Undumbara Garden

 

 

INTENSIFYING DEVOTION IN ONE’S HEART:

 

The Supplication “Crying to the Gurus from Afar”

 

by Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thaye

 

 

Kye !

 

From the Prayer of

 

Sentient beings like myself, evildoers with bad karma,

Have wandered in samsara from beginning less time.

Even now we experience endless suffering,

And yet not even an instant of remorse has occurred.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I give rise to renunciation from my depths.

 

Although I have obtained a free and well-favored human birth, I have wasted it in vain.

I am constantly distracted by the activities of this futile life.

Unable to accomplish the great objective of liberation and overcome by laziness,

I return empty-handed from a land of jewels.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I fulfill the purpose of human birth.

 

There is no one on earth who will not die.

Even now, one after another they pass away.

I also will die very soon,

And yet like an idiot, I prepare to live for a long time.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I curtail my worthless schemes.

 

I will become separated from my lovers and friends.

The wealth and food which I hoarded in miserliness will be enjoyed by others.

Even this body I hold so dear will be left behind.

My consciousness will wander in the unknown bardos of samsara.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I realize the futility of life.

 

The black darkness of fear escorts me along.

The fierce red wind of karma chases after me.

Yama’s  hideous messengers beat and hack me.

Thus, I experience the unbearable suffering of the lower realms.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I free myself from the chasms of the lower realms.

 

My faults are as large as a mountain, but I conceal them within me.

Others’ faults are as minute as a sesame seed, but I proclaim and condemn them.

I boast about my virtues, though I don’t even have a few.

I call myself a dharma practitioner and practice only nondharma.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I subdue my selfishness and pride.

 

I hide the demon of ego-fixation within, which will ruin me permanently.

All of my thoughts are the cause of perpetuating kleshas.

All of my actions have unvirtuous results.

I have not even gone toward the path of liberation.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I uproot my selfishness.

 

Just a little praise or blame makes me happy or sad.

A mere harsh word causes me to lose my armor of patience.

Even when I see helpless ones, compassion does not arise.

When needy people come to me, I am tied up by a knot of miserliness.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that my mind is mixed with the dharma.

 

I hold on dearly to futile samsara.

For the sake of food and clothing, I completely abandon permanent objectives.

Though I have everything I need, I constantly want more and more.

My mind is duped by insubstantial and illusory things.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I am not attached to this life.

 

I cannot endure even the slightest physical or mental pain,

Yet I am so stubborn that I have no fear of falling into the lower realms.

Though I actually see unerring cause and effect,

Still I do not act virtuously, but perpetuate evil.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that conviction in karma arises in me.

 

I am hateful toward enemies and attached to friends.

I am stupefied in darkness as to what should be accepted and rejected.

When practicing the dharma, I fall under the influence of discursiveness, sloth, and sleep.

When acting against the dharma, I am clever and my senses are alert.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I conquer my enemy, the kleshas.

 

My outer appearance is that of an authentic dharma practitioner,

But inside, my mind is not mixed with the dharma.

Like a poisonous snake, the kleshas are concealed within me.

When I encounter bad circumstances, my hidden faults as a bad practitioner are revealed.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I can tame my own mind.

 

I don’t realize my own bad faults.

I maintain the form of a practitioner while engaging in various nondharmic pursuits.

Because of the kleshas, I am naturally accustomed to unvirtuous actions.

Again and again I give birth to a mind of virtue, but again and again it falls apart.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I see my own faults.

 

As each day passes, my death is nearer and nearer.

As each day passes, my being is harsher and harsher.

Though I attend my guru, my devotion becomes gradually obscured.

Love, affection, and sacred outlook toward my dharma companions grow ever smaller.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I tame my stubborn nature.

 

I’ve taken refuge, aroused bodhichitta, and made supplications,

But devotion and compassion are not born in the depths of my heart.

I give lip service to dharmic action and spiritual practice,

But they become routine and I’m not touched by them.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

 

All suffering comes from desiring happiness for oneself.

Although it is said that buddhahood is attained by considering the welfare of others,

I arouse supreme bodhichitta but secretly cherish selfishness.

Not only do I not benefit others, I casually cause them harm.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I exchange myself for others.

 

The guru is buddha in person, but I regard him as an ordinary man.

I forget his kindness in giving profound instructions.

When he doesn’t do what I want, I lose heart.

His actions and behavior are clouded over by my doubts and disbelief.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that unobscured devotion will increase.

 

My own mind is the Buddha, but I never realize this.

Discursive thoughts are dharmakåya, but I don’t realize this.

This is the unfabricated, innate state, but I cannot keep to this.

Naturalness is things as they really are, but I have no conviction in this.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that my mind will be spontaneously liberated.

 

Death is certain to come, but I am unable to take this to heart.

The holy dharma truly benefits, but I am unable to practice it properly.

Karma and its result are certainly true, but I do not properly discriminate what to accept or reject.

Mindfulness and awareness are certainly necessary, but not stabilizing them, I am swept away by distractions.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings so that I maintain undistracted mindfulness.

