Category Archives: Translation

Now Available! A Blazing Mala of Wish-Fulfilling Jewels: A Compilation of Daily Prayers from the Yungdrung Bön Religious Tradition

In 2024, Gary Freeman was on pilgrimage in Nepal with a group of Geshe Sonam Gurung’s students and had seen some beautiful murals of various manifestations of Sipé Gyalmo. Inspired by these images, he contacted me and generously offered to sponsor translation of prayers related to these specific manifestations. In the past, Gary and his wife Adriana sponsored the English translation of the healing waters practice of Sigyal Drakngak. Because of their request and sponsorship, this practice was translated into multiple languages, published, used by disciples worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic, and continues to be used by regular practice groups. So, even though I was in the midst of finalizing translations for a forthcoming book on the MA TRI tantra, I set that aside to happily translate a few prayers. After sending the finished translations to Gary, I thought that it would be wonderful if they were also available to with the worldwide Yungdrung Bön community. With that in mind, I decided to create a small booklet of prayers focusing on female protectors that could be used by the faithful while on pilgrimage. 

After a couple of weeks, I decided that the booklet was finished and went back to working on the MA TRI translations. However, I was constantly considering other prayers that would be beneficial additions. I would then add an additional prayer and again decide that it was complete. After doing this a few times, I surrendered to totally focusing on the pilgrimage booklet. Weeks turned to many months and the booklet grew to a 200 page book. And so, A Blazing Mala of Wish-fulfilling Jewels was born. It is a compilation of prayers and practices of the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition with an emphasis on female buddhas, protectors, and yogis. Being composed by enlightened ones or realized masters, these prayers carry power beyond that of ordinary words. When performed with faith and devotion, their profundity is inconceivable. When performed in conjunction with instruction and oral transmission from an authentic Yungdrung Bön master, their power and effectiveness are exponentially multiplied. These prayers are used for awakening the heart and mind, offering devotion, accumulating merit and wisdom, removing obstacles, protecting and increasing the life force, making aspirations, and so on. The book is formatted similar to a traditional Tibetan prayer book in that one prayer seamlessly follows another in an unbroken way. Thus, it is like a mala with each prayer like an individual bead being connected by the strong thread of Bön wisdom within the verses. When used with faith and devotion, the prayers become like blazing, wish-fulfilling jewels.

Most of the compositions are from my personal collection of Tibetan language prayer books and were translated over the course of many years. Some were translated in response to a request from a single individual, others were translated from a request by a Yungdrung Bön lama to be used for a one-time teaching or event, and others are prayers that have become part of my own practice. A select few were translated specifically to be included in the book. I am delighted to now share them with the worldwide Yungdrung Bön community.

The English language translations in the first half of the book are followed by the Tibetan language text with corresponding phonetics. The end of the book contains a brief Glossary of Terms and Notes section but there are no explanations of the meaning of the prayers or instructions for their use. In that way, use of A Blazing Mala of Wish-fulfilling Jewels assumes that the reader has at least some basic familiarity with the material, the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition, and with the language and terms used within the prayers. The book follows the traditional structure of beginning with prayers of homage and supplication to the lamas, followed by supplications and invocations of the peaceful and wrathful deities, and concluding with prayers of aspiration and dedication. My wish is that this book will be a support for happiness and spiritual development for generations to come. 

Yeshe Walmo sacred dance at Menri Monastery in India

“Mother Yeshé Walmo, together with your powerful, magical emanations, you guard both the teachings and those who keep their vows, and you cut the life force of those who break their vows. You liberate the discordant into space and guide along the path of liberation. I, an only child, constantly call out to my mother. Does the single mother’s ears not hear me? I, an only child, constantly yearn for my mother. Does the single mother’s heart not consider me? Sole Mother, I, the Shen practitioner who calls upon you, am accepting hardships, aspiring to enlightenment, relying on solitary places, carrying the lama at my crown, and practicing with my mind in the midst of diversions and distractions. Single Mother, lead me along the path! Sole Mother, fulfill my wishes! Sole Mother, dispel my obscurations!”

Extract from The Heartdrop Invocation of Yeshé Walmo’s Vitality

In the coming days, A Blazing Mala of Wish-Fulfilling Jewels will be available for purchase from the major book distributors such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Until then it can be purchased from Ligmincha International’s Windhorse Store: https://windhorse.store/product/a-blazing-mala-of-wish-fulfilling-jewels-by-raven-cypress-wood/ Or directly from Lulu here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/raven-wood/a-blazing-mala-of-wish-fulfilling-jewels/paperback/product-e7wm7j6.html?page=1&pageSize=4

