Dear Deo Kumari Chhetri,

For beginners, it is always best to engage in our mantra recitations, prayers and pujas in a conducive environment where there is less distractions like our mobile phones, tv, music and people talking. We should only focus on our prayers, mantras, meditations and pujas and nothing else.

The second thing is that we can engage in simple breath meditations beforehand to calm our mind so we can focus better. There is a 9 round breath meditation that is being used in the Black Manjushri sadhana that we can follow to do this. You can find the 9 round breathing meditation instruction here – (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/a-black-manjushri-sadhana-self-healing-meditation-and-exercises.html) Naturally, you don’t have to do the Black Manjushri sadhana in order to engage in the breath meditation but still can if you want to. It’s up to you.

The third thing is not to close your eyes completely or to look down when you just had a heavy meal or when you are very sleepy. This will cause you to fall asleep. It is always best to look upwards above your eye level especially when you are very drowsy. If this does not help, it would be good to take a break and have coffee. This usually applies to those engage in deep meditational retreats. We should never fall asleep midway during mantras, meditations and prayers as this is a practice of awareness. I hope this little explanation helps you.

Dear Eli,

Good day to you. I hope this reply finds you well. All of us face rejection and what you had experienced is normal and this is just like what everybody experiences. The way to overcome rejection is to try again and again and find all ways (that do not harm or break the law) to turn the situation around. Successful people are not those who do not experience rejection but they are those that do not give up and is willing to go the extra mile to succeed.

If we have that attitude and have a little extra help from a Dharma Protector like Dorje Shugden, things can turn around quite easily. Here’s a simple prayer to Dorje Shugden you can recite daily and mantra to begin propitiating Dorje Shugden immediately ( https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/a-short-prayer-to-dorje-shugden.html ) The key to gaining the blessings and protection of any Dharma Protector is to recite his prayers and mantras daily and if possible, setting up a shrine to the protector if we do not already have a shrine to the Buddha. Doing all these creates the affinity and merit for Dorje Shugden to come to our aid quickly. All the best in your future endeavours and I hope this helps you.

Dear Lee,
It is not advisable to look towards mantras as a means to solve problems. It would be better to study the mind training teachings like 8 Verses of Thought Transformation, Wheel of Sharp Weapons and even the Lamrim. These are teachings that help us to transform our minds, become kinder and more receptive towards others and create less or ideally no harm towards others. If we practice these teachings and we combine with certain practices like Manjushri ( https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/all-about-manjushri.html ) or Lama Tsongkhapa ( https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/tsongkhapa ), our speech will be powerful to influence, comfort and aid others.

There is no mantra that helps friendship but Manjushri’s and Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice can help us to develop our speech and that in turn will aid our friendship. In your case, I would suggest you speak to your friend, it could be a far simpler issue that you think. I wish you all the best and I hope my little advice here is of some benefit to you.

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your question. Yes Tsem Rinpoche does have information on the Black Garuda practice. In fact Rinpoche gave a teaching on the practice in 2004, during the SARS epidemic as a form of spiritual protection from the disease as well as a practice that can you help overcome such diseases if you have them. The teaching was actually on two practices, the first being White Tara and the second being Black Garuda. Both of these practices were explained for the non-initiate, meaning that you do not need to have received the initiation of the practice in order to engage in it.

The teachings were taped in four parts. Links are below:

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 Dongho,

Thank you for your questions. In regards to knowing if you have received a life entrustment, in this life if you have received empowerments from a guru, then he or she would have told you what type it was. In the case of previous lives, only those who have some form of clairvoyant power or ability in divination would be able to tell you for certain.

That being said, the deities that you are attracted to in this life, means that you have an affinity with them from previous lives. Therefore, to feel more connected to Palden Lhamo, rather than any other protector is perfectly fine. Just as people have many dispositions, the enlightened beings emanated in various forms to suit those in need. If Palden Lhamo is more attractive to you than Dorje Shugden, that is perfectly fine but you should devote yourself wholeheartedly to her practice and go all the way with it. This ensures that you gain the most benefit from her sacred practice and she can help you along your spiritual path.

The crystal given during Dorje Shugden life entrustment, is known as ‘lado’, this acts as a reminder of the bond created with Dorje Shugden and also of the commitments one needs to keep in order to ensure this relationship stays strong.