 

Because of my former evil actions, I was born at the end of the dark age.

All that I have previously done has caused me suffering.

Because of evil friends, I am darkened by the shadow of evil deeds.

My dharma practice has been sidetracked by my meaningless chatter.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

Grant your blessings to enable me to persevere in practice.

 

In the beginning I had no other thought but dharma.

But in the end what I have achieved will cause me to go to the lower realms of samsara.

The harvest of freedom is destroyed by an unvirtuous frost.

Stubborn people like me have achieved bad consequences.

Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion.

 

Grant your blessings so that I will completely accomplish the holy dharma.

Grant your blessings so that I give birth to deep sadness.

Grant your blessings so that my worthless schemes are curtailed.

Grant your blessings so that I take to heart the certainty of death.

 

Grant your blessings so that conviction in karma arises in me.

Grant your blessings so that the path is free from obstacles.

Grant your blessings so that I am able to exert myself in practice.

Grant your blessings so that unfortunate circumstances are brought to the path.

 

Grant your blessings so that I continually apply my antidotes.

Grant your blessings so that genuine devotion arises in me.

Grant your blessings so that I glimpse the natural state.

Grant your blessings so that insight is awakened in my heart.

 

Grant your blessings so that I uproot confusion.

Grant your blessings so that I attain buddhahood in one lifetime.

Precious guru, I supplicate you. Kind lord of the dharma, I cry to you with longing.

I am an unworthy person who relies on no one but you.

 

Grant your blessings so that my mind mixes inseparably with yours.

 

               It is said in several sutras that merely hearing the name of our teacher, the Buddha, ensures that one will gradually progress along the path to great enlightenment, without ever falling back. It is also said that the dharani revealed above is the source of all the buddhas. It was through the force of discovering this dharani that the King of Shakyas himself attained enlightenment, and that Avalokiteshvara became the supreme of all the bodhisattvas. Through simply hearing this dharani, a vast accumulation of merit will easily be gained and all karmic obscurations will be purified, and when reciting it, obstacles will not occur. This has been taught in the abridged Prajnaparamita.

 

 

 

The Treasury of Blessings

 

 

A Practice of Buddha Shakyamuni

by Mipham Rinpoche

 

 

Namo guru shakyamuniye!

 

 

 

In the Samadhiraja Sutra it is said:

 

Those who, while walking, sitting, standing, or sleeping,

Recollect the moon-like Buddha,

Will always be in Buddha’s presence,

And will attain the vast nirvana.

 

And:

 

His pure body is the colour of gold,

Beautiful is the Protector of the World.

Whoever visualizes him like this,

Practises the meditation of the bodhisattvas.

 

In keeping with this, we should practise remembering our incomparable teacher, the Lord of Sages, in the following way:

 

In the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly

I take refuge until I attain enlightenment.

Through the merit of practising generosity and so on,

May I attain buddhahood for the benefit of all beings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recite this verse three times. Then cultivate the four immeasurables, by saying:

 

May all  sentient beings enjoy happiness and the causes of happiness!

May they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering!

May they never be separated from the sacred happiness devoid of suffering!

And may they dwell in boundless equanimity that is free from attachment and aversion!

 

Bringing to mind how all phenomena appear and yet lack inherent existence, recite the following:

 

Ah! As the union of unborn emptiness and the ceaseless

Appearances of interdependence, magically there appears

Before me in the sky, amidst vast clouds of offerings,

 

On a jewelled lion throne, and lotus, sun and moon disc seats,

The incomparable teacher, Lion of the Shakyas.

His body the colour of gold, adorned with major and minor marks.

Clad in the three Dharma robes, he sits in vajra posture.

 

His right hand gracefully poised in the earth-touching mudra,

And his left hand in the gesture of meditation, holding an alms-bowl full of nectar.

Like a mountain of gold, magnificent, he shines in splendour,

Spreading beams of wisdom light across the whole expanse of space.

 

The Eight Close Sons, Sixteen Elders and the like—

A vast, ocean-like retinue of noble beings encircles him all around.

Simply think of him and he grants the glory of the highest bliss:

Liberation from samsara and nirvana, the two extremes.

He is the Great Being, perfect embodiment of every source of refuge.

 

 

 

 

Visualize the form of the Buddha in this way, and imagine that he is actually there, in front of you. The instant that you generate this thought—as the buddhas' wisdom body is not constrained by limits like time or location—he will certainly be there. One of the sutras says:

 

Should anyone think of the Buddha,

He is there, right in front of them,

Constantly granting his blessings

And freedom from all harm.

 

The merit gained by visualizing the Buddha is inexhaustible; it is a source of virtue that will never go to waste. As it says in the Avatamsaka Sutra:

 

By seeing, hearing or offering to the buddhas,

A boundless store of merit is amassed.

Till we are rid of all the destructive emotions and the suffering of samsara,

This compounded merit will never go to waste.

 

Also, whatever prayers of aspiration we make before the Buddha will be fulfilled. As it says in the Teaching on the Qualities of Mañjushri’s Pure Land:

 

Everything is circumstantial

And depends entirely on our aspiration.

