Dear Josh,

I am very happy to hear you wish to engage in retreat. Please contact Kechara Care Dept of Kechara for assistance in retreats. Keep me posted how well you do in your retreat. How virtuous.
TR

Dear Jon,

It does not matter who you give to. You can start by giving to people you have no aversion to working toward being able to give to anyone not dependent on your feelings towards them, but in relations on how it benefits them.

Giving does not have to be ‘towards dharma’ alone. It can be even toward hungry street dogs with a motivation to help them…then that is giving. True giving is to benefit others. There are many levels of benefit of course.
Tr

Dear Gim Lee,

Each realm have special bodies to experience the results of karma. For example in the hell realms, they have very strong resistant bodies to endure much pain without ‘dying’. Demi Gods have bodies that can last thousands of years.

The bodies come as a result of their bodies. TR

Dear Ethan,

Yes during all your preliminary practices you may visualize Her and direct all your water offerings to Her. You should think all Buddhas such as Tsongkapa, Tara, Shakyamuni have dissolved into Her and she encompasses all of them. Good luck. TR

Dear Liz,

It is very possible she is seeing spirits. Spirits are all around us and they are everywhere. They have different characters and different personalities also.

It would be good for the littel girl if possible or someone close to her to recite the Dukkar mantra for protection and place a Dukkar photo in her room that has been consecrated.

Mantra: Om sita-ta-pa-trey hung phet

This should be recited as much as possible. Even after the ‘problem’ has gone away, she should continue reciting.

TR

Dear Carmen,

What is illusionary in life is the deception that anything in samsara can bring permanence or happiness. We should spend all of our energy to develop the qualities in our mindstream to escape this type of endless existence. TR

Dear Robert,

My heart jumps with joy reading your comment. Thanks. TR

Dear Liz, You can wear chakras, blessed Buddha pendants, do protection practices such as Setrap daily.

keeping a Buddha on the dashboard is wonderful also. There are many sites that have this available.

May you be safe always.

Tsem Rinpoche

Dear Liz,

Creating sacred Buddha images is a practice dating to over 2,500 years old. Buddha images represent the full enlightenment of a Buddha. The total omniscience and qualities of a Buddha is represented in any form of any Buddha (Chenresik, Tsongkapa, Tara, etc). To see, feel, visualize, connect and remember any form of the Buddha plants seeds of enlightenment in one’s consciousness to be triggered open at a later date. Wearing Buddha pendants is an expression of our wish to be close an enlightened being. Also the Buddha pendant represent the goals we have in life and our higher spiritual aspirations. In the case of Avalokitesvara, our deep and determined aspiration to achieve altruism and full enlightenment.
When others animas, non physical beings, humans, etc see our pendant it will bless their minds and plant the seeds of enlightenment in their minds.

Our blessed pendants can be a powerful source of protection when we go to places or encounter negative energies.

I have all my dogs wear Buddha pendants I designed for pets. I want them to be blessed. I even put Buddha images in my lawns and carport area so the birds, insects and ethereal beings will be blessed by Buddha. What’s a state but a large pendant. What’s a pendant of a Buddha but a large pendant. LOL.

Anyways most of us like to wear some sort of jewellery or pendant, what’s better than a pendant representing an Awakened being.

Yes there are practices of Chenresik and many Buddhas that you can engage without initiation. And I am glad you are not opting for initiation at this time. That is something you should wait until you are very sure.

For now you can recite, meditate, achieve, accomplish the blessings of Chenresik using the 8 VERSES OF THOUGHT TRANFORMATION (http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#0a ) . There are eight stanzas.

1. Set up an altar to Chenresik or any Enlightened Being.

2. Have simple, clean and affordable offerings in front if it’s convenient.

3. Three prostrations.

4. Make a motivation to achieve highest altruism and awakening by connecting and engaging in the sacred energies of this Buddha.

5. Recite the first verse, stop, contemplate and then recite one mala (rosay) of Om Mani Peme Hung. Do the same for the rest of the remaining 7 stanzas left.

6. Upon completion, a dedication. Then if you choose, your done for the day unless you wish to insert other practices. Up to you.

7. It would be good to study up on the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation daily and Shantideva’s treatise on Bodhisattva-cha-avatara. An excellent treatise on the practice of altruism, compassion and universal responsibility.

I hope this helps you and I wish you luck. With much joy and excitement for you,

Tsem Rinpoche

P.S. what I have written here for Liz can be substituted for any Buddha. Example if your main practice is Tsongkapa,then after each stanza you recite migzeyma 21x or more, or if it’s Tara, then do Tara’s mantra one round instead and so on. This is a practice you can do without any initiations yet still be blessed. Practices and mantras are great source of benefits, but study of dharma to stabilize our mind with knowledge through reason and logic is very important to do complementary to our practices. Without knowledge, our practice can fizzle away and become neglected.

