How does one actually realize the extraordinary benefits of these dharanis?

[Nalanda]

https://read.84000.co/translation/toh52 ... -section-1

Here, we are told that the dhāraṇīs can protect the reciter from a host of threatening forces, including bhūtas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, vetālas, and similar supernatural beings, as well as from the danger posed by biting insects, snakes, spiders, and predatory animals. These dhāraṇīs will protect one from a wide range of infectious diseases and skin disorders and will even avert the effects of hostile magic. By reciting these dhāraṇīs one will remain safe wherever one is, be it at home, in a royal palace, out in the wilderness, or in situations where one’s life is threatened by fire and water. One can even escape criminal punishment through the use of these dhāraṇīs. Among the spiritual benefits of reciting the dhāraṇīs is the ability to remember multiple past lives, to mitigate the effects of eons of accumulated karma, and to amass in a short period of time the same merit bodhisattvas accumulate over millions of eons. Such is the power of a dhāraṇī as the distillation of the Dharma into short, potent, and broadly applicable formulas to heal, protect, and facilitate one’s progress to awakening.

[Soma999]

Your signature gives an answer.

Bodicitta and quality of intention, patience is another factor.

Some effects are lived « internally » first. For exemple, in the universal door chapter, it is said call on Avalokiteshwara and if an evil king would cut off your head, his sword will shater. What is this evil king ? The ego. When you focus on love and compassion, you forget self conceit, the egocentric fixation will be reduced. The sword will shatter. After more practice, and internalizing the principle, the effect have more and more effect also on the external world.

From my experience, dharanis works and can have powerful effects. There is a mystery in them. They have « something ».

[ThreeVows]

Your signature gives an answer.

Bodicitta and quality of intention, patience is another factor.

Some effects are lived « internally » first. For exemple, in the universal door chapter, it is said call on Avalokiteshwara and if an evil king would cut off your head, his sword will shater. What is this evil king ? The ego. When you focus on love and compassion, you forget self conceit, the egocentric fixation will be reduced. The sword will shatter. After more practice, and internalizing the principle, the effect have more and more effect also on the external world.

From my experience, dharanis works and can have powerful effects. There is a mystery in them. They have « something ».

I also find that dharanis work, but I think it's one of those things where... It's like in some sense, perhaps, we have our conscious mind/identity/self, and then underneath that there is this vast storehouse of impressions. Dharani recitation sort of starts at the very base, and over time works its way up into the conscious life more and more. Which isn't to say that initially one may not have various experiences, states of absorption, etc, but in terms of the fuller effects of dharani practice, it's like this deep seed that grows more and more in a way that actually is sort of outside of our conscious control or will.

Anyway, came to mind. FWIW.

[pemachophel]

As a ngakpa, my Teacher, Lama Dawa Chodrag, felt that the Zung-du (Compendium of Dharanis) is an extremely important and useful book. So do I. Otherwise I wouldn't spend 90 minutes every morning reciting various dharanis. In my experience, in order to experience the results promised in such texts (promises typically made by Buddha Shakyamuni, Vajrapani, Avalokiteshwara, etc.), two main things are necessary. 1) Diligence and 2) faith. One must recite the dharani day in and out for a long enough period of time with heartfelt faith and devotion. As explained by many, many great Teachers, the more faith you have, the greater will be the results. Of course, we typically don't start with great faith. Faith is something that grows over time. As on of my Root Gurus said, as one develops faith, one has some experience (as in nyam, meditative experience). Because of that experience, one's faith grows even more. Because of that growth in faith, one will have more experiences and so on and so on. So no shortcuts. Also in my experience, one's pra ctice tends to go in cycles with times of more experiences and times that are relatively dry. So it's important not to be attached to the fertile or the seemingly fallow times. You just keep keeping on. As another Teacher of mine liked to say, when growing carrots, you don't keep pulling the carrot up to check the size of its root. It'll be obvious when it's ready. Last but not least, the first mantra or dharani is the hardest to accomplish (as in accomplish the siddhi). If one can accomplish one mantra, other mantras and dharanis come faster and easier because one has opened their throat chakra.

Good luck & best wishes.

[ThreeVows]

As a ngakpa, my Teacher, Lama Dawa Chodrag, felt that the Zung-du (Compendium of Dharanis) is an extremely important and useful book. So do I. Otherwise I wouldn't spend 90 minutes every morning reciting various dharanis. In my experience, in order to experience the results promised in such texts (promises typically made by Buddha Shakyamuni, Vajrapani, Avalokiteshwara, etc.), two main things are necessary. 1) Diligence and 2) faith. One must recite the dharani day in and out for a long enough period of time with heartfelt faith and devotion. As explained by many, many great Teachers, the more faith you have, the greater will be the results. Of course, we typically don't start with great faith. Faith is something that grows over time. As on of my Root Gurus said, as one develops faith, one has some experience (as in nyam, meditative experience). Because of that experience, one's faith grows even more. Because of that growth in faith, one will have more experiences and so on and so on. So no shortcuts. Also in my experience, one's pra ctice tends to go in cycles with times of more experiences and times that are relatively dry. So it's important not to be attached to the fertile or the seemingly fallow times. You just keep keeping on. As another Teacher of mine liked to say, when growing carrots, you don't keep pulling the carrot up to check the size of its root. It'll be obvious when it's ready. Last but not least, the first mantra or dharani is the hardest to accomplish (as in accomplish the siddhi). If one can accomplish one mantra, other mantras and dharanis come faster and easier because one has opened their throat chakra.

Good luck & best wishes.