The meaning of the Vajra Guru mantra, the essence of Guru Rinpoche

The mantra begins by expressing the seed syllables of the diamond body, diamond speech, and diamond mind: OM AH HUNG.

VAJRA means diamond: it is never changed by the elaborations of dualistic characterizing thoughts. It is present as the essential nature that is the all-pervading indestructible essence, awareness-emptiness. It is, therefore, the absolute body.

GURU means teacher. From that state, infinite clouds of Buddha forms and Buddhafields are arrayed, loaded with special qualities and endowed with the seven branches of union.y This is the body of perfect enjoyment.

PADMA, or “lotus,” refers to the radiant awareness of discriminating wisdom — the diamond speech, great bliss—spontaneously appearing as a reflection or manifestation, miraculously born as the supreme lotus family. This is therefore the body of manifestation.

These three bodies being inseparable in the teacher, the great Diamond Bearer of Oddiyana, keep in mind his immense qualities as you pray from a state of yearning — the natural display, as devotion, of the basic nature of the mind free from all elaboration. Entreat him, “By the power of this prayer, may all the supreme and common accomplishments — SIDDHI — be now, at this very moment, bestowed in full on my mindstream — HUNG.”

Reflecting like this on its meaning, recite the mantra, as the Root Tantra of the Assembly of Knowledge Holders advises:

During the approach, visualize the teacher on the crown of your head,

Recite the mantra as a prayer.

This is an essential pith instruction.

As for the benefits of reciting the mantra, Guru Rinpoche himself said:

The essence, the mantra that embodies the Sugatas,
Is the practice that includes all the Buddhas.
By reciting the Siddhi mantra one can traverse
The fifteen levels and five paths and accomplish my level.
It is the same as reading all the sacred teachings
Of all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.

and,

Because of it, the phenomenal world will quake.
Condensing the Buddhas of past, present, and future,
It is inseparable from all the teachers.

Because of it, haughty elemental spirits faint and tremble,
The dakinis and Dharma protectors will gather like clouds,
And all the hosts of dakas and dakinis
Will be helpless but to come in person
And bestow the supreme and common accomplishments.

If there are no signs of this happening,
I, Padma, have deceived beings.
Therefore, fortunate children of the future,
Keep it in your hearts. This is my pledge.

and,

The twelve-syllable quintessence of the Lotus-Born
Recited twelve hundred thousand times will render void the seed of cyclic existence;
Thirty-six hundred thousand times will place you in the ranks of the knowledge holders;
And ten million times will make you the equal of myself, Padma.

If you waste your life

If you waste your life now on endless minor tasks, you can be sure that at the time of death you will weep with regret and be stricken with intense anxiety, like a thief who has just been thrown into jail and anxiously anticipates his punishment. A person might find himself with nothing to eat, no clothes to wear, and no house to live in. But if his mind is filled with faith in his teacher and the Three Jewels, that person will both live and die with his heart always joyful and confident.

~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Buddhist psychology.

Buddhist psychology enumerates six fundamental delusions, which frustrate and disturb the peace of the human mind and cause it to become restless: attachment, anger, ignorance, pride, deluded doubt and holding distorted views. These are mental, not external phenomena. So, when Lord Buddha taught people how to overcome these delusions, he emphasized the necessity of understanding their nature, not simply belief and faith. Without investigating your mind and developing introspective knowledge-wisdom it is not possible to develop such understanding. 

~ Lama Thubten Yeshe

Our fundamental nature is intrinsic.

Our fundamental nature is intrinsic. No sane, intelligent human being is impeded from being in touch with this basic nature. There is no one standing between you and it, no one is appearing like a mara to perform dances of distraction. At any given moment, each one of you — even with no understanding of Buddhism — has the natural potential to realize you are completely and inseparably united with your intrinsic wisdom nature. You have never been separate from it for a moment. It is not a sometimes-there-sometimes-not quality or an adornment that’s been attached or added on to you.

~ Khandro Rinpoche

The Mind Is Like Space

The essential nature of the mind is like space. There is no such thing as a mind that truly exists or a mind that is inherently established even though we might find reasonings, scriptures, or experience to the contrary. Mind is empty. Our ordinary mind, however, becomes confused in thinking that things really exist. The nature of our mind is emptiness, but not a blankness, not the result of mere negation: emptiness is also radiant clarity, the basis for the appearances of both samsara and nirvana. The mind is like space and it also has a clear and knowing aspect, which allows us to say, “This is space.” Resting in mind’s empty, clear nature, we will be at ease as we move along the path of practice.

~ 17th Karmapa

Don't give up!

Unfortunately a number of practitioners have low self-esteem. They think, "It's impossible for me to achieve Buddhahood, it only happens to others. I have such a distracted mind, a mind full of disturbing emotions. There is just no way that I can achieve omniscience and benefit countless beings. It's just impossible for me to even contemplate such a thing."

There are numerous ways to overcome this low self-esteem. One such way is to read the biographies of the many past practitioners of Buddhism who've achieved Buddhahood. Many of them met with far more challenges in their lives than we're currently experiencing in ours.

Even Shakyamuni Buddha, before he reached enlightenment, had far worse rebirths than we're experiencing now. He also once had far stronger disturbing emotions than we currently have. He even once carried out far more destructive actions than we've ever done in this life. But based on his Buddha-nature he managed to achieve enlightenment.

We must develop great self-confidence, we must sincerely believe, "I have Buddha-nature. I can do it. If Shakyamuni Buddha did, so can I." Now this is very different from pride - that puffed up, arrogant state of mind that causes problems for ourselves and others. So while we have great self-confidence in the fact that we can become a Buddha, instead of pride, our actions must remain humble.

~ Chamtrul Rinpoche

The Original Pure Land

Padmasambhava is to be inseparable from the primordial nature.

His Copper-Colored Mountain buddhafield is the purity of your personal experience.

May everyone be born in this original pure land,

The uncontrived natural state of indivisible appearance and awareness.

~ Chokgyur Lingpa