Dear Daniel Pan,

In Buddhism, there is a strong emphasis placed on not committing violent acts and this includes killing in any sense. Therefore contraceptives that kill a fertilized embryo should not be used, because it is considered taking a life. This is because Buddhists believe that the consciousness enters at the moment of conception. Therefore if one were to use contraceptives that terminate a fertilized embryo, this is considered killing. Abstaining from killing is actually one of the 10 Refuge Vows that all Buddhists live by.

On the other hand, the use of contraceptives that prevent conception, are considered a personal choice and up to the individuals concerned. Since such contraceptives prevent an embryo from being fertilized, there is no worry about killing as the consciousness has not entered the embryo at this point.

In Buddhism however, while the Buddha never actually condemned non-reproductive sexual activity, he did warn about the dangers of what this can do to the mind. This is the furtherance or increase of attachment to physical pleasure. When this sort of attachment is increased within the mind, one drifts away from the pursuit of spiritual perfection and concentrates instead on physical pleasures. That is one of the main reason that the Buddha founded the monastic order.

However, not everyone wants to or can becoming an ordained member of the monastic community, and in fact have very loving and meaningful relations with their partners. Therefore, from a Buddhist perspective contraception that does not kill are acceptable in such circumstances, but at the same time we should be aware of how circumstances can increase attachment to physical pleasure, which is antithetical to the Buddhist path of spiritual evolution. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear C,

Thank you for your question. From a Buddhist perspective, wealth as with anything else can be both an attachment and a necessity. Attachment to wealth is something to be avoided within Buddhism, but on the other hand we all need some form of wealth in order to provide for ourselves and our families.

From a karmic perspective, having a lack of wealth in this life or financial difficulties stems from negative karma created in previous lives. This karma was generated from being miserly. The opposite of this is being generous, in terms of giving one’s time, energy and support to others. So this is something we should all strive to train in. Generosity is in fact considered to be one of the Six Perfections within Buddhism and is a very important quality to develop. The energies created from a generous mind, will overshadow the affects of our negative karma created from being miserly in previous lives.

A great practice that we can also engage in to have financial stability is the practice of Gyenze, who is the increasing form of Dorje Shugden. You can find his practice here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/dorje-shugden-gyenze-to-increase-life-merits-and-wealth.html. This practice is two-fold, the first is that it helps to purify the karma that stops us from having beneficial forms of wealth and at the same time generates tremendous amounts of spiritual merit. The energy from this spiritual merit can help to over power the negative affects our karma. When this is achieved, we are able to both improve our lives and at the same time continue to purify our negative karma that causes our problems.

The key to this practice is consistency. We should engage in the practice and mantra recitation every day and you will see an improvement in this area. But this practice is for more than just wealth, and therefore you will see improvement in other areas of your life too. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Paulo Sérgio da Silva Ferreira,

I have been able to consult His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche on the questions you asked in regards to your Vajrasattva practice. Rinpoche wanted to answer the questions personally. I have typed up Rinpoche’s advice to your questions below.

1 – Does the Vajrasattva mantra have the power to purify external environments where there are negativities?

In general, any mantra is a manifestation of a Buddha’s speech. A Buddha’s speech is a manifestation of a Buddha’s enlightenment. Therefore, any mantra is a manifestation of a Buddha’s enlightenment and an enlightened being has realised emptiness, accomplished Bodicitta and fully realised omniscience. In any place where a person has realised emptiness there can be no negative energy. There can be no negative circumstances around that person.

When you recite a mantra, you are invoking upon a person or a being who has realised emptiness and by the power of realising emptiness, no interferers can remain and interferences will be cleared. Hence, if you recite Vajrasattva’s purification mantra it will definitely purify the area, purify the place, and purify the environment because it is based on Buddha’s speech which is in the form of a mantra. So, Vajrasattva’s mantra and any other mantra can purify a space.

Having said that there are certain deities and mantras that we have a personal affinity to. For example, if we have a very strong affinity to Prajnaparamita, by reciting the Heart Sutra instead of Vajrasattva, that will have more effect for us. Therefore, sometimes due to our personal affinity there will be more effect. But in general, any mantra, Vajrasattva included, will purify the external environment of negative of energy based on what I have just explained.

