Dear Ling,

Thank you for your very interesting and compassionate question. You are very right, that the harvesting of pearls does indeed mean the killing of sea creatures. In the past, pearls were used as offerings because they were extremely valuable, especially in countries or areas that were far from the sea, and therefore considered to be more precious. Over time this type of offering became engrained in the culture of certain Buddhist societies, and therefore this custom has continued until today. However, instead of offering items that have come from suffering and death, we should offering other items if possible. For example, His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche still encourages students to offer pearls, but fake pearls, not real pearls.

The point behind the offering is to offer the items of the best quality. The reason for this is two-fold: the first is that by offering items of the best quality and that are as precious as we have the means of affording, we cut our attachment to such things. This in turn cuts the attachment we have to physical wealth and resources that are actually negative indulgencies, as they reinforce our selfishness. Therefore the offering of pearls can be a lot more compassionate if offerings fake pearls instead. As long as the person’s motivation and intent is pure, the Buddhas will accept the offering and this of course will generate the merits you need to succeed in your spiritual path towards enlightenment. I hope this helps.

Thank you,

Dear Zhe,

Thank you for your interesting question. From a Buddhist point of view, when we make offerings to a being it is for two purposes. The first is to generate merits necessary on the spiritual path to enlightenment, and the second is to remember the qualities necessary to achieve that very same goal. For example, when we pray to Chenrezig or Kuan Yin, we are not actually asking for something in return, but reminding ourselves of the qualities of enlightened compassion that they embody and we want to achieve. Make offerings to them also plants the seeds and opens up the cause for us to achieve that as well. Obviously, because the Buddhas have compassion, they will help us in our daily life as well. For example, the enlightened Dharma protectors arose specifically to aid practitioners to create the conducive conditions to practice the Dharma such as enough resources to live from, beneficial relationships, and also the correct environment in which to practice.

From a Buddhist point of view, we make offerings to the enlightened Buddhas. The Jade Emperor, Wangchen Wang, and Ji Gong are not considered enlightened beings, but extremely powerful gods/beings within samsara or cyclic existence. They have very long lives, and have a lot of power within samsara. Therefore a Buddhist would not necessarily pray to, seek refuge in these impressive beings, or make offerings to them as enlightened beings. They may however make offerings to them in order to appease them as they are very powerful, but generally would not pray to them and make offerings to them as enlightened beings. I hope this answers your question.

Thank you

Dear Gilbert,

Thank you for your question. In order to practice tantra, especially higher tantric practices such as Yamanataka, it is considered necessary to study under a qualified guru whom you have received the relevant empowerment and commentary in person. Depending on the type of initiation, the ceremony can actually take up to two to three days for the higher practices, and would involve your active participation. However, depending on the instructions from the guru, other forms of initiation can also be used, as long as they have authorised it. As you have taken Garchen Rinpoche to be your guru, you should contact him or his centres to find out more about the lineage of practice, the corresponding sadhana texts, and to clarify the vows and commitments associated with the practice.

As for reciting the mantra of deity alone, this would not actually be considered a complete sadhana of that deity. This is because for a sadhana to be complete, it is said that it should have include seven parts, known as the seven limbs, if not more. These seven are: Prostration (inclusive of taking refuge and generating bodhicitta), making offerings, confession downfalls and shortcomings, rejoicing, requesting teachings, beseeching, and finally dedication. Together with these prayers we engage in mantra recitation.

Mantra recitation, even though immensely powerful, is not considered a sadhana. Sadhana necessarily include prayers such as the seven limbs mentioned above, and also include accompanying visualisations. For higher tantric practices, these visualisations are very complex. The sadhana is engaged in daily to achieve the desired results, for example complete enlightenment.

Coupled with this is the movements of the psychic winds within the body, which is brought about through the various visualisations, prayers and mantras contained within a sadhana. This is main purpose of tantric practice. Utilising these winds we are able to achieve higher states in our meditations and ultimate achieve enlightenment.

This does not mean that the mantras do not have any power. On the contrary, mantras are the Buddhas embodied in the form of sound. Therefore, they are very powerful. His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche has given an excellent teaching on mantras, which you can watch here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/mantras-holy-words-of-power.html. You can definitely gain attainments through the recitation of mantras, but they will be more effective if combined with other prayers and practices. I hope this answers your question about mantras and sadhanas.

