Hi Vui Ve,

In short, yes it is okay. Though traditionally, information about tantric deities was not shared openly, today we can find information about the deities in books and online. So, it is okay as long as you explain within the posts that in order to learn her method of practice, it requires initiation from a qualified guru (spiritual teacher), and that there are vows and commitments one must keep. That way, even if they are curious about her, they know they shouldn’t read her practice, etc.

Even Tsem Rinpoche, here on this blog has a category devoted to Vajra Yogini, it’s open and free for everyone to view and read: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/vajra-yogini. Anyone can read the posts, apart from one or two which require you to have tantric initiation to read. The reason why Rinpoche made those posts available is for people to make a connection to Vajra Yogini and prepare themselves to receive her initiation and practice in the future, and also for those who have her initiation and practice to have free access to resources for her practice. Hope this answers your questions.

Dear Sandra,

You’ve asked a wonderful question, showing you are very serious about your practice.

This is not something that is going to be easy. Because it’s all about developing mindfulness of our emotions during daily life. It’s easier to be in a virtuous state when engaged in sadhana, but as Rinpoche used to say, Dharma practice is not about the 1 hour spent on your meditation cushion, but the 23 hours when you are not on your meditation cushion. What Rinpoche meant by this is that the measure of your practice is how much you can control your mind in daily life, to make sure you don’t have negative emotions which will lead to created negative actions and instead to have positive or virtuous emotions, which will lead to create positive karma and merit.

So, it’s about mindfulness. You can develop this many ways. One way is to constantly learn the Dharma again and again, so you contemplate the effects of these emotions, and basically drill it in to your mind. Then when you have those emotions, you will automatically stop yourself from continuing with those types of thoughts because you know so deeply that it will cause you to have negative actions. Another way, is to practice mindfulness, which is formal meditation, this will help you in that you are able to see your mind more clearly. Here is a series of 100 mindful meditations, that you can use and follow along: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/live-your-best-life-100-days-of-mindful-meditation.html

The best method would be to do these two things together, formal meditation sessions and more study of the Dharma. I hope this helps.

Dear FI,

Thank you for your question. Yes, lust/sexual misconduct is definitely one of the greatest causes of sorrow and distress in our degenerate times. There are many methods to deal with the this. Here are just a few:

> Meditation on death and impermanence (here is a related article: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/art-architecture/body-of-a-courtesan-in-nine-stages.html)
> Meditation on the ugliness of the body (both your own and those you are attracted to)
> Meditation on the shortcomings of such lust/sexual misconduct (meaning you contemplate the results – physically and karmically)

These are techniques to overcome this. However, such feelings of lust will manifest in the future if you have not dealt with desire or attachment itself. For this you need to go a little deeper into Buddhist practice. The Lamrim teachings, provide the method from the very beginning of the path, to the very end. This includes all the aforementioned meditations. And it does so in a way that is structured well to really transform your mind. You should study, contemplate and practice the Lamrim, if you really want to overcome lust and desire properly. I hope this helps.

Dear Anonymous,

It is possible to have more than one guru. However, according to tradition, you should always have one Guru who is known as your Root Guru. This is the main guru. This guru may then send you to another teachers for a particular teaching, etc. so that second teacher also becomes your Guru.

So having more than one guru is not really about which one you like, but more that your main guru sent you to get teachings from the second one.

In your case, it’s going to bit tough as you have a strong connection with both of them. So, I would suggest you take some time to think about it in more depth and then come to a decision. When you make your decision you should be firm with it and go all the way. Since, both gurus are of the Gelug tradition, the teachings from both of them will actually be the same, just the explanation may be a little different. Either way, if you follow their teachings you will be successful in your practice and spiritual journey. I hope this helps.

Dear Eddie,

Yes, anyone can take Buddhist monastic ordination, depending on if you meet certain criteria. This criteria will differ ever so slightly depend on the tradition and monastery that you want to be a part of.

Before becoming a monk however, it is crucial to have a firm grounding and understanding of the Dharma. Coupled with that is sustained practice of the Dharma and understanding of renunciation and why it is important. There are many ways to go about doing all of this. But one very profound way is to the study and contemplate on the points of practice as taught in the Lamrim. This would be a very good start. I hope this helps.

Dear Angel,

Here are four calculators that may be of interest to you:

Chinese Zodiac
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/horoscopes/the-chinese-zodiac.html

Numerology
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/numerology/numerology-calculator.html

Tibetan Astrology
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html

Dear Sandra,

Here are just some of important dates:

Losar: 21/02/23
Chotrul Duchen: 07/03/23
Wesak: 04/05/23
Chokhor Duchen: 21/07/23
Dorje Shugden Day: 24/08/23
Gaden Ngamchoe or Tsongkhapa Day: 07/12/23

I hope this helps. Thanks.

Dear Lara,

I’m very sorry to read that you have gone through this experience and are feeling so sad now. But yes, there are mantras and techniques you can use to get through this. The practice that you can engage in is the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa and the recitation of the Mig Tse Ma mantra. This is really good for such situations where you have emotional pain.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche gave a good teaching on this, which you can find here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/sayonara-to-depression.html

Rinpoche also gave a detailed commentary to the practice which you can find here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html

The practice of Lama Tsongkhapa will really help you. I hope you start practising and are able to get over this.

Dear Dalton,

Thank you for your message. The aspirations you have are fantastic, to progress on your own spiritual path, then help others do the same. There are many things you need to do in order to make such as aspiration a reality.

