Thank you precious sharing,
from my understanding of the article

Dharma Protectors are carried by renowned translators from India to Tibet. The term is made up of 2 words – Dharma (Law or doctrine, philosopies) and protector (someone who protect the Dharma in you and to safeguard our spiritual path)

In Buddhism, we rely on fully enlightened Dharma Protectors, as they have great wisdom and skilful means to decide the best way to protect us and our spiritual path.

Dharma Protector is to eliminate problems and difficulties that block spiritual progress because as human beings, all of us encounter obstacles on a daily basis and most of the time, the problem can be very difficult or even impossible to deal with on our own. Protector can help us to reduce and remove our inter obstacles such as illness, money, relationship problem etc. The Core function of Protector is to help us to clear up the inner obstacles. Such as depression, laziness, doubts, anger, jealousy, wishing to give up and other emotional issues can easily lead us away from our spiritual journey and creates positive conditions for our spiritual growth

Protectors help us to purify negative karma and generate merits as protector is hampered by our lack of merits. We can accumulate merit through relying, making offerings, visualising and reciting the Dharma Protector’s mantra, propitiation prayers and verses. Through the generation of merits, the Dharma Protector is able to activate our positive karma and also hold back heavy negative karma from ripening. The Dharma Protector does not eliminate our negative karma but temporarily holds it at bay so that we have the opportunity to purify it until the karma is diminished or completely purified.

Thank you

Dharma Protector is like a Guardian Angel. How fortunate to have a Protector to teach us and guide us on our Spiritual Path.

Not forgetting that my Dharma Protector is none other than Lord Dorje Shugden who is an emanation of Manjushri.

I trust my Protector Dorje Shugden because :-

1) Dharma Protector helps to eliminate problems and difficulties that block our Spiritual path.

2) Dharma Protector helps to remove outer and inner problems which we face every day.

3) Dharma Protector’s aid in helping us also lies in the purification of our negative karma and merits that we accumulated through the practice.

4) By practicing Dorje Shugden we can request for clearing of our obstacles for He is an Enlightened Being and who is full of compassion and is ready to help us.

5) Dorje Shugden is swift in fulfilling our wishes as well.

Having said the above, for us to request help from Dorje Shugden we need to do our part in generating merits so He can help us. Through generating merits the Dharma Protector is able to activate our positive karma and hold back our negative karma from ripening.
Dharma Protector helps us to hold our negative karma at bay so we can have theoutrun opportunity topee purify it.
This is how an Enlightened Dharma Protector helps us.
This is how Dorje Shugden as an Enlightened Being and an emanation of Manjushri helps us through Compassion and Wisdom.

We are fortunate to have fully-enlighted Dharma Protectors like Dorje Shugden to protect us on our spiritual journey. They are full of wisdom, compassion and skilful means to help us most effectively.

Dharma Protector’s wrathful physical appearance denotes his swiftness in coming to our aid. This swiftness depends on:
1) the spiritual relationship we have with our teacher
2) the affinity we have forged with the Dharma Protector over time, and
3) how well we keep our spiritual vows and commitments.
The better we maintain these, the faster the Dharma Protector is able to come to our assistance

The wrathful, martial-like physical appearance of the Dharma Protector also reflect his or her extraordinary qualities of perseverance and tenacity in fending off our delusions, negativities and karma.

The role and function of a Dharma Protector is to eliminate our inner and outer obstacles that block our spiritual progress.  In short, Dharma Protector creates positive and favourable conditions for our spiritual growth. Through Dharma Protector practice too, we can dedicate merits towards the removal of our family’s and friend’s obstacles.

The Buddha and the Dharma Protector are unable to remove all our negative karma. However, the Dharma Protector’s power in helping us depends on the purification of negative karma and merits that are accumulated through his practice. With merits, we can develop stronger affinity with an enlightened Dharma Protector in order for him to come to our aid.

There’s a big difference with good karma and merit. Good karma is created through ordinary beneficial actions while merit is collected through beneficial actions that are dedicated towards virtuous purposes, such as the attainment of full Enlightenment.

Merits continue to increase and can never be depleted while good karma will be exhausted after coming to fruition.

