Tibetian and Newari Thangka Art

Individual 8 Auspicious Symbol

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:06:56 PST

The Protection Parasol

The precious parasol symbolizes the wholesome activity of preserving beings from illness, harmful forces, obstacles and so forth in this life.Different traditions have developed many designs of the parasol. The parasol dome can symbolise wisdom and the hanging skirt, compassion.

The Golden Fish

The fish represent the emancipation of one's consciousness from all suffering and thereby leading to eventual spiritual liberation.The golden fish symbolise happiness, due to their freedom in water, and fertility and abundance, due to their ability to multiply quickly.. The symbol is a common auspicious symbol in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions, which originated as being a symbol of the two main sacred rivers the Yamuna and Ganges.

The Great Treasure Vase

The Tibetan design is very ornate with lotus petal designs. The scarf is a silk cloth from the god realm and the upper opening is sealed with a wish granting tree, with the roots retaining the water of longevity to create all the treasures. The 'inexhaustible treasures' possess special qualities, so that however much is removed from the vase, it will always remain full. Therefore treasure vase symbolizes a long life, wealth and prosperity.

The White Lotus

The lotus is the symbol of purity. It is able to grow and blossom from the muddy water, and therefore is a symbol of divine generation. The lotus is used to depict this purity in different forms. The lotus on the throne implies immaculate conception and therefore the being is innately divine. Deities are often depicted holding a lotus as a symbol of their purity, compassion, renunciation and perfection of qualities.

The Right-Turning Conch

It is a symbol of power and sovereignty, the sound believed to banish evil spirits, scare away harmful creatures and avert natural disasters. Buddhism adopted it as a symbol of religious sovereignty and an emblem that spreads the truth of dharma.

The Endless Knot

The endless knot overlaps without a beginning or an end, symbolising the Buddha's endless wisdom and compassion. It indicates continuity as the underlying reality of existence.

The Banner of Victory

The banner stands for the complete victory of the Buddhist doctrine over death, ignorance and all the negativities of this world.In Tibetan Buddhism it is said to symbolise the methods for overcoming the defilements-the development of knowledge, wisdom, compassion, meditation, and ethical vows.

The Wheel of Dharma

Representing the Dharma and Shakyamuni himself, the wheel symbolizes the turning of the wheel of Buddha's doctrine both in teachings and realizations enabling us to experience the joy of wholesome deeds and liberation.In Tibetan this means 'the wheel of transformation' or spiritual change, and can represent the overcoming of all obstacles and illusions.

Namgyalma Chanting Mantra

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:34:53 PST

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Long mantra: OM NAMO BHAGAVATE SARVA TRAILOKYA PRATIVISHISHTAYA BUDDHAYA TE NAMA TA YA THA OM BHRUM BHRUM BHRUM SHODHAYA SHODHAYA VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA ASAMA SAMANTA AVABHA SPHARANA GATI GAGANA SVABHAVA VISHUDDHE ABHISHINTSANTU MAM SARVA TATHAGATA SUGATA VARA VACANA AMRITA ABHISHEKERA MAHAMUDRA MANTRA PADAIH AHARA AHARA MAMA AYUS SANDHARANI SHODHAYA SHODHAYA VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA GAGANA SVABHAVA VISHUDDHE USNISHA VIJAYA PARISHUDDHE SAHASRA RASMI SANYTSODITE SARVA TATHAGATA AVALOKINI SAT PARAMITA PARIPURANI SARVA TATHAGATA MATE DASHA BHUMI PRATISHTHITE SARVA TATHAGATA HRIDAYA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE MUDRE MUDRE MAHA MUDRE VAJRA KAYA SAMHATANA PARISHUDDHE SARVA KARMA AVARANA VISHUDDHE PRATINI VARTAYA MAMA AYUR VISHUDDHE SARVA TATHAGATA SAMAYA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE OM MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNI VIMUNI VIMUNI MAHA VIMUNI MATI MATI MAHA MATI MAMATI SUMATI TATHATA BHUTAKOTI PARISHUDDHE VISPHUTA BUDDHI SHUDDHE HE HE JAYA JAYA VIJAYA VIJAYA SMARA SMARA SPHARA SPHARA SPHARAYA SPHARAYA SARVA BUDDHA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE SHUDDHE SHUDDHE BUDDHE BUDDHE VAJRE VAJRE MAHA VAJRE SUVAJRE VAJRA GARBHE JAYA GARBHE VIJAYA GARBHE VAJRA DZOLA GARBHE VAJRODBHAVE VAJRA SAMBHAVE VAJRE VAJRINI VAJRAM BHAVATU MAMA SHARIRAM SARVA SATTVANANYTSA KAYA PARISHUDDHIR BHAVATU ME SADA SARVA GATI PARISHUDDHISHTSA SARVA TATHAGATASHTSA MAM SAMASVASAYANTU BUDDHYA BUDDHYA SIDDHYA SIDDHYA BODHAYA BODHAYA VIBODHAYA VIBODHAYA MOTSAYA MOTSAYA VIMOTSAYA VIMOTSAYA SHODHAYA SHODHAYA VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA SAMANTENA MOTSAYA MOTSAYA SAMANTA RASMI PARISHUDDHE SARVA TATHAGATA HRIDAYA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE MUDRE MUDRE MAHA MUDRE MAHAMUDRA MANTRA PADAIH SOHA

Short mantra:
OM DHRUM SOHA OM AMRITA AYUR DADE SOHA

Namgyalma Body Structure Details

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:29:29 PDT

Namgyalma also known as Ushnisha Vijaya(Sanskrit) is the victorious hair or crowned mother buddha. She is white in colour and has 3 faces, white, yellow and blue. Her faces have peaceful, semi-wrathful and wrathful demeanours. She has eight arms, each holding different implements and sits in the meditative position on a lotus. She is a female bodhisattva with three faces and eight arms and one of the three reverend deities of longevity. her middle face and eight arms are white, symbolizing the elimination fo disasters. There is an eye on each side of herforehead and a coronal is twisting around her painted on her crown. As required by the sutra of measurements for the construction of staturs, this mother buddha should be moulded as a maiden of 16 years old. Half of hair should be braided with the remaining hair hanging doen and the tip being longer than her elbows. her face should resemble sesame and her eyes red lotus petals. The yellow face on the left side symbolizes bebefit and longevity and the blue face onthe right side symbolizes the defeat of devils. The mother buddha is holding a double dorje on the one hand of her main arm and rope on the other hand. While the palm of herthird hand is facing the front to graitfy peoples wishes. On the left side, her first hand is holding up, while her second hand isgrasping a bow and her third hand is holding an Amrita- kalash with a flower in bloom. According to the buddhist scriptures, the followers who practices Buddhism should regard the victorious hair Crowned Mother Buddha as a female Boddhisattva who rids of miseries and disasters. practising her dharma can help lengthen their span of life, increase their happiness and wisdom, eliminate their sins and shield them from evil omen.

Namgyalma Short History

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:29:50 PDT

Namgyalma is a deity for long life and purification. Her mantra has infinite benefits. It is said to be so powerful that anybody who hears it will never again be born from the womb. Therefore, if animals hear it, they will never again be reborn in the lower realms.

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There is a story from the time Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was on earth concerning a deva called Paripu Denpa. Due to karma, when devas start experiencing the signs of death, they spontaneously remember their previous lives and see their future lives; they perceive that they are about to be reborn in the lower realms and so forth. Since their realm has unbelievable enjoyments thousands of times better than those of the richest country on earth, when they realize that they are about to leave a life of such pleasure and be reborn where there is incredible suffering, their minds suffer greatly.

Thus, as he was dying, the deva Denpa saw that he was about to be reborn as six types of animal dog, monkey and so forth. Very worried, he asked King Indra what to do. King Indra suggested that he see the Buddha, which he did. Buddha manifested as the deity Namgyalma and gave him the mantra. Denpa recited it six times daily and in seven days completely changed his karma so that he did not have to be reborn as those six types of animal. The Namgyalma mantra is unbelievably powerful for purification. I have translated its benefits and explained how to recite it for people who have cancer and other diseases.

The kind, compassionate Guru Shakyamuni Buddha taught the benefits of reciting the Namgyalma mantra to the Four Guardian Kings. Even if you are in danger of dying because the karma that determines your life-span is running out, if you wash your body, wear clean clothes and, abiding in the eight precepts, recite the Namgyalma mantra one thousand times, you can increase your life-span, purify your obscurations and free yourself from disease.

