuras and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the speech of the Blessed One.

འཕགས་པ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས་རྫོགས་སོ།། །།

This concludes the Noble Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī.

| Translated by Samye Translations (Stefan Mang and Peter Woods), 2019. Further suggestions and clarifications based on the Sanskrit³ have been kindly given by Wiesiek Mical.

Who are the five Great Conquering Buddhas and what are their five Wisdoms? Why are they so important in daily Mahayana Buddhist practice? How are they different from Shakyamuni Buddha, who was born into our world?

In this feature we’ll introduce the important Five Buddha Mandala, and the symbolism and mantras of the five Buddhas. In other presentations we’ll explore each Buddha family one-by-one, with their practices and mantras.

The Five Wisdoms and Five Buddhas

The Five Buddhas are often called the Buddhas of the Five Wisdoms or the Buddhas of the Five Directions. This map-like language is not accidental.

The mind universe of this mandala exists first in our minds. Before you think “how small is that?” remember that the average human brain has 100 billion neurons and around 100 trillion synapses. The Milky Way galaxy, our home galaxy, is roughly 100,000 light-years across and only has a mass of 100 billion solar masses — mirroring the number of neurons in our brain.

The mind map is a vast expanse, and it is in the mind we meet the Five Buddhas.

Aside from the wonder of the experience, why undertake the journey to meet the Five Wisdom Buddhas? Like our minds mirror our galaxy, the five Buddhas mirror the five wisdoms that are the essence of Buddhist practice.

Shakyamuni Taught Remedies for the Five Poisons

Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha, born in five sixty-three BC, awoke to the true nature of reality and the true nature of suffering. He gave us remedies for the five poisons that keep us trapped in Samsara, preserved in Sacred Sutras. These poisons, sometimes thought of as inner demons, are anger, attachment, pride, jealousy, and ignorance.

He taught us that we can all become Awakened or Buddha by teaching various skillful means, beginning with the four noble truths and the eightfold path.

He also taught us how to transform these five poisons into the Five Wisdoms. One of these methods is meditating on the mandala of the Five Wisdom Buddhas. Each has various methods, practices, mantras, praises, and each specializes in one poison, remedied by one wisdom.

Five Great Wisdoms

The remedies can be summarized as the five great Wisdoms. One way Shakyamuni taught us to relate to the Wisdoms is by practicing the Five Buddhas through building a relationship with meditation and practice.

These Five Buddhas are often called the Dhyani Buddhas, or Cosmic Buddhas or the Five Conquerors.

Buddha Family: Remedy for Delusions

For example, people who remain trapped in Samsara due to negative karmic actions arising from the poison of delusion and ignorance, would turn to Vairochana Buddha in the center of the great mandala, who helps us with his Wisdom of Dharmadatu, or the mind purified of obscurations. He helps us see things as they truly are.

Karma Family: Remedy for Jealousy

If our issue was Jealousy, always envying others and generating negative karmic actions, then we might turn to Amoghasiddhi in the North, whose All-Accomplishing Wisdom and activity can help us.

Vajra Family: Remedy for Anger

Or, if we were dealing with issues of anger, if that is the poison that persistently arises in our samsaric life as it does for many people, then we would turn to Akshobhya Buddha in the east. He helps us with Mirror-Like Wisdom.

Jewel Family: Remedy for Pride

On the other hand, if our main issue is the poison of pride, always guarding our reputation or hoarding selfishly, then we might be advised to turn to Ratnasambhava in the south, and his golden wisdom of Equality and Equanimity.

Lotus Family: Remdy for Desires

Lastly, and to many of us the most important, are the inner demons or poison of desires or attachments, always wanting this and that and never satisfied. For desires and attachments, then the eternally popular Amitabha Buddha in the West is the main practice recommended, with his Wisdom of Discernment.

Map of the Mind Universe: Mandala

The significance of the Map of the Mind Universe of the Five Buddhas is extraordinarily profound. It invites us to be the explorer, to be the adventurer who goes on a journey to meet the great Wisdom Buddhas in our own minds.

We have no need to journey out into the vastness of our galaxy, when our mind mirrors the spectacular spaciousness of this cosmos.

We, the seekers of wisdom, who strive for the release from the five poisons can journey in the mind to meet the Five Buddhas and their entourage. These journeys can help end our suffering.

In this metaphorical journey, it is helpful to have a map, in Buddhism known as a mandala. Our coordinates on the map are the symbolism of each Buddha and their mantras.

In this feature, we’ll navigate the map and its symbolism and introduce the Five Buddhas. In other presentations we’ll explore the five Buddhas one-by-one.

Where does the map point? The mandala is a map of the five wisdoms, the five Buddhas, the five Buddha families with entourages, each with their own Wisdom to teach us.

Symbolism are the Map Coordinates

What are the coordinates on this metaphorical map? They are profound and sacred symbols.

There is a reason that mandalas are so important to Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. They are meant to be visualized, expressing a multi-dimensional map of the universe in the context of the Buddhas and the Pure Lands.

The language of the mind is not words. Symbols, colours, and images are the universal language of all minds, as Carl Jung pointed out in his analysis of dreams. Dreams are visual. The mind recalls memories in images. The eminent Carl Jung explained the universal language of symbols:

“Every psychological expression is a symbol if we assume that it states or signifies something more and other than itself which eludes our present knowledge.”

Since most Buddhist practice is mind work, such as sitting meditation, watching the breath, visualizing the Buddha, or intricate deity practices, the symbols, images, and colors become essential rather than arbitrary.

They express the unknowable in a way the mind can explore comfortably. For this we need the language of symbols.

All Beings have Buddha Nature

Doctor Alexander Berzin, noted Buddhist teacher, explains:

“Buddha-family traits, refer to aspects of Buddha-nature that all of us have, even worms. In general, Buddha-nature factors allow for or account for everyone being able to become a Buddha.”

Does this mean the Five Buddhas are imaginary? Not at all. We use imagination to visualize, not to fantasize. In the context of the Buddhist universe, the Five Celestial Buddhas are real, considered Sambhogakaya aspects of the Buddha.

They manifest in these enjoyment body aspects to teach us a particular wisdom, to offer a particular practice, and to help us meditate to overcome a particular poison, just as they’ve helped countless beings before us.

Visualization is Communicating Visually

We visualize not to be fantastical, but to connect with their real essence. Our minds prefer to communicate visually.

For example, if a Buddha manifests as red, such as Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, it is for a reason. In the language of the mind, which transcends modern associations, the universal associations of red are fire, warmth, love, setting sun, and energy.

In most of the world, red takes on even greater energetic significance with the magnetizing effect of good luck, celebration, compassion, happiness, and long life. This is why, for example, Amitabha’s Family are called Magnetizing or empowering Buddhas.

Amitabha’s red color communicates so much.

Five Universes to Explore: The Five Purelands

We will explore each of the galaxies of the Five Wisdom Buddhas in future presentations but we’ll summarize here for some helpful context and include their mantras.

• Each Buddha family has a Father Buddha representing Compassion and a Mother Buddha representing Wisdom.
• Each, have a mantra representing the essence of wisdom and a seed syllable. Each Buddha Family has a Pureland, which is the purity and manifestation of that wisdom and compassion in the pure, spacious mind of Buddha.
• Each has a color representing an activity, a Wisdom that focuses on a poison, an aggregate or personality called a skandha, a direction on the mandala, and an emblematic symbol.

Although they can all appear in various forms for specialized needs, which we’ll cover in future presentations, the main form is a peaceful form, appearing as a monk or bhikkhu, seated in lotus posture.

Center: Buddha Family of Vairocahana

In the center of the mandala is the Buddha Family of Vairochana Buddha, who is white in color, with his hands in the Dharma chakra, or Wheel turning mudra.

The Wisdom Mother Buddha is White Tara or Akasha Dhatvishvari. The White Color represents Pacifying activity, helping to pacify and calm our minds, diseases, purify our delusions, negative karma, doubts and fears.

The seed syllable is Om. The Bodhisattva of the White Budddha Family is Samantabhadra.

Together, the Buddha Family of Vairochana, helps us with the poison of ignorance or delusion with the Wisdom of Dharmadatu, the understanding of ultimate reality.

Vairochana’s Buddha Family symbol is the eight-spoked wheel, the Dharmachakra. As the Wisdom of the Dharmadatu, the Buddha family is associated with the element of space.

His sacred animal is usually the white Snow Lion which is often depicted on his throne. His pureland is Akanishta-Ghanavyuha .

His seed mantra is:

Om Vairochana Hum

West: Padma Family of Amitabha

In the west of the mandala is the Padma Family of Amitabha Buddha, who is red in color with his hands in the mudra of meditation. Amitabha is the Buddha of Dharma Speech, symbolized by red.

The red color also represents empowering and attracting or magnetizing activity, helping to attract auspicious factors to help us overcome our obstacles. Red is also a protective color. His seed syllable is Hrih.

The Wisdom Mother is Pandara.

The Bodhisattva is Avalokiteshvara also called Guan Shi Yin or Chenrezig.

Together, the Padma or Lotus Family of Amitabha helps us with the poison of desire and attachment, cutting through with the Wisdom of Discernment, or correct perception.

Amitabha’s Padma Family symbol is the lotus, a symbol of purity and compassion. As the Wisdom of the Discernment, the Padma Family are associated with the element of fire.

His sacred animals are usually the peacock and dragon. His glorious Pureland in the west is the most famous of Purelands, called Sukhavati, or the Happy Realm.

His mantra  is:

Om Amitabha Hrih

He has many other mantras, including:

Om Ami Deva Hrih   (in Tibetan Om Ami Dewa Hrih)

North: Karma Family of Amoghasiddhi

Turning clockwise around the mandala, next is the Karma Family of Amoghasiddhi Buddha in the North. He is green in color, symbolizing windy activity, with his hands in the mudra of fearlessness.

The green color represents all activities, the windy hurricane force of wisdom and compassion blowing into our lives. His seed syllable is ah.

The Wisdom Mother Buddha is Glorious Green Tara. The Bodhisattva of the Karma family is Vishvapani.

Together, the Karma or Activity Family of Amoghasiddhi helps us with the poison of jealousy or envy, cutting through with All Accomplishing Wisdom.

Amoghasiddhi’s Karma Family symbol is the double vajra, also called a vishva vajra, a symbol of the entire mandala of five Buddhas. This represents their activity in all realms, as Amoghasiddhi and Tara together are the activity of all the Buddhas.

The Karma Family are associated with the element of wind and air.

The sacred animals are usually the garuda and the windhorse. The Karma family pureland in the north is Karma prasiddhi or Prakuta.

His mantra  is:

Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum

East: Vajra Family of Akshobhya

Going clockwise, in the east is the Vajra Family of Akshobhya Buddha. He is blue in color, symbolizing water and purity, with his right hand in the mudra of earth touching and a vajra in his left hand.

The blue color represents the coolness of water, which is why its often associated with medicine and healing and also the cooling of wrath or calming of anger.

Blue is often the color visualized to help cool our anger, like a splash of cool water. Blue is the color of the activity of transforming wrath. Blue is also symbolic of a mirror or reflection, the Vajra family’s Mirror-Like Wisdom. Wrathful deities are often blue to symbolize “cooling your anger.”

The Wisdom Mother of the Vajra Family is Lochana. The Bodhisattva is the great and powerful Vajrapani.

Together, the Vajra Family of Akshobhya helps our anger, with Mirror-like Wisdom, or the wisdom of reflection.

Akshobhya’s Vajra Family symbol is the powerful vajra.

His sacred animal is the elephant and sometimes the snow lion. His glorious pureland in the east is Abhirati.

His mantra three times is:

Om Akshobhya Hum

South: Ratna Family of Ratnasambhava

Finally, in the south is the Ratna or Jewel Family of Ratnasambhava Buddha. He is yellow or gold in color, symbolizing earth, with his right hand in the mudra of giving and a wish-granting jewel in the other.

The yellow color represents the activity of enriching, generosity, prosperity and auspiciousness and the earth. It also represents rootedness and renunciation. His seed syllable is Tram.

The Ratna Family Wisdom Mother is Mamaki. The Bodhisattva is Ratnapani.

The Ratna or Jewel Family of Ratnasambhava helps us overcome the poison of Pride and Arrogance with the Wisdom of Equality and Equanimity.

Ratnasambhava’s Jewel Family symbol is the wish-granting jewel.

The Ratna Family are associated with the element of earth. Their activity is auspiciousness and enriching. The skandha or personality of the family is feeling.

The sacred animals are the horse and the tiger. The Ratna family’s glorious Pureland in the south is Shrimat

His mantra three times is:

Om Ratnasambhava Tram

Practicing the Five Buddhas: A Short Practice

The Five Wisdom Buddhas can be both a collective daily practice, or we can focus on one Buddha.

To practice the Five Buddhas, we prostrate and take refuge in the Three Jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. When we do this we know that Buddha means all Buddhas, Dharma means all Buddha Dharmas and Sangha means the Supreme Sangha of Bodhisattvas and disciples.

We visualize our field of merit, the five Buddhas with White Vairochana in the center of the mandala, Red Amitabha in the west, Green Amoghasiddhi in the North, Blue Akshobya in the East, and Yellow Ratnasambhava in the south.

Usually we say something like:

“I Take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Sangha until I achieve Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

We say this three times, while prostrating each time.

We then either make mental visualized offerings or real visualized offerings, confess our shortcomings and promise to refrain from future negative karma.

We chant the five mantras while visualizing the five purifying lights emanating from the five Buddhas: White from Vairochana, Red from Amitabha, Green from Amoghasiddhi, Blue from Akshobya, and Yellow from Ratnasambhava. The light fills the entire universe, blessing all beings. The light then returns into our own hearts, blessing us and purifying us of all negativities.

We then dedicate the merit for all sentient beings usually by saying something like: “I dedicate the merit of this practice to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

Practicing Individually

They are also individual practices. Our teacher might give us a particular Buddha — or the Bodhisattva or mother of the family as our Yidam or core practice. This is normally chosen based on our main obstacles.

If our main obstacles are attachment and clinging, our teacher may recommend Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Kurukulla, or other “red forms.”

If our main obstacles are anger-related, our teacher might recommend Akshobhya Buddha, Vajrapani, Black or Blue Tara, or other “blue” forms.

If our main obstacles are Jealousy, envying our neighbors, craving what isn’t ours or selfishness, we might find ourselves practicing Amoghasiddhi or Green Tara.

If our main obstacles related to Pride and arrogance, we would likely be drawn to practices of Ratnasambhava, Yellow Tara, Vasudhara or other Yellow forms.

For obstacles relating to Delusions and Ignorance we might practice Vairochana, Vajrasattva, White Tara or other White forms.

We can practice them all, as a group mandala visualization with mantras, or focus on one family, depending on our needs.

Even if we focus on one Buddha in our practice, it is meritorious to Take Refuge and chant the mantras of all five Buddhas daily.

Watch for the other featuresin this series on the Five Wisdom Buddhas. May all beings benefit. We dedicate the merit of this presentation to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

When you visit a Mahayana Buddhist Temple, the looming and magnificent presence of the “Watchers of the World” or “Guardians of the World” — a translation of Locapala (लोकपाल ) — or the Four Heavenly Kings, is often the most striking. They tower at the entrances to the Temple, guarding the doorways or flanks the altars, usually magnificently carved and painted with fierce expressions and weapons in hand.

Although they tend to be spectacularly displayed in Chinese and Japanese Temples, they are revered in most Buddhist traditions, with practices and names in Pali, Sanskrit, Sinhala, Burmese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan Mongolian, Tai, and Pali — and English. (See Our Table inset below.)

Catur Maharaja: Four Heavenly Great Kings

Known as the “Caturmahārāja” in Sanskrit — “Maha” meaning great and “Raja” meaning king —  they have an important role within the Buddhist doctrine. Each one of these magnificent entities presides over one cardinal direction of our world.

These Four Great Kings, the “Sì Dàtiānwáng” as referred to in Chinese mythology, are not just symbols but certain embodiments of Buddhist virtues. They are venerated in the Hall of Four Heavenly Kings, a standard component of Chinese Buddhist temples. As a spiritual seeker, when you delve into the teachings of Buddhism, these figures become more than mere mythology. They become beacons of the virtues you strive to cultivate within yourself. Simultaneously, they serve as constant reminders of the universal laws which govern us all.

Guardians of the Cardinal Directions: Meet the Four Heavenly Kings

Leading these illustrious beings is none other than the chief Vaisravana, known as the “King of the North.” Vaisravana, Kubera in other Indian traditions, is considered as the patron of warriors and represents wealth, prosperity, and preservation in his role as the Guardian of the North(1). His symbolic creature, the yaksha, which can be spotted holding a mongoose spewing jewels, reaffirms his association with wealth(2).

“Vaisravana, the Guardian of the North, is the embodiment of wealth and prosperity. He serves to remind Buddhists of the blessings of abundance and the need for ethical distribution of wealth.”

The remaining three kings each carry their unique symbolism and dominion – Virudhaka, the King of the South, symbolizes growth and improvement. His blue color stands for the heaven of the south and he wields a sword that represents his authority(1). – Dhritarashtra, the King of the East, holds a lute, a symbol of harmony, peace, and equilibrium. He represents power, protection, and upholding of the law(2). – Finally, Virupaksha, the Guardian of the West, represents knowledge and oversees all actions of mankind. The divine serpent or dragon accompanying him, symbolic of rain, links him with agricultural fertility(3).

The Names in Different Regions and Languages

Protectors of the Dharma: How the Four Heavenly Kings Safeguard Buddhist Teachings

As a practitioner of Buddhism, you might be aware of the title ‘Protectors of the Dharma’ often associated with the Four Heavenly Kings. This title goes beyond mere honorifics; it symbolizes the noble mission these deities commit to – safeguarding the teachings of the Dharma.

The Four Heavenly Kings, entrusted with the sacred duty of safeguarding the Dharma and Buddhist practitioners, are believed to accomplish this mission in a two-fold way. First, they are perceived as warrior-kings, warding off any evil or distractions that might disrupt the peaceful practice of the Dharma. Secondly, they are seen as nurturing deities who promote the spread and sustenance of Dharma by means of good climate and conditions favorable for agricultural pursuits, thus ensuring the survival and stability of human societies where the Dharma can flourish.

King of the North, Vaiśravaṇa

The King of the North, Vaiśravaṇa, is the leader of the Four Heavenly Kings, and bestows wealth upon those who tread the path of Dharma. Known as the ‘Great Listener’, he listens to requests, grants gifts, and ensures that the Dharma is followed, lauded, and protected. He is a form of Jambhala.

King of the East, Dhrtarastra

The King of the East, Dhrtarastra, is celebrated for maintaining the state and preventing the Dharma from deviating. He protects the beings in his realm, encouraging harmony, understanding and respect of the Dharma, while holding a lute, symbolic of the harmony he protects.

King of the South, Virūḍhaka

The King of the South, Virūḍhaka, famous for increasing goodness, carries a sword–a symbol representing the wisdom which cuts through ignorance, fostering the growth and nurturing understanding for all beings to grow within the Dharma.

King of the West, Virūpākṣa

The King of the West, Virūpākṣa, sees all that happens in the realm, spotting and warding off any threats to the Dharma. His snake and stupa are symbols of his enduring vigilance.

All these Kings work together, preserving the sacred wheel of Dharma, ensuring its stability and propagation throughout the world. For Buddhist practitioners like you, they embody protection, immense support and constant encouragement on your path of Dharma. They are not only guardians of the Dharma teachings but also defenders of your journey towards enlightenment and liberation. [4]

Mantras of the Four Great Kings

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Spotlighting the East is King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, clothed in radiant white and clutching a lute. He presides over the Gandharvas, who are celestial musicians. His name translates to “guardian of lands”.

Interestingly, the lore of the Mahābhārata speaks of a King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the main action of the epic revolves around a war fought between the King’s progeny and their cousins, the children of his younger brother Pāndhu. This fight for the Kuru throne sparked heated conflict between the Kauravas and the Pāndavas. While this tale is widely thought to depict a real war, its historical timing continues to be a topic of debate among scholars.

oṃ dhṛ ta rā ṣṭra ra lā pra vā dha na svā hā

oṃ dhṛtarāṣṭra ralāpravādhana svāhā

Virūḍhaka

The Southern King, appearing in verdant hues, clutching a sword. A ruler of the Kumbhāṇḍas, his name translates to “constantly expanding”.

The term Kumbhāṇḍas refers to a fantastical group of demons imagined with oversized bellies and testicles shaped like a kumbha or pot, as indicated in the Sutherland’s interpretation. The Pāli commentaries further amplify this image, asserting that their stomachs were extraordinarily large and their genitalia alike pots, earning them their peculiar name. (DA.iii.964)

oṃ vi rū ḍha ka kuṃ bhāṃ ḍā dhi pa ta ye svā hā

oṃ virūḍhaka kumbhāṇḍādhipataye svāhā

Virūpākṣa

The Western direction is ruled by Virūpākṣa. Often depicted in a vibrant shade of red, he is recognized by the stūpa he carries and a snake, or nāga, symbolizing his status as the King of the Nāgas. His name loosely translates to “the one who sees all”.

A deeper exploration of Virūpākṣa’s symbolisms leads one to a parallel with the Vedic god Varuṇa. Originally worshipped as a sun god and often linked with Mitra, Varuṇa stood for the guardian of ṛta, the cosmic pattern. His significance evolved in the Hindu Epics, where he was designated the guardian of waters and began to share an association with aquatic beings such as the nāgas. Some experts even draw similarities between Virūpākṣa and the Greek Titan Uranus, owing to the phonetic similarity in their names.

oṃ vi rū pā kṣa nā gā dhi pa ta ye svā hā

oṃ virūpākṣa nāgādhipataye svāhā

“Virūpākṣa nāgādhipataye” can be translated as Virūpākṣa Lord of the Nāgas.

Vaiśravaṇa

Colored yellow, lauded as the King of the North, Vaiśravaṇa reigns. Often depicted clutching a victory banner and a mongoose bursting forth with jewels, he is regarded as the monarch of the Yakṣas.

Delving deeper into his origins, Vaiśravaṇa wears many titles. Among them is ‘Kubera’, a name referenced in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa. Elsewhere, in the great epic, the Mahābharata, he is christened as Vaiśravaṇa, the offspring of Pulstya and half sibling to the formidable Rāvaṇa. Kubera is a bearer of wealth and fortune – symbolism drawn from the imagery of the jewel-spitting mongoose. Over the city of Khotan, Vaiśravaṇa watches, its patron deity.

oṃ vai śra va ṇa ye svā hā

oṃ vaiśravaṇaye svāhā

Sì Dàtiānwáng: The Stories of the Four Heavenly Kings

Beginning our exploration into the world of “Sì Dàtiānwáng,” the Four Heavenly Kings occupy an eminent position. As protectors of the world, these kings, each watching over a cardinal direction, play a crucial role in the cosmological blueprint of Buddhist cosmos These divine entities encompass complexities beyond our mortal understanding. But don’t worry, we’re here to make sense of this profound mythology, together.

In the rich tapestry of Buddhist lore, the Four Heavenly Kings are known as Dhṛtarāṣṭra (east), Virūḍhaka (south), Virūpākṣa (west), and Vaiśravaṇa (north). Epitomizing authority and auspice provide protection against resentful spirits and promote the Dharma among humans. But remember, their influence is not merely an earthly matter. They also safeguard the Trāyastriṃśa, the second heaven where the former humans reside after rebirth.

Delving a bit deeper, we find fascinating aspects about each king.

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the King of the East, boasts a profound ability to transform liabilities into assets.
• Virūḍhaka, the King of the South, has the potential to proliferate the virtuous traits within us.
• Virūpākṣa, the King of the West, keeps an ever-watchful eye on us, ensuring we do not stray from the righteous path.
• Vaiśravaṇa, the King of the North, proves as a bountiful sponsor of wealth and prosperity.

From improving our strengths to taming our weaknesses, these kings function as an ethereal task force to help humans achieve spiritual enlightenment.

Sources

1. Buswell, Robert Jr; Lopez, Donald S. Jr., eds. (2014). “Four Heavenly Kings”. Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. p. 315.
2. Ury, Marian. (1977). “Mañjuśrī Rides Again: Tales of the Holy Monks of Mt. Shigi”. The Journal of the Association of Teachers of Japanese. 12 (2): 103–128.
3. Malalasekera, G. P. (1937). “Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names”. Asian Educational Services. p. 720.
4. Hodge, Stephen (2003). The Mahā-Vairocana-Abhisaṃbodhi Tantra: With Buddhaguhya’s Commentary. RoutledgeCurzon.
   Matics, Marion L. (1977). “Entrance to the Dharmadhātu”. In Anthony Kennedy Warder (ed.).A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy.
5. Gathered from various Buddhist texts such as the Chinet Classics, Da zhidu lun, and Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, as well as academic scholars like Zürcher (2007) and Bingenheimer (2013).
6. Visible Mantra: https://www.visiblemantra.org/kings.html

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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“Buddhahood is our inheritance, and the only thing preventing us from claiming that inheritance is ourselves, our own limited view of our ourselves, our low self-esteem, our lack of confidence, our lack of imagination, our sense of inadequacy…”

Quote from Dyomo in a podcast on the meaning of the Parable of the Lost Son.

Editors Note: This is chapter 4 in our ongoing series on the Lotus Sutra, and the second of the seven parables found in the Lotus Sutra. This is the well known parable of the Vagabond Son (representing the aimless disciple) and the patient Father (the Buddha) who disguises himself so he can watch over his unambitious on without him knowing. The parable continues the theme from the Parable of the Burning House in Chapter 3 — found here, if you missed it — where Buddha demonstrates how skillful means are sometimes needed to guide students.

This chapter title synopsizes the gist of the content well: “Belief and Understanding.”

This is an ongoing series, publishing the beautiful English translations of the Lotus Sutra as guided by Venerable Master Hsuang Hua.

If you missed previous chapters, you’ll find them here:

• Chapter 1 of Lotus Sutra 12,000 Monks Gather>>
• Chapter 2 of Lotus Sutra Essence or Skillful Means>>
• Chapter 3 of Lotus Sutra, the Burning House>>

Quick Snapshot Synopsis

The Lotus Sutra is famous for its many parables and metaphors. Many of them are so well known that people just “know them” without realizing they represent a specific teaching in the Lotus Sutra. The story of the Vagabond Son and the caring father who uses skillful means to protect his wayward son is one of these.

• In this parable, the affluent father represents the Buddha.
• His wayward son is unambitious and has low self-esteem. He represents the unmotivated student of the Buddha with a limited understanding of Dharma. In the parable, the son becomes a vagabond rather than learning skills from his very successful father. He is so intimidated by his family’s mansion that he escapes becoming a wandering person doing odd jobs for people.
• The father, who loves and cares for his son, sends two of his retainers, dressed in shabby clothes, to recruit him as a “cleaner” in the mansion. (Since many years have passed and the family has moved, the son doesn’t realize the mansion is his father’s.) The son accepts, believing it is the perfect job for his skills.
• To meet his son, surreptitiously, the father disguises himself, and gently encourages his son to work hard and learn. For two more decades, the hard-working son toils, gradually proving himself to the father.
• Finally, when the father is about to pass away, the son learns the truth. All of the family treasure are passed on to the son.
• Like the father, Buddha teaches students of different capabilities in different ways. The job as a cleaner is a method to help purify the son’s karma. He has always had the heritage as a son, but he had to learn what this meant at his own pace, skillfully guided by the father (Buddha.) In Buddhism, “sons and daughters” of the Buddha doesn’t mean literal sons and daughters; these are his disciples.