English Language Translations Table of Contents

  • CLEANSING RITE SUPPLICATION
  • CLEANSING WITH WATER
  • FUMIGATING WITH INCENSE
  • MANTRAS OF THE FIVE DAILY OFFERINGS
  • HOMAGE TO THE EIGHTH UNIVERSAL GUIDE, BUDDHA TÖNPA SHENRAP MIWOCHÉ        
  • SUPPLICATION TO LORD TAPIHRITSA
  • COMPLETELY PURE AND CHANGELESS OFFERINGS TO THE LAMA, AN ORNAMENT OF WISH-GRANTING JEWELS
    • The Stages of Visualization
    • Request to Remain
    • Prostrations
    • Admission of Wrongdoing and Purification
    • Mandala Offering
    • The Five Offerings
    • Praise of the Enlightened State
    • Requesting Accomplishments
    • Aspiration Prayer
  • DÉ CHEN GYALPO, SUPPLICATION TO THE GREAT, UNEQUALED LORD        
  • A VICTORIOUS PALACE OF PRAISE FOR THE UNEQUALED LORD, SHERAP GYALTSEN          
  • GOING FOR REFUGE
  • GENERATING THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT
  • SUPPLICATION TO THE LORD OF REFUGE, THE SUPREME 33RD THRONE-HOLDER OF MENRI, LUNGTOK TENPÉ NYIMA RINPOCHE
  • SUPPLICATION TO THE LORD OF REFUGE, THE GREAT 34TH THRONE-HOLDER OF MENRI, LUNGTOK DAWA DARGYAL RINPOCHE
  • SUPPLICATION TO THE LORD OF REFUGE, MENRI YONGDZIN LOPÖN TENZIN NAMDAK RINPOCHE
  • SUPPLICATION TO THE LORD OF REFUGE, MENRI PÖNLOP YANGTÖN TRINLEY NYIMA RINPOCHE
  • HOMAGE TO BUDDHA SATRIK ÉRSANG
  • PRAISE AND BENEFIT OF JAMMA’S MANTRA
    • Homage
    • Going for Refuge
    • Admission and Purification of Wrongdoing and Misdeeds
    • Focusing the Mind
    • Generating the Mind
    • Introduction
    • Main Text
    • Benefits
    • Praise of the Recitation
    • Aspiration
  • SUPPLICATION TO JAMMA
    • The Visualization
    • The Recitation
  • PRESENTING THE FIVE OFFERINGS TO THE GATHERING OF JAMMA DEITIES           
  • MANTRAS OF JAMMA’S FIVE WISDOM MANIFESTATIONS
  • SUPPLICATION TO TUKJÉ JAMMA, THE COMPASSIONATE LOVING MOTHER           
  • THE HEART SUTRA OF THE MOTHER OF THE GREAT VEHICLE, THE YUM DŌ           
  • SUPPLICATION TO KHANDRO CHOZA BÖNMO
  • FUMIGATION OFFERING TO BLACK MULE SIPÉ GYALMO
  • SIGYAL KA TÖ, ALPHABETICAL PRAISE OF THE SUPREME MOTHER SIPÉ GYALMO   
  • ALPHABETICAL PRAISE TO A VISION OF BLACK MULE SIPÉ GYALMO
  • SIGYAL’S ENTRUSTED ACTIVITY
  • TO A VISION OF SIGYAL
  • A FLAMING LIGHTNING BOLT, THE SECRET INVOCATION OF THE QUEEN OF PHENOMENAL EXISTENCE
  • INVOCATION OF RED MULE SIPE GYALMO
  • INVOCATION OF YESHÉ WALMO
  • THE HEARTDROP INVOCATION OF YESHÉ WALMO’S VITALITY
  • INVOCATION OF THE THREE WATCHWOMEN, THE JARAMA SUM
  • A BRIEF INVOCATION OF CHAMMO LAM LHA, GODDESS OF TRAVEL           
  • PRESENTING OFFERINGS TO YESHÉ WALMO
  • PRESENTING OFFERINGS TO THE THREE SUPREME JEWELS
  • FOOD OFFERING PRAYER
  • SUPPLICATION TO THE SACRED PLACE OF BÖNRI WHERE BLESSINGS ARE QUICKLY ATTAINED      
  • THE THREE ESSENCE MANTRAS OF YUNGDRUNG BÖN, THE NYINGPO NAMSUM   
  • GENERAL MAWÉ SENGÉ MANTRA
  • LONGEVITY MANTRA FROM THE TSÉWANG JARIMA
  • TSÉWANG BÖ YULMA MANTRA
  • MEDICINE BUDDHA MANTRA
  • MANTRA FOR DAILY WATER OR DRINK
  • THE SYLLABLES OF THE ALI KALI, THE CAUSE FOR ENLIGHTENED WORDS AND SOURCE OF THE SCRIPTURES
  • MANTRA OF THE BLAZING GODDESS, TSUKTOR BARMA
  • SUPPLICATION TO THE GREAT LAMA DRENPA NAMKHA AND HIS TWO SONS FOR THEIR SWIFT BLESSINGS
  • SENDING OUT AND GATHERING BACK OF THE MA TRI RECITATION 
    • Praising the Recitation
  • A CONDENSED WHITE BURNT FOOD OFFERING
    • The Invitation
    • Offering and Dedicating
    • Supplement to the Burnt Food Offering
  • THE BAR CHE LAM SEL, THE SPONTANEOUS WISH-FULFILLMENT OF REMOVING OBSTACLES FROM THE PATH
  • ASPIRATION PRAYER TO THE WORLDLY GODS AND GUARDIANS
  • EIGHT-BRANCHED ASPIRATION PRAYER
    • The Branch of Inviting
    • The Branch of Prostrating
    • The Branch of Making Offerings
    • The Branch of Admitting Wrongdoing
    • The Branch of Subsequently Being Delighted
    • The Branch of Supplicating
    • The Branch of Aspiration Prayers
    • The Branch of Dedicating
  • TSÉWANG’S PRECIOUS MALA OF BENEFICIAL ASPIRATION PRAYERS
  • THE DAILY RECITATION OF THE THREE-FOLD ASPIRATION PRAYER, THE MÖNLAM NAM SUM       
    • The Jewel Mönlam
    • Aspiration Prayer of Wish-fulfilling Jewels
    • Namgyal’s Torma Aspiration Prayers
    • Aspiration Prayer of the Ten Grounds
    • Becoming Peaceful
    • Dedication
    • Aspirations of Lord Gyalwa Düpa
    • Aspirations and Dedication
    • The One Hundred Syllable Mantra, Yig Gya
    • Dedication
  • A CONDENSED PRAYER OF ASPIRATION
  • THE BARDO MÖNLAM, LAMA GUR ZHOK’S PRECIOUS MALA OF ASPIRATION PRAYERS FOR THE BARDO
  • WORDS OF TRUTH ASPIRATION PRAYER
  • ASPIRATION PRAYER FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE TEACHINGS

