Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 48-minute meditation session, Ven Thubten Dondrub guides practitioners through the Vajrasattva purification practice, drawing from the Tibetan Buddhist liturgical text known as the Brown Book. He opens with detailed postural alignment and breathing preparation, then moves into the core sequence: refuge in the Triple Gem, generating regret for negative karma through specific examples of body, speech, and mind transgressions, and visualizing the white deity Vajrasattva seated above the crown of the head. He walks through the stage-by-stage purification, where practitioners recite the hundred-syllable Vajrasattva mantra while imagining white light and nectar flowing from the deity’s heart to flush out negative imprints as black liquid. He covers the commitment vows at the conclusion, the dissolution of Vajrasattva into one’s own being, brief reflection on emptiness, dedication of merit, and closing prayers. Suited for practitioners with some familiarity with tantric visualization and those who have received Vajrasattva initiation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 16. Day 4 Meditation Vajrasattva.mp3
UUID: 31b0af4b-1f00-42ec-a523-311a230803c7
Teacher: Ven Thubten Dondrub
Collection: Meditations DTL (Ven Thubten Dondrub)
Date: 2006 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 48.3 minutes
Words: ~3,210
We’re in the Puja section of the Brown book, volume two, and it’s page six. Although if you’re not familiar with the refuge prayer, then you have to find your favourite location of the refuge prayer, which So we begin by sitting comfortably in the correct posture as much as possible, especially paying attention to the positioning of our spine so it’s really straight if possible and the position of our head so it’s not tilted down or too much or lifted too high. If we hold our shoulders back a little bit in a relaxed way and lift up the head and then just tuck the chin in slightly, we should position our head correctly. So if you find it easier to well, it is easier to meditate with your eyes closed, but it’s better to try to train to meditate with your eyes just a little bit open. But without really looking or actively looking, having a sort of passive unfocused gaze.
And then we just, check our posture, awareness at the crown and then moving it down through the body just for a short time, just to fine tune our posture, note any points of tension. And then calming the mind with the nine round breathing exercise. And with each in breath, imagining blissful white light coming from the vast breathing out all disturbances in the form of black smoke. And then imagining all sentient beings surrounding you, starting with your mother of this life on your left, your father on your right, generate the mind of refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, placing our complete reliance on the triple gem of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, wishing to be able to follow the path that leads not only to ourselves becoming totally free of all suffering that has caused us and being able to achieve the peerless, everlasting happiness that we’ve always been seeking, but brings those qualities, those enlightened qualities of love and compassion and wisdom that enable us to be of perfect benefit to all living beings so that we can repay their kindness by helping to free them of every kind of suffering and lead them to experience their own enlightenment.
So we visualize Śākyamūni Buddha as the very embodiment of all objects of refuge in front of us. So then we can reflect that while I continue to undergo all sorts of suffering, while I’m in that state, it’s very difficult to help myself, let alone others. And that suffering arises because of the ripening of negative imprints, negative karmic imprints that have been placed in my consciousness because I’ve engaged in negative actions of body, speech, and mind in this and past lives. So we think of what those negative actions that we’ve done in this life that we can remember, especially those that we’ve very strong ones or ones that we somehow are habituated to doing. And we can reflect that we must have done similar, if not worse, actions in previous lives.
So if we don’t purify these imprints, these instincts, we’re just going to experience suffering again and again, which is no benefit to myself, no benefit to any living being. And even when the so just think how really unfortunate that is, generate this clear regret by realizing that these imprints can only bring suffering. But also before those negative imprints ripen, even in their latent stage in our mind, they have the effect of obscuring our mind, making it difficult to develop faith in the Dharma, even if we have faith making it difficult to understand it, obscuring our minds so that it’s difficult to practice and gain the realizations. In other words, it makes it very difficult even when we want to and are trying to be of benefit to others. So this is really unfortunate.
