Offering Healing Water

During this practice we prepare and offer the healing water that Sidpa Gyalmo is holding in her vase. We can use this water to help beings who are ill or wounded, whether it is humans, animals, plants, or other living beings. This is a beautiful way to take our practice beyond the act of sitting on our cushion and thinking about healing. This practice also helps protect us from illness.

In Tibet it is said that for this practice we should use water from a spring that faces east, so that the first rays of the rising sun touch it. Since we don't have spring water, we will say that our tap water is spring water. Preferably we always use the same source for the water. The water is placed in a clean glass or vase that we use only for this practice. If you wish you can add healing herbs. There is a special mixture of Tibetan herbs called Khru Men which can be obtained from Lamas or monasteries who prepare the mixture themselves.

Receiving the Four Empowerments

We assume the five-fold posture. We place the vase with the healing water on a small table in front of us on a white piece of cloth or a Tibetan Kathak. We begin this part of the practice just like the first part by taking refuge and generating the mind and heart of compassionate beings. If we know the invocation of Yeshe Walmo we can chant it.

Here, Thug]e means compassion, Tsad Med means without limit or immeasurable, Trul Pe means emanation or manifestation. Kha is space and Ying Ne infinite. This means that the Great Mother Sidpa Gyalmo appears from infinite space as the embodiment of immeasurable love and compassion.

We have to be aware of her appearance, however, we place our attention in particular on the flow of immeasurable compassion from her. Our love is conditioned by our relationships. Conditional love is love that is limited to our partners, our parents, our children, our dog, and our close friends. Truly receiving Sidpa Gyalmo's blessings and becoming one with her nature of limitless love means that we manifest our love and compassion throughout space and time. That is what we mean by immeasurable love and compassion.

We pray from the depths of our heart that she will give us a little space in her heart and hold us in her immeasurable energy of compassion. When we ask others for something, we may not know how they will respond. The Loving Mother will always be present for us and embrace us with her compassion. When we ask Sidpa Gyalmo to bless us with her compassion, we come to her like a child coming to his mother. When the child is af raid or sick he runs to his mother and jumps into her lap or arms. We ask Sidpa Gyalmo to give us her blessings and grant us the four empowerments so that we can be free from all afflictions of body, speech, and mind.

The four empowerments are the practice of receiving the blessings and becoming the mind, body. speech, and power of the deity. The true nature of the deity is enlightened, all-pervasive awareness. She is compassionate without distinction. We ask for her empowerments so that we can manifest these qualities. When we first receive the teachings on this practice, we need to be given the empowerments from our teacher. We have to receive initiation, empowerment, transmission, and instruction from the teacher. This is very important and necessary for any Tantric practice.

The first of the four empowerments is the vase empowerment. This is the empowerment of the body. The second is the secret empowerment, the empowerment of speech. The third is the wisdom empowerment, the empowerment of the mind. The fourth empowerment is the ultimate or word empowerment. This is particularly important for the higher Tantric teachings. Here the teacher explains the relationship between this body, the illusory body, and the pure body, the Sambhoghakaya body of the deity. The teacher also introduces the distinction between the conceptual mind and the nature of the mind.

To receive the fourfold empowerment, we visualize Sidpa Gyalmo in her healing aspect in the space in front of the crown of our head. Then we gently bring our attention to her crown. When we are ready, we visualize a luminous white syllable A at her crown. We make this visualization as clear as possible.

Then we visualize a radiant white ray of light emanating from the white A. The light touches the crown of our head. The moment it touches us, we receive the empowerment of the body, the vase empowerment. At this moment, we recite the syllable A.

Then we visualize a red syllable Om at the throat energy center of the deity. A red ray of light radiates from the Om and enters into us through our throat chakra. When the red ray of light touches us, we receive the empowerment of speech, the secret empowerment. At this moment, we recite the syllable Om.

Finally we visualize a blue syllable Hung at the heart center of the deity. A blue ray of light radiates from the Hung to our heart and enters us. Through the blue ray of light we receive the blessings and empowerment of mind, the wisdom empowerment. At this moment, we recite the syllable Hung.

Healing is about finding and using skillful means to have a healthy mind, body, and energy and harmonious relationships with other beings. This can be attained only by freeing ourselves from emotional, mental, and physical afflictions. When we receive the empowerments from Sidpa Gyalmo, we are completely purified and become the mind, body, and speech of the deity. Through the empowerments we return to our true nature which is fully Awakened.

Having asked for blessings and the empowerments for ourselves, we ask Sidpa Gyalmo to give her blessings and healing power to all beings in need of healing and liberation from disease and suffering. Here, Sem Chan means sentient being, Tham Chad means all, and Drol means to liberate. Bar Chad means obstacle, Rang Shar means self-arising, Zhi means peace, and Jin Gyi Lob means to ask for blessings. Here, we ask Sidpa Gyalmo to dear all obstacles. Certain obstacles arise from our karma, other we produce by engaging in unwholesome action of body, speech, and mind. This practice addresses all different kinds of obstacles.

