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 offerings 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 emitted from the mantra and enter the bodies and minds of all beings, purifying them. The nectar beams chase down all the negative 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 purified 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 emitted which chase all the negative karmas, obscurations, and diseases up and out through the ears, nose, and pores. The whole body is completely filled 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 overflows.

Aft er each mala, think that you have purified all your negative karmas, obscurations, 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 negative karmas of degenerating moral conduct.

For the third visualization, all the negative karmas and obscurations 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 entire 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.

Sometimes other visualizations can be done depending on your own mind. If repentance is very strong, do the above meditations. When repentance is very weak, think of the shortcomings of negative 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, qualified with eight freedoms and ten richnesses and so diffcult to find again, you can achieve the three great meanings.

During recitation it is good to meditate on the four suffering results of the completed ten non-virtuous actions, 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 suggestion is that during the sessions, one can do the main visualization of purification, while at other ti mes, the mouth can be reciting 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 perfections. 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 attainments. 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 beautiful 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 suffering by following desire. Think of your own similar experiences.

Dedications When you have finished the recitation, do the dedication to achieve bodhichitta and actualize the Immovable Buddha to lead every senti ent being to that enlightened state. Use The Eight Verses or The Thirty-Seven Practices of All Buddhas’ Sons for the dedication.

May the supreme jewel bodhichitta 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 actions 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 dedication praised as the best By the victorious ones thus-gone of the three ti mes, So that I might perform the noble bodhisattvas’ deeds.

9 Additional advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Mitrugpa is very powerful in degenerate ti mes in purifying negative karma, particularly the negative 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 benefits 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 reciting the mantras, then sprinkle that blessed substance on the body of a person or animal that has died, if that being 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 still affected. It can purify even someone with very heavy karma, even

someone who has created the fi ve uninterrupted negative 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 negative karmas can be purified with recitation of the Mitrugpa mantra at the ti me of death. And if it

purifies the heavy negative karmas of the person for whom it is recited, there is no doubt that the Mitrugpa mantra purifies the negatives karmas of the person who actually recites it. The purification practice of the Immovable Buddha with prostrations 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 field is the Immovable Buddha. While continuing to recite mantra, do prostrations. Count the mantras, not the prostrations. Do the prostrations properly, exactly as you would do a full length prostration. It is very good

to do full-length prostrations. Don’t keep your head on the floor a long ti me, but stand up as soon as you touch the floor. The fingers shouldn’t be spread like duck’s

feet; keep your legs together. Prostrations should be done respectfully, putting your palms with two fingers 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 emitted from the Immovable Buddha purifying yourself

of all your negative karma accumulated with body, speech and mind, your obscurations, diseases and harms given by others. Also visualize all your past lives around you doing prostrations and being purified. Visualize your body the size of a mountain, as tall as possible. You can also do the prostrations

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 purified. All the senti ent beings are purified when replicas also absorb to them. All the senti ent beings also achieve the Immovable Buddha.

The first session begins with Lama Chöpa. For the other sessions, the merit fi eld is already there so take refuge, generate bodhichitta, do seven limb practice and do the sitting meditation the same as before.

Colophon: The original document of instructions from Lama Zopa Rinpoche of how to do the practice of the Immovable Buddha was checked in May 1993 by Murray Wright. Where these instructions 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 instructions together with excerpts from teachings given on Mitrugpa by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Vajrasattva retreat at Land of Medicine Buddha, 1999, and edited by Ven. Constance Miller, FPMT Education Department, September 1999. Additional corrections to the visualization have been made in March 2000. All errors are the fault of the editor.