Dear Geronimo,

Thank you for your question. Vajradhara is actually Buddha Shakyamuni in tantric form, as such he is known as an Adibuddha or a primordial Buddha. It was Shakyamuni, in the form of Vajradhara that taught various tantras. Therefore when the tantric scriptures talk about the teaching stemming from Shakyamuni, it means that they were taught by Shakyamuni in this form.

Since Vajradhara is heavily associated with tantric practice, his visualisation and practice is not usually engaged in by those who do not have higher tantric initiation. However, there is nothing wrong with praying to Vajradhara as he is Shakyamuni himself. Therefore you can pray to Vajradhara using Shakyamuni’s mantra as they are one and the same:

TAYATHA OM MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNI SHAKYAMUNI YE SOHA

Since it was Shakyamuni Buddha who first turned the wheel of dharma and taught Buddhism during our times, he can be considered the first guru. In tantra we need to see all the lineage lamas, from the lama who taught the tantra, all the way to our own teacher as gurus who are one and the same, and that is the nature of the deity we are practicing. Since that is the case, we can think strongly that Vajradhara and our own guru are one and the same, and thereby we can pray to Vajradhara by reciting our own guru’s name mantra if they have one as well. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Kalki Dasa,

In regards to the Black Garuda as was explained by His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche in 2003 during the SARS outbreak, together with the practice of White Tara, please find below the links to the teachings:

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAeITjrVSg
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js2LnqfydNM
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbobnpa-BAU
Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZTvqsZWSjc

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your questions. Vajra Vidarana, also known as Dorje Namjom in Tibetan, is a Buddha that is known for very powerful purification. The practice of this Buddha can purify many illnesses and negative karma, and provide very powerful protection from negative influences. The practice of this deities usually involves the blessing of water, which is either consumed or used to bless people or object to remove negative energies. The practice of this Buddha is very well known in Tibet and in the monasteries for its ability to purify the negative karma associated with the most severe of illnesses. Kechara was fortunate to have the 7th Panglung Kuten perform the Ting Tru Yul Tru puja, which calls upon the energies of Dorje Namjom in 2015. You can read more about the Panglung Kuten’s visit here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/700-meet-a-buddha.html.

The mantra of Dorje Namjom, is very effective for purification and can be recited by anyone. The mantra is:

NAMA ZENDA BENZA-TRODAYA HULU-HULU TITHA-TITHA BENDHA-BENDHA HANA-HANA AMRITEY HUNG PHET

Singhanata, or Singhananda, is a form of Chenresig. This form of the Buddha of compassion is particular associated with the nagas. This is because the nagas are very much attracted to the compassionate energies of this form of Chenresig. Therefore the practice of Singhananda is very much used to help pacify disturbances caused by nagas. There is a pujas known as Naga Pujas (Lutor Lusang puja) that is specifically aimed at healing the nagas of their suffering through the compassionate energies of Chenresig Singhananda. These pujas can only be performed by those who have completed a retreat centred on the practice of Singhananda. When nagas are angry or ill, they can create illness and obstacles for people. Therefore, when they are calmed or healed, then the people they have been afflicting are also healed. The Panglung Kuten also gracious performed a Lutor Lusang puja in Kechara Forest Retreat during his aforementioned visit, you can see a video of this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8inKykA1Goc.

Even though commonly associated with practices surrounding nagas, Singhananda’s practice is very beneficial on many more levels. As he is a form of Chenresig, his practice is also helpful in developing compassion, purifying negative emotions (especially anger), and purifying negative karma. His mantra is very sacred and can be recite without harm:

OM AH HRIH SING HANANDA HUM PHET

As for Sagdag Wangchen, I have not come across this name before in my personal practice, there I cannot say for sure who this is. Perhaps you can provide me with some more information as to where you found this? From the name perhaps, it seems that this may not be a Buddha but in fact a very high level spirit, from the little Tibetan that I know.

No Gyunma, or Norgyurma, is called Vasudhara in Sanskrit. She is actually the consort of Dzambala and is a wealth deity associated with prosperity, abundance and a bountiful harvest. Basically anything that you would need to survive well in terms of materials needs. He practice is not extremely popular in the monasteries, but he practice still exists, and she is very potent. More commonly, she is worshipped as Dzambala’s consort, so he is propitiated in some of his practices.

