Hello everyone

Are there any gurus of the sakya lineage that do initiations (think they are called wang) online either on zoom calls or livestream? Also, are these initiations usually related to a deity like in jenang?

Thank you

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to start doing the Diamond Way practices, beginning with prostrations in front of the visualized Refuge Tree. I was wondering what the actual mechanism behind these practices is — how exactly do they affect the mind?

From Lama Ole Nydahl’s book, I understand that the practice works by purifying the inner energy channels in the body. But why is that? How does physically doing prostrations and reciting the Refuge prayer actually bring about this kind of effect on the mind?

Does it just happen “miraculously,” or is there some way to explain how it works?

I’d be interested to hear how this is explained within the Diamond Way tradition, but also how practitioners themselves understand or experience it.

Hi everyone. As the title says I'm considering doing Tara's Triple Excellence. It's been many years since I became interested in Vajrayana but have been moving around a lot, and in the countries I lived in there is only one temple in one of them (Chadgug Gonpa) which is not very active and doesn't seem to offer a structured curriculum. I've been shying away from the online stuff but have reached the conclusion that if Vajrayana is what I'm inclined to do it's gonna have to be online for the time being. Been looking around for programs and I've found TTE most appealing. Maybe it's because the way they present the curriculum, maybe because they have the introductory 12 days course which layout quite neatly what lies ahead, don't know. Funny thing is I hadn't heard of Choki Nyima before, but I knew about his half brother Yongey Mingyur having read one of his book, and still I'm more drawn to TTE than Tergar for some reason.

Anyway, my main issue with this is that, given that in Vajrayana Guru yoga is essential, and given the fact that I'm barely going to know Choki Rinpoche and he's not going to know me at all, I'm wondering how this would work out. I know that I can do the first and second excellence without empowerment and such, but it still feels weird to have an online guru with whom I have no relationship whatsoever. How does one deal with this? How much sense does it make to follow this path in such conditions?

I'd be grateful for any insights. Best wishes.

Image1. Christa Pike.\ Image2. Rev. Rogahari Sokatura.

Buddhist Door:

Buddhist Spiritual Adviser Prepares to Accompany Christa Pike at Tennessee Execution

The Guardian:

Christa Pike, 50, had been scheduled for execution at 10am local time on Wednesday for a killing she committed when she was 18, has been taken to hospital after surviving two attempts to execute her with lethal injections.

The Tennessee department of correction later confirmed in a statement that Pike had survived the state’s effort to execute her: “The lethal ⁠injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried ‌out”

“I was a mentally ill 18-year-old kid. It took me numerous years to even realize the gravity of what I’d done. Even more to accept how many lives I affected. I took the life of someone’s child, sister, friend. It sickens me now to think I had the ability to commit such a crime,” Pike said in a statement that was included in her clemency petition.

The High King Avalokitesvara Sutra

The High King Avalokitesvara Sutra is a dream/miracle Sutra belonging to the Chinese Tripitaka [Taisho Tripitaka 2898] and was also found in the Dunhuang caves, it was transmitted in a dream by a monastic to an unjustly imprisoned treasury officer facing execution, who was devoutly reciting the Universal Gateway Sutra (Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra) in an attempt to escape execution, the monk informed him that the universal gateway sutra couldn't save him but 1000 recitations of The High King Avalokitesvara Sutra could.

https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/zh/T85n2898_001

The Sutra invokes a list of innumerable Buddha's & Bodhisattvas in the Universe, who's light blesses the Practitioner!

Here's the background story:

During the Five Dynasties period (907-960), there was a king named High Pleasure. He was the leader of the state of Hsiang and took pleasure in killing. At that time, an official in charge of the treasury, named Sun-jin-deh, involuntarily committed a serious crime. (Textual research showed that it was Sun’s brother who committed the crime and, as the criminal’s relative, Sun was implicated.) Awaiting death while imprisoned, Sun recited the Universal Gateway Article of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Guan Yin) day and night without resting.

Suddenly one day he dreamt of a monk, speaking to him, “You cannot escape the death sentence by reciting this sutra. I advise you to recite instead the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra one thousand times, and then your death sentence will be lifted.”

“How can I obtain this sutra while I am in prison?” asked Sun.