Tibetan Language Table of Contents

  • བོད་སྐད་ཡིག་དང་སྒྲ་གདངས།        
  • ཁྲུས་གསོལ།
  • ཁྲུས་ཀྱིས་བཀྲུས་པ།
  • སྤོས་ཀྱིས་བསང།
  • མཆོད་པ་རྣམ་ལྔ་བསྙེན་པ།
  • རྣམ་འདྲིན་བརྒྱད་པ་སངས་རྒྱས་སྟོན་པ་གཤེན་རབ་མི་བོ་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ།
  • ཏ་པི་ཧྲི་ཙ་གསོལ་འདེབས།
  • བླ་མའི་མཆོད་པ་རྣམ་དག་འགྱུར་མེད།  བསམ་འཕེལ་ནོར་བུའི་རྒྱན་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་བཞུགས།
    • བསྐྱེད་རིམ།
    • བཞུགས་སུ་གསོལ་བ།
    • ཕྱག་འཚལ།
    • བཤགས་པ།
    • མནྡལ་འབུལ།
    • རྣམ་ལྔ།
    • སྐུ་བསྟོད།
    • དངོས་གྲུབ་ཞུ་བ།
    • སྨོན་ལམ།
  • རྗེ་མཉམ་མེད་ཆེན་པོའི་གསོལ་འདེབས།         
  • རྗེ་མཉམ་མེད་ཤེས་རབ་རྒྱལ་མཚན་གྱི་བསྟོད་པ་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་ཁང་བཟང།        
  • སྐྱབས་སུ་འགྲོ་བ།
  • སེམས་བསྐྱེད་པ།
  • སྐྱབས་རྗེ་སྨན་རིའི་ཁྲི་འཛིན་སོ་གསུམ་པ་མཆོག་གི་གསོལ་འདེབས།
  • སྐྱབས་རྗེ་སྨན་རིའི་ཁྲི་འཛིན་སོ་བཞི་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་གསོལ་འདེབས།    
  • སྐྱབས་རྗེ་སྨན་རིའི་ཡོངས་འཛིན་སློབ་དཔོན་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཆོག་གི་གསོལ་འདེབས།       
  • སྨན་རིའི་དཔོན་སློབ་རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་གསོལ་འདབེས།
  • ས་ཏྲིག་ཨེར་སངས་སྐུ་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ།        
  • བྱམས་མའི་སྔགས་བསྟོད་པ་ཕན་ཡོན་བཅས་བཞུགས།    
    • ཕྱག་འཚལ།
    • སྐྱབས་ཡུལ་བསྒོམ་པ།
    • བཤགས་པ།
    • སེམས་བཟུང་བ།  
    • སེམས་བསྐྱེད།    
    • ངོ་སྤྲོད།  
    • གཞུང་གི་དོན།     
    • ཕན་ཡོན།
    • འཛབ་བསྟོད།     
  • བྱམས་མ་གསོལ་འདེབས།   
    • དགོངས་རིམ།     
    • ཚིག་བཤད།       
  • བྱམས་མའི་ཚོགས་ལ་མཆོད་པ་རྣམ་ལྔ་འབུལ།   
  • བྱམས་མ་རིག་ལྔ་འཛབ།   
  • བྱམས་མའི་གསོལ་འདེབས།
  • ཡུམ་མདོ།  ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོ་ཡུམ་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་མདོ་བཞུགས།         
  • ཅོ་ཟ་བོན་མོ་གསོལ་འདེབས།
  • སྲིད་རྒྱལ་དྲེའུ་ནག་མོའི་བསང་མཆོད་རིན་ཆེན་གཏེར་སྤུངས་བཞུགས།        
  • མ་མཆོག་སྲིད་རྒྱལ་གྱི་ཀ་བསྟོད་།      
  • སྲིད་རྒྱལ་དྲེའུ་ནག་ཞལ་གཟིགས་མ་ཡི་ཀ་བསྟོད།         
  • སྲིད་རྒྱལ་འཕྲིན་བཅོལ།      
  • སྲིད་རྒྱལ་ཞལ་གཟིགས་བཞུགས།     
  • ཡང་ཟབ་ནམ་མཁའ་མཛོད་ཆེན་ལས།
