Question asked by Kenny
Hej Pastors!
I would like to ask about:
What is relationship between Setrap and Kalarupa?
I saw in Setrap practice in the end that i saw verse pray o Kalarupa and what's meaning for this?
My friend use to do daily to prayers and offer serkyem to Kalarupa but nowaday, he has feeling deeply with help and bless from Setrap.
Can he still do his daily pray and serkyem to Kalarupa combine with Setrap prayers/ practices together?
How to do this?
Thank you so much.
Hello Kenny,
There is no specific relationship between the two protectors. However, both are enlightened beings manifesting in worldly forms as Dharma Protectors. Kalarupa is an emanation of Manjushri and Setrap is an emanation of Amitabha. Both of these protectors have been relied on heavily within our tradition. Kalarupa was considered to be the main protector of the entire Gelug lineage because Lama Tsongkhapa recommended his practice a lot. And Setrap was the special Protector of Gaden Shartse Monastery, from which our lineage comes from. So, sometimes in the prayers of a specific protector, it will include other protectors as well. So when you practice one, you are also invoking the others as well.
In regards to your friend’s practice, if he is doing the Kalarupa practice as assigned to him or recommended to him by his guru, or if it’s the main practice of his centre or Dharma organisation, he needs to keep doing it as there is Samaya involved. If he would like to engage in Setrap’s practice in addition to the Kalarupa practice, he should get the permission of his guru or at least the advice of the senior members of his Dharma organisation. If he can get these, then yes, he can do the practices to both. He shouldn’t mix the practices together, but do one after the other. For example, finish Kalarupa and then do Setrap.
If he was not assigned the practice but just started doing it himself, then there is no problem with doing both, finish first Kalarupa and then do Setrap. Both should be done daily. If he already has quite a long practice of doing Kalarupa, then I would not suggest that he stop it altogether. Many people these days start a practice, then when they like another practice more, stop their original practice and start doing another one. This will not actually be of much benefit, you won’t get the results of either deity. This is because receiving the results of a particular practice requires consistency. That is only how progress is made in true and lasting spiritual transformation. I hope this helps. Thank you.