The Tenma are actually a group of 12 goddesses that were subdued by Guru Rinpoche and are currently in the retinue of Palden Lhamo. They are protective deities and are said to protect practitioners due to the vows they made, and are known to protect sincere practitioners like one mother or sister would. There is currently a Tenma oracle that takes trances of these deities for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government.

As for So Nyingpo, I have not come across this in my own personal practice either, however the name means something along the lines of ‘the earth’s heart essence’.

I hope what I have shared helps. Thank you.

Dear Kent,

Thank you for your question. The three animals were chosen for the wheel of life because they represent what are known as the Three Poisons in Buddhism. These three are hatred, desire and ignorance, they are the three root causes of our suffering, and what underpins our continued existence in samsara. Once these three are overcome, we can become enlightened and reach the stage of Buddhahood, which is free from all suffering.

It is believed that it was the Buddha himself who designed the drawing of the wheel of life, to encompass his teachings so that ordinary people could understand them in pictorial form. It is commonly painting on the outside walls of monasteries, primarily to teach those that are not studying the teachings in further detail (as the monks/nuns inside would be). However, real study of the wheel of life is very complex as it holds within it, all the major explanations about life and suffering. Understanding this, can lead us to a better understanding of our precarious state in existence and how this comes about, knowing this we can work on improving ourselves and working towards the complete elimination of all suffering – full enlightenment.

The painting itself has many layers each with their own detailed teachings within the scriptures, but the centre of the painting are the three animals representing the Three Poisons. Hatred is represented by the snake, desire by the rooster and ignorance by pig. This is because in ancient times, these three animals were associated with these afflictions. Snakes represent hatred or anger, because they can strike at the slightest provocation, even if a person is simply walking nearby. Therefore the snake represents the qualities of hatred. The rooster represents desire because in ancient times it was believed that roosters were very attached to their partners, and that their aim in life was simply to procreate. Lastly, pigs were considered to be an ignorant animal because they would live in filth and eat whatever it could find, without thought of if it could be food or not.

While these animals represent these qualities in art, it is not to say that that we should look down on them, it is simply that some common imagery was necessary to get the message across about the Three Poisons. In fact, as sentient beings, we should strive along the Mahayana path to gain enlightenment for them, so that we can help them overcome the sufferings that they face.

In many depictions the pig holds the tail of the rooster, which in turn holds the tail of the snake, which holds the tail of the pig. This is to signify that all three poisons are the causes for the other two to arise. For example ignorance about the true nature of existence leads to the creation of attachment/desire for things, which in turn can lead to hatred. This is because hatred arises when we do not get what we want, or it arises due to aversion towards things that we are not attached to or desire. Both of these feed and strengthen ignorance about the true nature of existence. Hence it is a vicious cycle that we must break in order to overcome all forms of suffering. His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has a book on this called Snakes, Roosters and Pigs, which is about overcoming these poisons and transforming our lives for the better. You can find a review of the book here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/snakes-roosters-and-pigs-by-tsem-rinpoche.html, and the book itself can be purchased online via our online shop called Vajrasecrets: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/snakes-roosters-and-pigs. I hope this short explanation helped.

Thank you.

Dear David,

Thank you for your question. The home blessing pujas performed by the Kechara pastors and Puja team is quite specific and would need some training to do properly yourself. However there are some other methods you can use to bless you home, which I have listed out for your below:

1. If you can, you can request Kechara House (if you are in Malaysia), or any qualified monk, nun or practitioner to come and perform a house blessing puja. This would be very beneficial as they would be trained in how to do this.

2. Set up an altar to the Buddhas, with representations of the enlightened body (image/painting/picture/statue), speech (Dharma text) and mind (stupa). Once the altar is set up, during your daily prayers, you invite the holy beings to reside in the images on your altar strongly. This way, your altar itself and the images of the Buddhas on it, becomes a focal point of enlightened energy, which protects the house, and brings blessings.

3. Put up pictures of the enlightened beings in your house. There is one picture that is very good to put up over the top of your front and back doors, and this is the Dorje Shugden Sung Kor, which you can print out from here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/gallery/buddha-images-high-resolution/dssungkhorhighres.jpg. This very special image invokes upon the energies of Dorje Shugden to protect the house from unwanted negativities.

