Dharmashop – Vajrasattva – Book

An Introduction to Vajrasattva

Based on a teaching by Lama Jigmé Namgyal

Vajrasattva’s name
The name Vajrasattva (Skt.) or Dorjé Sempa (Tib.) is made up of two
parts: ‘vajra’ or ‘dorjé’, and ‘sattva’ or ‘sempa’.

Concerning the first part, ‘vajra’, the nature of the enlightened mind is
uncompounded or unconditioned throughout the three times, and it
abides completely unchangingly. That unchanging is the vajra. That’s why
vajra is often referred to as ‘that which is adamantine’.

As to the second part, ‘sattva’ or ‘sempa’,1 it means the one who is
empowered through self-arising great wisdom. In this sense, you can
understand ‘sempa’ as a heroic being or a fearless warrior. Such a heroic
being of enlightenment is not just like an ordinary being, like us,
otherwise there could be no true refuge.purchasing

Vajrasattva can be understood as such a doctor. We need to rely on Vajrasattva in order to purify our sufferings. We know there are many physical sufferings which are often made worse by mental sufferings. These mental sufferings exist in the form of what can be called sins, negativities, negative actions, or wrong-doings. It is these that need to be purified, and in order to purify them we need a remedy. This is why we rely on Vajrasattva because we cannot just rely on ourselves to purify ourselves. This is how we should relate to the practice.