vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

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KonchokZoepa
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vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by KonchokZoepa »

http://vajratool.wordpress.com/2011/02/ ... -rinpoche/


good article. hope you like it vajrayana practitioners.
If the thought of demons
Never rises in your mind,
You need not fear the demon hosts around you.
It is most important to tame your mind within....

In so far as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned,
there are neither buddhas or demons.
He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue,
will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion.
Samsara will then appear as the mahamudra itself….

-Milarepa

OMMANIPADMEHUNG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls6P9tOYmdo
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padma norbu
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by padma norbu »

So, the most efficient way to do mantra recitation is apparently with a pearl or ruby mala which multiplies by 100 million. I mean, I've been working on 100,000 repetitions of a certain mantra for several months already. With a ruby mala, I'd only have to do one mala and I would have already accomplished this 10 times over.
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
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Qing Tian
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Qing Tian »

Indeed. This is why I mentioned (in the Pure Land thread of similar direction) that I am leery of the idea that the tool can do this. One of the reasons I don't like it is that it has the subtext that says that you can get further ahead on the path and more quickly if you can afford it. That just doesn't seem right to me. One heartfelt recitation has, I feel, far greater merit than one careless recitation magnified several thousand-fold by some beads.
“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.”
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Adamantine
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Adamantine »

I guess you all missed the most important line:

"A bodhi seed mala manifests limitless benefits for any form of practice, be it peaceful, expansive, powerful or wrathful."

That's all you need. Just get a good Bodhi seed mala and don't think about the matter again.
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
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Qing Tian
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Qing Tian »

I didn't miss it, and I use a bodhi seed mala most of the time.

The article doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.
Padmasambhava, says: “The best type of mala to use to increase the number of recitations is a mala made from some type of precious jewel (Tib. Tin O che). A mediocre type of mala is made from the seed of a tree or fruit, and inferior type of mala is made from wood, earth, stone or medicine.”
And yet, as Adamantine so kindly pointed out...
A bodhi seed mala manifests limitless benefits for any form of practice, be it peaceful, expansive, powerful or wrathful.
.

So a bodhi seed mala is both mediocre and limitless in its efficacy. :thinking:
“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.”
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padma norbu
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by padma norbu »

There's something about the multiplier effect I must be missing. Like, obviously the infinite multiplication doesn't apply to the person using the bodhi seed mala because that means you only have to do one bead per mantra to accomplish 100,000 repetitions. What is this multiplier effect actually supposed to mean?
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
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Adamantine
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Adamantine »

Qing Tian wrote:I didn't miss it, and I use a bodhi seed mala most of the time.

The article doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.
Padmasambhava, says: “The best type of mala to use to increase the number of recitations is a mala made from some type of precious jewel (Tib. Tin O che). A mediocre type of mala is made from the seed of a tree or fruit, and inferior type of mala is made from wood, earth, stone or medicine.”
And yet, as Adamantine so kindly pointed out...
A bodhi seed mala manifests limitless benefits for any form of practice, be it peaceful, expansive, powerful or wrathful.
.

So a bodhi seed mala is both mediocre and limitless in its efficacy. :thinking:
Because Bodhi seed is the supreme mala, the reference to malas made of seed or fruit is in regards to all other seeds, etc. (with the exception of rudraksha, also in a separate category). Both Bodhi seed and rudraksha have extraordinary origins.. they are not ordinary seeds.
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
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Adamantine
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Adamantine »

padma norbu wrote:There's something about the multiplier effect I must be missing. Like, obviously the infinite multiplication doesn't apply to the person using the bodhi seed mala because that means you only have to do one bead per mantra to accomplish 100,000 repetitions. What is this multiplier effect actually supposed to mean?
Just like on a multiplication day, you still do the quantity of recitations you would normally do or are committed to do: however you know the merit that is generated is multiplied.. it has more potency..
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
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Qing Tian
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Qing Tian »

Adamantine wrote:
Because Bodhi seed is the supreme mala, the reference to malas made of seed or fruit is in regards to all other seeds, etc. (with the exception of rudraksha, also in a separate category). Both Bodhi seed and rudraksha have extraordinary origins.. they are not ordinary seeds.
I see. However, that is not clear from the article, hence the confusion.
“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.”
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padma norbu
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by padma norbu »

Well, now I've gone and ordered a 108 bodhi seed mala. It hasn't been blessed by my guru like my clear quartz mala, but hey, maybe he can bless this one, too, some day. I did already have a bodhi seed prostration mala, but the seeds are very large and it's difficult to use for mantra recitation. I do like the funky smell.

