Materials: Herbs and medicinal materials, rare minerals, nectar, and rare incense materials

Size: Quantity - 24 trays, Duration - 2 hours/tray

Description:

Vajrasattva Purifying Incense (Internal Purification) ~ Enhances mental focus and willpower

From a Buddhist perspective, Vajrasattva can dissolve negative karma from past and present lives and clear internal energy blocks (hence its title of internal purifier). Vajrasattva Purifying Incense is an indispensable aid for stabilizing the inner mind and outer environment. It purifies the wind and breath, stabilizes and clears mental awareness, and achieves a harmonious natural state. The scent of Vajrasattva Purifying Incense can lift depressed moods and allow you to experience the fragrance of the pristine forests of the Himalayas.

To create a proper incense, we use many rare incense materials and precious nectar, blessed by Tibetan masters. Of course, precious herbs and medicinal materials, as well as rare minerals, contribute to the high quality of this incense, which we believe will bring profound and incredible benefits.

[Vajrasattva Obstacle-Removing Incense] contains countless rare aromatic herbs, grains, sandalwood, natural plants, precious nectar pills from the Tibetan Tantric tradition, as well as various sacred objects such as the Medicine Kings and relics. Vajrasattva is the supreme deity manifested by all Buddhas and the central deity in the Hundred-Deity Mandala. Worshiping Vajrasattva is equivalent to worshiping all three Buddhas of the past, present, and future. He is also a powerful deity that removes obstacles. Offering proper incense powder can eliminate past karma. Sincere prayers can bring fulfillment of wishes, physical and mental health, and abundant resources. Devoutly cultivating this deity can receive its unique and special blessings, accumulate merit, purify obstacles, and enhance one's spiritual path. Made according to the tantric scriptures, this incense is made from 100% natural materials. This incense has passed the SGS non-toxicity test and poses no risk to human health.

Vajrasattva (Sanskrit: Vajrasattva, Tibetan: Dorje Sempa), also translated as Vajrasattva, Vajrapani, or Vajra Being, is a prominent bodhisattva in Buddhism, playing a key role in the Vajrayana and Mahayana traditions. His name means "Vajra Being" or "Thunderbolt Being," symbolizing his indestructible wisdom and pure nature. Below, I will detail his role in Buddhist rituals, his origins, and the stories surrounding him.

Vajrasattva's Role in Buddhist Ritual

Vajrasattva is primarily viewed as a symbolic deity that purifies karmic and sinful obstacles. In Buddhist rituals, he is a central figure in purification practices, helping practitioners clear physical and mental obstacles and restore their pure nature, thereby promoting spiritual progress and awakening. This role is particularly prominent in Tibetan Buddhism (the five major schools: Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, Gelug, and Jonang), East Asian Buddhism (Chinese Tantric Buddhism and Japanese Shingon Buddhism), and Shinwa Buddhism.

**The Central Role of Purification Ritual**: Vajrasattva is known as the "Great Purifier," and rituals performed primarily serve to eliminate negative karma, broken samaya vows (tantric vows), and physical and mental defilements. In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrasattva practice is one of the ngondro steps leading to tantric enlightenment and is commonly practiced in daily meditation and retreats. Practitioners visualize Vajrasattva seated above or in front of their heads and chant his mantra (such as the six-syllable mantra "Om Vajrasattva Hum" or the Hundred-Syllable Mantra), visualizing purifying nectar flowing from the deity, cleansing away karmic obstacles. This not only mitigates future suffering but also fosters inner peace and awakening. For example, after the September 11, 2001, attacks, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche launched a global initiative to accumulate one billion recitations of the six-syllable mantra in prayer for world peace.

**Specific Applications in Different Traditions**:

** Tibetan Buddhism**: Vajrasattva belongs to the Sambhogakāya body, whose root tantra is the Dorje Gyan. In the rituals of the Samapatti school (New Translation), his mantra is a universal purifying tool for clearing karmic networks, karmic tendencies, and karmic habits. Practice involves four counteractions: sincere repentance, resolute non-repetition, reaffirmation of refuge and bodhicitta, and the application of counteractions (such as mantra recitation). This can temporarily "burn" karmic seeds or ultimately lead to complete purification through the contemplation of emptiness, leading to awakening.