As for chakras, there are actually two meanings. The first is the energy centres in the body, this is the convergence of physic channels at various points in the body. The second are protective amulets created during prayer and ritual that have various abilities. The chakra given out during Dorje Shugden life entrustment is one of these protective amulets create through the power of Dorje Shugden.

Mandalas on the other hand are the divine abode of the particular deity and include their retinue, who surround them. This is the same for the various meditational deities and protectors you have mentioned as they are enlightened beings. Therefore each has their own mandala that they reside. The mantras for these deities and protectors are their standard mantras:

Dorje Shugden: OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA

Palden Lhamo: JO RAMO JO RAMO JO JO RAMO TUNJO KALA RACHENMO RAMO AJA DAJA TUNJO RULU RULU HUNG JO HUNG

Manjushri: OM AH RA BA TSA NA DHI

Saraswati: OM SARASIDDHI HRING HRING

Yamantaka: as this is a Highest Yoga Tantra practice, the mantra is not shared to those who have not received the appropriate empowerment.

I hope these answers help. Thank you.

Dear Tobias,

Thank you for your wonderful question. Of course this a possibility, as long as the administration of the particular monastery you are interested in agree to it. This is actually a very good attitude to have, especially towards the later part of your life, as you can immerse yourself in the practice of the Dharma.

However there are some questions you should ask yourself to make your resolve to do this stronger, such as what is your motivation for spending time at the monastery? and also how can you help the monastic community? After all, the Sangha are the one of the Three Jewels, so any services you provide for them, in any capacity, has great benefit for your spiritual path, as well as allowing practitioners of Dharma the ability to preserve and spread the teachings in the future. At the same time this becomes one of the most conducive environments for you to practice and learn Dharma to further your own spiritual path.

If you are not in a relationship, then you could even consider becoming a monk, if you would like. In fact there used to be a beautiful tradition in Tibet, where the elderly would take monastic ordination, and be supported by their families or even by their own spouses, since their family commitments had been fulfilled, and their children had grown up and had their own lives.

In any case, you should concentrate on understanding and living by the refuge vows and Bodhisattva vows, if you are not already. Doing this will create the causes for a speedy journey in the Dharma. You should also study the Lam Rim teachings. If possible I suggest you get a copy of Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, available at major books shops that have a large section of Buddhist books or online here: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand. Understanding and practicing these teachings will go a long way in helping you reach higher levels of spiritual attainment. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Harold Musetescu,

Yes, there is a text by Serkong Dorje Chang. You can find it in his sungbum.

Thank you

Dear Sipra,

I’m sorry to read that you are going through this fear and anxiety, and i can understand that it has been effecting your daily life. You should seek professional help as this fear and anxiety can worsen if you don’t get help and can deteriorate fast. Coupled with this, but by no means an alternative, you can engage in the daily practice of Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden, which you can find here: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden

Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice is very well-known to calm the mind from depression, fear and anxiety so will be very beneficial for your situation. When engaging in the practice, please concentrate and focus on the mantra of Lama Tsongkhapa. Dorje Shugden’s practice on the other hand is very good for alleviating any obstacles we may be facing in life. Therefore, this may have to overcome the obstacles in life that are causing the fear and anxiety or even remove obstacles for professional help to be even more effective, so you can overcome your situation.

The cause of this situation may be deeply rooted, therefore i would like to advise you to do both methods, find professional help and engage in the daily practice. Coupled together they have a better chance of solving your situation, than by themselves. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Fluxor,

This is something that is a very difficult thing to do. If you have thought about this carefully and thoroughly, then you should do what feels right. However we must remember that the other person in the relationship may be reliant on you in some way. That being said, we can also hurt another person if we are not open and truthful about the situation. Instead we should go about the situation in the best possible manner to minimise harm and also to not create negative karma in the process, which is all too common when breaking up with someone, and this leads to more suffering in the future.

You know the person who you are in a relationship with the best, however the method which you have mentioned may not be the most appropriate course of action. Rather than doing this, you should sit down with your partner and talk about the situation in calmer manner. This is the better approach, if you want to do this. You do need to respect her as a person with her own feelings, and in order to do the right thing in this situation, you should do so face to face and calmly. Following the method that you described may cause even more pain. If you do it calmly, respecting and honouring her as someone who has their own feelings, you are doing your best given the situation.

