The Significance and Benefits - Kong Meng San Phor Kark See ...

The Significanceand Benefitsof Six-SyllableMantra RecitationHis EminenceDrubwang Konchok Norbu RinpocheFor Free Distribution OnlyNot For Sale

Published for free distribution onlyKong Meng San Phor Kark See MonasteryAwaken Publishing and Design88 Bright Hill RoadSingapore 574117Tel: (65) 6849 5342E-mail: publication@kmspks.orgwww.kmspks.orgFebruary 2007, 5000 booksISBN-13: 978-981-05-4995-4© Kong Meng San Phor Kark See MonasteryAlthough reprinting of our books for free distribution is encouragedas long as the publication is reprinted in its entirety with no modifications,including this statement of the conditions, and credit is givento the author and the publisher, we require permission to be obtainedin writing, to ensure that the latest edition is used.Printed byAd Graphic Pte LtdTel: (65) 6747 8320E-mail: tomteo@adgraphic.com.sg

The Significanceand Benefitsof Six-SyllableMantra RecitationHis EminenceDrubwang Konchok Norbu RinpocheFor Free Distribution OnlyNot For Sale

AboutHis EminenceDrubwang Konchok Norbu RinpochePraised by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as a verypowerful and accomplished practitioner, H.E. DrubwangRinpoche has over 30 years of meditation retreatexperiences. He is an accomplished practitioner with highrealisation and a retreat master of Mahamudra. Especiallyappointed by H.H. the Dalai Lama to propagate theGuanyin Practice to the whole world for the benefit ofall mother sentient beings, he has personally completed12 rounds of 100 million times of the Six-SyllableMantra. An exponent of the Mind Only school and theMadhyamika school philosophies, he has successfullyled numerous 100 Million Mani recitation retreats inNepal and India. In Singapore, he has led the completionof 100 Million Mani recitation at Kong Meng San PhorKark See Monastery in 2001 and 2003 to 2005.

His Eminence Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche

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ContentsixxxThe Origin of the Six-Syllable Mantra– Extracted from the book, ‘Mani Kabum’The Representation of Four-Arm Chenrezig– Extracted from the book, ‘Mani Kabum’xxiii Explanation of the Six-Syllable MantraxxvPrefaceDay 1:02 The Benefits of Reciting the Six-Syllable MantraDay 2:10 Creating the Cause for Our Liberation14 Dedication Crucial For the Benefit of All Beings

Day 3:18 Reciting the Mani Mantra to Realise the ThreeKayas’ Nature19 What Makes One A BuddhistDay 4:24 Reciting the Mani Mantra to Free All MotherSentient Beings from Suffering26 The Mani Mantra is the Buddha in Mantra FormDay 5:30 Importance of Reciting the Mani Mantra with aPure Motivation35 Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta BeforeEach PracticeDay 6 & 7:40 Be Careful Not to Contaminate Your RecitationDay 8:44 Recite the Mani Mantra at All Times47 Regret Can Purify Your Non-Virtuous Deeds

ixThe Origin of thesix-Syllable MantraOM MANI PADME HUM. Then the Bhagavanwas abiding in the palace monastery of Zetaitshelgrove, in Shravasti, in the pleasure grove ofAnathapindika. He was together with twelve and ahalf hundred sanghas and many Bodhisattvas. Thento the Bhagavan the Bodhisattva Nivaranavishkambinspoke these words, “Bhagavan the great vidya mantrabenefits all the six kinds of beings, removes samsarafrom the root, completely liberating hell beings,pretas and animals from the lower realms, makinghuman beings experience the taste of Dharma. SinceI seek an explanation of omniscient wisdom, howwill I attain it? Bhagavan, to the one who tells me theSix-Syllable, filling the world (Jambudvipa) with the

seven precious things, I will offer them. Bhagavan,since I wish to write down the Six-Syllable even ifthere is no paper, birch bark, writing with pen andink, using my blood for ink, flaying my skin, I willuse it as paper, taking my bones I will use it as pen.Bhagavan for me there is no sadness and fatigue. Asfor that, it will be the root lama of our father andmother sentient beings.”Then, the Bhagavan exhorted these words tothe Bodhisattva Nivaranavishkambin, “Son of Noblefamily, for the sake of the vidya mantra of Six-Syllable, in former times, though I paid homage tocentillion limitless Tathagatas, I did not hear fromthese Tathagatas. At that time the Tathagata, Arhatcompletely enlightened Red Buddha Amitabha, infront of Buddha, because of crying, tears arose in hiseyes. From the face of the Tathagata, he exhorted,“Son of Noble family, why are you crying? Withtears arising what is the fault?” He asked. “Whencentillion limitless of Tathagatas paid homage, theSix-Syllable that removes all the sufferings of beingswas not given to them.

xiI ask the Sugata, Knower of the world, Tamerof beings, Steersman, Teacher of gods and humans,the Buddha Bhagavan to explain it,” so he requested.Then by the Buddha Amitabha to the greatBodhisattva Lord Avalokiteshvara, he said thesewords, “Son of Noble family, as for this vidyamantra of Six-Syllable, these are rare words, vajrawords, words of unsurpassable wisdom, words ofinexhaustible wisdom, words of the completelypure wisdom of the Tathagata. Son of Noble familythis great vidya mantra of Six-Syllable, becauseit was blessed by me, therefore centillon limitlesssentient beings will be completely liberated fromsamsara, quickly in unsurpassable true completeenlightenment. They will be completely enlightened.Say this vidya mantra of Six-Syllable.” Then to theBodhisattva, the Noble One, Lord Avalokiteshvara,he taught this vidya mantra of Six-Syllable.OM MANI PADME HUM.

