Guru Yidam Protector

Vajrayogini and Gyalchen Dorje Shugden,
Blessed transformative yidam and protector of the nuclear age

The Three Roots: Guru, Yidam and Protector

How relying sincerely on all “three roots” forms the basis of our spiritual practice

“The practice of analytic meditation should begin with the topic of how to serve a spiritual teacher.”

“If you contemplate skillfully for about seven days the benefits of serving a teacher and for about seven days also the faults of failing to serve a teacher, you will produce a mental transformation.”

“You must bring forth the realization which perceives that your Guru is truly a Buddha. And since this very topic is much more crucial than all the others, devote yourself to it with great effort”

-H.H. Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo DECHEN NYINGPO

During the earthly life of Guru Buddha Shakyamuni, it was relatively easy to gain attainments; at times, thousands attained arhatship simultaneously while attending the Blessed One’s discourses.

In our day, the distraction in our minds caused by unbridled greed and hatred is so overwhelming that just living an ethically sound life is a great feat. Indeed, the Buddha has said that to live as a nun or monk for a day in our era would equal an entire life of an ordained person who was his contemporary.

By that example we can see just how intensely different the odds are between then and now. It’s as if we walked from a sleepy village square straight into Las Vegas, or from convent school to an underground rave party, popping pills with mad hatters.

It is very hard not to go with the flow that is really a torrential wave of heavy karma temptation. If we can get through the day without breaking our mother’s heart it’s heroic, on the exoteric level.

Esoterically, the tantric methods of transmutation instead of avoidance or repression become more and more relevant as we progress rapidly towards the finale furioso of this Kali Yuga or Dark Age.

And thus, reliance on the ‘Three Roots’ – Guru, Yidam and Protector becomes crucial, the principal one of the three being, of course, the Guru, while Yidam and Protector are the attainment and activity aspects of the Guru’s holy mind and emanated as his blessings.

Only the tiniest fraction of today’s practitioners live in monastic surroundings or are otherwise blessed with the leisure and determination to practice the enormously complex and time-consuming sadhanas of Yamantaka, Heruka and Guyasamaja, the classic practices of the Gelukpa school.

Heruka Pabongkha Rinpoche, with perfect clairvoyance, foresight and compassion, recommended to make Vajrayogini our main Yidam, whose practice is shorter, easier to do yet as profound and increasing in power as afflictive emotions and degeneration increase in the time period we find ourselves now.

He, in direct communion with Vajrayogini, who was Manjushri Je Tsongkhapa’s secret heart Yidam, composed the condensed sadhana that we are blessed to practice today. To think about this is one way that ordinary beings like us can appreciate the unfathomable kindness and wisdom of His Holiness Pabongkhapa.

How does all this relate to Gyalchen Dorje Shugden, whom Kyabje Pabongkha recommended as our main Protector? In terms of Yidams –

Although you outwardly exhibit the haughty manner of a terrifier to conquer enemies of Lozang the Victor’s teachings, you are, in nature, that very Manjushri Yamantaka; with the supreme, unsurpassed devotion.

and

Although your aggregates, elements, spheres and limbs appear as the five families of Shugden, principal and entourage, they are actually the thirty-two deities of Guyasamaja’s body mandala.

So, together with Vajrayogini, Heruka’s consort, we have the three classical Yidams complete again.

In terms of Dharma Protectors – just like Vajrayogini is the crystallized essence of all holy Yidams, so is Dorje Shugden the Vajra Heart of all holy Guardians of the Dharma, perfectly arising in our collective awareness at this time of greatest need.

Just like Vajrayogini – who bestows great attainments upon practitioners even if one does her practice imperfectly but recites her mantra with faith and deep Guru devotion – the great King Protector likewise helps miraculously if we strive to transform our minds sincerely, based on surrendering the self-cherishing mind at the feet of our Lama.

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7 total comments on this postSubmit yours
  1. I believe there is nothing more wad tibet and their ppl wan nothing less but just freedom and not to judge by the past… i believe all buddist or none buddist will have the eyes to see for itself rather den being disturb by other sorce where media comes in and make a difference. in order to maintain peace, tibet and china shd solve the problems, its has been damaging tibetans lifes for so long and the wound has not being heal. Just share a comment thought whereby how u wana it to heal by lefting things behind and giving ur same brothers and sisters a chance to change. that all abt budda teaching isn`t it? isn`t it tired when u see ur own blood brothers sisters suffered and yet the things are not resolved? puting the past behind and show ur next gen wads life is all about is most important.

    may budda bless all.

  2. THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS MARVELLIOUS SITE CHAMPA TOGME

  3. My Guru, Vajrayogini and Dorje Shugden – my favourite trio who will bring me attainments.. May I always be near you in all my existences til the end of time…

  4. This ‘Three Roots’ Practice- Guru, Yidam, Protector -must surely be the most powerful practice for this degenerate age with its tremendously tenacious and strong distractions and overpowering delusions of the mind.With complete Guru Devotion as central, viewing our Root Guru as a Buddha, with Vajrayogini (specially suitable for this age of great lust)as Yidam, and with the swift and powerful Wisdom Dharmapala Dorje Shugden(sworn to protect Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings, especially his teachings on Nargajuna’s Middle View that he had taught with unexcelled clarity)as Dharma Protector so very relevant and necessary for this degenerate age,this ‘Three Root’ practice is surely the answer to the Dharma practitioner’s need of a powerful practice to swiftly realize the Path to Enlightenment.
    Thank you Je Pabongka for elucidating why and how this ‘Three Root’ practice is so powerful and efficacious. Thank you for your great foresight and compassion to make Vajryogini our main Yidam and for composing her condensed Sadhana for us.

  5. If you have these three roots Guru, Yidam and Protector in your Sadhana your practice will be just perfect and complete. But in this era where a lot of people are so busy they need a more simplier method. As far as I know apart from the Guru who is your Lama. The Yidam Vajrayogini is the easiest form to practice as she is in the form of a lady which is very easy to visualise. The Protector can be Dorje Shugden that comes in the form of a monk. This is the Gelupa Lineage of a set up for a complete Sadhana to practice.

  6. The “Three Roots” are in fact very important in our daily lives now. We should always trust and visualize all these three (Guru, Yidam, and Protector) as one, which is our Guru.

    With the visualizations like that, it would guide us to higher practices and also allow us to have more self control of ourselves over different issues that are going on.

  7. With deepest respect to the Guru Yidam and Dharma Protector… If Dorje Shugden protects the purity of the Gelugpa lineage by discouraging the mixing of lineages, and Vajrayogini is seen as “weaving” the threads of the Sakya and Gelug together, shouldn’t Vajrayogini be discourage by Dorje Shugden because it is mix of Sakya and Gelug methods?

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.…Instead of turning away people who practise Dorje Shugden, we should be kind to them. Give them logic and wisdom without fear, then in time they give up the ‘wrong’ practice. Actually Shugden practitioners are not doing anything wrong. But hypothetically, if they are, wouldn’t it be more Buddhistic to be accepting? So those who have views against Dorje Shugden should contemplate this. Those practicing Dorje Shugden should forbear with extreme patience, fortitude and keep your commitments. The time will come as predicted that Dorje Shugden’s practice and it’s terrific quick benefits will be embraced by the world and it will be a practice of many beings.

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