Insomnia / Sleep Disorders

My most kind, wish-fulfilling one,
According to my observation, these are the pujas and practices that need to be done:

• Golden Light Drum Sound (Tib: ser ö nga dra). Rinpoche’s’ attendants will recite this for you five times.
• Heart Sutra: Recite this seven times a day for three days. For the Heart Sutra if you are meditating, thinking of the meaning, then it’s an excellent practice to do every day generally. I only had time to do this today during the teachings. You should do this practice.
• Short Medicine Buddha puja: To be done by monks at Kopan Monastery
• Vajra Cutter Sutra: You should try to recite this one time.
• Liberate three animals in danger of being killed and arrange for them to be protected and cared for in a safe place. Kopan Nunnery can liberate and take care of goats. If you can manage this, please let me know.
• Namgyal tse chog puja, for your life obstacles: To be done twice by Drati Khangsten at Sera Je Monastery.

With much love and prayers ...

My most dear, most precious, most kind wish-fulfilling one,
I am sorry I didn’t get to meet you. I read your letters completely and checked, and you need to have some pujas done. This is what came out and also the monasteries to do them:

• She nyin dü dog: To be recited five times by monks at Shelkar Monastery, which is near Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Gyab shi: To be recited once by the monks at Shelkar Monastery, which is near Boudha.

You also need to do the following:

• Lion-face Dakini practice: Recite the mantra and do meditation.
• Most Secret Hayagriva: Recite the mantra and if you have taken the initiation, you can do the short practice or short sadhana.
• Vajra Claws. Read this four times, with strong faith in the Buddha.
• Black Manjushri: Recite the mantra and do the very short practice.

Please try to do these things as much as you can. I am also making prayers for you. Please make your life most meaningful with the thought of bodhicitta day and night and in everything you do.

With much love and prayers ...

My most dear, most kind, most precious wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter, I was very happy to receive it. I am sorry for the many eons of delay in replying to you.

It is very good if you do the Amitabha practice, reciting one mala of the mantra. I am also sending a photo of Amitabha for you to look at when you do the practice.

Regarding your very kind offering, it came out to use the money for writing the Prajnaparamita in gold. Offering for that is an unbelievable way for you to collect merit.

When you do your practices, please continue to recite the prayers that you are doing now for your parents, your ex-wife and child. That is very good.

Please read the Heart Sutra and Vajra Cutter Sutra every day. This is so important and is a quick way to realize emptiness. We need the wisdom realizing emptiness—we need to have a direct perception of emptiness in order to cease delusion and karma, the cause of samsara and in this way to become free from samsara. In this way we can help other sentient beings become free from samsara and then with bodhicitta we can achieve enlightenment. So it is mainly to benefit the numberless sentient beings and bring them to enlightenment, but by the way it will help your temporary obstacles, such as nightmares and other obstacles.

You also need to have strong refuge in and reliance on Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in order to be protected from obstacles.

If you are able to become a monk, it would be extremely good to take the vows.

You need to take a long-life initiation, if there is one of your lamas in the area who is giving that or if you can request it from them.

You need to recite the Golden Light Sutra four times.

You also need to recite two malas a day of Most Secret Hayagriva mantra, but if you have not received the initiation you cannot arise as the deity. First take refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. It is important to remember that you are not only thinking about yourself, but samsara is endless and there are numberless sentient beings in samsara who are suffering so much, so you should dedicate for them. Then take strong refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. You can look at the Most Secret Hayagriva picture and recite the mantra. While you are reciting the mantra, think that beams are emitted from Most Secret Hayagriva and purifying all your negative karma, spirit harm, sickness and obscurations.

It comes out beneficial for you to wear a blessed string, so I will send that to you.

With much love and prayers ...

I checked again regarding your situation and if you can, recite the Padmasambhava prayer called Sampa Lhundrupma. Recite this as much as you can—at least once a day and more if you want.

You also need to practice Most Secret Hayagriva. You probably haven’t received the initiation, therefore visualize the deity, think that the deity is totally protecting you and your mother, and recite the mantra.

Think that the deity sends light, purifying you, your mother and all sentient beings. Think you are totally protected and no one can harm you.

You can recite Most Secret Hayagriva torma offering praise, however, first put out something to be the torma, like a packet of biscuits.

So please try this.

With much love and prayers...

My dear one,
You need to receive ga-gön puja, and also:

• lu-zong puja
• Medicine Buddha puja: the center and yourself should do this.

These are separate pujas. If you can continue doing Medicine Buddha puja yourself, that is very good—as you can manage.

Wear the ten wrathful deities protection.

• Recite the mantra to liberate body, speech and mind [Dharani Extremely Conquering from Bondage]
• Read the Golden Light Sutra
• Recite the Dharani of Glorious Vajra Claws

How much to do of each practice depends on the person. This may be of help, to give some idea.

Rinpoche advised these practices for people who are unable to sleep.

[You can find links to these dharanis in the FPMT Catalogue.]