Please remember that you don’t have to take monastic ordination in order to practice the Buddhist path. In fact within Kechara, Tsem Rinpoche has even started the tradition of lay pastors, who are lay people that have dedicated their lives to the practice of Dharma and the service of others. If you change your mind for any reason, Rinpoche has given a very good teaching on transforming a relationship to make it successful. You can find the video teaching here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/students-friends/ingredients-for-a-successful-relationship.html. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Tashi,

As Dorje Yudronma and Tashi Tseringma are not enlightened protectors but worldly deities who have been subdued to protect the Dharma, their mantras and practices are not free available to all practitioners, according to the Gelug tradition (I am unsure if they are available freely in other traditions). Usually, to engage in these practices one must have first received empowerment into a yidam or meditational deity practice, after which one can request the spiritual teacher to teach the practice.

The functions of these protectors are also embodied in other protectors who are enlightened, and whose practices are readily available. As embodiments of enlightened beings, they can also help along the spiritual path to enlightenment rather than just providing material needs and removing obstacles. These include the various emanations of Dorje Shugden, for example Shize Dorje Shugden who is excellent for pacifying diseases and lengthening one’s life, just like Tashi Tseringma and the Long Life Sisters. However as an emanation of Manjushri, Shize can also grant beneficial imprints and help to overcome the inner obstacles of negative emotions and habituations that we all face in life.

Shiptak Gyene is a protector specific to the Gelugpa tradition. He was a layman who lived in Lhasa during the time of Lama Tsongkhapa. Whenever Lama Tsongkhapa would travel to Lhasa, Shiptak Gyene would be there, ready to serve Lama Tsongkhapa as best as he could and receive teachings on the Dharma. He was very devoted to Lama Tsongkhapa and arose a protector to help those with material needs if they are sincere pracitioners of the Dharma. As such, he holds a bowl of jewels to represent that he can aid pracitioners in this regard. You can see a picture of Shiptak Gyene here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/archive/deitypics/highres/Shiptak_Gyene.jpg.

The word ‘namo’ means ‘I prostrate’, hence when you add the word before the name of a Buddha or bodhisattva, it basically means that you are prostrating to that being. While this has tremendous effect, as you are verbalising the prostration towards an enlightened being and therefore generating some merit, it does not have the same effect as a mantra. This is because a mantra itself in the essence of that particular being, in the form of sound. If you repeat that mantra over and over again, you bring the energies associated with that particular enlightened being into your life. For example if you recite the Medicine Buddha mantra, you bring healing energies into your life. But if you only add ‘namo’ to the beginning of their name, you are simply making prostration. It would be much more beneficial to recite the proper mantra for the particular enlightenment being you are propitiating.

As for pimples, I have not come across a specific mantra for this in my own practice. However two very good mantras that you could recite are Black Manjushri or Hayagriva. These two deities are very well known for curing skin diseases of all types, and therefore may help in the situation. You can find out more about Black Manjushri practice here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/a-black-manjushri-sadhana-self-healing-meditation-and-exercises.html. The Hayagriva (a wrathful emanation of Chenresig) mantra is recited as: HRI PEMA DATRI HAYAGRIVA HULU HULU HUNG PHET.

For nearsightedness, you can engage in the practice of Migchey Chrenrezig, which is an excellent practice for those with eye problems. You can find it here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/blessing-eye-problems.html. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Angela Yo,

I rejoice to read that are thinking about become ordained as a nun. This is a very good aspiration to have and follows the example of the holy Buddha Shakyamuni. He showed us the way to make our life meaningful by becoming a Buddha to benefit others.

If you have not already done so, you should join a Dharma centre and find a guru. By following the advice of a qualified guru, you can train yourself to hold the ordination vows in the future. Here at Kechara, those who have the aspiration to become members of the holy sangha, first become a Pastor, which is in between a lay practitioner and an ordained monk or nun. This way, we can train ourselves to understand and live by the vows before become ordained. As ordination is very special and holy, it is better that we are prepared before we take the vows. This way we can make the most use of holding the sacred vows on our spiritual journey to enlightenment.

