When I say chenrezig, vajrayogini or chakrasamvara, are we talking about deities which exist externally or already existing within self, or both?

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I came across this quote regarding Vajrasattva meditation and found it very much at odds with anything I've ever learned about Buddhism, and seems to suggest that most people are going to hell for untold eons. I find this questionable to say the least.

Here's the quote from Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

If you don’t purify it in this way your negative karma will keep doubling and re-doubling day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year up to the end of your life and even one day’s negative karma will become as huge and heavy as a mountain—in time, even one atom of unpurified negative karma can swell to the size of the Earth.

Even though you may not necessarily create particularly heavy negative karmas, since unpurified negative karma increases exponentially in this way, even one small negative action can cause you to be reborn in the lower realms and experience great suffering for many eons. And because in the lower realms you continually create more and more negative karma, it is extremely difficult to be reborn back into the upper realms, which makes it almost impossible for you to practice Dharma. Therefore you must purify your negative karma every day.

Am I missing something or are there linages of vajrayana that take this as literal?

On one hand, it feels like it could be inappropriate asking for the blessings of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas for things like successfully getting or keeping a job (the latter in my case), to find an appropriate doctor, etc.

but on the other hand, prayers such as the Tashi prayer to dispel obstacles are advised by some teachers for help with things like jobs and dispelling other worldly obstacles to success.

The 7 factors of awakening. 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva. The 7 points of posture. The 8 fold noble path. The 4 noble truths. The 4 immeasurables. The list goes on (ha)

Why is this?

Hi all,

I wanted to ask for some clarification regarding some of Wisdom Experience's courses. I've taken several philosophy-based courses that were incredibly valuable and led by highly reputable Buddhist teachers, and I truly appreciated the content.

However, I'm a bit confused about courses like Niguma's Dream Yoga, which seems to touch on the practice of Tummo. From what I understand, Tummo typically requires empowerment and guidance from a qualified teacher. The course description doesn't seem to mention this, so I wanted to better understand what the deal might be here and in so many of the other courses found on their website. Here’s the link for reference: Niguma's Dream Yoga.

I’d appreciate any clarification, as I'm keen to ensure I invest my time and resources, with the intention of practicing authentically.

Cheers

From "Words of My Perfect Teacher" by Patrul Rinpoche, p. 221:

"This arousing of bodhicitta is the quintessence of the eighty-four thousand methods taught by the Conqueror. It is the instruction to have which is enough by itself, but to lack which renders anything else futile. It is a panacea, the medicine for a hundred ills. All other Dharma paths, such as the two accumulations, the purification of defilements, meditation on deities and recitation of mantras, are simply methods to make this wish-granting gem, bodhicitta, take birth in the mind. Without bodhicitta, none of them can lead you to the level of perfect Buddhahood on their own. But once bodhicitta has been aroused in you, whatever Dharma practices you do will lead to the attainment of perfect Buddhahood. Learn always to use whatever means you can to make even the slightest spark of bodhicitta arise in you.

The teacher who gives you the pith instructions on arousing bodhicitta is setting you on the path of the Great Vehicle so his kindness is greater than that of teachers who give you any other instructions. When Atisa mentioned the names of his teachers, he used to join his hands before his heart. But when he spoke of Lord Suvarnadvipa, he would join his hands above his head and his eyes would fill with tears. His disciples asked him why he made such a distinction.

"Is there really a difference in the spiritual qualities or kindness of these masters?" they asked.

"All my teachers were truly accomplished beings," Atisa replied, "and in this their qualities are identical. But there is some difference in their kindness. The little bit of bodhicitta that I have comes from the kindness of Lord Suvarnadvipa. That is why I feel the greatest gratitude towards him.""

This question may come off as silly but:

Do we pronounce it in the sanskrit way like with the "d" like paDme or the tibetian way which is "peme" All the YouTube meditation versions have the latter Since they're tibetian mantras pronouncing it in the "hindu way" would change something?

Same question with the Hindu "swaha" and tibetian "soha". Will they have the same effect?

From "A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher" by Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang:

"In the Secret Mantra Vajrayana, to begin with there are the twenty-five yogas, the common, outer, and inner vows of the five buddha families, the fourteen root downfalls, and the eight lesser downfalls. In the Great Perfection, for those practitioners whose realization develops gradually, for whom there is something to be kept, there are twenty-seven root samayas to be observed with respect to the teacher's body, speech, and mind, and twenty-five branch samayas; for those practitioners of sudden realization, for whom there is nothing to be kept, there are the four samayas of nonexistence, omnipresence, unity, and spontaneous presence; and there are the 100,000 branch samayas. Think about it: if the cause for obtaining the freedoms depends on keeping all these samayas, it must be as rare as a star in the daytime."

Four Uncommon Samayas of Dzogchen - Rigpa Wiki

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I want to make sure details about performing details of tantric sadhana. Should we recite outloud and visualize at the same time? Or after recitation at the end of paragraph we should visualize? How much time should we spend on visialization? For 1 year and more i only read sadhana in my mind without reciting it outloud and just visualize, by the way. Is it correct?