Eight Verses of Thought Transformation:

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9BYGlvKms0

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jiDL1PY8i8

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVspr9DdT-I

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EhppX85eFM

Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZKcOgM5GnI

Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vayJifKU2O8

Part 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mw3QcNlInw

Part 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GTNJsH1bhs

Part 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQL2r6nGmy4

Part 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWvmYZlArdc

Part 11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HVLl-oI0Bg

Part 12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv-_kCHsyMI

Dear Liz,

The benefits of doing Chenresik is beyond measure and description but having said that:

On the lowest level:

One connects with all the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions.
One plants the karmic seeds to achieve attainments and eventual enlightenment.
One is able to generate merits to go further into the path.
One can benefit the deceased indirectly.

On the Middling level:

One is able to see one’s mind, from where anger arise, from how our mind fools us. When one can control one’s anger, then the karmas arising from this delusion is eradicated. Forgiving hurt and pain will become easier and hence leaving us and others around us in peace. Also not continuing the pain of hanging onto something in the past.

Our study of the Dharma will be easier to understand.

We generate a great deal of merits to accomplish our temporal and spiritual wishes.

All beings of the six realms even fierce beings will be calmed and drawn to us.

The area and environment where we live will be pervaded by calm, peace, and happiness.

Even the animals near us will feel great compassion.

Vast amounts of negative karma can be purified.

On the highest level:

We will attain Bodhicitta, correct view of all phenomena and the taste of non-duality arises.

Great bliss and wisdom arises in our mind.

We gain full enlightenment.

I hope this helps. I have written something in brief of the above.

There are many levels and practices of this sacred Buddha. I am happy to read and answer your question.

I wish you luck, supreme success and complete devotion to the supreme Mahasattva Avalokitesvara Chenresik.

Tsem Rinpoche

Dear Evan,

Please finish school first.

Meanwhile study the dharma. Learn up the Dharma. And act, behave, and think in accordance with the Dharma. After you have finished school you can investigate further into the monkhood. TR

Dear Gim Lee,

I don’t understand your questions. TR

Dear marb,

How fortunate for you to connect with the Buddha Dzambala. To engage in the practice, mantra, meditations, retreats, and offerings of Dzambala helps to purify the energy accummulated that prevents various types of wealth. When we do Dzambala continuously it is excellent to increase spiritual wealth.

Dzambala is practice recommended by Lord Shakyamuni Himself.

I hope you engage in the continuous practice of Dzambala while studying the sacred Lam Rim.

It is very ok to keep the wealth vase on your altar. No problems.

Yes the vase you ordered definitely should be Dzamabala wealth vase.

TR

Dear P.D. Please read below. Thanks. TR

Dear P.D.

There is no seperate vinaya for Vajrayana. Vinaya is the same for all. TR

Dear Philip, This should answer your question. Hehe. Tsem Rinpoche

http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/people/some-people-i-admire-respect-or-both.html

Dear Sofi,

Whether your father is staying around you or takent a new rebirth, pujas and animal liberation dedicated to him WILL DEFINITELY benefit him.

Pujas are dedicated to the mindstream of your dad who has taken a new form now, so whatever form he is in, you can dedicate merits to him.

TR

Dear Philip,

Ways to benefit the dead in short form are the Medicine Buddha, Avalokitesvara Mantra, Namgyalma mantra or the mantra of the personal yidam we have accomplished.

Next is Pujas of the same deities dedicated to the deceased.

For those deceased or living closest to us, the development of altruism within our mindstream and doing work that benefits others would collect tremendous merits we can dedicate to them.

Tr

Dear Chude,

Yes according to Tantric view, Shakyamuni was already enlightened when he manifested as the Prince. It was all for teaching purposes he took rebirth to show the deeds of a Buddha.

Tr

Dear Apple,

1 Meat eaters and vegetarians can stay under one roof. Be patient and respectful. Not eating meat is wonderful, but you are dealing with people’s ignorance and lack of understanding how animals suffer. It is important in time that by our own behaviour perhaps we can inspire others.

2. For any type of mind improvements and memory, it is excellent to focus on Manjushri. To practice Manjushri repeatedly would be very helpful. You can contact Ms Jean Mei in Kechara house as she often engages in Manjushri retreats. Please call into Kechara Care Dept. tel: 03 7880 8031

3. Regarding your parent with memory loss. I am sorry to hear. It would be good to recite OM AH RA BAZA NADEE. But remember this will plant dharma imprints and bless their minds but not reverse what has already taken place.

I am glad my blog can enhance your reading. I am very happy to know this.

Much good luck, TR