Practice Protector Practices Protector Practices: An Introduction
| Protector Practices: An Introduction |
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| Written by Administrator |
| Friday, 18 June 2010 11:36 |
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 Click on image to enlarge Dharma protector practices include elaborate "fulfill and restore" rituals, called "Kangso" (Tib: bskang-gso), in which we, as (self-generated) Buddha-figures, remind the protectors to fulfill the oaths that they promised and restore our close bonds with them by making special offerings. Another common ritual is the golden libation, the Serkyem Offering (Tib: gser skyems), in which we offer alcohol or black tea to the protectors, but without tasting it ourselves. We may also simply invite the protectors into our mandalas to make offerings, especially of tormas, and to make requests (Tib: gsol 'debs). Often these rituals call for an extensive invocation of the main protector's retinue. In the West, people informally call all these practices "protector pujas". There are two Mahakala and one Palden Lhamo Kangsos available for registered users in the Download section. Another example of a protector practice is the Cha-sum (The Ritual of the Three Parts) puja (Tib: cha gsum) (available for download from the Gyuto Center website). This ritual is said to be very powerful to eliminate obstacles which occur in one’s life and spiritual practice. Rather than using wrathful means to harm the interfering spirits, one offers them tormas, praises, and various offerings such as water, flowers, incense, lights, perfume, food, and music.  Click on image to enlarge Different Kinds of ProtectorsThe following is just a rough outline of the intricate and not always consistent world of Buddhist protectors. In Tibetan Buddhism, protectors are generally divided into (1) worldly protectors (mundane, Tib: 'jig rten pa'i srung ma) and (2) Dharma protectors (supra-mundane, Tib: 'jig rten las 'das pa'i srung ma). Both forms are called or propitiated to dispel/remove the inner and outer hindrances of the practice (and the practitioner). Each of those is further divided into father-lineage and mother-lineage types. Mundane and supra-mundane protectors can be (1) enlightened protectors or (2) oath-bound protectors (Tib: dam can) who are sometimes found in retinue of the former. Enlightened protectors, although exhibiting the form of a worldly deity, are actually the (wrathful) embodiment of a Buddha or bodhisattva, e.g. Six-Armed (Shadbuja) Mahakala who is in the nature of Avalokitesvara; the Four-Faced (Caturmukha) Mahakala who is in the nature of Shri Chakrasamvara; Mahakala of the Tent (Panjara) who is in the nature of Hevajra; Palden Lhamo (Shri Devi) who is the wrathful aspect of Saraswati. In other words, each practice comes with its own set of protectors. The Protectors of the Vajrabhairava Practice are: (1) Kalarupa (Tib: gshin rje chos rgyal) in his three forms; (2) Six-Arm Mahakala (Tib: gnag po chen po); (3) Palden Lhamo (Tib: dpal ldan lha mo, or dMag zor ma rGyal mo); and (4) Vaishravana (Tib: rnam thos sras). Dharma ProtectorsA Dharma Protector (Skt: dharmapala; Tib: chos kyong) is usually an emanation of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva whose main functions are (1) to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent practitioners from gaining spiritual realizations, and (2) to arrange all the necessary conditions for their practice. In Tibet, every monastery relied upon its own individual Dharma Protector to eliminate hindrances and to fulfill their spiritual aspirations. Though there are some worldly deities who are friendly towards Buddhism and who try to help practitioners, they are not real Dharma Protectors. Such worldly deities are able to increase the external wealth of practitioners and help them to succeed in their worldly activities, but they do not have the wisdom or the power to protect the development of Dharma within a practitioner’s mind. An important subset of Enlightened Protectors are those who are focused on bestowing or protecting wealth. The most common Wealth Deities are (1) Vaishravana (who is one of the Vajrabhairava protectors), (2) White