DORJE SHUGDEN'S DAILY PRAYERS BY TRADTITONAL/NON TRADITIONAL METHODS

[mountains]

         

Traditional and non-traditional methods to accomplish Manjunatha Dorje Shugden.

Traditional


1. By strict tradition, if you wish to do the long kangsol or long puja of Dorje shugden you should have the sogtae (empowerment)of this protector. If you don't have sogtae you are still allowed to perform it. It depends on your lama. But Sogtae would be a wonderful commitment to take. This kangsol is done monthly as a commitment after recieving sogtae. Of course one may do it more in one month.

It is different than the yidam's practices. Within the long kangsol of Dorje Shugden, there is no meditation of generation or completion stages. The drops, winds and channels are not involved. And there is no powa of any sort.  So there is no 'danger'.

2. By strict tradition: If you wish to engage in a retreat of Dorje Shugden, this is the procedure for four sessions a day until completion. You must recite daily during the sessions:

a. Guru Yoga of Tsongkapa
b. Guru Puja (lama chopa)
c. Long Yamantaka sadhana is recommended/but higher tantra sadhana also ok.
d. Then the long kangsol of Dorje Shugden with emphasis on mantra recitation with visualizations.
e. When retreat has finished 200,000, 400,000, 1,0000,000 recitations of the main mantra then one is to engage in a Dorje Shugden fire puja. Dorje Shugden has his own specific fire pujas. You have peaceful shugden, increase, control and wrathful fire pujas also. But in this case you would do the fire puja of the principal form.

Then you are complete.

3. By strict tradition, to recieve the sogtae of Dorje shugden,Yamantaka initiation is highly recommended prior although Cakrasamvara or any other Annu tara yoga tantra is permissable.
Because during the pujas and daily prayers of Dorje shugden, you should have clear visualization of oneself as a yidam.  As a yidam, you bless the items of offering for Dorje Shugden before and during the pujas. For that, one has to use the blessing system of Highest yoga tantra to make the offerings free from smell, color and negative potentiality,transforming into nectar, and increases to be unlimited. Then it becomes a 'proper' offering.

4. In order to confer the sogtae on others, one should have finished the above.


5. The best is to engage in a Tsongkapa Guru Yoga retreat finishing minimum of 100,000 migtzeyma mantras. No fire pujas required.

6. After migtzeyma retreat, a yamantaka retreat is required completing minimum of 400,000 of the 3rd mantra and 100,000 of the remaining three mantras each. Then a full Yamantaka fire puja is to be done afterwards. Until the fire puja, one is to recite the Yamantaka long sadhana daily on one's retreat seat. The retreat seat shouldn't be moved throughout the retreat until the fire puja is complete.

7. Then after the Yamantaka retreat, one engages in a long Dorje Shugden retreat as described above.

The above is by strict retreat according to the writings of H.H. Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang Jetsun Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso Pelsangpo.



For Non-traditional daily prayers


1. Refuge, four immeasurables. Then one does the guru yoga of Tsongkapa

2. Afterwards one may engage in the short daily prayers of Dorje shugden as kindly provided by the Webmaster (thank you!) on the home page.

3. During the daily prayers to exhort Dorje Shugden, one may recite more of his principal mantra more and engage in the offerings of golden drink or serkym. Any praises to Dorje Shugden written by any of the erudite masters can be included. It really depends on your time.  (Please note though, Dorje Shugden would be happier for you to recite migtzeyma more than his own mantra) But if you visualize the whole refuge tree dissolving into Dorje Shugden and recite his mantra with that awareness that he embodies the Buddhas of the Three Times, then it would be powerful. Attainments definitely can be achieved from one-pointed recitation of Dorje Shugden's supreme mantra.

4. Then dedication.

5. One is allowed to recite the mantra and liturgy without empowerment or oral transmission.

6. If one wishes to download the prayers and start today, of course one may do so. Why? Dorje Shugden is not a worldly protector. He is within the same mindstream as Tsongkapa, Yamantaka and of course Manjushri. Any form of prayers, offerings, worship directed toward Dorje Shugden is the same as doing the same with any enlightened being planting the seeds of enlightenment within one's mindstream. So there is no 'fear' to do Dorje Shugden's short practice without any formal permission.

7. The above can be done before or after your yidam's practice if you have one. There is no set time,place and procedure for this.

Good luck and May Dorje Shugden's time prevail soon.

[Alexis]

Hey Mountains  ,

Actually your categorization in trad. vs. non-trad. methods is, I think, not usefull.

The distinction should be between full retreat vs. short daily practice.

I havn't read trijang Dorjechang's writings but it seems funny or unclear why a retreatant should do both Ganden Lha Gyama AND Lama Chopa every day! Are these practices to be done both, according to Him, at every session?

I aslo believe it is not necessary to engage in Guru yoga retreat and Yamantaka retreat BEFORE engaging in a Dorje Shugden retreat.

Also is there a 'Main deity' fire puja? I have never heard this. I think that like all other deities, one has to do pacifying fire puja in order to clean botched mantras and other omissions accumulated during the retreat.

It is also OK to do short Yamantaka sadhana during Dorje Shugden retreat as Yamantaka is not the object of retreat.

Finally, according to Kyabje Dagom Dorjechang, one does the kangso sadhana three time up to the mantras section (or up to tormas if one has time) then stops. In the fourth session only, one does the kangso completely up to the end of the sadhana.

