Shugden Arising As A Yidam

[DharmaDefender]

The Tulku system is so very important within Tibetan Buddhism in general and within the Gelug system. We will die, we will reincarnate and we will take rebirth. So if we practice the tantras correctly, one of the side benefits is that we can control our rebirth. So two and two makes four. If we can take charge of our rebirth, then why not Tulkus.

It makes perfect sense. The reason why we cannot control our rebirths is because we cannot control our mind now. As such, we continue to generate negative karma, thus propelling us to take rebirth in the lower realms. By practising, we learn to control our minds and we control the kind of karma we generate. Thus logically, the side or indirect benefit is a better rebirth.

[shugdenprotect]

DharmaDefender, very logical point you made above. Thank you. It is this logical link of cause and effect that makes Buddhadharma so attractive to people of today.

Related to the importance of the Tulku system, there is also logic for such a system to exist and continue. Highly attained Masters have dedicated lifetime after lifetime to Dharma work. As they take the form of mortals in our realm, they must leave. Therefore, to prevent their work from loosing pace whereby they need to start all over again at every rebirth, the Tulku system allows them to take off quickly and smoothly from where they left off with the same discliples and “tools”.

Looking at it this way, it is us (sentient beings trapped in samsara) who need the Tulku system more than the Tulkus themselves. Therefore, it would be beneficial not to question this system that has existed and benefited us with endless results for so many centuries.

[Ratna Shugden]

Can someone tell me more about  Dorje Shugden Empowerment given by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso?

Thank you TK for starting this topic.

[lightning]

This is not directed at Lightning per say, but he/she did bring up a good point about keeping good samaya.

My opinion is that keeping good samaya is crucial and essential for all practices. I dare say, it is the key to all practices. Hence, the stress on Guru Devotion.

Without good samayas, there will be nothing.

Thanks and you are kind and modest. I am "He".
I highlighted that maintaining good samaya for some good reasons and some Lamas have stricter requirements especially on DS empowerment participants' characters before allowing for participation.

[thor]

Can someone tell me more about  Dorje Shugden Empowerment given by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso?

Thank you TK for starting this topic.

From what I know, the Dorje Shugden empowerment is also known as sogtae - the life entrustment ceremony. During this time, the person receiving the empowerment vows to take Dorje Shugden as their personal protector until they attain Bodhicitta. The initiate also receives a crystal that has special symbolism, to keep close to them wherever they go. If you are fortunate enough to have received such a practice from a qualified teacher, treasure it more than your life. Dorje Shugden will remain with you, protecting and watching over you throughout your lives. Each of us owe him much more than we could ever know.

[Helena]

Thank you for sharing that beautiful information.

If I were so fortunate to receive such an empowerment, I would indeed cherish it for all lifetimes.

What a magnificent precious gift to look forward to receiving.

As it is, Dorje Shugden has helped me so much in my practice. I do owe him so so much - as it is.

[Ratna Shugden]

Can someone tell me more about  Dorje Shugden Empowerment given by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso?

Thank you TK for starting this topic.

From what I know, the Dorje Shugden empowerment is also known as sogtae - the life entrustment ceremony. During this time, the person receiving the empowerment vows to take Dorje Shugden as their personal protector until they attain Bodhicitta. The initiate also receives a crystal that has special symbolism, to keep close to them wherever they go. If you are fortunate enough to have received such a practice from a qualified teacher, treasure it more than your life. Dorje Shugden will remain with you, protecting and watching over you throughout your lives. Each of us owe him much more than we could ever know.

Thanks for the reply Duldzin. I look forward to the day where everyone on this forum can practice Dorje Shugden as their Yidam.

[Losang_Tenpa]

My understanding is that Geshe Kelsang Gyatso does not give the Sogte. I have heard that he gives the Jenang, which is the blessing and permission to practice.

[lightning]

My understanding is that Geshe Kelsang Gyatso does not give the Sogte. I have heard that he gives the Jenang, which is the blessing and permission to practice.

Sorry to ask if anyone here has taken Sogte for Palden Lhamo before and the hand shaking ceremony considered as Sogte?

[WisdomBeing]

To add to this discussion, i'd like to refer to this post on "Traditional and non-traditional methods to accomplish Manjunatha Dorje Shugden or full retreat vs. short daily practice"

http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=414.0

I re-post the main post by Mountains here but you can go to the link and read the subsequent discussion:

Traditional


1. By strict tradition, if you wish to do the long kangsol or long puja of Dorje shugden you should have the sogtae (empowerment)of this protector. If you don't have sogtae you are still allowed to perform it. It depends on your lama. But Sogtae would be a wonderful commitment to take. This kangsol is done monthly as a commitment after recieving sogtae. Of course one may do it more in one month.

It is different than the yidam's practices. Within the long kangsol of Dorje Shugden, there is no meditation of generation or completion stages. The drops, winds and channels are not involved. And there is no powa of any sort.  So there is no 'danger'.