As you engage along this path, first you should study and understand the most basic of vows, which are the refuge vows. All other vows, whether ordination, bodhisattva or tantric vows are based on the refuge vows, and the keeping of these vows are the root cause of gaining enlightenment. In fact, all other vows are extensions of these vows. Therefore it is very important that we have a firm basis for our practice by understanding and living by these vows properly.

As you progress on your practice, you can learn the teachings such as the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion, the Lam Rim and the Wheel of Sharp Weapons. All these teachings will aid you on the path to become an ordained nun in the future.

If this is truly your wish, then during your daily practices you should make strong aspirational prayers that you are able to fulfil this. At the same time you should create the causes for this to occur. The way to do this is by supporting the sangha, you can do this by making any form of dana offering to them, from food, clothing, material assistance or anything else that they would need your help with. While doing this, you should generate the strong aspiration that you can become a member of the sangha. As the sangha are one of the Three Jewels, any offerings that you make to them, especially in terms of your time and effort, will generate a lot of merit because they are holding the holy vows. I hope this helps, and I make the prayer that your auspicious aspiration is fulfilled, that you make your life meaningful by holding the vows of an ordained nun.

Thank you.

Dear Demian,

Thank you for your question. Concentration during one’s daily prayers is an important factor. Within Buddhism, we believe that there are three ways in which a person interacts with the world, these are the body, speech and mind. In order to receive the full benefit of the practice you engage in, you should ensure that all three of these are used. For the body, this is by sitting down to engage in your daily practice without getting distracted. The best posture for this is the meditation position known as the seven-point Vairochana position, this is described in detail in the text Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. For your speech, you engage in reciting the prayers and the mantra recitation. And for the mind, you concentrate in the various visualisations associated with the practice you are engaging in.

Even though you have been praying without the use of concentration, it has still been effective since Saraswati is an enlightened being. She has full compassion, and will definitely bestow her energies and love to those who invoke upon her with a pure heart and good motivation. However, if you do concentrate on both your visualisation and the mantra recitation, the practice will be more effective and you will see a heightened improvement in your life.

In regards to the visualisation of Saraswati according to the praise by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, this actually belongs to the practice of another lineage, therefore I cannot comment on its validity, as I don’t belong to the lineage to have studied its origins and how it differs from the praise presented here on Rinpoche’s blog. That being said, each lineage has its own version of the visualisation of deities, and this in inherently linked to the particular praise. Therefore if you were to recite one particular praise or practice, you should keep the visualisation to the one that corresponds with it.

The 8 offerings can be placed on the altar as physical offerings, but should also be visualised. The reason why we place the actually offerings on the altar is to make a physical offering with our body, as well as a reminder that we make these offerings during our visualisations. If you are not able to make the physical offerings on your altar for whatever reason, this is ok. However you should try your best to have these offerings since it is a way for you to generate merit. The last offering of sound, is usually represented by the conch shell but can be anything that resembles sound, such as any instrument. For example, I know people who represent sound with a miniature flute or even a miniature guitar on their altars.

In regards to the Nam Myoho Renge Khyo mantra, this is central to all forms of Nichiren Buddhism, which developed in Japan but is now practiced all over the world. It is said this mantra embodies the entire Lotus Sutra, which in itself explains what enlightenment is and the path to reach enlightenment, following Nichiren’s particular practice. Therefore this mantra is all encompassing, and central to the Nichiren tradition. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Anonymous,

You seem to have fallen into a common misconception in regards to tantric practice. The first is that you seem to be mixing different tantric traditions, the Buddhist practice of tantra and secondly, what is classified as ‘tantra’ within a misunderstanding of various Indian practices surrounding copulation. Buddhist tantra is not straight or gay per se, but uses male and female imagery in order to represent various energies in the body.

In regards to tantric practice, it is not the actual act of copulation that leads to enlightenment but the movement of the psychic winds or energies in the body that the act can induce, and the various mediations to do with these energies in the body.

The Buddha taught these practices himself, in various forms, such as Vajradhara. While it may seem to the casual observer that this does not accord to prevalent Buddhist practice, it is actually based on the Mahayana tenets and is a part of the Mahayana school.

