Thursday, June 15, 2006
Archived Live Release Records
Month
Number of Lives Released
January-05
8774
February-05
5668
March-05
18587
April-05
8590
May-05
11400
June-05
7398
July-05
9432
August-05
6895
September-05
21356
October-05
23173
November-05
9868
December-05
4530
January-06
9300
February-06
10000
March-06
5400
April-06
9530
May-06
17300
June-06
5575
Number of Lives Released
January-05
8774
February-05
5668
March-05
18587
April-05
8590
May-05
11400
June-05
7398
July-05
9432
August-05
6895
September-05
21356
October-05
23173
November-05
9868
December-05
4530
January-06
9300
February-06
10000
March-06
5400
April-06
9530
May-06
17300
June-06
5575
Monday, June 12, 2006
A Brief Explanation of the Benefits of Using Prayer Wheels
A Brief Explanation of the Benefits of Using Prayer Wheels
With Citations of Guru Rinpoche’s prophecy from the Stainless King of Confessions Tantra
By Lama Drimed
As many of you know, Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche has for a long time had a deep aspiration to furnish prayer wheels of the entire Stainless Confession Tantra known as the Stainless King of Confessions Tantra [Dri med bshags pai rgyud kyi rgyal po] for purifying stains, failings, breaches and impairments of vows and samayas. Generally we have many different types of prayer wheel in Tibet. All of them spin by relying on the propulsion of the four elements, for example, water wheels and fire wheels, wind-powered wheels and earth wheels. In Tibet there was a fire wheel that would turn by relying on the heat and smoke from a fire. Nowadays we have electricity, which is essentially the fire element in electrical form. In short, use of water, fire, wind, and earth-powered mantra wheels is one way of fashioning prayer wheels and is a custom that continues in Tibet to this day.
One other type of prayer wheel is a manual one which is spun by the hands of people. These prayer wheels fall into the category of earth wheels. There are many different sized manual prayer wheels. One is very large, called a Dung-khor, and is spun with all the force of one’s hands and arms. It is enormous and takes a lot of strength to turn. Another kind is a T’hen-khor, which you see in long streams around temples, monasteries, and stupas. People walk by in a line and brush their right hands across these wheels, causing them to spin in a clockwise direction. They keep spinning and are spun again by the next person, so they spin for a long time. The kind of prayer wheel that we have made is called a Lag-khor, and is supported by a central handle that one holds while spinning the wheel in a clockwise direction.
Why it is so important
As Mantrayana practitioners, we have taken many vows and commitments, on outer, inner, and secret levels. As Buddhists, there are different levels of samaya impairment. The outer level refers to breaches or impairments in our vows related to Pratimoksha, or individual liberation. It is the foundation for our inner precepts of the Bodhisattva, and our secret samayas of Mantrayana. This Stainless King of Confession Tantra is the king of all confessions for confessing any and all ways in which we have strayed from or transgressed our commitments of Pratimoksha, Bodhisattva, and Mantrayana. It is called the King because it is the supreme king of all confession tantras and can purify breaches of all vows and samayas on the outer level as pratimoksha, the inner level as mahayana, the profound samayas of the vajrayana, and the innermost supremely profound samayas of the Atiyoga vehicle.
This prayer wheel Confession tantra is the vajra word of the Primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, Vajrapani, and Vajrasattva, codified in the original Sanskrit language. It was translated into the Tibetan language by great awakened Pandit Vimalamitra and the Great Translator Lochen Jnanakumara. The Great Lopön of Orgyan, Padmasambhava himself prophesied that this Stainless King of Confessions Tantra would be of inconceivable benefit to future generations of practitioners during the time when many yogins and beings would be afflicted by the effects of broken samaya and degenerations of one’s vows and commitments. Seeing that such acts would catapult many practitioners and beings to the hell realm and the other lower realms of unbearable suffering, the Great Master Guru Rinpoche sealed and blessed this Tantra as a precious hidden treasure, or Terma, as a means of purifying all the stains and failings of samaya breaches. Thus it belongs to both the categories of Kama, or the original word of the Buddha, and the Terma, or rediscovered hidden treasure teachings.
