The Vajra Armor Mantra

Even today, many of vajrayana teachings of Indo-Tibetan origin are shrouded in an aura of mystery, especially if they come with extravagant names attached, such as the ‘vajra armor mantra’ system.  Magical mysteries and their highly esteemed tours in exploration of the ‘unknown’ and/or ‘unknowable’, however, seldom produce anything tangible beyond flights of fancy – which is the exact opposite of what any good teacher aims to induce or share. 

The gurus of old were not interested in spiritual training removed from reality, and neither are today’s teachers like Acharya Dawa Chhodak Rinpoche, affectionally called Lama Dawa by most of his dharma friends, who since 2003 has opened the outer, inner, secret and most secret aspects of this powerful practice to some, as well as publically taught the different outer levels of the system in 5-day seminars, in the US, Mexico and now also India.  Which is why we are addressing the subject in this blog posting.  Lama Dawa is going to visit Goa this coming January 2015 and will also teach two level I vajra armor retreats while being here.  

In his Terma text on the vajra armor mantra, Dudjom Lingpa states that, ‘There are many stories about the transmission of this mantra and many descriptions of its benefits.  I do not wish to repeat them here [at great length and instead simply say]… Considering this mantra profound, Guru Padmasambhava chose it from 100,000 healing mantras concealing it as a treasure in the rock ‘Stairway to Heaven’ for the benefit of sentient beings.”

Therefore, the motivation for entering the vajra armor training and practicing according to its methodology is the same as for engaging in any other Tibetan Buddhist practices of the diamond path: to be of benefit to all beings including oneself.  Besides, the size of the benefit is anything but negligible: it is as vast as the scope of the tantric approach itself.  The quote below from Padmasambhava is hinting at this.  Even should your interest in the practice at the outset solely be guided by ideas of ‘self-improvement’ or ‘self-healing’, you will still indirectly benefit others with it, through an automatic spillover effect once you really start putting into practice what you have learned.  In a way, ‘self-benefit’ and ‘benefitting others’ are artificial distinctions.  The mind creates them and then clings to them.

In more specific terms, the vajra armor mantra (dorje gotrab in Tibetan) is considered a potent tool for promoting healing in the most far-reaching sense of the word, which implies ‘making whole’ or ‘enlightening’ what has been fragmented and deluded.  Since Padmasambhava first brought the 30-syllable mantra to Tibet, tantric adepts and physicians from the Land of Snows have applied it as an effective method for treating diseases, purifying negative energies and protection from misfortune. 

Padmasambhava outlines the potential and benefit of the mantra and mentions at what point in history its practice will become almost a necessecity, namely, …”When beings engage in the ten non-virtues, causing warfare and committing vast evil, their rampant destructiveness will contaminate the mother elements and give spirit entities the opportunity to become even more powerful.  As a result, the seasons will lose their balance, the crops will fail, weather patterns will bring disaster, diseases will multiply and even the best remedies will have no longer any effect.”

“Food and herbal medicine will diminish in potency, requiring stronger dosages… at that time this mantra, which shall be known as the Vajra Armor, or ‘Ngak-Bum Dorje Go-Drab’ – the ‘One Mantra That Is the Source of the 100,000 Methods’ – will be needed to save beings from this immense suffering.  If you trust in the power of this mantra unreservedly and totally, and furthermore, if you receive the transmission from a true lineage holder and practice it according to the promises given at the time of transmission, then this mantra will cure disease, protect from and prevent illness and calamity.  It will also restore balance to the environment, and most importantly, annihilate the underlying cause of all suffering – hatred, grasping and ignorance.”

For further reading go to: http://www.lamadawa.com/vajra-armor.html