Question asked by Vuee Wong
Hi, I meant that if I can do Tsongkhapa’s practice but use Vajrayogini as the focus, so I'm technically "practicing" her. I was watching some Vajrayogini videos & Tsem Rinpoche said that we can "start" on Vajrayogini now even without initiations (But we aren't reciting her prayer/mantra)
I also have another question on one of the 50 verses of Guru Devotion/the commentary on one of the verses, it said that we cannot associate ourselves w/ people who belittle their Guru, was this supposed to be taken seriously? Because what if our own family belittled their Guru? What if our friends, partner, etc belittles their Guru? This got me questioning a lot!!
Dear Vuee Wong,
Okay, now I understand. Yes, you can ‘start’ on Vajra Yogini now. That doesn’t mean you can ‘practise’ Vajra Yogini, which actually requires initiation. You start making a connection with her now though doing the prayers that you can do without initiation. These are not the same as Tsongkhapa’s practice. That is completely separate practice, and needs to remain different. We should not mix the practices as they have been taught. You can find out more about what Rinpoche meant on ‘starting’ on Vajra Yogini practice in the following two articles:
1. https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/starting-on-vajra-yogini-now.html
2. https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/vajrayogini-the-powerful-divine-red-lady.html
In regards to the 50 verses, the point about not associating yourself with those who belittle their guru, yes it is meant to be taken seriously. If this is someone close to you, the question arises, why is that person belittling their own guru? It means that they do not have enough faith in their guru. Guru Devotion in Tibetan Buddhism is very important, especially for tantric practices and on many different levels. The reason why we shouldn’t associate with such people is because if our guru devotion is not strong enough, then they can sway our thinking about the guru. If this happens, there is no way to further on the tantric path, as the guru plays a very important role, not just in teaching you the practice but in your own daily sadhana and meditations. If those around you have a guru but belittle him/her, perhaps it is better for you to gently encourage them not to have such negative views and to increase the faith in their guru. I hope this helps.