Dear Khang,

Usually the guru will assign Dharma protectors to his students. Most of the time, the guru will assign one main Dharma protector as the Dharma Protector of their monastery or Dharma centre. So everyone who is part of that monastery/centre follows that practice. For example, Tsem Rinpoche assigned the Protector Dorje Shugden as the main Dharma Protector of Kechara, so all students engage in his practice daily.

As you know, Setrap is naturally included in Dorje Shugden’s practice. When you invoke upon Dorje Shugden, Setrap will come as well. Some people however feel that they have a close connection to Setrap as well. If you want to recite Setrap’s mantra, then you can recite the mantra after reciting Dorje Shugden’s mantra, then continue with the rest of the daily Dorje Shugden practice.

If you want to engage in Setrap’s full practice, you can do this also but in addition to your Dorje Shugden practice. However, if you want to replace your Dorje Shugden practice with Setrap’s practice, please contact the monks who originally introduced you to the practice. As you have explained, the practice was introduced to you by your guru’s disciples. Since you have a guru, we cannot recommend anything that replaces what his students have introduced to you. You should seek their advice. I hope this helps.

Dear Patrick,

1. Forgiving someone does not purify the karma that they collected by hurting us in the first place. Though it does lessen the effects of the karma that they will experience because the pain that they caused us is lessened when we forgive them. Forgiveness however, is not about that other person but ourselves, and how we can let go of emotions that lead ourselves to create negative karma.

2. In regards to the Lamrim teachings, we should put the teachings into context. There is no commentary to explain this, however I believe that the sexual organs of our physical body are such that their function is procreation, which necessary involves a man and woman and one method. However, this is quite a strict rendering of sexual misconduct. Tsem Rinpoche had a more applicable explanation of what we should consider sexual misconduct in the world we live in today, which is not to harm others through sexual activity, whether physically or emotionally.

3) Yes, Dorje Shugden was recognised as part of the Gyalpo Sum, together with Setrap and Tsui Marpo (who later became Kache Marpo). Actually the term Gyalpo does not necessarily mean that the protectors are worldly, instead we believe they are enlightened beings emanating in the worldly form. Just like the Dalai Lamas and Karmapas are said to be emanations of Chenrezig. If you read the actual propitiation prayers from the Sakya tradition, it’s clear that very renowned Sakya Trizins considered Dorje Shugden to be enlightened. Dorje Shugden is still practiced within the Sakya tradition, even though not widely known, due to the political issues surrounding his practice. You can read more about Dorje Shugden in the Sakya Tradition here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-sakya-lineage-dorje-shugden.html

4. Setrap’s Torma Offering is included in the Medium-Length Setrap Puja. You can find this in the Setrap practice boxset available here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/setrap-box-set-english. Also included is the Short-Length Setrap puja book, tsatsa and a book about his practice. Unfortunately, I do not have a soft copy of this prayer. I hope all these answers help.

Dear Sane,

I watched the links you sent. Yes, they are considered to be new age spirituality rather than actual Buddhist practice. You can engage in them if you wish because they are in relation to Kuan Yin. Anything in relation to an enlightened being will be beneficial, however for actual practice that we engage in, it should come from authentic sources. Only then do you know it is reliable and has a lineage. These are very important as practices themselves have a lineage of blessings that go back to that actually deity themselves. So when you engage in authentic practices, you receive blessings and transformations not just from your visualisation and recitation of the mantra but through the energies of the practice itself.

If you are just reciting the Mani mantra, then yes it is fine to visualise Kuan Yin. However, if you want to engage in the actual practice that comes from the Tibetan tradition, it is better to visualise the deity as Four-Armed Chenrezig. I hope these answers help. Thank you.

Dear Sonam Rinchen,

There are many definitions of wind horse, some have to do with astrology, some with formal prayer practice, and some with the energies in the body. The methods are different for each. In general, if you are talking about in terms of energy within the body, you can practice Nine-Round Breathing: https://youtu.be/pDaj2CeGXwY I hope this helps. Thanks.