尔时慧命须菩提、摩诃迦旃延、摩诃迦叶、摩诃目犍连，从佛所、
闻未曾有法，世尊授舍利弗阿耨多罗三藐三菩提记，发稀有心，欢
喜踊跃，即从座起，整衣服，偏袒右肩，右膝著地，一心合掌，屈
躬恭敬，瞻仰尊颜、而白佛言:

其父先来、求子不得，中止一城。

时贫穷子、游诸聚落，经历国邑，遂到其父所止之城。

即遣傍人，急追将还。尔时使者，疾走往捉。

时二使人即求穷子，既已得之，具陈上事。

尔时穷子先取其价，寻与除粪。其父见子，愍而怪之。

即脱璎珞、细软上服、严饰之具，更著粗敝垢腻之衣、尘土坌身，
右手执持除粪之器，状有所畏。语诸作人:“汝等勤作，勿得懈息
。”以方便故，得近其子。
后复告言:“咄、男子，汝常此作，勿复余去，当加汝价。

由是之故，于二十年中、常令除粪。

复经少时，父知子意，渐已通泰，成就大志，自鄙先心。

世尊以方便力、说如来智慧，我等从佛，得涅盘一日之价，以为大
得，于此大乘，无有志求。
我等又因如来智慧，为诸菩萨，开示演说，而自于此无有志愿。所
以者何。

佛知我等心乐小法，以方便力、随我等说，而我等不知真是佛子。

今我等方知世尊于佛智慧、无所吝惜。所以者何。

尔时摩诃迦叶欲重宣此义，而说偈言:

我等内灭，自谓为足，唯了此事，更无余事。

The Heart of the Mother of Seven Koṭi Buddhas

The Sūtra of the Great Cundī Dhāraṇī, the Heart of the Mother of Seven Million Buddhas, is a teaching from Shakyamuni Buddha that expresses the compassionate essence of the Wisdom Mother Cundi.

Cundī — pronounced “Chundee” —  also known as Cunda (Chundah) is none other than Wisdom and Compassion embodied. In a Drikung meditation manual, she is described this way:

“Cunda quickly ripens all spiritual powers;

She motivates Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to help living beings,

Induces beings to embark on the Buddhist Path, and

Inspires renouncers and solitary achievers to follow the Bodhisattva Way

Shakyamuni proclaimed that her mantras shake the Buddha-worlds,

Defeat all demons, and bestow many miraculous powers…

Through the recitation of her mantra,

All diseases are purified, and Buddhahood is quickly attained.

Even a tenth-level Bodhisattva does not surpass her in brilliance.

All worldly and spiritual perfections are attained through her mantra.” [1]

Shakyamuni Buddha taught the miraculous benefits of reciting the Cundi Dharaani and making offerings to the great Mother of Seven Million Buddhas.

Like all aspects of compassion, she can be considered also an emanation of Avalokiteshvara or Guanyin. She is sometimes called 18-Armed Guanyin Cundi.

Cundi Appearance: Four Arms and Eighteen

Like a the kind Bodhisattva mother, her face is serene and beautiful. She is visualized usually in two main forms, although there are others. She is of the colour of the autumn moon, and is four-armed. She shows the varada-mudrā in the right hand and holds the book on a lotus in the left. The two other hands hold the bowl. She can appear similar to the Mother Prajnaparamita, as they are both great Wisdom Mothers. You can always differentiate Chunda by her bowl or vase held in the two hands.

The four-armed form symbolizes the Four Immeasurables, iconic of a Great Wisdom Mother. These are: loving-kindness or benevolence, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity.

She also has a compassionate 18-armed form, where each hand holds implements representing her many skillful means. The many arms represent the eighteen merits of attaining Buddhahood, which is described in the appendix to the Cundi Dharani Sutra.

The less common forms are six, sixteen and twenty-six armed aspects. The many arms represent her skillful means, and her unlimited compassion, reaching out to benefit all sentient beings. There is also a less common three-faced 26-armed aspect, and others.

As with most compassionate aspects of Enlightenment, her offerings should always be vegetarian.

The Miraculous Benefits of Reciting the Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra

As a Sutra mantra the benefits are profound and the only transmission required is that of reading the Sutra — ideally out loud. Unlike lineage-based mantras, which benefit from the lineage blessings of a long line of enlightened teachers, Sutra mantras and Dharanis are direct from Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha.

The benefits of recitation and reliance on the Chundi Dharani and mantra is described in the Sutra, and include purification of all negative karma, healing of disease, bringing prosperity or well-being, auspicious rebirth, protection and more. What does this really mean? It means reciting and meditation is “good for you”, a mental “workout” and, like “exercise” for the body should be practiced daily for well-being.

From a lay person point of view, the benefits are expressed by Buddha in the Sutra:

“If there are good laymen and laywomen who keep reciting this Dharani, their homes will not be ravaged by catastrophes or diseases. Their work will be smooth and harmonious, and others will believe and accept what they say.”

Her mantra is short and easy to remember and pronounce. It is simply (c pronounced as “ch”):

oṃ cale cule cunde svāhā

Or, you can recite it as as the full Dharani with mantra, which includes her praise. If you recite the praise, it generally translates into English as: Homage to the Mother of Seven Million Buddhas, thus (or like this): followed by the mantra.

 As with all mantras, the benefits are multiplied the more often you recite, accumulating the virtue over time. In the Sutra Buddha explains the benefits of 100,000, or 200,000 or even 800,000 recitations. What do these staggering numbers mean? It is meant to express that the benefits of mantra and meditation are accumulative throughout a lifetime. Many people, for example, recite mantras while driving, farming, working, as well as when meditating, provided chanting the mantra does not diminish your attention to whatever you are doing.

The benefits of reciting the Cundi Dhāraṇī Sūtra are manifold. As always, with mantras and Dharanis, they are only effective is recited with Bodhichitta intention, or the intention to benefit all sentient beings.

Dharani and Mantra

This is a mantra chanted in Sanskrit, as transmitted by Shakyamuni Buddha. In transcription, various tranlators have standardized “cale cule cundi” since the “c” is now the standardized transliteration of the Sanskrit. The sound of the “c” is more like “ch” as in “champion.”

The actual mantra begins after the Tadyata, which just means “thus” or “thus it is”: om cale culi cundi svaha. Prior to the mantra, is an introductory praise. Many people chant the prise once, then the mantra for many repetitions, usually 7, 21, 27, 108 or 1008 times or more. Other practitioners recite the entire praise and mantra together, over and over as a full Dharani praise. The full Dharani with mantra is:

namaḥ saptānāṁ samyak-saṁbuddha koṭīnāṁ | tad-yathā oṁ cale cule cundi svāhā

Mantra begins after Tadyatha (Thus)

oṁ cale cule cundi svāhā

C is phonethically pronounced (ch):

Om chale chule chundi svaha

The Sutra is recited in abbreviated form below, without the appendices and special instructions for specific remedies and dream interpretations. (For specific remedies see the full Sutra with appendices.)

Buddha Pronounces the Sutra of the Great Cundi Dharani
The Heart of the Mother of Seven Koti Buddhas

Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty and then into English
by The Tripitaka Master Divakara

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the Anathapindika Garden of Jetavana Park in the city kingdom of Sravasti. The World-Honored One meditated, observing sentient beings of the future. Feeling sympathy with them, He expounded the Dharma of the Cundi Dharani, the heart of the mother of seven million Buddhas. The Buddha then pronounced the Mantra:

namah saptanam samyak-sambuddha kotinam tadyatha

om cale cule cundi svaha

He said, “If, among bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas, there are those who uphold this Dharani and recite it 800,000 times in total, their sins such as the five rebellious acts, accumulated over innumerable kalpas, will all be expunged.

They will be reborn at places where they will meet Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They will be able to observe the pure Bodhisattva precepts completely.

They will be reborn either in the human world or in heaven, having ended forever the evil life-journeys.

They will always be protected by gods.

If there are good laymen and laywomen who keep reciting this Dharani, their homes will not be ravaged by catastrophes or diseases. Their work will be smooth and harmonious, and others will believe and accept what they say.

If one has recited this Dharani Mantra 100,000 times in total, one will see in one’s dreams Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, or Pratyekabuddhas.

For graver sins, one should recite the Mantra 200,000 times in total. Then one will also see in one’s dreams Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as well as oneself vomit black things. If one is unable to get such good dreams because of having committed any of the five rebellious acts, one should further recite the Mantra 700,000 times in total. Then one should have these good dreams.

Next, I will now explain the formal practice procedure for using this great Dharani. In front of a Buddha’s image or a pagoda, according to your ability, decorate it with offerings of flowers, incense, banners, canopies, food, drink, lamps, and candles. To mark the boundary, recite the Mantra to perfumed water in a vessel and sprinkle it in all four directions, also up and down.

Recite the Mantra as you travel. Then you should be free from fear of bandits and ferocious animals.

Keep reciting this Mantra to help you win any disputes or lawsuits. In crossing a river or an ocean, continuous recitation of the Mantra will keep you safe.

For a person who is in shackles or in prison, if he keeps reciting the Mantra, he will be freed.

Recite the Mantra 600,000 times and you will then see Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Tara Bodhisattva, or Vajrapani Bodhisattva. Any one of them can fulfill your wishes, give you divine medicine, or bestow upon you the prophecy of future enlightenment.

“Another dharma is to circumambulate the picture of the bodhi tree to the right as you recite the Mantra ten million times in total. You should then have a vision of a Bodhisattva teaching you the Dharma, and you may choose to follow him if you want to.

Moreover, this Great Cundi Dharani, the great illumination mantra, has been pronounced by all Buddhas of the past, will be pronounced by all Buddhas of the future, and is pronounced by all Buddhas of the present. I too now pronounce it for the benefit of all sentient beings, helping them to attain the unsurpassed bodhi.

There are sentient beings with a meager stock of merits, without roots of goodness, without the right capacity, and without the enlightenment factors. If they are so fortunate as to hear the Dharma of this Cundi Dharani, they will quickly attain realizations. If a person always remembers to recite this Mantra diligently, he will develop immeasurable roots of goodness.

As the Buddha was expounding this Dharma of the Great Cundi Dharani, innumerable sentient beings erased their emotional defilements and gained the virtue of the Great Cundi Dharani, the great illuminating mantra. They were able to see Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other holy beings in the ten directions. The listeners made obeisance to the Buddha and departed.

Here ends the recitation of the abreviated Great Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra. May all beings benefit.

NOTES

[1] Buddhist Goddesses of India, Miranda Shaw, Chapter 14, Cunda Saving Grace page 265. Princeton University Press

[2] Cundi Mantra translation discussion Dharma Wheel: https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=28603

What are The Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas and why are they so revered in Mahayana?

“One of the most famous native Tibetan texts on mind training, this classic by Tokme Zangpo summarises the teachings of Śāntideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra and other sources, in order to present the path of the bodhisattva in just thirty-seven four-line verses.” – Lotsawa House

The verses were composed by the great Gyalse Tokme Zangpo (born 1295), a pivotal teacher, abott and prolific writer in Buddhist philosophy. Perhaps his best known work of his 115 published works was the  “Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas” in a lyrical, chant-able style that encapsulates a complete Bodhisattva path. Its lyrical verses are structured in a systematic manner to remind us of the 37 aspects of the Bodhisattva path to Enlightenment. It is both a teaching and daily reminder of the conduct and practices of Bodhsiattvas.

In modern verse, as published by the Garchen Institute, it is even more lyrical in English, chantable with a tuen, with each verse punctuated with the line “What Bodhisattvas Do.”

This chant is both a how-to practice and a reminder, with the ultimate intent of benefiting all sentient beings.

“The Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas is a profound and comprehensive exposition of the path of the Bodhisattvas, offered in a form suitable for both meditation and study. It serves as an effective daily practice and an encapsulation of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition.” – Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

Garchen Rinpoche teaching on the 37 Practices:

The significance of this teaching, however, goes beyond its immersive verses. By reciting and studying this chant, one sets the Bodhichitta intention, the aspiration to become Enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is also reinforcing the attitudes and practices of altruism, metta, and compassion, essential virtues espoused by the Bodhisattvas.

A Quintessential Guide to the Bodhisattva Path

the BodThe Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas is a quintessential guide to understanding and following the Bodhisattva path. Summarizing core Mahayana teachings, this text outlines the practices conducive to attaining enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings (Bhattacharya, K., 2007).

With this in mind, see this practice as more than a mere chant. Look at it as a spiritual blueprint that guides you toward compassion, wisdom, and ultimate enlightenment, contributing to a better understanding and practice of the Mahayana tradition.

1. Bhattacharya, K., 2007. The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, 24(5), pp.853-867.

The Dalai Lama Video: Teaching on 37 Practices:

Version 1: In verse form

As published by Garchen Institute

What Bodhisattvas Do

Although seeing all dharmas neither come nor go

To help wandering beings sole effort you show.

To the supreme Guru and savior Chenrezi,
With respectful three doors I prostrate constantly.

The perfect Buddhas, source of help and happiness,

Are born when sublime dharma has been accomplished.

And since that depends upon knowing what to do
The bodhisattvas’ practice, I’ll explain to you.

1. When the rare ship of freedom and riches is won,

For us and others to cross samsara’s ocean
Without any neglect both the day and night through

To hear, think, and train is what bodhisattvas do.

2. To our close kith and kin, like water passion sways.

To our distant enemies, like fire hatreds blaze.

Forgetting discernment, dark ignorance ensues.
To cast off homelands is what bodhisattvas do.

3. Afflictions slowly fade when bad places are shunned.

Virtue easily grows where there’s no distraction.
With a clear mind trust in the dharma is produced.
To stay secluded is what bodhisattvas do.

4. From each and every dear companion we will part.
We will leave possessions for which we’ve strived so hard.

The body’s guest house the guest, consciousness, will lose.

To renounce this life is what bodhisattvas do.

5. When with certain people, the three poisons increase.

Hearing, thinking, and training decline and grow weak.

Love and compassion become completely removed.
To give up bad friends is what bodhisattvas do.

6. When attending special people, faults are consumed.

Qualities increase like the waxing of the moon.
To cherish sublime teachers with greater value,
Than our own body is what bodhisattvas do.

7. Within samsara’s dungeons they themselves are chained.

So, who do worldly gods have the power to save?
Thus, in the three jewels’ undeceiving refuge
To go for shelter is what bodhisattvas do.

8. The most hard to bear are lower realms’ sufferings.

Shakyamuni taught they are the fruit of bad deeds.

Therefore, even at the cost of our lives, to choose
To never do wrong is what bodhisattvas do.

9. The pleasures of the three realms are like dew on grass.

They fall to peril in a momentary flash.
For the unchanging state of freedom absolute,
To seek and to strive is what bodhisattvas do.

10. Since beginningless time, us they have had love for.

What good is happiness, when our mothers suffer?
To free infinite beings by giving birth to
The enlightened mind is what bodhisattvas do.

11. From desire for pleasure all suffering springs forth.

From thoughts to help others complete Buddhas are born.

To take others’ pain as we fully substitute
Our own happiness is what bodhisattvas do.

12. Even if those by force of greedy obsession,

Steal or have stolen all our wealth and possessions,

To offer them our bodies, wealth, and all virtues

Within the three times is what bodhisattvas do.

13. Even without having done the slightest of faults
If people come along and cut our heads right off,

Through compassion’s power, to take their non-virtues

All upon ourselves is what bodhisattvas do.

14. Even if about us people speak vicious words
And proclaim them across the entire universe,
With a pure heart of love to express through and through

All their qualities is what bodhisattvas do.

15. At gatherings of masses, even if people

Expose all our hidden faults and call us evil,

Recognizing them as our teachers of virtue, T

o bow with respect is what bodhisattvas do.

16. Even if those for whom we have cared like our child

Look upon us as if we are their arch rivals,
Like a mother for her children stricken with flu,
To love them still more is what bodhisattvas do.

7. Even if equal or inferior beings,
Under power of pride degrade us and demean,

To show respect for them as we would our Guru

Received on our crowns is what bodhisattvas do.

18. Destitute and by people forever despised,

Stricken by grave illness and demons in our lives, Still, the sin and pain of all beings to assume

With courageous hearts is what bodhisattvas do.

19. Although famous and revered by many beings,

With a great fortune like the god of wealth achieved,

To see that grandeurs of existence have no truth,

And not be haughty is what bodhisattvas do.

20. If our enemy of hatred has not been tamed,

Outer foes may be vanquished, yet still escalate.

With armies of love and compassion to subdue

Our own stream of mind is what bodhisattvas do.

21. Salty water and sense pleasures are much the same.

However much enjoyed, thirsts grow and never fade.

All things by which longing and desire are produced

To cast off at once is what bodhisattvas do.

22. Whatever the appearance, it is our own mind.

Mind’s nature transcends concepts since primeval time.

Attributes of something grasped and one grasping to

Not to form in mind is what bodhisattvas do.

23. When meeting with objects so lovely to the mind,

Just like rainbows that appear in the summertime

Beautiful things appear, yet see they have no truth.

To give up desire is what bodhisattvas do.

24. All agonies are like our child’s death in a dream.

Holding illusions as real, we grow most weary.

When situations of adversity ensue,
To see illusion is what bodhisattvas do.

25. We must give even our lives for enlightenment.

Do outer objects really need to be mentioned?

With no hope for reward or karma to bear fruit

To be generous is what bodhisattvas do.

26. If without discipline our own goal is not reached,

Quite laughable a wish to help others would seem.

Without having any mundane intent pursued
To guard discipline is what bodhisattvas do.

27. For bodhisattvas who wish for virtue’s pleasure,

All doers of harm are like a precious treasure.

Towards all without having hostile attitudes
To practice patience is what bodhisattvas do.

28. Hearers and self-made Buddhas work just for themselves.

Yet, strive like it’s a fire on their heads that they quell.
To rouse diligence, the source of fine attributes,
For all beings’ sake is what bodhisattvas do.

29. Understanding through insight while resting calmly

Our afflictions are brought to their entire defeat,
To practice concentration that transcends in truth
The four formless realms is what bodhisattvas do.

30. Our complete enlightenment can not be achieved,

Through the first five perfections, with wisdom lacking.

To practice wisdom with method and no thought to

Three separate spheres is what bodhisattvas do.

31. When our very mistakes we fail to comprehend,

Though seeming like dharma, we may do wrong actions.

With our mistakes constantly inquired into
To abandon them is what bodhisattvas do.

32. If under power of afflictions, we discuss
Other bodhisattva’s faults we become corrupt.
To speak not of the faults of those who’ve gone into

The great vehicle is what bodhisattvas do.

33. Seeking gain and respect will lead to quarreling.

Hearing, thinking, and training decline and grow weak.

To give up clinging to the households of those who

Are kin and patrons is what bodhisattvas do.

34. Harsh words create disturbances in others’ minds,

And lead the bodhisattva’s conduct to decline.
To give up the harsh words which are unpleasant to

The minds of others is what bodhisattvas do.

35. When afflictions are habits, they’re hard to turn back.

So with the sword-like cure of mindfulness in grasp,
As soon as afflictions like desire are produced,
To strike them right down is what bodhisattvas do.

36. In short, in all activities we undertake,
We must ask, “How is my mind in this present state?”

Fulfilling the goal of others through continued

Mindful awareness is what bodhisattvas do.

37. To dispel sufferings of infinite beings,

Understanding the three spheres’ complete purity,

To dedicate such earnestly attained virtue
For enlightenment is what bodhisattvas do.

Adhering to the teachings of the sublime ones,

Meanings of sutras, tantras, and explanations,
I wrote for those wishing to follow the path through,

These thirty-seven things that bodhisattvas do.

Since I have a poor mind and my learning is weak,

Scholars will not be pleased by this poetry.
Yet since I drew from sutras and sublime teachings,

These practices are without mistakes, I believe.

Still bodhisattvas’ actions are waves of greatness,
And it’s hard for my poor mind to fathom their depths.

For faults, errors, contradictions, and all the rest
O’ sublime ones have patience, I humbly request!

May all beings, by virtue arising from this, Through bodhichitta relative and ultimate, Dwelling not in extremes of existence or peace, Become the same as our protector Chenrezi.

For the sake of benefiting himself and others, the scripture and logic expounding monk, Thogme (1295-1369), composed this in the Ngülchu Rinchen Cave.

Version 2:

The Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas

by Gyalse Tokme Zangpo

Namo Lokeśvarāya!

You see that all things are beyond coming and going,
Yet still you strive solely for the sake of living beings—
To you, my precious guru inseparable from Lord Avalokita,
I offer perpetual homage, respectfully, with body, speech and mind.

The perfect buddhas, who are the source of all benefit and joy,
Come into being through accomplishing the sacred Dharma.
And since this in turn depends on knowing how to practise,
I shall now describe the practices of all the buddhas’ heirs.

1. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to study, reflect and meditate,
Tirelessly, both day and night, without ever straying into idleness,
In order to free oneself and others from this ocean of saṃsāra,
Having gained this supreme vessel—a free, well-favoured human life, so difficult to find.

2. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to leave behind one’s homeland,
Where our attachment to family and friends overwhelms us like a torrent,
While our aversion towards enemies rages inside us like a blazing fire,
And delusion’s darkness obscures what must be adopted and abandoned.

3. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to take to solitary places,
Avoiding the unwholesome, so that destructive emotions gradually fade away,
And, in the absence of distraction, virtuous practice naturally gains strength;
Whilst, with awareness clearly focused, we gain conviction in the teachings.

4. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to renounce this life’s concerns,
For friends and relatives, long acquainted, must all go their separate ways;
Wealth and prized possessions, painstakingly acquired, must all be left behind;
And consciousness, the guest who lodges in the body, must in time depart.

5. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to avoid destructive friends,
In whose company the three poisons of the mind grow stronger,
And we engage less and less in study, reflection and meditation,
So that love and compassion fade away until they are no more.

6. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cherish spiritual friends,
By regarding them as even more precious than one’s own body,
Since they are the ones who will help to rid us of all our faults,
And make our virtues grow ever greater just like the waxing moon.

7. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to take refuge in the Three Jewels,
Since they will never fail to provide protection for all who call upon them,
For whom are the ordinary gods of this world ever capable of helping,
As long as they themselves are trapped within saṃsāra’s vicious cycle?

8. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is never to commit a harmful act,
Even though not to do so might put one’s very life at risk,
For the Sage himself has taught how negative actions will ripen
Into the manifold miseries of the lower realms, so difficult to endure.

9. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to strive towards the goal,
Which is the supreme state of changeless, everlasting liberation,
Since all the happiness of the three realms lasts but a moment,
And then is quickly gone, just like dewdrops on blades of grass.

10. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to arouse bodhicitta,
So as to bring freedom to all sentient beings, infinite in number.
For how can true happiness ever be found while our mothers,
Who have cared for us throughout the ages, endure such pain?

11. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to make a genuine exchange
Of one’s own happiness and wellbeing for all the sufferings of others.
Since all misery comes from seeking happiness for oneself alone,
Whilst perfect buddhahood is born from the wish for others’ good.

12. Even if others, in the grips of great desire, should steal,
Or encourage others to take away, all the wealth that I possess,
To dedicate to them entirely my body, possessions and all my merits
From the past, present and future— this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

13. Even if others should seek to cut off my head,
Though I’ve done them not the slightest wrong,
To take upon myself, out of compassion,
All the harms they have amassed—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

14. Even if others should declare before the world
All manner of unpleasant things about me,
To speak only of their qualities in return,
With a mind that’s filled with love—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

15. Even if others should expose my hidden faults or deride me
When speaking amidst great gatherings of many people,
To conceive of them as spiritual friends and to bow
Before them in respect—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

16. Even if others whom I have cared for like children of my own
Should turn upon me and treat me as an enemy,
To regard them only with special fondness and affection,
As a mother would her ailing child—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

17. Even if others, equal or inferior to me in status,
Should, out of arrogance, disparage me,
To honour them, as I would my teacher,
By bowing down my head before them—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

18. Even though I may be destitute and despised by all,
Beset with terrible illness and plagued by evil spirits,
Still to take upon myself all beings’ ills and harmful actions,
Without ever losing heart—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

19. Even though I may be famous and revered by all,
And as rich as Vaiśravaṇa, the god of wealth himself,
To see the futility of all the glory and riches of this world
And to remain without conceit—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

20. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to subdue the mind
With the forces of loving kindness and compassion.
For unless the real adversary—my own anger—is defeated,
Outer enemies, though I may conquer them, will continue to appear.

21. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to turn away immediately
From those things which bring desire and attachment.
For the pleasures of the senses are just like salty water:
The more we taste of them, the more our thirst increases.

22. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is never to entertain concepts,
Which revolve around dualistic notions of perceiver and perceived,
In the knowledge that all these appearances are but the mind itself,
Whilst mind’s own nature is forever beyond the limitations of ideas.

23. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to let go of grasping
When encountering things one finds pleasant or attractive,
Considering them to be like rainbows in the summer skies—
Beautiful in appearance, yet in truth devoid of any substance.

24. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to recognize delusion
Whenever one is confronted by adversity or misfortune.
For these sufferings are just like the death of a child in a dream,
And it’s so exhausting to cling to delusory perceptions as real.

25. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to give out of generosity,
With no hopes of karmic recompense or expectation of reward.
For if those who seek awakening must give even their own bodies,
What need is there to mention mere outer objects and possessions?

26. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to observe ethical restraint,
Without the slightest intention of continuing in saṃsāric existence.
For lacking discipline one will never secure even one’s own wellbeing,
And so any thought of bringing benefit to others would be absurd.

27. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cultivate patience,
Free from any trace of animosity towards anyone at all,
Since any potential source of harm is like a priceless treasure
To the bodhisattva who is eager to enjoy a wealth of virtue.

28. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to strive with enthusiastic diligence—
The source of all good qualities—when working for the sake of all who live;
Seeing that even śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, who labour for themselves alone,
Exert themselves as if urgently trying to extinguish fires upon their heads.

29. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cultivate concentration,
Which utterly transcends the four formless absorptions,
In the knowledge that mental afflictions are overcome entirely
Through penetrating insight suffused with stable calm.

30. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to cultivate wisdom,
Beyond the three conceptual spheres, alongside skilful means,
Since it is not possible to attain the perfect level of awakening
Through the other five pāramitās alone, in wisdom’s absence.

31. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to scrutinize oneself
Continually and to rid oneself of faults whenever they appear.
For unless one checks carefully to find one’s own confusion,
One might appear to be practising Dharma, but act against it.

32. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is never to speak ill
Of others who have embarked upon the greater vehicle,
For if, under the influence of destructive emotions,
I speak of other bodhisattvas’ failings, it is I who am at fault.

33. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to let go of attachment
To the households of benefactors and of family and friends,
Since one’s study, reflection and meditation will all diminish
When one quarrels and competes for honours and rewards.

34. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to avoid harsh words,
Which others might find unpleasant or distasteful,
Since abusive language upsets the minds of others,
And thereby undermines a bodhisattva’s conduct.

35. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to slay attachment
And the rest—mind’s afflictions—at once, the very moment they arise,
Taking as weapons the remedies held with mindfulness and vigilance.
For once the kleshas have become familiar, they’ll be harder to avert.

36. In short, no matter what one might be doing,
By examining always the status of one’s mind,
With continuous mindfulness and alertness,
To bring about the good of others—this is the practice of all the bodhisattvas.

37. The practice of all the bodhisattvas is to dedicate towards enlightenment
All the virtue to be gained through making effort in these ways,
With wisdom that is purified entirely of the three conceptual spheres,
So as to dispel the sufferings of the infinity of beings.

Here I have set down for those who wish to follow the bodhisattva path,
Thirty-seven practices to be adopted by all the buddhas’ heirs,
Based on what is taught in the sūtras, tantras and treatises,
And following the instructions of the great masters of the past.

Since my intellect is only feeble and I have studied but a little,
This is not a composition likely to delight the connoisseurs,
Yet since I’ve relied upon the sūtras and what the saints have taught
I feel these are indeed the genuine trainings of the buddhas’ heirs.

Still, the tremendous waves of activity of the bodhisattvas
Are difficult for simple-minded folk like me to comprehend,
And I must therefore beg the indulgence of all the perfect saints
For any contradictions, irrelevancies or other flaws this may contain.

Through whatever merit has here been gained, may all beings
Generate sublime bodhicitta, both relative and absolute,
And through this, come to equal Lord Avalokiteśvara,
Transcending the extremes of existence and quiescence.

This was composed in Jewel Cave (Rinchen Puk) in Ngulchu by the monk Tokme, a teacher of scripture and reasoning, for his own and others’ benefit.

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2006.

NOTES

[1] Lotsawa House

From “ringing the bell 108 times” as a ceremony, to great festivals of light and offerings, Lunar New Year marks the special day for the “Buddha to Come” Maitreya. On this day, we celebrate with loving-kindness and generosity — to honor his name, which translates as “loving kindness” (Maitri). He is so loving and kind, he is often just called “loving gentle friend.”

