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9,842nd Anniversary of the Buddha’s Twelfth Deed: Demonstrating the Truth of Impermanence

Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché lying in the sleeping lion posture and obtaining parinirvana in the presence of gods, humans, and lu.  

On the new moon day of the 1st Winter month in the Water Hare year, Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché demonstrated the truth of impermanence by leaving behind the container of his physical body and transcending worldly suffering. In 2025, the anniversary of this date coincides with December 19th on the Western calendar. Any virtuous activity performed through the three doors of body, speech, or mind on this day is greatly multiplied.

At the age of eighty-two shen years (8,200 human years), the enlightened Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché began to display the truth of impermanence for sentient beings by allowing the constituents of his physical body to become weak and to manifest illness. Alarmed, his disciples performed rituals and administered medicine. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods according to relative truth, the Buddha temporarily recovered.

However, after a brief time had passed, he caused his physical condition to again weaken. This provided an opportunity for the Buddha to give teachings to his disciples regarding the process of death. Before leaving his physical human body, the Buddha spoke with his assembly of disciples and entrusted them with the responsibility of being lineage holders for particular teachings. He then prophesied regarding the future of his teachings including his teachings of mind, the time period when the written scriptures would no longer exist but would continue only by being held in the mind.

Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché

“After I pass into nirvana, for 1,800 years the legacy of the teachings made during the presence of a Buddha’s body will be completed. Then, after my representative appears, my teachings of speech will remain for 10,000 human years. After that, the teachings of mind will remain for another 10,000 human years. After the teachings of mind come to an end, the average human lifespan will eventually decrease to only ten years. At that time, the future Teacher will appear. Those connected to me and my teachings, having reached the irreversible stage on the path, will dwell in liberation in the realm of absolute reality.”

At dusk on the new moon day of the 1st Winter month at the Nine-leveled Yungdrung Mountain, Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché adopted the posture of a sleeping lion and demonstrated the accomplishment of passing beyond suffering. After the cremation of his physical body, the relics from the ash were distributed among the gods, humans, and the lu [Sanskrit: naga] as objects of faith and devotion.

After that, the assembly of disciples led by Aza Sangwa prepared vast and unsurpassed offerings and then presented them to the Teacher. Aza Sangwa then sang this verse:

“Highest Shen, having perfected renunciation and realization, you have blissfully departed. With compassion for beings, you took on a human form as the Victorious One. To you who took on this form, I prostrate!

Noble son of the Victorious One, glory of beings, you took on a form for the sake of migrating beings, a self-arisen emanation body. You sat upon the throne of the universal monarch and guided beings through the Nine Ways. In the realm of absolute reality, your nature is spontaneously perfect. Appearing as an tülku, you contemplated the welfare of beings. In the billion world systems of this pure realm, you emanated a billion emanations to tame. To you who fully tames, I prostrate!

For the difficult to tame sentient beings of cyclic existence, you deeply contemplate them with wisdom and loving compassion. You pacify their suffering and misery, causing them to abandon the lower realms and to be established on the path of liberation. To the perfect guide, I prostrate!

The Teacher, the glorious lamp of omniscience, although passing into nirvana in the vast expanse of the nature of phenomena, in order for your unceasing compassion to remain, you established the three aspects of the teachings as your legacy. To the Victorious One, I prostrate! 

Holy son of the Victorious One, although you were without any need for practice or attainment while experiencing various hardships, you perfected practice and attainment as an example for the benefit of migrating beings. To you who has perfects attainments, I prostrate!

Although there is no birth or death in the Victorious One’s body, in order to demonstrate with an example that phenomena with characteristics are impermanent, you showed the manner of passing into nirvana into the vast expanse of the true nature of phenomena. To the one who is completely accomplished, I prostrate!

Extract from the Zi Ji

Having offered this praise, the entire assembly prostrated, circumambulated, and made offerings. As a result, all the realms of the world intensely trembled. From the sky, many bright lights shone forth. From the intermediate space, many melodious sounds resounded. From the earth, many beautiful flowers bloomed. Among the realms tamed by the Teacher, countless sentient beings from the realms of the gods, the demi-gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings attained buddhahood. Those who remained behind were filled with great joy and became extremely attentive to the Yungdrung Bön teachings. Then, the Teacher’s pronouncements were finalized and compiled into precious volumes totaling sixty thousand, that were enshrined within the sacred site of Trimon Gyalzhe.