Dear Sonam,

You can find our Tibetan Astrology calculator here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html. Please note, this calculator use the Mewa system and not the pebble system. We do not currently have a calculator for the pebble system. Thank you and I hope this helps.

Hi Adithya,

Hazy or blank visualisations are usually due to not having done things like this before, so it’s just that you are not familiar with doing this. Here are some suggestions:

1. Start off which general shapes in your visualisation, for example the outline of the deity in a solid single colour. Over a period of time, once you are able to do this, then continue by slowly adding details and colours every time that you do the visualisation. You will be able to building up your visualisation like this over time and eventually it will be bright, details and moving.

2. Some people find that engaging in breathing or mindfulness meditation naturally helps their visualisation ability. This is because it builds awareness and concentration. Here is more info about mindfulness meditation: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/live-your-best-life-100-days-of-mindful-meditation.html

3. Familiarise yourself with what you should actually be visualising. This is actually the more important of these methods. So it is to learn and memorise what you should be doing in your visualisation, what the deity looks like, what they wear, their body position, their implements and ornaments, etc. This can be done by reading their iconography or by familiarising yourself with an iconographically correct image of the deity. When you have something memorised, it will be easier for you to replicate it in your visualisation. You will find that is becomes very easy to do.

I hope all this helps. Thank you.

Dear Jenn,

It’s very good to know that you think you have a connection with this practice. It is a very beneficial practice for spiritual transformation for sure.

The practice of Chod belongs to the class of tantra. Therefore in order to practice it, you would need to receive the initiation into the practice. This comes with a set of vows and commitments that would need to keep every day for the rest of your life. Before that stage, you need to have a guru who has trained you in the Lamrim or at least the Three Principle Aspects of the Path. These are prerequisites to tantric practice in our lineage.

For now, if you don’t have a guru, then you should think about taking refuge with a Guru and learn the fundamentals of practice first. This will give you a very good foundation on which you can progress to reach the stage to practice Chod. In addition to this, you can set up an altar to any of the deities associated with Chod practice. For example, to the enlightened Machig Labdron. Here is a thangka that you can print off and use: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/one-minute-story/the-founder-of-chod-machig-labdron. Every day, you should make offerings on the altar. You should also engage in a daily sadhana. The standard daily sadhana in Kechara is the Diamond Path sadhana, which is the joint practice of Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden, which you can find here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/diamond-path

Lama Tsongkhapa was the founder of our Gelug lineage and Dorje Shugden is a Dharma Protector. The function of Dharma Protectors is to clear obstacles and create the necessary conducive condition to progress on our spiritual path. When engaging in the practice, you should request Dorje Shugden strongly to clear the obstacles and help create conditions for you to receive the practice. But the enlightened beings won’t be able to help you unless you make the effort to receive the practice. You need to do two things, first is to make a connection with a guru and start learning from him or her. The second is to prepare yourself to receive practice.

Here is an article written by Tsem Rinpoche about starting on Vajra Yogini practice now so you are ready to receive her initiation. Since Chod practice is similarly a tantric practice, the same applies to making yourself ready to receive it. https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/starting-on-vajra-yogini-now.html

On side note, you should learn more about Chod. Here is a short video about Chod by Tsem Rinpoche: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_H4lhCkwWE & here is an article about Chod which you will find helpful: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/a-study-on-chod-practice.html

Hope all of this helps you.

Dear Kelvin,

When you take the Vegetarian Vow it means consciously making the promise not to eat meat again. So unfortunately, if you eat the meat in the meal which is already bought for you, then you would break the vow as you consciously ate it. However, when taking the vow, if you think to yourself, that your vow is not that strict, and more of a ‘meatless’ vegetarian vow, then it would be permissible to still eat the meal bought for you, but to simply not eat the meat in the meal, even though mixed in with the vegetables. Many people take this type of vow, especially in parts of the world where vegetarianism is not that popular. So you simple pick out the meat and don’t eat it.