Especially important on His day is offerings, charity, supporting friends and Sangha and helping others with loving-kindness. Acts of loving-kindness are praising Maitreya, our kind Noble Friend.

Maitreya is foretold in Samyutta Nikaya’s Maitreyavimāna Sutta (Samyutta Nikāya 36.21). Mention of Maitreya is made numerous times throughout the Mahayana Sutras such as the Heart Sutra and Surangama Sutra, often reaffirming that Maitreya will be a Buddha who follows after Gautama Buddha. An entire chapter of the Lotus Sutra is dedicated to Maitreya.

In Mahayana traditions we celebrate Maitreya Day on lunar new year — this year February 10, 2024. This corresponds also with Losar in Tibetan tradition and Chinese New Year. There are many reasons to celebrate. In Tibetan tradition, we celebrate the 15 Days of Shakyamuni Buddha’s miracles, starting February 10 and going to the 24th — considered Holy Buddha Days with extra merit for practices and offerings. In Mahayana tradition, New Years marks Maitreya Day. For many of us, we celebrate both. This is a celebration of the Buddha who came, Shakyamuni Buddha, and the Buddha who is to come, Maitreya.

Who is Maitreya Buddha: The Future Buddha and His Teachings

Maitreya Buddha, also known as the Future Buddha, is a significant figure in the teachings (For a full feature on Maitreya, see>>). He is the Bodhisattva who embodies loving-kindness — the meaning of his name — and will appear on Earth in the future, demonstrate enlightenment, and teach the pure Dharma. We say “demonstrate enlilghtenment” in the same way as we traditionally think of Gautama Buddha. Gautama was a Bodhisattva, born to Earth, already Enlightened, but who demonstrated the way to Enlightenment for our benefit. In the same way, Maitreya, an Enlightened Bodhisattva, will also be born again on Earth — in the time of greatest degeneration — to bring about a period of great peace and understanding in the world, marking a new beginning.

• Learn more about Maitreya and his mantras and practices>>

Maitreya Buddha’s name is derived from the Sanskrit word “maitri”, which means friendship and kindness. Even though every Bodhisaattva embodies compassion, wisdom and metta, he is synonymous with them. His future teachings will likewise orbit around the cultivation of such qualities, promoting love, compassion, and understanding among people. Buddhists worldwide anticipate his arrival as it signifies a time of unbridled love, joy, and universal peace ^source.

In most Buddhist traditions, Maitreya Buddha is depicted as sitting with both of his feet on the ground, representing readiness and his imminent journey to Earth. This portrayal signifies his promise to appear at a time when Dharma will be forgotten, reminding us of the importance of maintaining our practice and upholding the teachings of Buddha.

So, as we prepare to celebrate Maitreya Buddha Day, remember that it is an opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to embodying the values of love, compassion, and kindness that Maitreya Buddha represents. His best offerings are generous offerings, helping others, kindness, love, and following the precepts.

By carrying these values in your daily activities, you are essentially embodying the teachings of the Future Buddha, thereby contributing to the manifestation of a more loving and peaceful world.

Starting the Lunar New Year with Maitreya Buddha Day: What Does it Mean?

To begin the Lunar New Year with Maitreya Buddha Day is symbolic of “new” — remembering he will be the future Buddha — and it signals our practice commitment to a year of loving kindness, wisdom and compassion. It is meant to embody a renewal of self and spirit, mirroring the renewal phase of the moon, and marking the start of the Lunar New Year.

• For more on Lunar Dates in Dharma practice, and the dates for 2024, see>>

Starting the year with Maitreya Buddha Day signifies a distinct departure from the past and a heartfelt intention to embrace the enlightened future that Maitreya Buddha signifies. Imagine it as stepping into a new chapter equipped with peace, compassion, and wisdom, three fundamental virtues embodied by this effervescent Buddha of the future.

Sharing in this celebration gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself in the teachings of Maitreya Buddha and align with his core message. The wisdom of Maitreya Buddha is aimed at unconditional love and the end of suffering through the attainment of enlightenment. Remember, this occasion isn’t just a day, it’s a platform to build a more loving and mindful year ahead. Starting your year this way can set a positive tone and orient your actions towards those of compassion and understanding.

Now, as you anticipate this spiritual event, you might be wondering how you can make the most of it. Well, the good news is, you’re already off to a promising start by understanding its significance. As we delve into the practices and techniques to celebrate Maitreya Buddha Day in detail, you’ll discover practical and meaningful ways to bring the essence of this celebration into your everyday life, even after the Lunar New Year has passed.

Traditional Practices to Welcome the Lunar New Year with Maitreya Buddha Day

Embracing Maitreya Buddha Day involves hearty observance of various traditional practices that not only pay homage to the Maitreya Buddha but also help to start the Lunar New Year on a positive note. These generosity-oriented practices are rooted in mindfulness, goodwill, and compassion—core principles associated with the teachings of Maitreya Buddha.

One such traditional practice is the recital of the Sutras mentioning Maitreya. This recitation is not only to invoke the blessings of Maitreya Buddha, and that he may guide us through wisdom and compassion in times of difficulty, but to generate wisdom and merit through sutra recitation.

Another form of veneration on this special day involves the distribution of food and other essentials to the poor, donating to Dharma causes and the Sangha, supporting any Noble Dharma activity, or any other charitable activities. The merit of this giving is multipled millions of times on Maitreya and Buddha Days, according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, based on the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.

Maitreya is synonymous with love and we show this with our generosity. This selfless aid to those less fortunate resonates with Maitreya Buddha’s teachings of loving-kindness and generosity, encouraging each one of us to broaden our compassion and kindness towards all beings.

Traditionally, we welcome the shining light of Maitreya with candles and light, as much as possible. This is one reason, on New Year, you see fireworks, butterlamp offerings by the thousands and lanterns floating down the river, or across the sky.

How to reach Maitreya today

Although he will come as the “future” manifested Buddha in our world, according to the prophecies of Shakyamuni Buddha, he is “reachable” now through meditation, prayer, mantras and practice. Although he resides in Tushita Heaven — he is active as a compassionate Bodhisattva. Simply call his name, meditate on his form, chant his mantra, and his compassionate power will reach you.

His simplest prayer is to chant:

Come, Maitreya, Come!

Maitreya’s mantra

His seed syllable is maim.

Mai

His mantra, with Tibetan and Siddham characters — from VisibleMantra.org — is:

oṃ mai tri ma hā mai tri mai tri ye svā hā

oṃ maitri mahāmaitri maitriye svāhā

Especially profound is the Mantra of Maitreya Buddha’s Promise.

The Mantra of Maitreya Buddha’s Promise

(Arya-Maitrina-pratijna-nama-dharani)

The root mantra

NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA

Homage to the Three Jewels

NAMO BHAGAVATE SHAKYAMUNIYE TATHAGATAYA ARHATE SAMYAK SAM BUDDHAYA

Homage to the Lord Shakyamuni, Tathagata, Arhat, Completely Perfect Buddha

TADYATHA: OM AJITE AJITE APARAJITE

As follows: Om Invincible, Invincible, Unconquered

AJITAN CHAYA HARA HARA

Conquer the Unconquered, take, take [it]

MAITRI AVALOKITE KARA KARA

You Who Look Down with Friendliness, act, act

MAHA SAMAYA SIDDHI BHARA BHARA

Bring, bring the fulfillment of your great pledge

MAHA BODHI MÄNDA VIJA

Shake the seat of great awakening

MARA MARA ATMAKAM SAMAYA

Remember, remember [your] pledge for us

BODHI BODHI MAHA BODHI SVAHA

Awakening, awakening, great awakening, svaha

The heart mantra

OM MOHI MOHI MAHA MOHI SVAHA

Om fascinating, fascinating, greatly fascinating, svaha

The close heart mantra

OM MUNI MUNI MARA SVAHA

Om sage, sage, remember, svaha

 

The first moon of the New Year (Lunar)  is Chotrul Cuchen (Chunga Choepa)  the Day celebrating Buddha’s Miracles — often celebrated with a butter lamp festival. The festival of Buddha’s fifteen miracles actually begins on Losar (New Year), this year on  February 10, 2024. For 15 consecutive days, the faithful celebrate the 15 days of miracles. This culminates in the final day of Miracles, simply called the Day of Miracles, this year on February 24.

It is said by teachers of Vajrayana lineage, that these are “multiplying” days — where all merits and all negative acts are magnified “millions” of times. Millions is usually translated as “many.”

The Miracles of Buddha culminate on the “Day of Miracles” — the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year — this year February 24, 2024— a very special day in Buddhism, often celebrated with events and pujas. This is the well-known Butter Lamp Festival, or Chotrul Duchen.

ཆོས་འཕྲུལ་དུས་ཆེན་

KARMA MULTIPLIED!

“Karmic results are multiplied one hundred million times, as cited by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, from the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic. Days 1–15 of Month 1: Lord Buddha performed many miracles; the 15th is Day of Miracles.”

[Cited from FPMT Liberation Tibetan Calendar 2022.]

Butter Lamp Festival Chotrul Duchen

To commemorate the fifteenth day, known as the Day of Miracles, Tibetan Buddhists make lamps, traditionally of yak butter, called butter lamps, shaped like flowers, trees, birds, and other auspicious symbols. The truly devoted will arrange elaborate butter lamps — or candles — in their homes and in public spaces. For public events, the light displays can be as large as a small building.  All the lanterns are lit in celebration on the fifteenth day of the month. For most Buddhists, it’s certainly considered auspicious to offer a light offering to Shakyamuni Buddha on this Holy Day.

• For part 1 of this story, see>>

Buddha’s “Reluctant Miracles”

Buddha, in his life, performed many more “reluctant miracles.” In this second feature in our new series: “Miracles of Buddha” we cite the actual story of the 15 miracles, performed on 15 consecutive days by the Buddha. Even though Buddha often reprimanded his monks if they displayed supra-mundane powers, Buddha sometimes resorted to displays of power to prove a point, or to instill faith.

For instance, rather than “walking on water” he levitated over the water to convert a brahmin from his erroneous ways. He displayed powers over nature. He tamed a raging elephant. He purified a village of pestilence simply by virtue of his visit. [For this story, see, the Buddha Weekly feature “Miracles of Buddha: Ratana Sutta: Buddha purifies pestilence>>]

Some of the well-known miracles from the 15 days are:

Miracle 1 — Toothpick grows into a marvelous tree

Miracle 2 — Jewel mountain

Miracle 3 — Buddha creates a great lake

Miracle 4 — The pool and eight streams

Miracle 5 — Golden light purifies the world

Miracle 6 — Buddha reveals everyone’s thoughts

Miracle 7 — Blessings of the chakravartins

Miracle 8 — Miracle of Vajrapani’s fire  [see our previous coverage on Varapani>>]

See the full stories of these 15 Miracles below.

[Full story of Buddha at Shravasti below.]

The Miraculous Deeds of Buddha Shakyamuni at Shravasti

At one time, Buddha was staying with hundreds of fully ordained monks in the Bamboo Grove outside of Rajagriha. The ruler of that country, King Bimbisara, was one of Buddha’s greatest patrons. In loyalty and respect for Buddha and his monks, the King led many of his subjects to the practice of the teaching.

Six heretical teachers were also staying there at that time, and their deceptive teachings were the cause of many unskillful actions. King Bimbisara’s younger brother followed these teachers and made great offerings to them, thinking that they taught the path to liberation. As a result he became defiled by error, so that even though Buddha was showing the glories of enlightenment, he did not see it.

King Bimbisara persuaded his brother to give up his erroneous ideas but his brother replied, “I have my own teacher. Why should I listen to Buddha?” Nevertheless, feeling that he should respect King Bimbisara’s feelings, the brother decided to give a feast, offering food and gifts to all who came. The six teachers came and sat in the highest seats. When Buddha and his disciples arrived, they walked toward the few remaining seats, but before they could reach them, the six teachers found themselves getting up from the highest seats and taking the lower. They tried three times to take the higher seats, but each time found themselves in the lower. Finally, feeling ashamed, they remained there. Before the food was served, water was brought to the guests so that they could wash their hands. As Buddha was in the highest seat, his host offered the water to him first, but he said, “Offer it first to your teachers.” The water was then offered to them, but when the vessel was tipped, nothing flowed into their hands. The host tried again and again, but still the water would not flow. He then offered it again to Buddha. The water flowed freely to Buddha, and after that to everyone.

Before they ate, the host asked Buddha to bless the food. He deferred again to the six teachers, saying, “Request the blessing from your own teachers.”
But when the six teachers tried to pray, they were unable to utter a word and gestured that Buddha should say the blessing. Buddha did so with a clear, beautiful voice, and the food was offered first to him, but he said once more, “Offer it first to your teachers.” The food was then offered to them, but everything they tried to take flew into the air. After food was taken by Buddha, everything came down into their hands.

After the meal, the host made the customary request to Buddha for teaching. Buddha again deferred to the six, saying, “Have your teachers speak of their doctrines.” Again the six teachers, unable to speak a word, could only motion for Buddha to speak. He spoke in a beautiful voice and each listener heard what fitted his own needs. Everyone’s understanding increased greatly. Even King Bimbisara’s knowledge grew from high to higher.

Many attained the first to the third stages of liberation; others expanded their bodhi-mind, and some attained the supreme bodhi-mind. A great number of people attained the stage of non-returning, and others, attaining what they prayed for, developed great faith in the Three Jewels. From then on, the people of Rajagriha followed the Buddha.

The six teachers went away, angry at having lost their followers. They asked Mara’s demons to help curtail the Buddha’s activities. The demons manifested as the six teachers and went to the marketplace to perform various miraculous deeds – shooting water, flames and lights of many colours from their bodies. People marvelled at these deeds and became their followers. To them the demons proclaimed,” Through the wickedness of Gautama we have fallen into misfortune. All the kings, Brahmins, and great patrons who used to worship us and bring us offerings now no longer respect us. Now these people are running after Gautama, giving him everything they used to give us. We challenge Gautama –for every one of his miracles we will do two; if he does sixteen, we will do thirty-two. People shall see for themselves who is more powerful.”

The six teachers went to King Bimbisara and asked him to deliver their challenge to Buddha. The King laughed at their arrogance. “You are foolish. Your miraculous deeds cannot begin to compare to those of Buddha’s. Your challenge is like the light of a firefly compared with sunlight, like the water in an ox’s hoof print compared with the ocean. It is like the fox challenging the lion.” The six pundits persisted and said, “You will see. What happened before is no indication of what will happen now. When we compete, it will be clear who is the greater.”

King Bimbisara visited Buddha and told him of the challenge, “Those six teachers want to compare their miraculous deeds with those of the Tathagata. Will you please show them your powers to reverse their wrong views and lead them to do virtuous work? When you do this, may I be there?” Buddha replied, “The time will be known. Prepare a suitable place.” King Bimbisara had his ministers clean and prepare a broad field. There they erected a lion throne and victory banners of the Conqueror Buddha.

People eagerly awaited the sight of Buddha and the six teachers performing their miracles. However, to everyone’s surprise, Buddha left Rajagriha and went to the neighbouring city of Vaisali. The people of Vaisali, the Licchavi, welcomed the Tathagata. When the six teachers heard that Buddha had gone to Vaisali, they proclaimed, “Gautama is afraid of us. He has run away!”

And they followed after him. King Bimbisara with five hundred carriages, elephants, horses, provisions, and thousands of attendants and ministers went to Vaisali. The six teachers took their challenge to the King of the Licchavi, and he came to Buddha, saying, “Please show your miraculous powers and subdue these men.” Again Buddha answered, “All in good time,” and told them to prepare a place.

But again he went to another country, Kausambi, followed by a great multitude and the six pundits. King Udrayana and the people of Kausambi welcomed Buddha. Through King Udrayana, the six teachers again issued their challenge to Buddha, who again replied, “The time is known. Prepare a place.” King Udrayana made great preparations, but Buddha went on to War, the land of King Shun Tsin, From War he went to Tigitsashiri, which was ruled by King Brahmadatta. From there he went to Kapila, the country of his own people, the Sakyas, and finally he went to Sravasti, the land of King Prasenajit. He was followed there by the Kings of the countries he had passed through, along with thousands of their attendants, and by the six teachers with their ninety thousand followers.

The six teachers went to King Prasenajit, saying, “We have prepared our miraculous deeds. Much time has passed since we challenged Gautama, and he is still running away.” King Prasenajit replied, laughing. “You know nothing, yet you want to challenge the great king of Dharma. Such people as yourselves cannot be compared with him.” But to quite them, King Prasenajit visited Buddha and said, “Those six teachers want to challenge you. Please show your miraculous powers and subdue them.”

Again Buddha replied, “The time is known. Prepare a suitable place.” King Prasenajit had his ministers clean and prepare a wide field, burning incense and placing there a lion throne and the banners of the Conqueror.

Day one — miracle one

On the first day of spring, Buddha went to the field that had been prepared for him and sat upon the lion throne before the multitude. After King Prasenajit’s great offerings, the Tathagata took a toothpick and placed it in the ground. It grew at once into a marvellous tree. On its branches, which extended for kilometres, grew beautiful leaves, flowers, fruit, and jewels of every kind. The multi-coloured light emanating from the jewels was as brilliant as the light of the sun and moon combined. When the branches of the tree rustled in the wind, the sounds of the teaching were heard. Then Buddha himself spoke to the multitude. Many of the people listening progressed greatly – some attained arhatship and millions ripened the seeds for rebirth in the high states of humans or gods.

Day two — miracle two

On the second day of spring, King Udrayana made great offerings to Buddha. The Tathagata then turned his head right and left, and on either side of the lion throne a jewel mountain emerged. On each mountain flowed a magical spring whose water had eight different tastes. One mountain was covered with lush grass to feed and satisfy animals, while the other was covered with special food to satisfy humans. Buddha then spoke the teaching according to each person’s ability, and many were freed. Some of those present generated the supreme bodhi–mind, and many established the inclination for rebirth as humans or gods.

Day three — miracle three

On the third day King Shun Tsin of War made offerings to the Tathagata. After eating, Buddha rinsed his mouth with water. On the ground where the water fell, a great lake formed which extended for three hundred kilometres. The water had eight tastes, and the bottom of the lake was covered with seven kinds of jewels. Great quantities of lotus flowers of every colour grew on its surface, and their fragrance filled the air; by the rays of light extending from them in all directions, the people could see everywhere. When the people saw this, they were very happy, and when Buddha taught, some attained arhatship, some increased their bodhimind, and many others attained the seeds of rebirth in the worlds of humans or gods.

Day four — miracle four

On the fourth day King Indravarma prepared the offerings for Buddha. Buddha created a pool from which eight streams flowed outward in circular paths, and to which they returned. In the sound of the streams people heard the teachings of the five powers, the five strengths, the seven aspects of bodhi-mind, the eightfold path, the three principles of the path to liberation, the six kinds of omniscience and the four immeasurables. From this teaching many attained understanding of the effects of Buddhahood and many attained rebirth in the high states of humans or gods. Hundreds of thousands increased their virtuous work.

Day five — miracle five

On the fifth day King Brahmadatta of Varanasi prepared various offerings for Buddha. From the Tathagata shone a golden light that filled the entire world. This light reached all living beings and purified the defilements of the three poisons: desire, hatred and ignorance. All beings became peaceful in body and mind, and those assembled rejoiced greatly. When Buddha spoke, many increased their bodhi-mind, many planted seeds of rebirth as humans or gods, and a countless number increased their virtuous work.

Day six — miracle six

On the sixth day the Licchavi people made offerings to Buddha. Buddha then enabled all who were there to see into each other’s minds and each one saw the others’ good and bad thoughts. All experienced great faith and praised the knowledge of Buddha. The Tathagata then taught the holy Dharma and many attained great understanding – some attained bodhi-mind, some arhatship and an immeasurable number attained rebirth as humans and gods.

Day seven — miracle seven

On the seventh day, Buddha’s own clan, the Sakyas, made offerings to him. He blessed all the listeners so that they became great chakravartins (universal Kings that support the Dharma), each possessing seven magic jewels. Each ruled his own small country and had many respectful ministers. All were very happy with this and when Buddha spoke they had great faith. Having increased their bodhi-mind, many attained arhatship and others sowed seeds of rebirth as humans or gods

Day eight — miracle eight

On the eighth day Indra invited Buddha and prepared a great lion throne. When the Tathagata was seated, Indra himself made offerings on Buddha’s left while Brahma made offerings on his right. They bowed down before him, while the people sat quietly. Buddha placed his right hand on the lion throne in the earth touching mudra, and there was a great sound of trumpeting elephants.

Five fierce demons came roaring forth and the thrones of the six teachers were destroyed. After the demons, Vajrapani came, with flames shooting from the point of his vajra. The six teachers were terrified and jumped into the water and disappeared. Their teachers having deserted them, the ninety thousand attendants took refuge in Buddha and asked to become fully ordained monks. Buddha welcomed them and the matted locks and beards that had marked them as disciples of the six teachers miraculously disappeared.

Buddha taught all of them according to their abilities to understand. Freeing themselves from the fetters of desire, hatred and ignorance, each attained arhatship. Then the Tathagata radiated eighty-four thousand rays of light from the pores of his body, so that the light filled the entire sky. On the point of each ray was a beautiful lotus, and on top of each lotus appeared a Buddha along with his attendants. Each Buddha was teaching the Tathagata’s doctrine. All felt joy at this sight, and their faith was greatly increased. Then Buddha spoke the holy Dharma and many increased their bodhi-mind, some attaining arhatship, and a countless number produced the inclination to take rebirth as humans or gods.

Day nine — miracle nine

On the ninth day Brahmaraja made offerings to Buddha. The Tathagata extended his body until it reached the highest heaven of Brahma. From this body rays of light shone in all directions, and from this great height he gave the teaching.

Day ten — miracle ten

On the tenth day the four great kings who protect the Dharma invited Buddha to speak. Again he extended his body until it reached the height of samsara. Rays of light streamed from him, showing the teachings.

Day eleven — miracle eleven

On the eleventh day the great patron Anathapindika made offerings to Buddha, who was seated upon the lion throne in meditation. Though the assembly could not see his form, his body radiated golden light, while in a great voice he expounded the teaching.

Day twelve — miracle twelve

On the twelfth day the householder Tseta invited Buddha to speak. The Tathagata entered into the meditation of great love, and golden light radiated from his body, extending throughout the worlds. The rays of light cleared the three poisons from the minds of everyone and their compassion increased. They loved each other as a father and mother love their children, as a brother loves his sister.

Day thirteen — miracle thirteen

On the thirteenth day King Shun Tsin made offerings to Buddha. The Tathagata sat on the lion throne and two rays of light, rising fifteen metres, radiated from his navel. On the point of each ray of light was a lotus, and on each lotus, a buddha. From the navel of each buddha extended two rays of light and upon each of which was a lotus with a buddha, and so on, filling the worlds. All the Buddhas were expounding the teachings.

Day fourteen — miracle fourteen

On the fourteenth day King Udrayana made offerings to Buddha. He strewed flowers in front of Buddha, and they changed into twelve hundred and fifty carriages made of precious jewels. Buddha taught the Dharma to beings throughout the worlds as a doctor healed the sick.

Day fifteen — miracle fifteen

On the fifteenth and final day of the spring celebration, King Bimbisara brought gifts to Buddha. Buddha then told King Bimbisara to bring vessels for food and the vessels were miraculously filled with foods of a hundred different tastes. When the assembly ate them, their bodies and minds were completely satisfied. Buddha asked them, “Why is there such immeasurable misery in the world?”

By his blessing, even the eighteen kinds of demons realized that their misery was caused by deeds they had done themselves. They felt great faith in Buddha. As on all the previous days, those assembled attained great advancement. Some increased their bodhi-mind, some attained arhatship, some attained the stage of nonreturning, many attained the seeds of rebirth as humans or gods and countless others increased their virtue.

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

Why are Mantras important in Mahayana and Vajrayana practice, especially in modern, busy times? What are the nine benefits of mantra as taught by Buddha and lineage teachers? How do mantras actually work? What is transmission from Sutra or lineage? Why and how do we accumulate mantras in our lifetime?

We answer these questions and more in this in-depth how-to feature on the benefits and practice of reciting or meditating with mantras.

Why Mantra is the Enlightened Speech of the Buddhas

In Buddhism, a mantra represents the essence of the Enlightened Speech of the Buddha. The teachings say that the mantra is not separate from the Deity.

Each time we praise or prostrate to our Yidam or Buddha, we are honoring the Enlightened Body, Speech and Mind. To support our practice, we often display a statue or picture representing the Enlightened Body, and we may display either a Stupa or Bell to represent the Enlightened Mind. The most important of the three, the Enlightened Speech, representing Dharma, is supported by Mantras.

As Mahayana Buddhists we aspire to achieve the Enlightened Body, Speech and Mind for the benefit of all sentient beings. Until we attain Enlightenment, our tangible supports are usually a statue or visualization of the Buddha’s body in the form of the Yidam we aspire to, the bell for Mind and our Mala to represent the Speech and Mantras.

Of the three, the most important support in busy times, when we have no time for extensive practice, is our Mantras. Dharma and speech are the most important elements of Buddhist practice. The Enlightened Body of the Buddhas have gone beyond Samsara, and the mind or teachings are now preserved as Dharma and Dharma Speech. This is why we strive to preserve and spread the Dharma.

Dharma Teachings as Mantra

This concept is grounded in the Buddha Dharma, which holds that enlightened beings, or Buddhas, have achieved a profound understanding of reality and communicate this wisdom through mantras (Harvey, 2013).

The vibration produced by reciting a mantra can profoundly affect the practitioner’s state of mind, promoting focus and calm. It is this power of sound vibration that is central to the mantra practice. Renowned Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron explains,

“When you say your mantra, as with all practices, you have to bring your full attention… You become the words… It’s like eating, you don’t just swallow without chewing; You chew and savour every word of your mantra” (Chodron, 2001).

From a scientific perspective, mantra recitation and the associated sound vibration have been shown to change the waveforms emitted by the brain, leading to increased concentration and mental clarity (Lutz et al., 2004). (This study is here>>) This physiological response can crucially support individuals in our fast-paced modern society, where distractions and stressors are abundant – a clear justification for mantra practice in these busy times.

As Buddhists, the goal is not just to mindlessly recite mantras, but to thoroughly understand the profound meaning and conduct intention setting with every recitation.

It can be beneficial to receive transmission from the Sutra or lineage teachers who have been trained in the proper pronunciation and rhythmic recitation of the mantras in Sanskrit – the language in which they were originally composed. This is thought to maximize the power of the mantras (Cüppers, 2012). (More on transmission in section below.)

Sutra-transmitted Dharani and mantra of Amitabha:

However, for any Sutra-transmitted mantras or Dharanis, no transmission is needed for benefits. The transmission and the accompanying teaching is already made from Buddha to Sutra to you through the Holy Dharma teachings.

Another Sutra transmitted mantra and Dharani, of Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion:

What is Mantra? Protection for the Mind? Essence of Dharma?

Mantra literally translates from Sanskrit as “Mind Protection.” What does this mean? Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained Nyungna Teachings at Lawudo:

“The meaning of mantra is “guarding the mind.” Guarding it from what? From clinging, or attachment, and the view of this life.
“It means guarding the mind from attachment, the view of this life, and the three lower realms. It means guarding the mind from the whole suffering realm of samsara, which means all six realms, and from seeking and being bound to the blissful state of peace for self. It guards the mind, or in other words, it guards oneself.  It means the same thing. It is related to guarding the mind but it means guarding you from all these problems and from binding yourself to the blissful state of peace. It also guards your mind from the impression of the subtle dualistic view.”

Mantra is also an essence practice. When you chant Om at the beginning of most mantras, this is paying homage to, taking refuge in, and invoking the Enlightened Body, Speech, and Mind of the Buddha in whatever form you visualize as your Yidam or meditational deity.

This is why when teachers hear their students say: “I have no time to practice” they often reply:

“You have time to say a mantra don’t you?”

Vajrasattva mantra is one of the first mantras taught to serious Buddhist students in Vajrayana:

This means, the mantra itself is a complete and essential practice, especially for busy people. This is why mantra is the most effective practice for modern people leading busy, stressful lives. It’s not a magic spell. It’s a focus for the mind. As soon as we say the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” we are invoking the Body Speech and Mind of the Compassionate Lotus Avalokiteshvara Guanyin Chenrezig.