Gyaltrul Rinpoche’s Fervent Wish
For a long time it has been a deep goal of Rinpoche to see this Stainless Confession Tantra be inserted into a prayer wheel to be used by everyone, but especially practitioners in the West, many of whom have received empowerments and teachings from incredible Masters and Lamas here and have impaired or broken their samayas and vows but may not be aware of it. For a long time, the karmic interdependent conditions were not in confluence and so this goal was tabled. When I came down to the States, Ven. Gyaltrul Rinpoche emphatically assigned me with the task of creating these prayer wheels in accordance with his vision. I did my best to quickly and carefully input the Stainless Confession Tantra into the computer, work out the design of the prayer wheel, and enlist the help of many kind friends to get this done. Now, happily, the prayer wheels are fully complete and ready to spin!
Rinpoche said that if someone has faith in this Tantra and spins this prayer wheel, there will be certain benefit and purification will definitely take place. But, he added, even if someone with no particular faith and a rather noncommittal or indifferent attitude were to touch and spin these wheels, they would still incur a vast, inconceivable blessing and benefit from the connection and purification would occur. That is the power and blessing of this tantra and these consecrated wheels. Inwardly, the blessings and benefit of spinning the Stainless Confession Tantra are immeasurable. Outwardly, we have wrapped the prayer wheels in the sacred golden dress of the holy Shakyamuni Buddha statue in Bodhgaya. This raiment is inseparable from the blessings of our Teacher, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The case in which they are placed is also imbued with the blessing and consecration of His Holiness the Wish Fulfilling Jewel, the late Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. When Gyaltrul Rinpoche visited China, he stopped on the way to Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche’s monastery to pick up these prayer wheel cases, which were consecrated by His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche when he was building the many hundred thousand prayer wheels in Tibet. Thus, these prayer wheels are truly rare and difficult to come by, particularly if you think about the fact that they are bound and wrapped in the garment that was wrapped around the Shakyamuni Buddha in Bodhgaya, and are held in cases that were specially consecrated by His Holiness Jigme Phunstok Rinpoche.
To Purchase a Prayer Wheel
These prayer wheels are selling at a minimum of 108 US Dollars. If you would like to donate more, all donations are welcome, as the entire earnings of these wheels will go into a pool of savings to build the giant Dung-khor, or life-sized prayer wheel of this same Stainless King of Confessions Tantra. That is another vision of Gyaltrul Rinpoche that we will be able to see come to fruition.
Excerpt from the Stainless King of Confessions Tantra
The Great Master of Orgyan, Padmasambhava foresaw:
In the future, there will occur many impairments, breaches, transgressions, and failings of the samayas of the Secret Mantrayana.
Many yogins and beings will accrue the causes for taking rebirth in the lower realms. Thus, thinking of these beings,
Guru Rinpoche, in order to establish all beings along the authentic path,
Concealed this as the very crowning glory of all fulfillment and confession liturgies that had been composed to restore degenerated and broken samaya commitments
And hid it as a precious Terma.
This tantra was translated by the Great Adept Vimalamitra.
O rgyan gyi slob dpon chen po pad ma ‘byung gnas kyis/ ma ‘ong pai dus na gsang sngags kyi dam tshig la nyams chag ‘gal ‘khrul du gyur pa mang po yong zhing/ rnal ‘byor pa ‘ga’ ‘am ‘gro ba ‘ga’ dang ‘gas ngan song gi rgyu bsags par ‘gyur bas/ de dag rnams kyi don du dgongs zhing/ ‘gro ba rnams yang dag pai lam la ‘god pai ched du/ dam tshig nyam chag skong bshags kyi cho ga mdzad pai spyi dpal du bkab ste/ rin po che’i gter du btzas pa’o/ ‘brgyud ‘di ni mkhas pa chen po bi ma la mi ţas bsgyur pa’o//
Instruction on assemble the prayer wheel and usage:
In each prayer wheel box set, there is a prayer wheel and a handle with a sharp axle on its tip. First, one needs to lubricate the axle part of the handle with lubricant such as petroleum Vaseline or other machinery grease. The axle needs to be lubricated periodically.
The prayer wheel can be used by either hand. However, it must be turned in a clockwise direction. The turning of wheel must not do in a hasty manner rather a continuous harmonious motion.
Traditionally in Tibet, one uses the right hand for turning the prayer wheel while the left hand is turning one’s mala; turning the prayer wheel can be done during one’s meditation session, dharma practices, and daily activities such as walking, sitting, or mundane actions.
