The Day of a Buddhist Practitioner

(from various sources such as Bokar Rinpoche and Lama

Zopa)

Morning Practice

Sit up in bed in meditation posture.

First thought of the day

May all beings get up from the bed of samsara.
May they attain the Absolute Body of Awakening
(Awakening is true happiness.)

Do some breathing exercises.

Also think: Today, from this instant on to the moment in the evening when I fall
asleep, I will exert myself to accomplish all that is positive and reject all that is
negative. I will practice the spiritual path to become able to help all beings be free
from suffering and progress toward liberation.

Today, I will avoid causing harm through my physical activity.

I will avoid causing harm through my speech.
I will avoid causing harm through my thoughts.

Today, I will do my best to engage in beneficial physical activity.

I will do my best to speak useful and pleasant words.
I will do my best to nourish well wishing thoughts for all beings.

Get up and wash.

Dorje Sempa is in the space in front of you. From his body, a luminous nectar
flows and washes your body inwardly and outwardly. Think that you are purified
from negative karma and the veils staining our body, speech, and mind. We can
supplement this practice by reciting the short or long Dorje Sempa mantra.

When you finish washing, think that Dorje Sempa melts into you.

If you do not know the meditation of Dorje Sempa, simply think of soap and water
ridding you from negative karma and veils covering you mind. However, you can
add to this thought the recitation of the Dorje Sempa mantra if you know it.

Make offerings at your shrine. Make three prostrations with this mantra:
KUNCHOG SUM LA CHAG TSAL LO
OM NAMO MANJUSHIRIYE
NAMO SUSHIRIYE
NAMO UTTAMA SHIRIYE SOHA

This mantra multiplies the prostrations one thousand times. If

you recite it every day, it helps to develop a direct perception of
emptiness in this life, and also to not encounter harm or
obstacles. If you recite this mantra and the Buddhas name
seven times, then each prostration or circumambulation is
increased millions of times.

While prostrating, imagine that facing you in space are the Three Jewels and the
Three Roots, mentally placing yourself under their protection.

Sit in front of the shrine, imagining yourself in front of the Buddha as he is usually
represented, wearing a yellow monk robe and holding a begging bowl.

Think that the Buddha gathers in his essence all the aspects of Refuge and pray to
him, reciting three times:

LA MA TN PA CHOM DEN DE DE SHIN SHEK PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR

DZOK PE SANG GYE PAL GYAL WA SHAK KYA TUP PA CHAG SEL LO, CHO SU
KHYAB SU CHIO, JIN GYI LAB TU SOL.

Pure and perfect Buddha, glorious and victorious Shakyamuni,

you are the master, teacher , the Lord, Thus-Gone, and Victor
over all enemies. I pay homage to you and place myself under
the protection of your teaching. Grant me your blessing.

OM NAMO BHAGAWATE RATNA KETU RAJAYA TATHAGATAYA

ARHATE SAMYAK SAMBUDDHAYA TAYATHA OM RATNE RATNE
MAHA RATNE RATNA VIJAYE SOHA (7X)

TAYATHA OM MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNAYE SOHA (7x or 21x)

Recite refuge and bodhicitta prayers.

When you wake in the morning, recite "The Blessing of the Speech" before
speaking any other words.
The Blessing of the Speech
From the Longchen Nyingthig Ngondro

Visualize yourself as the deity.

Om Ah Hung

Che wang Ram yik le jung me sek ne

From the letter Ram in the speech chakra arises fire, consuming my tongue

O mar nam pe dor je tse sum bup

Which is transformed into a three-spoked vajra of red light. (1)

Ali kali ta kor ten drel nying

In its center are the vowel and consonant mantras, and around them the Essence of
interdependent Origination. (2)

Mu tik treng wa ta bul yik dru le

the letters are like a string of pearls. From them

O tro gyal wa se che cho pe nye

Light radiates out, making offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and pleases
them. (3)

Lar du ngak drip dak ne sung dor jei

Then converging back again, consider that it purifies all defilements of speech.

Chin lap ngo drup tam che top par gyur

And all the blessings and siddhis of Vajra Speech are obtained.