The parinirvana of Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché is observed each year by monks, nuns, and lay practitioners worldwide. Photo credit: Unknown

One year later, an assembly of thirteen yungdrung sempa [Sanskrit: bodhisattvas] compiled the teachings of Lord Buddha. Time passed, and the era of being able to rely upon the physical presence of the Buddha drew to  a close. Then began the era of relying upon the Buddha’s speech. Lord Tönpa Shenrap’s successor, Mucho Demdruk, descended from the sky into Olmo Lungring and began to turn the wheel of Yungdrung Bön for gods and humans. Among his disciples were “the six intellectual ornaments of the world.” These six scholars translated the teachings of Lord Buddha into their respective native languages of Tazik, India, China, and Trom and therefore were able to spread the teachings of enlightenment in every direction.

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The Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü, Nyam Gyü, & The Chak Tri: How are They Related?

The Nine Buddhas, the Twenty-four Masters, Tapihrista, and the three protectors of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü

Although this website purposely does not share or discuss the dzogchen teachings or practices, this article explains the relationship of three separate texts within one of the most treasured cycle of dzogchen teachings: The Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü, The Aural Transmission from Zhang Zhung. Of the three, sometimes counted as four, primary lineages of dzogchen in the Yungdrung Bön tradition, the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü stands out as being especially treasured. Although the other scriptures were hidden or kept secret during the persecution of the 8th century C.E in Tibet, the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü was given protected status by the persecuting king. Thus, the transmission of this high teaching from one master to the ear of one student down through generations was never broken. Although it has traditionally been kept very secret, due to changing circumstances in modern times the protectors of the scripture have given permission to allow the teaching to be shared more openly.

The Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyu: The full title of the text is The Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyu Ka Gyü Kor Zhi, The Four Cycles of the Enlightened Words of the Aural Transmission of Zhang Zhung. It is commonly referred to as either The Nyen Gyü or The Kor Zhi. This is the root text. The source of these teachings is the primordial enlightened one, Küntu Zangpo. The teachings were transmitted mind-to-mind from Küntu Zangpo through eight other enlightened ones to Sangwa Düpa. This Sangwa Düpa was born a prince of Tazik and is considered by Bönpos as the previous incarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha. He transmitted the teaching using both his awareness and spoken words to a human, a lu [Sanskrit: naga], and a god. These three disciples are the beginning of the lineage known as the twenty-four masters who all successively attained the rainbow body of light as a sign of the ultimate realization of dzogchen. From there, the transmission continued to the esteemed yogi Nangzher Lopo who was instrumental in protecting the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü from having to be hidden in order to not be destroyed during the time of persecution. With permission from Tapihritsa, he first wrote down the core teachings given to him by Dawa Gyaltsen and Tapihritsa in the 8th century C.E.. These included teachings such as The Four Goodnesses, The Six Lamps, The Twenty-One Nails, and so on. In the 10th century, Pöngyal Tsenpo, aka Pönchen Tsenpo, translated those teachings from Zhang Zhung into Tibetan and also wrote down descriptions of the Trul Khor movements.

Later in the 11th century, Yangtön Chenpo Sherap Gyaltsen, a member of the esteemed Yangtön clan of Dolpo, received the full transmissions for the upper and lower systems of teachings, thus uniting them. He wrote down this compilation of teachings as well as commentaries. He is considered to have had great kindness for disciples by writing the complete teachings of the Nyen Gyud and Nyam Gyü down for the first time as they are known and practiced today in order to make it easier for their study and practice. However, it is believed that by writing down the secret teachings, an obstacle was created and his lifespan was shortened because he died at the age of 63 rather than the prophesied age of 75. (For a fuller list of the lineage lamas of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü, see previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2015/01/18/the-field-of-accumulation-the-aural-transmission-of-zhang-zhung/ )

The Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü is a relatively large volume containing titles such as The Twelve Small Tantras and its corresponding commentary, The Twenty-one Nails and its corresponding commentary, The Six Lamps and its corresponding commentary, instructions on the practice of trul khor and tsa lung, the story of Tapihritsa and Nangzher Lopo including teachings of The Four Goodnesses, Quintessential Instructions for practicing with the mind, Self-purification of the Six Destinies, invocations of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü guardians Nyipangsé and Menmo Namchi Gunggyal, and so on. Some volumes begin with chapters dedicated to short biographies of the lineage masters.

Yangtön Chenpo Sherap Gyaltsen

The Nyam Gyu: The more complete title is The Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü Nyam Gyü, The Experiential Transmission of the Aural Lineage of Zhang Zhung. This is commonly known as The Nyam Gyü, The Experiential Transmission. This text is a collection of spiritual experiences and subsequent advice and pith instructions of the masters practicing the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü. There is a condensed collection, a medium-length collection, and an expanded collection of pith instructions. Perhaps best known is the condensed collection of pith instructions known as the Tor Bu. This was written down in the 11th Century by Orgom Kündul at the request of Yangtön Chenpo.

