Nine Ways

Forty-Three Trainings for an Enlightened Mind And Other Divine Writings by Raven Cypress Wood introduces us to Kündun Sonam Lodro, the 22nd Abbot of Menri Monastery, and his poetic compositions of spiritual guidance. Born in 1784, he was the first of the Menri abbots to forego a life of complete solitary practice for long pilgrimages throughout Tibet. Along the way, he spent time in intensive meditation as well as meeting with faithful followers of Yungdrung Bön and Buddhist monk scholars. In this way, he became renowned for both his incredible intellect and his realization.

In this book, four of Kündun Sonam Lodro’s compositions have been translated into English. Forty-Three Trainings for an Enlightened Mind is a five-part composition of forty-three stanzas that provides guidance for daily living and spiritual development for practitioners of lesser knowledge or capacity, those of ordinary capacity, and for the most advanced practitioners. This epic work inspires the reader to continually follow the path of virtue and truth above all else.

“In order to practice the path of liberation at all times during the day and night, you must have the kind of diligent effort that is like trying to extinguish your hair that has caught on fire.”

—Excerpt from Forty-Three Trainings for an Enlightened Mind

Sherap Gongyal’s Supplication and Experiential Song upon Perceiving the Suffering and Misery of Cyclic Existence is prose of such vivid imagery that it pierces the delusory nature of worldly things and inspires commitment to a meaningful human life and spiritual development.

“Craving for the deep mud of food and property is like covering the eyes with both hands while they are bound together by desire and attachment.

There is no freedom, and one will fall into the muddy depths and become trapped. And so, they remain within the deep mire of cyclic existence.

Lama, think of us! Hold us within your compassion! Lead us along the path of liberation and great bliss, I pray!”

—Excerpt from Sherap Gongyal’s Supplication and Experiential Song upon Perceiving the Suffering and Misery of Cyclic Existence

The Spontaneous Wish-fulfillment of Removing Obstacles from the Path is a commonly recited prayer within the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition. Rather than a composition, this prayer was given to Kündun Sonam Lodro during a vision of the enlightened Khandro Sherap Lo Pélmo and therefore is considered an oral transmission. This prayer is recited either as a daily practice or when needed to remove problems or obstacles. In the colophon of the prayer, it states: “By reciting this prayer a single time, obstacles of an entire year are pacified. By reciting it 100 times, obstacles of one lifetime are pacified.” And, “If you perform this aspiration prayer and request attainments, there will be food for those who need food, clothes for those who need clothes, and so on. Whatever supreme accomplishment that you ask for will happen without a doubt!”

A Flowing River of Supplications and Blessings is a heartfelt homage to the places of ultimate refuge. The beauty of the writing naturally guides the mind of the reader to a state of inspiration and openness.

“Within the king’s palace at the center of my body is the embodiment of all spiritual masters, the root lama, surrounded by a gathering of the guardians of the teachings.

To the one who pacifies all outer and inner obstacles, I devotedly prostrate, present offerings, and supplicate! Compassionately bless me and all other migrating beings!

Without exception, having pacified all illness, obstacles, and external interferences, lead us along the path of liberation and great bliss!”

—Excerpt from A Flowing River of Supplications and Blessings

The English language translation of these writings is followed by the Tibetan text. Additionally, the book contains a brief biographical introduction to Kündun Sonam Lodro, an extensive list of his compositions, a brief history of Menri Monastery together with a list of its thirty-four abbots along with their associated dates.

Forty-Three Trainings for an Enlightened Mind And Other Divine Writings by Raven Cypress Wood is available now through Lulu and can be purchased by following this link: https://www.lulu.com/shop/raven-cypress-wood/forty-three-trainings-for-an-enlightened-mind/paperback/product-wmw97z.html?q=Raven+Cypress+Wood&page=1&pageSize=4

Additionally, it will soon be available at the Ligmincha International Store here: https://ligmincha.org/?s=raven&post_type=product and also through Namse Bangdzo Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

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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The Royal Tibetan New Year, known as Losar, is the 1st lunar day of the 1st lunar month each year. In 2023, this date coincides with February 21st on the Western calendar. In the weeks leading up to Losar, both monasteries and households are continuously busy with preparations such as deep cleaning and freshly painting as much as possible.

