Energy of the Bodhisattvas is by Jean (Gina) Myrner, and its opening instruction sets the tone for the whole system: to align with the energies of the bodhisattvas, you first need to become acquainted with their wisdom. The manual explains the nature of a bodhisattva through a teaching story of three people crossing a desert who find a high wall with no doorway.
Two climb it, see the garden inside with its cooling water and fruit, and jump in, while the third climbs the wall unaided, sees the same garden, and then jumps back out into the desert to find other wanderers and tell them how to reach it; that third person is the bodhisattva.
From there the manual covers the bodhisattva vows, taken by Buddhists to begin a spiritual journey, and notes that non-Buddhists may also feel drawn to cultivate the bodhisattva way.
It explains the Mahayana teaching that a bodhisattva seeks awakening chiefly for the sake of freeing others, and describes three types recognised in the tradition: the king-like bodhisattva who aims to become a buddha as quickly as possible in order to help, the boatman-like bodhisattva who aims to arrive together with others, and the shepherd-like bodhisattva who delays until all other beings have gone first.
Many named figures are then introduced, including Guan Yin, known as Chenrezig in Tibet, Jizo, Vajrapani and Padmasambhava.
What this attunement is intended to support:
- It is traditionally used to support alignment with the energies of the bodhisattvas.
- It grounds that alignment in study, since the manual asks you to know their wisdom before working with them.
- It introduces the bodhisattva vows, which the manual presents as available to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.
- It cultivates the aspiration at the centre of the tradition, that awakening is sought for the benefit of all beings.
- It offers a wide field of named figures, so you can work with the one whose qualities you are drawn to.
- It encourages the qualities the vows describe, including generosity toward others and the dedication of merit.
What you receive:
- The Energy of the Bodhisattvas manual with its teaching story, the vows and the Mahayana background.
- Descriptions of many named bodhisattvas and their qualities across the Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan traditions.
- The attunement, with instructions for self attunement and for sending it to others.
Who this is for:
- Students of Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism who want an energy practice attached to their study.
- Practitioners drawn to Guan Yin, Chenrezig or Jizo who want a formal connection.
- Anyone whose practice is oriented toward the benefit of others rather than personal advancement alone.
How it is used:
For self attunement, when you are ready, simply ask Buddha for attunement to the Energy of the Bodhisattvas. To send it, use any attunement method you already know with clear intent, asking for the assistance of Buddha in sending the full attunement to the person receiving it. The manual's own emphasis is that the study comes first, so read the vows and the descriptions of the bodhisattvas before and after the attunement, and let the aspiration they describe shape how you use the energy.
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