I was supposed to go to Nepal with my Guru, but at the last moment I ran into visa problems. To say that I’m horrified is an understatement. I'd be very grateful for any mantras or auspicious prayers that this problem will be resolved quickly, I really need all merit possible. 🙏
I’m reading a commentary on one practice, and it says that “cold diseases” can arise if a certain process is visualized incorrectly. Does anyone know what exactly can be meant here in relation to the problems caused by improper meditation? Cold‑related diseases is a rather broad concept. They don't mean wind issues, as in the next sentence it's said that it is caused by a different visualization mistake.
p.s. I did some googling and found among other things - "fatigue, heaviness, and excessive sleep" is it what they likely mean here?
Is having the consort's mantra rolls advisable?
I remember my lama told that they were whining when they saw the length of what has to be recited 111K in this lineage. Does anyone here have a text of it, more precisely the version that H.E. Nubpa Rinpoche was giving as a retreat option? Can you tell me please how many lines are there? I haven't been given the text yet, but I'd like to be mentally prepared for what is this scary length is. 😄
A question for the people who have completed this accumulation. How did you solve the problem that the 7-heap offering repetitions are becoming mechanical pretty fast? Even my teacher starts laughing and says that they (the young monks) were doing it "on autopilot".
I was told that the best combination for such things is Earth-Water if you want to have less obstacles. What do you think of Earth-Earth auspicious combo? Is it less suitable?
There are definitely people here who have performed some kind of rituals in public that are more than just a sadhana. What was your first time like, or rather what advice would you give to a person who is new this? Got a message like "Bring all the instruments, tomorrow you'll be doing THIS". And the lama will be watching it. Now I'm terrified running in circles around the apartment and I can't sleep. 😱I feel like I'm taking an exam for what I've been practicing lately.
Deer shed their antlers themselves once a year, so this material is not related to death. What do you think, is it more universal than bone, or is it still considered wrathful? I haven't seen antlers in any lists attributing them to certain type of practice.
Is it a common thing when a student who is doing the 5-Fold Mahamudra accumulations is required not to cut their hair until they finish? And a related question, does this have the same meaning related to deities and dakinis as not cutting your hair in other retreats, plus being a visual reminder of passing time, or there's something more?
Carnelian and a 21 bead silver divider. I like it so much that' can't resist bragging. 😄
I'll need to have it on display for a ~1.5-2 weeks in a room without a conditioner at +30 C something, and I'm afraid it would start spoiling in such temperature. Will it survive? I was told to use a traditional torma, not any replacements. Maybe you guys have some tips for such cases, like a ratio of ingredients, or some additional ingredient that may prolong freshness? Thanks in advance.
upd. It has to be eadable and contain 3 white and 3 sweet, not just tsampa.
A small backstory: I was practicing purely in the Gelug lineage until recently. My teacher is a Gelugpa geshe by education but his own root guru is from Drikung Kagyu and he did his retreats under his guidance, so in terms of practice he is more a Drikungpa than anything else. And this spring he offered me to start practicing a Drikung cycle too, which I did. And for now it's still rather confusing for me what to to do with the refuge tree visualizations. If you are practicing something from a particular lineage it's clear that you'll be visualizing a related tree, but what if you are doing something non-sectarian but there's a merit field visualization there? Will you visualize two trees at once? Or will you merge them somehow, even if the central figures of the tree visualization of these schools look different? If someone is practicing in several schools at once, can you tell please what you're doing about it? I'm going to ask the lama this question today, but I'm also curios about other people's approaches.
One vajra sister told me when she saw my dadar that there have to be a small bag with different types of seeds attached to it. Have you heard of such thing? And if yes which seeds and what for? Possibly it's our local (Buryat) tradition, 'cause I don't remember seeing Tibetans with such thing, but I'm not sure. I'll of course ask the lama when I see him, but maybe someone will tell me before that.