From understanding merit, we can then accumulate it through doing Dharma Protector practices by relying, making offerings, visualising and reciting the Dharma Protector’s mantra, propitiation prayers and verses. Through the generation of merits, the Dharma Protector can then activate our positive karma and holds back heavy negative karma from ripening.

The Dharma Protector does not eliminate our negative karma but temporarily holds it so that we have the opportunity to purify it until the karma is completely purified.

Many Dharma practitioners rely on Dharma Protectors when they seek protection from fear. A Dharma Protector is an emanation of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva whose main functions are to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent practitioners from gaining spiritual realizations, to arrange all the necessary conditions for their practice and to protect the Dharma within a practitioner’s mind.
Dharma Protector has full compassion and is ever ready to come to our aid . We have to do our part to generate merits to receive his help. To receive his full protection we must rely fully upon them with unwavering devotion.His wrathful appearance indicates that he destroys ignorance and remove the obstacles of pure Dharma practitioners. There is a difference of good karma and merits. With pure motivation and virtuous deeds, we will create merit when we do beneficial actions and dedicate them towards virtuous purposes. Merits will multiply over time while good karma will be exhausted over time. Therefore we can accumulate merits through relying, making offerings, visualising and reciting the Dharma Protector’s mantra, propitiation prayers and verses. Through the generation of merits, the Dharma Protector is able to activate our positive karma and also hold back heavy negative karma from ripening. The Dharma Protector cannot eliminate our negative karma but only can delay it from ripening until we have the opportunity to purify them.
We are so fortunate that through the kindness and compassion of our precious and beloved Guru, H.E.The 25th Tsem Rinpoche, we are able to receive Dorje Shugden practice. Dorje Shugden is an enlightened Buddha and an emanation of Manjushri.

We as human being no matter you are rich or poor, young or old, male or female, all of us have difficulties and problems especially in this degeneration age!
Hence, we should learn, study dharma, practise dharma and apply to generate good karma and more merits till the stage of enlighthenment.
As all our negative karma will block in our spiritual journey, in another words, I would say in this way–keep our problems or obstacle to a minimal level for us to have a swift and smooth spiritual growth.

Benefits to have Dharma Protector practice:
-Eliminate problems and difficulties that block spiritual progress
-remove inner and outter obstacle in our daily life. Inner obstacles refers to depression, laziness, doubts, anger, jealousy, emotional issues can easily lead us away from our spiritual journey.
Outter obstacles refer from illnesses, accidents, failed careers, failing businesses, ailing relationships and marriages to issues with our loved ones
-Through Dharma Protector practice, we can dedicate merits towards the removal of our family’s and friend’s obstacles.

We can receive Dharma Protector’s help through generate more merits via his practice.
For me, I would say to have strong faith with Dharma Protector, you will have feeling he is always beside to help you.

Important (extract from above)
*Merits different from good karma. Good karma is created through ordinary beneficial actions while merit is collected through beneficial actions that are dedicated towards virtuous purposes, such as the attainment of full Enlightenment.
**From understanding merit, we can then accumulate it through relying, making offerings, visualising and reciting the Dharma Protector’s mantra, propitiation prayers and verses. Through the generation of merits, the Dharma Protector is able to activate our positive karma and also hold back heavy negative karma from ripening. The Dharma Protector does not eliminate our negative karma but temporarily holds it at bay so that we have the opportunity to purify it until the karma is diminished or completely purified. This is how an enlightened Dharma Protector protects us.

看了上师分享的这篇文章，让我对护法有更深一层的認識。护法確是每一个修行人都需要修持和依靠的，因为祂守护佛法，也間接的保护修行人，让我们可以更安心和顺遂的走向修行之道。除了给予修行人保护，他也帮我们消除内与外的障碍。内在的例如 : 起伏不定的个人情绪，憂郁，贪, 嗔，痴，慢 等．而外在就是让我们有更好的人缘，机会，做事能更專注，还有俗事的一些烦惱。当然要消除累世累积的业障，最後还是要回到自己的本身.做任何事，發心很重要，观念要正確。答应了就要做到．这样护法才能從旁給予协助，而我们才能累积功德，消除业障。所以我们应学习慈悲与智慧並行，来为个人增加福報。

