How to pronounce mantras

by Gelongma Losang Drimay

May 23, 2008

First, Buddhist mantras are preserved in the Sanskrit language, the classical language of India. But these days, we are mainly receiving them from Tibetan lamas, after they have been put through the mill of the Tibetan alphabet and the Tibetan way of pronouncing things.

There are several variations on the way that mantras are spelled in Roman letters:

(1) Sometimes you will receive a written form of a mantra that has been transcribed by someone who is just trying to write down the sounds that they are hearing from their lama's speech.

(2) Or you might be looking at a mantra very carefully transliterated from the Tibetan alphabet into the Roman alphabet (the alphabet that is used for English).

(3) Or you might be looking at a mantra spelled out for you the way they do in travel books, in an attempt to help you pronounce it: PAR-LAY VOO FRAHN-SAY?

(4) If the text you are looking at was prepared by a scholar, then the mantra is most assuredly written in the international standard of romanization for Devanagari (the alphabet used for Sanskrit), complete with diacritical marks.

Note: Sanskrit has been written in a number of different alphabets over the centuries. Please understand that Sanskrit is a language and Devanagari is an alphabet.

The advantage of the accurate standard spelling is that a person could, if they wanted to, look up that word in a Sanskrit dictionary. If it's not spelled correctly, that becomes very difficult.

If you prefer the travel book type of spelling, please consider that not all Dharma students are English-speakers; other languages use the Roman alphabet and they have different ideas about how those letters are pronounced.

At this point, please look over the separate document Sanskrit Tibetan Equivalencies.

The function of the letter H

In both Sanskrit and Tibetan there are aspirated and un-aspirated consonants that we don't have in English. English-speakers have a very hard time discerning these sounds. In formal writing, the letter H always represents an out-breath, a puff of air. So, you have a T with no puff (unaspirated), and a TH with a puff (aspirated). Don't make the mistake of turning this into an English 'Th' as in Thursday.

In the 'travel-book' type of spelling, they often help you out by putting an H in, for example after the letter C, so that you make the English 'Ch' sound. However, the letter C is always pronounced like the English 'Ch' in both Sanskrit and Tibetan; never like 'City' or 'Cat'. Sanskrit consonants with the H-sound: KH, GH, CH, JH, T-dot-H, D-dot-H (retroflex), TH, DH, PH, BH.

Retroflex

Sanskrit has some sounds which are called 'retroflex'. That means that you bend your tongue back. Put the tip of your tongue on the high point of the roof of your mouth and then talk.

The Tibetan alphabet represents these sounds by flipping regular letters so that they are facing backwards. The official romanization of Sanskrit puts dots under letters to indicate retroflex. In the Devanagari alphabet, these are distinct letters. Letters that can be retroflexed are: T, TH, D, DH, N, S, KS.

Don't worry too much about actually making this retroflex sound; I just want you to understand what those dots are about.

V

That's the letter V. Or is it really?

There is a Sanskrit letter that is officially romanized as V, but many Indians don't pronounce it that way. And Tibetan-speakers can't pronounce the sound V (that is, the sound that English-speakers call V). They make it B or W. Try it. Give a word with V in it to a Tibetan person and listen.

However, Sanskrit scholars will stand by their claim that it is a V. Devanagari has a B and a V. Tibetan has a B and a W. The Sanskrit V can end up as either a B or a W in Tibetan spelling. In Indian pronunciation, when the V comes after another consonant, it becomes W, as in Svaahaa, pronounced Swaahaa.

In Sanskrit, V is considered to be one of the consonants derived from a vowel, namely the vowel U. That makes it very tempting to call it a W.

C and J

The Sanskrit sounds that we spell with a C and J, are spelled with Tibetan letters that come out as TS and DZ. Tibetan has other letters that equal C and J. This is not a mistake. The Tibetans listened to the Indian speakers and when they heard them say these sounds, as in the words CITTA (mind) or JAMBHALA (a wealth deity), they heard a sound more up towards the front teeth, rather than back in the mouth. Contrast 'ts' with 'ch'. And 'dz' with 'j'.

Vowels

To make it simple, you can basically use Latin pronunciation for vowels in Sanskrit. Most European languages besides English use Latin vowels, so if you know a bit of Spanish, just think like that. However, Sanskrit actually has long and short vowels. That's probably an advanced lesson.

Even the letters R and L have vowel forms in addition to their consonant forms, so don't be surprised to see an R sitting all by itself between two consonants. That's not a mistake. Think about it. Even in English, R is often functioning as a vowel, isn't it?

M with the dot

The M with a dot—either under or over it—is actually listed as a vowel. It is called an anusvara and generally represents a nasal sound. Exactly which nasal sound depends on the context. In Roman letters, you can't just have a dot hanging there with nothing else, so the scholars decided to use an M. That raises a controversy about some words. Everyone is happy with the syllable OM ending with an M sound.