  • རྒྱུད་ཉི་འགྲེལ་ལས་བྱུང་བའི་སྲིད་རྒྱལ་དྲེའུ་དམར་མོའི་བསྐུལ་པ་བཞུགས།    
  • ཡེ་ཤེས་དབལ་མོའི་བསྐུལ་པ།         
  •  ཡེ་ཤེས་དབལ་མོའི་སྲོག་བསྐུལ་སྙིང་གི་ཐིག་ལེ་བཞུགས་སོ།        
  • བྱ་ར་མ་གསུམ་བསྐུལ་པ་བཞུགས། བསྒྲགས་པ་སྐོར་གསུམ        
  • ལྕམ་མོ་ལམ་ལྷ་བསྐུལ་ཆུང་བཞུགས།  
  • ཡེ་ཤེས་དབལ་མོར་མཆོད་འབུལ།     
  • དཀོན་མཆོག་གསུམ་ལ་མཆོད་འབུལ།  
  • ཟས་མཆོད།       
  • བོན་རི་གནས་ཀྱི་གསོལ་འདེབས་བྱིན་རླབས་མྱུར་འགྲུབ་བཞུགས།  
  • སྙིང་པོ་རྣམས་གསུམ།       
  •  སྤྱི་སྨྲ་སེང་བསྙེན་པ།
  • ཚེ་དབང་བྱ་རི་མའི་བསྙེན་པ།
  • ཚེ་དབང་བོད་ཡུལ་མའི་བསྙེན་པ།
  • སྨན་ལྷའི་བསྙེན་པ།
  • ཆུའམ་བཏུང་བའི་རིགས་ལ་བསྙེན་པ།
  • བཀའ་རྒྱུ་ལུང་གི་འབྱུང་གནས་ཨ་ལི་ཀ་ལི་ཡིག་ཆུང་བཞུགས་སོ།
  • གཙུག་ཏོར་འབར་མའི་གཟུངས་བཞུགས་སོ།
  • བླ་ཆེན་དྲན་པ་ཡབ་སྲས་ཀྱི་གསོལ་འདེབས་བྱིན་བརླབས་མྱུར་འབྱུང་བཞུགས་སོ།
  • མ་ཏྲིའི་འཛབ་ཀྱི་འཕྲོ་འདུ།
  • དཀར་གསུར་བསྡུས་པ།
    •  གསུར་བསྔོའི་ཁ་སྐང་།
  • མཁའ་འགྲོ་ཤེས་རབ་བློ་འཕེལ་ཞལ་ལུང་བར་ཆད་ལམ་སེལ་བསམ་པ་ལྷུན་གྲུབ་བཞུགས་སོ།
  • ལྷ་དང་སྲུང་མ་འཁོར་བའི་སྨོན་ལམ་བཞུགས།
  • སྨོན་ལམ་ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད་པ་བཞུགས།
  •   ཚེ་དབང་སྨོན་ལམ་དོན་འདུས་རིན་ཆེན་ཕྲེང་བ་བཞུགས།
  • རྒྱུན་འདོན་སྨོན་ལམ་རྣམ་གསུམ་དབུ་ཕྱོགས་བཞུགས་སོ།
    • ནོར་བུ་སྨོན་ལམ།
    • ཡིད་བཞིན་ནོར་བུ་དམ་པའི་སྨོན་ལམ།
    • རྣམ་རྒྱལ་གྱི་གཏོར་མའི་སྨོན་ལམ་བཞུགས།
    • སྨོན་ལམ་རྣམ་གསུམ་ས་བཅུའི་སྨོན་ལམ།
    • ཞི་བར་གྱུར་ཅིག
    • བསྔོ་བོ།
    • རྗེ་རྒྱལ་བ་འདུས་པའི་སྨོན་ལམ།
    • སྨོན་ལམ་དང་ངོ་བོ།
    • ཡིག་བརྒྱ།
    • ངོ་བོ།
    • སྨོན་ལམ་མདོར་བསྡུས།
  • བླ་མ་གུར་ཞོག་པས་མཛད་པའི་བར་དོའི་སྨོན་ལམ་རིན་ཆེན་ཕྲེང་བ་བཞུགས།
  • བདེན་ཚིག་སྨོན་ལམ།
  • བསྟན་རྒྱས་སྨོན་ལམ་བཞུགས་སོ།

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8th Anniversary of the Parinirvana of His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin

On the 24th day of the 7th lunar month in the Western year 2017, His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpé Nyima Rinpoché displayed his realization by passing into nirvana from his physical body. In 2025, this date coincides with the Western calendar date September 15th. On this day, Yungdrung Bön religious centers worldwide will recognize this auspicious day with special prayers and rituals.

