Dear Thomas,

This section is actually answered by the Kechara Pastors. Yes if you have received an appropriate tantric empowerment in the past you can practice Setrap the tantric way. As far as my memory serves me His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has not bestowed the Setrap Sogtae (empowerment/life-entrustment) publicly in Kechara before. It is not necessary to have received this to practice Setrap.

However, since you have received tantric empowerment before, you should approach you own lama first to teach you more about your own Dharma practice and how the Dharma Protector practice fits in to it. It is always advisable that our lama gives us our practices. If appropriate and you want to learn more about Setrap, you can request your lama for teachings.

Dear Harold Musetescu,

Since Dorje Shugden is a enlightened being he can be relied upon as a Yidam. This is because he abides in great bliss and emptiness. These two are just some of the qualities of a fully enlightened Buddha.

Dear Narindas,

Yes Kechara has a Puja House who perform ritual prayers that can help you. You can contact Kechara House Front Desk on
Telephone: +603 7803 3908
Email: Frontdesk@Kechara.com
Alternative if you are in Malaysia and are able to you can visit us in person.

They will be able to assist you in organizing pujas according to your needs. Please inform them in regards of your illness and they will be able to advise which prayers can be done to help.

Dear Harold,

I really like your question. In order to receive the Dorje Shugden Sogtae (empowerment/life-entrustment) you must necessarily have received a Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment beforehand. This is usually a Yamantaka empowerment, but can be any other Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment as well. Traditionally, you would begin practice sessions beginning with the Guru Yoga and Yidam practice before the practice of Dorje Shugden. What occurs is that you invite Dorje Shugden into the mandala of the yidam, and then request his help and assistance. This is the same with any other Dharma Protector.

To clarify the difference between a Yidam and a Dharma Protector. Yidams are meditation deities, through whose practice we are able to gain enlightenment by engaging in daily sadhana and retreats. Dharma Protectors eliminate obstacles and provide protection so that we can engage in Dharma practice. Therefore the two “functions”are somewhat different. That being said, through compassion Manjushri has emanated in the form of Dorje Shugden, they are in essence one and the same mind.

Dear Eli Levine

I have replied to your question via email. Please check your inbox for my reply.

Dear Eli Levine,

Happy Winter Solstice to you too! I like your question. Let me give you a short answer first…if you were enlightened then you would know you are enlightened. So…if you asking this question, then like me, you are probably not enlightened. That is not say you are not on the path to be so.

Let me address your question point by point. The first part is about key people in your life showing their human qualities. Now, i’m not sure if by this you mean spiritual teachers or similar, but I will take it as such. We all hear that certain spiritual teachers, lamas, etc, are enlightened and certainly they have enlightened qualities in them for sure, but the form in which they are in are bound by human constraints. As such it can seem that are not enlightened but are in actual fact very human. They can also test students by acting and behaving in certain ways, to see how the students have actualised transforming their minds. However in any case, having a human form means that they can portray very human qualities, but one thing to remember most importantly is how we react to these instances. The measuring stick of our spiritual journey is how we react to these situations, what we do and how we think about them. This can lead to judgment of oneself, but instead of focusing on the negative, the aim of spiritual practice is to instigate a very powerful shift that occurs when we focus on ways to make things better, make things positive. When this shift occurs, we actually become beneficial agents in the world instead of being caught up in our own self-judgement. No matter how much knowledge a person has on the spiritual path, you cannot progress on the spiritual path without initiating that focal shift away from self-critical thoughts towards living the teachings through action and effort.