But what about HUM-dot? Is it HUM or HUNG? This dot is used even in Tibetan writing, so there is still no M or NG; it's just a dot. But Tibetans universally say HUNG. And if you asked most Indians—at least Northern Indians—they would say HUNG. So don't get thrown off by the Romanization. It's still fine to say HUNG.

Sanskrit Alphabet as a Mantra

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Sanskrit alphabet is recited as a mantra in order to bless the speech. (You might argue that I should say Devanagari alphabet, but since it's just an oral recitation, saying Sanskrit is accurate.) So this introduction to the Sanskrit alphabet will at least help you with that.

Tibetan Pronunciation

If the scribe or woodblock-carver hasn't slipped, then the Tibetan spellings of mantras are very consistent, letter-for-letter transliterations of the Sanskrit. They might have quite different ways of pronouncing them, but the spelling is very orthodox.

Some of the common Tibetan pronunciations are different from the scholarly pronunciations, but they are not wrong. They are in accord with how many Indian speakers pronounce things.

• Some variations are due to the limits of Tibetan pronunciation (like the way that we just can't hear an unaspirated T).

• Others are due to Tibetan spelling rules mistakenly being applied to Sanskrit (like the way we might pronounce TH with a soft 'Th' sound).

• There is a special compound consonant in Sanskrit that comes out as JÑ in official spelling, but is usually pronounced GY by both Indians and Tibetans.

• I've already mentioned the V/B/W controversy which accounts for a lot of the variations.

• Tibetan doesn't have long vowels, so they just ignore the long vowel markers. Or bizarrely, they sometimes turn it into a nasal sound.

• Tibetans abhor compound consonants, so those are always reduced to what they would consider the root letter. SMARA becomes MARA, etc.

• Tricky spelling rules in Tibetan make BY into J, PR into T, and in Kham, KY becomes CH, so that accounts for many of the variants.

• A final consonant often modifies the vowel, in Tibetan, so they sometimes apply that to Sanskrit words even though it doesn't apply. PADMA becomes PEMA. And PHAT-dot becomes PAY.

• For some unfathomable reason, the Tibetans pronounce the retroflex SH as KH, even though they clearly write it with just a backwards SH. And they make KSH-dot (a special compound in Devanagari) into KHY.

So that's all for now. I might add more later. Pleases excuse the colloquialisms in this paper; it is meant as a casual explanation for non-scholars. I have avoided using a lot of diacritical marks and non-roman fonts (here), because they won't display correctly online.

Online Resources:

Tibetan Transliteration Schemes : http://www.thdl.org/collections/langling/tibetan-transliteration.html

Sanskrit Pronunciation and Diacritic Guide: http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Sanskrit/SanskritPronunc.htm

Printed Resources:

Modern Tibetan Language, Volume 1, by Losang Thonden, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1984.

Tibetan-English Dictionary, by Sarat Chandra Das, Gaurav Publishing House, 1985, (originally published by The Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, 1902).

• The spot should be clean and respectful.
• When first setting up your altar it is good to clean the area really well and burn incense to purify it.
• The size of the altar is not important.
• Place the altar so it sits higher than your head as you sit in front of it.
• If you put your altar in the bedroom, don't place it at the foot of the bed (where your feet would be pointing to it). It also needs to be higher than the bed.
• The altar needs its own shelf or table; it should not do double duty with anything else.
• The altar should be cleaned/dusted each day and kept very neat.
• Offerings should/could be made daily.

What do I place on the altar and what do they represent?

At the heart of the altar place representations of the Buddha's body, speech and mind.

• Buddha's enlightened body... represented by a statue. Usually Shakyamuni, the founder and source of the teachings of our time.
• Buddha's enlightened speech... represented by some sort of scripture. It can be any sort of Dharma text. Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends placing a copy of the Sutra of Golden Light on our altars.
• Buddha's enlightened mind... represented by the Stupa of Enlightenment.

The statue of the Buddha is placed in the middle of the altar.
The scripture or Dharma text is placed to the left of the Buddha.
The Stupa of Enlightenment is placed to the right of the Buddha.

If you can elevate these three pieces so that the offerings sit below them, great. These three objects on the altar represent the Three Jewels of Refuge. By remembering their qualities and developing them, we reduce the negative qualities of attachment, hatred and ignorance, and increase positive qualities like faith, respect, devotion, and rejoicing.

Read an article at tibet.com on The Body, Speech and Mind of a Buddha The Body of a Buddha

Next month we will talk about offerings.

