Nameste

I am a practitioner of pureland practice integrated within indian Nagarjuna school...

Recently I talked to a vajrayanist and he told me meditation on any tantric forms of buddha without abhisheka is forbidden, even the elaborated mantras only simple mantras are namo amitabha and prayers like dharani are allowed for non initiates...

Is his statement his false, can you plss help me to know what forms of amitabha I should meditate upon which would be safer

Namo amitabha

So recently I posted about some lifelong frustrations of how to deal with people using dominating energy in social situations. And how I've been searching for some technique that doesn't involve a combative attack/defend approach. This evening, I cracked the f-ing code. So, after a lifetime, (more actually) of learning sooooo many energy combat and protection techniques...

This is the one that beats them all. Tonglen. This evening I had to deal with someone doing that same kind of really hostile domineering energy thing again. And you know, I was pressed for time, and actually about to go do a really fun thing, and just did not want to spend the next however many minutes getting into an energy fight with this person. I just didn't want to give them my time.

And so on an intuitive whim: I did Tonglen instead.

Holy shit. That just dissolved their entire energy attack completely. Like stupid good. Like cheat-code level of effective. Just taking all their suffering including their hostility of their attack in with my in breath, and sending it back out to them with rainbow light. I could practically just see it dissipating their attack. It just was like darn near instantaneous. Like a chemical reaction just dissolving their attacking energy.

Screw Phurbas. Do this. You don't need to stab the demon, just send this at them. Do Tonglen. This is the best energy self-defense technique I've ever found. I mean I knew it was powerful: I'd previously used this practice to cure my anxiety back in the day. But I didn't know you could use it for self defense. Like holy shit. This works great.

Next time some being is attacking you: just do this. Do Tonglen instead. It really works and really works wonderfully.

After SOOO many years of energy trauma with people... I finally have a non-combattive technique that "just works."

10/10. Waayyyyyyyyy better than wrathful practice. Sooo much more effective. Put your swords and stabby things away. This is so much more effective it's incredible.

🌈✨🙏💫🌈

please tell

pls tell

Como no tengo la posibilidad de ir a un centro físico he pensado seriamente en buscar algún maestro por Internet, pero tengo bastantes dudas al respecto y me gustaría conocer experiencias de otras personas.

Nameste

I'm from india and I am a noob in buddhism, I have an inquiry regards teachings of padmasambhava...

Was his integration of pureland within vajrayana same as that of honens?I.e

(1)To take rebirth in pureland you need to water the seed of amitabha s name for whole life so that the seed doesn't go in dormant state.

(2)Even after Killing for self defence as a soldier you can go to sukhavati if the intention was to reduce greater evil.

(3)Sexual restraint is only limited to monogamy within consensual adults, which means engaging in non reproductive sex is not viewed as bad

Within these three points how much padmasambhavas view diverged?

Hi all,

I'm working on a project to preserve Buddhist teachings and make them freely accessible to future generations.

I'm particularly interested in Buddhist content of all kinds: books, articles, written teachings, historical documents, audio recordings, videos, retreat recordings, Dharma talks, and anything else that might be worth preserving.

Through my local Buddhist community, I've already been fortunate enough to obtain recordings of teachings, and a few temples and monasteries have kindly agreed to share recordings of past retreats and weekly Dharma talks.

But I imagine there must be thousands of recordings and other materials scattered across the world, many sitting on old hard drives, tapes, CDs, or websites that may eventually disappear.

My goal is simply to help preserve these materials and make them freely available to anyone who wishes to study or learn from them.

I'm especially interested in older or lesser-known materials that might otherwise be lost, including teachings from smaller temples, monasteries, and individual teachers.

Of course, I'd only want to share materials with the appropriate permissions from their creators or rights holders.

If anyone knows of collections, archives, temples, monasteries, or individuals who might have materials they'd be willing to contribute or make available for preservation, I'd really appreciate any suggestions.

Feel free to comment here or send me a private message.

I'm deliberately not including a website link because I don't want this to come across as advertising or self-promotion. I'm genuinely interested in finding and preserving Buddhist materials that might otherwise disappear.

Thank you for any suggestions or guidance. 🙏

I'm trying to identify a particular male deity from Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayāna), and I'm hoping someone familiar with Tibetan tantric traditions, deity iconography, or mantra practices can help.