The first is to actually study and train under a qualified teacher. For our spiritual journey to be successful, what we practice must come from a source. In our case that is Lord Buddha, and his teachings being passed down and practiced by the lineage masters. Lineage is important for the teachings to be authentic and for the blessings to flow down to you to be successful in those techniques, through the lineage lamas. That being said, the first step is to find a qualified master who can guide you. You can take Tsem Rinpoche to be your teacher, even though he is not physically here with us any more. However, from your message it is clear that you would like to immerse your whole life in spiritual practice.

While there may not be a centre in your immediate locality, there are other centres in your state which will have qualified gurus who can guide you on your journey. Try searching online to find them.

Yes, you are right that you live in a society that is very much different from the spiritual practice of Buddhism, however the great thing about Buddhism and the teachings of the Buddha is that it can be adapted to suit the surroundings you are in. Perhaps that is something you can consider also?

I hope this helps. Please let us know if we can help you with anything else.

Dear Anaya,

Yes, there are many ways to overcome this fear and negative karma. In general, it is the practice of the Dharma, but specifically it is purification practice and contemplation meditation. In order to get rid of completely you need to practice what is known as the Lamrim, it’s a graduated path of practice, from the very beginning all the way to the very end. It should be followed in sequence to be effective. We use a particular text, which you can find here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand Each section should be studied and then contemplated upon to have a real impact.

However, the best method would be to consult the master that bestowed the initiation that you took, of whichever practice you do. You have a connection with that master, through that initiation, so you should consult him or her to guide you through this process properly.

Dear Suzanne,

Thanks for your message. Please look out for our email, which we have just sent. It is from a Kechara.com email account. Thank you.

Dear Khac Duy,

For Dorje Shugden’s practice, you can use the mala however you use it normally for your practice. You can use either hand (Kecharian’s will use our left hand, as we aspire to practice Vajra Yogini and this is the hand you use in her practice). And you can use either your forefinger or your middle finger, either one is fine. I hope this helps.

Dear Jason,

Unfortunately, we have not found the unmistaken incarnation yet. The process takes time. In the mean time, we are continuing with all the work that His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche planned for us, looking forward to Rinpoche’s return. Thanks.

Dear Meena,

Here are four calculators that may be of interest to you:

Chinese Zodiac
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/horoscopes/the-chinese-zodiac.html

Numerology
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/numerology/numerology-calculator.html

Tibetan Astrology
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html

Dear Helena,

There are many different ways to do a deity’s practice. For example, most of the prayers and practices on this blog do not require initiation (unless stated).

If we engage in a practice using a text or method that requires initiation, but we do not have the appropriate initiation, this actually creates problems and obstacles for our spiritual journey. You will start to have obstacles in life, your Dharma practice will not have results and most importantly you create obstacles from receiving tantric initiations and teachings in the future. Thanks.

Dear Bret,

When we are afflicted by black magic or curses, it’s best not to shout mantras or such things. The way we approach such matters in Buddhism is from a different angle, actually using the power of compassion. The enlightened beings manifest in many forms, including wrathful forms. These wrathful forms are actually the manifestation of that particular deity’s compassion. There are many methods and mantras that you can use. Below are the links to two particular methods that you can use and practice to get rid of such things, but it will not be instant. Curing such things actually takes time and consistent daily effort. How much time it takes to get rid of it, depends on how strong it is.

The practice of Sengdongma
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/protection-from-black-magic-and-spirits.html

The practice of Trakze
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/one-minute-story/a-simple-way-to-protect-yourself-from-spirits

Dear Sandra,

It is always best to give statues that have been filled with mantras and are consecrated. This is because sometimes, if the statue is empty or not blessed/consecrated there is a type of spirit that can come and live inside. The other reason is it, even if the person does not make offerings every day, as the statue itself is blessed they still benefit from being around the statue.

The best is for the person receiving such a statue to keep on an altar that is maintained (eg. cleaned regularly and offerings made daily). However, even if they keep a filled and blessed statue on their work desk for example, they will still be blessed by the Three Jewels. Do let us know if you need any more clarification. Thank you.

Dear Jay,

You are correct about Kriya Tantra practices. But the level in which you need to abstain from these depends on the instructions given by the guru who initiated you into that particular practice. In some cases, it is really this strict, but these days most gurus will only make it this strict if engaged in a full retreat of that deity. But it all depends on the guru. I know of some practitioners who need to adhere to these rules for the rest of their lives, of course it’s easier if these practitioners are monks/nuns. I hope this helps. If you have received Kriya Tantra practices, please refer to your guru to clarify about your particular practice. Thanks.

Dear Kevin,

Here is an article that lists some of the books that H.E. Tsem Rinpoche recommended that we read to learn more Dharma: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/books-that-are-a-must-read.html

Hope this helps.

Dear Chirag,

It would be good for you to engage in the joint practice of Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden. Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice is known for helping us to overcome feelings of frustration and depression, while Dorje Shugden’s practice is great at overcoming obstacles and making life situations smoother. This will help you to come to a clear decision about your career, what you need to do to achieve it, and then achieve it in a skilful manner. You can find the text that we use here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/diamond-path

Alternatively, you can sponsor a Dorje Shugden puja with a dedication asking Dorje Shugden to clear obstacles and create the conducive conditions necessary to choose and be successful in the correct career for you: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/dorje-shugden-wishfulfilling-puja-fund

Dorje Shugden’s practice is well-known to help people with choosing and being successful in a given career. Many have benefited from it.