If you recite the Namgyalma mantra into the ear of an animal, you ensure that this is its last animal rebirth. If somebody suffering from a heavy disease that doctors cannot diagnose does the practice Lord Buddha taught to the deva Denpa, he or she will be liberated from that disease, bring to an end all future rebirths in the lower realms, and after death be reborn in a blissful pure land. For humans, the present life will be their last rebirth from the womb.

If you recite this mantra twenty-one times, blow upon mustard seeds and throw them onto the bones of even extremely evil beings who have created many heavy negative karmas, those beings will immediately be liberated from the lower realms and be reborn in a higher realm, such as that of a deva. Throwing seeds blessed by the Namgyalma mantra onto the bones or body of a dead being purifies that beings consciousness, and even though that being may have been reborn in hell or any other lower realm, that being can be reborn in a deva realm.

If you put this mantra in a stupa or on a banner inside your house or above the roof, whoever is touched by even the shadow of that stupa or banner will not be reborn in the lower realms. Also, any being touched by a breeze that has first touched a stupa, banner or statue containing this mantra is purified of the karma to be reborn in the lower realms. What need is there to mention, therefore, how great the purification experienced by those who recite this mantra or keep it on their body.

Chenrezig Mantra - "Om Mane Padme Hum"

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:25:36 PDT

"Every person whose heart is moved by love and compassion, who deeply and sincerely acts for the benefit of others without concern for fame, profit, social position, or recognition expresses the activity of Chenrezig."

Chenrezig - "God of Compassion"

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:17:11 PDT

In the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon of enlightened beings, Chenrezig is renowned as the embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Avalokiteshvara is the earthly manifestation of the self born, eternal Buddha, Amitabha. He guards this world in the interval between the historical Sakyamuni Buddha, and the next Buddha of the Future Maitreya.

Product of Lucky Thanka

According to legend, Chenrezig made a a vow that he would not rest until he had liberated all the beings in all the realms of suffering. After working diligently at this task for a very long time, he looked out and realized the immense number of miserable beings yet to be saved. Seeing this, he became despondent and his head split into thousands of pieces. Amitabha Buddha put the pieces back together as a body with very many arms and many heads, so that Chenrezig could work with myriad beings all at the same time. Sometimes Chenrezig is visualized with eleven heads, and a thousand arms fanned out around him.
Chenrezig may be the most popular of all Buddhist deities, except for Buddha himself -- he is beloved throughout the Buddhist world. He is known by different names in different lands: as Avalokiteshvara in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, as Kuan-yin in China, as Kannon in Japan.
As Chenrezig, he is considered the patron Bodhisattva of Tibet, and his meditation is practiced in all the great lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The beloved king Songtsen Gampo was believed to be an emanation of Chenrezig, and some of the most respected meditation masters (lamas), like the Dalai Lamas and Karmapas, who are considered living Buddhas, are also believed to be emanations of Chenrezig.
Whenever we are compassionate, or feel love for anyone, or for an animal or some part of the natural world, we experience a taste of our own natural connection with Chenrezig. Although we may not be as consistently compassionate as some of the great meditation masters, Tibetan Buddhists believe that we all share, in our basic nature, unconditional compassion and wisdom that is no different from what we see in Chenrezig and in these lamas.
We might have trouble believing that we are no different than Chenrezig -- but learning about the nature of compassion, and learning about Chenrezig, repeating his mantra Om Mani Padme Hum and imagining that we would like to be like Chenrezig, pretending that we really are just like Chenrezig, we actually can become aware of increasing compassion in our lives, and ultimately, the lamas tell us, awaken as completely wise and compassionate buddhas.

Maha Chundi Mantra (Mother of seven billion Buddhas)

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:33:37 PST

NAMO SAPTANAM SAMYAKSAMBUDDHA KOTINAM. TADYATHA: OM! CALE, CULE, CUNDI SVAHA!

Om (A U M): means oneness with the Supreme, the merging of the physical being with the spiritual. The most sacred syllable, the first sound of Almighty. This scared syllable appears as a mystic sound, regarded as the basis of every other mantra. It is the sound not only of origination but also for dissolution. The past, present and future are included in this one sound and even all that transcends this configuration of time is also implied in OM.
cali, culi: prounced as cha’li, chu’li; a loving play on her name: Chundi.
Cundi (cunde, sundhi, chundi) : (lit.) extreme purity, immaculate. “c” prounced as “ch” as in “china”, not as “k” in “can”.
svaha: Being auspicious! all hail! auspiciously fulfilled, as wish, “May the meaning of the mantra take root in my mind”.

Seed syllable: ‘Zhun’; Mudra: top & side view

Maha Cundi Bodhisattva whose secret name is Great Victorious Vajrais is known as the mother of billion Buddhas, also is one form of Avalokitesvara. She is the seated figure with 18 arms which symbolize (the Hindu way, not exactly a celestial body) the many skillful means of Tantra. She is the source of all the Buddhas of past, present and future and had unimaginable power of blessings. Those who practice this bodhisattva will attain wisdom, victory in debate, harmonious and respectful family, improved relations with others, longivity, healed sicknesses, removed of negative karmas, and other wishes fulfilled.

Mantra: namah saptanam-samyaksambudda-kotinam tadyata: “om cale cule cunde svaha”
means: Adoration to seven billions ‘perfect status, perfect enlightened one’ like this: om cha’le chu’le Chun’de, All hail!

Chundi Bodhisattva

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 22:33:12 PDT

Maha Chundi is known as the mother of Buddhas, also is one form of Avalokitesvara. She is the seated figure with 18 arms, various Dharma implements she holds represent the many skillful means of Tantra.

A production of Lucky Thanka

The word 'Cundi' literally means 'extremely pure'. Due to her status as the Mother of all the Lotus Deities in Tantrism, so she has the epithet of Mother Buddha, Cundi Mother Buddha is also called the Seven Koti Mother Buddha, which means that she is the Mother of Seven Billion Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

The Symbolism and Meaning of the Eighteen Arms of Cundi

1. The original 2 hands forming the root Mudra of Expounding the Dharma represents the fluency of elucidating all Dharma.
2. The hand holding the wondrous precious banner represents the ability to build a most magnificent, great monastery.
3. The hand forming the Fearless Mudra represents the ability to deliver sentient beings away from all terror and fears.
4. The hand holding a lotus flower represents the purification of the six senses which, untainted, are as pure as the lotus flower.
5. The hand holding a sword of wisdom represents the severing of the entanglements of afflictions and the three poisons of greed, anger and ignorance.
6. The hand holding an empowerment vase represents the flowing of nectar to nurture all sentient beings so that they may receive the empowerment of the buddhas.
7. The hand holding a wonderful jewelled headdress represents the wish to be linked to wonderful dharma art.
8. The hand holding a vajra lasso represents the ability to attract all into the yoga tantra.
9. The hand holding a wonderful celestial fruit represents the accomplishment of the fruition of enlightenment, and the extensive cultivation of good karma.
10. The hand holding an eight-spoke wheel represents the constant turning of the great dharma wheel, radiating its magnificent lights over the three lower realms.
11. The hand holding a battle axe represents the elimination of all evil practices and the severing of attachment to oneself and others. 12. The hand holding a large dharma shell represents the expounding of pure Dharma which shakes the universe.
13. The hand holding a vajra hook represents the skill to magnetize and attract all phenomena within one's view.
14. The hand holding a wish-fulfilling vase represents the function of manifesting all treasures and scriptures at will.
15. The hand holding a vajra represents the collective convergence of support given by the eight classes of celestial beings and dragons. It also represents the subjugation of stubborn sentient beings.
16. The hand holding a wisdom sutra represents the self-cognition of knowing the profound and wonderful truth without any guidance from a teacher.
17. The hand holding a mani or wish-fulfilling pearl represents the vibrant and luminous state of mind which is flawless, pure and perfect.
18. The two original hands, beginning with the first hand, are held in the Dharma Expounding Mudra. Hence, the eighteen arms.

Some images of Cundi Bodhisattva depict different gestures, such as forming the root mudra or holding mala beads. The meaning remains the same, regardless. The gestures represent the eighteen merits of Cundi Bodhisattva. You may visualize the hands clearly and recite the mantra so that you may attain realization swiftly and liberate sentient beings from their suffering.

