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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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Menri Monastery: Annual Retreat of the Great Loving Mother

Jamma Chenmo, the Great Loving Mother

Each year during the 23rd-29th lunar days of the 5th month, members of the Menri Monastery ordained community undergo a retreat for Jamma Chenmo, the Great Loving Mother. This year, those lunar dates coincide with July 10th-16th, 2023 on the Western calendar.

Jamma Chenmo, the Great Loving Mother, is a Buddha who manifests as a loving mother to care for each and every sentient being as though they were her only child. In her manifestation as one of the Four Transcendent Buddhas of the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition, she is called by the Zhang Zhung name Satrik Érsang.

Buddha Jamma Chenmo, also known as Sherap Jamma, can manifest in any way necessary to act for the welfare of sentient beings. She magically emanates as the Five Wisdom Families who are the manifestation of her enlightened body, the Eight Protectors who are the manifestation of her enlightened speech, the Sixteen Door Openers who are manifestations of her enlightened mind, the thirty-two emanations who are manifestations of her enlightened qualities, the fifty-two emanations that are manifestations of her enlightened activity, the 108 emanations who are the source of many Jamma scriptures, the 360 emanations who keep watch over the five elements of the phenomenal world and every kind of sentient being, the 5,500 emanations that are yungdrung sempa [Sanskrit:bodhisattvas], and the many limitless emanations who are part of her retinue and who work on her behalf.

The Five Wisdom Manifestations of Jamma Chenmo

Jamma Chenmo’s Five Wisdom Family emanations all have a peaceful appearance and collectively embody the five wisdoms and purify the five poisons. These five manifestations are Künsel Jamma, Tabgyi Jamma, Mönlam Jamma, Tukjé Jamma, and Topgyi Jamma. Künsel Jamma, the All-clear Loving Mother, is a fiery golden color.  She has one face, two arms, and two legs. In her right hand, she holds a golden vase of nectar. In her left hand, she holds a udumbara flower. At the flower’s apex is a round mirror symbolizing wisdom. She wears bracelets of crystal, and around her neck is an ornament of forty wisdom tiklés. She is the embodiment of the wisdom of emptiness.

Tapgyi Jamma, Loving Mother of Skillful Means, is white with one face, four arms, and two legs. In her two right hands, she holds a net and a lotus. In her two left hands, she holds a lightening bolt and a yungdrung. She is the embodiment of mirror-like wisdom.

Mönlam Jamma, Loving Mother of Aspiration, is also known as Namkha Dzö Dzinma, Holder of a Sky Treasury. She is green with one face, four arms, and two legs. In her right two hands, she holds a razor and a staff. In her two left hands, she holds a renunciate’s begging bowl and a vase of lustral water. She is the embodiment of the wisdom of equanimity.

Tükjé Jamma, Loving Mother of Compassion, is like the queen of all the khandro and also manifests as the great consort, Chema Ötso. She is red with one face, four arms, and two legs. In her right two hands, she holds a lasso and a sun. In her left two hands, she holds a precious jewel and a victory banner. She is the embodiment of discriminating wisdom.

Topgyi Jamma, Loving Mother of Power, is also known as Nang Si Kün Drakma, Goddess who is renowned throughout the phenomenal universe. She is blue with one face, four arms, and two legs. In her right two hands she holds a dagger and a military banner. In her left two hands, she holds a horoscope and an utpal flower. She is the embodiment of all-accomplishing wisdom.

Jamma Chenmo and her retinue

This cycle of tantric teachings of Künsel Jamma Chenmo are found in the 8th Way of Bön, The Way of the Primordial Shen.

“Although Bön is abundant and plentiful, this Great Vehicle of the Primordial Shen is different from the lower 7th Vehicle. The king of all oral transmissions, those transmissions spoken with words, is the Bön cycle of Künsal Jamma Chenmo.”  

— From Jamma’s 100,000 Empowerments

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