Foundational Practices

~ t"el EXCERPTS FROM ~ ~

THE CHARIOT FOR TRAVELLING
THE SUPREME PATH
dBang.Phyug.rDo.rJ e
the IXth Karmapa
Published by
KAGYU KUNKHYAB CHULING
2865 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C.
(1976)
Ingrid McLeod
Printed in Canada by
DHARMADATA
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADA
Cover by Gerald Giampa, Cobblestone Press
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................ 7
Translator's Note ............................ , ................................. 11
The Chariot for TraveUing the Supreme Path .................. 13
General Foundations ......................................................... 15
Specitll Foundations ......................................................... . 17
Meditation on Vajrasattva ................................................ 23
Mandala Offering .............................................................. 27
Meeting the Lama's Mind ................................................. 33
Footnotes .......................................................................... 1;7
Appendix: The Mahamudra Transmission ....................... 51
5
INTRODUCTION
This booklet contains a translation of the part of The
Chariot for Travelling the Supreme Path which is used for
the foundational practices of the Karma Kagyu tradition of
Buddhism. If you intend to do these practices, there ~ r e a
number of things you should know;
First, there are two parts to the foundational practices.
The first is termed the 'general foundations', and consists of
the contemplation of four themes: the precious human
existence, death and impermanence, karma, and the
shortcomings of samsaric existence. Explanations of these
teachings, and of their role in Dharma practice, may be
found in Kalu Rinpoche's Foundations of Buddhist Medita-
tion, Jamgon Kongtrul's The Lamp of Certainty, or
Gampopa's The Jewel Ornament of Liberation. These four
contemplations will lead you to reappraise your ideas about
life, impress upon you life's transitory nature, and
encourage you to assume responsibility for your actions and
future. Such changes are essential if you are to practise
Dharma fruitfully. These contemplations may be utilized
by a n y o n e ~ but it is best to obtain clear instruction from a
qualified teacher if possible. If this is not possible, the three
books mentioned above provide accurate explanations of
these ideas.
The second part of the foundational practices is termed
the 'special foundations', and consists of several practices,
each of which is repeated one hundred thousand times.
These practices form the basis of vajrayana practice, and
should be done only with the permission of and instruction
from a lama. If you are interested in these practices, you
should have received the vow of refuge from a teacher of
7
Buddbjsm. Each vajrayana practice has three ceremonies
associated with it: initiation, authorization through reading,
and oral instruction (dbang, lung, khrid). Each ceremony is
administered by the student's lama. Through the associated
initiation, the student is brought to the point from which he
can proceed faithfully with the practice. The authorization
through a reading of the texts concerned with the practice
provides him with the support of the textual reference.
And through the oral instructions, his lama explains exactly
how the practice is done. Hence, the student is able to
achieve liberation. While there is no explicit initiation
connected with these foundational practices, you should
have received the initiation for one vajrayana practice
before you start. In addition, you must have the
authorization through reading and the oral instructions for
the text translated here.
Many people begin these practices with little idea of their
difficulty or the determination needed to complete them.
As a result, many have found them beyond their immediate
capabilities. The subsequent frustration and disappoint-
ment at not being able to do them can be very damaging. It
is important to complete them once you have indicated your
intention to do so. An old proverb is, "Better not to start,
but when started, better to finish". We do not mean to
intimidate people, nor to detract from these practices. The
fact is that they are. very demanding, both physically and
mentally, but they are extremely beneficial, as anyone who
has completed them will tell you. All of the great saints and
teachers of the past have done these mediations many,
many times.
Perhaps a few practical remarks may help. The first
practice is 'Going for Refuge and Engendering Bodhicitta',
and involves prostrations, the Refuge Prayer, and the
Bodhisattva Vow. You repeat the prayer of refuge while
prostrating your body and visualizing the sQurces of refuge.
8
The Bodhisattva Vow is repeated after each session of
prostrations, along with other prayers which your lama can
explain. A total of 111,111 prostrations are offered, and
111,111 refuge prayers are repeated aloud: one hundred
thousand comprise the main practice and the 11,111
complete it. Since you will probably do prostrations faster
than refuge prayers, some time needs to be spent
completing the refuge prayers after the practice of
prostrations is completed. You will need to have someone
show you how to do a prostration. It is better also to do
only a few -a hundred a day, for instance - until your
body becomes accustomed to the movement. Then you can
work up at your own rate. Most people use a mat for their
knees and body to fall on, and pads to help the hands slide.
If you are doing them on a wooden floor, make sure there
are no splinters. People often forget that, while doing
these prostrations, you are in fact standing before your
lama and all the sources of refuge. It is important to be
fully clothed, though loose-fitting garments will be more
comfortable. You may need something to drink during a
session, but you should not eat or talk until a session is
completed. Incidentally, in all practices, one time around a
rosary of 108 beads is counted as 100.
After completing the above practice, you commence the
meditation of Vajrasattva. The practice consists of
meditating while repeating in a low but audible voice the
long mantra of Vajrasattva a total of 111,111 times and the
short mantra a number of times (some teachers require six
hundred thousand repetitions of the short mantra). Only
the mantras that you do in a meditation session should be
counted in this practice. You may find it difficult to sit for
long periods of time, and you should exercise care. In all
these practices, you should not talk or eat during the
meditation session itself.
