Author Topic: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra  (Read 16309 times)

DSFriend

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The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« on: July 12, 2011, 08:10:49 AM »
OM has been accepted throughout the world not only by religious practitioners of the buddhist or hindu faith, but also with new age spiritual seekers and yoga classes found in fitness centers.

Mantra, the sound form of enlightened beings have been recited by countless beings since beginningless time. How fortunate we are to have been blessed with mantras of Dorje Shugden which is available on this website.

For those of us who have the good fortune to meet our Guru, we may also have been given the blessing to recite the Guru Mantra.

In vajrayana, the emphasis is on our spiritual teacher, the root of all attainments.

How will reciting our Guru's mantra help us?

Thought of sharing this treasure text, explaining the benefits of Guru Mantra. It may be a bit long to read, but I hope this knowledge blesses you as it has blessed me very much.

Source : http://www.rinpoche.com/gurumantra.html

The Vajra Guru Mantra is the mantra associated with Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava. This is a draft translation of a treasure text which explains the Vajra Guru Mantra. It was originally concealed during the time of Padmasambhava in Tibet and later rediscovered by Karma Lingpa (14th century) who brought it forth from its place of concealment and copied it down on reams of gold. It is simply known as "The Syllable by Syllable Commentary Explaining the Benefits of the Vajra Guru Mantra." It begins with an invocation and then goes into a dialogue between Yeshe Tsogyal, the spiritual consort of Padmasambhava, and Padmasambhava himself.


And so, Yeshe Tsogyal begins:
I, the woman Yeshe Tsogyal, having offered to you the inner and outer mandala on a vast scale, have the following request. Oh great teacher, Pema Jungne, you have been extremely kind to us, the Tibetan people, leaving for us a legacy that will benefit us now and in future lives. Your kindness is so great that we have never experienced anything like this before, nor will we ever experience anything like this in the future. In particular, so that now even though I am a humble person, I have no doubt that I will attain enlightenment.

In the future, sentient beings will have very short attention spans and a great many things will clutter and occupy their minds. Their characters will be rough and difficult to tame. They will develop many wrong views towards the sacred Dharma. In particular, a time will come when people will cast dispersions on the Secret Mantra teaching of the unsurpassable levels of tantra.

At that time, all sentient beings will suffer heavily from disease, famine, and war. Because of the spread of these three calamities, in particular, China, Tibet and Mongolia will experience the same kind of turmoil as an ant's nest when it is destroyed, and the time will come for the people of Tibet to suffer greatly. Though you have spoken at length of many skillful means to salvage what is possible from that situation, sentient beings in the future will not have the time to practice. Even though they may have some slight inclination to practice, they will encounter many great obstacles.

Sentient beings will experience a great deal of disharmony. They won't be able to get along or reach any kind of accord, and in the wake of this, their behavior will become very impure. Bad times such as this will be very difficult to avert. That being the case, what kinds of benefits and advantages would there be for those beings in the future were they to rely solely upon the Vajra Guru Mantra as their practice? I ask you to relate this for the benefit of individuals in the future who are not able to perceive this and therefore have to have it explained to them.

Then the great master, Pema Jungne replied:
Oh faithful lady, what you have said is so very true. In the future, such times will befall sentient beings and both in a temporary and in a long term sense, the benefits of the Vajra Guru mantra can be definitely be felt. Since my spiritual instructions and the methods of practice that I offer are immeasurable, I have hidden a great number of treasure teachings in the water, rocks, the sky and so forth. In these evil times, even individuals with fortunate karma will find it difficult to encounter these teachings. It will be difficult to bring together the necessary circumstances for these teachings to be revealed. This is a sign that the collective merit of beings is on the wane.

However, at such times, if this essence mantra, the Vajra Guru mantra, is repeated as much as possible, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, a million, ten million, a hundred million times and so forth, if it is repeated in holy places, in temples, next to great rivers, in areas where gods and demons abound, if it is recited in these places by tantric practitioners with pure samaya, by people with monastic ordination who maintain their vows purely, by men and women who possess faith in the teachings, if they give rise to bodhicitta on a grand scale and recite this mantra, then the benefits and advantages and energy of such practice are truly inconceivable.