• Making Offerings
• Placing Offerings on the Altar
• Blessing the Offerings
• Dedicating the Offerings
• Removing the Offerings

References:

• Tibetan Altar, Snow Lion, Gail Birnbaum
• The Preliminary Practice of Altar Set-Up and Water Bowl Offerings, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

What is a Prayer Wheel?

compiled by Cathy Young

for April 2008

The first time I spun one of these magical metal cylinders of Om Mani Padme Hum, goodness, I was hooked. I was at Swayambunath Stupa in Katmandu, Nepal.

(Below reprinted with permission from www.dharmahaven.org)

Tibetan prayer wheels (called Mani wheels by the Tibetans) are devices for spreading spiritual blessings and well being. Rolls of thin paper, imprinted with many, many copies of the mantra (prayer) Om Mani Padme Hum, printed in an ancient Indian script or in Tibetan script, are wound around an axle in a protective container, and spun around and around. Typically, larger decorative versions of the syllables of the mantra are also carved on the outside cover of the wheel.

Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying this mantra, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.

Viewing a written copy of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- and the mantra is carved into stones left in piles near paths where travelers will see them. Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel is also supposed to have the same effect; the more copies of the mantra, the more the benefit.

The earliest known mention of prayer wheels is in an account written by a Chinese pilgrim, in 400 AD, while traveling through the area now known as Ladakh. The idea is said to have originated as a play on the phrase "turn the wheel of the dharma," a classical metaphor for Buddha's teaching activity. Mani wheels are found all over Tibet and in areas influenced by Tibetan culture. There are many types of Mani wheels, but small hand-held wheels, like the one shown here, are the most common by far.

Tibetan people carry them around for hours, and even on long pilgrimages, spinning them any time they have a hand free.

Larger wheels, which may be several yards (meters) high and one or two yards (meters) in diameter, can contain myriad copies of the mantra, and may also contain sacred texts, up to hundreds of volumes.

They can be found mounted in rows next to pathways, to be spun by people entering a shrine, or along the route which people use as they walk slowly around and around a sacred site -- a form of spiritual practice called circumambulation.

Wheels are also placed where they can be spun by wind or by flowing water. Smaller mounted wheels can be spun by the heat rising from a flame or by steam from a stove, or placed on a tabletop to be spun by hand.

Tibetan Buddhist Mani wheels are always spun clockwise, as viewed from above, for any or all of several reasons: It rotates the syllables of the mantra so that they would pass a viewer in the order that they would be read, it follows the direction of the sun, and it matches the clockwise circumambulation of stupas.

With the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism into the West, new types of Mani wheels have come into being. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that having the mantra on your computer works the same as a traditional prayer wheel. Since a computer's hard disk spins hundreds of thousands of times per hour, and can contain many copies of the mantra, anyone who wants to can turn their computer into a prayer wheel.

The Benefits of Prayer Wheels

by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

There are earth, water, fire and wind prayer wheels. One of the benefits of the prayer wheel is that it embodies all the actions of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the 10 directions. To benefit sentient beings, the buddhas and bodhisattvas manifest in the prayer wheel to purify all our negative karmas and obscurations, and to cause us to actualize the realizations of the path to enlightenment. All the beings (not only the people but also the insects), in the area where the prayer wheel is built are saved from rebirth in the lower realms; they receive a deva or human body, or are born in a pure land of Buddha.

If you have a mani prayer wheel in your house, your house is the same as the Potala, the pure land of the Compassion Buddha. If you have a prayer wheel next to you when you die, you don't need powa. Having the prayer wheel itself becomes a method to transfer your consciousness to a pure land. Simply thinking of a prayer wheel helps a dying person to shoot the consciousness up the central channel and out through the crown to reincarnate in the pure land of Amithaba or the Compassion Buddha. Simply touching a prayer wheel brings great purification of negative karmas and obscurations. Turning a prayer wheel containing 100 million om mani padme hung mantras accumulates the same merit as having recited 100 million om mani padme hungs.

How to Benefit Animals

Resources:

There are a number of texts and other materials available from the website: www.fpmt.org, some for free download and some from the online store.

Here are a few links.

How to Benefit Animals - free pdf

In this text, Lama Zopa Rinpoche outlines the following points:

•  Animal Liberation
•  4 powerful mantras (in holy objects)
•  Generally to benefit animals
•  When the animal has died or is dying
•  What you can do for your animals in everyday life
•  Why holy objects benefit
•  Giving animals Dharma names

CD audio recording from online FPMT store

"This CD contains recitations by Lama Zopa Rinpoche of mantras and texts deemed especially suitable for animals to hear throughout their lives – when they are in good health, or when they are sick or dying. Hearing each mantra and text puts an imprint and blessing in the mind that brings the result of good rebirths, liberation from samsara, and ultimately, full enlightenment. Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises that playing this CD for any animal will bring immense benefit."