Notes:

1) In the speech chakra is the letter Hrih from which a red eight petaled lotus
appears, its roots in the throat, its petals in the mouth. the front petal is the tongue,
which has become the Discriminating Wisdom of Buddha Amitabha. The three
spoked vajra symbolizes the mind of all the buddhas, the red light is the Buddhas
of the Five Families.
2) The mantras are set counter-clockwise in concentric circles within the "belly" of
the vajra. Inside is the vowel mantra, red, then the consonants, white, and on the
outside the Essence of Interdependent Origination, blue.
3) At the end of the rays of light appear thousands of offering goddesses making
offerings to all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Buddha-realms.
Sanskrit Vowel Mantra: OM A AA I II U UU RI RII LI LII E AI O AU ANG AH
SOHA 3x

Sanskrit Consonant Mantra: OM KA KHA GA GHA NGA/ TSA TSHA DZA

DZHA NYA/ TRA THRA DRA DHRA NRA/ TA THA DA DHA NA/ PA PHA BA
BHA MA/ YA RA LA WA/ SHA KHA SA HA KSHA SOHA 3x

Essence of Interdependent Origination:

OM YE DHARMA HETU PRABHAVA HETUN TEKHAN TATHAGATO

HAYOVADET TSAYO NIRODHA EWAM VADI MAHA SHRAMANAYE
SOHA 3x

Blessing the rosary

OM RUTSI RAMANI PRAVARDHANAYE SOHA HRIH VAJRA DZIHA

MANTRA DHARA VARDHANI OM

In the Palace of Vast Jewels, it says to recite this seven times and then blow on the
rosary to increase the power one hundred thousand times. Before doing the
recitation of your yidam deity recite this, along with the vowels and consonants,
and the Essence of Interdependent Origination, to bless your mala. From time to
time, recite it also onto your food, and it will bless it and increase the power and
strength of its nutrition.

Multiplying mantra

OM SAMBHARA SAMBHARA VIMANA SARA MAHA DZAMBHA

HUNG/ OM MARA MARA VIMANA KARA MAHA DZAMBHA HUNG 3x

The parinata-cakra-sutra says that if this is recited seven times, whatever virtuous
actions one does that day will be multiplied by 100,000.

Do your main puja practice

Recite this mantra at the end of puja to multiply the merit of reciting by a million:
TADYATHA OM PANCHA GRIYA AVA BODHANI SOHA
OM DHARE DHARE BENGHARE SOHA
OM DHURU DHURU JAYA MUKHE SOHA 7x
After puja, think:

During the day, whenever I have the opportunity to do so, while walking, driving,
or on the bus, I will remember to recite the mantra invoking the presence of the
yidam in my mind.

After meditation, its important not to give in to the tendency to solidify the way
we perceive things.

When you do re-enter everyday life, let the wisdom, insight, compassion, humor,
fluidity, spaciousness, and detachment that meditation brought you pervade your
day-to-day experience. Meditation awakens in you the realization of how the
nature of everything is illusory and dream-like. Maintain that awareness even in
the thick of samsara.

One great master has said: After meditation practice, one should become a child
of illusion.

Short Chenrezig Meal Practice

Visualize that the offerings are purified and increase.

Om Ah Hung

Remembering the Three Jewels, take refuge and offer the food visualized as a vast
display.

Ton pa la med Sang gye Rin po che

Khyop pa la med Dam cho Rin po che
Dren pa la med Ge dun Rin po che
Kyap ne Kon chog sum la cho pa bul

To the precious Buddha, the highest teacher

To the precious Dharma, the highest protection
To the precious Sangha, the highest guide
To You, rare and sublime Refuges, I offer this food.

Jo wo kyon gyi ma go kun dog kar

Dzog Sang gye kyi u la gyen
Tuk jei chen gyi dro la zig
Chenrezig la cho pa bul (or) sol wa deb.

To the unstained Lord, whose body is white in color,

Whose head is adorned with a perfect buddha,
Who views living beings with the eyes of compassion,
To Avalokiteshvara I offer this food (or) I pray

Recite the Mani as many times as possible

Om Mani Peme Hung

While reciting the mantra recall all sentient beings who have passed away,
especially those who lost their lives in the preparation of the meal and generate
compassion for them. Expand your awareness to include even the insects that
were harmed in the course of raising, transporting or cooking the vegetables and
grains.

Meditate that all beings attain the state of liberation through this prayer.

Gewa di yi nyur du dag

Chenrezig wang drub gyur nei
Dro wa chig kyang ma lu pa
De yi sa la god par shog

By the virtue of this practice, myself

Accomplishing swiftly the Lord Avalokiteshvara,
May all beings without exception
Be liberated to his level.

More Meal Prayers

Og min cho kyi ying gyi po drang ne

Du sum Sang gye kun gi ngo wo nyi
Rang sem cho ku ngon sum ton ze pe
Tsa way La ma chel to chod pa bul

To you who dwells in the palace of the sublime domain of the absolute
Who are the essence of all the buddhas of the three times
Who shows me that my mind is Absolute Body
To You Root Lama, I offer this food.