In accordance with the request of H.H. 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, a statue with the likeness of H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpé Nyima Rinpoche was commissioned and installed at Menri Monastery in India.

On the full moon day of the 5th lunar month in 1929, His Holiness was born in Amdo, Tibet into the Jongdong family lineage. He was given the name Lama Thar. By the age of 13, he had gained knowledge and experience for chanting, performing rituals, and playing instruments. At the age of 14, he performed the preliminary practices including the 900,000 accumulations three times. He received novice monk vows at the age of 17. Eight years later, he completed his geshe degree. In 1956, he received empowerment and teachings for the Four Cycles of the Aural Transmission of Zhang Zhung from His Holiness the 30th Menri Trizin Tenpa Lodrö Rinpoche. In 1968 at the age of 39, he was selected through an extensive ritual process to become the 33rd Menri Trizin and leader of the worldwide Yungdrung Bön community.

Three years after his enthronement, he began construction of the main temple of Pal Shenten Menri Ling in Dolanji, India. Two years later, he opened a dispensary and began distributing free medicine not only to the local Bönpo, but also to the local Indian community. In 1975, he founded the Central School for Tibetan in Dolanji. Three years later, he founded the dialectic college at Menri Monastery to enable monks to receive the prestigious geshe degree. At the age of 66 in 1994, His Holiness 33rd Menri Trizin returned to Tibet for the first time. Arriving at Tashi Menri, he sat on the golden throne of Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen in the original Menri Monastery.

Memorial chorten for His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin at Pal Shenten Menri Ling

At the age of 89 in the early evening of the 24th day of the 7th lunar month in 2017, His Holiness entered into parinirvana and his physical body remained in a state of tukdam for many days. Three days before, he asked for all of the school children to come and see him and receive a gift of candy. The next day, he requested for all of the villagers to come and visit him. On the morning of his passing into nirvana, he gave an audience to all the ordained.

“It is important for you to feel grateful every day to the one who introduced you to the nature of mind. When you do a meditation you feel gratitude, blessings, and thankfulness, experiences of inspiration and devotion. It is not like your gratitude is benefitting the master. Rather, it is important in order for you to develop your practice. If you cannot do a form of guru yoga every day, then just before you are going to sleep, as you are going to bed, feel the blessings, gratitude, and joy and dissolve the master from the crown of the head to the heart. Feel the master in your heart and go to sleep. You will have better dreams and more peaceful sleep. When you wake up in the morning, those energies can come out from the top of the head, that liveliness, and you can have a better day. You can begin the right way.”

Extract from Living Wisdom: Dzogchen Teachings from the 33rd Menri Trizin, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche published by Sacred Sky Press

Supplication Prayer to H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoché

“Marvelous! The omniscient wisdom of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions is condensed into a single essence in you, Highest One.

You carry out the enlightened activities of spreading the vast and profound teachings of Tönpa Shenrap.

To you, Lungtok Tenpé Nyima, I supplicate and pray.

é ma ho, rap jam chok chü gyal wa sé ché kyi,

khyen tsé yé shé ngo wo chik dü pa, zap gyé shen ten pel wé trin lé chen

lung tok ten pé nyi ma sol wa dep“

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Special Day for Healing Waters Practice

His Eminence Menri Yongdzin Pönlop Yangtön Thrinley Nyima Rinpoche gives blessed water for cleansing obscurations and bestowing blessings to the school children of the Tapriza School in Dolpo, Nepal.

The 5th lunar day of the 7th month each year is a powerful day for receiving blessed water or for practicing with water for cleansing or healing. In 2025, this lunar date corresponds with August 28th. Healing from blessed water or other types of medicine taken on this day will continue to have amplified power for seven days.

A belief shared among many religious traditions is that particular bodies of water can bestow purification, healing, eternal youth, or special knowledge. Within the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition, there are many rituals to imbue water with the blessings and power of the enlightened ones in order to wash away negativities and provide healing and protection. This kind of water and its associated ritual cleansing is known as trü [Tibetan: khrus]. There are daily practices of ritual washing that are performed at dawn in order to cleanse the body, speech, and mind. In particular, this is one of the practices adopted by genyen, or lay practitioners with vows. In Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen’s Thirteen Daily Yogas, he gives instructions for external, internal, and secret cleansing using water. According to one’s current practice, the source of purification is from Buddha Sherap Jamma, Shenlha Ökar, or Küntu Zangpo.

“OM, From the nature of enlightened body, speech, and mind from the mandala of the completely pure Bön essence, a stream of three tiklés descend. This is water of the great unborn enlightened body. May the stains of the physical body become purified! This is water of the great unceasing enlightened speech. May the stains of speech become purified! This is water of the great undeluded enlightened mind. May the stains of mind become purified! Having purified the obscurations of body, speech, and mind of myself and the limitless sentient beings, may we be endowed with the completely pure three trainings!”

