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| The deity Vajrasattva, lywa.org |
Maitripa College president Yangsi Rinpoche is helping people be of benefit during the Covid-19 pandemic by leading Vajrasattva and Medicine Buddha pujas for purification and healing the world.
Vajrasattva and Medicine Buddha Practice Group
Watch Yangsi Rinpoche do the Vajrasattva and Medicine Buddha pujas on YouTube livestream each week and follow along from home.
Maitripa College's website notes that these livestreamed practice sessions are open to all.
Download the free Vajrasattva and Medicine Buddha puja materials.
Subscribe to the Maitripa College YouTube channel and request notifications to be reminded when Yangsi Rinpoche goes live. Here's how to do that if you need some help.
Thursdays at 5:00 PM PT—Vajrasattva puja
Sundays at 11:00 AM PT—Medicine Buddha puja
Afterwards the videos are archived on the Maitripa College YouTube channel.
Yangsi Rinpoche explained the purpose of the Vajrasattva practice:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained the purpose of the practice:
"Medicine Buddha puja is excellent to prevent and help with natural disasters involving fire, wind, water, and air, including tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. It also helps with world peace, stopping war and famine, disease and torture, poverty and sickness. It increases happiness in the area of the center [where the practice is done], also peace in the United States, and the rest of the world."
Yangsi Rinpoche is the president of Maitripa College, a Buddhist college in Portland, OR, that awards Masters of Arts degrees in Buddhist Studies and Master of Divinity degrees. Born in Nepal, he was recognized as the reincarnation of Geshe Ngawang Gendun and enthroned at Kopan Monastery in January 1975. Yangsi Rinpoche received his Geshe Lharampa degree from Sera Jey Monastery and then completed his studies at Gyume Tantric College.
Practice Schedule
Thursdays at 5:00 PM PT—Vajrasattva puja
Sundays at 11:00 AM PT—Medicine Buddha puja
Afterwards the videos are archived on the Maitripa College YouTube channel.
Q&A With Yangsi Rinpoche
Q: Is it disrespectful to listen to sutras or mantras while I am in the kitchen or going for a walk?
A: Yangsi Rinpoche said:
"In the sutras sometimes just touching the sutras also lots of merit. So it's totally fine [to listen to sutras and mantras in the kitchen.] Of course if you can sit down and practice that's great but it's not necessary. You can hear the teaching, you can hear the practice it's also OK.
"Basically, the mind, if you keep your intention 'I'd really like to hear the Medicine Buddha prayer' the intention 'I really want to hear' ... I'm pretty much sure the intention is the very Dharma. Otherwise just put for distraction and entertainment, there are a million things online.
"So intention is quite obviously clear, so 'action' it has flexibility. It's not necessary that you have to stay still, and the Buddha Vairocana posture is not necessary. Fundamentally obviously you have the intention for the devotion, for the practice, and so I feel it's OK. If you feel it's not OK then you can sit down and do it. (Laughter.)
"In the sutras sometimes just touching the sutras also lots of merit. So it's totally fine [to listen to sutras and mantras in the kitchen.] Of course if you can sit down and practice that's great but it's not necessary. You can hear the teaching, you can hear the practice it's also OK.
"Basically, the mind, if you keep your intention 'I'd really like to hear the Medicine Buddha prayer' the intention 'I really want to hear' ... I'm pretty much sure the intention is the very Dharma. Otherwise just put for distraction and entertainment, there are a million things online.
"So intention is quite obviously clear, so 'action' it has flexibility. It's not necessary that you have to stay still, and the Buddha Vairocana posture is not necessary. Fundamentally obviously you have the intention for the devotion, for the practice, and so I feel it's OK. If you feel it's not OK then you can sit down and do it. (Laughter.)
Vajrasattva: Purifying our Past Mistakes
Yangsi Rinpoche explained the purpose of the Vajrasattva practice:
"Thank you very much for joining Vajrasattva practice this Thursday night. You know, this Vajrasattva practice is how to keep karmic hygiene. These days we have to keep doing hand washing and cleaning. The Vajrasattva practice is something like that: karmic hygiene to keep karma clean, pure, and healed.
