Comments on: A Teaching on Dharmapalas, from a Kagyu Perspective

By: Rinchen

Rinchen — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:38:37 +0000

All schools would have different main Dharmapalas. They exist to help protect the Dharma practitioners and knowledge of that particular lineage.

I too believe that Dharmapala practices are something that is very sacred and few are able to practice it with depth in today’s society. Many of us may be practicing a certain practice of the Dharma protector, but we do not have the full initiation to do so. Adding to that, I believe that our samaya with the protector would not be very strong as well without the initiation.

By: Arisa

Arisa — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 07:41:57 +0000

I guess every Lineage also have their own main Protectors and Yidams to follow. In this case this is the Kagyu Lineage whose main Protector is the Six Arm Mahakala who is the emanation of Chenresig. They have 8 Dharmapalas or Protectors in their Lineage. Namely Mahakala, Palden Lhamo, Yamantaka, Kubera, Hagagriva, Changpa, Yama and Begtse. There are 3 types of Protectors. The Wisdom Protector, Activity Protector and the Worldy Protector. According to Choje Lama Namse Rinpoche before you can be initiated into a Protector practice you must first have the Secret Mantrayana Empowerment to do the proper practice. This practice requires commitment and disipline. Tilopa started the line of the Kagyu Lineage with Naropa, Marpa and Milarepa. In the Gelugpa Lineage Lama Tsongkapa is the head of the Lineage and their Protector is Dorje Shugden. While in the Kagyu Lineage Six Armed Mahakala is their main Protector.

By: Arisa

Arisa — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:13:22 +0000

In my view I think the word Dharmapala is just a label name for Protectors. But in the School of Buddhism it is used to mean Dharma Protectors. In the culture of other countries in the world there are also protectors which the people believe in are labelled differently. Even in undeveloped countries among the natives they also have protectors. In the Vajrayana School of Buddhism wrathful Protectors are needed to protect the Dharma and its followers with compassion and wisdom from going the wrong path. In other words Protectors or Dharmapalas exists in all faiths and countries under a different name.

By: vajrastorm

vajrastorm — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:02:55 +0000

I wish to further highlight a point, repeatedly made by Choje Lama Namse Rinpoche, with regard to Vajrayana as providing a swift path by which a practitioner can attain Buddhahood in one lifetime.
Firstly, he points out that even though a Vajrayana practitioner may attain Enlightenment in one lifetime, it goes without saying that he would have had engaged in “preparations in former lives for him to be able to understand the teachings correctly now and to have the opportunity to practice them diligently in this life”.
He also points out that even the Mahasiddhas, like Naropa, show us, by their own example, that they would have “studied and practiced Hinayana and Mahayana and developed deep devotion in their teachers for many lives”. Only with many previous lifetimes of preparation, purification and accumulation of merits would an advanced Vajrayana practitioner be able to attain Buddhahood in one lifetime.
As is shown clearly in the Lamrim,the Graduated Path to Enlightenment, we have to tread the whole path from the small scope, through the middle scope and the great scope, before we can ever be ready to attain enlightenment.

By: vajrastorm

vajrastorm — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:32:42 +0000

I wish to highlight here a few very significant points raised by Choje Lama Namse Rinpoche, when he was asked to give teachings on Dharmapala Mahakala.
Firstly, he says, before we even think of engaging in a Dharma Protector practice, we must first study and understand the fundamentals of what Lord Buddha taught, and the purpose of His teachings, and why it is necessary for us to strive to gain Liberation from suffering and Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
We need to be guided by a qualified and authentic teacher on the path of Dharma to take. We need to follow the guidance and instruction and teachings of this Spiritual Guide, so that we will follow an orderly path of Dharma.This Teacher will know when we are ready for each stage of this path.
Also essential is the development of pure motivation to benefit others( in dependence on Bodhicitta) at the start.
The Dharmapala Mahakala is a Dharma Protector for advanced students. His practice is a Vajrayana practice. Only the Teacher can tell when you are ready for this advanced practice. One cannot leapfrog into an advanced Protector practice, because it will only create confusion and neurotic problems for oneself. Also we will not be able to keep the commitments and this will bring dire consequences to us. One has to perform various preliminary practices and receive empowerments of Yidam Practice first.
He also warns against propitiating worldly gods who are insatiable in their demands for offerings. If you do not repay with offerings terrible punishments will be heaped on you, and once propitiated, they have a hold on you forever!
Thus it is important to realize that Dharma practice must follow a proper path and course in order for Dharma to be meaningfully integrated into one’s life.It is also important to turn to only Enlightened Dharma Protectors for help.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:57:42 +0000

What Lama Namse Rinpoche said about the staff and students of the great Indian Buddhist universities fleeing to Tibet when the Muslims invaded India is historically proven. By the time Atisha left Tibet in the middle of the 11th century, Buddhism was facing a serious crisis, both external and internal. The external crisis was that the Buddhist Pala rulers lost to the Sena kings who were not Buddhists and who themselves did not survive the Muslim invasion in the 12th century. Historians also refer to the “internal decay” of Buddhism which under the Palas, became more esoteric in nature and practices were reserved for those who had special initiations in Tantra. According to Tibetan sources, Dromtonpa, the chief Tibetan disciple of Atisha, said that “at the time the Master left India, Buddhism was, as it were, at its lowest ebb.” The Tibetan scholar Tshul khrims rgyal ba (Jayasila) of Nagtsho, who came to India and stayed at the Vikramasila vihara in order to invite Atisha to Tibet, said that during Dipamkara’s time, “At Odantapuri, there were 53 monks. At Vikramasila, there were about a hundred monks”. It is possible that Atisha had already predicted the decline of Buddhism in India and had gone to Tibet so that the teachings would not be lost.