Dear Eli Levine,

My advice is not to put too much importance in dreams, good or bad. Most of the time, bad dreams are due to worries we have during the day and we tend to project meanings into them. The meaning is imputed and not inherent in the dream. As it is clear that you have worries, it would be good to take refuge in the Three Jewels (if you haven’t done so already) and find a qualified spiritual guide who can help you in your spiritual path. I wish you all the best.

Dear SG,

I recommend the daily recitation of “Ganglongma: Praise to Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom”, together with one mala of Manjushri’s holy mantra OM AH RA PA TSA NA DHI. The mantra is Manjushri’s speech and is an expression of the wisdom realizations of all Buddhas. Manjushuri’s mantra will help us to overcome our fears, increase self-confidence and intelligence, make wise decisions as well as exercise good judgement when we are at a crossroad. It is excellent to recite Manjushuri’s powerful mantra faithfully everyday to purify ignorance, low mentality, oblivion and to actualize the seven wisdoms. The prayer is found in this blog: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#22.

To improve communication skills, one can recite the “Prayer to Saraswati” and recite her mantra OM SARASIDDHI HRING HRING 21 times daily, after Ganglongma. This is the link: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#16.

Dear Natalie,

I’m very happy to learn that you are following H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s teachings and that you have started Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice. How fortunate to be able to find a teacher who explains the Dharma to us, so that we can eliminate the causes of our unhappiness and become better, happier people. H.E. Tsem Rinpoche has taught that relying on a qualified guru is the foundation for all spiritual attainments.

Your guru is the spiritual guide who removes your ignorance, a teacher who guides you along the path to enlightenment. So if you think you have found such a guru, then you must have confidence in him, meditate on his extraordinary kindness and the many ways he benefits living beings in the world. It would be good if you could participate in the spiritual activities of Kechara House, attend Dharma classes and apply the Dharma to your daily life. There are many ways we can offer our services to the guru. Offering our Dharma practice is the best service to the guru.

Dear Tan,

It is advisable to wait three and half to four days to ensure that the process of death is completed, that is, when there is complete separation of the bardo body from its human body. During this time and during the funeral, we should make sure there is no excessive expressions of grief and unnecessary arguments among the family members. It is good for the family to sit quietly, recite prayers and mantras and dedicate the merits to the deceased. It is a custom to invite relatives and friends to the wake, the funeral as well as memorial services. The purpose of inviting friends and relatives is for them to spend time with the bereaved and show them their concern and sympathy. You can invite people but keep the funeral and post-funeral rites simple and dignified.

Dear Bry,

Kechara House has a department called “Kechara Saraswati Arts” (KSA) where one can have mantras inserted into statues. Consecration of the statues can also be done in Kechara House. Please contact the Kechara Front Desk for more information: +60378033908. You can find out more about the services available in Kechara Saraswati Arts from our website: http://www.kechara.com. There is also an article on KSA in this blog which may be of interest to you: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/liaisons/kechara-saraswati-arts-is-officially-open.html.

Hello Jason,
Nice to see you asking another question. It means that you want to learn and understand. That is good in Buddhism because that will help your faith and in turn, you can help others later.

The issue with Dorje Shugden in recent years is that certain parties have said that Dorje Shugden is a demon and that he should not be worshipped. However, Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche all said that Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Manjushri and a very powerful protector that is most suitable for our time.

Dorje Shugden arose as a protector during the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama and prior to that, he had been reincarnating as very High Lamas who were Gurus to the Dalai Lama and was also a direct disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa by the name of Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen. You can google and read about it. We actually don’t need to practice many protectors, we just need one. Just because we talk about Dorje Shugden doesn’t mean you should… but Dorje Shugden belongs to Tsem Rinpoche’s lineage and he is considered the fastest and most potent Dharma Protector of our time. You can practice him if you don’t have prior commitment to practice any other protectors.

Dear Teng,

You should remove the mantras from the ceiling fan. Do not worry about the negative karma as there was no bad intention. When bad thoughts arise, note them and let them pass. Practise mindfulness and avoid non-virtuous actions of body, speech and mind. Meditate regularly to overcome your afflictive emotions. To purify negative karma, you can do the practice of the 35 Confessional Buddhas or the Vajrasattva purification practice with the 4 opponent powers once a day. Do not take purification practices lightly. We take the trouble to do these practices because we believe in karma.

Dear Kunga,

Depending on their karma, animals do take rebirth in the human realm when their karma in that rebirth has been exhausted and they have not committed any serious evil acts. Beings born in realms other than the human and animal realms belong to a different dimension, some with form and others formless and one may or may not have the awareness that one has been reborn.

To understand reincarnation, you can listen to H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s teachings in this blog on the mind and how it reincarnates: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-mind-and-how-it-reincarnates.html. You can also read the chapter on “Reincarnation” in the book by Rinpoche: “The Living Buddha Within”, pp. 24-29.

