Dear Julie,

Within Buddhism we believe that there are two levels to life, the secular and the spiritual. So in order to handle various situations in life, we need to do two things. On a spiritual level, you can engage in the joint practice of Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden. Both of these forms of the Buddhas are emanations of Manjushri who is the Buddha of wisdom. Manjushri is also known as the Buddha of speech, therefore we can develop powerful speech when we engage in his practice. Dorje Shugden’s practice is very well-known to help remove obstacles in our lives, making our lives smoother. You can find the practice here: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden.

On a secular level we should also seek other methods to help deal with situations. When we put effort into trying to find methods to deal with the situations we face, we are actually putting effort into battling the negative karma that has caused the problem in the first place. Coupled with the spiritual practices that we engage that also have the effect of purifying the negative karma, our spiritual practices are more successful in their aim.

By using both secular and spiritual means together, we are able to overcome negative situations. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Eric,

His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche has not composed an entire practice manual for the propitiation of the Dharmapala Methar. But you can find a short prayer which can be recited here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/methar-of-tengyeling-monastery.html I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Ee Chuan Seng,

Thank you for your question. If you would like to have talk further about any subject, and are in Malaysia, you can contact Kechara House Front Desk. We can arrange a date and timing to meet to discuss whatever questions you may have. You can find Kechara’s contact details here: http://www.kechara.com/kechara-house/contact/

Alternative, many of us pastors are on social media, such as Facebook, so you can find us online there as well, for easier communication. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Steven,

Thank you for your question. Even though the dharani is longer than the mantra, the mantra itself contains the very essence of the dharini. The Medicine Buddha Sutra is the best resource to find the benefits of the mantra. This is because the benefits listed in the Sutra are exactly the benefits one receives when reciting either the dharini or the mantra.

In regards to PTSD, recitation of the Medicine Buddha mantra is excellent and will greatly help. Since most people cannot recite the Dharini many time, due to time constraints etc, it is excellent to recite the mantra instead. As mentioned earlier, are in essence the same. In fact mantras themselves are the enlightened Buddhas in the form of sound. As long as you know and think that by reciting the mantra you are also reciting the dharini and have faith, the effects will be exactly the same.

If you recite the mantra, you should supplement the practice by making offerings, engage in purification practices, engage in merit generating activities, and transform your mind to become a better person. When you engage in these, the efficacy of the mantra is increased manifold and will create a greater impact in your life. I hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to ask more.

Thank you.

Dear Spencer Boyle,

Thank you for your interesting question. You are right that generally speaking a mala is just a counting tool, but the materials they are made from do have meaning and in some cases, according to the deity who practice you are engaging in, can aid you. Certain yidam (meditational deity) practices are associated with certain types of malas, for example it is said that to use a clear crystal mala or a pearl mala when engaged in Chenrezig’s practice is very good. For higher tantric yoga practices, when engaged in wrathful activity it is advised that you use a bone mala. However, any type of mala can be used for any deity practice, it is up to the individual. I only use one mala, and I use that for all deity practices. Most people I know only use one mala even if they are reciting mantras to many different deities.

As far as Dorje Shugden’s practice is concerned, I have not come across mention of if there is an associated type of mala with the practice. Tsem Rinpoche has advised that we can use any type of mala.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has an excellent teaching called ‘all about rosaries’ which you can find here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/all-about-rosaries.html. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Kusum,

I’m sorry but I do not have any form of clairvoyance to be able to answer these questions. No one in Kechara reads people’s fortunes either.

However, there are some posts here that may help. Here are the links:

1. Numerology – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/numerology/numerology-calculator.html
2. Tibetan Astrology – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html
3. Chinese Horoscope – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Jake,
I am not qualified to instruct you on highest tantric practices but I do know that the visualization of the father-mother Heruka in union is a method towards gaining realization. It does not mean you have to be ‘pre-disposed’ towards heterosexual acts in order to reap the benefit. The visualization also does not alter your preference in any way.

Since the visualization has been taught by highly attained beings based on their own visionary experiences and that it had brought results for many great masters and practitioners, I would advice you not to alter it. Yes, you quote an explanation about how enlightened beings can appear in ways that suit the sentient being. But you do not have the attainments to change the instructions at this point. So, I would advice you to stick to the instructions given by your teacher as there is a purpose in doing so. I hope this helps you. Thank you.

Dear Krishna kumari dhakal,
My apologies but we do not read people’s fortunes here. However, you may be interested to check out our blogpost that you can ‘do a reading’ :-

1. Numerology – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/numerology/numerology-calculator.html
2. Tibetan Astrology – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html
3. Chinese Horoscope – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html

I hope this helps you. Thank you

Dear Consuelo,
My apologies but we are not able to answer questions on the Jewish faith. Do you have a Buddhist question instead? Thank you.

Hello Ee Chuan Seng,

I believe that both your questions have already been answered. If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to post them here. Thank you.

Dear James,

Thank you for your question. It is very good to read that you want to get closer to your yidam. While engaging in your sadhana every day is a very important part of getting closer to you Yidam, it actually means you also practice the Dharma and transform your mind. What it means to be close to a yidam is that you develop the beneficial qualities that the Buddhas show us, such as compassion, kindness, love, perseverance, wisdom, etc. Therefore it is about changing our minds so that we become better people.

There is a short post on being one you with your yidam here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/being-one-with-your-yidam.html

And here is link about getting closer to Vajrayogini, however it can be applied to all yidams:
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/getting-closer-to-vajrayogini.html

If you want to read more about changing your mind for the better, you can read, study and practice the teachings in the Lam Rim. These texts are excellent for teaching Buddhism for all levels of practitioners. One good English translation is known as ‘Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand’, you can order a copy here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/lamrim-liberation-in-the-palm-of-your-hand or find it at your local bookstore if they have a large selection of books on Buddhism. I hope this helps to answer your question.