Animal Liberation Tools from online FPMT store

Yes, Buddhists even try to protect the lives of insects. We are challenged to live up to our principles whenever insects (and other little animals) come into our house and cause some inconvenience. No, the lamas do not give us permission to kill them in that case. That would only be heaping bad karma onto the problem. Instead, we are encouraged to carefully relocate the little creatures and even to offer them food and shelter elsewhere. From the FPMT store website:

"Use these Animal Liberation Tools, one on each hand to catch small insects in so they can be removed from your house without injury. Designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche these bug catchers are not your ordinary bug catching jar! Covered with mantras that benefit the bugs and quotes which benefit the humans..."

Animal Liberation from online FPMT store

Instructions on how to perform the animal liberation practice are available in a number of formats. The practice is in the current edition of the FPMT Prayer Book, Volume 2, which our centers keep on their shelves for use at the center. There is a simple version of this practice available as a downloadable pdf. And now it comes in a spiral bound book together with other advice.

"Liberating Animals from the Danger of Death and Other Ways to Benefit Them, is a profound method to prolong life and cure sickness. Relying on the truth of cause and effect, practitioners make special effort to give life and benefit to helpless creatures that are on the verge of being killed. By performing this powerful practice, we not only save these beings from immediate suffering, we also create the cause for their attainment of better future lives, from life to life to full enlightenment. The book also contains many practices and mantras that can be done to benefit living and sick animals. 156 pages spiral bound"

[February 2008]

It is customary to raise prayer flags on the 3rd day of Losar.

The entire first two weeks of the lunar new year are a special time for engaging in meritorious activities. In 2008, the Day of Miracles, the first full moon of the new year, falls on February 20th. The days leading up to the full moon mark the anniversary of the time when Shakyamuni Buddha displayed miracles in Shravasti, India, in response to a challenge from an assortment of Hindu adepts. Normally the Buddha did not show off his miraculous powers, but he did on this occasion because he saw it would be of great benefit to many sentient beings. Read more about the miracles he performed at Holy Days. Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives us this advice for practice during the first 2 weeks of the lunar new year: “This is the best and most exciting time, whatever practice or virtue we do, the merit is increased 100 million times. So please especially do recitations of the Arya Sangata Sutra as much as you can, when you can." Rinpoche then adds that we should make we should make extensive dedication prayers following any virtuous activity that we do during this time period. Liberating animals and taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts are just two of the merit making practices that are recommended.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches in Dharamsala, India "On the 16th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar (which usually falls sometime in February or March) His Holiness gives his annual spring teachings (also called Monlam teachings) at the Main Temple in Dharamsala. These teachings usually last for a period of 15 days and are officially translated into English on FM channel. Several thousand people, both Tibetan and non-Tibetan, attend these popular teachings." from: http://www.dalailama.com/page.5.htm Also see: http://www.tushita.info/mc-HHDL.htm

Have you ever wondered ...

What is Losar ?

compiled by Cathy Young
and Gelongma Losang Drimay

The word Losar is a Tibetan word for New Year. ‘Lo’ means year and ‘Sar’ means new.

The Tibetan calendar is made up of twelve lunar months and Losar begins on the first day of the first month which falls on February 8, 2008.

Our Western year 2008 is the Year of the Earth Mouse, Tibetan year 2135. See calendar at: http://www.fpmt.org/resources/dates.asp

In the monasteries, the celebrations for the Losar begin on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month (Tuesday, February 5, 2008). That is the day before the Tibetan New Year's Eve. On that day the monasteries do a protector deities' puja (a special kind of ritual) and begin preparations for the Losar celebrations.

The custom that day is to make special noodle called guthuk. It is made of nine different ingredients including dried cheese and various grains. Also, dough balls are given out with various ingredients hidden in them such as chilies, salt, wool, rice and coal. The ingredients one finds hidden in one's dough ball are supposed to be a lighthearted comment on one's character. If a person finds chilies in their dough, it means they are talkative. If white-colored ingredients like salt, wool or rice are inside the dough it is considered a good sign. If a person finds coal in the dough it has much the same meaning as finding coal in one's Christmas stocking; it means you have a "black heart".

The last day of the year (February 6, 2008) is a time to clean and prepare for the approaching New Year. In the monasteries it is a day of preparations. The finest decorations are put up and elaborate offerings are made called "Lama Losar". In the early dawn of this day, the monks of Namgyal Monastery offer a sacrificial cake (Tse-tor) on top of the main temple to the supreme hierarchy of Dharma protectors, the glorious goddess Palden Lhamo. Led by the Dalai Lama, the abbots of three great monasteries, lamas, reincarnated monks, government officials and dignitaries join the ceremony and offer their contemplative prayers, while the monks of Namgyal Monastery recite the invocation of Palden Lhamo.

