Protection from Black Magic and Spirits Brief and simple practices for Buddhists to engage in to dispel black

magic, spirits and unnatural disturbances. Homage to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all my great Gurus who have kindly guided me for years. Ive been visiting this wonderful country of Malaysia for over eight years now. Ive had the great pleasure of meeting many wonderful Malaysians of all walks of life. Ive given countless Dharma talks to many people Ive encountered who are very sincerely interested in the Buddhadharma in this country. Ive come across people who are stuck with many superficial ideas and stuck on the outer methods of Buddhism. The inner Buddhistic transformations of becoming a better person is lost on the outer method of what we can and cannot do. As Buddhists we have the responsibility to learn Buddhism and apply meditation to what we have learned to recondition the mind. When the mind is reconditioned positively then the outer actions will automatically follow. The outer is a reflection of the inner. In conjunction with learning and meditation, one must also engage in the practice of collecting merits and purification of negative karma. Some people may think that doing actions to collect merit for oneself is selfish. That is wrong view because it is true that one is collecting merits, but it is with a Mahayana or Bodhicitta attitude. If one collects merits with a Bodhicitta motivation then the collection of merits propels us toward Buddhahood and our achieving that Buddhahood allows us to bring sentient being skillfully to Enlightenment. Only a fully Enlightened being has the perfect skill, method and wisdom to benefit others completely. So we are collecting the merits not for ourselves but for others. When someone makes the statement that collecting merits is a selfish act, it shows that the person does not have correct understanding. Merit is the key factor for bringing us to full Enlightenment. Those who realize that will enthusiastically engage in the collection of merits for the sake of others. In fact, the more suffering one sees that others have to endure, the more one wishes to gain merits in order to find a way to release others. So learning the Dharma, then meditating on it to gain understanding to transform ourselves and the collection of merits go hand in hand. Receiving many initiations from highly realized Rinpoches will not fulfill its purpose. Attending many Dharma talks and having intellectual understanding of Dharma is like a sick person not taking his medication but just praising the effectiveness of the medication to others while the disease ravages his body. Taking refuge and initiations but not familiarizing and holding on to the precepts is likened to receiving a warm coat and not wearing it while standing in the cold shivering. Taking refuge in a Guru but always seeing his "bad" points will always result in one meeting with negative people and feeling their negative advice is correct therefore following it diligently! Which will result in making oneself farther and farther from the Dharma. Being far from the Dharma is not a physical distance. One can be in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but if ones thoughts are of hatred, revenge and grudges, then one is very far from the Dharma. Despising the Guru has many negative repercussions. Having a large centre with many followers and a full donation box is not the measure of success. It is not a sign that the Dharma is flourishing in your centre. The Dharma centre must be overflowing with students whose minds are transforming and

becoming better people everyday. In fact, if the actions of students in the centres are not Dharmic but the centre is still flourishing, it is a very bad omen. So we need to check-in with ourselves and say What is my motivation? When we check our motivation and it is not good, apply the antidote our teachers have taught us. Please do not look for outer Dharma but inner. Dharma is the inner realization we have gained through diligent application. One of the questions that I am frequently asked and problems that I frequently come across in this region of the world is how to remove black magic, the prevention of it and spirits? Magic has pervaded the world long before the major religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, etc. made their entrance into the world. It is something conceived and practiced for thousands and thousands of years even before written language. It is usually used to quickly fulfill someones wish that cannot be fulfilled by normal means. Magic comes in many different forms. It may be elements such as wind, air earth, fire or a combination. It may be using spirits of the deceased to do our bidding. It can be words and sounds formulated into certain vibrations to effect a physical change in others. It can be using the earths meridians, the astrological constellations and natural energies. It can also be using natural guardians, spirits and beings that inhabit the mountains, forests or even a large tree in a certain area. Whether its black or white magic depends on our motivation for doing it. But if we intend to use a spirit to harm another and the spirit does so, then we can definitely conclude the spirit is negative. If it has the potential to harm others, it definitely has the potential to harm us and probably will. So it is best not to do those types of practices. Lord Buddha never taught any magic or methods to harm others. So, if you come across a so called a monk or a Buddhist casting magic on others, chances are it is not a real monk or Buddhist. Buddhist scriptures have no methods to harm others. Everything Lord Buddha taught was strictly to benefit. If we practice magic to fulfill our temporal wishes, it will definitely have backlashes and repercussions. So we may fulfill our immediate problems but it will only invite more problems later. Some signs that someone has been charmed are: 1.disorientation 2.sudden change in personality 3.unnatural behaviour 4.unexplained accidents 5.not acting to the benefit of loved ones but following an outsider for no reason 6.having a intense attraction toward someone they just met but not knowing why (love charm). These are some of the signs. Other signs include spirits following us and materializing, a feeling like someone is watching us, or a certain area in the house feels uncomfortable. This can be the result if someone sent something to us, we have offended a spirit in a certain location, a local regional deity of a locale is displeased with us, or we have practiced a spirit and it is now exacting its pay. In Buddhism, we have countless methods to counter this. Each school of Buddhism has valid methods to counter this. But I will mention a few here that will be easy, simple for the layman and very effective for people without a guide to use that is safe. If one has offended a local deity, one may buy offerings of flowers, joss sticks, fruits, candles and small

