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Recitation of The Great Mantra at Samling

Ritual inside Samling Temple

From the 25th lunar day of the 9th month until the New Moon day of the 30th, Déden Samten Ling will conduct their annual practice and recitation of The Precious Lamp. These dates correspond with November 14th-20th, 2025 on the Western calendar. Déden Samten Ling, or simply Samling, is located in Dolpo, Nepal near the Tibet border and has been greatly beneficial to Yungdrung Bön especially in the preservation of its sacred scriptures. (For more about Samling, see previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2019/08/03/the-monastery-of-blissful-meditation-deden-samten-ling/

The Precious Lamp is the tantra of The Great Mantra of Yungdrung Bön, the mantra known as the MA TRI. Lord Tönpa Shenrap himself spoke about the benefits of the MA TRI mantra especially for sentient beings living during the dark era and encountering obstacles to practice and achievement.

“This Precious Lamp, the extracted heart essence of all of those who have gone to bliss, is the fundamental essence of the entire collection of sacred teachings. It is the quintessential essence of all Bön. It is the ultimate of all recitations. It is the highest of all views. It is the innermost essence of all meditations. It is the fulfillment of all activities. It is the most superior of all results. It is the heart elixir of the principal teachings. It is a sacred connection for sentient beings during a dark time. It is a key to the collection of sacred teachings. It is the lamp of the collection of oral transmissions. It is the refined gold of the quintessential instructions. It opens the door of intellectual confusion. It is a lamp that clears away the darkness of ignorance. So that sentient beings during the five hundred years-long time of darkness will not have to exert themselves in meditation or accomplishment, this mantra recitation is the practice advice. For those reasons, it is a sufficient recitation.”

“As for this Sufficient Recitation that is a Precious Lamp, for ordinary men and women at the time when their awareness becomes free from its physical container, if they merely remember this mantra when the four elements of their body disintegrate, that alone will keep them from descending to a lower rebirth and they will attain a blissful place of liberation. This mantra is a precious lamp of sufficient remembering.

If anyone who has generated the mind of enlightenment writes the mantra and places it above the doorway of a retreat place or a home, whoever enters that doorway will attain liberation. This mantra is a precious lamp of sufficient entering.”

Extract from The Thirty-two Benefits of the Sufficient Recitation that is a Precious Lamp
The MA TRI mantra displayed above the main door of a home.

The MA TRI mantra can be recited by anyone and is not required to be kept secret. It is one of Yungdrung Bön’s three essence mantras and is known as The Great Mantra. The complete mantra is OM MA TRI MU YÉ SA LÉ DU. There are many different melodies for its recitation. According to the text, when compassion is generated and its melody recited out loud, any sentient beings whose ear sense power perceives the mantric melody will attain liberation.

The profundity of the MA TRI mantra is inconceivable. It is said that if one wears it on the body, physical obscurations will be purified. If one recites it with speech, verbal obscurations will be purified. If one thinks of it in the mind, mental obscurations will be purified. If one recites the syllables continuously, there is no doubt that one will be reborn in a blissful realm immediately after death.

“The benefits of reciting this mantra just once are greater than filling all the worlds with the five precious substances and making offerings to the buddhas. All the aims of this life and the next will be accomplished.”

Commentary on the MA TRI mantra by Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen
Each of the syllables of the MA TRI have a specific color that corresponds with the deity that manifest from their essence

Although the power of a mantra is not limited to what can be expressed through language and therefore cannot be defined through concepts, it is possible to make associations of the syllables with their manifested expression to give some idea of their unique significance. For the MA TRI mantra, the associations are:

  • OM has the nature of the state of Tönpa Shenrap Miwo Künlé Nampar Gyalwa who is principally related to a skillful method of compassionately taming migrating beings.
  • MA has the essence of Tükjé Jamma, the source of everything, the vast expanse of the mother’s womb, and the basis for omniscience. It represents the characteristics of the great mother Tukjé Jamma who is principally associated with wisdom.
  • TRI is the seed syllable of Mucho Demdruk who protects from heat and cold through great love. He is the Subduing Shen of the hell realms. Hatred dissolves into the vast expanse of love.
  • MU is the seed syllable of Sangwa Ngangring who satisfies hunger and thirst through great generosity. He is the Subduing Shen of the hungry ghosts. Desire and attachment dissolve into the vast expanse of generosity.
  • YÉ is the seed syllable of Tisang Rangzhi who removes stupidity and muteness with great wisdom. He is the Subduing Shen of the animals. Mental dullness dissolves into the vast expanse of wisdom.
  • SA is the seed syllable of Drajin Pungpa who tames jealousy through great openness. He is the Subduing Shen of humans. Jealousy dissolves into the vast expanse of great openness.
  • LÉ is the seed syllable of Chegyal Parti who destroys pride through great peacefulness. He is the Subduing Shen of the demi-gods. Pride dissolves into the vast expanse of peace.
  • DU is the seed syllable of Yeshen Tsukpu who tames laziness through great zeal. He is the Subduing Shen of the gods. Laziness dissolves into the vast expanse of diligence.
MA TRI prayer flags

