What are Dharma Protectors?
DorjeShugden: https://www.davidlai.me/2016/05/27/encountering-dorje-shugden/
Buddhas cannot liberate you, he can only teach you how to achieve liberation. When we worship and trust the Buddha, we create an open affinity for Buddha to assist us, whether manifesting or manipulating things in a positive way that when we go towards the teachings more, we’re able to learn more and in the end we don’t need the Buddha anymore. Buddha makes you independent. Buddha also realised we have different types of karma, some of us can learn or meditate, but some cannot. Due to intricate karma, sometimes we won’t get food, sometimes we will be abused, get sick, accidents, robbed etc. These are where a ‘Dharma Protector’ comes in to protect us on the path. So, when we worship Dharma Protector, he removes those little things that might stop you along the way so that we can walk on the path. Dharma protector doesn’t change or transform our mind. We transform our mind. But if we have a lot of obstacles in the way, we can’t get that information to apply to transform our mind. So we propitiate a Dharma protector very strongly in order to remove the obstacles for us to receive the Dharma. Therefore, dharma protectors are very strong and necessary.
There are other types of protectors that have achieved enlightenment (means becoming a Buddha). When you are a Buddha, you have zero limitations of your body, speech and mind. Those body, speech and mind can emanate or avatar into different forms and different appearances for different occasions. (Ex: A loving mother will show angry red eyes, long nails, a stick, loud voice, if a child is playing in traffic. The child may get beaten and locked away.) Similarly, a Buddha can manifest in a very ferocious form to protect us of something that is very harmful in a wrathful manner. Therefore, the protectors can manifest in male or female forms; wrathful or peaceful forms; depends on occasion and where you live. If you live in a war-torn area, the protectors will manifest in a wrathful stance, fierce stance, because he is ready for war.
We can give inner offerings, outer offerings, peaceful offerings or wrathful offerings to Dharma protector. But the real offerings that the Dharma protector wants is for you to transform your mind. When your mind transform, you become more patient, you control your speech and motivation, you transform your anger, you let go of your indulgences. We should not using indulgences as an excuse to stop dharma practice or lesson or not do. We should use the dharma practice to our indulgences. We should start that and reach the next level of our practice.
The time that you have left is much less than the time you have lived. What else you want to achieve and accomplish? What else is left? Your body is already a minefield of disease. Spirits, epidemics and all types of illnesses are surrounding you and ghosts are just waiting to disturb you. You are so overwhelmed by anger and passion all day. When are you going to say to your indulgences that you are going to do dharma practices?
Let’s us discuss a few important Dharma protectors. One of them is Setrap, whom practices is to help you to overcome the difficulties you experience in daily life so you can do dharma practice (Eg: financial problems dedicated to Setrap so you can do dharma practice.) If you want more money to have more indulgences, very unlikely Setrap will help. But the most important protector of our time is Dorje Shugden (also called World Peace Protector) is believed for 400 years to be the emanation of Manjushri. If you adopt Dorje Shugden, and you will be a kind person if you do the rudimentary worship of him. At the time of death, he will come to take your consciousness to a better place. You need commitment, you can’t steal, you can’t hurt people, white lies are okay, you can’t kill. No matter what is your religion, you can still worship Dorje Shugden. Dorje Shugden will help you on the basis of you need help and you trust him. Recite Dorje Shugden mantra keeps you calm and meditative. Mantra is free because universal truth is free.
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