So we can read the power of regret together on page six. Almost every action I do twenty four hours a day is motivated by worldly concern. Attachment to the comfort of this life is like this from birth to death in this life and has been like that from beginningless rebirths. Nearly every action I’ve ever created has been non virtuous, the cause of suffering. Not only that, but continuously, I’ve also been breaking my pratimoksha, bodhisattva, and tantric vows.
Worst of all, I have created the heaviest and negative karma in relation to my virtuous friends, getting angry at them, generating wrong views, having nondevotional thoughts towards them, harming their holy body, and disobeying their advice. Having these negative imprints on my mental continuum is unbearable. It’s as if I’ve swallowed the poison. I must practice the antidote right away and purify all this negative karma immediately without a second’s delay. Many people my age or younger have died.
It’s a miracle that I’m still alive and have this incredible opportunity to purify my negative karma. Death is certain, but its time is most uncertain. If I were to die right now, I could definitely be born in the lower realms. Because I could not practice Dharma there, I would remain in the lower realms for countless eons. Therefore, how unbelievably fortunate I am to be able to purify my negative karma right now without even a second’s delay by practising the Vajrasattva meditation recitation.
But I’m not practising this Vajrasattva purification for myself alone. The purpose of my life is to release all hell beings, predators, animals, humans, asuras, suras, and intermediate state beings from all their suffering and its causes and lead them to unsurpassed enlightenment. In order to do this, I must first reach enlightenment myself. Therefore, I must purify all my negative karma immediately by practicing the Vajrasattva meditation recitation. So because of our strong refuge and regret and our motivation wishing to purify not just for our own sake but for the sake of others, we imagine that from the formless dharmakaya state, formless state of the enlightened mind, out of great compassion all the Buddhas, all our Vajra Gurus manifest in this single aspect of the Buddha, Vajrasattva, who appears seated above the crown of our head.
So firstly, we imagine, visualise that there appears just above the crown of our head, a very beautiful white lotus in the nature of radiating light, completely insubstantial appearing, but nothing solid. Above it, a very beautiful radiating white moon disc lying horizontally above the lotus, and then seated directly above the the moon appears Vajrasattva with an incredibly beautiful body of white light. He is seated with his legs crossed in the vajra position, his lower body adorned with beautiful robes of certain celestial like silk. His right hand is holding a vajra at his heart, the vajra symbolizing the mind of bodhicitta. The left hand is holding a bell that symbolizes emptiness, the true nature of all phenomena.
He holds that, resting it on his left hip. Imagine that Bodhisattva’s hair is a very deep blue color, and it’s tied mostly tied in several knots above the crown of his head and some flows over his shoulders. We visualize Vajrasattva’s body adorned with jeweled ornaments that symbolize the six perfections of generosity, morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom. So these are the real ornaments of the mind. So we visualize he is wearing a five pointed jeweled crown on his head, jeweled earrings, and three rows of, necklaces around his neck, one that is close to his, his neck, one hangs down about the level of his of his chest, and the third one reaches to his waist.
He is also wearing jewel armlets and bracelets and anklets and a jewel belt. So think that Vajrasattva is completely oneness with one’s own root guru and all the Buddhas, the holy mind of all the Buddhas, who has appeared out of great compassion, embracing me and all sentient beings, appearing in this form to purify me and all all living beings without exception. So by thinking of Vajrasattva’s oneness with one’s guru, if you have a guru, then in this way, the mind is transformed into guru devotion, which is the root of all blessings and realizations of the path to enlightenment. If you don’t have a guru, think that you’re the guru that you will meet one day who is waiting for you to find you is is now manifesting above the crown of your head in this perfect form. So then imagine that Vajrasattva’s heart, the heart chakra in the very center of the chest, is a moon disc, very small, pure white moon disc.