When one’s finished turning the prayer wheel, it should be stored in a clean and high place. One should not leave it on the floor or stored at a dirty place. Preferable one’s altar is the ideal place for storage.
{Please make Check payable to STTCC and mail the check to: YESHE MELONG, 2244 Santa Clara St., Alameda, CA 94501 (please include your phone no. and email address if you have). [510]-521-9641 Info@mirrorofwisdom.org}
With Citations of Guru Rinpoche’s prophecy from the Stainless King of Confessions Tantra
By Lama Drimed
As many of you know, Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche has for a long time had a deep aspiration to furnish prayer wheels of the entire Stainless Confession Tantra known as the Stainless King of Confessions Tantra [Dri med bshags pai rgyud kyi rgyal po] for purifying stains, failings, breaches and impairments of vows and samayas. Generally we have many different types of prayer wheel in Tibet. All of them spin by relying on the propulsion of the four elements, for example, water wheels and fire wheels, wind-powered wheels and earth wheels. In Tibet there was a fire wheel that would turn by relying on the heat and smoke from a fire. Nowadays we have electricity, which is essentially the fire element in electrical form. In short, use of water, fire, wind, and earth-powered mantra wheels is one way of fashioning prayer wheels and is a custom that continues in Tibet to this day.
One other type of prayer wheel is a manual one which is spun by the hands of people. These prayer wheels fall into the category of earth wheels. There are many different sized manual prayer wheels. One is very large, called a Dung-khor, and is spun with all the force of one’s hands and arms. It is enormous and takes a lot of strength to turn. Another kind is a T’hen-khor, which you see in long streams around temples, monasteries, and stupas. People walk by in a line and brush their right hands across these wheels, causing them to spin in a clockwise direction. They keep spinning and are spun again by the next person, so they spin for a long time. The kind of prayer wheel that we have made is called a Lag-khor, and is supported by a central handle that one holds while spinning the wheel in a clockwise direction.
Why it is so important
As Mantrayana practitioners, we have taken many vows and commitments, on outer, inner, and secret levels. As Buddhists, there are different levels of samaya impairment. The outer level refers to breaches or impairments in our vows related to Pratimoksha, or individual liberation. It is the foundation for our inner precepts of the Bodhisattva, and our secret samayas of Mantrayana. This Stainless King of Confession Tantra is the king of all confessions for confessing any and all ways in which we have strayed from or transgressed our commitments of Pratimoksha, Bodhisattva, and Mantrayana. It is called the King because it is the supreme king of all confession tantras and can purify breaches of all vows and samayas on the outer level as pratimoksha, the inner level as mahayana, the profound samayas of the vajrayana, and the innermost supremely profound samayas of the Atiyoga vehicle.
This prayer wheel Confession tantra is the vajra word of the Primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, Vajrapani, and Vajrasattva, codified in the original Sanskrit language. It was translated into the Tibetan language by great awakened Pandit Vimalamitra and the Great Translator Lochen Jnanakumara. The Great Lopön of Orgyan, Padmasambhava himself prophesied that this Stainless King of Confessions Tantra would be of inconceivable benefit to future generations of practitioners during the time when many yogins and beings would be afflicted by the effects of broken samaya and degenerations of one’s vows and commitments. Seeing that such acts would catapult many practitioners and beings to the hell realm and the other lower realms of unbearable suffering, the Great Master Guru Rinpoche sealed and blessed this Tantra as a precious hidden treasure, or Terma, as a means of purifying all the stains and failings of samaya breaches. Thus it belongs to both the categories of Kama, or the original word of the Buddha, and the Terma, or rediscovered hidden treasure teachings.
Gyaltrul Rinpoche’s Fervent Wish
For a long time it has been a deep goal of Rinpoche to see this Stainless Confession Tantra be inserted into a prayer wheel to be used by everyone, but especially practitioners in the West, many of whom have received empowerments and teachings from incredible Masters and Lamas here and have impaired or broken their samayas and vows but may not be aware of it. For a long time, the karmic interdependent conditions were not in confluence and so this goal was tabled. When I came down to the States, Ven. Gyaltrul Rinpoche emphatically assigned me with the task of creating these prayer wheels in accordance with his vision. I did my best to quickly and carefully input the Stainless Confession Tantra into the computer, work out the design of the prayer wheel, and enlist the help of many kind friends to get this done. Now, happily, the prayer wheels are fully complete and ready to spin!