In regards to different lineages having different practices for the same deity, actually this is important. The reason for is that the blessings of the enlightened beings, and therefore the power of the teaching to be successful in leading to higher states of mind and ultimately enlightenment, flows through the unbroken lineage that exists between a teacher and student. Over time, as various enlightened teachers clarified the tantras, there developed a variation in how the tantra was practiced between different traditions. Therefore a practitioner of lineage A, would not practice as described in lineage B, because that practitioner would not have received the teachings or blessings of the lineage B. This may sound odd, but in fact adheres to all other Buddhist practices regarding vows. For example, in Mahayana monastic ordination there are three traditions: Mahasamgika, Dharmagupta and Sarvastivadin. Those who have taken ordination in the Dharmagupta tradition would not practice the vinaya, study the commentaries, etc. according to the Sarvastivadin, as they would have received the living vows from the Dharmagupta tradition. The vows and blessings, and practice, would need an unbroken link back to Buddha Shakyamuni to be authentic Buddhist ordination vows. Therefore not mixing traditions, is something that is extremely important, not only in tantric practice but for all practices, such as the pratimoksha vows.

The next question you asked is about desire, and what desiring to look at a sunset would cause. While on the outer level this desire seems simple and does not involve harm towards others, therefore will not accrue heavy negative karma, this simple desire reinforces your suffering on the subtle levels in the mind. This is because it reinforces our ignorance of the very nature of reality. Our desire to see a sunset is due our mistaken concept of the non-existent ‘I’ wanting something. This ‘I’ does not in fact exist in the manner we think about or operate from. This was the crux of Buddha’s teaching and when you realise this, you are said to have realised the emptiness of non-inherent existence.

Guru Rinpoche did not have four consorts, but five. They are named Yeshe Tsogyal, Mandarava, Shakyadevi, Kalasiddhi and Tashi Khyidren. He in no way used these holy consorts, who were emanations of the enlightened beings, as prostitutes. In fact they aided him in his enlightened works to preserve and spread the Dharma, while compassionately helping others. They showed that any type of person can achieve the enlightened state. On another note, what you class as holy, and what is actually holy are two different things. Here you use the word prostitute with an extremely negative connotation, but this shows that you have not understood the Buddha’s message of love and compassion, and the same equal ability that we all have to achieve enlightenment, no matter who we are.

In regards to the iconography of Ganapati, you are disgusted because a) you do not understand the meaning behind the iconography and b) because you are caught up in your own preconceived notions of what is good and bad, which the Buddha advised against as you will not understand the true nature of reality and ultimately attain enlightenment. Perhaps from your culture, this sort of deity is not worshipped, but in many cultures around the world, especially the older ones, this sort of imagery is not uncommon.

Vajrayana is in no way ‘messed up’ as you have put it. In fact it is because people do not take the time to understand it before passing judgement, and based on their mistaken concepts, that it is judged exactly as you have judged it. By the way, Vajrayogini is a form of Buddha Shakyamuni himself. To say that Buddha Shakyamuni would never arise in such a form, or teach such a practice is to limit the compassion of an enlightened being. You cannot possibly ascribe your own views onto a being that has limitless compassion and is ready to help all sentient beings in any number of ways.

As I mentioned earlier, Vajrayana is based on the Mahayana school, which is necessarily based on the Theravada school. Therefore you cannot possibly say that one is better than the other. Within the Mahayana school, the Vajrayana path is said to expedite the spiritual journey to enlightenment, but attacking and using the afflictive emotions that bind us to samsara. This is one of the reasons that tantric imagery is full of what can be mistakenly labeled as desire, violence, etc. You state that these other schools have vows, but what you forget is that tantra is based on these very same vows. Whilst Mahayana practitioners take the refuge and bodhisattva vows, tantric practice is even stricter as there is another entire set of vows that one needs to keep in addition to those previously mentioned.

In fact the use of physical consort is not necessary in tantric practice to achieve enlightenment in this life. You can visual a consort (ideal for monastics who practice tantra) or achieve the same exact movement of the winds through the practice of inner heat meditation. In fact, engaging in physical consort practice is restricted to those who are not monastics, and who have received the appropriate Highest Yoga Tantra initiation, and who are of the sharpest intellect with an excellent understand of the sutric path and who have practiced it, and who are known to have meditative stabilization and control over their desire. If these requirements are not met, the practice rather than being beneficial on the spiritual path, will deteriorate and bind the person further to samsara. This is one of the reasons that tantric practice is kept secret, even though it has the potential to lead a practitioner to enlightenment, it also has the potential to bind a person further to samsara. That is the reason why the teachings are not freely given.

