Question asked by Marcus Foo
Hello Kechara!
Firstly I want to say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for providing us all with the prayer texts for the beautiful Puja’s during this year’s Ullambana and Dorje Shugden festivals, it was a privilege to chant along with the pastors via the Kechara FB livestream.
My question for the lovely Kechara pastors is that for a couple of months now, I’ve been doing the Dorje Shugden daily practice (as composed by the late H.E Tsem Rinpoche-months before he passed into clear light) alongside Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga and have also picked up Red Tara & White Tara’s Sadhana’s alongside Manjushri Arapacana’s Sadhana as well and have been doing it in my bedroom (don’t have anywhere else to do it). I have printed out their respective images via this blog but despite using my bedroom table as a mini altar, my parents have told me off for doing so and not to put up the images of these enlightened Buddha’s since we already have our own Chenrezig altar at the front of the house and that I should just do my prayers there but it’s only Chenrezig and so I may have to just do my Sadhana’s without the images.
Pastors, what do I do? I’m devoted to the Sadhana’s especially with the Dorje Shugden one and don’t ever want to give them up. I also don’t want to continuously make my parents upset and so I feel a bit stuck.
I’ve been doing them continuously ever since I’ve picked them up and they’ve helped me to deal with my anxious mind among other things.
Thank you for reading this and may the late H.E. Tsem Rinpoche will return soon in his swift and unmistaken reincarnation 🙏.
-Marcus Foo
Dear Marcus Foo,
First let us say that we are very happy to hear that you are engaged in daily sadhana practice. This is a very good thing to do and creates a strong connection to the Buddhas, which is very beneficial for the transformation of the mind.
You have listed quite a number of sadhanas. Usually we don’t engage in so many sadhanas in one day, because we actually focus quite strongly on one or two practices. This is done with as much visualisation associated with that sadhana as possible.
In regards to your altar, it is permissible not to do your sadhana in front of your altar. For example, you have a family altar outside, but you can still do your sadhana in your room, in the case your parents do not allow you to keep your mini-altar in your room.
Alternatively, you can gently explain to your parents who these enlightened beings are that you have on your altar. If they are willing, then you can ask them if you place these images on the family altar, together with Chenrezig. In this way, you will have one nice family altar, and then you can do your practice in front of the altar outside. Ultimately, all the Buddhas are of one mind, they just appear differently.
If however, they do not let you keep your mini-altar and do not allow you to put the images on the family altar, you can do either one of two things. Simply continue to do your practice in your room, or do in front of the family altar anyway. Chenrezig is the main image on your altar, but that doesn’t mean you can do your other practice in front of the altar as well. He is an enlightened being, as are the other Buddhas you are practicing. There is no different.
In this case where you don’t do your daily practice in front of the altar, what is most important is that you make sure the altar is properly maintained wherever it is. That means it is clean, tidy, respectful and that you also make offerings everyday. I hope this helps. Do let us know if we can help you with anything else.