Prayer flags of the MA TRI mantra are currently available for purchase from the Nine Ways Shop. Their small size is perfect for hanging above doorways. Visit the Nine Ways Shop by clicking the link at the top of this page. Items sold support the construction of a memorial chorten for Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen. [Please note that items only ship within the continental United States.]

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In Support of a Memorial Chorten for Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen. Photo credit: Raven Cypress Wood

On the Full Moon day of the 5th lunar month, Western date June 22nd, in 2024, Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche showed the truth of impermanence by passing beyond his physical body. He remained in meditation and, according to Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche who was his attendant during this time, the vibrant glow of his complexion only increased after his outer breath had stopped. He was well-known and well-loved by Yungdrung Bön practitioners worldwide.

His nephew, Geshe Tenzin Yangtön, is currently in their home village of Tsarka in Dolpo, Nepal and planning the construction of a memorial chorten for Yangtön Lama Tashi. In order to raise funds to support this construction, Nine Ways has established an online shop containing a limited supply of quality practice support items for sale. To view the shop, simply click on the Nine Ways Shop tab at the top of the page or follow this link: https://ravencypresswood.com/nine-ways-shop/ Due to the cost and challenges of international shipping, items are only available to be shipped to the continental United States.

It is not necessary to make a purchase in order to donate towards the construction of the memorial chorten. Donations can be made either through Nine Ways using any of the Q codes at the bottom of this article. Donations can also be made directly to Geshe Tenzin Yangton through the service Wise that transfers money internationally from one bank account to another. If this is preferred, email Raven at RCW108@gmail.com in order to obtain the needed information.

Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche in tukdam and being attended by his dear friend Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche. (Photo used with permission.)

Some of the Items in the Nine Ways Shop

A Brief Biography of Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche was born into the esteemed Yungdrung Bön Yangtön lineage in 1954 in Tsarka, Dolpo in Northwest Nepal. After completing the traditional three year retreat, he attained the knowledge and experience of a tantric practitioner. As a young man, he was the first resident of the remote village of Tsarka to go to Menri Monastery in India at the behest of His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak  Rinpoche. He received his monk’s vows from both His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizen Lungtok Tenpé Nyima Rinpoche and His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. After many years of study, he received the esteemed Geshe degree in 1986. Additionally, he received the dzogchen teachings from Yongdzin Sangyé Tenzin Rinpoche, Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak  Rinpoche, and Tsundue Rinpoche.  Later, he was instrumental in bringing some of his relatives such as his cousin, H.E. Menri Pönlob Trinlé Nyima Rinpoche, to Menri Monastery.  

Raven Cypress Wood with Yangtön Lama Tashi in 2017. Photo credit: Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche

He then became the abbot of Yanggön Thongdrol Phuntsok Ling Monastery in Tsarka, Dolpo. There, he shared his knowledge with the male and female tantric practitioners, led ritual gatherings, and gave blessings and empowerments to the local community. He was also responsible for the training and support for those undergoing the traditional three year retreat in his village. Realizing the need for a gompa in the village, he began construction of the Yanggön Thondrol Phuntsok Ling Monastery in 1988. He then relocated the old temple which housed all of the sacred texts, Tardzong Phuntsok Ling Monastery, from the opposite side of the river nearer to the village so that it could be more accessible and closer to the newly constructed temple. After this, he built a khor khang (a prayer-wheel room), a kitchen, a residence for practitioners, and a store room. In this way, he reestablished a perfect environment for the practitioners of the three year retreat and practitioners in general. Due to the strong influence of Lama Tashi, many young Tsarka villagers have traveled to India or Nepal in order to join the schools there or to take vows and study as monks or nuns. Many times, Yangton Lama Tashi underwent the arduous journey out of Tsarka in order to travel throughout the world in order to share his teachings and wisdom with Western students.

Yangtön Lama Tashi leading The Six Dances of Dignified Movements of the View of the Male and Female Heroes at Ligmincha Institute. Photo credit: 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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It’s easy through Paypal, Zelle, or Venmo using the email: RCW108@gmail.com

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