** East Asian Buddhism**: In Chinese Tantric Buddhism and Japanese Shingon Buddhism, Vajrasattva is viewed as the esoteric aspect of Samantabhadra, located within the Vajra Realm Mandala near Akshobhya Buddha. He participates in initiation ceremonies (such as the kechien kanjō initiation), in which practitioners reenact his conversations with Vairocana Buddha to receive the esoteric transmission. In Chinese Buddhism, the Hundred-Syllable Mantra is used in the Yoga Flame Mouth ritual (Yujia Yankou), which is used to offer offerings and liberate hungry ghosts, dispel evil spirits, and avert disasters. Monks wield vajra and bells to perform exorcism and purification.

- **Shinwa Buddhism**: Vajrasattva represents the ideal guru, invoked within the guru mandala, and serves as the foundation for all other Shinwa Buddhist rituals. Shinwa monks recite the Hundred-Syllable Prayer (śatākṣara) for daily purification and ritual preparation.

Overall, Vajrasattva rituals emphasize psychological transformation. Through visualization and mantras, practitioners gain a conceptual understanding of emptiness, combat attachment, and achieve purity of body, speech, and mind. This extends beyond individual practice to collective rituals, such as purification chants at funerals, to help the deceased transcend.

Origin of Vajrasattva

Vajrasattva's origins can be traced back to the tantric traditions of Indian Buddhism, which matured around the 7th-8th centuries AD and later spread to Tibet, China, and Japan. His imagery draws on the Mahayana concept of bodhisattva, but emphasizes Vajrayana tantric elements, such as the vajra (vajra), which symbolizes indestructible wisdom.

- **Textual Origins**: Vajrasattva first appears in texts such as the Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra, the Vajraśekhara Sūtra, and the Ghanavyūha Sūtra. In Nyingma Dzogchen texts such as the Kulayarāja Tantra and The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva, he is described as the embodiment of pure nature. In Tibetan Buddhism, his roots lie in the Yoga Tantras and were systematized within the esoteric system of Indian Buddhism.

- **Transmission and Evolution**: After being transmitted from India to Tibet, Vajrasattva became fundamental to tantric practice. In East Asia, he was incorporated into Chinese Buddhism through the translations of Tang Dynasty tantric masters such as Amoghavajra. Kukai, in the Japanese Shingon school, positioned him as the second patriarch of esoteric Buddhism, inheriting the teachings of Vairocana.

Stories and Legends Related to Vajrasattva

Vajrasattva's legends are mostly related to esoteric traditions, emphasizing his role as a transmitter of wisdom rather than dramatic myths. The following are the main legends:

- **Nagarjuna's Encounter with Vajrasattva**: This is the most famous story. According to esoteric traditions, the Indian master Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 AD) encountered Vajrasattva in an iron pagoda in South India. Vajrasattva gave him the abhiseka initiation and entrusted him with the esoteric teachings of Vairocana Buddha, making Nagarjuna the heir of tantra. This legend is widely cited in Chinese and Japanese tantric Buddhism, with both Amoghavajra and Kukai recording this event. It symbolizes Vajrasattva's role as the "ideal master," guiding practitioners into the tantric world.

- **Vow to Help All Beings**: In some tantric texts, Vajrasattva is described as a bodhisattva who vows to help all beings purify their sins. He is sometimes seen as an incarnation of Amitabha Buddha or Vajrapani, representing the pure awakened mind. Legend has it that he promises that sincere recitation of his mantra will clear away karmic obstacles from past lives and bring about inner transformation. This vow, emphasizing themes of compassion and purification, is common in oral traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

**Other Legends**: In the Dzogchen tradition, Vajrasattva is seen as a symbol of pristine purity. Texts such as "The Heart Mirror of Vajrasattva" describe how he reflects the true nature of all beings and helps practitioners realize emptiness. While he lacks a salvation legend like Avalokitesvara, his stories often focus on teaching and purification, such as the use of the Hundred-Syllable Mantra during funeral ceremonies to help the deceased escape from samsara.

In summary, Vajrasattva is not only a tool of purification in Buddhist rituals but also a bodhisattva symbolizing inner awakening. His origins are rooted in Indian tantras and, through legends such as Nagarjuna, have influenced many Asian Buddhist traditions. If you require more specific mantra practices or imagery, I can expand on this.

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place.

Shelf Life: Indefinitely if properly stored.