4. You can ‘sang’ you house on a regular basis, this is something like smudging. In this procedure you take Protector Incense, which is made of loose Juniper, and is burnt to create a lot of smoke. This is then taken around the inside of the entire house, to let the smoke permeate. It is said that the smoke and its smell gets rid of negativities in the house, making it more blessed. You should concentrate and recite the mantras of the protectors, such as Dorje Shugden, when you are doing this. You can find loose juniper to invite for this purpose here: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/tibetan-juniper-loose-incense

5. Invite a wealth vase. Even though it is called a wealth vase, as most people only know of its ability to invite the energies of wealth into your life, wealth vases actually bless the environment they are in with positive energy. The wealth vases here: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/wealth-vases are created using the energies of Gyenze. As an emanation of Dorje Shugden, Gyenze is very good at attracting wealth energy, and at the same time removing obstacles and providing protection, like any other Dharma protector.

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Cc,

Thank you for your very interesting question. Yes humans do have a karmic connection to aliens, in as much as that they are sentient beings in Samsara, just like ourselves. All beings have some form of karmic connection to each other, because we have all had countless lives in countless worlds, and in countless forms. It is the nature of samsaric existence that we have this karmic connection with each other, but it does not necessarily manifest or open up, so that the connection is not obvious in this life.

When were born, a certain karmic potential opened up for us to be human, and others opened up so that we were born into a certain family, in a certain place, with certain people around us. Therefore we say that the karmic connection to our family, and those around us is stronger, because (a) the karma opened us up to be in that situation and (b) because we have to interact with these people or beings, we are continuously creating karma with them.

Aliens are not said to be spirits, because spirits do not have a physical body, whereas aliens do. There are two ways of thinking about aliens, the first is that they are part of the human realm in our universe, because they have a physical body and have higher levels of intelligence, than say an animal would do.

The other way of explaining aliens, is that they belong to another ‘world system’. The six realms of samsara (god, demi-god, human, animal, spirit and hell reams) exist within our ‘world system.’ However, according to Buddhist belief there exist many other ‘world systems’ that each have their own six realms. Accordingly, what we can consider aliens could be of the ‘human realm’ within their own ‘world system.’

They need help as much as any sentient being within samsara because they are suffering. Therefore it would be good to dedicate the merit of your practice for their well-being and also their spiritual progress, if you would like. But this may be hard to achieve at first, so you can first start by dedicating the merits of your practice to your loved ones, then all of humanity, and the beings of the six realms. If you can, then you can progress further to dedicate merits to the aliens as well.

As for spirits manifesting as aliens, yes this is definitely possible. This is because if we have the karmic connection with spirits, they can take on many different forms to interact with us. If you are worried about seeing spirits or spirit disturbances, you can engage in the practice of Trakze, an emanation of the Dharma protector Dorje Shugden. This practice and explanation is available here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/trakze-to-dispel-black-magic-spirits.html. I hope this short explanation has helped.

Thank you.

Dear Tim,

Thank you for such an interesting question. You are right that in some depictions of the Medicine Buddha he is flanked by two bodhisattvas. They are called Suryaprabha (or Suryabhaskara) bodhisattva, known as Sunlight or Rays of Sun Light in English; and Chandraprabha (or Chandrabhaskara) bodhisattva, known as Moonlight or Rays of Moon Light in English. Suryaprabha is red in colour, and holds a sun disc in his right hand and a red flower in his left. Chandraprabha is white in colour, and hold a moon disc.

They are two bodhisattvas who aid Medicine Buddha in his enlightened works to benefit sentient beings by fulfilling the 12 vows he made before he became enlightened. These are:

1. To spread Dharma through the radiance he emits, into the ten directions, allowing sentient beings in countless realms to achieve Buddhahood, just like he has.
2. To awaken the minds of sentient beings onto the path of Dharma and towards Buddhahood through his Lapis Lazuli light.
3. To provide sentient beings with anything they need in terms of material needs.
4. To correct mistaken views and encourage sentient beings towards practicing the path of a bodhisattva.
5. To help people hold their vows and precepts, even if they have not be able to hold them in the past.
6. To heal those who are suffering from illness, or any other type of physical suffering.
7. To help the poor and those who are sick.
8. To help those who wish rebirth as a human.
9. To help those with mental illnesses, and on a more subtle level, the delusions and wrong views that we may have.
10. To help those who are oppressed be free from their suffering.
11. To help those who suffer from hunger and thirst, and provide them with food and drink.
12. To help those who are suffering from cold environments.

There are many lineage of practice associated with Medicine Buddha. The lineages I have come across in my own practice do not include these two bodhisattvas explicitly. More commonly practiced in the Gelug lineage, is the Eight Medicine Buddhas and the Medicine Buddha together with the Medicine Goddesses.