How to care Thangka

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:25:18 PDT

To Roll
Due to the quality of the natural pigments used, the thanka is quite delicate and must be rolled and unrolled with great care.

Pull each end firmly

Rolling requires two people – one to hold each end.
Each person should pull firmly from each end. The person on the top end should hold the stick area only, not the brocade, as this will pull and cause creasing. The person on the bottom end must ensure the rod does not stick to the brocade and pucker the fabric. Make sure the covering cloth is not creased and covers the painting properly. Start rolling from the BOTTOM end of the thanka and roll firmly towards the person at the top end while continuing to hold the thanka tautly throughout. It is very important that the thanka is rolled firmly so that the painting does not crease.

Roll to the side of the canvas

When you reach the level of the painting (canvas area) roll and pull the cloth to the side of the canvas only. It is EXTREMELY important that no pressure from the hands is ever placed over the canvas. Ensure that the thanka is rolled symmetrically – i.e. straight and even on both sides or else creasing can again occur. Every three or so rolls grasp the edge of the brocade and covering cloth and gently pull outwards with each hand to ensure that the painting and cloth are wrinkle free. If a second person is unavailable to hold the thanka from the top, hook the cloth ties over a nail etc so pressure can be maintained on the thanka throughout the rolling process.

To Secure

Secure the rolled thangka at the sides

At the top of the thanka there are two thin cloth ties – these tie together to hang the painting. These must be untied and used to secure the rolled thanka. Pull them past the line of the painting (canvas) so that they will only put pressure on the cloth section (again, this is extremely important).
Wrap around each side and tie off.

Place in a protective tube

If transporting or storing, the rolled thanka can be wrapped in bubble wrap (if there is room in the tube) and placed in a hard case, such as a tube. It is also good to place a ball of bubble wrap in each end of the tube to cushion the thanka and hold it securely. Reverse this process for unrolling to hang (one person job).

Protection for the painting
Once hung the Thanka should be placed out of direct sunlight. Natural pigments are significantly more colourfast than acrylics, but other dyes applied are prone to fading. Sunlight will also damage the brocade and the canvas. The thanka should also not be placed in damp areas and should never be wet – water will cause the pigments to run (not waterproof like synthetic paints).
Apart from colourfastness natural pigments also have superior quality and depth of colour. Natural pigments give a far better overall finish than synthetics. If the thanka is handled correctly, then no problems should occur and the thanka will have a much longer life expectancy than one completed with synthetic paints.

Buddha Life Thangka Description

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:34:23 PDT

Tibetan thangkas are religious paintings on scroll. They serve as meditation aid or as a tool to teach aspects of Buddhism to a wide audience. Thangkas follow certain basic image patterns. One of these iconographic patterns is the story of the life of the historic Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama who lived circa 563 BC to 483 BC.

This article is about the major events of the life of the historical Buddha as it can be found on a thangka of this design type, simply called 'Buddhas Life'.

The Conception of Gautama Siddhartha

Queen Maya sees a white elephant on her dream.

Unreal like the conception of Jesus Christ, circa 560 years later, also the story of Buddha's conception is beyond any known biological facts. According to the documents written down more than two hundred years after Buddha's death, his mother, Maya Devi, an Indian queen, one day dreamed that she would become pregnant from a white elephant touching her right side with its trunk.

In Indian mythology elephants are seen as strong and fertile beings. And white is seen as a sign of purity and immaculacy.

The scene of Maya Devi's odd conception is found on top left of the thangka

The Birth of Buddha

According to the legend, Queen Maya was pregnant for 10 months. When she was aware that her time was near, she followed an old custom and went on a journey to her parents' home in Nepal.

However before reaching her parents' home, she gave birth to her son in a garden in Lumbini, in today's Nepal. Queen Maya grabbed the branch of a tree and Buddha was born by coming out of her right side, the way he was conceived. Queen Maya Devi died seven days later. There have been discussions among scholars if the historical birth of Buddha may have been by ceasarian section

Life at Court

Gautama Siddhartha grew up behind high court walls, well protected from the ugliness of the real world of average people. He could have enjoyed the luxurious life of a rich prince. But he was not happy.

To distract him his father wanted the prince to marry. A tournament was organized as a test who was the strongest and best marriage candidate for Princess Gopi. In one contest, Buddha's rivals killed a white elephant. However Buddha, repelled by the senseless killing, tossed the elephant over the palace wall and brought it back to life.

This scene is depicted on lower left of the thangka.

Prince Siddharta Encounters Suffering

One day the prince left the palace and realized what real life was. He saw poverty, illness, the fate of aging and he saw a burial of a deceased person. Buddha recognized that there was suffering outside the luxury of the palace.

Prince Siddharta Leaves the Palace Forever

Gautama Siddhartha cuts his hair.

Prince Siddhartha, in the meantime 29 years old, married and father of one son, decided to leave the palace to find an answer why there is suffering in the world and how to free the world from it. Secretly at night he left the palace on horseback and accompanied by a servant. Once he was far away from the palace, he sent the servant with the horse back. Buddha took seat in front of a stupa and cut his long hair off and dressed like a monk to begin the life of a simple student under different guru teachers.

This scene is shown on the upper middle right of the thangka.

Ascetism and Meditation

For six years the Buddha practiced ascetism under different guru masters. But after six years he and his friends who accompanied him, were close to death due to extreme ascetism. But Buddha recognized that this did not take him anywhere closer to understand the mechanisms of this world.

See the scene at right center of the thangka.

After 6 years of fruitless ascetism, the Buddha decided to eat again. This is what Buddhists call the "middle way", avoiding extremes to both sides. Buddha began to meditate under a large tree.

Buddha's Enlightenment

After several weeks of meditation Buddha finally found enlightenment by understanding the causes of suffering and how to end suffering.

Mara's Attack

Maras Attack

This was the right moment for Demon Mara to enter the stage. Mara is a kind of incarnation of the evil, the devil so to say. Mara does not want Buddha to find enlightenment and does his best to prevent it. He sends evil monsters who shoot with arrows at the Buddha. But the arrows turn into flowers. Finally he sends his beautiful daughters to seduce the Buddha. But the beautiful young ladies turn into old, ugly women.

The scene of Mara's attack is shown on right lower middle part of the thangka. It is interesting that also this legendary scene from Buddha's life has parallels in the other major world religions - Jewish, Christianity and Islam.

Teachings

After having found enlightenment the Buddha spent the rest of his life traveling in Northern India and teaching his findings and principles.

Nirvana

Buddha passes to Nirvana.

At the age of roughly 80 years the historical Buddha passed away. As he had reached the state of enlightenment, he passed into nirvana. For Buddhists nirvana is the final bliss, the end of the cycle of rebirths and the end of all suffering.

The scene of Buddha's death is shown on bottom center. He is lying on his right side.

Buddha Life

Buddha Shakyamuni

In the center of all Buddha Life thangkas one finds always the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. He is shown with a beggar's bowl in his left hand and with his right hand calling the earth as witness, a scene from the story of Mara's attack.

The details of a Buddha Life thangka may vary and even the different scenes may not always be found on the same place. But the basic pattern is always the same.

Thangka Chart Teaching Removal of Disturbing Emotions

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:19:57 PDT

Disturbing emotions also called "emotional obscurations," interfear with the clarity of one's perception. Beginning from the top left; clockwise:

1 Emotional Obscuration—"Taking up the sword of spiritual wisdom, one struggles with his mind, and eradicates lust, anger and egotism... and destroys his inner thieves..." (sggs 1022).

2 Cognitive Obscuration—Amitayus atop a trampled corpse of ignorance with skulls in the background. Through Kapala rituals, human skulls are offering vessels — during offering feasts to Amitayus, the skull cup is filled with sweet fruit juices as a symbol for wisdom and merit.

3 Karmic Obscuration—In the "Six Symbols of Longevity." the old man came to represent the contemplative sage, who holds a crystal rosary symbolizing continuity and purity. By otherwise, following the push and pull of attachment and aversion, we commit negative actions that create negative results (the cause and effect of Karma).

