An important purification practice
Dear friends,
All results come from karma. All karma comes from our actions. All actions come from our mind. Our mind’s creations arise from projections and deep seeded ignorance. The good news is all karma can be purified, therefore we can purify our actions and our mind also. When we leave karma as it is, then karma will effortlessly bring it’s results to us. One of the ways that karma can affect us is for us to have negative mind, angry mind and to see everything wrongly. When we are angry and have wrong view, then everything that comes out of us will be harmful which collects more negative karma. Karma brings us illness, misfortune, tragedies, pain, death, separation, rebirths, ill births, anguish and so on. There is no end how creative karma can be to make sure we suffer for as along as we let it. Samsara’s basis is karma from ignorance. Karma’s trick is to put us in a situation that is seemingly pleasurable but in reality it only brings pain in the long run. Karma’s method is deception. One of the powerful counters of karma and it’s effects is purification practice. The highest purification practice is the meditation on emptiness but for all us, that is pretty impossible at this stage. We instead can engage in prostrations, 35 Confessional Buddha sutra, taking and holding vows, refraining from harm and Vajrasattva practice. When we engage in purification practices, all the internal toxins will come out. All the karmas that will bring pain will be purified. When these karmas come out for a short time we may experience physical pain, disturbing dreams and much distorted mental anguish or fears. But it’s important to not stop and must continue. It’s like going for medical treatment for a serious illness. At first it is very painful and creates so much anxiety that we almost want to quit but in the end we are healed if we persevere. We must not quit. Quitting brings us nothing but false comfort zones. Same goes for purification practices, we have to go through much anguish and pain at times but the ‘toxins’ will come out. The more we engage in purification practices like Vajrasattva, we can see diseases heal, our minds become calm, we find peace, we find hope and our mental anguishes lessen for sure. Our various problems start to clear. Dharma knowledge starts to saturate our minds deeper and easier. Attachments don’t afflict us as much and so on. Why? Because the karma fueling them is being purified.
If we engage in the higher tantric practices (Maha-Annutara-tantras), then engaging in Vajrasattva practice is a total necessity as a prerequisite. Without this practice, then higher attainments within the tantras would be difficult. It would be good to engage in a minimum 100,000 each of Vajrasattva, prostrations, mandala offerings, guru yoga, refuge formula. You can also include 100,000 of water bowl offerings, butterlamps or light offerings and making of Buddha images like tsatsas if you like as extra. It is very important to engage in these preliminary practices prior to tantra or simultaneous with tantric practices. Tantric practice will bear results if our minds are ready to go all the way. One of the ways to prepare our mind is through purification practices that has been successfully completed by great practitioners of the past.
I am very happy to present to you the practice of Vajrasattva here. I wish you all very well.
Tsem Rinpoche
Vajrasattva: Primordial Purity
Dissolving Negative Emotions, Habitual Behaviors and Karma
Vajrasattva is the ultimate embodiment of the aspects of all the Buddhas and is representative of the Diamond-like primordial Purity of the Buddha Nature within each individual. Vajrasattva is also representative of the 100 Peaceful and Wrathful Deities embodied in each sentient being and also represents the Union of Compassion and Skillful Means. ‘Sattva’ translates as ‘spiritual hero’ or ‘heroine’ and ‘Vajra’ translates as diamond thunderbolt (unbreakable and pure energy).
Vajrasattva is the ideal of the perfected being: without negative karma, without desire, without ego, without self, in an egalitarian inner union of perfect non-duality. Vajrasattva represents the aspects of compassion and skillful means; and the state of perfected wisdom, joined for the ultimate goal of realization: Absolute Compassion and Wisdom (Enlightenment).
Through accomplishment of the meditative practice, Vajrasattva is actually understood as the practitioner in a state of absolute purity, having totally revealed the inner purity of the Buddha Nature within each individual. Thus transformed, the practitioner is enabled to embark further and further along the path of realization; and achieve a deeper personal understanding and actualization of Compassion and Wisdom.