You said that you will not be at peace until you are dead, and this is in fact not true. Why is that? Because you haven’t yet been able to make the mind shift away from concentrating on this life, to realizing that you have many more lives in front of you. In the Lam Rim it says that at the beginning stages of practice we must think about and contemplate the fact that we have many future rebirths. In doing so we begin to realize that in all those lives, you will feel exactly as you do now…that life is suffering. This is the first of the Four Noble Truths taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. Knowing this coupled with the fact you feel the impermanent nature of phenomena, should actually propel you to do more, to help others more. We progress on our spiritual path when we concentrate externally to the needs of other sentient beings, rather than internally into our own selves. What you are feeling is perfect actually, but you just don’t see it. You are an example the first Noble Truth, that there is suffering. Now you should try to understand the second, the causes of sufferings (our self-deluded mind), that suffering end as with all phenomena, and that the path out of this suffering is through the spiritual path.

As for developing faith in your own spiritual development, as enlightenment is a stage to be reached, not something that occurs in stages, there are many ways of gauging your progress. The first I would say, is how have you noticed your mind reacts in certain situations. In the past, would you have reacted to the situation in a negative way? Rather than using the experience to delve deeper into your own state of self-pity, self-centeredness, have you used the situation to change yourself to be someone better. Traditionally there are many ways of gauging one’s spiritual path. If you want to know more about this you can read up on the Bodhisattva-Bhumi’s or the 10 stages of a Bodhisattva. I hope this helps!

Dear Desperate,

I am sorry to hear that you feel like this. You are right that life is suffering as the Buddha taught. But what you must not forget is that the Buddha also taught us the cure to this suffering, which is practicing the Dharma. When we practice the Dharma, we can overcome our suffering and pain in life, and are able to do something more positive with our lives.

Time and money shouldn’t be factors on your spiritual path. Yes, i understand that you may be very busy at work to provide for your family but you must make time to focus on your spiritual journey. if you do not then you won’t get anywhere and still be stuck feeling like this.

For a start you begin the practice of Lama Tsongkhapa. This practice is very beneficial. This practice can help to calm the mind, easing the worries of life if engaged in properly. It is a short practice compared with many other Buddhist practices. Once you have a good foundation in this, you can continue to learn other teachings that will help you for sure.

There is a commentary to this practice by H.E. 25th Tsem Rinpoche available here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html

Dear Alex,

1) Regarding your friend, there is absolutely nothing wrong in doing this. He is doing as best he can as he does not know the actual chants. However there are two points i would like to mention. The first is that the blessings of the lineage stemming from Buddha Shakyamuni, as with all Buddhist paths is strongest when following a particular lineage. If your friend has already taken refuge with a particular teacher formally or through faith, then he should adhere to the teachings of that teacher. Each lineage can lead to enlightenment but if you mix lineages confusion on the path can arise. Therefore i suggest that your friend try to adhere to one particular lineage, whatever lineage he feels comfortable with. The second is if your friend is serious with his spiritual path, he should put in the effort to learn the prayers, chants, and practices of the particular lineage he has chosen. All Buddhists work towards the same ultimate goal, to achieve the Body, Speech and Mind of a Buddha, but there are many paths to get there. If we stick to one path and strive along that one path, we will reach our goal.

2) As for this situation, unfortunately this can happen in some centres. This is not to say that this centre is bad, or the person who did this is bad. And yes, you can be hurt. But practicing Buddhism, we should always think about the other person as well. When we are afflicted physically or emotionally by others, instead of being self-absorbed we should think about the others person. I’m not condoning this sort of behavior but just giving advice what we can do in situations like this and others in which we feel hurt. Perhaps this particular centre is short of funds but you don’t know about it? Perhaps instead of holding this hurt, you can try to understand why this happened and then do something. If they are short of funds, perhaps help them to fund-raise or volunteer your time. People often forget that Buddhist centres usually rely on funds from the public to stay open. All situations we come across, even if we are hurt, we can change to something positive. I hope this helps.

Dear Eli Levine,

I’m glad you asked this questions, its a very good one. The fundamental differences between the three “yanas” is both of motivation and also results. For example:

– Hinayana/Theravada: The motivation here is to escape from cyclic existence, thereby overcoming all forms of suffering. In this case we are “removed” from the universe.