This will avert all of the negative forces of disease, famine, unrest, bad harvests and all bad omens and indications in all the countries of the world, such that the rain will fall in a timely manner for the crops so there will always be a plentiful supply of water for agriculture and for human and animal life, and all regions and areas will experience prosperity and auspicious conditions.

In this life, in future lives, and in the intermediate state between death and rebirth, these individuals who practice in this way will meet with me again and again. The very best of these individuals will actually meet me in their waking consciousness. Those of middling degree of attainment will meet with me again and again in their dreams. Gradually perfecting the different paths and levels of their practice, they will attain to the ranks of the masculine and feminine holders of intrinsic awareness in my pure land in the continent of Ngayab.

Have no doubt of this.

If this mantra is recited a hundred times a day, merely a hundred times a day without interruption, one will become attractive to others and will effortlessly come by food and wealth and the necessities of life.

If one recites it a thousand or ten thousand times on a daily basis, one is able to literally overwhelm others with one's brilliance, in the sense of becoming very charismatic and influential in exerting a positive influence over others, and one will gain unhindered force of blessings and spiritual power.

If one repeats it a hundred thousand or a million times on a regular basis one will become capable of effecting an immeasurably great benefit for beings, exactly as one would wish to.

If one recites the mantra three or seven million times, one is never separate from the buddhas of the three times and one becomes inseparable from me. All the gods and demons of existence will attend to one and offer their praises.

In the most excellent cases, individuals will attain the rainbow body, and the final level of attainment in this lifetime. On a more middling level, at the moment of death, the mother and child aspects of radiant luminosity will meet. At the very least, individuals will behold my face in the bardo state and all the appearances of the bardo state will be free in their own ground such that these individuals will be reborn on the continent of Ngayab and from that vantage point, be able to accomplish an immeasurable amount of benefit to beings. Thus the Guru replied to Yeshe Tsogyal.

She responded by saying:
Oh great master, it is extremely kind of you to have spoken of these vast and immeasurable advantages of the spiritual energy of this mantra. For the benefit of sentient beings in the future however, a detailed explanation would be of enormous benefit, and so I would ask you to speak in a brief way about the different syllables of this mantra.

To which the great master replied:
O daughter of good family, the Vajra Guru mantra is not just my single essence mantra, it is the very essence or life force of all the deities of the four classes of tantra, of all the nine yanas, and all of the 84,000collections of dharma teachings. The essence of all of the buddhas of the three times, all of the gurus, yidams, dakas, and dakinis, dharma protectors, etc., the essence of all of these is contained and is complete within this mantra.

How, you may ask, does this work? What is the reason for all these being complete with this mantra? Listen well and hold this in mind. Read it again and again. Write it out for the benefit of sentient beings, and teach it or demonstrate it to beings in the future.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2011, 08:15:21 AM by DSFriend »

dsiluvu

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2011, 08:07:05 PM »
Thanks DSFriend for this educational topic :)


Yes I've heard that the Guru Mantra is actually the most powerful mantra of all. If you have total faith in your Guru and have a clean samaya (relationship) you can literally use your Guru's mantra to even ward away evil spirits! Or when you need to be rescued or helped in a certain situation.

We also chant the guru mantra to receive DIRECT blessing for our practices and our prayers. The Guru's mantra stems from present Guru to all the previous lineage masters that is our Guru's lineage.

I have a friend who told me this story about how he got in to a really bad accident and he got away without a scratched and his car was totalled, and he told me all he did is closed his eyes and just chanted his Guru's mantra! Amazing isn't it?!

