After multiple requests by the Yungdrung Bön faithful to have English translations related to invoking the drala available in order to prevent, harmonize, and/or avert disruptions or harm caused by astrological influences, Nine Ways is happy to announce publication of Summoning the Drala: Protection and Support from Primordial Guardians. There is both a spiral bound color book and an eBook available. Only the print book contains the Tibetan language prayers and corresponding phonetics for recitation. There is an introduction that gives a brief explanation of the drala and how to make offerings. Prayers include the preliminary practices of requesing consideration, generating the mind of enlightenment, going for refuge, water cleansing, and fumigation with incense. Then follows the newly translated Essential Invocation of the Drala which is a prayer given by Buddha Tönpa Shenrap, and Command for the Queen of the Drala which was composed by the one known by Bönpos as The Second Buddha, the unrivaled Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen, founder of Menri Monastery and the one who united the three lineage transmissions of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen. The practice booklet concludes with the hundred syllable mantra, a dedication of merit, and symbolic images of armor and weapons that can be used for making offerings to the drala. Both the print booklet and the eBook are available here: https://www.lulu.com/search?sortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=drala&adult_audience_rating=00
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Tügkar, Drala, Changseng, and Nyen
Making Offerings
Summoning the Drala
Requesting Consideration
Going for Refuge
Generating the Mind of Enlightenment
Cleansing with Water
Fumigating with Incense
Essential Invocation of the Drala
Command for the Drala Queen
The One Hundred Syllable Mantra
Dedication
Appendix
Endnotes
This booklet is meant to be an immediate support for those in need rather than an in-depth study of the subject material. These specific prayers were chosen because they are frequently recommended as expedient ways to invoke support and neutralize harm by calling upon the drala who are a primordial class of worldly protecters. Especially, from the view of astrology, each year brings both supportive and challenging aspects to each individual. For those whose yearly Tibetan astrological calculation indicates a probability for obstacles, one of the recommended methods for support is to call upon the drala. (To know more about who can benefit from invoking the drala during the current year of the Fire Horse, see previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2026/02/14/2026-the-year-of-the-male-fire-horse/)
“From our great ancestor of the past, Mu Chuk Khorlo, until the present victors of Bön and beyond, we have relied upon you as our close allies and made offerings to the drala of the ancestral lineages from generation to generation. Now, at our time of need, when we call upon the army of gods because of enemies, we beseech you to come quickly without delay!”
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The 5th day of the 1st lunar month is the birth anniversary of the founder of Menri Monastery, the Mother monastery of Yungdrung Bön, Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche. He is also known as The Second Buddha in the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition. In 2026, this lunar date coincides with February 22nd on the Western calendar.The unrivaled Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoché was a reincarnation of Yikyi Khye’u Chung, one of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoche’s sons. He reunited the three transmission lineages of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen that had become widely dispersed without any single person having the transmissions for all three lineages.
Each year on the 29th lunar day of the 12th month, the large, main prayer flag at Yungdrung Bön monasteries is taken down. From that time until the birth celebration of Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen, the rules of monastic discipline are slightly relaxed. Then, early on the morning of the birth celebration, accompanied by a fumigation offering, a new prayer flag is raised whose color corresponds to the elemental color of the New Year. For the Year of the Fire Horse, the color of the flag will be red.
On this day, Bönpos will spend the day with their eyes looking skyward. If they are lucky enough to be visited by a vulture on this day, it is said to be an auspicious sign of having directly received the blessings of the one known as the Second Buddha, the Unequaled One, Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoché.
Cloak belonging to the precious lord Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche. Photo credit: Unknown
Born in 1356 C.E. in the region of Gyalrong into the esteemed Dru lineage, as a child, he could recite mantra and read scripture without having studied. At the age of ten, he decided to become a monk. In 1387 C.E. at the age of 31, he entered the prestigious Yeru Wensaka monastery and eventually became its abbot. While he was traveling in Eastern Tibet, Yeru Wensaka was destroyed by flooding and mudslides. Upon returning, he searched the ruins of the monastery for any salvageable artifacts. With these precious objects, he established Tashi Menri Monastery on higher ground within the same valley. It was 1405 C.E. and he was 50 years old.
In 1415 C.E. at the age of 60, he left the container of his physical body. His body began levitating high into the air, but due to the fervent prayers of his disciples, it returned to the earth. During the cremation ceremony, rainbows appeared and a large bird circled three times around the cremation area before disappearing into the West.
Supplication to Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen
“You are a king of great bliss and the embodiment of Künzang Gyalwa Düpa.
You are like the wisdom deity Mawé Sengé, never forgetting what you have perceived.
You are the unequaled crown ornament of the Bönpo world.
At the feet of Sherap Gyaltsen, I supplicate!”