The Chak Tri: This text is commonly known as The Chak Tri, The Practice Manual. In the 13th century C.E., Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung, esteemed abbot of Yeru Wensaka Monastery, received the single transmission of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü. He went on to compile the practice manual for the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü in order to organize the teachings into a logical sequence of practice. In addition to creating a step-by-step guide for the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü teachings, he also included bits of his own advice for teachers guiding students in their spiritual development. The Chak Tri has twelve chapters which are sometimes grouped into five general categories.

  • Chapter One contains the hagiography of many of the lineage masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü.
  • Chapter Two contains the chanted prayers and verses for the ngondro or preliminary practices. 
  • Chapter Three contains the actual instruction and visualization practices for the nine preliminary practices. 
  • Chapter Four contains instructions for the primary meditation practice of dzogchen. These instructions include practices for recognizing and stabilizing the mind.
  • Chapter Five contains instructions concerning the view of dzogchen.
  • Chapter Six contains instructions regarding dzogchen meditation.
  • Chapter Seven contains instructions regarding integration of the view with the behavior and activities of a dzogchen practitioner.
  • Chapter Eight contains instructions and clarifications regarding the result of Dzogchen practice.
  • Chapter Nine contains instructions for practices to remove obstacles and strengthen realization.  
  • Chapter Ten contains instructions on the yogic exercises of trul khor to remove obstacles and enhance meditative experience.
  • Chapter Eleven contains instructions regarding the forty-nine day dark retreat.
  • Chapter Twelve contains instructions regarding the yogic exercises of tsa lung to remove obstacles and enhance meditative experience. 
Depiction of Dru Gyalwa Yungdrung

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Celebration of the 90th Birthday of H. H. the 14th Dalai Lama Gyalwa Rinpoche & Statement Regarding the Continuation of the Dalai Lama Lineage

July 6th is celebrated as the birthday of the one born as Lhamo Döndrup, recognized at the age of two and formally installed at the age of fifteen, as the leader of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism and therefore both the spiritual and secular leader of Tibet. Upon his enthronement, he was renamed Jetsun Jampel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso: Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate Defender of the Faith who is an Ocean of Wisdom. He is known as Yizhin Norbu Rinpoche, the Precious Wish-fulfilling Jewel, and referred to as Gyalwa Rinpoche, Most Precious Conqueror, by Tibetans. He is known around the world as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

The title Dalai Lama was first given in 1578 C.E. to Sonam Gyatso, leader of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism, by the Mongolian leader Altan Kahn who had just received teachings from him. The term Dalai Lama is a combination of the Mongolian word dalai meaning ocean, and the Tibetan word lama commonly meaning spiritual master and literally translated as mother of the soul, or highest mother. Sonam Gyatso became known as the 3rd Dalai Lama because the two previous leaders of the Geluk school were posthumously awarded the title. Beginning with the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century, the authority and influence of the Dalai Lamas expanded beyond sectarian boundaries into all schools of Tibetan Buddhism as well as becoming enjoined with the secular function of governing the country of Tibet.

Upon the occasion of his 90th birthday, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has issued a public statement regarding the continuation of the Dalai Lama lineage.

Statement Affirming the Continuation of the Institution of Dalai Lama

(Translated from the original Tibetan)

On 24 September 2011, at a meeting of the heads of Tibetan spiritual traditions, I made a statement to fellow Tibetans in and outside Tibet, followers of Tibetan Buddhism, and those who have a connection with Tibet and Tibetans, regarding whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue. I stated, “As far back as 1969, I made clear that concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations should continue in the future.”

I also said, “When I am about ninety I will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, to re-evaluate whether or not the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue.”

Although I have had no public discussions on this issue, over the last 14 years leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, participants in a Special General Body Meeting, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, NGOs, Buddhists from the Himalayan region, Mongolia, Buddhist republics of the Russian Federation and Buddhists in Asia including mainland China, have written to me with reasons, earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue. In particular, I have received messages through various channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal. In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue.

The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognized has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement which states that responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition.

I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.

Dalai Lama

Dharamshala

21 May 2025

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche.

Around the world on this day, devotees will begin the day with a large fumigation and smoke offering, and then present offerings and prayers to an image of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Especially on this day, there will be many prayers for his long and healthy life.

Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Gang ri ra wé kor wé zhing kham su
In a heavenly realm, surrounded by a chain of snow mountains,

Pen dang dé wa ma lü jung wé né
The source of all happiness and help for beings

Chenrezik wang Tenzin Gyatso yi
Is Tenzin Gyatso, Chenrezik in person.

Shyap pé kal gyé bar du ten gyur chik
May his life be secure for hundreds of eons!