As with any mantra there are many levels to the meaning of the 100-Syllable Mantra. As a result, one should not become fixated upon any one translation of the mantra. For example, each of the syllables in the 100-Syllable Mantra also represents the One Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities resident in one’s own body and encountered in the Bardo State after death. By practicing with an open mind, the deeper levels of the mantra will be revealed.
The approximate meaning of the mantra:
You, Vajrasattva, have generated the holy mind (bodhicitta) according to your pledge (samaya). Your holy mind is enriched with the simultaneous holy actions of releasing transmigratory beings from samsara (the circling, suffering aggregates). Whatever happens in my life – happiness or suffering, good or bad – with a pleased, holy mind, never give up but please guide me. Please stabilize all happiness, including the happiness of the upper realms, actualize all actions and sublime and common realizations, and please make the glory of the five wisdoms abide in my heart.
Vajrasattva Purification Practice
We develop bodhicitta, the wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of others. We reflect on how rare and precious this human existence is.
Now, we enter the Vajrayana practice and we come to the meditation and recitation on Vajrasattva, the purpose which is to remove hindrances on the path to enlightenment. These hindrances are the obscurations and negative actions we have accumulated in the past. There are various kinds of negative actions. Some, like killing, stealing, lying or cheating are obviously unvirtues. The main purpose of Vajrasattva practice is to purify these obscurations. It is said, the only virtue of sin is that it can be purified. In fact, everything can be purified, even the most apparently heinous deed. There are four powers in order to purify negative actions completely: the power of refuge, the power of regret, the power of the antidote, and the power of resolution. Purification requires a support for us to express our remorse, make our confession and repair the effects of our past negative actions. In this case, the refuge is Vajrasattva.
Now visualize Vajrasattva above your head, utterly peaceful and smiling, brilliant white like a dazzling snow mountain illuminated by the rays of a hundred thousand suns. He is sitting in full vajra posture, upon a thousand-petalled white lotus and a moon disc. In his right hand he holds a golden vajra at his heart center, and in his left, a silver bell resting on his hip. Vajrasattva is wearing the thirteen Sambhogakaya adornments – the five silken garments and the eight jeweled ornaments. He is in union with his consort, Vajratopa, who holds a curved knife in her right hand and, in her left, a skull cup filled with the nectar of immortality. Visualize Vajrasattva not as someone made of flesh and blood, but like a rainbow in the sky, vivid yet empty. Unlike a rainbow, on the other hand, he is not simply something perceived physically, for he is pervaded with the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. Think of him as your kind root teacher, appearing in the form of Vajrasattva.
The Tibetan syllable HUNG
The second power is the power of deep, intense remorse for one’s past actions. If you had swallowed a deadly poison without realizing it, you would certainly feel desperate when you found out you were going to die. Similarly, up to now you have not been aware of the devastating power that has accumulated from the negative actions you have committed throughout many past lives. Today, realizing that these negative actions are the very cause of your wandering in samsara and of all your suffering, you feel a strong regret at having acted so carelessly. If you do not feel this regret, you will simply continue to accumulate negative actions and extend your suffering.
For the power of the antidote, one-third power, visualize Vajrasattva above your head as previously described, with a moon disc in his heart center, upon which is a white letter HUNG surrounded by the 100-Syllable Mantra. Then recite the 100-Syllable Mantra as many times as you can. While reciting the mantra, generate strong devotion towards Vajrasattva, thinking, “Because of my past actions in this life and in all my previous lives, I am in this miserable situation in samsara.”
In your vision, invoke the wisdom mind of Vajrasattva to purify your negative actions. By the force of your prayer, from the letter HUNG in Vajrasattva’s heart, luminous nectar starts to flow, containing all his wisdom, loving-kindness and power. Through this aperture the nectar descends and fills your body, completely washing away all your obscurations and impurities. Your illnesses come out in the form of pus and blood, negative influences in the form of insects, scorpions, and snakes, and mental obscurations as dark, smoky liquid. As the obscurations flow out of your body, the earth below you opens, down to seven levels below the surface. There, in the form of a red bull with mouth gaping open, is Yama, the Lord of Death. The dirty liquid enters his mouth, and, as he swallows it, turns into nectar. Now all your karmic debts, your past actions, have been totally purified and transformed into wisdom. Your body is purified, and your flesh, blood, bones and skin are no longer gross material substances; they become transparent, clear and luminous inside and out.