xiiThen the Buddha Amitabha exhorted theBodhisattva Nivaranavishkambin, “This vidyamantra OM MANI PADME HUM if some holdit in their bodies, Son of Noble family, as forthese bodies, they should be understood as vajrabodies. They should be understood as relic stupas.They should be understood as the wisdom ofthe Tathagata.OM MANI PADME HUM. A son or daughterof Noble family if anyone recite this vidya mantraone time, their confidence will become inexhaustible.Their self-reliance wisdom, heap of wisdom willbe completely pure. They will possess the greatkindness and the Great Compassion. Every day thesix perfections will be completely perfected. They willattain the power of a chakravartin. They will becomeirreversible Bodhisattvas. They will be enlightenedwith unsurpassable, true, complete enlightenment.OM MANI PADME HUM, these Six-Syllablewhen by the hand they have been written on wallsand rocks, by the hand when it has been touchedand the view have been produced, by these men and

xiiiwomen, boys and girls by merely being seen theywill become Bodhisattvas in their next life. Wildanimals, birds, horses, cows and such sentient beingsby which they are seen, all these will be Bodhisattvasin their next life. They will be without birth, oldage, sickness and death, meeting with unpleasantness,free from pain and without suffering. Yoga siddhiwill become inconceivable.Son of Noble family, OM MANI PADMEHUM, this vidya mantra of Six-Syllable is the trueessence of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Sayingthis vidya mantra of Six-Syllable, make an effortalways to recite it. This Six-Syllable possesses merit.At the time of reciting this, Buddha Bhagavansninety-nine times as many as the atoms of the sandof Ganges River will gather. Son of Noble family, inevery one of his hair pores, Tathagatas are abidingthere. Son of Noble family, by you getting such awish-fulfilling gem, you will be attained. By you theseven kinds of shravaka families will be enlightened,that is good. Son of Noble family, that even thelimitless creatures living in your belly, having become

xivirreversible Bodhisattvas, is excellent. Whatever issaid they will be given.”Then the Bhagavan said these words to theBodhisattva Nivaranavishkambin, “Son of Noblefamily, as for this vidya mantra of Six-Syllable,OM MANI PADME HUM. It is this for example,though the number of atoms of the earth could begrasped, the merits of reciting this vidya mantra ofSix-Syllable one time could not be grasped. Thoughevery drop of the water of the ocean could becounted, the merits of reciting this vidya mantra ofSix-Syllable one time could not be counted.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, it is like this, for example, the house of someperson is one hundred pagtse and its height is threehundred pagtse. It is completely filled with mustardseed or sesame grains. It is without even a hole thesize of the eye of a needle and at its door a manwho does not age and does not die is placed. If inevery hundred eons a sesame grain is taken out byhim, by the number of these it could go on untilthe foundation of the house is reached, until it is

xvexhausted and no more, but the measure of meritsof reciting this vidya mantra of Six-Syllable one timecould not be grasped.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, it is like this, for example, by the sentientbeings living in the four continents, the barley,wheat, rice, white Chinese beans, Nepalese beansand so forth and little beans and juniper, a plantwith very small seeds and so forth, various kinds areplanted. By the naga king from time to time, rainfalls. After these grains ripen they are reaped andharvested. In the earthly world, having put these toone side, on wagons, people carrying loads, animalloads and basket loads having been brought in thesecontainers, transported by oxen and donkeys, havingbeen thrashed by sticks by people, though everygrain of that heap of grain could be counted, themeasure of merits of reciting this vidya mantra ofSix-Syllable one time could not be grasped.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, it is like this, for example, flowing in theearthly world are the great rivers Sita, Ganga,

xviYamuna, Sindhu Pukcha, Shatadru, Tsendra-garva,Eyravati, Sumkata, Amakala, Kotari. Each river hasfive hundred tributaries; day and night they flowinto the midst of the ocean. Son of Noble family,OM MANI PADME HUM, as for the merits ofreciting this vidya mantra one time, they increaseeven more than that.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, for example, it is like this. Those of thefour-legged family, oxen, donkeys, buffaloes, horses,elephants, dogs, foxes, goats, these four-leggedanimals and likewise lions, tigers, zebras and soforth, deer, monkeys, rabbits, pigs, mice, these andso forth, every hair could be counted, but OMMANI PADME HUM, the merits of reciting thisvidya mantra one time could not be counted.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, for example it is like this, the king ofmountains, the vajra iron mountains in height is onebillion ten million fathoms (pagtse jatong). Everyface of that mountain is also one billion ten millionfathoms (pagtse jatong) and below it is one billion

xviitwenty million fathoms (pagtse jedtri). If there isa person who does not grow old and die and thisperson, after an eon had passed by, if he wiped itevery time with a kashika cloth, one day it wouldbe exhausted, but OM MANI PADME HUM, themeasure of merits of reciting this vidya mantra onetime could not be counted.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, it is like this, for example, the midst of theocean has a depth of one billion sixteen millionfathoms. In width to the horse head mountain.From the existing immeasurable, by me a hair tiphundredth part if it is scattered, though I couldcount every drop, OM MANI PADME HUM, themeasure of merits of reciting this vidya mantra onetime could not be counted. OM MANI PADMEHUM, Son of Noble family, for example, it islike this. Every leaf of a sandlewood tree couldbe counted but OM MANI PADME HUM, themeasure of merits of reciting this vidya mantra onetime could not be counted.