EMAHO

THUG JE TSAD MED TRUL PE KHA YING NE

Immeasurable compassion flows without ceasing from infinite space

DZU TRUL KUR TAN MA CHIG SIGYAL LHA

And appears as the great mother Sidpa Gyalmo

SOL WA NYING NE DEB SO THUG JE ZUNG

I pray from my heart, please hold me with your compassion

JYIN LAB WANG ZHI YONG DZOG DAG LA KUR

Grant me your blessings and the complete four empowerments

SEM CHAN THAM CHAD DUG NGYAL NED LE DROL

So that I may liberate all sentient beings from suff ering and disease

BAR CHAD RANG SAR ZHI WAR JIN GYI LOB

With your blessing may all obstacles be liberated from their base.

A OM HUM

Meditation Instructions for Preparing the Healing Water

Having received the four empowerments, we begin the practice of preparing the healing water.

We visualize Sidpa Gyalmo in her healing aspect in the clear blue space in front of the crown of our head. Her body is dark blue in color and she is adorned with peacock feathers. She has one face and two arms, holding a sword in her right hand and a vase of healing medicine in her left hand. She is standing in a dancing posture with her right leg drawn up and her left leg extended. Her hair is blazing with flames. Sparks of fire emanate from her body. Feel her blessings and compassion and develop trust in her healing power.

She is adorned with five skulls representing impermanence. In the next line, Ku means body, Ru means bone, Gyan necklace, Ma Jey peacock, and Thul Pa means adorned in the form of plaits. This means that the body of the deity is adorned with plaits of peacock feathers.

Once we have created the complete visualization, we bring our attention to the vase in her left hand. Phen means to cure, De means bliss, Chag Gi means "in her hand;' Bum is the vase. In the next line, Du Tsi means nectar, Jin Pa means to give, Bab means to flow down. We visualize that the healing vase in her hand overflows, and medicinal nectar flows begins to flow from it into the vase in front of us. We make the flow of nectar the object of our attention. We see it clearly, flowing like a fountain.

When the nectar begins to overflow, it becomes bright and radiant. Here, Chu is the water, Gang means filled, Bur overflowing, and Trak Dang means radiant and bright.

When we are settled with this visualization, we recite the healing mantra Om A Biya Nag Po Be Sod Soha 108 times. While reciting the healing mantra, we bring our attention to the vase of healing nectar in her left hand in front of her heart. We visualize a stream of healing nectar pouring forth continuously into the vase in front of us. As the vase in front of us becomes filled to overflowing, it becomes radiant with light. We remain in this state of contemplation and just mediate on that. Then we again recite the mantra Om Ah Biya Nagpo Be Sod Soha.

DAG DUN KHA YANG KYIL KHOR NGON SAL U

In the center of the luminous Mandala of infinite space in front of me

MA CHOG SIDPA GYALMO GAR GYI ZENG

The great mother Sidpa Gyalmo stands in dancing posture

ZHAL CHIG CHAK NYI KU DOG THING NAG BAR

She has one face and two arms, with a glowing azure body

KU LA RU GYAN MA JEY THUL PA SOL

She is wearing ornaments of bone and adornments of peacock feathers

PHEN DE CHAG GI BUM PE CHU NANG NE

The water inside the healing vase in her hand

DUD TSI MAN GYI JIN PE CHU GYUN BAB

Descends as a stream of medicinal nectar

DAG DUN BUM PE NANG DU DEM-DEM LUG

And pours ceaselessly into the vase in front of me

JUR BUR GANG NE TRAK DANG GYE PAR GYUR.

Filling it to overflowing, it increases its radiant nature.

OM A BIYA NAG PO BE SOD SOHA

Becoming the Wisdom Body of Sidpa Gyalmo

How do we use the healing water to heal ourselves and others? To use the healing water we have to become a healer. To become a healer we have to transform into the wisdom body of Sidpa Gyalmo. We become her healing wisdom and compassion by visualizing her.

Now we transform ourselves into Sidpa Gyalmo in her healing form. Usually we chant the liturgy. Chanting the liturgy enhances visualization. As an alternative we can build our visualization from her seed syllable So. We begin our visualization by chanting So twice and visualizing a radiant dark blue syllable So in the space in front of us at a 45° angle. When we chant So for the second time, we visualize a radiant white light coming from the syllable So and entering into the crown of our head. At the moment when the light touches us, we instantly become Sidpa Gyalmo in her healing form.

She has one face, two arms, and two legs, with the right leg drawn up and the left leg stretched out to pacify negative spirits. She holds the healing vase in her left hand in front of her heart. On her forehead we visualize the primordial Buddha Kuntu Zangpo, with the consort Kuntu Zangmo. We can often see Kuntu Zangpo and Kuntu Zangmo as small figures on the top of Thangkas.