The earth beneath you closes again and you are completely purified. The amrita from Vajrasattva still continues to flow down, progressively filling your body. As it fills your head, you receive the blessings of Vajrasattva’s body, and all the negative actions you have committed physically, such as killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, are purified. When the nectar reaches your throat, you receive the blessings of Vajrasattva’s speech, and all the negative actions you have committed verbally, such as lies, idle chatter, slander, and harsh words, are purified. Then, as the nectar flows down to your heart level, you receive the blessings of Vajrasattva’s mind, and all your negative thoughts, such as animosity, envy, and false views are purified.
After that Vajrasattva dissolves into you. You no longer have your ordinary form, but become Vajrasattva, united with his wisdom consort. Then visualize that from your whole body and from the syllables of the mantra, boundless rays of light emanate, filling the whole universe around you. The universe is now no longer an ordinary, impure place, but the perfect Buddhafield of Vajrasattva, the Buddhafield of Pure Joy. The sentient beings in it are also no longer ordinary: all the males have the form and nature of Vajrasattva, and all the females the form and nature of Vajratopa, his wisdom consort. The external world is a Buddhafield and the beings in it are manifestations of Vajrasattva and Vajratopa. All sounds are the resonance of mantra and all thoughts are the spontaneous display of bliss-emptiness.
Vajrasattva Purification
From the HUM at Vajrasattva’s heart, light radiates in all directions, requesting the Buddhas to bestow their blessings. They accept the request and send white rays of light and nectar, the essence of which is the knowledge of their body, speech and mind. The light and nectar absorb into the HUM and the letters of the mantra at Vajrasattva’s heart. They then fill his whole body completely, enhancing the magnificence of his appearance and increasing the brilliance of the mantra.
While reciting the mantra, visualize that white rays of light and nectar stream continuously from the HUM and mantra at Vajrasattva’s heart. They flow down through the crown of your head and fill every cell of your body and mind with infinite bliss. Recite the mantra at least 21 times or more, if possible.
OM BENZA SATTO SAMAYA MANU PALAYA – BENZA SATTO DENO PATITA – DIDO MAY BHAWA – SUTO KAYO MAY BHAWA – SUPO KAYO MAY BHAWA – ANU RAKTO MAY BHAWA – SARWA SIDDHI MEPAR YATSA – SARWA KARMA SU TSA MAY – TSITAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM – HA HA HA HA HO – BHAGAWAN – SARWA TATHAGATA – BENZA MA MAY MU TSA – BENZA BHAWA MAHA SAMAYA SATO AH HUM PEY
If you have not yet memorized the long mantra, or if you are pressed for time, you may recite the short mantra at least 28 times.
OM BENZA SATO HUM
While reciting either of the mantras, continue to visualize the flow of light and nectar and perform the following four visualizations alternately.
Purification of Body
Your disturbing attitudes and negativities in general and particularly those of the body, take the form of black ink. Sickness takes the form of pus and blood and afflictions caused by spirits appear in the form of scorpions, snakes, frogs and crabs. Flushed out by the light and nectar, they all leave your body through the lower openings, like filthy liquid flowing down a drain pipe. Feel completely empty of these problems and negativities; they no longer exist anywhere.
Purification of Speech
Your disturbing attitudes and imprints of negativities of speech take the form of liquid tar. The light and nectar fill your body as water fills a dirty glass: the negativities, like the dirt, rise to the top and flow out through the upper openings of your body: your eyes, ears, mouth, nose, etc. Feel completely empty of these problems; they no longer exist.