Thank you

Dear Dongho,

Thank you for your question. I am very sorry to read that Lama Dawa Chodak has passed away. I must admit I do not know much about this lama but from the sounds of it he was a very accomplished master. His devotion to Saraswati is very admirable, as she an extremely powerful Buddha and her practice is extremely effective. In fact, within the Gelug tradition, Lama Tsongkhapa is well known to have relied on her practice.

In regards to what we should do when our guru is alive: we should follow his/her instructions to the best of our ability and practice the teachings bestowed seriously and without fail to improve and transform ourselves. Depending on which tradition you are practicing now, there are many texts that deal with devotion to the guru. You should ask other senior students in your tradition which text that your guru has recommended to study and practice in regards to guru devotion. Once your guru has entered clear light and left their current physical body, you should continue your practice and further your transformation on the path to enlightenment.

Here is a comprehensive article with commentary to the Lama Nga Chu Pa text, also known as the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/complete-commentary-on-50-verses-of-guru-devotion.html. This is one of the most well-known of texts in regards to guru devotion and was written by the great Indian master Ashvagosha. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Alfredo,

Thank you for your questions. I am glad I could help. In regards to offering light, as you are using candles, once you have lit the candle, you purify the candle by lighting a stick of incense and waving it over the candle and recite the mantra “Om Ah Hum”. Here is a video about setting up an altar, making offerings, and performing prostrations which might be of some help to you: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/how-to-set-up-altar-make-offerings-prostrate-to-the-buddha-meditate-etc.html

You can also read more about the benefits of light offering here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/butterlamps.html

In regards to the eight precepts, most practitioners these days do not take the precepts for life, but for a certain time period, such as for just a day, or a week. This is so they can focus on spiritual development during that time and not be distracted by other activities. It is very different from the examples of the al Qaeda and Taliban, who ban listening to music because it is foreign and in their eyes against their religion. Rather in Buddhism is about minimising distractions so that one can focus on the mind and understanding how our mind works. This is very necessary on the spiritual journey to enlightenment.

Here is an article that may be of use to you: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/students-friends/vows-the-roots-of-all-attainments.html

The particular precept not only concerns listening to music, but also from all other forms of entertainment such as dancing and singing and even wearing perfumes, ornaments, and other items that make oneself look good. When we do not engage in these activities, which are based on the physical body, we are able to concentrate on the mind.

The core of all Buddhist practice is actually the refuge vows. All other vows are based on these vows. So to beginning with, and as your fundamental practice in daily life you should keep to these vows. You can learn more about them here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/students-friends/vows-the-roots-of-all-attainments.html#tab-1-page-4. Therefore it does not mean that you have to give up listening to the Bee Gees or the Beatles at all in order to become a Buddhist or practise the Buddhist teachings. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Hello,

Thank you for your interesting question. Actually this is a question that puzzled the ancient Tibetans in the past as well, because as Buddhism was being transmitted into the country from India and China the views were mixed. From China came a tradition in which it is said that enlightenment can be gained instantly through attaining a deep form of meditation and was advocated by the great master Hvashang, also known as Hoshang or Moheyan. From India came the tradition that you attain enlightenment after progressing along a gradual process and was propounded by the great master meditation master Kamalashila, whose texts on meditation are still very much in use today.

This was a time when Buddhism was being transmitted to Tibet. At the time there were many local practitioners of the indigenous religion known as Bon, as well as many local deities and mountain spirits that were opposed to the spread of the religion. The led the Tibetan King Trisong Detsen to invite the Indian tantric master Guru Rinpoche to Tibet, who engaged in psychic battle with these forces and was victorious, binding the deities and spirits to never harm practitioners and even assist them in their spiritual journeys. Once the conditions for Buddhism to spread were established King Trisong Detsen asked the great abbot Santarakshita to establish the first Buddhist monastery in the land, known as Samye Monastery.

It was at this monastery that a grand debate was held between Hoshang and Kamalashila, and is known as the Great Council of Lhasa, which you can read more about here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-great-council-of-lhasa.html. The winner of the great debate was Kamalashila, and so King Trisong Detsen decreed that Tibet would therefore follow the system of gradual practice on the journey to complete enlightenment. All Tibetan Buddhist lineages have followed this system since then.

