Gerd Boll

Translated into English as “Diamond Holder,” Dorje Chang is a central fifigure in all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. Dorje Chang is a blue Buddha-aspect that mirrors truth and the joy of enlightenment, thus representing all forms and aspects of the Buddha.

The Dorje Chang prayer is fresh, rich, and important for Buddhist practitioners in the West because it is a profound, inspiring, and concise reference to the supporting guidelines of the path to enlightenment. With our contemporary, fast-paced lifestyle and our critical minds, we can work intelligently with this Tibetan Buddhist material. By bringing to mind the essential points described within fifive short verses, we recognize their importance for our development and for the full realization of mind.

The points that are covered are fundamental: the lineage as the source of inspiration and beneficial influence (blessing), four essential guiding principles that are of vital importance to our meditation practice, and the “pointing out” of the definitive aspect of mind’s nature. Buddhism Today publishes this article as a brief overview of the text. Hopefully, it will inspire and spark the reader’s interest. Given its esoteric aspects, it is presented here for the gourmet reader!