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91st Anniversary of the Parinirvana of Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche

The 13th lunar day of the 4th lunar month is the anniversary of the parinirvana and the attainment of the rainbow body of Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche. In 2025, this date coincides with June 9th. Shardza Rinpoche was a Yungdrung Bön monk, teacher, scholar, and realized practitioner of the modern age. Born in 1859 in Kham, Tibet, at the age of nine an esteemed lama told his parents that he should become a monk. Being their only son, the parents refused. Shardza soon became quite ill. Seeing that their son was not recovering, the parents agreed to allow him to take ordination. At this, Shardza quickly recovered. He was the attendant for his root lama, Tenzin Wangyal, for many years. At the age of eighteen, he took the full vows of a Yungdrung Bön monk from the abbot of Yungdrung Ling Monastery.

Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche depicted as a yogi with long hair and a white robe

Throughout his life, Shardza Rinpoche was known for a disciplined adherence to every vow that he had taken throughout his life. Although his view and practice were vast and high, he maintained diligence in performing virtue and avoiding the smallest non-virtue. He continually performed the preliminary practices and recited many millions of mantra, especially the SA LÉ Ö mantra. He composed many concise practices for purifying negativity and accumulating merit and wisdom, such as his Aspiration Prayer of Giving and Receiving. (For the publicly available English translation, go to the Publications page of this website. For a brief explanation of the prayer, see previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2020/01/31/an-aspiration-prayer-of-giving-and-receiving-gift-translation/ )

“For those with a great deal of negative actions in this lifetime, having requested a remedy because they will certainly ripen during future lifetimes, the remedy of performing virtue is very powerful. Having ripened negative actions, the mere exhaustion of that karma (through pain and/or illness), enlightenment is certain. Therefore, this pain and illness of yours is very amazing when it is voluntarily accepted!

Even now, whenever more pain or illness arises, continuing to persevere with your religious practices, venerations, and acts of pure virtue would be incredibly amazing!

When you imagine that there will be no unhappiness in the future (due to this negative karma being exhausted), supremely praise the emptiness of that particular pain or illness.

Be inspired by the power of this antidote, even when what you don’t want arises.

Take the suffering and misery of others onto yourself by adopting others’ happiness and suffering through the practice of giving and receiving.” 

Shardza Rinpoche’s advice to the female practitioner Khandro Wangi Dronma. 
Hair and nails of Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen that were recovered after his attainment of the rainbow body
Hair and nails of Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche that were recovered after his attainment of the rainbow body

He taught a multitude of disciples, organized the reconstruction of temples, went on pilgrimages, and spent a great deal of time in isolated retreat. A prolific writer, he wrote at length on subjects such as Bön history, instructions for the practice of Tibetan yoga, preliminary practices for Dzogchen, condensed summaries of each of the None Ways of Bön, and detailed instructions for the advanced practice of inner heat, known as Tummo. When Shardza Rinpoche was 75 years old, his disciples noticed that his behavior changed. He seemed more casual and became delighted when playing with children. He was seen doing miraculous things such as walking without his feet touching the ground or setting his bowl down in space.

In 1934 at the age of 76 during an offering ceremony, he began to spontaneously sing songs of realization.  A few days later, he sewed himself inside a tent and forbid any of his disciples to open it.  The next day, rainbow lights began appearing above and around the tent. After three days, the ground shook. By the 4th day, rainbow-colored mist was seen coming through the seams of the tent. On that 4th day, Shardza’s disciple Tsultrim Wangchuk, afraid that his lama’s body would completely disappear and leave nothing as an object of veneration and inspiration, opened the tent. He found Shardza’s body enveloped in rainbow light, levitating in midair, and shrunken to the proportional size of a one year old child. The area around his heart was still warm but most of the nails of the hands and feet had fallen onto the seat below. For the next forty-nine days, a multitude of disciples came to pay their respect and receive blessings. After that, the precious remains were placed into a reliquary chorten. From time to time, many people have reported seeing clear or rainbow-colored light emanating from this reliquary chorten.

Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen’s reliquary chorten at his retreat center in Amdo, Tibet

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Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of His Eminence Menri Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

On February 6, 2025 in Kathmandu, Nepal within the new meditation temple at Palden Triten Norbutsé Monastery, the Yungdrung Bön community will gather and rejoice in the 100th birthday of His Eminence Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. Once His Eminence has entered the mediation hall and taken his seat upon the grand throne, many mandala offerings of glorious things will be offered and prayers for his long life will be chanted.

“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 Nyi Wang 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! 