There are some practices in which it is said that enlightenment can be achieved in one instance of deep meditation within Tibetan Buddhism. However, in order to properly engage in these to have the desired effect, one has to have a very firm and stable foundational practice before hand, which can only come about through gradual practice.

In Tibetan Buddhism, and specifically within the Gelug tradition it is said that you can gain enlightenment during a three-year retreat focused one of the highest yoga tantra deities, such as Guhyasamaja, Heruka Chakrasamvara or Yamantaka, after having received the appropriate empowerment and teachings. This was reiterated by the Dharma protector Dorje Shugden during a trance held in Kechara Forest Retreat in 2015.

Within Tibetan Buddhism there exists a body of scriptures known as the Lam Rim or the Graduated Stages on the Path to Enlightenment. This began with the great Indian master Dipamkara Srijana Atisha, and many masters have expounded on his work and written their own text still in use today. Each of them guide practitioners through all aspects of the path to enlightenment, from the basics to the highest practices.

Lama Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug tradition, was one such master who wrote a veritable treasure trove of instructions in a step-by-step gradual manner to enlightenment. Another great master of the recent past, Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, gave an extraordinary 24-day experiential teaching on these instructions. This was recorded down as Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. This text is invaluable to contemporary practitioners, and I would highly suggest that you get yourself a copy if you are interested. If you are based in Malaysia, you can find the text at any of our Kechara Paradise outlets (see here: http://www.kechara.com/shopping/contact/), or if based in any other country you can order online via Vajrasecrets (https://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand) or through any reputable book shop. This volume forms the basis of education within the Kechara Buddhist Organisation.

Meditation following the sutra path of Buddhism is in no way dangerous. In fact, it is the method through which one sees the real nature of reality and becomes enlightened. However, when we do engage in authentic meditation following the Buddhist teachings, more than likely all our habituations, emotional baggage and false projections about things will natural arise stronger in our minds. Though these appear to have arisen stronger in our minds, in actuality they were always strong, it is just that as we learn to quieten our minds, we are experience them more clearly. Then, within meditation, we apply the antidote to these, and are eventually able to overcome them. This leads to the personal transformation that Buddhism is so famous for.

While practising the higher meditations of tantric meditation, there are some minor dangers, because during these meditations one moves the psychic winds within the body to affect the desired changes. However, if you have the correct teachings and commentaries and studying under a qualified teacher, these dangers are not really an issue. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Ling,

I am sorry you to read that you have been going through this with your family. I can understand how hard this can be since family are supposed to be the people we are supposed to close to and in harmony with. What you are going through is more common than you would think. You are not alone in this. Know that others have been in the same situation and have overcome the difficulties.

Even though you think that you cannot tell them about how you feel, this is actually what you should do. When we are in these types of situations we usually have a tendency to over think about how they would reply. And because we are emotionally upset, these projections of how they will answer or react are more often than not negative. This itself feeds into feeling hurt, and the cycle repeats itself again and again.

In my humble opinion, I would say in this case you could need to sit down with your parents and talk things through. We spend our lives acting and speaking in ways out of our habits or through our false perception of how things are. We often don’t realise what we are doing. Sitting down and talking things through with the other person can heal the pain and hurt. When you do this you do not allow emotion to get involved, but you discuss things in a logical manner. If you ask to talk with them, make sure that they know the reason that you are talking is something that they should take to heart, because it is how you feel. When they see you being serious, without being overly emotional they are likely to open up themselves and accept what you are telling them.

I understand this can seem like a very daunting thing to do, I felt the same way. However, I have used this method to heal issues with my own parents in this way, and today these issues simply seem like a thing of the past. It can be a hard step to take sometimes, but we must take it to move on and heal.

Coupled with talking with them, you can engage in spiritual practice that can aid both the healing of the emotional pain and foster harmony in the family. Such practices include the joint practice of the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa and the practice of Dorje Shugden.