– Mahayana: The motivation here is to progress on the spiritual path towards complete enlightenment but to hold back on the cusp, in order to emanate back into the universe (existence) to benefit others.

– Vajrayana: to achieve enlightenment in the quickest possible time (actually achievable in 3 years, 3 months and 3 days). However this is done from a Mahayana motivation.

In actual fact there are only 2 “yanas” – Hinayana and Mahayana. Vajrayana is actually a branch of Mahayana, therefore is not separate from it.

From the questions you’ve posed, you actually equate cyclic existence with our universe. But the universe and all that it involves, including all forms of energy, etc IS cyclic existence. Therefore logically, when you overcome cyclic existence, you overcome the limitations of the universe.

When you achieve complete Enlightenment or even the 10th (last) Bodhisattva level, you have already completely overcome cyclic existence, therefore everything that is involved in the universe, such as energy etc. I hope this helps. Let me know if my answer is not that clear, its a little hard to explain all of this in a short space such as this.

Dear Dolma Lili brussels

From what you have written it is clear you are struggling with a lot at the moment. In order to deal with these sorts of situations we need to think about the situations logically and with a clear mind. When our minds are overcome by emotions, we cannot do this efficiently.

If i may, i would like to suggest you engage in the practice of Lama Tsongkhapa strongly. This practice will help you to calm your mind and get control over your emotions, after which you can deal with your life situations with some form of good control.

There is a commentary to this practice by H.E. 25th Tsem Rinpoche available here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsongkapas-daily-practice-video-commentary.html

There is also a written commentary and a box set for this practice available at Kechara Paradise outlets in Malaysia and online worldwide at http://www.vajrasecrets.com.

Link to written commentary: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/tsongkhapa-a-simple-guide-to-a-powerful-practice

Link to the Box Set: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/tsongkhapa-boxset-english.

If you engage in this practice correctly then your mind will be calm. Once done then you can start dealing with your life situations in an efficient manner. I hope this helps.

Dear Observer,

You are right in your observation. But there is a major factor that you need to keep in mind. Buddhist centres/organisations have to support themselves in order to be able to help others through teaching the Dharma and providing the necessary facilities for the practice of Dharma. For this to happen, as per tradition, these centres/organisations need sponsorship or other avenues to support themselves. Dharma centres are not profit making institutions, like other charitable organisations, therefore are reliant on others.

However, sponsorship of a Dharma Centre is not the only way people can help show their support. Those who have the time and capability can help in many other ways, such as helping to clean the centre, volunteering in various departments, and in many other ways to show their support.

You are right that some Dharma Centres do insist on members contribute with sponsorship, but you can understand the reasons why. This may indeed deter some people. But in other cases, such as in Kechara, this is not the case, we provide many outlets for people to show their support and do not charge for the majority of our weekly prayers and events, but rely on the kindness of our members and friends to support us as they will. I hope this helps.

Dear Eli Levine,

The Hindu system of the yugas, mirrors the Buddhist system of the yugas in some respects. Both systems are based on cyclic existence therefore the yuga system exists in both. You are right that we are in the Kali yuga, usually withing Buddhist translations this is called the ‘degenerate age’, you may come across this term in Buddhist texts. The historical Buddha Shakyamuni did indeed live towards the beginning of this degenerative age, as you have rightly said.

As for the place of Buddhism within the universal motions as you have put it, is as follows. In certain ages Buddhas will appear and teach the Dharma, they are titled “Samyaksam Buddhas” following this the Dharma will benefit sentient beings in that age, until as with all phenomena within cyclic existence it disappears. Following this there are periods of existence when there is no Dharma. Followed by a period when a Buddha will appear and teach again.

Of course, all Dharma teachings can lead people to Enlightenment. This is even the case within the Kaliyuga we live in. And the teachings are even more important in this age, as the panacea to the sufferings we all face.