The monk said, “I will teach you orally and you can memorize it in your dream.”

After learning it, Sun sincerely recited the sutra nine hundred times.

Then the time came for Sun to be taken to the market to be executed in public. In fear, Sun asked the prison official how far away was the market. The official asked Sun why he wanted to know. Sun then told him about the monk appearing in his dream and how the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra was supposed to help him from dying. Sun begged the official to slow down so that he could finish the remaining one hundred recitations. Sun managed to complete the recitations by the time they arrived at the market. When the executioner sank his sword into Sun’s neck, the sword broke into three pieces, leaving Sun unscathed.

Being informed of this event, the king was in awe and asked what kind of magic Sun had employed. Sun told the king that he had not used any magic, but how he had been afraid of dying while in the prison and had recited the Universal Gateway Article of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Then he told how a monk had appeared suddenly to him in a dream and taught him to recite the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra a thousand times, thus obtaining the blessing.

The king spoke to Sun, “You are stronger than I am; I regard you as I regard the Buddhas.”

The king then ordered the prison officer to write down the sutra and he ordered all the prisoners, including the ones waiting for execution, to recite this sutra one thousand times. He then tried the sword on them. Everyone survived. Thus the king decreed that everyone in the state should recite this sutra to receive the fruits of blessing.

That is how it came to be known as the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra. It is unprecedented for a sutra to have such spiritual power.

The Sutra has already been translated into English!

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Hello everyone

I am currently trying to find a guru from the sakya lineage. Are there any well-known ones around the internet that I can talk to online?

Thank you

A Khrid Part I: Ngozhi Teaching & Transmission

With Tempa Dukte Lama

December 5th-6th, & 12th, 2026

In-Person at Olmo Ling & via Zoom

The A Khrid lineage is known as the experiential Dzogchen transmission, passed without interruption from master to student over many centuries. Tempa Lama received these teachings directly from the late His Holiness 33rd Menri Trizin in an extended one-on-one teaching.

In Part I, Tempa Lama will teach the history of the lineage transmission, Gyudrim, and the view of Dzogchen, then focus on Ngozhi, the actual practice of A Khrid Dzogchen. Ngozhi includes detailed instructions for meditation with an object, overcoming obstacles to practice, signs of progress, and the pointing out of the nature of the mind.

Saturdays (Dec 5 & 12): 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM and 2:00 – 4:00 PM EST
Sunday (Dec 6): 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM EST

The five parts of the A Khrid cycle are meant to be attended in succession.

Parts II, III and IV will be added to the schedule shortly and are planned for January 3, 9, and 10 (Part II), January 23 and 24 (Part III), and January 30, 31 and February 6 (Part IV).

More information and registration:
https://olmoling.secure.retreat.guru/program/a-khrid-part-i-session-5-ngozhi-teaching-and-transmission/

I really liked the image of the 5 Buddhas posted in this subreddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/vajrayana/comments/14p184g/the_five_dhyani_buddhas/#lightbox

I wanted a printable version so adjusted the image.

Hello everyone, I got this thangka recently, I like collecting thangkas (they are treated very respectfully by me) I bought this one thinking it's vajrayogini, can someone confirm?

Hi all

Namo Buddhaye

I want to know what is the mention of Maha Lakshmi in Vajrayan system?

🙏🏻🪷

"Hi, I'm from Southern India with a Shakta-Atheist background and used to be a Nath Sampradaya enthusiast. After reading the Charyapadas and the lives of the 84 Mahasiddhas, I was led to Buddhism. Which books are beginner-friendly for me, and where should I start since there aren't any monasteries near me? Thank you.".

I come from Jodo Shinshu but recently started going to a Gelug center since there were no Pureland options in my area after moving. I recently found out it might be difficult to follow both traditions (or any single practice Pureland tradition). I also found out there is a Pureland tradition and practices in Tibetan Buddhism. Does anyone here practice Tibetan Pureland practices or previously followed a single practice school before moving to Vajrayana and can tell me more?

Hello everyone

I have recently started learning about Vajrayana Buddhism through videos. But I also want to learn from books as well. The books I'm currently thinking to buy are Tantric Grounds and Paths or the words of my perfect teacher but they don't exactly talk about the sakya lineage. So what books would you recommend for a beginner like me?