Lama Tsongkhapa as the embodiment of three Buddhas (Manjushri, Chenrezig and Vajrapani) grants great blessings to us. His practice is extremely effective in healing emotional pain and calming the mind so we can live life in a more logical manner without being overly emotional, which is usually the cause of problems with others. The second is the practice of Dorje Shugden, who can remove obstacles in our lives such as difficulties in our relationships and grant the conducive condition of a harmonious family life. You can find the joint practice text and more information here: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Dongho,

Thank you for your question. You are indeed correct that around this time many animals are killed annually for various celebrations and events around the world. As you have realised, this is something quite negative because it is the act of killing. As normal level practitioners we cannot liberate the minds of animals, say in the sense of granting them full enlightenment. But we can liberate them from their temporary sufferings wherever they take rebirth by dedicating the merits we generate for them through our own practice. At higher levels of tantric practice we can liberate their minds by sending their consciousness to the various pure lands of the Buddhas. There they can learn the Dharma directly from the Buddas and practice until they achieve enlightenment themselves.

What we as practitioners can do for them is to engage in virtuous actions and dedicate the merits towards alleviating their suffering and ultimately their gaining the stage of enlightenment. Any prayers or sadhana that we engage in will benefit them if we dedicate the merits towards them.

If you have a daily practice that you engage in then you can dedicate the merits to alleviate their suffering on a daily basis. Alternative, if you engage in any pujas you can dedicate the merits to them as well. If you would like to engage in or sponsor pujas than two of the best are the Lama Chopa and protector pujas such as Dorje Shugden. Lama Chopa is a prayer that is known for generating tremendous amounts of merits as you invoke and make offerings to not only all the Buddhas but all the enlightened lineage gurus as well, and by engaging in protector pujas, you invoke their energies to help them overcome any obstacles they face in their new rebirth. Any other pujas or rituals to the enlightened beings are also good. You can even recite many mantras and dedicate the merits so that they can benefit from them. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Melanie P

Thank you for your questions. I am sorry to hear that you have been going through such a difficult time. The Buddha has taught that the way we think and behave is based on something called projections and expectations. When we do anything, from buying a house, or even in our relationships with others, we want the situation to go the way we want it to. However this is not the way things really work out. This may sound unfair, but unfortunately it is just the way things are.

That is the reason that Buddhism teachings to live in the present moment, without having expectations and projections of how things should be. It is the reason so many people have benefited through Buddhist practice, because it alleviates our suffering. But this suffering we face can be immense. To learn more about this, you can ready and study the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, which is step by step guide to reach enlightenment, and along the way solve our own problems and overcome negative states of mind. You can purchase a copy online here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand. Alternative, your local bookstore should be able to order a copy for you if they do not stock it themselves.

Coupled with this however, you need to first calm your mind so you no longer feel so sad and lonely, and then engage in the practice of a Dharma protector, who can help to overcome the obstacles you face in life. One such practice is the joint practice of Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga and Dorje Shugden practice. You can find the text for this practice here: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden

Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice is very beneficial in and alleviating it of negative emotions. Once we are in a better frame of mind, we can face the challenges of life better. You can find a commentary to this practice here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html. If you are feeling depressed, His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has given a very powerful teaching in the past called Sayonara to Depression, which you can watch here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/sayonara-to-depression.html I hope this helps. Please do write back if you have any further questions.

Thank you

Dear Dawa,

Thank you for your interesting question. There are many practices that can aid in calming the environment and those unseen beings who live there. Dharmapala practice is not something that would force them out of their habitat or is in any way harmful to them if they are positive beings. The wrathful imagery used within Dharmapala practice is for protection as well as reminders to the practitioner that they should get rid of their own spirits, metaphors for negative emotional state and harmful habits. In fact when we engage in Dharmapala practice, if there are any local spirits who reside in the area, they actually receive the blessings of the Dharmapala as we do. In that sense they actually benefit from the practice. Dharmapala practice would be a great way to appease and calm the local deities and spirits in any area.

However, I can understand that such practices may not resonate with some people. In that case, you can recite the mantras of any of the Buddhas and dedicate the merits to the local deities and spirits to keep them appeased. One such mantra is that of the Medicine Buddha. One of the special benefits of the Medicine Buddha is to calm energies in the environment and to bless the various beings there. In fact, within Buddhism, that is one of the main reasons that large statues are built outdoors. They bless all those who see them or are near them, and this applies to local deities and spirits as well as humans and animals.

There are pujas and prayers that can be done to keep them appeased, but they usually require empowerment. If you have the means, you can invite qualified sangha members to your land to perform a puja to bless the land, and appease the local deities and spirits in that manner.