As for the end of the Kaliyuga, no one person or group has the capacity to do this. It simply cannot be done, as if it were possible the Buddhas would have ended cyclic existence a long time ago. As long as sentient beings have karma there will always be cyclic existence. The aim of the Dharma is not to speed up or end the various yugas but to transcend them altogether by becoming a fully Enlightened being, and then helping others in cyclic existence to do the same. Thus there is no way that a single person or group of people can end the Kaliyuga. I hope this helps.

Dear Eli Levine,

Karma is more complicated that as you have suggested above. There are many categories of Karma actually, three are listed below:

1. Individual Karma
2. Group Karma
3. Environmental Karma

Therefore you do have karma that is entangled with that of others. Karma is not so individualistic as most people think. But the key point here, is how you react to situations that arise due to these interconnected karmas. If you are in a situation at work, where your whole team is under a boss that is very demanding and generally not very nice, you all have the group karma to work with this person, however, this does not mean you all have to react in the same exact way to this situation. It is up to you to react to the situation, though you may obviously be influenced by your team mates. But ultimately it is up to you.

To learn more you should read the sections on Karma in the great Lam Rim texts, such as “Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand” These explanations of Karma will provide you with a better and overall explanation of Karma, more than I would be able to do here in this short space as the questions you have asked are very vast indeed. I hope this helps.

Dear Help,

There are a number of reasons why he cannot get a job. Mantras, prayers and pujas all actually do work but the help of the enlightened beings depend on our karma and our own efforts to overcome the effects of our karma.

I would suggest that he engage in practices that purify negative karma such as Vajrasattva practice (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/an-important-purification-practice.html) or 35 Confession Buddhas. This should be coupled with the practice of Dorje Shugden, so that the prevailing karma can be purified.

But together with this, karma is made by action. Therefore it will take effort on his part to purify his karma not to have a job, and also effort to look for a job. When doing this then the enlightened beings will definately manifest to help the situation. I hope this helps.

Hello,

Green Tara is holding the stem of blue lotuses.

Dear G,

There retinue of Tara can be different depending on which lineage of practice you follow. As far as I know H.E. 25th Tsem Rinpoche has not given any teachings on the retinue of Green Tara, or if H.E. has i’m sorry but i have not received those teachings. Perhaps you can leave a comment on one of the blog posts on Tara, requesting H.E. to teach about the retinue. This section is actually answered by the Kechara Pastors.

Dear Robert,

I am sure there is a commentary on the practice of Shize. I’m sure it will be posted up on the “Dorje Shugden” section of this blog in due time. Stay tuned!

Dear Samira Shrestha,

I am sorry I cannot answer this question as I do not have clairvoyance. There are many ways that you can help your son, by being a supportive parent. You can talk with him as ask him if he needs help studying, then arrange help for him.

You can also ask him to recite the mantra of Manjushri, which is excellent for children and those studying. It helps increase all types of mental functions. I have known a lot of children who have had great success with this mantra. The mantra is Om Ah Ra Ba Tsa Na Dhi.

There is an excellent post with lots of information regarding Manjushri here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/all-about-manjushri.html

Dear Kevin,

The difference between mundane and supramundane attainments is simple. One does not necessarily assist you on your spiritual path, and the other does so by creating a shift within your very consciousness that propels you further along the path towards enlightenment.

An example of a mundane attainment could be developing the ability to fly or developing some sort of clairvoyance. While these are nice little “powers” you have, they do not necessarily help you on your spiritual journey. They are just tools that you can use to assist you on your journey.

An example of a supramundane attainment could be developing an insight into the nature of reality or developing compassion. These would necessarily create a great shift in your mind, therefore creating a ripple effect in the rest of your life. This itself assists you on the spiritual path towards enlightenment. I hope this helps.

Dear Harold,

Dorje Shugden’s practice is a Dharmapala practice. Manjushri arose in this particular form for this purpose of assisting Dharma practitioners along the path. Therefore as it currently stands Dorje Shugden cannot be practiced as a Yidam.