Dear Jason,
The answer actually lies in one of Rinpoche’s post called ‘I pray to what I want’ – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/i-pray-to-what-i-want-to.html

And I quote from Rinpoche – “2. my second solution that comes from my ordinary mind is when you have two teachers who teach you ‘opposing’ views and practices, take on the advice of the first teacher and follow that through without thinking negative things about the second teacher, if this applies to you. Some explanation is required. For example, if your first teacher told you to practice Tsongkhapa and he has passed away, and the second teacher recommends you to do Guru Rinpoche as your main practice, since your first teacher has passed away and you cannot be excused from the practice, then naturally you have to tell the second teacher that you did not get permission to be excused and so you must remain status quo. The second teacher should never override the blessed instructions of the first teacher for this disciple, as it will create confusion. In my case, I have had hundreds of people come see me over the years and they will tell me that their teacher or a teacher told them to practice Nechung, Vajrakilaya, Tara, Ekajati, Manjushri, Guru Rinpoche, Tsongkhapa, etc. Can I tell them if this was the best practice for them or not? Except under extreme circumstances, I always tell them that whatever practices they are doing is more than fine, and I have nothing to change or add because ultimately that is the truth. I do not want to confuse them, nor disrespect their faith in their teacher, and I do not wish to disrespect their teachers either. So, if a person can stop their practice given to them by their teacher, they must receive the permission of the teacher who gave them the practice because no follow-up teacher has the authority to override the first teacher, if you really want to follow the rules strictly.”

PS – Please do go to that blogpost and read the entire post to get a better understanding.

Dear Dorjee,

How we look at things is important for our inner peace and happiness. To have a calm and stable mind, we must change the way we look at things. Basically, it is about changing our attitude, perspective and approach to people and the world around us. Everyday, we meet people with different states of mind, some positive, and some negative. Due to their delusions, some may have bad intentions towards you. We have no control over their minds but we can have control over ours. As H.E. Tsem Rinpoche said, “if you’re a Dharma practitioner, you must have proper motivation from Day One.” Are you practising solely for yourself or for the sake of others? If it is for the sake of others, then you will be able to bear the difficulties and not give up on them, whatever they do to you. Think about your family and loved ones. Would you give up on them if they have done something wrong and have hurt you? Getting angry and having ill-will towards others will not solve anything. There is a Dharma teaching by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche in this blog which will help you to understand the importance of changing one’s perspective. Here is the link: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/nothing-changes-everything-changes.html. It will also help to recite the “Eight Verses of Training the Mind” as part of your daily prayers: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#eight.

Dear Teng Yang,

You can do Vajrasattva’s purification practice daily. Vajrasattva is the manifestation of the purity of the body, speech and mind of all the Buddhas. Read the prayer and recite the hundred syllable mantra of Vajrasattva at least 21 times. You can find the prayer and mantra in this blog: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/prayers-and-sadhanas.

Dear Siew Tai,

Reading books on Buddhism is useful for gaining knowledge but if possible, try to learn the Dharma from a teacher who belongs to a lineage that goes all the way back to Buddha Shakyamuni. Through the teachings, we will receive the blessings of the Buddha and lineage masters. So it is better to go to a centre. According to the Sutras, there are advantages of hearing the Dharma directly from a teacher. The Buddha explained that when one listens to the Dharma with thorough attention, the five hindrances do not exist and the seven factors of enlightenment are complete. Furthermore, we find that in the Sutras and the Vinaya, almost all the persons who attained stream entry (first path leading to liberation/enlightenment) did so by listening to the Dharma. It is really worth one’s while to attend Dharma teachings as the teacher will be able to answer your questions and clear your doubts. On your own, it is difficult because you may not know whether you are going in the right direction and there is no one to advise you. Therefore, the advantages of going to a centre is definitely more than reading up on your own. I hope this helps.

Dear Tan,

There are reasons for turning the prayer wheel in a clockwise direction. When it turns clockwise, the mantra can be seen turning in the direction in which it is written. It is also the direction we follow when we circumambulate a Buddha statue, stupa or holy place. Another reason given is that it follows the movement of the sun across the sky.

Normally, we do not turn the mani wheel in an anticlockwise direction. In certain tantric practices, the prayer wheel is turned anticlockwise in order to manifest more wrathful protective energy. But since we are not tantric practitioners, it is not advisable to do so.

Don’t worry about which way your CD is turning and the direction the mantra is spinning as long as the sound comes out right.

As for the disposal of printed sutras, buddha images and mantras, the best way is to burn them. Do not throw them in the garbage bin and do not burn them along with other trash. Burn them alone and as they burn, recite OM AH HUM. As the smoke rises, visualise that the essence of the Dharma is being carried to the six realms of samsara, blessing all sentient beings, purifying their minds and removing their suffering.

