Dear Nhat Khang,

Very sorry to read that you have been facing this. Unfortunately, these are the circumstances that many of us face due to certain prejedudices against Dorje Shugden amongst practitioners.

You can continue sharing the practice of Dorje Shugden with others, however try to make sure that they are people who will accept. If you have already shared the practice with others, but now they have turned away from the practice, don’t force them to practice again. Leave them be. At least they are practising some form of the Dharma.

If this is too difficult, share with the general Dharma practices and the other Dharma protector practices. That will be very good. In fact, sharing the Dharma with others in general such as the Lamrim teachings is very beneficial even if they do not want to practice Dorje Shugden. Sharing the Dharma with others generates a lot of merit. Ask them to read and study the teachings such as the Lamrim. This would be very good. Hope this helps.

Dear Kinga,

I think the following two pages will be interesting for you. Thank you.

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

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

Tashi Delek Bill,

Nice to see you here. Yes, of course, anyone can engage in the food offering to Hariti, including lay people.

And yes, we understand that you might not be able to do the practice daily, as you do have other commitments. And that is fine, you can do the offering as and when you have the time.

As you will see in the actual prayers, the sutra propitiates the Three Jewels, so every time you do it, you will be blessed by not only Hariti but the Three Jewels in general. Her practice is extremely efficacious as I’m sure you have read in the article.

Wish you well, and may you create a close connection with Mother Hariti. She will definitely be a beneficial influence in your life. Thank you.

Dear Sirius,

I’m sorry to hear that you have been going through such a tough time. Just remember that there is impermenance, which means that all difficult times will eventually end.

The way to have faith and maintain constant practice is through learning and conteplation of the teachings and to see them in your life. For example, to study and understand karma and impermenance, but then contemplate how your own life experiences show this. Then you would contemplate on the state of enlightenment and the qualities of the enlightenment.

So when you are going through tough times, you know that those tough times will end and that the enlightened beings can benefit you. That is the correct way to build faith, and through that consistency in your practice. I hope this helps. I will keep you in my prayers as well.

Dear Jason,

Thank you very much for your interesting question. There are two levels to this. The first is that the Bodhisattvas that we actually pray to usually are actually emanations of Buddhas. Good examples of this are both Manjushri and Chenrezig. They both achieved enlightenment many aeons ago, but manifested as the Bodhisattva disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni in order to facilitate Buddha teaching the Dharma. Many of the scriptures state that the Buddha taught various teachings, because he was requested to give the teachings by Manjushri, Chenrezig or other Bodhisattvas. So actually, when we pray to these types of Bodhisattvas, we are actually praying to the Buddhas.

But even here there is a deeper level, and that is the Mahayana path of practice. The very core of Mahayana practice (and therefore Tantric practice also), is Bodhicitta. Once you have achieved a form of Bodhicitta in your mindstream, you are a Bodhisattva, of which there are 10 levels of progress. Bodhisattva’s like Manjushri and Chenrezig, are 10th level Bodhisattva’s meaning, they are enlightened.

The reason is not that Bodhisattvas are more capable of helping us compared to the Buddhas, it is because they are closer to us in terms of karmic affinity, because their forms are within Samsara, hence they are able to help us faster.

All of these is explained in the Mahayana scriptures that teach about the Bodhisattva path. It is also explained in the Lamrim teachings in depth, such the Stages on the Path to Enlightenment by Lama Tsongkhapa or Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand by Pabongka Rinpoche. You can read more about this in those texts.

I hope this helps.

Dear Marije,

Thank you for your question. We have an entire category here full of teachings by Tsem Rinpoche regarding the practice of Vajrayogini: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/vajra-yogini

One article I would highly recommend is Starting on Vajrayogini Now: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/starting-on-vajra-yogini-now.html

While you are in Nepal, you should go to the Vajrayogini temples there, make many offerings and many aspirational prayers to receive her practice and meet a guru who can guide you. Even though you are in very holy places there, the main issue will be finding a guru who can guide you if you do not speak Nepali.

Also the practice itself belongs to the Higher Yoga Tantra class, which is the highest form of Tantric practice in Buddhism. There is a lot of preparations needed before you can receive the full practice, which is all listed in the article above.

I hope this helps you. Thank you.

Dear Bao,

Thank you for your question. Sometimes Tsem Rinpoche used to recommend various other Dharma protectors apart from Dorje Shugden and Setrap. In such cases, it is because that particular deity could help overcome very specific issues that person was facing in a swifter manner than other Dharma protectors due to karmic affinity.

Generally, Tsem Rinpoche heavily recommended Dorje Shugden and Setrap because they extremely effective and quick, because they are closer to us, as you mentioned. However, Rinpoche also recommended the practices of any enlightened Dharma protector, as they are all beneficial.