In fact, in Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche’s explanation of the nine benefits of mantra, which we’ll cover in a moment, the first benefit stated was “Mantra can be understood as the Deity.”

Nine Benefits of Mantra According to the Teachings

According to Garchen Rinpoche, in his superb book Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions [1] the great teacher mapped out the nine benefits of Buddhist Mantra of Enlightened Deities, especially when combined with the visualizations:

Mantra can be understood as The deity. Every mantra we recite emanates one deity. These deities then work for the benefit of beings.

Mantra can be understood as Offerings to the Buddha.

Mantra can be understood as Purification of Obstacles.

Mantra can be understood as Siddhis, in the form of  Blessings.

Mantra brings about loving-kindness and compassion in the practitioner.

Mantra, when one has fully trained in the creation stage, invokes the entire mandala. One no longer needs an entire sadhana text.

Mantra brings about all of the four activities — peaceful, increasing, powerful and wrathful.

Mantra is a wish-fulfilling jewel.

Mantra cuts conceptual thought because it is sound-emptiness. Other sounds produce the graspings of attachment and aversion.

Mantra Repetition and Accumulation

Almost by definition mantra is meant to be recited and repeated. Contrary to mantra myth, mantras do not have to be tonelessly spoken. They can certainly be chanted. If music and chanting make the repetition of the mantra easier, this actually increases its effectiveness. Chanting is often used in formal teachings to inspire long sessions of repetition. For this reason, our practice supports for mantra are Malas for counting and Prayer Wheels for added accumulations.

Devotional chants and prayers are commonly sung in many temples, together with mantras. Sutras are often chanted musically, as well, such as the precious Heart Sutra, which is musically chanted around the world. Chanting with drums is also helpful. Many Tibtean teachers, including Garchen Rinpoche encourage chanting or musical mantras. Om Mani Padme Hum is usually chanted musically in most group sessions, for example.

Video: Chanting 100,000 Mani Mantras for World Peace is virtuous for everyone. The accumulations of your mantras, especially as a accumulation mantra group, benefits many sentient beings.

What about Accumulation? When a teacher or Sutra or Tantra advises accumulations of Vajrasattva’s mantra for purification, or Om Mani Padme Hum for World Peace, what does this really mean?

Accumulations of mantras are common Yidam practices, especially in what is often called the Mantra Counting Retreat. We are asked, for example, to accomplish 100,000 mantras using our malas to count. Each mala is 108 mantras, but counted as 100 due to “mistakes.”

Yidam and Mantra

The concept of accumulation is to focus the mind on the Body, Speech, and Mind of the Buddha, or our chosen meditational form of the Buddha, known as the Yidam. During informal retreats, these are accumulated over time, not all in one session, necessarily, which would be impossible for most modern lay people. As long we chant some every day, after having taken Refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and as long as we dedicate our mantra practice at the end of each session, then this is considered accumulative. 30 today, 100 tomorrow, 20 the day after, 50 the day after, and 800 on the weekend — as long as we’ve dedicated the merit to the benefit of all sentient beings, this is an accumulation of 1,000. We continue daily until we reach 100,000.

Video: Accumulating 100,000 mantras of a Higher Yoga Tantra Buddha like Hayagriva would normally only be understaken by a serious student, guided by a teacher. The mantra can be beneficial to chant for “even the insects” according to the Origination Sutra, but a retreat on a Deity is normally a serious commitment:

What happens then? We keep going, but if we’re doing a formal retreat, our teacher will advise us to seal or dedicate the accumulated merit and purify any mistakes we’ve made with either a Fire Puja or with another purification practice such as Vajrasattva.

Once we accomplish this, the merit is fully accumulated. This bonds us forever to the Enlightened Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddha, in the form of Yidam we practice. This might be Tara, or Vajrasattva, or Vajrakilaya, or Hayagriva, or Medicine Buddha — whichever mantra we’ve have practiced.

Transmission is Beneficial, Not Usually Required

A lot of mythology has arisen around the concepts of permissions and mantras. With the proviso that we should be guided by our own teachers on this, the main requirement for mantra chanting of any Enlightened Deity according to the teachings, is Bodhichitta intention. This, in concise terms, is the intention to become Enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings.

One of the eloquent teachers on this topic is Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche. For a recent retreat, he published this on the Garchen Institute website:

“There are no restrictions. Why? For the Buddha, there was no difference between nationality or religions because all sentient beings are really Buddhas; they are only obscured by temporary stains. When these temporary stains are removed then beings are actual Buddhas. It just depends on whether or not we have fixating thoughts in our mind.

Lord Jigten Sumgon had said that whoever grasps at any philosophical school is an ordinary person. Actually, any philosophical school is just illusory because whoever has a mind has the Buddha within them. Therefore all sentient beings possess the cause of awakening and if they want to become a Buddha, they can. For this reason, whatever is online or on livestream, is not restricted. Anybody can take whatever they want and look at whatever they want and for however long they want. I encourage you to do this. This is the Buddha’s instruction.”

In fact, the “temporary stains” His Eminence referred to are one of the reasons we chant mantras. By staying focused on the precious Enlightened Speech of the Buddhas, we help to remove our obstacles, negativities and stains.

The Vajra Guru mantra of Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava have countless benefits. If you have time for only one mantra, this one is the same as practicing all five Buddha Families:

Sources and Citations

[1] Vajrakilaya: A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions, Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche  (https://amzn.to/48V9svg affiliate link to this book on Amazon)

Harvey, P. (2013). An introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history and practices. Cambridge University Press.

Chodron, P. (2001). The wisdom of no escape and the path of loving-kindness.  Shambhala Publications.

Lutz, A.,  Greischar, L. L.,  Rawlings, N. B.,  Ricard, M., & Davidson, R. J. (2004). Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,   101(46), 16369-16373.

Dalai Lama. (2006). The universe in a single atom: The convergence of science and spirituality. Harmony Books.

Cüppers, CH. (2012). The sound of the Dalai Lama’s voice: an ethnomusicology of Tibetan Buddhist chant. PhD thesis. Royal Holloway University.

“Whoever, including even the insects, has heard the name and mantra of Hayagriva only one time will never again fall into the lower paths.” — Sutra of Forming Hayagriva

Video with full one hour of Hayagriva’s powerful mantra:

“In today’s age, it is a degenerate time where the five poisons and negative emotions are very strong. So we need a deity like Hayagriva to empower ourselves. Also negative influences today are so strong as well, like the coronavirus.” — Lama Jigme Rinpoche

Chant along for one hour, the powerful mantra in Sanskrit of the King of All Protections Hayagriva:

Om Hrih Padman Tatro Vajra Krodha Hayagriva Hulu Hulu Hum Phet (Pey)

Lama Jigme Rinpoche’s Commentary:

‘Om‘ is the Vajra Peak Tantra; it is most supreme, it is filled with wealth, treasure, auspiciousness, and prosperity. It is endowed with the aspect of fortune, promise, success, and it is the essence of holding a precious gem. Mantra translates:

‘Hrih‘ is Hayagriva’s own seed syllable put at the beginning of the mantra for invocation. Wisdom is also the syllable of ‘Hrih‘, which is the heart of Buddhahood.

‘Padma Tatro‘ is the “eliminating lotus”.

‘Vajra Krodha‘ is the wrathful Vajra.

‘Hulu Hulu‘ means strive, strive! ‘

Hum is the great bliss from the nature of the five wisdoms, in which the vowel U is demonstrated by the completeness of those five wisdoms.

‘Phet‘ means to cut down or to break.

Why is Green Jambhala with Mother Vasudhara Dakini the most important and prominent of the Jambhala mandala? Why is Green Jambhala’s activity so important to accomplishing Dharma merit?

Green Jambhala is the Karma Activity of Prosperity

For the same reason, we turn to Green Tara to save us; with her windy savior activity, we can rely on Green Jambhala (Dzambhala) and his co-equal Wisdom Mother Green-Blue Vasudhara Dakini to help us create the opportunity for good Karma, merit, and the resulting prosperity. This is, as with all Karma activities, for the benefit of all sentient beings.

The Karma Buddha Family of Amoghasiddhi and Tara are all about virtuous activities to accomplish the benefit of sentient beings.

• See our feature on Yellow Vasudhara Tara here>>
• See our special section of features on Tara here>>
• See our feature on Yellow Jambhala with an introduction to the five Jambhalas>>
• See our feature on White Mahakala Wealth Deity>>

The Purpose of Wealth in Dharma Practice: Generosity

What is the purpose of wealth in terms of Dharma? The purpose is not luxury, carefree living. The purpose is noble Dharma activities, helping all sentient beings. We share our wealth, and share the Dharma, and share our knowledge for the benefit of sentient beings.

If we do this, acting with generosity, we embody the activities of the Green Karma family. Green Jambhala and Wisdom Dakini will be sure to respond to our requests and mantras.

Green Jambhala Is the Most Important Jambhala

Green Jambhala (Dzambhala) is the most important of the Jambhalas, and the best known. Since he represents Karma activities, he accomplishes prosperity and affluence through the Karma family of Amoghasiddhi and Green Tara.

He is an emanation of Amoghasiddhi as Green Jambhala, while his co-equal Wisdom Dakini is a greenish-blue aspect of Vasudhara or Tara. As the Karma-Family  “activity” they are the most active of the Five Jambhalas, and inspire positive karma in our lives.

As a member of the Karma Buddha family, his mantra includes the all-important word “karma” , which means activity, and “ah” which is the seed syllable of Amoghasiddhi.

You can think of the Activity couple as Air and Earth. Jambhala represents the windy karma activity of Amoghasiddhi, while the Wisdom Mother is none other than Vasudhara or Mother Earth, who is also Tara.

Different Lineages

Although it may seem confusing, in one teaching lineage, Green Dzambhala arises from Akshobya Buddha instead.  Since there are five Jambhalas who arise from all five Buddha Families, there is no contradiction. In Buddhist terms, Enlightened Deities can assume countless forms and emanations. This is a matter of the lineage transmission and the purpose of our practice. For the purposes of this feature, we focus on Green Tara of the Kalachakra lineage, who arises from Amoghasiddhi and Tara.

The reason Green Jambhala is chief among the Jambhalas is the understing of Green in Vajrayana. According to the Himalayan Art.org experts:

“In Tantric literature, the color green is believed to be the union of all four principal colors and therefore represents all four activities: peaceful, increasing, powerful and wrathful.”

Combining all the activities into one is why Green Tara, Amoghasiddhi and Green Jambhala are the most popular.

Unique Attributes and Practice of Green Jambhala

Jeff Watt, on the Himalayan Art  website describes Green Jambhala this way:

“Arya Jambhala, with a body green in colour, adorned with heavenly garb and all of the ornaments, seated in a playful manner. The right hand has the palm in a gesture of supreme generosity and holds a bijapuraka fruit. The left hand holds a treasure mongoose. Seated on the left thigh is the goddess Vasudhara, blue in color, the right hand in the gesture of supreme generosity and embracing the partner Jambhala.”

Although he is typically depicted with his co-equal wisdom Dakini, in solitary images or statues she is still understood to be present. She is the wisdom aspect of Green Jambhala, who is none other than green-blue Vasudhara Tara. He may be seen solitary — in which case his Wisdom Dakini is still present — or in full Yabyum, symbolic of the union of Compassionate Means, or Jambhala, with Wisdom or Green-Blue Vasudhara Dakini.

Green Jambhala Emanates from Amoghasiddhi and Tara

Green Jambhala is an emanation of Amoghasiddhi, the Buddha of the Karma Family, and his consort is Green-Blue Vasudhara Dakini, who is none other than an emanation of Green Tara.  Like Karma Dakini Tara, she holds a lotus in one hand. When he appears in images with his consort,  this symbolizes the embrace of Wisdom and Compassionate Means. When he is solitary, he is still considered to be the complete union of Wisdom and Compassionate Means, or Green Jambhala with Wisdom Karma Dakini together.

The stance of the Green Jambhala is active. His right leg stretches out like Tara, ready to leap to his feet, with his foot positioned atop a snail and a lotus flower. Meanwhile, his left leg is bent, adding a unique dynamic to his pose. Nehulay, a special kind of mongoose known to spew jewels from its mouth, rests in his left hand, while his right hand firmly holds a Citron fruit. The Citron is a beautiful fruit related to lemons, although much larger with a very thick skin. The Citron is widely used as a medicine.

Practicing Jambhala

The key to the efficacy of this practice lies not only in the repetition of the mantra but in the correct visualization and cultivation of pure motivation of Bodhichitta.

In one story of the five Jambhalas, Shakyamuni Buddha was attacked with rocks. The five Jambhalas manifested and saved him. Since then, as recorded in the teachings:

“In front of the Buddha, Green Dzambhala pledged to protect anyone that recited his mantra or named him.”

The offerings to Green Jambhala generally consist of water, flowers, incense, light, and music and lemons. A special offering is a Citron (or more commonly) a bowl of lemons, since he holds Citron in one hand.  They are made with reverence, requesting the deity to shower blessings and liberate all beings from the suffering of poverty. Usually offerings are blessed first with the mantra:

Om Ah Hum

Mantra

His mantra does not require permission, but if you do not have empowerment, always visualize Jambhala and Wisdom Mother in front of you. You may not self-generate, or visualize yourself as the deity, without empowerment. The other requirement is Bodhichitta, and the wish to benefit all sentient beings. The mantra is:

Om Karma Jambhala Ah Svaha

• Om – represents the Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddhas. Om is derivative 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.
• Karma – means “activity” and is the name of the family from which Green Dzambhala emanates. He is an emanation of Amoghasiddhi and Tara of the Karma family.
• Jambhala – this syllable is the name of Dzambhala, which translates as ”Precious Wealth Deity” and in a mantra, his name draws him near, invoking him. Jam means “deity.” Bhah means wealth or gold. La means “to honor”
• Ah – is the seed syllable of the Karma family of Amoghasiddhi. For example, Amoghasiddhi’s mantra is Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum. Ah empowers the entire mantra with the karma-power of Amoghasiddhi and Tara.
• 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.”

A Simple Practice of Green Jambhala

To encourage the good karma activity of Green Jambhala and Wisdom Consort, it can be helpful to set up a small shrine or altar with a picture or statue of Jambhala, with incense, water, and tea offerings put out daily. Chant the mantra daily, ideally 3, 7, 21, or 108 times. As always with Buddhist practice, take Refuge in the Three Jewels first, then make offerings. Prostrate out of respect. Always finish by dedicating the merit for the benefit of all sentient beings. Without Buddhist Refuge and final dedication of merit, it’s not a Mahayana Buddhist Practice.

Refuge can be as simple as saying three times:

I take Refuge in the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, until I reach Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

After mantras and offerings, the dedication can also be simple, but should be heart-felt.

I dedicate the merit of this practice to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

If you’d like to reinforce your request for specific help, you could modify the dedication along these lines:

I dedicate the merit of this practice to the cause for auspiciousness, prosperity, good health, for myself, my family, my teachers, my friends, so that we can practice the Dharma. Please actualize the karma activities of prosperity for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Whichever dedication you use, it should contain the aspiration to benefit all beings and ideally should be stated three times by tradition.

Likewise, we dedicate the merit of this feature article to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings. May all beings benefit.

Vasudhārā’s name is a melodious Sanskrit phrase that translates to “stream of gems”. Thinking of Her as the Stream-of-Gems Tara paints a picture of abundant wealth and prosperity. Why is Prosperity and Wealth so vital to Buddhist practice?

Vasudhārā: The Buddhist Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity

The goal of stable livelihood for the lay Buddhist is a noble one, enabling Buddhists to support the dedicated monastic community, and providing stability in life that gives the practitioner the ability to help others. Golden Vasudhara Tara is not about greedily asking for more, and more, but rather about attaining more so that we can give and give. The poison of greed is overcome by generosity — which is only possible if we have a stable livelihood.

Vasudhārā embodies these exact ideals, standing tall as the Buddhist Goddess of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. A popular form of Yellow Tara, she is none other than Mother Earth herself who nurtures, sustains, and enriches.

As described in this Sakya praise:

“Bhagavani, source of all wonders, Vasudhara, goddess of splendour and fortune, bestower of auspicious mental desires; homage to the Goddess Wish-fulfilling Wheel.”

Names of Vasudhara Around the World

• For more on her Gold Tara Who Bestows Wealth (11th Tara of 21) see the section below with her practice and mantra.

Vasudhara, the Witness of Buddha under the Bodhi Tree

Vasudhara is also known as Prithvi, or Pṛthvī Mātā (‘Mother Earth’) who protected Gautama Buddha and was his witness before Mara. Prithvi appears in Early Buddhism in the Pāli Canon, dispelling the temptation figure Mara by attesting to Gautama Buddha’s worthiness to attain enlightenment.

This is the most famous pose of Gautama Buddha — with his hand touching the earth, the Bhumisparsha Mudra.  Bhumi means earth Mother, and through the next few decades of Buddha’s life, he would remain close to Mother Earth and dwelled mostly in the forests of Mother Tara [Green Tara is Tara of the Khaidira Forest).

In his moment of Realizations under the Bodhi Tree, Buddha calls on Mother Earth, none other than Vasudhara Prithvi Tara, as his witness. Mara, the great tempter who assailed Buddha with offers of wealth and power, was silenced by Vasudhara Prithvi’s witness [Source Mahāvastu (Sanskrit for “Great Event” or “Great Story” Sutra]:

He now let his right hand slide over his entire body and then gracefully tapped on the
earth. He then spoke this verse:

“This earth supports all beings;

She is impartial and unbiased toward all, whether moving or still.

She is my witness that I speak no lies;

So may she bear my witness.”

As soon as the Bodhisattva touched this great earth, Vasudhara shook in six different ways. She quivered, trembled, and quaked, and she boomed, thundered, and roared.

• More on Prthvi Mata Vasudhara on Buddha Weekly>>

In the temple murals of Southeast Asia, Vasudhara Phra Mae Thorani is often portrayed alongside Buddha, who is in the pose referred to as “invoking the earth as witness”. The boundless streams of water emerging from her dazzling hair cleanse the ground of Mara’s armies, embodying the bodhisattva’s profound act of selflessness, often referred to as dāna paramī.

Transforming the Poisons with Vasudhara

If you’re considering walking the path laid out by Vasudhārā, you’re about to engage with a truly transformative force. Known for her bestowment of material and spiritual wealth, this enlightened deity could be your guide towards a life of abundance, prosperity, and spiritual enlightenment.

Vasudhārā’s practice isn’t a mundane wealth practice. You may originally see her as the deliverer of riches, yet her teachings pivot around generosity and charity — and She fully expects you, for the sake of your own positive merit and karma, to overcome your own greed by practicing as a Bodhisattva, with a mission to help others.

As Mother Earth, She Can be Fierce

As Mother Earth, Vasudahara is a great provider, but she can be wrathful as well. For this reason, for example, the 11th Tara, who is Vasudhara, is semi-wrathful, gold-ish red yellow . The 11th Tara specifically controls the entire assembly of 10 Earthly Protectors (See section below), and as such, she encompasses some ferocity.

How did Vasudhara show that she witnessed Buddha’s benevolence? She shook the world in six different ways. Just as Mother Earth is our wonderful motherly provider, she has a wrathful side as well. To practice Vasudhara, we undertake to likewise protect Mother Earth and all sentient beings on Her. In other words, environmental activism is another way we make offerings to Vasudhara, together with generosity.

The Power of Her Mantra

Vasudhara’s mantra, whether as her heart mantra, or as Yellow Tara Vasudhara (the 11th of 21 Taras) is profoundly effective, and results-oriented. But, it is also powerfully transformative in your life.

Vasudhārā: “Stream of gems,” a shining beacon of wealth, prosperity, and enlightenment, and a guiding light towards selfless giving and boundless loving. Are you ready to embrace her wisdom?

Her most popular mantra is:

Om Sri Vasudhara Ratna Nidhana Kashetri Svaha

The meaning of the mantra is:

Om — Praising the Body, Speach and  Mind of Vasudhara

Sri — is Sanskrit for “Abundance”

Vasudhara — the Name of the Goddess which means “Endless Stream of Jewels”

Ratna — indicates she belongs to the Ratna Family — in this context she emanates from Ratnasmbhava and is also the Co-Equal Wisdom Partner of Yellow Jambhala, the God of Wealth, who also emanates from Ratnasambhava

Nidhana — means “treasure” according to  Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 41.    Also translates as “treasury of Dharma Jewel” according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāa.

Kashetri — “to cultivate” in this context, as in to “cultivate the treasure” which can be a spiritual or material treasure.

Svaha — “well said” and “so be it” or  “thus it is”

The entire mantra, translates contextually:

I prostrate and praise the Goddess of Abundance Vasudhara of the Jewel Family, who helps us cultivate material and spiritual wisdom treasures, so be it.

Short Mantra

Oṃ Vasudhārāyai Svāhā.

Vasudhara Long Dharani from Sutra

(See the full Sutra below.)

Buddha transmitted the long Dharani of Vasudhara to Sucanda (the Layman, see story in next section) to help him attain success and wealth for the benefit of the Dharma and sentient beings, and instructed Sucana and Ananda to transmit and teach the Dharani widely:

tadyathā | oṃ surūpe bhadre bhadravati aṅgale maṅgale maṅgalavati ale acale acala-bale udghātini udbhedini śasyavati dhanavati dhānyavati śrīmati prabhavati amale vimale nirmale rurume surūpe surūpavimale vimale cale arcanaste atanaste vitanaste viśvakeśi viśvaniśi aṅkure maṅkure prabhaṅkure virame vidhame ririme dhidhime dhudhume khakhame tatare tara tara tāra tāra vajre vajre vajropame ṭake ṭake ṭhake ṭhake ukke bukke ṭhake ṭharake āvartani varṣaṇi (ni)ṣ(p)ādani vajradhāra-sāgara-nirghoṣaṃ tathāgataṃ anusmara smara smara sarva-tathāgata-satyam-anusmara dharma-satyam-anusmara saṅgha-satyam-anusmara data data pūra pūra pūraya pūraya pūraṇi bhara bharaṇi amale sumaṅgale śāntamati śubhamati maṅgalabhaṇi mahāmati bhadravati prabhavati sucandramati āgacchāgaccha samayam-anusmara svāhā | avaraṇim-anusmara svāhā | prabhavam-anusmara svāhā | dīdim-anusmara svāhā | tejom-anusmara svāhā | vijayam-anusmara svāhā | hṛdayam-anusmara svāhā | sarva-sattva-vijayam-anusmara svāhā |

The Benefits of the Dharani

According to the Buddha, the benefits of the Dharani are:

O noble son, through the power of this dhāraṇī no human will ever harm you. No yakṣa will ever harm you. No rākṣasa will ever harm you. No preta will ever harm you. No piśāca will ever harm you. No bhūta will ever harm you. No kumbhāṇḍa will ever harm you. No apasmāra will ever harm you. No ostāraka will ever harm you. No kaṭapūtana will ever harm you. No deva will ever harm you. No asura will ever harm you. No demons, whether they feed on feces, urine, blood, flesh, pus, grease, marrow, snot, effluent, or breath, nor spirits who are able to possess you, will ever harm you!’

The Story of the Layman Sucandra and Vasudhārā

In the Sutra of The Vasudhara Dharani (in full below.) , we find the well-known story the humble  Sucandra, who lived a life of hardship, barely supporting a large family. He was desperate to find a way to feed his family and village, and perhaps have enough to share with others.

Desperate, he went to Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha himself. He asked:

“Blessed One, although I am very poor, I have to take care of many sons, daughters and dependents. Therefore, I would like to request the Blessed One for a Dharma teaching that makes the poor wealthy and restores the ill to good health, that grants us wealth and grain and treasures and vaults of treasure, that makes us pleasant, charming, beautiful and lordly, that attracts patrons without needing to ask, and that grants jewels, gold, riches, stores of grain, and vaults of treasure, as well as gems, pearls, diamonds, lapis lazuli, conch shells, crystals, coral, gold and silver without needing to search or beg, and that renders one’s partner and dependents stable and secure.”

He followed the Buddha’s advice, and Sucandra saw an almost immediate change in his fortunes. His prosperity became so noticeable that it raised the curiosity of Ananda, a disciple and attendant of the Buddha, who then asked Shakyamuni about the source of Sucandra’s quick fortune.

Buddha taught him the Vasudhārā’s Dharani and Mantra, and advised Ananda to practice it himself and share it with others, for the benefit of many. This began a cycle of receiving and giving, spreading Vasudhārā’s abundance practice to many followers.

Buddha said:

Ānanda, therefore, you too should receive the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī, keep it in mind, recite it, teach it, memorize it, master it, and explain it to others in detail. This will benefit many individuals. It will bring them happiness. It will bring love and compassion to the world, and it will bring benefit and happiness to hosts of beings, gods and humans alike.

This legend carries a profound message. Vasudhārā becomes a symbol of both the joy of receiving and the power in sharing, encouraging us to become conduits of her benevolence. We learn, through Sucandra’s success, the power of generosity, charity, and the sharing of good fortune. The practice of Vasudhārā’s Dharani is not simply about personal gain, it is about prospering so that others may also prosper; the true essence of the Buddhist ideal of interconnectedness and the Bodhisattva mission to help all sentient beings.

It is also about honouring Vasudhara as Mother Earth. Holding a close relationship to Mother Earth is for the benefit of all beings.

The Meaning and Symbolism of Vasudhārā: The Stream of Gems

There are three main forms of Vasudhara, although any form of Mother Earth, from Prithvi to Gaia can be considered aspects of Vasudhara, and ultimately Tara.

Two-Armed Vasudhara, Most Popular in Tibet

“Vasudhara, with one face and two hands. The right [hand] in the gesture of supreme generosity and the left holds tufts of rice and a vase, showering down various jewels. Having jewel ornaments and garments of silk. Completely surrounded by friendly beings. Seated in the vajrasana [posture].” (Konchog Lhundrub, 1497-1557. From the One Hundred Methods of Accomplishment).

Six-Armed Vasudhara, Most Popular in Nepal

“Vasudhara, yellow, with one face and six hands; in a manner happily seated at play. The first right hand is in a gesture of supreme generosity, the second ‘raining jewels,’ the third with the hand in a gesture accompanying singing. The first left holds an abundant vase, the second a sheaf of grain, the third [holds] the Prajnaparamita text; adorned with all jewel ornaments.”
(This form of Vasudhara arises from the Togpa Chungwa and the Vajravali text of Abhayakaragupta). [Source: HimalayanArt.Org]

The Third Form, is the most commonly practiced, mostly because most Vajrayana and many Mahayana Buddhists practice the 21 Taras Daily. The Third form, in the Atisha and Nyingma lineages is the 11th Tara.

Vasudhara as the 11th Tara: Tara Who Bestows Wealth

Vasudhara is the 11th of the 21 Taras (Atisha Lineage), a sparkling gold goddess (often depicted as Orange, or described as “yellow-red”) who helps us accumulate wealth for altruistic purposes. Her Names are Tara Who Bestows Wealth (Drolma Nor Terma) or Tara Who Eliminates Poverty in the Atisha lineage. Below is her Praise (from the 21 Taras), her attributes, visualization and her mantra. In the Atisha lineage she is gold orange and holds a gold or yellow vase.  Similarly, in the Nyingma Lineage of 21 Taras she has a lotus flower in her left hand with the gold or yellow treasure vase on top of the Lotus.

Note: Some lineages attribute the 3rd Tara, notably in the Nyingma lineages, as Vasudhara. This is also correct. Yellow or Gold Tara emanates in multiple forms. The 11th Tara is the chief among these, as she controls the 10 Earth Guardians. In Surya Gupta, where the visualizations are completely different, She is the 12th, Tara Who brings prosperity.

Her power over affluence, wealth is because she is Vasudhara, Goddess of the Earth, who controls the entire assembly of ten guardians and protectors, who include Jambhala / Vaisravana, Wisdom King of the North and the Enlightened God of Wealth and Good Fortune. (Dikapalas in Sanskrit)

Thus, her praise reveals her power over the ten guardians:

Homage! She able to summon
All earth-guardians’ assembly!
Shaking, frowning, with her HUM sign
Saving from every misfortune!