护法在古印度已经被著名翻译家以及伟大的印度佛教论著引进西藏从而在西藏建立起护法持修法门。护法的意思是维护佛法的，它也像是我们一位特别的守护天使，这一位天使是维护我们的灵修道路和一般的健康幸福。佛法是一种信仰教育同时也是佛学哲理之一。

在佛法上我们必须依止证悟护法，其中有许多在藏传佛教的大殿里供养的护法都是佛菩萨的化身。这意味着，他们充满了智慧和慈悲，这就是为什么护法拥有智慧和慈悲的手段决定最好的方式来保护我们和我们的灵性之路。

护法的愤怒样有着一个快速的元素，要让护法迅速的来协助我们，起因在于我们和上师的师徒灵修关系有着密切的影响，还有我们对上师的承诺和戒律。如果我们都履行我们的承诺与戒律，那么护法便会更快速的来协助我们。护法的迅速就像上战场去对抗我们的恶业，就是快速的消除我们的障碍和困难,因为这些障碍和困难是影响我们的灵修进展。

护法快速的帮助我们清除内在的障碍犹如健康，意外，生意，家庭，人事以及婚姻等等的问题，护法会创造有利条件让我们在生活上可以顺逐。

护法的持修可以帮助我们在消除犹豫，愤怒，惰性，猜疑心，妒忌等等。。这些都是有贪嗔痴所造成的。。

护法持法可以让我们累积功德，通过做供养，观想诵护法的咒语，可以让我们累积功德，护法不能消除我们的负面业力，但可以暂时把它在搁着，使我们有机会去净化它，直到我们的业力被削弱或完全净化，这是一个证悟的佛法保护我们而做的。

Fully enlightened Dharma Protectors are emanations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and we are very fortunate to have Dharma Protectors to help us in our spiritual path .They have full wisdom and skillful means to guide and protect practitioners .The wrathful appearance of Dharma Protector might look fierce but in actuality it denotes swiftness to assist and also compassion and concern for our well being. Dharma Protector help us to eliminate problems and difficulties that hinder us from our spiritual progress . .Everyone’s problem are mostly the same. Our Outer obstacles such as sickness, accidents, career and family problems are obstacles that will cause our inner obstacles to arise , which mostly involved a lot of negative emotional feelings eg, anger, jealousy ,hatred etc . Dharma Protector can create positive and conducive conditions in our spiritual path by removing our obtacles. Most important is to have merits to be connected to Buddha and Dharma Protector .When we practice well, and with right motivations we gain more merits in orderfor us to practice dharma with lesser obstacles. By keeping our vows and commitments and doing more virtuous acts Dharma Protector will definitely help us in our spiritual path

看了上师分享的这篇文章，让我对护法有更深一层的認識，护法佛就守护天使，保护修行者修行跟加的顺畅，有其他是个证悟多杰雄登护法佛‘，在西藏四佰多年都在帮助无数的人们和众生，护法是守护着我们快速的消除业障，在生活上面对的障碍，來帮助我们累绩功德，和福報，也给我深一层了解功德和福報的分别，有其是在佛法累绩功德是用不完因为有利息，福報让我有人缘来帮助我们给物质的东西，福報是会用完，功德可以帮助家人和朋友，很多时候人们而且也常常误解福報和功德的分别。我们生为人身有幸认识和听闻佛法都是累世累绩而來的功德，如果現在我们在生活上所面对的事业，感情不顺遂或面对身体上的健康病痛问题等等也同时累世累绩而來的。所以现在有机会修持就必须培养起慈悲心和智慧，积极去累绩功德，因为有智慧而沒行动不成，有行动而智慧缺陷，所以这两样缺一不可。

Many people world wide are very fortunate to have met Manjushri-Dorje Shugden. Ever since I met Him through my Guru, H.E. Tsem Rinpoche, Dorje Shugden has helped my family and I many times, including saving my life and my wife’s ?

This is a very beneficial site for more people to read and understand the true nature of Dorje Shugden, that is, enlightened mind.

