How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

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Michael126unknown
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How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Michael126unknown »

The last thing I'd want is to let this precious life that lets me practice pass without being diligent, but if I am lazy instead of using this opportunity, that might just be what occurs. How can I come to accumulate millions of mantras like the masters of the past, quickly but profoundly and with sincerity and not simply for racking up numbers, so I can generate great merit?
Thank you.
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Könchok Thrinley
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

Michael126unknown wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:48 am The last thing I'd want is to let this precious life that lets me practice pass without being diligent, but if I am lazy instead of using this opportunity, that might just be what occurs. How can I come to accumulate millions of mantras like the masters of the past, quickly but profoundly and with sincerity and not simply for racking up numbers, so I can generate great merit?
Thank you.
Well, just by doing it. But don't forget the main point of renunciation and of bodhicitta. Bodhicitta itself is great source of merig and Shantideva says that with bodhicitta we create merit even when asleep. So sleep with bodhicitta, walk with bodhicitta, sit with bodhicitta, eat with bodhicitta and for sure practice with bodhicitta. Buddhism is not about only creating meritm, that will not liberate you it will only make samsara look nicer and maybe even ahrder to escape. Buddhism is here for our liberation and that happens because of bodhicitta.
“Observing samaya involves to remain inseparable from the union of wisdom and compassion at all times, to sustain mindfulness, and to put into practice the guru’s instructions”. Garchen Rinpoche

For those who do virtuous actions,
goodness is what comes to pass.
For those who do non-virtuous actions,
that becomes suffering indeed.

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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Inedible »

Prayer wheel. If you have the money, you can buy then with millions of mantras. Always spin clockwise.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by pemachophel »

If you really pickle yourself in the four topics that turn the mind (away from samsara: 1) the difficulty of attaining a human birth, 2) death and impermanence, 3) the suffering of samsara, and 4) karma -- its seed and fruit), you will want to practice as much as you possibly can. You won't feel comfortable being lazy or wasting time. Then it's easy to say millions of mantra, but, as said above, please keep in mind the motivation of Bodhicitta. At some point you will realize the total effortlessness of practice. You will also come to experience the reality of the effects of saying those mantra. Then you will want to say even more and more. Eventually it becomes a self-perpetuating dynamo with the mantra continuing day and night spontaneously.

Good luck & best wishes
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Jangchup Donden
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Jangchup Donden »

Michael126unknown wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:48 am The last thing I'd want is to let this precious life that lets me practice pass without being diligent, but if I am lazy instead of using this opportunity, that might just be what occurs. How can I come to accumulate millions of mantras like the masters of the past, quickly but profoundly and with sincerity and not simply for racking up numbers, so I can generate great merit?
Thank you.
Practice every day at an amount you can manage without getting burnt out, and gradually increase your practice at a pace you can manage without getting burnt out.

If you say 1000 manis a day, you'll be at a million in 3 years. Once it becomes natural this doesn't even take that long.

But of course, what's most important is your intention. If you're saying them for the benefit of all sentient beings (instead of racking up numbers), that's the point. Not forcing yourself to practice where you're at a burning out level helps with this quite a bit in my experience.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

How do we accumulate millions of mantras?
Very rapidly, I would imagine.
EMPTIFUL.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Soma999 »

Numbers are just a tool to make someone practice. By themselves, they are nothing. And clinging to numbers is an obstacle.

More important is to transform yourself, and realise the teaching of the Buddha : doing good, leave misdeeds and realise the nature of your mind.

Setting an intention of Boddicitta and regularity in practice is the main point.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by FiveSkandhas »

The Gumonji-ho practice calls for reciting the mantra of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva 1 million times, using a complex board-like array of beads to keep track. The practitioner is expected to complete the ritual in 100 days. It is an admittedly gruelling schedule, but there are people alive even today who have completed this ancient ritual, so it is possible.
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Michael126unknown
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Michael126unknown »

Thank you, all.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by jamesrigzin »

A simple tool to help, when reciting mantras off the cushion, is using a golf counter to keep count, when walking or driving, reciting with the same intention and fervour you would while on the cushion. Quietly, discreetly, if in public. It’s not exactly the same as while on the cushion, and different lamas will have differing directives regarding counting while not on the cushion, but I find it useful.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by climb-up »

I have not accumulated 1 million of any mantra (…probably, I don’t keep track except during specific accumulations), but when I’ve been accumulating what seemed like very large numbers to me I simply decided that while I was doing that, that was my main practice and may be my practice for the rest of my life. Then I wasn’t worried about achieving a certain amount or getting past the accumulation to the next step or anything like that; just took the current practice as a complete path and noted down the numbers at the end of the sessions.

