Someone Asks "ME" For Advice!

Dance.

I love your color co-ordination!   ;)

Depending on how long this Dharma brother has been practicing, I think he should concentrate on the Yoga practice, either the Four Preliminary Practice, or Guru Yoga twice a day.

If he can fit the others mantras in than great!!

Hi Dance and Brenda,

From my experience, beginners are always recommended to strengthen their Four Preliminary Practice foundations.  This should be first and foremost.  If Erwin can't complete the whole cultivation session, he should be doing these at the very least.

In True Buddha School, we are all required to complete 100,000 sessions of each of the Four Preliminary Practices.  

I will dig up some articles and paste the references here as soon as I have a chance.

Lu

Dance

you should be very happy :-) you are being considered as the Buddhist Guru now!
haha

Mimosa

Hi Dance,

I have seen your adorable pocket practice set and I think it is pretty uniform.  I'll have to take more time to look at in detail, but everything seems to be there.  You did a great job on it.  :)  It includes all the steps we should be practicing.  

The PLS Vajrasattva Yoga booklet is pretty fair as well, though it is not in complete unison with True Buddha Foundation's standard practice (there are a few changes when compared to the Chinese standard practice).  I think yours is more uniform.  

In Erwin's case if he doesn't have the time to do the whole Vajrasattva Yoga practice, he should do Mandala Offering, Fourfold Refuge Mantra w/Visualization, Great Homage, & Vajrasattva Yoga at the minimum.  

Of course, any other Mantras/Sutras we like can be chanted to our hearts' content as long as the main practices are being done (not to mention of course that if empowerment is needed for those Mantras/Sutras, it should be requested).
You know all this stuff already.

I recently talked to Master Lian-chuan when she was in NY about some practice questions.  Everyone has different affinity when it comes to practicing certain practices, but as a standard they always recommend Four Preliminaries/ Vajrasattva Yoga to all beginners.    

Well, I'll be volunteering my brains out as of tomorrow morning and to top it off, I have to attend a wedding reception on Sunday evening, so I'll get back to you as soon as I can on this stuff.    

Talk to you soon,

Lu

P.S.  Have a Happy Grand Master's Birthday!!!  

:trippy:

*Eighteen Padmakumara Bodhisattva colors representation smilie*

LOL

Hi Dance,

Here are some links to references I hope you will find helpful in sharing with Erwin or anyone else who has questions:


Discourse on Four Fundamentals (Preliminaries)
http://www.tbsn.org/english/teach/fundam.htm
     

Symbolism of Vajrasattva
http://www.tbsn.org/wwc/us/pls/journal/jrnl0596/symbol.htm
     

Vajrasattva Practice
http://www.tbsn.org/wwc/us/pls/journal/jrnl0596/practice.htm
     
On the 100-Syllable Mantra
http://www.tbsn.org/wwc/us/pls/journal/jrnl0596/hundred.htm


Link to 100-Syllabe Mantra sound file
http://www.tbsn.org/english/cultivation/vajrsatr.htm
     
     
That's all for now.  If I can find more I'll send them to you

Lu

Vajrasattva Practice is one of the four Preliminaries.

Lu, correct me if i am wrong. From what i read, you are saying that there is a difference between "whole Vajrasattva Yoga practice" and "vajrasattva yoga within the four prelims". I am confused!

cos' to me, four prelims come in the steps below. i am listing the steps below so that doubts can be rectified:
1) Purification mantras, invocation
2) Great Homage
3) Great Mandala Offering
4) Fourfold refuge
5) Armour Protection
6) High King Sutra and deliverance mantra
6a) Padmakumara visualisation + Padmakumara mantra 108x -- i added Padmakumara visualisation and mantra here because I want to make sure that i should first start with Grandmaster's mantra in doing anything .
7) Bodicitta verse, mantra.
8 ) Repentence verse, mantra
9) Padmakumara visualisation + Padmakumara mantra 108x
10) Vajrasattva visualisation +  21x 100-syllable mantra (vajrasattva yoga)
11) Entering samadhi
12) Praise of Vajrasattva
13) Eight deity short mantras
14) Homage to Amitabhas
15) 100-syllable (some say this should be after #16)
16) dedication of merit
17) Homage
18 ) Completion mantra

To me, Grandmaster is Vajrasattva. Sometimes, when i have plenty of time, I would include for #9, the praise of Padmakumara. For  #16, i would include the Padmakumara dedication of wishing everyone going to Maha Twin Lotus Pond. When I dun have time, (which is usually the case), I would just do the minimum steps of 1-18. Cos' I believe that Vajrasattva will understand that I am also honoring Grandmaster..

Every Sunday, during group cultivation, we would be doing the Guru Yoga. And then, when i get back home, i would try my best -- i need discipline! -- to do my Four Fundamental Prelimaries.

correct me if i am wrong, ok? :(

In some older booklets of cultivation practice, after #5, the mantra of Acala Vajra Protector (Budong Minwang) is added.