Big Uncle

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2011, 12:18:05 AM »
The Guru's mantra is different from that of Guru Rinpoche's mantra. I believe the explanation here is on the origins and the actual terma (hidden teachings), which explains the origins, benefits and even states the person who requested Guru Rinpoche's mantra. Guru Rinpoche's mantra taps into the blessings of Guru Rinpoche. Meanwhile, the Guru's mantra taps into the blessings of the incarnation lineage of that particular Guru. The mantra would probably have been requested by a student from the Guru's Guru. The mantra's potency would depend on the faith and samaya of the student and it will bring forth the propensities of the Guru's lineage to bear fruit in this current life. The most important effect would be the long life of the Guru so his many Dharmic wishes would be fulfilled. 

WoselTenzin

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2011, 01:42:17 AM »
The Guru mantra especially of our personal root Guru would be the most powerful for us as we have direct connection with him.  However, as mentioned earlier by dsiluvu and Big Uncle, the potency of a Guru mantra depends on our faith and samaya with our Guru. 

There is no doubt that if we have strong faith in our our Guru and if our samaya with our Guru is clean, reciting our Guru mantra can bring immeasurable results.  It invokes the blessings of our Guru's current and previous incarnations. It invokes the qualities of our Guru in the form of sound so that we may eventually attain them ourselves.

My Guru has said that our Guru mantra is the best mantra for us if we have strong faith.



whitelion

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2011, 11:40:51 PM »
Indeed, totally agree with WoselTenzin, the most powerful or most beneficial mantra will be one's root guru mantra. The mantra is powerful because by reciting our guru's mantra, we invoke our guru current and previous incarnation vows, the vows that all based on compassion, wisdom, and our guru altruism mind, yet it's also beneficial by reciting our guru's mantra, we create the course that we will never separate with him/them from life to life, we create the course to be reborn in a place that we will meet our guru since very very young age in the future.

i also heard if we focus on our guru's mantra, it's equal that we reciting any highest empowerment deity mantra before we got the initiation, the reason is our guru mind has no different with any yidam, protector or enlighten deities.

Klein

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2011, 08:02:40 AM »
My guru told me that once he was very ill in the monastery. His guru told him to recite his guru's mantra daily. I forgot the amount of recitation prescribed. My guru said that he recovered as soon as he completed his retreat.

My guru also told me that the recitation of the guru mantra is most effective if one's guru samaya is clean.

hope rainbow

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2011, 07:32:24 AM »
My guru told me that once he was very ill in the monastery. His guru told him to recite his guru's mantra daily. I forgot the amount of recitation prescribed. My guru said that he recovered as soon as he completed his retreat.

My guru also told me that the recitation of the guru mantra is most effective if one's guru samaya is clean.

The guru samaya is essential as it makes the mantra extremely potent.
Without it, the mantra is like a seed in drought.

hope rainbow

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2011, 03:03:50 AM »
The guru samaya is essential as it makes the mantra extremely potent.
Without it, the mantra is like a seed in drought.

And I would add also BODHICITTA (of any level).
Guru Samaya and Bodhichitta.
Bodhichitta makes the mantra (any mantra for that matter) potent because of this:
it acts as a cause for our enlightenment into Buddhahood.

Roberto

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2011, 04:47:15 AM »
Quote
Have no doubt of this.

If this mantra is recited a hundred times a day, merely a hundred times a day without interruption, one will become attractive to others and will effortlessly come by food and wealth and the necessities of life.

If one recites it a thousand or ten thousand times on a daily basis, one is able to literally overwhelm others with one's brilliance, in the sense of becoming very charismatic and influential in exerting a positive influence over others, and one will gain unhindered force of blessings and spiritual power.

If one repeats it a hundred thousand or a million times on a regular basis one will become capable of effecting an immeasurably great benefit for beings, exactly as one would wish to.

If one recites the mantra three or seven million times, one is never separate from the buddhas of the three times and one becomes inseparable from me. All the gods and demons of existence will attend to one and offer their praises.