I'm looking forward to putting my new mala to good use whenever it gets here. Maybe with all the infinite multiplying, I will finally be able to purify some of my negative personality/outlook karma. Thanks for the link and discussion, OP.
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
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Adamantine
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Adamantine »

padma norbu wrote:Well, now I've gone and ordered a 108 bodhi seed mala. It hasn't been blessed by my guru like my clear quartz mala, but hey, maybe he can bless this one, too, some day. I did already have a bodhi seed prostration mala, but the seeds are very large and it's difficult to use for mantra recitation. I do like the funky smell.

I'm looking forward to putting my new mala to good use whenever it gets here. Maybe with all the infinite multiplying, I will finally be able to purify some of my negative personality/outlook karma. Thanks for the link and discussion, OP.
Also, the thing about Bodhi malas is they are good for any of the four activities: pacifying, wrathful, etc. so you don't need to keep switching malas around according to your practices. That said, I think in Vajrayana the Guru's blessing is quite important so try to have it blessed asap. Until then, maybe your crystal mala is supreme.

Not sure what you mean by funky smell... I have never noticed anything like that and I've had a Bodhi mala for looong time. Btw Bodhi malas come in different bead sizes, but the smaller seeds are more rare and in demand so the small gage ones are considerably expensive. I think they're quite worth it though.
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
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Qing Tian
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Qing Tian »

Bodhi seeds often have a nice earthy smell. This may diminish with time and use I guess. As for expense, well, there are many websites selling at grossly inflated prices. A standard 108 bodhi seed mala, with little or no adornments, should cost no more than about US$10-30 in my limited opinion. I have 2; one from Hands of Tibet that I think I paid around US$25, and one very plain mala from a US seller via ebay for US$11. At higher price points I do begin to get a little suspicious... but maybe that's just me! :smile:
“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.”
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Adamantine »

Qing Tian wrote:Bodhi seeds often have a nice earthy smell. This may diminish with time and use I guess. As for expense, well, there are many websites selling at grossly inflated prices. A standard 108 bodhi seed mala, with little or no adornments, should cost no more than about US$10-30 in my limited opinion. I have 2; one from Hands of Tibet that I think I paid around US$25, and one very plain mala from a US seller via ebay for US$11. At higher price points I do begin to get a little suspicious... but maybe that's just me! :smile:

That's the standard prices for an average sized
bodhi seed mala: but the average size is actually quite
large for most people's hands and fingers, and a bit
bulky to wear around. When the size goes down and the price
goes up this is nothing to be suspicious of: in Nepal
when there's one truck full of Bodhi seeds from harvesting there's
maybe only a couple of the small sized seeds mixed in.
So the price increase is based on rarity and demand, as with
anything else.
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
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Qing Tian
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Qing Tian »

I understand that but some of the websites I have seen are not selling small seeds at high prices, just average sized ones. My larger one has seeds that are about 12mm diameter by 8mm deep... I have big hands and I don't wear this one! The slightly more expensive one has seeds around 8mm diam by 6mm deep.

Perhaps some links from experienced buyers might be allowed on the forum? Just a suggestion.
“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.”
KonchokZoepa
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by KonchokZoepa »

yes it would be nice if someone could link a small bodhiseed 108 bead malas here :) i want to get a bodhiseed mala but i dont like big beads.
If the thought of demons
Never rises in your mind,
You need not fear the demon hosts around you.
It is most important to tame your mind within....

In so far as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned,
there are neither buddhas or demons.
He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue,
will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion.
Samsara will then appear as the mahamudra itself….