[mountains]

Hey Mountains  ,

Hello Alexis, Thanks for your comments and time.

Actually your categorization in trad. vs. non-trad. methods is, I think, not usefull.

When I say Trad vs Non trad, what I mean is traditionally, it would not be that short. But certainly it is not wrong.
 
The distinction should be between full retreat vs. short daily practice.

Your title does suit it better. Thanks.


I havn't read trijang Dorjechang's writings but it seems funny or unclear why a retreatant should do both Ganden Lha Gyama AND Lama Chopa every day! Are these practices to be done both, according to Him, at every session?


In the volume of works on Dorje Shugden by Trijang Dorje Chang, for retreat it is recommended in that manner and I know of ppl under qualified Geshes that have completed the retreat in that manner. I have attended the talks also. Yes, the Guru Yoga and the Lama Chopa is recited everyday during your retreat.

I aslo believe it is not necessary to engage in Guru yoga retreat and Yamantaka retreat BEFORE engaging in a Dorje Shugden retreat.

It is necessary, if one wishes to confer the Sogtae to others and it is highly recommended. Again this group of ppl I know were advised to do complete in this manner. And they did complete it in that manner! So whether you will actually confer sogtae to others or not, it just prepares you.

Also is there a 'Main deity' fire puja? I have never heard this. I think that like all other deities, one has to do pacifying fire puja in order to clean botched mantras and other omissions accumulated during the retreat.

If I understand you correctly, the main deity refers to the deity of your retreat.


It is also OK to do short Yamantaka sadhana during Dorje Shugden retreat as Yamantaka is not the object of retreat.


It is permissable to do short yamantaka sadhana during Dorje Shugden retreat, but recommended to do the long.
Because whatever retreats we do, the ultimate purpose is to gain enlightenment. So within the layout or presentation of the Dorje Shugden puja texts, it is not designed to bring you to enlightenment, but more so to remove obstacles to your practice. That PRACTICE would be in this case Yamantaka. So the Dorje Shugden retreat is the 'focus' but actually, it is the Yidam that is the ACTUAL FOCUS at all times, even during protector retreat. In actuality, we should be focusing on Yidam practice 24 hours a day. Or rather have the complete awareness that we are Yamantaka. This is to eliminate the predispositions of self grasping, ordinary view, etc etc. So Yamantaka would be are main focus always even during the Dorje Shugden retreats.

Hence, prior to a protector puja text, we would engage in the sadhana of Yamantaka or any higher tantra Yidam. During the whole time we are doing the Dorje Shugden retreat, we do not abide within the divine pride of Dorje Shugden, but we abide as Yamantaka. Throughout the whole monthly pujas (kangsol) to Dorje Shugden, and also the retreats, we are abiding as Yamantaka exhorting Dorje Shugden and blessing the commitment offerings to be offered. Even during Dorje Shugden's tsok section, oneself accepting tsok as Yamantaka. Or one offers Tsok to one's master (if in a group and the master is present) as visualizing him as Yamantaka not Dorje Shugden.
So even within Dorje Shugden's practice, the main focus would be Yamantaka although not obvious. Dorje Shugden's retreats/pujas/daily prayers removes obstacles to one's practice to achieve the Yamantaka state. During the confessional and vajrasattva meditation in Dorje Shugden's text, one may temporarily release the divine pride of Yamantaka.

This allows us to 'grab' the opportunity that during a Dorje Shugden retreat, we would still do Yamantaka long sadhana to gain attainments hence Dorje Shugden's retreat is to remove the obstacles for that to happen. Ultimately, if we do the Yamantaka sadhana perfectly and gain its benefits, we wouldn't even need a protector. As Yamantaka, we would have great Bodhicitta and realization of emptiness, the ultimate protection.


Finally, according to Kyabje Dagom Dorjechang, one does the kangso sadhana three time up to the mantras section (or up to tormas if one has time) then stops. In the fourth session only, one does the kangso completely up to the end of the sadhana.

That is correct. That is the method that we were taught.

There are more details, but I wrote in short form just as a overview. If we were to actually engage in the retreats, there are much more details we must obtain from a qualified retreat instructor. Whatever Kyabje Dagom Dorje Chang says IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. I have full faith in him also.


I hope the above helps you. My good wishes,

Mountains

[Alexis]

Thanks alot Mountains!

[Freddy]

Dear Mountains,

out of interest, what are your sources? 

[mountains]

Dear Freddy,

As you know these are difficult times, so we have to always keep our sources sometimes quite confidential in order to protect them.

None of what I wrote are hearsay or just bits and pieces from here or there. 

I received the explanation from a reknowned Geshe who is in his 60's now. He is from Jangtze Monastery. I may not disclose his name for fear of creating unwanted attention towards him. This Geshe is a close disciple of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and now living in the West.

He used the text composed from Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. The text was the volume on Dorje Shugden.


Thank you and good wishes.

 

[Thom Canada]

One Heart felt Prayer is better than a Thousand mindless recitations!

[Freddy]

Dear Mountains,

you're truely right!

Thanks a lot!
Freddy

[hope rainbow]

Thank you Mountains for this very clear explanations.
I feel very lucky to have access to such precise and authentic information about how to get about a daily practice; what's more to have instruction as to a short daily practice more suitable for must of us living "busy" lifestyles.