2. By strict tradition: If you wish to engage in a retreat of Dorje Shugden, this is the procedure for four sessions a day until completion. You must recite daily during the sessions:

a. Guru Yoga of Tsongkapa
b. Guru Puja (lama chopa)
c. Long Yamantaka sadhana is recommended/but higher tantra sadhana also ok.
d. Then the long kangsol of Dorje Shugden with emphasis on mantra recitation with visualizations.
e. When retreat has finished 200,000, 400,000, 1,0000,000 recitations of the main mantra then one is to engage in a Dorje Shugden fire puja. Dorje Shugden has his own specific fire pujas. You have peaceful shugden, increase, control and wrathful fire pujas also. But in this case you would do the fire puja of the principal form.

Then you are complete.

3. By strict tradition, to recieve the sogtae of Dorje shugden,Yamantaka initiation is highly recommended prior although Cakrasamvara or any other Annu tara yoga tantra is permissable.
Because during the pujas and daily prayers of Dorje shugden, you should have clear visualization of oneself as a yidam.  As a yidam, you bless the items of offering for Dorje Shugden before and during the pujas. For that, one has to use the blessing system of Highest yoga tantra to make the offerings free from smell, color and negative potentiality,transforming into nectar, and increases to be unlimited. Then it becomes a 'proper' offering.

4. In order to confer the sogtae on others, one should have finished the above.


5. The best is to engage in a Tsongkapa Guru Yoga retreat finishing minimum of 100,000 migtzeyma mantras. No fire pujas required.

6. After migtzeyma retreat, a yamantaka retreat is required completing minimum of 400,000 of the 3rd mantra and 100,000 of the remaining three mantras each. Then a full Yamantaka fire puja is to be done afterwards. Until the fire puja, one is to recite the Yamantaka long sadhana daily on one's retreat seat. The retreat seat shouldn't be moved throughout the retreat until the fire puja is complete.

7. Then after the Yamantaka retreat, one engages in a long Dorje Shugden retreat as described above.

The above is by strict retreat according to the writings of H.H. Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang Jetsun Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso Pelsangpo.



For Non-traditional daily prayers


1. Refuge, four immeasurables. Then one does the guru yoga of Tsongkapa

2. Afterwards one may engage in the short daily prayers of Dorje shugden as kindly provided by the Webmaster (thank you!) on the home page.

3. During the daily prayers to exhort Dorje Shugden, one may recite more of his principal mantra more and engage in the offerings of golden drink or serkym. Any praises to Dorje Shugden written by any of the erudite masters can be included. It really depends on your time.  (Please note though, Dorje Shugden would be happier for you to recite migtzeyma more than his own mantra) But if you visualize the whole refuge tree dissolving into Dorje Shugden and recite his mantra with that awareness that he embodies the Buddhas of the Three Times, then it would be powerful. Attainments definitely can be achieved from one-pointed recitation of Dorje Shugden's supreme mantra.

4. Then dedication.

5. One is allowed to recite the mantra and liturgy without empowerment or oral transmission.

6. If one wishes to download the prayers and start today, of course one may do so. Why? Dorje Shugden is not a worldly protector. He is within the same mindstream as Tsongkapa, Yamantaka and of course Manjushri. Any form of prayers, offerings, worship directed toward Dorje Shugden is the same as doing the same with any enlightened being planting the seeds of enlightenment within one's mindstream. So there is no 'fear' to do Dorje Shugden's short practice without any formal permission.

7. The above can be done before or after your yidam's practice if you have one. There is no set time,place and procedure for this.

Good luck and May Dorje Shugden's time prevail soon.

[Losang_Tenpa]

To add to this discussion, i'd like to refer to this post on "Traditional and non-traditional methods to accomplish Manjunatha Dorje Shugden or full retreat vs. short daily practice"

http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=414.0

I re-post the main post by Mountains here but you can go to the link and read the subsequent discussion:

Traditional


1. By strict tradition, if you wish to do the long kangsol or long puja of Dorje shugden you should have the sogtae (empowerment)of this protector. If you don't have sogtae you are still allowed to perform it. It depends on your lama. But Sogtae would be a wonderful commitment to take. This kangsol is done monthly as a commitment after recieving sogtae. Of course one may do it more in one month.

It is different than the yidam's practices. Within the long kangsol of Dorje Shugden, there is no meditation of generation or completion stages. The drops, winds and channels are not involved. And there is no powa of any sort.  So there is no 'danger'.

2. By strict tradition: If you wish to engage in a retreat of Dorje Shugden, this is the procedure for four sessions a day until completion. You must recite daily during the sessions:

a. Guru Yoga of Tsongkapa
b. Guru Puja (lama chopa)
c. Long Yamantaka sadhana is recommended/but higher tantra sadhana also ok.
d. Then the long kangsol of Dorje Shugden with emphasis on mantra recitation with visualizations.
e. When retreat has finished 200,000, 400,000, 1,0000,000 recitations of the main mantra then one is to engage in a Dorje Shugden fire puja. Dorje Shugden has his own specific fire pujas. You have peaceful shugden, increase, control and wrathful fire pujas also. But in this case you would do the fire puja of the principal form.

Then you are complete.

