Hayagriva thangka image, courtesy of Nalanda Monastery

Hayagriva is the wrathful manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. The practice of Most Secret Hayagriva is extremely powerful to grant help and support and to quickly pacify obstacles. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said that one of the reasons that Sera Je Monastery has been so successful and able to produce so many qualified teachers, who have very good understanding of Dharma, good hearts, and subdued minds, is due to the blessings—or holy actions—of the deity, Most Secret Hayagriva. Not only outwardly, but also inwardly having great success, this is due to this deity.

The practice of Hayagriva can be traced back to ancient India, to masters such as Mahasiddha Nagarjuna and Guru Rinpoche. It was then developed in Tibet and practiced by other realized beings such as Siddha Darcharwa and the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. The practice was brought to Sera Je Monastery in Lhasa by its founder, Kunkyen Lodro Rinchen Sengge, and has been maintained purely in Tibet. The unbroken lineage continues in Sera Je Monastery in South India, where it is extensively studied and practiced by a group of monks specialized in the practice. The entire Sera Je Monastery performs the Most Secret Hayagriva retreat annually. Both Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche had a special connection to the Most Secret Hayagriva. 

Most Secret Hayagriva Retreat: A Rare Opportunity! 

“The Most Secret Hayagriva retreat is the practice/commitment that Lama Yeshe gave to Lama Zopa Rinpoche to do every year for the protection and success of the entire FPMT organization. So now that Rinpoche is no longer with us, we are organizing the group retreat every year for the students to do. This retreat will be held in Nalanda for the first time and then every year in Kopan Monastery as a group retreat. One needs the initiation to attend.”  — Ven. Roger Kunsang

Following the Most Secret Hayagriva Initiation that will be given by His Eminence Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Delek at Nalanda Monastery July 7 and 8, a very rare opportunity of a two-week retreat has been organized on the grounds of Nalanda Monastery starting on July 11. Nalanda has invited four qualified geshes from Sera Je Monastery: Geshe Thubten Sonam (retreat leader), Genden Dhargey (main chant leader of Sera Je), Geshe Dorjee Wangdak (Sera Je chant leader), and Geshe Tashi Dondrup (an artist of butter sculptures and tormas).

Monthly Sponsored Pujas

Elaborate tormas for Most Secret Hayagriva puja, Kopan Monastery, 2020.

 The FPMT Puja Fund sponsors a monthly Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja (Hayagriva Tsog Kong) at Sera Je Monastery, performed by about 40 of the most senior monks who specialize in the practice. This is an all day puja with an elaborate torma offering and extensive prayers and meditation. This puja is dedicated to all FPMT centers, projects, and services; for the success of all Dharma activities and removal of obstacles; to all students who are facing obstacles; to the benefactors of the Puja Fund; and to all beings.

Practice Lineage and New Practice Booklets

There are two initiation lineages of this deity. The “common lineage” is from Guru Rinpoche to Siddha Darchar down through many Sera Je lamas. Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave initiations based on this lineage. The “uncommon lineage” is from the Fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lozang Gyatso, who received it in a pure vision and is a part of his Pure Visions Bearing the Seal of Secrecy (Sangwa Gyachen), down to His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama, and more recently Kyabje Jhado Rinpoche.

Most of the Hayagriva practice texts, called “activity manuals (lejang),” are based on the Fifth Dalai Lama’s composition. The Fifth Dalai Lama composed two activity manuals. The extensive one is called The Melody of Fearless Vajra: The Activity Manual for the Chanting and Meditation of Wrathful Most Secret Lotus, and the shorter one, Compendium of the Heart Essence.

FPMT Education Services has recently made available two practice booklets:

• The Melodious Laughter of the Mighty One⁠ composed by Dagri Lozang Thubten Namgyal (19th century) is based on Compendium of the Heart Essence with additions from Melody of Fearless Vajra. This activity manual is used when the entire Sera Je Monastery does their annual Hayagriva retreat.
• A Concise and Complete Sadhana of Bhagavan Wrathful Glorious Most Secret Hayagriva compiled by ⁠Jhado Rinpoche is based on Melody of Fearless Vajra and is meant for daily practice or for the intermediate sessions of an approach retreat.

We gratefully thank Nalanda Monastery for sponsoring the translation of these two major sadhanas which will be used in the retreat at Nalanda Monastery.

These booklets can be practiced by those who have received either the common or uncommon initiations.

Practice of the Most Secret Hayagriva Mantra

Lama Zopa Rinpoche says the Hayagriva practice reciting the mantra is very powerful. “My suggestion is to recite it. It helps numberless sentient beings and yourself from sickness and untimely death and never get born in lower realms.” Practicing Hayagriva can help, “pacify the outer and inner obstacles for actualizing the path to enlightenment and success in Dharma practice, in serving the teachings of the Buddha, and serving sentient beings.” Rinpoche says that when reciting the mantra, you can think about purifying sickness, spirit harm, negative karma, defilements, and the imprints of oneself and all sentient beings, and also collecting the attainments of the holy body, holy speech, and holy mind. You can also recite the mantras doing meditation on the four activities: peaceful, increasing, controlling, and wrathful. These are all done with the motivation of attaining enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings.

To do the mantra practice, you must have received the Most Secret Hayagriva initiation, or an oral transmission of the mantra, or, at the minimum, special permission from a qualified guru. 

For more information about the Most Secret Hayagriva Retreat at Nalanda Monastery June 11- 28, 2025, please visit Nalanda’s website.  

Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.