Whatever prayers of aspiration we make

The results we will gain accordingly.

 

Generate firm conviction in these statements, and recite the following:

 

With your great compassion, you embraced this turbulent and degenerate world,

And made five hundred mighty aspirations.

You are as exalted as the white lotus; whoever hears your name shall never return to samsara—

Most compassionate teacher, to you I pay homage!

All my own and others’ virtues of body, speech and mind, together with all our possessions,

Visualized like Samantabhadra's offering clouds, I offer to you.

All the harmful actions and transgressions I have committed throughout beginningless time,

Each and every one I now confess, with intense and heartfelt regret.

 

In all virtuous actions, of the noble ones and ordinary beings,

Accumulated throughout the past, present and future, I rejoice.

Turn the Wheel of the profound and vast Dharma teachings,

Constantly and in every direction, I pray!

 

Your wisdom body is like space,

And remains changeless throughout past, present and future.

Yet in the perception of those to be guided, you go through the display of birth and death,

Even so, let your form body continue always to appear.

 

Through all the virtues I have accumulated in the past, am accumulating now and will accumulate in the future,

For the sake of benefitting all beings, who are as infinite as space,

May you, the sovereign of Dharma, be forever pleased,

And may all attain the state of the victorious one, the Lord of Dharma.

 

Living beings like us, adrift in this degenerate age, have no guidance and protection.

Because of your kindness, caring for us with surpassing compassion,

Every manifestation, in this world now, of the Three Jewels,

Is your enlightened activity.

 

You are then our only refuge, incomparable, supreme,

So from our hearts we pray, with total confidence and faith:

Do not neglect the great promises you made in times gone by.

But hold us, until we attain enlightenment, with your compassion.

 

With the strongest possible confidence and faith, consider that the Buddha is actually there, in front of you. Concentrate one-pointedly on his form. And recite the following as many times as you can:

 

Supreme teacher, bhagavan, tathagata, arhat, complete and perfect Buddha, glorious conqueror, Shakyamuni Buddha,

To you I pay homage! To you I make offerings! In you I take refuge!

 

Then, as a means of invoking his wisdom mind, recite as many times as you can the following dharani, which is taught in the abridged Prajnaparamita:

 

TADYATHA OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNAYE SOHA

 

Then recite, as many times as possible, the same mantra from om onwards:

 

OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNAYE SOHA

OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNAYE SOHA

OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNAYE SOHA

 

During all this, bring to mind the Buddha’s qualities and, with a mind full of devotion, concentrate one-pointedly on the clear visualization of his form. Then, through the power of uttering the names of the Buddha and reciting his dharani, imagine that:

 

From the Buddha’s body there emanates a great radiance, of multi-coloured rays of wisdom light, dispelling all our own and others’ obscurations,

 

And causing all the genuine qualities of the Mahayana path to arise within us, so that we attain the level of perfection from which we will never return again to samsara.

 

Diligently apply yourself to this practice, as much as you can.

 

 

 

 

 In between sessions, practice mandala offering, and recite, to the best of your ability, whichever sutras you prefer, such as the Praises of the Buddha, White Lotus of Compassion, Lalitavistara, Jataka Tales, or The One Hundred and Eight Names of the Tathagatas. Dedicate your sources of virtue towards unsurpassable awakening and recite prayers of aspiration.

 

In general, whatever you are doing, whether it is moving, walking, sleeping or sitting, you should constantly remember the Buddha. Even at night, when you go to sleep, consider that the radiance of the Buddha’s form illuminates the whole of space in every direction, lighting it up as brightly as during the day.

 

 

At all times, emulate the buddha’s actions from the moment he first generated the mind of awakening, and follow the example of the buddhas and great bodhisattvas of the past, present and future. Maintaining your commitment to precious bodhichitta, without ever allowing it to waver, exert yourself as much as possible in the bodhisattvas’ conduct in general, and in the practices of shamatha and vipashyana in particular, so as to make meaningful the freedoms and advantages of this human existence.

 

It is said in several sutras that merely hearing the name of our teacher, the Buddha, ensures that one will gradually progress along the path to great enlightenment, without ever falling back. It is also said that the dharani revealed above is the source of all the buddhas. It was through the force of discovering this dharani that the King of Shakyas himself attained enlightenment, and that Avalokiteshvara became the supreme of all the bodhisattvas. Through simply hearing this dharani, a vast accumulation of merit will easily be gained and all karmic obscurations will be purified, and when reciting it, obstacles will not occur. This has been taught in the abridged Prajnaparamita.

 

Other teachings say that by reciting this dharani only once, all the harmful actions you have committed throughout 800,000 kalpas will be purified. They say that it possesses boundless qualities such as these, and is the sacred heart-essence of Buddha Shakyamuni.

 

The way to generate faith and exert oneself in the practices of shamatha and vipashyana are explained elsewhere.