4 Habitual Obscuration—"The Elephant, the Monkey and the Kapinjala Bird," from The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom. As the tree grew, the individual animals could no longer selfishly feed themselves. As taught by Venerable Ribur Rinpoche, "The reason the four animals worked so harmoniously together, and the reason they were successful, is that none of them were primarily concerned with them self."..." It is a story explaining how there is no place for self-cherishing, but rather we need each other and we need to help each other."

Vajrasattwa Mantra

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:27:32 PST

Mantra:-

om vajra sato samaya manupalaya vajra sato tenopa tikhra drido mebawa suto khayo mebawa supo khaya mebawa anurakto mebawa sarwa siddhi meprayetsa sarwa karma sutsame tsitam sheryam kuru hung ha ha ha ho bagawan sarwa tathagata vajra mame muentsa benzri ba wa maha samaya sato ah hung phet (om benza sato hung)

Vajrasattva Purification Meditation

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:36:55 PST

Vajrasattva Purification Meditation

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There is no negativity that cannot be purified. The purification process is basically a psychological one. As Lama Yeshe says, it is our mind (and on the basis of that our actions) that create the negativity and it is our mind that transforms it by creating positive energy. Although, in Buddhism, we rely on Buddha’s methods for the purification, it is not as if it is Buddha purifying us or forgiving us; we ourselves, as Lama says, do the work.
We purify by applying, the Four Opponent Powers.
The practice
Prostrate three times then sit on your cushion. Bring your mind to a quiet state. Start the purification with the first of the Four Opponent Powers.
1. The Power of Regret: Sincerely regret, from the depths of your heart, anything you have done to harm any living being, on this day, in this life, in all past lives. It is good to contemplate the various actions that you remember having done, and then to regret all the things as well that you don’t remember. The reason to regret is based on the understanding of karma: we cannot bear the thought of the future suffering that we ourselves will experience due to the harm we have done to others. We experience everything due to our past karma, our past actions; so having harmed others we ourselves will necessarily experience suffering in the future. And who wants that? We know from the present suffering that we do not want it, so the logic is, therefore, to clean up our act before the present seeds ripen as future suffering.
2. The Power of Reliance: There are two parts to this step: one, we rely upon the doctor whose medicine we will take to purify our deluded actions, in this case the Buddha. It’s not that we need Buddha to forgive us; rather, we rely upon him by using his methods to purify ourselves.
Two, we also rely upon others beings, the very beings we have harmed, by developing compassion for them. We make the wish to purify for their sakes: all those we have harmed in this life and in the past. Make a strong aspiration to do this practice of purification so that from now on we can only benefit others, not harm them.
Visualize Vajrasattva above the crown of your head. He is your guru manifesting in this aspect for your benefit: this is important. He is made of radiant, blissful white light. He’s sitting cross-legged on a white lotus, which although born out of mud is untainted by mud, just like our enlightened potential, which is born out of our delusions but is untained by them. His face is radiant and beautiful. His eyes are long (horizontally) and peaceful and full of love and compassion for us. His mouth is red and very sweet. His hair is black and held up in a top knot. His arms are crossed at his heart, left underneath the right; the left is holding a bell, which represents wisdom, the right is holding a vajra, which represents the indestructibility of compassion; their being crossed represents the union of these two, which symbolizes enlightenment itself: the development of infinite wisdom and infinite compassion. The main thing is to really feel the presence of this enlightened energy above your head, and to imagine that it is a mirror image of your own potential.
Now, say a prayer of refuge in Guru Vajrasattva:

To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha
I go for refuge until I am enlightened.
By this practice of meditating on Guru Vajrasattva
May I reach Buddhahood so as to benefit all sentient beings!

Now visualize that light goes out of Guru Vajrasattva’s heart to all the ten directions and hooks the energy of the body, speech and mind of all the enlightened beings of the universe. This light comes back and dissolves into the heart of Guru Vajrasattva, who now embodies all their energy. He is even more brilliant and blissful than before.

3. The Power of the Antidote: which is the actual medicine, the doing of the actual practice of purification. There are three stages to the meditation, and it consists of visualization and recitation of mantra.
Purification of body: Guru Vajrasattva very compassionately sends powerful white nectar, like coming out of a hose very forcefully, from his heart. It enters your crown chakra and pours into your entire body, filling you completely. It keeps coming and it forces out of your lower orifices all the harm you have ever done to any living being with your body in the form of inky liquid, which pours out of you and disappears into space, not one atom left. Feel completely purified. Recite the mantra the whole time. (Until you learn it, just say it 3 times; when you know it easily, recite at least 7)
OM VAJRASATTVA SAMAYA MANU PALAYA / VAJRASATTVA DENO PATITA / DIDO MAY BHAWA / SUTO KAYO MAY BHAWA / SUPO KAYO MAY BHAWA / ANU RAKTO MAY BHAWA / SARWA SIDDHI MEMPAR YATSA / SARWA KARMA SU TSA MAY / TSITAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA HO / BHAGAWAN / SARVA TATHAGATA / VAJRA MA MAY MU TSA / VAJRA BHAWA MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA / AH HUM PHAT!
Then feel so happy that your negativity of body is purified. Really imagine now that it is not possible that your body could do anything but benefit others; no way can it harm. Really want that.
Purification of speech: During the second stage of the visualization, Guru Vajrasattva very happily sends powerful nectar from his heart chakra again. It pours forcefully into your crown, filling your entire body, this time forcing up to the top of your body – like when water filling a dirty glass forces the junk to come to the top and to overflow – all the negativity of your speech: all the gossip and malicious speech and useless speech and lying and whatever. All is purified by this powerful nectar, leaving your body through the top orifices in the form of inky liquid, disappearing into space, not one atom left. Recite the mantra as you visualize this.
Again, feel so happy that your speech is now completely purified and that no way could you do anything but say something beneficial or useful or appropriate or kind to others. Really want that.
Purification of mind: Third, Guru Vajrasattva very compassionately sends this time light from his heart chakra. This powerful white light enters your crown chakra and fills your entire being, and just like when you turn on a light in a room the darkness is instantly dispelled, so too, just as the light hits your heart chakra, the darkness of the negativity of your mind, all the anger and violence and depression and resentment and jealousy and bitterness, etc., are all instantly dispelled, not one atom left. Recite the mantra as you visualize this.
Again, feel happy that all your delusions, which are the cause of the harm we do with our body and speech, are totally purified, gone, finished, and that no way is there any space in your heart now for anything but love and kindness and forgiveness and wisdom and bliss and compassion.
Purification of even the imprints of negativity of body, speech and mind: This time imagine that Guru Vajrasattva sends light again and it fills you completely and eradicates even the subtlest imprint of negative energy from your mind. (It’s like once you removed the garlic from a jar, you still need to remove the smell.) Again recite the mantra.
Now feel you are completely purified, and feel very happy. Guru Vajrasattva is happy too.
4. The Power of the Promise: The fourth step in the purification process, and such an important one, is the determination not to harm with our body, speech and mind again. Without this, we keep doing the same old things; determination to not harm again is like a beacon that guides our body, speech and mind in new directions. If you can actually vow to not do certain actions again for the rest of your life, fantastic. But be realistic. If you can vow not to do them again for a year, a month, a day, even a minute – whatever is realistic. Then in general vow to make the effort to avoid the others. This determination not to do again is what gives us the strength to turn ourselves around.
Then, very happy, Guru Vajrasattva – your own guru manifesting as the Buddha Vajrasattva solely for your benefit – melts into white light and absorbs into your through your crown chakra. This energy of white light comes to your heart chakra and merges with your own very subtle consciousness, becoming oneness with you. Meditate on this union.
At the end of the meditation session dedicate all the merit, the positive energy, you have created by doing this purification to all living beings (say whichever prayers below you would like to say):
Through the merits of these virtuous actions
May I quickly attain the state of a guru-buddha
And lead all living beings,without exception,
Into that enlightened state.
*******************************************************************
May the supreme jewel bodhichitta
That has not arisen,arise and grow;
And may that which has arisen not diminish
But increase more and more.
*******************************************************************
Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra,too,
Realized things as they are,
I,too,dedicate all these merits in the best way,
That I may follow their perfect example.
*******************************************************************
I dedicate all these roots of virtue
With the dedication praised as the best
By the victorious ones thus gone of the three times,
So I might perform good works.
*******************************************************************
I dedicate whatever virtues I have ever collected
For the benefit of the teachings and of all
sentient beings,
And in particular,for the essential teachings
Of venerable Losang Dragpa to shine forever.
*******************************************************************
In the land encircled by snow mountains
You are the source of all happiness and good;
All-powerful Chenrezig,Tenzin Gyatso,
Please remain until samsara ends.
*******************************************************************
You are Avalokiteshvara, great treasure of
compassion not aimed at true existence,
And Manjushri, master of flawless wisdom,
As well as Vajrapani, destroyer of hordes of demons
without exception,]
Tsong Khapa, crown jewel of the sages of the land of snows,
Losang Dragpa, at your feet I make requests.
*******************************************************************
May we not arise heresy even for a second
In the actions of the glorious guru.
May we regard whatever actions are done as pure.
[With this devotion ] may we receive the blessings
of the guru in our hearts.
*******************************************************************
In all my lives,through the victorious one,Lama Tsong Khapa,
Acting in person as the Mahayana guru,
May I never turn aside for even an instant
From the excellent path praised by the victorious ones.
*******************************************************************
In whatever way you appear,glorious guru,
With whatever retinue,lifespan,and pure land,
Whatever noble and holy name you take,
May I and others attain only these.
*******************************************************************
The four types of karmic results that the Four Opponent Powers purify:

