The 48 Great Vows of Amitabha Buddha

"If you wish to come and be born in my realm, you must always recite my sacred mantra again and again, you must always keep this thought in mind without letting up, and thus you will succeed in coming to be born in my realm. 
If my 48 Great Vows do not come to pass, may I not attain my enlightenment".

Amithabha Buddha 48 Great Vows

The Tibetan word of "Dewachen" literally means the celestial mandala or the Amithabha Buddha pure land, and in Sanskrit name is Sukhavati and in Chinese is 西方極樂淨土. The Sacred Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha was delivered by Shakyamuni Buddha at the Vulture Peak in Rajagriha, India.

Amithabha  Buddha 南無阿彌陀佛 he is represents the Padma Lotus family. Amitābha means "Infinite Light" so Amitābha is also called "The Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light".

He is the Buddha of the West direction.

His Mantra is " OM AMI DEVA HRIH " 

His Mantra in Chinese is " 南無阿彌陀佛 " 

His syllable is "Hrih" 

His color is in red.

His element is signifies or represents fire 

His symbolism is the Lotus.

His wisdom is signifies as Inquisitive and the wisdom of observation.

His hands mudras are signify as Meditation.

He is symbolizes or associated with summer season.

His consort is Pandara.

His Dhyani Bodhisattva is Avalokiteshvara.

His Pure Land is called Sukhavati, the Western Pure Land.

The 48 Great Vows of Amitabha Buddha 

When Buddha Amitabha was still a Bodhisattva, by the name of Dharmakara, He had made the following 48 Bodhisattva vows:-

1. If, when I attain Buddhahood, should there be in my land a hell, a realm of hungry spirits or a realm of animals, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
2. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should after death fall again into the three evil realms, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
3. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be the colour of pure gold, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
4. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be of one appearance, and should there be any difference in beauty, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
5. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not remember all their previous lives, not knowing at least the events which occurred during the previous hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
6. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the divine eye of seeing at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
7. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the divine ear of hearing the teachings of at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddhas and should not remember all of them, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
8. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the faculty of knowing the thoughts of others, even those of all sentient beings living in a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
9. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not possess the supernatural power of travelling anywhere in one instant, even beyond a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
10. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should give rise to thoughts of self-attachment, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
11. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not dwell in the Definitely Assured State and unfailingly reach Nirvana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
12. If, when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be limited, unable to illuminate even a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
13. If, when I attain Buddhahood, my life-span should be limited, even to the extent of a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
14. If, when I attain Buddhahood, the number of the shravakas in my land could be known, even if all the beings and pratyekabuddhas living in this universe of a thousand million worlds should count them during a hundred thousand kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
15. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should have limited life-spans, except when they wish to shorten them in accordance with their previous vows, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
16. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should even hear of any wrongdoing, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
17. If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the land of the ten directions should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
18. If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, aspire to be born in my land, and call my Name even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma.
19. If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions, who awaken aspiration for Enlightenment, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely desire to be born in my land, should not, at their death, see me appear before them surrounded by a multitude of sages, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
20. If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who, having heard my Name, concentrate their thoughts on my land, do various meritorious deeds and sincerely transfer their merits towards my land with a desire to be born there, should not eventually fulfil their aspiration, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
21. If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be endowed with the thirty-two physical characteristics of a Great Man, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
22. If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in the Buddha-lands of other directions who visit my land should not ultimately and unfailingly reach the Stage of Becoming a Buddha after One More Life, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excepted are those who wish to teach and guide sentient beings in accordance with their original vows. For they wear the armour of great vows, accumulate merits, deliver all beings from birth-and-death, visit Buddha-lands to perform the bodhisattva practices, make offerings to Buddhas, Tathagatas, throughout the ten directions, enlighten uncountable sentient beings as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges, and establish them in the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Such bodhisattvas transcend the course of practice of the ordinary bodhisattva stages and actually cultivate the virtues of Samantabhadra.
23. If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land, who would make offerings to Buddhas through my divine power, should not be able to reach immeasurable and innumerable kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands in the short time it takes to eat a meal, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.
24. If, when I attain Buddhahood, bodhisattvas in my land should not be able, as they wish, to perform meritorious acts of worshipping the Buddhas with the offerings of their choice, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 

The Formidable Symbol of Tibet - Kalachakra

Kalachakra symbol is a very common yet one of the most formidable symbol of protection from Tibet. Kalachakra is literally means "The Wheel of Time"  The Kalachakra symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism is comprehensive and complex. Kalachakra symbol is also referred to as the " Symbol of the Tenfold Powerful Ones”. 