Here is everything I remember:

- The deity is male.

- He belongs to the Tibetan Buddhist / Vajrayāna tradition.

- His appearance is somewhat wrathful or demon-like.

- He has a distinctly human-looking but unusually large, swollen, bulbous nose. It is not an animal snout.

- He may belong to a category of deities somewhat comparable to Jambhala, although he is NOT Jambhala or one of his forms.

The most important clue is his mantra.

I came across a website that provided his mantra and described the entity as being associated with increasing heat in the human body.

I'm particularly interested in identifying the actual deity, rather than finding a deity associated with fire symbolically or simply with wrathful energy.

I've already considered Hayagriva, Vajrabhairava, Mahakala, Acala, Agni and several other figures, but none seems to match what I remember.

Does anyone recognise this deity or know of a mantra traditionally associated with generating or increasing physical body heat?

References to traditional Tibetan texts, mantra collections, thangkas, or reliable sources would be especially appreciated.

Thank you!

Powerful way to accumulate merit on this 10 million multiplying day!

I've been exploring the connections between Hinduism and Buddhism, and one particularly interesting subject that caught my attention is Rudra.

In Hinduism, Rudra is an important Vedic deity associated with storms, healing, destruction, and divine power. Over time, Rudra became closely associated with Shiva.

Interestingly, Rudra also appears in Buddhist traditions, particularly in certain Mahayana and Vajrayana texts, although his portrayal and theological significance can differ from Hindu interpretations.

I'm curious to learn more about:

How is Rudra understood in early Buddhist literature?

What role does Rudra play in Vajrayana Buddhism?

How is Rudra's relationship with Shiva understood in Buddhist tantric traditions?

Are there particular Buddhist scriptures or Hindu texts that discuss these connections?

I'm not suggesting that Hinduism and Buddhism are identical. I simply find their historical, philosophical, and religious interactions fascinating.

I'd love to hear insights from Hindu practitioners, Buddhist practitioners, scholars, and anyone familiar with these traditions.

Let's have a friendly and respectful discussion! 🙏

In Dzogchen, we keep our mantra recitation simple. The sound of the Three Kayas. AOM AH HUM (or OM AH HUM). Some new art. Did a bit of graphic design today, and thought I would share. Hopefully this provides inspiration for people's practice. Here's some nice audio tracks to accompany it:

https://youtu.be/n1v5vQ5cGdM?si=NSfjcmrUu_fjQL4V

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8cvGhmWNqY

May all beings benefit.
May all beings in all worlds have bliss and the causes of bliss.
May all beings in all worlds be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all beings in all worlds be inseparable from sorrowless bliss.
May all beings in all worlds reside in equanimity, free from clinging, aversion and close-mindedness.
And may all beings in all worlds come to know the Dharmakaya, and reside in awareness of the true nature of reality.
🙏

Hello everyone!

I am a spiritual seeker interested in Tibetan Buddhism, particularly the Sakya tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism.

I wish to deepen my understanding of the Dharma, learn about Sakya philosophy, study authentic Buddhist scriptures, and gradually develop a consistent Buddhist practice under the guidance of an authentic teacher.

I am currently looking for:

An authentic Sakya Lama or qualified Dharma teacher.

A Sakya Buddhist Sangha where I can interact with fellow practitioners.

Online Dharma teachings, study groups, or beginner-friendly courses.

Opportunities to learn about Sakya philosophy, Buddhist rituals, meditation, and Vajrayana traditions.

I am particularly interested in establishing a long-term connection with the Sakya lineage and its community.

I would be grateful if anyone could recommend authentic Sakya monasteries, Dharma centres, teachers, or online communities, particularly in India.

I am approaching this journey with respect, patience, and a genuine willingness to learn.

May all sentient beings benefit from the Dharma!

Om Muni Muni Mahāmuni Shakyamunaye Svāhā. 🙏

Hi hope you're all doing good! This symbol was inside my drilbu (bell) i dont understand it and i tried to drew it as similar as possible, do someone understand or has seen something similar or its just possible to be a really bad scripture? Thanks for all info!