 

The intention to compose this text first arose due to the persistent encouragement of Ön Orgyen Tenzin Norbu, who is a holder of the treasury of threefold training, and who accompanied his request with the offering of auspicious substances. More recently, the same Ön Rinpoche sent Tulku Jikmé Pema Dechen, with gifts of gold and other auspicious substances, saying, “Please finish it quickly.” At the urging of these two great masters, I, Mipham Jamyang Gyatso, a follower of Shakyamuni, who has unshakeable faith in the supreme teacher and is a Dharma teacher in name only during this final age, composed this at Phuntsok Norbüi Ling at the foot of Mount Dza Dorje Penchuk. It was completed on the eighth day of the Month of Miracles in the Iron Rat year.

 

 May this benefit the teachings and beings continuously, without interruption, on a marvellous scale, and may all who see, hear, think of, or come into contact with it in any way, truly receive the incomparable blessings of our teacher, the Lord of Sages.

 

  Translated by Rigpa Translations, with reference to existing versions by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche and the Padmakara Translation Group. Reproduced from www.lotsawahouse.org

 

  

 

 

Sonam di yi t'ham che zik pa nyi

T'hop ne nye pay dra nam pam je ne

Kye ga na ch'hi ba lap t'hruk pa yi

si pay ts'ho le dro wa drol war shok.

 

By this merit may all attain omniscience.

 May it defeat the enemy, wrongdoing.

From the stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death;

From the ocean of samsara, may I free all beings!

 

 

                                              

                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human life, lasting an instant, like a dream - It might be happy, it might be sad. Not wishing for joy, not avoiding sadness, May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

 

A GARLAND OF ESSENTIAL POINTS FOR STUDENTS

HEART-ESSENCE OF THE GREAT MASTERS

 

By His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche

 

 

 

Root guru, precious and most kind,

Lord of the mandala, sole unfailing lasting refuge,

With your compassion, take hold of me!

I work only for this life, not keeping death in mind,

Wasting this free, well-favored human birth.

 

Human life, lasting an instant, like a dream -

It might be happy, it might be sad.

Not wishing for joy, not avoiding sadness,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This human life, like a butterlamp set out in the wind -

It might last a long time or it might not.

Not letting ego's hold tighten further,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

A life of luxury, like a bewitching apparition -

It might come to pass or it might not.

With the ways of the eight worldly dharmas cast away like chaff,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

All these underlings, like a bunch of birds in a tree -

They might surround me, they might not.

Not letting others lead me around by the nose,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This illusory body, like a rotting 100-year-old house -

It might last, it might fall into dust.

Not caught up in efforts

to get food, clothes, or medicines,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This dharma behavior, like a child's game -

It might go on, it might stop.

Undeceived by things that don't really matter,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

All these gods and spirits, like a mirror's reflections -

They might give help, they might do harm.

Not seeing my own deluded visions to be enemies,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

All this confused chatter, traceless as an echo -

It might be interesting, it might not.

With the Three Jewels and my own mind bearing witness,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Things that may prove useless in time of real need, like a deer's antlers, -

I might know them, I might not.

Not placing my confidence merely in the arts and sciences,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

These gifts and money given by the faithful, like deadly poison -

I might receive them, I might not.

Not spending my life

trying to accumulate evil earnings,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This lofty station, like dogshit wrapped in satin -

I might have it, I might not.

Knowing my own rottenness at first hand,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Friends and family, like travelers who come together for a fair -

They might be vicious, they might be loving.

Cutting attachment's tough cord from the heart,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

All these possessions, like the wealth found in a dream -

I might own them, I might not.

Not using tact and flattery to turn others' heads,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This rank in the hierarchy, Like a tiny bird perched on a branch -

It might be high, it might be low.

Without making myself miserable wishing for a better position,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Practicing the spells of black magic, like deadly weapons -

I might be able to cast them, I might not.

Not buying the knife that cuts my own throat,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Doing prayers, like a parrot saying 'om mani padme hum' -

I might do them, I might not.

Without boasting about whatever I do,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The way one teaches the dharma, like flowing water -

I might be expert, I might not.

Without thinking that mere eloquence is dharma,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Intellect that makes quick discriminations, like a rooting pig -

It might be sharp, it might be dull.

Not allowing the barbs of pointless anger and attachment to arise,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Meditation experiences, like well-water in summer -

They may increase, they may lessen.

Without chasing after rainbows as children do,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This pure perception, like rain on a mountaintop -

It might arise, it might not.

Without taking deluded experience to be real,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

These freedoms and favourable conditions, like a wish-fullfilling gem –

If they are lacking, there is no way to accomplish the holy dharma.

Not throwing away what is already in my own hand,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The glorious guru, like a lamp that lights the way to liberation -

If I cannot meet him, there is no way to realize the true nature.

Not jumping off a cliff when I know the path to go on,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The holy dharma, like a medicine to cure disease -

If I don't hear it, there is no way to know what should be done and not done.

Not swallowing poison when I can tell benefit from harm,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The changing cycle of joy and sorrow, like the changing seasons -

If this isn't seen, there is no way to achieve renunciation.