Here in Kechara, our main Dharma protector practice (both in terms of pujas and personal daily practice) is Dorje Shugden, but we do engage in the pujas of other Dharma protectors also. If, for whatever reason, you feel a strong connection or affinity with another Dharma protector, Tsem Rinpoche’s advice was to practice that deity.

However, Tsem Rinpoche also mentioned that in order to really benefit from a Dharma protector’s practice, you need to engage in the practice daily without fail. You can setup a nice altar to the Dharma Protector and make daily offerings, then engage in the practice. Once you choose a Dharma Protector practice, you shouldn’t switch back and forth, because then you won’t develop a close relationship with either of them.

Traditionally, the full practice of Dharma protectors is not usually open to be practised by everyone. Dorje Shugden and Setrap’s practice is different in that sense. Usually, you would require higher tantric initiation before teachers would recommend other Dharma protectors. However, some prayers that can be practiced by anyone can be found here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html

The Dharma protector prayers that you can find in the link above include short prayers to Sengdongma, Palden Lhamo (if you find you have a stronger connection to her), Kalarupa and Setrap.

So in general, we recommend the practice of Dorje Shugden, however, if feel a stronger conenction with the other Dharma protectors mentioned above, of course, you can engage in their practice. I hope this helps.

Caro Matheus do Brasil

Obrigado por sua pergunta. Estamos muito felizes em saber que você está interessado no Budismo.

É claro que não há nada de errado em aprender sobre as diferentes tradições budistas. É bom fazer isso, pois assim você poderá tomar decisões sobre qual tradição deseja praticar.

Contudo, depois de encontrar uma tradição que gostaria de praticar, você deve praticá-la adequadamente, sem misturar sua prática com outras tradições.

Tsem Rinpoche fez uma analogia simples a respeito disso. Todas as tradições budistas genuínas (o que significa que têm uma linhagem e podem ser rastreadas até Buda Shakyamuni sem qualquer interrupção), todas levam à iluminação. Mas são como estradas diferentes que levam você até lá de uma maneira diferente. Eles passam por diferentes edifícios, paisagens e enfatizam certas coisas, contemplações e meditações. Mas todos eles levam você lá no final. O objetivo é o mesmo, mas o caminho é diferente.

Se você praticar uma mistura de tradições, então você ficará realmente confuso em sua prática rumo à iluminação, por causa da diferença em termos de meditações, contemplações, práticas, etc. É como viajar por uma estrada, depois mudar para outra e depois voltar. Você se perderá e não chegará ao destino.

Então, é claro, por favor, descubra mais sobre as diferentes tradições, mas quando encontrar uma que queira praticar, persista nela até o fim. Dessa forma você progredirá em seu caminho espiritual.

Espero que isso ajude você. Obrigado.

—

Dear Matheus do Brasil

Thank you for your question. We are really happy to read that you are interested in Buddhism.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with learning about the different Buddhist traditions. It’s good to do, since then you are able to come a decisions about which tradition you want to practice.

However, once you have found a tradition that you would like to practice, you should practice that tradition properly, without mixing your practice with other traditions.

Tsem Rinpoche had a simple analogy regarding this. All genuine Buddhist traditions (which means they have a lineage and can be traced all the way back to Buddha Shakyamuni without any breaks), all lead to enlightenment. But they are like different roads that take you there in a different way. They pass by different buildings, landscapes, and emphasise certain things, contemplations and meditations. But they all get you there in the end. The goal is the same but the path is different.

If you practice a mix of traditions, then you will actually get confused in your practice towards enlightenment, because of the difference in terms of meditations, contemplations, practice, etcs. It is like travelling along one road, then switching to another, then switching back. You will get lost and won’t arrive at the destination.

So, of course, please do find out more about the different traditions, but once you find one that you want to practice, stick with it all the way. That way you will progress on your spiritual path.

I hope this helps you. Thank you.

Dear Tshering Dekar,

You may be find the following calculators useful:

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

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

In general, even if from an astrological perspective something is to happen or not happen, it can all change due to the actions we take in life. We can change our circumstances through our own actions. So in this regard, you can be successful if you put in the hard work and create the conditions to be successful as we can influence what happens to us by practising the Dharma and thereby creating the karma necessary to be successful.

You can also engage in certain practices that help you to be successful by helping you to purify negative karma and generate merit. An example of such a practice is that of Gyenze, which you can find here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/dorje-shugden-gyenze-to-increase-life-merits-and-wealth.html

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Anonymous,

There are a couple of points you would need to think about regarding this.

Were the Lower Tantra initiations that you received given as a blessing, meaning that no vows or commitments were given? Or were they given with vows and practice commitments? And when receiving them, did you think from your heart that you were recieving them?

