Fatal Car Accident 

My very dear Jim,
Thank you for your long letter, which I read. I am sorry it took a long time to reply. I have been traveling in India, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and now in France.

What happened was not done with any intention. There was no thought to harm; the cause was that you were drunk. Maybe some negative karma was created, but I wouldn’t say that you have killed. To form the complete negative karma of killing, you have to have the intention to kill. I think the problem was the alcohol. It sounds like you really had the intention to help, but just didn’t have the power to help. As you did not have the intention to kill, it is not the complete negative karma of killing; the fault is the alcohol. I think if you hadn’t drunk alcohol, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. The alcohol was the condition.

• Please recite 15 malas a day of the Vajra Armor mantra, with strong bodhicitta. This is for protection.
• Recite 30 malas a day of Black Garuda mantra. This is for protection from harm caused by nagas.
• Recite one mala a day of the mantra Great Increasing Jewel. This is for your success and for your wishes to be fulfilled.

Now you can live your life happily without thinking about karma. Sorry, this is just to make you laugh.

I checked and for purification you should recite six hundred thousand OM MANI PADME HUM mantras, by using the sadhana. It should be the sadhana that we are using during this retreat. Do these mantras in a semi-retreat, one or two sessions a day. If you can, do four sessions a day. At the end of this, do the fire puja. Keep doing the sadhana and torma offering until you do the actual fire puja.

The sadhana we are using is from the nyung nä text, with the self-generation and then front generation. You don’t need to do the front generation every session—if you want to, you can just do it in the last session. Instead, visualize Chenrezig in front, invoke the wisdom beings, bless the offerings and the torma, make the request, then offer the torma to the protectors and landlords (this will make sense when you see the sadhana).

Start each session with bodhicitta, thinking how kind sentient beings are and how much they suffer. Spend time to really develop a bodhicitta motivation. Before you start you can recite the requesting prayers to the lineage lamas (from the nyung nä) and also praises to Chenrezig. There is one composed by Trulshig Rinpoche when he was 15 years old. Or you can recite Calling the Guru from Afar, the short or long version, the Foundation of All Good Qualities, or the Three Principal Aspects of the Path. Begin the session with any of these prayers, and end with a lamrim prayer.

Then, at the end of the session, make a very strong dedication for all beings, for your friend who passed away, your family, friends and all sentient beings.

Also recite these dedication prayers:

Ge wa di yi nyur du dag
La ma sang gyä drub gyur nä
Dro wa chig kyang ma lü pa
De yi sa la gö par shog

Due to the merits of these virtuous actions
May I quickly attain the state of a guru-buddha
And lead all living beings, without exception,
Into that enlightened state.

Then do these dedications:

Due to the merits of the three times collected by me, buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings, which are totally non-existent from their own side, may the I, which is totally non-existent from its own side, achieve Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which is totally non-existent from its own side, and lead all sentient beings, who are totally non-existent from their own side, to that enlightenment, which is totally non-existent from its own side, by myself alone, who is also totally non-existent from its own side.

In all my rebirths, may I belong to a good family,
Be clear in mind and free of pride,
Have great compassion, respect for my gurus,
And abide in the pledges of Avalokiteshvara.

O Avalokiteshvara, whatever your body,
Your retinue, life span, realm, and so forth,
Whatever your supreme and excellent name,
May I and others become only like that.

By the force of the praises and requests made to you,
May all diseases, evil spirits, poverty, and quarrels be calmed,
And may the Dharma and good fortune increase
In the regions in which I and others dwell.

May the precious mind of bodhicitta
Be born in those in whom it has not been generated;
May that which has been generated not decline,
But increase more and more.

Watch the different teachings that I have been giving during the retreat on the internet, and this can help in your retreat. The teachings are on the Institut Vajra Yogini website. So, please do these things.

With much love and prayers...