For mandala offerings, you will need a metal base,
9
preferably made of copper, silver, or gold. A mandala
offering consists of placing rice at various points on the
metal base while you repeat prayers and practise visualiza-
tions. The thirty-seven point mandala involves placing rice
at thirty-seven points on the base, and the seven-point
mandala at seven. The mandala base and your rosary are
held in your left hand, and your right hand places and
removes the rice. It is the shorter mandala offering which
begins, "Sa shi pu chu ... ", that is said 111,111 times, and
the longer mandala is done once after every hundred or five
hundred of the shorter. The rice should always be washed
and dried before offering, and changed for new rice as
frequently as possible. You should also be physically clean
when you do this practice.
The final practice is Lamai Naljor, or 'Meeting the Lama's
Mind'. The prayer beginning, "Lama rin po che ... ", is
repeated aloud 111,111 times, but there are additional
prayers and meditations you should learn from your lama.
Many teachers recommend that you do this practice in
retreat if possible.
For various reasons it is more practical for some people
to complete these practices over a long period of time by
doing some every day. Other people are able to devote
their full time and energy to them. Either way, you will
find that these foundational practices provide you with an
excellent basis for further meditation.
Ken McLeod
10
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
The boundless and compassionate buddha-activity of
Kalu Rinpoche and Dezhung Rinpoche has led many people
in North America to begin the foundational practices, or
sngon.'gro (pronounced Ngon-dro). I sincerely hope that
many people will be helped by this English translation of
the prayers for these practices. I have tried to translate as
closely as possible to the Tibetan, but it has been impossible
to provide comprehensible English in some cases. All
additions will be found in square brackets. I have sought to
clear up as many points as possible by consulting both Kalu
Rinpoche and Dezhung Rinpoche. My great thanks are
offered to these two wonderful teachers, who patiently
answered my many questions. I am very grateful to my
husband Ken, who contributed the introductions and notes,
and to Thomas Quinn, Richard Barron, and Joseph Duane
for their contributions to this work.
May many beings benefit from these practices.
11
Ingrid McLeod
Vancouver, B.C.
February 1976
KARMAPA XVI
THE CHARIOT FOR TRAVELLING
THE SUPREME PATH
by Wongchu Dorje
[This introduction is directed to people who would be doing
these practices together in a retreat.]
To the glorious, accomplished, and mighty Vajradhara,
the lord who pervades all lineages, the lama Karmapa,
To the origin of all mandalas, the yidam Vajrayogini,l
who expresses the splendour of existence and peace,
And to the transmuter of power, the creator of all buddha-
activity, the protector Berch en 2 and his consort,
This one-pointed meditator bows in faith; pray protect me
with your constant compassion.
13
Great is the flow of the river of blessings
Which rise from the tradition of the precious practice
lineage.
Having relied on many spiritual friends, I who have applied
this tradition
In order to engender bodhicitta,
[Have written) this Perfect Chariot for TraveUing the
Supre.me Path
By arranging clearly all these vajra teachings.
May all those who have the fortune to enter this path
Be not distracted, but persevere.
In order to carry these foundational teachings with you
all the time, the following points should be observed. When
you are roused by the sound of the drum which marks a
meditation period, arise in a manner that accords with your
outer precepts, whether they be the rules and discipline of a
full monk, novice monk, or lay student. Join the assembly
with the inner engenderment of both aspiring and
persevering bodhicitta, and pay obeisance to the recep-
tacles of the Three Jewels with faith. Sit, abiding by the
instructions and commitments of your vajra-teacher of the
secret way. Place yourself in position with your body in the
five-pointed posture for meditative stability. Settle evenly,
determined to practise the Dharma and to die unmoved by
the power of the eight worldly dharmas3. When you are
reciting these verses, do not let your attention wander, and
keep the sound and the meaning of the words inseparable.
14
THE GENERAL FOUNDATIONS
FOUR CONTEMPLATIONS TO TURN THE MIND TO
DHARMA
4
The Precious Human Existence
First, I consider this jewel [of a human form]
With its blessings and opportunities,
Obtained with difficulty, destroyed with ease;
I must make it purposeful!
Death and Impermanence
Secondly, the external world and all therein are
impermanent;
Particularly, the life of each being, which is like a water
bubble.
The time of my death is uncertain; my body will become
a corpse at death.
Since Dharma is beneficial then, I must practise diligently.
15
Karma, Cause and Effect
Thirdly, at death my own power is dispersed and karma
takes its course;
To overcome this, I have to cease doing evil and practise
virtue.
Bearing this in mind, I must examine my way of life daily.
The Shortcomings of Samsaric Existence
Fourthly, because I am continually tormented by the
three sufferings,
Homes, friends, joys, and possessions in the cycle of
existeqce
Are like a condemned man's feast before his being led to
his execution;
I must sever my attachments and strive vigorously for
enlightenment.
After these contemplations, the course of your experience
becomes receptive. You uriU tread the path to freedom
whatever happens. Now recite the instructions for 'Going
for Refuge and Engendering Bodhicitta'.
16
THE SPECIAL FOUNDATIONS
GOING FOR REFUGE
AND ENGENDERING BODHICITTA
Going for Refuge
Before me, in the centre o a lake, stands a wish-
fulfilling tree
With one root, one trunk, and five branches.
At the centre fork is a lion throne with a lotus and a sun and
moon disc.
Upon which sits my root lama as Vajradhara,
Surrounded by the Kagyu lamas.
In front of these are the yidams, to their right the buddhas,
Behind is the sacred Dharma, to their left the sangha,
And below the throne are all the protectors of the Dharma,
Each surrounded by a sea of attendants of his own kind.
