Vajrasattva Buddha Prayer
Buddha Vajrasattva (Tib. Dorje Sempa རྡོ་རྗེ་སེམས་དཔའ་)
Buddha Vajrasattva vs Buddha Akshobhya
According to Rinpoche, this mantra was one of the most powerful mantras in purifying negative karmas and obscurations related to Vajrayana practices. Rinpoche briefly explained the differences between the mantra of Buddha Akshobhya and Buddha Vajrasattva, even though both are effective for karma purification. Buddha Vajrasattva mantra is more inclines for purifying negativity related to Vajrayana practices, particularly broken and breaches of samayas. Whereas Buddha Akshobhya mantra is very powerful for cleaning the general negative karma, and thus is extremely beneficial even for non-Vajrayana practitioners.
The Importance of Purification Practices
As Vajrayana practitioners, we are constantly breaking the samayas due to our ignorance and lack of knowledge. If we do not keep the samayas well, it becomes the primary hindrance to the progress of our practices. No matter how much we practice; the progress will not there. Thus, for those who have entered the path of Vajrayana, the first priority is to purify, correcting the karma, and fulfilling the broken samayas. Once the karma has been purified, and all the samayas are filled, you'll feel increasing blessings and improvements. Your practices and meditation will steadily progress and heightened.
The Timeframe of Confessing a Wrong Deed or Transgressed Vows
It is extremely important for one to be mindful of one's actions, speeches and thoughts; and strive constantly and diligently, toward purifying all negative deeds and mending any violated vows. For any broken samaya or negativities committed, it's important to confess and purify it, as soon as one realized it. The best is immediately. Otherwise, within one day, three days, seven days or 21 days, it is still acceptable. Once it has exceeded three years, then it will be very difficult to be cleaned.
Daily Confession
It would very beneficial, if one could make a daily confession as one's routine, and persevere in this practice. Every night, before retire, chant the 100 Syllables Mantra of Buddha Vajrasattva for 3 or 7 or 21 times; and confess all the wrong doings one has committed during the day, whether knowingly or unknowing, intentionally or unintentionally, for those one remembered, and those one do not. With deep remorse, one repent and confess all the negative deeds, and any possible breaches, faults and downfalls of the root and branch samayas related to body, speech and mind.
The Practice of Confession
There are no negative actions that cannot be purified through confession, even the most heinous one. In fact, the great teachers of the past uttered this, "There is only one virtue of negative actions, is that it can be purified." However, purification can genuinely take place when one confess truthfully in the right way, applying the Four Powers as means of confession.
The Four Powers
1) The Power of Support
Confession needs a support for us to express our remorse, our regret. In this context, the object or deity we seek to confess upon our negative deeds, is Buddha Vajrasattva.
2) The Power of Regret
One must have a feeling of deep remorse or regret over the harmful actions one has committed, knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally; those that one could remember, and all those one has forgotten. Knowing that all these past negative actions are the very cause of our sufferings and the endless circling in the samsara; and without purifying them, it will only perpetuate our sufferings further in lives to come. This arouse a sense of intense regret over all the negativities we have committed, out of ignorance or carelessness, in all our lifetimes since the beginningless time.
3) The Power of Antidotes
Regret alone does not serve. We have to find ways to repair these wrongs. We must make every effort to purifying ourselves. This is where one engage sincerely, wholeheartedly in practicing the Vajrasattva sadhana, to cleanse and purify one's negative karmas and obscurations.
4) The Power of Resolution
The purification will not have any lasting effects if we do not have the determination to refrain from committing it again. It just doesn't work if one have that kind of wrong perception in one's mind, "It really doesn't matter, as I can always confess afterwards for whatever wrongdoings I have committed ..." Thus, relentlessly remind yourself on the harmful actions you have done in the past and its retribution when the karma ripened, and make firm resolve that you will never commit them again from now on, even at the cost of your very own life.
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Buddha Vajrasattva Grand Puja presides by Dorje Jinpa Choegon Rinpoche
More audio chants shall be uploaded soon. May it benefits all!