— From Stainless Majestic Splendor

One of the most widespread healing practices using water is Nampar Jompa’s Healing Waters Mantra practice. The enlightened deity Nampar Jompa has a wrathful appearance with a blue-colored body with serpents as ornaments on his arms, legs, waist, and hair.

Nampar Jompa

“I, myself, as the deity Nampar Jompa hold in my right hand a vessel filled with elixir.  In my left hand, I hold a mirror which removes all illness and injury.  Having washed with this healing water, I clearly imagine that any remaining contamination is washed away because of this medicine.”  

— From The Practice of the Washing Rite within Nampar Jompa’s Healing Waters Mantra

At the conclusion of the practice after the practitioner has transformed into the deity Nampar Jompa, empowered the water with mantra, and then washed with the water, the practice text concludes with a notation emphasizing the power of the practice.

“Thus, through this supplication prayer of the washing rite, having purified all traces of previous illness and negative external influences, just like the overflow of water from a crystal vessel, imagine that all negativity and illness leave from the tips of the fingers and toes, the nostrils and the secret place.

There is no place what-so-ever for the creation of even the smallest thing to arise.  Not even a single atom remains that needs to be purified!”

Sigyal Drakngak Walmo, the enlightened deity who protects from contagious disease through empowered water

During the global pandemic of Covid-19, many Yungdrung Bön lamas advised their disciples to engage with the mantra and practice of Sigyal Drakngak who is one of the most wrathful manifestations of Sipé Gyalmo who specifically protects from infectious disease through the use of empowered water. Translation of this text, The Heartdrop of Si Gyal that is All-pervasive and Clears Away Afflictive Emotions and Illness, has been published in both English and French. Because this is a restricted text, it is available only for those who have received transmission for the practice. (If you have received transmission and would like to order a copy of the translation, email Raven Cypress Wood at the email address listed below with the name of the teacher and the year that you received transmission and you will be given the ordering information.)

“OM! This water of nectar has the nature of wisdom and medicine. May all negative karma, afflictive emotions and discursive thoughts of migrating beings be washed away! May all illness, external negative forces, karmic potentialities, and contaminations be purified!”

— From The Heartdrop of Si Gyal that is All-pervasive and Clears Away Afflictive Emotions and Illness

In addition to the practices specifically using water as a method of purification, healing, or empowerment, there are practices and mantra that can be used to transform water from an ordinary substance to one that is imbued with extraordinary qualities. Again in Shardza Rinpoche’s Thirteen Daily Yogas, he suggests using the following mantra for all daily liquids in order to transform them into nectar: SO OM MA MA MU YE A OM HUNG TING NAM DÜTSI SO TA. One should recite the mantra seven or twenty-one times, blow onto the liquid, and then drink while visualizing that it has become the nectar of wisdom. 

Also, the great mantra, OM MA TRI MU YÉ SA LÉ DU, has extraordinary power and can be recited one hundred times or more, without the interruption of ordinary speech, then blown onto clean water used for drinking or cleansing. According to the chapter within the MA TRI tantra entitled The Thirty-two Benefits of the Sufficient Recitation of the Precious Lamp:

“Anyone affected by contaminated energy, latent karmic potentialities, misfortune, or defilements, having recited this MA TRI mantra into pure, clean water, if they ritually wash for seven mornings, even karmic defilements will be purified.”

— From The Thirty-two Benefits of the Recitation Practice of the Precious Lamp

The Heartdrop of Jamma is an aural transmission from Khandro Sherap Lo Pélma who is a manifestation of Sherap Jamma and a deity who is specifically practiced in order to develop the intellect. In The Heartdrop of Jamma, the practitioner uses the power of the mantric syllables to transform each aspect of their body into one of Jamma’s countless manifestations. This text is commonly recited by Yungdrung Bön families after the final meal of the day. This texts lists many benefits of its recitation including the use of water.

“If you recite the mantra to good quality water mixed with powdered, medicinal incense containing blessed medicine and the six excellent substances, and then cleanse with that water, all illness and sickness caused by negative forces will be pacified and all defilements and contaminations will be purified.” 

— From The Heartdrop of Jamma

The English, Spanish, and French translations of The Heartdrop of Jamma have been published and are available to anyone through this link: https://www.lulu.com/search?page=1&q=raven+cypress+wood&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00

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When the Lama Passes Beyond: A Brief Explanation

On the 16th day of the sacred Saga Dawa month in the Tibetan Wood Snake year, June 12, 2025, at 7:45 AM, His Eminence Menri Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, master of the three lineages and spiritual elder of the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition, passed beyond this life and entered into a state of deep meditation, tukdam, at his lama residence at Triten Norbutse Monastery. In general, tukdam refers to a state of meditative stability attained by meditation masters that continues after the external breath of their physical body has ceased but the internal breath, or winds, remain.  Therefore, the subtle channels through which these winds move remain stable. The area of the body containing the heart chakra remains warm to the touch.  The skin remains soft, and the face retains a glow of vitality.  Often, the master is sitting in meditation posture, but can also be in the yogic posture of the “sleeping lion” lying upon the right side of the body, knees together and slightly bent with the right hand under the head and the left arm resting upon the body.  During this time, great care is taken to not disturb the body or interrupt the state of mediation.  Great blessings can be received by connecting with the master during this important time.