2. Can the Vajrasattva mantra be used to break black magic?

Any mantra that is based on the realisation of emptiness can break black magic. When we realise emptiness we are able to cut all interferes, interferences, and especially the chief ghost, the chief demon, the chief problem-maker, the chief devil which is the self, the “I”, the “me” that does not exist. So taking care of me, me, me, and not thinking of others, always focusing on I, I, I, that is your biggest demon. That makes you difficult to deal with, that makes you angry, that makes you have delusions, that makes you have fantasies, and that makes you not accomplish something meaningful in this life.

So, when you realise emptiness you remove the non-existent “I”. When you remove that non-existent “I” all interferes are banished, especially the biggest interference which is our ego. Therefore, by reciting Vajrasattva’s mantra you can definitely accomplish that goal.

3 – When, during my Sadhana, does the time come to visualize the garland of mantras (from which flow lights and nectars that purify negativities), can I imagine that this nectar and lights are falling on a person for whom I want to pray?

When you are doing Vajrasattva’s practice, at the beginning of it, you take refuge. When you take refuge you visualise Vajrasattva in the front, your mother (whether dead or alive) on your left, you visualise your father (whether dead or alive) on your right. You visualise all sentient beings behind you and you visualise all your enemies in front of you.

So, your mother is on the left and your father on your right, enemies in the front, sentient beings of the Six Realms behind you looking and taking refuge in Vajrasattva. As you recite Vajrasattva’s mantra you visualise the nectar coming from Vajrasattva entering all sentient beings around you and yourself. This purifies yourself and others. So during that time, you can especially focus on the lights and nectar going to the person in question or focus, in order to bless them. Can we do that? Yes, we can. How do we do that, follow what was just explained, especially when you take refuge.

That is how we take refuge during a sadhana. We take refuge by visualising the Buddha, on the left is our mother, whether our mother is alive or dead it doesn’t matter. We visualise her on the left to remember her kindness. Even if our mother was not kind, we still have to remember that she gave us our bodies. Then we visualise our father. We visualise all sentient beings of the Six Realms (Hell, Spirit, Animal, Human, Demi-gods and Gods). You visualise them all in the form of humans. When you visualise them you do so in the form of humans as it is auspicious for them to take human rebirth. Then they all take refuge in Vajrasattva, “Namo Guru Beh, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya”. Everyone recites, so it is like a huge thunderous chorus.

Then you continue with the Vajrasattva sadhana. When you reach the part with the mantra, then you visualise the lights going to all sentient beings, not just yourself, and especially to the person that you are focusing on. And visualise all the negative karma, negative actions, all the “I”s and the gross “I”s, all the subtle “I”s, all of them going into the ground. And then we becoming purified, and that person becomes purified. So not only are you focusing on yourself during Vajrasattva practice and the person you are thinking about but all sentient beings as well.

4 – Work as a security officer in a bank branch. This makes me stand still, just watching, certain places within the bank branch. Change of position every 20 minutes. It is possible that I practice the Vajrasattva tantra while standing at my service post, in all its stages, such as Prayer of Refuge (first opposing force), Bodhicitta (Repentance – second opposing force), Seven Members, Mandala Offering , Visualization, Recitation of Mantra (Remedy – Third Opponent Power) and Dedication (Promise – Fourth Opponent Power) ??? Actually I’ve done this a few times and what I want to know is if it’s “valid”

If you are focused you can do the Vajrasattva sadhana or any sadhana wherever or whenever you want. You can even do it standing on your head if you can focus. So in an easier way to answer, yes, since you have the time and you are a security guard who is standing most of the time, you can do the whole A-Z of Vajrasattva’s sadhana quietly while you are doing your job.

This should not be an issue as the meditation is in the mind. There are certain rituals and practices that we must do privately that we don’t show people. But if we are doing it and no one knows then it is already secret. So it is fine if you do the whole Vajrasattva sadhana and A-Z practice while you are standing up because you are a security guard.

5 – It is said that it is necessary to recite the mantra of a hundred syllables at least 21 times a day to purify the negativities of that day. Can this be done only with Refuge + Bodhicitta + Recitation + Dedication, or is it necessary to be in the context of a Sadhana?

When you take any tantric initiation, every single day knowingly and most of the time unknowingly we break some of our vows. When we break our vows, once it is broken, it is not simply broken and that is it. Once it is broken it will continue to accumulate negative karma every single day until it is purified. So it increases dramatically. So to stop its increase we recite the mantra of Vajrasattva 21 times per day.

By reciting it, you are not actually purifying it, you are stopping it to increase. Basically you are stopping it from gathering interest. So, what makes the mantra more powerful and become purifying in the case of Vajrasattva is not simply reciting it. What makes the Vajrasattva mantra becoming purifying and not simply stop the increase of karma is by applying the Four Opponent Powers.