On the verdant grass around the edge of the lake
Stand all my grandmothers, whose numbers are as limitless
as space.
With one-pointed minds, we all go for refuge and
engender bodhicitta.
17
I and all sentient beings, limitless as the sky; go for
refuge to all the glorious, holy lamas of the line and the kind
root lama, who is the embodiment of the form, speech,
mind, qualities, and activity of all the tathagatas of the ten
directions and the three times; who is the source of the
eighty-four thousand collections of the Dharma, and the
lord of all the noble sangha.
The Refuge Prayer
We go for refuge to . all the glorious, holy lamas.
We go for refuge to all the yidams and deities assembled
in the mandala.
We go for refuge to all the transcendent accomplished
conquerors, the buddhas.
We go for refuge to all the holy Dharma.
We go for refuge to all the noble sangha.
We go for refuge to all the noble dakas and dakinis,
protectors and guardians of the Dharma, who each
possess the eye of awareness.
PAL DEN LAMA DAM PA NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0
YIDAM CHIL KOR Jl LHA TSO NAM LA CHAP
SU CHI 0
SONG JAY CHOM DEN DAY NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0
DAM PE CHU NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0
PAW PE GEN DUN NAM LA CHAP SU CHI 0
PA WO KAN DRO CHU CHONG SUNG MAY TSO
YE SHAY JI SHEN DONG DEN P A NAM LA
CHAP SU CHI 05
This prayer is repeated 111,111 times.
18
The Bodhisattva Vow
And Engendering Bodhicitta
Until I reach the heart of enlightenment,
I go to all the buddhas for refuge.
Likewise, I go to the Dharma for refuge,
And to the assembly of bodhisattvas.
Repeat three times.
Just as the sugatas of former times engendered bodhicitta
And engaged themselves progressively in the
bodhisattva's training,
So now do I, for the benefit of beings, give rise
to bodhicitta
And apply myself, in stages, to such training.
Repeat three times.
Prayers of Rejoicing
This day my life is fruitful;
Having obtained a human existence,
Today I am born into the family of the enlightened.
Now I have become a buddha's son.
Henceforth, I shall do only
That activity which accords with this line,
So that no stain shall come to this faultless noble family.
Today, before the eyes of all the sources of refuge,
I have invited all beings to a banquet of the happiness
Of enlightenment and the approach to it.
Rejoice, you gods, titans, and others!
19
Prayer for Bodhicitta
Bodhicitta is precious.
May those who have not engendered this attitude now
engender it.
May those who have engendered it not destroy it.
May it ever grow and flourish.
May I, never lacking in bodhicitta,
Engage in bodhi conduct
And, being completely sustained by all the buddhas,
Come to abandon all evil action.
May all bodhisattvas fulfil their aspirations to benefit
beings.
May the intentions of the lords
Bring happiness to all sentient beings.
May all sentient beings be filled with bliss
And all the realms of evil existences be forever emptied.
May every prayer of all the bodhisattvas on every level
of enlightenment
Come to be fulfilled.
The Four Immeasurables:
Love, Compassion, Joy and Impartiality6
May all sentient beings find happiness and the cause
of happiness.
May they be free from sorrow and the cause of sorrow.
May they not be bereft of the supreme bliss which is free
from sorrow.
May they rest in great impartiality, free from attachment
and aversion to those near and far.
Repeat three times.
20
Finally, the sources of refuge melt into light and
merge with me.
Prayer for Dedicating Merit
Through the virtue of this practice,
May I quickly realize mahamudra:
And establish each and every being
In this same enlightened state.
21
V AJRASATTV A
MEDITATION ON VAJRASATTVA [DORJE SEMBA]
This meditation cleans away unwholesomeness and
limitations.
7
On a lotus and moon seat on the crown of my head
Sits my lama a ~ Vajrasattva, white in colour and wearing
ornaments.
He has one face and two hands, the right holding a vajra
And the left a bell, and he sits with legs folded.
A Prayer to Vajrasattva
My lama, [who appears as] Vajrasattva, pray clean away
and purify the mass of unskilful actions, limitations,
negligence, and transgressions of myself and all sentient
beings who are as limitless as space!
After this prayer, a hum upon a moon [appears] in
Vajrasattva's heart. The hum is encircled by the one-
hundred syllable mantra of Vajrasattva. From these
syllables, elixir continually flows. This elixir falls from his
form and enters my body through an aperture in the crown
of my head. As my body is filled with the elixir, all unskilful
a ~ t i o n , limitations, negligence, and transgressions are
washed away.
23
The One-hundred Syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva
OM BENZRA SATO SAMAYA
MANUPALAYA
BENZRA SATO TAYNO PATITRA DRIDHO MAY
BHAWA
SUTOKAYOMAYBHAWA
SUPO KAYO MAY JlHAWA
ANURAKTOMAYBHAWA
SARWA SIDDHI MAY TRAYATSA
SARWA KARMA SU TSA MAY TSITAM SHRIYA
KURUHOl\'1
HA HA HA HA HO BHAGAWAN
SARWA TATHAGATA BENZRA MA MAY MUNTSA
BENZRI BHAW A MAHA SAMAYA SATO AH
8
This mantra is repeated 111,111 times.
The Six-syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva
OM BENZRA SATO HUM
Then, joining your hands together at your heart, pray as
follows:
Oh lord, because of my delusion and ignorance
I have violated and broken my commitments.
Lama, protector, pray grant me refuge!