As a time of suffering will surely come around to me,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Samsara, like a stone fallen deep into water -

If I don't get out now, I won't get out later.

Pulling myself out by the rope of the compassionate Three Jewels,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Liberation's good qualities, like an island of jewels -

If they aren't known, there is no way to begin to make efforts.

Having seen the advantage of permanent victory,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The life stories of the great masters,like the essence of amrita -

If they aren't known, there is no way for confidence to arise.

Not choosing self-destruction when I can tell victory from defeat,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Bodhicitta, like a fertile field –

Unless it is cultivated, there is no way to achieve enlightenment.

Not staying idle when there is a great aim to be accomplished,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

My own mind, like a monkey's nonsense -

Without keeping guard, there is no way to avoid conflicting emotions.

Not acting without restraint, like a lunatic,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Ego, like a shadow one is born with -

Until it's abandoned, there is no way to reach a place of real joy.

When the enemy is in my clutches, why treat him as friend?

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The five poisons, like hot embers among ashes - Until they're destroyed,

one can't remain at rest in the natural state.

Not raising baby vipers in my pockets,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This mindstream, like the tough hide of a butter-bag -

If it's not tamed and softened, one can't mix mind with dharma.

Without spoiling the child that is born of itself,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

These ingrained bad habits, karmic patterns, like the strong currents of a river –

If they aren't cut, one can't avoid acting contrary to the dharma.

Without selling weapons to my enemies,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

These distractions, like never-ending waves -

If they aren't given up, there is no way to become stable.

When I can do as I like, why practice samsara?

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The lama's blessings, like spring warming up soil and water -

If they don't enter into me, there is no way

to be introduced to the nature of mind.

When there is a short-cut, why take the long way around?

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

This retreat in the wilderness, like summer in a lush place where herbs grow -

If I don't remain here, there is no way for good qualities to be born.

When high up in the mountains, don't wander back into black towns.

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Desire for pleasure, like a bad-luck spirit entering the house -

If I'm not free of it, I'll never stop working toward suffering.

Not making offerings to voracious ghosts as my personal gods,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Mindfulness, like the lock on a castle gate -

If it is lacking, one can't stop the movements of illusion.

When the thief is surely coming, why forget to bar the door?

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The true nature, unchanging, like the sky -

Until it's realized, one can't completely resolve doubts as to the view.

Not letting myself be chained by theories,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

Awareness, like a flawless piece of crystal -

Until it's seen, intentional meditation cannot dissolve.

When there's an inseparable companion, why go off looking for another?

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

The face of ordinary mind, like an old friend -

If it's not seen, all that one does is misleading.

Without groping in the darkness of my own closed eyes,

May I truly practice the sublime teachings.

 

In short, without giving up This life's preoccupations, there's no way

to accomplish the sacred teachings after death.

Having decided to show myself great kindness,

May all that I do be toward the dharma.

 

May I not have wrong views toward the guru who has given instruction in accord with the dharma.

May I not lose faith in the yidam when misfortunes occur.

May I not put off practice when circumstances are hard.

May there be no obstacles to attaining siddhi.

 

All these activities are pointless, like making a grand tour of a wasteland.

All this trying just makes my mindstream more rigid.

All this thinking only adds confusion onto confusion.

All that passes for dharma to ordinary people only makes for further binding.

 

So much activity - nothing comes of it.

So much thinking - no point to it.

So much wanting - no time for it.

Having given this up, May I be able to practice according to instructions.

 

If I must do something,

may Buddha's teaching bear it witness.

If I must do something, mix mindstream and dharma.

If I must accomplish something,

 

Read the life stories of past masters.

What's the use of other things? Spoiled brat!

Take a low seat and become rich with contentment.

Try hard to get free of the eight worldly concerns.

 

May the guru's blessings enter into me,

May my realization become equal to the sky.

Grant your blessings so that I may reach Kuntuzangpo's throne.

 

Written by Jigdral Yeshe Dorje for his own prayers, Condensing the essential meaning from the vajra words of advice from previous great masters.

 

This was offered with prayers for the continued blessing of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, and for the long life of his emanation, for the sake of all beings.

 

Translated by Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche and Constance Wilkinson.

Sarva Mangalam.

 

 

Confused phenomena are like a parade of happiness and misery: Once good and bad have individually arisen they perpetuate themselves.

In actuality they remain unborn; in essence they neither pass away nor change— Know this thoroughly and straight away.

 

 

Now That I Come to Die

A translation of [Zhal chems dri ma med pa'i 'od]

 

A Final Testament called "The Immaculate Light"

By

Kunkhyen Longchen Rabjampa

 

 

 

 

 

Homage to all noble persons endowed with great compassion.

 

Homage to Him who, like the sun, is shining in the wondrous brightness of what is good and pure,

From the primordial basic space of the ground,

Displaying various manifestations of his compassion

And looking after living beings by his enlightened actions.

 

Homage to Him who, after completing all that was to be done,

Went to Kushinagar , truly the most wondrous city,

To teach a lesson to those who believe in permanance.