-Milarepa

OMMANIPADMEHUNG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls6P9tOYmdo
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Qing Tian
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Qing Tian »

Might be an idea to define 'small' first? :shrug:
“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.”
KonchokZoepa
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by KonchokZoepa »

8mm is maximum size for my likings.
If the thought of demons
Never rises in your mind,
You need not fear the demon hosts around you.
It is most important to tame your mind within....

In so far as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned,
there are neither buddhas or demons.
He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue,
will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion.
Samsara will then appear as the mahamudra itself….

-Milarepa

OMMANIPADMEHUNG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls6P9tOYmdo
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Tom
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by Tom »

padma norbu wrote:Well, now I've gone and ordered a 108 bodhi seed mala. It hasn't been blessed by my guru like my clear quartz mala, but hey, maybe he can bless this one, too, some day. I did already have a bodhi seed prostration mala, but the seeds are very large and it's difficult to use for mantra recitation. I do like the funky smell.

I'm looking forward to putting my new mala to good use whenever it gets here. Maybe with all the infinite multiplying, I will finally be able to purify some of my negative personality/outlook karma. Thanks for the link and discussion, OP.
I posted the following when this article came up on another thread and maybe if people want to follow up on some of the things in the original article this is also helpful here.

I think the original article is based on the following text (it is available at TBRC):

བསྐྱེད་རིམ་གྱི་ཟིན་བྲིས་ཆོ་ག་སྤྱི་འགྲོས་ལྟར་བཀོད་པ་མན་ངག་ཀུན་བཏུས by kun mkhyen bstan pa'i nyi ma

This is a Nyingma text but also used by Kagyus.

Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche has an excellent little instruction e-book on how to use a mala that goes through much of what was in the article above and more.

Also, Gharwang Rinpoche's book provides instructions on how to bless a new mala. You will of course want your guru to bless it, but until then it might be helpful...

Link to the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Garland-Advice-In ... B00ESQA7NC
KonchokZoepa
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by KonchokZoepa »

do you know if this book is available other than in kindle form
If the thought of demons
Never rises in your mind,
You need not fear the demon hosts around you.
It is most important to tame your mind within....

In so far as the Ultimate, or the true nature of being is concerned,
there are neither buddhas or demons.
He who frees himself from fear and hope, evil and virtue,
will realize the insubstantial and groundless nature of confusion.
Samsara will then appear as the mahamudra itself….

-Milarepa

OMMANIPADMEHUNG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls6P9tOYmdo
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padma norbu
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Re: vajratool mala by padmasambhava and gyatrul rinpoche

Post by padma norbu »

I just grabbed my bodhi seed prostration mala and sniffed it. The scent has faded into nothingness. I measured it. It is actually only 7x12mm so it has kind of an abacus feel. I did a little mantra recitation to see how it felt. Felt fine. I guess when I originally bought it I was just used to mantra on my "lotus seed" mala (I dont' even think there are real lotus seed malas, just rattan seed/wood dyed different... how weird)... and I was quite attached to that since I was doing a lotus family deity practice. It seems the mala I just ordered is a little bigger than my prostration mala, actually, but I think it will be okay. I got it for $20 and everywhere I looked online the prices for smaller malas was at least $50 more. I am happy with my purchase. I should really get rid of some of my malas, though, as I have quite a collection now: red "lotus" seed, clear quartz, tiger's eye, black onyx (21), carnelian (21), rosewood (27), and a skull-bead mala made of bone carved into skulls that was given to my wife for me by some guy we hired to watch our kitties. I guess he saw all my buddhist stuff and decided I should have it since he wasn't all that into it or something. I had never bought one before because I'd heard they're only for serious (ie. good) tantric practitioners, but since I now had it, I did some mantra with it and it seemed very good indeed. It naturally arose compassion and an earnestness in me and made dedicating merit seem more real somehow.

Having too many choices is not a good thing, though. None of these malas have 100,000 repetition of anything. The red "lotus" seed has the most, but I think I will switch to bodhi seed full time now. Knowing bodhi seed infinitely multiplies all makes it an easy decision.

I never really put that much thought into them or got very "superstitious" about them; I just ended up getting different ones over the years for different reasons and a couple were given to me.
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
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