The Eight Medicine Buddhas are:
1. The King of Excellent Signs
2. King of Melodious Sound
3. Stainless Excellent Gold
4. Supreme Glory Free From Sorrow
5. Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma
6. King of Clear Knowing
7. Medicine Buddha
8. Buddha Shakyamuni

The Medicine Buddha & the Medicine Goddesses are:
1. Medicine Buddha
2. The Goddess Actualised Wisdom
3. The Goddess Simultaneous Wealth
4. The Goddess Peacock’s Throat
5. The Goddess Radiant One

Therefore I have not come across specific mantras to these two bodhisattvas before. However as they are attendants to the Medicine Buddha, when you engage in the mantra recitation of Medicine Buddha, they would be included as well. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Pema,

Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear that your friend is addicted to alcohol. Addiction is something that is very serious, so I would like to suggest that you find qualified medical and therapeutic help for your friend so that he can overcome this.

Generally speaking, one of the first things you need to get medical help with is to identify if your friend actually has an alcohol addiction from a medical perspective, because drinking alcohol may also be a coping mechanism, or even just a very bad social habit. Addiction to alcohol is something altogether different, although the actions itself may look the same.

When talking with your friend, you should be supportive in your speech. Do not be negative or hurtful, as this may make your friend not want to talk to you. When you do talk to your friend, make sure you stay calm and composed, not matter the reaction that your friend has.

Lastly, when talking with your friend you need to listen with honesty, compassion and be sure that your friend understands that you are there to offer support and not to judge them.

This is what you can do in the situation physically, but it is more advisable that you seek professional help, as they will be able to help your friend overcome his addiction better than you or I could.

From a spiritual perspective, if you friend is open to it, he should engage in the practice of the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa. Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice is very beneficial for healing the mind, and can provide incredible support during difficult times, such as when a person needs to overcome addiction. You can find out more about this practice here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html. I hope this helps.

Dear Dongho,

Thank you for your interesting question. Even though it may seem at a cursory glance that there may not be that many differences between the four major schools of Buddhism, they each place emphasis on different parts of the path towards enlightenment.

While the monastic lineage and the study of both sutra and tantra is shared by all four major schools, in terms of explanation of the scriptures and practice there are differences. For example the four traditions emphasise different deities of practice, and the methods in which they are practiced, such as variations in mantras, prayers and visualisations, etc.

Even in the way that one progresses on the path has differences. For example, the Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya schools place emphasis on the student beginning and engaging in preliminary practices at a very early stage, whereas traditionally in the Gelugpa tradition, this is engaged in only after a firm grasping of the fundamentals of Buddhist practice.

Additionally, while all four traditions follow the explanations of emptiness as taught in the Madhyamaka teachings, the way in which this level of attainment is achieved differs from how they individually define emptiness, and how they go about achieving this state of being. This necessarily involves slight differences in its study and the various practices that lead to it achieving it.

The way in which the Dharma is presented and taught also differ. While the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions explain the Dharma from the point of view of an already enlightened being, the Sakya present it from the perspective of a highly attained beings, and the Gelug from the point of view of an ordinary practitioner. Another interesting point of difference is that both the Nyingma and Kagyu describe the path of Dharma practice in terms of practitioners who instantly attain higher states of being, who are far and few in between, and are practitioners of the highest calibre. Whereas the Sakya and Gelug present the path of practice in graduated stages as described in the Lamdre and Lamrim teachings, respectively. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Bernard,

Thank you for your question. The best way to cultivate a relationship with one’s guru is by keeping the vows and commitments you received from him or her, practicing the Dharma that is taught, and following the guru’s advice. The reason why you have a guru is that you need someone to teach you the path of the Dharma to gain spiritual attainments and ultimately liberation from suffering by achieving enlightenment.

That beings said, one needs to submit to the methods that a teacher uses to teach you the Dharma. Once one is able to do this, then real spiritual transformation can take place. Traditionally, in order to cultivate a good relationship with the Guru, the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion are taught: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/complete-commentary-on-50-verses-of-guru-devotion.html.

In fact Lama Tsongkhapa wrote his own commentary to the 50 Verses, a translation of this is the Fulfilment of All Hopes, which is an in-depth look at guru devotion. It is this that marks the best cultivation of a relationship with a guru.

You may also find this article here an interesting read, although not strictly about cultivating a relationship with the guru, it does explain the reasons why it is important to follow the guru’s advice: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/the-puja-of-following-an-enlightened-being%E2%80%99s-advice.html
I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Justine Ambane,

I think perhaps your full question did not get posted corrected. Please try posting again when you can.