After an indeterminate number of days, the internal winds cease, the channels collapse, the physical body slumps, and the warmth dissipates from the heart center. At that time, chants related to the cleansing of the sacred body are recited while the physical remains are ritually bathed with water mixed with special herbs.  Sacred seed syllables are then written on the body and the body is wrapped in a pure white cloth. Disciples who connect with the lama during this time either by being near the sacred remains or at a distance, can receive great blessings.

Tsok offerings

Because the master has attained a state of enlightened realization, the prayers and rituals that are offered during this time are different than that for an ordinary being.  Rather than offering prayers to support their experience of death, disciples focus upon practices to honor the teachings of the master.  These prayers and practices include performing acts of virtue to benefit all beings, reciting aspirational prayers such as Tséwang’s Precious Mala of Beneficial Aspiration Prayers, the Tséwang Monlam, and practicing guru yoga in a pure and fervent way. The English language translation of Tséwang’s Precious Mala of Beneficial Aspiration Prayers has been made publicly available for personal use by and can be downloaded at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d1LOlW-w3zlTV1HRbedK625IEcwwImPI/view?usp=share_link. Additionally, the monastic community offers many tsok, or sacred feast offerings. At the time of cremation, an elaborate fire ritual called Kün Rik is performed during which a wide variety of offerings are presented to the entire cycle of deities. In honor of the great kindness and generosity of His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche throughout his life, who shared his guidance and teachings with countless sentient beings in order for them to escape the misery of cyclic existence, the English language translation of Prayers to the Lama is being made publicly available for the personal use of the worldwide Yungdrung Bön family. The prayer can be downloaded at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H0npefK4YasUAiDGTM3tLgwwbyNPypmc/view?usp=share_link

Although the master has attained the ultimate state of realization and therefore does not experience the 49 days of transiting the bardo, the 49 day period is still observed as a time to continue with aspirational and devotional prayers, renewal of vows especially those received from the master, fervent guru yoga, and acts of virtue in order to honor the teachings and spiritual guidance of the master.

Supplication to the Lord of Refuge, Menri Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

How marvelous! Teacher of the three trainings and protector of migrating beings, you are an emanation of the omniscient Nyiwang who perfects enlightened intention with dynamic energy. Having the total perfection of the abiding nature of sutra and trantra, you hold and protect the teachings through your completely pure enlightened activities. To Yongdzin Mawé Wangpo I supplicate! (Written by the supreme Lord of Refuge, the 33rd Menri Trizen Rinpoche on the 8th lunar day of the 3rd lunar month.)

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Annual Reading of the Enlightened Teachings of Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap

Nuns of Rayna Menling reading from the teachings of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap

Each year at Pal Shenten Menri Monastery and Rayna Menling Nunnery on the 14th and 15th lunar days of the 4th month, the enlightened teachings of Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché are read out loud. In 2025, these dates coincide with June 10th and 11th on the Western calendar. The sacred volumes containing these teachings are carried by both the ordained and laypeople as they circumambulate the temple. As a sign of respect for the sacredness of these texts, they are carried above the waist. Most often, they are carried on the shoulder. After bringing them into the temples, offerings such as incense are presented, and the text are distributed to the ordained for two full days of reading. Reading the scriptures aloud is considered one of the thirteen activities for a meaningful human life. (See previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2020/03/21/the-thirteen-yungdrung-bon-activities-for-a-meaningful-human-life/) For those inspired to read the words of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap on these days, The Beneficial Mantric Praise of Künsal Jamma Chenmo, The Jamma Ngak Tö, is considered a root text for the practice of Sherap Jamma that was spoken by the Buddha himself. Through the verses of praise for each of the syllables of Jamma’s root mantra, the profundity of the innumerable manifestations of Jamma is revealed. The teaching and transmission for this text has been widely shared in both the East and West.

“The mantra of the twenty-one victors, the praise of the Victorious Jamma of Bön, was spoken by the Victor Tönpa Shenrap. These twenty-one verses are, without exception, beyond cyclic existence and a completely pure practice. By reciting out loud the twenty-one praises, one will obtain immeasurable benefits. Praise to Tönpa Shenrap for revealing these twenty-one praises of the root mantra!”

Extract from The Beneficial Mantric Praise of Künsal Jamma Chenmo
His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizen, His Eminence Menri Pönlop Rinpoche, and other monks of Menri Monastery carry texts containing the words of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap.