Sanskrit:
Namah samanta bhu pala
patalakarshana kshame
chalat bhrku ti hum kara
sarvapada vimoch ani

Color: Yellow-red — sparkling gold  (In Surya Gupta, however, she is black, for a more wrathful form of activity. In Surya Gupta, her name is Tara Who Summons All Beings and Dispels Misfortune.)

Seed Syllable (light emits from this syllable at her heart): Hum (Sanskrit) Hung (Tibetan)

Vase: Yellow

Nectar: affluence, auspiciousness, spiritual and material wealth, overcomes all poverty.

Activity: Attracting and affluence.

Specialty: Accumulating wealth and overcoming poverty, through the controlling activity as controller of the 10 earth-guardians.

Visualization: On the eleventh petal is Tara Who Eradicates Poverty (Ponpa Selma), red-yellow in color, like refined gold. She holds a yellow flask containing nectar whose function is to eliminate poverty.

Atisha-Lineage Mantra:

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE VASUDHARINI SVAHA

In the Nyingma lineage the mantra is:

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE MAMA VASU PUSHTIM KURU SVAHA

Note: In Tibetan Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Basu Pushtim Kuru Soha

In the Surya Gupta lineage, the mantra is almost the same as Atisha-lineage, although she appears as a fierce black Tara:

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE VASU DHA RE SVAHA

Lama Zopa commentary from his book The Power of Mantra Vital Practices for Transformation[1] (Available on Amazon>>): “This is the Tara you use when you make a Tara wealth vase for prosperity. When you put a statue or drawing of this Tara in a wealth vase, to eliminate either your poverty or that of others, you take strong refuge and recite this mantra in front of the vase.”

Sutra of Vasudhara Dharini: Spoken by Gautama Buddha

༄༅། །འཕགས་པ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས་བཞུགས་སོ། །

The Noble Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī

from the Words of the Buddha

རྒྱ་གར་སྐད་དུ། ཨཱཪྻ་བ་སུ་དྷཱ་རཱ་ནཱ་མ་དྷཱ་ར་ཎཱི།

gyagar ké du arya vasudhara nama dhara ni

In the language of India: Ārya Vasudhārā-nāma-dhāraṇī

བོད་སྐད་དུ། འཕགས་པ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

böké du pakpa nor gyi gyün chejawé zung

In the language of Tibet: Pakpa nor gyi gyün chejawé zung (‘phags pa nor gyi rgyun ces bya ba’i gzungs)

In the English language: The ‘Stream of Wealth’ Incantation

སངས་རྒྱས་དང༌བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ། །

sangye dang changchub sempa tamché la chaktsal lo

Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

འདི་སྐད་བདག་གིས་ཐོས་པ་དུས་གཅིག་ན། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀཽ་ཤཱམྦཱི་ན་ཚེར་མ་ཅན་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་ནགས་ཆེན་པོ་ན། དགེ་སློང་ལྔ་བརྒྱ་ཙམ་གྱི་དགེ་སློང་གི་དགེ་འདུན་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཡོན་ཏན་ཐམས་ཅད་དང་ལྡན་པ་རབ་ཏུ་མང་པོ་དང་ཐབས་ཅིག་ཏུ་བཞུགས་ཏེ།

diké dak gi töpa dü chik na chomdendé kaushambi na tserma chen zhejawé nak chenpo na gelong ngabgya tsam gyi gelong gi gendün chenpo dang changchub sempa sempa chenpo sangye kyi yönten tamché dang denpa rabtu mangpo dang tab chik tu zhuk té

Thus I have heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling near Kauśāmbī in the great forest called Kaṇṭaka, together with a great assembly of about five hundred monks and a vast assembly of bodhisattva mahāsattvas who had all the qualities of the buddhas.

དེའི་ཚེ་ཀཽ་ཤཱམྦཱིའི་གྲོང་ཁྱེར་ཆེན་པོ་ན། ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ། དབང་པོ་ཉེ་བར་ཞི་བ། ཡིད་ཉེ་བར་ཞི་བ། བུ་ཕོ་དང། བུ་མོ་མང་བ། བཟའ་མི་མང་པོ་དང་ལྡན་པ། དད་ཅིང་ཆེར་དད་པ་ཞིག་གནས་པ་དེ།

dé tsé kaushambi drongkhyer chenpo na khyimdak dawa zangpo zhejawa wangpo nyewar zhiwa yi nyewar zhiwa bu po dang bumo mangwa zami mangpo dang denpa dé ching cher depa zhik nepa dé

At that time there lived in the great city of Kauśāmbī a householder by the name of Sucandra whose senses were composed and whose mind was at ease. He had many faithful and devoted sons and daughters as well as dependents.

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ག་ལ་བ་དེར་སོང་སྟེ་ཕྱིན་ནས། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཞབས་ལ་མགོ་བོས་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ཏེ། ལན་འབུམ་ཕྲག་དུ་མར་བསྐོར་བ་བྱས་ནས་ཕྱོགས་གཅིག་ཏུ་འདུག་གོ །

chomdendé gala ba der song té chin né chomdendé kyi zhab lago bö chaktsal té len bumtrak dumar korwa jé né chok chik tu duk go

Sucandra approached the Blessed One, paid his respect by touching his head to the feet of the Blessed One, and circumambulated the Blessed One many hundred thousands of times.

ཕྱོགས་གཅིག་ཏུ་འདུག་ནས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

chok chik tu duk né khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Finally, he sat down to one side. While seated there, Sucandra the householder said the following to the Blessed One:

གལ་ཏེ་ཞུས་ནས་ཞུ་བ་ལུང་བསྟན་པའི་སླད་དུ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་བདག་ལ་སྐབས་ཕྱེ་ན། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ་ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས་ལ་བདག་ཕྱོགས་འགའ་ཞིག་ཞུ་ལགས་སོ། །

galté zhü né zhuwa lungtenpé ledu chomdendé kyi dak la kab ché na chomdendé dezhin shekpa drachompa yangdakpar dzokpé sangye la dak chok gazhik zhu lak so

“I would like to ask the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the complete and perfect Buddha a question, in case the Blessed One could afford the time to answer it.”

དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་བ་དང༌། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏོ། །

deké ché solwa dang chomdendé kyi khyimdak dawa zangpo la diké ché katsal to

The Blessed One then replied to Sucandra the householder as follows:

ཁྱིམ་བདག ཁྱོད་ཅི་དང་ཅི་འདོད་པ་དྲིས་ཤིག་དང༌། ཁྱོད་ཀྱིས་ཇི་ལྟར་དྲིས་པའི་དྲི་བ་ལུང་བསྟན་པས་ངས་ཁྱོད་ཀྱི་སེམས་རངས་པར་བྱའོ། །

khyimdak khyö chi dang chi döpa dri shik dang khyö kyi jitar dripé driwa lungtenpé ngé khyö kyi sem rangpar ja o

“Householder, please ask whatever you wish. I shall answer your question and so put your concerns to rest.”

དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ་དང༌། ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་ལེགས་སོ་ཞེས་གསོལ་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ལྟར་ཉན་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

deké ché katsal pa dang khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé la lek so zhé sol té chomdendé kyi tar nyen né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

To these words of the Blessed One Sucandra the householder responded, “Very well, Blessed One,” and asked the Blessed One the following:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུའམ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་མོ་དབུལ་པོར་གྱུར་པ་ལས་ཇི་ལྟར་དབུལ་བ་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་ཞིང༌། བྲོ་ནད་ཀྱིས་ཐེབས་ན་ཡང་བྲོ་ནད་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་པ་ལགས།

chomdendé rik kyi bu am rik kyi bumo ulpor gyurpa lé jitar ulwa machipar gyur zhing dro né kyi teb na yang dro né machipar gyurpa lak

“Blessed One, how can a son or daughter of noble family who suffers from poverty free themselves from their poverty? Likewise, if they suffer from disease, how can they free themselves from their disease?”

དེ་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་མཁྱེན་བཞིན་དུ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏོ། །

dené chomdendé kyi khyen zhindu khyimdak dawa zangpo la diké ché katsal to

The Blessed One then understood, and he said to Sucandra the householder:

ཁྱིམ་བདག ཁྱོད་ཅིའི་ཕྱིར་དབུལ་པོའི་དོན་དུ་འདྲི། དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ་དང༌།

khyimdak khyö chi chir ulpö döndu dri deké ché katsal pa dang

“Householder, why do you ask me about poverty?”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

chomdendé la khyimdak dawa zangpö diké ché sol to

Sucandra the householder replied to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། བདག་ནི་དབུལ་བ་མང་བ་དང༌། གསོ་བ་མང་བ་དང༌། བུ་ཕོ་དང་བུ་མོ་མང་བ། བཟའ་མི་མང་པོ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ལགས་ཏེ། དེའི་སླད་དུ། གང་གིས་སེམས་ཅན་དབུལ་པོ་རྣམས་ཀྱི་དབུལ་བ་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། བྲོ་ནད་ཀྱིས་ཐེབས་པ་རྣམས་བྲོ་ནད་མ་མཆིས་པར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་དང༌། མཛོད་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་མང་པོ་དང་ལྡན་པར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། སྡུག་པ་དང༌། ཡིད་དུ་མཆིས་པ་དང༌། མཐོང་ན་ཡིད་དུ་འཐད་པ་དང༌། དབང་ཕྱུག་ཏུ་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། སྦྱིན་བདག་མཛོད་པས་མི་འཚལ་ཞིང༌། དབྱིག་དང༌། གསེར་དང༌། ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུའི་མཛོད་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་དང༌། ནོར་བུ་དང༌། མུ་ཏིག་དང༌། རྡོ་རྗེ་དང༌། བཻ་ཌཱུཪྻ་དང༌། དུང་དང༌། མན་ཤེལ་དང༌། བྱི་རུ་དང༌། ས་ལེ་སྦྲམ་དང༌། དབུལ་བས་མ་འཚལ་ཅིང་འབྱོར་བར་འགྱུར་བ་དང༌། ཁྱིམ་གྱི་བུ་སྨད་དང༌། བཟའ་མི་རྣམས་བརྟན་པར་འགྱུར་བའི་ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྣམ་གྲངས་དེ་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ལེགས་པར་བཤད་དུ་གསོལ།

chomdendé dak ni ulwa mangwa dang sowa mangwa dang bu po dang bumo mangwa zami mangpo dang denpa lak té dé ledu gang gi semchen ulpo nam kyi ulwa machipar gyurwa dang dro né kyi tebpa nam dro né machipar gyurwa dang nor dang dru dang dzö dang bangdzö mangpo dang denpar gyurwa dang dukpa dang yi duchi pa dang tong na yi du tepa dang wangchuk tu gyurwa dang jindak dzöpé mi tsal zhing yik dang ser dang nor dang drü dzö dang bangdzö nam dang norbu dang mutik dang dorjé dang baidurya dang dung dang men shel dang jiru dang salé dram dang ulwé ma tsal ching jorwar gyurwa dang khyim gyi bu mé dang zami nam tenpar gyurwé chö kyi namdrang dé chomdendé kyi lekpar shé du sol

“Blessed One, although I am very poor, I have to take care of many sons, daughters and dependents. Therefore, I would like to request the Blessed One for a Dharma teaching that makes the poor wealthy and restores the ill to good health, that grants us wealth and grain and treasures and vaults of treasure, that makes us pleasant, charming, beautiful and lordly, that attracts patrons without needing to ask, and that grants jewels, gold, riches, stores of grain, and vaults of treasure, as well as gems, pearls, diamonds, lapis lazuli, conch shells, crystals, coral, gold and silver without needing to search or beg, and that renders one’s partner and dependents stable and secure.”

དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་བ་དང༌། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏོ། །

deké ché solwa dang chomdendé kyi khyimdak dawa zangpo la diké ché katsal to

This being said, the Blessed One replied then to the householder Sucandra:

ཁྱིམ་བདག འདས་པའི་དུས་བསྐལ་བ་གྲངས་མེད་པ་འདས་པར་གྱུར་པ་དེའི་ཚེ་དེའི་དུས་ན། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ་ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས་རིག་པ་དང་ཞབས་སུ་ལྡན་པ། བདེ་བར་གཤེགས་པ། འཇིག་རྟེན་མཁྱེན་པ། སྐྱེས་བུ་འདུལ་བའི་ཁ་ལོ་སྒྱུར་བ། བླ་ན་མེད་པ། ལྷ་དང་མི་རྣམས་ཀྱི་སྟོན་པ། སངས་རྒྱས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་རྒྱ་མཚོའི་དབྱངས་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་འཇིག་རྟེན་དུ་བྱུང་སྟེ།

khyimdak depé dü kalwa drangmepa depar gyurpa dé tsé dé dü na chomdendé dezhin shekpa drachompa yangdakpar dzokpé sangye rigpa dang zhab su denpa dewar shekpa jikten khyenpa kyebu dulwé khalo gyurwa lanamepa lha dang mi nam kyi tönpa sangye chomdendé dorjé chang gyatsö yang zhejawa jikten du jung té

“Householder, once upon a time, incalculable eons ago, the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the complete and perfect Buddha, dwelled in the world with perfect knowledge and with virtuous conduct. This sugata, the knower of worlds, the leader for those to be tamed, the unsurpassed teacher of gods and men, the Blessed Buddha, was named Vajradhara-sāgaranirghoṣa.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། ངས་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དེ་ལས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས་འདི་ཐོས་ཏེ། བཟུང་ཞིང་བཅངས་བཀླགས། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བྱས། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བྱས་ཤིང༌། གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་ཏེ།

rik kyi bu ngé dezhin shekpa dé lé nor gyi gyün chejawé zung di tö té zung zhing chang lak kün chubpar jé jesu yirangwar jé shing zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu ten té

O noble son, it is from this tathāgata that I heard and retained the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī. I kept it, recited it, comprehended it, rejoiced in it, and taught it extensively to others.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། ད་ཡང་ངས་དེ་བཤད་པར་བྱའོ། །

rik kyi bu da yang ngé dé shepar ja o

O noble son, I shall now share it with you.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། གཟུངས་འདིའི་མཐུས་མི་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །མི་མ་ཡིན་པ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །གནོད་སྦྱིན་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །སྲིན་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ཡི་དྭགས་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ཤ་ཟ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །འབྱུང་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །གྲུལ་བུམ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །བརྗེད་བྱེད་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །གནོན་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ལུས་སྲུལ་པོ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ལྷ་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ལྷ་མ་ཡིན་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་མཐོ་འཚམ་པར་མི་བྱེད་དོ། །ཟས་སུ་མི་གཙང་བ་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་གཅིན་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང་། ཟས་སུ་ཁྲག་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་ཤ་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་རྣག་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་ཞག་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་རྐང་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་ངར་སྣབས་ཟ་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་གཏོར་ཁུང་ནས་འབབ་པ་འཐུང་བ་རྣམས་དང༌། ཟས་སུ་དབུགས་རྔུབ་པ་རྣམས་དང༌། འབྱུང་བ་ཟ་བའི་བར་རྣམས་རྣམ་པར་འཚེ་བར་མི་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu zung di tü mi nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do mi mayinpa nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do nöjin nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do sinpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do yidak nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do shaza nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do jungpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do drulbum nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do jé jé nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do nönpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do lü sulpo nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do lha nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do lha mayin nam nampar to tsampar mi jé do zé su mi tsangwa zawa nam dang zé su chin tungwa nam dang zé su traktung ba nam dang zé su shaza ba nam dang zé su nak tungwa nam dang zé su zhak zawa nam dang zé su kang zawa nam dang zé su ngarnab zawa nam dang zé su tor khung né babpa tungwa nam dang zé su uk ngubpa nam dang jungwa zawé bar nam nampar tsewar mingyur ro

O noble son, through the power of this dhāraṇī no human will ever harm you. No yakṣa will ever harm you. No rākṣasa will ever harm you. No preta will ever harm you. No piśāca will ever harm you. No bhūta will ever harm you. No kumbhāṇḍa will ever harm you. No apasmāra will ever harm you. No ostāraka will ever harm you. No kaṭapūtana will ever harm you. No deva will ever harm you. No asura will ever harm you. No demons, whether they feed on feces, urine, blood, flesh, pus, grease, marrow, snot, effluent, or breath, nor spirits who are able to possess you, will ever harm you!

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་རིགས་ཀྱི་བུའམ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་མོ་གང་གི་ཁྱིམ་ན་ཡོད་དམ། སྙིང་ལ་ཡོད་དམ། ལག་ན་ཡོད་དམ། གླེགས་བམ་དུ་ཆུད་དམ། ཐོས་པར་གྱུར་ཏམ། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བྱས་སམ། བཀླགས་སམ། བཟུང་ངམ། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བྱས་སམ། གཞན་དག་ལ་རྒྱ་ཆེར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་པའི་རིགས་ཀྱི་བུའམ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་མོ་དེ་ལ་ཡུན་རིང་པོའི་དོན་དང༌། ཕན་པ་དང༌། དགེ་བ་དང༌། གྲུབ་པ་དང༌། བདེ་བ་དང༌། ལོ་ལེགས་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu nor gyi gyün gyi zung di rik kyi bu am rik kyi bumo gang gi khyim na yö dam nying la yö dam lak na yö dam lekbam du chü dam töpar gyur tam kün chubpar jé sam lak sam zung ngam jesu yirangwar jé sam zhendak la gyacher rabtu tenpé rik kyi bu am rik kyi bumo dé la yünringpö dön dang penpa dang gewa dang drubpa dang dewa dang lo lekwar gyur ro

O noble son, the son or daughter of noble family who takes the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī and places it in their home, takes it to heart, holds it in their hands, renders it in text, listens to it, comprehends it, reads it, memorizes it, rejoices in it, and extensively teaches it to others, will enjoy lasting benefits, welfare, goodness, advantages, pleasures, and good harvests.

སུ་ཞིག་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་རྣམས་ལ་མཆོད་པ་བྱས་ཏེ། ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་ནམ་ཕྱེད་ན་ལན་གཉིས་སམ། ལན་གསུམ་མམ། ལན་བཞི་བཏོན་ན། དེའི་ལྷ་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་བསྟན་པ་ལ་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཆོས་གདགས་པ་བྱས་པས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། དགེ་འདུན་གདགས་པ་བྱས་པས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཆོས་སྨྲ་བ་ལ་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ལྷག་པའི་བསམ་པས་བདག་ཉིད་འོངས་ཏེ། འབྲུའི་ཆར་འབེབས་སོ། །

su zhik dezhin shekpa nam la chöpa jé té nor gyi gyün gyi zung di nam ché na len nyi sam len sum mam len zhi tön na dé lha yi rang té dezhin shekpé tenpa la gawa dang chö dakpa jepé gawa dang gendün dakpa jepé gawa dang chöma bala gawa dang lhakpé sampé daknyi ong té drü charbeb so

Whoever worships the tathāgatas and then at midnight recites the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī two, three or four times will cause the deities to rejoice. They will bring delight through the teachings of the Tathāgata, and through contributing to the promulgation of the Dharma and development of the Saṅgha, and bring delight to those who teach the Dharma. Noble thoughts will come to them and a rain of grains will shower down upon them.

ན་མོ་བཛྲ་དྷ་ར་སཱ་ག་ར་ནིརྒྷོ་ཥཱ་ཡ། ཏ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏཱ་ཡ།

namo benza dhara sagara nirghoshaya tathagataya |

namo vajradhara-sāgara-nirghoṣāya tathāgatāya |

ཏདྱ་ཐཱ། ཨོཾ་སུ་རཱུ་བེ། བྷ་དྲེ། བྷ་དྲ་བ་ཏི། ཨཾ་ག་ལེ། མཾ་ག་ལེ། མཾ་ག་ལ་བ་ཏི། ཨ་ལེ། ཨ་ཙ་ལེ། ཨ་ཙ་ལ་བ་ལེ། ཨུདྒྷ་ཏི་ནི། ཨུད་བྷེ་དི་ནི། ཤ་སྱ་བ་ཏི། དྷ་ན་བ་ཏི། དྷཱ་ནྱ་བ་ཏི། ཤྲཱི་མ་ཏི། པྲ་བྷ་བ་ཏི། ཨ་མ་ལེ། བི་མ་ལེ། ནི་རྨ་ལེ། རུ་རུ་མེ། སུ་རཱུ་པེ། སུ་རཱུ་པ་བི་མ་ལེ། བི་མ་ལེ། ཙ་ལེ། ཨ་རྩ་ན་སྟེ། ཨ་ཏ་ན་སྟེ། བི་ཏ་ན་སྟེ། བི་ཤྭ་ཀེ་ཤི། བི་ཤྭ་ནི་ཤི། ཨཾ་ཀུ་རེ། མཾ་ཀུ་རེ། པྲ་བཾ་ཀུ་རེ། བི་ར་མེ། བི་དྷ་མེ། རི་རི་མེ། དི་དི་མེ། དུ་དུ་མེ། ཁ་ཁ་མེ། ཏ་ཏ་རེ། ཏ་ར་ཏ་ར། ཏཱ་ར་ཏཱ་ར། བཛྲེ་བཛྲེ་བཛྲོ་པ་མེ། ཊ་ཀེ་ཊ་ཀེ། ཋ་ཀེ་ཋ་ཀེ། ཨུཀྐེ་བུཀྐེ། ཐ་ཀེ་ཐ་ར་ཀེ། ཨ་བརྟ་ནི། བ་ར་ཤ་ནི། ཥ་ད་ནི་བཛྲ་དྷ་ར་སཱ་ག་ར་ནིརྒྷོ་ཥཱན། ཏ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། སྨ་ར་སྨ་ར། སརྦ་ཏ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏ་ས་ཏྱ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། དྷརྨ་སཏྱ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། སཾ་གྷ་ས་ཏྱ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར། ད་ཏ་ད་ཏ། པཱུ་ར་པཱུ་ར། པཱུ་ར་ཡ་པཱུ་ར་ཡ། པཱུ་ར་ཎི། བྷ་ར་བྷ་ར་ཎི། ཨ་མ་ལེ། སུ་མཾ་ག་ལེ། ཤཱནྟ་མ་ཏི། ཤུ་བྷ་མ་ཏི། མཾ་ག་ལ་བྷ་ནི། མ་ཧཱ་མ་ཏི། བྷ་དྲ་བ་ཏི། པྲ་བྷཱ་བ་ཏི། སུ་ཙནྡྲ་མ་ཏི། ཨཱ་གཙྪ། ཨཱ་གཙྪ། ས་མ་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨཱ་བ་ར་ཎི་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། པྲ་བྷ་བ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། དཱི་དི་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། ཏེ་ཛོ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། བི་ཛ་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། ཧྲྀ་ད་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ། སརྦ་སཏྭ་བི་ན་ཡ་མ་ནུ་སྨ་ར་སྭཱཧཱ།

teyata | om surubé bhadré bhadra bati amgalé mamga é mamgala bati alé atsalé atsala balé udghatini udbhédini shasya bati dhana bati dhanya bati shri mati trabha bati amalé bimalé nimalé rurumé surupé surupa bimalé bimalé tsalé atsanasté atanasté bitanaté bishokeshi bishonishi amkuré mamkuré trabamkuré biramé bidhamé ririmé didimé dudumé khakhamé tataré tara tara tara tara badzré badzré badzropamé také také thaké thaké ukké bukké thaké tharaké abartani barashani shadani benzadhara sagara nirghosham tathagatam anusmara smara smara sarva tathagata satyam anusmara dharma satyam anusmara sangha satyam anusmara data data pura pura puraya puraya purani bhara bharani amalé sumamgalé shanta mati shubha mati mamgala bhani maha mati bhadra bati trabha bati sutsandra mati agatsa gatsa samayam anusmara soha | awaranim anusmara soha | trabhawam anusmara soha | didim anusmara soha tédzom anusmara soha | bidzayam anusmara soha | hridayam anusmara soha sarva sato binayam anusmara soha |

tadyathā | oṃ surūpe bhadre bhadravati aṅgale maṅgale maṅgalavati ale acale acala-bale udghātini udbhedini śasyavati dhanavati dhānyavati śrīmati prabhavati amale vimale nirmale rurume surūpe surūpavimale vimale cale arcanaste atanaste vitanaste viśvakeśi viśvaniśi aṅkure maṅkure prabhaṅkure virame vidhame ririme dhidhime dhudhume khakhame tatare tara tara tāra tāra vajre vajre vajropame ṭake ṭake ṭhake ṭhake ukke bukke ṭhake ṭharake āvartani varṣaṇi (ni)ṣ(p)ādani vajradhāra-sāgara-nirghoṣaṃ tathāgataṃ anusmara smara smara sarva-tathāgata-satyam-anusmara dharma-satyam-anusmara saṅgha-satyam-anusmara data data pūra pūra pūraya pūraya pūraṇi bhara bharaṇi amale sumaṅgale śāntamati śubhamati maṅgalabhaṇi mahāmati bhadravati prabhavati sucandramati āgacchāgaccha samayam-anusmara svāhā | avaraṇim-anusmara svāhā | prabhavam-anusmara svāhā | dīdim-anusmara svāhā | tejom-anusmara svāhā | vijayam-anusmara svāhā | hṛdayam-anusmara svāhā | sarva-sattva-vijayam-anusmara svāhā |

ཨོཾ་བཱ་སུ་དྷཱ་རེ་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨོཾ་བཱ་སུ་ཤྲཱི་ཡེ་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨོཾ་ཤྰྲི་བ་སུ་སྭཱཧཱ། ཨོཾ་བ་སུ་སྭཱཧཱ།

om basudharé soha | om basushriyé soha | om shribasu soha | om basu soha |

oṃ vasudhāre svāhā | oṃ vasuśriye svāhā | oṃ śrīvasu svāhā | oṃ vasu svāhā ||¹

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། འདི་ནི་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས་ཏེ། གཟུངས་སྔགས་འདིའི་མཐུས་མུ་གེ་དང༌། ནད་དང༌། འཆི་ངས་འབྱུང་བར་མི་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu di ni nor gyi gyün chejawé zung té zung ngak di tü mugé dang né dang chi ngé jungwar mingyur ro

Noble son, this is the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī. Famine, diseases, and untimely death will be averted through the power of this dhāraṇī-mantra.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། སུ་ཞིག་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ་ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས་རྣམས་ལ་མཆོད་པ་བྱས་ཏེ། ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་ཀྱི་གསང་སྔགས་ཀྱི་ཚིག་འདི་དག་ནུབ་གཅིག་བཏོན་ན། དེ་ནས་དངོས་གྲུབ་ཏུ་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu su zhik dezhin shekpa drachompa yangdakpar dzokpé sangye nam la chöpa jé té nor gyi gyün gyi zung kyi sang ngak kyi tsik didak nub chik tön na dené ngödrub tu gyur ro

Noble son, whoever worships the tathāgatas, the arhats, the complete and perfect buddhas, and recites the words of this secret mantra, the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī, while facing the west will reach accomplishment.

རྒྱས་པའི་དོན་དུ་བདག་གི་ཁྱིམ་མམ། གཞན་གྱི་ཁྱིམ་མམ། གནས་གཙང་མའི་བང་མཛོད་དམ། གནས་གང་ཡང་རུང་བར་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག་དང༌། སངས་རྒྱས་དང༌། བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཐམས་ཅད་དང༌། གསང་སྔགས་ཀྱི་ལྷའི་ཕྱིར་ཙནྡན་གྱིས་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་གྲུ་བཞིར་བྱས་ཏེ། ནུབ་གཅིག་བཏོན་ན། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། དེའི་ཁྱིམ་ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་དང༌། གསེར་དང༌། དངུལ་དང༌། ཡོ་བྱད་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་རྒྱུན་མི་ཆེན་པོའི་ཚད་ཙམ་གྱིས་གང་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །འཇིགས་པ་དང་གནོད་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱང་མེད་པར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

gyepé döndu dak gi khyim mam zhen gyi khyim mam netsangmé bangdzö dam né gangyang rungwar dezhin shekpa chenrezik wangchuk dang sangye dang changchub sempa tamché dang sang ngak kyi lhé chir tsenden gyi kyilkhor dru zhir jé té nub chik tön na rik kyi bu dé khyim nor dang dru dang ser dang ngul dang yojé tamché kyi gyün mi chenpö tsé tsam gyi gangwar gyur ro jikpa dang nöpa tamché kyang mepar gyur ro

To explain this in more detail: Arrange a maṇḍala in a suitable place—such as your own house, another person’s house, a clean place, or a storehouse—using sandalwood for the Tathāgata, Lord Avalokiteśvara, and all the buddhas and bodhisattvas and secret mantra deities, and recite the dhāraṇī while facing the west. Noble son, the person’s house will soon be completely filled with a stream of jewels, grain, gold, silver, and all necessities, and all danger and harm will be brought to an end.

རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ། དེའི་ཕྱིར་ཁྱོད་རབ་ཏུ་བསྒྲིམས་ལ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་ཟུངས་ཤིག །ཆོངས་ཤིག །ལྷོགས་ཤིག །སྟོན་ཅིག །གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་སྟོན་ཅིག་དང༌། དེས་ཁྱོད་ཀྱི་ཡུན་རིང་པོའི་དོན་དང༌། ཕན་པ་དང༌། བདེ་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

rik kyi bu dé chir khyö rabtu drim la nor gyi gyün gyi zung di zung shik chong shik lhok shik tön chik zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tön chik dang dé khyö kyi yünringpö dön dang penpa dang dewar gyur ro

Noble son, therefore, hold the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī dear. Retain it! Memorize it! Recite it! Teach it! Explain it to others as well! This will lead to your lasting benefit, welfare and happiness.”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། ལེགས་སོ་ཞེས་གསོལ་ཏེ།

chomdendé lek so zhé sol té

“Very well, Blessed One!” said the householder Sucandra upon receiving the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī from the Blessed One.

ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་ཐོས་ནས་ཚིམ་ཞིང་དགའ་ལ་མགུ་ཞིང་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ། རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་ནས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཞབས་ལ་མགོ་བོས་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé lé nor gyi gyün gyi zung di tö né tsim zhing ga la gu zhing yi rang té rabtu ga né gawa dang yi dewa kyé té chomdendé kyi zhab lago bö chaktsal né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Pleased, glad, joyful, delighted, happy, satisfied and joyous was Sucandra as he paid homage by touching the feet of the Blessed One to his head. He then said to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། བདག་གིས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བགྱི་བ་བླངས་ལགས། གཟུངས་སུ་ཟིན་ལགས། བཟུང་ལགས། བཀླགས་ལགས། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བགྱིས་ལགས། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བགྱིས་ལགས་སོ། །གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་པར་བགྱིས་ལགས་སོ། །

chomdendé dak gi nor gyi gyün ché gyiwa lang lak zung su zin lak zung lak lak lak kün chubpar gyi lak jesu yirangwar gyi lak so zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tenpar gyi lak so

“Blessed One, now that I have received the ritual for Vasudhārā, I will keep this dhāraṇī in mind; I will memorize it; I will recite it; I will master it; I will delight in it; and I will explain it in detail to others as well!”

དེའི་སྐད་ཅིག་ཙམ་ལ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོའི་བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བར་གྱུར་ཏོ། །

dé kechik tsam la khyimdak dawa zangpö bangdzö nam yongsu gangwar gyur to

At that very moment, Sucandra the householder’s storehouses became completely full.

དེ་ནས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་ལན་འབུམ་ཕྲག་དུ་མར་བསྐོར་བ་བྱས་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཞབས་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ནས། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ཐད་ནས་སོང་ངོ༌། །

dené khyimdak dawa zangpö chomdendé la len bumtrak dumar korwa jé té chomdendé kyi zhab la chaktsal né chomdendé kyi té né song ngo

Sucandra the householder circumambulated the Blessed One many hundreds of thousands of times, and after touching his head to the feet of Blessed One, he left his presence.

དེ་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་ལ་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ།

dené chomdendé kyi tsé dang denpa küngawo la katsal pa

The Blessed One then spoke to venerable Ānanda:

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། ཁྱོད་སོང་ལ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོའི་ཁྱིམ་ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུས་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པ་དང༌། མཛོད་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བ་རྣམས་ལ་ལྟོས།

küngawo khyö song la khyimdak dawa zangpö khyim nor dang drü yongsu gangwa pünsum tsokpa dang dzö chenpo dang bangdzö yongsu gangwa nam la tö

“Ānanda, go to Sucandra the householder, the one whose home is abundantly filled with all kinds of riches and grains and whose massive treasury and storehouses are replete with all one could require.”

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱི་ལྟར་མཉན་ནས་ཀཽ་ཤཱམྦཱིའི་གྲོང་ཁྱེར་ཆེན་པོ་ག་ལ་བ་དང༌། ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོའི་ཁྱིམ་ག་ལ་བ་དེར་སོང་སྟེ་ཕྱིན་ནས་ནང་དུ་ཞུགས་པ་དང༌། ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུས་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པ་དང༌། རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པ་དང༌། ཡོ་བྱད་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་མཛོད་པ་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་ཀྱང་ཡོངས་སུ་གང་བར་མཐོང་ངོ༌། །མཐོང་ནས་ཀྱང་ཚིམ་ཞིང་དགའ་ལ་མགུ་ཞིང་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་ནས་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ཏེ་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ག་ལ་བ་དེར་སོང་ངོ༌། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawö chomdendé kyi tar nyen né kaushambi drongkhyer chenpo gala ba dang khyimdak dawa zangpö khyim gala ba der song té chin né nang du zhukpa dang nor dang drü yongsu gangwa pünsum tsokpa dang rinpoche pünsum tsokpa dang yojé tamché kyi dzöpa chenpo dang bangdzö nam kyang yongsu gangwar tong ngo tong né kyang tsim zhing ga la gu zhing yi rang té rabtu ga né gawa dang yi dewa kyé té chomdendé gala ba der song ngo

At these words of the Blessed One, venerable Ānanda went to the great city of Kauśāmbī where Sucandra’s house was located. Upon reaching the house he entered, and he saw that it was filled with an abundance of riches and grains. Precious gems were abundant, and there was a massive storehouse of all kinds of goods. The treasuries likewise were completely full! Pleased, glad, joyful, delighted, happy, satisfied and joyous upon seeing this, he returned to the Blessed One.

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་ཡ་མཚན་དུ་འཛིན་ཅིང་དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawo yatsen du dzin ching gawa dang yi dewa kyé né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, and, in his amazement, happiness and joy, he said this to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། གང་གིས་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་ནོར་མང་ཞིང་མཛོད་ཆེན་པོ་དང༌། བང་མཛོད་རྣམས་ཀྱང་ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པའི་རྒྱུ་གང་ལགས། རྐྱེན་གང་ལགས།

chomdendé gang gi khyimdak dawa zangpo nor mang zhing dzö chenpo dang bangdzö nam kyang nor dang dru pünsum tsokpé gyu gang lak kyen gang lak

“Blessed One, why does Sucandra the householder have so much wealth? What is the cause and what are the circumstances for his treasury and storehouses to be replete with riches and grains?”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ།

chomdendé kyi katsal pa

The Blessed One replied:

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོ་དད་ཅིང་མཆོག་ཏུ་དད་ཅིང་དགེ་བའི་བསམ་པ་ཅན་དེས་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་འདི་བཟུང་ཞིང་རབ་ཏུ་བཏོན་ཏེ། བླངས་ཤིང། བཀླགས། ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་བྱས། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བར་བྱས་ཤིང༌། གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་བསྟན་པའི་ཕྱིར་རོ། །

küngawo rik kyi bu khyimdak dawa zangpo dé ching chok tu dé ching gewé sampachen dé nor gyi gyün gyi zung di zung zhing rabtu tön té lang shing lak kün chubpar jé jesu yirangwar jé shing zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tenpé chir ro

“Ānanda, it is because the noble son Sucandra the householder has received and chanted the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī with devotion, great faith, and pure motivation. He kept it, recited it, mastered it, delighted in it, and expounded it in detail to others as well.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། དེའི་ཕྱིར་ཁྱོད་ཀྱིས་ཀྱང་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུང་འདི་ལོངས་ཤིག །ཆོངས་ཤིག །ལྷོགས་ཤིག །སྟོན་ཅིག །ཟུངས་ཤིག །ཀུན་ཆུབ་པར་གྱིས་ཤིག །གཞན་དག་ལ་ཡང་རྒྱ་ཆེར་ཡང་དག་པར་རབ་ཏུ་སྟོན་ཅིག་དང༌། དེ་ནི་སྐྱེ་བོ་མང་པོ་ལ་ཕན་པ་དང༌། སྐྱེ་བོ་མང་པོ་ལ་བདེ་བ་དང༌། འཇིག་རྟེན་ལ་སྙིང་བརྩེ་བ་དང༌། སྐྱེ་བོ་ཕལ་པོ་ཆེ་དང༌། ལྷ་དང༌། མི་རྣམས་ཀྱི་དོན་དང༌། ཕན་པ་དང༌། བདེ་བར་འགྱུར་རོ། །

küngawo dé chir khyö kyi kyang nor gyi gyün gyi zung di long shik chong shik lhok shik tön chik zung shik kün chubpar gyi shik zhendak la yang gyacher yangdakpar rabtu tön chik dang dé ni kyewo mangpo la penpa dang kyewo mangpo la dewa dang jikten la nying tsewa dang kyewo palpo ché dang lha dang mi nam kyi dön dang penpa dang dewar gyur ro

Ānanda, therefore, you too should receive the Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī, keep it in mind, recite it, teach it, memorize it, master it, and explain it to others in detail. This will benefit many individuals. It will bring them happiness. It will bring love and compassion to the world, and it will bring benefit and happiness to hosts of beings, gods and humans alike.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། སུ་ཞིག་རིག་སྔགས་འདི་ལས་གཞན་དུ་སྨྲ་བ་ནི། ལྷ་དང་བཅས་པ་དང༌། བདུད་དང་བཅས་པ་དང༌། ཚངས་པ་དང་བཅས་པ་དང༌། དགེ་སྦྱོང་དང་བྲམ་ཟེར་བཅས་པ་དང༌། ལྷ་དང། མི་དང། ལྷ་མ་ཡིན་དུ་བཅས་པའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་ན་ངས་མ་མཐོང་ངོ༌། །ལན་གཉིས་སུ་བཏོན་ཏམ། ལན་གསུམ་དུ་བཏོན་ཀྱང་འགལ་བར་བྱེད་པ་དེ་ནི། གནས་མེད་དོ། །

küngawo su zhik rik ngak di lé zhendu mawa ni lha dang chepa dang dü dang chepa dang tsangpa dang chepa dang gejong dang dramzer chepa dang lha dang mi dang lha mayin du chepé jikten na ngé ma tong ngo len nyi su tön tam len sum du tön kyang galwar jepa dé ni nemé do

Ānanda, I do not see anyone in worlds of gods, māras, brahmas, humans, or asuras, who would say otherwise about this vidyā-mantra. It is impossible not to receive the mantra’s benefits having recited it two or three times.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། གཟུངས་ཀྱི་གསང་སྔགས་ཀྱི་ཚིག་འདི་དག་ནི་མི་ཕྱེད་པ་ཡིན་ནོ། །

küngawo zung kyi sang ngak kyi tsik didak ni michepa yin no

Ānanda, the secret mantra words of this dhāraṇī are indestructible.

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། འདི་དག་ནི་སེམས་ཅན་དགེ་བའི་རྩ་བ་ཟད་པ་རྣམས་ཀྱི་རྣ་ལམ་དུ་གྲགས་པར་མི་འགྱུར་ན། གླེགས་བམ་ལ་ཡི་གེར་འབྲི་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་ལ་གཟུང་བ་ལྟ་ཅི་སྨོས།

küngawo didak ni semchen gewé tsawa zepa nam kyi nalam du drakpar mingyur na lekbam la yiger driwa dang yi la zungwa tachi mö

Ānanda, it is clear that these words, when heard, will benefit² even those whose roots of virtue have been exhausted. Thus, there is no need to mention the benefits of writing them down in a book or memorizing them.

དེ་ཅིའི་ཕྱིར་ཞེ་ན། འདི་ནི་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་བཀའ་སྩལ་ཏེ། གཟུངས་སྔགས་འདི་ནི་སེམས་ཅན་དབུལ་པོ་དང༌། ནད་སྣ་ཚོགས་ཀྱིས་གཟིར་བ་དང༌། འཇིགས་པ་དང༌། སེམས་ཅན་སྡང་བས་གནོད་པར་བྱས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་དོན་དུ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱིས་གསུངས་པ་དང༌། བཤད་པ་དང༌། རྗེས་སུ་ཡི་རང་བ་དང༌། རབ་ཏུ་ཕྱེ་བ་དང༌། བསྔགས་པ་དང༌། བཀྲོལ་བ་དང༌། གསལ་བར་མཛད་པ་དང༌། བསྐྱེད་པ་དང༌། བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབས་པ་དང༌། ཆོས་ཀྱི་ཕྱག་རྒྱས་བཏབ་པ་དང༌། བསྟོད་པ་དང༌། སྙན་པར་བརྗོད་པ་དང༌། གོ་བར་མཛད་པ་དང༌། བསྙད་པའི་ཕྱིར་རོ། །

dé chi chir zhé na di ni dezhin shekpa tamché kyi katsal té zung ngak di ni semchen ulpo dang né natsok kyi zirwa dang jikpa dang semchen dangwé nöpar jepa tamché kyi döndu dezhin shekpa tamché kyi sungpa dang shepa dang jesu yirangwa dang rabtu chewa dang ngakpa dang trolwa dang salwar dzepa dang kyepa dang jin gyi labpa dang chö kyi chakgyé tabpa dang töpa dang nyenpar jöpa dang gowar dzepa dang nyepé chir ro

Why is this the case? It is because this dhāraṇī has been taught by all the tathāgatas. This dhāraṇī-mantra has been spoken, explained, honored, revealed, praised, unraveled, clarified, expounded, blessed, validated by the dharma seal, commended, sung, declared, and told by all the tathāgatas for the welfare of all sentient beings who live in poverty, suffer from diseases, live in fear, or are harmed by the wicked.

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་སྟན་ལས་ལངས་ཏེ་དེའི་ཚེ་ཐལ་མོ་སྦྱར་ནས་ཆེད་དུ་བརྗོད་པ་འདི་ཆེད་དུ་བརྗོད་ཅིང་ཚིགས་སུ་བཅད་པ་འདི་དག་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawo ten lé lang té dé tsé talmo jar né chedu jöpa di chedu jö ching tsik su chepa didak sol to

Venerable Ānanda then rose from his seat and with his hands folded, he uttered this praise in verse:

སངས་རྒྱས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་སྟེ། །

sangye chomden sam gyi mi khyab té

“Inconceivable is the Blessed Buddha.

སངས་རྒྱས་ཆོས་ཀྱང་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་ལགས། །

sangye chö kyang sam gyi mi khyab lak

Inconceivable too is the Buddha’s Dharma.

བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་པ་ལ་དད་རྣམས་ཀྱི། །

sam gyi mi khyabpa la dé nam kyi

For those with faith in the inconceivable,

རྣམ་པར་སྨིན་པའང་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་ལགས། །

nampar minpa ang sam gyi mi khyab lak

Inconceivable too will be their results.

ཞི་བ་ཅི་ཡང་མཁྱེན་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་མཁྱེན། །

zhiwa chiyang khyenpa tamché khyen

Tranquil knower of everything and all,

ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་རྒ་ཤི་མི་མངའ་བ། །

chö kyi gyalpo gashi mi ngawa

Dharma King free of aging and death,

ཡེ་ཤེས་ཕ་རོལ་བགྲོད་པར་བྱོན་གྱུར་པ། །

yeshe parol dröpar jön gyurpa

The one who’s arrived at wisdom’s far shore,

སངས་རྒྱས་དཔའ་པོ་ཁྱོད་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ། །

sangye papo khyö la chaktsal lo

Buddha the Hero, to you I pay homage!”

དེ་ནས་ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་ཚིམ་ཞིང་དགའ་ལ་མགུ་ཞིང་ཡིད་རངས་ནས་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་སྟེ། དགའ་བ་དང༌། ཡིད་བདེ་བ་སྐྱེས་ནས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ལ་འདི་སྐད་ཅེས་གསོལ་ཏོ། །

dené tsé dang denpa küngawo tsim zhing ga la gu zhing yi rang né rabtu ga té gawa dang yi dewa kyé né chomdendé la diké ché sol to

Venerable Ānanda was satisfied and joyful, gladden and overjoyed. In his joy and happiness, he said to the Blessed One:

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས། ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྣམ་གྲངས་འདིའི་མིང་ཅི་ལགས། འདི་ཇི་ལྟར་གཟུང་བར་བགྱི།

chomdendé chö kyi namdrang di ming chi lak di jitar zungwar gyi

“Blessed One, what is the name of this form of Dharma? How shall I remember it?”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་བཀའ་སྩལ་པ།

chomdendé kyi katsal pa

The Blessed One replied:

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ། འདི་ནི་ཁྱིམ་བདག་ཟླ་བ་བཟང་པོས་ཞུས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བར་ཟུངས་ཤིག །ནོར་དང༌། འབྲུ་དང༌། རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་གཏེར་ཞེས་བྱ་བར་ཡང་ཟུངས་ཤིག །དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱིས་བསྔགས་པ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་གྱི་གཟུངས་ཞེས་བྱ་བར་ཡང་ཟུངས་ཤིག །

küngawo di ni khyimdak dawa zangpö zhüpa zhejawar zung shik nor dang dru dang rinpoche tamché kyi ter zhejawar yang zung shik dezhin shekpa tamché kyi ngakpa nor gyi gyün gyi zung zhejawar yang zung shik

“Ānanda, remember this teaching as ‘The Question of Sucandra the Householder.’ Remember it as ‘The Treasury of Wealth and Grain and All That is Precious.’ Remember it as ‘The Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī Praised by All the Tathāgatas.’”

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་དེ་སྐད་ཅེས་བཀའ་སྩལ་ནས། ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཀུན་དགའ་བོ་དང༌། དགེ་སློང་དེ་དག་དང༌། བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་དེ་དག་དང༌། ཐམས་ཅད་དང་ལྡན་པའི་འཁོར་དེ་དག་དང༌། ལྷ་དང༌། མི་དང༌། ལྷ་མ་ཡིན་དང༌། དྲི་ཟར་བཅས་པའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་ཡིད་རངས་ཏེ། བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་གསུངས་པ་ལ་མངོན་པར་བསྟོད་དོ།། །།

chomdendé kyi deké ché katsal né tsé dang denpa küngawo dang gelong dedak dang changchub sempa dedak dang tamché dang denpé khor dedak dang lha dang mi dang lha mayin dang drizar chepé jikten yi rang té chomdendé kyi sungpa la ngönpar tö do

When the Blessed One had said this, Venerable Ānanda, the monks and bodhisattva mahāsattvas, together with the whole assembly and the world of gods, human beings, asuras and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the speech of the Blessed One.

འཕགས་པ་ནོར་གྱི་རྒྱུན་ཅེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས་རྫོགས་སོ།། །།

This concludes the Noble Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī. [2]

Sources:

Art references: https://www.etsy.com/ca/search?q=%22vasudhara%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasudhara

[1] The Power of Mantra Vital Practices for Transformation, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications (February 22, 2022) 

• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1614297274
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1614297277

[2] https://www.lotsawahouse.org/words-of-the-buddha/vasudhara-dharani

The Profound Benefits of Daily Recitation of the Heart Sutra

Cultivating a daily practice of reciting the Heart Sutra, one of the paramount teachings in the Mahayana canon, has been extolled by Buddhist teachers as a pathway filled with profound transformative benefits. As a faithful Mahayana Buddhist, one reason you might incorporate the Heart Sutra into your daily practice is its immense potential for fostering wisdom and compassion – qualities that lie at the heart of Buddhism (pun intended).

• Watch for our Buddha Weekly video with beautiful chanting of the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit, coming soon to our Youtube Channel @Buddhaweekly

Chanting this sutra daily unfurls layers of insight, leading to a deeper understanding of “Shunyata” or Emptiness, which in turn cultivates a profound sense of “Oneness” with all beings. The Heart Sutra holds the essence of the Buddha’s teachings – the understanding of emptiness, which can steer us towards liberating ourselves and others from suffering. In the words of Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, a renowned Buddhist monk, by practicing the Heart Sutra we “enter deeply into the Buddha’s teaching of emptiness and realize the interdependent nature of all beings” (PlumVillage.org source).

Chanting the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit:

Chanting in Sanskrit has Psycholinguistic Benefits

Not only is the recitation in Sanskrit a moment of deep deviceless meditation, but the melodic resonance of the Sanskrit language has been thought to have psycholinguistic benefits, synchronizing the endocrine system and awakening the dormant regions of the brain, therefore leading to improved health and well-being.

More important is context. English or other native-language translations suffer from poor single-word translations of concepts such as Shunyata. Chanting in Sanskrit ensures the full context and meaning is preserved.

Translations of Sanskrit Are Usually Imprecise

Translations of Sanskrit tend to be one-dimensional, and are missing many nuances of meaning. Many syllables in Sanskrit have complex, layered meanings. A commentary on the word Svaha can fill an entire chapter, for example.

The Gate Mantra from the Heart Sutra chanted by the Amazing Yoko Dharma:

Sanskrit is also meditative, and transformative to our body, speech and mind. Chanting in English or your native language can make the recitation a “prayer” or aspiration (which is wonderful), while reciting in Sanskrit is deeply meditational, involving vibrations and sound, mind and even body at the vibrational level.

According to Dalai Lama, “Meditating on the profound wisdom of Emptiness as encapsulated by the Heart Sutra dissolves all mental obscurations […] also bringing profound peace and joy” (DalaiLama.com source).

Did you know?

• Reciting the Heart Sutra daily in Sanskrit is believed to purify negative karma and accumulate merit.
• Shunyata or “Emptiness” is NOT nothingness. Per Thich Nhat Hanh: Emptiness means empty of self — but in the fullness of everything else… it is because of emptiness everything is possible.” (Source)
• Emptiness is the best single-word translation of Shunyata, or Oneness. Voidness and Nothingness are INCORRECT translations (or incomplete). Even in psychology, there is a profound difference between feeling “nothing” and feeling “empty.” Emptiness can be filled. See our section below for discussion. (Source Professor Marty Cooper)
• The Heart Sutra is one of the most widely recited and studied sutras in Mahayana Buddhism.
• By reciting the Heart Sutra, practitioners aim to cultivate wisdom and insight into the true nature of reality.
• Reciting the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit is considered a powerful practice for the benefit of all sentient beings.
• The Heart Sutra is part of the Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) literature, which is central to Mahayana Buddhism.

Merit Which purifies Negative Karmas and Obstacles

Recitation and publication or transcription is also a merit-generating activity, sending metta (loving kindness) and benefiting all sentient beings. Within the Mahayana tradition, such practices generate ‘Punya’ or merit, which aids in the attainment of Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Transcription and Sanskrit recitation have similar benefits according to Sutra:

If even as many buddhas, blessed ones as there are grains of sand in forty-eight Ganges rivers are unable to express the mass of merit of the one writing it out, what need is there to mention that whoever writes it out or reflects on it or reads it will become a treasury of the Dharma?

–Sanghata Sutra

Although there is merit to any reading or recitation of the Heart Sutra, Sanskrit recitation or transcription is a transformative practice that enhances wisdom, engenders compassion, offers health benefits, and generates merit, with vast merit and benefits for sentient beings.

Embracing Oneness: The Heart Sutra’s Message

One reason to chant in Sanskrit is the incompleteness of translations of words such as “Shunyata.”

There is an important distinction between the concept and translation of Shunyata as “Emptiness” versus “Voidness” or “Nothingness.” Most modern teachers and commentaries use the word “Emptiness” when a one-word translation is required.

Shunyata: Like a Joker in a Deck of Cards?

Emptiness in the context of Shunyata is analogous to a Joker in a Deck of Cards. If you think about a deck of cards, individual cards are valued according to their labels — from ace through ten, and jack, queen, king. Based on the rules of the game, Aces or Kings may be the highest card, but the value is determined by the labels placed on them. This is a simple analogy for human life. We label our children with names when they are born, and concept labels such as male, female, human, smart, cute. Then, attached to our labels we aspire to more labels, such as a lawyer, doctor, and physicist. In our simple metaphor, these are the cards in our deck.

What card in the deck represents emptiness? The Joker. It’s the wild card. Like the concept of Shunyata in Buddhism, it’s “empty” of value  but it’s potential is vast. In some card games, that wild card can win the game. It can be anything and everything. With a joker, the impossible is possible — such as having a five aces poker hand (the highest possible hand.)

Shunyata, or Emptiness, is not nothingness. It is empty of labels because it has unlimited potential, like the joker in a deck of cards.

Emptiness is a Better Translation than Voidness

The most famous line in the Heart Sutra can be empowering if translated as “Emptiness” but it can be Nihilistic and incorrect if translated as “Voidness. Many early translators did use the world “Voidness.” This is one reason Sanskrit recitation is better than reciting poor translations.

Compare, for example, this famous line from the Heart Sutra:

Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is itself form; Emptiness is not different from form, and form is not different from Emptiness; that which is form is Emtiness, and that which is Emptiness is form

TO

Form is voidness and voidness is itself form; voidness is not different from form, and form is not different from voidness; that which is form is voidness, and that which is voidness is form.

Why is this totally different? In physics, Greek philosophy, and psychology, Emptiness is positive and has potential, while voidness is toxic. In psychological terms,  Professor Marty Cooper, writes:

“The Void is when our systems register absence as threatening, unsafe; Emptiness is when our systems register absence as safe, open space.”

Rather than “Voidness”, a better English translation might be “Zero-ness.” Zero does not mean nothing in mathematics, science, or architecture — it transcends all numbers. As Annette van der Hoek, PhD wrote[1]:

“The zero, a symbol we all use in daily life, is an unrivaled innovation. It has revolutionized the face of science and technology all over the world.”

Void, by definition, does not even include Zero. It is nihilistic. As Dr. Cooper continues:

“Void” here refers to “the presence of absence.” It is experienced as a closed, retracted, painful state, like touching into a pocket of acid. It is the equivalent of a abscess in the body. It’s not empty space. It’s full of toxins and dead material, but is trapped in a bubble. When we experience Void, we are experiencing a place in our psyche where what was, or should be, in that space has collapsed or been destroyed. It is without positive energy, uncreative, pulling in the way an acid eats at its surroundings.

“Emptiness,” in contrast, is the “presence of potential.” This state is experienced as open, creative, full of potential in the form of abundant energy. It is without forms, but is not a space of destroyed or pulverized forms (as with the Void). It invites us into it, is not (when we are fully recognizing and encountering it) threatening, is not toxic or unsafe. The archetypal open meadow on a sunny day in Spring, lying on our backs staring up, is the state of “Emptiness”: we are not threatened by the space, and can feel and tap into the vast energy and possibilities. It is a space in which the lack of “objects” is not experienced as horrid; we are drawn to this space, when we recognize it, because it is where life arises.

In other words, if you choose to recite in English, try to use a contextual, modern translation, rather than a dated, incorrect translation. Poor translations can change the intended message of the Buddha.

Of course, chanting in Sanskrit can be challenging, which is why we’ve produced our own chanted version in precise Sanskrit. The Sanskrit is:

prajñāpāramita-hṛdayam sūtra

oṃ namo bhagavatyai ārya prajñāpāramitāyai!

