The Vajrasattva Sadhana
Vajrasattva
Prostrations to Vajrasattva
Visualize about four inches above your head an open white lotus upon which is a moon disc.
Vajrasattva is seated upon the moon disc. His body is made of white light and adorned with
beautiful ornaments and clothes of celestial silk. His two hands are crossed at his heart; the
right holds a vajra, the left holds a bell. At his heart is a moon disc with the seed syllable HUM at its
center and the letters of Vajrasattva's hundred-syllable mantra standing clockwise around its
edge.
Taking Refuge and Generating the Altruistic Intention
Visualize you take refuge in the buddhas and bodhisattvas of ten directions, in particular-the root guru.
Your father is to your right, your mother to you left, your enemy is in front of you and your
friends and relatives are placed behind you. You generate great compassion for all, with that,
take refuge.
Holding this visualization clearly in your mind, contemplate and recite three times:
"I take refuge in the Three Jewels. I will liberate all sentient
beings and lead them to enlightenment. Thus, I perfectly generate the mind dedicated to
attaining enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings."
The Power of Regret
Spend some time reviewing harmful physical, verbal, and mental actions you have done, both those
you can remember and those you created in previous lives but cannot recall. Generate deep regret
for having done these. Have a strong wish to be free from their suffering results and to avoid
causing harm to others and yourself in the future.
Seeing Vajrasattva as a combination of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas and as your
own wisdom and compassion in fully developed form, make this request:
"O Bhagavan Vajrasattva, please clear away all negative karma and obscurations of myself and all
living beings and purify all degenerated and broken commitments."
The Power of Remedial Action
From the HUM at Vajrasattva's heart, light radiates in all directions, requesting the Buddhas to
bestow their blessings. They accept the request and send white rays of light and nectar, the
essence of which is the knowledge of their body, speech and mind. The light and nectar absorb
into the HUM and the letters of the mantra at Vajrasattva's heart. They then fill his whole body
completely, enhancing the magnificence of his appearance and increasing the brilliance of the
mantra.
While reciting the mantra, visualize that white rays of light and nectar stream continuously from
the HUM and mantra at Vajrasattva's heart. They flow down through the crown of your head and fill
every cell of your body and mind with infinite bliss. Recite the
100 syllable mantra at least 21 times:
OM VA'JRA-SAT'TVA
SA'MA'YAM MA'NU-PU'LA'YA 1/
VA'JRA-SAT'TVA TVE'NO PA'TIS'THA 2/
DRD'HO ME BHA'VA 3/
SU'TO'SH'YO ME BHA'VA 4/
A'NU'RAK'TO ME BHA'VA 5/
SU'PO'SY'O ME BHA'VA 6/
SAR'VA SID'DHIM ME PRA'YAC'CHA 7/
SAR'VA KAR'MA'SU CA ME CHIT'TA SRI'YAH KU'RU HUM 8/
HA HA HA HA HOH 9/
BHA'GA'VAM SAR'VA TA'THA'GA'TA VA'JRA MA ME MUN'CHA 10/
VA'JRI BHA'VA MA'HA SA'MA'YA SAT'TVA AH HUM PHAT 11/
If you cannot memorize the long mantra, recite the short mantra:
"OM VAJRA SATTVA HUM"
While reciting either of the mantras, continue to visualize the flow of light and nectar, and
perform the following four visualizations alternately:
Purification of body. Your disturbing attitudes and negativities in general, and particularly
those of the body, take the form of black ink. Sickness takes the form of pus and blood and
afflictions caused by spirits appear in the form of scorpions, snakes, frogs and crabs. Flushed
out by the light and nectar, they all leave your body through the lower openings, like filthy
liquid flowing from a drain-pipe. Feel completely empty of these problems and negativity; they
no longer exist anywhere.
Purification of speech. Your disturbing attitudes and the imprints of negativities of speech
take the form of liquid tar. The light and nectar fill your body as water fills a dirty glass:
the negativities, like the dirt, rise to the top and flow out though the upper openings of your
body - your eyes, ears, mouth, nose, etc. Feel completely empty of these problems: they are gone forever.
Purification of mind. Your disturbing attitudes and the imprints of mental negativities appear
as darkness at your heart. When struck by the forceful stream of light and nectar, the darkness
instantly vanishes. It is like turning a light on in a room: the darkness does not go anywhere,
it simply ceases to exist. Feel that you are completely empty of all of these problems: they are
non-existent.
Simultaneous purification. Do the three above visualizations simultaneously. This sweeps away
the subtle obscurations that prevent you from seeing correctly all that exists. Feel completely
free of these obscurations. Dwell in this visualization for at least a few minutes.
The Power of Determination
Address Vajrasattva: "Through ignorance and delusion I have broken and degenerated my commitments.
O spiritual master be my protector and refuge. Lord, Holder of the Vajra, endowed with great
compassion, in you, the foremost of beings, I take refuge."
Then make the following determination: "I shall do my best not to do these destructive actions
again in the future."
Vajrasattva is extremely pleased and says,"My spiritual child of the essence, all your
negativities, obscurations and degenerated vows have now been completely purified."
With delight, Vajrasattva melts into light and dissolves into you. Your body, speech and mind
become inseparably one with Vajrasattva's holy body, speech and mind.
Dedication
Leave Samadhi and recite the following once:
Due to this merit may we soon Attain the enlightened state of Vajrasattva,
That we may be able to liberate All sentient beings from their sufferings.
May the precious bodhi mind, Not yet born arise and grow.
May that born have no decline, But increase forever more.
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A Short Sadhana
The practice is mainly by your heart, not your mouth. You take inner refuge in Vajrasattva by visualizing he
resides you, you become Vajrasattva. You actualize bodhichitta by purifying all sentient beings
in six realms and transforming them into Vajrasattva.
If you've perfect devotion and continuous understanding that the everlasting, blissful transcendental wisdom
is your ultimate goal, with the joy of constantly striving to discover it in your heart, and the
continuous urge to complete six perfections, there is no such time that you are not taking refuge or generating
bodhichitta.
Prostrations to Vajrasattva
Use the above method (on top of page) to visualize Vajrasattva in front of you, and all sentient
beings in human form surrounding you.
The power of remedial action
While prostrating, recite the short mantra continuously. Visualize from a white syllable
OM at Vajrasattva's brow the mantra pours forth in a stream of white letters of light. This
sinks into your brow, purifying obscurations of your body.
At the same time, from a red syllable AH at Vajrasattva's throat comes the mantra as a stream of
red letters of light, which sinks into your throat and purifies obscurations of your speech.
From a blue syllable HUM at Vajrasattva's heart comes the mantra as a stream of blue letters of
light, and this sinks into your heart, purifying obscurations of your mind.
Imagine all sentient beings around you are prostrating with you and purifying their own body,
speech and mind. After each prostration, a replica of Vajrasattva absorbs into you and into each
sentient being. Think that your body, speech and mind have been completely purified and are one
with Vajrasattva's holy body, speech and mind. Dwell in this visualization
with utmost effort for along as you can.
After you make your vow, Vajrasattva dissolves into you and into all sentient beings, then
you make the dedication.
*** End ***