. 0 h lord, holder of the vajra,
Quintessence of great compassion,
Lord of beings, to you I go for refuge!
24
I confess and repent each violation and breach of the
commitments concerning form, speech, and mind, and the
root and branch commitments. I pray for your blessings to
purify me and wash away the entire mass of unskilful
actions, limitations, negligence, and transgressions.
Vajrasattva calls to me,
Melts into light, and is absorbed indivisibly into me.
The Prayer for Dedicating Merit
Through virtue of this practice,
May I quickly realize Vajrasattva
And establish each and every sentient being
In this same enlightened state.
25
A MANDALA OFFERING
MANDALA OFFERING
The mandala offering perfects the accumulations of merit
and awareness.
All the Jewels9 are gathered before me in the sky.
In the centre are the lamas;
To the front, right, rear, and left
Are the yidams, buddhas, Dharma, and sangha
respectively,
All with attendants of their own kind.
Filling the space among them is a sea of protectors.
Before me sits this supreme, perfect gathering.
The Thirty-Seven Point Mandala Offering
10
As you clean the mandala and remove all dust from it,
think that all the unwholesomeness and limitations of
yourself and others, gathered by holding [external oby"ects
to be real] and believing [mind to be an existent entity], are
being washed away.
Repeat the one-hundred syllable mantra of Vay"rasattva:
OM BENZRA SATO ... etc.
27
Place some grain at each of the appropriate points while
you visualize each point and recite its name.
OM BENZRA BHUMI AH HUI\1
The completely pure basis is a foundation of mighty gold.
OM BENZRA REKAY AH H0
A wall of iron mountains forms a complete circle, at the
centre of which stands the king of the mountains, the
perfect Meru.
To the east, Lu Pakpo; to the south, Dzambuling;
To the west, Balongshu; to the north, Draminyen;
Lu and Lu Pak, Ngayap and Ngayapshen,
Y oden and Lamchodro, Draminyen and Draminyenjida.
The mountain of jewels,
The wish-fulfilling tree,
The cow that grants wishes,
And the grain that needs no toil.
Precious wheel, precious jewel, and precious queen,
Precious minister of state, and precious elephant,
Precious steed, and precious general.
A vase of riches.
A maiden of laughter, a maiden with garlands,
A maiden ofsong, a maiden of dance,
A maiden with flowers, a maiden with incense,
A maiden with radiant light, and a maiden with perfumed
water.
The sun and the moon.
The precious umbrella,
And the banner which is totally v'ictorious in every quarter.
28
In the middle, all openly arranged, is the perfect collection
of the glorious wealth of gods and men, nothing lacking,
Overflowing, surpassing in amount the drops of water in
the ocean.
All this I offer to you, the lamas, yidams, buddhas,
bodhisattvas, dakas, dakinis, and the host of protectors.
Please accept my offering with regard for all beings'
welfare,
And then bestow your blessing.
This foundation I sprinkle with fragrant water and flowers,
And adorn with the perfect mountain, the four continents,
the sun, and the moon.
May my offering of this imagined buddha's realm
Establish all beings in a realm of total purity.
To you, the buddhas and bodhisattvas abiding
In the ten directions and the three times,
And the lamas, masters of vajrayana,
And you, the yidams and surrounding attendant deities,
And all the sugatas of the three times,
To you, all supreme ones, I humbly offer
The four continents and the perfect mountain;
I offer a billion sets of continents,
And a trillion, and a quadrillion, all included in one
mandala!
I pray that you accept this offering with concern and love,
And then bestow your blessing.
OM MANDALA PUDZA MAYGA SAMUDRA
SAP ARANA SAMAYE AH HU
As I have offered this excellent and pleasing mandala,
May obstacles not arise on the path to enlightenment.
29
May I realize the intentions of the enlightened ones of
the three times,
And neither being deluded in samsara nor resting in
nirvana,
May I release all beings limitless as the sky!
The Seven-Point Mandala Offering
This foundation I sprinkle with fragrant water and flowers,
And adorn with the perfect mountain, the four continents,
the sun, and the moon.
May my offering of this imagined buddha's realm
Establish all beings in a realm of total purity.
SA SHI PU CHU JU SHING MAY TOK TRAM
RI RAP LING SHI NYI DAY JEN PA DI
SONGJAYSHINGDUMIKTAYPULWA YI
DRO KUN NAM DASHING LA CHU PAR SHO
This prayer is repeated 111,111 times.
To you, the multitude of lamas who have perfectly
realized the three kayas,
I have offered the outer, inner, secret, and ultimate
offerings.
Please accept now my body, possessions, and all
phenomena,
And bestow upon me perfect mastery.
I pray, grant me the accomplishment of a mahamudra.
I dedicate to perfect enlightenment
All virtue, however little, that I have gathered
Through homage, offering, confession,
Rejoicing, entreaty, and supplication.
30
I have offered all the limitless riches belonging to myself
and others,ll
All beings are completely filled with the accumulations;
The assembled field melts into light and I become of
like value.
Prayer for the Dedication of Merit
Through the virtue of this practice,
May I quickly realize mahamudra
And establish each and every sentient being
In this same enlightened state.
31
0
@
VAJRADHARA
MEETING THE LAMA'S MIND
Practise this meditation one-pointedly, without hesita-
tion or doubt that this is the greatest of aU practices,
particularly since the Dakpo Kagyu expertise is faith and
respect.
On the crown of my head, on a lotus and sun and
moon seat,
Is my root lama as Vajradhara.