Standing in the center of that upright is a white syllable HUM. You can visualize that in its Tibetan form or just the English letters. And surrounding that, on the edge of the moon disc standing upright are the hundred syllables of the Vajrasattva mantra, constantly radiating out this blissful white light and nectar. So now as we recite the mantra, we imagine that light and nectar coming from the mantra, Vajrasattva’s heart, flows down through his body, down through the moon, the lotus, down through the crown of our head and fills up our whole body. And as it does so, we imagine that that white light and nectar washes out all the negative imprints created by speech by our body of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct.
All those negative imprints take the form of very thick black liquid that is washed out from the body, that pours out from the lower part of our body, dissipates, becomes nonexistent. So really try and focus on that as much as you can with all also with the mind of faith feeling that this is definitely happening. So as much as possible, generate that mind of faith feeling now definitely all those negative imprints generated by unskillful actions of my body have been completely purified. Feel your whole being filled with light blissful light and nectar. Feel that your body and mind are light in both the sense of there is no darkness of any kind.
Your whole body also feels physically light. Also, any heaviness in your mind is darkness, delusion, sadness, depression. It’s all gone. The mind is really light, clear, blissful. But we still have the negative imprints from speech, from unskilful speech of lying, divisive speech, we’re using our speech to cause division between people, harsh speech that upsets others, and meaningless gossip done in this and past lives.
So as we recite the mantra, we visualise all of the nectar and light coming from Vajrasattva’s heart. It fills up our body from the lower part of the body upwards, and we imagine all the negative imprints from unskillful speech taking the form of black liquid that floats up through the nectar and is eventually forced out from the crown of our head and completely dissipates and becomes nonexistent. And, again, the whole body mind filled with this blissful light and nectar. So, again, focus briefly on generating that strong faith that all of those negative imprints have definitely been purified. And then still, there are the imprints left in our mind through unskillful actions of thought itself due to covetousness, ill will, and malice, and wrong views generated in this and past lives.
So as we recite the mantra, we purify these by imagining that as the mantra is recited, these very powerful flashes of pure white light come from the mantra at Vajrasattva’s heart, and that instantly eliminates all those negative imprints from of the mind. So then think that from the crown of your head, guru Vajrasattva speaks to you and says, child of the race,, your negativities, obscurations, and broken and damaged pledges have been completely purified. So, again, generate that mind of faith that feels that without doubt this has happened. Try to concentrate strongly, feeling the mind and the whole body, very light, blissful, very clear. So it’s as though we now have a fresh mind that we can start anew.
All that past negativity is gone. So we don’t want that coming back, creating new darkness in the mind. So we have to really very strongly, very sincerely as much as we can generate this strong thought of determination not to engage in negative actions, unskillful actions of body, speech, mind from now on, at least for, in the case of certain actions of body, speech, and mind, for some period of time that we feel we can avoid them, even if it’s only a day or even a half a day, we make this strong promise to whichever deity that this is what I’m going to do with the with the thought that when that period is finished, however long it is, I will again put a lot of effort and strong determination to avoid those negative actions for a further period of time. With the thought, the wish, the determination that eventually, at some point, I will be able to avoid all negative, unskillful actions of body, speech, and mind. So this is what we should think as we say the words together, Top of page ten.
Before Guru Vajrasattva, I vow never again to commit those negative actions from which I can easily abstain and not to commit for a day, an hour, or at least a few seconds those negative actions for which I find it difficult to abstain. So then think that Guru Vajrasattva is extremely pleased with your commitment, what you’ve promised to do. This is what the Buddhas of all times have always wanted us to do, to be determined to avoid negativity. So this is incredibly pleasing to all Buddhas. So because of that, we imagine that Vajrasattva now dissolves into light, and that brilliant, blissful white light comes down through the crown of our head, pervades our whole being, and we feel that our body, speech, and mind become inseparably one with Vajrasattva’s holy body, speech and mind.
Feel that our body, your body, has become pervaded by the pure physical energy of the of Buddha Vajrasattva. But now your speech is pervaded by the pure energy of Buddha Vajrasattva’s speech. Your mind is now pervaded by the pure wisdom and compassion of Guru Vajrasattva’s pure mind. So then briefly, we can reflect that as much as we can understand these words, if you’ve had some teachings on them. Don’t worry if they don’t make too much sense now.
