Discovering Buddhism at Home -FAQ

General Practice Questions (page 1 | 2 | 3)

If one is practicing Lama Chopa alone, may the tsog be omitted?

What if for health reasons one cannot do physical prostrations beyond offering the prostration mudra?

Is it necessary to receive permission or have highest yoga tantra to do the Lama Chopa practice?

The Vajrasattva meditation practice has lots of detailed visualizations, but I have always had lots of trouble visualizing. Can you give me any advice?

Where I live there are very few Sanghas and even fewer Buddhist teachers. But I know that taking refuge is a very important foundational step in Buddhism. Do you have any advice?

If one is practicing Lama Chopa alone, may the tsog be omitted?

A student asks:

I thought to start doing the Lama Chopa practice as it also contains the Lama Tsongkhapa prayer, which is part of my ngondro. The question I have is about tsog. Can this be omitted if one practices Lama Chopa without others? Any comments on this practice would be beneficial.

Pende responds:

The FPMT practice book you have correctly states that the tsok offering is an optional practice that may be incorporated into the Lama Chopa practice. Also, the Lama Chopa practice can be used instead of Ganden Lhagye Ma, which is the usual Lama TsongKhapa guru yoga prayer. The "Migtsema" verse is the usual prayer for repetition when counting prayers in the Lama Tsongkhapa guru yoga method.

Pende

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What if for health reasons one cannot do physical prostrations beyond offering the prostration mudra?

A student asks:

I have a question about prostrations. Per my doctor's order, I can't do the physical part of the prostrations. I do the prostration mudra and visualize instead. Is this OK?

Pende responds:

What I know about prostrations in the Tibetan tradition is this:

1. Physical prostrations are a physical sign of respect. His Holiness the Dalai Lama said a salute is a prostration, from this point of view. The prostration mudra of placing the palms of the hands together is such a physical sign of respect, like a salute. However, there is also mental prostration and verbal prostration. Mental prostration is the attitude of respect; verbal prostration is respectful speech.

2. Prostrations are performed to purify negative karma accumulated by the physical body. Such prostrations are not meant to be easy. The physical discomfort one experiences while doing them exhausts the negative karmic result that would have occurred had the karmic seed reach maturity, such as throwing karma in a hell realm. This is why one of my lamas did his 100,000 prostrations in the coldest time of the year - so it would be harder to do and therefore a more effective means of purifying his negative karma. I believe the people doing fasting retreat are performing such prostrations - made all the harder due to their fast.

As you have a physical disability for performing prostations, you need not concern yourself with #2 above. You may still engage in mental and verbal prostrations.

Pende

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Is it necessary to receive permission or have highest yoga tantra to do the Lama Chopa practice?

A student asks:

Hopefully the elders can clarify a quick question. Is it necessary to receive Lung on the Lama Chopa practice? Or is having Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment all that is needed?

Thubten Yeshe replies:

Lama Chopa does not require a 'lung' or transmission. If you have had HYT empowerment you can do the practice with the visualizations.

However, you may eventually want to have a commentary on the practice. Be aware that usually receiving this commentary entails a commitment to do the puja (without a tsok offering) on a daily basis for life.

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The Vajrasattva meditation practice has lots of detailed visualizations, but I have always had lots of trouble visualizing. Can you give me any advice?

A student observes:

The part of the Vajrasattva meditation recitation that gets very difficult for me is all the detailed visualizations. I have a real problem visualizing with any success or stability.

Thubten Yeshe replies:

Visualization is, in one sense, a misnomer for what we should be doing. We are creating a mental image.

Try this: With your eyes wide open look at whatever is in front of you right now (no doubt your computer screen), at the same time IMAGINE your dearest friend or loved one is standing behind you. Don't turn around! Just imagine this person there. Do you have some sense, some feeling of the person being there? That is visualization.

Perhaps we should call these things imaginations. It is not about creating a visual image.

The whole process becomes easier as we become more familiar with the object. We can imagine our friend behind us because we know this person intimately. When we know the Buddha as intimately, we will have no problem creating the image in our mind.

So, study an image of the Buddha (or another of the buddha forms that you use in meditation) until you become familiar with the image. One way to do this is to draw the image. Even tracing the image, using tracing paper, will help imprint the image in your mind. Study the qualities of the Buddha, too.

Another reason it is easy to imagine our friend behind us is because we cherish the qualities and character of this beloved person. Know the Buddha in every way and the imagery will come.

And, be patient with the process. It can take some time. Relax into the meditations.

Hope that helps. It can be applied to any visualization, not just the Buddha or Buddhist deities.

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Where I live there are very few Sanghas and even fewer Buddhist teachers. But I know that taking refuge is a very important foundational step in Buddhism. Do you have any advice?

A student asks:

Hello to all of you. I am a newcomer to this list and to the DB courses. I just completed Module 1 and I am excited about learning and practicing more of the Dharma.

I find myself practicing in isolation, though. There are very few sanghas in my areas of the US, and even fewer teachers. I know that a most important step in Buddhism is taking refuge. I am wondering how one takes refuge and practices when one does not have access to the Sangha. I would appreciate any advice.

Pende replies:

Texts such as Gampopa's Jewel Ornamant of Liberation describe taking refuge in front of different objects, such as a guru, but also a statue of the Buddha, and also a visualized image of the Buddha. There is no doubt that declaring your refuge in the Three Jewels in front of a living, breathing person who embodies the Three Jewels for you and others is the most powerful, i.e. best way to take refuge, but it is not the only way. Generally speaking, it is a good idea to seek the best methods, but when that is not possible use any valid method you find! Lam Rim texts describe the causes of taking refuge in the context of a person of initial scope spiritual motivation, viz. fear of lower rebirth and confidence that the Three Jewels will save you from that disaster. Then live your live guided by the Three Jewels. I sincerely believe that the more you turn your actions of body, speech and mind to the path taught by the Buddha the more you will find resources for your practice.

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