Mantras combination

[Sanggay]

I wonder if it is OK to combine which ever mantras I like during recitation?

[Joey]

what do you mean by combining?

[WayBackHome83]

Hi Sanggay,

It's OK to combine mantras, though I would say to do this randomly "which ever mantras I like" may be less valuable than selecting two or more mantras for a specific purpose. To give an example, when Rinpoche blessed the fish in the video you watched, his mantras included Chenrezig's mantra (compassion) and Medicine Buddha mantra. In blessing the fish, we can see the specific mantras have a connection to the purpose (blessing the fish).

As with any mantra recitation, it's important to set your focus. Whatever your purpose is that leads you to combine mantras, if you focus on your motivation (compassion, gaining wisdom and so on), you'll find this is much more helpful than simply chanting the mantras aimlessly.

I hope this helps - good luck with your recitations.

Kind regards,
Sandy

[SharpPudding]

,....

 Okay, there are practices anyone can do, and it is safe to recite a lot of mantras without proper understanding. But this is on the verge of creating your own practice and that rings a lot of bells in my mind as something people should not be doing. Why not? Because we are doing the practices to get rid of delusion we still have, and deluded people aren't going to come up with a good way to get rid of delusion, if could they would have done it already.

 You can do one practice with it's mantras, and then another practice right after that, everyone does that, it's completely ok.
 If you're talking about like, Om Mani Padme Amitabha Bodhisattva Ture Ture Soha, then no, it's not okay to do that.
 If you are talking about, 1 Om Mani Padme Hum, 3 Tara mantra, 21 Amitabha mantra, 7 Om Mani Padme Hum, 5 Vajrasattva, then no, you shouldn't do it that way, what you should do is the introductory prayers, praise to that deity's qualities or the sadhana and mantra, same for the next deity, same for the next, then concluding prayers.

[Sanggay]

What I meant was, I start with the refuge prayer then 21x 100 syllables mantra follow by 1 mala (x108) of Om Vajrasattva Hum, 1 mala of Om Mani Padme Hum and etc. Lastly I end with dedication. Would it be appropriate?

[SharpPudding]

I think that is fine, but really really really, much more effective if you recite the prayers of that deity first and are reminded of their qualities.

[D.Ogyen]

When I use a mala, I recite one mantra.  But on the spacers, I always recite OM, not to combine but to return to my base intention which is to help.  I don't like how the repetition can become mechanical, my mind can zone out on the repetition, so to "break it up" and keep my attention fresh, I consider the spacer my pausing refocusing point, so I recite OM or the Guru mantra to come back to the original intention of the mantra.  Then I continue renewed. 

Perhaps this is incorrect, does anyone know?

_/|\_
D. Ogyen

[unofficialsamurai]

When I do mantras I usually do one mala per mantra. Then I will do another mala of a different mantra. Each mantra I keep in my mind what I wish to accomplished by reciting the mantra.

I also do not know if this is correct, but at least I am trying to keep a stable practice.

Many bows

[WayBackHome83]

Sanggay,

I'm not sure if it was you who posted the same question on mantra combinations on Rinpoche's personal blog, but in reply to the question, he gave this response:

"No problems and issues at all with mantras. You can recite them in any combination or order you wish. They can only bless, never harm."

I hope this helps clear any doubts you may have had.

Kind regards,
Sandy

[unofficialsamurai]

It's great to hear the official word in regard to this issue.
Time to get ou the mala =]

[D.Ogyen]

time to make another mala...

hey, does anyone know if I'm no one qualified, can I still bless the malas I make?  sorry to take the topic offtopic, but it's kind of relevant... 

I make malas and while making the mala I chant the mantra that best suits the person therefore the mala I'm making them.  For example,

this for example:


was for a friend who practices Chenrezig.  The theme was "across the universe."  His mala is little worlds separated by space, bigger planets, and silver.  Even if there is life across the universe, they suffer too and have buddhas too.   I've heard...