xviiiOM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, for example, it is like this. Existing in thefour continents the men, women, boys and girls,all these abiding on the seventh bhumi level of aBodhisattva, the heap of merit of these Bodhisattvascould be counted, but OM MANI PADME HUM,the measure of merits of reciting this vidya mantraone time could not be counted.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, for example, it is like this. Twelve months,a year, or twelve months with an extra lunar montha complete solar year, the rain falls day and night,every drop could be counted, but OM MANIPADME HUM, the measure of merits of recitingthis vidya mantra one time could not be counted.OM MANI PADME HUM, Son of Noblefamily, the number of merits and virtues though itneed not be expressed, but if there exist centillionlimitless Buddhas like me and these for an eon,requisites for life of divine clothing, food andmedicines which are efficacious for sickness, themerit of paying them homage with these could

xixbe counted but OM MANI PADME HUM, themeasure of merits of reciting this vidya mantraone time could not be counted. That I alone inthis world realm exist, what need is there to saythat they are inexpressibly countless.”Extracted from the book titled MANI KABUM “SECTION 1 -CHAPTER 11, THE SOURCE OF THE SUTRA” translated byH.E Trizin Rinpoche

xxThe Representation ofFour-Arm Chenrezig“As for one face, it is looking at sentient beings withcompassion. The four arms performing benefit forsentient beings by the four immeasurables (lovingkindness,compassion, joy and equanimity). As forthe two legs, in performing benefit for beings, upaayaand prajna abide in the equality of union. As for theform being white in colour, since he is not coveredby the faults of samsara, he is spotlessly pure. As forthe right hand holding a crystal mala, samsara is ledto enlightenment. As for the left holding a lotus,though in samsara he performs benefits for sentientbeings, he is not covered by the faults of samsara.Two hands clasped like a lotus bud at the heartsymbolising emptiness and compassion in union and

xxiare inseparable for the equal benefit of all sentientbeings. Endowed with precious gems inseparabledharmata like ornament arose. As for his head therebeing a jewel ornament and on the crown of hishead the Buddha Amitabha abiding, he is a holderof the lotus family possessing the good qualities ofall the Buddhas. As for the sun and moon seat, byupaaya and prajna he impartially performs benefitsfor sentient beings.”Extracted from the book titled MANI KABUM “ SECTION 6- CHAPTER 2, THE TRILOGY OF SADHANAS, THE WISH-FULFILLING GREAT COMPASSION” translated by HE TrizinRinpoche“Moreover the white body colour is a symbol ofspotless dharmakaya. The one face is a symbol ofco-emergent wisdom which is non-dual with oneself.The two hands are a symbol of non-dual upaayaand prajna. The mala in the right hand is a symbolof guiding the six realm beings on the path toenlightenment. The lotus in the left hand symbolisesmat though he produces the goal of sentient beings,he is not covered by the faults of samsara. The twolegs symbolise the non-duality of dharmadhatu and

xxiiwisdom. As for sitting on a sun, moon and lotus seat,it symbolizes that for sentient beings his compassionis without bias and partiality like the shining of thesun and moon, and that like a lotus he is not coveredby the kleshas and discursive thoughts of samsara.As for the precious jewel ornaments, they symbolizethat although he enjoys all desirable qualities, it iswithout attachment and accords with the style forthe benefit of sentient beings”Extracted from the book titled MANI KABUM “SECTION 6– CHAPTER 3, “GREAT COMPASSION WISH-FULFILLINGGEM SADHANA PRACTICE, ONE CYCLE” translated byHE Trizin Rinpoche

xxiiiEXPLANATION OF THESIX-SYLLABLE MANTRAClosing the doors to the six realms, this mantrafrees sentient beings from sufferings to be rebornin Buddha’s Pure Land.OM closes the door to the suffering of beingreborn in the gods’ realm. The suffering of the godsarises from their ability to foresee one’s fall from thegods’ realm.This suffering comes from pride.MA closes the door to the suffering of beingreborn in the warring gods (asuras) realm. Thesuffering of these asuras is constant fighting.This suffering comes from jealousy.

xxivNI closes the door to the suffering of beingreborn in the human realm. Humans suffer frombirth, sickness, old age, and death.This suffering comes from desire.PAD closes the door to the suffering of beingreborn in the animal realm. The suffering of animalsis stupidity, preying upon one another, being killedby men for meat, skin, etc. And being beasts ofburden.This suffering comes from ignorance.ME closes the door to the suffering of beingreborn in the hungry ghosts’ realm. The sufferingof hungry ghosts is hunger and thirst.This suffering comes from greed.HUM closes the door to the suffering of beingreborn in the hell realm. The suffering of the hellis heat and cold.This suffering comes from anger or hatred.

xxvPREFACEThese teachings were given by His EminenceDrubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche of theDrikung Kagyu Lineage, during a 100 MillionMani Recitation Retreat conducted at Kong MengSan Phor Kark See Monastery over Christmas 2004to the New Year of 2005.They explain the benefits and importance ofdoing the Mani recitation for the benefit of allsentient beings and oneself, and the mental state inwhich the recitation is to be conducted.By the virtue of the publication of this book,may the defilements and obscurations in the minds

xxviof all mother sentient beings be purified. May allprogress well on the path of the Dharma, and meetthe Buddha within!May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes.May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes.May all sentient beings never be separated from sorrowless bliss.May all sentient beings abide in equanimity free of bias,attachment and anger, and share with others compassion.~Mindfulness is the Method, Compassion is the Expression, andWisdom is the Essence~

Day 1

The Benefits of Reciting theSix-Syllable MantraEveryone has assembled here in order to recite thesix-syllable mantra. It is indeed the best way tomake our human lives meaningful. In this world,the six-syllable mantra is the most suitable practicefor ordinary people like ourselves. Lord Buddha hastaught many different kinds of Dharma teachings,and if all those teachings are summarised in anutshell, it is the six-syllable mantra. There canbe no Dharma practice more profound than thismantra. Reciting the six-syllable mantra is extremelybeneficial and necessary at this point of time.We have taken countless births in samsara, andeverytime we are born in samsara, we committedlots of negative karma and we have had manytransgressions of precepts and vows. All thesedownfalls, transgressions and defilements can bepurified through the recitation of this mantra.Not only do we have this precious humanlife, we also possess the Buddha-nature, which isthe potentiality or the seed for attaining complete

enlightenment. Generally speaking, all sentientbeings are Buddhas. The only difference between aBuddha and a sentient being is that the Buddha isfree from all defilements while the sentient beingis not. The moment the defilements are removedfrom the Buddha-nature of a sentient being, thesentient being becomes a Buddha. It is important toknow that all these defilements which have coveredour mind are temporary. They can be removedand eliminated through skilful methods such as byreciting the six-syllable mantra. All these defilementsthat have covered our Buddha-nature have beenaccumulated from countless lives in samsara. Andall these defilements fall into two categories – thedefilement of afflictive emotions and the defilementthat obstructs one from realising the absolutereality. Both these defilements can be purified andeliminated from its roots through the recitation ofthe six-syllable mantra.Everyone of us here has formed this greatopportunity to recite this mantra. We must appreciatethat we have formed this great opportunity throughour good karma and great aspirations in the past.