Purification of the Mind
Your disturbing attitudes and the imprints of mental negativities appear as darkness at your heart. When struck by the forceful stream of light and nectar, the darkness completely vanishes. It is like turning a light on in a room: the darkness does not go anywhere, it simply ceases to exist. Feel that you are completely empty of all these problems; they are non-existent.
Simultaneous Purification
Do the three above visualizations simultaneously. This sweeps away the subtle obscurations that prevent you from seeing correctly all that exists. Feel completely free of these obscurations.
The Power of the Promise
Determine with all your heart to abstain as much as possible from thoughts, beliefs, feelings, words and actions that lead to pain and unhappiness. Promise Vajrasattva: I shall not create these negative actions from now until tomorrow, next week, next month, etc.
Vajrasattva is extremely pleased and says,
“My spiritual child of the essence, all your negativities,
obscurations and degenerated vows have been completely purified.”
HH Pabongkha Rinpoche asks us to have faith that we are pure now. All is ultimately in the mind: obscuration and purification. Meditate like this and be free like space, innocent, open, radiant, NEW.
With delight, Vajrasattva melts into light and dissolves into you. Your body, speech and mind become inseparably one with Vajrasattva’s holy body, speech and mind. Concentrate on this.
Heruka Vajrasatta and Dorje Shugden. Click on image to enlarge or click here for more beautiful thangkas.
Dedication
Due to this merit may I soon
attain the enlightened state of Vajrasattva,
that I may be able to liberate
all sentient beings from their suffering.
May the precious Bodhi mind
not yet born arise and grow.
May that born have no decline,
but increase forever more.
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Vajrasattva is the manifestation of the purity of body, speech and mind of all the Buddhas. This purification practice of Vajrasattva in Tibetan, is a skillful psychological method of the Indo-Tibetan tradition of Buddhism. Vajrasattva practices are common to all of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is indeed very powerful for purifying our negativities and accumulating positive potential. It is important for us to engage in the practice of purification and visualizing with great effort in our daily sadhana.
Thank you Rinpoche for explaining such a detailed post of this purification practice.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for this beautiful teaching. My wife and me incorporate the Vajrasattva purification mantra into our daily sadhana. However, with this clear explanation and advise, it will definitely enhance our recitation and eventually purification of our negative karma.
Yours humbly.
Lum Kok Luen
Caryn Wong Pui Sam
Due to our ignorance we have collected negative Karma over the times. Reading and learning from this precise post with explanations of how to practice to purify our accumulated negative karma is amazing. We are fortunate to have learn this Vajrasattva practice, from our Lama Tsem Rinpoche. Very useful knowledge to practice and know about it in details. By practicing this practice consistently will purify our negative karma , collected over countless lifetimes.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this practice.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing of Vajrasattva Purification practice. I am getting to the point much better now in visualization after reading and understand better. In life without realising we have accumulated many negative actions that keep us in samsara. We are fortunate to learn from this practice how to purify our negative karma from our past life. It’s a important practice as explained by Rinpoche. I am glad to come across this post to learn and practice. Thanks again with folded hands.
We have alot of karma with us. We created them through our actions from this lives and even previous lives. We have good karma and also bad karma. Bad karma is the one that we should be worried about. Negative karma brings us bad experiences where we will have to suffer. It can bring us anything bad that can happen to us such as illness, accidents, negative emotions, and even bad environmental conditions.
Hence, it is very important for us to engage in purification practices. Purification practices are practices that specifically help us to purify all those negative karmas before they ripen and explode on us. When we do purification practices, we generate as much merit as we can to lessen the effect of the negative karma.
For example, we have the karma to die in a car crash. Due to purification practices and collecting of merit, we might just have a small car accident where we can get off with just a flat tire or dented side. The effect of the karma is reduced to the level where we still can handle it and not too overwhelming. Hence, it is very important for us to do our purification practices before our eons of negative karma ripen on its own. Learn how to do purification practices here.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this simple and very easy Vajrasattva Purification practice to everyone.?? I would like to share the mantra song for everyone to enjoy listening and sing along ?. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERg3jy2zYjA
“At first it is very painful and creates so much anxiety that we almost want to quit but in the end we are healed if we persevere. We must not quit. Quitting brings us nothing but false comfort zones. Same goes for purification practices, we have to go through much anguish and pain at times but the ‘toxins’ will come out.”
