user21427: I've received empowerment for Seven Line Prayer & have been practicing it consistently ever since.
Once in a while, a thought arises that I would like to practice other mantras for 'worldly situations', e.g. Green Tara when there is a situation of illness & disease
Should I concentrate my efforts on a single practice? Or is it beneficial to 'spread out' my practices. My goals are stream-entry as a layperson

user16635: If your goal is stream entry, then you need to break the first three fetters. These fetters are (in no particular order):

Self-view: the state in which clinging to the five aggregates creates a sense of self — an 'I', 'me', or 'mine' — that appears as permanent or irreducible
Rites and Rituals: the state in which practices or doctrine are treated as though they have power in themselves to create attainment, regardless of one's understanding
Blind Skepticism: the state in which intellectual theories and arguments are allowed to outweigh and supplant experience

Mantras have their uses, but they fall too easily into the 'Rites and Rituals' category. The ideal of a mantra is to embody the spirit of the mantra, but far too many people repeat mantras endlessly, without ever grasping the real essence of them. That is of no use.
With all that in mind, well... Make a choice and commit to it. If you choose to stay with one mantra, stay with it, and dive into it. If you choose to experiment, experiment fully and diligently. Know in your heart that whichever path you chose you will eventually have to abandon. The mantra — if it's well-given, and well-designed — is there to break a fetter, and once the fetter is gone the mantra will be pointless. Then you will move on to other, higher, better practices (which you will also ultimately have to abandon).
Sigh...
Stream entry means leaving the sure footing of the dry earth of common understanding and giving yourself to the waters of potential. No one does it unless they throw themselves (calmly and confidently) into it. But the commitment isn't to the waves; the commitment is to the far shore. Understanding that distinction is what one must focus on.

user16323: From my experience of Tibetan Buddhism, you probably need an empowerment for each mantra. Empowerments are effectively introductions.

21427: <p>I've received empowerment for Seven Line Prayer &amp; have been practicing it consistently ever since.</p>
<p>Once in a while, a thought arises that I would like to practice other mantras for 'worldly situations', e.g. Green Tara when there is a situation of illness &amp; disease</p>
<p>Should I concentrate my efforts on a single practice? Or is it beneficial to 'spread out' my practices. My goals are stream-entry as a layperson</p>
 16635: <p>If your goal is stream entry, then you need to break the first three fetters. These fetters are (in no particular order):</p>
<ul>
<li>Self-view: the state in which clinging to the five aggregates creates a sense of self — an 'I', 'me', or 'mine' — that appears as permanent or irreducible</li>
<li>Rites and Rituals: the state in which practices or doctrine are treated as though they have power <em>in themselves</em> to create attainment, regardless of one's understanding</li>
<li>Blind Skepticism: the state in which intellectual theories and arguments are allowed to outweigh and supplant experience</li>
</ul>
<p>Mantras have their uses, but they fall too easily into the 'Rites and Rituals' category. The ideal of a mantra is to <em>embody the spirit</em> of the mantra, but far too many people repeat mantras endlessly, without ever grasping the real essence of them. <em>That</em> is of no use.</p>
<p>With all that in mind, well... Make a choice and commit to it. If you choose to stay with one mantra, stay with it, and dive into it. If you choose to experiment, experiment fully and diligently. Know in your heart that whichever path you chose you will eventually have to abandon. The mantra — if it's well-given, and well-designed — is there to break a fetter, and once the fetter is gone the mantra will be pointless. Then you will move on to other, higher, better practices (which you will also ultimately have to abandon).</p>
<p>Sigh...</p>
<p>Stream entry <em>means</em> leaving the sure footing of the dry earth of common understanding and giving yourself to the waters of potential. No one does it unless they throw themselves (calmly and confidently) into it. But the commitment isn't to the waves; the commitment is to the far shore. Understanding that distinction is what one must focus on.</p>
 16323: <p>From my experience of Tibetan Buddhism, you probably need an empowerment for each mantra. Empowerments are effectively introductions.</p>