Each mantra that we are going to recite here willbe more precious than all the wealth of the entireworld, because at the end of our lives, none ofthat wealth can be taken with us to our nextbirth, but each of the mantra that we are going torecite here can be “taken” with us, even after thislife. If we do not recite the six-syllable mantra, andwe do not do any Dharma practice or any mentaltransformation, then at the end of this life, wehave to go empty-handed.I’m sure everyone of us who is here has comewith devotion and faith in the Dharma. And throughsuch devotion and faith, the power and benefit ofthe recitation will be extremely great. With thisrecitation, we can truly benefit from the teachingsof the Buddha, and benefit all mother sentientbeings. The six-syllable mantra actually representsour Buddha-nature. In other words, the six-syllablemantra is our own enlightened nature in the formof mantra. The six-syllable mantra also representsthe three bodies or the three ‘kayas’ – Dharmakaya*,Sambhogakaya* and Nirmanakaya*.

When we do the recitation, we should not missany word of the mantra, we should pronounceeach word very clearly and completely from OM toHUM in a pleasant melody. During the recitation,we should constantly feel that we are doing therecitation in order to purify the karmic defilements,the negative karmas and the afflictive emotions of allmother sentient beings. We should again and againmake supplications within our mind and say: “Mayall mother sentient beings attain Enlightenment.May all mother sentient beings get the opportunityto meet the Buddha within themselves.”During the recitation, we should also keep ourbody, speech and mind absolutely pure by gettingrid of non-virtuous deeds that we usually commit.We should try to spend the few days in this retreatlike a monk in a monastery. In this way, when we dothe recitation with virtuous body, speech and mind,and pure aspiration for the benefit of all mother* Dharmakaya : The Body of ultimate reality which is the absolute emptiness aspectof all Buddhas.* Sambhogakaya : The Bliss Body of a Buddha.* Nirmanakaya : The Manifestation Body of a Buddha.

sentient beings, then truly there will be no practicebetter than the recitation of this mantra. During thisretreat, if we can, we should also at all times refrainfrom eating meat, consuming alcohol or smoking.We should try and maintain a pure body, speech andmind. And with that kind of body, speech and mind,whatever practice we do will be more powerful andmeaningful. Thus, when we do the recitation, thereis a great power to it which will bring happiness andpeace to all sentient beings.I personally have received some kind of aprediction or prophecy from the three ‘kayas’ tobenefit sentient beings by expounding the powerfulbenefits of the six-syllable mantra. Because of that, Ihave been promoting the recitation of the six-syllablemantra everywhere. I would like to reiterate that allthe defilements, all the negative karma that we havebeen accumulating, can be purified and dispelledfrom our mind because they are temporary. It isvery important to know that the recitation of thesix-syllable mantra is the antidote to these temporarydefilements. The benefits of reciting the six-syllablemantra are so immense that they are immeasurable.

Hence during the recitation of the mantra, youshould constantly supplicate within your mind:“May all the defilements in the minds of all sentientbeings and myself be purified. May all of us get theopportunities to meet the Buddha within face toface. May all sentient beings and myself take birthin the land of bliss, in Western Paradise – the landof Amitabha Buddha, after death, and from theremay all of us attain complete Enlightenment.” In thisway, you can benefit yourself as well as others.The six-syllable mantra which we called “mani”is the most suitable Dharma practice that ordinarypeople like ourselves can have. Through this skilfulway of practice, we have the way to becomeenlightened, we have the way to purify our minds.If we don’t attempt to expel the defilements andnegative karma from our minds and practise inthis way, then we will always remain as ordinarysentient beings.You should recite the mantra at all times, evenwhen you are walking and sitting, and not just atthe shrine. You should recite the mantra whenever

you can, and as often as you can. If you recite OMMANI PADME HUM, you will meet the Buddhawithin.My health hasn’t been good for the past fewmonths. Even then, I have decided to come here tolead this retreat. Because I thought if I do not comeand lead this retreat, it would be like giving up onsentient beings and if I do that, the Buddhas andBodhisattvas will not be pleased. Thus, despite mypoor health, I am here.

Day 2

10Creating the Cause for Our LiberationEach person who participates in this retreat willhave the benefit of having recited 100 million manimantras. This means each participant achieves themerit and benefit of having recited the mantra for100 million times. Therefore, everyone should tryto attend all sessions, and not miss any of them.If you miss a session, you won’t have the benefitand accomplish the merit of having accumulatedthe mantra for 100 million times. It is a greatopportunity to accumulate such extensive meritsbecause individually, it is almost impossible to recitethe mantra 100 million times. We should understandthis and try to have the courage and the perseveranceto attend the sessions regularly.Attending the sessions to do the recitation isbeneficial to us not just in this lifetime but in alllifetimes to come. Reciting the mantra is beneficialfor the liberation of all mother sentient beingsfrom the lower realms of existences – animals,hungry ghosts, hells. Through such recitation, it ispossible for us to attain liberation from samsara. It

11is said in the text, whether one is liberated or notis completely dependent on oneself. It means ifwe want to attain liberation, we have to create thecause which brings about liberation, and the causeis, as just explained, reciting the mantra out of greatintention, loving- kindness and compassion. If wetruly realise the nature of our mind, then in itself,we see the Buddha. If we recite the mantra and freethat Buddha-nature from the defilements, then thatis called attaining Enlightenment.The three ‘kayas’ are spontaneously accomplishedwhen the defilements are removed from the mindbecause the three ‘kayas’ have primordially beenthe nature of our minds. During the recitation, weshould try to keep our mind free from afflictiveemotions like attachment, anger, ignorance, prideand jealousy, and the three poisonous thoughts ofattachment, anger and ignorance. When we freeour mind from these poisonous thoughts, our mindbecomes absolutely pure. With that pure mind, wewill also have pure speech and pure body, for wewould abstain from the non-virtuous deeds fromour speech and body. If we recite the mantra with