Lama Tsongkhapa the founder of the Gelugpa lineage, himself a very holy monk and master of sutra, was also a very accomplished tantric practitioner. He advocated for the monastic community to adhere to their vows, so was against engaging in tantra using a physical consort for non-lay practitioners. Instead he focused on the other methods of achieving the same results. Therefore your statement that the other schools are better than Vajrayana is somewhat mistaken.

Both enlightened beings and non-enlightened beings have mantras. I’m not sure where you read that only enlightened beings have mantras. However, if the statement is amended, then it becomes true – only enlightened beings have mantras that can bring you to enlightenment yourself. Unenlightened beings have mantras that are used to invoke their energies for other aspects of life, such as bringing material resources for survival and sustenance, or for clearing obstacles for the actual practice of the Buddha’s teachings. I hope this clarified any misunderstanding you may have had. Thank you.

Dear Demian,

Thank you for your question. Buddhist practice is not about keeping oneself spiritual ‘pure’, but is more about doing good things and lessening bad actions. The transformation in daily life revolves around two things, as does the path to ultimate enlightenment. This is the development of both compassion and wisdom. When you engage in these two, you necessarily purify negative karma that you have accumulated and generate good karma or merits at the same time.

To do this, one follows the path of the Dharma, coupled with deity practices. The emphasis here is not on deity practice (although it is an integral part), but actual transformation in one’s life. It can be boiled down to this: helps others and learn more. When we make this real transformation in life, and face whatever challenges that may come our way (as they are the results of our negative karma), we become spiritually ‘pure’.

This path of transformation is set out in the book called Liberation in the Palm of Your Hands, which you can find at book shops that have a large section on Buddhism, otherwise it is available online here: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand. This book is a little technical for beginners, so a more accessible option would be the book called Joyful Path to Good Fortune, which is a simplified version.

Two very powerful practices that you can engage in everyday, coupled with the transformation mentioned above, are Vajrasattva (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=60113) and the 35 Confessional Buddhas (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=105819), to purify the negative karma you collect on a daily basis and whatever negative karma you have collected in the past. You do not need to engage in both, but concentrate on one.

When on the Buddhist path, you should follow one teacher and one tradition. This is to ensure you do not have a misunderstanding of the teachings and do not get confused. Therefore you should choose which teacher/teachings to follow. The link you have provided to the Saraswati practice belongs to another tradition, one that I have not studied, and neither am I familiar with it. Therefore I cannot possibly comment on it. However, in Buddhist practice, all authentic lineages must trace back to the Buddha or other enlightened beings. You should do some research to make sure that the practice does indeed trace back to the enlightened beings and is therefore an authentic practice. Rather than practice too many things, you should research yourself and then choose a tradition/lineage to follow all the way until you are enlightened. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear James,
Buddha has never talked about a creator God in the same way Christianity preaches. However, he did mention a type of existence in which we can take rebirth in, where we have absolute power and pleasure – the deva/god realm. However, this realm is not permanent and one who has taken rebirth there can still perish and take rebirth elsewhere as one is still bound by cyclic existence of death and rebirth.

Buddhists believe that for those who experience near death experience see an angel, Jesus Christ, Buddha, father, mother, loved one or God that comes at end of the tunnel is really a manifestation of our subtle mind. It is not real but a mental process that happens upon death and we are about to enter into the bardo or the intermediate state between death and rebirth. After that, it is our pulling karma that propels us to take our next rebirth.

Karma is the result of our actions and that is what creates all of the experiences we go through in this and future lives. The only way to save ourselves is to change our actions right now and to do this, we have to transform our mind. Hence, the Buddha gave detailed explanations and teachings of how to do this. There is no miracle quick fixes in Buddhism but there are very powerful and effective methods to purify karma and transform our mind.

I cannot comment on what some people perceive upon conducting certain rituals as the experience is uniquely their own but as human beings, we are prone to interpret what we see according to our views instead of what it really is. I hope this explanation helped you.

Thank you.

Dear Sherab,
I do not have Saraswati’s sadhana but there is a praise and mantra that you can recite as a sadhana in the prayers and sadhana section of Rinpoche’s blog. You can search there if you are interested. (Click here – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html ) The mantra from our tradition is OM SARASIDDHI HRING HRING and it depends which authentic tradition of Saraswati you want to get connected to.