We remain in this state of being Sidpa Gyalmo and recite the mantra Om A Biya Nag Po Be Sod Soha. If we are using a mala to recite the mantra we can blow on it in the end. This transfers the healing energy that we have received from Sidpa Gyalmo into our mala. We may have seen, when receiving a blessing from our lamas, they take out their rosary and put it on our head. They do this because after many hundreds or thousands of hours of practicing mantras, their mala holds great power and blessings.

HRI

DAG NYID YUM CHEN SIDPA GYALMO NYID

I am the Great Mother Sidpa Gyalmo

KUN DOG THING NAG ZHAL CHIG CHAK NYI DAN

Her body is azure blue in color, she has one face and two arms

ZHAB NYI YE KUM YON KYANG GYAL SEN NON

The right leg is drawn up and the left leg extended to pacify the Gyal Sen spirits

DUR TROD CHE GYAN MA JYE THUL PA SOL

Adorned with bone ornaments and a garland of peacock feathers

CHYAG YE RAL DRI YON PE MAN BUM NAM

She holds a sword in the right hand and a vase of medicinal nectar in the left

CHI CHUG TRAL GYAN KUN ZANG YO MED SAL

Her forehead is adorned with Kuntu Zangmo who appears clearly and without moving

NANG SID NGA DAG ZIL NON GYAL MO TE

She is the great queen who has power over all phenomena

YESHE MAN GYI DRO KUN NYON MONG JOM

Through her healing wisdom the affiictions of all beings are healed

DUD TSI MAN GYI JIN PA DHI TSAL LO

May the gift of this healing nectar be off ered to all who are in need.

OM A BIYA NAG PO BE SOD SOHA

Meditation Instruction for Offering the Healing Water

We pray that the water we offer may heal the afflictions of all beings without distinction. Here, Yeshe means wisdom, Man means medicine, Nyon Mong means afflictions and Dud Tsi means nectar.

We ask that this water may clear the afflictions and karmic traces of all beings without residue. Here, Bag Chag means karmic traces, Dag means to clear. We pray that all beings may enjoy the long life and happiness of the goddess Sidpa Gyalmo herself. For this prayer we recite the purification mantra: Om Du Ti Su Shuddho Ya Sa Le Sang Nge Ye Soha.

Now we gently open our eyes and hold the vase of water in our hands. Before we off er the healing water to others, we again recite the mantra Om Ah Biya Nagpo Be Sod Soha. Then we blow into the water three times.

You can give this water to people who are ill or disturbed, to plants, or animals. To treat a wound or pain, you can gently rub the healing water over the wound or the spot where there is pain. We can also drink the water ourselves if we need healing.

While giving the water, we chant the mantra the healing mantra Om A Biya Nag Po Be Sod Soha or the prayer:

OM

YESHE MEN GYI RANG ZHIN DUD TSI CHU

This nectar has a natural medicine and healing wisdom.

DRO WE LE NGEN NYON MONG NAM TOG TRU

May all unwholesome thoughts, actions and afflictive emotions wash away.

NED DON BAG CHAG DRI MA DAG GYUR CHIG

May all stain of karmic conditioning, provocative energy and diseases be cleansed.

MAN GYI LA ZHIN DE ZHING TSO WAR SHOG

May all beings prosper with happiness like the healing deity.

OM DU TI SU SHUDDHO YA SA LE SANG NGE YE SOHA

Completion and Dedication

We visualize that Sidpa Gyalmo slowly dissolves into a radiant azure body of light. The light slowly becomes smaller and smaller. Finally it turns into a radiant azure syllable So. We become one with the So and remain in this state of meditation for a while.

Then the So gently dissolves into the vastness of space. We remain in this state of the unification of emptiness and clarity for as long as possible.

We conclude our practice session by dedicating the merit of our practice to the benefit of all beings. Through dedication we manifest our awakened heart and mind continuously.

Practicing dedication helps us connect with our true nature and our innate capacity to understand the selflessness of all phenomena. When we dedicate our merit to all beings, our heart and mind unify and connect with all beings. This strengthens our love and compassion and brings us eternal joy and ease.

To practice dedication we can use the prayer below. However, we can practice dedication with any thoughts, feelings, words, or actions that open our heart and mind to benefit all beings.

GO SUM DAG PI GE WA GANG GYI PA

All the virtues that I have performed with body, speech and mind

KHAM SUM SEM CHEN NAM GYI DON DU NGO

I dedicate to the welfare of all beings of the three realms

DU SUM SAG PI LE DRIP KUN JANG NE

Having purified all karmic obscurations of the three times

KU SUM DZOG PI SAN GYE NYUR THOP SHOG

May we achieve the complete Buddha-hood of the three bodies.