Thank you

Dear Dongho,

Thank you for your question. I am sorry but I do not know much about Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche or the Sakya lineage for that matter. In regards to knowing who your root guru is, yes this could be the case due to your feelings. When some people come across their root guru, then they can indeed have a physical feeling, but this is far and few in-between. More importantly however, is to have ensure that the guru is qualified, that their teachings match the Buddhadharma in general and those of the lineage in particular. Choosing a root guru is an important step, therefore one should thoroughly check what the guru teaches is correct, and that you have an affinity with the guru, before you formally take steps to become the guru’s student, such as formally taking refuge or taking initiation (which itself necessarily involves taking refuge in the guru). I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Lee,

Thank you for your question. I’m sorry to read that you are going through this. Even though you had a dream of two serpents biting you, and the physical symptoms, it may not necessarily be due to having offended nagas. However, if it is then the Apology to the Naga Realm is very good (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/apology-to-the-naga-realm.html). Apart from this there are other practices that can be engaged in to alleviate this particular situation, however these practices are only engaged in when one has particular initiations, undertaken retreat on a particular deity, and under the guidance of a qualified lama.

However, if you want, you can have a Naga Puja sponsored for yourself here: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/naga-puja. This puja can be sponsored to appease nagas that have been offended, and increase peace and harmony. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Weng,
Thank you for your question. As I am sure you are aware, there are many mantras and prayers for many different reasons. A smooth flowing relationship is one such reason. One of the best mantras for this is the mantra of Green Tara, and also of a Dharma protector, such as Dorje Shugden’s mantra for peace:

Green Tara’s mantra is: OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for peace is: OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SHANTI SIDDHI HUNG

Dorje Shugden’s mantra for peace, stabilises one’s mind and increases harmony in the environment and home, including relationships with loved ones.

Together with this however, we must make a conscious effort ourselves to increase harmony within our relationships with others, ensuring it is smooth flowing. His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has given an excellent teaching on the ingredients for a successful relationship (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/students-friends/ingredients-for-a-successful-relationship.html), which you should definitely watch. What His Eminence teaches, coupled with the mantras of Green Tara or Dorje Shugden’s mantra for peace with will be very beneficial towards a smooth flowing relationship. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your questions. The reason why in many visualisations the deities are often visualised as 16-year olds is because in ancient Indian culture (which was the culture that Buddhism arose), this was an age which was considered the mid-point between childhood and adulthood. At this point, it was said that a person’s body was mature and yet youthful. What we need to remember is that at the time the teachings arose, life expectancy was not as long as it is now. Therefore, it would make sense that a 16 year old, was considered the epitome youthfulness. Since these deities, most often the Bodhisattvas, are visualised in this way, they are said to be the epitome of both youthfulness and maturity at the same time, they are full of the wisdom of age, coupled with the youthfulness of the young.

In regards to Palden Lhamo, there is an excellent post here about her and her practice available here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/palden-lhamo.html. Palden Lhamo’s practice is extremely beneficial and her mantra is: JO RAMO JO RAMO JO JO RAMO TUNJO KALA RACHENMO RAMO AJA DAJA TUNJO RULU RULU HUNG JO HUNG. The syllable ‘Jo’ is repeated many times in the mantra. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Kenny Loh,

Thank you for your questions. Before I begin with an explanation to your questions, it is important to have a rudimentary explanation of what karma is. Karma is basically the law of existence, it means that when you do something virtuous, you achieve good results, and when you engage in non-virtuous activities, you achieve bad results. For example, if you are a good, kind person, you will be reborn in one of the three higher realms in your next life, namely the god realm, demi-god realm or human realm. Conversely, if you engage in non-virtuous activities you will fall to one of the three lower realms, namely the animal realm, the hungry ghost realm or the hell realm. Karma therefore is an intrinsic part of samsara, which is cyclic existence. The goal of Buddhists is to actually escape or transcend this cyclic existence, and become a Buddha, who has no karma, whether good or bad.

As the goal of enlightenment, or Buddhahood, is reached through the practice of the Dharma, there is really no ‘right time’ to practice the Dharma. If you do not strive to practice now, then most probably, you won’t practice in the future. This is because you will still be stuck in the cycle of samsara without making the conscious effort to transcend it. That being said, if in previous lives you have created very strong imprints to practice the Dharma, then in this life, if the conditions are right and the imprints open, you will start practicing the Dharma automatically or find it easy to practice the Dharma.