From "A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart: The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra and Its Tibetan Commentaries" by Karl Brunnholzl, p. 10:

"The Tantra of the Wisdom Expanse of Samantabhadra, also from the Heart Essence of the Great Expanse, says that Samantabhadra immediately recognized the fundamental problem of the initial dim cognizance that begins to stir from the primordial, undifferentiated ground of awareness and promptly dissolves into the dichotomy of subject and object. Therefore, Samantabhadra never committed even the kind of dualistic virtue of following a path from first being a deluded sentient being to eventually becoming a perfect buddha. Thus he says:

"Knowing this huge flaw of cognizance's stirring from the ground, transforming into the mental consciousness, and thus serving as the support of karma and latent tendencies through associating with the great demons of apprehender and apprehended - I, Samantabhadra, did not commit even the minutest particle of contaminated virtue but was awakened as the ancestor of all buddhas."

Thus, Samantabhadra's buddhahood comes about through rigpa's true nature simply recognizing itself, by itself, without any further conditions of fabrications: it does not arise through any causes or conditions that are extrinsic or external to it, such as teachers, accumulations of conditioned merit, study, reflection, or contrived forms of meditation beyond sheer recognition of rigpa by itself."

I dug deeper into the origin of tantra, and it seems obvious historically that tantric practices and views didn't necessarily historically come from Buddhism, but that Vajrayana evolved in a context in which systems like Shaivist tantra and Buddhist tantra liberally borrowed from each other in terms of deities, rituals and methodology etc. and simply then situated the practices within the context of their own particular philosophical views.

The reason that this was problematic for me is that it certainly casts doubt upon the idea that Vajrayana was first taught by the Buddha, or that tantric ideas and practices come directly from Buddhism. What are we to make of the fact that other systems have tantra and tantric ideas and philosophies that are often quite similar? Even DJKR says that the view of Vajrayana and Kashmiri Shaivism are almost indistinguishable. He is a big fan of that system.

Is it simply having the unique view of Buddhism as the context of the tantric practices (eg, shunyata, bodhicitta) that then makes tantra work differently for Buddhists than it would for other systems?

I’ve gotten into the habit of burning five colored candles on my shrine (the big long kind that sometimes have the Virgin Mary and other Catholic figues on them, but these are plain white, blue, red, yellow and green) that I write the root mantas of the five celestial Buddhas written on them as an offering to the five Buddha families. They usually last a few weeks, but I’m starting to accumulate empty glass containers with the mantras on them. How should these be disposed of since I obviously can’t burn them? Thanks 🙏

I came across chandamaharoshana tantra which was kept secret and not translated until 2015 and in the introduction part it barred people who have "not seen the mandala" or "outside mandala" to read or to be revealed to, otherwise they will have certain unpleasant consequences

This is a small technical question:

I'm a westerner researching Hinduism and Buddhism, especially the more mystical paths like Hindu Advaita, Yoga and Tantra, and Vajrayana in Buddhism.

According to Patanjali, a correct Yogic meditation employs rhythmic breathing - preferably kumbhaka.

I'm reading about Deity Yoga and I noticed there is zero references to what the breathing pattern should be - From what I've seen (and I neither know Sanksrit nor Pali) the focus is more on visualization and mantra.

I wonder, when it comes to Deity Yoga, does breath play any part? does the practitioner employ any specific

breahting pattern?

Thanks!

Being able to transform my hatred for samsara into Vajra compassionate activity is an incomparable gift. Otherwise I would find myself in the hell realms and would still be filled with blind ignorance, harming others with my body, speech and mind due to the injustices of samsara. There really is no other way than forward. I prostrate to the glorious gurus, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, Vajra dakas and dakinis, protectors, and all other enlightened beings.

What deities do we worship and can u explain them pls give me more than 10 deities

In countries where charnel grounds aren’t really a thing - would a cemetery/funeral home be the equivalent for like chod/yogic practice and such?

They are hardly anything close to Pashupatinath or Varanasi etc and most cemeteries here are cleaner and nicer than public parks lol not exactly a place that inspires courageous selflessness and where you’d summon maras to devour your entrails so idk what would be the point really

Please use this thread to discuss random thoughts, discussions and other comments related to Vajrayana Buddhism. This can hopefully de-clutter the front page a bit as this is something users have requested. Let's use it for benefit!

Hi there, I’m interested in joining Vajrayana Online with Mingyur Rinpoche. I’m new to Buddhism but not meditation in general. My question is, can I start there with Exploring Buddhism or should I complete the Joy of Living path first?

Also, a little concerned about being able to receive the in-person retreat requirements, as they are really quite limited.

Are there any other online practices where this isn’t as big of an issue?

Thanks so much in advance!

Good morning everyone, as you know there has been a strict separation between Dikgo Yangsi and Rabjam Rinpoche in the lest times, until all the recent accusations of Rabjam Rinpoche. Does someone who knew personally Dilgo Yangsi explain the cause of this separation? Politic causes? I heard about a secret wife and son of Rabjam Rinpoche, never mentioned and the unknown origin of Rabjam father. Someone says Rabjam is damaging and diffaming Dilgo Yangsi because the Yangsi, with his direct style of teaching, has revealed someone about him. But I don't have facts about it. Only statements but no evidences. Thanks to all that want to make clear this situation, without judgment.