I don’t know why, but the Vajrasattva mantra, along with Migstema is extra wonderful for me. After not doing it for a few days; I was astounded (and horrified) when when I tried to, I immediately felt oddly sleepy and dull, and did not feel as light and ‘clear’ as I used to following it.
This went on for a few days 🙁
Lesson learnt; do not be lazy and think everything will just work out. As it won’t and you will end up on postponing.
From beginningless time we have accumulated many negative actions that keep us in samsara. Due to our ignorance, we continue to develop our self-cherishing and self grasping mind that caused many problems such disharmony in families, jealousy and many other negativities.
Thank you Rinpoche for this clear and precise explanation about Vajrasattva practice. Without this practice, this is difficult for us to purify our accumulated negative karma since beginningless time and develop great compassion and bodhicitta towards enlightenment path.
Good purification is like having a massive cleaning of the mind. A clear and focus mind is essential in our dharma practice.
Vajrasattva practice can purify our negative karma and stop the vicious cycle of getting and giving pain when combined with the four opponent power. We have to regret sincerely over our actions, having refuge in the Three Jewels to correct our actions, applying the remedy which is Vajrasattva practice and lastly promise not to repeat the action. Our spiritual practice will improve.
Vajrasattava mantras is quite amazing and easy to remember, it is almost like we don’t need to make an effort to remember but we will remember it after some time. Very fortunate we have mantras that we can recite to stop karma from growing and even purify the karma. Of course best is we don’t need to purify at al, but if we must very good to do the practice with the 4 opponent powers.
In this life and previous lives, we have accumulated much negative karma due to our habituation from deep ignorance. It is pertinent to do purification practice so that our negative karma does not ripen and cause us to create more negative karma.
Many would think that when negative karma arose, the karma is purified. It is not exactly correct. Based on Rinpoche’s teaching on Youtube “While I still can,” when negative karma arose, we experience the negative karma. We do not purify it per se. However, when negative karma arose, due to our deeply-rooted habituation, we react to the negative karma negatively. These are causes for us to create more negative karma.
The example given by Rinpoche is when we conduct adultery in this life, we will take rebirth as a snake in our next life. When we take rebirth as a snake, we experience the bad karma of adultery. But, as a snake, we kill and harm others every other day. These non-virtuous actions will keep us in the virtuous cycle of negative karma.
Purification practice is important for us to recognize our past erroneous actions and make amends by purifying our body action, speech, and thinking. In this way, we also stop ourselves from incurring further negative karma.
Thank you, Rinpoche for this teaching.
This is such a clear and concise explanation about the Vajrasattva practice I have ever come acrossed! Thank you Rinpoche for this treasure teachings and how fortunate we are to have this information and knowledge to know that we are able to do something for ourselves to actually be able to help ourselves/save ourselves from all the negative things we have done in our past.
It truly amazing and really how fortunate we are that there is such a practice. It is said, the only virtue of sin is that it can be purified. In fact, everything can be purified, even the most apparently heinous deed. This goes to show how compassionate the Buddhas are to manifest in such a way and to give us a way to purify our karma. Hence, we need to seize whatever opportunity we have to engage in such practices because no one wants to experience their negative karma. I love the visualisation but most importantly is the four opponent powers and this is probably the hardest because how are we to feel about something we have done in our past lives… this is when deep contemplation is definitely required and the feeling of gratitude.
Thank you so much Rinpoche for giving us a potent practice for us to purify our countless karma we have collected over countless lifetimes.
Dear Rinpoche,
I am so glad I read this blog post on Vajrasattva. Now I know, I have a very bad obscurations of my mind and ignorance of dharma. I was not able to recite the 100 syllable mantra initially and I must admit that due to that I completely did not read this post.