Jessie,


[Jessie] Vajrasattva Practice is one of the four Preliminaries.  

[Lu]#Yes it is



[Jessie] Lu, correct me if i am wrong. From what i read, you are saying that there is a difference between "whole Vajrasattva Yoga practice" and "vajrasattva yoga within the four prelims". I am confused!

[Lu] #No, maybe my words are confusing.  I apologize for that.
Vajrasattva Yoga IS one of the Four Preliminary Practices.
There is no difference.  The only difference is

1)doing the whole practice liturgy
or
2)practicing only the 4 Preliminaries without the other steps in the liturgy

Students can begin with practicing only the 4 Preliminaries sometimes.  It depends on the instructions they receive when they take refuge and also their ability to learn the practices and absorb them.  It can be easier for a beginner to focus on a few steps at first, so the 4 Preliminary Practices are recommended.  Then when they feel confident in their ability to practice them, they can move on to learn the whole liturgy.  




[Jessie] cos' to me, four prelims come in the steps below. i am listing the steps below so that doubts can be rectified:
1) Purification mantras, invocation
2) Great Homage
3) Great Mandala Offering
4) Fourfold refuge
5) Armour Protection
6) High King Sutra and deliverance mantra
6a) Padmakumara visualisation + Padmakumara mantra 108x -- i added Padmakumara visualisation and mantra here because I want to make sure that i should first start with Grandmaster's mantra in doing anything .
7) Bodicitta verse, mantra.
8 ) Repentence verse, mantra
9) Padmakumara visualisation + Padmakumara mantra 108x
10) Vajrasattva visualisation +  21x 100-syllable mantra (vajrasattva yoga)
11) Entering samadhi
12) Praise of Vajrasattva
13) Eight deity short mantras
14) Homage to Amitabhas
15) 100-syllable (some say this should be after #16)
16) dedication of merit
17) Homage
18 ) Completion mantra

To me, Grandmaster is Vajrasattva. Sometimes, when i have plenty of time, I would include for #9, the praise of Padmakumara. For  #16, i would include the Padmakumara dedication of wishing everyone going to Maha Twin Lotus Pond. When I dun have time, (which is usually the case), I would just do the minimum steps of 1-18. Cos' I believe that Vajrasattva will understand that I am also honoring Grandmaster..

Every Sunday, during group cultivation, we would be doing the Guru Yoga. And then, when i get back home, i would try my best -- i need discipline! -- to do my Four Fundamental Prelimaries.

correct me if i am wrong, ok?  




[Lu] #Jessie, I dont' think you are wrong.  I guess there may be slight differences in the practice liturgies in different parts of the world.  

But, I've always been taught that Vajrasattva Yoga should come first. After completing Vajrasattva Yoga, one moves on to practice Guru Yoga.  Then after completing Guru Yoga, one moves on to Personal Deity Yoga, and so on and so forth. This is called practicing in sequence within the TBS.    

Let me show you how I've been practicing all along (this corresponds to the Chinese group practice at my local temple):

1. Wake up call (clap hands & snap fingers)
2. Purification Mantras
3. Invocation of Local Earth God (chant Heart Mantra)
4. Invocation
5. Great Homage
6. Mandala Offering
7. Fourfold Refuge Mantra with Visualization
8. Armor Protection
9. High King Avalokitesvara Sutra
10. Amitabha Buddha Rebirth Mantra
11. Bodhicitta Verse & Mantra
12. Repentance Verse & Mantra
13. Emptiness Visualization & Mantra
14. Vajrasattva Yoga - Visualization and Mantra (at least 21 times for mantra)
15. Samadhi
16. Eight Principal Deities Mantra Recitation
17. Amitabha Buddha Homage Verse
18. Dedication of Merits Verse, dedication, visualization
19. Great Homage*
20. Vajrasattva 100 Syllable Mantra (3 times)
21. Completion Mantra
22. Dismissal (clap hands & snap fingers)

*Steps 19 and 20 can go before or after each other
I listed them in my personal preference

To practice Guru Yoga, step #14 is replaced with Guru Yoga and the rest of the liturgy is the same

To practice Personal Deity Yoga, step #14 is replaced with Personal Deity Yoga and the rest of the liturgy is the same

And so on and so forth

I hope this helps to clear some doubt

If you have any concerns about your practice, you should bring it up to the appropriate contact at your local temple. Some people say it's ok to practice Vajrasattva Yoga and Guru Yoga simultaneously.  But as a standard, the practices should be done in sequence (according to TBF)

Lu

thanks lu. i will go ask my chapter's people!!!  :)

Dear senior dharma brother,

Thanks for your time and help in answering my query, in regards to make my posting thats fine you can post my question in the forum.

 Thank you
  Yours sincerely

  Erwin    

Brendafly -
can you take the appropriate parts of this string and move it to Buddhism Questions?

thanks
lian hua dance
not very senior dharma brother