During this time, it is customary to make many fried Tibetan cookies known as khapsé. These khapsé are first offered to the shrine and to the revered lamas, and then to friends and family during and after the Losar celebration. Wheat grass seeds are planted in small pots and the young green shoots are placed with the other offerings as a symbol of a good harvest and prosperity in the coming year. 

In the monasteries and nunneries, Losar includes for many end-of-year prayers and rituals including the sacred dances called cham. On the 25th lunar day of the 12th month, there is a test for the cham dancers and those chanting the melodies. On the 26th day, all of the offering torma are made. 

The extensive ritual of the wrathful yidam Phurba known as the Tro Phur Gutor Chenmo begins the ceremonial conclusion of the previous year. This ritual lasts for three days and includes many sacred dances as well as elaborate rituals for removing obstacles and negativity. This ritual begins on the 27th lunar day and concludes on the evening of the 29th lunar day with the removal of the main prayer flag from the courtyard. In 2023, these dates coincide with February 17th-February 19th. The main prayer flag for the new year is raised on the 5th lunar day of the 1st month which is the celebration of the Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche, the founder of Menri Monastery and its first throne-holder. During the time between removal of the old prayer flag and raising the new one, the rules of monastic discipline are slightly relaxed. 

For householders, the 29th lunar day which is called nyi shu gu, is a time to clean their homes and clear their debts from the previous year. That evening, a dokpa ritual for sending away negativity is performed. The family shares a special stew of nine ingredients called gu thuk. Although there can be regional variations, according to His Eminence Menri Pönlop Rinpoche, these nine ingredients are meat, wheat, barley, rice, cheese, corn, troma (a himalayan root vegetable), salt, and water. Cooked within the stew are balls of dough which contain items meant as a playful kind of divination that reveals the character of the family members who receive them in their bowl of stew. Rather than the actual items, the name of the symbols can also be written on a small piece of paper and placed inside the balls of dough. There is some variation of the items but in general the items and their symbolic meaning are:

• Receiving a ball with cotton inside means the recipient will have good health all year.
• Receiving a ball with a chili inside means the recipient is sharp-tongued.
• Receiving a ball with a white stone inside means the recipient is good-hearted.
• Receiving a ball with a piece of charcoal inside means the recipient is black-hearted or has bad habits.
• Receiving a ball with a piece of paper inside means the recipient is always trying to sneak something for themselves.
• Receiving a ball with a piece of twisted string means the recipient has a strong and stable mind.
• Receiving a ball with a pea inside means the recipient is cunning.
• Receiving a ball with salt inside means that the recipient is a pleasant person.
• Receiving a ball with onion inside means that the recipient has an unpleasant smell.

Everyone saves a small amount of the last of their stew to be used as a ransom payment for the negative spirits of the previous year. This ritual payment settles the karmic debts with negative spirits so that they become satisfied and happy and have no reason to cause harm. An effigy representing these spirits is made and must include each of the five senses. Along with the leftover stew, each person also makes a karmic debt torma. This is a small ball of roasted flour made into a dough that has been rubbed over the body from head to toe in order to absorb all illness and negative energy. Then, the ball of dough is rolled into a strip the width of the hand and squeezed so that each of the fingers make an impression. Women make the impression with their left hands, and men use their right hands. This karmic debt torma is then placed with the other gifts around the effigy along with a piece of hair and a string from the clothing of each family member. A small candle is placed in front of the effigy and then lit. 

Before the effigy is carried out, a prayer is recited to formally present the gifts to the spirits and request that in exchange for the gifts of ransom, that they not cause any harm. The following prayer is from the dokpa ritual of the enlightened fierce deity Nampar Jompa.

“OM

Come here, all you spirits who have a commitment to the teachings of the Buddha!

Come all gods, humans, and demi-gods, all spirits that cause harm or disease, all male and female demons. Without excluding anyone, all you spirits, come!

Accept this ransom torma which repays my karmic debts. Do not cause harm to this family or community and don’t create any obstacles to our spiritual practice!

Now, each of you happily return to your homes and listen to the noble teachings of the Buddha.

SO OM BA DZRA TRO TA SUM TRI GHA TSA YA GHA TSA YA 

NÖ JÉ JUNG PO A MU KHA RA YA HUNG PÉ

Once the prayer is complete, one family member takes the effigy, facing forward and held below the waist, and leaves it at a crossroads, or an energetically rough place in the negative direction of the outgoing year. When returning home, this person must not look back. When they arrive, they must be ritually cleansed with water before they enter the house.

