The immense merit of making prostrations to Holy Objects and to the Buddhas was the FIRST teaching which Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave me. This happened at my first meeting interview with Rinpoche at ROOT INSTITUTE in Bodhgaya. The night before I had accompanied Rinpoche and His Sangha and other students to the STUPA and inside the tiny shrine room where the wonderful statue of Buddha Shakyamuni was placed, Rinpoche and everyone else made many prostrations to the Statue. I had no idea how to do this and stood awkwardly by feeling very stupid.

When I met Rinpoche the next day He described the huge merit to be gained from making prostrations to holy objects " for every pore of your body that touches the ground, he told me the merit is thousands of times more than the sand grains found on the Ganges river …. Rinpoche told me that making prostrations was also an excellent antidote for slicing through our false pride.

PROSTRATION is vital part of dharma practice.

Each morning: Do at least 3 prostration and meditate on the 35 Confession Buddhas. If possible do three prostrations to each Buddha and before that make three prostrations while reciting the prostration mantra ie

OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE, NAMO SUSHRIYE, NAMO UTTAMA SHRIYE SOHA

This makes a total of 108 prostrations each morning. This creates extensive merit and is also excellent for purifying all negative karma.

Each evening: Do at least 3 prostration and chant 28 times OM VAJRA SATTVA HUM . This is the mantra to the Buddha of Purification, Guru Vajrasattva and it is a most powerful Purification practice. If possible it would be even better to make altogether 28 prostrations, one for each time you say the mantra.

METHOD OF PROSTRATION

1. Join hands together, bend thumbs inwards. Place joined hands at top of head pointing upwards
2. Place joined hands at forehead, chin, and heart pointing upwards
3. Drop hands palms down to the floor and slide body down on floor
4. Stretch body as much as possible as palms move forward
5. Hands together place upwards, above and over head

Slide back, press floor with palms and get up. Return to original position.

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Visualize Guru Vajrasattva above, then feel regret for all the negative actions you have committed since beginning less time. Then chant Vajrasattva's 100 syllable mantra 21 times.

Om Vajrasattva samaya manu palaya Vajrasattva deno pa tito - dido may bhawa suto kayo may bhawa supo kayo may bhawa anu rakto may bhawa sarwa siddhi mepar yatsa sarwa karma su tsa may tsitam shriyam kuru hum ha ha ha ha ho Bhagawan - sarwa tathagata Vajra ma may mu tsa Vajra bhawa maha samaya sattva Ah hum pey.

DEDICATE THESE PRAYERS TO THE PURIFICATION OF ALL NEGATIVE KARMA ACCUMULATED SINCE BEGINNINGLESS TIME.