However, if you cannot, the best thing to do would be to place a Medicine Buddha statue on your land to bless the beings and keep them appeased. You can also recite the manta of Medicine Buddha while you are outside, so when the local beings hear the mantra they are blessed. As they are blessed they are automatically appeased.

In regards to how the local deities and spirits feel, you can request divination from a qualified divination master and they should be able to give you more information.

From your description of the land, as it has natural bodies of water, there may be nagas present in the environment. There is practice that you can engage in if you wish to appease the nagas and keep them happy, which you can find here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/apology-to-the-naga-realm.html I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Rev. Dr. Michele Shields,

Thank you very much for you message. We truly rejoice for the works of all Buddhist chaplains and pastors around the world, who strive to help others. They are truly an inspiration in regards to Buddhist compassion in action.

In regards to the this article, we very much appreciate that you informed us. The article will be updated to reflect this. Thank you.

Dear Alfredo Salvado,

Thank you for your question. I am glad that you have an altar set up in your room. This will provide your environment with a powerful area of positive energy. A major part of Buddhist prayers is the invocation to the enlightened beings. As such they come to reside in the sacred images on your altar, which energises it. Therefore your altar becomes a place where the protective and compassionate energies of Buddhas reside. As such, if you have your altar in your bedroom, it should be placed away from ordinary items, and covered with a screen if possible when you are changing, sleeping or other mundane activities.

As for having catholic images on the altar, this is entire up to you. Traditionally speaking this would not be the case, as within Buddhism altars are only set up to the Buddhas and enlightened beings. However, you will not offend the Buddhas if you do put other images on the altar. This is because the Buddhas operate from love and compassion. They do not get angry but only seek to benefit you. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Raham,

Thank you for your question. In Buddhism we believe in the Trikaya, which means the Three Bodies of the Buddhas. In essence this outlines the three ways in which the Buddhas exist. However the teaching in and of itself teaches us the nature of Buddhahood and also the nature of reality when studied in depth.

The three bodies are:

– The Nirmanakaya: the body created within samsara. This means that it exists within time and space, and on the outward appearance is bound by the rules of life within our universe.

– The Sambhogakaya: usually known as the enjoyment body. This is the body of a Buddha that is made from clear light and bliss. The usual depiction of the enlightened beings matches this body of the Buddhas.

– The Dharmakaya: this is the actual state of enlightenment, which is non-dual, has no barriers, is limitless and cannot be described accurately as we do not have the capacity to understand it.

All three of these bodies come about when a person has achieved full and complete enlightenment. And having reached the state of full enlightenment you cannot loose this, and become un-enlightened. That being said, from a philosophical perspective one cannot have experiences of the Dharmakaya. This would entail the person reaching complete enlightenment. But as one cannot become un-enlightened, you cannot experience Dharma and then return to ordinary samsaric life.

However, it is most definitely certain that anyone can reach the state of full enlightenment. Lord Buddha showed us the path and many great masters since his time have likewise achieved complete enlightenment. While the Buddhist path places an emphasis on the path of monasticism, since it is the most effective way to make use of the time we have in this life to progress on our spiritual path, lay people can and have achieved complete enlightenment too. In fact Tibetan Buddhism has many stories lay people who have achieved high states of spiritual attainment and even Buddhahood. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Hesed,

Thank you for your question. Asking this question shows you think about things well and have a strong urge to know why things happen. This wanting to know and understand is a sign of being spiritual as you think about life and why things happen. According to Buddhist philosophy, we believe in something known as ‘karma’. This, although taught by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, was not created by him. Instead he saw the nature of reality, and told others how the world exists.

In today’s world most people have a vague understanding of karma, but as a topic itself, it is very complex. In short, it means that if you do good things, good things will happen to you and if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you. But coupled with this, is the notion that we have countless previous lives. The actions we engaged in during these previous lives affect us now in this life, if the causes and conditions for a particular karma to manifest are right.

For example, in this life we may have financial difficulties or a lack of resources to live well. This is the karmic effect of having been miserly in previous lives. This manifests as us not having the funds or resources we need in this life. While this may seem unfair, it is just the way that the world exists.

