As most of Vajrayana practitioners know, the Vajra Guru mantra is the mantra of Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, the renowned tantric master from India who came to Tibet in the 8th century at the request of King Trisong Deutsen. It is said that Guru Rinpoche subdued all the eight classes of spirits and converted them into Dharma protectors. He blessed the country to be a pure Buddhist land.
Guru Rinpoche hid many termas (treasure teachings) in rocks, water, sky, caves and so on to benefit future beings. However, during the degenerate time, it will be very difficult to fulfil the necessary conditions to reveal these teachings and the beings will lose the opportunity to receive these sacred teachings. Nevertheless, it is said that during these times the Vajra Guru mantra is very powerful and the benefits of such practice are inconceivable.
In some of the termas, it has been written that the Vajra Guru mantra invokes the essence of all the deities and completes the meaning of all 84,000 of the Buddha’s teachings. It is said that if one recites this mantra one hundred times daily without interruption, one will become attractive and will be blessed with the fortune of wealth and prosperity.
If one recites this mantra more than a thousand times, one will be able to overpower others and gain great spiritual realization.
If one recites this mantra more than a million times, one will be able to overpower the beings of the three realms and employ them at one’s command. One can provide immeasurable benefit to beings according to one’s wishes and shall never be separated from the Buddhas of three times.
The great master Padmasambhava said:
During the degenerate times, if a loyal tantric practitioner or an ordained monk or any devoted person recites the Vajra Guru mantra on high mountains, near river banks or in haunted places with an altruistic mind, then it will clear all negative forces thereby bringing peace and prosperity in the respective places.
Those who have perfected the practice will see me in person; one with mediocre attainment will see me in their visions; and those with lesser attainment will see me again and again in their dreams until they reach the ultimate state of a vidyadhara.
The literal meaning of Vajra Guru mantra is explained here based on a treasure revealed by Terton Karma Lingpa:
Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung!
Om Ah Hung purifies obscurations that arise from the three mental poisons.
Vajra purifies obscurations that arise from anger.
Guru purifies obscurations that arise from arrogance.
Padma purifies obscurations that arise from attachment.
Siddhi purifies obscurations that arise from jealousy.
Hung purifies obscurations that arise from all the negative emotions.
Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung!
Om Ah Hung conquers the armies of the three and five poisons.
Vajra conquers the armies of anger.
Guru conquers the armies of arrogance.
Padma conquers the armies of attachment.
Siddhi conquers the armies of jealousy.
Hung conquers the armies of gods, demons and humans.
Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung!
Om Ah Hung is the supreme essence of the enlightened body, speech and mind.
Vajra is the supreme essence of the Vajra family.
Guru is the supreme essence of the Ratna family.
Padma is the supreme essence of the Lotus family.
Siddhi is the supreme essence of the Karma family.
Hung is the supreme essence of the Buddha family.
Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung!
Om Ah Hung brings about the spiritual attainments of body, speech and mind.
Vajra brings about the spiritual attainments of the peaceful and wrathful deities.
Guru brings about the spiritual attainments of the vidyadharas.
Padma brings about the spiritual attainments of the dakinis and dharmapalas.
Siddhi brings about the mundane and supreme attainments.
Hung brings about the attainment of all wishes.
Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung!
Om Ah Hung brings about the [state of the] three kayas.
Vajra brings about mirror-like wisdom.
Guru brings about wisdom of evenness.
Padma brings about the discriminating wisdom.
Siddhi brings about the wisdom that accomplishes all activities.
Hung brings about all the realizations that spring up from wisdom.
In these degenerate times, the merit of beings will become exhausted and the five poisons will spread like wildfire. As such, the Vajra Guru mantra recitation and the practice related to it is the ultimate source of refuge. Since we are not able to see Guru Rinpoche in person, his mantra has the power to invoke him and the blessing and merit that we receive will be unfathomable.
By Rigzod Editors
