A Short Practice of Mitrugpa the Immovable Buddha

A Short Practice of Mitrugpa the Immovable Buddha

Introduction

This practi ce can be inserted at the end of Lama Chöpa before the last visualizati on of the guru entering your heart. The last part of Lama Chöpa can be done in the very last session of the day if one is in a retreat situati on. When doing purifi cati on practi ce with Mitrugpa, the Immovable Buddha, you can

visualize that Mitrugpa manifests from the heart syllable HUM of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang to sit on your own crown, or from your root guru who is seated in front of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang in the merit fi eld. Mitrugpa, who is transformed from your root guru, is emitt ed from his heart to be

seated on your crown. You can choose whichever way is more eff ecti ve for you. In both cases, Mitrugpa is a manifestati on of your own root guru. Mitrugpa has a dark blue holy body of light and is adorned with the jewels and raiments appropriate to the sambhogakaya aspect. He is seated on a lotus and moon

disk. His left hand is in the mudra of concentrati on and holds a standing golden vajra that radiates light. His right hand, like Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s, is extended in the earth-touching mudra. If while in sitti ng meditati on you are going to do purifi cati on practi ce with Mitrugpa, visualize as described above and think that Mitrugpa is the embodiment of all gurus, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

4 Mitrugpa Short Practice Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhichitta

I go for refuge unti l I am enlightened To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the supreme assembly. By the merit I create by giving and other perfecti ons, May I become a buddha to benefi t all senti ent beings. (3x)

The Seven-Limb Prayer

Reverently I prostrate with my body, speech, and mind And present clouds of every type of off ering, actual and imagined. I confess all my negati ve acti ons accumulated since beginningless ti me And rejoice in the virtues of all holy and ordinary beings. Please remain unti l samsara ends Visualize a jeweled throne and off er it.

And turn the wheel of Dharma for all senti ent beings.

Visualize a golden dharmachakra and off er it with the request to teach the Dharma.

I dedicate all my virtues and those of all others to the great enlightenment.

Think that your prayers and off erings have been accepted.

Mandala Offering Visualize clearly the enti re universe and all off erings on the mandala base. Visualize many mandalas of the highest, richest quality – as many as you can fi lling the whole sky.

Visualize all your off erings and then say:

This ground, anointed with perfume, strewn with fl owers, Adorned with Mount Meru, four conti nents, the sun and the moon: I imagine this as a buddha-fi eld and off er it. May all living beings enjoy this pure land!

Make strong requests for the obscurati ons and negati ve karmas of yourself and all senti ent beings to be purifi ed immediately, right now. Parti cularly request that the negati ve karmas accumulated by degenerati ng vows, by practi cing degenerated moral conduct, and all the suff ering results of disease and possessions (which means harms given by non-human beings) be purifi ed.

The Three Great Purposes

I go for refuge to the Guru–Triple Gem. Please pour down your inspiring blessings upon myself and all my mothers, to immediately cease all wrong concepti ons, from incorrect devoti on to the guru up to the subtle dual view. Please pour down your inspiring blessings to actualize immediately all the correct realizati ons, from guru devoti on up to the unifi cati on of no-more-learning. Please pacify immediately all inner and outer obstacles.

(3x)

IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATAYAMI

With this mantra you complete the mandala offering.

Mantra Recitation

Visualize the mantra in the form of light standing clockwise on a lotus and moon disk at the heart of the Immovable Buddha. In the center is a white syllable AH.

NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA OM KAMKANI KAMKANI ROCHANI ROCHANI TROTANI TROTANI TRASANI TRASANI PRATIHANA PRATIHANA SARVA KARMA PARAM PARA NI ME SARVA SATTVA NANCHA SVAHA

Instructions for Meditation during Mantra Recitation Nectar beams are emitt ed from the mantra and enter the bodies and minds of all beings, purifying them. The nectar beams chase down all the negati ve karmas, diseases, and possessions, all of which fl ow out through the lower doors and the pores, like washing a dirty black glass tube under a tap.

Recite one mala, 500 malas, or 1000 malas as you wish, or as convenient. Aft er each mala think that you have purifi ed all the obscurati ons that have been accumulated primarily with your body. Also think the same thing of the other senti ent beings: nectar beams are emitt ed from the Immovable Buddha to purify other senti ent beings.

Beams are then emitt ed which chase all the negati ve karmas, obscurati ons, and diseases up and out through the ears, nose, and pores. The whole body is completely fi lled with nectar beams just as when you pour milk into a dirty glass and all the dirty things are pushed up and out as the glass overfl ows.

Aft er each mala, think that you have purifi ed all your negati ve karmas, obscurati ons, harms, and diseases, and that the same thing happens with all other senti ent beings, especially all other senti ent beings with the same problems – the same diseases and same negati ve karmas of degenerati ng moral conduct.

For the third visualizati on, all the negati ve karmas and obscurati ons are visualized as darkness at your heart. They suddenly disappear just as when a fl ood of water bursts and all the garbage in the road is completely and suddenly washed away. There is no way anything is left . Nectar beams fl ow from the heart of the Immovable Buddha

and illumine your enti re body, inside and out, just as when a light is switched on and the darkness vanishes completely. This happens within you and all senti ent beings. Again, this can be done with each mala.

Someti mes other visualizati ons can be done depending on your own mind. If repentance is very strong, do the above meditati ons. When repentance is very weak, think of the shortcomings of negati ve karmas as you recite the mantra. You should meditate more on karma, and on the uncertainty of the actual ti me of death. Remember especially that with this precious human rebirth, qualifi ed with eight freedoms and ten richnesses and so diffi cult to fi nd again, you can achieve the three great meanings.