1. The power of regret purifies the experience similar to the cause, which, let’s say for killing, is to get killed, to die young or to get sick.

2. The power of reliance, Refuge and bodhicitta purify the environment result, which for killing is living in a place where the food and medicine are not conducive to good health.

3. The power of the antidote, in this case the visualization and recitation of mantras – or whatever action one does as the actual antidote – purifies the throwing karma that causes birth in the lower realms.

4. The power of the promise or determination not to do again purifies the action similar to the cause, which in a sense is the worst result: it’s the habit to keep killing, which propels one back into the lower realms.

Medicine Buddha Mantra

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:05:04 PST

Manjushree Dance at Mandala Street

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 06:56:27 PDT

I was just walking through mandala street and I saw the crowd over there. There was a program for Thamel Tourism year2011 and there were different performance making the place more entertaining. I recorded this video from there and liked to share on my site.

Shakyamuni Buddha Mantra(Om muni muni mahamuni shakyamuniye svaha)

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:35:59 PDT

Oṃ muni muni mahāmuni śākyamuni svāhā

Om muni muni mahamuni shakyamuni svaha

Shakyamuni (the sage of the Shakyan clan) is the historical Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama.(chant one mala – 108 times a day)

Shakyamuni was almost certainly the first enlightened figure to be visualized. There’s a beautiful passage in the Sutta Nipata (an early Buddhist text) where Pingiya talks about how he is never separated from the Buddha. He says that at any time he wishes he can see and hear his teacher, even though he lives hundreds of miles from where the Buddha dwells.

Shakyamuni’s mantra is a play on his name. Muni means sage. Mahameans great. So the mantra reads "Om wise one, wise one, greatly wise one, wise one of the Shakyans, Hail!"
Also this mantra is commonly found in the following form:
Om muni muni mahamuni shakyamuniye svaha
This form has the name of Shakyamuni in the dative form, so that it reads “Om wise one, wise one, great wise one, to the wise one of the Shakyans hail!”
This is actually the more common form of the mantra in Sanskrit, although in Tibetan the mantra is in the “Tibeticized” version of the shorter form given above: Om muni muni maha muni shakyamuni soha– “soha” being the Tibetan rendering of “svaha.”
Pronunciation notes:
a is pronounced as u in cut

ā is like a in father

u is like the sound in put or foot

v is pronounced halfway between English v and w. If in doubt, then a w sound will do

Shaykyamuni Buddha

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:31:39 PDT

Sakyamuni Gautam Buddha is believed to have had 550 incarnations. Many previous Buddhas and other Buddhas yet to come are known as Buddhas. To distinguish from all other Buddhas, he has been called Sakyamuni ( The Lion of Sakya clan), the son of king Suddhodana and queen Mayadevi. He was born on 563 B.C. at Lumbini, western part of Nepal. He had attained "Bodhi" or knowledge after 6 years in fasting and meditation and then he was called "Buddha" as he was "the enlightened one". He died at the age of 80 at Kusinagara.

Vajrasatwa

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:08:43 PDT

The Nepali Buddhist as the priest of the Five Dhyani Buddha regards Bajrasatwa, the sixth Dhyani Buddha. He is not represented in the stupa like other Dhyani Buddhas, but independent shrines are dedicated to his worship. His worship is always performed in secret and is not open to those who are not initiated into the mysteries of the Vajrayana. Vajrasatwa is represented in two forms, single and yabyum. This Dhyani Buddha wears all ornaments, rich dress and a crown. He is of white colour. He sits cross-legged in the meditative pose like other Dhyani Buddhas. He carries the vajra in his right hand with palm upwards against the chest and ghanta (bell) in the left hand resting upon the left thigh.

Vajrasattva is said to have been originated from seed syllable Hum and is generally invoked for removal of obscuration of conflicting emotions (Kleshavarana) andobstruction to Omniscience (Jneyavarana).

The first opponent power is the force of reliance. This means looking upon the visualized image of Vajrasattva as the embodiment of one’s refuge.
The second opponent power is the sincere regret for the non-virtuous action done by oneself.
The third opponent power is desisting from evil deeds.
The fourth opponent power is to apply power of good deeds; and specially regarding this case, practicing the meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva without parting from Bodhicitta while remaining in the state of emptiness.

Right Picture is Vajra-sattva hundred syllable mantra
Vajra-sattva hundred syllable mantra is very efficacious in purifying our defilements through confession practice. It is said if confession is done with the four opponent powers, then non-virtuous actions or obscurations will be purified.
Vajra-sattva is a very popular tutelary deity for Nepalese Vajracaryas. He is worshipped very often by Nepalese Buddhists through Gurumandala ritual. The Svabhavika sect in Nepal identified Swabhava or Swa [own], bhava [nature] Adi-Buddha with Vajrasattva, who, according to the Nepalese Buddhist writings, manifested himself on Mount Sumeru in the following manner. A lotus-flower of precious jewels appeared on the summit of mountain which is the center of the universe, and above it arose a moon-crescent upon which,' supremely exalted', was seated Vajrasattva.
Certain Lamaist sects identified Vajrasattva with Vajradhara, while others looked upon Vajrasattva as an active form of Vajradhara, who was too lost in divine quietude to occupy him directly with the affairs of sentient beings.

Lokeshor: Story Of 1,000 Arms

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:45:37 PDT

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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara made the commitment in front of Buddha Amitabha to intentionally manifest into the three realms of samsara in order to liberate all sentient beings from samsara and to be their supreme guide. He also vowed that if by chance his compassion and courageous mind of mercy for like earrings, and so on. He has eleven heads. The eleventh one being his spritual sire Buddha Amitabha. It is said that sentient beings were to decrease, then let his head and body just completely crack and fall into one thousand pieces.Receiving blessings from Buddha Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara went through universal manifestations into the three realms of samsara.
Thereby he went to Hell and emancipated them from both the hot and cold hells by teaching Om mani pad me hung. He in turn went to ghost realm, human, Asura and Deva realms to free the sentient beings from their respective suffering. He absolutely emptied the ocean of suffering. Following which he went back to Buddha Amitabha and declared that the liberation had been effected. Buddha Amitabha said to him, "you should look again, look back again and again into the world." And as he did, there he saw once again that sentient beings were in samsara and in sorrow, he became so disappointed when he saw the sight. On his enlightened thought (Bodhicitta) decreased in the moment and he lost his courage. He became disappointed in the very presence of Buddha Amitabha.
He felt how could the time come to liberate all sentient beings for ever from this type of condition. And instantly when
his mind felt with sorrow, his body and head just cracked and fell apart into one thousand pieces, and then he fainted.