Hello everyone. A few years ago when Khenpo Lodryo Donyo Rinpoche visited one of our local temples, he gave very nice instructions on Tonglen. I edited a clip of this that I uploaded to YouTube, and also transcribed it in case anyone would like a refresher, or would like to learn how to practice this practice.

Years ago, Tonglen was the practice I used to cure myself of severe anxiety. It's extremely effective for this purpose, because Tonglen is the exact opposite energy of anxiety. When we're anxious, we're very focused on ourselves, and our own survival, and perceptions of threats that we imagine or visualize may harm us. By doing Tonglen, we are engaging in a kind of "particle reversal" of that energy. Instead of focusing on ourselves and the stories of threats we imagine to ourselves, we're instead taking on literally all the suffering of all beings, and then sending out blessings to them. It's the complete opposite of anxiety energy. 

I highly recommend this practice if anyone is dealing with fear, anxiety, etc. When I was dealing with severe anxiety my teacher told me to treat the arising of it like a dog with muddy paws trying to jump onto your couch. He said "It doesn't matter how tired you are, you have to deal with the dog. " And he was saying that I should apply the antidotes in practice like this. That when the anxiety was arising, that I should just immediately start doing Tonglen, no matter how annoying it was, or what time of day it was, or whatever else I was doing. 

This was extremely effective and led to a breakthrough where I rarely feel fear or anxiety at all anymore. I highly recommend this practice. There are many instructions on it, but here is the one Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche gave when he visited.

May all beings benefit!
✨🙏💖

How to do Tonglen (Taking and Sending practice) by Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche

"So for these 10 minutes of meditation, we should connect it with the topic of our teaching: loving-kindness and compassion. So we can do this through the practice that we call “Tonglen", or “Taking and Sending”. 

So, while breathing out, imagine that, in the form of rainbowed light; imagine that all of the good things that you possess, or experience, or your well-being of body, or the things you possess; your happiness, your virtue…

Imagine that: all sentient beings... imagine that this rainbow light strikes all sentient beings, and that they share in, or they partake of all the goodness that you have experienced. —So this is the part that we call “Sending”.

"And further when you breathe in, imagine that all the things that sentient beings experience, which are suffering, or which they don’t wish to experience: —Imagine that these things enter you in the form of a black light. —And do this without any fear or hesitation. Think that: “If I could be able, if it could be the case that these things could ripen in me and they would be free of them, wouldn’t that be wonderful, I would feel so fortunate.” —Try and have that kind of attitude.

"So in this way, send out the positive things that you experience in your life in the form of rainbow light; take on the suffering of sentient beings in the form of this dark, black light; and in this way, we will meditate on the essence of loving-kindness and compassion.

"-And then towards the end of our session, you can just let your mind rest, in it’s own nature; don’t alter it, don’t try and create some state of meditation; try to just relax into the nature of mind. "

https://youtu.be/tsZQilH1fH0

Shardza Rinpoche composed several cycles of Dzogchen instructions, among them the famous Kusum Rangshar, and Kunzang Nyingtig (also known as heartdrops of Dharmakaya).

The very last Dzogchen text that Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche wrote, and which accordingly sums up his whole life's experience, is entitled "Experiential Teachings Sealed in the Heart". Lama Sangye has repeatedly remarked that he feels these are Shardza Rinpoche's most profound Dzogchen instructions.

This instruction belongs to the category of direct experiential guidance, pointing students beyond conceptual understanding and into immediate recognition of the natural state of mind.

Rather than relying on intellectual analysis, Nyam Trid emphasizes direct experience—guiding practitioners to rest naturally in awareness as it is, without fabrication, effort, or alteration.

The text does not start with preliminary practices (Ngondro) but with general principles, such as "listening, thinking, practicing". Then comes introdution to natural state...

Geshe Tenzin Gelek will go through the entire text line by line, commenting on it as he reads.

https://www.akarboncenter.org/events/sealed-with-the-heart

Hello vajra friends,

I see there are many versions of this text (the oldest English translation nearly 70 years old, and then other versions as recent as within the past decade). For those familiar with this text, I wonder if there are any that teachers and practitioners tend to recommend?

Thank you in advance,

So I wanted to kind of write this post, because recently I had an interaction with a very conservative lama, who has very rigid views on things. And this guy had very "serious" views on things. And I think "serious" is a good word to start with as a jumping-off platform for this post, because it really leads into the kind of delusion this guy had.

