Saturday 29 November 2008

Om benza sattva hum!


Today I went for Vajrasattva 金剛薩埵 puja, the very last prayer session in the center for this year, as the group is going for a retreat in Bodgaya India soon.

Vajrasattva is the Buddha of purification. As the "action" or karma protector, he also manifests the energies of all Buddhas. The main purpose of Vajrasattva practice is to purify our obscurations. "Obscurations" means negative emotions, negative speech, negative actions, that obscure our Buddha nature.

"The only virtue of sin is that it can be purified." In fact, there is nothing that cannot be purified, even the most apparently heinous deed.

Why is it Vajrasattva that we choose for purification? When he vowed to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all beings, he made this wish: "When I become a fully enlightened Buddha, may all beings be purified of their obscurations, their ignorance and their negative actions simply by hearing my name, seeing my form, thinking of me, or reciting the mantra that contains my name."

It so happens that this purification puja comes at the right time, when I feel I need to purge out all the negativities trapped inside me, rid all the obscurations relating to body, speech and mind. Everyday, in the course of work or at home, with colleagues, with friends, with family, situation may arise that cause misunderstandings, hurt, verbal/physical abuse, evil intentions, and all the negative actions that we commit everyday, and they keep accumulating each day, if they are not purified. I needed to rid all the negative feelings and thoughts in order I can start brand new again.

We chanted the 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva. We also dedicated the merit of this puja to the victims of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, those of whom were hurt by the terrorists or those who lost their lives. Let's hope the world becomes a better and safer place, and we ourselves become better persons, through all the pain we witnessed, experienced, confessed and purified.

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