Rishi Stars?

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kirtu
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by kirtu »

Grigoris wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 8:02 am
kirtu wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 7:59 am
Grigoris wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 7:51 am All the waters in the world have been touched by the light of these stars countless times over, and yet, here we are.
Think lightly not of goodness,
‘It will not come to me’,
for by the falling of water drops
a water jar is filled.
The sage with goodness fills himself,
he soaks up little by little.
Dhammapada, 9:122
That, as you well know, is a metaphorical teaching on karma, not a teaching on sanctified water.
It's not clear what you are referring to. The practice of the rishi stars is a form of upaya.

The Dhammapada quote is a teaching that one needs to not neglect even slight meritorious practice as one accumulates merit slowly over time (and this fact is a major reason for Tibetan Buddhist methods since theoretically one can accumulate enormous merit very quickly).

Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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Grigoris
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by Grigoris »

kirtu wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 8:18 amIt's not clear what you are referring to. The practice of the rishi stars is a form of upaya.

The Dhammapada quote is a teaching that one needs to not neglect even slight meritorious practice as one accumulates merit slowly over time (and this fact is a major reason for Tibetan Buddhist methods since theoretically one can accumulate enormous merit very quickly).

Kirt
I fail to see the value in doing something that happens (and has been happening since time immemorial) whether I do it or not.

Surely there are better things to do with one's time than place buckets of water under the stars, especially given the water in the bucket has probably seen the light of these stars a million times already.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
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The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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kirtu
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by kirtu »

Grigoris wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:11 am
kirtu wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 8:18 amIt's not clear what you are referring to. The practice of the rishi stars is a form of upaya.

The Dhammapada quote is a teaching that one needs to not neglect even slight meritorious practice as one accumulates merit slowly over time (and this fact is a major reason for Tibetan Buddhist methods since theoretically one can accumulate enormous merit very quickly).

Kirt
I fail to see the value in doing something that happens (and has been happening since time immemorial) whether I do it or not.

Surely there are better things to do with one's time than place buckets of water under the stars, especially given the water in the bucket has probably seen the light of these stars a million times already.
Then it's probably not a practice for you.

At any rate, for people who do it, it's another method for purification and merit creation.

My understanding is that most people aren't going to "place buckets of water under the stars" unless they are amchis or unless they are going to keep the water for their own use, and the justification for that is the sentence just above this one.

Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
passel
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by passel »

It’s a nice tradition. Whatever makes you feel closer to the dharma right. It does seem like a good way to make merit, so I don’t mean to knock it.
"I have made a heap of all that I have met"- Svetonious
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Grigoris
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Re: Rishi Stars?

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kirtu wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:22 amAt any rate, for people who do it, it's another method for purification and merit creation.
I am sure it is. :smile: I am also sure I will put out a bucket just to be on the safe side.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Mantrik
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by Mantrik »

Create even more merit. Dig a pond and put out bird bath for the starlit water.
Make Naga offerings and chant to the frogs. ;)
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by Natan »

Well Isn’t it a relief to know you can be purified millions of times?
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Grigoris
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by Grigoris »

Crazywisdom wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 2:38 pm Well Isn’t it a relief to know you can be purified millions of times?
Or not be purified millions of times.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by Natan »

Grigoris wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:10 pm
Crazywisdom wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 2:38 pm Well Isn’t it a relief to know you can be purified millions of times?
Or not be purified millions of times.
Always another chance
Vajra fangs deliver vajra venom to your Mara body.
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by Tenma »

kirtu wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 6:02 am
kirtu wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 7:45 pm
Tenma wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 3:52 pm Does anyone know the next date for when they come out? I would like to prepare for this event.
9 September according to the Rabten calendar.
So while the Rabten calendar has 9 September as the start date the practice is a week long. So September 9-15.

From Lama Dawa's group on FB:
Healing Power of Rishi Stars Sep 09-15 : According to Tibetan and Vedic astrology, there are a cluster of seven stars, called the ‘Rishi’ stars, that ‘appear’ once a year – usually in Sept. This year (according to Tibetan astrology) the Rishi stars will be ‘out’ from Sept. 9-15.

Typically, Tibetan doctors and healers would place buckets of water outside during this time, then use this water for making their medicines. Lama Dawa remembers how His Holiness Matrul Rinpcoche – a great Tibetan physician – would then boil this water down, thus concentrating it, then use this water to make the herbal medicinal pills, and also to consecrate the water with healing mantras. Another way of benefiting from this healing water is to bathe in pools, ponds or rivers during this time. Or, collect water in buckets and use that for bathing. Any water – whether it is ocean, river, stream, or water in pools, is imbued with the healing qualities of the stars.

Rangrig Dorje Rinpoche offers this prayer and mantra to be said while taking a bath outside under these stars:

Prayer:
JI-TAR TAM-PA TSAM-KYE NI
LHA-NAM KYE-NI TUE-SOL DZING
LHA-YI CHU-NE DAG-PA TE
DHE-DZIN DAG-GE TUE-GYE WO!

Mantra:
OM SARWA TAT’HAGATA AA BHIKHEE KATA SAMAYA SHIRI YE HUNG

Aspiration prayer:
DI-NI TUE-CHOK PAL-DANG DEN
T’HUK-JE CHU-NE LHA-NA MED
JIN-LAB YEE-SEE CHU-YE NI
CHI-DOD NGO-DRUB TSOL-WAR DZOD!

http://saraswatibhawan.org/the-rishi-stars/
Is it always the days of the year for these stars to rise? Or are they part of the lunar calendar, making them have different days every year?
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by Tenma »

Grigoris wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 7:51 am All the waters in the world have been touched by the light of these stars countless times over, and yet, here we are.
So since the water has already been touched, does the practice given restore it's purity on that day? Or it still has to be done under the stars? I'm afraid I still keep a Wiccan tendency of keeping water "pure" moonlight without exposure to sunlight and vice versa.
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Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by kirtu »

Tenma wrote: Mon Aug 20, 2018 7:44 pm Is it always the days of the year for these stars to rise? Or are they part of the lunar calendar, making them have different days every year?
The Tibetan calendar (there are actually three) is a lunar calendar so the western days will vary. The actual days in the Tibetan calendar may be set by tradition rather than astronomical prediction (the Tibetans did not really develop mathematics beyond basic applied algebra although they would have been able to make some astronomical predictions based on that). If the dates are set by tradition then the days are the 30th day of the seventh month through the 6th day of the eight month, inclusive.

Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
passel
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Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2012 5:30 am

Re: Rishi Stars?

Post by passel »

Question:

If you live in a part of the world where Canopus is not visible over the Big Dipper to shine on the water, is the water still consecrated?

If so, why?
"I have made a heap of all that I have met"- Svetonious
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