One of the Four Noble Truths taught by the historical Buddha is that suffering exists, and in fact Buddhists believe that all life is full of suffering. That is why Buddhists strive to better themselves in order to achieve enlightenment. Once you are enlightened, you are no longer subject to this suffering. Rather than just concentrate on the negative side of things, when you study karma, you also study how to counter negative karma. This is done by doing good deeds and helping others to alleviate them of their own suffering.

There is however, another more subtle form of karma, and that is what we term as imprints or habituation. Over the course of countless lifetimes, as we perform the same sorts of actions again and again, this seeps deeper into our mind, and we end up developing certain tendencies. For example, someone is this life may have a lot of unexplainable anger. This comes from countless previous lives, in which the person was angry, acted out of anger or made other people angry. Therefore the karmic result is to be prone to anger in their current life.

So, the various feelings that make us suffer emotionally, such as guilt, sadness, jealousy, etc., are not actually due to external forces, but because we have the karma to feel them, due to actions and thoughts taken in previous lifetimes or even through habituation in this life.

In regards to these emotions that make us suffer being the sins of our ancestors or dark entities, Buddhism places the majority of what happens to us on the individual themselves rather than outside forces. Sometimes a person may indeed be afflicted by a spirit and experience a severe disturbance in their emotional state. This is actually due to the person themselves having the karma to be affected in this manner. For those that do not have such karma, no matter how much the spirit tries to disturb them, they will not feel the effects of this disturbance simply because they do not have the karma to go through that experience.

While outside forces can have an effect on our emotional state, they cannot affect us if we do not have the karma to be affected. This not only applied to emotional suffering, but physical suffering as well. We often here stories of people surviving accidents, when other people in the same accident did not. This is because the individual did not have the karma to be harmed by the accident, whereas the others did have that karma. The accident acted as the conditions for the karma to ripen. But if you do not have the karma than nothing will happen.

All of this that I have mentioned is very brief, as the entire topic cannot be covered here. You can find out more about karma, how it effects your emotions, and how it causes suffering by watching a fantastic teaching by His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche called You and Your Imprints here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/you-and-your-imprints-how-to-break-bad-habituations.html

Another very good source to learn more about karma is the book entitled Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, which you can order a copy of here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand. This text is part of the Lam Rim literature, of the Stages on the Path to Enlightenment, and forms the core of our education syllabus here in Kechara. This text details the Buddhist path in a step by step manner for the beginner all the way to the most advanced practitioner. Within this text there are sections that explain how karma works, the various types of karma and the results of karma, including both beneficial and harmful karma. It is a must read book for anyone that is interested in learning about Buddhism is really about and even more so for practitioners. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Woeser,

I am very sorry to hear that you are going through these difficulties at this time. I know that this situation can be very hard. Everything we go through in life, from the good to the bad is actually due to karma. Karma are the results of actions we have made earlier in this life or from previous lives. This probably does not sound fair, and you are right, it is not. But one thing about karma that people often forget is that it is not fixed. It can be changed, that is what the Buddha taught.

The way to change your karma, is to take charge of your life and engage in actions that are beneficial. This will create the energies so that your negative karma does not open and positive karma opens instead, leading to a happier life. From a Buddhist perspective financial problems in this life or a lack of resources is due to having been miserly in a previous life. However, the way to overcome this is to do the opposite. The opposite of being miserly is therefore to be generous.

Being generous does not necessarily mean buying things for people or doing things that involve money. You can be generous by spending time with your family and friends, helping them in any way that you can. It can mean spending your free time doing something beneficial such as helping the poor, elderly or the sick. It could even mean just listening to or being there for someone when they need help. According to the Buddha and the many masters that have taught the path to enlightenment, when we focus on other instead of ourselves, this is a form of generosity.

In fact, the more we spend time on helping others, the more our own problems will be resolved. This can be on a karmic level or even a physical level. For example, if we help someone now, perhaps in the future when we are in even more in need to assistance, they will be the ones to help us.

To aid you in this, I would like to suggest that you engage in two practices. The first is the practice of Lama Tsongkhapa. You can find an excellent commentary on the practice here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html. The commentary was given by His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche, and is a central practice within our lineage. Many people over the years have had tremendous benefit from the practice of Lama Tsongkhapa. In fact, it is also known to help calm and stabilise the mind so that we can think logically rather than emotionally.

