Increasing Wealth, Prosperity and Abundance
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In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a multitude of methods and practices to increase wealth and prosperity. They may involve the invocation of specific wealth deities or the performance of rituals for removing obstacles or for increasing merit. Buddhist practitioners strive to cultivate a balanced approach to worldly matters while remaining rooted in spiritual principles.
Buddhist doctrine emphasizes the significance of treating wealth ethically and developing positive spiritual qualities to offset greed and materialism.
Deity pujas, mandala Offerings, mantra recitation, smoke offering ceremonies, raising prayer flags, acts of charity and generosity, empowerments, blessing ceremonies and yantras are some of the major methods in the Tibetan Buddhist path.
Deities in Tibetan Buddhism are thought of as manifestations of enlightened qualities, not as separate lofty beings in other realms. They represent the positive energies within all of us, to be invoked and developed for our benefit and for the benefit of others. Besides removing obstacles and increasing wealth, supplicating, and making offerings to particular deities develops wisdom, compassion, generosity, and other spiritual qualities.
Some of the main deities for removing obstacles and increasing wealth are: Dzambhala, Vaisravana, Orgyen Norlha, and Vasudhara. Dharmapalas, (Dharma protectors) are fierce and powerful protectors of the Buddhist teachings, and subduers of negative forces and obstacles on the spiritual path. To increase wealth, offerings can also be made to beings such as Nagas and Yakshas. Yakshas are a class of powerful benevolent or malevolent beings who guard and protect the natural elements. Nagas are associated with water and are protectors of hidden treasures. These supernatural beings can be powerful allies or can create powerful obstacles.
This month’s newsletter features the Wealth Deity Vaisravana
and other aids for increasing wealth and good fortune.
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Vaiśravaṇa is the King of the Yakshas and a major wealth deity. He is a Dharmapala, and as a Guardian of the Dharma, Vaisravana embodies righteousness and morality. He is also known as the King of the North, one of the Guardians of the 10 directions. Associated with prosperity, wealth, and protection, Vaisravana is worshipped and venerated across various traditions and cultures in Asia. In Hinduism and Jainism, he is often known as Kubera, treasurer of the gods, and is depicted as a plump, dwarf-like figure with a potbelly, holding a money bag or a jewel-spewing mongoose. In Japan he is known as Bishamon. Dressed in full armor, he protects the great treasure pagoda of Buddhist offerings and gives these out to his faithful believers.
Tibetan iconography shows Vaisravana riding a Snow Lion and carrying a victory banner (gyaltsen) as a symbol of his sovereignty. In his left hand, he holds a mongoose that is generously ejecting jewels from its mouth. The mongoose is the enemy of the snake, a symbol of greed or hatred.
According to Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, Vaisravana is a “Wisdom Being,” a deity whose nature embodies the wisdom aspect of Buddhahood; in this case the aspect of abundance. When devotees engage in practices related to Wisdom Beings, it helps them access and embody the wisdom aspect of their own nature. Wisdom Beings are integrated into meditation practices, visualizations, and rituals, including the recitation of mantras, associated with the deity.
The repetition of mantras, sacred sounds that embody the essence of enlightened qualities, brings about the spiritual transformation associated with the deity.
There are long and short versions of Vaisravana’s mantra. For those seriously interested in the practice, it is beneficial to receive an empowerment, a formal introduction, from a qualified lama.
The condensed mantra of Vaisravana is:
OM VAISRAVANA YE SVAHA
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Vaisravana
Medium Size Thangka Painting
This is an excellent thangka painting; one of the finest in our collection. It is painted in a popular modern style with muted colors, nice shading and a rose hue.
See the website for a detailed description.
Painting Size: 15”x21.5” Brocade Size: 25”x 44” Price: $450
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Vaisravana
Small Size Thangka Painting
For a small thangka, this painting is quite nice. The silk brocade outer frame is primarily saffron colored with rose colored flowers.
See the website for a detailed description.