Dairy (milk, cheese, etc.) is not considered as meat, so it’s perfectly fine to eat if you take the Vegetarian Vow. Some people can be even stricter with their vow and become vegan, which means no dairy or other animal products. That is up to the individual. I hope this helps.

Hi Jason,

Yes, you can recite Four-Faced Mahakala’s mantra without empowerment. The mantra in our tradition is: OM MAHAKALA KALA BIKALA RATRITA DOMBINI CANDALI RAKSHISI SINGHALI DEVI BHYO HUNG PHET. If you like Four-Faced Mahakala it would be good to set up an altar dedicated to him or add his image to your existing altar if you have one, and make offerings to him daily. He is an emanation of Manjushri and has been recommended by many high lamas and lineage masters. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Hello Pema,

I have never come across such a rumour that you are not allowed to eat pork when practising Marici. I think this conception is wrong. There are some practices that if you engage in them, there are dietary restrictions but I have not come across any dietary restrictions in regards to Marici practice.

In regards to Setrap’s mantra, yes you can chant it after you have finished Dorje Shugden’s mantra. That’s not a problem. Actually, when you chant Dorje Shugden’s mantra, Setrap is already comes. But in order to make a closer connection to Lord Setrap, you can chant the mantra. That would be very good.

Mother Tara is known for her quick activity in coming to our aid and helping us is many areas of our lives. She is very quick in her help. Even by engaging in the prayers to any Buddha of enlightened Dharma Protector you generate merit, coupled with that you can make extensive offerings on your altar at home. This will generate merit. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Hello Peter,

1) In regard to reincarnation, no there would not be an end or limit to the beings that reincarnation as humans, and this is because when humans pass away they would be reborn into another realm so those realms would be “replenished” if you would. Let’s take the current human population increase, in addition to this there has a been a drastic decrease in the animal population, there are many species of animals that go extinct every year, and just think about a single ant colony, which can have thousands of not millions of ant. So if the entire colony disappears then there are thousands or millions of sentient beings that need to take rebirth. If you view it in this way, then actually the increase in the human population is not that big in terms of rebirth in the six realms.

2) We don’t have a concept of ‘worship’ in the sense of other religions. In other religions, worship can be to glorify or raise up a particular deity or God. In Buddhism, this is not the case, at most prayers/pujas exalt the good qualities of a particular Buddha so that practitioners generate merit and recieve the blessings from that Buddha so that we can achieve the same state of Buddhahood.

3) Yes, the meditation on ugliness is describe in detail in the Lamrim as a method to overcome attachment or desire for a particular thing. Basically, you focus on the negative points of that particular object in order to reduce desire. You can also find it in this book which deals with many different types of meditation: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/insightful-meditation

4) For the offering of physical weapons, yes they are placed on the altar with other offerings, or next to the altar. The offering of weapons are only made on altars to the wrathful Buddhas or Dharma Protectors. However, most of the time, people don’t actually offer physical weapons, but visual the offerings during the practice of wrathful Buddhas or Dharma Protectors.

5) The highest level of Bodhisattvas have technically attained Buddhahood, just like Buddha Shakyamuni achieve complete enlightenment in human form. He remained in human form to teach the Dharma, similarly, the highest level of Bodhisattva’s remain in their form to benefit sentient beings. There are many level of Bodhisattvas however. The most well-known categorisation is known as the 10 Grounds of Bodhisattva, where there are 10 particular levels. The 10th level means you have reached enlightenment in the form of a Bodhisattva.