Rinpoche said that if someone has faith in this Tantra and spins this prayer wheel, there will be certain benefit and purification will definitely take place. But, he added, even if someone with no particular faith and a rather noncommittal or indifferent attitude were to touch and spin these wheels, they would still incur a vast, inconceivable blessing and benefit from the connection and purification would occur. That is the power and blessing of this tantra and these consecrated wheels. Inwardly, the blessings and benefit of spinning the Stainless Confession Tantra are immeasurable. Outwardly, we have wrapped the prayer wheels in the sacred golden dress of the holy Shakyamuni Buddha statue in Bodhgaya. This raiment is inseparable from the blessings of our Teacher, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The case in which they are placed is also imbued with the blessing and consecration of His Holiness the Wish Fulfilling Jewel, the late Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. When Gyaltrul Rinpoche visited China, he stopped on the way to Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche’s monastery to pick up these prayer wheel cases, which were consecrated by His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche when he was building the many hundred thousand prayer wheels in Tibet. Thus, these prayer wheels are truly rare and difficult to come by, particularly if you think about the fact that they are bound and wrapped in the garment that was wrapped around the Shakyamuni Buddha in Bodhgaya, and are held in cases that were specially consecrated by His Holiness Jigme Phunstok Rinpoche.
To Purchase a Prayer Wheel
These prayer wheels are selling at a minimum of 108 US Dollars. If you would like to donate more, all donations are welcome, as the entire earnings of these wheels will go into a pool of savings to build the giant Dung-khor, or life-sized prayer wheel of this same Stainless King of Confessions Tantra. That is another vision of Gyaltrul Rinpoche that we will be able to see come to fruition.
Excerpt from the Stainless King of Confessions Tantra
The Great Master of Orgyan, Padmasambhava foresaw:
In the future, there will occur many impairments, breaches, transgressions, and failings of the samayas of the Secret Mantrayana.
Many yogins and beings will accrue the causes for taking rebirth in the lower realms. Thus, thinking of these beings,
Guru Rinpoche, in order to establish all beings along the authentic path,
Concealed this as the very crowning glory of all fulfillment and confession liturgies that had been composed to restore degenerated and broken samaya commitments
And hid it as a precious Terma.
This tantra was translated by the Great Adept Vimalamitra.
O rgyan gyi slob dpon chen po pad ma ‘byung gnas kyis/ ma ‘ong pai dus na gsang sngags kyi dam tshig la nyams chag ‘gal ‘khrul du gyur pa mang po yong zhing/ rnal ‘byor pa ‘ga’ ‘am ‘gro ba ‘ga’ dang ‘gas ngan song gi rgyu bsags par ‘gyur bas/ de dag rnams kyi don du dgongs zhing/ ‘gro ba rnams yang dag pai lam la ‘god pai ched du/ dam tshig nyam chag skong bshags kyi cho ga mdzad pai spyi dpal du bkab ste/ rin po che’i gter du btzas pa’o/ ‘brgyud ‘di ni mkhas pa chen po bi ma la mi ţas bsgyur pa’o//
Instruction on assemble the prayer wheel and usage:
In each prayer wheel box set, there is a prayer wheel and a handle with a sharp axle on its tip. First, one needs to lubricate the axle part of the handle with lubricant such as petroleum Vaseline or other machinery grease. The axle needs to be lubricated periodically.
The prayer wheel can be used by either hand. However, it must be turned in a clockwise direction. The turning of wheel must not do in a hasty manner rather a continuous harmonious motion.
Traditionally in Tibet, one uses the right hand for turning the prayer wheel while the left hand is turning one’s mala; turning the prayer wheel can be done during one’s meditation session, dharma practices, and daily activities such as walking, sitting, or mundane actions.
When one’s finished turning the prayer wheel, it should be stored in a clean and high place. One should not leave it on the floor or stored at a dirty place. Preferable one’s altar is the ideal place for storage.
{Please make Check payable to STTCC and mail the check to: YESHE MELONG, 2244 Santa Clara St., Alameda, CA 94501 (please include your phone no. and email address if you have). [510]-521-9641 Info@mirrorofwisdom.org}
