Protection Boundary Meditation

6 hours ago
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For the next few days, Tibetan Buddhists around the world are performing Gutor purification practices to create auspicious conditions for the Losar New Year to begin this upcoming Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

By purifying negativities, accumulating positive qualities, and mingling our minds with the wisdom blessings of all the buddhas, we will continuously abide in the great protection of bodhichitta.

In many PBC Centers, the Sangha will be practicing on Buddha Vajrakilaya, the wrathful expression of Vajrasattva.

Learn more about this by the Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches:

"Protection Boundary Meditation"

Dark Red Amulet: Oral Instructions on the Practice of Vajrakilaya

www.padmasambhava.org/product-page/the-dark-red-amulet-oral-instructions-on-the-practice-of-vajrakilaya

"Before beginning the actual practice of Vajrakilaya, certain things are necessary. First, we must have the right motivation, which is based upon loving-kindness, compassion, and bodhichitta, along with devotion and pure perception. With that correct motivation, we take refuge and develop the thought of enlightenment, and then meditate on the sung khor, the protection wheel or boundary.

From the point of view of reality, everything is totally enlightened. Whatever we see and perceive is the display of awareness wisdom because everything is already in a completely awakened state. The four actions are completely accomplished; they are beyond conceptions, so there is no one to protect and nothing that needs to be protected. However, in our world of mundane conceptions we have dualistic thoughts of subject and object, of “me” and “you.” As long as we have these concepts, it is important to meditate on the protection boundary. This meditation is based upon the pure understanding of phenomena known as pure perception, which is the view of the Vajrayana (also known as the view of the mandala and the view of the entirely pure state). Meditation on the protection wheel or boundary can be summarized according to the two truths: relative truth and absolute truth.

According to relative truth, bodhichitta meditation focuses on loving-kindness, compassion, and bodhichitta. First there is loving-kindness and then compassion, and the union of these two is bodhichitta. As you expand this meditation on love, compassion, and bodhichitta, it includes every sentient being. In this way, all sentient beings become equal with yourself, and you do not see any real difference between you and them. When you understand that they are just as important as you are, then you are willing to share your joy and peace with them. You are able to exchange your own happiness for their suffering, bad situations, and trouble. This is tonglen, the exchanging practice.

By doing this practice, eventually you will feel that all beings are not only equal to you, but actually more precious to you than yourself. Practicing on bodhichitta matures one’s capacity to equalize and exchange, and then to feel that others are more important than oneself. This is why the protection-boundary meditation is very special and powerful.

Loving-kindness, compassion, and bodhichitta comprise the essential teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni within the Mahayana and the six levels of tantra. For that reason, Guru Padmasambhava taught that these three are the realized mind of the Buddha. When you are meditating on pure love, pure compassion, and bodhichitta, you are actualizing Buddha’s enlightened mind.

The practice of the protection-boundary meditation according to absolute truth is not very different from that according to relative truth. In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate nature is also named bodhichitta. In the Sutra Mahayana, there are two aspects of bodhichitta: relative and absolute. These two aspects of bodhichitta are completely related. By practicing the relative bodhichitta meditation, you will be close to absolute truth. You cannot find absolute bodhichitta without relative bodhichitta, even if you look for one hundred eons.

With regard to the meditation of Dzogchen, the "great perfection” (Dzogpa Chenpo), the view is bodhichitta. For example, in the famous Atiyoga tantra The Bodhichitta That Is the King of All Creation, “bodhichitta” is also a synonym for the Dzogchen view. Another example of this can be found in the teachings of Garab Dorje, the first master of the Dzogchen lineage. After Garab Dorje transformed into the wisdom rainbow body, he transmitted his legacy teaching to his foremost student, Manjushrimitra. When Manjushrimitra subsequently transcribed this teaching, he entitled it “The Meditation on Bodhichitta,” although it is actually a teaching about Dzogchen. He described it as a teaching about how to meditate on bodhichitta.

Bodhichitta is very important in all its aspects—these practices are essential for everyone who wishes to attain enlightenment. Relative bodhichitta and absolute bodhichitta are completely related to each other. One of them cannot be discarded while the other one is accepted because both are integral for attaining enlightenment.

As long as every aspect of your dharma practice is mingled with bodhichitta, then your practice is going in the right direction. All the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni are based upon bodhichitta; in fact, the eighty-four thousand different teachings are all branches of this one root. If you have bodhichitta, then undoubtedly you will reach enlightenment. If you do not have bodhichitta, no matter what sophisticated techniques you may use, your realization will be delayed, and the techniques will simply hide your enlightened nature.

To meditate on the protection boundary from the absolute point of view, first it is necessary to ask, “Who is it that needs to be protected?” Perhaps you feel, “I am the one who needs protection.” But who is this “I”? This is what needs to be examined.

The notion of the “I” is simply our imagination. We label and name an “I” because we have the combination and continuation of the five aggregates. Of course, when we do not examine this, it looks as though a self exists. If we look carefully (not just outwardly), and inwardly focus and search through every aspect of the five aggregates, we are not going to find any “I.” Looking from the gross level to the subtle level, and from the subtle level to the finest atoms, there is no such thing as an “I” to be found.

Not only the personal self, but also everything we cling to, both outwardly and inwardly, is based upon emptiness. From beginningless time, the entire universe and all existing phenomena have been based upon great emptiness. We came from emptiness, we are within emptiness, and we will dissolve back into emptiness. Our entire passage, our situation, and our existence are within this great nature.

While the entire universe is arising, it is also dissolving. Arising, existing, and dissolving are like magical displays. Nothing exists solidly or permanently; everything is moving and changing within great emptiness, like a movie or a magic show that we can watch. Great emptiness is also known as great openness, in which everything has room to act and is inseparable from the totality of emptiness.

To see this situation clearly, at first it is necessary to contemplate upon this great emptiness. After recognizing the reality of great emptiness, we need to maintain that recognition by meditating on the absolute truth. What meditation actually means according to the Buddhist point of view is simply maintaining the natural state. Other than the natural state, there is nothing to meditate upon. Continuously maintaining the true nature is the greatest protection meditation. There is no higher protection boundary than this.

Generally, since we have such strong habitual patterns of clinging to phenomena and to an “I,” it is necessary to do the protection-boundary meditation on the relative level as well. This meditation is based on love, compassion, and bodhichitta, while the meditation on the absolute level is based on the natural state. ..."