6) You can print an image of Dzambala and frame it for your altar. You can use that to help with your visualisation during your prayers. When I started off practicing Buddhism, I could not afford statues, but simply printed off an image and framed it. It’s one of the reasons that Tsem Rinpoche made high resolution images available on this website, so that people have an online resource to use when they need it. You can find a gallery of high resolution images here for printing: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/downloads/buddha-images.html

7) The bodiless thangkas that you are referring to are not actually thangkas of those particular deities. Rather they are actually offerings of the clothes, implements, weapons or other items associated with that deity. It’s most often associated with Highest Yoga Tantra deities and Dharma Protectors. It is known as a Ganze, it is an offering of weapons and implements to the protector. It symbolizes fighting our negative karma and clearing obstacles that inhibit our spiritual growth. Symbolic offerings such as these are very rare and only found in places where the people have great faith in that deity or protector. Here is the link to Dorje Shugden’s Ganze which we have available online: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ganzeDS.jpg You will see in the centre, offerings to Dorje Shugden and his four emanations. At the bottom you will see a vast array of offerings to generate merit.

8) Deja vu can have many different meanings in Buddhism, for example it could just be the mind processing an experience in a particular manner, the experience could be triggering a memory but you are not fully conscious of it, it could be influence from an outer entity, or it could be due to some form of clairvoyance. It really depends on the person and the situation.

9) In regards to colours, it depends on how they are being used or explained. For example, in terms of activities, white is peaceful, yellow is increasing, red is controlling and black/blue is wrathful. However, when talking about five colours – white, yellow, red, green and blue, these represent the Five Dhyani Buddhas, or certain afflictive emotions which when transformed and overcome through practice become a particular type of wisdom which is associated with one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas. I hope this helps.

Hi Pema,

Marici is known as the Goddess of the Dawn and she takes on a number of forms. In one of her forms, she rides a white horse mount through the sky in order to dispel darkness and the night with the sun, which she holds in her right hand.

In her main form, she is usually yellow in colour, possesses three faces, has eight arms and is seated on a chariot that is drawn by seven pigs. She is propitiated to remove obstacles to our well-being and our spiritual aspirations. She is usually depicted either in a peaceful or wrathful mood. The metaphor for light is wisdom and being the Goddess of the Dawn, her light of wisdom overcomes the darkness of ignorance, delusions and obstacles. Due to her nature, her sadhana or practice is most effective when it is done at dawn when the first rays of light emerge over the horizon. Though this is the best time to engage in her practice, you can engage in her practice whenever you want and you will still gain the blessings of her practice. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Rinwang,

Thanks for your message. All of the Four Kadam deities are enlightened. They can all be practised without permission or empowerment. However, if you want to engage in their practise specifically how they are practised in the group of the Four Kadam deities, then that would need initiation from a guru.

Here is an article about Dorje Shugden’s sangsol https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/incense-offering-to-dorje-shugden.html. Burn the incense and recite the prayer, once done request Dorje Shugden for help according to your situation. This is a very powerful practice, one that Tsem Rinpoche recommended a lot when going through difficulties.

I hope this helps.

Dear Lee,

To learn more about how Dorje Shugden helps us to overcome our obstacles, you can read this post: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/beginners-introduction-to-dorje-shugden.html It summarises how he helps us.

Sometimes, it may seem like Dorje Shugden is not helping or there is no sign from him. This is because we are very fixed in how we want him to help us. But the matter of the fact may be that if he helps us in the way we want exactly, it won’t be good for us. So rather than being fixed in the way we want that help, trust in Dorje Shugden and the Three Jewels, and continue with you practice without any expectations in how you receive the help. This is the way to practice to properly. As an enlightened being, Dorje Shugden knows exactly how to help us in the most beneficial manner. So if we put effort into our practice, not just the daily prayers, but genuine spiritual transformation to become a better person, he will be able to help us very quickly.

Trust in Dorje Shugden, and keep an open mind rather than a fixed view of how he should help you. Then you will actually realise that he has already started helping you, but just not in the way you thought. As you continue your practice, he will assist you more and more. I say this from personal experience, and also having seen how he has helped so many people. I really hope this helps you. You have my prayers and good wishes to overcome your current obstacles. Thank you.

