Guru Yoga This is the image you visualize during guru yoga, Buddha Vajradhara You being the practice of guru yoga by taking refuge. In the Buddhist tradition, the purpose of taking refuge is to awaken from confusion and associate oneself with wakefulness. Taking refuge is a matter of commitment and acceptance and, at the same time, of openness and freedom. By taking the refuge vow we commit ourselves to freedom. Taking refuge You can choose to chant refuge and Boddhicitta in English or in Tibetan. The benefit of chanting in English is a mindfulness of it’s meaning and intention. The benefit of chanting in Tibetan is beauty of sound and deeper meaning Refuge and Bodhichitta (3 X) Tibetan Sangye Cho dang Tsogkyi chog nam la Jangchup bardu dagni kyab su chi Daggi jinsog gyipei sonam gyi Drola penjir Sanggye druppar shog English I look for inspiration to the buddhas, dharma and sangha Until my full enlightenment is achieved. By the creative energy of my practice of the paramitas, May I gain bodhi for the benefit of all. The Four immeasurables The purpose of the recitation has been describes as follows: “ If you don’t want your happiness to impede that of someone else , says Vanessa Zuisei Goddard, practice the four immeasurables. It will help you make space for others in your mind and to see others as yourself. “ Recite as follows, Tibetan Semchen tamchey dewa dang dewai gyu dang denpar gyur chik Semchen tamchey duk ngal dang duk ngal gyi gyu gyu dang drelwar gyur chik Semchen tamchey duk ngal mepai deway dang mi trelwar gyur chik Semchen tamchey nye ring chak drang nyi dang drelwai tong nyom la neypar gyur chik English May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness; be free from suffering and the causes of suffering; have joy beyond limitations; and abide in equanimity that respects all living beings, regardless of whether they seem likeable or not. (purify view by dissolving the universe into formless emptiness with the following mantra:—) Closing Mantra OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM ( Translation : Om Svabhava Shuddha — The fundamental essence of all things is pure Sarva Dharma Svabhava Shuddho Ham — At their deepest nature, all existing phenomena, including you and me, are arising from pure essence. ) Rest in emptiness Main Body of the Practice The main body of the practice begins with visualization of the guru The purpose of Guru Yoga is to link our own nature to Buddha nature through a spiritual teacher. It represents the streams of light connecting our forehead, heart and throat to our gurus. Vajradhara You begin the practice by visualizing Vajradhara. Vajradhara is represented as having deep blue skin symbolizing space or emptiness. He posesses the noble look of a Boddhisatva in a beautiful androgynous form adorned with fancy attire and jewelery. He is seated at a beautiful jeweled throne, supported by Lions Lions in Buddhism : symbolizing the freedom and fearlessness of wisdom On the jeweled throne is a made of a lotus and a sun disk. He is holding a golden Vajra in his right hand Vajra , in Sanskrit, has both the meanings of “thunderbolt” and “diamond.” Like the thunderbolt, the vajra cleaves through ignorance. In this Sadhana, it represents the masculine principle of compassion In his left hand, he is holding a bell which is meant to represent the feminine principle of wisdom and emptiness. The Five colors These are the Five Colors of Buddhism you visualise. They each correspond to a specific Deity and impurity being cleansed. When performing the visualization you visualize these colours ablaze Vajradhara. The text says to see them as “in essence they are the four “gurus”: the innate guru, that is the primordial radiance of my own mind; the experience guru, my ability to learn from my day to day life; the instruction guru, my ability to integrate whatever Dharma wisdom I have encountered throughout my life; and the root guru, whatever living masters I have met and from whom I received Dharma transmissions and also inspiration.” The three main colors we visualize white, blue and red White symbolizes overcoming pride It corresponds to the element of W ater which represents PURITY In this practice,we visualize Om at our (+ Guru) forehead to cleanse our BODY The stream of light at our forehead purifies all karmic seeds Generated through distorted though. It represents the deity VAIROCANA Blue symbolizes overcoming ignorance It corresponds to the element of Space which represents Emptiness and Mind In this practice, we visualize a blue HUM at our Hearts This stream of light shining at our heart purifies all karmic seeds generated through distorted thought. It represents the deity AKSHOBHYA , the immovable one Red symbolizes overcoming ATTACHMENT It corresponds to the element of Fire which represents Wisdom In this practice,we visualize a AH at our (+ Guru) throat to cleanse our Speech The stream of light at our Throat purifies all karmic seeds Generated through our communication.It represents the deity, AMITABHA