Amitabha Million Mantra Retreat and Accumulation

Amitabha Million Mantra Accumulation, with Ven. Lama Gape take place from October 23-25th.

Buddha Amitabha, known as the Buddha of Infinite or Boundless Light, is considered the protector of beings who call upon him as they experience death and the after-death transitions in the bardo. Amitabha is also central to the practice of Phowa (the transference of consciousness at the time of death). Buddha Amitabha and related meditation practices, help you awaken the enlightened energy of discriminating wisdom which then gradually transform the deluded energy of passion or attachment. Through Amitabha practices, our deluded passion, grasping, and attachment are transmuted into the clear-sighted warmth of true loving compassion. The ego’s selfish demands yield to our deepening commitment to others’ well-being and enlightenment.

The Amitabha accumulation is done annually at The Garchen Institute at the request of Ven. Drubwang Konchog Norbu Rinpoche. He made this request on the occasion of his liberation at the GarchenTemple on June 11, 2000. He urged us to recite the three Kaya mantras, which he said were the essence of the Tantric teachings. He asked that we do the recitations with loving kindness and compassion for all beings and that we sound the mantras correctly and clearly for all beings to hear.

Buddha Amitabha’s mantra is easy to pronounce. The phonetic pronunciation is: OM A-MI DE-WA HRI, or OM AMI DEWA HRI.

His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche has said that anyone who participates in the Million Mantra Accumulation—no matter how many mantras they are able to recite—receives the full merit for a million mantras as part of the sangha. Any one can participate, and no prior experience with chanting or recitation of mantra is require.

Please join us at The Garchen Institute Temple as your schedule permits, or recite the Amitabha mantra at home and add your daily totals to the counter at The Garchen Institute website, www.garchen.net (the counter will be activated at the website on October 22), or email your daily totals to questions at garchen.net or call them in to 928-925-1237.

Preregistration is required for all events. To preregister, please remit no later than one week prior to the start of an event your nonrefundable deposit of one day’s tuition ($30) and 50% of the cost of meals you wish to purchase ($5 for breakfast, $8 for lunch, $8 for dinner).

Tags: attachment, Boundless Light, Buddha Amitabha, enlightened energy, Garchen Institute, garchen rinpoche, loving compassion, recitation of mantra