The Vajrakīla Manual & Mantra Project
In order to celebrate the publication of Garchen Rinpoche’s manual of Vajrakīla teachings and to act in accord with his instructions, we are gathering Vajrakīla mantras submitted by people from all over the world and mixing them into a single track, which will be made available for online download.
About the book
In Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche’s first major collection of tantric teachings, he offers a complete manual for the visualization and supplication of the deity Vajrakīlaya. This ancient tantric practice centers on familiarizing oneself with the wrathful deity as a method for traversing the path to enlightenment. With clear instructions and insightful commentary, Garchen Rinpoche highlights the cultivation of bodhicitta at every stage of the path. This comprehensive guide to deity practice by one of the greatest living Tibetan meditation masters will support practitioners of all experiential levels in reuniting with their own awakened nature.
Learn more
About the mantra project
Lama Garchen Rinpoche, who keeps a constant loop of the Vajrakīla mantra playing in his residence, has said the following about recorded mantras:
"When humans and non-human elementals, insects, animals, and the like hear the sounds of the mantra with melody, it causes their thoughts to be suspended and the imprints of bodhicitta to be established in their minds. Likewise, it diminishes afflictions rooted in passion, aversion, and delusion. When those who have participated in past retreats have had the sounds of their voices captured in a recording of the mantra, then every time the recording is played—even after they have died—it continues to benefit all those who hear it.
Because of this, wherever in the six realms one may travel, one will continue to reap the merit of aiding all those beings who hear the mantra. Even when it is not possible to be physically present for a retreat, those whose voices are on the recording will continue to receive the same advantages as if they were actually participating.

If the recording is played in people’s homes, there are similar benefits. In this way, use of the recording becomes a practice of compassion. Furthermore, if there are a hundred people reciting in the assembly while listening to a hundred voices on the recording, each individual receives the benefit of having done two hundred recitations."

—from Garchen Rinpoche’s book, Vajrakīlaya, A Complete Guide with Experiential Instructions, available from Shambhala Publications February, 2022
How the project works
Lend your voice to The Vajrakīla Mantra Project using these instructions
1
Download recording
Download recording of the mantra melody here. The melody and tempo for this recording were transcribed from Garchen Rinpoche’s chant.
2
Practice
Familiarize yourself with the approach mantra OM VAJRAKILI KILAYA, SARVA VIGHNAN VAM HUM PHAT by listening to the recording on repeat for some hours. If you are accustomed to chanting with a slightly different melody, it will require mindfulness to chant in accord with Rinpoche’s example.
3
Record yourself
While listening to the recording on headphones, use the voice recording software preinstalled on your smartphone or desktop/laptop (voice recording, voice memo, voice notes) to make a 10- or 20-minute recording of yourself chanting the mantra with as little background noise as possible. When chanting, please cultivate love, compassion, and bodhicitta, imbuing the recitation with your good aspirations for sentient beings.
4
Send your recording

Send the file or cloud link of your recording by email to: gar.trust.publications@gmail.com. In the email, please include the names of everyone on your recording and the country in which the recording was made. If you do not wish for your name to be shared, please write “Anonymous” in the email. If you wish, please let us know the start and end times of the best portion of your recording.