Question asked by Paulo Sérgio
Dear Pastors, sorry if I send so many questions. But I feel the need to find a practice with which I feel satisfied, which I can consider as my "personal and principal practice." So I constantly think about how a practice could be structured to make me feel complete. I'll divide my questions into blocks, and I'll be as direct as possible. 1 – The practice of Dorje Shugden is generally preceded by Ganden Lhä Gyäma. Can I practice Vajrasattva in place of Ganden Lhä Gyäma, and after absorbing Vajrasattva in my heart, proceed with the practice of Dorje Shugden? 2- Can I visualize myself as Vajrasattva, when it is asked in Sadhana that I visualize myself as Yidam? 3- If Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Buddha Manjushri, can I practice Dorje Shugden after performing the practice of Manjushri (after absorbing Manjushri in my heart? 4 – Something that I find beautiful in the Sadhanas of Buddhas like Green Tara, Tsongkhapa, etc., is that there is that moment of making offers, interior or exterior, in which we say "Arghan, Padan, Puppe, Dhupe, etc." How could I include this part in the practice of Vajrasattva Buddha?
Dear Paulo Sérgio,
It is good to see you back here, I hope you have been keeping well. I will try to answer your questions according to your points.
1. Yes, if you want to keep your practice short and concise then it is more than acceptable for you to begin with the practice of Vajrasattva and follow this with the practice of Dorje Shugden.
2. If you have tantric initiation then you are not only meant to visualize yourself as the deity during your sadhana only but also 24/7. Everything you see is supposed to be Vajrasattva, everything you hear is the mantra of Vajrasattva, and even the thoughts of others are considered the mind of Vajrasattva. If you have initiation you are meant to blend your reality with the reality of the deity. In this case, of course you visualize yourself as Vajrasattva and during the practice of Dorje Shugden, lights go out to invite Dorje Shugden from his various abodes.
However, if you do not have initiation, you do not need to focus on this too strongly. Simply invite Dorje Shugden in your mind and as he is an enlightened being, he will come.
3. Yes, you can do the same as the above for Manjushri.
4. If you have received initiation into Vajrasattva’s practice, the offerings are automatically part of the daily sadhana. All tantric sadhanas have the offerings in some form or another, and the reason for this is two-fold: (1) to generate merit so that we overcome ordinary view and (2) to fulfill the Paramita or Perfection of generosity.
I hope these answers help. Thank you.