There are three ways of engaging in mantra recitation: verbal, mental, and vajra. Verbal recitation is when we verbally recite the mantras with our mouth and voice. Mental recitation is when we recite the mantras with our mind alone. Vajra recitation is when we imagine our guru is reciting the mantras for us in our mind as a blessing empowerment.

When we recite Heruka’s mantras, we imagine that our four mouths (from the four faces of ourself generated as Guru Heruka) and all the retinue deities (who are purified aspects of our guru’s subtle cannels and drops) recite the mantras like a collective chant as the mantras circle in and out of our central channel according to the visualization.

As they do so, we should imagine that they – who are seen as inseparable with our guru – are collectively reciting the mantras like a healing ceremony or a spiritual surgery by a team of enlightened doctors, bestowing the blessings of the function of each mantra we recite on our mind. We strongly believe this is happening and generate a profound feeling of joy.

We do all of this while maintaining deep faith in Guru Heruka, a bodhichitta motivation, single-pointed concentration, and an understanding that ourself, the mantras, and the guru deities reciting the mantras are all manifestations of emptiness.

We can engage in vajra recitation for the sake of ourself as described above or for the sake of others, imagining that we dissolve those we love into our self-generation, and then we – as Guru Heruka – perform vajra recitation on them, blessing and healing their mind as our guru does to us.

Such amazing spiritual technology!