Actually this is a very simple and effective way to purify our negative karma. We should be practicing this wisely and consistently.
With folded hands
Thank you very much, Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche for such powerful purification practice to purify our negative karma. As to-date I have completed my 1st session retreat of 30,000 mantra. Initially I noticed recitation of long mantra was not smooth and obstacle arise. I unable to sit well during first week of retreat and feel sleepy at evening session which it never happened during Dorje Shugden for twenty one times mantra. Then I changed by practice 9 rounds breath in and out before prayer start. I also read through the 4 powers as mentioned in the post before prayer start. I noticed it works better. It helps me to focus better by recite long mantra and practise visualization both together although sometimes our monkey mind swaying around.
I will continue remaining of 70,000 mantra recitation. I will just observe whatever obstacle arise and take it as to train to calm my mind and practise acceptance. I wish I may benefit others more by this purification.
Once again, thank you Rinpoche for this cause. Thank you.
With folded hands,
Ai Nin
Thank you Rinpoche for this great sharing and helpful post. I recite everyday without knowing much about the meaning of mantra. it helps to increase the faith towards the recitation of the mantra. Once understand already, feel more powerful and meaningful when reciting the mantra.
And i always look for a very good explanation of the 4 powers of purify the negative karma , and here Rinpoche explain clearly and easily to understand.
Thank you.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing such a detailed explanation of Vajrasatta’s practice. Vajrasattva was one of the first mantras that I learn when I first joined Dharma and still recite it until today. I truly am glad that there are practices like Vajrasattva and the 35 Confessional Buddhas to help us purify our negative karma that have been collected from countless of lifetimes. We are fortunate that the Buddhas manifest in so many various ways to help sentient beings.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for explain the Vajrasattva Purification practice in such great detail and shared it with us. It is my understanding that because of past live’s habituation, imprints and negative karma, we are unable to perceive and see things in their true nature. We are bound to repeat the same mistakes again and again due to our deluded mind. Hence, it is important for us to purify those negative karma because it will obstruct us in our spiritual practice.
Chris
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you for explaining the whole process and the benefits of reciting the 100 syllabus Vajrasattva mantras.
We being in samara have accumulated a lot of negative karma and it’s just amazing that there is an antidote to purify our karma if we do it correctly with remorse.
I have being doing the Vajrasattva mantra together with my sadhana and now I’m glad I’m able to learn how to incorporate it with the visualisation.
Once again thank you Rinpoche for always thinking of ways to help us to purify our negative karma apart from accumulating merits.
With love
Jill Yam
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beneficial post, very clear and comprehensive. Definitely want to engage in this powerful purification practice, to purify my accumulative negative karma, to get rid of all the internal toxins…
From this post, I understand that one of the powerful counters of karma and it’s effects is purification practice. Rinpoche explained clearly that
“The more we engage in purification practices like Vajrasattva, we can see diseases heal, our minds become calm, we find peace, we find hope and our mental anquishes leseen for sure. Our various problems start to clear. Dharma knowledge starts to saturate our minds deeper and easier. Attachments don’t afflict us as much and so on. Why? Because the karma fueling them is being purified.”
How fortunate that we can learn this powerful & precious practice from Rinpoche through blog post, may many people gain benefits from this great article and engage in this powerful purification practice.
Thank you Rinpoche for the clear and concise explanation on Vajrasattva. It is definitely something that all of us can incorporate into our daily practice to purify our negative karma. As Rinpoche clearly explains, “Karma brings us illness, misfortune, tragedies, pain, death, separation, rebirths, ill births, anguish and so on. There is no end how creative karma can be to make sure we suffer for as along as we let it. Samsara’s basis is karma from ignorance. Karma’s trick is to put us in a situation that is seemingly pleasurable but in reality it only brings pain in the long run. Karma’s method is deception.”.
Knowing that there are effective methods to purify our negativities gives us hope that situations can always change for the better if we choose wisely and consistently.
Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for this very clear explanation of Vajrasattva practice. I recite this prayer daily but with the guidance on visualization and detailed explanation revealing the significance of the verse, the effect will certainly be deeper. As Rinpoche always says: learn and we will gain knowledge, knowledge opens the doors to understanding and understanding will influence our perceptions which in turn impacts our responses. Our responses of body, speech and mind will then create karma or merits.
The “Dharma system” is extremely logical and practical and relatable.
In the lamrim, I also understand that most of our practices for beginner are completely focused on purification and collection of merits. I believe it is because purification will provide a clean slate for Dharma to access and enter our minds. Purification will also reduce the hindrance that derail us from our practice. It is like detoxing.
On the other hand, merits is the ingredient to fuel our dharma practice. It is like the nourishment to keep us going.
Again, thank you so much for this blog post.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article to let us know that we are bias by our karma, which comes from our action.
We cannot leave our karma as it’s as it will ripen when the time and the condition is right. By that time it will be too late for us o do anything and we may have to put extra effort to deal with it.
What I like about Buddhism is we can make a change for good instead of just blaming with whatever excuses.
As we believe we have countless previous lives and for sure we have done many good and also bad. With this bad action we had done it will comes back to manifest the negative result on our life and to make us more suffer.
I feel grateful that my Guru had thought of the ways to purify our karma through various practices and in this article is the Vajrasattva.
By purifying our karma we will have a good condition to practice Dharma and less suffering to be experience.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks for sharing this article to us. I’m not in retreat yet but myself did recite one mala of vajrasattva mantra but I can feel that it take long time to finish because I recite half way I will fall sleep. So I restart again. Is this a process of karma purification ?anyway , I will keep recite it because I know it will benefit me n help me can carry forward my dharma works. I trust on my guru Tsem Rinpoche. Last but not least, I need to thanks again Tsem Rinpoche and wish u long live and turn the Dhama wheel to benefit more people.
Jason
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing. This is good news to hear that all karma can be purified. I will try my best to understand it and to do this visualization during the retreat.
At the first ten days i did feel tough to recite the mantra as one mala take about 40 to 30 minutes. However, i gain the courage to force myself continue to do it when look at Rinpoche photo right in front of me. Rinpoche had gone through all difficulties just to benefit others, what is that for me just to recite the long mantra, ” so called long mantra”. When think of it i took a deep breath and just do it. I told myself just do it and need to keep it up.
Dear Rinpoche,
It was roughly two years ago that I have encountered Buddhism and ever since then, Vajrasattva has been my nightly purification practice. It was suggested by Kalu Rinpoche that we should do it at night (one Mala or at least half of it, gulp!) , to purify all the negativities before we sleep. It cannot be left unpurified till the next day! One also should chant it slowly (I am not) with the visualisation well. I feel that when I chant it slowly together with the recollection of past misdeeds, I will feel great remorse as if it’s difficult for even I, myself to forgive my misdeeds. However, this feeling of guilty soon overwhelmed by the thought that I should do something to make the situation better or at least to abstain from creating more non-virtues. There were several times where I felt more energetic after the mantra recitation as if I had wasted a lot of time for sleeping although my body reacted otherwise, hehehe…Besides, I remembered Rinpoche said that one should try to do the long mantra instead of short ones. Although at first it seems like taking forever to chant the mantra even for 21 times only but not long after that, it flows naturally and whenever I did something wrong or due to negligence, I will chant this mantra. I watched Rinpoche’s teaching on this several times here http://youtu.be/2KIw9_PcwZw and I think I will revisit it again.
However, in the Dorje Shudgen retreat prayer, Rinpoche mentioned that we should instead visualise three Deities strongly while chanting this mantra, namely Je Rinpoche, Manjushri and Yamantaka. I wonder why?
Thank you Rinpoche for this post and it’s a strong message that we should do this practice even when we are practicing tantra. Also, this practice is very complete in itself where it can also purify even the heaviest misdeeds. I will continue to do this practice although sometimes I do wonder if I did it correctly or not. I remember the story where even Lama Atisha quickly dismounted from his horse and purifed his wrongdoing in that instant. Hence, we should do likewise too.