因为从小就被灌输——见神佛就拜，所以还没接触西藏佛法之前，我进佛庙都会双手合十拜拜和上上香，祈愿家人平安，一切顺利等。其实以前我从来没有想过佛如何帮助我们，反正心诚则灵。

这篇文章非常清晰地道出大慈大悲的出世间护法如何用其善巧引领众生渡往彼岸，写得非常逻辑有道理。套用现代人的明白方式，原来我们累积的功德是积分额；而这积分额会在我们彷徨无助或紧要关头时，护法将之化现为及时的帮忙。

我觉得文章中值得一提的还有对于忿怒像的解释。忿怒并不代表不慈悲，它代表护法以迅速的方式协助我们解决困难。

修持护法对我来说，是繁忙生活的一个心灵依归。我们有太多无法预知和控制的事，也有很多对未知的恐惧；修持如多杰雄登的出世间护法，让忐忑不安的心稳定下来，就像有一位忠心的好朋友一直在守护我们。

感恩！

The concept of protector / guardian has a very long history in human culture. Since ancient time, mankind has long believed there is a higher unseen force/power that watched over us. However, the practice of dharma protector is quite unique to Tibetan Buddhism. The details and specific purposes of dharma protectors are very elaborate and extensive.

Some people believe that as long as we do good, that is enough. Yes, good deeds generate good karma but that is insufficient for the path to enlightenment. Good karma is still karma and like bad karma, it exhaust. Merit is much harder to gain as it requires a pure and virtouos motivation.

I think one of the very important thing to note as stated in this article is that neither Buddha nor dharma protector is able to remove all our negative karma. I have read and heard of accounts where people gets angry with the gods or protectors/guardians when bad things happen or when help was not offered. It’s like we believed the gods owed it to us to extend help whenever we need it.

When we have problems, who do we turn to? Usually it is to those people we have close relationship with. We don’t turn to someone we hardly meet or seldom speak to or a complete stranger. But when it comes to asking help from the gods or dharma protectors, why do we expect that we can walk into a chapel, light a few incense, say a prayer and our problems will be resolved? It’s illogical. However, yes it does happen sometimes to certain people due to their karma and also the dharma protectors are extremely compassionate. Similarly there are times a complete stranger could be the one who extend the help to solve your problem and not your closed ones.

Dharma protectors exist solely to serve specific functions and if we engage in such practice, they will be able to help us effectively.

Recently, I’ve introduced to Tibeten Buddhism then only I realised the existence of Dharma Protectors. Before this I was practicing “traditional Chinese” Buddhism, which we pray to the Buddha by offering candles and incense on certain days within a month.

I’ve been benefiting by practicing Buddhism and also Dorje Shugden, the Great Dharma Protector. I’m not able to tell how Dorje Shugden helps me, but what I can tell and notice is that everything, included, my career,relationship, and more, everything is like extremely smooth, everyday is like my lucky day.

Personally, I think this is the way how The Great Dharma Protectors, Dorje Shugden, is helping me by clearing my obstacles and helps me from overcoming those barriers that stop me from practicing Dharma and be a better person to benefit all sentient beings.

Thank you for sharing this beneficial article which could bring Dorje Shugden to more people who need his helps.

Dharma Protector practice is a support practice and not exactly the main practice. A practitioner ‘s main practice is hia or her Yidam practice. Yidam translates into Holder of our Mind and hence this is the practice that can lead us to enlightenment and it is the focus of practitioners. Protector practice complements by playing an effective role to help practitioners to overcome obstacles. All this is to ultimately prepare us to embark on our tantric practice that will set us on the path reach enlightenment within this lifetime.

Understanding the true purpose of Dharma Protectors truly allow me to see the kindness of these being who become our guardian angels as we walk along our spiritual path.

I thank all dharma protectors and all the teaches for making this protection available to sentient beings

I am very fortunate or I must have been collected some good karma to meet H.E. 25th Tsem Rinpohce and receive Dharma from Rinpoche. Due to the negative karma we have, it’s hard to practice without a Dharma protector practice. Hence Dorje Shugden practice was given by Rinpoche to help us to achieve what we NEED in our circular and spiritual life. Why Dorje Shugden? Our affinity with Dorje Shugden in this life is very strong. Hence DS can help us swiftly. Dharma Protector to provide us a conducive conditions for us to practice Dharma. The Dharma protector can only help you when you rely fully on him. He will lead us to the correct spiritual path. Be sincere and hold our vows and samaya clean, DS will always be there to watch over us in this life, even in Bardo and all our future lives time. He will also connect us with our root Guru to make sure we continue our Dharma path.