In emptiness, there is no I, creator of negative karma. There is no action creating negative karma. There is no negative karma created. And then dedicate the merit of doing this practice and all all the virtuous practices we’ve done throughout the day from from the beginning of taking the precepts. To feel very happy that we’ve done this.
Rejoice because this increases the merit. Rejoice that everyone else here has engaged in these actions and all the people who have helped the retreat become possible. How fantastic that is. So with this very joyful mind, we dedicate the merit. Due to all these merits of the three times collected by all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, myself, and all other sentient beings, which appear to be real from their own side, which are not truly existing, may I, who appears to be real but is empty, achieve Guru Vajrasattva’s enlightenment, which appears to be real, but is empty, from my own side.
Non existing meaning non truly existing. We are completely empty. All of those things are existing, but completely empty, completely free of existing from their own side inherently as something solid, fixed, and independent. There are only existing myself, all phenomena, good and bad karma, all actions, all sentient beings, the state of enlightenment are existing like a rainbow. Just arising depending on causes and conditions arising on many many factors appearing but completely insubstantial.
May the precious bodhicitta, the source of all happiness and success for myself and all other sentient beings be generated within my own mind and in the minds of all sentient beings without even a second’s delay, and may that which has been generated be increased. May I and all other sentient beings have loved Tsongkhapa as our direct guru in all our lifetimes, Never be separated for even the second from the pure path that is greatly praised by the Conqueror Buddhas and actualize the complete path, the three principal paths of the two stages of highest yoga tantra, the root of which is guru devotion within our minds as quickly as possible. Just as the brave Mañjuśrī and Samantabhādra realise things as they are, I dedicate all these virtues in the best way that I may follow after them. Whatever dedication the three times victorious Sugatas have praised as best, in the same way, I also perfectly dedicate all these roots of virtue so that I may perform good works. So then we can do the multiplying mantras, which are from volume one, aren’t they?
The dedication prayers at the back of volume one. Page thirty four of that section. So this multiplies the merit that we’ve we’ve dedicated, that we’ve created today and dedicated a hundred thousand times. So we’ve been very happy about that. See, Dharma practice isn’t that hard.
The blessings of the infinite Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the power of infallible dependent arising, and the power of my pure special attitude, may all my pure prayers succeed immediately. And then we can finish with the long line prayers. So this one is just on the next section, starting with His Holiness’s prayer, page four. Page twenty six, back at the beginning of the morning prayers. Rinpoche’s short long-life prayer.
Oh, anyway, wherever you can find it. You who uphold the Vinaya’s moral way, who serve as the bountiful bearer of all, spirituality, whose body, speech, and mind are pure in the three vows, undaunted and altruistic, qualities derived through experience from hearing contemplation and meditation. May this great holder of the traditional teachings have long life, who teaches the pure paths of Sūtra and Tantra without contradiction as they are, who protects the integrated states of the union of method and wisdom of the two stages and beautifies the saffron robe through diligence in practice. May you live long protector who is held in the lotus petals of pure white Dharma and spreads the teachings of the conqueror with all embracing skill and means to eliminate the darkness of confusion of mother migrating beings. By the strength of my pure intention, the truth of the nondeceptive dependent arising of karma and effect And the pure, precious blessings of my guru.
May the meaning of this prayer be quickly and easily fulfilled. I mean, by reciting this, it doesn’t mean that Geshe-la becomes your root guru. This was composed for people who maybe take Geshe-la as their root guru, doesn’t mean you have to be. Just pray for his long life. And then, of course, we have to finish with the theme song of the Guhya.
The foundation song of the Guhyas. Requesting praise to the glorious, inconceivable, enlightened being Je Tsongkhapa. It was the embodiment of Mañjuśrī, Chenrezig and Vajrapāni and Maitreya Buddha all in one.