Idk, that helped me.
"Death's second name is 'omnipresent.' On the relative truth it seems we become separate. But on the absolute there is no separation." Lama Dawa
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Kai lord »

Michael126unknown wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:48 am How can I come to accumulate millions of mantras like the masters of the past, quickly but profoundly and with sincerity and not simply for racking up numbers, so I can generate great merit?
From the late Drubwang Rinpoche: :namaste:

On the quality of mantra recitation:

Brief explanation:
When we do the recitation, we should not miss any word of the mantra, we should pronounce each word very clearly and completely from OM to
HUM in a pleasant melody. During the recitation, we should constantly feel that we are doing the recitation in order to purify the karmic defilements,
the negative karmas and the afflictive emotions of all mother sentient beings. We should again and again make supplications within our mind and say: “May all mother sentient beings attain Enlightenment. May all mother sentient beings get the opportunity to meet the Buddha within themselves.”
Detailed explanation:
During the recitation, we should try to keep our mind free from afflictive emotions like attachment, anger, ignorance, pride and jealousy, and the three poisonous thoughts of attachment, anger and ignorance. When we free our mind from these poisonous thoughts, our mind becomes absolutely pure. With that pure mind, we will also have pure speech and pure body, for we would abstain from the non-virtuous deeds from our speech and body. If we recite the mantra with such discipline, the power of the recitation will be tremendous, and our precious human life becomes absolutely meaningful. On the other hand, if the recitation is not done properly, it won’t bring much benefit. During the recitation, all words of the mantra should be clearly enunciated. From time to time during the recitation, always make supplications silently, that all the negative karma, non-virtuous deeds and defilements we have committed so far are totally dispelled and purified. It is very important to know that our Buddha-nature is temporarily obscured by discursive thoughts and defilements. Hence, during the recitation, we should pray that these obscurations be removed from the mind. In brief, we have to continually make supplications during our recitation, so that all the obscurations we have accumulated since beginningless lives be purified.

During the recitation, we should regard all sentient beings as our own mother and recite the mantra out of the wish for their defilements to be purified and eradicated from the root. We should,thus, dedicate the merits of our recitation in this way. Through the power of our dedication, those defilements can be purified and eliminated from the root. When the minds of sentient beings are free from defilements, they manifest as enlightened beings. Hence, if you have pure motivation and dedicate your practice for the benefit of all mother sentient beings, then that is a very extraordinary and perfect kind of practice.

On how to achieve large quantities:
Each person who participates in this (100 millions mani) retreat will have the benefit of having recited 100 million mani mantras. This means each participant achieves the merit and benefit of having recited the mantra for 100 million times. Therefore, everyone should try to attend all sessions, and not miss any of them. If you miss a session, you won’t have the benefit and accomplish the merit of having accumulated the mantra for 100 million times. It is a great opportunity to accumulate such extensive merits because individually, it is almost impossible to recite the mantra 100 million times. We should understand this and try to have the courage and the perseverance to attend the sessions regularly.
Benefits will depend on which mantra(s) you are accumulating.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by kirtu »

In order to accumulate millions of mantra you either engage in group practice during which millions of mantra are accumulated or you put the time in in a series of retreats or a minimum one month retreat.

For example, during a month retreat on Chenrezig you would accumulate around 1M mantra (33.3k / day min) in four sessions.
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by jet.urgyen »

Inedible wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 10:31 am Prayer wheel. If you have the money, you can buy then with millions of mantras. Always spin clockwise.
i consider the same.
true dharma is inexpressible.

The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by kirtu »

jet.urgyen wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:08 pm
Inedible wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 10:31 am Prayer wheel. If you have the money, you can buy then with millions of mantras.
i consider the same.
Prayer wheels do not count for practice accumulations in Sakya circles.
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by jet.urgyen »

kirtu wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 8:48 pm
jet.urgyen wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:08 pm
Inedible wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 10:31 am Prayer wheel. If you have the money, you can buy then with millions of mantras.
i consider the same.
Prayer wheels do not count for practice accumulations in Sakya circles.
I now understand better.
true dharma is inexpressible.

The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Silent Bob »

I've been doing the same daily sadhana practice for 20+ years. Basically, you just show up, sit on your cushion and go for it without worrying about numbers or results. It's a process and you may find in time that the yidam is not just part of you, but your true identity.
"All the sublime teachings, so profound--to throw away one and then grab yet another will not bear even a single fruit. Persevere, therefore, in simply one."
--Dudjom Rinpoche, "Nectar for the Hearts of Fortunate Disciples. Song No. 8"
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Tenma »

kirtu wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 8:48 pm
jet.urgyen wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:08 pm
Inedible wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 10:31 am Prayer wheel. If you have the money, you can buy then with millions of mantras.
i consider the same.
Prayer wheels do not count for practice accumulations in Sakya circles.
I'm unsure about the other circles but do the Sakya circles also not count multiplying mantras (Om Ruchira...etc.)?
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by kirtu »

Tenma wrote: Mon Dec 26, 2022 10:27 pm
kirtu wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 8:48 pm
jet.urgyen wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:08 pm

i consider the same.
Prayer wheels do not count for practice accumulations in Sakya circles.
I'm unsure about the other circles but do the Sakya circles also not count multiplying mantras (Om Ruchira...etc.)?
I've never heard of it and would doubt it. I don't know for sure if mantras are really counted like that in Gelug either ( obviously multiplying mantras are said but I'm not certain they are really counted like that).
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
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Re: How do we accumulate millions of mantras?

Post by Virgo »

Silent Bob wrote: Mon Dec 26, 2022 10:08 pm I've been doing the same daily sadhana practice for 20+ years. Basically, you just show up, sit on your cushion and go for it without worrying about numbers or results. It's a process and you may find in time that the yidam is not just part of you, but your true identity.
Persistence is the key to unlocking all accomplishments, both spiritual and worldly. There is nothing that can replace it.

Even if a person does short sessions consistently they should get good results in time.

Virgo
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