Dorje Shugden Heart Crystal

[WisdomBeing]

How exciting to read about this Dorje Shugden heart crystal! And that all the monks in Shar Gaden have one? I've looked at pictures of the monks but haven't seen any conspicuous crystal. How big is it? Is it a clear crystal or natural crystal? If anyone has one they can take a photo of, that would be lovely.

Perhaps as DSfriend says, it could be a secret thing - where the monks may reveal it to the other monks of Shar Gaden but not to outsiders/non-initiates? I hope not though, so that i can get to see it! I googled for it but didn't find anything, which i thought was unusual.

Hope someone can share a picture of their heart jewel/heart crystal with the forum.

[Barzin]

Yeah, does anyone have a picture?    I am still thinking about it...

[whitelion]

I have heard some of my friends talk about this very powerful crystal. I was told that this crystal normally was given from the Guru to the student after one have receive DS's empowerment. It symbolize that the student will be protected from all inner and outer obstacles, and never be apart from the protector and Dharma until one have release from samsara.
I've found the most similar reference, which is a clear quartz with some mantra encraved on the surface. According to the blog's owner, this is a Setrap heart crystal and i assumed the mantra encraved on the surface should be Setrap's mantra.


it roughly stand 1" and it's a very good size as a pendant.

i hope this is what everyone been talking about.

[diamond girl]

It is amazing to hear that there is a heart crystal with Dorje Shugden's mantra inscribed. How blessed to wear this!

I have been to the monastery a few years ago with a Tibetan friend. I do not recall seeing the monks wearing any crystal, then again, I am sure it is not to be flaunt around like some normal piece of jewelry. During this trip I received a Dorje Shugden ruel. In the instructions it stated clearly to wear it near the body at all times and to be covered/protected so that it remains clean. It is also said to be worn inside. Perhaps it is sacred to be kept hidden and not because it is some secret.

I do wish to find some time in the near future to visit the monastery again. I still can feel the peace in me when I recall, even now, listening to the monks perform rituals and pujas. True blessing to the soul. It was also such a delight to see the young monks learning and reciting pujas. They have such admirable courage and tenacity to uphold the practice of Dorje Shugden! Bless them and may DS practice be free very soon!

[jessicajameson]

I have heard some of my friends talk about this very powerful crystal. I was told that this crystal normally was given from the Guru to the student after one have receive DS's empowerment. It symbolize that the student will be protected from all inner and outer obstacles, and never be apart from the protector and Dharma until one have release from samsara.
I've found the most similar reference, which is a clear quartz with some mantra encraved on the surface. According to the blog's owner, this is a Setrap heart crystal and i assumed the mantra encraved on the surface should be Setrap's mantra.

i hope this is what everyone been talking about.

WOW!! Thanks for the photo whitelion! It looks amazing!! The guy/girl who own the photo/blog had some real guts to post the photo up though, considering how sacred/secret it's meant to be haha.

Thanks again, it's beautiful

Hope you don't mind, but I'll be adding that to my Facebook!

[Big Uncle]

I have heard some of my friends talk about this very powerful crystal. I was told that this crystal normally was given from the Guru to the student after one have receive DS's empowerment. It symbolize that the student will be protected from all inner and outer obstacles, and never be apart from the protector and Dharma until one have release from samsara.
I've found the most similar reference, which is a clear quartz with some mantra encraved on the surface. According to the blog's owner, this is a Setrap heart crystal and i assumed the mantra encraved on the surface should be Setrap's mantra.


it roughly stand 1" and it's a very good size as a pendant.

i hope this is what everyone been talking about.

Yes, that is what I am talking about and the one I have is exactly like this. The mantra in red inscribed around the crystal is Dorje Shugden's mantra "Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha". I think the make of the crystal is not important when it is compared to what it represents. Anyhow, I think mine is just glass or man-made crystal. 

[Zhalmed Pawo]

It is always very nice to have crystals like this to protect us… I will be glad to have one too…. Hehe!!!

But what I am wondering is if we are not doing the practice well, we are not doing our sadhana regularly or we being selfish as ever, is this crystal still protect us no matter whatever reason it is?

Good question. My answer to that is that "no, never".

As seems to me, the only "karmically valid" function of these kind of amulets, crystals, trinkets, and so forth, sold in conjunction with most Eastern traditions, seem to be the equivalent of "the knot in the finger", that is, they are meant to act as "reminders of something", in this case the Dharma practice. Having stuff like this hanging around our bodies, maybe we do remember to maintain our practice, in other words, they function to trigger mindfullness of the Dharma. Beyond that, there is no function (apart from the business purposes of the manufacturer, reseller, etc.) This is not to say that many people would not think that they have other functions, but from the karmic perspective, these "other functions" are non-buddhist magical fantasies.

"If you tend to forget, do buy, a crystal reminder.
If you are mindfull, why not sip, a cup of sake."
- Dumbmaster Hakuin

[WisdomBeing]

Whitelion, thanks for sharing that picture.. it looks nothing like what i had imagined, which just goes to show!

I spoke about this crystal to a friend and he told me that it's something given to a student so you can't buy it. If so, there's no 'business' purpose.. and even if they were for sale, if it was made by a monastery and it was for the purpose of fund raising, I would be more than happy to support and get one!! After all, monasteries have to support themselves somehow. I guess if it's a little dinky shop making them purely for commercial reasons i can see why some people would object, although i guess if it meant something to the person who bought it, that would be a good thing?

Don't holy items have inherent power because they are blessed by the monks? Or the power of the mantra inscribed on them?

