Prostration Instructions, Mantras, and Meditation

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave some instructions regarding prostrations, including some changes to the preliminary holy name mantras, and also dictated a new meditation.

12 pages, 2020 edition.

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Confession of a Bodhisattva’s Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas and General Confession

The practice of making prostrations is commonly recommended as a daily practice to students for the purpose of purifying negative karmas and obstacles to spiritual practice. This text features everything necessary to make the practice complete, including a typical motivation by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the visualization of the Thirty-Five Buddhas and the Seven Medicine Buddhas, additional holy name mantras to make the practice more powerful, a translation of the main practice, and the final General Confession. The text also includes meditation instructions from Lama Zopa Rinpoche to support one’s prostrations.

32 pages, 2020 edition.

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The Preliminary Practice of Prostrations

Prostrations to the Thirty-five (35) Confession Buddhas with recitation of the “Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls” from the Sutra of Three Heaps, is one of the most powerful methods available to purify harmful actions we have done in the past. By doing this practice mindfully, we can prevent unwanted sufferings from occurring in the future. In addition, this practice clears away obstacles to our practice and opens the mind to gain realizations on the path. It is said that if you do this practice first thing in the morning, all your other prayers and activities of the day will be empowered.
This recently revised version contains new extensive commentary on the practice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche (from the Lama Tsongkhapa retreat in 2004), as well as teachings on karma, options for extended practice, and instructions on how to complete a 100,000 prostration retreat.

Contents Include:

• The Practice of Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas
• Putting and End to Suffering: A Teaching on Karma by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• The Benefits of Making Prostrations
• Commentary on the Practice of Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Options for Practice
• Guidelines for Completing the Preliminary Practice of 100,000 Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas
• Appendix: How to make Prostrations
• Helpful Resources

“There is so much hope in our lives. Our lives are so full of opportunity. It is so easy to purify, so easy to become free from samsara and achieve enlightenment. Even with just prostration, we can achieve all of this.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche

97 Pages. 2011 Edition.

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Thirty-Five Buddhas: The Flowing Water of the Ganga

Translated by Ven. Gyalten Lekden, additions by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Ngulchu Dharmabhadra’s The Flowing Water of the Ganga: A Thorough Praise of the Thirty-Five Sugatas is a versified homage to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas, which has been expanded by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to include the recitation of the names of the Medicine Buddhas, as well as the confession prayer from the Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls (also known as the Confession of a Bodhisattva’s Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas).

Several authentic lineages for visualizing the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas exist within the Gelug tradition. These include: a system stemming from Nagarjuna and Taranatha; a system stemming from Lama Tsongkhapa; and a system taught by teachers such as Sakya Pandita and explained by Phabongkha Dechen Nyingpo in Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. This latter system of visualization as taught by Phabongkha, which is based on the five types (or families) of buddhas, is the commonly practiced version in the FPMT.

The Flowing Water of the Ganga, on the other hand, describes these buddhas according to Nagarjuna’s tradition of visualization. The text also describes the color of the buddhas, their hand implements, the pure lands in which the buddhas reside, as well as the specific negative karmas that the recitation of their names purify.

28 pages, 2018 edition.

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Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls Poster

Discovering Buddhism Module Fourteen – Special Integration Practices – Online

Discovering Buddhism is an FPMT foundational education program set out in fourteen modules. It can be studied at many FPMT centers and can also be done online. This program provides a solid footing in the understanding and practice of Mahayana Buddhism as taught in the Tibetan tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa. Participants gain a taste of the Buddha’s teachings, hands-on experience with meditation and short retreats, and skills to make their lives meaningful. This program is specifically intended to radically transform one’s life, rather than as a mere academic study of Buddhism.

The fourteen modules cover the following topics:

1. Mind and Its Potential
2. How to Meditate
3. Presenting the Path
4. The Spiritual Teacher
5. Death and Rebirth
6. All About Karma
7. Refuge in the Three Jewels
8. Establishing a Daily Practice
9. Samsara and Nirvana
10. How to Develop Bodhichitta
11. Transforming Problems
12. Wisdom of Emptiness
13. Introduction to Tantra
14. Special Integration Practices

About Special Integration Practices – Module 14: It consists of intensive practices for the purification of negative karma and the collection of merit. Specifically, in this module you learn why and how to do:

• the preliminarypractice of 100,000 prostrations to the Thirty-Five Buddhas
• the preliminarypractice of 100,000 recitations of the long Vajrasattva mantras
• a two-week lamrim retreat to review the whole path to enlightenment
• a Nyung Ne, a two-day retreat related to the buddha of compassion, Chenrezig

This module is offered free of charge on the Online Learning Center. Unlike the first thirteen modules, this module does not include audio recordings and transcripts of teachings and guided meditations. Instead, it consists of instructions for undertaking the preliminary practices of 100,000 prostrations and 100,000 Vajrasattva mantras, as well as for doing a Nyung Ne retreat. Discovering Buddhism students can begin these practices at any time in their study of the first thirteen modules.

About the Reading Materials for Module 14. Special Integration Practices

In addition to the instructions included in the complimentary online module, the following reading materials are necessary to complete Module 14:

1. The Preliminary Practice of Prostrations PDF & ebook
2. The Preliminary Practice of Vajrasattva PDF & ebook
3. Becoming Vajrasattva eBook
4. Nyung Na PDF & ebook
5. Abiding in the Retreat: A Nyung Na Commentary eBook

These books contain the actual practices of Prostrations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas, a Heruka Vajrasattva sadhana, and the Nyung Ne sadhana, as well as commentary and advice on how to do them.

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The Preliminary Practice of Dorje Khadro

Making burning offerings to Dorje Khadro (Vajradaka) is considered to be “a golden Dharma” passed directly from Manjushri to Lama Tsongkhapa. It was one of Lama Tsongkhapa’s heart practices and, as such, has a special connection with the Gelug lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

The practice of Dorje Khadro comes highly praised for its power to purify negative karma in general, but especially for its ability to purify obstacles caused by broken vows and samaya related to highest yoga tantra. It also assists us in assembling the most conducive conditions for success in long retreats.

This practice is encouraged as a powerful way to help those who are sick or dying and as a method to readily clear the mind of challenging disturbing emotions.

The collection provides everything one needs to be able to do the complete ngöndro of Dorje Khadro, the recitation of the principal mantra 100,000 times coupled with extensive visualization and prayers. The book’s practice section includes the Dorje Khadro practice text, Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga and lam-rim and dedication prayers. In addition, the book contains teachings that contribute to a student’s understanding of how to best engage in this practice.

A precise commentary from Geshe Lama Konchog, an inspiring teaching from Lama Zopa Rinpoche based on a commentary written by Panchen Losang Chökyi Gyältsen, and a unique teaching from Lama Yeshe comprise the commentary section. The book’s advice section includes guidelines for how to use the materials to complete the preliminary practice, either as a full-time retreat or as a daily practice.

“Offering the burning puja to Dorje Khadro is one of the very profound practices for purification, regarded as a golden Dharma, a precious one. It is Lama Tsongkhapa’s heart practice, and his followers practice it knowing it to be extremely beneficial.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche

148 pages, 2012 edition.

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A Short Practice of Mitgrupa, The Immovable Buddha

This practice is restricted to only those with the appropriate tantric empowerment. If you are unsure whether you are qualified or not, please email us at education@fpmt.org. By downloading this text, you confirm you have received the appropriate empowerment.

According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, “Mitrugpa is very powerful in degenerate times in purifying negative karma, particularly the negative karma of having broken vows, such as the eight Mahayana precepts, lay vows, or the vows of nuns and monks. Even if you believe in karma and reincarnation and do not generate heresy, you create the cause to be born in the animal realm as a naga if you break or degenerate your vows.”

Mitgrupa Long Sadhana

This practice is restricted to only those with the appropriate tantric empowerment. If you are unsure whether you are qualified or not, please email us at education@fpmt.org. By downloading this text, you confirm you have received the appropriate empowerment.

The translation and the Tibetan text consist of two parts. Part one is the sadhana portion of The Complete Rite for the Sadhana and Mandala of Bhagavan Vajra Akshobhya – “Opening the Door to the Pure Land of Superior Delight”. Part two is Prayers and Benedictions for Bhagavan King Akshobhya (both by Panchen Losang Chökyi Gyältsän.)