Six-Armed Mahakala (Tib: mGon po yid bzhin nor bu, or simply: mgon dkar, invoked in the Mahakala Kangso), (3) the multiple forms of Dzambhala (or Jambhala), (4) various forms of Ganapati and (4) Vasudhara (= Yellow Tara). Some of those also serve as yidams, such as White Mahakala, many forms of Dzambhala and Vasudhara. Worldly Protectors and Spirits Click on image to enlarge Wordly protectors (Skt: lokapala; Tib: 'jig rten pa'i srung ma) include the Four Directional Guardian Kings (including Vaishravana), the 15 Directional Protectors (in the Yamantaka Practice), the Four Gatekeepers (Skt: dvarapalas), and the local or field guardians (Skt: kshetrapala). The latter are for the most part indigenous Tibetan deities, mountain gods, demons, spirits or ghosts that have been subjugated by Padmasambhava or other great adepts and oath bound to protect a monastery, geographic region, particular tradition or as guardians of Buddhism in general. They are invoked and propitiated to aid the monastery or Buddhist practitioner materially and to remove obstacles to practice. However, since they are considered to be samsaric beings they are not worshiped or considered as objects of refuge. Traditionally worldly protectors are classified into the Eight Classes of Gods and Demons (Tib: lha 'dre sde brgyad). There are many different classifications; one of them is: (1) mara (Tib: bdud; Skt: mara); (2) mamo (Tib: ma mo; Skt: matrika); (3) naga (Skt: naga; Tib: klu); (4) ging (Tib: ging); (5) rahula (Skt: rahula); (6) tsen (Tib: btsan); (7) rakshasa (Skt: rakshasa; Tib: srin po); (8) yaksha (Skt: yaksha; Tib: gnod sbyin). Alternative classifications include gods and demons such as: gods (Skt: deva; Tib: lha); yama (Tib: gshin rje); gyalpo (Tib: rgyal po); sadak (Tib: sa bdag); miamchi (Tib: mi'am ci); teurang (Tib: the'u rang); sometimes also: hungry ghosts (Tib: yi dags). Practical ConsiderationsWhenever we do a protector practice we have to generate ourselves as the main meditational deity (Skt: ishtadeva, Tib: yi dam); typically as a deity belonging to the Highest Yoga Tantra class, such as Yamantaka, Chakrasamvara, etc. In the Gelug tradition it is usually Yamantaka. As such, we are like masters and the Dharma protectors we deploy are like our fierce guard dogs. This is the reason why the practitioner has to generate him/herself as a Buddha figure in the first place. Unless we have the strength to control them and to feed them regularly, they may turn against us. Thus, the Dharma protector practices in which we invite specific ones into our mandalas are extremely advanced, not for beginners. Engagement in their practices normally requires receiving specific subsequent permissions (Tib: rjes gnang) for them. To create an even closer bond with a Dharma protector, we may also do a protector retreat in which we recite the associated mantras hundreds of thousands of times and offer a concluding fire puja. As Buddha-figures, we may invoke certain Dharma protectors, such as Palden Lhamo, to assist in making prognostications (Tib: mo, thugs-dam) with dice or rosary beads. Completion of a protector retreat is required for such practice. The complete Palden Lhamo Mo Practice is available for registered users in the Download section. Certain Dharma protectors in certain Tibetan Buddhist traditions may also serve as yidams, such as Mahakala in the Kagyu and Sakya traditions. Mostly, however, we do not visualize ourselves as Dharma protectors. Reference
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Practicing Highest Yoga Tantra one inevitably encounters one or the other form of protector practice. In the case of Yamantaka it is an integral part even in the shorter sadhanas in the form of the torma (Tib: gtor ma) offering(s) to various entities; when doing the Yamantaka self-initiation sadhana and/or retreat practice even more so. Aside from the torma offering(s) in the sadhana itself the retreat practice includes three protector practices: (1) Offering to the General Dakinis; (2) Offering to the Lord of the Site, and (3) the Gektor Offering to the Hindering Spirits (Tib: gegs gtor). They are contained in the 
Offering Practices
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