Shal zey ro gyey dan pey yid drog pa

Leg jar di ni gyal wa se che la
Ded pey bul wey dro wa di dag nam
Jor dan ting zin dzey la jod par shog

By offering this beautiful, well-prepared food

Possessing one hundred tastes
To the victors and their children with devotion
May these beings enjoy the food of wealth and contemplation.

Mantra for the blessing of food

NAMO SARVA TATHAGATA AVALOKITE OM SAMBHARA SAMBHARA
HUNG

Mantra for blessing of water

NAMO SURUPAYA TATHAGATAYE TADHYATA OM SURU SURU
PARASURU PARASURU SOHA

Unlimited Offering Mantra

OM GAGANA SAMBHAVA VAJRA HO

When we eat meat:

OM ABIRAKE TSARA HUNG

Recite this seven times over the meat and blow on it. We wish at the same time
that the animal be delivered from inferior realms and be born into the Land of
Bliss.

A A SHA SA MA HA

This Dzogchen mantra is known as the "six spaces of Samantabhadra [Kunzang

long druk]", and will eliminate the animal's causes for taking rebirth in lower
realms, and ensure that it will take rebirth where it can hear Dharma teachings in
the higher realms.

Blessing the feet before leaving the house:

OM KRECHARA GHANA HUNG HRI SOHA

Recite this three times, then blow and spit on the soles of your feet/shoes, or on car
tires, and spread spit over the whole surface. This helps any living creature that
dies that day to be reborn in the god realm of the Thirty-three.

Difficult Astrological Date

When you have to do something on an inauspicious astrological date, this is the

practice to pacify the shortcomings and accomplish success. Remember the
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who are in the direction where you are going. Put your
palms together and recite:

I prostrate to the three rare sublime ones (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha).
I prostrate to the Tathagata, enemy-destroyer, the owner of the date, star, and
moment.

TAYATHA NAGA DRE NAGAPATI SARVA TITI MUHURTATI NAGA DRA

NAMA SADUNTE NI BAVENTU SOHA

Recite this three times, then all your work will succeed.

Various Other Mantras

Washing
OM ARYAM SIRKAM BIMANASE UTSUMA MAHAKRODHA HUNG
PHAT

These mantras below are to purify negativity or benefit pretas:

Spitting
OM AH SHALE SHAMA AH HA RE BHYA SOHA

Throat Mucus
OH AH KHRERA AH HA RE BHYA SOHA

Nasal Mucus
OH AH BIGHANA AH HA RE BHYA SOHA

Breaking Wind
OM AH MARA AH HA RE BHYA SOHA

Excreting
OM AH BITRA AH HA RE BHYA SOHA

Urinating
OM AH MUTRA AH HA RE BHYA SOHA

Disrespecting Holy Objects

OM VAJRA BEGA MA AH KRA MA HUNG

To Offer Food To Pretas

OM UCCHISHTA PANDI AH SHI BHYA SOHA

During the Day

Dudjom Rinpoche:
In a sense everything is dreamlike and illusory, but even so, humorously you go on
doing things. For example, if you are walking, without unnecessary solemnity or
self-consciousness, lightheartedly walk toward the open space of truth. When you
sit, be the stronghold of truth. As you eat, feed your negativities and illusions into
the belly of emptiness, dissolving them into all-pervading space. And when you go
to the toilet, consider all your obscurations and blockages are being cleansed and
washed away.
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche:
Always recognize the dreamlike qualities of life and reduce attachment and
aversion. Practice good-heartedness toward all beings. Be loving and
compassionate, no matter what others do to you. What they will do will not matter
so much when you see it as a dream. The trick is to have positive intention during
the dream. This is the essential point. This is true spirituality.

Happiness

Whenever you are happy throughout the day, dedicate that happiness to others.
This way your happiness is not exhausted. Think, "May happiness fill all of
space!" "May all beings have such good fortune and well-being." We can use
this as an occasion for taking and sending. Also, to counter any attachment to the
source of happiness, remember that it is impermanent and its nature is empty.

Suffering

Similarly, we can use suffering as an aid to practice. First, drop worry and anxiety
for oneself. Think, "I am not the only one who suffers like this. In fact, many
suffer even more than I do." We can practice taking and sending here as well.
"May I drain the ocean of suffering of the world. May I take all sufferings within
my suffering." Our suffering is a result of previous negative karma, is
impermanent, and will end when the negative karma is exhausted. When we take
on the suffering of others through tonglen, we can create positive karma for
ourselves and others instead.

