VAJRASATTVA EMPOWERMENT, TRANSMISSION AND TEACHING

By Khenchen Lama Rinpoche

Bristol, 20
th
November 2008
Meaning of the Vajrasattva practice
!hile all sentient beings "itho#t e$ception possess the B#%%ha nat#re, they %o not reali&e
this' (he min% of most sentient beings is clo#%e% by habit#al tho#ght patterns an% obsc#rations
acc#m#late% over co#ntless lifetimes' )n or%er to connect "ith o#r B#%%ha nat#re * the %eepest
level of conscio#sness * "e nee% to p#rify the coarse mental acc#m#lations' (he practice of
Vajrasattva is the most po"erf#l p#rification me%itation in the (ibetan B#%%hist tra%ition' )t is
practice% as part of the preliminary se+#ence of practices in all tantric lineages of (ibetan
B#%%hism'
,incere practice of Vajrasattva can p#rify even the most severe -armic traces' (here are
fo#r po"ers that are essential in this practice po"er of s#pport, po"er of remorse, po"er of
resol#tion, an% po"er of action as an anti%ote' (he po"er of s#pport in this conte$t means t#rning
to Vajrasattva for help in the p#rification' )t is the belief that Vajrasattva can help #s p#rify
obsc#rations an% that is "hy "e engage in the Vajrasattva vis#ali&ation an% mantra recitation' (he
po"er of remorse %escribes the sincere regret of "rong tho#ghts, speech an% actions "e have
%one' (he po"er of resolve means that "e ma-e a firm %ecision not to engage the "rong actions,
tho#ghts an% speech again' (he po"er of action as an anti%ote means that "e start engaging in
activities that are the opposite of the "rong things "e have %one' (he teachings list engaging in
the practice of Vajrasattva an% resting in the nat#re of min% as the most po"erf#l anti%otes to ba%
-arma'
Vis#ali&ation for the practice of Vajrasattva
Refuge and motivation: .t the beginning of the practice "e ta-e ref#ge in the enlightene%
B#%%has, /harma an% the ,angha' !e ac-no"le%ge that "e "ill %o the Vajrasattva practice in
or%er to p#rify o#r obsc#rations an% those of all sentient beings so that "e all can attain f#ll
complete enlightenment as +#ic-ly as possible'
Resting in the Buddha nature: No" "e settle o#r min% in its nat#ral state'
Visualization and the main practice: 0rom the p#rifie% self1recogni&ing a"areness
"e vis#ali&e a lot#s flo"er on the top of o#r hea% an% insi%e the lot#s flo"er is a
shining moon %is-' 2n the moon %is- appears a %o#ble vajra an% isi%e the vajra is
the syllable 34N5' (he vajra an% the syllable 34N5 are of bright "hite color
ra%iating light' (he syllable an% vajra s#%%enly transform into bright "hite
Vajrasattva "ith his consort s#rro#n%e% by a hallo of bright light' )n the heart cha-ra
of Vajrasattva is the syllable 34N5 insi%e the vajra' 2ne can vis#ali&e his6her root
g#r# in the Vajrasattva form' .s "e start reciting the mantra of Vajrasattva the syllables of the
mantra are circling cloc-"ise aro#n% the 34N5 in the vajra in the heart cha-ra of Vajrasattva' .s
they are moving they ra%iate po"erf#l bright light that reaches all sentient beings an% as it to#ches
them all their obsc#rations are p#rifie%' .ll sentient beings are transforme% into the Vajrasattva
%eity an% recite the Vajrasattva mantra in #nison' .s the mantra circles in the heart cha-ra of
Vajrasattva bright "hite nectar an% light flo" from Vajrasattvas heart cha-ra an% enter yo#r bo%y
thro#gh the opening on the top of o#r hea% "here the bones of sc#l connect' (he light an% nectar
sprea% thro#gh o#r bo%y an% p#rify all the sic-ness an% obsc#rations of bo%y, speech an% min%'
7o#r become the Vajrasattva' (hen yo# %isolve into self1recogni&ing a"areness'
/isolving the vis#ali&ation .ll sentient beings in the form of Vajrasattva transform into light an%
this light ret#rns into the heart cha-ra of Vajrasattva' Vajrasattva an% his throne s#%%ently %isolve
into light an% this light %isolves into the syllable 34N5 at the heart cha-ra of Vajrasattva' 0inally,
the syllable 34N5 %isolves from bottom #p into a small sphere of light an% this sphere of light
enters yo#r bo%y as a blessing of Vajrasattva'
Resting in the Buddha nature: No" "e settle o#r min% in its nat#ral state again'
Dedication: /e%icate the merit of the practice so that yo#r negative -arma an% the -arma of all
sentient beings "o#l% be s"iftly p#rifie% an% yo# an% all sentient beings "o#l% recogni&e their
B#%%ha nat#re an% attain enlightenment in this lifetime'
Tibetan Yoga Center
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(he 800 syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva
2M V.9R.,.((2 ,.M.7. M.N4 :.L.7. V.9R.,.((2 (;N2:. ()(,. /R)/2 M; B3.V.
,4(2 K.72 M;B3.V. ,4:2 K.72 M;B3.V. .N4 R.K(2 M;B3.V. ,.RV. ,)/3) M;
:R.7.(,3. ,.RV. K.RM. (,4(,. M; (,)(.M ,3R) 7.N5 K4R4 34N5 3.3. 3.3. 32
B3.53.V.N ,.RV. (.(3.5.(. V.9R. M.M; M4(,. V.9R. B.!. M.3. ,.M.7.
,.(2 .3 34N5 :3.(
,hort Vajrasattva mantra
2M V.9R.,.((V. 34N5
Tibetan Yoga Center
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