Hence, it is named because it consists of 10 distinct parts. This ancient sacred symbol is made up of a mantra of 7 syllables surrounded by a ring of fire. Above and to the right and left of this potent mantra are 3 additional symbols, hence, totaling 10 parts of the design.

The seed syllable of the Kalachakra Heruka, the powerful mantra for peace and reducing suffering by calming negativity and conflict. It consists of seven individual syllables intertwined and crowned by symbols of the moon , the sun, and the flame, making a total of ten very powerful elements within the image. 

These seven symbols, along with the moon, the sun, and a flame make up the ten-fold powerful symbol, which is one of the most well-known Buddhist symbols.

The Tenfold Powerful Symbols are described as ten existences - body, awareness, space, wind, fire, water, earth, stable, moving, and the gods unseen and uncreated.

This ancient symbol of the "Tenfold Powerful mighty ones" has occupied a central place in Tantra Buddhism for more than a thousand of years and has become a symbol of good fortune and protection. 

Kalachakra tantra that is chanted in an effort to purify the mind and body. This powerful and efficient tantra is all about time, such as: the cycle of our own breath, the cycles of the planets and the various cycles in our bodies and lives.

The Kalachakra Symbol has been very often to be hanging onto your home or above the main door so that hostile and negative energies are barred from entering your home. Thus, it has become a powerful emblem of good fortune, protection against evil spirits and untimely death. 

Kalachakra Symbol is an ultra strong antidote for removing and purifying evil forces and negative energies. It is often used as a cure for difficult situations when other cures become helpless, in situations that may possibly carry misfortunes, disasters and accidents if not properly remedied. 

It is also a potent cure against visible and invisible harmful Chi or negative energies such as poison arrows and annual afflictions. According to the Chinese Metaphysics or Fengshui beliefs, the Kalachakra formidable symbols uses the principle of 5 elements, combined with sacred symbols that invoke cosmic powers, in a simple, practical and effective manner to create big changes in energy without the need to remodel your home. It is like a few ounces of positive energy to deflect a thousand pounds of negative forces.

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of these pictures.

Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios. Pictures are intended for editorial use only.

Tibetan Astrological Calendar

Tibetan astrological calendar making is based on the Kalachakra Wheel of Time Tantra, which was translated into Tibetan from Sanskrit in 1027 A.D. The first chapter of these high level Buddhistic teachings, External Kalachakra, includes Tibetan cosmology and chronological studies. The official Tibetan calendar is lunar, but in Tibetan calendar making different systems are used, which harmonize solar and lunar factors. There are three systems for defining the New Year:

The Tibetan New Year (Losar) falls around February - lunar system

The Kalachakra New Year falls in April - solar system

The Elemental New Year falls around December - lunar system

The Tibetan calendar is a unique system which is lunar-based. India also has a lunar calendar, but it is different to the Tibetan and starts the year on a different date. It has only 360 days in the year and a complicated system of using skip-days (tsi chad-pa) and extra days (tsi lhag-pa). The new moon always starts the month, and the full moon falls on the fifteenth day. As the lunar phase defines a month, every month is 30 days and a year has twelve months. The lunar day is about one minute shorter than a solar day, which is 24.00 hours. To make the calendar correspond with solar days, it occasionally adds a 13th month.

Each year is ruled by one of the five elements and one of twelve animal signs as in Chinese calendars, but they start the year on different dates and the months have different lengths. So it is very important not to mix Tibetan and Chinese systems together. Tibetan years follow twelve-year animal cycles. One element rules two years in a row and then changes to the next element, while an animal sign will rule for one year at a time. The Year 2000 was an Iron-Dragon year and the year 2001 was an Iron-Snake year. The year 2002 was a Water-Horse year, and so forth. The 60 year cycle of all combinations of the five elements and twelve animals is called Rab-byung. 

The first year in the Tibetan calendar dates back to the Kalachakra year, 1027. Actually the system of animal years already started in the middle of 600 A.D. under the influence of the teachings of a Chinese princess who married the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo. The system of 60 year cycles, Rab-byung, was introduced around the 10^th century and in the 11th century it was widely used in Tibet. 

Kalachakra teachings were blended with Elemental astrology, and when Tibetan scholars made the very first Tibetan calendar they used Rab-byung for counting the years. As Kalachakra teachings were the foundation for chronological calculations, it was decided that the official date of introduction of Kalachakra would be Year One. Year 1027 was a Fire-Rabbit year and from then a Fire-Rabbit year became the first year in Tibetan Rab-byung, while the Chinese 60 year cycle always begins with a Wood-Mouse Year.

