Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Personal Deity Practice
Start by praying for the root lineage blessing: First empty the mind. Next, visualize the Root Lineage
Guru appearing above your crown and radiating light on everyone present. Chant the Root Lineage
Guru Heart Mantra 7 times. Pray to the Root Lineage Guru to empower you so that the practice will
be auspicious. Visualize your parents, children, relatives, friends, and enemies join you in this
practice.
Wake Up Call: Clap twice, then cross hands and snap thumbs and middle fingers.
1. Recite the Purification Mantras and Earth God Mantra
2. Recite the Invocation Mantra
3. Tender the Great Homage with Visualization
4. Mandala Offering
5. Fourfold Refuge
6. Armor Protection
7. Recite the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra
8. Recite the Rebirth Mantra (7 times)
9. Recite the Root Lineage Guru Heart Mantra (108 times)
10. Mudra and Visualization
Vajra Samaya Mudra (Pearl Holding Mudra): Hold both
hands at the navel chakra, back to back, with the right hand over
the left hand. Wedge the little finger of the left hand between the
thumb and index finger of the right hand. Wedge the thumb of the
left hand between the little finger and ring finger of the right
hand.
Visualization: First empty the mind.
Chant the Emptiness Mantra:
Om, si-ba-wa, su-da, sa-er-wa, da-er-ma, si-ba-wa, su-do-hang. (3 times)
(1) Above an expanse of ocean is a stretch of clear sunny sky. A moon disc
rises from the ocean into the sky. Inside the moon disc is the yellow
Sanskrit seed syllable “ha,” emitting great white light.
(2) The seed syllable inside the moon disc revolves and transforms into
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Ksitigarbha’s body is white and he wears a
Five-Buddha Crown and a cassock. Sitting upon a many petalled lotus,
Ksitigarbha holds a bright precious pearl with both hands.
(3) Visualize the precious pearl sending forth a brilliant white light that travels in an arc to enter
one’s body through the crown chakra. As a result, one’s entire body is purified.
11. Recite the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Heart Mantra
Visualization: Hold mala beads in front of the chest and move each bead with the thumb during
chanting. Visualize the left hand transform into a vajra bell and the right hand into a vajra scepter.
The mother bead or emblem transforms into the Many-Jewels Buddha’s Stupa and the four
“divider beads” transform into the Four Heavenly Tutelaries. The tassel transforms into a “lotus
hand” while the string threading through the beads transforms into a circle of inherent white light
of Vajrasattva. During mantra chanting, when a bead is moved, visualize Ksitigarbha appear
inside the bead and come to the forefront.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mantra that Removes Fixed Karma:
Om, pun-lah-moh lin-toh-lin, so-ha. (108 times)
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Heart Mantra:
Om, ha ha ha, wei sam-mo-yeh, so-ha. (108 times)
(The first mantra is for removal of karmic hindrances, and the second mantra is used in Personal
Deity Practice. For group practice, use the first mantra.)
12. Entering Samadhi
(Nine Cycle Breathing, Entering of the Deity into Oneself, Release of Oneself into the Cosmic
Consciousness, Breath Counting)
13. Emerging from Samadhi
Praise Verse:
Ocean deep are the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha,
Not attaining Buddhahood until the hell realm is empty,
Benefiting humans as well as devas,
Realizing Buddhahood when all beings are liberated.
Di-zang ben-yuan shen-ru-hai,
Di-yu bu-kong bu-cheng-fo;
Li-yi ren-tian da-pu-sa,
Zhong-sheng du-jin zheng pu-ti.
14. Recite the Principal Heart Mantras
15. Recite the Buddha’s Name (3 times)
16. Dedication
May Ksitigarbha be my Personal Deity,
May all beings in the nether world be liberated.
May I practice the Bodhisattva Way every day,
Transforming the bright pearl into myriad lights.
May all who uphold the name of Amitabha Buddha
Be born together in the Pure Land of His Western Paradise.
Recompense the Fourfold Generosity from above,
And aiding those who suffer in the Three Paths below.
Upon seeing the Buddha,
May I be liberated from the cycle of birth and death,
And may I develop the qualities of Buddhahood,
And thus free all who suffer.
I, ________ (your name), dedicate the merits of this practice to the Root Lineage Guru. May the
Root Lineage Guru always be healthy, remain in samsara, never enter nirvana, and forever turn
the dharma wheel. May everyone be healthy, free of hindrances, strong in cultivation, and may
all circumstances become auspicious.
May all supplications be completely fulfilled.
May all hindrances be removed. Wun!
17. Recite the Hundred Syllable Mantra (3 times)
18. Tender the Great Homage with Visualization
19. Recite the Completion Mantra
Om, Bu Lin. (3 times)
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Dismissal: Clap twice, then cross hands and snap thumbs and middle fingers.
End of Practice: May all endeavors be auspicious.
Xiu-fa yuan-man, ru-yi ji-xiang.