 

From former time I know the nature of samsara:

Therefore, from one about to leave behind this body

Which is transitory and deceptive,

Listen to this admonition which is solely for your benefit—

Worldly things are completely meaningless.

 

Although you may hold to things as real during your life,

You will most surely find that deceiving.

Once you have fully understood that you cannot rely

On that which is impermanent and meaningless,

Attend to real Dharma, which alone is beneficial.

 

The wealth and possessions you have amassed must be left behind—

They are like honey—to be enjoyed by those who did not gather them.

Now, while you still can, make arrangements for your needs on the way hearafter—

The wealth that will confer on you excellent qualities.

 

The house you have built is going to collapse;

It is only a temporary abode;

You cannot stay on, but must go.

Dismiss your attachment and craving for places of excitement—

Resort to solitary places straight away.

 

Friendship and hostility are like the play of children:

Love and hatred for that which has no value are a blazing fire.

Avoid squabbles and resentments—

Control your mind straight away.

 

Deeds, being meaningless, are like a magic show:

Although you involve yourself in them for a while,

Ultimately they are fruitless.

Cease troubling about this life, dismiss worldly concerns—

Look for the road to deliverance straight away.

 

Your precious human body,

With its freedoms and endowments,

Is like a priceless boat:

While you still have the power to steer it across the ocean of frustrations,

Shun laziness, indolence and idleness—

Activate the power of strenuous endeavor straight away.

 

The real guru is like an escort on a dangerous road:

With great confidence and devotion of body, speech and mind,

Depend on this guide who protects against the enemy of samsara—

Venerate and rely on him, straight away.

 

Instruction in the profound is like the amrita of immortality:

Since it is the best cure for the disease of disturbing emotions,

Depend on your awareness, discover precisely its quality—

Imbibe it and allow it to affect you straight away.

 

The three trainings,  when utterly pure, are like the wishfulfilling gem:

They are the path itself, which here and hereafter offers bliss,

And ultimately leads to what is good and wholesome.

Through them you find the real peace of enlightenment—

Let them develop straight away.

 

Learnedness is like a precious lamp:

Dispelling darkness and illuminating the path towards liberation,

Its light of prosperity and bliss opens the eye of original wakefulness—

Let it shine unrestricted straight away.

 

Proper thoughts are like a skilled goldsmith:

They remove all impositions and doubts about 'this' and 'that'

By exercising a discriminating awareness born from reflecting about the Dharma—

Absorb them within you straight away.

 

Cultivation is like the taste of nectar:

Through the cultivation of what has been heard and thought about,

All disturbing emotions are remedied,

The ocean of conceptual understanding is crossed,

And the other shore is reached—

In forests and mountains start contemplative cultivation straight away.

 

The view is like the bright sky:

Free from all that is high or low, divided or partial,

Neither wide nor narrow, it is beyond attempts to verbalize it—

Apply the tool of insightful understanding straight away.

 

Meditation is like a mountain or an ocean:

Neither passing away nor changing, it is lucid and unstained:

All labeling which erupts through the proliferation of concepts thus ceases—

Meditate by letting be just as it is, straight away.

 

Conduct is like the wise person:

It acts in accordance with what is appropriate and beneficial.

This realm of magic with its wantingness and attachments,

Accepting and rejecting, affirmations and denials—

Free it from dualistic fixation straight away.

 

Fruition is like a guide gathering riches:

Wealthy himself, he allows others' values spontaneously to come forth.

Without hopes or fears, the mind feels naturally blissful—

Exert yourself to win this wealth straight away.

 

Mind, a continual source of perceived phenomena, is like the sky:

The sky of mind nature, dharmata,

Without duality, united and complete—

Understand it thoroughly straight away.

 

All the variety of things and ideas are like images in a mirror:

Appearances are empty, yet there is no substance to emptiness;

If this (paradox) is left unresolved, complacency prevails—

Know experience thoroughly for what it is straight away.

 

The subject dealing with its objects is like a dream:

Although there is no duality, ingrained habits cause duality to appear.

What is conceptualized by the intellect has no independent existence—

Know non-duality straight away.

 

Samsara and transcendence are like a magic show:

Although good and bad seem to exist separately,

The non-dual essence remains unchanged.

All realities are unborn, like the sky—

Know this thoroughly straight away.

 

Confused phenomena are like a parade of happiness and misery:

Once good and bad have individually arisen they perpetuate themselves.

In actuality they remain unborn; in essence they neither pass away nor change—

Know this thoroughly and straight away.

 

Intellectual understandings are like the quarrels of foolish men:

There is nothing substantial to them.

Divisive notions have introduced a split and

Principled attitudes will take good and bad to be separate—

Know equanimity straight away.

 

Generosity is like a precious treasure:

Inexhaustible, increasing ever more, the cause of good fortune.

To the field of merits, whether they are lessor, common or superior—

Give what is deserving straight away.

 

Discipline is like a fine, clean carriage:

The ladder for climbing up to higher realms or to the fortress of happiness.