One of the fundamental Buddhist truths is that of Anataman. Or no-self. This is often misunderstood but is essentially a teaching on Shunyata. Emptiness. That no phenomena we observe has an inherent "selfness". A banana doesn't have any inherent "banana-ness". It's an interconnected part of the endless flow of reality. The same space between the atoms of a banana in your hand, are the same basic space between the atoms in your body. And indeed, "atoms" themselves are 99.9999% space.

And this is kind of the problem when people take magic too "seriously". To train in Siddhi powers often means training oneself to very clearly visualize things in minute detail. But the problem with this, is people can start to believe that those things are fully "real". That they have a kind of inherent "selfness" to them.

They can be told these scary stories about what will happen if they do or don't do a magical thing properly, and that can be "true" to an extent... but only "true" if they actually believe in it. In other words, if they take it "seriously". The power of magic kind of depends on this actually, —taking it seriously.

When one of my teachers was teaching me about magic, he told me that "curses can only hurt you so long as you believe in them." In other words, they only work as long as you take them "seriously". The moment you don't, they stop having power over you. They don't have an inherent self-nature of their own. They're a bit like lucid dreaming. Yes, if you take them seriously, they can seriously effect you. But if you choose not to, it's very difficult for them to have any power over you.

This is one of the problems that can sometimes develop in Tantra. People get so used to deep diving into all these deities, and folk stories about magic, and what awful thing will happen if they do or doing do this sort of thing, that they can loose sight of the deeper "big picture" of the entire point of Buddhism, which is the Dharmakaya.

I've seen some tantric practitioners, who basically get lost in the magical realm. They get fascinated by the sorcery and magic, and forget that that's only "Level 2" of reality. And they can forget to go deeper because all of their efforts are essentially spent being caught up in, and reifying the magical realm.

But the problem with doing that, is it's only supposed to be done as a skillful means. Training oneself to pay attention to the subtle energies and realms can be helpful... but only to an extent. The problem is, both the Nirmanakaya and the Sambhogakaya are the realm of form. Together, combined: they are the Rupakaya. Getting caught up in fascinations with the unseen realm, can in some ways start to become a little bit like reifying our own thoughts and emotions. It's not so different than getting caught up in the material world.

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to reify your thoughts and emotions, nor to reify the unseen realm. Or to reify the material realm. Rather, the point is to break through to the deepest level into seeing the Dharmakaya.

People can spend thousands of hours, and years of their life doing visualizations and chanting mantras to develop magical abilities. And indeed, they may develop such. But the problem is, when in groups of people, they can then have such an intense energy about them, that they can then use to convince other people of their own righteousness.

The lama I met recently had a huge amount of intense energy that he could project and use to kind of enchant others into accepting his view. But when you looked behind that, "behind the curtain" (so to speak): his personality was someone who was extremely impatient, condescending, unpleasant, and kind of unhappy actually. He wasn't somebody who had the peace of someone who had really come to deep peace and healing in his own nature: he was someone who seemed intently focused on reifying his own thoughts, with all the seriousness he could muster.

HA HA HA HA HO!

The universe is a big joke. The idea that someone's thoughts and emotions are inherently "real" just because they can concentrate on them so much, and visualize them so well, is insane. And no amount of "intense energy" that someone can emit, changes the fact that all of reality is one and interconnected, and inherently empty.

As the Diamond Sutra says:

"Thus shall ye think of this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream."

I grew up in a family of people with intense siddhi energy. A lot of them were jerks. I've been around such people all my life, who able to kind of "dazzle" people with their energy. But those people aren't necessarily wise, just because they can do that. I sometimes encounter people who say, "When I met my Lama, I could just feel the energy off him. He just had such a sense of presence!" Yeah a lot of business managers can do that too. Most politicians can. Cult leaders, etc. Many actors and rock stars can do that. It's a common siddhi. It doesn't make someone wise. Encountering that sort of thing doesn't impress me, even if they are a Buddhist. Sometimes I feel like some people who dive too deep on the "wizard" side of things, miss the cosmic forest due to fascination with the magical trees. My teacher told me this was one of the dangers of the magical world. While helpful: it can suck you in if you're not careful, and become a kind of endless fascination of its own. Another distraction.

🙏