Material: Amrita Pills

Size: About 200 grams

Description: Amrita Pills (called "Mani Pills" or "Dharma Medicine" in Tibetan) are regarded as important sacred objects in Tibetan Buddhism, and have far-reaching religious, spiritual and cultural influences. It is not only one of the core instruments of Tantric practice, but also believed to bring the special blessing power of purifying karma, increasing blessings and helping liberation. The following is an explanation of its influence and status:

1. **Importance in religion and practice**:

- **Purification and liberation**: According to the records of Tibetan Buddhist tantras, Amrita Pills are regarded as sacred objects that "can be liberated as soon as they are tasted". Regardless of whether one has faith or not, touching or taking Amrita Pills can purify sins, plant good causes for liberation, and even help people avoid falling into the three evil ways (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals). Taking Amrita Pills at the time of death is said to open the Brahma hole, help the consciousness leave the crown chakra, and reincarnate into the Pure Land or the good way.

- **Consciousness transformation**: Amrita pills are used in Vajrayana practice to break the "ego" and dualistic concepts (such as purity and impurity, permanence and impermanence), help practitioners transform secular consciousness, purify the heart, and conform to the Vajrayana spirit of "strong medicine to cure disease".

- **Offering and blessing**: Amrita pills can be offered in Buddhist halls, stupas or gawu boxes as amulets or treasures; they can also be dissolved in water to make amrita water, which can be used for releasing or sprinkling to benefit sentient beings. According to Guru Padmasambhava, the merit of wearing amrita pills far exceeds the merit of offering to the Buddhas of the Three Thousand Worlds.

2. **Cultural and symbolic meaning**:

- Amrita pills carry the essence of the inheritance of various Tibetan Buddhist sects (such as the Gelugpa, Kagyupa, and Nyingmapa), and are often made by eminent monks or ceremonies, reflecting the importance of inheritance and blessing in Tibetan Buddhism.

- It is also regarded as a symbol of good fortune in Tibetan culture. Many believers regard it as a precious amulet, carrying it with them or offering it in the Buddhist temple at home, praying for peace, health and wisdom.

3. **Cross-cultural communication**:

- As Tibetan Buddhism spread to the West (such as the preaching of pioneers such as Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche), the amrita pill, as a representative of the sacred objects of Tantric Buddhism, has also become a bridge connecting Tibetan Buddhism with practitioners around the world, reflecting its universal value.

4. **Combination of practicality and spirituality**:

- Amrita pills are not only used for practice, but also used in practical occasions, such as hospice care, release of life ceremonies, treatment of diseases or exorcism. Especially in the release of life, amrita water is believed to allow animals to establish a connection with Buddhism and plant the cause of future liberation.

The myth and origin of Amrita Pills

The origin of Amrita Pills is closely related to the tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and Guru Padmasambhava (Ugyen Padma), and the following is an overview of its myth and historical background:

1. **Mythological Origin and Guru Padmasambhava**:

- The tradition of making and blessing Amrita Pills can be traced back to Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and regarded as the "Second Buddha". It is said that Guru Padmasambhava taught the secret method of making Amrita Pills, emphasizing its special merits as a "food liberation" medicine. The "Root Tantra" and "Bangjie" record that taking Amrita Pills can bring health, longevity, wisdom, and even supernatural powers, helping practitioners to achieve ultimate liberation.

- According to legend, Guru Padmasambhava passed on the method of making amrita pills to later generations of patriarchs. These holy objects are a combination of the real body relics of Sakyamuni Buddha, the hair of Guru Padmasambhava and the relics of other great masters (such as relics), and are combined with precious medicinal materials and mantras to bless them, giving them extraordinary spiritual power.

2. **Records in the Tantra**:

- According to the Tantra tradition, the production of early amrita pills included special ingredients such as "five meats and five amritas" (such as the feces, urine, brain marrow, semen, and menstrual blood of great masters), aiming to break the practitioner's discriminatory mind and transcend the attachment to purity and impurity. However, due to ethical and practical considerations, later generations mainly used Tibetan medicinal materials (such as barley, saffron, and Sophora flavescens, etc.), supplemented with relics and holy objects, and made through strict monastic blessing rituals.

- The Gelugpa sect attaches particular importance to the tradition of making mani pills. Every year, the dharma king (such as the Dalai Lama) presides over the ceremony to ensure its purity and blessing power. The production process requires participants to observe the eight precepts and prevent lay people from participating in order to maintain the purity of the sacred objects.

3. **Legendary miracles**:

- The amrita pills are believed to have the magical property of "growth", that is, after devout offerings, the mother pills can give birth to the son pills, symbolizing the increase of the Dharma and the continuation of the inheritance. This phenomenon is regarded as a manifestation of the power of blessing. Especially in a Dharma assembly that is blessed in accordance with the law, the amrita pills in the sealed bottle may increase or even overflow from the bottle.

- Another legend mentions that the use of amrita pills in hospice care can help the deceased's consciousness to reincarnate into the Pure Land. For example, Baima Chenglie Rinpoche once pointed out that taking amrita pills before death is one of the five methods of "accomplishment without practice", which can directly help the deceased to be liberated.

4. **Historical development and inheritance**:

- The production and inheritance of amrita pills began with Guru Padmasambhava and was carried forward by the Kagyu, Nyingma, Gelug and other sects. For example, the Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu sect and other high monks such as Garchen Rinpoche often personally bless the amrita pills, incorporating the unique heritage of each sect.

- Modern amrita pills are mostly made of medicinal materials, combined with a small amount of relics or sacred objects, and are blessed by high monks for several to dozens of days (for example, the amrita pills of the Garchen Buddhist Society have been blessed with hundreds of millions of mantras) to ensure their spiritual power.

Summary

Amrita pills are not only practical medicines in Tibetan Buddhism, but also sacred objects that connect practitioners with the Dharma, purify karma, and guide liberation. Their status lies in their sacred blessing power and function of saving all living beings. Its mythological origin is closely related to the secret Dharma inheritance of Guru Padmasambhava, integrating the relics of Sakyamuni and the sacred objects of great masters, symbolizing the continuation and blessing of the Dharma. The magical properties of amrita pills (such as growth phenomena) and the legendary merits (such as helping to be reborn in the Pure Land) make it a core symbol of Tibetan Buddhist practice and belief, with far-reaching influence and continuous circulation.

Made in Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery of Nepal.