The Writings of His Holiness Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche*
Cycle of Supplication and Aspiration Prayers
Praise of the Four Supreme Places of Refuge
Offering and Praise to Mawé Sengé
Supplication Prayer to the Mawé Sengé Lineage
Praise of Venerable Essence of [the] Dru [Family Lineage]
Eight Characteristics of Tséwang’s Eight Sacred Places
Stages of Chanted Supplications
Eight-branched Aspiration Prayer, A Ladder to Freedom
Homage to the Charactristics of the Aural Transmission Shenraps
The Gift of the Physical Body
Condensed Peaceful Chö of Gifting the Body
Command for the Gods and Demons
Cycle of Fumigation and Fulfillment
Stages of Preliminary Practices for a Completely Pure Fumigation Offering
A Small Collection Regarding the Medicine Deity Generation Stage
Supplication and Requesting Consideration from the Marvelous Ones
Invocation of the Practice Lineage
Special Fulfillment
A Completely Pure River of Requesting Consideration and Supplication
Burnt Offerings of the Treasury of Precious Terma
General Fulfillment from a Bundle of Precious Terma
A Precious Mala of Fumigation Offerings
Fumigation Offering to the Powerful Ones
Fumigation Offering to Sigyal
Fumigation Offering to Black Mule Sigyal from the Precious Terma
Sigyal’s Manifested Realization
Sigyal’s Threadcross Practice
A Brief Paper on Sigyal’s Threadcross
A Brief Paper on Black Mule Sigyal’s Feast Offering
Short Fulfillment Practice of Black Mule Sigyal
Practice of the Black Net Threadcross
The Shining Lamp of Realization of the Red and Black Threadcross
Commandments for the Avowed Guardians of the Teachings
Important Points regarding the Fulfillment of Midü Jampa
Fumigation Offering to Midü
Offering and Fulfillment to Drak Tsen
Fumigation Offering to Drak Tsen
Invocation of Nyipangsé
Command for Nyipangsé
Command for the Queen of the Drala
Gyalpo Sheltrap Torma Offering and Fulfillment
A Brief Invocation of Sheltrap
Praise in Appreciation of the Fumigation Offering
Supplement to the Fumigation Offering
Generation Stage for the Fulfillment Torma
Celebration of Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche. Photo credit: Unknown
Cycle of Supplementary Texts for the Practices of Accomplishment
Destroying the Doors to Negative Rebirths
Realization of the Completely Pure Lotus of the Vast Expanse
Mantric Accomplishment of Shenrap Nampar Gyalwa
Fire Offerings of Nampar Gyalwa
Realization of the Yungdrung Sutra of the Vast Expanse
Going for Refuge according to the Vast Expanse
Practice of Künzang’s Luminous AH
Stages of Meditative Stabilization
Text for Künzang’s Luminous AH
Stages of Realization for Walsé
Accomplishing the Essential Through the Realization of Walsé
Purification and Increase of Torma
Accomplishment of Sending Out and Gathering Back with Mantra Accumulation
Practice of the Secret Mantra Lineage
Realization of Black Garuda Walsé
Clarifying the Realization of Black Garuda Walsé
Expanding the Realization of the Amazing Trowo
Secret Quintessential Instructions for the General Practice of the Amazing Trowo
Invitation, Homage, and Confession of Wrongdoing for the Reversal Practice of the Great Red Trowo
Inviting the Wisdom Zema
Aspiration Prayer for Threadcross Practice
A Lamp that Clarifies the Meditative Focus of Secret, Greatly Wrathful Gekhö
Supplication to the Gekhö Lineage
Complete Supplication, A Rainshower of Blessings
Practice of the Secret Wrathful Lineage
The Irreversible Mantra of Gekhö, A Golden Razor
Supplement to Presenting Offerings to the Gekhö Deities
Realization of Walpur, Ornaments of Fire
Fulfillment of the Walpur Lineage
Outline for the Empowerment and Teachings of Walpur, A Rainshower of Blessings
Empowerment and Teachings of Walpur, A Rainshower of Blessings
Realization of Tséwang Tartuk
Accomplishment of Tséwang Tartuk
Fire Offerings to Tséwang
Introduction for Empowerments
Musical Notations for Festivals
Cycle of Science
Tikles and Channels of Relics and the Physical Body of Those Gone to Bliss
Clarification regarding the characteristics of colored powders, A Magical Mirror
Cycle of Authoritative Commentaries
Analyzing the Characteristics of The Magical Lamp Text
Analyzing the Characteristics of The Magical Lamp Autocommentary
Clarification of the Limits of All Knowable Things
Commentary Regarding the Sutric and Tantric Explanations of the Stages of the Vehicles
Text of the Grounds and the Paths
Autocommentary of Text of the grounds and the paths
A Clear Lamp for the Path of Liberation
Commentary Regarding the Clear Explanation of the Abridged Kham Gyé
Commentary Regarding the Two Truths in the Middle Way, A Magical Lamp
A Commentary of Clear Advice Regarding Monastic Discipline
Commentary of Condensed Discipline
Renewing Monastic Discipline
Commentary Regarding Cosmology
Clarifying Secret Points
Detailed Analysis of the Secret Vows
Hidden Commentary on the Mind of Enlightenment, Mandala of the Sun
* Although this list is extensive, it is not the complete list of compositions
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