During recitati on it is good to meditate on the four suff ering results of the completed ten non-virtuous acti ons, so that it becomes clear that this karma has been accumulated without number. Then meditate that the actual ti me of death is uncertain, and that these results can be experienced right now. Remember this perfect and meaningful rebirth.

Another suggesti on is that during the sessions, one can do the main visualizati on of purifi cati on, while at other ti mes, the mouth can be reciti ng mantra while the mind can be remembering lam-rim. If you can’t remember, then read parts of lam-rim texts on the shortcomings of the eight worldly concerns and the shortcomings of samsara to gain a very clear understanding of the shortcomings of desire. Try to remember all the shortcomings of samsara. Meditate on the twelve links.

The most important point is to understand the shortcomings of craving samsaric perfecti ons. Try to see desire as the enemy, like a poisonous snake or like a cunning person who cheats you so that you lose all your att ainments. Remember the following examples: the fi sh that is caught because of desire for meat; the elephant that

is captured because of running aft er the female elephant; the moth that is caught in the light because of desire for a beauti ful palace – the moth gets killed by clinging to the home.

Think as extensively as possible of the many examples we see every day, and hear of all the ti me, of other senti ent beings experiencing suff ering by following desire. Think of your own similar experiences.

Dedications When you have fi nished the recitati on, do the dedicati on to achieve bodhichitt a and actualize the Immovable Buddha to lead every senti ent being to that enlightened state. Use The Eight Verses or The Thirty-Seven Practi ces of All Buddhas’ Sons for the dedicati on.

May the supreme jewel bodhichitt a That has not arisen, arise and grow; And may that which has arisen not diminish But increase more and more. Through the merits of these virtuous acti ons May I quickly att ain the state of a guru-buddha And lead all living beings, without excepti on, Into that enlightened state.

Just as the brave Manjushri, and Samantabhadra too, Realized things as they are, Also I dedicate all these merits in the best way, That I may follow their perfect example.

I dedicate all these roots of virtue With the dedicati on praised as the best By the victorious ones thus-gone of the three ti mes, So that I might perform the noble bodhisatt vas’ deeds.

9 Additional advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Mitrugpa is very powerful in degenerate ti mes in purifying negati ve karma, parti cularly the negati ve karma of having broken vows, such as the eight Mahayana precepts, lay vows, or the vows of nuns and monks. Even if you believe in karma and reincarnati on and do not generate heresy, you create the

cause to be born in the animal realm as a naga if you break or degenerate your vows. As to the benefi ts of the Mitrugpa mantra, anybody who hears the Mitrugpa mantra does not go to the lower realms. If you recite the Mitrugpa mantra 100,000 ti mes and blow on water, sand, or mustard seeds aft er reciti ng the mantras, then sprinkle that blessed substance on the body of a person or animal that has died, if that beintg has been born in one of the lower

realms, it will immediately be liberated from the lower realms. Even though the consciousness has been separated from the body and is somewhere else completely, because of its past connecti on with that body, the consciousness is sti ll aff ected. It can purify even someone with very heavy karma, even

someone who has created the fi ve uninterrupted negati ve karmas. It can purify even someone who has created the very heavy negati ve karma of having abandoned the holy Dharma. Even all these heavy negati ve karmas can be purifi ed with recitati on of the Mitrugpa mantra at the ti me of death. And if it

purifi es the heavy negati ve karmas of the person for whom it is recited, there is no doubt that the Mitrugpa mantra purifi es the negati ves karmas of the person who actually recites it. The purifi cati on practi ce of the Immovable Buddha with prostrati ons can be done at the same place in Lama Chöpa. At the

heart of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang and the hearts of the rest of the merit fi eld is the Immovable Buddha. While conti nuing to recite mantra, do prostrati ons. Count the mantras, not the prostrati ons. Do the prostrati ons properly, exactly as you would do a fulllength prostrati on. It is very good

to do full-length prostrati ons. Don’t keep your head on the fl oor a long ti me, but stand up as soon as you touch the fl oor. The fi ngers shouldn’t be spread like duck’s

feet; keep your legs together. Prostrati ons should be done respectfully, putti ng your palms with two fi ngers inside like off ering a jewel. Put your hands over your crown, at your neck and at your heart. During this ti me, white nectar is constantly emitt ed from the Immovable Buddha purifying yourself

of all your negati ve karma accumulated with body, speech and mind, your obscurati ons, diseases and harms given by others. Also visualize all your past lives around you doing prostrati ons and being purifi ed. Visualize your body the size of a mountain, as tall as possible. You can also do the prostrati ons

visualizing 1000-arm Chenrezig. As you lie down a replica of Mitrugpa is absorbed into you; you feel complete oneness. In this way you and all your past lives are purifi ed. All the senti ent beings are purifi ed when replicas also absorb to them. All the senti ent beings also achieve the Immovable Buddha.

The fi rst session begins with Lama Chöpa. For the other sessions, the merit fi eld is already there so take refuge, generate bodhichitt a, do seven limb practi ce and do the sitti ng meditati on the same as before.

Colophon: The original document of instructi ons from Lama Zopa Rinpoche of how to do the practi ce of the Immovable Buddha was checked in May 1993 by Murray Wright. Where these instructi ons were originally given and to whom is not known. This practi ce booklet with prayers inserted has been compiled on

the basis of those original instructi ons together with excerpts from teachings given on Mitrugpa by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Vajrasatt va retreat at Land of Medicine Buddha, 1999, and edited by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Educati on Department, September 1999. Additi onal correcti ons to the visualizati on have been made in March 2000. All errors are the fault of the editor.