Connecting with Deities

[Vajra Fist]

There's an audio guided meditation on Amitabha in a book by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, which involves deity visualisation and receiving blessing energy. It's like blazing light filling my body.

 

Whenever I practice other mantras, like Avalokitesvara's mani or the Medicine Buddha mantra I now see the respective deity in my mind's eye and receive blessings. 

 

One thing I noticed is that to be open to the blessing energy from a deity, devotion is really important. Without it, it's like trying to see the sun light through shuttered windows.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Vajra Fist

[Fa Xin]

51 minutes ago, Vajra Fist said:

There's an audio guided meditation on Amitabha in a book by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, which involves deity visualisation and receiving blessing energy. It's like blazing light filling my body.

 

Whenever I practice other mantras, like Avalokitesvara's mani or the Medicine Buddha mantra I now see the respective deity in my mind's eye and receive blessings. 

 

One thing I noticed is that to be open to the blessing energy from a deity, devotion is really important. Without it, it's like trying to see the sun light through shuttered windows.

Very cool, thank you for sharing. 

 

When you say “devotion”, could you replace that word with “surrender”? Or devotion meaning, time and energy spent towards a deity?

Edited February 10, 2018 by Fa Xin

[Vajra Fist]

38 minutes ago, Fa Xin said:

Very cool, thank you for sharing. 

 

When you say “devotion”, could you replace that word with “surrender”? Or devotion meaning, time and energy spent towards a deity?

 

Not really the easiest thing to describe. Dictionary definition is:

'love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person or activity'

But feels like an opening of the heart and allowing someone in with complete trust. 

Edited February 10, 2018 by Vajra Fist

[Fa Xin]

3 hours ago, Vajra Fist said:

 

Not really the easiest thing to describe. Dictionary definition is:

'love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person or activity'

But feels like an opening of the heart and allowing someone in with complete trust. 

Nice, thanks. 😊

[MIchael80]

7 hours ago, Vajra Fist said:

There's an audio guided meditation on Amitabha in a book by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, which involves deity visualisation and receiving blessing energy. It's like blazing light filling my body.

 

Whenever I practice other mantras, like Avalokitesvara's mani or the Medicine Buddha mantra I now see the respective deity in my mind's eye and receive blessings. 

 

One thing I noticed is that to be open to the blessing energy from a deity, devotion is really important. Without it, it's like trying to see the sun light through shuttered windows.

Really nice!

In buddhist tantra they use a lot of deity yoga. It is pat of the creation stage (a two staged model to enlightenment; creation stage being the first and then the completion stage).

Have you found some benefits from the blessing of the deity? (deeper mediation, better health etc.)

best

Michael

[Jonesboy]

5 hours ago, Vajra Fist said:

 

Not really the easiest thing to describe. Dictionary definition is:

'love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person or activity'

But feels like an opening of the heart and allowing someone in with complete trust. 

 

Just like that old saying.

 

Open up your heart to Jesus and let him in.

 

Very cool stuff.

[Vajra Fist]

1 hour ago, MIchael80 said:

Really nice!

In buddhist tantra they use a lot of deity yoga. It is pat of the creation stage (a two staged model to enlightenment; creation stage being the first and then the completion stage).

Have you found some benefits from the blessing of the deity? (deeper mediation, better health etc.)

best

Michael

 

I'm at a very early stage, having only practiced in any depth for a few months. But I would say I feel happier, healthier and more peaceful. And psychic ability seems to be developing. More than that, it feels like a path which is going to take me a long way and that I've barely scratched the surface.

 

EDIT: For anyone interested, this hour-long Amitabha meditation is available free on SoundCloud. There are others he has that are slightly shorter which involve Tara as a yidam

 

https://m.soundcloud.com/user-424344282/sets/tulku-thondup

Edited February 10, 2018 by Vajra Fist

[MIchael80]

26 minutes ago, Vajra Fist said:

 

I'm at a very early stage, having only practiced in any depth for a few months. But I would say I feel happier, healthier and more peaceful. And psychic ability seems to be developing. More than that, it feels like a path which is going to take me a long way and that I've barely scratched the surface.

 

EDIT: For anyone interested, this hour-long Amitabha meditation is available free on SoundCloud. There are others he has that are slightly shorter which involve Tara as a yidam

 

https://m.soundcloud.com/user-424344282/sets/tulku-thondup

Thanks for the info!

Deity yoga is really fascinating and makes a lot of sense to start a really deep transformation.

I will start to work with tantric deity yoga of "the secret sadhana of Vajravilasini". It is discusse in a tantric book called "tantric bliss" that is on the internet for free download and describes in detail all stages of tantra (deity yoga, subtle energy yoga, sexual yoga and mahamudra).

they have two phases in there.