On the 30th lunar day, New Year’s Eve, homes are decorated, shrines are cleaned, and fresh offerings are placed on them. It is common for people to be awake most of the night preparing for the next day. Even so, they get up early the next morning to perform a large fumigation offering known as sang, and to make aspirations for the new year. (For more information about the sang ritual within the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition, see previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2021/11/19/new-book-release-sacred-smoke-the-ritual-practice-of-fumigation-and-offering-in-the-yungdrung-bon-religious-tradition/ ) 

The first spring water of the new year is considered very auspicious, and it is common for people to go directly to the community well after midnight to try and be the first person to collect water and offer it on their shrine. On New Year’s Day, everyone stays at home or only leaves home to go to the monastery in order to pray and make offerings. On the 2nd and 3rd days of the new year, it is customary to spend time visiting friends and family in order to strengthen the positive energy and harmonious bonds for the coming year.

All translations and content by 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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The 15th day of the 12th lunar month in 2023 is the 18,040th birth anniversary of the founder of the Yungdrung Bön tradition, the Enlightened Lord Tönpa Shenrap Miwo Künlé Nampar Gyalwa. This date corresponds with February 5th on the Western calendar. Below is a partial translation of a recitation traditionally performed on the anniversary of his birth.

Prayer of Request

Namo!  

Within the mandala of the space of the Bön essence is the lord of the teachings, Tritsuk Gyal, together with the buddhas and bodhisattvas of a thousand eons. Please pay heed to me right here and now, I pray! Until cyclic existence is empty, I will strive for supreme enlightenment and follow after the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Generating the Mind of Enlightenment  

This lifetime is not only for my own welfare and happiness. For the benefit of all sentient beings who are transmigrating within the six destinies, I generate the mind of supreme enlightenment!

Going for Refuge 

Through pure prostrations and with the reverence of my body, speech and mind, I and other beings without exception go for refuge to the divine mandala of enlightened beings.

Admission of Wrongdoing and Purification

I, and the countless sentient beings, admit to the gathering of buddhas all non-virtue that has arisen because of the five poisons from beginning-less time until this very moment.

Offering  

With diligence and effort, I produce through visualization offerings of luxury, useful possessions, and all that exists. I offer this to the divine mandala of enlightened beings.

Remorse

I generate remorse for the actions of non-virtue and immorality that I have done in the past. I vow that from now on, I will not repeat them. Instead, I will delight in accumulating virtue.

Joyfulness

I and the other beings pray for you to stay and not pass into nirvana for the sake of transmigrating beings. Hold us within your compassion without ever letting go! We urge you to turn the wheel of joy!  

Dedication

I dedicate the roots of virtue of myself and others for the quick attainment of enlightenment. By the force of this powerful virtue, may we purify the two obscurations, accumulate the two perfections, and quickly attain the fruit of the three enlightened bodies!

Conclusion: A Prayer of Aspiration   

Throughout the countless universes and infinite realms, may the age of enemies, poison, weapons and disease be pacified!  May the blazing fire of rage and warfare not arise!  

May happiness and goodness pervade everywhere! 

May all auspicious circumstances of time and place fall like a constantly beautiful shower of rain!  

May the four elements be balanced throughout the four seasons! 

May peace and happiness along with auspicious goodness pervade the phenomenal universe!  

By having the potency of blissful and harmonious conditions, may all goals which are in harmony with Bön be accomplished!

Through the light of wisdom of the Bön teachings of enlightenment in this world, which strongly blaze and never decline like the light of the sun and moon, may we reach the ultimate destination without obstacle!

Having engaged in all kinds of pure teachings and abandoned impure activities and karmic potentialities, and having engaged in pure discipline, may I maintain the wisdom and purity of the three trainings! 

Having completed the purpose of the three trainings and accomplished the benefit for myself and others, may I and others be inseparable from the state of the single sphere!

May our experience be the same as the expansive space of the Bön essence which is just like the sky!

—Excerpt from the Zi Ji

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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Want to join the mandala of Nine Ways supporters? Follow this link https://ravencypresswood.com/donate/