Neurological Disorders
Practices for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
A student wrote to Rinpoche regarding ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Rinpoche checked and advised the following.
- Prajnaparamita: To be recited five times by monks at Tehor Kangtsen, Sera Je Monastery in India.
- Nectar water from Maratika: Sip the nectar water twice a day, in the morning and evening. Do this for two weeks.
- Jung nga pills: Take six pills a day for four weeks.
- Ratna samphel: Take one a day every three days. Take a total of four pills, three days apart.
- Drugchuma puja: To be recited five times by the monks at Samtenling Monastery in Boudhanath.
Pujas for Child with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS)
Rinpoche gave this advice to a student whose child had motor neuron disease (ALS).
- Chanting the Names of Manjushri: 200 times. Thubtob Monastery in Nepal can do this. She should recite it as well; this is a very important text even for her to practice. Lama Tsongkhapa recited it every day.
- Most Secret Hayagriva Wrathful Puja (Tib: tsog kong): this is a big puja, where the monks do a few sessions like a retreat, then burn the torma. Sera Je Monastery does it every year, so what you can do is make an offering, explain your child’s sickness and request the monks to dedicate. The dedication is for your child to recover and for the child and also your whole family to have a meaningful life, to never be reborn in the lower realms and to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.
- Drugchuma puja [torma offerings to Kalarupa and Yamantaka]: three times.
- Liberating from the Bondage of Naga and Landlord (Tib: lü dang sadag gi don drol): this puja should be done at Ganden Monastery. If someone can do effective pujas, they should do them.
Motor Neuron Disease (ALS) Diagnosis
This advice was given to a student who had recently been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.)
Dear one,
Take these precious pills:
- Rinchen rilnag came out best for you. Take one each day for four days.
- Jüngna: take four a day for eight days.
- Take the jüngna pills first, then the rinchen rilnag precious pill after that.
Sometimes you need pujas for the medicine to work. Even if you have the right medicine, without pujas that medicine may not be effective.
Recite the Sutra of Golden Light (the short one, 19 chapters) four times. It is best if you can recite it in Tibetan. I am also going to recite it for you five times.
You need to do Padmasambhava's nölsang incense puja five times.
You also need to take a long-life initiation.
Pujas for Motor Neuron Disease (ALS)
A student had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (ALS), a progressive terminal illness. The student wrote that if the disease progressed as expected, he would still have the capacity to make a connection with the guru that could help with openness to Dharma and the accumulation of merit in order to have another human rebirth. The student also hoped to be able to continue meditating right up to the time of death. Rinpoche advised the following practices.
My most dear, precious, kind, wish-fulfilling one,
These are the pujas that will be useful for your particular condition:
- The Tengyur needs to be recited by the monks and nuns of Trulshik Rinpoche’s monastery in Nepal. The Tengyur is the collection of commentaries on the sutras of Buddha. It’s quite extensive.
- The Vajra Cutter Sutra should be recited by you four times. Your center can give you the text.
- Chag sum puja should be done at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, five times.
- Mamo trü kang puja to be done by Gyume Tantric College in south India.
- Yum gye trung (?) should be recited four times. These are all the wisdom sutras and can be recited by Kopan Monastery once, Trulshika Monastery once and Sera Je Monastery twice.
- Ksitigarbha sutra should be recited five times by Ganden Jangtse Monastery in India.
- You need to do Red Loma Gyönma [Skt: Parnashavari] practice yourself. You can start reciting the mantra as soon as you receive it, but Rinpoche should be able give you the lung sometime soon. This means you hear Rinpoche say the mantra and then you repeat it. This is an oral transmission of the mantra, which makes it more powerful. [Find links to this practice in the FPMT Catalogue.]
- Rinpoche checked for the Chinese medicine you are using and said it is good to continue.
Practices for Sciatica
A student was suffering from constant sciatic pain due to degeneration of the disc in the lumbar spine, and she was in pain even when sitting, sleeping or walking. She had tried Chinese medicine, acupuncture and massage, but there was no improvement. Surgery was risky due to her age.
My very dear one,
I checked and this is what came out:
- Offering for the Boudhanath stupa, to paint it five times. This includes the umbrella and the canopy, the whole thing.
- Recitation of the Kangyur, at Drepung Nunnery.
- Drink Maratika water a few times every day. This is water [blessed by] Padmasambhava’s wisdom mother, [Mandarava.]
- White Umbrella deity: read this five times.
- White Umbrella: five times.
- You should receive White Umbrella deity initiation.
If you can, take the precious pill ratna-samphel. You should take this four times, with three days’ break between each pill. Take one pill and eat it—do not swallow, but bite it. Take it with warm water and after three days’ break then have the next pill. Take the pill in the early morning.
Also take one jung-nga pill each day for 14 days.
I am so sorry about this pain that you have. Tonight with all the people at the retreat, we did prayers for you.
With much love and prayers...
Neurological Illness, OCD and Depression
A student wrote that he had a serious neurological disease. His psychiatrist had also diagnosed OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and maybe a light form of psychosis. Later the student received a diagnosis of depression.
My very dear one,
- Take four mani pills each day for five days.
- Take one ratna-samphel [Tibetan medicine] each week for three weeks.
- Request three gyab-shi [puja] to be done at Shelkar monastery in Nepal.
- You should read Arya Sanghata Sutra five times.
For your practice, you can use Essence of Refined Gold to meditate on. It is a commentary to Lama Tsongkhapa’s short lamrim, Hymns of Experience, the path to enlightenment. You should study it five times.
Practice effortful lamrim meditation, following this outline:
- Guru devotion, correctly devoting to the virtuous friend: eight months. Devotion is with the mind.
- Path of the lower capable being: three months.
- Path of the middle capable being: five months.
- Bodhicitta: one month.
- Emptiness: one month.
With much love and prayers...