cakes and go to the location. At the location make offerings and apologize for whatever offense one has done. Perhaps uprooting a tree that was the abode of that spirit or digging in the land of that deity without proper offerings beforehand. Most Chinese will have a small offering altar on their balconies, porch or yard outside. One can make offerings there also. We do not take refuge in these deities or pray to them. It is simply giving them something as if we are giving gifts toward a friend we have offended. The attitude must be like so otherwise it contradicts our refuge precepts. Then in cases of actual spirits disturbing us or black magic sent to us there are four helpful methods among the many that any layperson may do without monks. For light cases, one may take refuge in the Three Jewels. One must not only take refuge from the mouth but one must take from the heart. Taking from the heart meaning to let go of all fears and trust the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Ones refuge precepts must be strong and unbroken. If one has broken ones precepts of refuge, then we can confess and regret sincerely. Holding the precepts is very powerful protection against negative spirits. By taking refuge (having complete faith) in the Three Jewels and holding ones precepts, we can chant the refuge mantra in Sanskrit: NAMO NAMO NAMO NAMO GURU BEH BUDDHA YA DHARMA YA SANGHA YA

One should chant this mantra at least one rosary a day, accumulating 100,000 slowly. But most importantly one must have pure relationship (samaya) with our refuge Guru or it will not be very effective. The bad relationship we have with our teachers will create such a powerful negative karma that it destroys the very basis of refuge so how can reciting refuge mantra be beneficial? All Dharma practices and accomplishments will degenerate due to broken samaya with our Guru and future Dharma practices will bear no fruit till we apologize sincerely to our Guru. For stronger cases, one may recite the refuge mantra combined with the recitation of the holy Heart Sutra. The Heart Sutra is the teaching on reality taught by Avalokitesvara as requested by the Superior Arhat Shariputra. When Avalokitesvara finished the discourse, it was praised by Buddha Shakyamuni Himself as valid on Vultures Peak. Since it is a Dharma teaching on the wrong perception of existence which causes samsara, it will be very powerful protection against negative samsaric beings. So one can recite one rosary of the refuge mantra, followed by the recitation of the Holy Heart Sutra, then one rosary of the Heart Sutra mantra: TAYATHA OM GATEY GATEY PARAGATEY PARASAMGATEY BODHI SOHA

One should also make seven bowls of water offerings to ones Yidam or Lord Buddha everyday to generate merits. If you can make more than seven, it is even better. The Heart Sutra can be recited in any language. For very strong cases of black magic or spirit disturbances then one can engage in the practice of

Singdongma. Firstly we take refuge by reciting the refuge mantra 21 times. Afterwards we either do the mantra of Je Tsongkhapa or Guru Rinpoche 21 times, strongly believing the Tsongkhapa/Guru Rinpoche is one with our Gurus. Since Tsongkhapa and Guru Rinpoche have manifested in a Gurus form, it will be easier to identify them with our personal gurus. If we do not have a guru we can still recite their mantras having firm faith in them as living Buddhas. Tsongkhapas mantra is: OM AH GURU BENZA DHARA SUMATI KIRTI SIDDHI HUNG HUNG Guru Rinpoches mantra is: OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG Then we proceed to do a short prayer to the fierce Goddess Singdongma who is a fierce manifestation of Green Tara arisen to dispel magic, spirits and obstacles. The prayer and mantra are as follows: Glorious adamantine Goddess, Wrathful female with lions face, Whose fire of Gnosis emanates light-rays, Lion-faced Goddess to You I bow. Mantra: AH KHA SAMA-RANZA SHANDA-RASA MARAYA PHET (Recite 21x,108x or more per day) Lion-faced Dakini! Because of the force and power of the recitation of Your Mantra, Let enemies who torment us teachers, pupils and attendants, hindering spirits who harm us, obstructive conditions, and in short, every enduring inauspiciousness, be turned back! Host of blazing wrathful females! Smash into dust-motes the body and speech Of all the nature of hindering foes, And release their consciousness in Dharma-Dhatu! Through recitation of Your mantra, Let me quell all injury, Achieve my aims just as I wish, And spread the Doctrine in teaching and practice! Above is the short prayer to ones Gurus followed by Lama Singdongmas prayer and mantra to invoke protection from black magic. Sindongmas mantra should be recited 100,000 times or until the problems stop. The above methods can be done anytime and anywhere. There is no specific place or time one has to engage in it. Most important in the above practices is the motivation not to harm or damage others otherwise the practices will not be as effective. If problems still exist then one should consult a qualified master for further rituals and protections that can be worn.

I have written brief and simple practices for Buddhists to engage in to dispel black magic, spirits and unnatural disturbances. If we follow the above diligently, it will definitely be effective. Black magic, charms, and spirits can only harm us if we have the karma to be harmed. The result always resembles the cause, so we must be very aware to have the correct attitude toward our Spiritual Guides, hold our precepts, do our daily commitment sadhanas, and transform our minds by studying and contemplating on the Dharma. This will be the true basis for protection against outer negative spirits and the inner negative spirit of self-centeredness.

Sincerely, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche Spiritual Guide Kechara House & KWPC Retreat Centre withDavid Lai, Loh Seng Pi