ārya-avalokiteśvaro bodhisattvo gambhīrāṃ prajñāpāramitā caryāṃ caramāṇo vyavalokayati sma:
panca-skandhās tāṃś ca svābhava śūnyān paśyati sma.

iha śāriputra: rūpaṃ śūnyatā śūnyataiva rūpaṃ; rūpān na pṛthak śūnyatā śunyatāyā na pṛthag rūpaṃ; yad rūpaṃ sā śūnyatā; ya śūnyatā tad rūpaṃ. evam eva vedanā saṃjñā saṃskāra vijñānaṃ.

iha śāriputra: sarva-dharmāḥ śūnyatā-lakṣaṇā, anutpannā aniruddhā, amalā avimalā, anūnā aparipūrṇāḥ.

tasmāc chāriputra śūnyatayāṃ na rūpaṃ na vedanā na saṃjñā na saṃskārāḥ na vijñānam. na cakṣuḥ-śrotra-ghrāna-jihvā-kāya-manāṃsi. na rūpa-śabda-gandha-rasa-spraṣṭavaya-dharmāh. Na cakṣūr-dhātur. yāvan na manovijñāna-dhātuḥ. na-avidyā na-avidyā-kṣayo. yāvan na jarā-maraṇam na jarā-maraṇa-kṣayo. na duhkha-samudaya-nirodha-margā. Na jñānam, na prāptir na-aprāptiḥ.

tasmāc chāriputra aprāptitvād bodhisattvasya prajñāpāramitām āśritya viharatyacittāvaraṇaḥ. cittāvaraṇa-nāstitvād atrastro viparyāsa-atikrānto niṣṭhā-nirvāṇa-prāptaḥ.

tryadhva-vyavasthitāḥ sarva-buddhāḥ prajñāpāramitām āśrityā-anuttarāṃ samyaksambodhim abhisambuddhāḥ.

tasmāj jñātavyam: prajñāpāramitā mahā-mantro mahā-vidyā mantro ‘nuttara-mantro samasama-mantraḥ, sarva duḥkha praśamanaḥ, satyam amithyatāt. prajñāpāramitāyām ukto mantraḥ.

tadyathā: gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā.

iti prajñāpāramitā-hṛdayam samāptam.

English Translation: Thich Nhat Hanh

The Best English translation is almost certainly from the great Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (source Plum Village):

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!”

Sanskrit Text (phonetics) of the Heart Sutra with Earlier Translation

Namah sarvajnaaya
Adoration to the Omniscient!

Aarya Avalokiteshvara-Bodhisattvo gambhiira ayaam prajna paaramita ayaam caryaam caramaano vyavalokayati sma: panca skandhaah; taamshca svabhaava-shuunyaan pashyati sma
When Holy Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva performed the deep practice in the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom, he contemplated that there were five aggregates but observed that they were Empty of essential nature.

Iha Shaariputra ruupam shuunyataa shuunyataiva ruupam, ruupaan na prithak shuunyataa, shuunyataayaa na prithag ruupam, yad ruupam saa shuunyataa, yaa shuunyataa tad ruupam

In this case, Shaariputra, form is Emptiness and Emptiness is itself form; Emptiness is not different from form, and form is not different from Emptiness; that which is form is Emptiness, and that which is Emptiness is form

Evem eva vedanaa-samjnaa-samskaara-vijnaanaani.

So it is for perception, conception, volition and consciousness.

Iha Shaariputra sarva-dharmaah shuunyataa-lakshanaa, anutpannaa, aniruddhaa, amalaa, na vimalaa, nonaa, na paripuurnaah.

In this case, Shaariputra, all things have the characteristics of Emtpiness; they neither arise nor perish; they are neither defiled nor pure, neither deficient nor complete.

Tasmaac Chaariputra shuunya ayaam na ruupam na vedanaa na samjnaa na samskaaraa na vijnaanaani.

Therefore, Shaariputra, within the Emptiness, there is no form, no perception, no conception, no volition, nor consciousness.

Na cakshuh-shrotra-ghraana-jihvaa-kaaya-manaamsi.

Neither is there eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind.

Na ruupa-shabda-gandha-rasa-sprashtavya-dharmaah

Neither is there form, sound, smell, taste, touch nor concepts
.

Na cakshurdhaatur yaavan na mano-vijnaana-dhaatuh.

Neither is there realm of sight, etc., until we come to the non-existence of realm of consciousness.

Na vidyaa, naavidyaa, na vidyaa-kshayo, naavidyaa-kshayo, yaavan na jaraa-maranam na jaraamarana-kshayo, na duhkha-samudaya-nirodha-maargaa, na jnaanam, na praaptir apraaptitvena

Neither is there wisdom, nor ignorance, nor extinction of wisdom, nor extinction of ignorance, etc., until we come to the non-existence of old age and death and the non-extinction of old age and death. Neither is there suffering, cause of suffering, extinction of suffering, nor the path leading to extinction of suffering. Neither is there wisdom nor acquisition because there is no grasping.

Bodhisattvasya prajna paaramita am aashritya viharaty acittaavaranah. Cittaavarana-naastitvaad atrasto, viparyaasaatikraanto nishtha-nirvaanah.

Depending on the bodhisattva’s Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom, one dwells without any mental hindrance. Because of the absence of mental hindrance, one is fearless; freed from delusory thoughts, one will reach Nirvana.

Tryadhva-vyavasthitaah sarvabuddhaah prajnaapaaramitaam aashrityaanuttaraam samyaksambodhim abhisambuddhaah.

All Buddhas dwelling in the three periods realize the highest, perfect enlightenment depending on the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom.

Tasmaaj jnaatavyo prajnaapaaramitaa-mahaamantro mahaavidyaa-mantro ‘nuttara-mantro ‘samasama-mantrah, sarvadukha-prashamanah, satyam amithyatvaat, prajnaapaaramitaayaam ukto mantrah

For this reason, know that the Great Mantra of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom is the Great Wisdom Mantra, the Unsurpassed Mantra, and the Unequaled Mantra. It extinguishes all suffering, and is true and real because it is not false. It is the Mantra proclaimed in the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom.

Tadyathaa gate gate paaragate paarasamgate bodhi svaaha

Namely, “Gone, gone, gone to the other shore;
Gone completely to the other shore.Svaha.”

Iti prajnaa paaramitaa-hridayam samaaptam.

Thus ends the Essence of the Transcendent Wisdom Sutra.

Why are mantras so popular? What are the nine benefits of mantras? Why are mantras considered a complete practice? How do they work? What are they? This is a lot to cover, but with the help of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen we’ll try to unpack the gist.

Before hitting the hows and whys, it’s important to understand the benefits of mantra. They aren’t simply “stand-ins” for practice, for busy people who have no time for more elaborate meditations. They aren’t simply aspirations or wishes. Although it will require some unpacking — especially for those new to mantras — the essence of mantras is framed around nine benefits.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, His Holiness the Dalai Lama advised people to chant the Green Tara mantra because he said it would be “beneficial for effectively containing the spread of the virus.” He has asked people suffering from the disease to chant the Tara mantra, Om tare tuttare ture svaha, to maintain peace of mind and remain free from worries.

Dalai Lama chants Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha:

We previously covered the “light-weight” benefits, such as concentration, proven health benefits, psychology, and even the effect of mantras on plant growth [Links below in “Mantra Resources”.] In this feature, we’re diving deeper into actual practice benefits to a Vajrayana practitioner, especially someone who engages in any form of Generation of a Deity visualization practice. With that in mind, let’s start with the top nine practice benefits of mantra in this context.

Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche: the nine benefits of mantras

The most eminent Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche explained the nine benefits in teaching on Vajrakilaya. To some extent, this relates specifically to the Vajrakilaya practice, but those who are familiar with deity-yoga practices (creation-stage visualization) — where you choose an aspect of Buddha to visualize in an enlightened form to represent “enlightened body”, chant the mantra to represent “enlightened speech”— will know that these nine benefits are universal. The language is highly visual since the mantras are normally chanted with an imagined visualization (healing light, offerings, and so on) to reinforce the illusory nature of phenomena.

In this context, Rinpoche explains:

“Mantra can be understood as:

1. The deity. Every mantra we recite emanates one deity. These deities then work for the benefit of beings.

2. Offerings. When the light rays radiate out from the mantra rosary during creation-stage visualization, each ray of light bears an offering goddess. Each of these hundreds of thousands of offering goddesses further emanates five goddesses who emanate still five more, and so forth, until space is completely filled with goddesses. All of these make offerings to the Buddhas.

3. Purification of obscuration. When the light rays radiate out a second time and touch all sentient beings, they purify beings’ obscurations. These obscurations are self-grasping, and the light rays are rays of compassion. The rays of love melt self-grasping like a hot sun melting snow.

4. Siddhi. When the light rays return and reabsorb to the deity, they bear siddhis in the form of blessings of the Buddhas/ enlightened body, speech and mind.

5. Blessings. Mantra brings about loving-kindness and compassion in the practitioner due to the blessings of the deity’s mindstream.

6. Mandala. When one has fully trained in the creation stage, reciting the mantra once will invoke the entire mandala. One no longer needs an entire sadhana text.

7. Enlightened activity. All of the four activities — peaceful, increasing, powerful and wrathful — are performed and accomplished through mantra.

8. A wish-fulfilling jewel. Whatever we need to accomplish, mantra will bring about.

9. Dharmata. When we meditate while reciting the mantra, conceptual thoughts are cut, and free from conceptual thoughts, we see the nature of the mind as emptiness. Since it allows us to see the nature of mind to be dharmata, mantra can be considered to be dharmata. Mantra cuts conceptual thought because it is sound-emptiness. Other sounds produce the graspings of attachment and aversion.

These nine benefits occur whenever you recite mantra. They apply equally to the mantras of all deities. This is the speech of Guru Rinpoche and is also found in the tantras.” [5]

The big question then becomes — when do we have time for mantras? We lead such busy lives, don’t we?

Mantra Resources on Buddha Weekly

• Our full special section on Mantras, over 40 features and videos.
• Theta brainwaves in meditation for health and cognition benefits, and how to achieve through mindfulness, repetition, sound, visualization, mantra
• How does Buddhist mantra actually work? Ten ways Mantra can tangibly transform our lives and our practice.
• Scientific Buddhist: Healing meditation, prayer and mantras? Do they work — according to research? Can we turn to mantras for help?
• Theta brainwaves in meditation for health and cognition benefits, and how to achieve through mindfulness, repetition, sound, visualization, mantra
• Mantra Part 2: Good Vibrations — Mantras in Buddhist Practice “Of what is the body made? Of emptiness and rhythm.” How does mantra work?

Chant mantras during daily activities

Bringing the mantras into your “daily life” is especially powerful. Mingyur Rinpoche, in a talk “I’m too lazy to start a meditation practice,” said [See Mingyur Rinpoche’s short teaching video below.][3],

“Try to join your spiritual life and your daily life together. That’s the best!” Chanting mantras during  daily activities is one way to do this.  He also coaches us to meditate and do mantras anywhere, while watching TV, standing up, sitting down, driving to work. “For example, if you are in the train, subway, you can meditate while you’re standing up!”

Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche — mantra wheel in hand

Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the example of Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche. He is rarely seen without a mantra wheel in his hand, spinning constantly even as he teaches, walks, travels, chats. A mantra wheel, or mani wheel, is a prayer wheel containing millions of mantas. You spin the wheel to symbolically send millions of mantras out to the world to benefit all sentient beings. His Eminence, at the age of 22, was imprisoned for 20 years after the Cultural Revolution. In the labor camp, one had to practice secretly, or face punishment — and mantra is ready-made for secret and silent practice. He is known for his vast compassion.

“There are some practitioners who have a strong aspiration to engage in practice and although they really want to practice, due to some karmas they have accumulated in the past, they did not have the opportunity to practice and they are under the power of someone else and so they cannot practice. For them, it becomes very important to look for skillful means to engage in practices.”

He gives the example of mantra and prayer wheels. [2] [For a feature story on Prayer Wheels see “Wheel of Dharma: Why Prayer Wheels May be the Ideal Buddhist Practice for Busy People”>>]

Mantra — “mind method”

Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen wrote, in a commentary on Heart Sutra [1]:

“In both sutra and tantra, the word mantra has the same connotation  — protecting the mind.”

Mantra literally translates “mind vehicle” — “man” meaning mind and “tra” meaning method or instrument. It is, literally, “mind instrument” or “mind method.” Some teachers translate “Man” as mind and “tra” as protection. The way of mantra is called Mantrayana; “Yana” means vehicle. In Buddhism, vehicles are “methods” and practices: sutra vehicle, tantra vehicle, mantra vehicle (mind method vehicle.)

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained the meaning of mantra in Nyung-na Teachings at Lawudo:

“The meaning of mantra is “guarding the mind.” Guarding it from what? From clinging, or attachment, and the view of this life.

“It means guarding the mind from attachment, the view of this life, and the three lower realms. It means guarding the mind from the whole suffering realm of samsara, which means all six realms, and from seeking and being bound to the blissful state of peace for self. It guards the mind, or in other words, it guards oneself. It means the same thing. It is related to guarding the mind but it means guarding you from all these problems and from binding yourself to the blissful state of peace. It also guards your mind from the impression of the subtle dualistic view, or she-drib, which is another name for obscurations to the objects of knowledge. The ignorance that believes in self-existence causes things to appear as truly existent.”

Aside from protection, it can be said that mantra also “fortifies” our mind.  How? It helps us purify our minds by focusing on pure Dharma. It helps us remain mindful (right concentration) —in this case, mindful of the sounds of the mantra, and any visualization that goes along with it. It engages our mind at a profound level — its effect well supported in peer-reviewed study after study. (In some studies, for example, mantra and visualization practices are beneficial to people suffering from cognitive decline. See “Science of Medication: Peer reviewed studies prove…”)

Mantra: essence practice

It is taught that mantra is the “essence of the Enlightened Body, Speech, and Mind.” When we chant the Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara, Guanyin) mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, we are invoking the compassionate energy — Enlightened Body, Speech, and Mind — of Chenrezig. Even if we don’t speak the mantra — for example if we spin a prayer wheel with the mantra, or simply mentally chant the mantra — the essence is the same.

This concept of “sound essence” is not unique to Buddhism. Mantra began with ancient Vedic beliefs, widened expansively in Hinduism and Buddhism, and is also found in other spiritual paths; for example, a Catholic, chanting “Hail Mary” with a rosary might invoke a similar effect — focusing the mind on what Holy Mary represents.

Mantra — not an excuse for laziness

It is this “essence” that makes mantra a valid “stand in” for daily Buddhist practice. No teacher advocates laziness, or “skipping practice” by simply chanting a few mantras. But, in those times where you genuinely have no time or alternative, mantra is the go-to practice for many of us.

Mingyur Rinpoche on “I’m too lazy to start a meditation practice”:

Brand mantra — a stolen concept is a good one

This “essence” idea is, conceptually, why marketers use the term “Brand Mantra.” I don’t point this out to diminish the value of  spiritual mantra, but simply to illustrate “essence.” Marketing and advertising tend to borrow spiritual terms a lot; in co-opting the spiritual term, they are saying “the essence of the brand, it’s Brand Mantra, is X.” Usually, this is five words or less, a slogan: “The Real Thing” for Coke, “Ultimate Driving Machine” for BMW, “Homemade Made Easy” for Betty Crocker.

Mantra, in Buddhist practice, is far more profound. It literally empowers and impacts the mind at a far deeper level than even the catchiest marketing slogan. It literally is the essence of the deities essence. The essence of the essence? Literally. Om Mani Padme Hum is the essence of Avalokiteshvara; the essence of Avalokiteshvara is compassion for all sentient beings. By chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum” we are using our mind vehicle to activate compassion for all sentient beings.

Mantra is a complete practice?

So, one all-embracing definition of mantra is “essence of…” Essence of what? In various commentaries on the Heart Sutra, it is stated that the mantra Om Gate Gate Paragate Para Samgate Bodhi Soha is “the essence of the entire Heart Sutra.” [For a teacher commentary on Heart Sutra, please see “Video: Commentary on Heart Sutra”  and this written commentary on Heart Sutra.  ]

In the Heart Sutra is written:

“Therefore, the mantra of the perfection of wisdom, the mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequaled, the mantra that thoroughly pacifies all suffering, should be known as truth since it is not false. The mantra of the perfection of wisdom is declared:

TADYATHA [OM] GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA

“Shariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound perfection of wisdom like that.”

Mantra — the simplest of practices, the most complete of practices

Mantra is — at the same time —the simplest essence of practices and the most complete of practices. Whether we treat mantra as a meditation practice, a commitment practice, a prayer, an aspiration, a purifying phrase, a mindfulness exercise, a healing wish, a desperate call for protection, or even as a lucky chant, it is clear that mantra is all things. It is, in essence, the complete package.

Mantra is said to be the Enlightened Mind and Body, as Enlightened Speech. Speech always has that “power.” We can visualize and comprehend all things from words.

Dharma and “words” most important Jewel?

Of the three Jewels in Buddhism — Buddha, Dharma and Sangha — the Dharma is always considered the most important. Why? Buddha taught the Dharma, and is world-honoured and respected for that. In the Buddhist analogy, Buddha is the Doctor who prescribed the cure for our suffering.

The Dharma, however, is the actual cure. Long after Buddha has “gone beyond” — “gone beyond is the literal translation of “Paragate” in the Heart Sutra — he left behind the universal cure to our suffering: the eight noble truths and his other teachings. The Dharma in all its wondrous forms: Sutra, Tantra and Commentary. And, Dharma are “words” just as Mantra are sounds. Mantra (sounds) are the essence of Dharma (words.

The final Jewel, the Sangha, is the “nurse” in our cure analogy. The Sangha are our supportive network of Bodhisattvas who help us on our quest to free all sentient beings from suffering. Vital support, wonderful support, but the Dharma is still the essence of the path. It is the Dharma that Buddha (the first Jewel) proclaimed, and it is the Dharma that the Sangha (the third Jewel) try to practice.

Mantra and words capture the essence of all

Aum (OM) is the most famous of mantras, and it forms the root of all mantras. It comes from ancient pre-Hindu spirituality, and is now common to many faiths.

So, it can be said, that mantra, even the simplest mantra, contains the essence of all Dharma.

Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche explains mantra as Dharma:

“Secret mantra is not only to guard your mind; it has many functions and benefits. Even the three-syllable mantra, OM AH HUM, or just one syllable has all these powers. For instance, the six-syllable mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, contains the whole path, the whole Dharma. There is not a single Dharma that is not contained in that mantra. MANI is method and PADME is wisdom.

“The whole path to enlightenment is divided into method and wisdom, so that is contained within this mantra. MANI refers to all the method and PADME to all the wisdom that enable you to achieve enlightenment. Somebody who knows the meaning of the mantra can recite this mantra one time and remember the whole path. In the short time it takes to hear this mantra you are reminded of the whole path to enlightenment and all the qualities of a buddha. It is said in the teachings to recite the six-syllable mantra, which is the essence of the whole Dharma.”

NOTES:
[1]  Mirror of Wisdom by Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen.
[2] H.E. Garchen Rinpoche Guru Yoga Teachings 2009 at Garchen Institute.
[3] “I’m too lazy to start a meditation practice” video teaching with Mingyur Rinpoche (video above.)
[4] Nyung-na Teachings at Lawudo by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

[5] Translated by Meghan Howard, November 2005, for the Vajrakilaya Drupchen at GBI.

In Mahayana Buddhism, the Female Buddhas represent Perfect Wisdom and are indispensable. In Buddhism, the Female Buddhas sybmolize Perfect Wisdom while the Male Buddhas Represent Perfect Compassion in the Dhyani Buddha Cosmic Mandala. Both are co-equal partners as methods in Mahayana Buddhism. What is often misunderstood is the concept that even if you practice a single Buddha, for example, Amitabha, he is never separate from his Female Co-Equal Buddha Pandara. Or, if you practice Green Tara as a sole practice, she is never separate from her co-Equal Male Budddha Amoghasiddhi. These are forms, manifesting to help us according to our own preferences and needs, representing respectively wisdom and compassion.

Redefining “Mr. and Mrs.” Buddhas?

In the Buddhist traditions of Tibet or Mahayana, the Victorian-English translation ‘consorts’ represents an unfortunate Victorian-English translation, reflecting an antiquated view of the Female Buddhas as “consort to the sovereign” context. Although the literal meaning is “partner”, from the 15th century on it came to be associated with the “spouse” of the reigning monarch (if a queen, then the husband; if a king, a wife). This is an incorrect association when it comes to the co-equals Prajna Buddhas (Female Buddhas.) The Female Buddhas are co-monarchs (to use that metaphor) not supportive spouses.

The symbolism of the Buddha couple when depicted in embrace is the joining of Wisdom and Compassion. (In more modest traditions, they may just appear to be hugging with clothes, including several Shingon paintings.) The metaphor is that Wisdom must always be joined with Compassion as a path to Enlightenment.

Although the language is likely to “stick” due to existing translations of Sanskrit texts,  the important take-away is that more “modern” interpretations, such as Prajna Buddha, Female Buddha, mother Buddha, or Wisdom Buddha.

A great example of this is Mother Tara — one of the most important enlightened Buddhas in Mahayana Buddhism.  Her example shows us that the Wisdom or Prajna Female Buddhas are often better known than their Male co-equals.

No Enlightenment without Prajna and Karuna

There is no Enlightenment, no freedom from Samsara, without embracing both Compassion and Wisdom, or Karuna and Prajna.  They come together in the union of Perfection, the Perfection of Wisdom.  The Male Buddha symbolizes Karuna or Compassion, and the Female Buddha represents Wisdom. They are always together, even if we visualize or practice them as solitary.

The Symbolic Significance of the Five Female Buddhas within Buddhism

Every step towards the path of enlightenment is dressed in a dramatic display of profound symbolism, with each symbol dramatizing a tale of wisdom and discovery. The Five Female Buddhas, also known as the Five Prajnas, are a clear expression of this profound symbolism.

White Tara, Ākāśadhātvīśvarī, Dhatvishvari, Vajra Dhātvīśvarī  is the wisdom co-equal of Vairochana, the Queen of Infinite Space; her emblem, the Wheel of Dharma, and Her white color and the sprawling open sky, symbolize boundless wisdom as vast and infinite as the cosmos. She has many forms, including White Tara and Buddha Dakini.

Perhaps best known is Green Tārā, designated the wisdom counterpart of Amoghasiddhi, which is linked to the element of air. Her symbol is the double vajra, Her color green, representing windy activity. She embodies the winds of compassion and actions that swiftly act to relieve suffering, symbolized by the eight great fears (from the Sutra Tara Who Protects from Eight Fears. 

Locanā, counterpart to Akshobya, is associated with the blue color and the symbol of a vajra or thunderbolt, embodying depths of understanding as fathomless as the deep blue sea, and the ability to transmute anger into mirror-like wisdom. She also emanates as Black Tara, who also carries a vajra, and as Vajra Dakini.

Māmakī is the wisdom partner of Ratnasambhava, sovereign of the element earth. Her symbol is the jewel and Her yellow-golden color, represents the richness of the earth. This emphasizes her mission of equanimity, nurturing the growth of wisdom through richness and diversity, and especially generosity. She is often associated with Yellow Tara and Ratna Dakini.

Paṇḍāravāsinī, the wisdom Female Buddha of Amitabha’s Family, rules the element of fire, and is shining red, like all the magnetizing deities, such as Vajrayogini, Vajravarahi and Kurukulla. Her emblem, the lotus, signifies purification and transformation—inspiring us to transform our worldly desires into wisdom.

Summarizing the Energies of the Five Female Buddhas and Families

Ultimately, practicing any one of these as your Yidam or meditational practice is complete, as long as you understand they are always in union, even if you visualize their solitary form.  Usually, we choose our Yidam or practice based on what we are personally working on — or our teacher advises us to work on.

Poisons remedied

• For Anger, we might practice Locana or Akshobya (either or both), who exemplify Mirror Like Wisdom to overcome anger. If we focus on Locana, we are focusing on the wisdom aspect of overcoming anger,  we might on Locana; if we are connecting with the compassion aspect, we might focus more on Akshobya, but both are complete Yidams, incorporating both.
• For Jealousy — one of the most common of poisons today (since many of the other poisons, such as anger and pride arise from jealousy) — we might choose to practice Tara or Amoghasiddhi, who exemplify action-accomplishing wisdom. Ultimately, all Dharmas tend to have an aspect of activity and karma, so Tara is usually with us regardless of our Yidam.
• If we suffer from immense Pride, we would focus on Equality Wisdom and will focus on Mamaki and Ratnasambhava.
• If — as most of us do — we suffer from Ignorance, without comprehension of reality as it truly is, we might focus on White Tara (Ākāśadhātvīśvarī) or Vairochana.
• If we suffer from Attachment and Craving, the recommended practice might be Pandaravasini or Amitabha. Most of our common issues today arise from attachment, making Amitabhaa and Pandaravasini extremely popular.

Who are the Five Female Buddhas and What is Their Significance?

The Five Female Buddhas, also referred to as the “Five Prajnas,” play a pivotal role in Buddhist teachings and are believed to bring balance and completeness to the divine process of enlightenment. The term “prajna” refers to the Sanskrit word for wisdom, highlighting their profound symbolism as embodiments of certain transcendent wisdom aspects. Each of these female Buddhas is associated with a specific Dhayani Buddha, reflecting the profound interconnectedness within the Buddhist cosmos.

“The Five Female Buddhas, embody aspects of enlightenment, bearers of wisdom, bringers of balance, and symbols of divine feminine energy.”

Ākāśadhātvīśvarī or White Tara Wisdom Female Buddha

of the Buddha Family with White Dhayani Buddha Vairochana

Ākāśadhātvīśvarī, (White Tara, Dhatvishvari, Vajra Dhātvīśvarī) the wisdom Co-Equal of Vairochana, represents the space element. Her name means “Sovereign Lady of the Sphere of Infinite Space” and she holds two Lotuses, one, over her left shoulder with a vajra-bell and the other, over her right shoulder, with a Dharmachakra Wheel of Dharma. She wields the power of the infinite, embodying the interconnectedness of all phenomena.

Vairochana and Akasadhatvisvari together the central figures among the five Buddhas famlies, exemplifies the crystalline and original purity of the mind, making Ākāśadhātvīśvarī — none other than an emanation of White Tara — an indispensable and complementary Wisdom co-equal to his enlightened qualities of Compassion.

Ākāśadhātvīśvarī’s mantra and seed syllable

The seed syllable of Akasadhatvisvari is aṃ and her powerful mantra is,

oṃ sarva buddha jñāna aṃ svāhā

Mantras, in essence, are more than mere words. They’re potent sound vibrations carrying specific spiritual energy that transcends our conventional understanding of language. When uttered with reverence and faith, this mantra brings a sense of tranquility, intuitive wisdom, and spiritual clarity in the practitioner’s mind.

Her seed syllable, “aṃ”. Seed syllables in Buddhism aren’t arbitrary. They’re the quintessence of a deity’s wisdom and the very essence of their being. “aṃ”, belonging to Ākāśadhātvīśvarī, signifies the transformative power of spiritual realization, cutting through delusion and connecting us directly to her infinite wisdom.

“Just as a mighty river flows unimpeded, the chanting of Ākāśadhātvīśvarī’s mantra ensures that the practitioner’s mind flows unimpeded towards the great sea of enlightenment.”

The mantra and seed syllable of Ākāśadhātvīśvarī provide an unfailing wisdom light on the path, perpetually guiding towards the ultimate reality.

Resources

• Arya Supreme White Tara on Buddha Weekly Special Feature>>
• White Tara Guided Visualization Video>>
• Learn more about Akasadhatvisvari on Visible Mantra>> 
• NOTE: About incorrect pronunciations and transcriptions of Ākāśadhātvīśvarī. From Visible Mantra: “There are a couple of incorrect variations on the spelling of the name Ākāśadhātvīśvarī. One sees, for instance, the spelling Ākāśadhātīśvarī which may be down to Lama Govinda as he uses that spelling in his Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism. One may also see Ākāśadhāteśvarī and this may be an attempt to model it on the name Avalokiteśvara but it is erroneous. Ākāśadhātvīśvarī a compound of ākāśa + dhātu + īśvarī. When combining the last two words in a compound the Sanskrit sandhi rules dictate that u + ī combines give vī. (according to my Sanskrit guru)”

Green Tārā: Wisdom Female Buddha

of the Karma Family with Green Dhayani Buddha Amoghasiddhi

Often referred to as the “Tara, Mother of All Buddhas,” Tārā embodies the wisdom of perfect action, making her the Wisdom Co-Equal to the fearless Amoghasiddhi. Tārā’s symbolism as a compassionate savior resonates with Amoghasiddhi’s commitment to remove fear and lead every individual along the path of enlightenment. Her well-known “Tara posture” is one foot thrust forward — ready to jump to our aid — and the other tucked in meditative equipoise, suiting her role as the Wisdom Buddha.