He is richly adorned, and his hands, holding a vajra
and bell,
Are crossed in the .mudra of union.
An ocean of Jewels and the transmission lamas seated
on vajra-thrones12
Are clustered in tiers above him.
OM
Oh pervading lord}-3 whose nature is that of all phenomena,
Non-abiding, neither coming nor going, like space,
Not identified by signs of arriving or departing;
Who appears wherever imagined, like the moon's
[reflection] in water;
33
Oh glorious heruka, subduer bf antagonistic forces,
Oh lamas, yidams, dakinis, and attendants,
Right now, as my faith brings forth this prayer,
Please, through the force of your non-conceptual com-
passion, appear to me!
To you, the epitome of the buddhas of the three times,
Who proceeds from the supreme citadel of the realm of
totality,
To you, who clearly shows mind-itself as dharmakaya,
To you, my glorious and sublime lama, I pay homage.
In praise I present all offerings
Of my body, possessions, and imagined things.
I confess all past unskilful actions;
Henceforth, I will commit no evil.
I rejoice in the virtue of all beings,
And dedicate [all merit] as cause for supreme
enlightenment;
I entreat the buddhas to be present
And not to dissociate themselves from misery;
I urge them to turn the Dharma wheel of the
insurpassable perfect vehicle.
[Oh my lama,} bestow upon me the blessing of true
realization,
The realization of all the victors and their sons:
The perfection of impartial love and compassion
And ultimate, co-emergent awareness.
Inspire the realization of the apparent body as
nirmanakaya,
Inspire the realization of life's energy as sambhogakaya,
Inspire the realization of mind itself as dharmakaya,
And grant your blessing that the three inseparable
kayas
14
appear!
34
The Prayer to the Lamas of the Mahamudra Transmission
To glorious Vajradhara, who permeates all things,
To Lodru Rinchen, the mighty one of the tenth stage,
To Saraha, foremost of masters in the Holy Land,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To noble Ludrub, who sees the significance of phenomenon-
in-itself, l5
To splendid Shawari, who has attained mahamudra,
To lord Metripa, who sees the essential meaning,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To Lodrakpa, lord over oceans of tantra,
To noble Mila, foremost of masters in the Land of Snow,
To glorious Gampopa, who was prophesied by the Victor,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To Dusum Chenpa,lord of buddha-activity,
To Drogon Raychen, master of extraordinary powers,
To Porn Trakpa, the victor's son who has mastered
development and perfection,
With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me
co-emergent awareness.
To glorious Karmapa [Karma Pakshi], who tames those
difficult to tame,
To the master Orjenpa, who attained the two siddhis,
To Rong Jungwa, who is master of the world's doctrine,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
35
To Yung Tonpa, the sovereign of vajrayana,
To Rolpai Dorje, the jewel of the world,
To the master Kasho Wongpo, who realized the
existentiality [of mind],
With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me
co-emergent awareness.
To the Dharma Lord, Dayshin Shekpa, who crowns
the emperor [of China),l6
To Ratnabhadra, skilled and learned,
To Tongwa Donden, the splendour of samsara and nirvana,
With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me
co-emergent awareness.
To Jampal Zangpo, who is truly Vajradhara,
To Paljor Dondrub, the embodiment of compassion,
To Chudrak Jamtso, the source of inspirational blessings,
With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me
co-emergent awareness.
To the saintly lama without equal, the lord of Dharma,
Who is renowned as Tashi Paljor,
And to Chudrak Palzang, who emanates at will,
With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me
co-emergent awareness.
To the lord Shamar Chupendzin, who is Amitahba,
And to Wongchu Dorje, lord of all mandalas!
7
The Karmapa who is a perfect king, lord over the six
families of beings,
With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me
co-emergent awareness.
36
To [Chuchi Wongchu], the bearer of the blessings and
signs of Amitabha,
And to Chuying Dorje, who becomes the immutable
[fusion of means and wisdom]
By enthroning "Warn" [the symbol of bliss]
Upon "Ay", the lion throne of mahamudra [the symbol
of emptiness],
With humblest reverence, I pray: bestow upon me
co-emergent awareness.