Samayavajra (Damtsig Dorje) 

This practice requires the student to have permission/empowerment received from a qualified master in order to engage in the self-generation of the deity. However, it is permitted to do this practice without such an empowerment as long as you do not generate yourself as the deity. Instead, you should generate the deity at the crown of your head or in front of you instead of self-generation.

Samayavajra (skt.) or Dam Tsig Dorje (tib.) is a purification practice, a powerful method of purifying broken samaya (sacred words of honor), especially negative karmas created by disciples with their gurus and each other.

9 Pages. 1999 Edition.

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A Short Vajrasattva Meditation: Purification with the Four Opponent Powers

Anyone can do this practice. However, you are permitted to do the visualization of Vajrasattva together with his wisdom mother only if you have received a highest yoga tantra initiation. Otherwise, you should visualize the solitary form of Vajrasattva above your head.

Students can use this practice text to purify negative karmas with the four opponent powers: the powers of regret, reliance, remedy, and restraint. The practice is performed in dependence on Vajrasattva, a buddha considered particularly powerful for the purification of negativities.

As it is taught that even small negative karmas can grow exponentially until they are purified, Lama Zopa Rinpoche encourages students to engage in purification practices daily.

16 pages, 2020 edition.

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Heruka Vajrasattva Tsog Offering

This practice requires the student to have permission/empowerment received from a qualified master in order to engage in the self-generation of the deity. However, it is permitted to do this practice without such an empowerment as long as you do not generate yourself as the deity. Instead, you should generate the deity at the crown of your head or in front of you instead of self-generation.

This Heruka Vajrasattva Tsog offering was written by Lama Yeshe. About the practice he said, “What follows is a tsog offering ceremony specifically designed to be performed in conjunction with the highest yoga tantra aspect of Vajrasattva. The Tibetan term tsog, which is often left untranslated, literally means “collection,” or “assembly,” and in the following practice it is often rendered as “pure offering.” However, the actual tsog is one’s meditation on transcendental, blissful wisdom.

The entire purpose of offering the tsog ingredients is to generate the experience of this blissful wisdom within oneself and to overcome the ordinary appearance and conception of sensory objects. Thus, it is extremely important that from the very beginning of this practice you prevent ordinary appearances and conceptions from arising. Because the offering of tsog is a profound method for transcending mundane thought, the entire practice should go beyond your ordinary experience of subject
and object.”

32 Pages.  2012 Edition

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The Preliminary Practice of Vajrasattva

Doing Vajrasattva retreat is not simply about reciting the mantra and saying some prayers; it is about making the practice effective for your mind, making it the quickest, most powerful way to transform your mind.

Experienced meditators have advised that, in general, it is more important to put your everyday life’s effort into the practice of purification – this is the way to attain spiritual realization. This eBook contains the short and long practice of Vajrasattva as well as Vajrasattva tsog. It also contains commentary, retreat advice, altar set-up, and retreat preliminaries by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Contents Include:

• Heruka Vajrasattva Retreat Sadhana Torma Offering
• Abbreviated Heruka Vajrasattva Sadhana
  
• A Short Vajrasattva Meditation
  
• Heruka Vajrasattva Tsog
  
• Dedication Prayers and Long Life Prayers
  
• Multiplying Mantras
  
• Rituals for Commencing the Retreat
  
• A Simple Vajrasattva Practice (without Consort)
  
• Explanation of the Meaning of the Mantra
  
• Breathing Exercise
  
• How to Purify During Mantra Recitation
  
• Burning Offering to Dorje Khadro
  
• Benefits of Purification with Heruka Vajrasattva
  
• Motivations for Practicing Vajrasattva
  
• Introduction to the Heruka-Vajrasattva Tsog
  
• The Meaning of Tsog
  
• Guidelines for Completing 100,000 Vajrasattva Mantras
  
• Vajrasattva Retreat Procedures

171 Pages. 2010 Edition.

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Vajrasattva Small eCard

Vajrasattva Mini eCard

This sacred image of Vajrasattva with Wisdom Mother is perfect for your purse or wallet. Or, simply put on your altar or desk to add “a little” beauty and inspiration to your environment. 

A brief explanation of the deity with its corresponding mantra is on the back.

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