If they were given as a blessing with no vows/commitments, then if you don’t feel like you have a guru-disciple relationship with any of these lamas, it would be fine to practice Dorje Shugden.

However, if the initiations were given with vows, commitments, such as the Bodhisattva vows, and at the time you received then, you thought from your heart that you were receiving them, then there is a guru-disciple relationship established, even though you may not have a personal relationship with these gurus. So accordingly they would be your gurus.

The following article may help to clear confusion in reads to your gurus: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-guru-protocol-a-guide-to-knowing-who-your-guru-is.html

If you would like, you can contact us privately to discuss this matter further. Contact details are provided here: https://www.kechara.com/contact/

Thank you.

Dear Peter Cartwright,

Thank you for your message. I’m sorry, but Tsem Rinpoche never published a book on Tibetan astrology. The article on this website is just a simple introduction to and overview of Tibetan Astrology: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/introduction-to-tibetan-astrology.html It does not include the types of procedural calculations that you are looking for.

As far are we are aware, there is no translation in English of the types of calculations that you are looking for. Most English texts on Tibetan Astrology that we have seen focus on Nagtsi (Chinese Astrology) and Jungtsi (Elemental Astrology) rather than Kartsi (Vedic Astrology) or Kalachakra-based procedures.

Apologies that we cannot be of more help. Thank you.

Dear Bry,

Thank you for your question. The iconography of the various Buddha figures comes from those highly attained beings who received the practice originally from the deities themselves, or who gained attainments from the practices and were able to perceive the deities directly. So the Buddhas appeared to them directly, after which these masters transmitted their iconography.

In fact, each facet of iconography of a Buddha has a particular meaning, which can include what aspects of the Dharma that the practice of that deity emphasises or even the benefits of practising that particular Buddha.

You can read more about the iconography of the Buddha here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-body-of-a-buddha-a-road-map-to-liberation.html

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Bhavisha,

Yes, you can receive the Refuge ceremony online as that is different from receiving initiation. When you receive Refuge, the lama you receive it from becomes your guru.

Here in Kechara, we have a Refuge ceremony during Wesak Day which just passed. At the same time, we have only streaming for those joining from abroad who qualify to take refuge in Kechara. They take refuge online.

If there is a specific needs at other times of the year, you can discuss that with Kechara’s pastors who can guide you through the process.

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Terra,

Thanks for your question. Yes, absolutely. You can chant Green Tara’s mantra without having her initiation or any other initiation for that matter. Her mantra is very powerful to help us in many ways.

There are even prayers that you can recite to Tara without need initiation. We have these available at the links below:

Praises to the 21 Taras (after which you can recite the mantra):
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/uploads/prayers/Praisestothe21Taras.pdf

A Song of Longing for Tara, The Infallible (after which you can recite the mantra): https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/wp-content/uploads/prayers/ASongofLongingforTara.pdf

Or even if you just want to recite the mantra, that is good also.

If you want to create a connection with Green Tara, even if you don’t plan to receive her initiation, it would be good to set up a small altar to Green Tara and make offerings every to do, such as water offerings or candles, fruit and foods or incense.

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Tshering Dekar,

Thank you for your question. You can use this calculator here to find out who your Birth Buddha is: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/tibetan-astrology/tibetan-astrology.html. Then you can follow the advice and prayer to your Birth Buddha according to Tibetan Astrology. This will be very beneficial in helping you to achieve a better rebirth.

If you have a guru who has assigned your a particular practice or sadhana, you should engage in that practice very well.

While Astrology can give a prediction of what will happen to us when we pass away, this can change due to the karma that we create. Hence practising the Dharma and following the advice and teachings of our guru is important. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Tashi Lhadon,

The following may be useful for you:

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

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

In general, even if from an astrological perspective something is to happen or not happen, it can all change due to the actions we take in life. We can change our circumstances through our own actions. So in this regard, if you work hard at finding a job, you will find one. As for achieving your parents’ hope it is the same. If that is something you really want, you should work towards it. Putting in effort coupled with daily sadhana and mind transformation will bring the results we are looking for. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Amira,

Thank you for your question. You should not feel bad when you pray to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in times of need. They manifested their practices, mantras, etc for all sentient beings, and that includes you and me. They are here to help everyone, you and me.

You are correct that ultimately, they help us to achieve the state of enlightenment. However, they help us in whatever way we need help. They can already see and know what you are going through. But in order for them to help us, we need to make the effort to make a connection with them. So when you are going through tough times and you call upon them, don’t feel as if you are bothering them.

Their very being is to help us, so when you call out to them, they will help. They are the epitome of compassion and love, so they would never feel like you are bothering them, etc, when you call upon them.