12such discipline, the power of the recitation will betremendous, and our precious human life becomesabsolutely meaningful.On the other hand, if the recitation is not doneproperly, it won’t bring much benefit. During therecitation, all words of the mantra should be clearlyenunciated. From time to time during the recitation,always make supplications silently, that all thenegative karma, non-virtuous deeds and defilementswe have committed so far are totally dispelledand purified. It is very important to know that ourBuddha-nature is temporarily obscured by discursivethoughts and defilements. Hence, during therecitation, we should pray that these obscurationsbe removed from the mind. In brief, we have tocontinually make supplications during our recitation,so that all the obscurations we have accumulatedsince beginningless lives be purified.During the recitation, we should regard allsentient beings as our own mother and recite themantra out of the wish for their defilements to bepurified and eradicated from the root. We should,

13thus, dedicate the merits of our recitation in thisway. Through the power of our dedication, thosedefilements can be purified and eliminated fromthe root. When the minds of sentient beings arefree from defilements, they manifest as enlightenedbeings. Hence, if you have pure motivation anddedicate your practice for the benefit of all mothersentient beings, then that is a very extraordinary andperfect kind of practice.The six-syllable mantra is the core essence of anentire range of Buddhadharma, and it’s a practicevery suitable for samsaric beings like ourselves. Thispractice can purify all karma and we can achieve theresults at the moment of our death. If practised well,one can see the benefits even before death. However,to achieve that, one has to always recite the mantrawith a very pure heart and dedicated mind – onethat is always mindful and free from non-virtuousdiscursive thoughts.

14Dedication Crucial For the Benefit of AllBeingsWhen you recite the six-syllable mantra, it is veryimportant to have a very pure state of mind. Duringthe recitation, your mind should not be disturbedby discursive thoughts. If you do your recitationwhen your mind is occupied by different kinds ofthoughts, your recitation is not very meaningful.Therefore, you should always be mindful of yourbody, speech and mind when you do your recitation.You should keep it absolutely pure by getting rid ofnon-virtuous deeds.When you do the recitation, you should repeatedlymake supplications so that the obscurations,defilements, non-virtuous deeds and downfalls ofyourself and others can be purified through therecitation.Now, to have achieved such a precious humanlife gives us a rare opportunity to practise theDharma. And this may be the only opportunity

15in which we can make the attempt to meet theBuddha within ourselves face-to-face.The six-syllable mantra should be viewed as theBuddha Himself in the form of mantra. Gettingthe opportunity to recite this mantra is extremelyfortunate. If you do the recitation with puremotivation, great supplication and all-embracinglove and affection for all sentient beings, thenyour effort can truly benefit the flourishing of theBuddha’s teachings, all mother sentient beings, andyourself in this life and all the lives to come.The six-syllable mantra is the essence of theentire teachings of the Buddha and its recitationis an extremely powerful antidote that can help usremove all the defilements in our mind.When you do the recitation, you should dedicatethe practice for the benefit of all mother sentientbeings in the six realms. In other words, dedicateto all sentient beings in the infinity of space whohave been our parents in our former lives. I alwayspray to the three ‘kayas’ and all the former great

16victorious masters for your purification, that yourpractice of the mantra recitation can truly removethe obscurations from your mind.If my prayer is supported by your effort, yourgreat motivation and mindfulness, then truly thismantra recitation retreat will become very, verymeaningful.Whether one is liberated or not is completely dependent ononeself. If we want to attain liberation, we have to create thecause which brings about liberation, and the cause is, reciting themantra out of loving - kindness and compassion.

Day 3

18Reciting the Mani Mantra to Realise theThree Kayas’ NatureThe three ‘kayas’ are the various personificationsof the Buddha. For instance, Amitabha Buddhais the Dharmakaya, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva isthe Sambhogakaya and Guru Padmasambhava is theNirmanakaya. And these three ‘kayas’ are not foreignto ourselves. In fact, the true nature of our mindhas these three ‘kayas’ within it. We are reciting thesix-syllable mantra to get rid of all the temporarydefilements, so that we can realise the three kayas’nature of our mind. In order to do so, we need tokeep our body, speech and mind absolutely pure bynot performing non-virtuous deeds with our body,speech and mind. The mantra should also be recitedclearly word for word, and you should make greataspirations when you do the recitation, so that youcan purify your obscurations and defilements ofyourself and other sentient beings and attain thestate of three ‘kayas’.If you recite in this manner, then your effortscan truly benefit the Buddhadharma and all sentient

19beings in achieving the true path in this life and inall lives to come, thereby attaining Enlightenmentultimately.Non-virtuous deeds are meaningless and bringonly suffering to one. Therefore, you should at alltimes avoid committing non-virtuous deeds. Tryto make great aspirations during your recitation topurify your body, speech and mind.What Makes One a BuddhistWe are all followers of the Buddhadharma. That’swhy we are called Buddhists. What makes usBuddhist is our practice of taking refuge in theBuddha, Dharma and Sangha. On top of that, wealso generate the awakened mind of Bodhicitta*.When we take refuge in the Triple Gem andgenerate Bodhicitta, we are actually making a kindof resolution to get rid all non-virtuous deeds, andto pursue all virtuous ones. However, in order todo so, we need to first understand what are virtuous* Bodhicitta : The aspiration to help all beings attain True Happiness by becomingBuddhas, by being Bodhisattvas.