For those who ‘chase’ after Dharma practice because they feel like they don’t have much time left, this is actually a very good thing to do. Due to whatever reason, be it karma or our own choices, most people do not place emphasis on practicing the Dharma throughout the majority of their lives. That is why you should start practicing the Dharma now. For those who feel like they do not have much time left, it is all the more reason why they should plant the seeds of Dharma in their mind-stream, and progress on their spiritual path further. This is to ensure that they can gain enlightenment, or create the causes for a good future rebirth, in which they are able to practice the Dharma strongly.

Since Dharma is the path that leads you out of samsara, which is our current state of existence, then yes, Dharma is a cultivated decision. In fact it is said that it took Buddha Shakyamuni three countless aeons to achieve enlightenment. Therefore just from the story of the Buddha alone, we can see that it is a cultivated path. Even in our own practice, Dharma is a cultivated decision because it counteracts our habitual nature, which is self-centred. Therefore we must train or cultivate ourselves in the practice of the Dharma. The issues of forcing Dharma onto ourselves is another question, and depends on the individual.

For example, some people just do not have the karmic propensity to practice the Dharma in this life, because they are too samsaric. Even though they may have the imprints to practice Dharma, due to karma, these imprints do not open up in this life. On the other hand, for those of us who know the practice of Dharma is beneficial, but we know we are still samsaric, we should strive to practice the Dharma, rather than ‘force’ it on ourselves.

If we force it on ourselves, real inner transformation is not likely, however we should strive to make Dharma a part of our lives because we know it its benefits. That is the reason why make texts, such as Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, start be explaining the sufferings of samsara. In fact Buddha Shakyamuni taught the suffering of samsaric existence in the Four Noble Truths. This is done in Buddhist teachings to generate the strong need for us to get out of samsara because we know of the downfalls of samsara. Therefore we strive to get out of this, through the practice of the Dharma, rather than ‘force’ ourselves to practice the Dharma.

As I mentioned earlier, there is no right or wrong time to practice the Dharma. It is more that we know the benefits of practicing the Dharma instead. If we have the good fortune to come across the Dharma and understand it, then it would be better for us to practice the Dharma, rather than continue endless in samsara.

Since we are in samsara, both the path of the Sangha and also of sponsorship would be dependent on karmic conditions. However, karma is not static, it can always change. Therefore, if we strive we can embark on the path of either one, through changing our karma through virtuous actions and various practices.

I am very glad that you found His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche’s teachings very beneficial in your life. Your questions are not silly at all, on the contrary, it shows that you think about the path of Dharma and want to know more. With more knowledge, we can make informed decisions and transform our lives for the better. The questions you have asked here are a pleasure to answer. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Tommy,

Thank you for the interesting question. Mantras are powerful because they are the essence of the Buddha (and therefore their body, speech, mind, qualities and activities) in the form of sound. Whereas a statue, thangka or representation of the Buddha is a physical form, mantras are the essence of the Buddhas in the form of sound. When we recite mantras, the winds in the body are moved in such a way that facilities the benefit of the particular mantra. For example when we recite the mantra of Chenresig, it effects the winds in the body in order to lessen anger and to promote compassion. When we are counting our mantras, we use malas. Now, malas can be made of any sort of materials, but some are particularly suited to certain practices for energetic reasons, as they can help in the practice.

For example, as you rightly said, quartz crystal is good with Chenresig’s practice, as it is with all peaceful practices. For Medicine Buddha, it would be good to use a mala made of Lapis Lazuli. For wrathful practices, rudraksha or bone malas are used. Other materials that are generally useful for all practices are Bodhi seed or lotus seed. Therefore there are certain types of malas made from crystals or other materials that support certain types of practices. For advanced practitioners, the use of certain materials during mantra recitation may have benefit that the practitioner wants to develop.

However one should remember that a mala is a counting device, which becomes precious and important to our practice, because it is imbued with the energy of the mantras we recite. Whatever material a mala is made out of, if we do our practice with devotion, sincerity and diligence, the benefits will be tremendous.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has an excellent teaching on mantras, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srI1vH6bGXg. In the teaching, His Eminence mentions that certain types of mantras, if combined with certain materials, it helps to facilitate the result of that mantra. You can watch the teaching to find out more about malas and the materials they can be made from. I hope this helps.

Thank you.