To Yeshey Nyingpo, the perfect nirmanakaya,
The vajra mind embracing [emptiness and bliss] in a
lattice of miraculous appearances,
Who is Garji Wongchu, lord of the tantra as result,
V ajradhara,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To Yeshey Dorje, the essence of all kings,
Who is the form of co-emergent awareness, the union
of bliss and emptiness,
Who revels in the dance of the invincible vajra,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To [Palchen Chuchi Dondrub], the one in whom the two
aims are fulfilled through perfect realization,
Whose expertise and understanding arise from full
examination
Of both the vast and the deep aspects of the Dharma,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the all-knowing lama, Jongchub Dorje,
The pervading lord, the original protector who, from the
realm of totality,
Displays the dance of the four inseparable vajras!8
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
37
To Vajradhara, embraced by the beauty of utter emptiness,
Who binds mutable bliss to the path of retention,
The Yogin Tenpai Nyinjay,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the intrepid Dutsok Dulwai Dorje,
Who, truly seeing that which is the indestructible pith,
Became master in the perfection of unchanging awareness,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the glorious Mipam Chudrub Jamtso,
Who is the play of compassion, teaching the Dharma
Appropriate to the interests, capabilities, and
temperaments of his students,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the lord of all familjes, Payma Nyinjay,
Who, [realizing) the sameness of samsara and nirvana,
[dwells in) uncomposed bliss
And makes perfectly evident [to others) what is ultimate,
the dharmakaya in its immediacy ,19
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the sun of all beings, Tekchok Dorje,
Whose perfected awareness and intention are of sky-
like clarity,
Whose radiance of boundless compassion permeates all,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the buddha Yonten Jamtso,lord and teacher,
V ajradhara of the five kayas,
To whom the meaning of mahamudra, that bliss and
emptiness are inseparable, is truly apparent,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
38
To Kachab Dorje, whose compassion is measureless,
Vajradhara, the pervading lord, free in original vastness,
The Karmapa whose form the buddhas of three times
compose,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To Payma Wongchok, whose depth [of scholarship]
and clarity [of exposition] are unequalled,
Whose emanations in the vastness of Maitreya's heart
pervade all realms,
The emissary of Padma [Sambhava], the protector of
beings and of the Victor's teachings,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the unequalled and sublime Jamgon Chentsay Ozer,
Who [abides] in the fullness of the realm of totality,
non-referential awareness and emptiness,
The protector of the teachings of the meditative
tradition, an emanation of V airocana,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To Norbu Dondrub, lord of realization,
Who understands the existentiality of ultimate
dharmakaya,
Whose aggregated form melted into a rainbow's realm,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
To the kind one who points out the naked essence of
mahamudra,
Existentiality as foundation, path, and result;
To my root lama, who is truly all buddhas,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
39
To the yidams and assembled dieties who confer the
two attainments,
And the gathering of Dharma protectors, lords of all
activity,
And the amassed ocean of deities committed to serve,
I pray: bestow upon me co-emergent awareness.
By the blessings of such prayer,
May I realize mahamudra as basic condition:
The basis of all, yet free from such [concepts] as existing or
not existing
And from positing, negating, accepting, or rejecting
anything in samsara or nirvana.
May mahamudra as path become apparent:
The path which completely surpasses destination, traveller,
or path,
Which neither rejects the obscured, obscurations, or the
obscuring,
Nor conceptualizes the realized, realizer, or the realizing.
May mahamudra as result become apparent:
Result which is the inseparability of basis and result,
with neither rejection nor attainment,
With no conceptualization of goal, attainer, or attaining,
Not existing, yet the nature of all that is.
40
A Prayer to the Kagyu Lineage
To great Vajradhara, Tilopa, Naropa,
Marpa, Mila, and the lord of Dharma, Gampopa,
Omniscient Karmapa, who knows the three times,
To those upholding the "four great" and "eight small"
traditions,
The lamas of Trikung, Talung, Tsalpa, the glorious
Drukpa, and others,
Those of the Dakpo Kagyu, the unequalled lords of beings,
Masters of the deep path of mahamudra, I pray!
I follow the tradition of the Kagyu lamas!
Bless me with liberation!
Disenchantment and revulsion, it is taught, are the
legs of meditation;
Bestow the blessing which dispels the yearning for wealth
and prestige
To this meditator, who severs ties in this life,
And longs not for wealth and sustenance.
Respectful devotion, it is taught, is the head of meditation;
Bestow the blessing of reverence and devotion
To this meditator, who unceasingly prays
To his lama who opens the doors to the treasury of
instruction.
Unwavering attention, it is taught, is the main body
of meditation;
41
Bestow the blessing that meditation be free of
intellectualization
To this meditator, for whom, resting in uncontrived
thatness,
The essence of any thought which arises is fresh.
The essence of conceptual thought, it is taught, is
dharmakaya;
Bestow the blessing of the realization of the indivisibility
of samsara and nirvana
To this meditator, for whom whatever arises, though
being no thing,
Appears as an uninterrupted play.
My mothers, all sentient beings as limitless as space,
pray to my lama, the precious buddha.
My mothers, all sentient beings as limitless as space,
pray to my lama, the all-pervading dharmakaya.
My mothers, all sentient beings as limitless as space,
pray to my lama, the blissful sambhogakaya.
My mothers, all sentient beings as limitless as space,
pray to my lama, the compassionate nirmanakaya.
KARMAPA CHENO Repeat a number of times.
42
The Six-fold Prayer to One's Lama
To my precious lama, I make this prayer:
Grant me the blessing of dispensing with ego-clinging.
Grant me the blessing of a personality free from wanting
things.
Grant me the blessing of the cessation of materialistic
thoughts.
Grant me the blessing of the realization that mind-
itself is unborn.
Grant me the blessing of intrinsically dispelling
bewilderment.
Grant me the blessing of the realization of phenomenal
existence as dharmakaya.
LAMA RIN PO CHELA SOL W A DEP
DA DZIN LO YI TONG WAR JIN JI LOP
GUMAY JULACHAYWARJIN JILOP
CHU MIN NAM TO GAK PAR JIN JI LOP
RONG SEM CHAY MAY TOK PAR JIN JI LOP
TRUL W A RONG SAR SHI WAR JIN JI LOP
NONG SI CHU KUR TOK PAR JIN JI LOP
This prayer is repeated 111,111 times.
Splendid, sublime lamas, please confer upon me
The four initiations which make me spiritually mature!
Bless me with the rapid fruition of the four tantras!20
Please grant me with the attainment of the four kinds of
activity!
43
The moment I make this supplication,
The radiance of all the attendants dissolves into the form
of the lord,
Who is the embodiment of all Jewels.
Clearly apparent is my lama's form.
White light shines from his forehead;
As it is absorbed into mine, all limitations of body
are removed.
I receive the vase initiation, empowering meditation
on the stage of development,
And have the fortune to attain nirmanakaya.