Restraint, adherence to the dharma, and aiding all beings—

Let these qualities abide in yourself straight away.

 

Patience is like the undisturbed ocean:

It cannot be perturbed by harm; it is the best rigorous training,

Accepting frustrations and developing a sense of compassion—

Accustom and familiarize yourself with patience straight away.

 

Diligence is like a blazing bonfire:

Burning away the unsuitable, it rushes towards wholesomeness.

Neither idle, unconcerned, nor lazy—

Realize this path towards deliverance straight away.

 

Concentration, unswerving, is like the king of mountains:

Unshaken by dualistic fixations, undistracted in the presence of objects,

Wherever it is firmly settled, it cannot be upset by anything—

Familiarize yourself with it straight away.

 

Discerning intelligence is like the sun's great sphere:

Dispelling the darkness of mind's murkiness and causing the dharma to shine,

Elevating the sublime island of liberation and drying up the ocean of evil—

Intensify it straight away.

 

Skillful Means is like a sea captain in charge of his precious cargo:

With it you cross the ocean of suffering, go to the island of utter bliss, and

Realize the three sublime kayas whereby the two-fold aim is spontaneously fulfilled—

Benefit others by skillful means straight away.

 

Strength is like a hero conquering his enemies:

It overcomes the army of disturbing emotions and proceeds towards enlightenment.

Since strength does not admit of hindrances, and by it goodness will reach its pinnacle—

Develop it in yourself straight away.

 

Aspiration is like the wish-fulfilling jewel:

All desires are granted and bliss grows naturally.

It puts the mind at rest and fulfills one's hopes—

Give prayer its great chance straight away.

 

Timeless wisdom is like clouds gathering in the sky:

From the nourishing clouds of insight it lets fall the rain of prosperity and bliss,

And makes the crop of goodness prosper in all beings—

Make efforts to achieve this original wakefulness straight away.

 

Skillful means and discerning intelligence are like excellent steeds:

Never stumbling into worldliness or quiescence,

One's own and others' welfare is realized.

The five paths are traversed to their end,

And the three kayas are spontaneously accomplished—

Realize these two through your endeavors straight away.

 

Qualities conducive to enlightenment are like a highway:

This road has been and will be traveled by noble people throughout all time,

Beginning with the four essential recollections, there are thirty-seven factors  in all—

Make an effort to develop them straight away.

 

Kindness is like one's parents:

Caring ceaselessly for their children, the six kinds of beings.

Their love forever aids and enables success (in the dharma) to be realized—

Familiarize yourself with kindness straight away.

 

Compassion is like the Bodhisattvas, the Buddhas' spiritual heirs:

Clothed in the armor of diligence, they desire to free

Beings from suffering, as if the pain were their own—

Let compassion grow in yourself straight away.

 

Joy is like the considerate family elders:

Happy over the welfare of others,

They delight in providing for such benefits—

Attend intensively to rejoicing straight away.

 

Equanimity is like the level earth:

Without attachment or aversion to those near or far, and free from hardship,

Great bliss emerges from its everlasting evenness—

Familiarize yourself with equanimity straight away.

 

Aspiration and diligence, needed for realizing enlightenment, are like a true leader:

The helmsman, steering you to the island of deliverance where complete goodness is found,

Not deterred by worldliness, the value in others stands out—

Over and over again bring aspiration and diligence to life straight away.

 

Devotion is like the great ocean and the high seas:

Full of what is wholesome, maintaining one taste throughout,

Its waves of faith surge, never ceasing—

Let devotion swell in your heart straight away.

 

Dedication is like the inexhaustible treasure of the sky:

By dedicating everything to the realm of reality,

Wealth will not lessen but will grow even more.

Within the sole sufficient Dharmakaya, the other two kaya are spontaneously present—

Purify the three kayas from mind's substantiation straight away.

 

Rejoicing is like the vault of the sky:

Its merits are unlimited;

It is insubstantial and without pride,

Thoroughly unimpeded and unshakable

Let rejoicing grow on and on straight away.

 

Furthermore, mindfulness is like an iron hook:

It keeps in check the untamed, drunken elephant of mind.

Turning it away from evil and tying it to what is wholesome—

Let mindfulness reside in you straight away.

 

Alertness is like an attentive sentinel:

It does not offer the thief, non-virtue, a chance;

It is there to guard the wealth of goodness—

Have such alertness with you straight away.

 

Concern is like the world-encircling mountain:

It is safe from the thieving crowd of emotions

And it commands the army that defeats karmic actions—

Endeavor to guard the mind straight away.

 

Trust is like a fertile field:

It lets all aspirations grow into the harvest of enlightenment;

The field of bliss here and hereafter,

Trust always yields good fortune—

Let it increase straight away.

 

Generosity is like a lovely lotus pond:

What is genuine gathers there, delightful to behold.

It is true enjoyment; it is its own reward—

Let generosity bring joy to others straight away.

 

Pleasant speech is like the sound of thunder:

It captivates and pleases the minds of beings,

It reverberates around those to be taught and makes them feel happy—

Gladden others by singing their praises straight away.