An example of Saraswati is Lama Tsongkhapa who received her initiation and practiced her sadhana devotedly. He had constant visions of her as a result of his practice. If you want to seek out the initiation and practice of Saraswati, it would be good to get in contact a center with a proper lineage master and not just an online resource. You can contact a Tibetan monastery in India or a centre that is headed by an authentic lineage master and closest to you for more information.

Otherwise, you can just connect with Saraswati using the prayer and mantra offered here in the prayers and sadhana section. The proper visualization would depend on the sadhana and lineage you are practicing. Do not mix and match visualizations and mantras from across various traditions because each complete sadhana is designed to achieve a certain result and mixing them up will put you in danger of having no result from your practice.

Abortion is considered an act of killing a being. In the Buddhist view, the mind has already entered and taken rebirth upon conception and purposely aborting the foetus is tantamount to killing the unborn baby. Hence, there is heavy karmic repercussions but there are circumstances in which abortion is required in which the birth will create serious problems for the parent and these and other cases where there can be an exception and abortion is required. It really depends on the circumstances of the abortion.

With regards to Methar and unenlightened deities, its not that they are bad but as Buddhist, we do not take refuge in them because they themselves have not reached enlightenment and cannot guide us in that sense. The practice of Methar is not meant for people to have him as a sole practice or worship but as something that supplements our current protector practice of Dorje Shugden. Just to give you an idea of what that means – Sometimes, we don’t go to the minister (Dorje Shugden) to solve our smaller day-to-day worries, we go to one of his subordinates (Methar).

Hindu enlightenment is called Moksha, a liberation from death and rebirth. In the Buddhist tradition, there is Nirvana with a similar definition. However, there are technical differences in the views between the 2 traditions, mainly stemming from the Hindu belief of the soul (atman) and the Buddhist rejection of it. Anyway, Nirvana or cessation is not the final destination for Buddhists, it is actually complete Enlightenment or it is sometimes called the Union of No More Learning in which we have overcome the 2 obscurations and have completely realized Bodhichitta and Emptiness. There is no equivalent in Hinduism. I hope this explanation helps you.

Thank you.

Dear Johnson,

Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear about the situation between yourself and your friend. All situations we go through in life come about and are caused by the effects of our karma, whether positive or negative. This karma has been accumulated from actions we have done in the past, either in this life or in previous lives. Mantras or prayers work on two levels, the first is that they purify this negative karma, and also generate merit, which is a tremendous force of positive energy. Combined, these can reverse negative situations we are facing and increase the positive and beneficial energy within our lives.

In this situation I would like to suggest that you engage in the joint practice of Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden. Lama Tsongkhapa is known as the emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of wisdom; Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion; and Vajrapani, the Buddha of spiritual power. As such his practice is extremely beneficial, calming the mind and increasing harmony within your life and your relationships. Dorje Shugden, is a Dharma protector, whose practice helps to overcome obstacles you may be facing. This can include being on bad terms with people, and as long as beings friends with this person will be a positive thing for you, the practice can help. The practice is available here: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden.

When you engage in the prayers, you should set a good motivation that the karma that has led to this situation is purified and merit is generated. You should also make strong dedications at the end of the prayers. When you do this, even though you are engaging in this for your own relationship with your friend, you should meditate on the fact that other people also face this same sort of situation or even worse. You should develop the thought that you engage in this practice so that all other sentient beings can be free of such situations as well. That way you transform the practice from something that focuses on the self (your relationship with your friend) to something that focuses on others (that they never face the same situation). This may be hard to do at first, but focusing out will help the purification of negative karma.

Coupled with this, you can help this process by engaging in actions that counter the original situation. For example, at the moment, you are on bad terms with your friend, most probably due to misunderstanding causing disharmony. Therefore, you should endeavor to bring others in your life that are going through the same type of situation together. As you heal the rift between people, you generate the good karma to have harmonious relationships yourself. However, don’t go out to find situations, look at the people in your life and make the relationships between people stronger. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Sharab,

Thank you for your extensive questions.

