Kawang / Kanshag

[honeydakini]

Hey all,

I have been advised before that we should not recite purification mantras / prayers while travelling as this can cause obstacles and even accidents to arise while we are travelling.

As Kawang is also associated with the purification/ confession practices, does this mean that we should also avoid reciting this while travelling? I enjoy reciting this very much and am about to go travelling - I'd like to be able to do my recitations on the train / plane, but remembered this previous advice about purification practices / travelling.

Would anyone have any advice this? Thank you.

[Helena]

Oh my, I didn't know about this. Is it true?

I'd also appreciate some advice on the same matter. Thank you, HD for bringing this up. We can all learn.

[lightning]

This no hindrances in reciting anywhere, in fact we can even recite mantra in the toilet too. There is no pure or impure to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

[Helena]

Thanks, Lightning. That's a relief to know. Thanks to HD for putting this up too.

[hope rainbow]

I was also advised against reciting purification mantras if not in a protective environment.
For example, the 100 syllables Vajrasattva mantra is said to activate karma, black or white.
Within the environemnt of retreat, white karma is activated.
Within a worldly environement (car, plane, party, etc.), bad karma could be activated too.

That is what I understand.
So, the question raised by HD interests me too...

[lightning]

I was also advised against reciting purification mantras if not in a protective environment.
For example, the 100 syllables Vajrasattva mantra is said to activate karma, black or white.
Within the environemnt of retreat, white karma is activated.
Within a worldly environement (car, plane, party, etc.), bad karma could be activated too.

That is what I understand.
So, the question raised by HD interests me too...

Never heard of it before but maybe you could try visualising nectar pouring down and flushing out the excess black matters (black karma) flowing out and feed to Yama's mouth. Maybe ask your Lama to find out more

[jessicajameson]

When I read HD's post, my thoughts echoed Helena's. I'd be really happy to read a post from any one who can give a clear answer to HD's questions 

However, saying that by reciting purification mantras / prayers it can cause obstacles and even accidents to arise while we are traveling seems a little misleading, as it implies that reciting a Buddha's mantra can cause inconvenient harm.

If the samaya with your guru, yidam and protector is good, then surely just by reciting purification mantra your protectors not gonna go, "Okay, he asked for his karma to be purified by reciting this mantra, so this accident during his travel is justified".

I don't know, but it doesn't really make sense to me.

I don't think that you should brace yourself for an obstacle or an accident while you're traveling if you recite the purification mantra, because just by doing Dharma work or reciting your protector mantra (or when you're on an intensive retreat) purifies your karma. So what, brace for it on a daily basis?...While you're traveling from home to work, that's traveling. So should we never do purification mantras?

Accidents and obstacles are bound to happen/arise, if we're good with our dharmic practice, I think that we should just accept whatever that comes our way as clearing potentially bigger obstacles.

What do you guys think?

[Big Uncle]

Dear all,

I came across this older thread and I thought that it was interesting. This is what I have to say about purification practices. Purificatory practices does not create accidents or obstacles. It is a practice meant to purify our negative karma, especially those that are big, scary and dangerous to ourselves and our spiritual path. Remember, due to the force of our heavy negative karma, it accumulates every day and so purification practices like prostrations, Vajrasattva, Dorje Shugden's Kawang etc should be done on a daily basis to prevent the accumulation.

On the other hand, we must remember that purification is an essential part of our practice because we need to purify enough to gain realisations and attainments for our mind to transform. Without purification, there can be no attainments. Hence, even Lama Tsongkhapa performed millions of prostrations to the 35 confessional Buddhas to gain his attainments. However, purification practices like anything good we do will have obstacles (particularly if we are doing a retreat) so black tea and propitiation of our Dharma Protector is essential to clear such obstacles and to ensure a smoother retreat.

[DSFriend]

When I first became a buddhist, I came across such believes that we shouldn't do purification prayers/mantras when we're travelling. I was told that our negative karma in the form of black smoke will be expelled but left behind for someone else.

It just didn't make sense to me at all. The more i thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. So I've made my own conclusion that it's a myth/superstition unless proven wrongly with logic and scripture.

To me, holy mantras when recited would dissolve/clear (can't find a better word to use) our negative karma, not just flushes/expel out for someone else to be affected by it!

Regarding the possibilities of creating accidents... Due to our Karma, all forms of negativities will arise and we will experience it. It is NOT because of engaging in purification practices which brings about these accidents. Instead,  purification practices will dampen or lessen the damages of what we're bound to experience. It is possible to even avoid such situations entirely with enough accumulation of merits and purification of our karma.

"The practice of purification is one of the most important solutions to life's problems."—Lama Zopa Rinpoche

[triesa]

Regarding the possibilities of creating accidents... Due to our Karma, all forms of negativities will arise and we will experience it. It is NOT because of engaging in purification practices which brings about these accidents. Instead,  purification practices will dampen or lessen the damages of what we're bound to experience. It is possible to even avoid such situations entirely with enough accumulation of merits and purification of our karma.

"The practice of purification is one of the most important solutions to life's problems."—Lama Zopa Rinpoche

I would like to share with you all some minor mishaps and incidences that had happened during and after some of the retreats that I have done.

I have experienced very sad dreams, twice encountered a puncture tyre the day right after the retreats, and also sickness in the middle of another retreat. Having said that, never were these incidents life threatening, but yes they were to some degree quite freightening and got my adrenaline shooting up. But soon after that, I felt a sense of relief and calmness.

If any accidents or illnesses are to occur as a result of my purification practices, somehow I know I am under the watchful eyes of my protector. I was never worried and infact, many a time I was looking forward to some kind of small or minor accidents during or after my retreats

I agree with DS friend and I believe that purification practices and hence the mantras are to lessen the effect of a fully blown outcome of our negative karma.

Triesa

[Big Uncle]

I remember reading and hearing an explanation about kawang/kanshag that the meditation is actually a visualisation of our collective negative karma and broken samaya in the form of a man and then Dorje Shugden slices and dices this man up. The blood (tea), vital organs (wrathful flower), bones (crossed incense sticks), fat (light), bile (perfume), flesh (food) and thigh bone (music) of this slayed man is offered to our Dharma Protector. I believe the gruesome ingredients mentioned is reflected in the wrathful offerings on the altar that we make to our Dharma Protector when we do his Kangso. I am not sure if I got the ingredients right, does anybody know more about this?

[beggar]

I remember reading and hearing an explanation about kawang/kanshag that the meditation is actually a visualisation of our collective negative karma and broken samaya in the form of a man and then Dorje Shugden slices and dices this man up. The blood (tea), vital organs (wrathful flower), bones (crossed incense sticks), fat (light), bile (perfume), flesh (food) and thigh bone (music) of this slayed man is offered to our Dharma Protector. I believe the gruesome ingredients mentioned is reflected in the wrathful offerings on the altar that we make to our Dharma Protector when we do his Kangso. I am not sure if I got the ingredients right, does anybody know more about this?

I think you got the ingredients right. Just a little to add: the wrathful flower is more precisely made up of the organs associated to our five senses + the heart. So you will see in pictures, the heart is in the middle, surrounded by eyes, a nose, mouth, ears. This corresponds to us offering all the negativities we have created by our unending attempts to satisfy the desire  of these five senses.

Here's a photo: