The Prayer for the Stages of the Path (The Lamrim Prayer)

The Prayer for the Stages of the Path (The Lamrim Prayer)

lam rim smon lam bzhugs so

By Je Tsongkhapa (rje tsong kha pa)

 

DER NI RING DU BAY LAY TS’HOG NYII NI

Through the two accumulations which come from exerting oneself for a long time,

KHA TAR YANG PA GANG ZHIG SAG PA DEY

which are gathered broadly like the sky,

LO MIG MA RIG GII DONG DRO WA KUN

may I become the Lord of Victorious Ones who fully guides

NAM DREN GYEL WAY WANG POR DAG GYUR CHIG

all beings who are blinded through the ignorance in their mind’s eyes.

DER MA SON PAY TS’HE RAB KUEN TU YANG

Until I arrive there, in all lifetimes, as well,

JAM PAY YANG KYII TSE WAY JE ZUNG NAY

through being taken under the care of Manjushri’s love,

TEN PAY RIM PA KUN TS’HANG LAM GYI CHHOG

may I find the supreme path which has all of the stages of the Teachings complete,

NYEY NAY DRUB PAY GYAL NAM NYEY JEY SHOG

and practicing it, may I gladden the Victorious Ones.

RANG GII JI ZHIN TOG PAY LAM GYI NAY

May I, through realizing the core of the path,

SHUG DRAG TSE WAY DRANG PAY T’HAB KHAY KYII

and through expertise in skillful means which encourage others through intense love,

DRO WAY YI KYI MUN PA SEL JAY NAY

may I dispel the darkness of beings’ minds,

GYAL WAY TEN PA YUN RING DZIN GYUR CHIG

and for a long time, may I hold the teachings of the Victorious One.

TEN PA RIN CHHEN CHHOG GII MA KHYAB PA’AM

If the supremely precious teachings do not spread,

KHYAB KYANG NYAM PAR GYUR PAY CHHOG DER NI

or even if they do, if they come to be degenerate,

NYING JE CHHEN POE YI RAB KYOE PA YI

through great compassion, may the treasure of benefit and happiness

P’HEN DEY TER DE SEL WAR JEY PAR SHOG

of mind’s full activation illuminate and shine.

SRAY CHAY GYAL WAY MAY JUNG T’HRIN LAY LAY

Through the marvelous awakened activity of the Bodhisattva Heirs and their Kings,

LEG DRUB JANG CHHUB LAM GYI RIM PAY KYANG

and through the stages of the path to enlightenment, finely accomplished,

T’HAR DOE NAM KYI YI LA PAL TER ZHING

may splendor be bestowed in the minds of those who long for liberation,

GYAL WAY DZAY PAY RING DU KYONG GYUR CHIG

and may the deeds of the Victorious Ones be nurtured for a long time.

LAM ZANG DRUB PAY T’HUN KYEN DRUB JEY CHING

May conditions conducive for the practice of the excellent path be established,

GEL KYEN SEL JEY MI DANG MI MIN KUN

and may adverse circumstances be dispelled. May all humans and non-humans,

TS’HE RAB KUN TU GYAL WAY NGAG PA YI

in all lifetimes, never be separated

NAM DAG LAM DANG DREL WAR MA GYUR CHIG

from the completely pure path praised by the Victorious One.

GANG TSH’E T’HEG PA CHHOG LA CHHOE CHOE CHU’I

At the point when I am diligent in the practice of

TS’HAL ZHIN DRUB LA TSOEN PA DE YI TS’E

the ten Dharma activities of the Supreme Vehicle, at that time,

T’HU DEN NAM KYII TAG TU DROG JEY CHING

may I always associate with Those Imbued with Extraordinary Power,

TRA SHII GYA TS’HOE CHHOG KUN KHYAB GYUR CHIG

and may the ocean of auspiciousness pervade all directions!

 
Thus, this was composed by the Great Tsongkhapa.

Note:

The “ten Mahayana Dharma activities” are 1) {yi ge bri ba}, transcribing or writing out copies of the teachings 2) {mchod pa}, making offerings to the Three Jewels 3) {sbyin pa}, giving 4) {chos nyan pa}, listening to the Dharma teachings 5) {klog pa}, reading the teachings, 6) {‘dzin pa}, memorizing the teachings 7) {rab du ston pa}, thoroughly instructing others 8 ) {kha ‘don byed pa}, reciting the teachings 9) {sems pa}, contemplation, and 10) {sgom pa}, meditation.

 

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

Gelongma Palmo’s Tara Prayer (with Tibetan script and PDF file)

Gelongma Palmo’s Tara Prayer PDF file

Gelongma Palmo’s Tara Prayer

༄༅།། ན་མོ་ཨརྱ་ཏྰ་ར་ཡེ། འཕགས་པ་སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག་ཐུགས་རྗེའི་གཏེར་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ

NA MO ARYA TARAYE: P’HAG PA CHEN RAY ZIG WANG CHUK T’HUG JAY TER LA CHAG TSAL LO

I PAY HOMAGE TO THE TREASURY OF VAST COMPASSION, THE NOBLE AVAKOLITESHVARA, THE POWERFUL LORD!

པོ་ཏ་ལ་ཡི་གནས་མཆོག་ནས༑ ༑

PO TA LA YI NAY CHOK NAY

From the supreme abode of the Potala,

ཏཾ་ཡིག་ལྗང་གུ་ལས་འཁྲུངས་ཤིང་།།

TAM YIG JANG GU LAY TRUNG SHING

from a green letter TAM were you born,

ཏཾ་ཡིག་འོད་ཀྱིས་འགྲོ་བ་སྒྲོལ༑ ༑

TAM YIG Ö KYI DRO WA DRÖL

from the light of the letter TAM, beings are liberated:

སྒྲོལ་མ་འཁོར་བཅས་གཤེགས་སུ་གསོལ། །

DRÖL MA KHOR CHAY SHEG SU SÖL

Tara, together with  your retinue, approach, I pray.

ལྷ་དང་ལྷ་མིན་ཅོད་པན་གྱིས། །

LHA DANG LHA MIN CHÖ PEN GYI

Humans and non-humans, with their crowns,

ཞབས་ཀྱི་པདྨོ་ལ་བཏོད་ནས། །

ZHAB KYI PEYMO LA TÖ NAY

bow to the lotuses of your exalted feet,

ཕོངས་པ་ཀུན་ལས་སྒྲོལ་མཛད་མ། །

P’HONG PA KÜN LAY DRÖL DZEY MA

as you are She Who Liberates from All Poverty:

སྒྲོལ་མ་ཡུམ་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ། །

DRÖL MA YUM LA CHAG TSAL LO

Mother Tara, to you I prostrate.

རྗེ་བཙུན་འཕགས་མ་སྒྲོལ་མ་དང་། །

JE TSÜN P’HAG MA DRÖL MA DANG

The Universally-Honored One, the Noble Tara,

ཕྱོགས་བཅུ་དུས་གསུམ་བཞུགས་པ་ཡི། །

CHOG CHU DÜ SUM ZHUG PA YI

and all those Victorious Ones and their heirs

རྒྱལ་བ་སྲས་བཅས་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ། །

GYAL WA SAY CHAY T’HAM CHAY LA

who abide throughout the ten directions and three times:

ཀུན་ནས་དད་པས་ཕྱག་བགྱིའོ། །

KÜN NAY DAY PAY CHAG GYI’O

to all of them, with faith, I pay homage.

མེ་ཏོག་བདུག་སྤོས་མར་མེ་དྲི། །

ME TOG DUG PÖ MAR ME DRI

Flowers, incense, butter-lamps, perfumes,

ཞལ་ཟས་རོལ་མོ་ལ་སོགས་པ། །

ZHEL ZAY RÖL MO LA SOG PA

feasts, games, and everything else,

དངོས་འབྱོར་ཡིད་ཀྱིས་སྤྲུལ་ནས་འབུལ། །

NGÖ JOR YI KYI TRÜL NAY BÜL

both real and imaginary, emanating them with my mind, I offer:

འཕགས་མའི་ཚོགས་ཀྱིས་བཞེས་སུ་གསོལ༑ ༑

P’HAG MAY TSOG KYI ZHAY SU SÖL

I pray that you noble assemblies will accept them.

ཐོག་མ་མེད་ནས་ད་ལྟའི་བར། །

T’HOG MA MAY NAY DA TAY BAR

From beginningless up until the present,

མི་དགེ་བཅུ་དང་མཚམས་མེད་ལྔ་། །

MI GAY CHU DANG TSAM MAY NGA

All of the negativity, including the ten non-virtuous actions and the five grave actions of limitless consequence,

སེམས་ནི་ཉོན་མོངས་དབང་གྱུར་པའི། །

SEM NI NYÖN MONG WANG GYUR PAY

which have all come about through the power of disturbing afflictions of the mind:

སྡིག་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་བཤགས་པར་བགྱི། །

DIG PA T’HAM CHAY SHAG PAR GYI

all these I confess.

ཉན་ཐོས་རང་རྒྱལ་བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས། །

NYEN T’HÖ RANG GYAL JANG CHUB SEM

In the merit of the shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, the bodhisattvas,

སོ་སོ་སྐྱེ་བོ་ལ་སོགས་པས། །

SO SO KYAY WO LA SOG PAY

and in that of each and every individual, all of them,

དུས་གསུམ་དགེ་བ་ཅི་བསགས་པའི། །

DÜ SUM GE WA CHI SAG PAY

whatever merit they accumulate in the three times:

བསོད་ནམས་ལ་ནི་བདག་ཡི་རང་། །

SÖ NAM LA NI DAG YI RANG

in all this I rejoice.

སེམས་ཅན་རྣམས་ཀྱི་བསམ་པ་དང་། །

SEM CHEN NAM KYI SAM PA DANG

I accordance with the various kinds of mental dispositions

བློ་ཡི་བྱེ་བྲག་ཇི་ལྟར་བར། །

LO YI CHE DRAG JI TA WAR

and thought-patterns of sentient beings,

ཆེ་ཆུང་ཐུན་མོང་ཐེག་པ་ཡི། །

CHE CHUNG T’HÜN MONG T’HEG PA YI

there are the Great, Lesser, and General Vehicles:

ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་བསྐོར་དུ་གསོལ། །

CHÖ KYI KHOR LO KOR DU SÖL

I request that you turn these Dharma Wheels.

འཁོར་བ་ཇི་སྲིད་མ་སྟོངས་བར། །

KHOR WA JI SRI MA TONG BAR

For as long as samsara is not empty,

མྱ་ངན་མི་འདའ་ཐུགས་རྗེ་ཡིས། །

NYA NGEN MI DA T’HUG JAY YI

out of your vast compassion, you stay not in nirvana, and so

སྡུག་བསྔལ་རྒྱ་མཚོར་བྱིང་བ་ཡི། །

DUG NGAL GYA TSOR JING WA YI

for those who flounder in the ocean of suffering:

སེམས་ཅན་རྣམས་ལ་གཟིགས་སུ་གསོལ། །

SEM CHEN NAM LA ZIG SU SÖL

I pray that you gaze upon sentient beings.

བདག་གིས་བསོད་ནམས་ཅི་བསགས་པ། །

DAG GI SÖ NAM CHI SAG PA

All that merit which I have accumulated,

ཐམས་ཅད་བྱང་ཆུབ་རྒྱུར་གྱུར་ནས། །

T’HAM CHAY JANG CHUB GYUR GYUR NAY

all of it I dedicate to becoming awakened!

རིང་པོར་མི་ཐོགས་འགྲོ་བ་ཡི། །

RING POR MI T’HOG DRO WA YI

Before too long,

འདྲིན་པའི་དཔལ་དུ་བདག་གྱུར་ཅིག

DRIN PAY PAL DU DAG GYUR CHIG

may I become a glorious guide for beings!

དགེ་སློང་མ་དཔལ་མོས་མཛད་པར་གྲགས་སོ། །

This is renowned as being the work of the nun Bhikshuni Shri (Gelongma Palmo).

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo

The Root Verses of the Three Principle Aspects of the Path

The Root Verses of the Three Principle Aspects of the Path

(lam gyi gtso bo rnam gsum gyi rtsa ba bzhugs so)

by Lama Je Tsongkhapa

 

HOMAGE TO THE VENERABLE LORD GURUS!

The heart-meaning of all the sublime speech of the Victorious One,
the path praised by the holy Bodhisattva Heirs,
the stepping-stone for those fortunate ones who wish for liberation:
it is this that, according to my ability, I shall explain.

For you who does not crave for the happiness of conditioned existence,
who endeavors to make these freedoms and endowments meaningful,
who has confidence in the path which delights the Victorious One:
O fortunate one, listen with a lucid mind.

Not having completely pure renunciation, striving for the goal of
the fruits of happiness in the ocean of conditioned existence, there is no way for peace.
Since, through longing for conditioned existence, all those with bodies
are bound from all sides, first, search for renunciation.

Now that you have the freedoms and endowments, there is no spare time:
through habituating the mind to this, counteract over-indulgence.
The inevitability of cause-and-effect, and the sufferings of samsara:
if you think about these again and again, then eventually, you will turn back the over-emphasis on pleasures.

In this way, through cultivation, inclination towards the marvels of samsara
will not be generated for even a mere moment,
and the mind which strives for the sake of liberation all day and night will emerge:
at that time, renunciation has truly been born.

Even if you have renunciation, if you do not embrace
the utterly pure generation of awakening mind, it will not become the cause
for the bliss of unsurpassable enlightenment’s prosperity:
therefore, those with intelligence generate supreme bodhichitta.

Carried away by the stream of the fierce four currents [of desire, existence, ignorance, and wrong views],
tightly bound in the fetters of karma, hard to undo,
trapped in the enmeshment of chain-like self-grasping,
enveloped from all sides by the immense armies of dark ignorance,

Taking birth after birth in endless conditioned existence,
tormented ceaselessly by the three kinds of suffering:
that is the kind of situation of all those who have been your mothers.
Thinking of their state of affairs, activate the generation of supreme bodhichitta.

If you do not have the discerning wisdom which realizes the way things are,
then even if you cultivate renunciation and bodhichitta,
you will not be able to cut the root of conditioned existence.
Therefore, exert yourself in the methods for realizing dependent arising.

Whoever sees that all the phenomena of samsara and nirvana
are always infallible causality,
and destroys any and all fixed points of conceptual reference:
that one has entered the path which pleases the Victorious One.

Appearances are infallible dependent arising,
and emptiness is a freedom from assertions: for as long as you perceive
these two understandings as being separate,
you have not yet realized the actual intent of the Buddha.

One day, through merely seeing
the perpetual succession of dependent arising,
a confident ascertainment will come that disintegrates all modes of mental grasping at objects:
at that time, the analysis of the profound view is indeed complete.

Moreover, through appearances, the extreme of existence is cleared away,
and through emptiness, the extreme of non-existence is cleared away.
When you know the process by which emptiness dawns within causality, 
you will not be snatched away by extreme views.

Thus, at the time when you realize, in this way,
the vital essence of the Three Principle Aspects of the Path,
rely on solitude, and through generating the power of diligence,
swiftly accomplish the final goal, my child!

 
And so, a monk who has listened much, Lozang Dragpay Pel, gave this teaching to the descendent of Tswakho, Ngakwang Drakpa.

 

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

The Prayer Which Freed the Sakyapas from Sickness by Tangtong Gyalpo

The Prayer Which Freed the Sakyapas from Sickness

by Tangtong Gyalpo

LAY DANG LU BUR KYEN LAY GYUR PA YI

Those sicknesses which come from both karma and fleeting conditions –

DOEN DANG NAY DANG JUNG PO’I T’SHE WA SOG

malevolent influences, illnesses, and dangers arising from the elements,

SEM CHEN YID MI DE WAY NAY NAM KUN

and all of the sicknesses of mind which make sentient beings unhappy:

JIG TEN KHAM SU JUNG WAR MA GYUR CHIG

may these not arise in the realms of the universe!

JI TAR SHEY MAY T’HRID PAY SAY JA ZHIN

Like the way that a person to be killed is led by the executioner,

KAY CHIG CHIG LA LUE SEM DREL JEY PAY

that which causes mind and body to be separated in a single moment,

SROG T’HROG NAY KYI DUG NGEL JI NYE PA

the sufferings of sickness that snatches away life-force, in all of their multiplicity :

JIG TEN KHAM SU JUNG WAR MA GYUR CHIG

may these not arise in the realms of the universe!

CHHI DAG SHIN JEY KHA NANG TS’HUED PA TAR

Like the way that the chief sacrificer of the Lord of Death puts one into his mouth,

NAY KYI MING TSAM T’HOE PAY TRAG JEY PAY

those sicknesses which merely hearing the name of causes one to become frightened,

NYIN CHIG PA DANG TAG PAY RIM SOG KYII

the one-day sicknesses, the permanent diseases, and so on:

LUE CHEN KUN LA NOED PAR MA GYUR CHIG

may all those with bodies not be harmed by them!

NOED PAY GEG RIG TONG T’HRAG GYAY CHU DANG

The one thousand and eighty varieties of harmful obstructors,

LO BUR YE DROG SUM GYA DRUG CHU DANG

the three hundred and sixty temporary accidents created by unwanted forces,

ZHI GYA TSA ZHI’I NAY LA SOG PA YII

the four hundred sicknesses of the four nadis, and so on:

LUE CHEN KUN LA TS’HE WAR MA GYUR CHIG

may all those with bodies not be injured by them!

LUE SEM DE WA MA LUE T’HROG JEY PAY

Those who snatch away all the happiness of body and mind, with none left over,

JUNG ZHI T’HRUG PAY DUG NGEL JI NYE PA

the sufferings arising from disturbances in the elements, as many as there are:

MA LUE ZHI ZHING DANG TOB DEN PA DANG

may all of them without exception be pacified, and may there be the suffusion of the strength of inner radiance,

TS’HE RING NAY MEY DE KYID DEN PAR SHOG

long life, freedom from illness, and conjoinment with bliss and happiness!

LA MA KOEN CHHOG SUM GYI T’HUG JE DANG

Through the great compassion of the Guru and the Triple Gem,

KHAN DRO CHHOE KYONG SRUNG MAY NUE T’HUE DANG

through the capable might of the dakinis and Dharma protectors,

LAY DRAY LU WA MEY PAY DEN TOB KYII

and by the power of infallible karmic causality,

NGO WA MOEN LAM TAB TS’HAY DRUB PAR SHOG

may this prayer that I have recited, dedicated for others, be accomplished to its utmost extent!

Thus, when at the great monastic seat of the glorious Sakya various kinds of different epidemics broke out, the Bonpo mantrikas performed thread-crossing ceremonies, made ritual cake offerings, gave medicine, recited mantras, made amulets,  and so on, but whatever they did, it did not help. When the great monastic seat was almost empty, the Lord Mahasiddha
[Tangtong Gyalpo], went for refuge together with all mother sentient beings equal to the sky, recited the Mani [OM MANI PADME HUM], and due to performing this powerful prayer that he spoke in this manner, all of the contagious illnesses were instantly destroyed. May the cloud-banks of vajra-speech blessings of this, the ‘The Prayer Which Freed the Sakyapas
from Sickness’, proliferate with reknown.

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

The Stability of the Exalted Feet of the Guru by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro

The Stability of the Exalted Feet of the Guru

by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro

OM SVASTI!

NGAG LA WANG GYUR SHEY JA T’HAM CHAY KHYEN

Lord over Speech, you know all objects of knowledge,

LO ZANG GYAL WAY RING LUG NYIN MOR JEY

you illuminate the tradition of the noble-minded Victorious One,

GANG CHEN TEN DZIN GYAL TS’HO’I TSUG GYEN CHHOG

and you are the crown ornament of the ocean of victorious holders of the Teachings in the Land of Snows:

ZHAB PAY SRI T’HAY BAR DU ZHUG SOL DEB

I pray that your lotus feet will abide until the end of conditioned existence!

P’HAG NOR RIN CHHEN DUN GYII NGOEN PAR T’HO

With the seven precious riches of the noble ones, you are eminently exalted,

CHHOE KYI GYAL PO SRI SUM WANG GYUR WA

King of Dharma, you hold sway over the three planes of conditioned existence:

DZAM LING TEN PAY DAG PO ZHAB TEN SOL

Ruler over the Teachings in this world, may your exalted feet remain firm!

DRO WAY LA MA TSHUNG PA MEY PAY GOEN

Guru of Wandering Beings, incomparable lord protector,

CHHOG GI SANG SUM ZI JI RAB T’HRO WAY

through the sublime radiation of the overwhelming brilliance of your three secrets supreme,

CHHOE NOR DOE T’HAR DE ZHI’I PAL YOEN GYAY

may the majestic qualities of Dharma, wealth, aspirations, and freedom — the four kinds of abundance — thrive,

TEN PA RIN CHHEN DAR ZHING GYAY PAR SHOG

and may the precious Teachings flourish and bloom!

This was done by Khyentse Chhokyi Lodro.

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

The Melody of Deathless Accomplishment: A Prayer for the Exalted Feet of the Gurus to Remain Firm by Mipham Rinpoche

The Melody of Deathless Accomplishment: A Prayer for the Exalted Feet of the Gurus to Remain Firm

by Jamgon Ju Mipham Rinpoche

HRIH: NANG SRID NAM DAG LHA YI KYIL KHOR DU

HRIH: In the mandala of the deity of utterly pure appearances and possibilities,

GO SUM DOR JE MIN CHING DROEL DZAY PAY

is the one who ripens the three doors into vajra, and activates liberation,

RIG KUEN KHYAB DAG GYUE KYI TOEN PA PO

the lord pervading all buddha-families, the teacher of the lineage:

DOR JE GYAL POR TAG TU ZHAB TEN SOL

Vajra King, I constantly pray that your exalted feet remain firm.

DOR JEY LUE LA ZHOM MEY SANG SUM GYI

You are one who vividly issues forth from your vajra body

DE CHHEN KYIL KHOR NGOEN DU JIN PA PO

the mandala of the great bliss of your invincible three secrets.

DOR JE LUNG GI DAG PO CHHE WAY CHHOG

Lord of Vajra Inner Wind, you are the supreme amongst supreme:

DOR JE LOB POEN KAL GYAR SHAB TEN SOL

Vajra Master, I pray that your exalted feet remain firm for a hundred aeons.

RANG RIG GYUR MEY DE CHHEN PO’I YING

Your own natural awareness is the basic space of unchanging supreme bliss.

TSOL MEY LAM NAY NGOEN SUM SEL DZAY PAY

From the path of non-contrivance, you enact the clarifying of direct perception,

DZOG PAY MAN NGAG ZAB MO NYER DZIN PAY

and you hold fast to the profound pith instructions of completeness:

PAL DEN LA MA SRI THAR ZHAB TEN SOL

Resplendent Guru, who brought conditioned existence to finality, I pray that your exalted feet remain firm.

GYUE SUM LA MAY ZHAL KYIN RIN PO CHHE

Precious Regent of the Gurus of the Three Lineages,

DUE SUM TAG PAR DOR JEY KUR ZHENG NAY

through your arising from the Vajrakaya, perpetual throughout the Three Times,

GYUE SUM CHHOE KYI GYAL TS’HEN CHEN PO GANG

may the great victory banner of the Dharma of the Three Lineages

SA SUM KHYAB PAR TAG TU DRENG GYUR CHIG

wave eternally, pervading the Three Planes!

Thus, in the Earth Mouse year, on the fifth day of the third month, Jampel Gyeypay Dorje (Mipham Rinpoche), in the manner of writing down whatever arises, composed this. Through this, for the Holders of the Teachings, who are suffused with benefit, by means of merely praying with these words, may the dependent arising for their lotus feet to remain
firm for an ocean of aeons arise, and may bountiful virtue and goodness increase!

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

A Message of Exhortation to the Nechung Oracle-Protector by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

A Message of Exhortation to the Nechung Oracle-Protector

by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso

DE SHEG RIG NGAY YE SHEY GYU T’HRUL GAR

The magical illusory dance of the primordial cognition of the five families of Those Gone to Bliss,

POE KHAM KYONG DZAY TEN SRUNG DREG PAY TSO

the chief of haughty spirits who protect Tibet and Kham and guard the teachings,

T’HRIN LAY GYAL PO TRUL YUM LOEN POR CHAY

King of Enlightened Activity, together with your emanations, queen, and officers,

DAG CHAG DUNG WAY YANG KYII NYER KUEL NA

as we, with a melody of longing, exhort you with our full power,

NGOEN TSHE GYAL WANG PAYMA KA RA DANG

in previous times, the Powerful Conqueror Padmakara,

PAY KAR CHHANG WA RIM PAY KA GOE SHING

and the Holder of the White Lotus gradually gave you secret commands,

DA KAY DAM TS’HIG NYEN PO RAB DROG PA

and proclaimed strict sacred commitments that are hard to contravene:

MA YEL MA YEL DOR JEY DAM TS’HIG GONG

do not forget! Do not forget! Consider your vajra commitments!

DAG CHAG MONG DANG CHHAG DANG CHHOG LHUNG GII

Through our foolishness, attachment, hatred, and sectarianism,

LAY DRAY MA SRUNG CHI DOEN RAY SU BOR

we have not guarded karmic causality, have neglected the common good,

DAM T’SHIG GEL SOG SAM JOR NONG PA KUNG

have gone against our sacred commitments, and so on, and our thoughts and deeds are all faulty:

NYING NAY CHHAG SHING DOM NA ZOE DZOE LA

from the heart, we confess this, and taking it into account, please be forbearant:

TEN DANG TEN DZIN KYE DRO’I DE KYI DANG

increase the Teachings, the Holders of the Teachings, the happiness of living beings,

TEN DZIN GYA TSHO’I KU TSE DZAY T’HRIN PEL

and the life-span and good works of the ocean of Holders of the Teachings!

GANG JONG GUE PA’I NYER TS’HE NYUR ZHI NAY

Quickly pacify this intense time of decrepitude in the Land of Snows,

CHHOE SRI RANG WANG GA TOEN DRUB SHIG KYE

and accomplish the celebration of spiritual and political autonomy! Pay heed!

DOR NA TEN SRUNG THU WO KHYOE NYI LA

In brief, to you yourself, the Sorceror Who Guards the Teachings,

NYING NAY KUEL ZHING DOE DON NYER TOE NA

from the depths of our hearts, we entreat you:  as we entrust our aims to you,

LOG TAR NYUR WAY NAM ZHI’I T’HRIN LAY KYII

by means of your swift four aspects of awakened activity, like lightning,

SAM PAY RE WA DRUB LA MA YEL ZHIG

do not be idle towards the accomplishment of the hopes we hold in mind!

This was composed by the Great Fourteenth Successive Embodiment of the Supreme Victorious One.

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

Patrul Rinpoche’s Advice on Friends

Advice on Friends

by Dza Patrul Rinpoche

 

A Good Friend Induces Good Habits

If you rely on a friend with knowledge, your intellect will increase.

If you rely on a friend with compassion, you will give birth to bodhichitta.

If you rely on a friend with contentment, your desires will decrease.

If you rely on a friend with generosity, you will give rise to a giving mind.

If you rely on a friend with a peaceful and restrained temperament, your mind-stream will become good.

From a friend with disillusionment with the world, you will become weary of samsara.

From a friend with renunciation, you will give rise to the wish for liberation.

From relying on a friend who cares more about the next life, you will remember to practice the Dharma.

Relying on a friend with few desires, you will give rise to contentment.

From a friend with diligence, your fortitude will become great.

If you associate with a sacred friend, your good qualities will be drawn out.

Relying on a friend with the wish for liberation, you will work for permanent happiness.

From a friend with a virtuous mind, you will give rise to a wholesome attitude.

From a friend with pure perception, you will generate faith.

If you associate with a friend endowed with wisdom, you will accomplish your ultimate aspirations.

These are the habits that come from good company.

The meaning, therefore, is to rely on virtuous friends!

 

A Bad Friend Induces Bad Habits

If you rely on friend with mental darkness, your wisdom will decrease.

Relying on a friend with anger, your mind-stream will become bad.

Following a friend with lust, you will be nostalgiac for youth.

If you follow a friend with avarice, stinginess will be born.

If you follow a friend with pride, you will remember your haughty position.

Following a friend without renunciation, you will be attached to this life.

Following a friend who seeks after the appearances of this life, you will forget about the next life.

From following a base friend, you will be attentive to commerce.

Following a friend concerned with profit, you will have a business-mind.

Following a friend with craving for wealth, you will be focused on collecting and hoarding.

Following a friend with laziness, you will become indolent.

Following a friend with distractedness, you will be carried away with this life.

Associating with a friend suffused with negativity, you will generate destructive thoughts. 

Associating with a friend with no faith, you will be fixated on non-virtue.

These are the habits that come from bad company.

The meaning, therefore, is to abandon evil friends!

And so, at the request of Lama Rigdzin Gyamtso, this was done by Patrul. Virtue! 

 

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

The Staircase that Leads to Liberation: An Extraordinary Guru Yoga Relying Upon Chintamani Tara

The Staircase that Leads to Liberation: An Extraordinary Guru Yoga Relying Upon Chintamani Tara

DAG LUE T’HA MAL CHI BOR PAY DAY TENG

I am in my ordinary form. Above the crown of my head, there is a lotus and moon.

T’HUG JEY TER CHHEN GYAL YUM DROEL MA DANG

Above this is the great treasury of vast compassion, Tara, the mother of all Victorious Ones,

YER MEY DRIN CHEN TSA WAY LA MA NI

inseparable the supremely kind Root Guru.

KU DOG KAR MAR TS’HEN PEY LANG TS’HOR DEN

Her exalted form is the color white with a tinge of red, and is endowed with the youthful splendor of the auspicious marks of perfection.

CHAG YAY CHHOE CHHAY DOR JE PAY KAR DANG

Her right hand is in the gesture of explaining the Dharma, and holds a vajra and white lotus.

YOEN PAY DRIL BU DANG CHAY PAYMA KAR

In her left hand is a bell, together with a white lotus.

DZIN PAY CHU KYEY NYEN T’HANG DAB MA GYAY

The water-born lotus that she holds has petals that bloom beside her ears.

CHHOE GOE SUM SOEL SER DOG PAN ZHEY DZEY

She is garbed in the three Dharmic robes, and is beautified by golden medicinal herbs.

DOR JEY KYIL TRUNG OED GUR UE NA ZHUG

In the vajra posture, she abides in the center of a tent of light.

T’HUG KAR LHAG PA’I LHAMO MAR GAY DOG

In her heart-center is the presiding goddess, the color of emerald,

CHHAG YAY CHHOG JIN YOEN PAY UTPALA

her right hand in the mudra of supreme generosity, her left holding an utpala flower,

KOEN CHHOG SUM TSHOEN CHAG GYAY T’HUG KAR DZIN

and is in the mudra which demonstrates the Three Jewels at her heart-center.

DAR DANG RIN CHHEN GYEN GYII DZEY PAR LUB

She is beautifully covered with silks and precious jewels.

YAY KYANG YOEN KUM OED GUR ZHUG PAY

Her right leg stretched out, her left leg drawn in, she abides in a tent of light.

T’HUG KAR TAM YIG JANG GU OED ZER BAR

In her heart-center, the letter TAM blazes with green light.

SEM PA SUM GYI DAG NYID CHEN GYUR PAY

She has the very identity of the samayasattva, jnanasattva, and samadhisattva,

NAY NGAR OM AH HUNG DANG SO HAY TS’HEN

and her five places are marked with OM, AH, HUNG, and SVA HA.

NANG TONG YE SHEY RANG NANG RIG TSEL SEL

She shines with appearing yet empty atemporal wakefulness, the self-manifesting dynamic play of awareness.

T’HUG KAY OED KYI KYAB NAY MA LUE PA

At her heart center, light invites all the sources of refuge without exception,

CHEN DRANG T’HIM PAY KUN DUE DAG NYID GYUR

who dissolve into her, and she comes to embody them all, becoming their very epitome.

CHI TSUG NOR BUR JANG CHHUB BAR DU ZHUG

She abides as a gem above the crown of my head until enlightenment.

GO SUM GUE PAY YID KYII CHAG TS’HAL LO

In my mind, with respectful three doors I prostrate.

NGOE SHAM YID TRUL CHHOE PA MA LUE BUL

I arrange items with the emanational capacity of my mind, and present all offerings without exception.

T’HOG MEY NAY SAG DIG TUNG T’HAM CHAY SHAG

I confess all negative actions and downfalls accumulated since beginningless time.

KYE P’HAG GE WA KUEN LA JEY YI RANG

I rejoice in all the virtue of ordinary and exalted beings.

ZAB CHING GYA CHEY CHHOE KHOR KOR DU SOL

I request that you turn the Wheel of the profound and vast Dharma.

DAG ZHEN GE WA JANG CHUB CHHEN POR NGO

I dedicate the virtue of myself and others towards supreme enlightenment.

T’HUG KAR TING DZIN SEM PAY T’HA KOR DU

In her heart center, around the circumference of the samadhisattva,

YI GE CHU PAY NGAG KYII KOR WAR GYUR

the mantra of ten syllables begins to revolve.

Thinking this, recite OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA as much as you are able. Finally, in the manner of your prayers, recite the mantra of the Guru one hundred or twenty-one times.

DUNG SHUG DRAG POE SOL WA TAB PAY T’HUE

Through the power of supplicating with intensely fervent devotion,

LA MAY KU SUNG T’HUG LAY OED ZER NI

from the Guru’s body, speech, and mind, come rays of light

KAR MAR T’HING SUM RANG GI NAY SUM T’HIM

in a triad of white, red, and deep blue, which dissolve into my own three places.

DIG DRIB KUN JANG BUM SANG SHER WANG T’HOB

All negative karma and obscurations are purified, and I attain the vase, secret, and gnosis empowerments.

LAR YANG SO HA NYI LAY NA TS’HOG OED

Once again, from the diad of SVA and HA, multicolored light

T’HROE TE RANG GI NAY NGAR T’HIM PA LAY

radiates out, and as it dissolves into my five places,

WANG ZHI T’HOB CHING KU ZHI DRUB NUE ZHAG

I attain the four empowerments, and am placed in the capable accomplishment of the four kayas.

PAL DEN TSA WAY LA MA RIN PO CHHE

Glorious Root Guru, Precious One,

DAG GI CHI WO’I PADMO’I TENG ZHUG LA

abiding on a lotus above the crown of my head,

TREN CHHEN PO’I GO NAY JEY ZUNG TE

as I am extremely destitute, take me under your care,

KU SUNG T’HUG KYI NGOE DRUB TSAL DU SOL

and I pray, grant the spiritual powers and realizations of your awakened body, speech, and mind!

Thus, practice the receiving of the four empowerments, and the visualization of the absorption into the heart.

This Guru Yoga is the central axle of the path, and there is no other one like this ‘Staircase that Leads to Liberation’. As all blessings and spiritual accomplishments arise in dependence upon the Guru, you must definitely practice this.

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

(author unknown, from sdrol ma’i bstod pa khag dang sgrol ma’i rgyud kyi ‘byung khungs lo rgyus gsol ‘debs smon lam bgyis pa’i phan yon bcas bzhugs so [Some Praises to Tara, the Origin of the Lineage of Tara, Her History, and the Benefits of Performing Supplications and Prayers to Her], a collection of Tara texts published in 2007 by a Tibetan women’s association, the Poe kyi Buemey Lhentsog {bod kyi bud med lhan tshogs} Any information about the author would be greatly appreciated by the translator. It seems to be in an 1800s style, and quite possibly by a Nyingma master. The title of this text is sgrol ma tsinta ma ni la brten pa’i thun mong ma yin pa’i bla ma’i rnal ‘byor thar par bgrod pa’i them skas zhes bya ba bzhugs so. email: emptyelephant@yahoo.com)

Profound Instructions on the View of the Middle Way by Mipham Rinpoche

Profound Instructions on the View of the Middle Way

by Mipham Rinpoche

Having gone through the thorough training in analysis
in the manner in which the individual is devoid of self,
when you have entered into certainty about that crucial point of how what is known as the “I” is dependent upon the psycho-physical aggregates,

and in this way, how through unexamined conceptual imputation
the five aggregates and the uncompounded
and all phenomena are likewise
via conceptuality labeled as “this” or “that”;

although there is fixation towards all of these various phenomena,
if we examine and search for the reality of the imputed, it cannot be found,
and when we finally reach the two-fold partlessness, accordingly, they are not established as true, even on the most subtle and minute level.

What appears under the power of dependent origination,
entities, arise dependently,
whereas non-entities are dependently imputed.
Whether an entity or a non-entity,

that which is held to uncritically
when it is subjected to investigation and analysis
is found to be baseless and rootless, and likewise
appearing yet unreal, like an illusion or a dream,

a moon in water, an echo, or a city in the clouds,
a visual abberation, a mirage and the like,
empty yet appearing, appearing yet empty:
meditate on the way that empty appearances resemble illusions.

This is “the ultimate truth which can be expressed in words”.
It has the confident knowing of a mind of understanding,
it has the stainless sublime wisdom
which sees the illusory nature of post-meditative experience, but

it is not yet free from the focus on an apprehended object,
nor has it overcome the features of subjectivity;
and since it has not gone beyond pervasive conceptual imputation,
freedom from elaborations, the true nature of all phenomena, is not seen.

At the time when that kind of certain knowing is born,
then even clinging to a mere illusion
is understood as being conceptual imputation. There is indeed apprehension, but that which is apprehended has no essential nature that can be established,

and even the perceiving mind cannot be found:
so rest without grasping in the natural disposition of relaxation.
When resting like this, although all outer and inner
appearances are uninterrupted,

within the perspective of the non-grasping true state,
however many projections are cast upon phenomena,
they are, from the beginning, unborn and unceasing,
and are free from subject-object fixation,

and so rest in the basic space of evenness.
This is free from assertions of “is” and “is not”.
In the self-occurring flow of the inexpressible truth,
an experience of doubtlessness will dawn

about the true nature of all phenomena:
that is “the ultimate truth which cannot be expressed in words.”
It is to be known individually;
it is the equipoise of non-conceptual wisdom.

If one cultivates within that dimension,
which is the coalescent union of emptiness and dependent arising,
which is the the meaning of “the mode of abiding of the inseparability of the two truths”:
then that is the Yoga of the Great Middle Way.

That meaning, beyond the experiential domain of the ordinary mind,
is the timeless cognition of nonduality:
those who wish to quickly actualize it,
should meditate on the pith instructions of Mantra.

Concerning this, because it is the profound crucial point of 
bringing the Middle Way’s stages of meditation to final consummation,
first, thoroughly study in conduct,
and then gain experience in stages, and arrive at certainty.

Confident insight into the illusoriness of empty appearances:
this is the meaning of “nothing to be cleared away from or placed onto the path”.
This is the basic space of the far-reaching perfection of sublime gnosis.
In the state of absolute alikeness, there is complete freedom.

If one is full to the brink with the agony of thirst,
if one hears that there is water, one’s thirst will not be quenched;
therefore, in the same way that if one drinks, there will be quenching,
so it is for learning and experience, so the sutras say.

For that reason, someone who, through the many reasonings and logical approaches
has tired oneself out with dry understanding,
does not need sporadic practice; but if they meditate in stages,
they will quickly attain the Patient Endurance towards the Profound.

Jampal Gyeypay Dorje (Mipham Rinpoche),
on the twenty-ninth day of the eleventh month of the Water Dragon year (1892),
wrote this free-flowingly. Through this, may all beings
realize the profound meaning of the Middle Way!

MANGALAM!

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.