Jigten Sumgön Guru Yoga & Tsok Offering

This is the 43rd entry in my fieldwork diary. The original date is the 9th of November, 2010.

***

OM AH NAMO GURU BAZRA DRHIK TRE LOKYA NATHA RATNA SHRI
MULA GURU MAHA MUDRA SIDDHI PHALA HUNG

***
The meaning of Tsok:
http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Tsok

A brief biography of Jigten Sumgön:
http://www.drikung.org/index.php/drikung-kagyu-lineage/lord-jigten-sumgon

The Tsok Offering Mantra by Lama Gyurme:


***
The Sangha's dharma practitioners brought all kinds of food. The meat was, of course, excluded, and only simple things were allowed to be put on the table: nuts, cookies, candies, vegetables etc.

The candles were lit and guru yoga began with the Prayer for the Kagyu Lineage Masters.

Avalokiteshvara Empowerment

This is the 42nd entry in my fieldwork diary. The original date is 07.11.2010.

***
Drupon Sangyas:

"Our minds are always looking for a better life. Avalokiteshvara protects the sentient beings of the 6 realms from suffering.

There are many pure land buddhas, but the best one for us is Buddha Amitabha, the heart son of Avalokiteshvara. Amitabha was sent to the human realm and manifested in a human body.
Avalokiteshvara has had many reincarnations, even in this time and age (e.g. as Dalai Lama) and other high lamas, including animals.

Buddha Shakyamuni never went to Tibet, so he told Avalokiteshvara that he had to be reborn in the Tibetan area for the benefit it would bring to the Himalayan people."

Medicine Buddha Empowerment

This is the 41st entry in my fieldwork diary. The original date is 06.11.2010.

***
Wikipedia:
Sangye Menla (in Tibetan), Bhaiṣajyaguru (Sanskrit), more formally Bhaiṣajyaguruvaidūryaprabharāja ("Medicine Master and King of Lapis Lazuli Light"), is the buddha of healing and medicine in Mahayana Buddhism. In the English language, he is commonly referred to as the "Medicine Buddha". The use of the analogy of a Buddha being depicted as a doctor who cures the illness of suffering using the medicine of his teachings appears widely in Buddhist scriptures.

The practice of Medicine Buddha, the Supreme Healer, is not only a very powerful method for healing and increasing healing powers both for oneself and others, but also for overcoming the inner sickness of attachment, hatred, and ignorance, thus to meditate on the Medicine Buddha can help decrease physical and mental illness and suffering.

The Medicine Buddha mantra is held to be extremely powerful for healing of physical illnesses and purification of negative karma. One form of practice based on the Medicine Buddha is done when one is stricken by disease. The patient is to recite the long Medicine Buddha mantra 108 times over a glass of water. The water is now believed to be blessed by the power of the mantra and the blessing of the Medicine Buddha himself, and the patient is to drink the water. This practice is then repeated each day until the illness is cured.

The Dalai Lama on Countering Stress and Depression

An article written by the Dalai Lama. It's worth a read.

(We are all familiar with the subject discussed in this paper, which is depression and stress.
I myself have also felt, known and seen close people to me suffer due to mental unhappiness. So this blog post is for those who have experienced or are currently going through a period of much distress.
It seems to be more common in the West, so, to me, a Buddhist's view on depression and stress (and how to deal with it) is interesting and rather enlightening.)

***
"At a fundamental level, as human beings, we are all the same; each one of us aspires to happiness and each one of us does not wish to suffer. This is why, whenever I have the opportunity, I try to draw people's attention to what as members of the human family we have in common and the deeply interconnected nature of our existence and welfare.

The Meaning of the Tibetan Prayer Wheel

I found this interesting post about the prayer wheel and I thought I'd share it on the blog.

(I think I started liking the use of prayer wheels ever since I had observed H.E. Garchen Rinpoche spinning it in such a serene, blissful manner.)

***
"It is said that prayer wheels are used to accumulate wisdom and merit or good karma and to purify negativities such as bad karma. The idea of spinning mantras comes from numerous Tantric practices where the Tantric practitioner visualizes mantras revolving around the nadis and especially around the meridian chakras such as the heart and crown.

Therefore Tibetan Prayer Wheels are a visual aid for developing one's capacity for these types of Tantric visualizations. The spiritual method for those practicing with a prayer wheel is very specific (with slight variations according to different Buddhist sects). The practitioner most often spins the wheel clockwise, for the direction the mantras are written is that of the movement of the sun across the sky. However, on rare occasions advanced Tantric practitioners such as Senge Dongma, the Lion-Faced Dakini spin prayer wheels counterclockwise to manifest a more wrathful protective energy.

Green Tara Practice

This is the 40th entry from my fieldwork diary. The original date is 04.11.2010.

***
Drupon Sangyas:

"Green Tara practice is beneficial during periods of having obstacles in your life. The Green Tara always helps when you suffer mentally or physically, for she has love and compassion for all sentient beings.

Our health depends on how strong our belief is. If we show strong devotion, we receive strong support. How does it work? It manifests from a pure Bodhicitta mind and from love for all beings, including the beings of the six lower realms.

Unhappiness is rooted in the ego, desire and jealousy. Our suffering is not real - it is an illusion, and so is attachment."

Avalokiteshvara Practice

This is the 39th entry from my fieldwork diary. The original date is 02.11.2010.

***
Drupon Sangyas:

"Avalokiteshvara is the heart of Buddha Amitabha. Avalokiteshvara has many manifestations. Even some animals can be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara. He has great compassion for all the beings in the six lower realms. If you want to help them then Avalokiteshvara practice is the one with the most benefit.

How can we increase love and compassion? With a deep devotion in the heart for our practices and meditation. That way it can increase. When we practice we become closer to the Buddha-nature mind. The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva is a good guide on how to increase your love and compassion.

Great yogis are happy because they are close to Buddha-nature. It isn't always easy to be that way but if we practice a lot we can achieve this, even when there are difficulties.