Severe Illness
A student was suffering intense pain and was not even able to sit down comfortably. She had seen several doctors without any positive result. She thought that the pain was connected with a displacement in the vertebral column, hitting a nerve in her neck. She wrote to Rinpoche asking for advice.
My very dear one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I think my brother Sangye had the same problem as you, having incredible pain in his neck. I made some observations for him and the result was mainly to do purification practice. So, he did a lot of prostrations every day, reciting the Thirty-five Buddhas’ names, and Vajrasattva practice. He told me that only purification practice helped. I would like you to discuss this with my brother, and you can say that I suggested it.
Particularly, from my observations, is important is for you to recite 500,000 Samayavajra mantras. Strong purification is probably needed. If you don’t know how to apply the four opponent powers, which is included in Vajrasattva practice, please read the explanation in my book of teachings from the Vajrasattva retreat and also in Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand.
Mostly, you can recite the Thirty-five Buddhas’ names as you do prostrations. From the Thirty-five Buddhas come beams of nectar, which enter your body and mind and instantly purify all the negative karma and defilements collected since beginningless rebirths. It especially purifies instantly all the negative karmas accumulated with the guru, from beginningless rebirths. Keep on reciting the Thirty-five Buddhas’ names with this visualization.
Also, Medicine Buddha puja needs to be performed for you. There are two talks that were given in the Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga retreat in Italy about how to use sickness and problems as the path to enlightenment by using them to develop bodhicitta, by experiencing them with bodhicitta. You need to practice tong-len. If you can listen to these talks it would help.
Also, you need to do the naga incense puja. You can do this yourself. You should email Kopan monastery to get the correct naga incense from them. Ask them to send it as quickly as possible. You also need to wear the mantra “Liberating from Bondage” around your neck. I will send this to you.
With much love and prayers...