The canon of sacred Yungdrung Bön texts is divided into two categories. The first category of texts contains the teachings of the primordial enlightened ones and Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap. This category is known as Ka [Tibetan: bka’] meaning “enlightened words or speech.” These texts are further divided into four primary categories: (1) Dō [Tibetan: mdo], Sutra, (2) Bum [Tibetan: ‘bum], The Hundred Thousand, (3) Gyü [Tibetan: rgyud], Tantra, and (4) Dzö [Tibetan: mdzod] The Treasury. In some catalogues, there can also be a fifth category of miscellaneous texts. Although each Yungdrung Bön temple in Tibet had a significant collection of Ka scriptures, the collections were not necessarily complete. This was especially due to repeated persecution throughout history of the Yungdrung Bön tradition which necessitated the hiding of texts. It is thought that only one complete collection survived. According to a catalogue of the Ka done by the 23rd abbot of Menri there are a total of 175 volumes. This number can vary according to various collections due to the availability of texts that could be copied, whether only main titles were counted as a volume, and so on. Regardless, the Sutra section contains texts such as the hagiography of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap, The Ritual Practice of the Medicine Buddha, The Root Scripture for Jamma, the four volumes of medical texts, and so on. The Hundred Thousand section contains the sixteen volumes of the Khams Gyé, The Unsurpassed Scripture Regarding the Eight Realms, the Yum Dō, The Heart Sutra of the Mother of the Great Vehicle, and so on. The Tantra section includes the Buddha’s teachings of the Mother Tantras, the Father Tantras, Phurba, Walsé, and so on. The Treasury section includes the teachings of dzogchen such as The Aural Transmission of Zhang Zhung.

“Gyajin, a ruler of the gods, rose from his seat and, having removed his upper robe from one of his shoulders, he set his right knee upon the ground. Having placed his hands together, he made a request of The Teacher with these words: “Free from the fault of wrongdoing, you have perfected every good quality. You are the source from which arises all happiness and exalted qualities. Good omniscient Shenrap, what should one do to practice or make use of the Essence of the Mother of the Great Vehicle?”

In response to that, Shenrap bestowed his teaching. 

“Gyajin, ruler of the gods, and all you yungdrung sempa, when practicing or making use of the Essence of the Mother of the Great Vehicle, all phenomena that arise from worldly existence, that arise as precious ornaments, that arise as an appearance, that arise from emptiness, that arise from individual clarity, that arise from self-awareness, that arise from the changeless and indestructible vast expanse, or that arise from equanimity; are neither appearance nor emptiness, neither existent nor nonexistent, neither eternal nor nothingness, neither born nor negated. Why is that? All of those, in every way, are unobjectifiable. Even their self-nature is unobjectifiable. Therefore, they are primordially without a source and without a birth. They have no beginning. Abiding within the equanimity of no beginning is the unfabricated, perfected, single sphere.“

Extract from The Heart Sutra of the Mother of the Great Vehicle to be published in the forthcoming A Mala of Blazing, Wish-fulfilling Jewels: A Collection of Daily Practices of the Yungdrung Bön Religious Tradition by Raven Cypress Wood
Monks and nuns of Menri Monastery circumambulating with the scriptures of the Ka.

The second category of canonical texts is known as the Ka Ten [Tibetan: bka’ brten], Relying upon the Words. The Bön canon is referred to within Bön texts as the Ka and the Ka Ten. (This differs from the Buddhist canon which is referred to as the Kangyur and the Tengyur.) The Ka Ten includes commentaries, practices, rituals, and so on that rely upon the scriptures of the Ka for the root text. In order for a text to be included in the Ka Ten, it must undergo a rigorous and methodical analysis. There are over 300 volumes included within the Ka Ten. Some catalogues do not include texts after the 14th century which are thought to be mainly texts of the New Bön tradition. Other catalogues do include these texts as well as the collective writings of other Bön sages such as Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen. Additionally, many texts are incredibly rare and are guarded from outsiders. Therefore, few if any copies of these texts exist. Some texts are considered valid to be included in the Ka Ten by some, while being considered invalid and thus excluded by others. Titles can be included within unrelated volumes or counted individually, and so on. Even so, it is generally accepted that there are over 300 volumes of Ka Ten scriptures. These volumes include commentaries and practices based upon scriptures of the Ka such as The Practice Manual of the Aural Transmission of Zhang Zhung by Dru Gyalwa Yungdrung, scriptures of philosophy and logic, biographies, historical accounts, compositions of sacred songs, poetry, and advice for disciples, collections of liturgical texts, and so on.

I, of inferior intelligence, but for the benefit of beings and for the sake of explaining at least part of the meaning, will explain the Sky Ladder to Freedom, an Abridged Commentary of the Meaning of the Heart’s Blood of Bön, the Mantric Praise of Jamma. If one were able to explain the commentary on the merits of Jamma in great detail including the characteristics of each of the deities, it would amount to twenty-one great chapters in many volumes. ”  

Extract from A Sky-Ladder to Freedom: An Abridged Commentary Regarding the Meaning of the Words of the Mantric Praise of Jamma, the Deity Who Protects From All Things composed by the great 23rd abbot of Menri Monastery His Holiness Nyima Tenzin Rinpoche
Traditionally wrapped and labeled Yungdrung Bön scriptures.

Tibetan translations by Raven Cypress Wood

Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.


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