ཨེ་མ་ཧོ༎   བསླབ་གསུམ་བསྟན་པའི་བདག་ཉིད་འགྲོ་བའི་མགོན།། ཀུན་མཁྱེན་ཉི་དབང་རྣམ་རོལ་དགོངས་རྩལ་རྫོགས།། མདོ་སྡེ་སྔགས་ཀྱི་གནས་ལུགས་རྫོགས་པ་ཆེ།། བསྟན་པ་འཛིན་སྐྱོང་འཕྲིན་ལས་རྣམ་པར་དག། ཡོངས་འཛིན་སྨྲ་བའི་དབང་པོར་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས༎ སྐྱབས་རྗེ་སྨན་རིའི་ཁྲི་འཛིན་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཆོག་གིས་ཕྱི་   ཟླ་ ༣་ཚེས་༨་ལ་བསྟོད་པའོ།

é ma ho, lap sum ten pé dak nyi dro wé gön, kün khyen nyi wang nam röl gong tsal dzok, do dé ngak kyi né luk dzok pa ché, ten pa dzin kyong trin lé nam par dak, yong dzin ma wé wang por söl wa dep”

Written by the supreme Lord of Refuge, the 33rd Menri Trizen Rinpoche on the 8th lunar day of the 3rd lunar month.

A Bön Song for Welcoming One Hundred Years

You are a Shen whose speech is the great essence of the hundred thousand treasuries of sutra and tantra. Great protector of the teachings of the 84,000 Doors of Bön, during this present time you have greater kindness than a thousand enlightened ones. We rejoice that you have reached the age of one hundred!

The expressions of your realization and your hundreds of acts are solid pillars of the three trainings. Your utterly fulfilling knowledge of the three aspects turns the thousand-spoked wheel of Bön. Unequaled holder of the golden throne, because of a multitude of requests, You subsequently composed thirteen volumes of your collected works.

Embodiment of Drenpa, Master Subduer during the 500 years of decline, you have held, protected, and increased the essence of the Bön teachings during the one hundred years of your long life. Having the completely pure three vows of the hundred-petaled, saffron robe, may your lotus feet remain stable for hundreds of eons!

(Thus, this great celebration marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the principal teacher of the Leader of Menri, the divine Lord of Refuge, Lopön Mawé Wangpo Tenzin Nadak, the supremely glorious master. As the fortunate Bön community of former students of The Bön Children’s Welfare Center of Topgyal Sarpa at Pal Shenten Menri Ling and others who are continually protected by your wisdom and kindness, offer these auspicious wishes. Mutsuk Marro!)

Newly finished statue of His Eminence Menri Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

Offerings to the Lama

How Marvelous!

Within a completely pure and unchanging miraculous realm is the spiritual master, the essence of the Enlightened Ones of the three times. In order for the migrating beings of the six destinies to cross the ocean of cyclic existence, please remain seated upon the jeweled throne, upon faultless cushions of a radiant lotus, sun, and moon within the unsurpassed palace of the immeasurable three places! AH OM HUNG CHI PAR RAYNA TA TSEN RA YO DZA

Prostrations

How marvelous! To the lama who is the embodiment of all of the Victors and spiritual masters, principally by Bön practitioners, but including all sentient beings who are as limitless as the sky; we offer prostrations with our body, prostrating with our arms, legs, and head! We prostrate with our speech, chanting with a joyous and inspired melody! We prostrate with our mind, prostrating with single-pointed motivation and devotion! May the negative actions and defilements of our three doors become purified! AH OM HUNG CHI PAR RAYNA KO PUNG AKSHO TRI TSE GU DÜN HRUN

Admission of Wrongdoing and Purification

In the presence of my principal lama who is chief among the supreme objects of refuge, I admit my actions of wrongdoing and non-virtue that I have committed from the beginning until this very day. I admit corrupting the three vows and defiling the promises that I’ve made. I admit my pretension even though I do not understand the nature of mind. Please bestow complete purification and the supreme attainment! AH OM HUNG CHI PAR RAYNA KO PUNG AKSHO TRI TSE U DUK SHA YA NI SOHA

Mandala Offering

How marvelous! To the great, unmatched lama possessing characteristics, I present unequaled external, internal, and secret offerings. Externally, I offer a variety of nice things of the environment and its inhabitants. Furthermore, I offer my own body and its vitality as an ornament. I present these offerings with non-attachment. 

Internally, I offer the arising of my mental and physical aggregates. I offer my accumulated realization that whatever arises as subject and object is illusory. Furthermore, I present these offerings within the vast space of self-liberation.