Red light shines from his throat;
As it is absorbed into mine, all limitations of speech
are removed.
I receive the secret initiation, empowering meditation
on channels and winds,
And have the fortune to attain sambhogakaya.
Blue light shines from his heart;
As it is absorbed into mine, all limitations of mind
are removed.
I receive the wisdom-awareness initiation, empowering the
integration of a.spects [of enlightenment] in meditation,
22
And have the fortune to realize dharmakaya.
White, red, and blue lights shine from his three sources;
As they are absorbed into my three corresponding points,
all stains <>f the three gates23 are removed.
Through the fourth initiation, I am empowered to meditate
on mahamudra,
And have the fortune to realize svabhavikakaya.
44
My lama dissolves into light; as he is absorbed into me,
My body, speech and mind become inseparable from
The lama's three vajras, and become of like value.
With three points in mind,
24
liberation is spontaneous.
Prayer for the Dedication of Merit
Through the virtue of this practice,
May I quickly realize mahamudra
And establish each and every being
In this same enlightened state.
45
FOOTNOTES
1. Vajrayogini is the principal yidam of the Karma Kagyu
tradition.
2. Berchen (Ber.Nag.Chen) is a special form of Mahakala, and is
the principal protector of the Karmapas.
3. The eight wordly dharmas are: gain, loss; defamation, eulogy;
praise, ridicule; sorrow, joy.
4. bLo.lDog.rNam.bZhi. These four contemplations constitute the
basic preparation for the practice of Dharma. Commentary on
these contemplations may be found in:
Writings of Kalu Rinpoche, trans. K. McLeod.
The Lamp of Certainty, by Jamgon Kongtrul, trans. J.
Hanson.
The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, by Gampopa, trans. H.V.
Guenther.
5. See footnote eight for pronunciation.
6. bTang.sNyoms. This word can be translated by "impartiality"
or "equanimity". On the one hand, it signifies the lack of
discrimination denoted by impartiality, and on the other hand,
the freedom from disturbance of equanimity. However, it
does not carry the detachment associated with equanimity, nor
the coldness associated with impartiality.
7. sDig.Sgrib. The first syllable refers to the unskilful actions
which characterize and perpetuate samsaric existence. Spe-
cifically, it means all actions which arise from emotionality -
the ten non-virtuous acts, violation and breaking of ordination
and such. The second syllable refers to the limitations on one's
understanding, personality, or capabilities. Some of these
limitations originate from previous actions; others, such as the
limitations of emotionality and that of ignorance, are deeper.
8. The pronunciation given here is a Tibetan pronunciation of the
Sanskrit syllables of the mantra. Though there is among
Tibetans a wide variation in the pronunciation of this mantra;
please note that all A's are long as in "father", and all U's are
long as in. "boot". Since many lamas recommend the use of the
47
original Sanskrit pronunciation, we reproduce this below:
Ol'sl VAJRASATI'VA SAMAYAM ANUPALAYA
VAJRASATI'VA TVENOPATI:;iTHA ME BHAVA
ME BHA VA SUPO:;>Yo ME BHAV A
ANURAKTO ME BHAVA SARVA SIDDHIM ME
P,RAYACCHA SARYA KARMA SUCA ME _
SREYAij KURl! HU HA HA HA _HA HOI:I BHAGA
SARVA VAJRA M4 ME MUNCA VAJRI
BHA VA MAHASAMAYASA TTV A Al:l
9. "Jewels" here refers to all the sources of refuge as in the
meditation on 'Going for Refuge'.
10. The mandala that you offer is an ideal universe arising from
your imagination. It is ideal in the sense that it is a realm of
limittess beauty, free from emotionality or suffering, i.e., a
buddha realm. The universe is offered in this particular form
(the details of which are found in Abhidharma literature)
because it is aesthetically pleasing in its composition, symmet-
ry, and richness.
11. The idea of offering wealth which belongs to others may seem
strange. It should be remembered that these offerings are
imagined, and hence can be offered freely with no sense of
pride or attachment. These kinds of offerings are limited only
by your imagination.
12. The term "vajra-throne" is significant on three levels. Out-
wardly, it refers to the place where Buddha Shakyamuni
attained full enlightenment. Inwardly, it refers to the
seven-pointed posture of Vairocana, the traditional position for
meditation. Esoterically, it refers to buddha-nature (tathagata-
garbha) and its realization.
13. The terms "Kun.bDag" (lord of all) and "Khyab.bDag" (pervad-
ing lord) are generally synonymous. Both refer to Vajradhara,
who is the buddha of all buddha-families, and hence pervades all
of them.
14. The three kayas comprise buddhahood. Just as a person exists
in a physical framework, communicates, and is conscious, and
these three aspects are inseparable, so a buddha is nirmana-
kaya, sambhogakaya, and dharmakaya. The term 'svabhavika-
kaya' indicates that these three aspects are inseparable in a
buddha.
15. Chos. Nyid. A term which is practically synonymous with
e.mptiness, but emphasizes the immediate nature of emptiness.
48
16. The fifth Karmapa journeyed to China and became the lama of
the emperor. The emperor was a man of such great merit that
he could see the Black Crown of the l(armapas on Dayshin
Shekpa's head. He asked Karmapa for permission to make a
replica of it, which the Karmapas would show for the benefit of
all sentient beings. The Tibetan is ambiguous, and can be
interpreted as a play on words: . the fifth Karmapa crOWIJS the
emperor, since he is the emperor's lama; on the other 'hand,
through "his gift, the emperor crowns Karmapa.