After the completion of this ceremony, all assemble in the hall called Excellence of Samsara and Nirvana for a formal greeting ceremony. Seated on his or her respective cushions, everyone exchanges the traditional greeting, "Tashi delek". In order to wish His Holiness the Dalai Lama good luck for the coming year, consecrated long-life pills (tse-ril) made out of roasted barley dough are offered to him by the representatives of the three great monasteries, the two Tantric Colleges, etc. Then entertainers (garma) perform a dance of good wishes. And two senior monks stage a debate on Buddhist philosophy, and conclude their debate with an auspicious recitation composed especially for the event, in which the whole spectrum of Buddhist teaching is first briefly reviewed.

A request is made to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to all holders of the doctrine to remain for a long time amongst beings in samsara in order to serve them through their enlightened activities. The official ceremony of the day then concludes with a ceremonial farewell to the His Holiness, who then retires to his palace [a respectful term for his residence, which is a rather modest building in Dharamsala].

The second day of Losar is known as King's Losar (gyal-po lo-sar) because officially the day is reserved for a secular gathering in the hall of Excellence of Samsara and Nirvana. His Holiness and his government exchange greetings with both monastic and lay dignitaries, such as representatives of China, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Mongolia and other foreign visitors. Then from the third day onwards, the people and monks begin to celebrate and enjoy the festive season.

References:

1) Copied in part from: The Story of Losar, by Venerable Salden, Namgyal Monastery (the personal monastery of H.H. the Dalai Lama)

2) BBC

from November 2007 newsletter

compiled by Cathy Young

Have you ever wondered ...

Why We Prostrate?

When we first come to a Buddhist ceremony, visit a Lama, or visit a Buddhist center you may notice that many folks stand in front of a Buddha image and drop to the floor. What they are doing is a prostration. They place their hands together, with their thumbs cupped inside the hands, at their heart. This is called the prostration mudra. They then place the thus joined hands at the crown of the head. Then with finger tips still pointing upwards they touch their prayer hands to forehead, then the throat, lastly bringing them down to rest at the heart. Then placing their hands flat on the floor, go down to their knees touching their forehead to the floor. Only to stand back up again. Some even lay flat on the ground, bringing their prayer hands over the back of their heads, coming up to the knees and then fully upright. Only to start the whole procedure over again till they have finished 3 rounds of this devotional gymnastic. This is the act of “Prostration”.

Full-length prostration on a Tibetan-style prostration board

The forehead to floor prostration is called the “Five-Limb Prostration”, because all four limbs and the forehead are touching the floor.

“Full length Prostration” is when the entire body is stretched out on the floor.

The shortest form of prostration is to place your hands in prostration mudra at your heart.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other monks with their hands in prostration mudra. Bodhgaya, India.

Prostrating at the beginning of teachings is a gesture of respect for the teacher and/or the teachings, and it help to subdue one's pride so that we can be open enough to listen. If we sit down to a teaching full of pride, we won't be able to learn anything, and in our minds we may even criticize the teacher or teaching.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche says: When you put your palms together to a statue of Buddha, a picture of Buddha, or whenever you see a holy object, you immediately get ten benefits:

1. You will achieve rebirth in the king’s family, you will have wealth and power, and you can become king. If you were a king, you would have a lot of influence to benefit so many sentient beings. You could make charity of your wealth to many sentient beings and those beings would listen to what you say. In this way, you would cause so many beings to meet the Dharma. You could teach them the right ways to practice, and to abandon wrong things that harm themselves and other sentient beings. You could give them correct wisdom.

2. You will achieve the extensive form. That means you will have a perfect body with complete sense faculties, as I mentioned before. If you have a perfect body, there are no obstacles to whatever Dharma you wish to practice, such as taking vows, taking ordination.

3. All the people surrounding you, maids or servants people in the office or your family, will be perfect. Their minds will be harmonized to yours, so there won’t be any fighting or difficulties, and they will do exactly as you like according to your wishes. So your practice of benefiting other sentient beings becomes even more beneficial, because you have the help and support of people around you.

4. You will be able to make extensive offerings to the Guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

5. You will receive respect and service from others.

6. You will be able to listen extensively to the Dharma.

7. You will have extensive devotion. Prostrations cause us to achieve devotion. without devotion to the Guru, without faith, you cannot receive blessings from the Guru. Therefore, you cannot achieve the realizations of the path to enlightenment. Without devotion to the Triple Gem, you cannot achieve their qualities within yourself, the qualities of Buddha, the qualities of Dharma, and the qualities of the Sanga. Being without faith is like a vehicle without fuel - unable to function; or like everything in a city not functioning and then collapsing when there is no electricity. Devotion is an extremely important foundation.

8. You will have a very good memory and a clear mind. If you want good memory, it means doing a lot of prostration! If you don’t want to become a vegetable or suffer from Alzheimer’s, do a lot of prostration.