Illness

Illness can be worked with in the same way. Sometimes, we become aware that
the experience of this illness is possible only because of false perception
engendered by the absence of realization of the mode of being of the mind. From
the point of view of ultimate reality, what is called illness does not exist. Being ill
is a little like dreaming that we are ill. We would feel the suffering of an illness
that exists nowhere but in our dream. Our illness has in fact no reality in and of
itself. We can also imagine that our lama, seen as the union of the Three Jewels, is
present in the ill part of our body, and that in his or her luminous body flows a
nectar that spreads into the ill area and relieves us. Finally, if we know the
practice, we can pray to Sangye Menla (Medicine Buddha) and recite his mantra.
You can also bless water with the mantra. Hold the glass of water as you recite
the mantra, visualizing rays of light filling the water, then blow on it and drink, or
give to someone whos sick.

TAYATHA OM BEKANDZE BEKANDZE MAHA BEKANDZE RADZA

SAMUDGATE SOHA

Longer Mantra:

OM NAMO BHAGWATE BHAISHAJYA GURU VAIDURYA PRABHA

RAJAYA TATHAGATAYA ARHATE SAMAK SAMBUDDHAYA
TADYATHA OM BHAISHAJYA BHAISHAJYA MAHA BHAISHAJYA
RAJAYA SAMUDGATE SWAHA.

Small Occasions

Here are the wishes taught by the Buddha himself in the Sutra of Great
Approximation.

When we dress:
May I dress with the cloth of scruple and modesty

When we put on a belt:

May I be tied up with the belt of sacred vows and commitments.
When we open a door:
May I open the door of profound reality.

When we close a door:

May the doors of inferior realms be closed.

When we walk:
May I go forward on the path of Awakening

When we ride, drive, etc:

May I ride the horse of diligence.

When we cross water:

May I cross the ocean of samsara.

When we go uphill or stairs:

May I climb the path of liberation.

When we arrive at our destination:

May I arrive at the city of nirvana.

When we encounter a master or an excellent person:

May I meet with a perfect master and follow his or her instructions.

When we see a representation of the Three Jewels:

May I be reborn into the Buddha's Pure Land.

The following set is taken from Raindrops by Lama

Drimed:

May everyone wake up into the natural state.

May everyone wash themselves of disturbing emotions, karma, wrongviews, and

compulsive habits.

May everyone wear the bodhisattva's attire. the transcendent disciplines.

May everyone sweep their house clean of all doubts and distractions.

May everyone have nourishing food and delight in the taste of samadhi.

May everyone have the leisure to sit and rest imperturbably.

May everyone walk on the traceless path of natural freedom.

May everyone be able to see with the vision of the way things abide.

May everyone always hear the sounds of suchness.

May everyone understand the magic of their thoughts.

May everyone act skillfully with loving kindness.

May everyone speak skillfully with loving kindness

May everyone think skillfully with loving kindness.

Anger/Aversion:
Think, "I remember that all beings have been my mothers and fathers, and I
develop patience and compassion. When someone gets angry at me, I suffer.
When I get angry at someone, they also feel suffering. On the contrary, when
someone is kind to me, I am happy. To make others happy, I must therefore show
the same kindness as the kindness I expect from others."

Don't have unrealistic expectations. Nothing is perfect, so don't expect it to be.

Because of the belief that things are or can be perfect, it is easy to feel hurt. The
real reasons for our problems are our own actions, which are in turn caused by our
own negative states of mind. The real reasons for this situation are our own past
actions, and the person is just a circumstance for our own mind to ripen.
Remember that anger and other negative emotions are by nature empty, and have
the energy of enlightenment. (Read Chagdud Rinpoche's article on anger.)

Pride:
Think about how what you know or are good at has come from the kindness of
others, one's parents, teachers, friends, authors of books, lamas, and so on. We
could not have accomplished anything independently. This should generate a
feeling of gratitude and humility.

Desire/Attachment:
Recognize that pleasure and suffering have the same nature, and that all pleasure
will eventually turn to suffering.

Jealousy:
Rejoice in the happiness and success of others

Ignorance:
Study the dharma
Watching TV

Apply the following methods:

Offering: When we see beautiful landscapes, flowers, mountains, the ocean, or

all kinds of beautiful things on television, we think of them as offerings to the
Three Jewels and to our spiritual master.

Compassion: When we see a drama that depicts suffering, war, illness,

quarrels, or death, let us think, "Beings suffer in many ways. May all beings be
free from suffering and obtain Awakening."

