Teaching on Vajra Guru Mantra
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche to Drikung Kagyu Monastery, Tso Pema, on the occasion of the monks’ recitation of 100 million Vajra Guru mantras, 5 June 2020:
Buddhism has so many methods to accomplish the wisdom and activity of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Especially for those of us who practice the Vajrayana teachings, the secret mantrayana has particularly vast methods. There are so many sadhanas to accomplish the practice of Guru, Yidam, Dakini and Dharmapala.
In this particular context, however, people like you and me like, admire, respect and have devotion to someone called Guru Rinpoche. This is because of our karmic links and aspirations from many former lives. Just the fact that we even admire Guru Rinpoche is a sign that we have accumulated some merit in those former lives. So we must all really rejoice.
Your ongoing recitation of one hundred million vajra guru mantras is particularly directed to the pandemic disease and other strife that is presently plaguing the world. I am absolutely certain that even the mere thought to do such a thing has already brought immense benefit to the world. Please have that confidence in your hearts.
Now, how should you visualize, think of and pray to Guru Rinpoche? You can do that in so many possible ways:
- Sometimes, as you recite the vajra guru mantra, you can imagine Guru Rinpoche sitting in the sky in front of you looking at you.
- Sometimes, visualize him above your head as you recite the mantra.
- Sometimes, visualize him inside your throat. Particularly, while eating or drinking, we can imagine Guru Rinpoche sitting in our throat as we recite the mantra. And if we eat with the confidence that we are offering food and drinks to Guru Rinpoche, that is the most supreme skillful means to accomplish the practice.
- Sometimes, visualize Guru Rinpoche in your heart and recite the mantra.
- If you go to sleep at night visualizing Guru Rinpoche in your heart, it will become a practice of luminosity meditation.
- Sometimes, those of you who have received the necessary empowerments can think of yourselves as Guru Rinpoche as you do the recitation.
- Then sometimes, if you are visualizing Guru Rinpoche in the sky in front of you or sitting above your head, recite the mantra thinking that you are receiving abhisheka from Guru Rinpoche.
- We have a mind, yes! We must have a mind since we are not rocks and trees. So sometimes think that the mind we have is Guru Rinpoche and recite the vajra guru mantra.
But the very best you can do at all times, whatever you visualize, and in every situation, is to think that chanting the vajra guru mantra is not just for your own petty benefit, such as to live long, to be free from sickness, or to have successful business and become rich.
You need to fully enlighten all sentient beings and awaken them from the sleep of ignorance. It is for their sake that you are reciting the vajra guru mantra. If you recite the mantra with that attitude, then the benefit and effect will multiply many times.
What I am saying here is not my self-created bluff. Our vidyadhara forefathers have said these words again and again. So we must all have confidence in these words.
It's not absolutely necessary for you to sit down when you chant the vajra guru mantra. You can chant while moving around. For instance, there's no problem chanting the mantra while strolling or walking. Though sometimes, as I said earlier, you should certainly recite with one pointed concentration by visualizing Guru Rinpoche.
Even when you’re not concentrating, or while you are talking to someone or moving or sitting, you can still recite the mantra. People might say there's no point chanting the mantra while you are distracted. This is not true! It's much better to chant than not to chant at all. Therefore, you must not think that there is no virtue in reciting the vajra guru mantra while watching television or talking to someone else.
Above all do your best, as I mentioned before, to recite the mantra by generating the supreme bodhicitta and praying one-pointedly to Guru Rinpoche.
This transcript is copyrighted by Siddhartha's Intent, and the full recording and text can be found here: https://siddharthasintent.org/recordings/vajra-guru-mantra/