1. you visualize the deity and their mandala

2. you invite the actual deity into your visualization and then take that into your body.

All the best on your way!

Michael

[Vajra Fist]

35 minutes ago, MIchael80 said:

Thanks for the info!

Deity yoga is really fascinating and makes a lot of sense to start a really deep transformation.

I will start to work with tantric deity yoga of "the secret sadhana of Vajravilasini". It is discusse in a tantric book called "tantric bliss" that is on the internet for free download and describes in detail all stages of tantra (deity yoga, subtle energy yoga, sexual yoga and mahamudra).

they have two phases in there.

1. you visualize the deity and their mandala

2. you invite the actual deity into your visualization and then take that into your body.

All the best on your way!

Michael

 

Thanks buddy, I'll look into the books you recommended. In deity yoga there are two main stages, and the latter stage requires empowerment. The meditations above involve visualising the deity in front of you, whereas only after empowerment you will learn to visualise yourself as the deity. Moreover there are certain deities, wrathful ones particularly, which it is generally forbidden to practice the first stage even without empowerment. 

 

It is generally better to do things by the book in vajrayana as there are guardian spirits protecting the teaching and misuse can get you into trouble. Generally any mantra from the sutra is fine, as well as the meditations above.

 

I would also say that rather than any secret mantra or sexual yoga, the real essence of the teaching is contained in open practices. For instance the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum offers a complete path to liberation by itself. It contains the essence of Avalokitesvara.

 

Here is a nun who has made it her sole practice for 45 years.

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2018 by Vajra Fist

[s1va]

 

2 hours ago, Vajra Fist said:

 

Thanks buddy, I'll look into the books you recommended. In deity yoga there are two main stages, and the latter stage requires empowerment. The meditations above involve visualising the deity in front of you, whereas only after empowerment you will learn to visualise yourself as the deity. Moreover there are certain deities, wrathful ones particularly, which it is generally forbidden to practice the first stage even without empowerment. 

 

It is generally better to do things by the book in vajrayana as there are guardian spirits protecting the teaching and misuse can get you into trouble. Generally any mantra from the sutra is fine, as well as the meditations above.

 

I would also say that rather than any secret mantra or sexual yoga, the real essence of the teaching is contained in open practices. For instance the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum offers a complete path to liberation by itself. It contains the essence of Avalokitesvara.

 

Here is a nun who has made it her sole practice for 45 years.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing your insight and experience on connecting with deities in the last few posts.  It is valuable and there is much to learn for me.   I can relate to most of what you stated.  Yes, open practice of deity mantras can be helpful.  However, I wouldn't discount other practices that you described as secret mantra or sexual yoga.  Some of these are core part of tantric practices.  Imo, the intention of secrecy was never to suppress information from anyone, make things difficult or close doors from aspirants.  There could be valid reasons why some of them needed to be guarded carefully, sometimes for the safety of the seekers also.  

 

What is considered secret is also very relative.  What is plain and clear to some, could seem like secret to many others.  For instance, you are able to invoke deities and feel/see them with their mantras.  Some one else trying the same exact practice may not see or feel the deities or anything. To this person, it might seem like, there is more to it than what meets the eye -- or there is some secret ingredient to this practice to actually see/feel the deity.  When such a person comes questioning, you may be able to help point out and show, all it needs is devotion and a open heart.  Help that person experience the same (eventually), this is what teachers do, they help.

 

There are also the initiation and various type of transmissions that can result in powerful transformation.  Anyway, if practiced with a open heart, under the guidance of some one who truly knows, the results can be amazing.   This is  perhaps why Tantra is considered direct as opposed to other methods.

 

 

[Vajra Fist]

I agree with you, a teacher is very important. There are a few things that need to be firm in you before you practice sexual yoga, the most important is bodhicitta - or a motivation that everything you do is for the benefit of all mother beings rather than yourself.

 

It takes many years of dedicated practice for that, which is while sexual yoga is one of the last practices taught. If practiced with an inattentive mind, driven by lust, or with strong attachments, it can easily become a demonic practice or leave you completely burned out. Then when you die you could be reborn in a lower realm of suffering.

 

Anyway, it's beyond the scope of this thread, but if you're serious about esoteric Buddhism (or for that matter, Bon) I would recommend seeking out a teacher like Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche or Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, both of whom offer online empowerments, have practice centres around the world, and have a wide range of material publicly available to constitute a clear path for a remote learner.