Impermanence: Television shows us changes that occur in the world,

situations that successively impove or deteriorate. We think that all phenomena of
samsara are transitory and changing. Good or bad, everything changes. In fact,
the true show is the world itself. Television only offers us a reduced sample, a
small imitation. It is necessary to know how to apply the few examples that
television gives us to the entire world, reflecting upon them to understand their
universality.

Absence of reality of appearances: What appears on the screen of

the television presents some levels of reality. We see various things, people
acting, talking, reflecting. In fact, it is only a mock up of reality. Beyond the
appearances on the screen there are no human beings, no actions, no words, no
thoughts. All phenomena have this same nature, they are simple appearances
devoid of a reality on their own, similar to a dream.

Looking at our mind: We become aware in moments that television is an

object known by the subject that is our mind. We then turn our mind to itself and
let it relax and rest in peace.

What to adopt and what to reject.

Ten Positive Deeds

Three Positive Deeds of the Body

1) Protecting life, for instance, buying live fish, shellfish, or crustaceans at the
market and releasing them into the ocean.

2) Practicing generosity, if only giving a hungry person or a dog or even a fish

some food.
3) Being faithful to one's spouse or companion.

Four Positive Deeds of Speech

4) Speaking the truth, talking frankly.

5) Through our speech, bringing people together who are separated by

misunderstanding.

6) Talking softly, kindly, and in a pleasant way to others.

7) Using speech in a useful way, especially reciting mantras and prayers.

Three Positive Deeds of the Mind

8) Contentment: Being satisfied by our situation and with what we have.
Thinking, "It is well, it is enough for me. It is well like this." Contentment is the
root of happiness. Without contentment, we necessarily meet with suffering.

9) Kindness: Sincerely wish for the happiness of others.

10) Right conceptions: Developing understanding of the dharma, the law of

karma, the qualities of Awakening, and the nature of the mind. Even if our
knowledge is now insufficient to establish certitude, we must think: "All this
might be true. I do not understand everything now, but it is the limits of my own
mind that causes this. I wish in the future to obtain a clear, thorough
understanding.

Ten Negative Deeds

Three Negative Deeds of the Body

1) Intentionally killing
2) Taking without permission that which does not belong to us.
3) Not being faithful to one's spouse or companion.

Four Negative Deeds of Speech

4) Fooling someone by telling lies for one's own interest.
5) Talking in a way that creates dissension.
6) Saying hurtful words.
7) Engaging in useless conversation, words without spiritual benefit, and those
useless even for ordinary activity. This idle talk makes us lose time, and arouses
desire, anger, jealousy, and often ends up creating dissension among those with
whom we converse.

Three Negative Deeds of the Mind

8) Discontent
9) Ill will
10) False concepts, impure view, thinking that the law of karma isn't true, not
believing in the qualities of Awakening, or in the shortcomings of conditioned
existence. It is not to ignore these various things that constitutes an erroneous
conception per se, but rather it is to reject the validity of these things when we
know them.

Evening Practice

Do a brief puja, and some zhine. After this, look over the events of the day. For
negative actions, practice the four powers: confession, regret, vows, purification.
For positive actions, dedicate the merit to all beings so they can attain Awakening.

Do a brief phowa practice, and recite a prayer to be reborn into the Land of Bliss:

Emaho!
Wonderful Buddha of Infinite Light!
On your right there is the Lord of Great Compassion
On your left, there is the Bodhisattva with Great Powers
And you are surrounded by numberless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
This world called Land of Bliss is happiness and well-being, wonderful, and
endless.
As soon as I leave this life, without taking any other births in the meantime, may I
be reborn into it and see the face of Infinite Light.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, please grant your blessing in order
that the wishes uttered like this be realized without obstacle.

Tayatha Pentsandriya Awa Bodhani Soha

Empty the water bowls. Prostrate three times while reciting the prostration
mantra:

KUN CHOG SUM LA CHAG TSAL LO

OM NAMO MANJUSHIRIYE
NAMO SUSHIRIYE
NAMO UTTAMA SHIRIYE SOHA

If you eat something offered on the altar (or if you drink the saffron water), you
should say this mantra and blow on it first:

TAYATHA IDAM PENI RATNA PEMANI PARATNA NE SVAHA (7x)

This way you will not receive the pollution of obscuration, but rather you will be
reborn in the Heaven of Thirty-Three.

Go to sleep in the lion posture. Imagine that the Buddha, lama or yidam is above
our head. Think: "Tomorrow at ---o'clock, I will get up and do my practice", and
fall asleep in a spirit of devotion. We can also imagine that the luminous lama,
Buddha, or yidam, the size of a thumb, is in our heart in an abode of light, and fall
asleep with this thought.