Advice During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

In the dharma expanse palace of Akanishta
Is the essence of all buddhas of the three times
Who shows me directly my mind is dharmakaya.
I bow with respect to my root guru. 

Glorious, precious, root guru, please sit
Above my crown on a lotus moon seat.
Care for me with great kindness and grant
The siddhis of body, speech, and mind.

Now we face the great misfortune of an epidemic that has spread throughout the world, creating great difficulties for everyone. In such a time, everyone has a lot of worry and pain. To help with that, I thought I should say a few words to everyone with whom I have a dharma connection.

The misfortune of this pandemic spreading throughout the world is difficult for everyone, but we have had the opportunity to enter the gate of dharma and practice. Not only that, we have faith and devotion in the three jewels, the sources of refuge, and we have the good fortune to be able to pray to them and make aspirations. So if you all think carefully, pray, and make aspirations, it will be extremely beneficial, both in the present and in the future. 

The ones we pray to are the precious three jewels:“The unsurpassable teacher is the precious Buddha.” The completely perfect Bhagavan Buddha taught the true dharma. All the buddhas have taught the true dharma to protect beings from suffering. The sangha then helps us according to the dharma the buddhas have taught. I believe that if we have faith and devotion in these three precious jewels and make a genuine prayer for now and the future, for ourselves and others, and for the whole world to be happy and to be free of suffering, it will be very beneficial; it is necessary.

When we pray to the three jewels, in the Vajrayana tradition, we also pray to the guru, the root of blessings; the yidam, the root of accomplishment; and the dharma protectors, the root of activity.  Because of the root and lineage gurus, we can receive extraordinary blessings, so the guru is the root of blessings. The guru teaches the true dharma, so we can achieve the accomplishment of the yidam deity, dispelling all temporary misfortune and pacifying obstacles so we can achieve the supreme and ordinary siddhis. The dharma protectors perform activity and are thus the root of activity.

The three jewels and three roots are the six sources of refuge. If we pray to them and make aspirations, it will pacify your own suffering, and if we genuinely go for refuge and pray for all sentient beings who are as limitless as space and in particular that the humans in this world not be affected by the epidemic, it will bring great benefit. Please do not forget to think in this way. 

In particular, to help us with illness and disease, there is the Medicine Buddha, the King of Vaidurya Light. The Medicine Buddha is the greatest in terms of protecting sentient beings from the suffering of illness. The Bhagavan Buddha taught this in two sutras, the Sutra of the Medicine Buddha and the Sutra of the Eight Medicine Sugata Brothers. As taught in these sutras, praying to them and making aspirations will help with temporary and long-term dangers. 

In the Secret Mantra Vajrayana, if we recite the Medicine Buddha mantra, pray to the Medicine Buddha, it will pacify temporary adversity. When you recite the mantra, you should have compassion for all sentient beings in general. In particular, for all beings on this earth who are stricken by the dangers and suffering of disease and epidemic, pray that their suffering may subside and that they may become happy. Go for refuge and have the vast resolve of bodhichitta, the pure motivation to benefit all sentient beings.

Likewise during the epidemic, there are many sentient beings who are born as viruses, they say. These viruses have taken this birth out of their bad karma and harm all creatures and beings. If you pray and have the bodhichitta wish that they may be freed from that bad karma and bad rebirth, freed from suffering, and brought to happiness, this will benefit all sentient beings, yourself and others. Please have such a vast resolve and recite the mantra.

When reciting the mantra, as is well known, visualize yourself as the Medicine Buddha and visualize another Medicine Buddha in front of yourself. Imagine that you have become the body of the Medicine Buddha, and think that the Medicine Buddha King of Vaidurya Light is actually present in front of you. Meditating in this way, think there is a letter HUM in your heart that shines light, striking the Medicine Buddha in front of you in his heart. In his heart, there is also a letter HUM that shines light, dispelling your own and all sentient beings’ misdeeds, obscurations, downfalls, diseases, and illnesses. Think they have been purified and pacified.

Thus invoking the activity through the front and self-visualizations, pray well and have bodhichitta. I ask you to please do this. When you recite the mantra, it is:

TADYATHĀ  OM BHAIKHAJYE BHAIKHAJYE MAHĀBHAIKHAJYE RĀJA SAMUDGATE SVĀHĀ

As you recite the mantra, make aspirations and have vast bodhichitta so that you and all beings may be freed from suffering. In particular, pray they may be freed from the suffering of infectious disease. This will bring short-term and ultimate benefit to everyone. Please have such a motivation.