20deeds and what are non-virtuous deeds. We need toeradicate all non-virtuous deeds as they are the causesof all suffering and we need to pursue virtuous deedsas they are the causes of happiness.All sentient beings, including the tiniest insects,have been our parents. And as our parents, there isno distinction between all sentient beings and ourpresent father and mother. One should not have anydoubt about that.When you do the recitation, you should try tohave devotion and a good intention. If you recitewith this kind of devotion and motivation, youcan truly attain Enlightenment. What have keptyou as sentient being, stopping you from attainingEnlightenment is your negative karma and afflictiveemotions. Therefore, to gain Enlightenment, youhave to rid yourself of your afflictive emotions whichcause all non-virtuous deeds. To eliminate afflictiveemotions and bad karma, we need to rely on theteachings of the Buddha. And the core essence ofthe entire teachings of the Buddha is the six-syllablemantra. As practitioners of this precious Dharma, we

21need to eradicate all non-virtuous deeds in general,particularly the consumption of meat, as it has theheaviest negative karma. This is because all the livingsbeings that we eat are actually our own parentswho have been very kind to us in many lifetimes.Eating meat is a non-virtuous act with such heavymisgivings that the Buddha Himself also mentionedthat consuming the meat of other sentient beingswho have been our parents one lifetime or anotheris the gravest and most heinous deed to commit.Over the past few years, we have had the greatopportunity to recite the six-syllable mantra in aretreat. You should realise that this opportunity hascome to you as a result of your good karma in thepast. You should consider yourself very fortunateto have this opportunity. Not only during a retreat,but at all times, you should make the best effortsto accumulate virtuous deeds and refrain fromcommitting non-virtuous ones. And if you canrefrain from eating meat at all, that is the mostperfect way of not committing non-virtuous deeds.Even if you are not able to give up meat permanently,try to avoid meat consumption during special days

22of the month, such as the full month days on the8 th and 10 th etc, according to the Tibetan calendar.The human life is extremely precious and is onlyachieved once in a long while. Thus, it is extremelyimportant that you do not waste this precious humanlife. Make it as meaningful as possible by followingthe Dharma and by not commiting non-virtuousdeeds. Once again, I would like to beseech you toavoid eating meat, as there can be no negative karmaheavier than that, for the meat we eat comes fromour parents. This is what the Buddha taught andthis is what you should remember at all times.You should also dedicate the merits of yourpractice for the benefit of all mother sentient beings,even to the tiniest insects, so that they can be freedfrom the obscurations in their minds and attaincomplete Enlightenment.

Day 4

24Reciting the Mani Mantra to Free AllMother Sentient Beings from SufferingEveryone in the retreat should recite the mantrawith a very pure and perfect motivation, which isgenerally to benefit the flourishing of the Buddha’steachings and all mother sentient beings. You canalso recite the six-syllable mantra in order to free allmother sentient beings from suffering such as thesuffering of sickness etc.By making supplications to the three ‘kayas’when you recite the six-syllable mantra, it can trulydispel all the obscurations in your mind, such as theobscurations of attachment, anger, ignorance, pride,jealousy etc. During the recitation, you can praythat the obscurations in the minds of all sentientbeings be dispelled. However, just purifying yourdefilements and obscurations is not enough. Theyshould be eliminated from the root. When theobscurations are totally removed from the mind,that very moment one becomes a Buddha, anEnlightened being.

25It is very fortunate that you have such a greatopportunity to recite the mantra to benefit otherliving beings, in this age of degeneration. Whenyou have such a precious opportunity because ofyour good karma and great merits in the past, donot waste it. Try to utilise this opportunity for thebenefit of others and yourself.If you recite the mantra with a very pure stateof mind, you can benefit even those sentient beingswho have not encountered the Dharma and have noknowledge of the Dharma. Over and over again, youshould pray that your efforts can bring tremendousbenefits to the infinite number of mother sentientbeings living in the six realms of samsara. You shouldpray for the total elimination of their obscurationsand for their enlightenment. In short, it means todo the recitation with all-embracing loving-kindnessand compassion for all sentient beings.

26The Mani Mantra is the Buddha inMantra FormWe are all followers of the great vehicle or theMahayana vehicle and we must recognise that themani mantra is the Buddha Himself in the form ofmantra. Reciting the mantra in a retreat like thisis extremely great as each participant receives themerits and benefits as if individually having recitedthe mantra 100 million times. If you were to recitethe mantra alone at home for 100 million times,you will not finish even in one lifetime. Therefore,participating in a retreat like this truly makes yourprecious human life meaningful. How meaningful itis, you will realise at the time of your death. Maniis the true cause for attaining Enlightenment. Thus,when you have such a precious opportunity and youdon’t recite the mantra, you are wasting your lifemeaninglessly. Make sure you do not have manydiscursive thoughts during the recitation. Rather,make the effort to supplicate at all times for thepurification of the defilements, negative karma andobscurations of all sentient beings in the six realms.Wish that all in these realms can be liberated, by

27being born in the Western Pureland to finally attainperfect Enlightenment. This should be your constantprayer and motivation when doing the recitation.Dedicating your merits to all sentient beingsis a very powerful way of accumulating merits. Itis very beneficial for all sentient beings, especiallyfor the deceased. The benefits of doing dedicationare immeasurable. A tsunami hit several countriesand thousands of people lost their lives when theMani retreat is still going on. There is a connectionbetween these people and our practice. Therefore, itis extremely important for us to think of those wholost their lives and dedicate all our merits for theirbenefit. The consciousnesses of some who passedaway are roaming around in this retreat hall. If wededicate and pray for them, it will help guide them totheir next birth. All those who passed away becauseof this disaster are our own parents. You should prayfrom your heart that they be born in the WesternPureland and ultimately attain Enlightenment.You should pray so that they can be liberatedfrom the lower realms and from the samsaricstates. Pray to Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara

28Bodhisattva, Guru Padmasambhava and all theformer enlightened beings, to support you in yourdedication prayer to benefit all sentient beingsheaded by the people who passed away due to thetsunami. Everyone who is here to do such dedicationhas very good karma and aspirations in the past.Because of that, you are here to do dedication prayerfor these people. Doing dedication for these peopleis extremely powerful in terms of accumulatingmerits.Avoid eating meat, as there can be nonegative karma heavier than that,for the meat we eat comes fromsentient beings who have been ourparents in one life or another.This is what the Buddha taughtand this is what you shouldremember at all times.