Avalokiteshvara thus fainted, and Buddha Amitabha said to him, "My son where has your courage, your mental strength gone?" He picked up all the pieces of his body and the head. At the same time he said, "this happened because of your prayer. You deserve the praise of all Buddhas since your prayer was efficacious. However, noble son! Don’t worry." Thereby he blessed his broken heads into eleven faces and he sat upon those heads and his broken body into one thousand hands like one thousand petals of the lotus. Thereafter he said, "I bow to you because your thousand hands are the hands of the thousand universal emperors and those eyes in each of the palms of the hands are the eyes of one thousand Buddhas who will appear in this fortunate aeon. After that Avalokiteshvara appeared in many different forms in order to tame the suffering sentient beings and he successfully accomplished many events.
The image of Thousand armed Avalokiteshvara in stone is rare in Kathmandu valley. The bronze images can be seen here and there. Basically a system of fasting ceremony called Nyune from Tibet came to Kathmandu too, through Tibetan Buddhists Masters. In this fasting ceremony the practice; or sadhana is usually devoted to this form of Avalokiteshvara.
Thousand armed Avalokiteshvara form of image can be found in China too. A giant image of 1,000 armed Avalokiteshvara (ht. 360cm) is installed in the Maitreya temple in Tainan. It was carved out of wood and has aesthetical value.

How to hang a Thangka

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:50:43 PDT

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Not every thangka will exhibit all these parts.

For example, many do not contain the “door” in the lower part of the brocade mounting.

Assuming your thangka has the standard cords or straps that keep a rolled-up thangka rolled up, unwrap these and tie them together (as shown at the top of the diagram above). I suggest tying in a bow rather than a knot, to facilitate later untying and re-rolling.

Place one hook or nail in the wall at a height which will place the heart of the deity above your eye level. As a sign of respect and to enhance the inspirational quality of the image, you’ll want to look upwards to it.

Hang the tied cords (or, in their absence, the string at the back or top of the upper dowel) over the nail.

Let the thangka unroll slowly, controlling its fall with your hands.

When the thangka is fully extended and level, gather the silk cover in your hand and tuck it under the string or fine cord at the front of the upper dowel, creating a decorative flourish. My next “how-to” post will describe in illustrated detail how to arrange this cover drape.

Wheel of Life (Riduk)

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 07:01:14 PDT

Wheel of Life: -a traditional representation of the samsaric cycle of existence. It is a complex symbolic representation of saṃsāra in the form of a circle, found primarily in Tibetan Buddhist art. Saṃsāra is the continuous cycle of birth, life, and death from which one liberates oneself through enlightenment.
Other Names of Wheel Of life:-

Wheel of Bhavacakra
Wheel of existence
Wheel of becoming
Wheel of rebirth
Wheel of saṃsāra
Wheel of suffering
Wheel of transformation

The Six-section Bhavacakra
The diagram of the Bhavacakra has six sections (or sometimes five, as described in more detail below).
Background
The Bhavacakra is represented as being held by the jaws, hands, and feet of a fearsome figure who turns the wheel. The exact identity of the figure varies. A common choice for the figure is Yama, the god of death or Kala the lord of time. This figure is also known as the "Face of Glory" or Kirtimukha.
There is always a figure or symbol in the upper left and the upper right. The exact figure or symbol varies; common examples include the moon, a buddha, or a bodhisattva. In the picture of the Tibetan Bhavacakra in Sera, Lhasa the clouds take the shapes of certain Buddhist symbols, eg. svastika.
Outer rim
The outer rim of the wheel is divided into twelve sections and given such names as the Twelve Interdependent Causes and Effects or the Twelve Links of Causality.
Ignorance is the first of the 12 causes and conditions, both of our rebirth and of maturing any karma within our dependent existence. Different causes can overlap in different stages and

even mature in next existences - lives. Yet the turning of the wheel goes onward.
The twelve causal links are: (1) ignorance; (2) volitional action or conditioning; (3) consciousness; (4) name and form; (5) six sensory organs (i.e. eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind); (6) contact or touch; (7) sensation; (8) desire, craving, thirst; (9) grasping; (10) becoming or existence; (11) birth; (12) decay and death.
Six Worlds
The wheel is divided into six sections which represent the Six realms (or Worlds) of Existence. These Six Worlds are:
The World of Devas or Gods

The World of Asuras (Tibetan: lha ma yin; Sanskrit: asura) (Demigods, Titans, Fighting Demons)

The World of Humans

The World of Animals

The World of Pretas (hungry ghosts)

The World of Hell

(ibid, with different order)
The World of Devas is always at the very top of the wheel. The World of Asuras and the World of Humans are always in the top half of the wheel, bordering the World of Devas on opposite sides, but which of the two is on the left and which is on the right varies (leading to two different arrangements of the wheel). The World of Animals and the World of Hungry Ghosts is always in the bottom half of the wheel, with the World of Animals bordering the World of Humans and the World of Hungry Ghosts bordering the World of Asuras. Between the World of Animals and the World of Hungry Ghosts, at the very bottom of the wheel, is the World of Hell.
Sometimes, the wheel is represented as only having five sections because the World of the Devas and the World of the Asuras are combined into a single world.
In Buddhist representations of the wheel, within each of the Six Realms, there is always at least one buddha or bodhisattva depicted, trying to help sentient beings find their way to nirvana (ibid).

HUB
The rim of the hub has a clear binary demarcation of black and white. An exoteric exegesis holds that one side is the White Path or Path of Bliss and represents how sentient beings may move upward to the Godly Realms; the other side is the Dark Path which represents how sentient beings may move downward to the Hellish Realms. A more esoteric exegesis is that it represents the Right-handed Path and the Left-handed Path of Tantra, not in opposition but as complements in unity.
In the hub, the center of the wheel, the Three Poisons (Sanskrit: mula-kleśa) are sometimes personified as the boar, serpent and fowl or iconographically by the gankyil; delusion, hatred and greed respectively. The Three Poisons are turning in a 'Wheel of Woe', each consuming and energised by the poison affronting them and being consumed by that which they affront in turn (each of the Poisons has one of the other Poisons in its mouth). Alternatively, they are the 'evils' which are responsible for the trapping of sentient beings within the Six Realms.

Guru Padmasambhava Mantra

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:21:57 PDT

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The Seven Line Prayer to पद्मसम्भावा
The Seven Line Prayer to Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) is a famous prayer that is recited by many Tibetans daily and is said to contain the most sacred and important teachings of Dzogchen.

HUNG - ORGYEN YUL GYI NUB JANG TSAM

In the north-west of the land of Orgyen,
PEMA GESAR DONGPO LA

In the heart of a lotus flower,
YATSEN CHOK GI NGÖ DRUP NYÉ

Endowed with the most marvellous attainments,
PEMA JUNG NÉ SHYÉ SU DRAK

You are renowned as the Lotus-born,
KHOR DU KHANDRO MANGPÖ KOR

Surrounded by many hosts of dakinis.
KHYÉ KYI JÉ SU DAK DRUP KYI

Following in your footsteps
CHIN GYI LAP CHIR SHEK SU SOL

I pray to you: come and bless me with your grace!
GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUM

Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava)

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:11:14 PDT

Padmakara has influenced countless beings through the Vajrayana teachings and in particular through the activity of the profound terma treasures. This great master was not an ordinary person on the path or just a noble being on one of the bodhisattva bhumis but an emanation of both Buddha Amitabha and Shakyamuni who appeared in order to tame the human beings and spirits difficult to convert.
Even the great bodhisattvas are incapable of fully explaining his life example but in brief I will narrate it as follows.
In the dharmakaya realm of the Luminous Vajra Essence he has by nature attained perfect enlightenment since the very beginning as the liberated ground of primordial purity. He is renowned as the original protector, Unchanging Light.
In the self-manifest sambhogakaya realm of the Thunder of the Drum of Perfection, he spontaneously manifested as the boundless wisdom array of the five families of Buddha Immense Ocean possessing the five certainties.
As the external manifestation of this self-appearing display, in the countless sceneries of bodily forms in buddhafields of the five families comprised of the semi-manifest natural nirmanakaya realms of Mahabrahma, he appears to all the bodhisattvas on the ten bhumis. Since these all are the cloud banks of Guru Rinpoche's wisdom display, the 'inexhaustible wheel of adornment,' he is known as the All-Holding Lotus.
By the power of these wisdom displays he appears in countless worlds of the ten directions as the magical apparition of nirmanakayas who tame beings. In particular, it is taught that only in this Saha world-system he illuminates fifty worlds with the lamp of the teachings of Sutra and Tantra appearing as the eight manifestations to tame beings in the different parts of the world.
The Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal had a vision in which she saw a manifestation of Guru Rinpoche called Immense Vajra Ocean in the direction to the east. Each of the pores in his body held one billion realms and in each realm there were one billion world systems. In each of these world systems there were one billion Guru Rinpoches who each created one billion emanations. Each of these emanations carried out the activity of taming one billion disciples. She then saw the same display in each of the other directions and in the center.
In this world of Jambudvipa, Guru Rinpoche is known as just one nirmanakaya who tames beings but according to the different capacities and giftedness of people he is perceived in various ways. The history of the Oral Transmission of Kilaya and most Indian sources explain that he was born as the son of a king or a minister in Uddiyana; while the terma treasures for the most part narrate that he was miraculously born. In some texts he is said to have appeared from a bolt of lightning at the summit of Mount Malaya. Each of these wondrous stories differ in many ways. This is indeed a topic that lies far beyond the reach of an ordinary person's intellect.
I shall now limit the explanation down to a mere seed, the life of Guru Rinpoche according to miraculous birth as it appears in the terma teachings.
In the land of Uddiyana situated to the west of Bodhgaya there was an island in a huge lake on which appeared a multicolored lotus flower through the blessings of the buddhas. Buddha Amitabha sent from his heart center a golden vajra marked with the letter HRIH into the bud of this lotus flower which miraculously turned into a small child eight years of age holding a vajra and a lotus and adorned with the major and minor marks. The child remained there teaching the profound Dharma to the devas and dakinis on the island.
At that time Indrabodhi, who was the king of the country, had no sons. He had already emptied out his treasury by making offerings to the Three Jewels and giving alms to the poor. As a last resort, in order to find a wishfulfilling jewel he embarked on a journey with his minister Krishnadhara on the great lake. On their return first Krishnadhara and later King Indrabodhi met the miraculous child. The king regarded him as an answer to his prayers for a son and brought him to the palace where he was given the name Padmakara, the Lotus Born. Padmakara was then asked to sit on a throne made of precious gems and given lavish offerings by all the people.
The prince grew up, bringing countless beings to maturation through his youthful sports and games. He married Prabhadhari and ruled the kingdom of Uddiyana in accordance with the Dharma. At that time he perceived that he would be unable to accomplish the immense welfare of other beings by governing a country so he asked Indrabodhi permission to leave which was not granted. In an act of play, he then pretended that his trident slipped out of his hand; it fell and killed the son of one of the ministers. He was then sentenced to be expelled to a charnel ground. He remained in Cool Grove, Joyful Forest and Sosaling, engaging in the conduct of yogic disciplines. During this time he received empowerment and blessings from the two dakinis Tamer of Mara and Sustainer of Bliss. When bringing all the dakinis of the charnel grounds under his command, he was known as Shantarakshita.
Padmakara returned to Uddiyana, to the island in Lake Danakosha where he practiced Secret Mantra and the symbolic language of the dakinis through which he brought the dakinis on the island under his command. He then practiced in the Rugged Forest and was blessed with a vision of Vajra Yogini. He bound under oath all the nagas of the lakes as well as the planetary spirits and was invested with supernatural powers by all the dakas and dakinis. Thus he became renowned as Dorje Drakpo Tsal, Wrathful Vajra Power.
He then journeyed to the Vajra Throne in Bodhgaya where he showed many miracles. People asked who he was and when he replied that he was a self-appeared buddha they did not believe but instead defamed him. Seeing the many reasons to have a teacher, he went to Zahor where he took ordination fromPrabhahasti and was given the name Shakya Senge. He received the teaching on Yoga Tantra eighteen times and had visions of the deities. The he went to the female master Kungamo who was the wisdom dakini Guhya Jñana appearing in the form of a nun. He asked for empowerment and she changed him into the letter HUNG which she then swallowed and emitted through her lotus. Inside her body he was bestowed the entire outer, inner and secret empowerments and purified of the three obscurations.
Later, he met the eight great knowledge-holders and received the Eight Sadhana Sections. He received the Magical Net from the great master Buddha Guhya and Dzogchen from Shri Singha. In this way he studied and received all the sutras, tantras and sciences from numerous learned and accomplished masters of India. He became adept by learning a topic just once and had visions of all the deities even without practicing. At this time he was known as Loden Choksey and he displayed the manner of perfecting the vidyadhara level of maturation.
He then went to the country of Zahor where he magnetized Mandarava, a qualified dakini who was the daughter of King Vihardhara. Taking her as his sadhana support, they practiced for three months in the Maratika Cave after which Buddha Amitayus appeared in person, conferred empowerment upon them and blessed them to be inseparable from himself. They were given one billion tantras on longevity and accomplished the vidyadhara level of life-mastery. Having attained the vajra body beyond birth and death, they went back to teach the kingdom of Zahor. When begging for alms, they were arrested by the king and his ministers and burned alive. The master and his consort inspired faith by displaying the miracle of transforming the pyre into a cool lake in the center of which they sat on a lotus flower. They caused all the people to embrace Dharma practice and established them in the state beyond falling back into samsara.
Padmakara then returned to convert the people of Uddiyana. While begging for alms, he was recognized and burned in a huge pyre of sandal wood. The master and his consort again appeared unharmed on a lotus flower in the center of a lake wearing a garland of skulls to symbolize liberating all sentient beings from samsara. Because of showing this miracle he was then renowned as Padma Totreng Tsal, Powerful Lotus of the Garland of Skulls. He remained in Uddiyana for 13 years as the king's teacher and established the whole kingdom in Dharma practice. During this time he gave the empowerment and teachings for the Dharma Ocean Embodying All Teachings (Kadu Chokyi Gyamtso), through which the king and queen as well as all the destined ones accomplished the supreme vidyadhara level. He was then known as Padma Raja, the Lotus King.
In accordance with a prophesy in the Sutra on Magical Perception, Padmakara transformed himself into the monk Wangpo Dey in order to convert King Ashoka. Having established Ashoka in unshakable faith, during a single night he erected in this world one million stupas containing the relics of the Tathagata. He also subdued several non-Buddhist teachers, was poisoned by one king but remained unharmed. When he then was thrown into the river he made the river flow upstream and danced about in mid-air. Through that he became known as Powerful Garuda Youth.
Moreover, Padmakara manifested himself in the form of Acharya Padmavajra, the master who revealed the Hevajra Tantra, as well as the Brahmin Saraha, Dombi Heruka, Virupa, Kalacharya and many other siddhas. He practiced in the great charnel grounds where he taught the Secret Mantra to the dakinis. He subdued the outer and inner mundane spirits and named them protectors of the Dharma. At that time he became known as Nyima Özer.
When five hundred Non-Buddhist teachers were about to defeat the Dharma in debate at Bodhgaya, Padmakara challenged them and was victorious. Some of the teachers resorted to evil spells, but Padmakara scattered them by means of a wrathful mantra given by the dakini Tamer of Mara. The rest converted to Buddhism and the banner of the Dharma was raised to the skies. At that time he became known as Senge Dradrok. Up to this point he had exhausted the three defilements and resided on the vidyadhara level of life-mastery, the stage of having fully perfected the supreme path.
Proceeding to the cave of Yanglesho situated between India and Nepal he met Shakya Devi, the daughter of a Nepalese King, whom he accepted as his sadhana support and consort. While practicing Vishuddha Heruka three powerful spirits created obstacles, preventing rainfall for three years and causing disease and famine. Padmakara sent messengers to India asking his masters for a teaching that could counteract these obstacles. Two men returned loaded with Kilaya scriptures and the obstacles were spontaneously pacified the very moment they arrived with the scriptures in Nepal. Padmakara and his consort then attained the supreme siddhi and abided on the vidyadhara level of mahamudra.
Guru Rinpoche perceived that the practice of Vishuddha Heruka brings great accomplishment. But that practice is like traveling trader who meets with many hindrances, whereas Kilaya is like an indispensable escort. Due to this coincidence Guru Rinpoche he composed many sadhanas combining the two herukas. At this place he also bound under oath the sixteen mundane protectors of Vajra Kilaya.
Padmakara visited other ancient kingdoms where he taught the Dharma: Hurmudzu in the vicinity of Uddiyana, Sikojhara, Dharmakosha, Rugma, Tirahuti, Kamarupa, and Kancha, as well as many others. It is not sure when he went to the land of Droding, but the tantric teachings he gave there on Hevajra, Guhyachandra Bindu, Vishuddha, Hayagriva, Kilaya and Mamo are still continued this present day.
Padmakara is generally regarded to have lived in India for 3600 years benefiting the teachings and sentient beings. But it seems that learned people accept that to be half-years and simply a generalization.
In order to convert people in Mongolia and China Padmakara emanated in the form of the King Ngonshe Chen and the yogi Tobden. Moreover, he appeared in the country of Shangshung as the miraculously born child Tavi Hricha who gave the instructions on the hearing lineage of Dzogchen and led many worthy disciples to the attainment of the rainbow body.
In this way Padmakara's activity for bringing people to the path of liberation by means of appearing in various places, in various forms, speaking various languages is indeed beyond measure.
Now I will describe how Padmakara came here to the land of Tibet. When King Trisong Deutsen, himself an emanation of Manjushri, was twenty years of age he formed a strong aspiration to spread the sacred teachings of the Dharma. He invitedKhenpo Bodhisattva from India who taught about dependent origination and the ten virtuous actions. A year later the foundation was laid for a huge temple but the spirits of Tibet created obstacles and prevented the building. In accordance with the Khenpo's prediction, the king sent five runners to invite the great master Padmakara to come. Having foreknowledge of this, Padmakara had already gone to Mang-Yul between Nepal and Tibet. On the way to Central Tibet, he went via Ngari, Tsang and Dokham and miraculously visited all of the districts where he bound under oath the 12 Tenma Goddesses, the 13 Gurlha and 21 Genyen as well as many other powerful spirits. At the Tamarisk Forest at Red Rock he met the king of Tibet where he proceeded to the top of Hepori to bring the gods and demons under his command. He laid the foundation for Samye and saw it through to completion, employing also the gods and demons who had earlier hindered the building. In five years the work was completed for the temple complex of Glorious Samye, the Unchanging and Spontaneously Accomplished Temple, including the three temples of the queens, which was built to resemble Mount Sumeru surrounded by the four continents, eight subcontinents, sun and moon, and the wall of iron mountains. During the consecration ceremony five wondrous signs occurred.
The king then wished to translate the scriptures and establish the Dharma so he had many intelligent Tibetan boys study to become translators. Inviting other masters of the Tripitaka from India, he had the Khenpo ordain the first seven monks and gradually establish an ordained sangha. The Khenpo Bodhisattva and Padmakara and the other panditas together with Vairotsana, Kawa Paltsek and Chog-ro Lui Gyaltsen and the other translators then rendered into Tibetan all the existent Buddhist scriptures on Sutra and Tantra as well as most of the treatises explaining them.
Vairotsana and Namkhai Nyingpo were sent to India where Vairotsanastudied Dzogchen with Shri Singha while Namkhai Nyingpo received the teachings on Vishuddha Heruka from the great master Hungkara. They both attained accomplishment and spread the teachings in Tibet.
King Trisong Deutsen then requested empowerment and instruction from Padmakara. At Chimphu, the hermitage above Samye, the great master disclosed the mandala of Eight Heruka Sadhanas into which he initiated nine chief disciples including the king. Each of them were entrusted with a specific transmission and all nine attained siddhi through practicing the respective teaching.
Padmakara gave numberless other profound and extraordinary teachings connected with the three inner tantras to many destined students headed by the king and his sons and the twenty-five disciplesin Lhodrak, Tidro and many other places.
Guru Rinpoche remained in Tibet for 55 years and six months; 48 years while the king was alive and seven years and six months afterwards. He arrived when the king was 21 (810 A.D.). The king passed away at the age of 69. Padmakara stayed for a few years after that before leaving for the land of the rakshas.
Padmakara visited in person the 20 snow mountains of Ngari, the 21 places of practice in Central Tibet and Tsang, the 25 sacred places of Dokham, the three hidden valleys, and numerous other places each of which he blessed to be a sacred place of practice. Knowing that a descendant of the king would later try to destroy Buddhism in Tibet, he gave many predictions for the future. Conferring with the king and the close disciples, Padmakara concealed countless terma teachings headed by the eight personal treasures of the king, the five great mind treasures, and the 25 profound treasures. The reasons for hiding these termas were to prevent the teachings of Secret Mantra to be destroyed, to avoid that the Vajrayana is corrupted or modified by intellectuals, to preserve the blessings and to benefit future disciples. For each of these hidden treasures Padmakara predicted the time of the disclosure, the person who would reveal them, and the destined recipients who would hold the teachings. He manifested in the terrifying wrathful form of crazy wisdom in the thirteen places named Tiger's Nest binding all the mundane spirits under oath to serve the Dharma and entrusted them to guard the terma treasures. At that time he was named Dorje Drollo.
To inspire faith in future generations, he left an imprint of his body at Bumtang, hand prints at Namtso Chugmo and footprints at Paro Drakar as well as in innumerable other places of practice.
After the death of King Trisong Deutsen, Padmakara placed Mutig Tsenpo on the throne. He performed a drubchen at Tramdruk where he entrusted the profound teachings to Gyalsey Lhaje, the second prince, and gave him the prophesy that he would benefit beings by becoming a revealer of the hidden treasures in thirteen future lives.
It is impossible to count exactly how many students in Tibet received empowerment from Padmakara in person, but the most renowned are the original twenty-five disciples, the intermediate 25 disciples and the later 17 and 21 disciples. There were 80 of his students who attained rainbow body at Yerpa and also the 108 meditators at Chuwori, the 30 tantrikas at Yangdzong, the 55 realized ones at Sheldrag. Of female disciples there were the 25 dakini students and seven yoginis. Many of these close had blood lines that have continued until the present day.
When about to leave for the land of rakshas to the southwest, the king, the ministers and all the disciples tried to dissuade Padmakara from parting but to no avail. He gave each of them extensive advice and teachings and departed from the pass of Gungtang, riding on a horse or a lion, accompanied by numerous divine beings making offerings. At the summit of the Glorious Copper-colored Mountain on the Chamara continent he liberated Raksha Totreng, the king of the rakshas, and assumed his form. After that, he miraculously created the palace of Lotus Light endowed with inconceivable decorations and also emanated a replica of himself on each of the surrounding eight islands where they reside as kings who teach the eight heruka sadhanas.
At present he dwells on the vidyadhara level of spontaneous presence in the form of the regent of Vajradhara, unshakable for as long as samsara remains. Full of compassion he sends out emanations to benefit beings. Even after the teachings of the Vinaya have perished he will appear among the tantric practitioners. There will be many destined disciples who attain rainbow body. In the future, when Buddha Maitreya appears in this world, Padmakara will emanate as Drowa Kundul and spread the teachings of Secret Mantra to all worthy people.