17. While Wongchu Dorje composed the original text, each lama
after him added a stanza of praise to his own lama. This
prayer includes the complete line of transmission down to Kalu
Rinpoche's own lama, Norbu Dondrub.
18. The four vajras are the vajra of form, the vajra of speech, the
vajra of mind, and the vajra of transcending awareness.
19. The Tibetan uses the metaphor "one's own face" to express the
'immediacy' of dharmakaya, i.e., that dharmakaya is as "close
as your own face". Payma Nyinjay, having realized "his own
face", is able to point out dharmakaya to others.
20. The four tantras are: tantra as action, tantra as enrichment,
tantra as meditative absorption, and tanira as supreme
meditative absorption.
21. The four kinds of buddha-activity are activity which pac:ifies,
develops, subdues, and destroys.
22. This initiation enables the student to integrate such aspects of
enlightenment as understanding and skill in means, compassion
and emptiness.
23. The three gates are the physical, verbal, and mental facets of
being.
24. The three points are: all form is the lama's form; all sound his
speech; all thought his mind.
49
VAJRADHARA
APPENDIX
THE LAMAS OF THE MAHAMUDRA TRANSMISSION
In some places in the prayer to the mahamudra lamas, it
is difficult to ascertain immediately to whom particular
lines or stanzas are directed. Many of these lamas were
kndwn by several names; by their incarnation lineage, or by
other means. The table below includes each lama's name as
it appears in the prayer, other names in parentheses, and
his incarnation lineage. It is strictly chronological in the
sense that each lama was a student of the preceding lama.
Lama's Name
r Do.rJ e.'Chang
bLo.Gros.Rin.Chen
Sa.Ra.Ha
kLu.sGrub
Sha.Wa.Ri
Mai.Tri.Pa
Lho.Brag.Pa
(Mar.Pa.Lo. Tsa.Ba)
Mi.La.Ras.Pa
sGam.Po.Pa
Dus.gSum.mKhyen.Pa
'Gro.mGon.Ras.Chen
sPom.Brag.Pa
Karma.Pakshi
O.rGyan.Pa
(Rin.Chen.dPal,
mGon.Po.rDo.rJe)
Approximate
Pronunciation
Dorje Chang
Lodru Rinchen
Sarah a
Ludrub(Nagarjuna)
Shawari
Metripa
Marpa the Translator
Milarepa
Gampopa
Dusum Chenpa
Drogon Rechen
Porn Trakpa
Karma Pakshi
Orjenpa Rinchen-pal
51
Incarnation
Lineage
Vajradhara
Karmapa I
Situ I
Karmapa II
Lama's Name Approximate Incarnation
Pronunciation
Lineage
Rang.Byung.Ba Rongjung Dorje Karmapa III
(Rang.Byung.rDo.rJe)
gYung.sTon.Pa Yung Tonpa
Rol.pa'i.rDo.rJe Rolpai Dorje Karmapa IV
mKha' .sPyod.dBang.Po Kasho Wongpo Shamar II
De.bZhin.gShegs.Pa Dayshin Shekpa Karmapa V
Ratna.Bhadra Ratnabhadra
mThong.Ba.Don.lDan Tongwa 1Donden Karmapa VI
'Jam.dPal.bZang.Po Jampal Zangpo
dPal.'Byor.Don.Grub Paljor Dondrub Gyaltsab I
Chos.Grags.rGya.mTsho Chudrak Jamtso Karmapa VII
bKra.Shis.dPal.'Byor Tashi Paljor Situ IV
(Sangs.rGyas.mNyen.Pa)
Chos.Grags.dPal.bZang Micho Dorje Karmapa VIII
(Mi.bsKyod.rDo.rJe)
Zha,dMar.Cod.Pan.'Dzin Kencho Yenlak Shamar V
(dKon.mChog. Yan.Lag)
dBang.Phyug.rDo.rJe Wongchu Dorje Karmapa IX
Chos.Kyi.dBang.Phug Chuchi Wongchu Shamar VI
Chos.db Yings.rDo.rJ e Chuying Dorje Karmapa X
Yeshey Nyingpo Shamar VII
(Padma.Gar.Gyi.dBang.Phyug)
Ye.Shes.rDo.rJ e Yeshey Dorje
Karmapa XI
Chos.Kyi.Don.Grub Chuchi Dondrub Sl)amar VIII
Byang.Chub.rDo.rJ e Jongchub Karmapa .XII
bsTan.Pa' .Nyin.Byed Tenpai Nyinjay Situ VIII
(Si. Tu.Chos.Kyi. 'Byung.gNas)
bDud.'Dul.rDo.rJ e Dudul Dorje Karmapa XIII
Mi.Pham.Chos.Grub. Mipam Chudrub Shamar X
rGya.mTsho Jamtso
Padma.Nyin.Byed Payma Nyinjay Situ IX
Theg.mChog.rDo.rJ e Tekchok Dorje Karmapa XIV
Yon. Tan.rGya.mTsho Yonten Jamtso Kongtrul I
(bLo.Gros.mTha'. Yas)
mKha' .Khyab.rDo.rJ e Kachab Dorje Karmapa XV
Padma.dBang.mChog. Payma Wongchok Situ XI
rGyal.Po Jalpo
mKhyen.brTse'i.'Od.Zer Chentsay Ozer Kongtrul II
Nor.Bu.Don.Grub Norbu Dondrub
52