This a great article as it gives me a better understanding of merits and karma as well as a concise and easy to understand explanation of what is a Dharma protector and how beneficial it is to have a Dharma protector in our lives.

I particularly like this description of a Dharma protector – a special friend who acts as a guardian angel to safeguard our spiritual path and our general wellbeing.

Thank you for this article. A good one for newbies to the protector practice and for season practitioners to recap what they already know.

How fortunate we are able to do our dharma protector practise under the guidance of our precious guru.
Although dharma protector is our guardian angle in our spiritual path and general wellbeing, we should always remind ourselves that we have to do our part in generating merits so he can help us. Dharma protector cannot eliminate our negatives karma but he does provides opportunities for us to purify our negative karma before it is ripen.

“In Buddhism, we rely only on fully enlightened Dharma Protectors, which are numerous in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon.” This phrase is not quite accurate as the Chinese Mahayana practice does propitiate Kuan Ti: The Protector of Buddhism (http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/kuanti-txt.htm). Far as I can remember, Kuan Ti is not enlightened. But, then again that may be open to debate.

Dharma Protectors are liken to the western version of guardian angels guarding our practice and spiritual well-being. That is very comforting as we can be assured of protection if we maintain a close relationship and clean samaya with our Guru who gives us the practice.

“wrathful, martial-like physical appearance of the Dharma Protector is because he has to go to ‘war’ with our negative karma in order to help us.” I really like this phrase. It makes Shambala more easy to relate that my anger, jealousy, emotional ups and downs, physical obstacles are made more tangible and easily recognized for me to do battle with myself as well, to overcome these obstacles myself with the help of the Dharmapala. As this also denotes speed, speed with which the Dharmapala comes to our aid depends on our aid, the spiritual relationship we have with our teacher, the affinity we have forged with the Dharma Protector over time, and how well we keep our spiritual vows and commitments.

Besides these conditions, another condition is that we need to have sufficient merits for the Dharma Protector to come to our aid. To gather the merits, we need to do acts that are virtuous and for higher purpose.

“extremely helpful in reducing or removing our outer obstacles.creates positive conditions for our spiritual growth.” So, this reminds me that we all need conducive conditions to practice. That’s why Gyenze is such a draw for many beginner practitioners requesting for conducive conditions in which to be able to practice. Spiritual growth especially need to have the inner obstacles or problems removed.

The last bit is very important, to me. “opportunity to purify it”. If we don’t purify the negative karma, it will always be there to ripen when the right conditions present itself.

That is what I can gather from the article. So, Dharma Protectors are very important for our practice as we don’t have to be ‘looking over our shoulders’ so to say and just concentrate on the practice.

Thank you for this article on Dharma Protector. I have learnt that :

1) Dharma Protector acts like a guardian angel that safeguards our spiritual path. Dharma Protector is common in Tibetan Buddhism practise and there are numerous Dharma Protector in Tibetan Buddhism.

2) Dharma Protector appears wrathful because he reflects the innate quality of extreme compassion. It is just like the love of a mother to her child. It is wrath because it reflects elements of speed. When a person became angry things will move faster.

3) Dharma Protector can eliminate problems and obstacles that is blocking our spiritual path. Most importantly dharma protector creates positive condition for our spiritual growth.

4) Dharma Protector is not able to remove our negative karma but delaying it from ripening. So, we can have chance to purify our negative karma and create more merits.

Many of us may have the problems can be very difficult or even impossible to deal with on our own. Therefore, we need to practice and propitiating dharma protector especially Dorje Shugden which is more close to us. It is believed that dharma protector does not eliminate our negative karma but temporarily holds it so that we have the opportunity to purify it until the karma is diminished or completely purified. Through this practice, we can collect merits and dedicate to family and friends who are in difficulties.

Greetings…Looking forward to meeting a Tibetan Lama here in Panorama City, California. Thank you for these articles, very insightful! With bows of Gratitude, Nicholas