Practice advice please

[Rangdrol01]

Hi all, I’d like to enquire about what to do if you don’t have the ritual implements to practice a certain Sadhana. I have the Tröma Nagmo Chöd empowerment in the Dudjom Tersar lineage but that practice as you know requires, among other things; a damaru, kangling (impossible to find in South Africa not even plastic or wooden ones), bell and Dorje (more doable), and a zen. My question is, if you don’t have all the ritual implements can you do the Sadhana simply by doing the chants and visualisations only or must you either do it in full or not at all? The Lama who gave me the empowerment didn’t give me much practice instruction, he also gave me the Mahakala, Rahula and Dorje Lekpa empowerment as part of the Konchok Chidü empowerment, another vast Sadhana for which I also received little practice instructions.

Your advice is appreciated

[Soma999]

Just do your best. And grow from here.

I knew someone who spent a long time in tibet in traditional teachings.

He gave me a very good advice which may interest you.

If you have pure motivation, pure intention, love, you can have plain success even if you don’t have the right tools, the right ceremony, the right astrological conditions...

But if your intention is not good, even thought you have it all, astrological conditions perfect, perfect tools and so on, you may not have great results...

Focus on pure intention (bodicitta) and do your best from here.

If you have the opportunity to get a kangling, damaru and so on later, great, otherwise, just do your best with your circonstances.

[Rangdrol01]

What a wonderful reply and wise advice! Thank you very much. I really appreciate it

[Grigoris]

Hi all, I’d like to enquire about what to do if you don’t have the ritual implements to practice a certain Sadhana. I have the Tröma Nagmo Chöd empowerment in the Dudjom Tersar lineage but that practice as you know requires, among other things; a damaru, kangling (impossible to find in South Africa not even plastic or wooden ones), bell and Dorje (more doable), and a zen. My question is, if you don’t have all the ritual implements can you do the Sadhana simply by doing the chants and visualisations only or must you either do it in full or not at all? The Lama who gave me the empowerment didn’t give me much practice instruction, he also gave me the Mahakala, Rahula and Dorje Lekpa empowerment as part of the Konchok Chidü empowerment, another vast Sadhana for which I also received little practice instructions.

Your advice is appreciated

There are lot's of online stores where you can buy the stuff you need (provided you have the cash).

You may need to avoid human bone implements due to nosy customs clerks.

For the practice info I need to chat with you via private message.

[PeterC]

The Lama who gave me the empowerment didn’t give me much practice instruction, he also gave me the Mahakala, Rahula and Dorje Lekpa empowerment as part of the Konchok Chidü empowerment

If you’re asking here whether/how to do the Dharmapala practices, my advice would be - don’t for now, but if you really want to, do one of the short general supplications to all the Dharmapalas after the end of the sadhana. PM me if you don’t have a lung for one and I can point you in a few directions.

[heart]

Konchok Chidü empowerment, another vast Sadhana for which I also received little practice instructions.

Nalanda Translations have actually translations off both keyrim and dzogrim instructions by Jamgon Kongtrul for the Konchok Chidü. I don't see. it on their website anymore but you can try send them an email.

/magnus

[fckw]

What if you lack someone who explains you what the right astrological conditions are?

[Rangdrol01]

Isn’t the Dharma more powerful than any astrological conditions? A great Lama once told me that some cultures can’t be separated from their religions while others, like the modern western culture, can. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

[merilingpa]

Hi!
As to Konchok chidu, if you are interested to practice that, there is the full ngöndro and the long sadhana as well as instruction manuals for both of those at nalanda translations. I will provide the links:

https://www.nalandatranslation.org/publ ... nd-manual/
https://www.nalandatranslation.org/publ ... liturgies/
https://www.nalandatranslation.org/publ ... ro-manual/

[Rangdrol01]

Thank you very much for all your replies and links to useful sources. I appreciate it.

[Harimoo]

Isn’t the Dharma more powerful than any astrological conditions? A great Lama once told me that some cultures can’t be separated from their religions while others, like the modern western culture, can. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

I don't understand the reasoning :
1. some cultures can’t be separated from their religions
2. others, like the modern western culture, can.
2. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

Who says that the “right astrological conditions“ are part of the eastern culture and not of Dharma ?

[Josef]

Isn’t the Dharma more powerful than any astrological conditions? A great Lama once told me that some cultures can’t be separated from their religions while others, like the modern western culture, can. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

Astrological conditions are a part of dharma is that they are a relative phenomena that impacts a the conditions of sentient beings. It's not a cultural phenomena its a relative phenomena that is based on the impact that the movement of forces that surround us and that is beyond cultural limitations.

[Rangdrol01]

Isn’t the Dharma more powerful than any astrological conditions? A great Lama once told me that some cultures can’t be separated from their religions while others, like the modern western culture, can. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

I don't understand the reasoning :
1. some cultures can’t be separated from their religions
2. others, like the modern western culture, can.
2. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

Who says that the “right astrological conditions“ are part of the eastern culture and not of Dharma ?

The Buddha said that astrology isn’t part of the Dharma. He described it as a lowly art and counterproductive. The Pali Canon is full of teachings against astrology and various other practices that are rooted in cultural superstition.

https://www.bbncommunity.com/buddha-astrology/#

[Rangdrol01]

Isn’t the Dharma more powerful than any astrological conditions? A great Lama once told me that some cultures can’t be separated from their religions while others, like the modern western culture, can. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

Astrological conditions are a part of dharma is that they are a relative phenomena that impacts a the conditions of sentient beings. It's not a cultural phenomena its a relative phenomena that is based on the impact that the movement of forces that surround us and that is beyond cultural limitations.