Alternative Names

Padmasambhava
Guru Rinpoche
Orgyen Guru
Loppon Rinpoche
Padum
Padmakara
Saroruha वज्र

The Eight Manifestations

Guru Orgyen Dorje चंग

Guru Shakya संगे

Guru Pema ग्यालपो

Guru Pema जुन्गने

Guru Loden चोकसे

Guru Nyima ओज़ेर

Guru Dorje Drolo,

Guru Senge द्रदोग

Saraswati Mantra (with Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:00:36 PDT

The Mantra

"Yaa Kundendu Tushaara Haaradhavalaa, Yaa Shubhravastraavritha

Yaa Veenavara Dandamanditakara, Yaa Shwetha Padmaasana

Yaa Brahmaachyutha Shankara Prabhritibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha

Saa Maam Paatu Saraswati Bhagavatee Nihshesha Jaadyaapaha"

Meaning

May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair and beautiful like the jasmine-colored moon and whose pure white garland resembles frosty dew drops; who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a white lotus; who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, Protect me. May you remove my lethargy and brighten my life with the light of knowledge."

Saraswati

noreply@blogger.com (Prateek Shrestha) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:50:45 PDT

Saraswati is the goddess of learning . All those who worship her is believed to confer wisdom and learning .As goddess of music and poetry she is revered alike by Hindus and Buddhist .she is generally represented seated,with Four or two arms. She holding and playing Bina with her two hands and in her other two arms she holds a copy of the vedas as well as prayer malas . she is of white colour and represents purity .Her mount is a peacock.

Musical instruments are also regarded as symbols of Saraswati. Saraswati is said to be the bestower of knowledge that dispels ignorance and unhappiness.

Saraswati is also referred to as Sharada the fountainhead of knowledge who leeds seekers from darkness to light and from ignorance to spiritual upliftment.