A literary treasure revealed by Tulku Karma Lingpa

"I prostrate before the Guru, the Yidam and Ḍākinī.

I, the humble woman Yeshe Tsogyal, have made a great maṇḍala outward, inward, and secret offering and humbly asked:

O Lotus-born Master, the work you have accomplished for the welfare of all sentient beings here in Tibet, in this life and in future lives, is vast. No one of such extreme kindness has come before, nor will ever come again. The practices you have given us are like essential nectar; although I am a humble woman, of this I have no doubt. However, sentient beings in the future will have abusive thoughts and immense aggressiveness; they will have wrong views towards the Holy Dharma, and in particular they will blaspheme the supreme teachings of the Secret Mantra. At that time, plague, famine and war will spread among sentient beings, and in particular China, Tibet and Mongolia will be destroyed like an ant's nest, and Tibet will be left in terrible suffering.

You have spoken of many ways to remedy these sufferings, but future beings will not have time to practice. Those with a slight inclination to practice will be beset by strong obstacles. Beings will not get along with each other; provisions and materials will be insufficient. Such terrible times as these will be extremely difficult to avoid. In such times, Guru, what are the benefits of relying solely on Vajra Guru mantra practice? For the benefit of people of weak intellect in the future, I humbly request you to tell us."

The Lotus Born Master (Guru Rinpoche - Padmasambhava) spoke thus:

O Lady in whom Faith is embodied, what you say is absolutely true. In such future times, this practice will surely be beneficial in the short and long term for sentient beings. Although I have hidden many treasures of earth, treasures of water, treasures of rock, treasures of heaven, and so on, which contain the essential instructions and methods of practice, in degenerate times it will be terribly difficult for blessed beings to find the conditions and circumstances to meet with the teachings; this will be a sign that the merit of beings is being exhausted.

However, in those times, this essential mantra Vajra Guru - if recited with a vast aspiration of bodhicitta in great sacred places, in monasteries, on the tops of high mountains and on the banks of vast rivers, in places populated by gods, demons and evil spirits, at the heads of valleys and so on - by ngakpas with uninterrupted samaya, vow-keeping monks, devout men, women of outstanding qualities and the like, however many times - a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, ten million, a hundred million, etc. -will bring inconceivable benefits and powers. Countries everywhere will be protected from every kind of plague, famine, war, armed violence, crop failure, bad omens and evil spells. The rains will fall on time, the harvests will be excellent, and the lands will prosper. In this life, in future lives and on the paths of the bardo, fortunate practitioners will encounter me again and again - at best in reality or in visions or at least in dreams. After having gradually perfected the levels and paths, there is no doubt that they will join the ranks of Consciousness-holders, male and female, in Ngayab Ling.

Even a hundred recitations a day, without interruption, will make you attractive to others, and food, wealth and pleasures will appear effortlessly. If you recite the mantra a thousand, ten thousand or more a day, you will bring others under your influence because of your genius, and blessings and powers will be obtained continuously and without hindrance. If you perform one hundred thousand, ten million or more recitations, the three worlds will be under your power, the three levels of existence will fall under your glorious influence, the gods and spirits will be at your disposal, the four modes of enlightened activity will be realized without hindrance, and you will be able to bring immeasurable benefits to all sentient beings in whatever way is necessary. If you can do thirty million, seventy million or more recitations, you will never be separated from the Buddha of the three times, nor will you ever be separated from me; thus the eight classes of gods and spirits will obey your orders, praise your words, and perform whatever tasks you entrust to them.

At best, the practitioners will attain the rainbow body; otherwise, at the moment of death, the luminosity of the Mother and Child will meet; and at least, they will see me in the bardo and all their perceptions being liberated in their essential nature, they will be reborn in Ngayab Ling and realize immeasurable benefits to sentient beings."

Thus he spoke.

"Great Master, thank you for speaking to us of such infinite benefits and powers. You have been of immense kindness. Although the explanation of the benefits and powers of the syllables of Guru Padma's mantra is unfathomable, for the sake of the sentient beings of the future, I humbly request you to give us a brief description," she requested.

Then the Grand Master spoke thus:

"O noble daughter, the Vajra Guru mantra is not only my essential mantra, but also the life essence of the deities of the four classes of tantra, the nine vehicles, the 84,000 aspects of Dharma and so on. The heart-essence of all the Buddhas of the three times, the lamas, the deities, the ḍākinīs, the protectors of the Dharma and the like is contained in this mantra. The reason for this is as follows. Listen well and keep this in your heart. Recite the mantra. Write it down. Say it to sentient beings in the future.