[SharpPudding]

 People recite mantras with various levels of seriousness. In terms of how you should practice according to the Vajrayana tradition, there is a particular way to view things when doing mantras, there are rules of conduct, there are procedures including refuge, praise describing the qualities, sometimes elaborate visualizations and mudras.

 Most people are not reciting mantras this serious, and because of that they get either less result or result that is very postponed, you might not even see a result at all this life. But even for most people, they have a goal for reciting mantra and rambling on, blah blah blah, does not meet that goal. Blah blah blah doesn't generally harm you, but does it accomplish your goal? No, unless your goal is to blah blah blah.

 It's not hard to recite the prayers of the deity, it's not hard to reflect on the suffering of beings, it's not hard to think of the means to liberate them, it's not hard to think of the qualities needed to liberate them, it's not hard to wish to develop those qualities also. These things aren't hard and you will get 1000 times more result from your practice IN THIS LIFE.

D.O, you can bless the mala in many ways, reciting mantra and blowing on it is okay. Another way is to offer it to the Buddhas for beings to practice with, so then it is Buddha's mala but also anyone can use and they have a close connection with the Buddhas. I'm very lucky, the mala I use I offered to my spiritual friend, they gave it back to me saying to give it to them again later, so there is a close tie between us, I have to return the mala one day, I'm just borrowing their mala, and every time I think of them.

[unofficialsamurai]

I love making malas as well.  And I do feel like you  can bless them.  What makes an object blessed in my opinion, is more than just the mantras recited over them but the intention of blessing we wish to put in them.  Making a mala solely with the intention of blessing and helping someone else is much better and more blessed than simply reciting 'empty mantras' over them.   
When we combine our intentions with holy mantras and we recite well and are focus while doing so, we bless the mala.  Or any other object we wish. 

Blessings do not come simply through words, but we use the words the help us bless.  A true blessing starts with the intention to do good for someone else and put them in front of us

And that is a beautiful Mala!! 
My malas never come out that beautiful!

Many blessings

 

[D.Ogyen]

This is interesting, so it's like a pretty serious thing for me.  I make Buddhist rosaries as a generosity practice.  At no time do I ever profit off any donations, if there are any they get forwarded to the next mala.  People contribute generously, believe it or not, when you don't do something for money.  When they know that what they donate goes to the materials for another person's practice, it becomes a paying it forward giving process. 

I have been told many times I should sell my malas, but to be honest with you, I never will made a dime off the practice/prayer of other sentient beings, it's just not my karma to profit monetarily in this practice.  I know only because it is just not my thing.  I love giving.  But finding what to give to someone can be a challenge.

Every creation I've made has been a labor of love, a moving process of something profound.   So it can be a quick inspiration or a hard labor to really find the RIGHT mala for THAT person.  It takes however long it takes so make someone a mala, it's a deep practice for me, there's a lot to it,  mostly connecting, touching into the person and their needs.  One mala took me nearly a year to make.   There were a lot of obstacles for my perception to get to completion of it. 

Also I feel it is karmic for someone to ask for a mala, as it's not as many people as you'd think.  Those who have asked for malas have accepted the simple condition of my practice that it might take some time for me to create the whole piece.  If it's just a quick mala for quick practice, I advise, best to buy on ebay.  Good reliable reasonable deals.    If it's one of my malas, it could be made immediately, it could take a while.  It seems to always depend on the mala. And the karmic process that came  the commission that gives rise to the mala.  The giving is a whole thing in itself, negotiating what is there to give. 
D. Ogyen's malas

I wrote a whole blog entry on how I make a Buddhist mala if anyone is interested in this practice.  I have another dharma sister who was inspired by the idea of helping other buddhists with a mala gift.  Just cuz.  About those prayer beads...‎
 
_/|\_
D. Ogyen

[unofficialsamurai]

I too think that is a great practice!  I think I will start it up as well! 
Thank you for sharing!