Question asked by Demin Choi
Hello, I am a 13 year old Dorje Shugden practitioner and have been getting confused with emanations. I am not sure if Kalarupa and Yama are the same being. Are those two the same being or different deities?
As for Palden Lhamo, does the goddess speak through the oracle Khandro La? Or is that Tseringma? And are the 12 Tenma sisters led by Palden Lhamo? If so, then how come the oracles have been giving wrong prophecies? Wouldn't that mean that Palden Lhamo is wrong as well?
As I have looked up oracles, I do not know who the spirit of Gadhong is. Even though that oracles is dead, who exactly is Gadhong?
And finally, is there such thing as self initiation into the Yamantaka, Dorje Shugden, or Vajrasattva practice? Because I can't find any lamas or gurus here in Hawaii. And is it okay to give offerings without a varja or bell? Because I don't know how to obtain a vajra or bell and I don't know how to use it. Could you give me advise on how to give offerings and what to do with them afterwards please? I'm still new to Buddhism.
Dear Demin Choi,
Thank you for your question. I am happy to read that you are practicing Dorje Shugden. This practice is very beneficial and will help you in your studies as well, since he is an emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of wisdom.
Here is a link that might be of interest to you: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/dharma-protectors-of-tibetan-buddhism.html. This post details just a few of the various Dharma protectors in Tibetan Buddhism, which you may find interesting and useful.
Kalarupa and Yama are not the same being. Although sometimes you will see that Kalarupa is called Yama Dharmaraja, which may cause some confusion. Kalarupa is an emanation of Manjushri, just like Dorje Shugden. You can read more about Kalarupa on the post I mentioned above. Yama on the other hand, is the god of death. If you are familiar with the wheel of life depiction in Tibetan Buddhism, you will see Yama holding the central image, which depicts the six realms of existence. I’ve included an image of the wheel of time, for you if you have not seen it before.
In regards to the oracle called Khandro-la, it is actually the Tseringma goddesses that take trance and not Palden Lhamo. Palden Lhamo, is the emanation of the Buddha Saraswati. You can also read more about Palden Lhamo on the post I mentioned above. This oracle is actually known as the Tenma oracle, as she takes trance of the 12 Tenma goddesses. Tseringma is actually one of these 12 goddesses. They are very powerful goddesses who were bound by oath to protect the Dharma and practitioners by Guru Rinpoche, when he travelled to Tibet. Though they are not enlightened, they are very high level practitioners as they serve the Dharma and are part of the extended retinue of Palden Lhamo.
You can contrast this to the entourage of Dorje Shugden – the Nine Mothers, Eight Guiding Monks and the Ten Youthful and Wrathful Attendants, who are actually emanations of Dorje Shugden himself.
There are many reasons why some deities in trance can give false prophecies. The accuracy of the prophecy depends on many factors including the level and abilities of the deity taking trance, the ability of the oracle to take trance and speak, and the karma of those who receive the message from the deity. However in your example, it would not mean that Palden Lhamo is false or wrong in any way. Palden Lhamo is an enlightened being for sure, whereas the Tenma goddesses are not. Therefore if this oracle were to give false prophecies, this would not negate the enlightened state of Palden Lhamo.
The Gadhong Oracle takes trance of Shing Cha Chen, who is a form of Pehar Gyalpo, one of the primary spirits that were bound by Guru Rinpoche in Tibet. Shing Cha Chen is also known as the King of Qualities. You may also know Pehar Gyalpo as Nechung, although this is the name of another Oracle, who takes trance of Dra Lha Kye Chigbu who is also known as Dorje Dragden or the King of Activities. You can read more about Pehar Gyalpo here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/nechung-the-retiring-devil-of-tibet.html.
In regards to self-initiation, out of the three deities you mentioned, only Yamantaka has a self-initiation practice. This is only taught and engaged in after receiving the complete initiation and then entering a Yamantaka retreat with concluding fire puja. Self-initiation is not something that a practitioner engagesin to receive the empowerment for the first time. It is engaged in to strengthen one’s already existing practice, and by a Guru prior to giving the actual initiation to their own students.
For Vajrasattva, as a standalone practice there is only the type of initiation given by a Guru to their disciples. However, Vajrasattva can be included as part of other initiations, especially the Higher Yoga Tantra practices. For Dorje Shugden, there is no initiation as per meditational deity (yidam) practices, like Yamantaka and Vajrasattva. However, there is a life-entrustment initiation, which you can read more about here: http://www.dorjeshugden.org/blog/dorje-shugden-life-entrustment-initiation.
You do not need to take initiation to begin a daily practice. In fact before taking initiation, you need to have a very strong understand of the basics of Buddhist practice. You can engage in the daily practice of Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden, to begin with. This is a very beneficial practice, but you should remember to ask your parent’s permission first to start this. It is important to respect and have a good relationship with our family.
In regards to making offerings, you can start by making setting up a simple altar and offering water. This is very good way to generate merits and is a good place to start. You do not need a vajra and bell to make these offerings, as a vajra and bell are used in rituals and prayers, and not while making physical offerings. Here is a short video that may be useful to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9690NrZ284. It was one of the first videos that I ever saw from Kechara and helped me set up my own altar. Please also remember to seek your parents’ permission before setting up an altar.
Since you are new to Buddhism, if I may suggest that you read the articles on this blog to increase your knowledge. If you have any questions you are more than welcome to post them here. I hope this helps.
Thank you.