Dear Aditya,

There is no rivalry between the two main vehicles of Buddhism. It is said in the Lamrim (Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) that all the scriptures of the Buddha are without contradiction. This means that all the teachings of the Bhagavan Buddha are harmonious. The Mahayana and the Theravada seem to contradict each other but they are all nothing but the main practice to take us to enlightenment or a branch of its attainment. The foundation studies are similar in both traditions. The Mahayana monasteries also include the study of the Tripitaka (vinaya, sutras and the abhidharma). People practise according to their level of spiritual development. The Lamrim, which contains the 84000 teachings of the Buddha, explains the three scopes of spiritual application: (1) small scope: application based on the wish to gain higher rebirth, (2) medium scope: personal liberation from samsara, and (3) great scope: liberation possessed of omniscience as a means to benefit all sentient beings. When a person is at the level of the small and medium scopes, the Theravada teachings are suitable. When this person has made some progress and is at the level of the great scope, he/she can receive the Mahayana teachings. And when he/she becomes a suitable vessel for the tantras, then the Vajrayana can be taught to him/her. Thus, a person can follow the teachings and progress from the small scope to the great scope. All these practices are harmonious for a person to follow in order to be enlightened.

The original Pali scriptures were rendered into Sanskrit by the Mahasanghikas who broke away during the Second Council. King Kanishka, a follower of the Mahayana in the 1st century AD convened the Mahayana Council and a Sanskritized version of the Dharma was finalised and many commentaries were written after that.

In general, Theravada Buddhists do not subscribe to the Mahayana belief that one must strive to attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. For them this belief has no ground because the Buddha never mentioned that he wanted to save all living beings. In addition, many of the Buddhas practised in the Mahayana school are not historical Buddhas and are therefore not given much attention by Theravada practitioners.

As practitioners, we must respect all traditions and remember that everyone practises at his/her own level. Whatever tradition we belong to, whether Theravada or Mahayana, as long as we do our practice well, we will achieve the goal.

Dear Yogie P,

I do not know much about the Shurangama sutra and mantra. The recitation of the Shurangama mantra is a popular Chinese Mahayana practice to ward off demons and evil spirits. As you are practising it, you are in a better position to judge whether it is working or not. For any spiritual practice to have results, one must listen to the Dharma from a master, gain faith and knowledge, meditate and practice it well. If you are doubtful about the effectiveness of the mantra, it is quite certain you will not get any results. I suggest you find a qualified teacher to guide you and to give you the abhisheka.

Dear Lay Poh,

The way one can purify negative karma to have a good rebirth is not through just chanting mantras and doing good deeds although these are virtuous actions and will certainly help us to collect merits.

We can purify our negative karma with the four opponent powers: The power of repudiation, the power of refraining from the misdeed, the power of reliance and the power of applying the antidotes. Everyone can do this. It is certainly not something that lay people cannot do. The power of repudiation means having strong regret for one’s sins of the past. This is the most important of the four powers. If one has this the others will follow. This power comes from having faith in karma. The power of refraining from the misdeed involves firmly resolving to refrain from it and thinking, “From now on I will not do it even at the cost of my life.” The power of reliance is to take refuge in the Three Jewels and to generate bodhicitta. With this, we can either do the Vajrasattva purification practice and recitations of his mantra or recitations of the 35 Confessional Buddhas. The power of applying the antidotes means any virtuous practice done to purify the sin.

There are many ways to accumulate merits, for example, through developing bodhicitta, through prostrations, through meditating on loving kindness, through making offerings, through petitioning the merit field, through rejoicing for the virtues of oneself and others, through offering the seven-limbed prayer and the world mandala, through meditating on “taking” (the suffering of others), and through taking refuge.

Do read up on karma, accumulation of merits and purification of negative karma in order to gain more knowledge for your practice. There is a teaching on karma by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche in this blog which will be helpful: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/discovering-yourself-a-teaching-on-karma-mindstream.html.

Dear Wh Ch’ng,

Thank you for your question. Yes, according to our practice anyone can chant mantras and it will help them even if they are of a different religion. The compassionate energies of the Buddhas do not discriminate depending on which religion you are. That being said mantras will be more effective if the person reciting them has good motivation, love and compassion for others, and wants to lessen the negative qualities that they may have such as anger and hatred.

However it is important to respect other people beliefs and not force anyone to practice something they are not comfortable with. There are countries in the world where practicing another religion may be against the law. It is best to be respectful of other people’s beliefs.

Dear Tashi,

You can find out more about the subtle mind and the very subtle mind from H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s teaching in this blog, in the post “The Mind and How it Reincarnates”. Please watch the videos which will help you to understand the mind. Here is the link: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-mind-and-how-it-reincarnates.html.

Dear KL Ng,

I suggest you do the prayer to Lord Setrap and recite at least one mala of the mantra daily. You can find the prayer in this blog in the section “Sadhana and Prayers”. It is called “Prayer & Serkym to the Dharmapala Setrap”: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html#28.

In order to learn the prayer well and understand the practice, it is recommended that you attend the Setrap puja in our centre in SunwayMas Commercial Centre, Petaling Jaya. For more information, please contact the Front Desk: +60378033908. You can also get a copy of the prayer book and an explanation of the practice in a special “Setrap Box Set” which you can order from http://www.vajrasecrets.com.

Lord Setrap is an enlightened protector and is an emanation of Amitabha Buddha. Therefore his practice can actually lead to enlightenment. According to H.E. Tsem Rinpoche, in propitiating an enlightened being like Setrap, our mind must be very altruistic. When we practise with good motivation to benefit others, we will also receive the benefits of the practice.