Yiddams

[Dharmabrother]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, please bare with me

How many yiddams are there? is there a list? and what websites can i learn to practice yiddam meditation.. and do I need a statue of the deity? and how do i propery make good use of a yiddam, chosen yiddam?

thank you
Dharma Brother

[alpha]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, please bare with me

How many yiddams are there? is there a list? and what websites can i learn to practice yiddam meditation.. and do I need a statue of the deity? and how do i propery make good use of a yiddam, chosen yiddam?

thank you
Dharma Brother

you cant do any of the above.
you started at step 245.
but you have to start with step nr. 1

[Blue Garuda]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, please bare with me

How many yiddams are there? is there a list? and what websites can i learn to practice yiddam meditation.. and do I need a statue of the deity? and how do i propery make good use of a yiddam, chosen yiddam?

thank you
Dharma Brother

Hi.

It's not your first post - the others were about Shamanism, Bon, Dzogchen etc.

It appears you are seeking a path, but you don't say why.

In Buddhism, there is a path based on the Four Noble Truths. We may want to escape suffering, be more compassionate, understand our real nature - at the moment it seems that you are looking for a method but you haven't explained what you want that method to achieve.

Performing rituals and practices without proper guidance from a suitable teacher is potentially harmful to your mind - at best you will obtain no result, but if you don't know what you wish to attain it isn't worth even considering Yidam practice.

[Tara]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, please bare with me ...

Hi.

It's not your first post - the others were about Shamanism, Bon, Dzogchen etc. ...

For clarification the OP of this thread written by Dharmabrother is their first post according the the information here search.php?author_id=2562&sr=posts

The OP was posted at 06:39 and Dharmabrother's other four posts were posted at 06:49, 06:53, 06:58 and 07:08 (BST).

Regards,

[Pema Rigdzin]

Hello Dharmabrother,

Welcome to the forum. It's wonderful that you feel drawn to the yidam practice of tantric Buddhism. It's a very rich and powerful practice for purifying our ignorance and opening up our innate, wonderful qualities hidden within. Its main function is to help us realize the capacity to immeasurably benefit all the countless beings and help them free themselves. As such, yidams are basically the embodiments of enlightenment itself--one's true nature--appearing in whatever form beings need, so there is no finite number of yidams that could appear. Of course, in our traditions we have certain yidam practices that have been passed to us by realized masters, so in that sense there is something like a finite number of yidams.

The first step, however is to learn the fundamentals of Buddhist Dharma (if you haven't already) and learn what the Buddhist sense of the need for spiritual practice is, what it entails, and what the intended fruit of practice is. Once you've gotten some ways with that, it's time to find a qualified teacher. For that, you must learn what the requisite qualifications of a tantric Buddhist guru are and then observe some such gurus and determine if they know their stuff, if they treat others with kindness and behave in a virtuous way. Once you've found someone you have strong confidence in--this is a must because entering into a guru-disciple relationship in Buddhist tantra is seriously weighty and you need someone wholesome and knowledgeable who will not lead you astray--then it's time to receive initiation and instruction into Buddhist tantra. It's not something that can be learned in an impersonal way on a website or in a book. It requires the fresh, dynamic transmission from someone who has mastered it (or has some degree of mastery of it) to a prepared student who has made up his/her mind once and for all that Vajrayana is the path he/she wishes to practice start to finish.

Where are you at in this process, my friend? Knowing that will help us know in which direction to point you.

[Blue Garuda]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, please bare with me ...

Hi.

It's not your first post - the others were about Shamanism, Bon, Dzogchen etc. ...

For clarification the OP of this thread written by Dharmabrother is their first post according the the information here http://dharmawheel.net/search.php?autho ... 2&sr=posts

The OP was posted at 06:39 and Dharmabrother's other four posts were posted at 06:49, 06:53, 06:58 and 07:08 (BST).

Regards,

Ah, apologies Dharmabrother, I just saw 5 posts under your name at the side of the post when I read it. maybe if the system could show 'Post Number 1' it would be more helpful than asynchronous data. It would also help us to find a post in someone's history when they have a tally of several thousand '.

I think the rest of my post is OK in terms of your spread of enquiries and the need to identify what you want from Yidam practice, Dzogchen etc.

[Dharmabrother]

Thank you all for your kind words

I am seeking into buddhism because I once was a dark magician, i didnt know anything, Followed thelema, and crowley, and Mixed christianity together with it..