Secretly, I offer the natural radiance of my unborn mind, which is unceasing and understands whatever arises as enlightened manifestation and wisdom. Furthermore, I present these offerings within a completely vast and all-pervasive space. AH OM HUNG CHI PAR RAYNA ZUR NAM DÉ SHO HA RA TIM TIM YÉ SOHA

The Five Offerings

How Marvelous! Free from extremes and unchanging is the container of the mind. Free from elaborations, I establish the wick of great self-liberation. I fill the lamp of authentic, completely pervasive great bliss. To the One who has characteristics, I present this butter lamp to look upon with the eye.

This unmoving and naturally clear incense burner is filled with the non-grasping, radiantly clear light of pure incense. The fresh and continuous smoke permeates everywhere. I present this incense to the Protector of beings.

This unfabricated and self-clear water offering bowl is filled with unobstructed, playful self-arising offering water. Having added various ornaments of non-attachment such as nectar and medicine, I present this offering water for the enjoyment of the Dimension of great kindness. 

The primordial Buddha of the conch shell of the mind is filled with manifested experience and realization like an utpal flower. Radiating the wonderful light of spontaneously benefitting others, I present this flower of enlightened activity to the Heart of great kindness. AH OM HUNG NÉ TING SHIM PÖ DANG RA BONG NGÉ NÉ RA ZUR NAM DÉ SHO HA RA TIM TIM SOHA

Praise of the Enlightened State

How marvelous! At the crown of my head, the changeless palace of great bliss, abides the state of Künzang, completely equipoised and free from extremes. I pray to the dimension of the Bön lamas, please hold the migrating beings of the six realms in your compassion and loosen the mind-stream!

At the neck, the space of the palace of Ogmin, are the peaceful and wrathful deities who have the major and minor characteristics. I pray to the dimension of lamas of the Dzok ku, please hold the migrating beings of the six destinies in your compassion and loosen our mind-stream!

At the center of the heart, is the realm of the manifested subduer of migrating beings, the One who teaches whatever is needed and performs a variety of enlightened activity. I pray to the dimension of manifested Lamas, please hold the migrating beings of the six destinies in your compassion and loosen our mind-stream!

To the collective of all the victorious Lamas who has the endowments of leisure and fortune, who teaches the entire collection of scripture with completely pure speech, who has the extensive wisdom of knowledge and kindness, and a mind free from elaboration, who protects migrating beings like their own children with their exalted qualities that come forth, who has spontaneous enlightened activity as limitless as the sky; I pray to the unrivalled Lama, please hold the migrating beings of the six destinies in your compassion and loosen our mind-stream!

I pray to the One who is unrivaled and who has perfected the Three Bodies, please hold the migrating beings of the six destinies in your compassion and loosen our mind-stream! I pray to the One whose speech is the ornament of the world, please hold the migrating beings of the six destinies in your compassion and loosen our mind-stream! I pray to the One who blazes like the incomparable udum flower, please hold the migrating beings of the six destinies in your compassion and loosen our mind-stream! I pray to the One who is free of defilements and has the two kinds of knowledge, please hold the migrating beings of the six destinies in your compassion and loosen our mind-stream!

Receiving the Accomplishments

You, my Lama, who has brought cyclic existence and nirvana under your power, I, and your other followers, pray; please bestow benefits that are as limitless as the sky to migrating beings!  Please grant our wishes to be continuously without separation from your presence! Continuously hold us with your unequalled compassion, we pray!

Aspiration Prayer

Until I obtain complete enlightenment, not born in a negative place, may I obtain a body of renunciation with the advantages of the leisures and fortunes. Having practiced the three trainings and loosened the mind stream,  and having traveled the paths and the grounds, from the state of complete buddhahood, may I accomplish benefit that is equal to the vastness of the sky!

༄༅། །ཨེ་མ་ཧོ།      རྣམ་དག་འགྱུར་མེད་སྤྲུལ་པའི་ཞིང་ཁམས་ནས། དུས་གསུམ་སངས་རྒྱས་ངོ་བོ་བླ་མ་རྗེ། འགྲོ་དྲུག་འཁོར་བའི་ཆུ་ལས་བསྒྲལ་བའི་ཕིར།       བླ་མེད་ཕོ་བྲང་གཞལ་ཡས་གནས་གསུམ་དུ།   སྐྱོན་བྲལ་པདྨ་གསལ་འཚེར་ཉི་ཟླའི་གདན།  གཅན་ལྔ་རིན་ཆེན་ཁྲི་ལ་བཞུགས་སུ་གསོལ།།    ཨ་ཨཱོྃ་ཧཱུྃ༔   ཅི་པར་རདྣ་ཐ་ཚན་ར་ཡོ་ཛ༔

