Dorje Shugden is a Dharma Protector who has arisen in this form specifically to safeguard our Dharma practice. Therefore, the very moment we begin our spiritual connection with him through our prayers, offerings and refuge is the moment he begins his work to sustain us on the spiritual path.

However, many of us are new to the Dharma and our immediate concern may not be for our spiritual practice, mind transformation or even Enlightenment; many of us are more concerned about our immediate problems: relationship conflicts, monetary concerns, career dilemmas, bills to pay, mouths to feed and jobs to fulfil.

We must realize that as long as we are alive, such problems will continue to plague us, to a greater or lesser extent. We therefore need assistance that is fast, efficacious and something we can place our full trust in.

This is where Dorje Shugden comes in, as he is the most supreme among all the Dharma Protectors. Dorje Shugden holds a vajra hook in the crook of his left arm which reflects his powerful ability to attract all desired material and spiritual resources for our worldly and spiritual life.

Also, with his enlightened nature, which is the same as Manjushri’s, the Buddha of Wisdom, he will skilfully alleviate our problems so we can focus more on our spiritual practice. Many people develop faith quickly in Dorje Shugden because they receive very clear signs that he has alleviated their problems. Often, practitioners enter the Dharma in this way when their immediate prayers are answered swiftly.

Dorje Shugden’s strength and ability are boundless. Devotees of Dorje Shugden will be able to share with you numerous examples of how he has rescued them from dire circumstances, in ways that other Protectors are unable to do at this time.

Dorje Shugden is able to come to our assistance much quicker because he is in the form of a worldly god although his mind is that of a fully enlightened Buddha – Manjushri. This worldly form is symbolised by the boots that he wears, which represents a very close, strong karmic affinity that he has with us.

When Dorje Shugden first arose as a Dharma Protector, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama tried to destroy him with some of the deadliest fire rituals. However, due to his indestructible, fully enlightened nature, Dorje Shugden was not destroyed in any of the rites and survived all of the attempts. Actually, the Dalai Lama did this to reveal Dorje Shugden’s real nature and the enlightened level of his power, attainments and efficacy.

It was with these enlightened qualities that Dorje Shugden was able to guide the current incarnation of the Dalai Lama safely out of Tibet during the Chinese invasion. Dorje Shugden is now also the main force behind the phenomenal growth of the world’s largest Tibetan Buddhist organizations and continues to perform countless other modern-day miracles.

If we place our trust in Dorje Shugden, we should have full faith that he will know what is best for us. He will bestow what is ultimately most beneficial for our spiritual practice and overall well-being. Therefore, we may not get exactly what we pray for or we may receive something else that we didn’t ask for.

When we find ourselves in such a situation, we should be grateful that Dorje Shugden has given us this opportunity to push our spiritual practice to another level and trust that what he has given us is for our highest benefit in the long term. There is no need to question Dorje Shugden’s better judgment and lose focus of the bigger picture.

Also, Dorje Shugden has 32 deities in his mandala that are each emanations of himself. Each of these deities bestows a type of blessing on practitioners and assists the principal deity to perform different beneficial actions:

Duldzin Dorje Shugden

The principal deity who leads us on the right path and alleviates all outer and inner obstacles.

Vairochana Shugden

The ‘purification’ emanation of Dorje Shugden. He is very efficacious in helping us to heal from life-threatening or incapacitating diseases.

Ratna Shugden

The ‘increase’ emanation of Dorje Shugden. He increases our merit and material resources or leads us to those who can bring us abundant resources.

Padma Shugden

The ‘control’ emanation of Dorje Shugden. He helps us to control our own difficult mind or situations and other people/beings who are difficult to tame.

Karma Shugden

The ‘wrathful’ emanation of Dorje Shugden. He helps to overcome extremely dangerous and negative situations.

The Eight Guiding Monks

They empower us to hold our spiritual vows and commitments.

The Nine Mothers

They assist Tantric practitioners with the higher meditations.

The Ten Deities

They help to alleviate all outer and inner obstacles, like broken samaya, which will take us away from our spiritual path.

Finally, because Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Manjushri, propitiating him will also bless you with excellent memory, a sharp mind, creativity and empowering speech that is clear and precise in its meaning.

Dorje Shugden manifests in five different forms for different purposes. Aside from his principal emanation on the snow lion and wearing a golden domed hat, he has four other recognized emanations, each with their specific functions.

These five forms are also known as the five families of Dorje Shugden. Altogether, the five families are manifestation of his five aggregates, which also correspond to the five Dhyani Buddhas.

Duldzin Dorje Shugden

Main Emanation

This is the principle deity who corresponds to the aggregate of consciousness. He wears a domed hat on his head while wearing the robes of a fully ordained monk. In his hands, he carries a wisdom sword and the heart of the enemy (symbolizing ignorance), and cradles a taming hook in the crook of his left arm. He rides upon a snow lion, symbolizing his fearlessness. He bestows great wisdom and shows us the right way.

You said, “I will protect the highest stainless essence of the Sugata’s teachings as the precious jewel of the merit of all beings!” Heroic Manjushri Yamantaka in a worldly, haughty disguise,to you, endowed with strength of ten million dharma protectors, I offer praise.

Vairochana Shugden

Shize

This emanation is the aggregate of form. He has a semi-wrathful smile and is white in colour. In his right hand, he holds aloft a lance that has a mirror tied to it while his left hand holds a noose.

He wears flowing white silk robes, a golden turban and rides an elephant. He purifies our negative karma and obstacles, and his practice is very powerful for healing and pacifying serious illnesses.

O you whose purified aggregate of form, in the dance of the pacifier, is a new youthful body of a hundred thousand autumn moons, holding silk beribboned arrow and noose, riding the king of elephants, the dispeller of negative conditions and obstructors, to you I praise.

Ratna Shugden

Gyenze

This emanation is the aggregate of feeling and is a golden (yellow) colour. In one hand, he holds up to the sky a golden long-life vase which carries the branch of a wish-granting tree and in the other hand, a bowl filled with jewels.

He is adorned in princely yellow robes and rides a white palomino horse. He increases all that is good, bringing wealth and abundance in all aspects.

O you whose purified aggregate of feeling, in the dance of the increaser, is a body, magnificient with the brilliance of ten million suns. Holding vessel of jewels and vase, riding a divine yellow palamino, the increaser of wealth, prosperity and all desirables, to you I praise.

Pema Shugden

Wangze

This emanation is the aggregate of discrimination. He appears with blood-red skin and smiles flirtatiously in wrathful manner. He holds a taming vajra hook tied with red silks with his right hand and a jeweled noose with his left.

He wears a handsome red silk garment adorned with flowers and rides upon a turquoise dragon. He brings about peace of mind and helps to tame very difficult, negative minds, people and situations.

O you whose purified aggregate of recognition, in the dance of the subjugator, is a body blazing with the glory of a ruby mountain, holding hook and noose, riding a blue turquoise dragon, the powerful summoner of the three realms, to you I praise.

Karma Shugden

Trakze

This emanation is the aggregate of compositional factors. He manifests with a very dark red skin and displays a very wrathful appearance. He hurls a big sword with his right hand and clutches a bleeding heart in his left.

He is dressed in black silk garments and rides upon a powerful Garuda. His practice is especially efficacious for overcoming powerful delusions and very negative, harmful energies.

O you whose purified aggregate of compositional factors, in the dance of the terrifier, is a body like a dark red intolerable tumultuous storm of fire, riding an agile garuda, holding razor-edged sword and enemy heart, the reducer of enemies and obstructors to ashes, to you I praise.