It has no inherent existence thus and is of no ultimate value. The Buddha himself criticised astrology. Read the Pali Canon.

[Aryjna]

Isn’t the Dharma more powerful than any astrological conditions? A great Lama once told me that some cultures can’t be separated from their religions while others, like the modern western culture, can. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

Astrological conditions are a part of dharma is that they are a relative phenomena that impacts a the conditions of sentient beings. It's not a cultural phenomena its a relative phenomena that is based on the impact that the movement of forces that surround us and that is beyond cultural limitations.

It has no inherent existence thus and is of no ultimate value. The Buddha himself criticised astrology. Read the Pali Canon.

Though I do not use astrology, this argument is out of place. The discussion is about relative value, not ultimate value, which is an absurd notion in itself. In addition, this is not a Theravada forum, so the Pali canon is not the final authority. Even if it were, that sloppily written blog post is 80% an opinion piece with very few references, which for the most part are not even on the topic of astrology. Not to mention that even when astrology is mentioned, it is not the same astrology found in Tibetan buddhism, or even the same term, coming from a different culture and language.

[Rangdrol01]

Astrological conditions are a part of dharma is that they are a relative phenomena that impacts a the conditions of sentient beings. It's not a cultural phenomena its a relative phenomena that is based on the impact that the movement of forces that surround us and that is beyond cultural limitations.

It has no inherent existence thus and is of no ultimate value. The Buddha himself criticised astrology. Read the Pali Canon.

Though I do not use astrology, this argument is out of place. The discussion is about relative value, not ultimate value, which is an absurd notion in itself. In addition, this is not a Theravada forum, so the Pali canon is not the final authority. Even if it were, that sloppily written blog post is 80% an opinion piece with very few references, which for the most part are not even on the topic of astrology. Not to mention that even when astrology is mentioned, it is not the same astrology found in Tibetan buddhism, or even the same term, coming from a different culture and language.

The Pali Canon is still the foundation of Buddhism regardless of whether it is Theravada or Mahayana. That site is not sloppy at all, it consists of quotes directly from the Pali Canon with reference. Tibetan Buddhism is an amalgamation of Buddhism, Shamanism, Shaivism and Shaktism, as Lama Tsultrim Allione, among others, clearly states in the Study Buddhism portal.

[pemachophel]

I've been taught that, the less power and realization one has a s a practitioner, the more important astrology is in terms of when one starts and ends practices such as retreats, drubchens, etc. In other words, the more realized one is, the less astrology is an influence.

In Vajrayana, there are practices that can eliminate bad astrological factors and other practices that simply make astrology a non-factor.

[amanitamusc]

Isn’t the Dharma more powerful than any astrological conditions? A great Lama once told me that some cultures can’t be separated from their religions while others, like the modern western culture, can. So the “right astrological conditions“ is something that is rooted in eastern culture rather than in the Dharma specifically.

Astrological conditions are a part of dharma is that they are a relative phenomena that impacts a the conditions of sentient beings. It's not a cultural phenomena its a relative phenomena that is based on the impact that the movement of forces that surround us and that is beyond cultural limitations.

It has no inherent existence thus and is of no ultimate value. The Buddha himself criticised astrology. Read the Pali Canon.

You should tell your Chod Lama this view you have.As i have said before,looking for practice advise on a forum full of strangers is foolish at best.You seem more interested in plugging the Pali canon anyway.

[Rangdrol01]

Astrological conditions are a part of dharma is that they are a relative phenomena that impacts a the conditions of sentient beings. It's not a cultural phenomena its a relative phenomena that is based on the impact that the movement of forces that surround us and that is beyond cultural limitations.

It has no inherent existence thus and is of no ultimate value. The Buddha himself criticised astrology. Read the Pali Canon.

You should tell your Chod Lama this view you have.As i have said before,looking for practice advise on a forum full of strangers is foolish at best.You seem more interested in plugging the Pali canon anyway.

That Lama knows very well. There’s nothing foolish about enquiring on a forum, it provides different view points, at best. It’s your choice to comment on my post. The Pali Canon is ONE of the foundations of Buddhism, and a very important one at that.

[Aryjna]

It has no inherent existence thus and is of no ultimate value. The Buddha himself criticised astrology. Read the Pali Canon.

Though I do not use astrology, this argument is out of place. The discussion is about relative value, not ultimate value, which is an absurd notion in itself. In addition, this is not a Theravada forum, so the Pali canon is not the final authority. Even if it were, that sloppily written blog post is 80% an opinion piece with very few references, which for the most part are not even on the topic of astrology. Not to mention that even when astrology is mentioned, it is not the same astrology found in Tibetan buddhism, or even the same term, coming from a different culture and language.

The Pali Canon is still the foundation of Buddhism regardless of whether it is Theravada or Mahayana. That site is not sloppy at all, it consists of quotes directly from the Pali Canon with reference. Tibetan Buddhism is an amalgamation of Buddhism, Shamanism, Shaivism and Shaktism, as Lama Tsultrim Allione, among others, clearly states in the Study Buddhism portal.

The Pali cannon is not the foundation of buddhism, it is a collection of texts written in Pali, which is considered by Theravadins to be the only teachings of the Buddha.

The few references in that blogpost are interpreted by the author according to his own opinions, which are not authoritative.

Your statement regarding Vajrayana qualifies as slander of the dharma, and as such out of place in a Mahayana/Vajrayana forum.