ཕྱག་ནི།  

ཨེ་མ་ཧོ།   རྒྱལ་བ་ཀུན་འདུས་དཔོན་གསས་བླ་མ་ལ།   སྒྲུབ་གཤེན་གཙོར་བྱས་མཁའ་མཉམ་སེམས་ཅན་གྱིས། ལུས་ཕྱག་ཡན་ལག་ལྔ་ལྡན་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ།།     ངག་ཕྱག་སྤྲོ་དགའི་དབྱངས་ཀྱིས་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ།།      ཡིད་ཕྱག་རྩེ་གཅིག་མོས་འདུན་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ།།          སྒོ་གསུམ་ལས་ངན་སྡིག་སྒྲིབ་བྱང་གྱུར་ཅིག ཨ་ཨཱོྃ་ཧཱུྃ༔     ཅི་པར་རདྣ་རྐོ་ཕུང་ཨཀྴོ་ཁྲི་ཙེ་གུ་དུན་ཧྲུན།   

བཤགས་པ།               

ཨེ་མ་ཧོ།   ཡུལ་མཆོག་གཙོ་བོ་བླ་མའི་སྤྱན་སྔར་རུ།     བདག་ནི་ཐོག་མར་འཁྲུལ་ནས་ད་ལྟའི་བར། སྡིག་བཅུ་ལས་སོགས་མི་དགེ་གྱུར་ཚད་བཤགས།  སྡོམ་གསུམ་འགལ་སྲིད་ཁས་བླང་ཉམས་པ་བཤགས། སེམས་ཉིད་མ་རྟོགས་གཟུ་ལུམ་གྱུར་ཚད་བཤགས།    བྱང་དག་ཚངས་པ་མཆོག་གི་དངོས་གྲུབ་སྩོལ།། ཨ་ཨཱོྃ་ཧཱུྃ༔      ཅི་པར་རདྣ་རྐོ་ཕུང་ཨཀྴོ་ཁྲི་ཙེ་ཨུ་དུག་གཤའ་ཡ་ནི་སྭཱཧཱ།

མནྡལ་ནི།

ཨེ་མ་ཧོ།  མཚན་ལྡན་བླ་མ་མཉམ་མེད་ཆེན་པ་ལ།     བླ་མེད་མཆོད་པ་ཕྱི་ནང་གསང་གསུམ་འབུལ། ཕྱི་རུ་སྣོད་བཅུད་འདོད་ཡོན་ཇི་སྙེད་པ།   དེ་ཡང་རང་གི་ལུས་སྲོག་རྒྱན་ལ་སོགས།     དེ་ཡང་ཆགས་མེད་བློ་ཡིས་ལིང་གིས་འབུལ།      ནང་དུ་རང་གི་འབྱུང་དུག་ཕུང་པོ་ལ།     རྟོགས་ཚོགས་གཟུང་འཛིན་འཁྲུལ་པ་ཅི་ཤར་ཡང་།      དེ་ཡང་རང་གྲོལ་ཀློང་དུ་ཁྲོལ་གྱིས་འབུལ།    སྐྱེ་མེད་སྙིང་པོ་སེམས་ཀྱི་རང་མདངས་ལ།  འགག་མེད་སྐུ་དང་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཅི་ཤར་ཡང་།   དེ་ཡང་ཁྱབ་བདལ་ཀློང་དུ་ཕྱམ་གྱིས་འབུལ།།  ཨ་ཨཱོྃ་ཧཱུྃ༔      ཅི་པར་རདྣ་ཟུར་ནམ་དེ་ཤོ་ཧ་ར་ཐིམ་ཐིམ་ཡེ་སྭཱཧཱ།

རྣམ་ལྔ་ནི།         

ཨེ་མ་ཧོ།  མཐའ་བྲལ་འགྱུར་མེད་སེམས་ཀྱི་རྐོང་བུ་རུ།    སྤྲོས་བྲལ་རང་གྲོལ་ཆེན་པོའི་སྡོང་བུ་བཙུགས། ཁྱབ་བདལ་བདེ་ཆེན་གཉུག་མའི་སྒྲོན་མེ་བལྟམས།     མཚན་ལྡན་སྤྱན་ལ་ལྟ་བའི་ཞུག་མར་འབུལ།། གཡོ་མེད་རང་གསལ་ཆེན་པོའི་སྤོས་ཕོར་དུ།      འཛིན་མེད་རང་མདངས་འོད་གསལ་སྤོས་དཀར་བླུགས། སོ་མ་རང་ལྷུག་རྒྱུན་གྱི་དུད་པ་འཐུལ།         འགྲོ་མགོན་ཤང་ལ་བསྣོམ་པའི་སྤོས་མཆོད་འབུལ།།        མ་བཅོས་རང་གསལ་ལྷུག་པའི་ཏིང་ཕོར་དུ།     མ་འགག་རོལ་པ་རང་ཤར་ཡོན་ཆབབ་བླུགས།     སྣ་ཚོགས་རྒྱན་ཤར་ཆགས་མེད་རྩི་སྣམ་བཏབས།   དྲིན་ཆེན་སྐུ་ལ་སྤྱོད་པའི་ཡོན་ཆབ་འབུལ།། ཡེ་ནས་རང་སེམས་སངས་རྒྱས་དུང་ཕོར་དུ།           ཉམས་རྟོགས་མངོན་གྱུར་ཨུ་དཔལ་མེ་ཏོག་བླུགས། ལྷུན་གྲུབ་གཞན་ཕན་ལེགས་པའི་འོད་ཟེར་འཕྲོ།  དྲི་ཆེན་ཐུགས་ལ་འཕྲིན་ལས་མེ་ཏོག་འབུལ།།    ཨཱ་ཨཱོ་ཧཱུྃ༔    ནེ་ཏིང་ཤིམ་ཕོད་དང་ར་བོང་ངེ་ནེ་ར་ཟུར་ནམ་དེ་ཤོ་ཧ་ར་ཐིམ་ཐིམ་སྭཱཧཱ།

