Video Clips of Blessing the Speech
Video 1: The Benefits of Blessing the Speech
(duration: 9 minutes)
Transcript of Video 1: The Benefits of Blessing the Speech
(You can read the transcript of the video below. Alternatively, you can read the same transcript alongside the video by clicking here to download it or view it in a separate window.)
According to the instructions of the great yogi Khyungpo for blessing the speech, this is another method that makes one’s own speech perfect. By doing this, whatever recitation of mantra is done, [the merit] increases ten million times, according to Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche.
By doing the blessing of the speech, in particular… Of course to make the speech perfect is one thing, but there are other mantras that make it increase by ten million times. Another particular benefit of this [practice of blessing of the speech] is that the power of mantra is not taken away by eating black food, which takes away the power of speech, or the power of mantra. That doesn’t happen. Another benefit is that whatever you say in the daytime, all the gossiping, becomes the recitation of mantra. Somehow, by the power [of this practice], it all becomes recitation of mantra. My guess is that it means that it becomes virtue.
There are specific benefits of doing the blessing of the speech. It is said that until the recitation of mantra is finished, that is, if you talk before your mantra recitation is finished, your mantra words get [stabbed with] a phurba, a tantric instrument for wrathful actions, and it takes the power of mantra away. It probably means that if you do the blessing of speech, then that doesn’t happen. This is mentioned in the Kadampa teaching called Tenrim. [When practicing] the lower tantras, if you eat garlic, it takes away the power of your speech for seven days, onion for five days, and radish, which give strong gas takes away the power of speech for nine days. If you eat nettles, the power of mantra is lost for half a year. If you eat sheep tongue, then for your whole lifetime the power of mantra is taken away. Animals like sheep are extremely foolish, so when you eat their meat, particularly the lower part of a sheep’s body and, worst of all, the tongue, it also harms your wisdom. Also, if you eat the heart, it degenerates your wisdom. However, by practicing the blessing of the speech, it stops all that, so that eating all those different foods like onion, garlic, and so forth cannot harm you. They cannot take away the power of your speech.
[End of Video 1: “Benefits of Blessing the Speech”]
Video 2: The Practice of Blessing the Speech
(duration: 30 minutes)
Transcript of Video 2: “The Practice of Blessing the Speech”
(You can read the transcript of the video below. Alternatively, you can read the same transcript alongside the video by clicking here to download it or view it in a separate window.)
Motivation for Listening to the Teachings
Just about this one time we have received a precious human body, which is extremely rare to find. But we have found it and we have met a virtuous friend who leads us on the path to enlightenment. This is extremely rare to find, but we have found it, and we have met with Dharma, which is extremely rare to meet. So, we have all the opportunity to practice Dharma. As Geshe Sopa Rinpoche says, in the lower realms all the obstacles gather, but here we have all the opportunity to practice. This time it is not sufficient to avoid being reborn in the lower realms but rather [we have to ensure that we will] be reborn as a human being or a deva. Also [it is not sufficient] to become liberated from the oceans of samsaric sufferings. To attain the ultimate happiness, the blissful state for oneself, even that is not the real meaning of life. The real meaning of life is to benefit others, to cause happiness to others, to cause others the happiness of this life, and more importantly, to cause them the happiness of future lives. That is the more urgent service. Then, an even more important service than that is to cause them to receive ultimate happiness, liberation; and an even more important service than that is to bring them to full enlightenment. But to do that, one has to achieve full enlightenment. Therefore, [think,] “I am going to listen to the teachings on how to practice in daily life.” Also, the daily life mindfulness practice is included here; it is for taking the essence, for making the life as most meaningful as possible.
Mantra to Increase the Power of Recitation
There is just one mantra to recite:
TAYATHĀ / OṂ DHARE DHARE BHENDHARE SWĀHĀ (7x)
That is good to recite so that the texts you read, the sadhanas and Dharma texts that you read (for mantras, there are other mantras)… This mantra is advised to recite before you read a text so that it becomes like having recited it many millions of times. It becomes very, very powerful and there is so much merit:
TAYATHĀ / OṂ DHARE DHARE BHENDHARE SWĀHĀ (7x)
How to Bless the Speech
Out of emptiness arise as your own deity with whom you have a karmic connection, the one who by means of practicing them you achieve enlightenment more quickly. First, purify in emptiness, then your wisdom understanding emptiness manifests as a deity. That, of course, is based on having received an initiation before that, either in a lower tantra or the highest tantra.