Hi Priyanka,

From a Buddhist perspective complete peace is not a possibility in our lives, because we are in samsara. Unfortunately, as we are in samsara, there will always be some form of suffering. That is why the goal of practice is to get out of samsara, otherwise known as achieving nirvana or moksha. That is the whole reason behind spiritual practice, to lead us to achieve that so we are finally at peace. I hope this helps.

Hi WLY,

Nice to see you back.

1. Other Buddhas have already done this. That is why the emanate in many different forms, to help sentient beings in different ways. They can also emanate as human beings around us that selflessly help others. An example of this would be some of the high lamas, who are considered to be the emanation various Buddhas. Other examples, though unrecognised, would be a person who selflessly benefits others in normal life. At our level, we wouldn’t be able to recognise such emanations, but higher levels beings can. The point of us becoming enlightened is that we can save ourselves from the cycle of samsara. What samsara is, how it’s negative, how it works and the benefits of how we can get out of it, is all described in the Lamrim teachings, particular the Lower and Medium scopes.

2. If space is limited, it is better to have the Dharma Protector below the Yidam, not the other way around. This is because Yidam practices help you get out of samsara, it’s the actual method. Where is Dharma Protector practice is to create better conducive conditions to engage in Yidam practice. So the Yidam is always higher than the Dharma Protector.

3. In regards to doing too much Dharma practice for a child, generally any and all Dharma practice is beneficial. However, for children, this should not effect their school life or extra-curricular activities that they are involved in. It should also not affect how a parents teaches their child about life in general. In fact, Dharma practice should assist in that, for example teaching the child that harming others is not good, lying is bad, etc.

4. Sarcasm is not classed as lying as long as both people are aware of it and it’s just for fun. However, if sarcasm is used with a bad intention to hurt someone else, etc., then negative karma of the speech is accrued. In regards to white lies, the motivation is good, but the act is still lying. Therefore, you do accrue the negative karma of lying, but to a very small amount. Here what is important is your good motivation not hurt another person, ease an argument, etc. So that motivation also generates good karma. So the one act of telling a white lie, generates a small amount of negative karma and also a larger amount of good karma.

I hope these answers help.

Hi Yue,

1. In regards to the Demi-god realm, many texts talk about this realm in detail. You can find out more about this realm in the Lamrim texts. Here is a link to the text we use here in Kechara: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand

2. It is not necessary for your Buddha images to be blessed in order to put them on your altar, however it is highly advised that they are consecrated properly. Even if you cannot do the full consecration ritual, you can bless them daily as you engage in your Sadhana. If you practising the Diamond Path Sadhana, at the Enthronement section, visualise the Buddhas dissolving into your images. Alternatively, if you are doing any other sadhanas, you visualise the actually Buddhas dissolving in your images before reciting the dedication prayers. If you do this, then you are blessing your images yourself daily.

3. Mahayana practices is Dharma practice. Dharma practice is any sort of Buddhist practice. Mahayana practice is any Dharma practice that has the Bodhicitta motivation as it’s basis. This is actually the definition of the Mahayana, the Bochicitta motivation, developed through very specific contemplations and meditation. Again the Lamrim, explains all of this in detail, as well as giving us the contemplations and meditation necessary to develop it.

4. Praying to the Buddhas to have less or no anger, is just a wish. It acts as a motivation for your practice to reduce anger, and generates merit for you to achieve a state of mind with less or no anger. However this highly charged potential will stay dormant until you actually do something to activate it. This is done through contemplations and meditation to first deal with the issues that you are going through – to understand where you anger is coming from and disadvantages of having it. Then it comes from apply the antidotes to anger in a very specific way, these antidotes are developing patience and compassion. So, if you pray for less anger, but still finding yourself getting angry, then you are not contradicting yourself, it’s that you haven’t actually start practising the method to overcoming it. Prayers, generation of merit, etc, do not cure us of our negative emotions and karma immediately and by themselves, they work in tandem with the contemplations and methods to overcome them.