"All of the challenges in our individual lives and the things that we are facing right now, there is a surface condition and of course a deeper level in karmic connection. So this Vajrasattva practice will really be intended to do deeper karmic purification and ... merit accumulation."
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained the purpose of the practice:
"All of the challenges in our individual lives and the things that we are facing right now, there is a surface condition and of course a deeper level in karmic connection. So this Vajrasattva practice will really be intended to do deeper karmic purification and ... merit accumulation."
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained the purpose of the practice:
" ... Vajrasattva practice is so important generally, and especially nowadays in the world, when there is not only global warming, but many other problems. There are so many other dangers—of war and sicknesses, cancer, and so many people whom you know are dying. There are so many sicknesses and other conditions for dying. This Vajrasattva practice and other purification practices are the ultimate answer ..."
Yangsi Rinpoche explained the purpose of the Medicine Buddha practice:
"Basically with the Medicine Buddha practice, one thing we should learn is that we have so many elements (the prayer and the dedication) so I feel like the eight Medicine Buddhas are like an eight Lama Zopa Rinpoche kind of personality. Just imagine you have eight Lama Zopa Rinpoche personalities, all of the time doing dedication, prayer, and inspirational.
"So basically in this difficult time, what we're facing right now, we of course need to make the best of things, but also at a deep level in our heart we need to be making some prayers and dedications. And not get caught with the impatient thinking 'Oh when is this going to end?' I would say with this practice, particularly, make a strong prayer and dedication. That's the main thing."
Medicine Buddha: Dedicating our Merit to Others and Healing the World
Yangsi Rinpoche explained the purpose of the Medicine Buddha practice:
"Basically with the Medicine Buddha practice, one thing we should learn is that we have so many elements (the prayer and the dedication) so I feel like the eight Medicine Buddhas are like an eight Lama Zopa Rinpoche kind of personality. Just imagine you have eight Lama Zopa Rinpoche personalities, all of the time doing dedication, prayer, and inspirational.
"So basically in this difficult time, what we're facing right now, we of course need to make the best of things, but also at a deep level in our heart we need to be making some prayers and dedications. And not get caught with the impatient thinking 'Oh when is this going to end?' I would say with this practice, particularly, make a strong prayer and dedication. That's the main thing."
"... Vajrasattva is karmic purification and Medicine Buddha is pretty much strong prayer and dedication. Directing whatever merit we accumulated becomes very important."
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| The deity Medicine Buddha, Spit-Fire, CC BY 2.0. |
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained the purpose of the practice:
"Medicine Buddha puja is excellent to prevent and help with natural disasters involving fire, wind, water, and air, including tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. It also helps with world peace, stopping war and famine, disease and torture, poverty and sickness. It increases happiness in the area of the center [where the practice is done], also peace in the United States, and the rest of the world."
Prayer Requests
Names given for prayers are read out loud at the end of each practice session. Anyone can submit name(s) for the prayer list by completing the Maitripa College online prayer request form.
Yangsi Rinpoche
Yangsi Rinpoche is the president of Maitripa College, a Buddhist college in Portland, OR, that awards Masters of Arts degrees in Buddhist Studies and Master of Divinity degrees. Born in Nepal, he was recognized as the reincarnation of Geshe Ngawang Gendun and enthroned at Kopan Monastery in January 1975. Yangsi Rinpoche received his Geshe Lharampa degree from Sera Jey Monastery and then completed his studies at Gyume Tantric College.
Additional Medicine Buddha Practice Groups
Jamyang Buddhist Centre London
Tuesdays at 8:00-9:30 AM PT—Tara puja
Tuesdays at 9:45-10:45 AM PT—Medicine Buddha puja
Livestreaming on the Jamyang Buddhist Centre London Facebook page
The Guhyasamaja Center
Tuesdays at 4:30-5:30 PM PT - Medicine Buddha Puja
Livestreaming on Zoom. Check the calendar for details and prayer list submission details.
Land of Medicine Buddha
Sundays at 2:30-3:30PM PT - Medicine Buddha Puja
Livestreaming on the Land of Medicine Buddha Facebook page
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