9. You will achieve extensive wisdom.

10. You will achieve extensive realizations, all the way up to enlightenment. You will achieve the complete, perfect quality of cessation, the perfect quality of realization. In the case of the Lesser Vehicle, you will achieve the right-seeing path, the path of meditation, the path of no more learning, freeing you from the cycle of death and rebirth, old age, sickness, and death. In the case of Highest Tantra, the clear light of meaning, you will be completely free. You will cease the disturbing-thought obscuration and achieve the pure illusory body.

Wow, all that from putting your palms together. As Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a good thing!”

Geshe Loden, in “Path to Enlightenment”, says: “Prostration is paying homage.... It is a powerful form of body language by which we generate and demonstrate respect, humility and devotion to the holy objects, such as Buddha's and gurus, who are the inspiration for our practice of Dharma. The real purpose of prostration is to train the mind with devotional attitudes. Prostration is a powerful method to overcome pride. Pride will cause many to have a strong resistance to bowing down before any other being, including the Buddha. The real purpose of prostration, however, is to train the mind in attitudes of devotion which are a source of happiness, not to grovel at the feet of someone else."

Geshe Loden continues: "By physically bowing before the field of merit (or teacher, buddha image, etc.), we make prostrations of the body. By praising them and speaking of their qualities we prostrate with our speech. We prostrate mentally by holding an attitude of respect, faith and devotion and reflecting on the good qualities of the Buddha's, gurus and holy objects. We can prostrate body, speech, and mind together by bowing before the field of merit and reflecting on their qualities as we recite a prayer of praise...."

Now that we have established what prostration is and why do it, the question most often asked is “What if I can’t physically do a prostration?”. The good news is, you can do them mentally. I was recently a participant of a purification ceremony called a Nyung Nae which required a lot of prostration. Well, by the second day my knees would no longer allow me to physically prostrate. At which point our leader, the amazing Venerable René said to go ahead and do mental prostrations. He also said it would be good to stand (if possible) while mentally doing them. Between you and me, I don’t think mental prostrations have quite the bang as doing them physically.

(Please read the below answer to my mental vs physical question from our most beloved teacher Emily Hsu, Emily teaches the Basic Buddhism course for GGBC.)

However, our teachers tell us over and over to be sincere and do the best you can. The practice of prostration is powerful at any level. If you can remember to generate the mind of Bodhichitta while prostrating this will ensure that your practice leads to enlightenment and thus enables you to be of the greatest benefit to others. I have only briefly touched on the benefits of this simple and important practice. So one way or another, get out there and start prostrating!

Source: The Preliminary Practice of Prostrations, to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas. Translation and Instructions by Lama Zopa Rinpoche FPMT Practice Booklet

I asked Emily Hsu, if there was a difference between mental and physical prostrations. Below is her gracious reply.

"Your question about a mental prostration vs. a physical prostration. I haven't found anything in the texts about this, so I'll just share some of my own thoughts with you. In general the mind is what determines the power of a particular practice. It is what we do with the mind that has the power to purify and subdue the mind. If we do a prostration physically but our mind is distracted or full of pride, then the prostration will have little strength to purify the mind. In contrast, if we do a mental prostration correctly, with a focused mind, genuine humility and regret for our negative actions, with deep respect, truly bowing down with the heart, (and ideally with an understanding of emptiness), then this would have a tremendous power.

"So I think that you could say that a mental prostration could be just as powerful as a physical prostration if it is done purely. However, I think that the physical prostration really helps us get into the proper state of mind, physically bowing down, becoming lower than someone, surrendering, showing humility. It might be more difficult to generate this same state of mind without the physical aspect. But if we are able to do a mental prostration with the same degree of humility, regret, and surrender, then I would say that it may be just as powerful as a physical prostration. But we need to be really honest with ourselves to see if the same state of mind is induced merely mentally or if we also need the physical side. I would recommend that if people are not able to do a prostration physically, at least try to put your hands together and bow your head."

Have you ever wondered...

What is a Mantra?

Mantra: Sets of syllables and, often, additional Sanskrit words and phrases, all of which represent enlightening speech and which, when repeated, protect the mind from destructive states. While repeating the mantras of a Buddha-figure, one imagines having the abilities to communicate perfectly to everyone the complete means for eliminating suffering and reaching enlightenment. Mantras shape the breath, and consequently the subtle energy-winds, enabling one to bring the winds under control for use in meditation practice.

- Alexander Berzin, PhD., from the glossary on www.berzinarchives.com

mantra (Skt.) Literally, protection of the mind. Mantras are Sanskrit syllables recited in conjunction with the practice of a particular meditational deity that embody the qualities of that deity.