Day 5

30Importance of Reciting the Mani Mantrawith a Pure MotivationSince we are followers of the Buddha, we take refugein the Triple Gem and generate Bodhicitta before westart our Dharma practice. Without taking refugeand generating Bodhicitta, there is no way to do anyDharma practice. The mani mantra manifests theBuddha-nature in mantra form. All of us have foundthis mantra due to the great deeds and aspirations inthe past. You should recite this mantra not just foryourself, but for all mother sentient beings living andsuffering in the six realms of samsara. Think aboutthe hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. There arecountless sentient beings suffering in these realmsand their suffering cannot be imagined. You shouldrecite to benefit these sentient beings. And also,during the recitation, you should keep your mindfree from attachment and aversion - the wish todefeat your enemies, or to take care of friendsand family with attachment. For if you hold suchthoughts during the recitation, your practice, insteadof bringing you up, may take you down. But ifyou recite the mantra with a very pure motivation,

31compassion and love, it can benefit and help allmother sentient beings rid the obscurations in theirminds.During the recitation, you can ponder the nonvirtuousdeeds that you have committed so far, suchas killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and lying etc,and confess them within your mind. This is thetime you can purify your non-virtuous deeds, andif you can’t purify them in a retreat like this, whereelse can you purify them? Therefore, this is a greatopportunity and you should be very cautious inyour practice and confess all the wrongdoings youhave had so far.All human beings have a lot of negative karma.There isn’t one who is absolutely free from negativekarma. So of course, each and everyone of us has alot to confess and purify. During the retreat, alwaysremember to keep your body, speech and mindabsolutely pure. And with perfect motivation, confessall your negative karma. In a nutshell, everyone of usshould repent for the negative karma and afflictiveemotions of not just oneself but all sentient beings.

32If you can think in this way, then your efforts willbe very beneficial to all.We are all in samsara, which is like an oceanof suffering. We need to attain liberation from thisocean of suffering. That is the purpose of doing thisrecitation – to be free from this ocean of suffering.The root to attaining freedom from suffering istaming your mind. It is the main cause that can bringabout liberation, and is the essence of the teachingsof the Buddha. I said this repeatedly for three timesbecause if you keep your mind wild and untamed,then no matter how much you try, you are not goingto attain liberation. A mind that is untamed is alwaysgoing to take rebirth in the lower realms, becauseit is the cause of all afflictions, which in turn is thecause of samsara. To attain liberation, you need thedetermination to be free from samsara, to renounce.If you don’t have the sense of renunciation, thenthere is no way to attain liberation from samsara.Abandon all non-virtuous deeds of your mind likecovetousness, harmful intentions and wrong views.Think about all mother sentient beings and recitefor them, so that they can be reborn in Western

33Pureland. Free your mind from all discursivethoughts and afflictive emotions, and recite out ofloving-kindness, compassion and Bodhicitta. If yourmind is not tamed, and still you try to practise theDharma, then it is nothing more than pretendingto be a practitioner. Therefore, tame your mindand generate loving-kindness and compassion forall sentient beings. Generate the strong aspirationto bring happiness to all mother sentient beings, tofree them from suffering and all causes of suffering.Pray from your heart that all sentient beings attainliberation from the lower realms of samsara. Keepthese words in your mind.It is important to know that the three ‘kayas’are one and the same in essence, though different inaspects. These three ‘kayas’ personify the true natureof your mind. They are not foreign to yourself butdifferent expressions of your own mind, and arespontaneously accomplished primordially, as thenature of your mind. And it is very important tounderstand, because through the Dharma practice,what one has to realise is that one’s mind is theBuddha itself, and the three ‘kayas’ are manifestations

34of that mind. During the recitation, you shouldthink only about the teachings of the Buddha andbenefiting other sentient beings. Think about yourown death which is waiting for you. If you do this,then you can tame your mind. If you feel verystrongly in your mind due to afflictive emotions, andif your mind is very rigid, not tamed or malleable,it is not going to help or benefit you. With a tamedmind, recite the mantras of the three ‘kayas’ for oneround of the mala each and every day.Perhaps you are bored that I keep stressing thesame teachings over and over again. But I trulybelieve that these teachings will benefit you a lot.I come all the way from Nepal to repeat the samethings time and again on what to do and practise,because I’m very sure this will benefit you at theend of your life.

35Taking Refuge and Generating BodhicittaBefore Each PracticeWith a very dedicated, perfect and pure motivation,you begin your Dharma practice by taking refuge inthe Triple Gem, followed by generating Bodhicittawith the below verses:May all sentient beings have happiness and itscauses.May all sentient beings be free from sufferingand its causes.May all sentient beings never be separated fromsorrowless bliss.May all sentient beings abide in equanimityfree of bias, attachment and anger, and sharewith others compassion.This should be done all the time, before youstart your Dharma practice. Being free from biasand attachment means not to take sides. It meansnot to think in terms of ‘me’ versus ‘others’. Ifyou think in this way, there is attachment to thosenear and dear to you, and aversion to those who

36are not. If you such an attitude, you are going tocommit non-virtuous deeds out of attachment andaversion, which will destroy the root of your merits.Thus, keep your mind in equanimity, with equalaffection, love and consideration for all sentientbeings. Because all have been our parents, there isno room for us to be attached or aversed to any.Having no attachment and aversion is the samaya*.And if you don’t have this samaya, then whatevereffort you make is not going to benefit yourself orothers. It will be wasted.It seems to me that there is some sort ofattachment and aversion going on, and that mustbe changed. It is extremely important to change thisattitude. This is because everyone here should havethe equal right to practise, and to receive blessings.Even for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, there is nodistinction between disciples. All disciples can equallyapproach him and receive teachings and blessingsfrom him.* Samaya : The sacramental bond and commitment in the Vajrayana establishedbetween the master and the disciples on whom empowerment isconferred. The samaya bond also exists between the disciples of thesame master and between disciples and their practice.