Above your tongue is a syllable ĀḤ ( ཨཱཿ ). It transforms into a moon disk. Above that is an OṂ, the color is white; a white OṂ. And around that… Here it says “tongue.” Then there is an ĀḤ ( ཨཱཿ ); that transforms into a moon disk. Then in its center is OṂ. Then, ali karpo, the white vowels, start right in front of the OṂ, clockwise.
OṂ A Ā I Ī U Ū ṚI ṜI ḶI ḸI E Ē O Ō ANG AH SWĀHĀ (3x)
They are clockwise.
Then, the red kali, the consonants, again starting with OṂ. The vowels start from OṂ and then right in front of that is another OṂ, [which begins the set of consonants]. The consonants start on its left side.
OṂ KA KHA GA GHA ṄGA / TSA TSHA DZA GYA ÑA / ṬA ṬHA ḌA ḌHA ṆA / TA THA DA DHA NA / PA PHA BA BHA MA / YA RA LA WA / ŚHA KA SA HA KYA SWĀHĀ (3x)
These are anticlockwise.
Then again, there is the blue Heart Mantra of Dependent Arising, which again starts with OṂ. So there are three OṂs, [one in front of the other]. [This mantra stands] clockwise.
OṂ YE DHARMĀ HETU PRABHAWĀ HETUN TEKÄN TATHĀGATO HYAVADÄ / TEKÄÑ TSA YO
you stop there, then:
NIRODHA EWAM VĀDĪ MAHĀ ŚHRAMAṆAYE SWĀHĀ (3x)
There is no break in the Tibetan writing, but you have to make a break when you recite it [i.e., TSA YO – pause – NIRODHA]. If you recite YONI, then it has a totally different meaning: “May the female organ be destroyed.” It has a complete total other meaning if you recite together YO and NI – YONI. So you stop at YO and then NIRODHA EWAM VĀDĪ MAHĀ ŚHRAMAṆAYE SWĀHĀ. This is how it is explained to recite in the text. Otherwise, it has a totally different meaning.
According to Phabongkha’s explanation, you recite [these mantras] with OṂ but not SWĀHĀ. [Instead] you recite SWĀHĀ at the end, one time. According to Phabongkha, it is like that. Then also, there is another [technique]. I don’t remember it one hundred percent, but you recite it in the morning like this when blessing the speech. I think it is without SWĀHĀ and then at the very end of day, before you go to bed, you recite the same vowels and consonants and then you recite SWĀHĀ. That is another technique, or another advice. However, here, every mantra has SWĀHĀ according to [Khyungpo]. There are different techniques but according to the great yogi Khyungpo, they have SVAHA [at the end].
Do them one by one, one by one. [The instruction “Concentrate on the visualization and recite the mantras beginning from the inner circle”] means they are lined up gradually, from the inside. The vowels [go to the] right side, the consonants [go to the] left side, and the Heart Mantra of Dependent Arising is outside, clockwise. Gradually – they are like that – from the inside, and so recite them.
When you recite the mantras – the vowels three times, the consonants three times, and the Heart Mantra of Dependent Arising also three times – you have to recite them very clearly and slowly, OṂ A Ā (pause), I Ī (pause), U Ū (pause), ṚI Ṝi (pause)… Make them very clear. One time when giving the commentary on Secret Vajrapani at Vajrapani Center, Kyabje Choden Rinpoche talked about how important it is to recite them correctly. Rinpoche used this example for how we need to recite them very clearly, very precisely, with the sounds of all the syllables pronounced correctly. Otherwise it doesn’t become right, he said.
Then, from each syllable of the white vowels, white nectar and beams are emitted, totally illuminating your whole body with white light. Your whole body is filled. They purify all your negative karmas collected [with the body] from beginningless rebirths. Then, from the red syllables, the consonants, red nectar and beams are emitted and completely fill your whole body. They completely purify all your negative karma of speech collected from beginningless rebirths.
[By the white nectar and light from the vowels,] all the negative karmas and defilements of the body are completely purified. Then, after that, red nectar and light completely fill your whole body and your negative karmas of speech collected from beginningless rebirths are completely purified. Then, from the [Heart Mantra of Dependent Arising] blue nectar beams are emitted, filling your whole body, and your negative karmas of mind collected from beginningless rebirths are completely purified. This can be done one by one, or it can be done all together. Maybe there is also a secret visualization, I’m not sure. I haven’t seen it.