- from The Tantric Path of Purification, by Lama Thubten Yeshe, Wisdom Publications, glossary

The Secret Mantra Vehicle's name stems from mantra, meaning "mind protection" (man, mind + traa, protect) in the sense that tantric practice "protects", i.e., isolates, the mind from ordinary appearances through the substitution of exalted appearances.

- from Highest Yoga Tantra, by Daniel Cozort, Snow Lion Publications

Tantrayana is sometimes also called Mantrayana. Generally, we understand mantra to be something we count or recite, but mantra is not necessarily just counting the sound. There is relative mantra and there is absolute mantra. Counting mantras such as Om mani padme hum, the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, is relative mantra. Absolute mantra is not this; it is the yoga tantra method, the tantric path of liberation. In other words, the path itself is mantra.

In Tibetan, the Sanskrit word mantra is yigyurpa; its connotation is roughly "mind liberation." Liberated from what? From ordinary conceptions. When you meditate using the yoga method of Chenrezig, Avalokiteshvara, your body is transformed into the divine form of Avalokiteshvara's white, radiant light body; your speech, into indestructible divine speech; and your mind, into divine wisdom, the divine consciousness of Avalokiteshvara. This method liberates you from mundane thought, from ordinary body, speech, and mind. This is the real function of mantra, of Tantrayana.

- from Becoming the Compassion Buddha: Tantric Mahamudra for Everyday Life,
by Lama Thubten Yeshe, Ed. Robina Courtin, Wisdom Publications

from August 2007 Newsletter

Have you ever wondered... about Buddhist monastic robes?

Tibetan Monastic Robes by Geshe Lhundrup Sopa (Reprinted from July Special Edition of Mandala)

The dhonka has much historical significance. It was created in the time of Tsong Khapa, in the 14th century; before then, monks dressed in the Indian Hinayana style, with nothing much on the upper part of the body. Tibet is very cold, though, so they created this upper garment. It is made of maroon and yellow cloth, sometimes all maroon. The two shoulders represent the lion's mane. The lion is the king of beasts who has no fear of other beings, remaining relaxed and peaceful. The same with anyone following Vinaya: they do not need to fear being born in suffering rebirths; they are on the path of emancipation. The blue piping around the sleeve is also historically important. In the 9th century, King Langdarma assassinated his younger brother, who was king before him and who developed Buddhism. Langdarma ruled for many years and tried to wipe out Buddhism. It was the worst situation in Tibet until the Chinese in 1959. The Buddha's rules of discipline, the Vinaya, were almost wiped out. Three monks escaped to Amdo, near the Chinese border, and they wanted to revive the Vinaya rule by giving ordination to someone. There have to be five fully ordained monks, however, so they invited two Chinese monks to join them. At the time, Chinese monks always wore some blue garments, so this blue string is a reminder of them. Under the arms, in the back, the cut of the cloth looks like two elephant tusks. This represents the lord of death, so we are always reminded of the impermanence of life. We are sitting in the jaws of death.

The shemdap is made of patches and is maroon. Originally, you would cut up the cloth into different pieces and then sew it together; now we simply sew it so it looks patched. As HH [His Holiness the Dalai Lama] said once, "It's not of good quality, and it's patched. If it was of good material and in one piece, your could sell it and gain something. This way you can't. This reinforces our philosophy of becoming detached from worldly goods." The folds in the robes (at least in the Gelug lineage) have particular significance. The fold on the right side turn towards the back, which symbolizes that the monk or nun has left behind worldly concerns and activities, as well as following negative actions. The folds on the left turn towards the front, symbolic of following the Buddhist path and virtuous activities—the purpose is to go towards that. Monastics should always remember this when they put on their robes. I'm not sure how it is in other traditions; sometimes they have the folds all towards the back. These folds are specific to the Tibetans, as the Indian robes use less cloth, so technically these folds aren't part of the Vinaya system. Also, the three folds in front sometimes symbolize different sayings, like Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the three Principles of the Path, but overall these three folds make it easier to sit down.

The chögu is yellow and is usually worn during confession ceremony and teachings. It is similar to the Hinayana robe. It is also made of many pieces. [This robe is held in common in all the Buddhist monastic traditions, even though the color and size vary. -Drimay] The namjar is also yellow and is bigger than the chögu. It is for special occasions, such as ordinations. HH [His Holiness the Dalai Lama] sometimes wears the namjar for initiations and certain ceremonies. It has more patches than the chögu, and sometimes, in Tibet, it was made of silk.

For day-to-day life, monks and nuns don't wear the chögu; they wear the zen, which is maroon, the same as the shemdap.

The dingwa is made of wool and is put on top of your cushion. Monks and nuns are supposed to always take it with them. Nowadays it's not used much, only for teachings and ceremonies. If you visit someone, you would sit on it so that it protects the person's seat from damage: if you spill something, for example, it's your own cloth that gets damaged.

