Importance of Reciting the Mani Mantra with a Pure Motivation

by Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche

Since we are followers of the Buddha, we take refuge in the Triple Gem and generate Bodhicitta before we start our Dharma practice. Without taking refuge and generating Bodhicitta, there is no way to do any Dharma practice. The mani mantra manifests the Buddha-nature in mantra form. All of us have found this mantra due to the great deeds and aspirations in the past. You should recite this mantra not just for yourself, but for all mother sentient beings living and suffering in the six realms of samsara. Think about the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. There are countless sentient beings suffering in these realms and their suffering cannot be imagined. You should recite to benefit these sentient beings. And also, during the recitation, you should keep your mind free from attachment and aversion - the wish to defeat your enemies or to take care of friends and family with attachment. For if you hold such thoughts during the recitation, your practice, instead of bringing you up, may take you down. But if you recite the mantra with a very pure motivation, compassion and love, it can benefit and help all mother sentient beings rid the obscurations in their minds.

During the recitation, you can ponder the nonvirtuous deeds that you have committed so far, such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and lying etc, and confess them within your mind. This is the time you can purify your non-virtuous deeds, and if you can’t purify them in a retreat like this, where else can you purify them? Therefore, this is a great opportunity and you should be very cautious in your practice and confess all the wrongdoings you have had so far.

All human beings have a lot of negative karma. There isn’t one who is absolutely free from negative karma. So of course, each and everyone of us has a lot to confess and purify. During the retreat, always remember to keep your body, speech and mind absolutely pure. And with perfect motivation, confess all your negative karma. In a nutshell, everyone of us should repent for the negative karma and afflictive emotions of not just oneself but all sentient beings. If you can think in this way, then your efforts will be very beneficial to all.

We are all in samsara, which is like an ocean of suffering. We need to attain liberation from this ocean of suffering. That is the purpose of doing this recitation – to be free from this ocean of suffering. The root to attaining freedom from suffering is taming your mind. It is the main cause that can bring about liberation, and is the essence of the teachings of the Buddha. I said this repeatedly for three times because if you keep your mind wild and untamed, then no matter how much you try, you are not going to attain liberation. A mind that is untamed is always going to take rebirth in the lower realms, because it is the cause of all afflictions, which in turn is the cause of samsara. To attain liberation, you need the determination to be free from samsara, to renounce. If you don’t have the sense of renunciation, then there is no way to attain liberation from samsara. Abandon all non-virtuous deeds of your mind like covetousness, harmful intentions and wrong views. Think about all mother sentient beings and recite for them, so that they can be reborn in Western Pureland. Free your mind from all discursive thoughts and afflictive emotions, and recite out of loving-kindness, compassion and Bodhicitta. If your mind is not tamed, and still you try to practise the Dharma, then it is nothing more than pretending to be a practitioner. Therefore, tame your mind and generate loving-kindness and compassion for all sentient beings. Generate the strong aspiration to bring happiness to all mother sentient beings, to free them from suffering and all causes of suffering. Pray from your heart that all sentient beings attain liberation from the lower realms of samsara. Keep these words in your mind.

It is important to know that the three ‘kayas’ are one and the same in essence, though different in aspects. These three ‘kayas’ personify the true nature of your mind. They are not foreign to yourself but different expressions of your own mind, and are spontaneously accomplished primordially, as the nature of your mind. And it is very important to understand, because through the Dharma practice, what one has to realise is that one’s mind is the Buddha itself, and the three ‘kayas’ are manifestations of that mind. During the recitation, you should think only about the teachings of the Buddha and benefiting other sentient beings. Think about your own death which is waiting for you. If you do this, then you can tame your mind. If you feel very strongly in your mind due to afflictive emotions, and if your mind is very rigid, not tamed or malleable, it is not going to help or benefit you. With a tamed mind, recite the mantras of the three ‘kayas’ for one round of the mala each and every day.

Perhaps you are bored that I keep stressing the same teachings over and over again. But I truly believe that these teachings will benefit you a lot. I come all the way from Nepal to repeat the same things time and again on what to do and practise, because I’m very sure this will benefit you at the end of your life. 

TAKING REFUGE AND GENERATING BODHICITTA BEFORE EACH PRACTICE

With a very dedicated, perfect and pure motivation, you begin your Dharma practise by taking refuge in the Triple Gem, followed by generating Bodhicitta with the below verses:

May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes.

May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes.

May all sentient beings never be separated from sorrowless bliss.

May all sentient beings abide in equanimity free of bias, attachment and anger, and share with others compassion.

This should be done all the time, before you start your Dharma practice. Being free from bias and attachment means not to take sides. It means not to think in terms of ‘me’ versus ‘others’. If you think in this way, there is attachment to those near and dear to you, and aversion to those who are not. If you such an attitude, you are going to commit non-virtuous deeds out of attachment and aversion, which will destroy the root of your merits. Thus, keep your mind in equanimity, with equal affection, love and consideration for all sentient beings. Because all have been our parents, there is no room for us to be attached or aversed to any. Having no attachment and aversion is the samaya*. And if you don’t have this samaya, then whatever effort you make is not going to benefit yourself or others. It will be wasted.

It seems to me that there is some sort of attachment and aversion going on, and that must be changed. It is extremely important to change this attitude. This is because everyone here should have the equal right to practise, and to receive blessings. Even for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, there is no distinction between disciples. All disciples can equally approach him and receive teachings and blessings from him.

To attain Enlightenment, we are dependent on other sentient beings. Without helping other sentient beings to attain Enlightenment, there is no way for us as individuals to attain liberation. If we abide by the samaya, we will be assisted by the kindness of all former enlightened beings. Coupled with our own practice and aspiration, we can attain enlightenment. In your aspiration prayer, you should include all sentient beings of the six realms by considering them as your own parents. Making such prayers, and keeping the samaya is the method for you to purify your own defilements. Most importantly, you must have a pure samaya, because all of us who are here are like one family, doing the same practice and listening to the same teachings. So keep this in mind and try to have a very pure samaya.

* Samaya : The sacramental bond and commitment in the Vajrayana established between the master and the disciples on whom empowerment is conferred. The samaya bond also exists between the disciples of the same master and between disciples and their practice.