Tibetan calendar is meant specifically for practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. It shows the cycle of twelve months according to the Tibetan lunar calendar together with the corresponding months and days of the Western calendar. The Tibetan astrology is a combination of Buddhist astrology from Kalachakra-Tantra, Hindu astrology from Shiva-Tantra and ancient Chinese astrology. 

Due to the synchronisation of solar day, lunar month, and zodiac year in Tibetan astrology you will see that a day can be lost or doubled. The regular holy days as well as special days of Tibetan and Buddhist festivals are indicated. Although every day of the year is a special day for the practice of Dharma, the selection made here is on the bases of giving priority to the most important ones.

The 8th Moon, Full Moon, New Moon and eclipse days are special days for any wholesome action. For the lay practitioners these days are especially recommended for taking the Eight Vows. The 10th and 25th of the Tibetan calendar are days for Ganachakra or Tsok-Rituals of Tantra. They are especially recommended for performing Guru-Pujas. Sojong or Upposotha days twice a month are for confession of monastic communities.

Tibetan years follow twelve-year animal cycles:-

1. Rabbit
2. Dragon
3. Snake
4. Horse
5. Sheep
6. Monkey
7. Rooster/Bird
8. Dog
9. Pig
10. Mouse
11. Ox
12. Tiger

Tibetan months are also ruled by the animal signs as follows:-

1.  January - Dragon
2.  February - Snake
3.  March - Horse
4.  April - Sheep
5.  May - Monkey
6.  June - Rooster / Bird
7.  July - Dog
8.  August - Pig
9. September - Mouse
10. October - Ox
11. November - Tiger 
12. December - Rabbit

The Astro Tibet 16 calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and various dates are considered especially auspicious or inauspicious for certain practices. 

Also some of the most important days of the Vajrayana traditions are included:-

- The important anniversaries of Buddha Shakyamuni

- Sacred days of Medicine Buddha, Amitabha, 

  Guru Padmasambhava, Dakinis and Dharma Protectors

- Auspicious and Inauspicious Days

- Favorable Days for Fire and Naga Pujas

- Good Days for taking Sojong Vows

- Favorable/Unfavorable Days for starting new ventures

- Full and New Moon Days

- Wisdom Quotes from Precious Masters

Click here to download the Tibetan calendar :-

Special thanks and dedicated to * Liberation Prison Projects

*Note*

Liberation Prison Project, is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1975 by Lama Thubten Yeshe (1935-84) and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche program of the FPMT 
(Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) with a social services dedicated and to supports men and women in prison who seek Liberation projects help to learn about meditation and Buddhism, to transform their lives. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

Note

I do not own or violated any infringement copyright of these pictures, Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

The Essence of Life - Love and aging gracefully

When was the last time you have meal with your parents ?

My dear children, the day you see I'm getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I'm going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don't interrupt to say: "You said the same thing a minute ago"... Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.

Aging is not a pretty process. Yes, there is something to be said about being able to grow old with grace and dignity and about doing things to stay active and alert in our golden years, but there are certain battles with father time that we just cannot win. 

As more and more of our cells die and are not replaced, we suffer both a physical and mental toll. We know plenty about the wrinkles, hair loss, the greying hair, thinning skin, liver spots and the effects of age-related changes in our muscles, joints and bones. 

Forgetfulness is one example. We often make light of instances of fading memory, dismissing them as inevitable but harmless symptoms of aging. Each time we have trouble finding our glasses, remembering a person’s name or sticking to our train of thought, we tend to sheepishly chide ourselves for “getting old”. 

After all, we cannot help it if nature dictates that our memory weakens with age. Or can we?It is hard to reverse the ravages of time – at the time of writing, both the elixir of life and the Fountain of Youth remain elusive – but we can certainly do a lot to know more about problems associated with aging and how to deal with them. 

Buddhism is about overcoming suffering in the material world, so that the individual can escape the cycle of rebirth and attain nirvana -- the ultimate state of blessedness. Buddhism teaches that old age is a time of great suffering, and since we all age, the young must treat the elderly, particularly their parents, with suitable respect.

Your time is the greatest gift you can dedicate to your unconditionally supportive parents and love ones. Treasure them with every moment possible while you can. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

Note

I do not own or violated any infringement copyright of these pictures, Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

The living Journal - No One Makes It Alone

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. 

If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

By H.H 14th Dalai Lama

Days slip into weeks, weeks turn into months and months transform into years. Calendars are changing and so am I and you too.