In Buddhism, where karma is the “creator” of Samsara — our negative and positive activities in our lives determine our suffering — it is the wisdom of compassionate activity, represented by Tara, which is the Wisdom Mother of the Karma Family, who is our ultimate salvation and Buddhahood. Wisdom without activity is only theoretical. Compassion without activity is only wishful thinking. It is the activity of both that helps us progress towards ultimate realizations.

She is called the Mother of All the Buddhas because the compassionate wisdom activites are the path to enlightenment. Philosophy alone is not enough. Our conduct, merits, and virtues in this life and previous lives are critical to progress towards realizations and, ultimately, enlightenment. Tara is the wisdom of activity and the activity of wisdom. Through her activities, Buddhas achieve realizations. For these reasons and others, she is called the Mother of All the Buddhas.

Tara’s mantra and seed syllable

The seed syllable of Tara is tāṃ and her powerful mantra  is

oṃ tāre tuttāre ture svāhā

Tara’s activity is so pervasive, that even when she is not your main Yidam, she is still the Buddha typically called on for help when in danger, with her well-known mantra, or her equally popular 21 Praises to Tara, chanted in Sanskrit, Tibetan or translated to English and other languages. Tibetan Buddhists, even those with other practices, often start their day with the 21 Praises to Tara, which honors 21 of her forms.

Identical to her Compassion Buddha Partner Amoghasiddhi, she is green, her symbol is the double vajra, Her “son” or Bodhisattva is Visvapani, and her helper is King Garuda — the Lord of Action and the five activities.

Due to her association with activity and karma, Tara emanates in more forms than any other Buddha. She is, in essence, the Prajna activity of every Buddha, and she emanates a form for any danger, fear, poison or enemy. In addition to the 21 forms of Tara, her other praises is the Praise to the 1008 Names of Tara. For this reason, she is often called Limitless Tara.

Her most famous forms include:

• Green Tara — savior heroine called on by millions around the world. For a feature on Green Tara, see>>
• White Tara — who also emanates as the Prajna of Vairochana. For a feature on White Tara, see>>
• Kurukulla Red Tara — a form of Tara who emanates from the Padma family of Amitabha — her spiritual teacher, who focuses on magnetizing activities. For a feature on Kurukulla, see>>
• Black or Blue Tara — a form of Tara “Who destroys all enemies”, who emanates to the Vajra Family. Note “destroying enemies means the “poisons”; she does not literally destroy any being. Another form of Black Tara is Ekajati. For a feature on Black Tara, see>>
• Parnashavari, Tara Dressed in Leaves, Tara the Healer, who emanates to Ratnasambhava’s Jewel Family, and is very powerful for healing activities. For a feature on Parnashavari, see>>
• Vasudhara Tara, whose name means “stream of gems” is, essentially, the blessings and bounty of mother Earth, and the Tara who can bring prosperity and auspicious circumstances. She is also associated with Vasundhara, who is an actual manifestation of Mother Earth, and who was the “witness to Buddha’s merits” under the Bodhi Tree. See this feature>>
• Sitatapatra, the “undefeatable one”, the form of White Tara with 1000 arms who is the “ultimate” protective goddess. For a feature on Sitatapatra, see>>

Atributes  and Symbols of Green Tara

• Colour: green
• Element: wind, air, chi, prana
• Wisdom: Action-Accomplishing Wisdom
• Compassion Buddha Partner: Amoghasiddhi
• Family: Karma
• Bodhisattva: Visvapani
• Dakini: Karma Dakini
• Pure Land: Tuquoise Pureland Yurlod Kurpa
• Direction: North
• Emblem: Double Vajra (Visvavajra)
• Sacred Animal: Garuda
• Mudra:
• Seed-syllable: Tam
• Poison She Specializes in: Jealousy
• Magical function: ALL activities
• Paramita:right actions & vows

Resources

• Our Special Section with dozens of features on Tara on Buddha Weekly>>
• Tara’s Eight Great Laughters Transform the Eight Great Fears feature>>
• Tara’s Great Dharani and Sutra>>
• Tara the Windy Liberator, the Activity Heroine in Buddhism>>
• Aspire to Tara’s Turquoise Pureland>>
• Mama Buddha Tara: Compassion in Action, True Stories of Tara Rescues>>

Locanā: Blue Wisdom Female Buddha

of the Vajra Family with Blue Dhayani Buddha Akshobya

Equivalent to the mirror-like wisdom, Locanā is the wisdom Co-Equal of Akshobya, who is marked by his steadfast and unwavering character.

Like Compassion Buddha Akshobya she is blue, like space and the cosmos, or like the deepest blue ocean. By being the embodiment of supreme patience, Locanā supposedly provides the soothing energy that tames anger and aggression, further emphasizing her critical role in the moral and spiritual development of Buddhist practitioners.

Like her Partner Akshobya, Her symbols include the Vajra and the Elephant, and her “Son”, the Bodhisattva of Her Family is powerful Vajrapani. She helps bring good fortune and auspiciousness.

Locana’s mantra and seed syllable

The seed syllable of Locana is loṃ and her powerful mantra is:

oṃ vajra locane loṃ svāhā

The seed syllable of Locana, loṃ, a single phonetic rumble that encapsulates the grandeur of her essence, symbolizes the very nature of this wisdom deity. This syllable manifests her inherent wisdom and power as a Dharmakaya form, radiating an aura of spiritual energy potent enough to awaken the Buddha within us all.

Working on Overcoming Anger? Steadfast Locana May Help Cool Your Anger — and the Anger of Others

Contemplating Locanā’s mantra and seed syllable connects us to the mirror-like wisdom of Locana. Like her Compassion Male Buddha Partner Akshobya, Her symbols include the Vajra and the Elephant, and her “Son”, the Bodhisattva of Her Family is mighty Vajrapani.

Atributes  and Symbols of Locana

• Colour: blue
• Element: water
• Wisdom: Mirror-Like
• Compassion Buddha Partner: Akshobya
• Family: Vajra
• Bodhisattva: Vajrapani
• Dakini: Vajra Dakini
• Pure Land:
• Direction: East (sometimes center in some lineages for special practices)
• Emblem: Vajra
• Sacred Animal: Elephant
• Mudra:
• Seed-syllable: Loṃ
• Poison She Specializes in: Anger
• Realm: hell
• Magical function: wrathful or supressing activities
• Paramita: wisdom & knowledge
• Precept: Not stealing

Māmakī: Yellow Wisdom Female Buddha

of the Ratna Family with Yellow Dhayani Buddha Ratnasambhava

Māmakī forms an integral part of the teachings associated with Ratnasambhava—specifically, the princely wisdom that transforms pride into generosity and humility. As a figure symbolic of equanimity, she exercises an influential role in promoting the virtues of tolerance, generosity, and spiritual wealth among her followers.

Like her Compassion Male Buddha Partner Ratnasambhava, Her symbols include the Wish-Granting Jewel and the Horse, and her “Son”, the Bodhisattva of Her Family is auspicious Ratnapani. She helps bring good fortune and auspiciousness.

Mamaki Mantra

The seed syllable of Mamaki is Mam

and Her mantra is:

oṃ ratne suratne māṃ svāhā

Atributes  and Symbols of Mamaki

• Colour: yellow
• Element: earth
• Wisdom: Equality
• Compassion Buddha Partner: Ratnasambhava
• Family: ratna-jewel
• Bodhisattva: Ratnapani
• Dakini: Ratna Dakini
• Pure Land: Shrimat
• Direction: south
• Time of day: noon
• Emblem: jewel
• Sacred Animal: Horse and camel
• Mudra: supreme giving
• Seed-syllable: MAM
• Poison She Specializes in: Pride
• Realm: hungry ghost
• Magical function: increasing
• Aggregate: feeling
• Paramita: Generosity and Power

Working on Overcoming Pride? Auspicious Māmakī: Wisdom Prajna of Yellow Dhayani Buddha Ratnasambhava

Let’s take the example of Mamaki and Ratnsambhava. Immersed in the sea of samsara, in our lives we all fall prey to the destructive emotion of pride. It creeds its way into our ego, wrapping around our thoughts and actions, making us believe our superiority over others. Isn’t it ironic that this very pride, this sense of inflated self, only serves to distract us from the path of true enlightenment?

The wisdom Mother factor in Buddhism provides a profound antidote to this disruptive emotion, ‘Pride’. Enter Mamaki, the wisdom Mother of the Yellow Dhyani Buddha, Ratnasambhava. Her presence brings with her a unique energy, channeling the essence of Equality Wisdom – a distinct quality associated with Buddha Ratnasambhava. This wisdom points towards the understanding that all beings and phenomena share the same nature of emptiness, thus making no room for the existence of pride.

• • Mamaki (Māmākī): An embodiment of pristine awareness, Mamaki is often depicted radiating yellow light, the same as Ratnasambhava. Her primary purpose is to help inspire wisdom feelings of equality, thereby confronting and overcoming the destructive emotion of pride. She is often seen holding a vajra and a bell, symbols of wisdom and the dissolution of the ego.
  • Ratnasambhava: The Yellow Dhyani Buddha Ratnasambhava sits resplendently in the South, embodying the Wisdom of Equality. He works in tandem with his wisdom Co-Equal Mamaki, aiming to purge all forms of pride and ego. His compassion helps in transforming the poison of ego inflation into the wisdom that recognizes all beings as equal. For this reason, he is associated with “wealth” and generosity practices such as Yellow Dzambala

So, how does embracing the energies of Mamaki and Ratnasambhava help mitigate our wayward pride? While on the surface, it may seem like an elaborate tale of mythical beings and their powers, at the core, it is a call to self-reflect, to introspect. To realize that our inflated ego, our pride, only takes us farther from the truth of our existence, the truth of equality within all.

“Pride divides us, while humility brings us together.” – are we not reminiscent of this timeless wisdom uttered by several spiritual leaders?

 

The path of Buddhism isn’t about revering divine figures — or even understanding them academically. Each symbol and sadhana and practice is a dramatic play — like a movie or stage play — designed to evoke a deeper level of involvement in the meditation. It is a call to action, an invitation to apply these teachings in day-to-day life as a practice, a meditation, and a path of compassionate wisdom activities.

Paṇḍāravāsinī Red Wisdom Female Buddha

of the Padma Family with Red Dhayani Buddha Amitabha

Paṇḍāravāsinī or Pandara, as the wisdom Co-Equal of Amitabha, plays the role of the embodiment of discernment—discriminating between the wholesome and unwholesome, beneficial and harmful. By teaching the power of discerning wisdom, she is regarded as a guide for navigating the path towards enlightenment, ensuring that practitioners remain steadfast in their journey.

Like her Co-Equal Compassion Buddha Amitabha, Her color is red, and Kurukulle Red Tara and Vajrayogini and Padma Dakini can be considered emanations of Her. Her symbol is the Lotus (padma) and her sacred animals are the Peacock and Dragon. Her “son” or Bodhisattva is, of course, Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig, Guan Yin).

Pandaravasini’s mantra and seed syllable

The seed syllable of Pandaravasini is paṃ and her powerful mantra is:

oṃ padma devi puṣpa devi paṃ svāhā

The seed syllable of Pandaravasini, pam, a single phonetic rumble that encapsulates the grandeur of her essence, symbolizes the very nature of this wisdom deity. Pam is also the seed syllable meditators generate when visualizing the sacred Lotus.

Atributes  and Symbols of Pandaravasini

• Colour: red
• Element: fire
• Wisdom: Discriminating Awareness
• Compassion Buddha Partner: Amitabha
• Family: Lotus or Padma
• Bodhisattva: Avalokiteshvara
• Dakini: Padma Dakini
• Pure Land: Sukhavati (Western Pureland)
• Direction: west
• Emblem: Lotus
• Sacred Animal: Peacock, Pheonix, Dragon
• Mudra: supreme giving
• Seed-syllable: PAM
• Poison She Specializes in: Attachment
• Realm: human
• Magical function: magnetizing
• Aggregate: perception
• Paramita: effort and Upaya
• Precept: Telling on the Truth

Releasing the Archaic Word Consort

Releasing the use of the archaic word “consort” is a good beginning to a modern understanding of Female Buddhas. They are not only co-equal — they are half of the total. Amoghasiddhi is incomplete without Tara — and vice versa. This doesn’t mean that if we practice Tara, we’re forgetting Amoghasiddhi and, therefore, do not have complete practice. Her practice already incorporates Wisdom and Compassion, even if it is not embodied or visualized as Amoghasiddhi. They are, in essence, one being.

It is likewise the same with:

• Amitabha and Prajna co-equal Wisdom Female Buddha Pandara
• Akshobya and Prajna co-equal Wisdom Female Buddha Locana
• Ratnasambhava and Prajna co-equal Wisdom Female Buddha Mamaki
• Vairochana and Prajna co-equal Wisdom Female Buddha White Tara or  Dharmadhatvishvari  or Akasadhatvisvari  

If your Yidam is Tara, you already have Amoghasiddhi incorporated in your practice. If your Yidam is Amitabha, you already have Pandara in your practice. If you practice White Tara, you arleady practice Vairochana. There is never any separation, even if you only visualize one or the other. The choice of a Yidam is one of both personal need and choice, and guidance of our teachers.

Buddhas in Embrace

The symbolism of the Father and Mother embrace appears, at first to be sexual, but is intended in the context of Buddhist symbolism to indicate that Wisdom (Mother) and Compassion (Father), are inseparale. In Tibetan Buddhism, this takes the form of yabyum, or joined father and mother. In Japan, the father an mother’s are depicted “hugging” rather than in the more immodest union. Either way, this symbolism has nothing to do with sexuality, and everything to do with symbolism. In Buddhist art, symbolism such as color and pose are merely metaphors and symbols. We don’t expect Tara is always sitting with one leg outstretched, never moving. This simply depicts the idea of her “ready to jump to our aid.” In the same way, the green color of Tara depicts “windy activity. And the embrace of Father and Mother connotes the inseparable union of wisdom and compassion.

In this way, even if we practice Tara as a main Yidam, she is always with her co-equal Compassionate Buddha Amoghasiddhi. This is because she embodies both Wisdom and Compassion.

Sons and Daughters

Similarly, we also hear the terms “sons” and “daughters” of the Buddhas. Does this mean Amitabha and Pandara had a child? The children are the Bodhisattvas. The “daughters” can also manifest as Wisdom Dakinis. Each Buddha “family” has a Buddha, a Female Buddha and a Bodhisattva (often many), a Wisdom Dakini, and a Sacred Animal. This does not mean literal progeny. In spiritual terms, it means either emanation or disciple. In this metaphor, Amitabha, for example, is the Father of the Padma or Lotus Family, Pandaravasini (Pandara Vasini) is the Mother,  and Avalokiteshvara is the Son (Bodhisattva). They all represent different aspects of the same Enlightened Being: Amitabha is Compassion, Pandara is Wisdom, and Avalokiteshvara is the Heroic Activity of both Wisdom and Compassion. In essence, all aspects of One.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
– Atisha

Education Links and References

To provide a comprehensive and educational answer, here is a list of sources that can offer more information about the five female Buddhas or Five Prajnas and their roles as prajnas or wisdom consorts. These sources can help you delve deeper into the subject and understand the meaning behind the concept of consorts in Buddhism. Here are some useful links:

1. Rigpa Wiki – The Five Female Buddhas: Rigpa Wiki provides a comprehensive overview of the five female Buddhas, including their names, associated colors, and their corresponding Dhayani Buddhas. It also delves into the concept of consorts and their significance. You can read more at>>
2. Himalayan Art Resources – Female Buddhas: This online gallery showcases various artistic representations of the five female Buddhas. It offers visual references that can enhance your understanding of their symbolism and iconography. You can explore the gallery, information and images here>>.
3. Visible Mantra — source of mantras and seed syllables. You can visit pages:

I hope these resources will assist you in gaining a deeper understanding of the five female Buddhas and their roles as prajnas or wisdom consorts. They provide valuable insights into the rich symbolism and meaning behind these revered figures in Buddhism.

* Amazon links are affiliate links. Your price will remain the same if you buy, but Buddha Weekly may receive a small commission, which helps support our mission.

Nagarjuna: “Wrong End of the Snake”

Famously, the great Nagarjuna is credited with saying: “Emptiness wrongly grasped is like picking up a poisonous snake by the wrong end.”

However perilous, serious Buddhists students have to try to pick up that snake. No one wants to be bitten. Recently, one of my good friends went back to her birth religion, after years as a Buddhist, because she couldn’t get past thinking she was practicing nihilism. She had picked up “the wrong end” of the snake. For most of the rest of us — who aspire to Buddhist realizations — it can be the most difficult of topics.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches that Emptiness is “the knowledge of ultimate reality of all objects, material and phenomenon.” [3]

Einstein and “bullshit”: Substantialism versus Nihilism

The venerable teacher Gelek Rinpoche points to Einstein’s theory of relativity for a concise explanation of emptiness: “The theory of relativity gives you Buddha’s idea of emptiness. The essence of emptiness is the interdependent nature or dependent arising of things. The essence of Emptiness is not empty.” [7]

In separate teaching on Yamantaka — in his eloquent, direct teaching style — Gelek Rinpoche warned against nihilism: “So if some people say ‘Everything is only the result of mind. In the end, it is all zero, so it doesn’t matter, it’s all the same, it’s all bullshit’ … that is the emptiness approach from the empty point of view and that gets you on the wrong track.” [9]

The great Tibetan Yogini Machig explained emptiness as “the source and inseparable essence of all phenomena, it represents the totality of all that is and all that will come to be. For without emptiness, there would be no space for existence.”[8] This is the opposite of nihilism, and could be better described as “inclusivism” of “substantialism.” [11]

Thich Nhat Hanh: “Inter-Be”

The great Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh describes Emptiness as: “empty of separate self. That means none of the five [aggregates] can exist by itself alone. Each of the five [aggregates] has to be made up of the other four. It has to coexist; it has to inter-be with all others.” The term “Inter-Be” has become something of the modern-day equivalent to the Sanskrit term “Shunyata” with some Zen teachers. [12]

Lama Tsongkhapa, in his Three Principles, writes: “Interdependent appearance — infallible Emptiness… As long as these two seem separate, Buddha’s insight is not understood.”

The problem with the extreme of substantialism arises when “things appear to exist from their own side so solidly that even when we recognize that they are empty in nature … they still appear to exist from their own side,” writes Rob Preece, in Preparing for Tantra: Creating the Psychological Ground for Practice. [10]

The problem with nihilism — substantialism’s opposite — is Nagarjuna’s venomous snake. Buddha taught “the middle way” which implies avoiding extreme views, such as substantialism and nihilism. Both concepts run contrary to the notion of emptiness.

IABS: “Transcend a lazy nihilism”

It is easy for people to make incorrect assumptions from the terms “Emptiness” and “Voidness” — incomplete, even possibly misleading translations of the Sanskrit word Shunyata. The International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS), in their Journal, warns practitioners to “transcend a lazy nihilism” — one of the perceptions that arise from the terms Emptiness and Voidness. [2]

Quite the contrary, as Terry Clifford explains in Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Buddhism, if emptiness was nihilistic, compassion would be pointless. “The absolute compassion of Mahayana arises spontaneously with the realization of emptiness. Since we all share the nature of emptiness, how can we bear the suffering of others…” [6]

Friend: “Aren’t You a Nihilist?”

The entire concept of Emptiness and Shunyata is perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of Buddhism. My non-Buddhist friends often ask me, “Aren’t you a nihilist?” or “Why would you want to destroy ego? Isn’t that what makes us sentient beings?”

Sure, I could jump in and say, “You can’t destroy ego, because ego really doesn’t inherently exist,” but I don’t feel qualified to enter into a back-and-forth debate on dependent arising, labeling, and ego. I have answered, in the past, with direct quotes from the Buddha. Other times, I’ve used quotes from neurologists and psychologists, who tend to concur, for the most part, with the Buddha.

So, to help me answer (for myself) this recurring question from my friends of the non-Buddhist persuasion, I decided to research what the teachers of different traditions have to say about Emptiness. To spice it up, I’ve also searched out what physicists, psychiatrists and neurologists have to say about ego and self. I’ve brought some of these quotes together in this little feature with some helpful links to more details in the notes.

Milarepa: “Appearances are … superficial”

The great yogi Milarepa, in one of his One Hundred Thousand Songs sang: “Mind is insubstantial, void awareness, body a bubble of flesh and blood. If the two are indivisibly one, why would a corpse be left behind at the time of death when the consciousness leaves? And if they are totally separate why would the mind experience pain when harm happens to the body? Thus, illusory appearances are the result of belief in the reality of the superficial.” [1]

In Milarepa’s time (born 1052 in Tibet), songs were used to enchant and teach, even on topics as difficult and profound as Emptiness. Today, we’d be as likely to cite or quote popular movies.

The Matrix: “How Deep the Rabbit Hole Goes”

For example, in the popular movie The Matrix, the character Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne) explains to Neo (played by Keanu Reaves) that the world is not as it seems. What Neo sees, he explains, is not the true nature of reality. (Note: he does not say the world does “not” exist.) He offers Neo, the hero of the story, a choice between a red pill or a blue pill:

“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember: all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.”

The “waking up” language Morpheus used, is often used in Buddhism. We try to “wake up” to the true nature of reality in order to end suffering. In Buddhism — so it seems — at some point, we also have to choose the red pill or the blue pill. The sleeping metaphor is also often used by Buddhist teachers. Like Neo, many of us are tempted just to go back to sleep and “believe whatever” we want to believe.

Sure, it’s more complicated than a choice of two pills, but The Matrix movie offers, perhaps, one of the easiest ways to introduce the notion of Emptiness in Buddhism to the modern non-Buddhist — in much the same way as Milarepa used enchanting songs. So, borrowing from Morpheus, I set out to research what the great Buddhist teachers have to say about Emptiness, that most difficult of subjects — in pursuit of “the truth, nothing more” and “how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

Buddha: “Empty of Self”

In the Pali canon, Sunna Sutta, Ananada asks Buddha about emptiness:

“It is said that the world is empty, lord. In what respect is it said that the world is empty?” The Buddha replied, “Insofar as it is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self: Thus it is said, Ānanda, that the world is empty.””

This deceptively simple answer seems to satisfy my curious non-Buddhist friends when they ask about emptiness, but for the practicing Buddhist, it’s often just the beginning of understanding.

Albert Einstein: “Reality is merely an illusion”

For those of more “scientific” orientation, Albert Einstein — who was not a Buddhist, despite being credited with saying: ” If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism” — had this to say on the nature of reality:

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affectation for a few people near us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” [6]

The venerable teacher Gelek Rinpoche, in his 7-day teachings on Vajrayogini, linked Einstien’s theory of relativity to Buddha’s teachings on Emptiness: “I begin to appreciate Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, based on points of reference. If you don’t have points of reference, you are gone. If there is no point of reference, there is no existence. Everything exists relatively, collectively, because of points of reference.” [7]

Quoting the Teachers: Just What is Emptiness?

If Emptiness is not nihilism, then what exactly is it? It can be challenging to try to understand such a vast (and yet not vast) topic such as Emptiness, especially from teacher snippets. Such extracts necessarily sound enigmatic and almost riddle-like. Teachers often deliberately challenge our mind with difficult propositions. Ultimately, it is for us to develop our own realizations. Here are some famous quotes on “Emptiness” from the great teachers of Buddhism:

“The four categories of existence, non-existence, both existence and non-existence, and neither existence nor non-existence, are spider webs among spider webs which can never take hold of the enormous bird of reality” — The Buddha (563 – 483 BC)

“After 48 years, I have said nothing.” — The Buddha

“Whatever depends on conditions is explained to be empty…” — Sutra Requested by Madropa, translated by Ari Goldfield

“We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When we understand this, we see that we are nothing. And being nothing, we are everything. That is all.” — Kalu Rinpoche [4]

“Once you know the nature of anger and joy is empty and you let them go, you free yourself from karma.” — Bodhidharma (c 440-528 AD) [5]

“The past is only an unreliable memory held in the present. The future is only a projection of our present conceptions. The present itself vanishes as soon as we try to grasp it. So why bother with attempting to establish an illusion of solid ground?” — Dilgo Kyentse

“What is Reality? An icicle forming in fire.” — Dogen Zenji (c 1200-1253 AD)

“Men are afraid to forget their minds, fearing to fall through the Void with nothing to stay their fall. They do not know that the Void is not really void, but the realm of the real Dharma.” — Huang-po (Tang Dynasty Zen Teacher)

Answering the Nihilist Challenge: Is Emptiness Nothingness or Voidness?

Even if the words of great teachers challenge us to our own understandings of Emptiness, there is always the risk of “lazy nihilism.” If we can’t understand such a profound concept, we often “lazily” associate Emptiness with Nihilism. [2]

The problem begins with the English translation of the original Sanskrit term Shunyata. This profound and complex concept is often translated into English as “voidness.” Voidness sounds a lot like “nothingness” and, in my many years of attending teachings, I’ve often heard teachers interchange the word Emptiness, Voidness and Nothingness, so this can be confusing from the get-go. In the same discussion, some teachers will warn against nihilism, but never-the-less use the word “nothingness.”

“There is really no adequate word in English for Shunyata, as both ‘voidness’ and ’emptiness’ have negative connotations, whereas, shunyata is a positive sort of emptiness transcending the duality of positive-negative,” writes Terry Clifford in Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry. [6] He adds: “The doctrine of void was propounded in the Madhyamika dialectic philosophy of Nagarjuna, the second-century Buddhist philosopher-saint. Nagarjuna said of shunyata, ‘It cannot be called void or not void, or both or neither, but in order to indicate it, it is called the Void.”

In Sanskrit, the word Shunyata has a very layered meaning, not easily translated into other languages. Translations of the Sanskrit noun Shunyata might be part of the issue. The Sanskrit noun Shunyata literally translates as “zero” or “nothing” — but like most Sanskrit words, a single-word translation is misleading. The Sanskrit adjective is actually Sunya, which means “empty” — according to translators who insist on single-word equivalents. In Buddhist concept, Shunyata is decidedly not nihilistic in tone — sometimes, it is translated as openess, oneness and spaciousness. No single-word translation is really helpful in describing the true essence of Shunyata.

How Different Traditions Describe Emptiness

Are there differences in how Shunyata is interpreted in the major schools of Buddhist thought? Most teachers will say Shunyata is Shunyata, and schools or philosophies just offer different ways of illustrating the concept. Here I’ll be overly simplistic (almost to the point of disservice).

The elder schools, Theravadan Buddhism, often translate sunnata or shunyata is as “non self” or “not self” in the context of the five aggregates of experience.

In Mahayana Buddhism, notably Prajna-Paramita Sutra, which means “Perfection of Wisdom”, the notion of Shunyata is equated to Wisdom. Mahayana teachers often stress that Enlightenment is only possible with realizations in Wisdom of Emptiness and Compassion—both are essential. In this Mahayana view, emptiness is beautifully expressed in the famous Heart sutra in these profound — if enigmatic — words:

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

Emptiness is not separate from form,

Form is not separate from emptiness.

Whatever is form is emptiness,

Whatever is emptiness is form.

We Are An Imputed Label

Mahayana teachers often focus more on the notion of “imputed labels” as an introduction to the very difficult subject of Emptiness. Imputing is a frequently repeated word in the teachings on Emptiness.

In teachings on Mahamudra in Ontario last spring, Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche gave this example of labeling: “A good example is your car. If you take that car apart, and everything is just parts, there is no car. Just car parts. You put it back together, and then label it Hyundai, you have a Hyundai. But if you switch the labels [to Honda] is it now a Honda? It’s all labels. There is no independent existence. That’s only one way to look at emptiness.”

During a “scanning meditation” guided practice in the same teaching session at Gaden Choling, Zasep Rinpoche asked students to find their body: “what is my body? … do a scanning meditation and try to find your body. “When you scan your skin, you ask, is that my body? No, it’s skin, not body. Then you look at your bones, and likewise every part of your body… To be body, it has to be the ‘whole’ body, all the parts. If you really look, you can’t find one thing that is your body. What we call body is just a ‘label’. A name. Imputing a label.”

Labeling implies that we are more than our label, rather than less. It conveys a sense of expansiveness, oneness and fullness.