The hat is worn during special ceremonies. The bottom part is yellow and has the handle in the back with two handles. Inside is white, symbolic of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion; the handle inside is blue, symbolic of Vajrapani, the Buddha of Power; and the handle outside is reddish orange and symbolizes Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom. The many threads standing upright represent the thousand Buddhas of this age on top of your head. The yellow represents the purity of the teachings, similar to how gold is considered pure and free of stains.

This article reprinted from the Special Edition of Mandala Magazine, in celebration of the Monlam Chenmo Great Prayer Festival in Washington, DC, July 2, 2000. For more information, visit their website at http://www.mandalamagazine.org/. Used here by permission of Mandala Magazine editor, 2007. Also, thanks to Snow Lion Newsletter.

About the Bell and Dorje (Vajra)

compiled by Cathy Young, for July 2007 newsletter

Have you ever wondered.... why a Lama or Sangha member rings a bell and moves an implement, called a dorje, during certain ceremonies? What do the dorje and bell mean? The dorje and bell are the primary Ritual Tools of Tibetan Buddhism. Always kept together they represent many layers of intricate symbolism and meaning and are used in almost all Tibetan ritual ceremony, chanting and magical operations. Primarily dorje and bell represent the masculine and feminine principles in the cosmos and in the individuals energy body. The dorje is always held in the right hand and the bell in the left as these are the sides of the right and left channels in the body.

DORJE

As the archetypal male principle the dorje it is the quintessential symbol of the 'diamond mind of enlightenment' so hard that it is able to cut through all illusions and deceits and arrive at the clearlight of truth in its two forms. These two forms of truth are symbolised by the two pronged dorje and are relative truth - needed for daily living ie. science, practical knowledge etc., and absolute truth which reveals the inner nature of the universe. The central hub from which the prongs arrive represents the sphere of actual reality. From this sphere arise two eight petalled lotuses crowned by two full moon 'discs' from which emerge the five upper and lower prongs. These five represent the Five Buddha families, the five elements, and the five skandhas [form- feeling - perception - motivation and consciousness- which the outer four are curved into and merge with at the tip.] As such the dorje is the great alchemical symbol and represents the creation of the 'philosophers stone'. In Tibetan dorje means the indestructible stone. The dorje is considered the ultimate spiritual weapon in that it is used to banish the forces of darkness, ignorance and disharmony with its power of lightning and clear truth. It is held in the right hand and twirled according to the pattern of the particular ritual, where it also represents 'skilful method'.

BELL

As the archetypal feminine principle the Dill boo [bell] represents the perfection of wisdom which directly perceives the primordial nature of shunyata [emptiness]. Its sound describes emptiness as it the sound arises from silence and dissolves back into silence. As such it represents the mandala of creation and dissolution; the bottom rim of the bell reps the disc of emptiness from which all arises, these being symbolised by the ring of lower dorjes, the garlands of hanging pearls, the upper horizontal dorjes, all forming the base for eight seed syllables of the eight goddesses. The main feature fo the handle is the face of Vajra-para-mita, the greatest Goddess representing the union and perfection of all wisdom and awareness. From her elaborate crown rise the five wisdom jewels which form the vajra cap to the bell. In Buddhism, the bell represents Wisdom ("Prajna" in Sanskrit). It is held in the left hand during rituals, and it is also believed that the bell represents the female principle of the universe. The Dorje is held in the right hand and represents the male principle of the universe when used in rituals. The Dorje also represents Method or Action ("Upaya" in Sanskrit) when combined with the bell. However, it has a deeper meaning than this. It literally means "fitness of action," which is considered the same as Compassion ("Karuna" in Sanskrit) in some Buddhist schools. Hence, the use of the Bell and Dorje together is a symbol for the joining of Wisdom and Compassion. The Dorje has an ancient history. It originally was a symbol for the Thunderbolt, wielded by the Hindu god Indra. In Buddhism, with its emphasis on clarity and enlightenment, it became a symbol for both a thunderbolt and a diamond. As a thunderbolt cuts through the dark of night, and a diamond can cut through any material, it is believed that an enlightened mind can cut through the fog of ignorance and confusion which we normally live in. Hence in Buddhism the Dorje became associated with the path to enlightenment.

What is the Double Dorje?

The double dorje is one of the premiere symbols for Tantric Buddhism. It represents undefiled pure consciousness, the pristine awareness beyond conceptual thinking. These are qualities of the enlightened mind. In Sanskrit the word used to denote the basis for that condition is 'sunyata', usually translated as emptiness or void. It is a state which cannot be destroyed or corrupted, has no beginning or end, etc. At the same time it can destroy all negative and deluded conditions and is the basis of all phenomena.