In the most excellent cases, individuals will attain the rainbow body, and the final level of attainment in this lifetime. On a more middling level, at the moment of death, the mother and child aspects of radiant luminosity will meet. At the very least, individuals will behold my face in the bardo state and all the appearances of the bardo state will be free in their own ground such that these individuals will be reborn on the continent of Ngayab and from that vantage point, be able to accomplish an immeasurable amount of benefit to beings. Thus the Guru replied to Yeshe Tsogyal.

With Faith, Boddhicitta I didn't know such benefits a practitioner can aquire. We always focus on the mystical deities that we neglect the key, the Teacher, who without we would never even get to know or be close to Yidams, Dieties, and of course our Protector.

Midakpa

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2011, 08:49:44 AM »
Buddhists of all schools take refuge in the Three Jewels. It is in the Vajrayana that is added a fourth refuge - the Guru. When one takes refuge, the guru comes first, "Namo Guru Beh". In Vajrayana, guru devotion is an important part of one's practice. Some practitioners make it their main practice. Reliance on the guru is absolute. Therefore, it is not surprising that reciting the mantra of one's guru brings tremendous benefits, including the healing of one's illnesses.

Dondrup Shugden

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2011, 02:29:30 PM »
If we are fortunate to find our root guru, it is imperative that He is the center of our life.  It is not possible for us with so much distraction to fully understand the 84,000 teachings of The Buddha but with the teaching from our Guru, it is possible.

Without a Guru, it is also very difficult to practise Bhodichitta, so I can imagine the benefits of reciting our Guru mantra and hold clean samaya with Him.

I have experience much benefit in reciting my Guru mantra.

Galen

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2011, 09:36:25 PM »
Our Guru being our guide and teacher in our spiritual path is very important. He is our Buddha and he is here to guide us and transmit the Buddhadharma to us so that we can get enlightened.

When we have faith in our Guru, the the Guru mantra is very powerful and help in many ways. When we are faced with danger, we should recite the mantra and that will help us in clearing the danger/obstacle or even help us find a way out.

Also, if we are about to go for a very important meeting or meeting someone for a business deal, recite the Guru mantra before that. Then you may realise that the deal may go on more smoothly or end up with successful meetings. That's the power of our guru mantra. This is testified by one of my dharma sisters.

If you don't believe, give it a try.

Carpenter

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2011, 05:30:36 PM »
I have heard of it. If a student have clean semaya and have full faith with their root Guru when they chant the Guru Mantra it can even ward away evil spirits, in urgent and difficulty situation or sometimes to help us in danger situation.

buddhalovely

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #13 on: September 09, 2012, 02:34:56 PM »
A mantra can make impossible possible, Everything in the world is perish-able and we remain mortal. We nurture materialistic cravings. We are all yantra. There are two aspects: One is yantra and the other is mantra. Yantra only activates materialism and remains mortal. It does not provide peace and only feeds the world called maya or illusion. But a mantra is bigger than yantra and remains the embodiment of Paramatman, the Supreme Being.

If you want to understand yantra then see for yourself the impermanent aspect of yantra : Childhood, youth,. old age, beauty, wealth etc which are never permanent and dwell in the sphere of mortality.

On the other hand, mantra ensures peace. Peace can be achieved through mantra and upasana (sitting near). If a calf does not sit near a cow then how can it get milk? If a baby does not cling to its mother than how can it get milk? Not going near God how can one get peace? How can the soul fill its hunger? So worshipping or doing upasana with mantra ensures a state of emancipation which scales beyond time and space. Mantras are powerful and by the act of japa (constant remembrance through counting beads) one is progressively empowered.

RedLantern

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Re: The power of mantra - Guru Mantra
« Reply #14 on: September 09, 2012, 06:02:27 PM »

The healing through chanting can be expedited if the mantra is received from a guru.A guru adds a divine potency to the mantra.It becomes more effective and thus helps the chanter heal faster. It is important to have complete faith in the recitation of the mantras.It is primarily through faith-aided by strong will-that one achieves one's goal. Have to be free from all worries and achieve stability in mind and body,to have maximum benefit through recitation of mantras.We are fortunate to have a guru ,who we visualized as one with Buddha to guide us through our spiritual path.