You are right that some lists of the 21 Taras (depending on which lineage and tradition) include both Ushnisha Vijaya and Saraswati. In this case, are both considered to be part of Tara. Though they appear in different forms, to aid practitioners in different ways along their spiritual path, they are both enlightened beings. In fact all the Buddhas, whatever their form are the same in their nature, they are all enlightened. The difference is that they emanate in various forms to help practitioners, because sentient beings have differing karma and afflictions. The Buddhas emanate in different form to help sentient beings in the ways they need help the most.

Saraswati is indeed a very good practice to engage in for a student and for learning music. These are two areas that the practice of Sarawati is particular suited. However, the part you wrote about enemies does not accord to Buddhist practice. The two major areas that you need to train in to reach enlightenment are wisdom and compassion. No matter what how much you train in one, without the other enlightenment is impossible. Therefore, to ‘deal’ with enemies on a deeper level, means to examine and transform your own mind, so that you can forgive any harm that has been inflicted on you and move on. Rather you should develop compassion for them. Saraswati’s practice can you in this way, as her practice can help you increase wisdom, which you can use to transform your own mind. Dorje Shugden’s practice is beneficial to remove obstacles in both your secular and spiritual life. As an emanation of Manjushri, you will have the added benefit of increasing wisdom, but Dorje Shugden’s practice is more geared towards the removal of obstacles. Saraswati’s practice is more geared towards study, music and composition.

While Palden Lhamo is an emanation of Saraswati, her form and function is different. Therefore the benefits of the practice are also different. I’ve already mentioned Saraswati’s benefits, Palden Lhamo on the other hand is a Dharma protector just like Dorje Shugden. Therefore her practice is also geared towards the removal of obstacles. Therefore it is the benefits you receive from the practice in your spiritual journey that is different.

In regards to making offerings, yes you are right. When you make offerings to Manjushri, you are making offerings to all the forms of Manjushri. For example if you make offerings to Manjushri, you are making offerings to Lama Tsongkhapa and also Yamantaka as they are emanations of Manjushri. In essence they are all the same being, and by extension of being a Buddha, the same in nature of all enlightened beings. Therefore no matter what your personal practices are, it is extremely beneficial to make offerings to any enlightened being.

Someone asked about Chinnamasta and Vajrayogini recently here as well. You are right that one form of Vajrayogini is the headless form of Vajrayogini, who is known as Chinnamasta. Overtime, her form became incorporated into the Hindu pantheon of goddess as a form of Shakti, the consort of the god Shiva. When referring to the mantras of deities, one needs to check the lineage and where it comes from. Whereas I know that the Vajrayogini mantra comes from the Buddha through an unbroken lineage of enlightened masters, I do not know this about the Hindu mantra. Therefore I can only say that the Buddhist mantra is the mantra of Vajrayogini.

In regards to the Hindu form of Chinnamasta, she is considered to be a goddess, and not a Buddha. Whereas in Buddhism she is known as a Buddha rather than a goddess. The practices in each religion would subsequently differ. This would go to show that the Hindu form of Chinnamasta and subsequently the various other forms of the gods and goddesses are not the Hindu forms of the Buddhas. Gods/goddesses are always defined as such and Buddhas are always identified as Buddhas. It is entirely up to you and your spiritual practice if you want to recite the Hindu mantras of these deities. From a Buddhist perspective there is nothing wrong with this, but you will not reach the goal that Buddhists aim for, which is enlightenment, because the functions of the mantra differ.

Shiva is indeed a god and not a Buddha. As mentioned, when Chinnamasta was integrated into, as a goddess and not a Buddha, she became the consort of Shiva within Hinduism. Therefore in Hinduism, both Chinnamasta and her consort are not enlightened beings, but are the from the highest realm of the gods.

In regards to the Vajrayogini mantra, since her practice belongs to the Highest Yoga Tantra class of deities, her mantra is not shared with those who have not received the empowerment for many reasons. Therefore I cannot comment on what Vajrayogini’s mantra is.

The best practices for those in middle school and high school, would be Manjushri, Saraswati and Dorje Shugden. These practice are extremely beneficial for students, the first two are specifically aimed at increasing wisdom and doing well in study, when Dorje Shugden’s practice is for the removal of obstacles, which important for students, especially during exam time,etc. You can find a short prayer to Manjushri here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/gangloma.html and a short prayer to Saraswati here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#16. I hope this helps.

Thank you.