On of our recently published book covers the topic of anger, and many other types of negative emotions and how to deal with them properly through contemplation. You can find the book here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/insightful-meditation

Hope this helps. Thanks.

Dear Luna,

In regards to karma, it’s hard to explain this to people who are secular. But you can try to explain it like gravity. You cannot see gravity, but you can feel the affects of it. For example if you throw a ball into the air, you know for certain that gravity will pull down. Similarly, everything in existence is governed by the law of cause and effect. Even science acknowledges this, but the Buddhist sense goes further because we believe in previous lives to. Karma and the belief in previous lives are joined together, so if a person does not believe in previous lives, karma will seem absurd to them.

There are different types of equanimity in Buddhism, for example there is the type of equanimity you can gain in mediation, where you mind is calm and not disturbed by either good or bad emotions, there the is the type of equanimity between viewing all beings as being equal, and there is the type of equanimity of viewing all experiences as neither being good or bad. The list goes on, so the definition of what equanimity really means depends on a particular teaching that you need to realise.

In regards to certain gods and goddesses as being Buddhas in the Sri Lankan tradition, you need to make very sure that they actually view these deities as Buddhas. If they really do, then prostrating to them will be fine as long as they are fully enlightened.

Setrap is definitely an enlightened being. He is an emanation of Amitabha, so how can he not be enlightened. Setrap is the protector a Gaden Shartse Monastery, which was established by Lama Tsongkhapa himself. Some people may say that he is unenlightened, but perhaps they have some particular motive.

Divination cannot be done by anyone, there is a whole procedure to make a person qualified enough to do divination. You can watch/read more about it here:

https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/tibetan-divination-a-complete-explanation.html

https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/dorje-shugdens-dice-divination.html

Dear Khang,

Here are some articles that may be of interest to you:

https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/tibetan-divination-a-complete-explanation.html

https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/dorje-shugdens-dice-divination.html

Usually people only ask for divination when you cannot find the answer to your questions elsewhere. So, even if you are not near your guru, then you should try to find the answer to your questions in their teachings or alternative ask those who the guru trained to help others. For example, here in Kechara we have the sangha and pastors who were trained by Tsem Rinpoche to help.

If the event that your questions cannot be answered by the teachings or trained people, then you can ask for advice from divination. However, this is not to be taken likely. Sometimes the answers that come back include to do certain practices or pujas, or learn certain teachings that are take time and effort. If we don’t follow through with that advice, then the desired outcome will not happen.

If you would like to ask for divination, please email care@Kechara.com and let them know you would like to ask for divination. Thank you.

Dear Le,

Thanks for your questions.

Yes, you are correct that sometimes when people pray to Dorje Shugden, they help is very fast and for others it takes some time even if they practice the same amount. This is indeed due to karma and merits, but remember that this karma and merit is not just from this life but our past lives too. Perhaps in a previous life one person prayed to Dorje Shugden, so in this life, the connection with Dorje Shugden is stronger, so he is able to help quicker, compared to a person who did not pray to Dorje Shugden or practice any Dharma in their previous life.

Those who are poor can still definitely practice the paramita of generosity to gain merits, because generosity doesn’t only just cover material generosity. It covers other types of generosity too. You can read more about the Six Perfections here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/introduction-to-the-six-perfections.html. There is a lot more to each perfection than people think, so everyone can practice them, no matter if you are rich or poor, etc.

Even those who are not near the guru and sangha can still practice to generate merit! Keeping your sadhana every day, following the advice of your guru and the teachings he gave, make offerings on your altar at home, transforming your mind, all of these things generate merit!

The very fact that you pray to an enlightened being means you generate merit. Since Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being, praying to him generates merit, so you will definitely benefit from his practice in some way.

If you cannot practice prostrations due to health conditions, you can circumabulate or even engage in the practice of Vajrasattva https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/an-important-purification-practice.html or the 35 Confessional Buddhas https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-35-confessional-buddhas.html (recite again and again). These are great methods of purification of karma. Hope this helps. Thanks.