Have you ever wondered why certain sounds have the power to instantly calm a racing mind? Or how ancient yogic masters protected their sleep from nightmares and daily stresses? Or, how great Buddhist Masters were able to use even their sleep time, as practice and meditation?

What if you could build an unbreakable shield of radiant energy around your bed just by using your imagination? And what if the secret to deep, restorative sleep could be unlocked using only five simple syllables based on Ancient yogic methods.

Welcome back to Buddha Weekly. If you struggle to quiet your thoughts at night, or if you simply wish to end your day with a profound sense of peace and spiritual protection, today’s video holds the answers.

For more information as we go along, see the information icons and details of this video for links to more information, especially on the ancient meditation methods of Body Mandalas, Sleep Yogas, and the Five Buddhas and directions.

In this presentation, we are exploring a beautifully profound ancient practice known as Sleep Yoga, specifically focusing on the Dharma Mandala meditation, with a short “side trip” into body mandalas. This ancient method is designed to not only help you sleep peacefully, but to purify your mind for good dreams and deep realizations. Or, you can use it before your main meditations each morning and evening to clear and purify your mind of distractions, obstacles and stress.

3Gems Band’s 4 Hour Sleep Sound Meditation (5 Sacred Syllables):

At the core of this practice is the chanting of, or simply listening to, five sacred seed syllables: Om, Ah, Hum, Hrih, and Tram. These are not ordinary sounds. In Buddhist practice, a seed syllable is symbolic of the very essence of a Buddha, completely inseparable from the enlightened beings themselves.

To help you experience this, we are introducing a beautifully serene chanted sleep meditation called the “Dharma Mandala Sanskrit Chanting Sleep Meditation,” released by 3 Gems Band. But before you press play tonight, we want to expand on how you can visualize this meditation so you can truly feel its soothing protection. Even if you don’t understand, or don’t visualize, go ahead and play the soothing sounds. They help you feel protected.

Let’s start with the visualization. You have a few beautiful options for how to practice this. You can visualize these syllables as pure, glowing light. You can place this light externally around your room, internally on your body’s chakras, or you can even do both at the same time. Or, you can visualized the Five Buddhas over your head, protecting you with their light pouring down into your crown.

If you prefer, instead of just visualizing glowing light, you can picture the fully enlightened Buddhas or the Divine Mothers themselves. Or, you can just simply meditate on the sounds. The sacred sounds are also inseparable from the Buddhas.

Let’s look first at the external mandala. As you lie down to sleep, visualize a protective circle in the five directions around your bed.

There’s no need to be rigid on direction or details. They can be around you, over your head, or on your chakras. As long as you know they are with you, this is enough.

If you find visualization difficult, just sink into the protective sound. This should be relaxing, so don’t worry about detailed visualizations. The descriptions which follow are just so that you understand the five Buddha families and their protections. When you actually meditate, just listen and know the Buddha families are always with you, protecting you.

As you meditate, realize that the protections are internal, external and secret. Internal protections are from our own ignorance, attachments, lust, envy, jealousy, hate, anger, or greed. External are protection from the same ignorance, attachments, lust envy, hate and greed directed at us from others.

Secret protections depend on your own practices, lineage and teachers — the specific methods and obstacles you are working on at the most profound level of practice. For instance, if your teacher has guided you to Mother Tantra practices, your secret protections will relate to “clear light” practices. This will depend on your teacher and lineage. Even if you do not have any practices currently, secret protections are those which are for you alone to understand.

In the center of your space, or above your  you if its easier, you can visualize the brilliant white glowing light of the syllable Om. You can visualize this in Sanskrit Siddham, or Tibetan script, or even as modern alphabet, whichever is most meaningful. If you prefer to visualize the deities, this center space is held by Vairochana Buddha, or the Enlightened Mother Dhatvishvara, also known as White Tara. Now, just know that you are protected from any obstacles, dangers and damage from the poison of Ignorance.

To the West, visualize the red glowing light of the syllable Hrih. Here we visualize Amitabha Buddha, or the Enlightened Mother Pandara. Now, just know that you are protected from any obstacles, dangers and damage from the poison of attachment or lust.

To the North, picture the green glowing light of the syllable Ah. This direction is protected by Amoghasiddhi Buddha, or the Enlightened Mother Green Tara. Now, just know that you are protected from any obstacles, dangers and damage from the poison of envy and you purify all your negative karmas with Tara’s help.

In the East, imagine the blue glowing light of the syllable Hum, representing Akshobhya Buddha, or the Enlightened Mother Lochana. Now, just know that you are protected from any obstacles, dangers and damage from the poison of anger or hate.

Finally, to the South, visualize the yellow glowing light of the syllable Tram. Here sits Ratnasambhava Buddha, or the Enlightened Mother Mamaki. Now, just know that you are protected from any obstacles, dangers and damage from the poison of greed.

Just imagine these glowing syllables, or these magnificent enlightened beings, forming a radiant, unbreakable ring around your bed as you listen to the music, or chant the syllables softly or silently to yourself.

But the practice becomes even more deeply relaxing and profound when we bring this visualization inside, creating a body mandala. In this approach, you visualize the glowing light of the seed syllables resting directly on your own main energy centers, or chakras. Buddhas and seed syllables are not limited by size.

At the crown of your head is the Chakra of Divine Bliss. Here, you visualize the white glowing light of Om. You can visualize the white light coming from above you, from the Om syllable, Vairochana or White Tara you visualized earlier in your center or above your bed or meditation cushion, and entering your crown chakra. Now a smaller syllable or Buddha or Mother appears in your Crown Chakra.

Next, see the light from the west, red light, emanating from the syllable Ah to your west, and entering your body at your throat at the Chakra of Enjoyment. Here, now visualize the red glowing light of Hrih syllable, or Amitabha or Pandara.

At your heart is the Dharma Chakra, the very center of consciousness. Here, you visualize the brilliant blue light of Hum entering your body from the east. You can visualize the Blue syllable Hum, or Akshobhya Buddha or Lochana at your heart chakra.

Near your navel is the Chakra of Emanation. Here, you visualize the yellow glowing light of Tram, entering from the south, and now appearing as a glowing yellow syllable Tram or Ratnasambhava or Mamaki Mother.

And finally, at your root or secret chakra, lies the Chakra of Holding Bliss. Here, we see the green glowing light of Ah entering from the North, and taking the form of a green Ah or Green Tara or Amoghasiddhi Buddha at our Root Chakra.

You can choose to focus entirely on the external circle of the Buddhas and Mothers, entirely on the internal glowing chakras of your own body, or you can rest in the awareness of both simultaneously. Or, just listen to the sounds and still your mind.

Whatever you choose, the goal is simply to let go. Rest in stillness. Know that your protected, surrounded by Enlightened, Compassionate Buddhas. Meditating on Om, Ah, Hum, Hrih, and Tram gently and safely anchors your mind. The sacred sound itself creates a shield of protection, washing away the stress of the day.

So, when you are ready to sleep or meditate tonight, simply close your eyes, breathe naturally, and listen to the Dharma Mandala chant from 3 Gems Band, available on music streaming services. Visualize the glowing light, feel completely protected, and allow yourself to drift into stillness, purity, safety — and a blissful sleep. You should awake refreshed, and you likely will awake with realizations, wisdom, and a feeling of new energy and enthusiasm.

You can stream the Dharma Mandala song right now on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to your music. Or, play the long-play Youtube if you prefer images with the sounds to assist your visualizations. May it soothe you to sleep and bring you beautiful dreams.

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Goodnight, and May all Beings Benefit.