If from your side, you feel bad relying on them in times of need, then you should create a strong connection with them on a daily basis, by doing a daily sadhana, making offerings on your altar, etc. As you do this on daily basis when everything is going on, they will help you in the long term. As you purify your negative karma through daily practice and generate merit, you will find that the tough times will become less and less.

The stronger our connection with them, the more that they can help us. I hope this helps to answer your question.

Dear Rojal Poudel,

Thank you for your questions.

In regards to dealing with lust and desire, there are two main ways to deal with this.

1. To meditate on the ‘ugliness’ of the people are lustful/desirous towards. Usually, we over exaggerate the beautiful qualities of a person which leads to lust and desire. But we forget that they also have negative points both physically and emotionally. When we meditate on those, it counters lust/desire and makes us think more logically.

2. The second is to meditate on our own death and impermenance. When we come to terms with the fact that we are not going to live and will one day, our lust/desire automatically lessens, because we have a firm grasp of our priorities to make the most of our life. It is an internal process.

Both of these are taught in detail in the Lamrim teachings. They are also include in our Insightful Meditation book, which you can find here: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/products/insightful-meditation

For the Ngondro practice in our tradition, you do not require initiation. However, in other traditions you need to receive a sort of permission to engage in the ngondro. This is not required in our Gelug tradition, so you if you are practising the Gelug tradition, you can engage in the practices, no problem.

I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear AJ,

When we talk about the ripening of karma, we are actually talking about the natural process of feeling the effects of actions we have taken in the past. For example, if we get into a car accident, this is the ripening of karma. It is the result of actions that we ourselves have taken either in this life or past lives.

When it comes to Dharma practice, we talk about ‘purification’ of karma. This means that the effects of karma we have committed are purified. This purification means that we will experience the karma, but not to the full extent that we would have without practising the Dharma. For example, we have the karma to get into a car accident, but because we have been practising the Dharma, we get into a car accident but it is very minor, or if our practice is strong enough, we avoid getting into the car accident altogether, because the karma has been purified.

When it comes to any Dharma practice, reciting mantras, prayers (and in your case reciting the name of Amida or Amitabha), will necessarily involve the purificaton of karma. Karma is what causes us to suffer and be stuck in samsara. Dharma practice is what takes us out of samsara, but due to the way things are, we still need to experience the purification of karma in some way. This is part of the spiritual process, we cannot get to higher states of consciousness, reach a Pureland or even gain enlightenment without going through this process.

This may sound very scary, however, we are already protected by the Buddhas when we do this. This is because, we are not actually feeling the full force of our karma, only a very small portion of it, when we purify the negative karma through our practice. At the same time we are generating merits, which also helps to overpower the effects of the negative karma that is being purified.

In Tibetan Buddhism, in order to avoid any issues we rely on the Dharma protectors to help in this regard. However, since you do not want to practice any Dharma protectors, then the other option is actually to speed up the purification, so if you do happen to feel the effects of negative karma, is has either been purified a lot more or even completely purified altogether. You can engage in any purification practice such as 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). The central practice of effective purification is actually the Four Opponent Powers. You can read more about these in the links given above.

However, since you are practising the Pureland tradition, I am asuming you are learning your practice through a particular tradition or under a specific teacher. Please do consult your teachers or tradition for methods specifically to help with the purification of negative karma. They will have methods to help in this regard. If we are practising a specific tradition, it is best to not to mix practices together. As each path has specific methods that lead to the same goal of ultimate enlightenment. I hope this helps. Thank you.

Dear Rena,

Thank you for your message and greetings from Malaysia! We are glad that feel a connection with Tsem Rinpoche. There are many different practices within Tibetan Buddhism that can help in any situation we are going through in life.

In the case of axiety, the best practice you can engage in is the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa. It’s the central practice within our lineage and has many benefits. One of those is helping to overcoming the anxiety and depression. Here are some resources on the practice to help you:

> Online prayer text: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#19

> Video commentary to the practice by Tsem Rinpoche: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html

> Condensed Tsongkapa practice for happiness and clear mind: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/all-about-tsongkhapa-the-benefits-and-his-practice.html

> Teaching on Lama Tsongkhapa’s benefits: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/sayonara-to-depression.html

We also have a book all about Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice available here:
> https://www.vajrasecrets.com/products/tsongkhapa-a-simple-guide-to-a-powerful-practice

Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga actually forms the first half of our daily sadhana here in Kechara, which is known as the Diamond Path (https://www.vajrasecrets.com/products/diamond-path). This practice includes the practice of Dorje Shugden, which removes obstacles and creates the conditions to succeed both in life and spiritual progress.

I hope this helps. You can always ask more questions here, or email Care@Kechara.com as well. Thank you.