Secondly, you can engage in the practice of Gyenze, available here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/dorje-shugden-gyenze-to-increase-life-merits-and-wealth.html. The practice contains the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa, so you if you engage in this practice, it incorporates the above practice already.

Gyenze is the increase form of the Dharma protector Dorje Shugden. As with many other Dharma protector practices, Gyenze attracts the energies of increase into our lives. This leads to an increase in anything that is beneficial in our lives. For example, the resources we need to live and work well. As such, Gyenze’s practice is excellent for riding us of our financial issues so that we have enough to live from. Gyenze aids in this, so that we can spend more time practicing the Dharma and benefiting others. Many people have seen their financial fortunes turn around through the blessings of Gyenze. Gyenze’s role as a Dharma protector is just like any other Dharma protector whose function is aid sincere practitioners. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear JM Tan,

Thank you for your question. We all make mistakes in our lives, and that is just the way life is. In samsara we will always experience pain in many ways, and that is one of the reasons Buddhists seeks to transcend samsara, to be free of pain and suffering. While most people only see pain and suffering as physical, there are many different types and emotional pain is one of them. While you are saddened by the situation, you shouldn’t get caught up in the emotions you are going through. Rather, you should try and think that yes, you are suffering, yes you did create the mess. But then what? More often than not, we get caught up in our emotions and are not able to think properly or act in a logical manner.

Since you have created the mess, don’t be sad for too long. If the friendship matters a lot to you, then you should try to make amends as best as possible. Talk to your friend and apologise if you can. The best way to get over these sorts of situations is by talking and making amends physically with the person. Rather than merely thinking of the type of friendship you had, you should strive to repair it and then perhaps even make it better than before, to show your friend that they are important to you.

From a spiritual perspective, you should engage in the join practice of Lama Tsongkhapa and the Dharma protector Dorje Shugden. You can find the daily practice here: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden. While engaging in the prayers, you should concentrate on the recitation of the mantras. The one on the website is the long version. There is a shorter version of prayers and a condensed version of the prayers in the Diamond Path prayer book, which you can order here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/diamond-path.

Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice is very well known for healing emotional pain and traumas from the past that are affecting us now. You can find a commentary to the practice of Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga here, given by His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html Dorje Shugden on the other hand is excellent for removing obstacles we may be facing. In this case, you are facing obstacles in your relationship to your friend and the energies of Dorje Shugden can help to alleviate these if you have a good intention. I hope this helps and wish the best in mending the relationship with your friend, as it is one that you find very important.

Thank you

Dear Yen,

Thank you for your question. I am very sorry to hear of your situation and that of your friend. One thing we need to remember is that the Buddha explained to us how karma works. Everything we experience in life, whether good or bad is due to our actions previously in this life and previous lifetimes. While this may sound unfair in that we need to experience the results of something that we do not remember doing, this is the way samsara exists. They only way to be free of this type of suffering is to attain enlightenment, the state of a Buddha. That being said, we all need help in our daily life, and that is where deity practice can help us.

In order to overcome the pain you are going through, may I suggest that you engage in the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa. You can find an excellent commentary by His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html. You can find the prayers to recite here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#19. There is also a practice box set dedicate to Lama Tsongkhapa, which you can order online here if you wish: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/tsongkhapa-boxset-english

Lama Tsongkhapa is the emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of wisdom; Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion; and Vajrapani, the Buddha of skilful means. As such the practice is extremely powerful and is well-known to help people heal psychical pain, but more importantly the sufferings felt in the mind. You can concentrate on the recitation of the Mig Tse Ma mantra and beseech Lama Tsongkhapa to help ease your suffering. He will surely help. His practice is known for relieving anxiety and even depression.

In regards to your friend, on a practical level you can research about your friend’s specific state and see if there are any treatments available that can be effective if you have not done so already. In any case what you can do is to engage in prayers or pujas and dedicate the merits generated to your friend. For example, you can engage in the practice of Medicine Buddha, available here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/medicine-buddha-practice.html, or alternative have Medicine Buddha pujas sponsored here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/medicine-buddha-puja-fund. Medicine Buddha is excellent at healing on all levels, and provide us with soothing and beneficial energy.