Painting Size: 8.5"x11.5" Brocade Size: 17"x 29" Price: $150
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Prayer Flags for Wealth & Prosperity | |
Prayer flags benefit beings by decreasing negative hindrances and/ or increasing positive qualities in life. Some are aimed particularly at removing obstacles to success or increasing wealth and prosperity. Three of the most effective prayer flags in these categories are "The Wind Horse," "The Victory Banner." and "The Wish Fulfilling Prayer." | | |
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Wind Horse Prayer Flags
Carrying the flaming Jewel of Enlightment, the Wind Horse symbolizes the uplifting LIfe Force energy that creates good fortune. Through the use of mantra and auspicious symbols, it raising ones "Lung-ta (life force)," increasing health, wealth and power.
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Victorious Banner
The Victory Banner Sutra (Gyaltsen Semo)
is written on many prayer flags to overcome obstacles. It is often combined with Wind Horse designs. Most of the yellow-colored flags in our horizontal displays and our pole flags are printed with this design.
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Wish Fulfilling Prayer
"Sampa Lhundrup"
Guru Rinpoche's "Prayer of Spontaneous Accomplishment" works on both the negative and the postive sides of life. The prayer guards against obstacles and calamities and bestows countless blessings
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Yantras are visual tools, created by enlightened tantric masters, used as meditation centering devices and as talismans to attract benevolent forces and to protect against negative energies. | |
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Yantra to Increase Wealth and Prosperity
In 1989, I helped Acharya Lama Dawa Chodak translate a section about Yantras from a text called "The 100,000 Protectors of the Vajra Garland." The text is a Terma (treasure) of the tantra line hidden by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century and discovered by Lama Gonpa Dupa in the 16th century. There are 109 yantras to repulse a wide variety of negative energies and attract all kinds of positive energies. This particular yantra is for attracting wealth and prosperity. Displayed in one's household it will help attract the energies of good fortune. Photo Size: 8"x 8" Price: $14
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Free Woodblock Printed Rice Paper Prints | |
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This month we have 3 woodblock prints on rice paper of the
Wealth King, Vaisravana to give away.
If you'd like one of these, email me at prayerflags2@gmail.com. Be sure to include your address. We'll draw names from a hat on the full moon day, December 26.
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Religious texts and prayer flags in Tibet were printed using carved woodblocks. Many of the woodblocks were destroyed by the Chinese army 60 years ago. The woodblocks were too heavy for the Tibetan refugees to carry over the mountains when they fled their homes and monasteries, but they did manage to bring many texts and a few rice paper prints. Whenever I visited monasteries during my travels in the Himalayas, I asked to see any woodblocks, old prints or prayer flags. The monks often let me make prints from their woodblocks and sometimes gave me rice paper prints. I have a nice collection stored in a flat file cabinet. Now that I’m getting old, I've decided to give them away to my newsleter subscribers. | |
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My daughter, Kunga Yangzom, drew names from a Dharmacap for November's raffle.
The winner of the Green Tara thangka was:
Thomas Naunas of Madison, WI
The winners for the Green Tara rice paper prints were:
John Walther of Clifton Heights, PA
Sabine Grandke-Taft of Gualala, CA
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Tenth Lunar Month (Nov.14 - Dec. 12)
According to the Kalachakra Tantra and the Vedas, this month is the Naga’s sleeping time. Making offerings will bring no benefit.
Eleventh Lunar Month: (Dec. 13 - Jan. 11)
This month the Nagas are preparing for their winter season. If you make offerings to them on a teb day, you will enjoy peace and happiness. If you make offerings to them on a dok day, they will feel disgusted by your offering and flee.
The best days to perform naga offering ceremonies this month are:
Dec. 2, 3, 13, 21 and Jan. 2. Do not make offerings on the dok day, Dec. 26 (full moon).
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5 Print Vertical Prayer Flag
Williams, Oregon
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If you have any questions or comments, I will try to answer your emails. I appreciate getting photos and videos of prayer flags on display, especially the flags you got from us.
Email me at: prayerflags1@gmail.com
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter.
Timothy Clark
Owner of Radiant Heart Studios
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