སྐུ་བསྟོད་ནི།                

ཨེ་མ་ཧོ།   སྤྱི་གཙུག་འགྱུར་མེད་བདེ་བའི་ཕོ་བྲང་དུ།   ཀུན་སྙོམས་མཐའ་བྲལ་ཀུན་བཟང་ངང་ལ་བཞུགས། བླ་མ་བོན་གྱི་སྐུ་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།     འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་བཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།། མགྲིན་པ་འོག་མིན་དབྱིངས་ཀྱི་ཕོ་བྲང་ན།    ཞི་ཁྲོའི་སྐུ་ལ་མཚན་དང་དཔེ་བྱད་ལྡན།   བླ་མ་རྫོགས་པའི་སྐུ་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།      འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་བཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།།      ཐུགས་ཀ་འགྲོ་འདུལ་སྤྲུལ་པའི་ཞིང་ཁམས་སུ།  གང་མོས་སྐུར་སྟོན་སྣ་ཚོགས་འཕྲིན་ལས་མཁན།   བླ་མ་སྤྲུལ་པའི་སྐུ་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།        འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་བཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།།    དལ་འབྱོར་སྐུ་ལ་རྒྱལ་བ་མ་ལུས་འདུས།        ཚངས་པའི་གསུང་གི་བཀའ་རྒྱུད་མཐའ་དག་སྟོན།        སྤྲོས་བྲལ་ཐུགས་ལ་མཁྱེན་བརྩེའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་རྒྱས།       ལེགས་འབྱུང་ཡོན་ཏན་འགྲོ་ལ་བུ་བཞིན་སྐྱོབས། རྩལ་མེད་ལྷུན་གྲུབ་ནམ་མཁའི་མཐའ་དང་བྲལ།      བླ་མ་འགྲན་ཟླ་བྲལ་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།   འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་འཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།།         མཉམ་མེད་སྐུ་གསུམ་རྫོགས་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།     འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་འཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།། སྨྲ་བའི་འཛམ་གླིང་རྒྱན་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།    འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་བཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།།     མཚུངས་མེད་ཨུ་དུམ་འབར་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།       འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་བཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།། སྒྲིབ་མེད་མཁྱེན་གཉིས་ལྡང་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།     འགྲོ་དྲུག་ཐུགས་རྗེས་བཟུང་ལ་བདག་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ།།

དངོས་གྲུབ་ཞུ་བ་ནི།         

བླ་མ་ཁྱེད་ནི་འཁོར་འདས་རང་དབང་བསྒྱུར།       བདག་སོགས་རྗེས་འབྲང་གསོལ་འདེབས་བུ་རྣམས་ལ། ནམ་མཁའི་མཐའ་དང་བྲལ་བའི་འགྲོ་དོན་སྩོལ།།    འབྲལ་མེད་རྒྱུན་དུ་འགྲོགས་པའི་སྨོན་ལམ་སྩོལ།། མཉམ་མེད་ཐུགས་རྗེས་རྒྱུན་དུ་བཟུང་དུ་གསོལ།།

སྨོན་ལམ་ནི།       

ཇི་སྲིད་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས་མ་ཐོབ་བར།     དེ་སྲིད་གནས་ངན་ལུས་སྤང་དལ་འབྱོར་ཐོབ། བསླབ་གསུམ་རྒྱུད་ཁྲོལ་ས་ལམ་དུས་གཅིག་བསྒྲོད།   རྫོགས་སངས་རྒྱས་ནས་མཁའ་མཉམ་དོན་བྱེད་ཤོག

Translations from the Tibetan 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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