Dear Rinpoche,
I have always known that I have many negativities and negative Karma and seek a way to purify myself.
This post is very helpful and I will definitely practise this purification practice and thank you very much.
Dear Rinpoche,
Now i more understand of this Varjasattva practice ….
after practice it…. i can’t sleep for few days…. dream…..
it make me uncomform for the beginning stage….
now feel better now….. The power of purification…
Now will try to visualisation….
Dear Rinpoche,
This is a very beneficial and informative post especially for beginners like me. I am grateful to Rinpoche for this teaching as I now have a better understanding of this powerful purification practice and will be incorporating the visualisations into my daily 100-syllable recitations. I hope to be able to do the Vajrasattva retreat in the near future.
Thank you with folded hands.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you very much for this teaching on purification. We really need this teaching to help us reduce our negative karmas and propel us to higher practices.
Humbly yours,
Lum Kok Luen
Thank you Rinpoche for this powerful purification practice. This practice incorporates the four opponent powers.Doing this practice also purifies all negative actions of body, speech and mind.The whole practice culminates with Vajrasattva melting into light and dissolving into us. Our body, speech and mind become inseparably one with Vajrasattva’s holy body, speech and mind. Then we concentrate on this.
This Vajrasattva purification practice is very powerful and compact, and much purification is effected through the visualization.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this powerful practice with us, I already started reciting the 100 hunderd syllabus of Vajrasattav mantras I deligently recite 50 times a day so I will try to add in the visualization into the recitation.
尊贵的仁波切,
谢谢您的开示, 关于金刚萨垛的持修法门, 净化的过程身心所带来的影响, 如何观想来净化我们的身语意的障碍等等, 这开示对我来说实在是太好了 !
在闭关期间, 我真的遇上了些障碍如病痛, 思绪时常出现很多负面的想法, 情绪很大的波动, 但我知道这是闭关期间的考验, 我也很乐观和乐意的去承受, 这是净化的过程 ! 看完后, 我更加明白其净化的过程与益处 !
感恩上师您那么详细的开示与讲解, 这一定会让进行金刚萨垛闭关的同修们, 身语意上的障碍讯促得以净化 !
愿上师健康, 长寿, 长转法轮, 吉祥如意 !
感恩合十
Yeo Kwai Gin
I can personally attest to the effectiveness of his short mantra. I’ve already accumulated 118,000 recitations to date of the short mantra, and only at 40,000 combined with visualization and the four opponent powers, I had some of those purification dreams, and felt lighter afterward. Best too do the long mantra for more purification of karma but short mantra works too. 🙂 I highly recommend this practice to anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism. Very easy too do. This practice was one of the original ones I started to meditate with. Do to my commitments & lazy mind hehe, I should start working on the hundred syllable long mantra but I thank you H.E. Tsem Rinpoche for explaining it so well & clear :).
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for this explanation of the Vajrasattva practice. For beginners like me, besides collection of merits, purification should be a very important part of our practice. I’ve just invited a Vajrasattva statue from Kechara Paradise and will start doing this purification practice as soon as I’ve completed my Lama Tsongkhapa retreats.
Thank you Rinpoche for always taking the time to give precious teachings and making them available online. _/\_
We have accumulated so much negative karma since beginningless time, literally. Every action that we had done or are doing, without us knowing it, creates some negative karma. Unless we are fully aware and mindful and really check ourselves thoroughly before doing any actions, we are constantly creating negative karma, small or big. But everything has its cure, so does karma! Thank Buddha.
Rinpoche has always advised us to engage in purification practices as we really, really need them. Reading this article allows me to understand more of this amazing deity, Vajrasattva and its quality and power. Most importantly the meaning of the mantra and the visualisation. Can’t wait to incorporate this powerful visualisation every time I recite Vajrasattva’s mantra.
With folded hands,
wansan