Thank you.

Dear Jason Chau,

Thank you for your question. It is a very interesting one. Within Buddhism there is a common metaphor of describing samsara or cyclic existence as chains that we are bound by. Usually these chains are described in negative terms. The above prayer is special because it describes these chains are both gold and black iron.

Gold is obviously something that people desire, and in this case stands for everything that is desirable, and pleasurable. Black iron on the other hand was used to create chains and iron bars which were used in prison, therefore it symbolises suffering.

Therefore, in this prayer the meaning to break the gold chains and black iron chains means that the lama is the one who shows you how to overcome both the desire for all you crave for and all the hate and are repulsed by. They are known as the two extremes of samsara, and in effect is highlighting that it is the lama that shows you the middle way path as taught by the Buddha, which can lead you to enlightenment. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Ling,
It’s interesting that you ask me this question. I have met several people with similar circumstances and I have recommended the practice of Dorje Shugden. They have all read up and recited the praise and mantra daily. And they have reported to me that their situation has improved.

Before reciting the mantra, I recommend that you recite Dorje Shugden’s prayer and you can find it here – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/a-short-prayer-to-dorje-shugden.html . Dorje Shugden’s mantra is *Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha* and I have asked these people to recite 108x or more daily. That is a the length of 1 round of the Buddhist prayer beads. The blessings of Dorje Shugden come swifter when you recite more and on a consistent basis. I recommend this for your current situation. How fast Dorje Shugden helps you depends on how much karma you need to purify and accumulation of merits through the recitation of Dorje Shugden’s mantra.

Once you have gotten the result, please read more about Dorje Shugden and how to engage in deeper practice so you avert future obstacles and problems as well as to help others. I wish you all the best and I pray that you overcome your obstacle through Dorje Shugden’s powerful blessings and protection. Thank you.

Dear Ee Chuan Seng,
I am an ordinary sentient being looking towards the Buddha and his teachings for a path towards awakening. I hope you find your path too. Thank you

Dear Ee Chuan Seng,

Although our original state of mind is pure awareness, clarity and wisdom but lifetimes of negative karma obstructs us from realising this natural state of our mind. Hence, the Buddha who is ‘awakened’ to his original mind also realized that sentient beings need to be pointed the path towards awakening. Hence, we share the Dharma to point the way for modern practitioners to develop their own path towards awakening. I hope this helps you.

Thank you

Hello Thorim,

It’s nice to see you back here. I’m sorry to read about the fatigue. Meditation can help in certain situations, but i don’t think you should meditate on the fatigue itself. Rather you can use the breath as the method of meditation. There is short and simple post about meditation here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-accidental-meditator.html.

If you familiar with deity practices or daily sadhana, you can actually use practices such as the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa as the method of meditation, and focus on the recitation of the Mig Tse Ma mantra. You use the mantra and focus on it instead of the breath. This is very powerful because you not only meditate but you are invoking the energies of Lama Tsongkhapa, which are extremely powerful for helping to calm the mind and also to heal the body. You can find a commentary to the practice here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html. I hope this helps.

Thank you

Dear Sharae,

Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, I do not have any form of clairvoyance to answer your question. However, as Buddhists we believe that what happens to us in life is due to karma, and that if we change our karma through our actions, our lives will improve. You can find a very interesting post about karma here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/discovering-yourself-a-teaching-on-karma-mindstream.html

If you are facing difficulties in your daily life, or just want to have a smoother life in general, may I suggest that you engage in the daily prayers to Dorje Shugden. This deity is extremely beneficial in remove obstacles, and creating the circumstances to have prosperity, growth, wealth, health and protection. You can find the daily practice here, together with an explanation: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/practice/diamond-path-a-daily-sadhana-of-dorje-shugden

Thank you and I hope the above answer helps.

Dear kenneth ugokwe,

Thank you for your question, unfortunately I do not fully understand it. As Buddhists, I have not come across mention that we must pray nine times a day. However, it does say in the scriptures and prayers that Buddhists should take refuge in the Three Jewels – the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, three times during the day and three times during the night.

If your questions pertains to the practices of another religion, may I humbly suggest that you ask someone knowledgeable in that particular religion. I hope the above answer helps.

Thank you

Dear Dongho,

Thank you for your question. Za Rahula and his emanations are oath-bound deities that are unenlightened. However, according to this text they are part of Dorje Shugden’s retinue. This does not have a meaning in the sense of changing the status of either Dorje Shugden as enlightened being or Rahula being an enlightened being. Many Dharma protectors have their main forms, emanations, retinue who are their emanations, but their retinue can also include unenlightened oath-bound protectors such as Rahula. This is because these oath-bound deities try to assist the enlightened beings in whichever way they can. And one way is to accompany the retinue of enlightened Dharma protectors and aid them in their work. If you read the longer prayers of any Dharma protector, they usually mention these types of beings. It is not uncommon to read about them in the practices of enlightened Dharma protectors.

Another quick example is of the 12 Tenma goddesses who were bound by Guru Rinpoche in Tibet but are often considered to be part of the enlightened Palden Lhamo’s retinue as well. In this way they help Palden Lhamo in her work to remove people’s obstacles. So in the case of the source you have mentioned, Za Rahula’s emanat’ons aid Dorje Shugden’s retinue in their work, not because they need help but because they are bound by oath to protect and serve those who are practicing the Buddhist path. I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Dear Mei Hau,
There are many benefits to engaging in 16 arhat puja including averting obstacles, purification of negative karma, accumulation of merits, creating the cause to uphold morality, creating the cause for the sangha community to increase and so forth. However, the principle benefit would be to extend one’s life span and avert untimely death. I hope this helps you very much. Good luck with your practice. Thank you.