 

Calm behavior is like a true sage:

Non-virtue ceases and people's trust increases.

Give up artificiality and make this natural discipline

Your supreme conduct straight away.

 

Sacred Dharma is like the Buddha's power:

In accord with everything, yet superior to all;

Similar to everything, yet dissimilar to all—

Let it reside in yourself straight away.

 

This precious human body, with its freedoms and endowments, is like a phantom house:

For a while it is there, but the time of collapse is uncertain.

It will not linger, you must part with it—

Remember this again and again, straight away.

 

Opportunities are unstable, like autumn clouds:

Their occasion is certain to dissipate;

They have no substantiality—

Thoroughly and from your heart understand this straight away.

 

All beings are transients, like past and future guests:

The old have gone; the young will also go.

This generation won't even last a hundred years—

Understand this thoroughly straight away.

 

The presence of this life is like a single day:

The presence of the bardo is like tonight's dream.

The presence of rebirth will come as quickly as tomorrow—

Deal with life's real meaning straight away.

 

When all that is important has been illustrated by appropriate examples,

To those who have firm faith, my exhortation is this:

"What has come together will have to separate."

Hence I shall not tarry, but will proceed to the island of deliverance.

Since no reliance can be placed on the phenomena of samsara

Let me sit down firmly on dharmata's unborn throne.

 

The apparent phenomena of this world are like a trickster,

A deceitful, wanton whore.

Since they turn the mind from virtue and cause the crowd of emotions to increase,

Send them far away and practice what is wholesome.

 

Without contentment, even 'wealth' is poverty.

The avaricious mind enjoys no satisfaction.

Contentment itself is the greatest wealth;

Even a little fills the mind with happiness.

 

Wine and lovers are the source of emotional turmoil.

Dismiss such thoughts which cause wantingness, clinging and attachment.

Set out to emulate the sages

And contemplate in mountain solitudes the value of peacefulness.

 

With mind focussed on virtue, day and night,

Renounce wrong doings and adopt what is beneficial, as the Buddha has advised:

Unswervingly practice what is wholesome.

Then you need not worry about death,

For things will develop as they should.

 

Through actions and prayers developed over a long period of time,

Learning and commitment naturally reside in the disciples who must eventually go their own ways.

So also teacher and disciple must part—

Know them to be like customers in a marketplace.

 

These words are spoken from the heart, for your sole benefit:

Give up the distractions and diversions of this life

Which are provided by country, property, friends and relatives,

And cultivate meditation in quiet places.

 

When nothing prevails anymore, and the time has come to pass on,

You need the dharma to be fearless of death.

Familiarize yourself with the profound quintessence of the guru's instruction.

Make endeavor to realize it straight away.

 

Exert yourself to accomplish this ultimate bliss, good through and through,

The very light within,

This mystery of this heart of hearts,

The most supreme, the path towards buddhahood within a single lifetime.

 

Seek the dharma which virtuous people transmit

By possessing the immortality-giving essence, dharmata's profound truth.

Experience it's unique meaning through the power of your endeavor

And quickly reach the citadel of the Victorious Ones.

 

Straight away bliss supreme is realized and

Even at a later time benefits accrue.

Strive from now on for the quintessence of dharma

With its vast qualities both seen and unseen.

 

The stars, attendants of the full moon in a cloudless sky, have assembled,

The Lord of stars himself is about to arise.

The lotus face of the Lord of Compassion is made even more beautiful

By the host of Dakas and Dakinis,

With their canopies, umbrellas, royal standards and courtly music.

Gently he breathes on me, intimating my acceptance.

 

The time has come to go;

Like a traveler, I must be on my way.

My joy in dying has been well earned:

It is greater than all the wealth in the ocean a merchant may have won, or

The godlike power of having conquered armies, or

The bliss found in meditation.

So I, Padma Lay Drel Tsal,  wait no longer,

But go to sit firmly on my seat in the bliss supreme that knows no death.

 

This life is finished, Karma is exhausted, what supplication could achieve has ended;

Worldliness is done with; this life's show is over.

Having realized, in one moment, the very nature of self-manifestation

Through the vast realms in the bardo,

I am close to taking up my seat at the beginning of all and everything.

 

The riches found in myself have made the minds of others happy,

Through this magic existence the opulence of the island of deliverance has been realized.

Having been with you, my excellent disciples, during this time,

I have been satiated with the joy of dharma.

 

Now that the connection with this life has lost its karmic power,

Do not lament about this beggar who died happily and unattached,

But constantly pray (that we be together in spirit).

 

These words spoken for your benefit

Are like a multitude of lotus flowers gladdening the bee-like faithful followers.

 

Through the good of these words may the beings of the three worlds

Go to the place of the origin of all and everything, Transcendence.

 

Editor's Note: The original translation of this teaching was done by Herbert V. Guenther and first appeared in Crystal Mirror V,  by Dharma Publishing, 1971. This present version was reworked and edited in Crestone, Colorado, September 2000.