3. By strict tradition, to recieve the sogtae of Dorje shugden,Yamantaka initiation is highly recommended prior although Cakrasamvara or any other Annu tara yoga tantra is permissable.
Because during the pujas and daily prayers of Dorje shugden, you should have clear visualization of oneself as a yidam.  As a yidam, you bless the items of offering for Dorje Shugden before and during the pujas. For that, one has to use the blessing system of Highest yoga tantra to make the offerings free from smell, color and negative potentiality,transforming into nectar, and increases to be unlimited. Then it becomes a 'proper' offering.

4. In order to confer the sogtae on others, one should have finished the above.


5. The best is to engage in a Tsongkapa Guru Yoga retreat finishing minimum of 100,000 migtzeyma mantras. No fire pujas required.

6. After migtzeyma retreat, a yamantaka retreat is required completing minimum of 400,000 of the 3rd mantra and 100,000 of the remaining three mantras each. Then a full Yamantaka fire puja is to be done afterwards. Until the fire puja, one is to recite the Yamantaka long sadhana daily on one's retreat seat. The retreat seat shouldn't be moved throughout the retreat until the fire puja is complete.

7. Then after the Yamantaka retreat, one engages in a long Dorje Shugden retreat as described above.

The above is by strict retreat according to the writings of H.H. Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang Jetsun Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso Pelsangpo.



For Non-traditional daily prayers


1. Refuge, four immeasurables. Then one does the guru yoga of Tsongkapa

2. Afterwards one may engage in the short daily prayers of Dorje shugden as kindly provided by the Webmaster (thank you!) on the home page.

3. During the daily prayers to exhort Dorje Shugden, one may recite more of his principal mantra more and engage in the offerings of golden drink or serkym. Any praises to Dorje Shugden written by any of the erudite masters can be included. It really depends on your time.  (Please note though, Dorje Shugden would be happier for you to recite migtzeyma more than his own mantra) But if you visualize the whole refuge tree dissolving into Dorje Shugden and recite his mantra with that awareness that he embodies the Buddhas of the Three Times, then it would be powerful. Attainments definitely can be achieved from one-pointed recitation of Dorje Shugden's supreme mantra.

4. Then dedication.

5. One is allowed to recite the mantra and liturgy without empowerment or oral transmission.

6. If one wishes to download the prayers and start today, of course one may do so. Why? Dorje Shugden is not a worldly protector. He is within the same mindstream as Tsongkapa, Yamantaka and of course Manjushri. Any form of prayers, offerings, worship directed toward Dorje Shugden is the same as doing the same with any enlightened being planting the seeds of enlightenment within one's mindstream. So there is no 'fear' to do Dorje Shugden's short practice without any formal permission.

7. The above can be done before or after your yidam's practice if you have one. There is no set time,place and procedure for this.

Good luck and May Dorje Shugden's time prevail soon.

Just to add:

Many who have the Sogte recite the Kangwa and the Kangshag daily. These are both found in the Kangso.

Some monks also recite the Kangdring (short Kangso) daily. Here at Shar Gaden, the Kangdring is recited by a group of monks every evening in the Dorje Shugden chapel.

[beggar]

wow great discussion going on here about how we can do Dorje Shugden's kangso every day.

I think most important to understand is that DS does not need us, but we need his help. We do prayers everyday because we need the merit to keep us going and to purify all that nasty stuff that we have accumulated from that one day. From this merit, we our obstacles are cleared and our minds open up. Then we are able to receive and practice the Dharma.

i like this very much also:

Dorje Shugden would be happier for you to recite migtzeyma more than his own mantra

...a very good reminder to all of us Dorje Shugden is Tsongkhapa himself. When we call upon Tsongkhapa, we also call DS and vice versa. At the end of the day, he opens our mind to practice, sincerity and wisdom - the lamrim. Every time we recite a praise or mantra to him, we make it more possible for ourselves to receive this blessed help from him.

So... do more serkyems!

[thor]

Just to add:

Many who have the Sogte recite the Kangwa and the Kangshag daily. These are both found in the Kangso.

Some monks also recite the Kangdring (short Kangso) daily. Here at Shar Gaden, the Kangdring is recited by a group of monks every evening in the Dorje Shugden chapel.

True, my lama too strongly recommends the kangshag daily in combination with the serkyem and mantra. Strong confessions followed by requests to clear our worldly obstacles in order for dharma practice to prevail.

[thor]

My understanding is that Geshe Kelsang Gyatso does not give the Sogte. I have heard that he gives the Jenang, which is the blessing and permission to practice.

The sogtae is only given two people at a time. It is quite possible that Geshe-la gives it in private but in public events like the summer festivals of the past, you're probably correct that it is the jenang that is given to the entire assembly. However, as far as I know, it is not necessary to have the jenang nor the sogtae in order to engage in Dorje Shugden's practice and to receive his help and blessings.

[Losang_Tenpa]

However, as far as I know, it is not necessary to have the jenang nor the sogtae in order to engage in Dorje Shugden's practice and to receive his help and blessings.

Oh, for sure. The Kangwa and the Kangshag can be recited by anyone with faith. This is how it was explained to me as well.