Another method that you can use to help your friend is to generate as much merit for her as possible. A vast amount of merit and purification of karma can help even the direst of circumstances. Such activities could involve releasing animals from slaughter or deplorable conditions, feeding the homeless and less fortunate and providing for them, and making vast amounts of offerings to the Buddhas and enlightened beings. If done with a good motivation, and dedicated towards your friend, she will benefit from the virtuous actions, even if you cannot see the benefits at the moment.

Coupled with this you can engage in the practice of a Dharma protector such as a Dorje Shugden. You can find the prayers here if you wish to engage in them yourself: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden, alternatively you can have Dorje Shugden pujas sponsored here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/dorje-shugden-wishfulfilling-puja-fund. Dharma protectors help to overcome obstacles and conditions that we wish to arise. I understand that it is a difficult situation, but you should maintain your faith in the Buddhas and enlightened beings, and they will definitely help. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Ling,

Thank you for your question. I rejoice to read that you are practising Chakrasamvara for over two years now. This is very good, you should keep the practice steady, keep the vows and commitments well and you will progress on your spiritual evolution.

Generally speaking when you engage in higher tantric yoga meditation, the meditations include movement of your psychic winds. Therefore sometimes people will experience strange feelings in the body. When this happens, once should ease off the concentration on that particular visualisation when engaging in the practice. What you can do to lessen these feelings is to engage in purification practices such as the 35 Confessional Buddhas, which you can find here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-35-confessional-buddhas.html. Alternatively if you have the appropriate initiation, you can engage in the practice of Heruka Vajrasattva, which would be included in your sadhana text. Engaging in the purification practices would lessen these sensations when you practice, as everything we experience is due to our karma.

What I would advise the most, however, is to consult the guru that gave you the empowerment of Chakrasamvara practice. Your guru would be able to better advise you in addition to the above, the methods you can use to minimise the physical effects if they are due to the actual practice. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Fearful,

Thank you for your question. There could be any number of reasons for this to be occurring. What you can do when this starts to happen is to stop what you are doing, and take deep breaths, and concentrate on your breath. As you concentrate on your breath, this will have a calming effect on both your body and mind, which should stop the involuntary shaking and strange feelings. In fact focusing on the breath is one of the best known methods of developing a focused, concentrated, yet calm

Your practice of the Dharmapalas should begin with either Guru Yoga or deity practice, therefore I would suggest that you engage in these practices more before you begin the actually Dharma protector practice. One of the best practices is the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa. This practice is well known for its healing ability on for both the body and the mind. Over time, you should see such occurrences lessen.

If this shaking happens regularly and also when you are not practicing, you should consider visiting a qualified health professional just to rule out anything untoward. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear John,

Thank you for your question. This is a question that people actually ask a lot, but there is no need to worry, especially if we do not have tantric initiation. In fact, the more we practice getting our visualisation stabilised now, the better we will be able to practice tantra when we eventually receive tantric initiation.

The issue you are having maintain a steady visualisation is not an uncommon one. This is because we actually have to train our mind to concentrate on what we are doing. One of the major facets of Buddhist meditation is concentration, and this is something we need to develop. We might think that we have a good ability to concentrate, but what the Buddha and the great masters have taught is that we actually do not, but we can obviously develop it.

Visualisation itself is a form of concentration meditation, therefore until we achieve a good level of concentration, things like this will happen as we train our minds. What we can do is to focus on a particular aspect of the visualisation, such as the face of the deity, and once that is stable and focused, we can continue onto other parts of the deity’s body, and then the various other aspects of the visualisation. That way, we train ourselves little by little to have a complete visualisation.

No in regards to your question about their being danger if something goes wrong or if we make a mistake during our visualisation, this cannot be at our stage of practice. This is because the visualisation is engaged in during the mantra recitation section. Mantras themselves are the Buddhas and enlightened beings in the form of sound. Therefore when we recite mantras we are invoking the holy energies of the Buddhas, which naturally guide and protect us from any harm.

The fact that you are facing this issue is in fact a good sign. It shows that are trying to concentrate on the visualisation, but that your mind has not reached a level of concentration powerful enough to maintain the stability of the visualisation. The antidote to this is simple, keep practising. As you continue to practice, you will notice that your visualisation becomes stronger and stronger.

If however, you are still worried, you can end your recitation sessions with the prayer dedicated to a Dharma protector to any obstacles, and end with a completion dedication. I hope this helps.

Thank you