I had bad relationships with my daughters mother, (although she treats me very horrible these days), and with other women, and my kids always yearned for me. I was bouncing from job to job, house to house, female to female.. and i was basically a bum.. with no purpose

I started reciting mantra, and looking into buddhism, and especially Bon, and Kagyu, and sakya, and the tamil siddhas. Including dattatreya siva baba, and Norubu Namkhai Rinpoche, and I even meet personally the Menri Trizin. and i must say, my life was starting to get better, even today, everyday, my daughters say "I love you daddy." they've never said that ever.. And it gave me strength.. i cant even explain this.. I really cant. already, some of my dreams are coming true.

Now i'd like to find a Lama, but i want no title, I just want the relationships and attainments, titles are for lay people who want to feel important. i heard of a man, who was a lama, but never took the title, and learned the yamantaka yiddam, and for 15 years he studied it, and it was amazing how many people he helped out..

And im also a (shaman) or a healer, i wanted to go to nepal and as a side quest, learn to become a jankhri.

I want to help others, and my heart wants to heal the world.. and heal my mother and my family.

I want to become a master in many diciplines.. but it starts with one journey.

I'd like to master bon, Kaguy, sakya, Vajrayana, and dzogchen
So i'd like to research a yiddam, and find one that will help people and help me, espeically makes peoples dreams come true. i love to help peoples dreams come to reality, and busting their karma away, and creating good and new karma.

can anyone direct me to what i should do/

[conebeckham]

Hi, Dharmabrother, welcome to the forum.

I'd like to second what Pema Rigdzin has posted.

In addition, a couple comments that may help clarify things for you. Normally, "Yidam practice" is engaged in after quite a bit of so-called "preliminaries." I'm not just talking about tantric Ngondro, although that is certainly part of the preparation, in most lineages. In most lineages that stress Yidam Practice as a main method, general study of Dharma is also stressed, to some degree. Some general understanding of the Four Noble Truths, as well as the Bodhisattva Vow and the elements of the Bodhisattva Path, the Paramitas, and especially Compassion, and an exposure to the notion of Sunyata, or Emptiness, are essential. In addition, some exposure to teachings regarding "The Nature of Mind," or the "Natural State," may be stressed in some lineages of practice.

In Vajrayana, we have "Three Roots." They are comparable to the more general Buddhist "Three Jewels." It is said that the Yidam is the Root of Accomplishment. Normally, it's the second Root...the first Root is the Guru, or Lama. The Lama is the Root of Blessings. Dharma Protectors/Dakinis are the Root of Activity.

Briefly stated, without Blessings, no Accomplishment. And without Accomplishment, no Activity.

So, first you need to work on a relationship with a Lama. Yidam practice relies on empowerment and instruction, which are received from the qualified Lama/Guru/teacher. From amongst the infinite ocean of deities, your Lama will bestow the appropriate Yidam practice.

The practices associated with Yidam meditation are complex, profound, and myriad, and a discussion of all the potential details is really beyond the scope of this forum. Suffice to say that mere visualization of a deity, and recitation of a mantra, are not really the true extent of Yidam practice in most traditions.

[Dharmabrother]

where can i find a good lama, In the united states.. living in Ohio.. and too poor monetarily and too time poor to travel to Tibet, India, nepal, bhutan, ect?

[conebeckham]

If I recall, Lama Kathy Wesley is in Ohio. She is a Westerner, trained under Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, and has completed three year retreat and been authorized to teach. She travels the eastern seaboard on a fairly regular basis, teaching at KTC centers, This is for the Karma Kagyu lineage. Colombus, Ohio.
http://www.columbusktc.org/

[conebeckham]

Google is your friend. Here:


http://www.manjushri.com/Centers/ohio.htm

[Dharmabrother]

thanks, ill start with her.

if theres other lineages around ohio, like sakya, and bon.. I see most of these schools are in california. for some reason, the mid-west doesnt seem to be too kind on buddhism.. (bible belts)

I'd Also like to study under Namkhai norbu.

[conebeckham]

See the second link--there are other Tibetan traditions in Ohio, for sure.

And CNNR webcasts are available anywhere! Truly a wonderous thing. Don't expect "Yidam Practice" to be the focus of these webcasts, though......

[Jangchup Donden]

thanks, ill start with her.

if theres other lineages around ohio, like sakya, and bon.. I see most of these schools are in california. for some reason, the mid-west doesnt seem to be too kind on buddhism.. (bible belts)

I'd Also like to study under Namkhai norbu.