 

Bowing out now, apologies for derailing the thread. Looking forward to hearing more stories of deity practices from other traditions.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Vajra Fist

[子泰]

Dieties are just creations of the mind that is used to communicate the formless substance that inspired them. The real benefit comes from connecting to the latter, but that is often overlooked, because of the mind’s tendency to look for something tangible to grasp.

[s1va]

5 hours ago, 子泰 said:

Dieties are just creations of the mind that is used to communicate the formless substance that inspired them. The real benefit comes from connecting to the latter, but that is often overlooked, because of the mind’s tendency to look for something tangible to grasp.

 

How does one connect to the formless? Is it possible that the formless is also a creation of mind?

[rainbowvein]

4 hours ago, s1va said:

 

How does one connect to the formless?

 

Gaze at this picture:

 

[s1va]

10 minutes ago, rainbowvein said:

 

Gaze at this picture:

 

 

Gazed. What next?  I am a little slow .   If you are going to teach me, you need to do better than that.  

[rainbowvein]

Not a teacher.

 

Just sharing a non-word representation of emptiness for you.

[Fa Xin]

Anyone here work with Lao Tzu?

 

i find he is a rather powerful and vast presence...

[s1va]

1 hour ago, rainbowvein said:

Not a teacher.

 

Just sharing a non-word representation of emptiness for you.

 

Interesting.  Is that what the circle is about? Representation of emptiness?  

[dwai]

3 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

Anyone here work with Lao Tzu?

 

i find he is a rather powerful and vast presence...

I’ve worked with him a few times. Very empty and expansive. 🙇🏻

[Fa Xin]

2 minutes ago, dwai said:

I’ve worked with him a few times. Very empty and expansive. 🙇🏻

Thanks Dwai. I also got him as very empty as well. Felt like I was in a large ballroom. Not much energy flow to speak of. 😊

[ChiForce]

On 2/11/2018 at 9:20 AM, s1va said:

 

How does one connect to the formless? Is it possible that the formless is also a creation of mind?

Hahahahah..by the name implies..is formless.  Can not be grasped....the Dharmakaya....or the Tao... 

[ChiForce]

Hmmm....I think I have encountered another celestial being few days ago, in my morning dream.  It was a Chinese Indian child.  He was like a Chinese children but with dark brown skin color.  A pair of large almond shaped eyes.  Unusually large proportional to his head.  Glowing white luminous light from his third eye.  Then, he appeared next to my mother and helping her cooking.  He turned around and smiling at me.  When I noticed his third eye was glowing, I smiled back at him as if I knew who he was.  In reality, I don't.  I knew he wasn't just some simple dream figure.  Man, those large almond shaped eyes...hehehehe....    

 

  

[Fa Xin]

On 2/25/2018 at 7:23 PM, ChiForce said:

Hmmm....I think I have encountered another celestial being few days ago, in my morning dream.  It was a Chinese Indian child.  He was like a Chinese children but with dark brown skin color.  A pair of large almond shaped eyes.  Unusually large proportional to his head.  Glowing white luminous light from his third eye.  Then, he appeared next to my mother and helping her cooking.  He turned around and smiling at me.  When I noticed his third eye was glowing, I smiled back at him as if I knew who he was.  In reality, I don't.  I knew he wasn't just some simple dream figure.  Man, those large almond shaped eyes...hehehehe....    

 

  

Really cool. Thanks for sharing. 

 

Your experience brought to mind the “kitchen God” from Asian cultures and also the hearth spirits... the kitchen is not as sacred and revered these days as it once was. 

 

not saying that your encounter was with one of those types of spirit, but it reminded me of it as it was helping your mom cook 😊 cool stuff 

[ChiForce]

1 hour ago, Fa Xin said:

Really cool. Thanks for sharing. 

 

Your experience brought to mind the “kitchen God” from Asian cultures and also the hearth spirits... the kitchen is not as sacred and revered these days as it once was. 

 

not saying that your encounter was with one of those types of spirit, but it reminded me of it as it was helping your mom cook 😊 cool stuff 

Hehehehehehe........  Those eyes....those were the same eyes I saw when I thought I saw a Kwan Yin like face a while ago...:)

[Tanya]

Jumping on this thread late... had a recent encounter with Jesus. Typically when I’ve tried connecting with him, I haven’t felt anything at all. Maybe some extra space but even that I felt was a stretch of my mind perhaps. The last time however, I felt a surge of energy and as I sat with it, I began seeing hands which I felt represented mine as well as jesus’ somehow. First I felt/saw the stigma on my hands. No pain, more just sensations. And later felt/saw my hands full of light and reaching out to touch others. Like touching was a transmission of the light. 😊