[Big Uncle]

It is always very nice to have crystals like this to protect us… I will be glad to have one too…. Hehe!!!

But what I am wondering is if we are not doing the practice well, we are not doing our sadhana regularly or we being selfish as ever, is this crystal still protect us no matter whatever reason it is?

Good question. My answer to that is that "no, never".

As seems to me, the only "karmically valid" function of these kind of amulets, crystals, trinkets, and so forth, sold in conjunction with most Eastern traditions, seem to be the equivalent of "the knot in the finger", that is, they are meant to act as "reminders of something", in this case the Dharma practice. Having stuff like this hanging around our bodies, maybe we do remember to maintain our practice, in other words, they function to trigger mindfullness of the Dharma. Beyond that, there is no function (apart from the business purposes of the manufacturer, reseller, etc.) This is not to say that many people would not think that they have other functions, but from the karmic perspective, these "other functions" are non-buddhist magical fantasies.

"If you tend to forget, do buy, a crystal reminder.
If you are mindfull, why not sip, a cup of sake."
- Dumbmaster Hakuin

Well, I still believe that the crystal hold a certain power if one had receive it during a Sogtae. The bond forged during the Sogtae ritual is a powerful one and I believe that although the crystal symbolically represent this spiritual bond, the crystal is not a mere trinket, it embodies this powerful bond just like how consecrated monk robes embodies the protective nature of monk's vows. So, if anybody out there has it, please treasure it as a sacred object. It will protect and remind us of our spiritual bond with Dorje Shugden/ the Dharma.   

[Rihanna]

Roberto, I have seen my colleague wearing one. Let me take a photo when I see her and post it up. Even looking at it is a blessing.

Hey Big Uncle,

I was passed one of these also by a friend who went to india. Not sure if its the same thing we're talking about here, because he just said its for protection.

Its quartz crystal with some tibetan text written around the outside. You think you can put a pic up of the one your talking about?

[WisdomBeing]

by the way, is there only one type of heart crystal (as in the picture above) or are there other designs? Just curious, that's all.

[DharmaDefender]

It is always very nice to have crystals like this to protect us… I will be glad to have one too…. Hehe!!!

But what I am wondering is if we are not doing the practice well, we are not doing our sadhana regularly or we being selfish as ever, is this crystal still protect us no matter whatever reason it is?

Nah. If you have the karma to be harmed, even if your sitting in your lama's lap, your karma is still going to bite you on the arse! Which is why the Dalai Lama can't be harmed by Dorje Shugden (since hes Chenrezig and has no karma), so I've never really bought into the whole "Dorje Shugden will shorten my life, stop practising him" tack.

[Helena]

It is always very nice to have crystals like this to protect us… I will be glad to have one too…. Hehe!!!

But what I am wondering is if we are not doing the practice well, we are not doing our sadhana regularly or we being selfish as ever, is this crystal still protect us no matter whatever reason it is?

Nah. If you have the karma to be harmed, even if your sitting in your lama's lap, your karma is still going to bite you on the arse! Which is why the Dalai Lama can't be harmed by Dorje Shugden (since hes Chenrezig and has no karma), so I've never really bought into the whole "Dorje Shugden will shorten my life, stop practising him" tack.

Well said, DD!
Our Karma is created solely by our many lifetimes of deeds or misdeeds. And no Buddha or Enlightened Being can get rid of our bad Karma for us.
If we didn't create the karma for it, we will not experience it.
If we did, then we should purify as much as we possibly can.

Thanks to White Lion for that wonderful picture of the Dorje Shugden Heart Crystal.

It's lovely to see and know that the heart crystal is likened to carrying the heart essence of Dorje Shugden with us all the time.
Be it as a blessing, protection or a daily constant reminder for us to hold our vows well and keep up our practice, or all of the above - it does help us build a closer bond with our Protector on a very personal level.
May I also create the merits and karma to have one in time soon.

[whitelion]

Whitelion, thanks for sharing that picture.. it looks nothing like what i had imagined, which just goes to show!

I spoke about this crystal to a friend and he told me that it's something given to a student so you can't buy it. If so, there's no 'business' purpose.. and even if they were for sale, if it was made by a monastery and it was for the purpose of fund raising, I would be more than happy to support and get one!! After all, monasteries have to support themselves somehow. I guess if it's a little dinky shop making them purely for commercial reasons i can see why some people would object, although i guess if it meant something to the person who bought it, that would be a good thing?

Don't holy items have inherent power because they are blessed by the monks? Or the power of the mantra inscribed on them?

Dear WB,
I do believe holy items such as Buddha images, mantra, relic, heart crystal or etc have it inherent power but for my understanding, it's just can give us some imprint when we see, touch, speak think about all these holy items. We will not able to change our life just because we owned any holy items.
Paying respect or having any holy items such as buddha pendants always near to us is very good, because it might open up dharma seed in us or others, but if we got so attached with these holy items and forgo Buddha's teaching, we will end up in a not so good place too. We should pay highest respect to all holy items but not attached to them, because this is totally opposite from the Buddha's teaching.

[iloveds]

Don't holy items have inherent power because they are blessed by the monks? Or the power of the mantra inscribed on them?

If the monk is holding pure vows it would be blessed by the vows of the monk who touched it... If not. then by the power of the enlightened mantra itself would be powerful also. In this sense it comes from the object as something worthy of veneration.

I mean if you have a Buddha statue, just because it was made by someone "dirty" wouldn't it still bless you because it is still a Buddha statue representing the actual Buddha and his teachings?