When we apply the Four Opponent Powers and then we recite the mantra, then how strongly we apply the Four Opponent Powers is how much it purifies. So if we simply recite the mantra with faith and confidence it stops the negative karma from increasing. It does not purify the negative karma, it stops it from increasing. But if we apply the Four Opponent Powers and recite the mantra, then it has the possibility to purify. But that applies to the gross karma. The subtle karma does not get purified. That can only be purified with the realisation of emptiness.

Now, do you have to do it in the context of a sadhana? Not necessarily. You can simply visualise Vajrasattva, trust Vajrasattva, think of Vajrasattva and your guru as one and then recite the mantra and apply the Four Opponent Powers. Or simply just recite the mantra, which will also be effective to stop the karma from increasing.

I wish you luck, am very happy to hear that you are doing the Vajrasattva practice and have very beautiful and powerful questions. It is a pleasure for me to answer them. Sorry it took so long, we were a little delayed.

Thank you.

Dear Manika,

I’m very sorry to read that you have been facing so many obstacles. There is an article here that can help you with the problems: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/trakze-to-dispel-black-magic-spirits.html.

This article is about the practice of Trakze, who is an emanation of Dorje Shugden who can dispel even the most severe of black magic and spirit disturbances. The article outlines who he is and how to engage in his practice. I have seen a lot of people benefit from Trakze’s practice and overcome major obstacles due to being the victim of black magic.

Though Trakze may appear to be very wrathful, he takes this form because he cares about us and acts out of compassion to help protect us from anything negative. The article explains more about this. From a Buddhist perspective we can be victims of black magic due to our negative karma. Trakze’s practice not only grants us protection but also purifies our negative karma so that the black magic can no longer affect us.

The key to Trakze’s practice is consistency. Over time you will see the obstacles lessen and ultimately stop. I hope this will help you. Thank you.

Dear Harry,

Thank you for your questions. I am glad that the previous answer was helpful. Manjushri Naga Rakshasa has a very strong connection to Nagas. In fact as you may already know, his lower half is in the form of a Naga. His practice is very much engaged in to appease Nagas or alleviate ailments caused by Nagas that have been offended. His form and practice indicate that he arose specifically to help in this matter, therefore he is not only intimately connected with Nagas, but also their homes which are the natural environment. In this form Manjushri can also help to heal unsettled environments because his practice helps to calm and bless Nagas who have control over the weather and other environmental factors.

In regards to Manjushri Naga Rakshasa having ‘dominion’ over Nagas I don’t think that this is the case. Rather than being a king or ruler over Nagas, which is a samsaric position, he is much more. He is fully enlightened being, who arose specifically to calm Nagas that cause obstacles and problems for sentient beings. At the same time, he blesses these Nagas so that they too can achieve enlightenment in the future. Manjushri Naga Rakshasa does not rule Nagas, in the same way that Buddha Shakyamuni does not rule humans. However, his practice is extremely beneficial for them, just like Buddha Shakyamuni’s practice is extremely beneficial for humans. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Harry,

Thank you for your question. Both are actually correct, as they are the same mantra. The last syllable is exactly the same. When translating the mantra from Sanskrit into English, it is written as “Hum” whereas when written from Tibetan it is spelt “Hung”. This is because when the mantra was spoken by Tibetans and translated into the Tibetan language, the ‘m’ turned into a ‘ng’ sound, as the sound was difficult for Tibetan speakers.

This same difference occurs in the mantra to Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. When spelling the mantra’s Sanskrit version, it is spelt “Om Mani Padme Hum” but according to how the mantra is pronounced in Tibetan, it is spelt “Om Mani Peme Hung”.

In common practice today, “hum” is usually pronounced “hung” by most practitioners. So you can use that pronunciation of the mantra. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Alessandro,

Thank you for your question. The Dorje Shugden Kangsol is recited in Tibetan during our puja. We do not have a version available online that is a full translation of the puja.

However, you can use the Extended Retreat Text to Dorje Shugden, available here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/dorje-shugden-retreat-a-powerful-practice-to-fulfill-wishes.html#004 This text has the major sections from the Kangsol and is also in English, which will help with visualisation during the puja.

As part of the puja, you should set up the various offerings necessary to generate as much merit as possible. You can following the offering set up as explained in the above article. Offerings will help to generate the merits necessary for Dorje Shugden and his entourage clear your obstacles and create the conducive conditions that you are looking for in life. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Eric,

Please contact Kechara House to submit a formal request which will then be passed on. Note that such requests are traditionally accompanied with offerings. As the one requesting that such a trance takes place, you will also need to sponsor the event, including the extensive offerings made to the Buddhas and those offered to the deities once they take trance.

Please be aware that due to the Panglung Oracle’s busy schedule, once the request has been passed on, it will depend on the Panglung Oracle’s discretion as well as the location of where the Panglung Oracle is, the preparation, the assistants, etc. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Eric,

Yes, clairvoyant abilities can carry over from previous lives. That is because it is an attainment that arises from the mind. In other cases, as explained before this clairvoyance is granted by en external party such as a spirit or a god, but since this is dependent on the external party its length in terms of how far into the future one can see and also the duration in which one has the ability (say a single lifetime, or a couple of lifetimes) is also finite.

However, when the attainment of clairvoyance is achieve within one’s mindstream, it carries over from lifetime after lifetime, it is just if that person wants to use that ability or not. For example, there are the examples of lamas who reincarnate back with the same level of clairvoyance as their previous lives.

This ability to develop clairvoyance however is not something unique to Buddhism or even one of the major goals of Buddhism. Clairvoyance can be developed a number of different ways throughout many traditions, and even within Buddhism there are many different ways of developing clairvoyance. This attainment can be temporary or one that carries over into future lifetimes. That is why it is something called a minor siddhi or minor attainment. It is not something that we should actually aim for, we should instead concentrate on the major siddhis or the realisations that bring us to enlightenment.

Now, the ability to take trance carrying over lifetimes, is different. This is because the ability is due to the person’s karma in that particular lifetime. It depends on the bodily karma for the trance to take place and also on the speech karma for the deity to be able to communicate, not on attainments or siddhis achieved in the mindstream. For example, there have been examples of oracles who had no high Dharma attainments, but have taken trance of some of the highest Dharma protectors through the grace and training of their gurus. However, there is no record that I know of that states that the ability to take trance carries over to the next life. As such the ability to take trance seems to be limited to one lifetime. But yet again, it is not outside the realm of possibility.

This video titled “What are the Differences between Boon and Siddhi (attainment)?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R_i-LtSjbs I hope this helps. Thank you.

Thank you Eric

Dear Nilesh Chhabria,

I think you are referring to the Kechara Buddhist Organisation. We are located in Malaysia, with a retreat centre, a temple in the city and many other departments. Our retreat centre is located about 1 hour’s drive away from Kuala Lumpur city, and in our temple is local in the city’s suburbs. Below is the address for the temple in the city:

Kechara House
No. 7, Jalan PJU 1/3G,
Sunwaymas Commercial Centre,
47301 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, MALAYSIA.
Tel: +603 7803 3908

And for the retreat centre:

The Kechara Forest Retreat
Lot 3189, Jalan Chamang,
28700 Bentong,
Malaysia

If you would like to visit, please call +603 7803 3908 to arrange your visit.

We have many activities including regular pujas (or prayers), Dharma sharing and talks, and more formal educational classes. I hope this helps.

Dear Kiki,

Thank you for your question. From a Buddhist point of view, clairvoyance, or the ability to perceive or see the future is very much a possibility. Some people are born with such abilities, while other train or develop it over time. Buddhism works with the mind and it is said that if you calm your mind through meditation, you can open up to many different abilities that most people would think are extraordinary or supernatural.

However, that is not to say that all people who have such abilities have developed the ability through meditation. Some people are born with this ability, which carries over from previous lives, and some people are even given this ability because they are in communication with unseen beings, such as spirits. In the last case, the one with spirits, these spirits can send this person messages which they can then tell you about. In most of these cases however, the person may not even be aware that their abilities are from these spirits or other beings. These other beings be helping this psychic person for either good or bad purposes.

However, when people use spirits for clairvoyant abilities, even though the spirits can be powerful, they cannot be relied on fully. This is because the abilities of the spirits exists within samsara or cyclic existence. The only beings that have true and complete clairvoyance are the enlightened beings known as the Buddhas, who have transcended samsara completely. And it is the goal of Buddhists to reach this same state.

From a Buddhist perspective these clairvoyant abilities can be developed as a side benefit to the real purpose of meditation, which is transformation of the mind. One of meditations most known for developing these abilities is known as single-pointed concentration meditation, which exists in every branch and school of Buddhism. I hope this helps.

Thank you