In the face of so much suffering, of problems that seem impossible to solve, it is easy to despair.  To consume ourselves with rage and frustration, or to escape into all the distractions and false comforts on offer.  All of these reactions serve only to reinforce our anger, frustration and fear, which in turn creates more reactivity, in ourselves and in the people we interact with. 

Aware of the suffering brought about when we impose our views on others, we are determined not to force others, even our children, by any means whatsoever — such as authority, threat, money, propaganda, or indoctrination — to adopt our views. 

We are committed to respecting the right of others to be different, to choose what to believe and how to decide. We will, however, learn to help others let go on and transform narrowness through loving speech and compassionate dialogue. 

Reaching our goals are not always easy; that is why we need Dharma and others by our side. We are all having so many different explanations and definitions of what happiness is and what it means to all of us. 

It doesn't matter what come to us; the challenges, crossroads, and lifestyle changes you come across in your life, at the end of the day, your happiness is what truly matters most. Whether you’re single or in a relationship, a single parent with children, you are having a busy work life or whatever the circumstances are, it’s important to know how to be happy. 

When you know what makes you truly happy, practice self-love first, take care of yourself and step out of your comfort zone, you will be able to see how powerful being self-happy alone can be. If you don’t know what is going to make you happy, how can you expect someone else to? You need to know and experience what real love and happiness is like by yourself before you commit to loving someone else. 

It might be scary at first, but here are some ideas that can help you to feel more positive about being negative. Get to know yourself by spending some time alone in solitude. Do something that will help you relax and focus on your mind, body and soul. 

Have a reflection of what make you happy and what is not, contemplate it and letting go what holding you so negative, so tightening up yourself, and visualize a smiling face of the Buddha, Arya Taras , your love ones, embrace it and merge with these positive smiling faces and stay with it.  

Try to do the reflections regularly, It helps us all loosening up ourselves and stay positive and transform suffering into compassion and a positive ways of life.

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. 

Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to improve our works and to achieve for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

The Great Perfection - Body Of Light ( Chapter 2 )

The way of true happiness is when we can free ourselves from all odds and to be able to liberate ourselves and others from the existence of birth, old age, sickness and death.  

Rainbow Body is a mysterious phenomenon of Tibetan Buddhism. A Lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest what is called "the rainbow body" or "body of light". It is said that the physical body of those who studied Buddhism very deeply will turn into a rainbow.

The ultimate fruition of the practices is a body of pure light, called a rainbow body.  Rainbow body is a level of realization and a phenomenon that when the person died, his body is transformed partially, or totally into five pure lights.  

This means either the physical body become much smaller than before, and the skin quality become as freshness as a newborn baby, or even left nothing behind. This phenomenon is hard to understand according to modern science, but it has been well documented in the history of Tibet Buddhism. 

Lama Karma Rinpoche  

A Yogi or Lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest "the rainbow body" or the body of light". It is a body made not of flesh but of pure light. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity. The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size.

Lama Karma Rinpoche rainbow body shrink into 20cm in size

The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size. The Body of Light is light without shadow; it is awareness without obscurations; it is omniscience; it is pure space. It is the ultimate fruit of spiritual cultivation. 

The Body of Light represents a complete, total, and radical transformation of one’s status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself and is dependent on nothing else.

A fully enlightened person who has the ability to liberate their body into light. There are 3 different levels or stages of transforming into the Rainbow body:

A brief introduction only

1) The normal rainbow body [Trekcho practise]

2) Rainbow body of light [Togal practise]

3) A rainbow body of great transference [Ja Lu Phowa Chenpo practise]

 

1: The normal Rainbow body that occurs only after body death There are no physical signs indicating the start of the process before death, and once physical death occurs, it takes on average 7 days for the body to shrink and dissolve into light. Most of the time, a small child-size body remains behind, and in more advanced yogis, only hair and nails remain. 

The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size. The Body of Light is light without shadow; it is awareness without obscurations; it is omniscience; it is pure space. It is the ultimate fruit of spiritual cultivation. 

The Body of Light represents a complete, total, and radical transformation of one’s status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself and is dependent on nothing else.

 Tasha Lhamo, the mother of Lokgar Rinpoche

Tasha Lhamo, rainbow body shrink into 40cm in size.

2 - The advanced level is known as the Rainbow body, in this level all the signs are showing up while the yogi or Lama is still alive. To dissolving into light might go really fast ,but in most cases it takes month to years to complete, all while remaining fully functional. It is also possible that the yogi or Lama who is in the middle of this process slows it down or is unable to continue the process and dies before the completion of the Rainbow body.  If the process is continued the body will start to shrink and shine real light over time until it reaches the size of a baby and then as a flash of bright rainbow light will disappear into emptiness forever. 