I'd also like to say Lama Kathy is really great. A very kind and wise person.

[Dharmabrother]

Lama Kathy.. ok. did she go east to do her three year retreat? Once my children become adults or out of high school, I might take a retreat for a year, Or even for a summer, and come back when there back in school. i've thought about when they get a little older to take them to their moms for the summer, and i can travel over to tibet, nepal, ect. I would expect to be financially stable and free by then.


But yes, i will seek lama kathy out. I think this is the closest path i can take. I have a fondness for Bon. but Kagyu might have to be a start, and, of course, i can join the schools of bon and sakya later..

But i would like to learn more about yiddam and what rinpoche or lama teaches it? I've googled but cant find any.

[Konchog1]

How many yiddams are there?

The teaching say infinite. Available to practice? About 30 or 40 I believe.

and do I need a statue of the deity?

Oh no. Your imagination is enough.

and how do i propery make good use of a yiddam, chosen yiddam?

Make offerings. Like before your meals.

[dakini_boi]

If you feel an urgency in starting a yidam practice as you learn more, you can always chant OM MANI PADME HUNG and visualize Avalokiteshvara.
Or Tara practice, OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA
Keep your motivation the happiness of all beings, this can only help your search!

[conebeckham]

But i would like to learn more about yiddam and what rinpoche or lama teaches it? I've googled but cant find any.

Karma Kagyu Lamas teach Chenrezig/Avalokiteshvara, four armed form, with the sadhana known as "Droden Khakhyabma," or "Liberating Beings Vast as Space." This is quite popular, and a great introduction to "Yidam practice." Kagyu Lamas also teach Green Tara, along with the sadhana known as the Four Mandala offering, called Zabtik Drolma, or "The Profound Vital Drop of Tara."

Both of those yidam practices are appropriate for relatively new practitioners, and are widely taught. The more "advanced" yidams from Highest Yoga Tantra class (Vajravarahi, Chakrasamvara, Avalokiteshvara Jinasagara, and others) are taught mainly in strict three year retreat, though there are exceptions. Drikung Kagyus teach a form of Chakrasamvara as part of their "Five-Fold Mahamudra" practice.

Sakya Lamas also teach Chenrezig and Tara, and also others--including Vajrayogini of the Naropa lineage, and Hevajra from the LamDre Lineage and Virupa. In Sakya, it is possible to practice these in "daily life," but you will likely need to commit to a closed, strict retreat of some length as well.

Nyingmapas teach many forms and practices of the Mahaguru, Guru Rinpoche, as Yidam, as well as Chenrezig, Tara, and others. In addition, I'd venture a guess that the most widely-practiced yidam amongst Nyingmapas is Vajrakilaya, who has many forms, and many sadhanas.

Gelukpas interested in advanced yidam methods practice Chakrasamvara, and Vajrabhairava. Also, some practice Guhyasamaja. Some Gelukpas carry these practices forward in daily life, though retreat circumstances are often required as well, depending on the teacher.

Kalachakra is practiced by some.......it exists in all four of the Tibetan Buddhist lineages in various forms.

Other yidams that may be practiced by relative beginners, or without strict retreat, may be: Medicine Buddha, Manjusri, Vajrasattva (also many different forms)...I'm sure I'm forgetting others.

Yidams that are generally more rare, and often restricted to retreat are Yamantaka/Vajrabhairava, Mahamaya, Yangdak Heruka, Hayagriva (though somethimes this is less restricted), the Nyingma practices of KaGye and Lama Gongdu, Sarma practices of Shri Catupitha, Buddhakapala, Shangpa's Gyu De Lha Nga, and various Mahakalas, as well as Troma, Singhamukha....

The lists could go on......but these, I think, are the Heavy Hitters.

[Dharmabrother]

Yes, for right now, I just want to study the dharma, and Practice it..

Ill travel to Menri, the Sakya monstaries and learn Jankhriism later I might do the Jankhri second with Bhola Bansthola.

but for right now, Yidam practice and studying the Dharma and finding a good or great lama to practice under with tutulage

good idea?

I would like more reasearch on studying the dharma

[Dharmabrother]

when you visualize these deities, do you visualize how they look, and are they moving, or are they just an image you are looking at..

i would guess you have to have an image of them while chanting in the first place.. or does a completely new image in ones mind manifest?

if there moving, i wonder if the thought takes free-form?