Beams are emitted from the garlands of mantras, hooking all the blessings and powers of the holy speech of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and of those who are samsaric beings and those who are beyond samsara. First, you can do it like this: all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, the power and blessings of their holy speech in the form of the mantras – the vowels, the consonants, and the Heart of Dependent Arising – absorb into your tongue mantras. That is one.
The power and blessings of their holy speech in the form of – here it says – the perfect seven royalties, the eight auspicious signs, and the eight auspicious substances absorb into your tongue mantras. In the form of the eight auspicious signs, so many, they absorb into your tongue mantras. The eight substances, so many in that form, absorb into your tongue. Then also the seven royalties, so many, absorb into your tongue.
Then there are the ones who are beyond samsara and then the ones who are samsaric beings, such as the drubtob, or yogis, those who are accomplished. Perhaps normally we say that every one of them is free from samsara, but there can be different levels. However, there are those accomplished ones, the yogis. Then, there are the drangsong, the sages, who have achieved the words of truth. Because they live in silence all their lives, they abstain from gossiping, telling lies, all those things, so their words have power. When they make prayers, their prayers have so much power to be quickly actualized. They, the drangsong dendzin drubpa, those who have accomplished the words of truth, pray for you. The power and blessings of the holy speech of the yogis, the accomplished ones, and of the sages who have achieved the words of truth – in the form of the vowels, the consonants, and the Heart Mantra of Dependent Arising, and in the form of the eight auspicious signs, the eight substances, and the seven royalties – absorb into the mantras [on your tongue].
I mentioned before that from those [mantras], nectar and beams are emitted and you are purified. I mentioned that before, but actually you do that [i.e., recite the mantras] after this [visualization]. After this, you do the purification.
Absorption of the Mantras
Then, after you finish the mantras, the Heart Mantra of Dependent Arising absorbs into the kali, the consonants. Then the consonants absorb into the ali, the vowels. Then they absorb into the OM. The OM absorbs into the moon disk. The moon disk absorbs back into a syllable ĀḤ ( ཨཱཿ ), kind of going back to where it started. Then the syllable ĀḤ ( ཨཱཿ ) melts into white nectar and absorbs into your tongue. Your tongue becomes the nature of a vajra, indestructible, an indestructible vajra, such that whatever food you eat it becomes impossible for it to take away the power of your speech. It becomes indestructible. Then think, “My speech has become perfect. All the blessings and power of all [the buddhas and] the bodhisattvas have entered into my speech.” Then you get all of the benefits that I mentioned earlier.
Dedication
Then, after that, (Rinpoche reads in Tibetan), it just says “the tongue,” wangpo, the basis of the senses, (Rinpoche reads in Tibetan), “may it achieve the power of…” I won’t say “courage,” although one meaning could be courage, but I think it might be “the power of the Gone to Bliss Ones,” the buddhas, because it’s talking about the power of speech, so my guess is this. (Rinpoche reads in Tibetan) “May the power of the magnificence of my words subdue sentient beings.” When you give teachings and when you talk, it will help you to tame other sentient beings’ delusions, to bring inner peace to them by pacifying their delusions, the selfish mind and negative thoughts. Then, “Whatever words I express, may all their meanings be accomplished.” When you are teaching Dharma or even at other times when you are explaining something or asking others to do something, you will be able to accomplish all that. Not only during teachings, but also in daily life when you talk to others, whatever you say may it be accomplished.
Nagarjuna's Heart Practice
Nagarjuna explained in his heart practice to recite these mantras after you do any activities of body, speech, or mind – virtuous activities of body, speech, and mind, not just any activities of body, speech, mind. After any virtuous activities of body, speech, and mind, you should recite the vowels, the consonants, and the Heart Mantra of Dependent Arising, then [the purpose for which] you recited the mantras will be accomplished. For whatever purpose you are reciting them (whether it is for purification, to purify sicknesses, negative karma, and defilements, whether it is for increasing, to increase life, wisdom, realizations, and merit), it becomes powerful and is accomplished. Whatever it is for, to increase, or to control – to achieve the realization of outer conditions for your practice of Dharma and to benefit others, as well as to have control over sentient beings so that the evil ones listen to you and stop engaging in heavy negative karma and then you can bring them to enlightenment, that is, so they get happiness – [all this happens] if you chant these mantras.