3 -The most advanced and extremely rare level is the attainment of the Rainbow body of great transference. In this level the yogi or Lama not only dissolves the body completely into light but remains functional and visible as light.

In Tibetan Buddhism it can be realized in three ways; through the practices of Anuttara tantra, the special practices of the Kalachakra Tantra , or through Dzogchen. When Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava left at the end of his time in physical form he dissolved his body completely back to their natural elements leaving nothing behind. This was the start of what has become the Nyingma tradition and is the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism as we have come to know it. At the heart of the Nyingma tradition is the practice of Dzogchen otherwise called Ati Yoga or the Great Perfection. 

The great Yogi Milarepa (1050–1123) dissolved entirely into light, leaving no relics behind at all. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity. The practise found In the Kagyu tradition, this is known as the Mahamudra. The Dzogchen from the Nyingma tradition and the Mahamudra from the Kagyu tradition are both identical in essence. You may follow one or the other; however, each has its own unique instructions. In each system, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, various methods are used to reveal the nature of bare awareness itself.

 Mahamudra in Sanskrit literally means "The Great Seal." The Tibetan word for mahamudra is "Chakgya Chenpo," which is often looked upon as the highest practise of meditation and most definitive path to enlightenment. This is a unique feature of the Tibetan Kagyu lineage. According to the Dzogchen of the Nyinma tradition, it is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of a human being, and the practise of Dzogchen is a body of teachings and meditations aimed at realising that condition. According to Dzogchen literature, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path to enlightenment. 

* Footnote 

For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors.

 

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.

 

Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest.

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidised or funded support from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience?

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migrants from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) is or are intended for editorial use only.

The First Buddhist Monastery Built In Tibet - Samye Monastery

Samye Monastery or Samye Gompa 桑耶寺 and another name for Samye Monastery is Samyuan. "Samye" is the Tibetan language which means"unimaginable". The Monastery is located in the quiet piedmont area of the Shanna region and it was the first constructed under

patronage of King Trisong Detsen (reigned 742-798) of Tibet who sought to revitalize Buddhism, which had declined since its introduction by King Songtsan Gampo in the 7th century. 

There were many obscuration and obstacles to construct the Monastery. According to tradition, the Indian monk Shantarakshita made the first attempt to construct the Monastery while promoting his sutra-centric version of Buddhism. Finding the Samye site auspicious, he set about to build a structure there. However, the building would always collapse after reaching certain stage and many attempts to re-construct the Monastery but, eventually the building would collapse repeatedly. Terrified, the construction workers believed that the collapsed was caused by the local malevolent demons in a nearby river.

When Shantarakshita's contemporary Padmasambhava arrived from northern India, he was able to subdue the energetic problems obstructing the building of Samye. According to the 5th Dalai Lama, Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava performed the Vajrakilaya dance and enacted the rite of namkha to assist Trisong Detsen and Santarakshita clear away obscurations and hindrances in the building of Samye. 

The great Indian master Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava performed this dance in order to prepare the ground for the Samye Monastery and to pacify the malice of the lha ,  (local mountain spirits) and srin (malevolent spirits) in order to create the most perfect conditions. The 5th Dalai Lama  went on to say that after Padmasambhava consecrated the ground, he erected a thread-cross — a web colored thread woven around two sticks — to catch evil. Then the purifying energy of his dance forced the malevolent spirits into a skull mounted on top of a pyramid of dough. 

His Tantric dance cleared away all the obstacles, enabling the Monastery to be built in 767. The dance was memorialized by the construction of Vajrakilaya stupas — monuments honoring the ritual kilya (purba) daggers. There are  four colored of Stupas, the white, red, black and green at the cardinal points of the monastery that represent the four Mandalas or the four Heavenly Kings where they would prevent  and suppress devils and demonic forces from entering the sacred grounds. 

Guru Rinpoche and his closest disciple Yeshé Tsogyal travelled all over Tibet and the Himalayas, and blessed and consecrated the entire land, especially: “the twenty snow mountains of Ngari, the twenty-one Sadhana places of U and Tsang, the twenty-five great pilgrimage places of Dokham, the three hidden lands, five ravines, three valleys and one region.”

Guru Padmasambhava made many prophecies about the future, and together with Yeshe Tsogyal concealed countless Terma teachings, in order to: prevent the destruction of the teachings of the secret Vajrayana; avoid corruption of the Vajrayana or its alteration by intellectuals; preserve the blessing; and benefit future followers. For each of these Terma treasures, he predicted the time for its revelation, the identity of the Revealer, and those who would receive and hold the teachings. 

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

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