37To attain Enlightenment, we are dependent onother sentient beings. Without helping other sentientbeings to attain Enlightenment, there is no way forus as individuals to attain liberation. If we abide bythe samaya, we will be assisted by the kindness of allformer enlightened beings. Coupled with our ownpractice and aspiration, we can attain enlightenment.In your aspiration prayer, you should include allsentient beings of the six realms by consideringthem as your own parents. Making such prayers,and keeping the samaya is the method for you topurify your own defilements. Most importantly, youmust have a pure samaya, because all of us who arehere are like one family, doing the same practiceand listening to the same teachings. So keep this inmind and try to have a very pure samaya.

When we take refuge in the Triple Gem and generateBodhicitta, we are actually making a kind of resolutionto get rid of all non-virtuous deeds.

Day 6 & 7

40Be Careful Not to Contaminate YourRecitationIf you recite the mantra with a very pure intention,it is most beneficial to all sentient beings. What youwill achieve through the recitation is Buddhahood.Therefore, make the best effort during the retreatto do only virtuous deeds in your body, speech andmind and avoid non-virtuous ones. Your recitationis what you can “take” with you to your next life.Also, be careful and mindful of not allowing afflictiveemotions like jealousy etc. from arising. Alwaysmaintain a calm and delightful state of mind. Rejoicethat you have this great opportunity to recite thismantra. If you harbour negative thoughts when youare reciting, such thoughts can spoil your merits.Hence, keep a pure and perfect state of mind atall times.Feel the sense of tremendous joy from havinghave this great chance to recite the mantra. Sorecite with happiness and joy, and not with negativethoughts.

41Being able to recite the mani mantra is themost difficult opportunity to obtain. Yet you havefound such a rare opportunity. As a Buddhist witha precious human life, what you have to achieveultimately is Buddhahood. The six-syllable mantracan close the doors to the six realms of samsara. Ifyou recite the mani mantra, you can be reborn inthe Western Pureland and attain enlightenment. Becareful not to contaminate your recitation.When you recite the six-syllablemantra, it is very important to havea very pure state of mind. Alwaysrecite the mantra with a very pureheart and dedicated mind – onethat is always mindful and free fromnon-virtuous discursive thoughts.

42You should recite the mantra at all times,even when you are walking and sitting,and not just at the shrine. You should recite the mantrawhenever you can, and as often as you can.If you recite OM MANI PADME HUM,you will meet the Buddha within.

Day 8

44Recite the Mani Mantra at All TimesToday is the last day of the retreat and we are goingto complete 100 million of the mani mantra. Duringthis retreat, we have purified our negative karmaand made great supplications. And as a result ofour efforts, it is raining today. This is an auspicioussign. The recitation should be done not for oneselfbut for the benefit of all mother sentient beings andthe flourishing of the Buddha’s teachings. If you dothis, your recitation will benefit you in this life andthe lives to come.Recite the mani mantra at all times. Keep prayingso that you may attain complete enlightenment.The great benefits and blessings of this retreat aresymbolised by this rain, which will bring peace,harmony and happiness everywhere.Avoid negative deeds and afflictive emotions atall times, and concentrate on the recitation of themantra. Always clearly differentiate between what isvirtuous and what is non-virtuous. Try to cultivatevirtuous deeds as much as possible, as they are the

45causes of attaining enlightenment. Committingnegative deeds will only land you in the lower realms.There is a very strong bond of samaya between thepeople of Singapore and I. Also supplicate to GuruRinpoche (Padmasambhava) to attain realisations.Everyone here is very fortunate to be blessed withgreat karma and past aspirations. You have attainedthe endowment of a precious human body and havevery successfully, without any obstacles, almost cometo the end of the retreat.I have always prayed for the benefit of all sentientbeings and the spreading of the teachings of theBuddha. I pray that everyone can attain completeenlightenment. Likewise, you should pray in a similarmanner. And pray that all your negative karmacommitted since beginningless lives can be purified,so that you can attain enlightenment.Remember, the three ‘kayas’ are one and thesame in essence. They are the true nature of ourmind. Thus, they are spontaneously and primordiallyaccomplished in our own mind. To realise this, youneed to practise the virtuous deeds well, such as the

46practice of the six paramitas (or Perfections) – theperfection of generosity, the perfection of morality,the perfection of patience, the perfection of diligenteffort, the perfection of meditative concentration,and the perfection of wisdom.You should also always make the effort to avoidperforming negative deeds. Make this effort till theend of your life. If you do so, you will graduallyrealise the three ‘kayas’ within yourself.Recite the mantra out of very deep and strongloving-kindness for all sentient beings. Do notharbour negative thoughts of covetousness andthe intention to harm others etc, otherwise yourrecitation will be tainted. If you do the recitationwith loving-kindness, compassion and Bodhicitta,your recitation can lead you to the realisation ofthe three ‘kayas’. So bear in mind – recite with allembracingcompassion at all times.

47Regret Can Purify Your Non-VirtuousDeedsIt is an extremely auspicious moment as we havecreated the cause to attaining ultimate happiness.I’m very happy that so many of you are able toparticipate in this retreat and recite the mani mantra.Your efforts will definitely benefit all mother sentientbeings in the six realms of samsara. All sentient beingsare our parents. Therefore, you should always recitethe mantra out of loving-kindness and compassionfor all mother sentient beings. If you do so, theresults of your practice will manifest at the timeof your death. Think of all mother sentient beingswith compassion and love all the time. And purifyyour non-virtuous deeds and afflictive emotions outof a sense of regret. If you regret your non-virtuousdeeds, they can be purified. When you are doingyour dedication prayer, think of all mother sentientbeings and dedicate the merits of your practice totheir benefit from your heart. I thank you all fromthe bottom of my heart for attending the retreat.

48100 Million Mani recitation in Singapore atKong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery from 2001 to 2006.